bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Volatile-Mediated Induced and Passively Acquired Resistance in Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)
Authors: Grof-Tisza Patrick , Kruizenga Natasja , Tervahauta Arja I. , Blande James D.
Published: August 2022

Plants produce a diversity of secondary metabolites including volatile organic compounds. Some species show discrete variation in these volatile compounds such that individuals within a population can be grouped into distinct chemotypes. A few studies reported that volatile-mediated induced resistance is more effective between plants belonging to the same chemotype and that chemotypes are heritable. The authors concluded that the ability of plants to differentially respond to cues from related individuals that share the same chemotype is a form of kin recognition. These studies assumed plants were actively responding but did not test the mechanism of resistance. A similar result was possible through the passive adsorption and reemission of repellent or toxic VOCs by plants exposed to damage-induced plant volatiles (DIPVs). Here we conducted exposure experiments with five chemotypes of sagebrush in growth chambers; undamaged receiver plants were exposed to either filtered air or DIPVs from mechanically wounded branches. Receiver plants exposed to DIPVs experienced less herbivore damage, which was correlated with increased expression of genes involved in plant defense as well as increased emission of repellent VOCs. Plants belonging to two of the five chemotypes exhibited stronger resistance when exposed to DIPVs from plants of the same chemotypes compared to when DIPVs were from plants of a different chemotype. Moreover, some plants passively absorbed DIPVs and reemitted them, potentially conferring associational resistance. These findings support previous work demonstrating that sagebrush plants actively responded to alarm cues and that the strength of their response was dependent on the chemotypes of the plants involved. This study provides further support for kin recognition in plants but also identified volatile-mediated associational resistance as a passively acquired additional defense mechanism in sagebrush.
Some Counterexamples to the Central Limit Theorem for Random Rotations
Authors: Czudek Klaudiusz
Published: August 2022

Fix an irrational number $$\alpha $$
α
, and consider a random walk on the circle in which at each step one moves to $$x+\alpha $$

x
+
α

or $$x-\alpha $$

x
-
α

with probabilities 1/2, 1/2 provided the current position is x. If an observable is given we can study a process called an additive functional of this random walk. One can formulate certain relations between the regularity of the observable and the Diophantine properties of $$\alpha $$
α
implying the central limit theorem. It is proven here that for every Liouville angle there exists a smooth observable such that the central limit theorem fails. We construct also a Liouville angle such that the central limit theorem fails with some analytic observable. For Diophantine angles some counterexample is given as well. An interesting question remained open.
Main product detection with graph networks for fashion
Authors: Yazici Vacit Oguz , Yu Longlong , Ramisa Arnau , Herranz Luis , van de Weijer Joost
Published: August 2022

Computer vision has established a foothold in the online fashion retail industry. Main product detection is a crucial step of vision-based fashion product feed parsing pipelines, focused on identifying the bounding boxes that contain the product being sold in the gallery of images of the product page. The current state-of-the-art approach does not leverage the relations between regions in the image, and treats images of the same product independently, therefore not fully exploiting visual and product contextual information. In this paper, we propose a model that incorporates Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN) that jointly represent all detected bounding boxes in the gallery as nodes. We show that the proposed method is better than the state-of-the-art, especially, when we consider the scenario where title-input is missing at inference time and for cross-dataset evaluation, our method outperforms previous approaches by a large margin.
“How Do Shocks Affect International Reserves? A Quasi-Experiment of Earthquakes”
Authors: Ta Quy , Jinjarak Yothin , Noy Ilan
Published: August 2022

We evaluate the change in international reserves in the aftermath of significant external shocks by using a quasi-experimental setup and focusing on earthquakes. Our objective is to understand the macroeconomic dynamics of quake-affected countries ex-post, and their ex-ante disaster risk mitigation strategies. The estimation is done on a panel of 103 countries over the period 1979–2016. We find that in the five years following a large earthquake: (i) Countries exposed to it accumulate reserves ex-post for precautionary reasons, supported by the inflows of foreign assistance and money expansion; (ii) Quake-prone countries tend to hold fewer reserves relative to the non-prone countries, suggested by the richer set of other disaster preventive measures in place for the former; (iii) The patterns of reserves holding post-earthquake vary with a country’s income level and other macroeconomic fundamentals.
A Population Pharmacokinetic Modelling Approach to Unravel the Complex Pharmacokinetics of Vincristine in Children
Authors: Nijstad A. Laura , Chu Wan-Yu , de Vos-Kerkhof Evelien , Enters-Weijnen Catherine F. , van de Velde Mirjam E. , Kaspers Gertjan J. L. , Barnett Shelby , Veal Gareth J. , Lalmohamed Arief , Zwaan C. Michel , Huitema Alwin D. R.
Published: August 2022

Background

Vincristine, a chemotherapeutic agent that extensively binds to β-tubulin, is commonly dosed at 1.4–2.0 mg/m2 capped at 2 mg. For infants, doses vary from 0.025–0.05 mg/kg or 50–80% of the mg/m2 dose. However, evidence for lower doses in infants compared to older children is lacking. This study was conducted to unravel the complex pharmacokinetics of vincristine, including the effects of age, to assist optimal dosing in this population.

