bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Phillips Curve in Australia in the Era of Inflation Targeting
Authors: Mallick Debdulal
Published: September 2024

Australia, like many other countries, experienced an unexpected surge in inflation following the COVID‐19 pandemic. This has renewed interest in the Phillips curve because of its important implications for monetary policy. We estimate the price Phillips curve in the post‐inflation targeting period using the most recent state‐level data. Identification relies on variation in regional demand that policymakers do not aim to stabilize. After controlling for cost‐push shocks and equilibrium unemployment, we obtain a modest slope of the Phillips curve and, more importantly, we do not find any steepening of the Phillips curve in the post‐COVID period. Without correct identification, the post‐COVID Phillips curve would be steeper as documented for other countries including the United States. We also find that the slope gradually decreases with the level of unemployment.
The border as temporal horizon: a borderlands massacre and the contested futures of federalism in eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Thompson Daniel K.
Published: September 2024

In 1995, a coalition of former rebel groups redrew Ethiopia's map, establishing an ethnic‐federal system. By 2017, internal border conflicts signalled federalism's potential unravelling. This article analyses expectations about federalism's future among Somalis in Ethiopia, drawing on anthropologies of time to understand how everyday processes of border‐making orient around the ‘future in the present’. Anthropologists and historians concerned with political time have focused largely on how the ‘past in the present’ shapes state‐building and political identity formation. Meanwhile, political scientists and commentators, as well as many Ethiopians living amid uncertainty, prognosticate about the future of identity politics in Ethiopia and attempt to discern whether decentralization is paving the way to state fragmentation. Foregrounding how people work to manage time at borders and through borderwork, this article analyses the roles borders play in people's collective constructions of political futures – and the role anticipations about the future play in people's engagement with borders.
Internalizing Peer Firm Product Market Concerns: Supply Chain Relations and M&A Activity
Authors: AFRIN FARZANA , KIM JINHWAN , ROYCHOWDHURY SUGATA , YOST BENJAMIN P.
Published: September 2024

We explore whether firms internalize the product market concerns of their economically linked peers by examining merger and acquisition decisions in the context of customer–supplier relations. Given the extensive transfer of capital, knowledge, and information between merging parties, we hypothesize that customers’ competition concerns discourage their suppliers from engaging in vertically conflicted transactions (i.e., acquisitions of their customers’ rivals or suppliers to those rivals). Consistent with our hypothesis, we find that suppliers are less likely to engage in such transactions when their customers are subject to higher product market competition. Moreover, the effect is more pronounced when suppliers and customers have greater relationship‐specific investments and when customers face heightened proprietary information concerns. Using plausibly exogenous variation in common ownership between customers and their rivals as a shock to customers’ competition concerns, we conclude that the link between customers’ competition concerns and supplier acquisitions is likely causal. Our findings suggest that firms alter their investment and strategic decisions in response to the product market competition concerns of their economically related peers.
Police vehicle contamination by inorganic gunshot residue (iGSR) in Zagreb County Police Administration (Croatia): Analysis of characteristic and indicative particles across different vehicle parts and contributory risk factors
Authors: Senješ Hrvoje , Kuzmić Sunčica , Jerković Ivan
Published: September 2024

Inorganic gunshot residue (iGSR) analysis, crucial for linking suspects to firearm use, faces challenges from potential environmental contamination, notably in police vehicles. The present study aimed to explore the level of iGSR contamination in police vehicles from the Zagreb County Police Administration (Croatia), considering particle types and their position in vehicles, and to identify associated risk factors. From December 2021 to April 2022, 65 of 86 police vehicles (margin of error: ±6% at a 95% confidence level) were sampled with GSR stubs on the drivers' seats, back seats, and backrests and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x‐ray analysis (SEM/EDX). Characteristic particles were found in 63.1% of vehicles, 33.8% on the driver's seat, and 24.6% on the back seat/backrest. Indicative particles were found in 70.77% of vehicles, with a fairly even distribution. McNemar's chi‐square analysis showed no significant disparities in positive sample ratios across vehicle parts or particle types (p > 0.05). In total, 228 characteristic and 166 indicative GSR particles were identified, with no notable correlation among them (p = 0.346). Logistic regression analysis identified the transportation of individuals involved in firearms incidents as a statistically significant factor influencing the presence of characteristic particles (p = 0.030). The findings suggest a considerable prevalence of iGSR in the analyzed Police Administration unit, highlighting the need for careful contamination management in police operations to preserve evidence integrity, particularly in cases when individuals who used firearms had been transported in the vehicle.
Phytoplasma infection renders cranberries more susceptible to above‐ and belowground insect herbivores
Authors: Rodriguez‐Saona Cesar , Salazar‐Mendoza Paolo , Holdcraft Robert , Polashock James
Published: September 2024

