bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of affective lability across subgroups of psychosis spectrum disorders
Authors: Høegh Margrethe Collier , Melle Ingrid , Aminoff Sofie R. , Haatveit Beathe , Olsen Stine Holmstul , Huflåtten Idun B. , Ueland Torill , Lagerberg Trine Vik
Published: November 2021

Background

Affective lability is elevated and associated with increased clinical burden in psychosis spectrum disorders. The extent to which the level, structure and dispersion of affective lability varies between the specific disorders included in the psychosis spectrum is however unclear. To have potential value as a treatment target, further characterization of affective lability in these populations is necessary. The main aim of our study was to investigate differences in the architecture of affective lability in different psychosis spectrum disorders, and if putative differences remained when we controlled for current symptom status.

Methods

Affective lability was measured with The Affective Lability Scale Short Form (ALS-SF) in participants with schizophrenia (SZ, n = 76), bipolar I disorder (BD-I, n = 105), bipolar II disorder (BD-II, n = 68) and a mixed psychosis-affective group (MP, n = 48). Multiple analyses of covariance were conducted to compare the ALS-SF total and subdimension scores of the diagnostic groups, correcting for current psychotic, affective and anxiety symptoms, substance use and sex. Double generalized linear models were performed to compare the dispersion of affective lability in the different groups.

Results

Overall group differences in affective lability remained significant after adjusting for covariates (p = .001). BD-II had higher affective lability compared to SZ and BD-I (p = .004), with no significant differences between SZ and BD-I. There were no significant differences in the contributions of ALS-SF dimensions to the total affective lability or in dispersion of affective lability between the groups.

Conclusions

This study provides the construct of affective lability in psychosis spectrum disorders with more granular details that may have implications for research and clinical care. It demonstrates that despite overlap in core symptom profiles, BD-I is more similar to SZ than it is to BD-II concerning affective lability and the BD groups should consequently be studied apart. Further, affective lability appears to be characterized by fluctuations between depressive- and other affective states across different psychosis spectrum disorders, indicating that affective lability may be related to internalizing problems in these disorders. Finally, although the level varies between groups, affective lability is evenly spread and not driven by extremes across psychosis spectrum disorders and should be assessed irrespective of diagnosis.
Glutamatergic medications as adjunctive therapy for moderate to severe obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hadi Fatemeh , Kashefinejad Shayan , Kamalzadeh Leila , Hoobehfekr Saba , Shalbafan Mohammadreza
Published: November 2021

Background

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is among the most disabling neuropsychiatric conditions characterized by the presence of repetitive intrusive thoughts, impulses, or images (obsessions) and/or ritualized mental or physical acts (compulsions). Serotonergic medications, particularly Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), are the first-line treatments for patients with OCD. Recently, dysregulation of glutamatergic system has been proposed to be involved in the etiology of OCD. We designed this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate clinical efficacy of glutamatergic medications in patients with OCD, according to the guidelines of Cochrane collaboration.

Method

We searched Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane library without applying any language filter. Two of the authors independently reviewed search results for irrelevant and duplicate studies and extracted data and assessed methodological quality of the studies. We transformed data into a common rubric and calculated a weighted treatment effect across studies using Review Manager.

Results

We found 476 references in 3 databases, and after exclusion of irrelevant and duplicate studies, 17 studies with total number of 759 patients with OCD were included. In the present review we found evidence for several drugs such as memantine, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), Minocycline, L-carnosine and riluzole. Glutamaterigic drug plus SSRIs were superior to SSRI+ Placebo with regard to Y-BOCS scale [standardized mean difference (SMD = − 3.81 95% CI = − 4.4, − 3.23).

Conclusion

Augmentation of glutamatergic medications with SSRIs are beneficial in obsessive-compulsive patients, no harmful significant differences in any safety outcome were found between the groups.
DynamoVis 1.0: an exploratory data visualization software for mapping movement in relation to internal and external factors
Authors: Dodge Somayeh , Toka Mert , Bae Crystal J.
Published: November 2021

Background

This paper introduces DynamoVis version 1.0, an open-source software developed to design, record and export custom animations and multivariate visualizations from movement data, enabling visual exploration and communication of patterns capturing the associations between animals’ movement and its affecting internal and external factors. Proper representation of these dependencies grounded on cartographic principles and intuitive visual forms can facilitate scientific discovery, decision-making, collaborations, and foster understanding of movement.

Results

DynamoVis offers a visualization platform that is accessible and easily usable for scientists and general public without a need for prior experience with data visualization or programming. The intuitive design focuses on a simple interface to apply cartographic techniques, giving ecologists of all backgrounds the power to visualize and communicate complex movement patterns.

