bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution of Linguistic Markers of Agency, Centrality and Content During Metacognitive Therapy for Psychosis: A Pilot Exploratory Study
Authors: Nikzad Amir H. , Lysaker Paul H. , Minor Kyle S. , Leonhardt Bethany , Liberman Mark Y. , Vohs Jenifer , Wiesepape Courtney N. , Tang Sunny X.
Published: November 2024

Aim

Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy (MERIT) is a form of person‐centred psychotherapy that promotes recovery‐oriented outcomes by targeting metacognitive capacity. Previous research has shown the feasibility and clinical benefits of MERIT. However, it is not clear whether and how the specific processes targeted by MERIT (e.g., improved sense of agency, self‐reflectivity, awareness of others, etc.) are manifested in the patient‐therapist communications. In this study, we used natural language processing (NLP) to explore objective linguistic markers of change during MERIT for early psychosis.

Methods

Five patients underwent 24 sessions each of MERIT, which were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts underwent NLP to determine the patterns of pronoun use and the frequency of semantic categories related to temporality and mental processing. Mixed linear regressions were used to examine how NLP features evolve over the course of psychotherapeutic sessions.

Results

Analyses detected shifts in specific language signals over time including (1) changes in patterns of pronoun usage with more active and central first‐person plural pronoun (We); (2) transition in temporal focus of speech from past‐focus towards present‐ and future‐focus and (3) increased words representing perceptual and cognitive processes.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest NLP can objectively quantify meaningful signals consistent with expected subjective changes in MERIT and potentially other psychotherapeutic interventions.
Sex and estradiol effects in the rodent dorsal striatum
Authors: Lewitus Valerie J. , Kim Jaekyoon , Blackwell Kim T.
Published: November 2024

17β‐Estradiol (E2) is a sex hormone that acts on many brain regions to produce changes in neuronal activity and learning. A key brain region sensitive to E2 is the dorsal striatum (also called caudate‐putamen), which controls motor behaviour, goal‐directed learning and habit learning. In adult rodents, oestrogen receptors (ERs) in the dorsal striatum are localized to the plasma membrane and include ERα, ERβ and G protein‐coupled ER (GPER). E2, either naturally produced or exogenously applied, may influence neuronal excitability, basal synaptic transmission and long‐term synaptic potentiation. These effects may be due to direct action on signalling pathways or may be due to changes in dopamine availability. In particular, estradiol influences dopamine release, dopamine receptor expression and dopamine transporter expression. We review the cellular effects that E2 has in the dorsal striatum, distinguishing between exogenously applied E2 and the oestrous cycle, as well as its influence on dorsal striatal‐dependent motor and learning behaviour.
Addition of Fe‐humic acids to overcome analytical issues in measurements of isotopically exchangeable P in soil
Authors: Degryse Fien , Tucker William , McLaughlin Michael J.
Published: November 2024

Isotopic dilution has been widely used to measure isotopically exchangeable phosphorus (P) in soil (E value), as a measure of potentially plant‐available P. However, in soils with low E values and/or strong P sorption, measurement of E values can be challenging due to very low solution concentrations and the interference of colloidal non‐exchangeable species, thus confounding the measurements in the soils of most interest. The addition of a complexing compound could increase solution concentrations and reduce these analytical issues, as has been found in the case of metals. Therefore, we investigated the addition of Fe‐humic acid (Fe‐HA) as a P‐complexing compound to the soil suspension prior to isotopic exchange. This results in the formation of P‐Fe‐HA complexes, thus increasing P solution concentrations by solubilizing P from the labile pool and reducing errors caused by suspended colloids. We used this method to measure E values in five soils with low P status, without or with the addition of carrier P. The addition of Fe‐HA (at 50 or 200 mg Fe‐HA/L to the equilibration solution) substantially decreased the measured E value without carrier P addition in four of the five soils, while there was no or little effect when carrier P was added. The higher Fe‐HA rate increased solution concentrations of stable and radioactive P more than the lower rate, but there was no significant difference in measured E values between the two Fe‐HA rates. The method was also applied to 15 subsoils with low P status. Overall, our results indicated that the addition of Fe‐HA provides an easy and robust way to avoid analytical issues in the determination of E values in soils with low concentrations of P in solution.
Measurement Must Be Qualitative, then Quantitative, then Qualitative Again
Authors: Ho Andrew D.
Published: November 2024