While phytoplasma infections in plants are known to affect their interactions with aboveground herbivores, the impact of different genotypes on these infections and their effects on belowground herbivores remains largely unexplored. In cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), infection by the phytoplasma Candidatus Phytoplasma sp. subgroup 16SrIII‐Y leads to false blossom disease. This study investigates whether cranberry infection by this phytoplasma affects the performance and feeding behavior of a foliar feeder (spongy moth, Lymantria dispar) and a root feeder (oriental beetle, Anomala orientalis). Using phytoplasma‐infected and uninfected cranberries of two genotypes (“Ben Lear” and “Crimson Queen”), the survival, growth and consumption of L. dispar and A. orientalis larvae were measured. To assess the effects on plant morphological and chemical traits, we also examined the impact of phytoplasma infection on shoot and root growth, carbon and nitrogen content, and the levels of defensive compounds such as proanthocyanidins (PACs). Results indicate that larvae of L. dispar and A. orientalis generally showed larger size and more efficient tissue consumption on infected plants, with these effects varying by cranberry genotype, possibly due to differences in phytoplasma titer. Phytoplasma infection was associated with stunted growth, elevated nitrogen content, and lower PAC levels in both shoots and roots of infected cranberry plants compared to uninfected ones. These findings indicate that phytoplasma infection potentially manipulates plant chemical composition by increasing nutrient levels and decreasing defensive compounds, enhancing herbivore performance both above and belowground. This study sheds light on the intricate interplay among plants, phytoplasma infection, and insect herbivore communities.
Red cell distribution width/albumin ratio and mortality risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients: Insights from a NHANES study
Authors: Zhang Chen , Lu Siyi , Kang Tianlun , Meng Fanzhang , Qian Tangliang , Liu Xiaoping , Liu Zhi , Hou Xiujuan
Published: September 2024

Background

Despite the established negative regulatory effects observed in various diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, the distinct impact of red cell distribution width (RDW) to albumin ratio (RAR) on mortality within the realm of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains obscure. This study sought to explore the relationship between RAR and mortality in RA patients.

Methods

A cohort of 2151 adults with RA from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 2003–2016 was analyzed for RAR levels derived from red cell distribution width and albumin concentrations. Utilizing Cox regression analysis, Kaplan–Meier curves, and Restricted Cubic Spline (RCS) models, we assessed the association between RAR levels and RA mortality while adjusting for potential confounding variables.

Results

Participants with higher RAR had a twofold to threefold increased risk of all‐cause (HR = 3.10, 95% CI: 2.26–4.24) and cardiovascular mortality (HR = 2.46, 95%CI: 1.26–4.79) versus lower RAR. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that the higher RAR group had a significantly lower survival rate compared to the lower RAR group for both all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality (both p < .0001), with a more pronounced effect observed for all‐cause mortality. Furthermore, the RCS‐fitted Cox regression model illustrated a nonlinear positive correlation between RAR levels and RA mortality.

Conclusion

Overall, a higher RAR was associated with an increased risk mortality in RA patients. These findings underscore the potential of RAR as a prognostic biomarker in predicting outcomes in RA.
Alcohol and fear conditioning produce strain‐specific changes in the dorsal hippocampal transcriptome of adolescent C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice
Authors: Seemiller Laurel R. , Goldberg Lisa R. , Sebastian Aswathy , Siegel Sue Rutherford , Praul Craig , Zeid Dana , Albert Istvan , Beierle Jacob , Bryant Camron D. , Gould Thomas J.
Published: September 2024

Background

Adolescent sensitivity to alcohol is influenced by genetic background. Data from our laboratory suggested that adolescent C57BL/6J and DBA/2J inbred mice differed in susceptibility to alcohol‐induced deficits in dorsal hippocampus‐dependent contextual fear learning.

Methods

To investigate the biological underpinnings of this strain difference, we examined dorsal hippocampus gene expression using RNA‐sequencing after alcohol or saline administration followed by Pavlovian fear conditioning across male and female C57BL/6J and DBA/2J adolescents.

Results

Strains exhibited dramatic differences in dorsal hippocampus gene expression. Specifically, C57BL/6J and DBA/2J strains differed by 3526 transcripts in males and 2675 transcripts in females. We identified pathways likely to be involved in mediating alcohol's effects on learning, including networks associated with Chrna7, a gene encoding the nicotinic cholinergic receptor alpha 7 subunit, and Fmr1, a gene encoding the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein.

Conclusions

These findings provide insight into the mechanisms underlying strain differences in alcohol's effects on learning and suggest that different biological networks are recruited for learning based on genetics, sex, and alcohol exposure.
Severe adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes according to the planned birth setting being midwife‐led birth centers or obstetric‐led units
Authors: Rollet Clara , Le Ray Camille , Vendittelli Françoise , Blondel Béatrice , Chantry Anne Alice ,   the MDN Research Group
Published: September 2024

Introduction

The establishment of midwife‐led birth centers (MLBCs) is still being debated. The study aimed to compare severe adverse outcomes and mode of birth in low‐risk women according to their birth planned in MLBCs or in obstetric‐led units (OUs) in France.