Conclusions

DynamoVis 1.0 offers a flexible platform to quickly and easily visualize and animate animal tracks to uncover hidden patterns captured in the data, and explore the effects of internal and external factors on their movement path choices and motion capacities. Hence, DynamoVis can be used as a powerful communicative and hypothesis generation tool for scientific discovery and decision-making through visual reasoning. The visual products can be used as a research and pedagogical tool in movement ecology.
Precipitation impacts on earthen architecture for better implementation of cultural resource management in the US Southwest
Authors: Hart Sharlot , Raymond Kara , Williams C. Jason , Johnson Justin , DeGayner Jacob , Guebard Matthew C.
Published: November 2021

Changing seasonal precipitation patterns prompted by climate change are likely causing increasing degradation of adobe architecture in the American Southwest. This deterioration includes surface erosion and catastrophic collapse. This study examines the impact of changing rainfall patterns on untreated adobe walls to understand how damage occurs and anticipate future impacts. To complete the study, we constructed 20 adobe test walls. Using a portable rain simulator, each wall was subjected to two rainfall experiments: high-intensity rainfall simulations (rain intensity variable) and low-intensity rainfall simulations (rain event number variable). Wall-degradation metrics (material loss, volume loss, affected surface area, and cavity depth) were calculated for each wall using pre- and post-simulation LiDAR scans. Internal wall moisture was also measured with embedded volumetric water content sensors. In the high-intensity experiment, the lines of best-fit for material loss and affected surface area show that surface erosion increases with rain intensity, while cavity depth remains consistent. Linear models and post-hoc tests indicate material loss and affected surface area is significantly different for each high-intensity rainfall treatment. Furthermore, the interior of each wall remained relatively dry demonstrating that rain intensity is not a strong predictor of interior wall moisture. In the low-intensity rainfall experiment, the rainfall simulations yielded statistically similar erosion and interior wall moisture results. Greater infiltration occurred under low-intensity long-duration rain conditions, while greater surficial damage occurred under high-intensity rain conditions. In conclusion, changing weather regimes are bringing more intense rainfall events to the arid American Southwest. This study suggests that more frequent high intensity rain events will cause increasing damage to adobe walls. Resource managers will need to adapt current management strategies to account for this change.
Time-dependent responses of the neutral mass density to fixed magnetospheric energy inputs into the cusp region in the thermosphere during a period of large IMF BY: a high-resolution two-dimensional local modeling
Authors: Oigawa Tomokazu , Shinagawa Hiroyuki , Taguchi Satoshi
Published: November 2021

Thermospheric mass density values around the 400-km altitude in the cusp can be significantly enhanced as compared to regions around the cusp. To gain insights into the extent to which the magnitude of the cusp mass density enhancements can be explained by the static distributions of moderate electric field and electron precipitation typical for a period of large IMF BY, we employed a high-resolution two-dimensional local model that can represent the plasma features that are characteristic of the cusp: azimuthal ion flow and low-energy electron precipitation. We also calculated the thermospheric dynamics with and without neutral–ion drag. We found that in the calculation with this drag the obtained mass density enhancement is 10% at most, indicating that the thermospheric dynamics imposing the moderate static electric field and electron precipitation can only explain about one-third of the typical magnitude of cusp thermospheric mass density, i.e., 33%. We also found that in the calculation without neutral–ion drag the magnitude of the mass density enhancement is slightly larger than the one with the neutral–ion drag. To explain the average magnitude of the cusp mass density enhancements completely, other energy inputs such as Alfvén waves, in addition to the static distributions of electric field and electron precipitation, are needed.

Graphical Abstract
Comparing the efficacy of dual Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Hyaluronic Acid (HA) therapy with PRP-alone therapy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Aw Angeline Ai Ling , Leeu Jun Jie , Tao Xinyu , Bin Abd Razak Hamid Rahmatullah
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aims to compare the efficacy of a dual therapy of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Hyaluronic Acid (HA) compared with PRP-alone therapy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Methods

PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, grey literature and bibliographic references were searched from inception to January 2021. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective cohort studies comparing the effect of PRP and HA versus PRP-alone therapy for KOA were included. Literature retrieval and data extraction were conducted by three independent reviewers. Pooled analysis of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores and adverse events were conducted.

Results

Ten studies (7 RCTs, 3 cohort studies) involving 983 patients were covered. Dual PRP and HA therapy resulted in significant reduction in VAS compared to PRP-alone therapy at 4–6 weeks (P < 0.00001) and 12 months (P < 0.00001). Dual therapy resulted in better WOMAC score improvement at 3 (P = 0.02), 6 (P = 0.05) and 12 months (P < 0.0001) compared to PRP-alone therapy. The IKDC score for dual therapy was also higher at 6 months compared to PRP-alone therapy (P = 0.007). Regarding adverse events, dual therapy was generally safer than PRP-alone therapy (P = 0.02).

Conclusion

While there is a paucity of large high-quality Level I studies, current best evidence suggests that dual therapy with PRP and HA for KOA may be effective at providing pain relief and improvement in function up to 1 year following administration.