Methods

206 patients (0.04–33.9 years; 25 patients < 1 years), receiving vincristine, with 1297 plasma concentrations were included. Semi-mechanistic population pharmacokinetic analyses were performed using non-linear mixed effects modelling.

Results

A three-compartment model, with one saturable compartment resembling saturable binding to β-tubulin and thus, saturable distribution, best described vincristine pharmacokinetics. Body weight and age were covariates significantly influencing the maximal binding capacity to β-tubulin, which increased with increasing body weight and decreased with increasing age. Vincristine clearance (CL) was estimated as 30.6 L/h (95% confidence interval (CI) 27.6–33.0), intercompartmental CL (Q) as 63.2 L/h (95%CI 57.2–70.1), volume of distribution of the central compartment as 5.39 L (95%CI 4.23–6.46) and of the peripheral compartment as 400 L (95%CI 357–463) (all parameters correspond to a patient of 70 kg). The maximal binding capacity was 0.525 mg (95%CI 0.479–0.602) (for an 18 year old patient of 70 kg), with a high association rate constant, fixed at 1300 /h and a dissociation constant of 11.5 /h.

Interpretation

A decrease of vincristine β-tubulin binding capacity with increasing age suggests that young children tolerate higher doses of vincristine.
Experimental and theoretical characterization of chelidonic acid structure
Authors: Makieieva Natalina , Kupka Teobald , Spaleniak Grzegorz , Rahmonov Oimahmad , Marek Agata , Błażytko Alfred , Stobiński Leszek , Stadnytska Nataliya , Pentak Danuta , Buczek Aneta , Broda Małgorzata A. , Kuś Piotr , Kusz Joachim , Książek Maria
Published: August 2022

Chelidonic acid (4-oxo-4H-pyran-2,6-dicarboxylic acid) is present in plants of Papaveraceae family, especially in Chelidonium majus. Due to its anticancer, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant properties, it has been used in medical treatments. In this work, the X-ray structure of methanol solvate of chelidonic acid was determined. Layers of chelidonic acid are held by hydrogen bonds via COOH and C = O fragments and additionally bridged by methanol. The formed H-bond network between two acid units is different from typical –COOH dimers observed, e.g., in crystals of isophtalic acid. The molecular structure of 2,6-dimethyl-γ-pyrone (2Me4PN) and chelidonic acid, a 2,6-dicarboxylic derivate of γ-pyrone (4PN), was verified in silico using density functional theory (DFT-B3LYP) combined with large correlation-consistent basis sets. The impact of –CH3 and –COOH substituents on 4PN ring structure, dipole moments, geometric/magnetic indexes of aromaticity, and NBO charges was assessed following unconstrained geometry optimization in the gas phase, chloroform, methanol, DMSO, and water with solvent effect introduced using the polarized continuous model (PCM). H-bond network formed in chelidonic acid–methanol complex was analyzed and their interaction energy estimated. Theoretical modeling enabled prediction of accurate structural parameters, dipole moments, and geometric/magnetic indexes of aromaticity of the studied 4PN, 2Me4PN, and chelidonic acid molecules.
Ought and agency
Authors: Skibra Daniel
Published: August 2022

A thorny question surrounding the meaning ofoughtconcerns a felt distinction between deontic uses ofoughtthat seem to evaluate a state of affairs versus those that seem to describe a requirement or obligation to perform an action, as in (A) and (B), respectively. (A) There ought not be childhood death and disease. (B) You ought to keep that promise. Various accounts have been offered to explain the contrast between “agentive” and “non-agentive”oughtsentences. One such account is the Agency-in-the-Prejacent theory (“AIP”), which traces the difference to a particular kind of ambiguity in the prejacent. This theory has been criticized as linguistically unviable. Indeed, I level a few novel complaints against AIP myself in the present paper. But AIP has a kernel of genuine insight which allows us to explain the contrast—that the distinction between agentive and non-agentiveoughtsentences owes in part to the way natural language encodes information about agency. I develop this idea into a novel account that, like AIP, traces the contrast to an ambiguity in the complement of the modal. However, according to the view I propose, the Coercion View, a linguistically-motivated coercion operation produces the necessary grammatical conditions for agentiveought, which in turn allow a kind of variadic function operator in the style of (in: Recanati, Literal Meaning. Cambridge University Press, 2004) to produce the semantic effect we see on display in agentive readings ofought. Having explained the mechanism by which we get this structure, I show that it corroborates some of the central intuitions underwriting agentiveought. I submit that the Coercion View offers an explanation of agentiveoughtto take at least as seriously as any of its competitors.
Thromboembolism after treatment with 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate or plasma for warfarin-related bleeding
Authors: Go Alan S. , Leong Thomas K. , Sung Sue Hee , Wei Rong , Harrison Teresa N. , Gupta Nigel , Baker Nicole , Goldstein Brahm , Ataher Quazi , Solomon Matthew D. , Reynolds Kristi ,   for the REVERSAL Study
Published: August 2022

