bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is OCIO superior in asset allocation performance?
Authors: Kang Myungjoo , Song Inwook , Kim Seiwan
Published: May 2023

This study aims to empirically analyze the asset allocation capabilities of Outsourced Chief Investment Officers (OCIOs) in Korea. The empirical analysis used data from 35 funds that were evaluated by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance from 2012 to 2020. The results of the analysis are summarized as follows. First, this study found that funds that adopted OCIO improved their asset allocation performance. Second, the sensitivity between risk-taking and performance decreased for funds that adopted OCIO. Third, it is found that OCIO adoption improves a fund's asset management execution (tactical capabilities). This study has methodological limitations in which the methodology used in this study is not based on theoretical prior research, but on practical applications. However, considering the need to clearly analyze the capabilities of OCIO and the timeliness of the topic, this study is valuable and can provide meaningful information to funders who are considering adopting OCIO in the future.
Do firms that perform well report differently compared to those that perform badly? Impression management in integrated reporting
Authors: Nandram P.K. , Brouwer A.J. , Langendijk H.P.A.J.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether managers use impression management through the presentation of non-financial information in an integrated reporting setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors performed an experiment with experienced professional controllers and part-time students enrolled in the executive master’s degree in finance and control at universities in the Netherlands. In this experiment, we manipulated the financial performance to test if managers present non-financial information differently based on the firm’s financial performance.

Findings

This study found that impression management is not applied by including or excluding non-financial key performance indicators (KPIs) in the integrated report, but by using more prominent presentation forms for positive non-financial performance and non-prominent ones for negative non-financial performance. However, the use of impression management through the presentation form decreased when the firms’ financial performance was positive. In that instance, this study noted that managers statistically significantly more often decided to present poor non-financial performance in a prominent presentation format in comparison to managers who were not aware of the financial performance.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of this paper is that the authors focused on only two impression management strategies: opportunistic/under-reporting and the presentation form. This analysis shows that the use of impression management mainly seems to occur through the presentation format. Future research could investigate other impression management strategies in an integrated reporting setting.

Practical implications

The results of this study are of importance for users of integrated reports, because it will provide more insight into whether firms are truly transparent in their integrated reports. Furthermore, the theoretical implication of this study is relevant to regulatory authorities, because it sheds light on the different forms of impression management used in integrated reporting and the influence of positively or negatively performing KPIs on the decisions of preparers of integrated reports.

Originality/value

Therefore, in this study, the authors add to prior literature by investigating the concept of impression management in an integrated reporting setting. More specifically, the authors perform an experiment and focus on different forms of impression management (the presentation format and under-reporting) through non-financial KPIs in an integrated reporting setting and link it to firm financial performance.
Hardness and corrosion behaviour of stir cast LM26 Al/sugar palm fibre ash composites
Authors: Aliyu I. , Sapuan S.M. , Zainudin E.S. , Zuhri M.Y.M. , Ridwan Y.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The conflicting results on the corrosion characteristics of aluminium matrix composites reinforced with agrarian waste have stimulated an investigation on the hardness and corrosion rate of sugar palm fibre ash (SPFA) reinforced LM26 Al/alloy composite by varying the SPFA from 0 to 10 wt% in an interval of 2 wt%. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The composites were produced via stir-casting and the hardness was determined using a Vickers hardness testing machine, corrosion rate was examined through the weight loss method by immersion in 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) at temperatures of 303, 318, and 333 K for the maximum duration of 120 h. The morphological study was conducted using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) on the samples before and after immersion in HCl.

Findings

The incorporation of SPFA improved the hardness of the alloy from 58.22 to 93.62 VH after 10 wt% addition. The corrosion rate increases with increased content of SPFA, the concentration of HCl and temperature. The least corrosion rate of 0.0272 mpy was observed for the LM26 Al alloy in 0.5 M after 24 h while the highest corrosion rate of 0.8511 mpy was recorded for LM26 Al/10 wt% SPFA in 1.5 M HCl acid after 120 h. The SEM image of corroded samples revealed an increased number of pits with increased SPFA content.

Research limitations/implications

The work is limited to SPFA up to 10 wt% as reinforcement in LM26 Al alloy, the use of HCl as corrosion medium, temperatures in the range of 303–333 K, and a weight loss method were used to evaluate the corrosion rate.