Educational measurement is a social science that requires both qualitative and quantitative competencies. Qualitative competencies in educational measurement include developing and applying theories of learning, designing instruments, and identifying the social, cultural, historical, and political contexts of measurement. Quantitative competencies include statistical inference, computational fluency, and psychometric modeling. I review 12 commentaries authored by past presidents of the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) published in a special issue prompting them to reflect on the past, present, and future of educational measurement. I explain how a perspective on both qualitative and quantitative competencies yields common themes across the commentaries. These include the appeal and challenge of personalization, the necessity of contextualization, and the value of communication and collaboration. I conclude that elevation of both qualitative and quantitative competencies underlying educational measurement provides a clearer sense of how NCME can advance its mission, “to advance theory and applications of educational measurement to benefit society.”
Spatiotemporal neurodegeneration of the substantia nigra and its connecting cortex and subcortex in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Wen Jiaqi , Duanmu Xiaojie , Tan Sijia , Wu Chenqing , Peng Xiting , Qin Jianmei , Guo Tao , Wang Shuyue , Wu Haoting , Zhou Cheng , Hong Hui , Yuan Weijin , Zheng Qianshi , Wu Jingjing , Chen Jingwen , Fang Yuelin , Zhu Bingting , Yan Yaping , Tian Jun , Zhang Baorong , Zhang Minming , Guan Xiaojun , Xu Xiaojun
Published: November 2024

Background and purpose

Neurodegeneration is uneven in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to investigate spatiotemporal neurodegeneration in functional subregions of the substantia nigra (SN) and their connected cortex and subcortex in people with PD.

Methods

A total of 120 patients with early‐stage PD, 45 patients with advanced PD, and 120 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. The SN, cortex, and subcortex were divided into sensorimotor, associative, and limbic regions, respectively. Iron deposition in the SN was assessed by quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Cortex and subcortex volumes were calculated based on T1‐weighted imaging. Region of interest (ROI) analysis and voxel‐based analysis (VBA) were performed to explore spatiotemporal neurodegeneration in patients with PD. p values were corrected for false discovery rate.

Results

In the ROI analysis, the QSM values for the limbic (p = 0.018) and sensorimotor SN subregions (p = 0.018) were higher in PD patients than in HCs, but were not higher in the associative SN subregion (p = 0.295). In VBA, all SN functional subregions had clusters with higher QSM values in PD patients than in HCs (p < 0.001). The limbic SN subregion was the only one in which iron deposition increased from early‐stage to advanced PD (p = 0.023). The QSM values of VBA_limbic, sensorimotor, and associative SN had subregion‐specific correlations with disease severity (p = 0.001 for the limbic and sensorimotor subregions, p = 0.003 for the associative subregion), motor symptoms (p = 0.057 for the limbic and sensorimotor subregion), and depression scores (p = 0.036 for the limbic subregion).

Conclusion

Iron deposition in SN functional subregions and atrophy of cortical and subcortical structures connected with the SN showed spatiotemporal selectivity. These findings reveal the potential pathogenesis of clinical heterogeneity in PD.
Plasma neuropeptide Y levels and adverse clinical outcomes after acute ischaemic stroke
Authors: Dong Wenjing , Lu Yaling , Long Jiayi , Peng Yanbo , Ju Zhong , Xu Tan , Zhang Yonghong , Zhai Guojie , Zhong Chongke
Published: November 2024

Background and purpose

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been reported to be involved in the pathophysiology of several cardiovascular disease processes and might contribute to the incidence of stroke, but the prognostic utility of circulating NPY after acute ischaemic stroke is unclear. This study aimed to prospectively examine the association between plasma NPY levels and adverse clinical outcomes after acute ischaemic stroke.

Methods

Plasma NPY levels were measured in 3250 patients (2066 men and 1184 women) from the China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischaemic Stroke. The primary outcome was the combination of death and major disability (modified Rankin Scale score ≥3) at 12 months after stroke onset, and secondary outcomes included major disability, death and cardiovascular events.

Results

During the 12‐month follow‐up, 702 participants (21.6%) experienced major disability or died. After multivariable adjustment, odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for the highest quartile of NPY was 1.56 (1.19–2.04) for the primary outcome, compared to the lowest quartile. Each standard deviation (0.27 ng/mL) higher log‐transformed NPY was associated with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.18 (1.07–1.30) for the primary outcome, 1.28 (1.15–1.42) for major disability. The addition of NPY to a conventional risk factors model improved risk prediction of the composite outcome of death and major disability (category‐free net reclassification index 8.82%, p = 0.040; integrated discrimination improvement 0.38%, p = 0.011).

Conclusions

Elevated plasma NPY levels in the acute phase of ischaemic stroke were associated with increased risk of poor clinical outcomes after ischaemic stroke, suggesting that plasma NPY may be a potential prognostic biomarker for ischaemic stroke.
Focal negative motor seizures: Multimodal evaluation
Authors: Di Giacomo Roberta , Colombo Rachele , Canafoglia Laura , Duran Dunja , Pastori Chiara , Stabile Andrea , Battaglia Giulia , Didato Giuseppe , Cuccarini Valeria , Deleo Francesco , Dominese Ambra , de Curtis Marco , Rossi Sebastiano Davide
Published: November 2024