Limited data exist in large, representative populations about whether the risk of thromboembolic events varies after receiving four-factor human prothrombin complex concentrate (4F-PCC) versus treatment with human plasma for urgent reversal of oral vitamin K antagonist therapy. We conducted a multicenter observational study to compare the 45-day risk of thromboembolic events in adults with warfarin-associated major bleeding after treatment with 4F-PCC (Kcentra®) or plasma. Hospitalized patients in two large integrated healthcare delivery systems who received 4F-PCC or plasma for reversal of warfarin due to major bleeding from January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2020 were identified and were matched 1:1 on potential confounders and a high-dimensional propensity score. Arterial and venous thromboembolic events were identified up to 45 days after receiving 4F-PCC or plasma from electronic health records and adjudicated by physician review. Among 1119 patients receiving 4F-PCC and a matched historical cohort of 1119 patients receiving plasma without a recent history of thromboembolism, mean (SD) age was 76.7 (10.5) years, 45.6% were women, and 9.4% Black, 14.6% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 15.7% Hispanic. The 45-day risk of thromboembolic events was 3.4% in those receiving 4F-PCC and 4.1% in those receiving plasma (P = 0.26; adjusted hazard ratio 0.76; 95% confidence interval 0.49–1.16). The adjusted risk of all-cause death at 45 days post-treatment was lower in those receiving 4F-PCC compared with plasma. Among a large, ethnically diverse cohort of adults treated for reversal of warfarin-associated bleeding, receipt of 4F-PCC was not associated with an excess risk of thromboembolic events at 45 days compared with plasma therapy.
Quantitative Study of Plasmonic Gold Nanostar Geometry Toward Optimal SERS Detection
Authors: Chung Taerin , Lee Sang-Hyuk
Published: August 2022

Complex shapes of gold nanostars (GNS) have been the major obstacle to the comprehensive understanding of the rich plasmonic phenomena of GNS. We conducted extensive, systematic numerical study of far-field and near-field spectral responses of GNS for varying geometrical parameters (e.g., number of spikes, spike tip angle, and spike-to-core ratio) to elucidate the relationship between the optical property and the geometry of GNS. We found that symmetric configurations of GNS spikes generated both dipole and quadrupole localized surface plasmon (LSP) modes, their hybridization resulted in the final near-field intensity at the spike tips, and there existed a specific GNS geometry that optimized the hybridization and thus the E-field intensity for any given wavelength. From these results, we further identified the shapes of GNS that generated the strongest Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) enhancement factors in the visible and NIR spectral range. Hence, our results provide guiding principles in determining the optimal geometry of GNS for SERS applications with any choice of excitation wavelength.
Student values and wellbeing in mathematics education: perspectives of Chinese primary students
Authors: Hill Julia L. , Seah Wee Tiong
Published: August 2022

Around the world the prevalence of mathematics anxiety and disengagement point to a poor sense of student ‘mathematical wellbeing’. Mathematical wellbeing is defined here as the fulfilment of one’s ultimate or core values, accompanied by positive feelings and functioning in mathematics education. Yet student wellbeing and how to support it in specific school subjects including mathematics is vastly under-researched. Also, despite outperforming other countries in international mathematics assessments, East Asian students generally appear to experience poor affect and high academic burden in mathematics education, which are indicative of poor mathematical wellbeing. In this context, this explorative and descriptive study investigates the values that are associated with the mathematical wellbeing of a cohort of Chinese primary school students. 258 Grade three students in Chengdu, China responded to a questionnaire which explored teacher-nominated mathematics learning moments that students valued most for their mathematical wellbeing. Findings pointed to students valuing all the learning moments to some extent, with good grades, fun and interest, mathematics-themed videos, and teacher praise rated most commonly for wellbeing. The values underlying these learning moments are similar to the seven mathematical wellbeing dimensions found in Australian classrooms. The findings also highlight the cultural subjectivities involved, in which the same classroom actions can reflect different underlying values across cultures, and in which a particular value can be espoused in different ways in different places. We also look ahead to suggest how teachers might support students’ mathematical wellbeing, by recognising and then fulfilling their students’ values in the mathematics classroom.
Bioaccumulation, Biosedimentation, and Health Hazards of Elements in Crayfish, Procambarus clarkii from El-Rahawi Drain and El-Qanatir in the River Nile, Egypt
Authors: Abbas Mahmoud Mahrous M. , Abd El-Aziz Mohamed A.E. , Kaddah Mohamed M.Y. , Hassan Abdel-Kader , El-Naggar Hussein A. , Radwan Mahmoud , El-Tabakh Mohamed A.M. , Afifi Moharam A. , Bashar Mansour A.E.
Published: August 2022