Originality/value

The corrosion rate was determined for LM26 Al/SPFA composites with various amounts of SPFA in 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 M HCl at 303, 318 and 333 K and compared with the matrix alloy.
Precarious inclusion: A collaborative account of casualisation and teaching leadership challenges at the post-pandemic university
Authors: Lahiri-Roy Reshmi , Whitburn Ben
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This paper emerged from the challenges encountered by both authors as academics during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Based on their subsequent reflections on inclusion in education for minoritised academics in pandemic-affected institutional contexts, they argue that beyond student-centred foci for inclusion, equity in the field, is equally significant for diverse teachers. Working as tempered radicals, they contend that anything less is exclusionary.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a reciprocal interview method and drawing on Freirean ideals of dialogue and education as freedom from oppression, the authors offer dual perspectives from specific positionings as a non-tenured woman academic of colour and a tenured staff member with a disability.

Findings

In framing this work dialogically and through Freirean ideals of conscientização, the authors' collective discussions politicise personal experiences of marginalisation in the teaching and researching of inclusion in education for preservice teachers, or more pointedly, in demonstrating the responsibility of all to orientate towards context-dependent inclusive practices. They assert that to enable educators to develop inclusion-oriented practice, the contextual frameworks need to ensure that they question their own experiences of inclusion as potentially precarious to enable meaningful teaching practice.

Research limitations/implications

It offers perspectives drawing on race, dis/ability and gender drawing on two voices. The bivocal perspective is in itself limitation. It is also located within a very Australian context. However, it does have the scope to be applied globally and there is opportunity to further develop the argument using more intersectional variables.

Practical implications

The paper clearly highlights that universities require a sharper understanding of diversity, and minoritised staff's quotidian negotiations of marginalisations. Concomitantly inclusion and valuing of the epistemologies of minoritised groups facilitate meaningful participation of these groups in higher education contexts.

Social implications

This article calls for a more nuanced, empathetic and critical understanding of issues related to race and disability within Australian and global academe. This is much required given rapidly shifting demographics within Australian and other higher education contexts, as well as the global migration trajectories.

Originality/value

This is an original research submission which contributes to debates around race and disability in HE. It has the potential to provoke further conversations and incorporates both hope and realism while stressing collaboration within the academic ecosystem to build metaphorical spaces of inclusion for the minoritised.
Establishing the limitations of sustainable construction in developing countries: a systematic literature review using PRISMA
Authors: Ogunmakinde Olabode Emmanuel , Egbelakin Temitope , Sher Willy , Omotayo Temitope , Ogunnusi Mercy
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Establishing a more sustainable built environment is an increasing global concern for the construction industry. Despite the intrinsic and extrinsic obstacles the stakeholders face, huge efforts are required to transition to a smooth, sustainable construction (SC) practice. This study identifies and discusses cogent obstacles to SC in developing nations.

Design/methodology/approach

The Preferred Reporting Item for systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) approach was employed to establish research work in SC for developing countries. The databases used were Scopus and Web of Science. Meta-analysis of keywords was analysed thematically. The initial broad search returned 8,420 publications which were filtered and reviewed in-depth to fit the aim of the study, produced only 21 relevant publications from the years 2000–2021.

Findings

The four identified themes of obstacles to SC in developing countries are as follows: construction professional training and education, clients' attitudes and awareness, construction industries' culture and capacity and governments' regulation, policies and economy. The key barriers identified from the meta-analysis include inadequate training and education amongst construction professionals, poor execution of sustainability ethics, poor populace attitude towards sustainability, poor awareness and understanding, dearth of precise data and integrated study and inappropriate priorities about sustainability.

Originality/value

The originality in this study are themes drawn from millennium development goals (MDGs) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) publications related to SC. Consequently, the final framework presented a holistic approach to surmounting the established limitations and aided recommendations for future studies. Thus, setting a background for developing strategies to overcome the limitations and further attain sustainable development (SD).
A research blueprint: Plant trait responses to stress and effects on blue carbon storage potential
Authors: Gillis Lucy Gwen , Viana Inés G. , de los Santos Carmen B.
Published: May 2023

Wetland plants form blue carbon ecosystems, which are key for climate change mitigation yet threatened by multiple local and global stresses. The capacity of blue carbon ecosystems to store large amounts of carbon relies on ecological processes, many of them regulated by plant traits that are shaped by the stress that plants encounter.

This manuscript provides a perspective to investigate the effects of stress on carbon storage and sequestration capacity of blue carbon ecosystems based on the plant traits.

A first step was to identify the biochemical, physiological, morphological and growth and development traits involved in the processes controlling carbon storage and sequestration in blue carbon ecosystems.

Second, the existing knowledge on the stress effects on blue carbon processes and ecosystems was evaluated.

Finally, the application of the trait‐based approach to understand and predict carbon dynamics in blue carbon ecosystems under different stresses' feedback was discussed.