Level of evidence

II.
Development of a conceptual model for research on cyclical variation of patient reported outcome measurements (PROMs) in patients with chronic conditions: a scoping review
Authors: Davey A. F. , Coombes J. , Porter I. , Green C. , Mewse A. J. , Valderas J. M.
Published: November 2021

Background

Although circadian, seasonal, and other cycles have been observed for a number of chronic conditions, their impact on patient reported outcomes measurements (PROMs) has not been systematically explored, rendering our understanding of the effect of time of measurement on PROM scores very limited. The aim was to conduct a scoping review to determine what is known about how intra-individual cyclical variation might affect the way individuals with chronic conditions respond to patient-reported outcome measures.

Methods

A protocol of a systematic scoping review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42017058365). We developed a search strategy based on previous relevant reviews and implemented it in: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. No restrictions were placed on article types and backward and forward citation searches were conducted. Screening and data extraction were independently completed by up to four reviewers. An adapted version of CASP criteria was used to appraise the quality of included articles. Concepts that were important in understanding the impact of cyclical variation on PROM scores were elicited from the papers and iteratively refined through discussion amongst the authors.

Results

2420 references resulted from the searches, with 33 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Most study designs included observational research (particularly ecological momentary assessment), 2 were RCTs and 2 were systematic reviews. Studies mainly focused on specific health conditions: mental health, respiratory and musculoskeletal. There was a lack of qualitative research and theoretical framework to explore these concepts more fully. Five overarching concepts emerged: variation in outcomes, variation of scores, psychological status, individual factors, and environmental/situational factors. A conceptual model was developed outlining the relationships between these concepts.

Conclusions

There is empirical evidence that supports cyclical variation in PROM scores across different chronic conditions, with potential very significant implications for administration and interpretation of PROMs. The proposed conceptual model can support further research in this area.
Temporal and spatial changes in cerebral blood flow in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus: a subtraction brain spect study
Authors: Trevisan Ana Carolina , Alexandre-Santos Leonardo , Assad Rodrigo Luppino , Itikawa Emerson Nobuyuki , Pitella Felipe Arriva , Kato Mery , Silvah José Henrique , Santos Antonio Carlos , Louzada-Junior Paulo , Wichert-Ana Lauro
Published: November 2021

This study was addressed to evaluate the temporal and spatial changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE). Our objective was to correlate the subtracted SPECT coregistered to MRI features (SISCOM) with demographic, clinical and laboratory findings to shed light upon the pathophysiological evolution of the NPSLE. Twenty-six NPSLE patients with MRI and pre- and post-treatment brain SPECT with [99mTc]Tc-ECD. SISCOM features were categorized as improvement, worsening, activation and/or deactivation of rCBF findings. Patients mean age of 43.19 years and 65.38% white were evaluated. The patients mean age at onset of SLE was 26.05 and 42.29 for NPSLE. The mean time between the onset of SLE and first NPSLE symptoms was 05.57 years. The disease has already been initiated as NPSLE in 4 patients. The SLEDAI average score was 31.69 and the SLICC/ACR-DI score was 06.96. The patients underwent an average of 09.23 cyclophosphamide. The SISCOM findings showed functional and pathological states on different brain regions. The rCBF changes were not associated with index scores. There was, however, a trend towards an association between lower SLEDAI scores with improvement and higher SLEDAI with worsening in SISCOM, Also a trend of association between lower SLICC score with improvement, and higher SLICC with worsening. The female gender was predictive of activation and worsening, separately, and deactivation and worsening in a set. Non-white patients were predictive of worsening. The seizure was predictive of deactivation separately, and deactivation and worsening in a set. Finally, normal C3 was a predictor of improvement. The present study showed dynamic brain changes in NPSLE patients. SISCOM technique showed improved rCBF in some brain areas, and worsening, activation and deactivation in others. There were associations between rCBF changes and gender, skin colour and complement C3 and association trends with SLEDAI and SLICC scores.
The efficiency of systemic insecticides and complete fertilizer by trunk injection method against leopard moth in infested walnut trees
Authors: Mokhtaryan Alireza , Sheikhigarjan Aziz , Arbab Abbas , Mohammadipour Ali , Ardestanirostami Hoda
Published: November 2021

Background

Leopard moth, Zeuzera pyrina L., is a key pest of walnut trees in arid and dry areas. It severely damages walnut tree gardens with limitations on irrigation water in the growing season. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of trunk injections of three systemic insecticides: imidacloprid, oxydemeton-methyl, thiamethoxam and a complete fertilizer, Nutreeno® against the leopard moth. Trunk injection was done by drilling. The walnut annual shoots of 60 cm in length were sampled from four directions of the treated and control trees in 4 months after treatments.

Results

The results showed that all treatments including the insecticides and the complete fertilizer at higher concentrations had acceptable efficacy on the leopard moth, and thiamethoxam was the best treatment.

