bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arabidopsis PFA-DSP-type phosphohydrolases target specific inositol pyrophosphate messengers
Authors: Gaugler Philipp , Schneider Robin , Liu Guizhen , Qiu Danye , Weber Jonathan , Schmid Jochen , Jork Nikolaus , Häner Markus , Ritter Kevin , Fernández-Rebollo Nicolás , Giehl Ricardo F.H. , Trung Minh Nguyen , Yadav Ranjana , Fiedler Dorothea , Gaugler Verena , Jessen Henning J. , Schaaf Gabriel , Laha Debabrata
Published: March 2022

Inositol pyrophosphates are signaling molecules containing at least one phosphoanhydride bond that regulate a wide range of cellular processes in eukaryotes. With a cyclic array of phosphate esters and diphosphate groups around myo-inositol, these molecular messengers possess the highest charge density found in nature. Recent work deciphering inositol pyrophosphate biosynthesis in Arabidopsis revealed important functions of these messengers in nutrient sensing, hormone signaling and plant immunity. However, despite the rapid hydrolysis of these molecules in plant extracts, very little is known about the molecular identity of the phosphohydrolases that convert these messengers back to their inositol polyphosphate precursors. Here, we investigate whether Arabidopsis Plant and Fungi Atypical Dual Specificity Phosphatases (PFA-DSP1-5) catalyze inositol pyrophosphate phosphohydrolase activity. We find that recombinant proteins of all five Arabidopsis PFA-DSP homologs display phosphohydrolase activity with a high specificity for the 5-β-phosphate of inositol pyrophosphates. We further show that heterologous expression of Arabidopsis PFA-DSP1-5 rescues wortmannin-sensitivity and deranged inositol pyrophosphate homeostasis caused by the deficiency of the PFA-DSP-type inositol pyrophosphate phosphohydrolase Siw14 in yeast. Heterologous expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves provided evidence that Arabidopsis PFA-DSP1 also displays 5-β-phosphate specific inositol pyrophosphate phosphohydrolase activity in planta. Our findings lay the biochemical basis and provide the genetic tools to uncover the roles of inositol pyrophosphates in plant physiology and plant development.
Modeling of individual neurophysiological brain connectivity
Authors: Kulik S.D. , Douw L. , van Dellen E. , Steenwijk M.D. , Geurts J.J.G. , Stam C.J. , Hillebrand A. , Schoonheim M.M. , Tewarie P.
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Computational models are often used to assess how functional connectivity (FC) patterns emerge from neuronal population dynamics and anatomical connections in the brain. However, group averaged data is often used in this context and it remains unclear whether individual predictions of FC patterns using this approach can be made. Here, we assess the value of using individualized structural data for simulation of individual whole-brain FC.

Methods

The Jansen and Rit neural mass model was employed, where masses were coupled using individual structural connectivity (SC) obtained from diffusion weighted imaging. Simulated FC was correlated to individual magnetoencephalography-derived empirical FC. FC was estimated using both phase-based (phase lag index (PLI), phase locking value (PLV)) and amplitude-based (amplitude envelope correlation (AEC)) metrics to analyze the goodness-of-fit of different metrics for individual predictions. Prediction of individual FC was compared against the prediction of group averaged FC. We further tested whether SC of a different participant could equally well predict a participants FC pattern.

Results

The AEC provided a significantly better match between individually simulated and empirical FC than phase-based metrics. Simulations with individual SC provided higher correlations between simulated and empirical FC compared to using the group-averaged SC. However, using SC from other participants resulted in similar correlations between simulated and empirical FC compared to using participants own SC.

Discussion

This work underlines the added value of FC simulations based on individual instead of group-averaged SC, and could aid in a better understanding of mechanisms underlying individual functional network trajectories in neurological disease.

Impact statement

In this work, we investigated how well individual empirical functional connectivity can be simulated using the individual’s structural connectivity matrix combined with neural mass modeling. Our research highlights the potential added value of using individual simulations of functional connectivity, and could aid in a better understanding of mechanisms underlying individual functional network trajectories in neurological disease. Moreover, individualized prediction of disease trajectories could enhance patient care and may provide better treatment options.
A Duplex Structure of SARM1 Octamers Induced by a New Inhibitor
Authors: Khazma Tami , Golan-Vaishenker Yarden , Guez-Haddad Julia , Grossman Atira , Sain Radhika , Plotnikov Alexander , Zalk Ran , Yaron Avraham , Hons Michael , Opatowsky Yarden
Published: March 2022

