bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The BDNF Val68Met polymorphism causes a sex specific alcohol preference over social interaction and also acute tolerance to the anxiolytic effects of alcohol, a phenotype driven by malfunction of BDNF in the ventral hippocampus of male mice
Authors: Moffat Jeffrey J. , Sakhai Samuel A. , Hoisington Zachary W. , Ehinger Yann , Ron Dorit
Published: January 2023

Background

The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Valine 66 to Methionine human polymorphism results in impaired activity-dependent BDNF release and has been linked to psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety. We previously showed that male knock-in mice carrying the mouse Methionine homolog (Met68BDNF) exhibit excessive and compulsive alcohol drinking behaviors as compared to the wild-type Val68BDNF mice.

Objective

Here, we set out to determine the potential mechanism for the heightened and compulsive alcohol drinking phenotypes detected in Met68BDNF mice.

Results

We found that male, but not female Met68BDNF mice exhibit social anxiety-like behaviors. We further show that male Met68BDNF mice exhibit a preference for alcohol over social interaction. In contrast, alcohol place preference without an alternative social reward, is similar in male Met68BDNF and Val68BDNF mice. Since the Met68BDNF mice show social anxiety phenotypes, we tested whether alcohol reliefs anxiety similarly in Met68BDNF and Val68BDNF mice and found that male, but not female Met68BDNF mice are insensitive to the acute anxiolytic action of alcohol. Finally, we show that this acute tolerance to alcohol-dependent anxiolysis can be restored by overexpressing wild-type Val68BDNF in the ventral hippocampus (vHC) of Met68BDNF mice.

Conclusions

Together, our results suggest that excessive alcohol drinking in the Met68BDNF may be attributed, in part, to heighted social anxiety and a lack of alcohol-dependent anxiolysis, a phenotype that is associated with malfunction of BDNF signaling in the vHC of male Met68BDNF mice.
Positron emission tomography molecular imaging to monitor anti-tumor systemic response for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy
Authors: Xing Xiaoqing , Zhao Qing , Zhou Jinyun , Zhou Rui , Liu Yu , Qin Xiyi , Zhang Mingrong , Zhong Yan , Wang Jing , Tian Mei , Zhang Hong
Published: January 2023

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) achieve a milestone in cancer treatment. Despite the great success of ICI, ICI therapy still faces a big challenge due to heterogeneity of tumor, and therapeutic response is complicated by possible immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Therefore, it is critical to assess the systemic immune response elicited by ICI therapy to guide subsequent treatment regimens. Positron emission tomography (PET) molecular imaging is an optimal approach in cancer diagnosis, treatment effect evaluation, follow-up, and prognosis prediction. PET imaging can monitor metabolic changes of immunocytes and specifically identify immuno-biomarkers to reflect systemic immune responses. Here, we briefly review the application of PET molecular imaging to date of systemic immune responses following ICI therapy and the associated rationale.
Traumatic divergent dislocation of the elbow in the adults
Authors: Gong Maoqi , Wang Hanzhou , Jiang Xieyuan , Liu Yang , Zhou Junlin
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of DDE in adults.

Methods

From September 2010 to March 2020, adult patients with traumatic DDEs admitted to Beijing Chaoyang Hospital and Beijing Jishuitan Hospital were included in this study. Each patient underwent operative or conservative treatment during hospitalization. The clinical and radiological examinations were followed up. The primary outcomes included the Mayo Modified Wrist Score (MMWS), the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), the Broberg and Morrey functional index, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score, and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score that were performed. Post-operative complications and secondary surgery details were also collected.

Results

Of the fourteen patients, clinical and radiographic results were reviewed at a mean of 53.2 months (18 to 110 months) postoperatively. There were 11 men and three women with an average age of 31.5 years (17 to 51 years). At the final follow-up, the average MMWS, MEPS, Broberg and Morrey functional index, and DASH scores were 91.4 points, 93.4 points, 92.6 points, and 10.7 points. The mean VAS at rest and during activities was 0.4 and 1.7 points. Two patients required a secondary procedure due to radial malalignment and elbow contracture, respectively. In addition, two patients were found degeneration.

Conclusions

Within the context of high-energy DDE combined with simultaneous upper limb injuries, our study recommended obtaining the mechanical benefit of the forearm ring with concentric elbow stability. Despite the various and complicated traumatic patterns of DDE, great clinical results could be acquired based on adequate surgical treatments and early rehabilitation training.
Sex‐Based Differences in Survival Among Patients with Acute Abdomen Undergoing Surgery in Malawi: A Propensity Weighted Analysis
Authors: Yohann Avital , Mulima Gift , Kayange Linda , Purcell Laura , Gallaher Jared , Charles Anthony
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Sex disparities in access to health care in low‐resource settings have been demonstrated. Still, there has been little research on the effect of sex on postoperative outcomes. We evaluated the relationship between sex and mortality after emergency abdominal surgery.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study using the acute care surgery database at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Malawi. We included patients who underwent emergency abdominal surgery between 2013 and 2021. We created a propensity score weighted Cox proportional hazards model to assess the relationship between sex and inpatient survival.