Elements accumulation in crayfish is proportional to the increase in bioavailability (direct contact) with the surrounding water, sediment, and feeding. Five heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Ag) and lithium (Li) were analyzed in the sediment, water, and crayfish tissues. Elements (heavy metals and lithium) concentrations in sediment, water, and crayfish tissues showed significant differences between the two sampling stations (El-Qanatir and El-Rahawi drain). However, the levels of elements in crayfish tissues were arranged in declining order as hepatopancreas > gills > exoskeleton > muscles for Cu and Cr; hepatopancreas > exoskeleton > gills > muscles for Ni and Ag; and exoskeleton > gills > hepatopancreas > muscles for Li and Mn. The human health hazard evaluation of heavy metals and lithium exposure via edible tissue consumption was assessed for both children and adult consumers. The target hazard quotient THQ values of crayfish edible tissues (less than 1) will not impose any health implications for consumers who ingest edible tissues in sufficient quantities. Furthermore, the hazard index (HI) values reported for children and adult consumers were lower than one, indicating non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic hazards, suggesting that crayfish edible tissues are safe for human ingestion. This evidence also found that Procambarus clarkii could be a good bio-indicator organism for monitoring potentially metals in aquatic systems.
Combination of levofloxacin and cisplatin enhances anticancer efficacy via co-regulation of eight cancer-associated genes
Authors: He Xiaoqiong , Yao ·Qian , Fan Dan , You Yutong , Lian Wenjing , Zhou Zhangping , Duan Ling
Published: August 2022

Chemosensitizer or combined chemotherapy can sensitize cancer cells to therapy and minimize drug resistance. We reveal that levofloxacin has broad-spectrum anticancer activity. Here we report that combination of levofloxacin and cisplatin further enhanced cytotoxicity in cancer cells by further promotion of apoptosis. Levofloxacin concentration-dependently promoted the inhibition of clone formation in cancer cells treated by cisplatin, and their combination further suppressed the tumor growth in mice. Levofloxacin and cisplatin co-regulated genes in directions supporting the enhancement of anticancer efficacy, of which, THBS1, TNFAIP3, LAPTM5, PI3 and IL24 were further upregulated, NCOA5, SRSF6 and SFPQ were further downregulated. Out of the 24 apoptotic pathways significantly enriched in the combination group, TNFAIP3, THBS1, SRSF6 and SFPQ overlapped in 14, 13, 3 and 1 pathway respectively. Jak-STAT/Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway network and extrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway were significantly enriched in levofloxacin group, cisplatin group and combination group. Jak-STAT/Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction/Focal adhesion/EMC-receptor interaction pathway network was significantly enriched in the combination group, and IL24 and THBS1 were the overlapped genes. In conclusion, enhancement of anticancer efficacy in combination group was associated with the further regulation of THBS1, TNFAIP3, LAPTM5, PI3, IL24 and NCOA5, SFPQ, SRSF6. Targeting of Jak-STAT/Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction/Focal adhesion/EMC-receptor interaction pathway network was correlated to the enhancement. With additional benefit to cancer patients for treatment or prophylaxis of an infectious syndrome, levofloxacin can benefit cancer chemotherapy no matter it is used independently or used with other chemotherapeutic drugs.
The views and experiences of people with type 2 diabetes being cared for by their community pharmacist: a cross-sectional patient survey
Authors: Cooney Philip , Hanley Jessie , Ryan-O’Brien Nicola , Okada Hiroshi , Bermingham Margaret
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Community pharmacists are highly accessible healthcare providers and studies in several countries have demonstrated a role for community pharmacists in delivering enhanced care to people with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the views and experiences of people with type 2 diabetes attending community pharmacies in Ireland.

Methods

A 13-item questionnaire, anchored on a 5-point Likert scale, was used. The study took place in seven pharmacies in the Munster region of Ireland. Participants were people attending a participating pharmacy who had type 2 diabetes and were aged ≥ 18 years.

Results

The questionnaire was answered by 125 people with type 2 diabetes. Mean age of participants was 65.7 ± 12.4 years and 59.2% were male. The statement “I am totally satisfied with my visit to this pharmacist”, was the item that participants most frequently agreed with (agree/strongly agree = 99.2%, mean score 4.9 ± 0.4). Over 80% of participants agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “It is easier to get to see the pharmacist than the doctor”, (mean score 4.3 ± 1.1).

Conclusion

In this population, people with type 2 diabetes were highly satisfied with the care provided to them by their community pharmacist. These data support the implementation of enhanced community pharmacy services for people with type 2 diabetes in Ireland.
Prediction of Iranian EFL teachers' burnout level using machine learning algorithms and maslach burnout inventory
Authors: Baniadamdizaj Shima , Baniadamdizaj Shahla
Published: August 2022

Burnout results from constantly feeling emotional, physical, and mental stress. Most of the time, it is related to one's job and involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity. Because accountability pressures, workload, and hours can increase stress, teachers are usually high achievers who like to work hard. They confront significant challenges. They must adapt curricula to a wide range of learning styles, manage to shift education policies, attend to students with special needs, and juggle administrative work. In addition, pay remains low in comparison with other graduate roles. Therefore, after prolonged exposure to poorly managed emotional and interpersonal job stress, many experience teacher burnout, resulting in employee turnover and many socio-economic problems. In this regard, accurate prediction provides essential research and decision-making benefits. To this aim, the Maslach Burnout Inventory was administered to a sample of 1433 Iranian EFL teachers. Moreover, nine different machine learning algorithms were implemented on the data set to predict burnout levels through the Python programming language. The algorithms' performances were also investigated through accuracy. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate the prediction of teachers' burnout levels to prevent the destructive consequences of the issue.
Synthesis and Characterization of Non-leaching Inorgano- and Organo-montmorillonites and their Bactericidal Properties Against Streptococcus Mutans
Authors: Şahiner Aslı , Özdemir Günseli , Bulut T. Hakan , Yapar Saadet
Published: August 2022