In recent years, there has been growing interest in SARM1 as a potential breakthrough drug target for treating various pathologies of axon degeneration. SARM1-mediated axon degeneration relies on its TIR domain NADase activity, but recent structural data suggest that the non-catalytic ARM domain could also serve as a pharmacological site as it has an allosteric inhibitory function. Here, we screened for synthetic small molecules that inhibit SARM1 by stabilizing the ARM-dependent inactive, compact octamer ring conformation, and tested a selected set of these compounds in a DRG axon degeneration assay. Using cryo-EM, we found that one of the newly discovered inhibitors, a Calmidazolium designated TK106, not only stabilizes the previously reported inhibited conformation of the octamer, but also promotes the formation of a meta-stable structure: a duplex of octamers (16 protomers), which we have now determined to 4.0 Å resolution. In the duplex, each ARM domain protomer is not only engaged in lateral interactions with neighboring protomers but is further stabilized by contralateral contacts with the opposing octamer ring. Mutagenesis of the duplex contact sites leads to SARM1 activation in cultured cells. Based on our data we propose that the duplex assembly constitutes an additional auto-inhibition mechanism that tightly prevents pre-mature activation and axon degeneration.
Obtaining diffuse scattering patterns from computer simulations – a retrospective
Authors: Welberry T. R.
Published: March 2022

The paper describes how the calculation of diffuse scattering from atomistic model crystals has developed over the last approximately 50 years. Not only has the quality of observed diffuse X-ray scattering data improved immensely with the advent of electronic area detectors and synchrotron radiation but the enormous increase in computer power has enabled patterns, of comparable quality to the observations, to be calculated from a Monte Carlo model.
Rearrangements in the multiverse
Authors: Hoffmann Roald
Published: March 2022

A brief and personal history of the binding interactions between Hans-Beat Bürgi and Roald Hoffmann is given, and a potential rearrangement of their molecules is considered.
Political practitioners’ perspectives on political management: the importance of people and power
Authors: Lees-Marshment Jennifer , Bendle Neil Thomas
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Political management is about getting things done in campaigns, parties and government. Political organizations can use management concepts such as strategic planning, human resources and organizational design to help them achieve their goals. Research into specifically how management is used by political practitioners – political staffers and politicians – in government is limited. This study aims to fill that gap.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors review the limited literature on political management, outline interview methodology, results and conclude with overall lessons drawn out using the qualitative data analysis software NVivo.

Findings

This study identifies the aspects of political management that political practitioners saw as the most important, the difference between managing in business and politics, and why.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides suggestions for what future empirical research should focus on, noting a focus on informal behavior that relate to people and power that are not seen from outside the organization.

Originality/value

The perspectives of high-level practitioners help give a view to what political management really is.
Evolutionary bet‐hedging reconsidered: What is the mean–variance trade‐off of fitness?
Authors: Yasui Yukio
Published: March 2022

In traditional theories, bet‐hedging in evolutionary biology is defined as a trade‐off between the within‐generation arithmetic mean fitness (AMF) of a genotype and between‐generation variance (BGV) in AMF across generations. The rationale of this definition is that a bet‐hedger genotype suppresses the BGV to increase between‐generation geometric mean fitness (GMF; an index of long‐term sustainability), which in turn entails costs in terms of AMF. However, too strict interpretation of this definition causes confusion among empirical researchers. For example, in empirical studies comparing a putative bet‐hedger (e.g., producing a generalist phenotype or mixture of various phenotypes) and non‐bet‐hedger control (e.g., producing only a specialist phenotype), reviewers sometimes request that a necessary condition of bet‐hedging is that the bet‐hedger candidate shows a smaller arithmetic mean of AMFs obtained from multiple generations and larger GMF than the control. However, the cost of bet‐hedging is incurred at the potential genotypic level and thus the decrease of AMF mean is not necessarily observed at the phenotypic level (especially if bet‐hedger individuals have good conditions). Moreover, contrary to previous arguments, the “fine‐grained” environments would promote bet‐hedging because even monomorphic specialist genotypes increase GMF if their population size is sufficiently large. Computer simulations support these views. I try to shift the definition of bet‐hedging from the trade‐off‐based one to the GMF‐based one: bet‐hedging is any strategy to increase the between‐generational GMF to avoid extinction of its controlling genotype against unpredictable environmental fluctuation. Under this new light, bet‐hedging will be a universal law of biology.
Review article: Impact of pandemics on rural emergency departments: A scoping review
Authors: Barnes Amber , Crilly Julia
Published: March 2022

Pandemics can cause much distress to communities and present a major burden to the resources and functioning of hospitals. This scoping review aimed to identify, evaluate and summarise current literature regarding how pandemics impact rural EDs in terms of staff wellbeing, structure, function and resources. A systematic search of six databases using search terms including pandemic, ED and rural and remote was undertaken. Articles were included if they were peer‐reviewed, written in English, original research, published between January 2010 and October 2021 and discussed the impact of pandemics on rural EDs. Articles were critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Three articles, one from Canada and two from the United States, met the inclusion criteria. The articles included were quantitative in design and fulfilled most of the MMAT critical analysis criteria. Pandemics reported on included H1N1 and COVID‐19. These pandemics impacted rural EDs in terms of functioning and resourcing; no description of staff wellbeing or structure was identified. Rural ED functioning was affected in terms of input; with an increase in patient presentations and time to physician assessment during H1N1, but a decrease in patient presentations and transfers during COVID‐19. Rural ED resources were impacted in regard to staffing, difficulty in obtaining stocks of personal protective equipment and medication, and community response. Further research to understand and address the short‐ and long‐term impacts pandemics may have on rural EDs is required.
Patterns of health service use before and after a statewide fall prevention initiative for older adults at risk of falls
Authors: Paul Serene S. , Taylor Jennifer , Tiedemann Anne , Harvey Lara , Clemson Lindy , Lord Stephen R. , Dolja‐Gore Xenia , Close Jacqueline C. T. , Sherrington Catherine
Published: March 2022

Objective

To understand health‐care burden from fall‐related injury, we investigated patterns of health service use in participants of the Australian statewide Stepping On fall prevention program.