Results

We included 2052 patients in the study, and 76% were males. The most common admission diagnosis in both groups was bowel obstruction. Females had a higher admission shock index than males (0.91 vs. 0.81, p < 0.001) and a longer delay from admission until surgery (1.47 vs. 0.79 days, p < 0.001). Females and males had similar crude postoperative mortality (16.3% vs. 15.3%, p = 0.621). The final Cox proportional hazards regression model was based on the propensity‐weighted cohort. The mortality hazard ratio was 0.65 among females compared to males (95% CI 0.46–0.92, p = 0.014).

Conclusions

Our results show a survival advantage among female patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery despite sex‐based disparities in access to surgical care that favors males. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying these findings.
The parcel hub scheduling problem with limited conveyor capacity and controllable unloading speeds
Authors: Bugow Stefan , Kellenbrink Carolin
Published: January 2023

We investigate a specific truck scheduling problem at cross-docks in the postal service industry on an operational level aiming to maximise the number of duly parcels assuming fixed departure times of the outbound trucks. The inbound gates and the conveyors as means of transportation inside the hub constitute the bottleneck resources. As a novel extension, we propose flexible unloading speeds to efficiently utilise the scarce resources. We formalise the problem with a mixed integer program and explicitly incorporate controllable unloading speeds of the inbound trucks. We determine the computational complexity and develop a genetic algorithm to efficiently solve the problem. Our investigation focuses on both the performance of the genetic algorithm and the applicability of the results in a real-world environment by implementing scheduling policies in a simulation model that considers individual parcel interactions. Based on our experimental results, we can state that especially in problem settings with scarce conveyor capacities, our approach to incorporate controllable unloading speeds has the potential of significantly increasing the number of duly parcels.
Effects of short-term exposure to low doses of bisphenol A on cellular senescence in the adult rat kidney
Authors: Nuñez Paula , Arguelles Juan , Perillan Carmen
Published: January 2023

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the primary chemicals produced by volume worldwide. Extensive literature has raised many concerns about its possible involvement in the pathogenesis of kidney diseases, but its contribution has not been extensively studied. During cellular senescence, the interference of lipofuscin with cellular functions promotes further senescence, causing cellular malfunction. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) plays an important protective role in the setting of kidney injury. The goal of the present work was to evaluate the effects of short-term treatment with low doses of BPA on cellular senescence in adult rat kidneys. Male Wistar rats were injected with vehicle (CONTROL group) or 50 or 500 μg/kg/day of BPA for 1 week (BPA50 and BPA500 groups, respectively). The kidneys were fixed in 4% buffered formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed, and an immunoreactive score (IRS) was calculated. Lipofuscin autofluorescence was used for the study of cellular senescence. The renal cortex showed diffuse autofluorescent lipofuscin signal in the proximal convoluted tubules (PCTs) of males in the BPA50-treated (weak intensity) and BPA500-treated (strong intensity) groups, but not in CONTROL males. Labeling of cortical PCTs with anti-IGF-1 antibodies showed an IRS of 0 in the CONTROL group, but IRSs of 4 and 6 in the BPA50- and BPA500-treated groups, respectively. The present results suggest that low, “safe” doses of BPA induce renal injury, as measured by histological signs of renal changes, increased cellular senescence, and activation of cellular repair systems in PCTs.
Essentially Tight Kernels for (Weakly) Closed Graphs
Authors: Koana Tomohiro , Komusiewicz Christian , Sommer Frank
Published: January 2023

We study kernelization of classic hard graph problems when the input graphs fulfill triadic closure properties. More precisely, we consider the recently introduced parameters closure number c and weak closure number $$\gamma $$
γ
(Fox et al. SIAM J Comput 49(2):448–464, 2020) in addition to the standard parameter solution size k. The weak closure number $$\gamma $$
γ
of a graph is upper-bounded by the minimum of its closure number c and its degeneracy d. For Capacitated Vertex Cover, Connected Vertex Cover, and Induced Matching we obtain the first kernels of size $$k^{\mathcal {O}(\gamma )}$$

k

O
(
γ
)

, $$k^{\mathcal {O}(\gamma )}$$

k

O
(
γ
)

, and $$(\gamma k)^{\mathcal {O}(\gamma )}$$

(
γ
k
)

O
(
γ
)

, respectively. This extends previous results on the kernelization of these problems on degenerate graphs. These kernels are essentially tight as these problems are unlikely to admit kernels of size $$k^{o(\gamma )}$$

k

o
(
γ
)

by previous results on their kernelization complexity on degenerate graphs (Cygan et al. ACM Trans Algorithms 13(3):43:1–43:22, 2017). For Capacitated Vertex Cover, we show that even a kernel of size $$k^{o(c)}$$

k

o
(
c
)

is unlikely. In contrast, for Connected Vertex Cover, we obtain a kernel with $$\mathcal {O}(ck^2)$$