The direct application of heavy metal- and quaternary ammonium-based antibacterial agents can cause inconvenience such as irritation, short-term applicability, discoloration of the tissue, and environmental concerns. The immobilization of these agents on montmorillonite (Mnt) was expected to diminish these effects by hindering direct contact of the ions with the target tissues. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to prepare inorgano(I)- and organo(O)-montmorillonites (I/O-Mnt) and to determine their potential uses in such biomedical applications. Na-montmorillonite (Mnt-Na) was modified by hydrothermal and microwave irradiation methods using Cu2+/Zn2+, and quaternary ammonium and/or anionic surfactants. The effect of the structures formed by immobilization on Mnt surfaces on antibacterial activity was investigated. Quaternary ammonium surfactants were cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) with a linear alkyl chain, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) with a single aromatic ring, and benzethonium chloride (BZT) with double aromatic rings. N-lauroyl sarcosinate (SR) was the anionic surfactant. The samples were subjected to thermogravimetric (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Desorption tests showed that the antibacterial efficacy against Streptococcus mutans stemmed from I/O-Mnt and not from the ions released from the material surfaces to the aqueous phase. The results of the antibacterial studies showed that the existence of a linear alkyl chain and a double aromatic ring were the structural factors causing the greatest antibacterial effect. The time-kill tests revealed that Mnt-CTA, Mnt-BZT, and Mnt-CP-SR were effective against Streptococcus mutans within 5 min of contact. With the new findings, they were identified as possible selective and potent bactericidal agents and promising candidates for biomedical applications.
Egyptian Archaeology and the Twenty-First Century Museum
Authors: Stevenson Alice
Published: August 2022

This Element addresses the cultural production of ancient Egypt in the museum as a mixture of multiple pasts and presents that cohere around collections; their artefacts, documentation, storage, research, and display. Its four sections examine how ideas about the past are formed by museum assemblages: how their histories of acquisition and documentation shape interpretation, the range of materials that comprise them, the influence of their geographical framing, and the moments of remaking that might be possible. Throughout, the importance of critical approaches to interpretation is underscored, reasserting the museum as a site of active research and experiment, rather than only exhibitionary product or communicative media. It argues for a multi-directional approach to museum work that seeks to reveal the inter-relations of collection histories and which has implications not just for museum representation and documentation, but also for archaeological practice more broadly.
Economic influence activities and the strategic location of investment
Authors: de Figueiredo John M. , Raiha Davin
Published: August 2022

This article examines the economic influence activities (EIAs) of firms. We argue that firms invest in jobs and establishments in districts of congressional committee members that have oversight over their businesses and industries. This investment increases as legislators’ power rises in Congress. Our theory makes three predictions. First, EIAs by firms will be higher in congressional districts where the legislators have substantial political influence over the firm, relative to districts where legislators have little influence over the firm. Second, EIAs will increase with the legislators’ power on the focal committee. Third, when a legislator exits the committee, EIAs will diminish, but previous investments in the district will remain. We test these predictions by analyzing the Trinet census of establishments, mapped into the committee structure of the US Congress, by tracking the investment and employment of firms in each industry in each congressional district over time. Using fixed-effects models, we show the predictions of the theory find substantial support in the US Senate but not the House. We explore causality by using exogenous exits of politicians by death and scandals to further complement our analysis, and discuss why EIAs may be less likely to occur and detect in the House.
Purposes in Law and in Life: An Experimental Investigation of Purpose Attribution
Authors: da Franca Couto Fernandes de Almeida Guilherme , Knobe Joshua , Struchiner Noel , Hannikainen Ivar R.
Published: August 2022

There has been considerable debate in legal philosophy about how to attribute purposes to rules. Separately, within cognitive science, there has been a growing body of research concerned with questions about how people ordinarily attribute purposes. Here, we argue that these two separate fields might be connected by experimental jurisprudence. Across four studies, we find evidence for the claim that people use the same criteria to attribute purposes to physical objects and to rules. In both cases, purpose attributions appear to be governed not so much by original intention or by moral value as by current practice. We argue that these findings in the cognitive science of purpose attribution have implications for jurisprudential questions involving purposivist legal interpretation.
Recognizing sponge inSpongiostromaGürich, 1906 from the Mississippian of Belgium
Authors: Lee Jeong-Hyun , Riding Robert
Published: August 2022