Methods

Routinely collected ambulance, emergency, hospital and mortality data for 9163 participants across NSW Local Health Districts between 2009 and 2015 were analysed for patterns in fall‐related health service use three years before and after the Stepping On program using negative binomial regression analyses.

Results

Overall fall‐related health service use increased over the 6‐year study period. There was a high period of usage prior to program participation, which decreased postprogram, then appeared to increase again after 12–15 months. Subgroup analysis showed strongest postprogram reductions for women.

Conclusions

Patterns of service usage suggest initial program benefits that taper off over time. The results of this observational study need to be interpreted with caution. Investment in ongoing fall prevention programs may be needed for lasting impacts.
Medical Psychotherapy Training and the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Shanley Ivan , Jones Claire , Reddi Neelima
Published: March 2022

The COVID‐19 pandemic has seen a move away from face‐to‐face interactions and core psychiatry training has not been immune to this. The Royal College of Psychiatrists introduced online examinations (https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/training/exams), Health Education England utilized virtual annual reviews of competencies (https://www.hee.nhs.uk/coronavirus-information-trainees), and locally, trusts adopted virtual academic and clinical work. This article seeks to highlight the impact of the pandemic on acquiring psychotherapy experience in the context of core psychiatry training. Trainees delivering psychodynamic psychotherapy via telephone in Surrey and Borders NHS Foundation Trust were included in the study and data were gathered using a phenomenological approach via reports provided by two core trainees in addition to a questionnaire distributed to all core trainees delivering telephone therapy. The results indicated that whilst telephone therapy may not be a full replacement for face‐to‐face contact, it has been an adequate substitute during the COVID‐19 period, enabling trainees to achieve the required competencies, receive supervision and provide care where it may otherwise have been impossible.
The Inanimate Third: Going Beyond Psychodynamic Approaches for Remote Psychotherapy during the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Ferber Sari Goldstein , Weller Aron
Published: March 2022

The COVID‐19 pandemic exposed the field of psychotherapy to the need to provide treatment remotely. We discuss the question of whether remote therapy can be curative and if the electronic device used to manage these sessions unites or separates the therapist and the patient. We term the electronic device as ‘the inanimate third’ in the therapeutic process and discuss the objectivity of the device as opposed to the subjective emotional processes involved. We deal with emotional themes relevant to the COVID‐19 pandemic and associated social distancing practices, such as longing, loneliness, the perception of the future and the lost past, and the efficacy of the therapeutic stimulation of fantasy and hope. We also evaluate the possibility of existing transference and countertransference processes while working remotely. We suggest the term ‘social paradox’ to describe the situation in which an objective entity such as the digital media symbolizes both distance and intimacy as well as separation and unity. We conclude by stating that containment of the social paradox by the therapeutic dialogue is possible as the existence of the dialogue eliminates elements of the paradox.
Detection of cardiac amyloidosis on electrocardiogram images using machine learning and deep learning techniques
Authors: Gnanadurai Gladys Jebakumari , Raaza Arun , Velayutham Rajendran , Palani Sathish Kumar , Bramwell Ebenezer Abishek
Published: March 2022

Cardiac amyloidosis is an uncommon disease that has been known for a long time. Moreover, modern advancement in noninvasive imaging of heart via ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging has enhanced the detection of secret cardiac amyloidosis in patients identified with the heart disease. This article focused on detecting the heart disease especially cardiac amyloidosis on electro cardio gram images using recent technology of both machine learning and deep learning approaches. In addition, apart from detecting the disease on images, we are categorizing the heart images as normal and cardiac amyloidosis if any deviations occur. For CA disease identification along with its classification, 300 cardiac images have taken and those images are analyzed using machine learning algorithms namely nearest centroid, gradient boosting and random forest. Several metrics such as precision, recall, f‐score, sensitivity, accuracy, and confusion matrix based on binary classification which classifies the images into positive (CA) and negative (non‐CA) are estimated. Among these approaches, gradient boosting method achieves 95% accuracy as better outcomes which measure the model performance in detecting cardiac amyloidosis disease as well as ECG images are categorized into either normal or abnormal via classification metrics. Furthermore, we applied deep learning based neural network “DeepNet” model is applied on augmented data along with CNN which attains 93% accuracy in CA disease identification.
Fichte's conception of the body: The intertwining of sociality and embodiment
Authors: Abazari Arash
Published: March 2022