Material and Methods

We used nationwide databases to select low‐risk women at the start of care in labor in MLBCs (n = 1294) and in OUs (n = 5985). Using multilevel logistic regression, we compared severe adverse maternal and neonatal morbidity as a composite outcome and as individual outcomes. These include severe postpartum hemorrhage (≥1000 mL of blood loss), obstetrical anal sphincter injury, maternal admission to an intensive care unit, maternal death, a 5‐minute Apgar score <7, neonatal resuscitation at birth, neonatal admission to an intensive care unit, and stillbirth or neonatal death. We also studied the mode of birth and the role of prophylactic administration of oxytocin at birth in the association between birth settings and severe postpartum hemorrhage.

Results

Severe adverse maternal and neonatal outcome indicated a slightly higher rate in women in MLBCs compared to OUs according to unadjusted analyses (4.6% in MLBCs vs. 3.4% in OUs; cOR 1.36; 95%CI [1.01–1.83]), but the difference was not significant between birth settings after adjustment (aOR 1.37 [0.92–2.05]). Severe neonatal morbidity alone was not different (1.7% vs. 1.6%; aOR 1.17 [0.55–2.47]). However, severe maternal morbidity was significantly higher in MLBCs than in OUs (3.0% vs. 1.9%; aOR 1.61 [1.09–2.39]), mainly explained by higher risks of severe postpartum hemorrhage (2.4 vs. 1.1%; aOR 2.37 [1.29–4.36]), with 2 out of 5 in MLBCs partly explained by the low use of prophylactic oxytocin. Cesarean and operative vaginal births were significantly decreased in women with a birth planned in MLBCs.

Conclusions

In France, 3 to 4% of low‐risk women experienced a severe adverse maternal or neonatal outcome regardless of the planned birth setting. Results were favorable for MLBCs in terms of mode of birth but not for severe postpartum hemorrhage, which could be partly addressed by revising practices of prophylactic administration of oxytocin.
Leucocytosis during all‐trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide treatment in acute promyelocytic leukaemia
Authors: Yanada Masamitsu
Published: September 2024

In patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), differentiation syndrome (DS) is a life‐threatening complication caused by the differentiating effect of all‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and/or arsenic trioxide (ATO). Leucocytosis is frequently observed during induction therapy for APL and is intimately associated with the development of DS and its severity. The management of DS is particularly important due to the high likelihood of excellent outcomes for APL patients who successfully complete induction therapy.

Commentary on: Cicconi et al. Leukocytosis during induction therapy with all‐trans‐retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide in acute promyelocytic leukemia predicts for differentiation syndrome and treatment‐related complications. Br J Haematol 2024; 205:1727‐1733.
Prosocial behaviour enhances evaluation of physical beauty
Authors: Kononov Natalia , Ein‐Gar Danit
Published: September 2024

Ten studies (N = 4192) demonstrated that individuals depicted as prosocial were judged to be more physically beautiful. This evaluation of prosocial individuals as more beautiful is influenced by a motivation to be associated with prosocial others. This phenomenon was observed in real‐world settings (Study 1) and applied to both men and women, both as targets and observers (Studies 2a–2b). The effect persisted in scenarios where participants imagined the target without any visual aid (Study 2c) and extended beyond metaphorical interpretations of beauty (Study 3). The effect weakened when prosocial behaviour was an isolated incident, not indicative of the target's prosocial personality (Study 4). The influence of prosociality on beauty evaluations surpassed that of other positive traits such as intelligence or humour (Study 5) and remained significant despite physical imperfections in the target's appearance (Study 6). The effect diminished in situations where forming a relationship was not feasible, thus supporting the motivated cognition rationale (Studies 7–8). These findings highlight the substantial role of prosocial behaviour in influencing evaluations of physical beauty, a crucial element in social interactions and relationship formation, often outweighing other attributes typically linked to physical appearance evaluation.
What Approaches Described in Research Literature Enhance the Engagement of Children and Young People With Severe or Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities? A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Fitzpatrick Dominic , Parker Richard
Published: September 2024

Background

Children and young people (CYP) with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities are more likely to experience difficulties engaging for long periods. Finding ways to facilitate their engagement is crucial in promoting their social and emotional development and their mental well‐being, particularly as they are more vulnerable to difficulties with mental well‐being compared to their peers.

Methods

We undertook a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify approaches described within peer‐reviewed research literature that enhance the engagement of these children. Data from seven relevant studies were qualitatively synthesised. Thematic networks were then developed to visually present global, organising and basic themes identified within data.

Findings

A global theme derived from organising themes across studies indicated that the quality of space is an important consideration in enhancing engagement. This included the extent to which space adhered to prescribed knowledge or afforded practitioners with opportunities to follow their intuition and deviate from such ideas.