SpongiostromaGürich, 1906 from the Mississippian of Belgium was initially provisionally placed in Foraminifera and subsequently compared with hydrozoans and microbial carbonates. For nearly 100 years, the term spongiostromate has been widely applied to clotted microbial fabrics in stromatolites and oncolites. Examination of the type material shows thatS. mæandrinumGürich, 1906, the type species ofSpongiostroma, consists of numerous juxtaposed millimetric pillow-like masses permeated by thin anastomose sparry microscopic fibers (vermiform fabric) in fine-grained groundmass, locally traversed by millimetric rounded to elongate partly sediment-filled openings. Here we interpretS. mæandrinumto be a lobate sponge composed of mammiform papillae formed by calcified spongin network and traversed by canals and spongocoel. These are typical features of calcified remains of keratosan demosponges. We redescribe and reviseS.mæandrinumand interpret it as a keratosan demosponge with papilliform morphology. This upholds Gürich's (1906) initial opinion thatSpongiostromacould be a sponge and supports suggestions that keratosan vermiform fabric has long been confused with microbial carbonate. SinceS.mæandrinumis not a stromatolite, it is inappropriate to use the term spongiostromate to describe microbial carbonate microfabric.
THE ECONOMICS OF WALKING ABOUT AND PREDICTING UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE USA
Authors: Blanchflower David G. , Bryson Alex
Published: August 2022

We show consumer expectations indices from the Conference Board and the University of Michigan predict unemployment upticks in the USA up to 18 months in advance, both at national and at state level. These data predict six of the last six recessions called by the NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee 6–18 months before the date of recession. The consumer expectations data for 2021 and 2022 are consistent with recession.
Challenges and frontiers of computational modelling of biomolecular recognition
Authors: Wang Jinan , Bhattarai Apurba , Do Hung N. , Miao Yinglong
Published: August 2022

Biomolecular recognition including binding of small molecules, peptides and proteins to their target receptors plays a key role in cellular function and has been targeted for therapeutic drug design. However, the high flexibility of biomolecules and slow binding and dissociation processes have presented challenges for computational modelling. Here, we review the challenges and computational approaches developed to characterise biomolecular binding, including molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations (especially enhanced sampling) and machine learning. Further improvements are still needed in order to accurately and efficiently characterise binding structures, mechanisms, thermodynamics and kinetics of biomolecules in the future.
A simple and fast triplex-PCR for the identification of milk's animal origin in Halloumi cheese and yoghurt
Authors: Kastanos Evdokia , Papaneophytou Christos , Georgiou Thanasis , Demoliou Catherine
Published: August 2022

In this research communication we describe a straightforward triplex-PCR protocol able to differentiate the origin of milk from three closely related species (goat, sheep and cow) in Halloumi, a cheese with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), and yogurts. Halloumi must contain at least 51% sheep or goat milk, therefore, the fraudulent adulteration of this cheese with excess of cow milk must be routinely tested. The assay employs one universal forward primer and three species-specific reverse primers giving rise to 287 bp (cow), 313 bp (goat), and 336 bp (sheep) amplicons, under the same amplification conditions. This protocol, when used to test a small number of Cyprus commercial products, correctly detected mislabeling in Halloumi (2 out of 6 samples were adulterated) and yogurt brands (1 out of 4 was adulterated). The suggested protocol is a reliable tool for identifying the origin of milk in Halloumi cheeses and yogurts and can be used in any laboratory equipped with a thermocycler and an agarose gel electrophoresis apparatus.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the wellbeing of family care-givers? A longitudinal study of older adults in Germany
Authors: Ehrlich Ulrike , Kelle Nadiya , Klaus Daniela , Möhring Katja
Published: August 2022

Previous research was not able to identify an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on family care-givers' wellbeing due to cross-sectional data structures, care-giver-specific samples or non-probability sampling designs. In this article, by drawing on longitudinal data from a random and representative sample of the German population aged 40 and older, we overcome methodological limitations of previous research. We examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wellbeing (life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, loneliness) of different groups of family care-givers (new care-givers, continuous care-givers, past care-givers) and non-care-givers in Germany. We derived a balanced sample of n = 3,875 individuals aged 43–97 (mean = 66.5 years, standard deviation = 10.2 years) from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS) to explore changes in wellbeing between 2017 (pre-pandemic) and June/July 2020 (pandemic). Using a first-difference approach, we found that the pandemic has a negative impact on both non-care-givers' and family care-givers' wellbeing, with increased levels of depressive symptoms and loneliness compared to pre-pandemic times. Changes in depressive symptoms of family care-givers did not significantly deviate from non-care-givers. However, continuous care-givers showed more pronounced increases in loneliness compared to non-care-givers. Our results suggest that family care-givers' wellbeing merits particular attention when considering the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals' wellbeing.
Judicial Dissent at the International Criminal Court: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis
Authors: Maučec Gregor , Dothan Shai
Published: August 2022