While the relation between embodiment and intersubjectivity is often remarked upon in the literature on Fichte, it is not sufficiently acknowledged that for Fichte the two are strongly interdependent. In this paper, by elaborating on his account of the fine structure of the embodied agency, I argue that for Fichte one's relation to one's own body is socially constituted. Further, I show that the usual stricture in the literature, according to which Fichte does not allow for bodily passivity, is misleading. Indeed, as I argue, Fichte's account of embodied agency is sufficiently nuanced as to be able to explain “passive bodily expressions,” that is, those bodily expressions that are not under direct control of the agent. And related to that, contrary to the commonly held view, Fichte does offer a satisfactory account of the more sentient bodily phenomena, such as pain, hunger, and fatigue, which happen to the agent without her being capable of controlling their happening. Indeed, as I will show, for Fichte, these latter phenomena, rather than being simply restrictive of agency, may positively contribute to the exercise of agency.
3D brain image‐based Alzheimer's disease detection techniques using fish swarm optimizer's deep convolution Siamese neural network
Authors: Sampath Rajaram , Baskar Manickam
Published: March 2022

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a chronic syndrome that impacts the brain, is the most prevalent form of dementia. Dementia is a brain disease that severely affects an individual's ability to perform daily activities. It starts slowly affects the brain and creates a loss of memory, language, problem‐solving and other thinking abilities. Hence, early detection is essential to avoid the severity of this illness. Neuroimaging techniques are widely recommended diagnosing approaches by medicos for early AD detection. However, detecting AD using imaging is a challenging and time‐consuming task for human expertise. Many machine learning techniques already exist in automatic AD stages detection, but these techniques are failed to handle main issues in AD detection systems such, as preserving and identifying precise biomarker regions certainty handling and; in this research, a new convolution‐based AD stages detection framework is introduced to resolve the earlier detection system's challenges and issues. The first two convolution layers contain resizing, adaptive filtering, and adaptive histogram equalization techniques to enhance the image quality, preserving biomarker features. The third layer contains the Voxel‐based Morphometry (VBM) technique to segment the exact biomarker regions of AD stages from brain MRI images. The segmented biomarker feature is extracted and selected in the fourth and fifth layers to identify exact significant biomarker features to reduce the overfitting problem during the model training. Finally, the new food source direction investigation feature of the fish swarm optimizer (FSO) is incorporated in the deep Siamese neural network (DSNN) classification phase, which reduces the uncertainty issue during model training. The efficiency is evaluated using ADNI, AIBL, and OASIS database MRI images with various accuracy metrics. The evolution results show that the new framework is obtained a higher accuracy rate of 99.89% in AD stages detection than the comparison classifiers.
Impact evaluation of the family expectations program and moderation by sociodemographic disadvantage
Authors: Ritchie Lane L. , Stanley Scott M. , Allen Maggie O.T. , Rhoades Galena K.
Published: March 2022

The federal government, through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), has funded community‐based relationship education programs for couples, individuals, and families, with a strong focus on serving economically disadvantaged and racially diverse families. This study evaluated the impact of a 36‐hour, workshop‐based couple relationship education program that was funded by ACF using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design and intent‐to‐treat (ITT) analyses. Participants were 1320 couples who were either expecting a baby or had a baby within the past 3 months, at the time of enrollment. Follow‐up surveys were administered 12 months later. Analyses evaluated program impacts on relationship stability, constructive communication, and destructive conflict compared to a no‐treatment control group. Analyses showed a statistically significant impact of the program on destructive conflict (d = 0.10) but not on constructive communication (d = 0.06) or stability (dCox = 0.10). Based on findings from previous evaluations, we also examined whether participants’ levels of sociodemographic disadvantage moderated these effects. There was significant moderation by sociodemographic disadvantage on constructive communication and destructive conflict, but not on stability. Effects were observed for those at higher levels of sociodemographic disadvantage.
Weak but consistent abundance–occupancy relationships across taxa, space and time
Authors: Ten Caten Cleber , Holian Lauren , Dallas Tad
Published: March 2022

Aim

Abundance–occupancy relationships posit that more locally abundant species occupy more sites than less abundant species. Although widely supported, the occurrence and detection of abundance–occupancy relationships is sensitive to sampling and detection processes. Data from large‐scale standardized sampling efforts are key to address abundance–occupancy relationships. We aimed to use such a dataset to evaluate the occurrence of abundance–occupancy relationships across different spatial grains and over time for aquatic and terrestrial taxa.

Location

USA.

Time period

2014–2019.

Major taxa studied

Birds, mammals, beetles, ticks, fishes, macroinvertebrates and zooplankton.

Methods

Species abundance and occupancy data were obtained from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). Species mean abundance and occupancy (fraction of sampled locations that were occupied) were estimated for three different spatial grains (i.e., plot, site and domain) for all years sampled. Linear models were used to explore the consistency of interspecific abundance–occupancy relationships. The slope coefficients of these models were related to temporal and spatial variables and to species richness while controlling for taxa in a linear mixed‐effects model (LMM) framework.