O
(
c

k
2

)

 vertices. Moreover, we prove that searching for an induced subgraph of order at least k belonging to a hereditary graph class $$\mathcal {G}$$
G
admits a kernel of size $$k^{\mathcal {O}(\gamma )}$$

k

O
(
γ
)

when $$\mathcal {G}$$
G
contains all complete and all edgeless graphs. Finally, we provide lower bounds for the kernelization of Independent Set on graphs with constant closure number c and kernels for Dominating Set on weakly closed split graphs and weakly closed bipartite graphs.
Regaining enamel color quality using enamel matrix derivative
Authors: Sugaya Hiroyuki , Kurashige Yoshihito , Suzuki Kai , Sakakibara Sayaka , Fujita Yusuke , Islam Syed Taufiqul , Nezu Takashi , Ito Shuichi , Abiko Yoshihiro , Saitoh Masato
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to demonstrate and compare the accuracy of tooth shade selection due to the remineralized enamel crystal with enamel matrix derivative (EMD) in vitro. Etched enamel slices were immersed in four types of mineralization buffers for 16 h. Sodium fluoride (NaF) was added to final concentrations of 1–100 ppm with the mineralization buffer that demonstrated the highest mineralization efficiency. EMD was added to the mineralization buffer containing NaF to see if it has any remineralization capacities. The remineralized enamel crystal was analyzed by SEM and XRD. The tooth shade was evaluated by CIE L*a*b*. The results showed that, without NaF, plate-like nanocrystals were formed on the enamel surface, but with NaF, needle-like nanocrystals were formed. By adding EMD, a layer of well-compacted hydroxyapatite crystals was successfully precipitated onto the natural enamel surface. No significant differences were observed in the L* value of the mineralization surface pre-etching and after mineralization buffer containing NaF and EMD. A new method has been developed to recover the color quality of enamel, as well as to mineralize the tooth enamel by constructing hydroxyapatite crystals with mineralization buffers containing NaF and EMD on the etched tooth surface.
Multi-Disciplinary Management in Rectal Cancer Survivorship: A Clinical Practice Review
Authors: Chan Hilary , Savoie Marissa B. , Munir Amir , Moslehi Javid , Anwar Mekhail , Laffan Angela , Rowen Tami , Salmon Rebeca , Varma Madhulika , Van Loon Katherine
Published: January 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the USA and worldwide. In the USA, nearly one-third of CRC cases are anatomically classified as rectal cancer. Over the past few decades, continued refinement of multimodality treatment and the introduction of new therapeutic agents have enhanced curative treatment rates and quality of life outcomes. As treatments improve and the incidence of young onset rectal cancer rises, the number of rectal cancer survivors grows each year. This trend highlights the growing importance of rectal cancer survivorship. Multimodality therapy with systemic chemotherapy, chemoradiation, and surgery can result in chronic toxicities in multiple organ systems, requiring a multi-disciplinary care model with services ranging from appropriate cancer surveillance to management of long-term toxicities and optimization of modifiable risk factors. Here, we review the evidence on these long-term toxicities and provide management considerations from consensus guidelines. Specific topics include bowel dysfunction from radiation and surgery, oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy, accelerated bone degeneration, the impact of fluoropyrimidines on long-term cardiovascular health, urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction, and psychosocial distress. Additionally, we review modifiable risk factors to inform providers and rectal cancer survivors of various lifestyle and behavioral changes that can be made to improve their long-term health outcomes.
Parent involvement in positive behaviour intervention and supports in Australia: teacher and parent/caregiver perspectives
Authors: Rose Michelle , Mooney Mary , Johnston Christine , Parada Roberto H.
Published: January 2023

Positive Behaviour Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is a framework for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate social and academic behaviour in the school setting. This framework is widely implemented across the world, including Australia. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of PBIS confirm a relationship between implementation fidelity and student outcomes. Abundant literature highlights the significance of parent involvement (PI) on children’s social and academic outcomes. However, a consistently and surprisingly under researched component of PBIS is the involvement and influence of parents/caregivers. This article presents the findings of an original qualitative study using stakeholder interviews and artefact analysis to assess parent/caregiver involvement during PBIS implementation in two primary schools in South-West Sydney, Australia. These findings indicate that parent/caregiver involvement in PBIS implementation was interpreted differently by teachers and parents/caregivers and that there is potential for the development of improved methods to engage parents/caregivers more effectively in schools. Reframing parent/caregiver involvement in PBIS to address cultural sensitivities can progressively influence and stabilise this involvement to positively affect the sustainability, effectiveness and fidelity of PBIS. Limitations of the study together with recommendations for future practice are discussed.
How do occupational goals influence adult women’s and men’s decisions to opt out of aspired mathematics-related careers during adolescence?
Authors: Toh Lili , Watt Helen M. G.
Published: January 2023