Conclusions

Trunk injections by neonicotinoid insecticides and Nutreeno can be a safer control method against leopard moth larvae in old walnut trees around residential areas.
Assessment of the growth performance and haematological indices of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings exposed to soap effluent
Authors: Akinkuolie Samuel Olusayo , Adewole Henry Adefisayo , Ololade Promise Olabode , Lawal Bola Morufat , Olaleye Victor Folorunso
Published: November 2021

Background

Various substances released from modern complex human societies which enter the aquatic ecosystems produce alterations in survivability of aquatic biota. This study assesses the consequence of exposure to industrial effluents containing potentially hazardous constituents, especially soap industrial waste effluent, relative to fish physiology, growth and survival, particularly food fish such as Clarias gariepinus. Five hundred (500) fingerlings of C. gariepinus (15.65 ± 0.02 g) randomly stocked at 50 fish per tank in duplicates were exposed to varying concentration (0, 0.32, 0.66, 1.31 and 2.63%) of homogenous effluent sample and fed Durante® floating feed at 5% of the body weight in two instalments per day for 180 days. The growth performance and feed utilization data were generated to determine the growth performance indices. The haematological parameters of the fish were also determined following routine methods of fish haematology.

Result

Generally, fish in the control had significantly (p < 0.05) better growth performance indices compared with the exposed fish. It was also observed that most of the significant increase or decrease observed in the growth performance was concentration dependent. Increase in HES concentration which significantly increases (p < 0.05) WBC count of the experimental fish was observed to decrease (p < 0.05) the HGB level of the fish. Significantly higher (p < 0.05) levels of RBC (3.02 ± 0.03 × 106/µL) and HCT (36.70 ± 1.68%) were recorded in the control fish. However, all the exposed fish had significantly higher (p < 0.05) levels of platelet count compared with the control.

Conclusion

This study concluded that exposure to concentrations of soap effluent induced stress, inhibited growth and altered the haematological indices of the exposed fish. Uncontrolled discharge of soap effluent into receiving water bodies, apart from affecting the wellbeing of an important freshwater food fish, there is every probability of possible accumulation of the chemical/toxic additives of the soap effluent which could have serious implications considering the man as the major and final recipient of these toxic bioaccumulated chemicals via the food chain and the environment.
Migraine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and its relation to disease activity
Authors: El-Sonbaty Hassan Abd-Elaty , Zarad Carmen Ali , Mohamed Mohamed Rezk , Abou Elmaaty Ali Ahmed
Published: November 2021

Background

The comorbidity between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and migraine is complex and not completely understood.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate migraine frequency in patients with RA and its relation to disease activity.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out on 210 consecutive RA Egyptian patients fulfilling the 2010 EULAR/ACR criteria (joint distribution, serology, symptom duration and acute phase reaction).

Results

Prevalence of migraine in RA was 28.2%. Disease activity, fibromyalgia and functional losses were significantly higher in migraine group with RA versus non-migraine group (P < 0.001). Disease Activity Score (DAS-28) was independently significant predictor as increasing DAS-28 score was associated with an increased likelihood of exhibiting migraine (5.5-times higher odds per one-unit increase in DAS-28 score). Prevalence of brain MRI white matter hyper-intensities (WMHs) in RA with migraine was 54.8%. WMHs were significantly higher in migraine patients with aura than migraine patients without aura, especially in older patients, longer migraine duration, longer rheumatoid duration and elevated ESR (p < 0.047, p < 0.034, P < 0.004, P < 0.015 and P < 0.22, respectively).

Conclusions

Migraine is highly frequent in RA patients, especially migraine with aura. The presence of rheumatoid activity, fibromyalgia and secondary Sjogren’s syndrome, elevated ESR and CRP are associated with functional losses in RA patients with migraine, especially migraine with aura. MR imaging of brain is a mandatory tool for detection of white matter hyper-intensities in RA patients with migraine, especially migraine with aura.
Some living eukaryotes during and after scanning electron microscopy
Authors: Kim Ki Woo
Published: November 2021

Electron microscopy (EM) is an essential imaging method in biological sciences. Since biological specimens are exposed to radiation and vacuum conditions during EM observations, they die due to chemical bond breakage and desiccation. However, some organisms belonging to the taxa of bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals (including beetles, ticks, and tardigrades) have been reported to survive hostile scanning EM (SEM) conditions since the onset of EM. The surviving organisms were observed (i) without chemical fixation, (ii) after mounting to a precooled cold stage, (iii) using cryo-SEM, or (iv) after coating with a thin polymer layer, respectively. Combined use of these techniques may provide a better condition for preservation and live imaging of multicellular organisms for a long time beyond live-cell EM.
A many-body dissipative particle dynamics with energy conservation study of droplets icing on microstructure surfaces
Authors: Wang Chenyang , Wu Xiao , Hao Pengfei , He Feng , Zhang Xiwen
Published: November 2021