This article explores the phenomenon of judicial dissents at the ICC. The main subject is the process of collective decision-making and judicial deliberations in cases where members of a particular ICC chamber cannot reach a consensus on factual, substantive or procedural issues and render a unanimous decision. The article examines why and when international criminal judges dissent according to the views expressed by ICC judges. Drawing heavily on field research in The Hague, the article presents a qualitative analysis of the ICC judges’ perceptions and experiences of using dissenting opinions at the Court. Empirical findings derived from interviewing ICC judges support the hypothesis that international criminal judges’ personality, that is, their character differences (such as self-discipline and other work habits), their previous career experience, and their field of expertise determine their likelihood of using judicial dissents. In case of disagreement within an ICC Chamber, judges with criminal law backgrounds who previously worked as professional judges are more likely to append their dissent to a majority ruling with which they do not agree than international judges, diplomats, and professors with public international law expertise who are more willing to discuss and negotiate in order for the Court to speak with one voice.
Increases in maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and infant cortisol reactivity: Mediation by placental corticotropin-releasing hormone
Authors: Rinne Gabrielle R. , Somers Jennifer A. , Ramos Isabel F. , Ross Kharah M. , Coussons-Read Mary , Dunkel Schetter Christine
Published: August 2022

Background:

Maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy may affect offspring health through prenatal programming of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. The biological mechanisms that explain the associations between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and offspring HPA axis regulation are not yet clear. This pre-registered investigation examines whether patterns of maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy are associated with infant cortisol reactivity and whether this association is mediated by changes in placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH).

Method:

A sample of 174 pregnant women completed assessments in early, mid, and late pregnancy that included standardized measures of depressive symptoms and blood samples for pCRH. Infant cortisol reactivity was assessed at 1 and 6 months of age.

Results:

Greater increases in maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy were associated with higher cortisol infant cortisol reactivity at 1 and 6 months. Greater increases in maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy were associated with greater increases in pCRH from early to late pregnancy which in turn were associated with higher infant cortisol reactivity.

Conclusions:

Increases in maternal depressive symptoms and pCRH over pregnancy may contribute to higher infant cortisol reactivity. These findings help to elucidate the prenatal biopsychosocial processes contributing to offspring HPA axis regulation early in development.
Adolescents’ knowledge and beliefs regarding health risks of soda and diet soda consumption
Authors: Miller Caroline , Dono Joanne , Scully Maree , Morley Belinda , Ettridge Kerry
Published: August 2022

Objective:

To examine Australian adolescents’ knowledge and beliefs regarding potential health consequences of soda and diet soda consumption and nutritional aspects of soda and explore associations with consumption.

Design:

A survey utilising a nationally representative sample (stratified two-stage probability design) assessed knowledge of nutritional contents and health consequences of soda, and beliefs regarding health risks of diet soda, and soda and diet drink consumption.

Setting:

Australia.

Participants:

9102 Australian school students (12–17 years) surveyed in 2018.

Results:

Adolescents had lower nutritional knowledge (sugar content (22·2 %), exercise equivalent (33·9 %), calories/kJ (3·1 %)) than general knowledge of health risks (87·4 %) and some health effects (71·7–75·6 % for tooth decay, weight gain and diabetes), with lower knowledge of heart disease (56·0 %) and cancer (19·3 %). Beliefs regarding health effects of diet soda were similar, albeit not as high. In general, female sex, older age and less disadvantage were associated with reporting health effects of soda and diet soda, and nutritional knowledge of soda (P< 0·001). Those reporting tooth decay, weight gain, heart disease and diabetes as health effects of soda and diet soda were lower consumers of soda and diet drinks (P< 0·001), as were those with higher nutritional knowledge (sugar content and exercise equivalent;P< 0·001).

Conclusions:

This study highlights possible knowledge gaps regarding the health effects of soda and nutritional knowledge for public health intervention. When implementing such interventions, it is important to monitor the extent to which adolescents may consider diet drinks as an alternative beverage given varied beliefs about health consequences and evolving evidence.
How providing a low-cost water filter pitcher led Latino parents to reduce sugar-sweetened beverages and increase their water intake: explanatory qualitative results from the Water Up!@Home intervention trial
Authors: Santillán-Vázquez Claudia , Hernández Lucero , Reese Amanda C , Burgos-Gil Rosalina , Cleary Sean D , Rivera Ivonne M , Gittelsohn Joel , Edberg Mark C , Monge-Rojas Rafael , Colón-Ramos Uriyoán
Published: August 2022

Objective:

This study sought to explain results of the Water Up!@Home randomised controlled trial where low-income parents were randomised to receive an educational intervention +a low-cost water filter pitcher or only the filter. Parents in both groups had reported statistically significant reductions in sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and increases in water intake post-intervention.

Design:

Qualitative explanatory in-depth interviews analysed thematically and deductively.

Setting:

Washington, DC metropolitan area, USA.

Participants:

Low-income Latino parents of infants/toddlers who had participated in the Water Up! @Home randomised controlled trial.

Results:

The filter-stimulated water consumption in both groups by (1) increasing parents’ perception of water safety; (2) acting as a cue to action to drink water; (3) improving the flavour of water (which was linked to perceptions of safety) and (4) increasing the perception that this option was more economical than purchasing bottled water. Safe and palatable drinking water was more accessible and freely available in their homes; participants felt they did not need to ration their water consumption as before. Only intervention participants were able to describe a reduction in SSB intake and described strategies, skills and knowledge gained to reduce SSB intake. Among the comparison group, there was no thematic consensus about changes in SSB or any strategies or skills to reduce SSB intake.