An explanation for the underrepresentation of women in mathematical fields is the communal goal congruity perspective; that women tend to value communal over agentic goals, perceived to not be afforded by mathematical careers. Less is known about how agentic and communal goals may interact to influence mathematical career trajectories. Analysing a longitudinal dataset, we examined gender differences and combinations of agentic and communal goals, and how goal groups associated with trajectories from adolescent aspirations until actual careers. Among 279 participants followed from secondary school until approximately 20 years later, women valued communal goals higher than men but agentic goals similarly. Despite similar mathematical achievement, the low agentic/high communal goal group was the only group to decline in their choice of a mathematics-related career. There were more women in this group than men, concordant with the communal goal congruity perspective. Implications for future research and educational practice are discussed.
Preparation of simple biodegradable, nontoxic, and antimicrobial PHB/PU/CuO bionanocomposites for safely use as bioplastic material packaging
Authors: Abdo Sayeda M. , Youssef Ahmed M. , El-Liethy Mohamed Azab , Ali Gamila H.
Published: January 2023

Plastic waste in Egypt is causing a problem. An innovative solution to reduce this pollution is inevitable. Microalgae were considered a new resource for developing biobased bioplastics. This study aims to prepare a simple biodegradable film able to use in packaging and from polyurethane (PU) nanocomposite with Poly 3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the presence of various concentrations of CuO-NPs. The Poly 3-hydroxybutyrate compounds were extracted from the dominant microalgal species in High rate algal pond Microcystis sp. Algal extracts have antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans. Films prepared from PHB, and PU showed no cytotoxic impact on human tumor cell lines in terms of cell viability. The mechanical properties of the films were studied, and it was found that the final contact angle values were improved from 77° to 87° as CuO-NPs loading raised from 2 to 4%, respectively. XRD displays no difference in the intensity of CuO-NPs peaks by increasing CuO-NPs loading in the PHB/PU matrix. FTIR spectra of all blends were recorded in the range of 400 to 4000 cm−1. Tensile properties were improved with the addition of 40 wt.% PHB.
Comparative bioinformatics analysis of the biosynthetic pathways and key candidate genes of three species, Vitis vinifera, Fragaria vesca and Olea europaea, furnish enzyme sets for the production of pharmaceutically valuable terpenes in heterologous hosts
Authors: Al-Salihi Suhad A. A. , Ford Kathryn L.
Published: January 2023

Plants represent a rich repository of taxonomically restricted, yet chemically diverse, secondary metabolites that are synthesised via specific metabolic pathways. Enzyme specificity and biosynthetic gene clustering are the bottleneck of secondary metabolite evolution. As economically important food crops, grape, strawberry, and olive produce many pharmaceutically important molecules; however, their specific biosynthetic pathways remain inaccessible. Our genomic-based analysis of these three species reveal the biosynthetic diversity of their specialised secondary metabolites. We found over 20 BGCs predicted, most of which were characterised in two species, grape and strawberry. Gene annotation of the biosynthetic candidate genes predicted the production of many medically and industrially important compounds including cycloartenol, nerolidol, farnesene and valencene. Although most of the predicted clusters are concentrated in specific genomic positions, some have shown gene duplications in their clusters, which is suggestive of pseudogenes or misassembled genomes. Our genome mining and putative functional analysis of the biosynthetic genes annotated in the three species indicated the evolutionary processes that have shaped their current genetic structure and the structural diversity of their chemical compositions. Revealing the biogenetic background of these natural molecules is a step forward towards the expansion of their chemical diversification via engineering their biosynthetic genes heterologously, as well as the identification of their role in the interaction between those plants and their biotic and abiotic conditions.
Etching-Induced Surface Reconstruction of NiMoO4 for Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Zhu Jinli , Qian Jinmei , Peng Xuebing , Xia Baori , Gao Daqiang
Published: January 2023

Rational reconstruction of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) pre-catalysts and performance index of OER catalysts are crucial but still challenging for universal water electrolysis. Herein, we develop a double-cation etching strategy to tailor the electronic structure of NiMoO4, where the prepared NiMoO4 nanorods etched by H2O2 reconstruct their surface with abundant cation deficiencies and lattice distortion. Calculation results reveal that the double cation deficiencies can make the upshift of d-band center for Ni atoms and the active sites with better oxygen adsorption capacity. As a result, the optimized sample (NMO-30M) possesses an overpotential of 260 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and excellent long-term durability of 162 h. Importantly, in situ Raman test reveals the rapid formation of high-oxidation-state transition metal hydroxide species, which can further help to improve the catalytic activity of NiMoO4 in OER. This work highlights the influence of surface remodification and shed some light on activating catalysts.
Centrality-based lane interventions in road networks for improved level of service: the case of downtown Boise, Idaho
Authors: Ahmed Md Ashraf , Kays H. M. Imran , Sadri Arif Mohaimin
Published: January 2023