This case report shows the importance of multimodal evaluation to formulate a proper diagnosis of negative motor seizures (NMSs). Only few reports in literature document NMSs with video‐electroencephalographic (EEG) and electromyographic coregistration. A multimodal evaluation is crucial to exclude common mimics and propose correct therapy. We describe a case of a 62‐year‐old man with drug‐resistant focal epilepsy and NMSs, evaluated with video‐EEG recording with polygraphy, magnetoencephalography (MEG), and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Video‐EEG monitoring showed 182 focal NMSs, with preserved awareness and comprehension. The patient reported complex paresthesia of the left hand followed by left facial grimace, left arm flaccid paralysis, and bradycardia. EEG showed ictal discharges in the right frontocentral region associated with sudden electromyographical silence in left limb muscles consistent with loss of tonic contraction from distal to proximal muscles of the arm. MEG localized the epileptic zone in the right opercular region, consistent with MRI evidence of type II cortical dysplasia in the right inferior frontal gyrus. Multimodal evaluation is essential to document the temporal relationship between ictal discharges, clinical onset of limb paresis, and electrophysiologic evidence of loss of tonic muscular contraction. It allows definition of the specific cortical area involved in NMSs, offering new insight into physiological brain functioning.
Effect of Surface Finish and Temperature on Low Cycle Fatigue Behavior of GRCop‐42
Authors: Demeneghi Gabriel , Gradl Paul , Diaz Agustin , Hazeli Kavan
Published: November 2024

This study investigates the impact of various surface finishes on the low cycle fatigue (LCF) properties of laser powder bed fusion GRCop‐42. The evaluated surfaces include as‐built, machined, and chemically polished finishes (1.0% and 2.0% ranges). LCF life of polished GRCop‐42 was assessed at cryogenic (−195°C), ambient, and elevated temperatures (200°C, 400°C, 600°C, and 800°C) across three strain ranges. Results indicate that surface finish has minimal impact on LCF life. Stress across different strain levels showed minimal effect of surface finish on cyclic hardening/softening. Cryogenic temperatures led to cyclic hardening followed by stabilization, while ambient and 200°C temperatures showed initial hardening followed by softening. At 400°C and above, specimens displayed continuous cyclic softening. Fractography showed that surface finish impacts plastic deformation: as‐printed and polished surfaces had brittle fractures, while machined specimens were ductile. Specimens at cryogenic and ambient temperatures exhibited brittle fractures, whereas those at elevated temperatures showed plastic deformation and microcracks.
Fine‐Grain Predictions Are Key to Accurately Represent Continental‐Scale Biodiversity Patterns
Authors: Cohen Jeremy M. , Jetz Walter
Published: November 2024

Aim

As global change accelerates, accurate predictions of species distributions and biodiversity patterns are critical to limit biodiversity loss. Numerous studies have found that coarse‐grain species distribution models (SDMs) perform poorly relative to fine‐grain models because they mismatch environmental information with observations. However, it remains unclear how grain‐size biases vary in intensity across space and time, possibly generating inaccurate predictions for specific regions, seasons or species. For example, coarse‐grain biases may intensify in patchy, discontinuous landscapes. Such biases may accumulate to produce highly misleading estimates of continental and seasonal biodiversity patterns.

Location

United States and Canada.

Time Period

2004–2021.

Major Taxa Studied

Birds (Aves).

Methods

We fit presence‐absence SDMs characterising the summer and winter distributions of 572 bird species native to the US and Canada across five spatial grains from 1 to 50 km, using observations from the eBird citizen science initiative. We combined these predictions to generate seasonal biodiversity estimates across the US and Canada, which we validated using observations from 322 independent sites.

Results

We find that in both seasons, 1 km models more accurately predicted species presence, absence and richness at local sites. Coarse‐grain models (even at 3 km) consistently under‐predicted range area, potentially missing important habitat. This bias intensified during summer (83%–86% of species) when many birds have smaller ‘operational scales’ via localised home ranges while breeding. Biases were greatest in desert regions with patchier habitat and for range‐restricted and habitat‐specialist species. Predictions based on coarse‐grain models overpredicted avian diversity in the west and underpredicted it in the great plains, prairie pothole region and boreal zones.

Main Conclusions

We demonstrate that coarse‐grain models can bias seasonal and continental estimates of biodiversity patterns across space and time and that grain‐related biases intensify during summer and in patchier landscapes, especially for range‐restricted and habitat specialist species at risk of population declines.
Looking From the Margins and the Making of Feminist Urban Worlds
Authors: Parikh Aparna
Published: November 2024

The field of feminist urban geography has shed light on the workings of power and its spatial manifestation at multiple scales. Weaving across this scholarship, I show that it is motivated by concerns about systemic hierarchies, emphasizes looking from the margins, and highlights alternative, emancipatory possibilities. First, these works show how patriarchal logics underpin institutional spaces and shape social norms that govern urban life in violent ways. Second, feminist scholarship has shown how the everyday lives of those at the margins can challenge and subvert a dominant making of boundaries between the public and private, or local and global. Third, they articulate how strategies to attain urban belonging, structured around commoning, care, and a call for freedom, can offer alternatives for just futures. Through a grounded understanding of everyday practices, this scholarship shows the significance of temporality in world‐making and complicates the notion of the urban as a site of aspiration. Moving forward, the field can be more attentive to how global urban margins hold promise in decentering power‐knowledge networks and showcase the place of the urban within center‐periphery relations. With this tool kit, feminist urban geography can provide provisional, conjectural possibilities to conceptualize more meaningful worlds.
Headaches in Sjogren's disease: A narrative review
Authors: Patel Pooja , Singh Swati , Zhang Pengfei , Rishty Shelly , Wang Shuwei
Published: November 2024

Objective

To review the most common types of primary and secondary headaches that are associated with Sjogren's disease (SjD).