Conclusions:

A low-cost water filter facilitated water consumption, which actively (or passively for comparison group) displaced SSB consumption. The findings have implications for understanding and addressing the role of water security on SSB consumption.
A nonlinear association between body roundness index and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in general population
Authors: Zhou Dan , Liu Xiaocong , Huang Yuqing , Feng Yingqing
Published: August 2022

Objective:

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between body roundness index (BRI) and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in general population.

Design:

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting:

The status of cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality of participants were followed through 31 December 2015. Multivariate adjusted Cox restricted cubic spline regression models and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to evaluate the relationship between BRI and cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality.

Participants:

A sample of 47 356 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1999–2014 with aged ≥18 years.

Results:

Mean age was 47 years and female were 49·9 %. During a median follow-up of 92 months, 4715 participants died from any cause, with 985 died of CVD. In multivariate adjusted Cox regression, compared with the lowest quartile of Body roundness index (BRI), the hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause mortality from other quartiles were 0·83, 95 % CI (0·75, 0·92), 0·73, 95 % CI (0·65, 0·81) and 0·80, 95 % CI (0·72, 0·89), respectively (Pfor trend < 0·05) and the HR for cardiovascular mortality from other quartiles were 0·79, 95 % CI (0·62, 1·00), 0·78, 95 % CI (0·62, 0·99) and 0·79, 95 % CI (0·62, 1·01), respectively (P for trend > 0·05). In the restricted cubic spline regression models, the relationship was showed U-shaped between BRI and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. In Kaplan–Meier survival curves, the lowest cumulative survival rate of cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality was recorded in the highest BRI quartile.

Conclusions:

The U-shaped association between BRI and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in a large population-based cohort was observed.
Avoidable burden of stomach cancer and potential gains in healthy life years from gradual reductions in salt consumption in Vietnam, 2019–2030: a modelling study
Authors: Aminde Leopold Ndemnge , Cobiac Linda J , Phung Dung , Phung Hai N , Veerman J Lennert
Published: August 2022

Objective:

Excess salt consumption is causally linked with stomach cancer, and salt intake among adults in Vietnam is about twice the recommended levels. The aim of this study was to quantify the future burden of stomach cancer that could be avoided from population-wide salt reduction in Vietnam.

Design:

A dynamic simulation model was developed to quantify the impacts of achieving the 2018 National Vietnam Health Program (8 g/d by 2025 and 7 g/d by 2030) and the WHO (5 g/d) salt reduction policy targets. Data on salt consumption were obtained from the Vietnam 2015 WHO STEPS survey. Health outcomes were estimated over 6-year (2019–2025), 11-year (2019–2030) and lifetime horizons. We conducted one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

Setting:

Vietnam.

Participants:

All adults aged ≥ 25 years (61 million people, 48·4 % men) alive in 2019.

Results:

Achieving the 2025 and 2030 national salt targets could result in 3400 and 7200 fewer incident cases of stomach cancer, respectively, and avert 1900 and 4800 stomach cancer deaths, respectively. Achieving the WHO target by 2030 could prevent 8400 incident cases and 5900 deaths from stomach cancer. Over the lifespan, this translated to 344 660 (8 g/d), 411 060 (7 g/d) and 493 633 (5 g/d) health-adjusted life years gained, respectively.

Conclusions:

A sizeable burden of stomach cancer could be avoided, with gains in healthy life years if national and WHO salt targets were attained. Our findings provide impetus for policy makers in Vietnam and Asia to intensify salt reduction strategies to combat stomach cancer and mitigate pressure on the health systems.
Clinicians’ perceptions of the emotional impact of providing palliative care: A qualitative interview study
Authors: Dijxhoorn Anne-Floor , Raijmakers Natasja , van der Linden Yvette , Leget Carlo , Brom Linda
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Many aspects of palliative care, such as managing (complicated) symptoms, conducting goals-of-care conversations, and repeated exposure to loss, can be stressful to clinicians. Previous research on the emotional impact of providing palliative care was mainly done in specialist settings. However, the majority of palliative care is provided by clinicians who are not specialized in palliative care, and can be supported by palliative care specialists only when needed. Therefore, this study aimed to gain insight into the emotional impact of providing palliative care on clinicians, both palliative care generalists and specialists.

Methods

A qualitative interview study among 21 clinicians (11 doctors and 10 nurses) working in hospitals, home care, or nursing homes in the Netherlands was conducted. Between February and June 2019, 13 palliative care generalists and 8 specialists were interviewed. Interviews were thematically analyzed by two researchers.

Results

All clinicians considered the emotional impact of providing palliative care to be substantial and experienced both positive and negative aspects of providing palliative care. Several aspects of providing palliative care can support or undermine emotional stability. These so-called facilitators and barriers, such as practicing self-care and complexity of palliative care, were found at three different levels: individual, team, and organization.

Significance of results

Although clinicians experience providing palliative care as meaningful and valuable, the emotional impact is considerable. Negative and positive aspects often co-exist. Further insight into the dynamics and magnitude of the emotional impact of providing palliative care is needed in order to create a healthy working environment and develop adequate interventions.