Conclusions

Quality of space may be important to the engagement of these CYP and consequently to their mental well‐being. This may involve consideration of the extent to which formal learning environments for them are organised and informed by dominant theory and discourse (abstract space), prescribed (spatial) practice and the extent to which environments provide conditions for ‘lived spaces’ that are potentially more facilitative of their engagement and so their mental well‐being.
Baicalein Targets MAPK9 to Induce Apoptosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Wang Weili , Tang Yuxiao , Zhuo Xiaobin , Yang Jianxin , Gao Zelong , Li Chenqi , Wu Chenghua , Qian Jianxin , Xie Feng , Shen Hui , Wang Dongyao
Published: September 2024

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant global health concern. However, there are limited effective treatments available for it. The use of natural products in the management and treatment of HCC is gaining more attention. Baicalein is a flavonoid compound that has been reported to have antitumor activities in HCC. However, the direct binding targets of baicalein are still unknown. Therefore, we used the DNA‐programmed affinity labeling method to identify the target of baicalein and validated its function in HCC cells. We set blank and competitive DNA probes as negative controls. The results showed that baicalein had 136 binding targets, of which 13 targets were differently expressed in HCC tissues. The enriched cellular process of these targets was apoptosis, which involved MAPK9. We tested the binding affinity of baicalein with MAPK9 as 89.7 nM (Kd) by surface plasmon resonance and analyzed the binding sites by virtual docking. Notably, the binding of baicalein with MAPK9 increased the protein levels of MAPK9 itself and the related downstream apoptosis signaling, triggering the apoptosis of HCC cells. However, the inhibitor of MAPK9, SP600125, blocked the baicalein‐induced apoptosis, and the amounts of MAPK9 and downstream molecules were also decreased, indicating that baicalein acted through MAPK9 to induce apoptosis of HCC cells. In conclusion, we used the DNA‐programmed affinity labeling method to identify the direct‐binding target MAPK9 of baicalein and validated its function in baicalein‐induced apoptosis of HCC cells, which would be helpful to understand and use baicalein in HCC therapy.
Incremental Discourse‐Update Constrains Number Agreement Attraction Effect
Authors: Kim Sanghee J. , Xiang Ming
Published: September 2024

While a large body of work in sentence comprehension has explored how different types of linguistic information are used to guide syntactic parsing, less is known about the effect of discourse structure. This study investigates this question, focusing on the main and subordinate discourse contrast manifested in the distinction between restrictive relative clauses (RRCs) and appositive relative clauses (ARCs) in American English. In three self‐paced reading experiments, we examined whether both RRCs and ARCs interfere with the matrix clause content and give rise to the agreement attraction effect. While the standard attraction effect was consistently observed in the baseline RRC structures, the effect varied in the ARC structures. These results collectively suggest that discourse structure indeed constrains syntactic dependency resolution. Most importantly, we argue that what is at stake is not the static discourse structure properties at the global sentence level. Instead, attention should be given to the incremental update of the discourse structure in terms of which discourse questions are active at any given moment of a discourse. The current findings have implications for understanding the way discourse structure, specifically the active state of discourse questions, constrains memory retrieval.
Cagrilintide is not associated with clinically relevant QTc prolongation: A thorough QT study in healthy participants
Authors: Gabe Maria B. N. , Fuhr Rainard , Sinn Angela , Eliasen Astrid , Berthelsen Kasper K. , Kuhlman Anja B. , Bækdal Tine A. , Nejad Ayna B.
Published: September 2024

Aims

The combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide (CagriSema) is being developed for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The objective of this thorough QT study was to confirm that cagrilintide does not result in a clinically relevant prolongation in cardiac repolarization compared with placebo.

Materials and Methods

This was a double‐blind study (NCT05804162) in which healthy participants were randomized to cagrilintide, administered as a once‐weekly subcutaneous injection dose escalated to 4.5 mg, or a placebo. The primary end point was the time‐matched change from baseline in Fridericia heart rate–corrected QT interval (QTcF) at 12‐, 24‐, 48‐ and 72 h after the last cagrilintide 4.5‐mg dose. To conclude that cagrilintide does not induce a clinically relevant prolongation, the upper limit of the two‐sided 90% confidence interval (CI) for the treatment difference at each of the four time points must fall below 10 ms. To establish QT assay sensitivity, participants in the placebo arms received a single 400‐mg oral moxifloxacin dose as a positive control and moxifloxacin placebo in a nested cross‐over fashion.

Results

A total of 105 participants received cagrilintide (n = 53) or placebo (n = 52). No clinically relevant QTcF prolongation occurred after the last cagrilintide 4.5‐mg dose; the upper limits of the two‐sided 90% CIs of the placebo‐adjusted QTcF changes from baseline were below 10 ms at all time points. QT assay sensitivity was demonstrated with moxifloxacin as a positive control.