Results

We found evidence for positive abundance–occupancy relationships across the three spatial grains and over time for all taxa we studied. However, our linear models had low explanatory power, suggesting that relationships, although general, were weak. Abundance–occupancy relationships were slightly stronger at the smallest spatial grain than at the largest spatial grain, but showed no detectable change over time for any taxa. Finally, species richness was not associated with the strength of these relationships.

Main conclusions

Together, our results suggest that positive interspecific abundance–occupancy relationships are fairly general but are not capable of explaining substantial variation in spatial patterns of abundance, and that other factors, such as species traits and niche, are also likely to influence these relationships.
FOSSILIZATION, OR THE MATTER OF HISTORICAL FUTURES*
Authors:   THE LIFETIMES RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Published: March 2022

In this contribution to the “Historical Futures” project, the Lifetimes Research Collective adds to the geological turn currently underway in historiography by presenting a theory of fossils and fossilizations as a way of rethinking the concept of “historical futures.” We proceed by addressing two pivotal speech acts in Western historiography, in the broad sense: the “fossil question,” which was first raised in the middle of the seventeenth century, about how a solid can end up inside another solid and the nineteenth‐century Marxist slogan for the modern world, “all that is solid melts into air.” Transported into the early twenty‐first century and faced with the challenges of the Anthropocene, both take on new meanings and perform new tasks. In this article, we experiment with different ways of thinking and writing fossils into more general questions of historiography and historical theory by investigating how they affect conceptualizations of historical time. Furthermore, we demonstrate how fossilizations indicate possible trajectories for new materialist speculations, distributing agency to various matters, physical and virtual, in the Earth's crust as well as in museums and video games. Finally, we ask how a theory of fossilization can be seen to decenter the human subject by exploring the processes of decomposition and solidification taking place in the human body. In this way, the arrangements of timescales and lifescales that have given rise to disciplines like history, geology, and biology are destabilized in favor of open‐ended historical knowledge ventures that transgress temporal and epistemological borders.
Healthy lifestyles and physical fitness are associated with abdominal obesity amongLatin‐Americanand Spanish preschool children: A cross‐cultural study
Authors: Latorre‐Román Pedro Ángel , Guzmán‐Guzmán Iris Paola , Antonio Párraga‐Montilla Juan , Caamaño‐Navarrete Felipe , Salas‐Sánchez Jesús , Palomino‐Devia Constanza , Reyes‐Oyola Felipe Augusto , Álvarez Cristian , de la Casa‐Pérez Ana , Cardona Linares Antonio J. , Delgado‐Floody Pedro
Published: March 2022

Background

Identifying environmental factors that influence health in children are necessary to develop preventive strategies.

Objective

To determine the association between the lifestyles of children (i.e., Mediterranean diet (MD), physical activity (PA), fitness and screen time (ST) with abdominal obesity (AO) of preschoolers from three Spanish‐speaking countries (Chile, Colombia and Spain) with different socioeconomic levels and Human Development Index (HDI) indicators.

Material and Methods

This cross‐sectional study included 982 schoolchildren (aged 4–6 years; 56.8% girls) from Chile (n = 409), Colombia (n = 281), and Spain (n = 292). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist‐to‐height ratio (WtHR), adherence to the MD, PA, ST and physical fitness were evaluated.

Results

Spanish preschoolers reported a lower WtHR (p < 0.001), greater physical fitness (Z‐score) (p < 0.001) and higher adherence to the MD (p < 0.001) than their Chilean and Colombian peers. In addition, Colombian preschoolers had a better lifestyle (PA + ST) than their Chilean and Spanish peers (p < 0.001). Chilean preschoolers reported a higher prevalence of AO than the Spanish preschoolers (65% vs. 51.9%;p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Lifestyle had a significant association with AO among Spanish‐speaking preschool children, with physical fitness especially being a relevant factor regardless of the country of origin. The findings of the current study may support the development of public guidelines focusing on healthy lifestyles in children to create effective plans that contribute to the early treatment of AO in preschool children.
Are the needs of racialized lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer newcomers in Newfoundland and Labrador being met? Preliminary findings from a focus group discussion with Canadian stakeholders
Authors: Giwa Sulaimon , Alessi Edward J. , Mullings Delores V. , Carlson‐Strain Miranda
Published: March 2022

This qualitative case study explored whether the settlement and integration needs of racialized lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) newcomers were being met. A total of eight stakeholders, representing either a settlement organization or an LGBTQ‐serving organization in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, participated in an invitation‐only focus group discussion. Informed by intersectionality theory and using thematic analysis of memos and triangulated arts‐informed visual recording, two overarching themes were identified: (i) challenges encountered in providing settlement and integration services; and (ii) solutions generated to improve their delivery. Preliminary findings suggested that the settlement needs of racialized LGBTQ newcomers were not being met; services were found to be sorely lacking; and settlement and LGBTQ providers lacked training, substantial knowledge, and resources to implement needed supports and services. However, stakeholders also envisioned the possibility of improved services for this population, such as adoption of an LGBTQ‐affirmative practice. Implications and recommendations for settlement practices, programs, and future research are discussed.