Background

Sjogren's disease is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that typically presents with xerophthalmia, xerostomia, and arthralgias. Sensory and motor neuropathies are commonly reported neurological complications with SjD. Primary and secondary headaches are also frequent neurological complications associated with SjD, which may be under‐recognized.

Methods

In this study, researchers conducted a literature review through the platforms of PubMed and Google Scholar with the keywords: (1) Sjogren's syndrome, (2) Sjogren's disease, (3) headache, (4) migraine, (5) tension‐type headache, (6) aseptic meningitis, (7) cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, and (8) idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Included articles involved a study population of patients with both SjD and headache. There were no exclusion criteria. A total of 54 articles were identified, and 31 articles were utilized for study analysis.

Results

In patients with SjD, headaches were a frequently reported neurological complaint. The most common types of primary headaches associated with SjD were found to be migraine and tension‐type headache. Patients with SjD were more likely to report severe, debilitating headaches compared to the general population. Furthermore, patients with SjD have been found to experience dangerous types of secondary headaches, including aseptic meningitis and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

Conclusions

Headaches are a common neurological complication in patients with SjD. Current literature suggests that there is an increased risk of both primary and secondary headaches in individuals with SjD compared to the general population and that headaches may occur throughout the clinical course of the disease. There are also reports of patients who experience the onset of primary and secondary headaches prior to the diagnosis of SjD. SjD has been linked to dangerous, life‐threatening conditions that cause headaches, which require urgent recognition and treatment. Therefore, it is important to have a higher index of suspicion for patients who present with headaches and clinical symptoms of SjD, such as xerophthalmia and xerostomia. Utilizing a detailed history, physical examination, and neuroimaging can assist clinicians to recognize and diagnose types of headaches in patients with SjD to prevent dangerous complications.
Cultural Humility in Action: Learning From Refugee and Migrant Women and Healthcare Providers to Improve Maternal Health Services in Australia
Authors: Rambaldini‐Gooding Delia , Olcoń Katarzyna , Molloy Luke , Pitts Leissa , Lema Sofia , Baghdadi Eman , Williams Jane , Degeling Chris
Published: November 2024

Introduction

Access to culturally appropriate healthcare is vital to ensure refugee and migrant women receive optimal care, particularly during the perinatal period. Refugee and migrant women report lower satisfaction with pregnancy care due to language barriers and a perceived lack of understanding of their needs. The aim of this study is to explore how to improve the experiences of migrant and refugee women with maternal health services through the lens of cultural humility.

Methods

Working collaboratively with maternal health service providers and managers and local refugee and migrant women, this research project used a World Café methodology to provide these stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss maternal healthcare in the region. World Café participants (n = 34) included women from multicultural backgrounds (n = 20), maternal healthcare providers such as midwives, social workers and management (n = 5) multicultural healthcare providers (n = 7) and a community‐based birth educator (n = 1). Data were analysed thematically.

Results

A key finding of the World Café was the need for staff training that is co‐designed and co‐delivered with members of multicultural communities and healthcare providers to enhance the practice of cultural humility. Training should focus on women's stories that capture the cultural nuances around pregnancy and birthing, their support needs including trauma‐informed care, and the importance of effective cross‐cultural communication.

Conclusion

This research gave refugee and migrant women a voice in future decision‐making, specifically in maternal health staff training. The refugee and migrant women shared their perspectives on how to enhance cultural humility practices in maternity services for them. The research has led to opportunities such as community‐based antenatal classes and improvements in maternity services development strategies.

Public Contribution

The project actively engaged with maternal healthcare providers, multicultural and refugee healthcare providers and women from multicultural communities in the design of the project and as participants. Their expertise and experience have been invaluable and have informed pilot programmes that emerged from this study.
Understanding the Meaning of Loneliness and Social Engagement for the Workings of a Social Network Intervention Connecting People to Resources and Valued Activities
Authors: Band Rebecca , Rogers Anne
Published: November 2024

Background

Addressing loneliness, which is associated with poor mental and physical health, implicates the need for connectivity to a broad set of situated relationships and activities in the contexts of people's everyday lives. Social engagement has been identified as a relevant psychosocial mechanism mediating health and wellness and is central to addressing loneliness. The aim here is to explore the way in which people identified as lonely conceptualise their experiences of loneliness and social engagement for the purposes of incorporating these into the design and workings of an intervention that allows people to map their social networks and connect them to community‐based valued activities.

Methods

Semi‐structured qualitative interviews were undertaken with 20 participants, aged 21–82 years old (mean age 59.7) nested within a pragmatic, community‐based randomised controlled trial in the north and south of England. Participants had wide‐ranging social network sizes (from 1 to 10 individuals) and reported variable impact of loneliness on their lives.