Recent advancements in network science showed that the topological credentials of the elements (i.e., links) in a network carry important implications. Likewise, roadway segments (i.e., links) in a road network should be assessed based on their network position along with traffic conditions at a given geographic scale. The goal of this study is to present a framework that can identify and select critical links in a road network based on their topological importance such as centrality, and the effects of systematic interventions conducted on such links in improving overall system performance (vehicle delay, travel time) to provide an adequate level of service (LOS). A real-world road network (Boise downtown) is investigated by applying lane interventions on roadways experiencing high congestion. Microscopic traffic simulation and analyses are conducted to estimate the traffic flow parameters hence the performance of the road segments. The findings of this study show that interventions applied to critical and congested road segments improve the serviceability from LOS F to LOS E as well as from LOS D to LOS C. Besides, reduced travel time and vehicular delay (after applying intervention on critical components) are also observed for high demand OD pairs of the road network. As such the proposed framework has the potential to incorporate the topological credentials with traffic flow parameters and improve the performance of the road network. This systematic approach will help traffic managers and practitioners to develop strategies that enhance road network performance.
Benefits of adopting smart building technologies in building construction of developing countries: review of literature
Authors: Ejidike Cyril Chinonso , Mewomo Modupe Cecilia
Published: January 2023

Smart building technology has received a broad audience due to digitalisation and benefits in the construction industry. With global interest, the construction of smart buildings has become a new trend in development. Many studies identified a significant interest in the smart building technology application more than in conventional buildings. However, in developing countries, construction professionals have paid little attention to the adoption of smart building technology. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the benefits that are attached to the adoption of smart building technology (SBT) in the construction industry. The study is based on a systematic review of published articles in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. A total of 55 papers comprising conferences and journal articles retrieved from Scopus database were utilised for the study. The study's findings revealed efficient energy consumption, cost-effective building maintenance and operation, job creation, health care management, real-time monitoring, safety and security, among others, as benefits of smart building technologies (SBTs). For smart building technology to thrive in emerging economies, a comprehensive understanding of its benefits is highly imperative. This will not only promote construction professionals' knowledge of its concept but also enhance its successful adoption in these regions. Thus, the paper provides some insights into the benefit of smart building technology in developing countries while suggesting the formation of a synergic structure between the research community and practitioners in the construction sector.

Article highlight

Smart building promotes sustainability in the construction industry.

Productivity, collaboration and security increase smart building adoption.

Rigorous studies on smart building benefits are limited in developing countries.
Risk-Based Monitoring in Clinical Trials: 2021 Update
Authors: Adams Amy , Adelfio Anina , Barnes Brian , Berlien Ruth , Branco Danilo , Coogan Amanda , Garson Lauren , Ramirez Nycole , Stansbury Nicole , Stewart Jennifer , Worman Gillian , Butler Paula Jo , Brown Debby
Published: January 2023

Clinical trial quality depends on ensuring participant safety and data integrity, which require careful management throughout the trial lifecycle, from protocol development to final data analysis and submission. Recent developments—including new regulatory requirements, emerging technologies, and trial decentralization—have increased adoption of risk-based monitoring (RBM) and its parent framework, risk-based quality management (RBQM) in clinical trials. The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO), recognizing the growing importance of these approaches, initiated an ongoing RBM/RBQM landscape survey project in 2019 to track adoption of the eight functional components of RBQM. Here we present results from the third annual survey, which included data from 4889 clinical trials ongoing in 2021. At least one RBQM component was implemented in 88% of trials in the 2021 survey, compared with 77% in 2020 and 53% in 2019. The most frequently implemented components in 2021 were initial and ongoing risk assessments (80 and 78% of trials, respectively). Only 7% of RBQM trials were Phase IV, while the proportions of Phase I–III trials ranged 27–36%. Small trials (< 300 participants) accounted for 60% of those implementing RBQM. The therapeutic areas with the largest number of RBQM trials were oncology (38%), neurology (10%), and infectious diseases (9%). The 2021 survey confirmed a pattern of increasing RBM/RBQM adoption seen in earlier surveys, with risk assessments, which have broad regulatory support, driving RBQM growth; however, one area requiring further development is implementation of centralized monitoring combined with reductions in source data verification (SDV) and source data review (SDR).
Law as Infrastructure of Colonial Space: Sketches from Turtle Island
Authors: Cowen Deborah
Published: January 2023