Droplets icing has important applications in real life. The icing process of droplets on microstructure is explored based on the MDPDE method in this study. Firstly, the correctness of the heat transfer model was verified by one-dimensional heat conduction simulation, and then the feasibility of the phase change model was verified by investigating the icing process of droplets. The influence of cold surface temperature, droplet volume and contact angle on freezing time of droplets was discussed, and it was found that the temperature of cold surfaces had a greater effect on freezing. We finally explored the influence of different microstructure surfaces on the icing of droplets, and results showed that the presence of microstructures greatly enhanced the anti-icing effect of the surface. In our research, the contact angle is a relatively large factor affecting the icing of droplets. In addition, it was discovered that the droplet had the strongest ability to delay freezing on the surface of triangle microstructures with a contact angle of 157.1°.
Stability-indicating RP-HPLC method development and validation for simultaneous estimation of telmisartan and rosuvastatin calcium in bulk and in tablet dosage form
Authors: Gholve Rameshwar , Pekamwar Sanjay , Wadher Sailesh , Kalyankar Tukaram
Published: November 2021

Background

The stability-indicating chromatographic method was developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of telmisartan and rosuvastatin calcium in bulk and in tablet dosage form. The RP-HPLC elution was carried out at 242.0 nm using column Oyster ODS3 (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) isocratically, and a mobile phase containing 10 mM phosphate buffer with 1.1 g octane-1-sulfonic acid sodium salt having pH 2.5 (adjusted with 5% OPA) and acetonitrile, with a proportion of 500:500, v/v was pumped through the column maintained at ambient (about 25 °C) temperature with 1.0 mL/min flow rate. The proposed method was validated according to ICH Q2 (R1) guideline.

Results

Telmisartan and rosuvastatin were eluted at 2.553 min and 4.505 min, respectively. The method is linear from 99.9073 to 299.7218 µg/mL for telmisartan (R2 = 1.000) and 23.6841 – 71.0522 µg/mL for rosuvastatin (R2 = 0.999). The average recovery percentage was found 100.51, 99.76, and 99.14% for telmisartan and 99.68, 99.72, and 98.56% for rosuvastatin at three different levels. Results of method repeatability and intermediate precision were found within acceptable limits. Results of solution stability showed that mobile phase was stable for 2 days; standard and sample preparations are stable for 1 day at room temperature as well as in the refrigerator (2–8 °C). Also, forced degradation study results show that method is stability indicating as capable of distinguishing the active analytes peak from the degraded product.

Conclusion

The developed stability-indicating method is linear in studied concentration range as well as precise, accurate, specific, and robust. Hence, successfully this method can be used for routine analysis and stability study.

Graphical abstract
Development and characterization of multiparticulate system as an alternative to unit dosage forms containing drugs with diverse release profiles
Authors: Dhanorkar Vandana , Shah Pranav
Published: November 2021

Background

Currently, the Bilayer tablets, Tablet in tablet and Inlay tablets composed of Glimepiride (GMP) and Pioglitazone (PGH) as immediate release part, and Metformin (MFH) as sustained-release part are available for the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In these products, there is a possibility of the incomplete release of immediate release part (GMP and PGH) due to their entrapment into high viscosity gel barrier of MFH sustained-release part when drug product comes in contact with media. Therefore, the present study was aimed to deliver the above combination drugs in the form of hard gelatin capsules (as unit dosage form) containing MFH sustained-release (MFH-SR) pellets and immediate release pellets of PGH and GMP (PG-IR).

Results

The MFH-SR and GP-IR pellets, prepared by extrusion and spheronization technique, were optimized based on the drug content and % cumulative drug release. The MFH-SR pellets formulation (batch A6) has shown maximum drug content, and sustained-release of MFH similar to marketed glucophage tablet while, the GP-IR pellets formulation (batch B5) has displayed maximum drug contents and immediate release of GMP and PGH; thus, these batches were considered for further characterizations. The optimized MFH-SR and GP-IR formulations have shown particle sizes of 0.23 ± 0.0010 mm and 0.35 ± 0.0018 mm, respectively. Besides, the formulations exhibited good micromeritics properties. The in vivo pharmacokinetic study in rabbits has demonstrated comparable bioavailability of the drugs from pellets and the marketed formulations following oral administration. Further, the pellets were found to be stable for 6 months at 40 ± 2 °C/75% ± 5%RH.

Conclusions

The study results revealed that the multiparticulate systems with varied release profiles could be a promising approach to overcome drug release issues associated with the unit dosage forms.
Soil carbon-food synergy: sizable contributions of small-scale farmers
Authors: Iizumi Toshichika , Hosokawa Nanae , Wagai Rota
Published: November 2021

Background

Benefits to agricultural yield improvement, soil degradation prevention, and climate mitigation are central to the synergies of soil organic carbon (SOC) build-up. However, the contributions of small-scale farmers, the main target of recent agricultural and rural development policies, to SOC enhancement are understudied. Here, we present a global analysis of small-scale farmers’ contributions to the potential of additional SOC stocks and the associated increase in crop production.