Results

Loneliness consisted as an absence of intimacy in the face of being surrounded by others, a sense of entrapment and boredom, lacking access to meaningful activities and difficulties in relating to others. The analysis highlighted the role that important relationships have in mediating loneliness. Individual readiness, skills and confidence in forming new connections and engaging with new activities are important barriers that exist in overcoming loneliness. For many, wider socio‐political factors, such as transport provision, availability of resources and costs associated with social engagement are also important barriers which are difficult to overcome.

Implications

Exploring the link between feelings, experiences and meaning of loneliness and the way in which a network intervention can be incorporated offers a focus for mediating the richness and opportunities that arise from locality‐based connections and collective activities in the broader social environment. However, any intervention seeking to address loneliness requires a further focus on both individual and relational factors which might contribute to addressing loneliness and increasing a sense of wellness.

Patient or Public Contribution

The study team worked closely with community partner organisations in all aspects of this research, including, the submission of the funding proposal, development of the study protocol and procedures, recruitment, intervention deployment and assessment of implementation. PPI representatives provided advice on participant materials and interview schedules, and project management throughout and contributed to management and steering committee meetings.
CREATIVE DISINTEGRATION: THE PERPETUAL EMERGENCE OF MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT
Authors: HUNTER IAN
Published: November 2024

Michael Sonenscher's After Kant: The Romans, the Germans, and the Moderns in the History of Political Thought offers a rich overview of nineteenth‐century French, Swiss, and German political thought. The work's central argument is that modern political thought emerges in a series of attempts to close germinal “gaps” opened in the fabric of European intellectual life by Kant's philosophy and philosophical history. Less a narrative than a bricolage, the work consists of a myriad of intellectual cameos, walk‐on roles, philosophical speculations, and political and social theories whose detail threatens to overwhelm even the most assiduous reader. The most striking feature of Sonenscher's book, however, is its theoretical method. Measuring his distance from both dialectical philosophical history and Cambridge school contextualism, Sonenscher makes powerful use of a method of intellectual history whose last great exponent was Arthur Lovejoy. Under this method, political thought is neither governed by the telos of self‐consciousness nor explicable in terms of the historical circumstances in which it has arisen and whose uses and purposes it might serve. Instead, political thought “emerges” unforeseen from a condition of sheer metaphysical indeterminacy. This condition is brought about by the dissolution of prior conceptual oppositions in an amnesic maelstrom of inversions, arguments, and debates. New oppositions are then created through “chance and choice” only to disintegrate in their turn, leading to further cycles of destruction and recreation that Sonenscher calls “palingenesis.” This anti‐contextual method is responsible for the rich mosaic of intellectual fragments that the reader encounters in this engaging book. It is also responsible for the book's central shortcoming, for it renders the author oblivious to the way in which their impact on those forced to live and think through them makes historical circumstances resistant to their metaphysical liquefaction, with this in turn making Sonenscher heedless of the historian's duty to investigate these circumstances.
Unveiling the Influence of Emotion Regulation on Job Satisfaction, Job Effectiveness, and Psychological Well‐Being in Iranian University EFL Teachers: A SEM Analysis
Authors: Liu Gi‐Zen , Namaziandost Ehsan , Rezai Afsheen , Heydarnejad Tahereh
Published: November 2024

Emotion regulation plays a crucial role in shaping the professional efficacy of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in higher education. Despite this, examining how emotion regulation intersects with job satisfaction, job effectiveness, and psychological well‐being in university EFL teachers in Iran is largely under investigation. Addressing this gap, the present research integrates these four constructs (i.e., emotion regulation, job satisfaction, job effectiveness, and psychological well‐being) within the context of Iranian higher education. A sample of 418 university teachers participated in the study by completing four validated instruments: The Language Teacher Emotion Regulation Inventory, the Job Satisfaction Scale, the Teacher Effectiveness Scale, and the Psychological Well‐being at Work Scale. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) through SMART PLS3 revealed significant correlations between emotion regulation and job satisfaction, job effectiveness, and psychological well‐being in university EFL teachers. These findings highlight the importance of strong emotion regulation skills for improving EFL teachers' well‐being and job performance in higher education.
Philosophy and Theology in Hans Urs von Balthasar: Metaphysics and Kenosis
Authors: Ivandić Christian J.
Published: November 2024

This essay highlights Balthasar's kenoticism as the key notion that allows him to relate intimately but also to distinguish clearly between (metaphysical) philosophy and (Trinitarian) theology. Through a careful study of Balthasar's metaphysics and kenoticism, this essay shows that Balthasar's Trilogy develops, in light of its kenotic reading of the immanent Trinity, a kenotically expressed metaphysics. The result is a reciprocal elucidation between theology and philosophy and a genuinely Trinitarian ontology, that is, a deeply Trinitarian account of the metaphysical constitution of finite being that still distinguishes between the philosophical and the theological disciplines.
The importance of assessing and correcting hydration status prior to right heart catheterisation: a pilot study
Authors: Ratwatte Seshika , Cordina Rachael L. , Baker David , Lau Edmund , Celermajer David S.
Published: November 2024