Conclusions

Cagrilintide did not result in clinically relevant QTcF prolongation, indicating no increased risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
The influence of politicians' sex on political budget cycles: An empirical analysis of Spanish municipalities
Authors: García Israel , Hayo Bernd
Published: September 2024

Does a politician's sex influence political budget cycles (PBCs)? We answer this question using a sample of Spanish municipalities from the Madrid region for the period 2010–2019. The Madrid region has a homogenous set of budget rules that allow consistent categorization of budget expenditure items as either “mandatory” or “non‐mandatory” public services. After differentiating between smaller and larger municipalities, gender influence is studied along two dimensions: the mayor's sex and the share of women in government. Our findings include, in regard to mandatory spending in smaller municipalities, that gender‐balanced governments induce PBCs. In larger municipalities, when the share of women in government is above 60%, electoral spending is increased by up to 10% of an average municipal budget for mandatory spending, and up to 2.2% for non‐mandatory. These findings are generally supported in a mixed‐gender close election analysis.
Pre‐ and post‐skeletal muscle biopsy quantitative magnetic resonance imaging reveals correlations with histopathological findings
Authors: Güttsches Anne‐Katrin , Forsting Johannes , Kneifel Moritz , Rehmann Robert , De Lorenzo Alice , Enax‐Krumova Elena , Froeling Martijn , Vorgerd Matthias , Schlaffke Lara
Published: September 2024

Background and purpose

Quantitative muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a promising non‐invasive method in the diagnostic workup as well as follow‐up of neuromuscular disorders. The aim of this study was to correlate quantitative MRI (qMRI) parameters to histopathological changes in skeletal muscle tissue and thus to verify the data from our pilot study.

Methods

Twenty‐six patients (eight females, 46.4 ± 15.1 years) were examined within 72 h before and within 24 h after a skeletal muscle biopsy using quantitative muscle MRI. Post‐biopsy MRI was employed to pinpoint the exact localization of the biopsy. qMRI parameters including fat fraction, water T2 relaxation time and diffusion metrics including fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity were extracted from the localization of the biopsy and correlated with histopathological findings. Additionally, three different segmentation masks were applied to the qMRI dataset, to evaluate whether the whole muscle represents the exact biopsy location.

Results

Fat fraction and water T2 relaxation time in qMRI correlated significantly with the fat fraction in the muscle biopsy and histopathological inflammatory markers. Fractional anisotropy correlated with the quantity of type 2 fibres, whilst mean diffusivity correlated with p62. No differences were found using different segmentation masks in qMRI.

Conclusions

In this follow‐up study, the results from our previous study were verified regarding the correlation of qMRI parameters with histopathological features in muscle biopsies, indicating that qMRI serves as a suitable non‐invasive method in the follow‐up of patients with neuromuscular disorders. If post‐biopsy MRI is not available, whole muscle volume can be used for histopathological correlations.
Enhanced Monte‐Carlo tree search for dynamic flexible job shop scheduling with transportation time constraints
Authors: He Zhou , Tang Biao , Gu Chan , Ran Ning
Published: September 2024

With the increasing uncertainty and complexity of industrial production, dynamic events are inevitably happened during the production process. This paper deals with the transportation time constrained dynamic flexible job shop scheduling problem with machine breakdown, new jobs arrival, jobs cancellation, and processing time change of operations. Considering the actual production situation, a makespan rescheduling model based on transportation time is established. A Monte‐Carlo tree search based algorithm is proposed to solve the dynamic flexible job shop scheduling problem such that the makespan is minimized. In order to improve the accuracy of the developed algorithm and the quality of the obtained scheduling schemes, subtree keeping policy, multi‐branching simulation, reinforcement learning, greedy strategy, and expectation‐best evaluation method are employed. Moreover, a subtree pruning policy is embedded to improve the search efficiency of the developed algorithm. Simulation experiments are conducted on a series of instances of different sizes to compare the developed approach with the GA‐based scheduling approach and the Monte‐Carlo tree search based approach. The simulation results indicate that the developed approach is superior to the existing scheduling approaches in terms of the qualities of the obtained solutions.
Cattle dung detection in pastures from drone images using YOLOv5
Authors: Kawamura Kensuke , Kato Yura , Yasuda Taisuke , Aozasa Eriko , Yayota Masato , Kitagawa Miya , Kunishige Kyoko
Published: September 2024