Key Practitioner Message: • Settlement and LGBTQ service provider organizations must address current system inequities and commit to providing settlement and integration services to racialized LGBTQ newcomers in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador; • Interprofessional collaboration between settlement and LGBTQ service provider organizations can support the implementation of, and improve access to, culturally appropriate settlement services and programs for racialized LGBTQ newcomers; • Using data‐driven methodologies, racialized LGBTQ newcomers should be consulted on their settlement and integration needs, to align these needs with service delivery.
Between hope and fear? Regional and social dividing lines in attitudes towards an EU minimum income scheme
Authors: Roosma Femke , van Oorschot Wim
Published: March 2022

Previous studies have suggested that Europeans’ support for introducing an EU minimum‐income scheme would be determined by a hope‐or‐fear reasoning. Where Northern/Western Europeans may fear that their generous benefits are levelled out, Southern/Eastern Europeans may be critical of their country’s welfare policies and therefore have hopes for a higher level of benefits and services coming from Europe. We tested this expected mediation effect in 18 EU member states. Results show that both performance evaluation of social benefits and expectations about EU interference predict support for an EU minimum‐income scheme, following expected regional dividing lines. However, against theoretical expectations, there has been no substantial mediation effect. Where support for an EU minimum income scheme is based mostly on social dividing lines, expectations of the EU are related more to contextual differences. Citizens from countries that are net‐receivers of the EU have higher hopes that EU interference will lead to higher benefits and services.
Reexamining the poverty cycle in middle and late adulthood: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study 2002–2014
Authors: Lu Peiyi , Shelley Mack , Liu Yi‐Long
Published: March 2022

This study re‐examined the poverty cycle among American middle‐aged (45~64) and older (≥65) adults using contemporary data and has expanded the understanding of sociodemographic differences in the poverty cycle. Longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (2002–2014) were used. Life tables examined age‐specific and cumulative percentages of poverty. Mixed‐effect logistic regression models examined the moderation role of sociodemographic characteristics in the relationship between age and poverty. The poverty proportion increased rapidly starting at age 75. The growth rate of poverty risk in late adulthood was found to be greater among women and those who did not receive public pensions. Gender divides in poverty risk in late adulthood could be attributed to the cumulative disadvantages of women’s social roles. The beneficial role of Social Security in late adulthood was supported. Policy advocacy efforts should address the needs of those who are financially vulnerable. Policy options such as financial education and retirement planning were recommended.
‘The newcomer effect’: Gender quotas, state reforms and service responsiveness in local councils
Authors: Dauti Marsela
Published: March 2022

The global spread of gender quotas has led to a burgeoning literature examining gender differences in the responsiveness of national representatives. In this study, I shifted the attention from national to local representatives, and investigated service responsiveness in the local councils of Albania following the implementation of gender quotas in 2015, a policy change that has led to a substantial number of women newcomers in local councils. Using data from the transcripts of 75 council meetings held during August–December 2016 and 2018 in 11 councils, I show that over time women have shifted their attention from education to social welfare, a change occurring amid the implementation of a new government programme seeking to address the failure of social welfare reform in the country. The study advances our understanding of women's political representation and service responsiveness in an understudied region, demonstrating that women prioritise services that benefit the poor and disadvantaged groups.
Toward supply side incentive: The impact of government schemes on a vehicle manufacturer's adoption of electric vehicles
Authors: Chen Zhongwei , Fan Zhi‐Ping , Zhao Xuan
Published: March 2022

Besides the consumer subsidy scheme, governments have recently implemented a hybrid scheme with an additional dual‐credit scheme on the supply side. It is important to understand the impact of this new practice on a vehicle manufacturer (VM) that provides gasoline vehicles (GVs) and/or electric vehicles (EVs), and the consumer and social welfare. Implementing the dual‐credit scheme leads to higher prices of GVs and EVs, but the effective price of EVs is actually lower. As the cost difference decreases and consumers’ low‐carbon awareness (LCA) increases, the VM prefers the product choice strategy including EVs under the pure subsidy scheme. Surprisingly, the hybrid scheme makes selling EVs feasible even though the cost difference is high and LCA is low. Although the additional dual‐credit scheme can improve the adoption of EVs, its parameter values should be carefully designed because otherwise it will damage the VM's profit and the consumer and social welfare.
Improved adhesion of TiN coatings on Al2O3–carbide composites by DFT calculations and experimental arc‐PVD synthesis
Authors: Nishi Tomohiro , Moteki Jun , Kurahashi Toshiaki , Hishida Tomoko , Matsunaga Katsuyuki
Published: March 2022