We evaluated whether fluid status could be accurately assessed (and corrected if necessary) prior to right heart catheterisation (RHC), to diagnose accurately post‐capillary pulmonary hypertension (PHT) in patients with left heart disease risk factors. A non‐invasive measure of fluid status prior to RHC identified fluid‐depleted patients. Baseline RHC measurements were performed, and a novel provocation technique (passive leg raise) was compared to a ‘one‐dose‐fits‐all’ fluid challenge and found to be equivalent.
IRF5 Controls Plasma Cell Generation and Antibody Production via Distinct Mechanisms Depending on the Antigenic Trigger
Authors: Matta Bharati , Battaglia Jenna , Lapan Margaret , Sharma Vinay , Barnes Betsy J.
Published: November 2024

Elevated levels of serum autoantibodies are a hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and are produced by plasma cells in response to a variety of antigenic triggers. In SLE, the triggers are complex and may include both T cell‐dependent/‐independent and TLR‐dependent/‐independent mechanisms of immune activation, which ultimately contributes to the significant immune dysregulation seen in patients at the level of cytokine production and cellular activation (B cells, T cells, dendritic cells, neutrophils and macrophages). Interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) has been identified as an autoimmune susceptibility gene and polymorphisms in IRF5 associate with altered expression and hyper‐activation in distinct SLE immune cell subsets. To gain further insight into the mechanisms that drive IRF5‐mediated SLE immune activation, we characterised wild‐type (WT) and Irf5
−/− Balb/c mice in response to immunisation. WT and Irf5
−/− Balb/c mice were immunised to activate various signalling pathways in vivo followed by systemic immunophenotyping and detection of antibody production by multi‐colour flow cytometry and ELISPOT. We identified two pathways, TLR9‐dependent and T cell‐dependent that resulted in IRF5 cell type‐specific function. Immunisation with either CpG‐B + Alum or NP‐KLH + Alum but not with R848 + Alum, NP‐LPS + Alum or NP‐Ficoll+Alum resulted in decreased plasma cell generation and reduced antibody production in Irf5
−/− mice. Notably, the mechanism(s) leading to this downstream phenotype was distinct. In CpG‐B + Alum immunised mice, we found reduced activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells, resulting in reduced IFNα and IL6 production in Irf5
−/− mice. Conversely, mice immunised with NP‐KLH + Alum had reduced numbers of T follicular helper cells and germinal centre B cells with reduced expression of Bcl6 in Irf5
−/− mice. Moreover, T follicular helper cells from Irf5
−/− mice were functionally defective. Even though the downstream phenotype of reduced antibody production in Irf5
−/− mice was conserved between T cell‐dependent and TLR9‐dependent immunisation, the mechanisms leading to this phenotype were antigen‐ and cell type‐specific.
When Is the Still‐Face Not the Still‐Face: Mothers' Behavior in the Face‐to‐Face Still‐Face Procedure and Its Relationship to Infant Arousal
Authors: Mathur Shriya , Doyle Frances L. , Tang Janice , Klein Louis , Eapen Valsamma , Frick Paul J. , Kimonis Eva R. , Hawes David J. , Moul Caroline , Richmond Jenny L. , Mehta Divya , Dadds Mark R.
Published: November 2024

The Face‐to‐Face Still‐Face (FF‐SF) procedure has been a popular paradigm to understand infant behavior. The current study examines the validity of mothers' behavior during the Still‐Face phase of the FF‐SF, especially the quality of her neutral face and its impact on infant arousal (N = 358 ethnically‐diverse mother–infant dyads, Mean infant age = 223 days, SD = 27 days). Results showed that more than half of the mothers in the sample breached one or more Still‐Face phase instructions; however, mothers' breaches of the Still‐Face instructions were unrelated to infant arousal (Skin Conductance Responses) during the FF‐SF. Additionally, facial analysis revealed that along with a neutral quality to the Still‐Face, mothers also displayed significant levels of facial emotion during the Still‐Face phase. Higher levels of scared and/or sad expressions during the Still‐Face were associated with higher infant arousal during the Still‐Face phase. The current study helps us to understand the real‐life implementation of the Still‐Face during the Face‐to‐Face Still‐Face paradigm. Results indicate that mothers show considerable non‐compliance with Still‐Face phase instructions, and the infant arousal levels are associated with emotional expressions contaminating the quality of mothers' neutral faces.
Parent‐Reported Relations Between Vocabulary and Motor Development in Infancy: Differences Between Verbs and Nouns
Authors: Frewin Kelsey L. , Gerson Sarah A. , Vanderwert Ross E. , Gambi Chiara
Published: November 2024

During early development, increases in vocabulary are related to gains in motor ability, above and beyond the effects of maturation alone. However, little is known about the association between motor development and children's early acquisition of different types of words. We examined whether motor development is differentially associated with concurrent verb and noun vocabulary in 83 infants aged 6‐ to 24‐months‐old. We asked caregivers to complete parent‐report measures of vocabulary acquisition and motor development. Analyses revealed that the association between word comprehension and motor development significantly differed for verb and nouns. Infants' verb comprehension was more strongly associated with motor development than noun comprehension. We discuss how infants' own motor actions may provide cues that are especially important for narrowing down the meaning of novel verbs.
Professional Nursing Values in Nursing Students During Transitional Period to Nurses From the Perspective of Generation Z: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Lee Taewha , Ji Yoonjung
Published: November 2024

Aim

To investigate changes in professional nursing values during the transition from Generation Z senior nursing students to second‐year newly graduated nurses (NGNs).