Livestock excretions are crucial for nutrient cycling in pasture ecosystems. However, conventional methods based on field observations require significant human power and are time‐consuming. This study developed a model, ‘Dung Detector (DD)’, for detecting cattle dung in pastures from drone images using the You Only Look Once (YOLO) v5 algorithm. The DD model was trained using our custom dataset including 1,504 split images from drone orthomosaic images in five paddocks: Obihiro (OBH), Shintoku (STK), Minokamo (MNO), Miyota (MYT), and Yatsugatake (YGK). The detection accuracy was evaluated using ground‐truth data acquired in two quadrats within paddocks. The DD model performed well for OBH and STK (F‐score = 0.861 and 0.835) paddocks with simple grass species and low surface sward height (SSH). Although the MNO and MYT, with complex vegetation and high SSH, showed few false positives (precision >0.9), some cattle dung pats were undetectable, presumably due to grass height (Recall = 0.500 and 0.276).
Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test of Helicobacter pylori to Metronidazole via Single‐Cell Raman Spectrometry
Authors: Sun Lu , Liu Min , Gong Yanan , Zhai Kangle , Lv FengYun , He Lihua , Xue Xinguang , Liu Xiaolu , Wang Hairui , Fan Dongjie , You Yuanhai , Fang Mengyang , Sun Luyang , Xu Jian , Zhang Jianzhong
Published: September 2024

Background

Metronidazole is a first‐line antibiotic to treat Helicobacter pylori infections. However, the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines recommend against using antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) to test metronidazole resistance, due to the unreliable predictive power which can result in treatment failure.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to establish an 8‐h, metabolic‐phenotype based AST for H. pylori metronidazole susceptibility using D2O‐probed Raman microspectroscopy.

Methods

Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) measured by conventional AST (E‐test) were compared with expedited MIC via metabolic activity (eMIC‐MA) for 10 H. pylori isolates. Raman barcodes of cellular‐response to stress (RBCS) incorporating protein and carbohydrate Raman bands, were utilized to identify a biomarker to distinguish metronidazole susceptibility.

Results

Specifically, eMIC‐MA produces metronidazole susceptibility results showing 100% agreement with E‐test, and determines the bactericidal dosage for both high‐ and low‐level resistant H. pylori strains. In addition, RBCS not just reliably distinguish between metronidazole‐susceptible and ‐resistant strains, but reveal their distinct mechanisms in bacterial responses to metronidazole.

Conclusion

The speed, accuracy, low cost, and rich information content that reveals the mode‐of‐action of drugs suggest the method's value in guiding metronidazole prescriptions for H. pylori eradication and in rapid screening based on drug‐resistance mechanism.
A systematic review on the use of transforming powder dressing for wound care
Authors: O'Connor Madeline J. , Ho Kelly C. , Sriram Nikhil , Fine Keenan S. , Melnick Bradley A. , Bartler Angelica V. , Huffman Kristin N. , Marzouk Sammer M. , Galiano Robert D.
Published: September 2024

The transforming powder dressing (Altrazeal®, Uluru Inc, Addison, TX, USA) is simple to use, painless to apply and has a wear time of up to 30 days. This study aims to review the current literature to elucidate the impact of transforming powder dressing on healing, pain management and overall patient outcomes. We conducted a systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. Data including study characteristics, patient demographics and wound outcomes were extracted. Our systematic review included 26 articles (n = 175). Of these articles, 13 (50%) were case reports, 10 (38.5%) were case series, 2 (7.7%) were randomised controlled trials and 1 (3.8%) was a cohort study. Wound types included venous ulcer (23.9%), pressure sore (19.7%), burn (15.5%), skin graft (13.4%), diabetic foot ulcer (4.2%), Mohs defect (3.5%) and other (19.6%). Complete re‐epithelialization occurred in 90.1% of the wounds. A total of 19 studies (73%) discussed pain, each of which reported reduced pain with the use of transforming powder dressing. The evaluated studies collectively suggest that transforming powder dressing offers a promising re‐epithelialization rate and analgesic effect across various wound types.
Distinguishing High Daytime From Nighttime Temperature Effects During Early Vegetative Growth in Cotton
Authors: Parkash Ved , Snider John , Awori Kelvin Jimmy , Katta Jhansy Reddy , Pilon Cristiane , Tishchenko Viktor
Published: September 2024

High‐temperature limits early season vegetative growth of cotton, and the physiological response of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) to high daytime or nighttime temperature needs to be explored. The objectives of the current study were to determine (1) plant growth response, (2) physiological contributors to variation in biomass production and (3) mechanisms driving variation in net photosynthetic rate (AN) in response to different combinations of high daytime and nighttime temperatures. Beginning at planting, cotton was exposed to four different growth temperature regimes: (1) optimum (30/20°C day/night), (2) high nighttime (30/30°C), (3) high daytime (40/20°C) and combined high daytime and nighttime (40/30°C) for 4 weeks. Relative to the 30/20°C treatment, plant growth was positively affected by high nighttime temperature and negatively affected by high daytime temperature and combined high day and night temperature. Increased leaf area mainly contributed to increased biomass production in high nighttime temperature; higher nighttime respiration (RN) drove reductions in biomass in combined high daytime and nighttime temperature; and decreased leaf area and AN and increased RN drove reductions in biomass under high daytime temperature alone. AN was not impacted by high nighttime temperature, while decreased under high daytime temperature and increased with combined high daytime and nighttime temperature. Adjustments in leaf traits contributed to increases in AN in combined high daytime and nighttime temperature, and increased photorespiration and respiration contributed to reductions in AN under high daytime temperature. Overall, early season vegetative growth of cotton exhibited differential responses to high daytime and nighttime temperatures.
Role of Smart Agriculture Techniques in Food Security: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ahmad Tanveer , Ahsan Samreen , Farooq Muhammad Adil , Gulzar Muhammad , Mubben Mubashir , Hussain Ashiq , Ahmed Adnan , Asif Afifa , Kauser Samina , Najam Ayesha , Sidrah  , Firdous Nida
Published: September 2024