Heraclitus's words remind us that law and infrastructure have lived in intimate relation, in practice and thought, for millennia. This intimacy is palpable in the context of settler worldmaking where colonial jurisdiction is enacted by constraining, with an eye to replacing, Indigenous jurisdiction. Here, the authority to have authority is often asserted in practice through violent attempts to control connectivity and movement. To this day, imperial powers assert jurisdiction over space through infrastructures that enhance or inhibit the motion of goods and people, like railroads, pipelines, border walls, and police.2 This Essay investigates the co-production of colonial law and infrastructure on Turtle Island—an Indigenous name for the continent of North America, which already highlights a different conception of jurisdiction and law through its anchor in creation stories. The brief sketches that follow emphasize the co-constitution of law and infrastructure, yet they also propose a relationship that exceeds proximity or metaphor. Law operates through the ordering of extension, and in this sense, can productively be thought of infrastructurally, as “the movement or patterning of social form.”3 This Essay argues that approaching law infrastructurally foregrounds the contingency of seemingly solid structures, including centrally that of settler jurisdiction.
The Infrastructure of International Law-Making: How Buildings Shape the Publicness of the Global Law-Making System
Authors: Maisley Nahuel
Published: January 2023

International law is a peculiar form of global ordering, one marked by the “imperative of trying to turn a capacity for crude coercion into legitimate authority.”1 The international law-making system is therefore discursively structured around an aspiration to “publicness,”2 around a commitment to secure “some responsiveness to the claims and interests developed within the relevant publics.”3 As it is evident to any observer, this commitment is oftentimes not honored and the process is frequently detached from the ideas, interests, and priorities of those whose lives are ultimately governed by international law.4 The typical analysis of this detachment tends to focus on the role played by the enabling norms—specifically, the norms governing representation, participation, and deliberation in the international law-making system.5 In this Essay, I argue, however, that the actual publicness of the system is also shaped—sometimes in combination with the law, sometimes in competition with it—by the infrastructure of international law-making.6 For all the grand statements about transparency and public engagement, for all the sincere attempts at inclusion and all the ostentatious legal principles, my claim is that the built environment—the chambers, the fences, the checkpoints, the hallways—generally ensures, both materially and symbolically, that the sites of decision making, where law is ultimately created, are distanced from multiple sites of contestation, where the various publics and counterpublics make their voices heard.7
International Law and Regional Electricity Infrastructure: The West African Power Pool
Authors: Ojomo Edefe
Published: January 2023

In nearly all regions, politico-legal projects for regional organization and integration often prioritize infrastructure construction and maintenance. In West Africa, the development of a regional organization by the post-colonial independent states, in particular the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) formed in 1975, has enabled states to allocate certain powers to formal and informal regional political institutions with the aim of building state effectiveness and capacity and hence increasing public support and popular legitimacy. In this Essay, I argue that regional organizations serve as governance structures whose infrastructural and institutional mechanisms contextually address the needs of states and their citizens. This account particularly applies to West African electricity arrangements overseen through an unusual ECOWAS-linked regional infrastructural organization, the West African Power Pool (WAPP). The case of WAPP demonstrates how the energy infrastructure shapes and modifies regional institutional rules and practices.
An Evaluation of a Web-Based Crisis Management Training Program for Nurse Managers: The Case of the COVID-19 Crisis
Authors: Alan Handan , Harmanci Seren Arzu Kader , Eskin Bacaksiz Feride , Güngör Serkan , Bilgin Osman , Baykal Ülkü
Published: January 2023

Objective:

The effective management of nursing services, the main power in patients’ care and treatment in the front line of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and nurse managers’ effective leadership behaviors in the fight against the pandemic have been important key factors. It is thus critical to support nurse managers, strengthen them through training, and increase their competency so that they can successfully manage crises, disasters, or pandemics. This study aims to assess the effect of a web-based training program on the knowledge levels of nurse managers who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

This is a randomized controlled experimental study. The study population consisted of the members of the Nurse Managers Association. The intervention group had 30 participants, and the control group had 31 participants in the final.

Results:

There was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups’ mean number of correct pre-test responses (P = 0.843). However, the intervention group’s mean number of correct post-test responses was statistically significantly higher than the control group’s after the web-based training program (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Web-based training programs can effectively increase nurse managers’ knowledge levels. Therefore, web-based training programs should be developed in ordinary times for the management of crisis situations.
The Church of England and Constitutional Reform: The Enabling Act in British Politics and English Religion, 1913–1928
Authors: Williamson Philip
Published: January 2023

In 1919, a parliamentary act reconstructed the relations between the British state and the Church of England. The passage of this act had considerable constitutional, political, ecclesiastical, and religious significance, and it is best understood by considering all of these aspects together. The church obtained a new statutory status, a large degree of self-government, and a special legislative procedure that augmented the privileges of its ecclesiastical establishment. All this was achieved without the intense political struggles that had accompanied many church and state issues during the previous hundred years. The apparent ease of the Enabling Act's passage was symptomatic of transformations in the relationship between the Church of England and nonconformity, in public religion, and in the character of British politics. But it was also the outcome of an impressive feat of persuasion and organization. Although the act did not secure the intended degree of spiritual independence, as became painfully evident during the parliamentary prayer book crisis in 1927–28, it placed the church establishment in a more secure position, allowing it to reform its administration and finances and to gain further advantages and new forms of relevance in future years.
Stakeholder salience: corporate responses during a public health crisis
Authors: Liou Ru-Shiun , Rao-Nicholson Rekha , Shang Yanyan
Published: January 2023