Design

A longitudinal study with secondary data analysis.

Methods

A national‐level dataset for 2020–2023 from the New Nurse e‐Cohort Study was used, including a total of 366 participants aged 21–25 years (born after 1995) who graduated from nursing school in 2021. The Qualities of Nursing scale was used to measure professional nursing values. Generalised estimating equations were used for data analysis of professional nursing values at three different time points, once per year for 2020–2023.

Results

Compared with their senior nursing student selves, the greatest score decline appeared among first‐year NGNs; there was a slight increase during their second year as NGNs. Among values, professionalism, knowledge and good communication ranked first, second and third, respectively, across all 3 years, and dedication consistently ranked the lowest.

Conclusions

Understanding the changes in the professional nursing values of Generation Z nurses is essential for creating a supportive work environment that eases the transition and promotes successful integration into the nursing profession.

Implications

Nursing educators and clinical managers should identify the causes of value confusion during role transitions and implement interventions to support the adaptation of NGNs. Addressing generational value differences is also crucial to creating a harmonious work environment, enhancing job satisfaction and reducing turnover among Generation Z nurses.

Impact

This study contributes to the development of tailored strategies to support and retain NGNs of Generation Z.

Reporting Method

This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines for cohort studies.

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.
Modelling the Distribution of Key Mediterranean Gorgonians: An Ensemble Approach to Unravel Broad‐Scale Patterns and Guide Conservation Efforts
Authors: Figuerola‐Ferrando Laura , Amblas David , Matos Fábio L. , Zentner Yanis , Garrabou Joaquim , Linares Cristina
Published: November 2024

Aim

Determining the species distribution and factors shaping it is a major challenge for conservation planning. Ecological niche models (ENMs) facilitate the comprehension of how environmental factors may influence species occurrence, providing spatially explicit information relevant to conservation. Therefore, our aim was to estimate the potential distribution of key habitat‐forming Mediterranean gorgonians, whose conservation would protect many co‐occurring species.

Location

Mediterranean Sea.

Methods

We modelled the potential distribution of the Mediterranean gorgonians Eunicella singularis, Eunicella cavolini, Paramuricea clavata and Corallium rubrum, using an ensemble ENM that combines nine algorithms. An extensive dataset of presence records (> 4378) collected through scientific surveys and citizen‐science was intersected with oceanographic and topographic information within the coralligenous habitat depth range (< 150 m). This approach was used to map the habitat suitability of the study area for each species, assess related uncertainty, identify the most important factors shaping their distribution, and evaluate the overlap with the current network of Marine Protected Areas.

Results

The model identified higher habitat suitability for the occurrence of each gorgonian species in the NW Mediterranean, with roughness and temperature as the main drivers of their distribution. Conversely, the poorly sampled SE Mediterranean showed low habitat suitability, although there is a greater uncertainty associated with this estimate. The combined potential distribution of the four species is estimated to cover a quarter of Mediterranean shallow and mesophotic waters, but only 19% was included within protected areas.

Main Conclusions

The habitat suitability and uncertainty maps provide a valuable tool for the conservation and management of Mediterranean gorgonian species by offering spatially explicit information critical for marine spatial planning. The model estimates of habitat suitability showed low uncertainty for most of the study area, with few exceptions in the SE Mediterranean. Further studies, particularly in the SE Mediterranean will contribute to validate these results and will provide new information to improve future modelling efforts.
Ecological and Evolutionary Factors Contribute to the Uneven Diversification of Firs in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Xiang Qiaoping , Yang Jie , Gernandt David S. , Ye Tongxin , Yang Ling , Pan Jiaming , Xiang Ruichen , Zhao Cheng , Nakamura Koh , Zhang Xianchun , Liu Yongbo , Wei Ran
Published: November 2024

Aim

The Northern Hemisphere harbours the greatest diversity of temperate plants on Earth, with East Asia having the highest species richness compared with North America and Europe. When and how this uneven diversification pattern emerged remains unclear. Here, we use a conifer genus that forms extensive forests in the Northern Hemisphere to explore a fundamental question in ecology and evolution: what processes underlie temperate biodiversity through time and space?

Location

The Northern Hemisphere.

Taxon

Abies.

Methods

To reconstruct a well‐supported framework for estimating diversification rate, we performed phylogenetic analyses using concatenation and coalescent methods based on 58 fir taxa and 56 nuclear single‐copy genes. Niche evolution was explored using species occurrence data and environmental factors based on the l1ou model. Multiple regression was carried out to identify correlations between species richness and environmental variables at global and regional scales, to evaluate factors of species diversity preference, and potentially to explain the evolutionary history of firs.