Methods

We applied random forest machine learning models to global gridded datasets on crop yield (wheat, maize, rice, soybean, sorghum and millet), soil, climate and agronomic management practices from the 2000s (n = 1808 to 8123). Using the established crop-specific SOC-yield relationships, the potentials of additional SOC build-up and crop production increase were simulated. The estimated SOC increase was converted into global decadal mean temperature change using the temperature sensitivity to cumulative total anthropogenic CO2 emissions from preindustrial levels. The amount of inorganic nitrogen (N) input that would result in the same yield outcome as the SOC build-up was derived from the crop-specific N-yield relationships.

Results

SOC contributes to yields in addition to management and climatic factors. Additional SOC sums up to 12.78 GtC (11.55–14.05 GtC) of global SOC stock, which earns 38.24 Mt (22.88–57.48 Mt) of additional crop production and prevents warming by 0.030 °C (0.019–0.041 °C). This production increase equates to what would be achieved by an inorganic N input of 5.82 Mt N (3.89–7.14 Mt N). Small-scale farmers account for 28% (26–30%) of the additional SOC build-up and 17% (15–20%) of the production increase. Key crops and regions in terms of small-scale farmers’ contributions include Sub-Saharan African maize and rice, Latin American and Caribbean soybean and maize, and South Asian rice and wheat.

Conclusions

The contribution of small-scale farmers to the potential increase in SOC stock and crop production is sizable, which in theory further leads to saving inorganic N input. These findings emphasize the importance of linking soil management to sustainable land and climate mitigation with institutions and policy for small-scale farmers. Such a joint policy would assist multiple development goals.
Effects of media stories featuring coping with suicidal crises on psychiatric patients: Randomized controlled trial
Authors: Niederkrotenthaler T. , Baumgartner J. , Kautzky A. , Fellinger M. , Jahn R. , Wippel A. , Koch M. , König-Castillo D. , Höflich A. , Slamanig R. , Topitz A. , Wancata J. , Till B.
Published: November 2021

Background

Accumulating evidence suggests beneficial effects of media stories featuring individuals mastering their suicidal crises, but effects have not been assessed for psychiatric patients.

Methods

We randomized n = 172 adult psychiatric patients (n = 172, 97.1% inpatients) to read an educative article featuring a person mastering a suicidal crisis (n = 92) or an unrelated article (n = 80) in a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Questionnaire data were collected before (T1) and after exposure (T2) as well as 1 week later (study end-point, T3). The primary outcome was suicidal ideation as assessed with the Reasons for Living Inventory; secondary outcomes were help-seeking intentions, mood, hopelessness, and stigmatization. Differences between patients with affective versus other diagnoses were explored based on interaction tests.

Results

We found that patients with affective disorders (n = 99) experienced a small-sized reduction of suicidal ideation at 1-week follow up (mean difference to control group [MD] at T3 = −0.17 [95% CI −0.33, −0.03], d = −0.15), whereas patients with nonaffective diagnoses (n = 73) experienced a small-sized increase (T2: MD = 0.24 [95% CI 0.06, 0.42], d = 0.19). Intervention group participants further experienced a nonsustained increase of help-seeking intentions (T2: MD = 0.53 [95% CI 0.11, 0.95], d = 0.19) and a nonsustained deterioration of mood (T2: MD = −0.14 [95% CI −0.27, −0.02], d = −0.17).

Conclusions

This study suggests that patients with affective disorders appear to benefit from media materials featuring mastery of suicidal crises. More research is needed to better understand which patient groups are at possible risk of unintended effects.
Digital Health for Patients With Multiple Myeloma: An Unmet Need
Authors: Jagannath Sundar , Mikhael Joseph , Nadeem Omar , Raje Noopur
Published: November 2021

Multiple myeloma (MM) is associated with the highest symptom burden and lowest health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with hematologic malignancies. HRQoL in MM is heterogeneous, varying over the course of disease, with the highest burden at diagnosis and relapse. Patients with MM are increasingly being treated with oral maintenance medications at home. As a result, longitudinal monitoring of medication adherence and patient-reported outcomes, including HRQoL, could inform on disease status, therapeutic tolerability, and satisfaction with care. Digital health technologies, including telemedicine, mobile health, and wearable devices, are poised to become an integral part of modern health care, in part due to the surge in telemedicine necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the literature has many reports on the use of digital health technologies in other types of cancers, fewer studies report on their application to MM. In the current narrative review, we survey the applications of digital health for MM. Although there is evidence that some are associated with improved health outcomes, challenges exist that must be met to ensure more widespread adoption. These include the need for increased awareness by patients and health care providers, lack of access by the typical older patient with MM, absence of randomized clinical trials, and low integration with current workflows such as electronic health records. Following our summary of technologies that could benefit patients with MM, we end by describing our vision for how they can be integrated into each phase of the patient journey.
Intrinsic magnetism in two-dimensional Cr2X2Se (X = I, Br, Cl) monolayers
Authors: Gao Ben-Ling , Zhou Guang-Hong , Ke San-Huang , Song Guang , Wang Xiang-Rong , Xu Qing-Qiang , Wang Yan-Zong , Liang Feng , Li Guan-Nan
Published: November 2021