Electronic and atomic structures of interfaces between TiN coatings and Al2O3–WC composites were investigated by Density functional theory (DFT) calculations. As typical examples, interfacial orientation relationships of TiN(001)/Al2O3(0001), TiN(001)/WC(0001), TiN(111)/Al2O3(0001), and TiN(111)/WC(0001) were chosen. It was found that the TiN(111)/Al2O3(0001) and TiN(111)/WC(0001) interfaces have interfacial structural units of six‐fold coordinated triangular prisms centered on Ti atoms. In contrast, those of the interfaces with TiN(001) tend to have more distorted structure units due to their larger lattice misfits. Theoretical works of separation showed that interfacial strength is much more increased at the TiN(111) interfaces, as compared to those at the TiN(001) interfaces. Accordingly, experimental controls of TiN‐coating orientations on Al2O3–WC composites were attempted by using the cathodic arc ion plating method. It was found that orientations of (111) in the TiN coatings can be more enhanced and then interfacial mechanical strengths and hardnesses of the TiN coatings can increase more with rising bias voltages.
Active indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis by the bacterium Azospirillum brasilense cultured under a biogas atmosphere enables its beneficial association with microalgae
Authors: Barbosa-Nuñez Jorge A. , Palacios Oskar A. , de-Bashan Luz E. , Snell-Castro Raúl , Corona-González Rosa Isela , Choix Francisco J.
Published: March 2022

Aims

This study assessed, at the physiological and molecular levels, the effect of biogas on indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis by Azospirillum brasilense as well as the impact of this bacterium during CO2 fixation from biogas by Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus obliquus.

Methods and Results

IpdC gene expression, IAA production and the growth of A. brasilense cultured under air (control) and biogas (treatment) were evaluated. The results demonstrated that A. brasilense had a better growth capacity and IAA production (105.7 ± 10.3 μg ml−1) when cultured under biogas composed of 25% CO2 + 75% methane (CH4) with respect to the control (72.4 ± 7.9 μg ml−1), although the ipdC gene expression level was low under the stressful condition generated by biogas. Moreover, this bacterium was able to induce a higher cell density and CO2 fixation rate from biogas by C. vulgaris (0.27 ± 0.08 g l−1 d−1) and S. obliquus (0.22 ± 0.08 g l−1 d−1).

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that A. brasilense has the capacity to grow and actively maintain its main microalgal growth-promoting mechanism when cultured under biogas and positively influence CO2 fixation from the biogas of C. vulgaris and S. obliquus.

Significance and Impact of the Study

These findings broaden research in the field of Azospirillum-microalga interactions and the prevalence of Azospirillum in environmental and ecological topics in addition to supporting the uses of plant growth-promoting bacteria to enhance biotechnological strategies for biogas upgrading.
Peer contagion dynamics in the friendships of children with ADHD
Authors: Normand Sébastien , Lambert Maude , Guiet Joanna , Brendgen Mara , Bakeman Roger , Mikami Amori Yee
Published: March 2022

Background

Friendships in middle childhood carry high developmental significance. The majority of children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have few friendships, unstable friendships, or poor relationship quality in any friendships they have. The current study used time‐window sequential analysis to map the dynamics within the friendships of children with ADHD, specifically the peer contagion processes of dyadic mutuality and coercive joining.

Methods

Participants were 164 dyads consisting of a target child with ADHD and peer problems (age 6–11 years; 68% male; and 73% white) and a reciprocated friend. Dyads were observed in the lab during a cooperative task eliciting verbal negotiation processes to decide how to share a limited resource and during a fast‐paced, engrossing, and competitive task. Both tasks were designed to mirror the real‐world interactions of friends. Sequences of dyadic mutuality (i.e., reciprocity of positive affect and positive behaviors) and coercive joining (i.e., reciprocity of aggressive, controlling, and rule‐breaking behaviors) between target children and friends were coded.

Results

Regarding dyadic mutuality, target children reciprocated their friends’ positive affect in both tasks. They also reciprocated their friends’ positive behaviors but only in the cooperative task. In contrast, they only reciprocated their friends’ coercive joining behaviors in the competitive task. Medium to large reciprocity effects was found for 36%–53% (dyadic mutuality) and 38%–55% (coercive joining) of target children.

Conclusions

These results extend findings of peer contagion processes to the friendships of children with ADHD and suggest that contagion may vary according to interaction context (i.e., competition vs. cooperation). Understanding the spread of peer contagion may illuminate how children with ADHD and their friends influence each other’s adjustment over time and may guide friendship‐focused psychosocial interventions for this population.
Standardized assessment of cognitive function, mood, and pain among patients who are unable to communicate
Authors: Shier Victoria , Edelen Maria O. , McMullen Tara L. , Dunbar Michael S. , Bruckenthal Patricia , Ahluwalia Sangeeta C. , Chen Emily K. , Dalton Sarah E. , Paddock Susan , Rodriguez Anthony , Mandl Stella , Mota Teresa , Saliba Debra
Published: March 2022

Background

Assessments of patients have sought to increase the patient voice through direct patient interviews and performance‐based testing. However, some patients in post‐acute care (PAC) are unable to communicate and cannot participate in interviews or structured cognitive tests. Therefore, we tested the feasibility and reliability of observational assessments of cognitive function, mood, and pain for patients who are unable to communicate in PAC settings.