Results

We identified East Asia as having the highest species diversity and speciation rate. Two clade‐specific niche shifts corresponding with the distribution of firs were detected, one in the Himalaya‐Hengduan Mountains (c. 12.2 Ma) and the other in the Mexican highlands (c. 14.3 Ma), but none in the Euro‐Mediterranean region. Fir species richness increased with cool temperatures both globally and regionally. Seasonal precipitation showed significant positive correlation to species richness on a global scale and in North America and the Euro‐Mediterranean region. Soil factors showed significant trends and moderate correlations with species richness in the Himalaya‐Hengduan Mountains and Mexican highlands.

Main Conclusions

Our results indicate that modern firs prefer cool climates with seasonal rainfall. East Asian firs experienced niche shifts with the Himalayan orogeny in the Middle Miocene. Novel heterogeneous habitats due to changes in topography and the establishment of a monsoon climate, accompanied by niche shift, can account for the high speciation of firs in East Asia. A similar process is found in the Mexican highland firs. In contrast, cold–dry continental climate in North America since the late Paleogene and the lack of seasonal rainfall and relatively stable topography in the Euro‐Mediterranean region are the main limiting factors for fir diversification. Our study rejects the ‘clade age’ hypothesis but supports the hypothesis that niche shift related to high diversification rate triggered by environmental heterogeneity underlies the uneven species diversity of the Northern Hemisphere.
Artificial intelligence‐based body composition analysis using computed tomography images predicts both prevalence and incidence of diabetes mellitus
Authors: Kim Yoo Hyung , Yoon Ji Won , Lee Bon Hyang , Yoon Jeong Hee , Choe Hun Jee , Oh Tae Jung , Lee Jeong Min , Cho Young Min
Published: November 2024

Aim/Introduction

We assess the efficacy of artificial intelligence (AI)‐based, fully automated, volumetric body composition metrics in predicting the risk of diabetes.

Materials and Methods

This was a cross‐sectional and 10‐year retrospective longitudinal study. The cross‐sectional analysis included health check‐up data of 15,330 subjects with abdominal computed tomography (CT) images between January 1, 2011, and September 30, 2012. Of these, 10,570 subjects with available follow‐up data were included in the longitudinal analyses. The volume of each body segment included in the abdominal CT images was measured using AI‐based image analysis software.

Results

Visceral fat (VF) proportion and VF/subcutaneous fat (SF) ratio increased with age, and both strongly predicted the presence and risk of developing diabetes. Optimal cut‐offs for VF proportion were 24% for men and 16% for women, while VF/SF ratio values were 1.2 for men and 0.5 for women. The subjects with higher VF/SF ratio and VF proportion were associated with a greater risk of having diabetes (adjusted OR 2.0 [95% CI 1.7–2.4] in men; 2.9 [2.2–3.9] in women). In subjects with normal glucose tolerance, higher VF proportion and VF/SF ratio were associated with higher risk of developing prediabetes or diabetes (adjusted HR 1.3 [95% CI 1.1–1.4] in men; 1.4 [1.2–1.7] in women). These trends were consistently observed across each specified cut‐off value.

Conclusions

AI‐based volumetric analysis of abdominal CT images can be useful in obtaining body composition data and predicting the risk of diabetes.
Assessment of genomic diversity within and between two cryptic shiners, the West Texas shiner (Notropis megalops) and the Texas shiner (Notropis amabilis)
Authors: Dye Kayla R. , Fields Andrew T. , Bean Megan G. , Robertson Sarah M. , Hollenbeck Christopher M. , Conway Kevin W. , Portnoy David S.
Published: November 2024

The presence of cryptic species can hinder effective conservation planning and implementation, as has been the case for speciose groups of freshwater fishes that are difficult to differentiate due to conserved morphologies. The West Texas shiner Notropis megalops and the Texas shiner Notropis amabilis are a cryptic pair of leuciscids (minnows) that co‐occur in spring‐fed tributaries of the Rio Grande in Texas and Mexico. Both N. megalops and N. amabilis are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Notropis amabilis is widespread and listed as apparently secure by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department whereas N. megalops has a very limited distribution and has not been ranked by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department because of data deficiency. Morphological differences between these species have been described; however, proper identification in situ remains problematic. Furthermore, given their range of overlap there is potential for hybridization, and limited genetic data have been collected comparing the species. Therefore, reduced representation genomic and mitochondrial sequencing data were used to reassess the distinctness of the species, screen for hybridization, and characterize their relative frequencies throughout their range of overlap. Genomic analyses recovered two distinct genetic groups corresponding to the species (F'CT = 0.89) with no evidence of admixture or introgression. The species were found to co‐occur at three sampling locations, two in the Devils River and one in the Pecos, but not in equal frequencies. Overall, these results provide data and tools for further research on N. megalops needed for accurate conservation policies and management practices.