A novel family of two-dimensional Cr2X2Se (X = I, Br, Cl) monolayers with intrinsic magnetism has been predicted using first-principles calculations. The monolayer with the five atomic sublayers has two structures: structure I with ABCAB-type atomic sublayers and structure II with ABCBA-type atomic sublayers. It is found that the lowest energy states are ferromagnetic (FM) half metal for the structure I, and antiferromagnetic (AFM) semiconductor for the structure II, respectively. Phonon spectrum calculations and molecular dynamics simulations show that these lowest energy magnetic states are stable. Monte Carlo simulations based on the Ising model show that the Curie temperatures are about 94, 156 and 93 K for Cr2I2Se, Cr2Br2Se and Cr2Cl2Se monolayers in the structure I, respectively, which are above 77 K of the liquid-nitrogen transition temperature. The large magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies of about 1879, 68, 28 μeV per Cr atom for Cr2X2Se (X = I, Br, Cl) monolayers in the structure I show their importance in magnetic memory and storage. The magnetization direction is out of plane in Cr2I2Se and Cr2Br2Se, but is in plane in Cr2Cl2Se. Our study implies a new route in 2D electronics and spintronics.
Telecasting an “Effective Weapon for Peace”
Authors: Perlman Allison
Published: November 2021

This article investigates the history of the International Television Federation, or Intertel. A collaboration between telecasters from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, Intertel throughout the 1960s produced and distributed public affairs documentaries for an international audience. Intertel’s members positioned public affairs programming in the 1960s as an “effective weapon for peace.” By making the nations of the world legible to one another, Intertel programs sought to deploy the international circulation of television texts as a means to diminish tensions in a world defined by uneven economic growth, Cold War ideological battles, and the specter of nuclear warfare. Drawing on archival materials, press reports, and the programs themselves, this essay offers an institutional history of the program’s development, expansion, and demise, as well as an analysis of its politics and ideological premises.
Anatomical and physiological variation of the hyoid musculature during swallowing in infant pigs
Authors: Mayerl Christopher J. , Steer Kendall E. , Chava Almasi M. , Bond Laura E. , Edmonds Chloe E. , Gould Francois D. H. , Hieronymous Tobin L. , Vinyard Christopher J. , German Rebecca Z.
Published: November 2021

The function of a muscle is impacted by its line of action, activity timing and contractile characteristics when active, all of which have the potential to vary within a behavior. One function of the hyoid musculature is to move the hyoid bone during swallowing, yet we have little insight into how their lines of action and contractile characteristics might change during a swallow. We used an infant pig model to quantify the contractile characteristics of four hyoid muscles during a swallow using synchronized electromyography, fluoromicrometry and high-speed biplanar videofluoroscopy. We also estimated muscle line of action during a swallow using contrast-enhanced CT-scanned muscles animated to move with the hyoid bone and found that as the hyoid elevated, the line of action of the muscles attached to it became greater in depression. We also found that muscles acted eccentrically and concentrically, which was correlated with hyoid movement. This work contributes to our understanding of how the musculature powering feeding functions during swallowing.
Rising Geographic Disparities in US Mortality
Authors: Couillard Benjamin K. , Foote Christopher L. , Gandhi Kavish , Meara Ellen , Skinner Jonathan
Published: November 2021

The twenty-first century has been a period of rising inequality in both income and health. In this paper, we find that geographic inequality in mortality for midlife Americans increased by about 70 percent between 1992 and 2016. This was not simply because states like New York or California benefited from having a high fraction of college-educated residents who enjoyed the largest health gains during the last several decades. Nor was higher dispersion in mortality caused entirely by the increasing importance of “deaths of despair,” or by rising spatial income inequality during the same period. Instead, over time, state-level mortality has become increasingly correlated with state-level income; in 1992, income explained only 3 percent of mortality inequality, but by 2016, state-level income explained 58 percent. These mortality patterns are consistent with the view that high-income states in 1992 were better able to enact public health strategies and adopt behaviors that, over the next quarter-century, resulted in pronounced relative declines in mortality. The substantial longevity gains in high-income states led to greater cross-state inequality in mortality.
When Innovation Goes Wrong: Technological Regress and the Opioid Epidemic
Authors: Cutler David M. , Glaeser Edward L.
Published: November 2021

The fourfold increase in opioid deaths between 2000 and 2017 rivals even the COVID-19 pandemic as a health crisis for America. Why did it happen? Measures of demand for pain relief – physical pain and despair – are high and in many cases rising, but their increase was nowhere near as large as the increase in deaths. The primary shift is in supply, primarily of new forms of allegedly safer narcotics. These new pain relievers flowed in greater volume to areas with more physical pain and mental health impairment, but since their apparent safety was an illusion, opioid deaths followed. By the end of the 2000s, restrictions on legal opioids led to further supply-side innovations, which created the burgeoning illegal market that accounts for the bulk of opioid deaths today. Because opioid use is easier to start than end, America's opioid epidemicis likely to persist for some time.
College Majors, Occupations, and the Gender Wage Gap
Authors: Sloane Carolyn M. , Hurst Erik G. , Black Dan A.
Published: November 2021