Agriculture plays an important part in the overall growth and development of a nation. Concerns about agriculture continue to be a recalcitrant obstacle in the path of upward movement. Although agricultural yields are increased, however, low‐ and middle‐income countries still have difficulty in producing all of the required foods with the current state of agricultural technology. Smart agriculture is becoming increasingly important to the farmers as a means of ensuring optimal field growth and higher crop yield. This systematic study analysed and briefly explained the effects of using smart agriculture techniques (SATs) from a variety of countries, including China, the United States of America, Australia, India, the Philippine Islands, South Africa, Pakistan and Iran, among others. Increased climatic change resulting in abiotic stress and other harmful effects on plants have resulted in decreased productivity under traditional agricultural practices. Stats from the literature have shown that the launching of SATs has resulted in a significant increase in cotton–wheat and rice–wheat crop yields, resultantly increased incomes of the farmers. Application of SATs, including satellite remote sensing, drones, machine learning and image processing, monitoring, wireless sensor networks, IoT–based robotics, precision agriculture and agroforestry could be extremely useful in developing intelligent agricultural systems in underdeveloped and developing countries, with improved plant growth, high crop yield and ensuring food security. These technologies could help farmers by storing additional water, spraying pesticides with drones, practicing precision agriculture and employing sensors for assessing different environmental parameters. By making efficient use of these technologies, countries could be able to increase the yield of their crops, which, in turn, will contribute to the reduction of poverty and the elimination of food insecurity.
A Holistic Approach to the Selection of Soybean (Glycine max) Cultivars for Shade Environments Based on Morphological, Yield and Genetic Traits
Authors: Campos Wellington Ferreira , Leite João Paulo Ribeiro , Matos Fábio Santos , Dobbss Leonardo Barros , Nicoli Alessandro , Evaristo Anderson Barbosa
Published: September 2024

The reduction of photosynthetically active radiation impacts the growth and productivity of soybean in agroforestry and intercropping systems. Thus, this report explored the responses of 16 soybean cultivars submitted to shade levels in field conditions. Multi‐faceted and relative importance analyses revealed that the steam diameter and plant height are fundamental morphological markers for selecting shade‐resilient cultivars, both were high and positively correlated to yield components. Moreover, the responses to shade varied among soybean cultivars, with certain genotypes demonstrating distinct tolerance levels, which allowed also the estimative of genetic variance that revealed strong participation of genetic components in responses to shade. Multivariate and clustering analysis using steam diameter and plant height in combination with two yield components resulted in the identification of four soybean cultivars more tolerant to shade environments and two sensible. Therefore, this report provides insights into soybean cultivation under varying light conditions, provides a robust foundation for the integration of morphological and yield markers in breeding programmes focused on shade tolerance and guides future endeavours in crop improvement for optimal and sustainable yield and resilience in the climate change context.
Research Competence in Clinical Nursing Insights From Chinese Nurses: A Cross‐Sectional Survey
Authors: Zhu Ming‐yang , Xia Chun‐ling , Fu Tong‐tong , Dai Heng , Xiao Shi‐qi
Published: September 2024

Aim

To assess the research capacity of 3014 clinical nurses in northeastern China, examining their participation in research and self‐assessed competencies to advance nursing practice.

Background

Nursing research is essential for the development of the nursing discipline, yet significant progress in enhancing the research capabilities of nursing staff has been limited over the past decades. Clinical nurses, central to the execution of research activities, need improved research skills to identify relevant topics and synthesise clinical experiences with the literature.

Design

A cross‐sectional survey.

Methods

In 2023, using a convenience sampling method, a cross‐sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on 3014 nurses in a Grade A tertiary hospital. The questionnaire included questions on basic information and scientific research, as well as a self‐evaluation scale assessing the nurses' capability for conducting scientific research.

Results

Among the nurses participating in the survey, 29.66% (894) had published academic papers in Chinese, 2.06% (62) had published papers in Science Citation Index journals, 2.39% (72) had hosted nursing research projects, 5.87% (177) had participated in nursing research projects and 71% (2140) expressed their willingness to participate in nursing research activities. The average score on the self‐evaluation of research capability was 54.08 ± 24.55, with scores ranging from 0 to 120.