Prior crisis management research mainly studied the context of accidental and preventable crises which are generally within the organization's control, while the COVID-19 pandemic presents a public health crisis in which corporations do not have control over the extent of the impacts. Built upon the stakeholder salience framework, we propose and test the hypotheses that are derived from societal stakeholders' power, legitimacy, and urgent claims during the pandemic and reveal several corporate responses that address multiple stakeholders' interests, including customers, shareholders, community, suppliers, and employees. Specifically, corporations with a larger number of employees and social media followers tend to adopt more corporate responses that address various stakeholders' concerns. Further, in highly impacted industries, there is an increased influence of social media followers on customer-related corporate responses as well as a decreased influence of employees on employee-related corporate responses.
Hydrodynamic trade-offs in potential swimming efficiency of planispiral ammonoids
Authors: Ritterbush Kathleen Anita , Hebdon Nicholas
Published: January 2023

Ammonoid cephalopods were Earth's most abundant oceanic carnivores for hundreds of millions of years, yet their probable range of swimming capabilities is poorly constrained. We investigate potential hydrodynamic costs and advantages provided by different conch geometries using computational fluid dynamics simulations. Simulations of raw drag demonstrate expected increases with velocity and conch inflation, consistent with published experimental data. Analysis at different scales of water turbulence (via Reynolds number) reveals dynamic trade-offs between conch shape, size, and velocity. Among compressed shells, the cost of umbilical exposure makes little difference at small sizes (and/or low velocity) but is profound at large sizes (and/or high velocity). We estimate that small ammonoids could travel one to three diameters per second (i.e., a typical ammonoid with a 5-cm-diameter shell could travel 5–15 cm/s), but that large ammonoids faced greater discrepancies (a 10 cm serpenticone likely traveled <30 cm/s, while a 10 cm oxycone might achieve >40 cm/s). All of these velocities are proposed only for short bursts of jet propulsion, lasting only a few seconds, in the service of dodging a predator or conspecific rival. These analyses do not include phylogeny, taxonomy, second-order conch architecture (ribs, ornament, etc.), or hydrostatic consequences of internal anatomy (soft body, suture complexity). For specific paleoecological context, we consider how these results inform our reconstruction of Jurassic ammonite recovery from the end-Triassic mass extinction. Greater refinements will come with additional simulations that measure how added mass is influenced by individual shape-trait variations, ornament, and subtle body extensions during a single jet motion.
Acquiescence Bias Inflates Estimates of Conspiratorial Beliefs and Political Misperceptions
Authors: Hill Seth J. , Roberts Margaret E.
Published: January 2023

Scholars, pundits, and politicians use opinion surveys to study citizen beliefs about political facts, such as the current unemployment rate, and more conspiratorial beliefs, such as whether Barack Obama was born abroad. Many studies, however, ignore acquiescence-response bias, the tendency for survey respondents to endorse any assertion made in a survey question regardless of content. With new surveys fielding questions asked in recent scholarship, we show that acquiescence bias inflates estimated incidence of conspiratorial beliefs and political misperceptions in the United States and China by up to 50%. Acquiescence bias is disproportionately prevalent among more ideological respondents, inflating correlations between political ideology such as conservatism and endorsement of conspiracies or misperception of facts. We propose and demonstrate two methods to correct for acquiescence bias.
On the global existence of solutions to chemotaxis system for two populations in dimension two
Authors: Lin Ke
Published: January 2023

We consider the global existence for the following fully parabolic chemotaxis system with two populations
\[\left\{ \begin{array}{@{}ll} \partial_tu_i=\kappa_i\Delta u_i-\chi_i\nabla\cdot(u_i\nabla v),\quad i\in\{1,2\}, & x\in\Omega,\ t>0, \\ v_t=\Delta v-v+u_1+u_2, & x\in\Omega,\ t>0,\\ u_i(x,t=0)=u_{i0}(x),\quad v(x,t=0)=v_0(x), & x\in\Omega, \end{array} \right. \]where $\Omega =\mathbb {R}^2$ or $\Omega =B_R(0)\subset \mathbb {R}^2$ supplemented with homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions, $\kappa _i,\chi _i>0,$$i=1,2$. The global existence remains open for the fully parabolic case as far as the author knows, while the existence of global solution was known for the parabolic-elliptic reduction with the second equation replaced by $0=\Delta v-v+u_1+u_2$ or $0=\Delta v+u_1+u_2$. In this paper, we prove that there exists a global solution if the initial masses satisfy the certain sub-criticality condition. The proof is based on a version of the Moser–Trudinger type inequality for system in two dimensions.
Penned by Encounter: Visibility and Invisibility of the Cross-Cultural in Images from Early Modern Franciscan Missions in Central Africa and Central Mexico
Authors: Fromont Cécile
Published: January 2023