Methods

We conducted a national test of observational assessments of cognitive function, mood, and pain in 143 PAC facilities (57 home health agencies, 28 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, 28 Long‐Term Care Hospitals, and 73 Skilled Nursing Facilities) across 14 U.S. markets from November 2017 to August 2018. For the 548 patients identified as unable to make themselves understood, we assessed descriptive statistics, percent of missing data, time to complete, and inter‐rater reliability (IRR) between paired research nurse and facility staff assessors.

Results

Most sampled non‐communicative patients were administered all three observational assessments. Among assessed patients, overall missing data was high for some items within the Staff Assessment for Mental Status (2.9% to 33.5%) and Staff Assessment of Patient Mood (12.4% to 44.3%), but not the Observational Assessment of Pain or Distress (0.0% to 4.4%). Average time to complete the data elements ranged from 2.4 to 3.5 min and IRR was good to excellent for all items (kappa range: 0.74–0.98).

Conclusion

The three observational data elements had acceptable reliability. Although results revealed varying feasibility, there was support for feasibility overall in terms of implementing a standardized observational assessment of pain for patients in PAC settings. Additional work is needed for the Staff Assessment for Mental Status and the Staff Assessment of Patient Mood to improve the observable nature of these data elements and enhance instructions and training for standardizing the assessments.
Who receives post‐acute care? Characteristics of national population and field test sample
Authors: Rodriguez Anthony , Edelen Maria O. , McMullen Tara L. , Ahluwalia Sangeeta C. , Chen Emily K. , Dalton Sarah E. , Paddock Susan , Saliba Debra , Mandl Stella , Mota Teresa
Published: March 2022

Background

Each year millions of Medicare beneficiaries in the United States receive post‐acute care (PAC) in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), long‐term care hospitals (LTCHs), and home health agencies (HHA). We describe, overall and by PAC setting, the national population of facilities and patients, evaluate the representativeness of a national field test sample, and describe patient characteristics in the national field test sample.

Methods

We analyzed the 2016 Provider of Service file, 2016 patient assessment data reported by PAC providers to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, and data collected from PAC providers participating in a national field test. National data included 27,234 PAC settings and 5,033,820 beneficiaries receiving PAC. The national field test sample consisted of 143 facilities across 14 markets with 25–30 patients sampled from each facility (n = 3669). We describe PAC facility and patient characteristics for both the national and field test sample.

Results

Nationally, PAC facilities were more likely for‐profit versus not for‐profit, have an average nurse‐to‐bed ratio between 1:10 to 1:1 (lowest in SNFs) and be in metropolitan versus other areas. PAC patients were more likely to be white, female, and 75–89 years of age; heart failure as a primary medical condition tended to be more common than stroke or sepsis. There was limited variability across setting types. In the national field test, patients in LTCHs demonstrated a greater likelihood of cognitive impairment, positive depression screening, bowel and bladder appliance use, higher rates of medication drug classes taken, and use of therapeutic diets and IV medications.

Conclusion

The national field test facility and patient samples were fairly representative of the national population overall and across settings with a few exceptions. Moreover, differences according to PAC setting on patient characteristics in the national field test aligned with general differences in patient populations.
Infection by Prosthernorchis elegans (Diesing, 1851) in captive Callithrix aurita (É. Geoffroy, 1812) and Leontopithecus rosalia (Linnaeus, 1766) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: Dib Laís Verdan , Pissinatti Alcides , Moreira Silvia Bahadian , Amendoeira Maria Regina Reis , Barbosa Alynne da Silva
Published: March 2022

This study reports on infection by Prosthernorchis elegans of Callithrix aurita and Leonthopithecus rosalia through biometry on adults and by molecular biology. Seventy‐eight helminths were recovered from the animals’ intestine. This is a detailed morphological description and the first molecular characterization of P. elegans in animals from Brazil.
How to Cautiously Uncover the “Black Box” of Machine Learning Models for Legislative Scholars
Authors: Jordan Soren , Paul Hannah L. , Philips Andrew Q.
Published: March 2022

Machine learning models, especially ensemble and tree‐based approaches, offer great promise to legislative scholars. However, they are heavily underutilized outside of narrow applications to text and networks. We believe this is because they are difficult to interpret: while the models are extremely flexible, they have been criticized as “black box” techniques due to their difficulty in visualizing the effect of predictors on the outcome of interest. In order to make these models more useful for legislative scholars, we introduce a framework integrating machine learning models with traditional parametric approaches. We then review three interpretative plotting strategies that scholars can use to bring a substantive interpretation to their machine learning models. For each, we explain the plotting strategy, when to use it, and how to interpret it. We then put these plots in action by revisiting two recent articles from Legislative Studies Quarterly.