Conclusion

The clinical nurses' research capacity scores are at the midpoint of the scale (0–120), indicating basic research capabilities with room for improvement. There is a high willingness to engage in research. Nursing managers should consider these factors in training programmes and promote research activities to improve the team's scientific capability.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

This study reveals a critical gap between nurses' willingness and actual involvement in research, emphasising the need for enhanced research skills to improve nursing practice.

Patient or Public Contribution

This study did not require patient or public involvement in its design, outcome measures or execution. The contribution of patients/members of the public was limited solely to data collection.
Is the Gender Pension Gap Fair?
Authors: Valente Manuel Sá
Published: September 2024

The income gap between women and men expands with age, culminating in a gender pension gap in old age that is much larger than pay gaps earlier in life. In this article, I question two attempts to justify gender pension gaps. One insists that lower financial contribution justifies women's lower overall pensions. The second states that women must receive less monthly because they live longer. I argue that neither of these reasons is fair in a gender‐unjust world. Rather than justifying pension gaps, female longevity is an opportunity to promote gender justice: by subsidizing longer lives, old‐age redistribution attenuates lifetime gender inequality. In the case of retirement pensions, the use of age to promote gender equality may be preferable to explicit gender differentiation. There is, then, a feminist case for old‐age redistribution.
Understanding the relationship between self‐compassion and body dissatisfaction
Authors: Cadena Sandy Belle Rosales , Iyer Aarti , Webb Thomas L. , Millings Abigail
Published: September 2024

Body dissatisfaction reflects a person's negative perceptions, thoughts, and feelings regarding their body. Two factors—(1) self‐compassion, a positive attitude of self‐acceptance despite flaws, and (2) gratitude, the capability to notice and appreciate the positive aspects of life—may help to reduce body dissatisfaction. The present research aimed to provide further evidence for the relationship between gratitude, self‐compassion, and body dissatisfaction and test whether meditation focusing on self‐compassion can reduce body dissatisfaction. Two online studies were conducted with samples of adult women recruited in the United Kingdom (N = 342 and 117). Study 1 found that self‐compassion, but not gratitude, significantly predicted lower levels of body dissatisfaction. Study 2 found that participating in a 3‐week meditation program—whether focused on self‐compassion or relaxation—increased self‐compassion over time and reduced body dissatisfaction. Taken together, the findings that regular meditation can bring positive outcomes to women with body dissatisfaction, regardless of the specific focus or content of the meditation.
Psychometric analysis of the quiet quitting and quiet firing scale among Turkish healthcare professionals
Authors: Karadas Ayse , Çevik Celalettin
Published: September 2024

Background

Due to the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic, the risk of quiet quitting among healthcare professionals is increasing. Individuals who engage in the quiet quitting process may also unknowingly become the target of quiet firing. The concepts of quiet quitting and quiet firing play a crucial role in promoting employee resilience and preventing organizational losses.

Method

This study aimed to conduct a validity and reliability analysis of the quiet quitting and quiet firing scale (QQ and QF scale) in Turkish. A methodological study was conducted with 445 healthcare professionals.

Results

The item‐total score correlation values ranged between 0.37 and 0.76. The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a 14‐item, two‐factor structure. Cronbach's ⍺ internal consistency coefficient was 0.89. The QQ and QF scale had a strong negative correlation with the person‐organization fit scale and the happiness at work scale subscales of engagement, job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment.

Conclusion

The results showed that the adapted version of the QQ and QF scale was valid and suitable for use in Turkey.
A droplet digital PCR assay to detect Chinese rice‐field eels rhabdovirus
Authors: Liu Wenzhi , Zhou Yong , Jiang Nan , Xu Chen , Zhong Qiwang , Fan Yuding
Published: September 2024

Chinese rice‐field eels rhabdovirus (CrERV) causes haemorrhagic disease in Chinese rice‐field eels (Monopterus albus), leading to significant mortality and economic losses. Sensitive detection of CrERV nucleic acids is essential to control the spread of this pathogen and to treat infected individuals. Herein, we developed an efficient and sensitive droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) method to rapidly detect and quantify CrERV. The ddPCR assay optimal conditions were an annealing temperature of 53°C, and primer and probe concentrations of 0.5 and 0.25 μM, respectively. The assay had a diagnostic sensitivity of 0.23 copies/μL, and was highly specific, showing no cross reactivity with other viruses (infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus, grass carp reovirus, spring viremia of carp virus, largemouth bass ranavirus, carp edema virus, Chinese giant salamander iridovirus, and white spot syndrome virus). Real‐time quantitative PCR testing of 30 Chinese rice‐field eels samples detected CrERV in 7 samples (23.3%), whereas ddPCR detected CrERV in 12 samples (40%), demonstrating its higher sensitivity. Thus, ddPCR represents an advanced method to absolutely quantify CrERV in infected fish with low virus concentrations, providing a valuable tool to manage the spread and impact of CrERV.