This article considers a corpus of images created between 1650 and 1750 within Italian Capuchin missions to Kongo and Angola. It demonstrates how these visual creations, though European in form, craftsmanship, and intended audience, were in fact penned by encounter and the products of cross-cultural interactions. Contrasting the Central African images with two well-known and oft-studied Franciscan visual projects from early colonial Mexico, the article further reflects on the stakes of making visible the mixings present, but often overlooked or silenced, in early modern images born from encounters between Europeans and the people they considered their Others.
Was Marshall Right? Managerial Failure and Corporate Ownership in Edwardian Britain
Authors: Aldous Michael , Fliers Philip T. , Turner John D.
Published: January 2023

Alfred Marshall argued that the malaise of public companies in Edwardian Britain was due to the separation of ownership from control and a lack of professional management. In this paper, we examine the ownership and control of the c.1,700 largest British companies in 1911. We find that most public companies had a separation of ownership and control, but that this had little effect on their performance. We also find that manager characteristics that proxy for amateurism are uncorrelated with performance. Ultimately, our evidence suggests that, if Marshall was correct in identifying a corporate malaise in Britain, its source lay elsewhere.
The effect of attention bias modification on depressive symptoms in a comorbid sample: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Bø Ragnhild , Kraft Brage , Pedersen Mads Lund , Joormann Jutta , Jonassen Rune , Osnes Kåre , Harmer Catherine J. , Landrø Nils Inge
Published: January 2023

Background

Studies investigating the long-term effect of attention bias modification (ABM) in clinical samples are lacking. This study investigates the 6-months follow-up effect of ABM on depressive symptoms in participant with major depressive disorder with and without comorbid disorders.

Methods

We conducted a double-blind randomized sham-controlled trial in 101 participants between 19 November 2019, and 17 August 2021. Follow-up ended 3 April 2022. Participants were allocated to ABM or sham condition twice daily for 14 consecutive days. Primary outcomes were the total score on the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at 6 months, mean Brief State Rumination Inventory (BSRI) score post-treatment and reduction in BSRI post-treatment. Secondary outcome was change in attentional bias (AB). The trial was preregistered in ClinicalTrials.gov (#NCT 04137367).

Results

A total of 118 patients aged 18–65 years were assessed for eligibility, and 101 were randomized and subjected to intention-to-treat analyses. At 6 months, ABM had no effect on depression and anxiety compared to a sham condition. While rumination decreased during the intervention, there was no effect of condition on rumination and AB. Predictor analysis did not reveal differences between participants with ongoing major depressive episode or comorbid anxiety.

Conclusion

Compared to sham training, there was no effect of ABM on depressive symptoms at 6-months follow-up. Since the intervention failed at modifying AB, it is unclear whether changes in AB are related to long-term outcomes.
Genuine policy learning is fundamental: the journey of the United Arab Emirates toward the establishment of health technology assessment
Authors: Ahmad Maiss , Akhras Kasem S. , Saleh Shadi
Published: January 2023

The launch of innovative technologies has been credited with significant improvements in health indicators, but it comes at a high financial impact, and the value of certain innovations may not be well documented. Health technology assessment (HTA) is a universally established process to assess the incremental value of innovations. Despite its acknowledged value, almost one-third of the countries around the globe have not established yet a formal HTA in their health systems. The UAE is one of the pioneering countries worldwide in adopting innovative health technologies. This emphasizes the importance of exploring the key elements in the UAE’s journey toward the establishment of HTA. Our study aims to articulate an academic insight that can support the ongoing endeavors to establish the HTA in the UAE. This case study was guided by an analytical framework. Data was collected from document review and semistructured interviews, then analyzed by applying the codebook thematic analysis technique. The findings outline multiple facilitators and challenges in the perspective process, as they show a multidimensional interlink between all identified elements. Markedly, leveraging the role of specialized academia and building HTA genuine knowledge are the areas that need the most attention. The originality of this research is associated with analyzing the three health policy pillars: the context, actors, and content in a prospective HTA establishment process. The main practical implications generated from this study are supporting global health organizations, HTA policy entrepreneurs, and academics in improving their strategies and designing more effective HTA policy learning programs.
Crystal structure of toceranib, C22H25FN4O2
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Gates-Rector Stacy , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: January 2023

The crystal structure of toceranib has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional theory techniques. Toceranib crystallizes in space group P21/c (#14) with a = 10.6899(6), b = 24.5134(4), c = 7.8747(4) Å, β = 107.7737(13)°, V = 1965.04(3) Å3, and Z = 4. The crystal structure consists of stacks of approximately planar molecules, with N–H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the layers. The commercial reagent sample was a mixture of two or more phases with toceranib being the dominant phase. The difference between the Rietveld-refined and DFT-optimized structures is larger than usual. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).