The paper assesses gender differences in pre-labor market specialization among the college-educated and highlights how those differences have evolved over time. Women choose majors with lower potential earnings (based on male wages associated with those majors) and subsequently sort into occupations with lower potential earnings given their major choice. These differences have narrowed over time, but recent cohorts of women still choose majors and occupations with lower potential earnings. Differences in undergraduate major choice explain a substantive portion of gender wage gaps for the college-educated above and beyond simply controlling for occupation. Collectively, our results highlight the importance of understanding gender differences in the mapping between college major and occupational sorting when studying the evolution of gender differences in labor market outcomes over time.
Next-Generation Policing Research: Three Propositions
Authors: Bell Monica C.
Published: November 2021

The Black Lives Matter movement has operated alongside a growing recognition among social scientists that policing research has been limited in its scope and outmoded in its assumptions about the nature of public safety. This essay argues that social science research on policing should reorient its conception of the field of policing, along with how the study of crime rates and police departments fit into this field. New public safety research should broaden its outcomes of interest, its objects of inquiry, and its engagement with structural racism. In this way, next-generation research on policing and public safety can respond to the deficiencies of the past and remain relevant as debates over transforming American policing continue.
The Economics of Policing and Public Safety
Authors: Owens Emily , Ba Bocar
Published: November 2021

The efficiency of any police action depends on the relative magnitude of its crime-reducing benefits and legitimacy costs. Policing strategies that are socially efficient at the city level may be harmful at the local level, because the distribution of direct costs and benefits of police actions that reduce victimization is not the same as the distribution of indirect benefits of feeling safe. In the United States, the local misallocation of police resources is disproportionately borne by Black and Hispanic individuals. Despite the complexity of this particular problem, the incentives facing both police departments and police officers tend to be structured as if the goals of policing were simple—to reduce crime by as much as possible. Formal data collection on the crime reducing-benefits of policing, and not the legitimacy costs, produce s further incentives to provide more engagement than may be efficient in any specific encounter, at both the officer and departmental level. There is currently little evidence as to what screening, training, or monitoring strategies are most effective at encouraging individual officers to balance the crime reducing benefits and legitimacy costs of their actions.
Inside the Box: Safety, Health, and Isolation in Prison
Authors: Western Bruce
Published: November 2021

A large social science research literature examines the effects of prisons on crime and socioeconomic inequality, but the penal institution itself is often a black box overlooked in the analysis of its effects. This paper examines prisons and their role in rehabilitative programs and as venues for violence, health and healthcare, and extreme isolation through solitary confinement. Research shows that incarcerated people are participating less today than in the 1980s in prison programs, and they face high risks of violence, disease, and isolation. Prison conditions suggest the mechanisms that impair adjustment to community life after release provide a more complete account of the costs of incarceration and indicate the performance of prisons as moral institutions that bear a responsibility for humane and decent treatment.
A CT-based radiomics nomogram for differentiation of renal oncocytoma and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma with a central scar-matched study
Authors: Li Xiaoli , Ma Qianli , Nie Pei , Zheng Yingmei , Dong Cheng , Xu Wenjian
Published: November 2021

Objective:

Pre-operative differentiation between renal oncocytoma (RO) and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) is critical due to their different clinical behavior and different clinical treatment decisions. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a CT-based radiomics nomogram for the pre-operative differentiation of RO from chRCC.

Methods:

A total of 141 patients (84 in training data set and 57 in external validation data set) with ROs (n = 47) or chRCCs (n = 94) were included. Radiomics features were extracted from tri-phasic enhanced-CT images. A clinical model was developed based on significant patient characteristics and CT imaging features. A radiomics signature model was developed and a radiomics score (Rad-score) was calculated. A radiomics nomogram model incorporating the Rad-score and independent clinical factors was developed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The diagnostic performance was evaluated and validated in three models using ROC curves.

Results:

Twelve features from CT images were selected to develop the radiomics signature. The radiomics nomogram combining a clinical factor (segmental enhancement inversion) and radiomics signature showed an AUC value of 0.988 in the validation set. Decision curve analysis revealed that the diagnostic performance of the radiomics nomogram was better than the clinical model and the radiomics signature.

Conclusions:

The radiomics nomogram combining clinical factors and radiomics signature performed well for distinguishing RO from chRCC.

Advances in knowledge:

Differential diagnosis between renal oncocytoma (RO) and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) is rather difficult by conventional imaging modalities when a central scar was present.

A radiomics nomogram integrated with the radiomics signature, demographics, and CT findings facilitates differentiation of RO from chRCC with improved diagnostic efficacy.

The CT-based radiomics nomogram might spare unnecessary surgery for RO.