The conclusions provide key recommendations for a trait‐based approach in which the trinomial local and global stresses, plant traits and blue carbon are embraced together to identify the feedbacks between them, along with specific attention to the plant traits across the seascape, the stress interactions and the need of plant trait standardization.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Measuring technical efficiency of Spanish pig farming: Quantile stochastic frontier approach
Authors: Cabas Monje Juan , Guesmi Bouali , Ait Sidhoum Amer , Gil José María
Published: May 2023

The pig meat production plays a significant role in the Spanish agrofood system. The assessment of the efficiency performance with which farmers are operating is necessary to define adequate policy and management strategies. In this context, this study aimed to determine the technical efficiency (TE) performance of pig farms and to examine the key factors that may affect the production system in Spain. To do so, the analysis relies on the quantile stochastic frontier model using a sample of Spanish pig farms. Results show a significant difference between production frontier parameters across the selected quantiles, which support the relevance of using the quantile regression approach. The optimal quantile for the stochastic frontier indicates an average TE level of 75%. In addition, empirical findings suggest that pig farmers in Spain give more importance to the adoption of high technology to improve their economic and technical performance as well as their competitiveness at the European pig market.
Dupilumab in the treatment of severe uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP): A multicentric observational Phase IV real‐life study (DUPIREAL)
Authors: De Corso Eugenio , Pasquini Ernesto , Trimarchi Matteo , La Mantia Ignazio , Pagella Fabio , Ottaviano Giancarlo , Garzaro Massimiliano , Pipolo Carlotta , Torretta Sara , Seccia Veronica , Cantone Elena , Ciofalo Andrea , Lucidi Daniela , Fadda Gian Luca , Pafundi Pia Clara , Settimi Stefano , Montuori Claudio , Anastasi Francesca , Pagliuca Giulio , Ghidini Angelo , Cavaliere Carlo , Maffei Marianna , Bussu Francesco , Gallo Stefania , Canevari Frank Rikki Mauritz , Paludetti Gaetano , Galli Jacopo ,   Dupireal Italian Study Group
Published: May 2023

Background

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is associated with significant morbidity and reduced health‐related quality of life. Findings from clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of dupilumab in CRSwNP, although real‐world evidence is still limited.

Methods

This Phase IV real‐life, observational, multicenter study assessed the effectiveness and safety of dupilumab in patients with severe uncontrolled CRSwNP (n = 648) over the first year of treatment. We collected data at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of follow‐up. We focused on nasal polyps score (NPS), symptoms, and olfactory function. We stratified outcomes by comorbidities, previous surgery, and adherence to intranasal corticosteroids, and examined the success rates based on current guidelines, as well as potential predictors of response at each timepoint.

Results

We observed a significant decrease in NPS from a median value of 6 (IQR 5–6) at baseline to 1.0 (IQR 0.0–2.0) at 12 months (p < .001), and a significant decrease in Sino‐Nasal Outcomes Test‐22 (SNOT‐22) from a median score of 58 (IQR 49–70) at baseline to 11 (IQR 6–21;p < .001) at 12 months. Sniffin' Sticks scores showed a significant increase over 12 months (p < .001) compared to baseline. The results were unaffected by concomitant diseases, number of previous surgeries, and adherence to topical steroids, except for minor differences in rapidity of action. An excellent‐moderate response was observed in 96.9% of patients at 12 months based on EPOS 2020 criteria.

Conclusions

Our findings from this large‐scale real‐life study support the effectiveness of dupilumab as an add‐on therapy in patients with severe uncontrolled CRSwNP in reducing polyp size and improving the quality of life, severity of symptoms, nasal congestion, and smell.
Population pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacogenetics modelling of oxypurinol in Hmong adults with gout and/or hyperuricemia
Authors: Wen Ya‐Feng , Brundage Richard C. , Roman Youssef M. , Culhane‐Pera Kathleen A. , Straka Robert J.
Published: May 2023

Aims

The aim of this study was to quantify identifiable sources of variability, including key pharmacogenetic variants in oxypurinol pharmacokinetics and their pharmacodynamic effect on serum urate (SU).

Methods

Hmong participants (n = 34) received 100 mg allopurinol twice daily for 7 days followed by 150 mg allopurinol twice daily for 7 days. A sequential population pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamics (PKPD) analysis with non‐linear mixed effects modelling was performed. Allopurinol maintenance dose to achieve target SU was simulated based on the final PKPD model.

Results

A one‐compartment model with first‐order absorption and elimination best described the oxypurinol concentration–time data. Inhibition of SU by oxypurinol was described with a direct inhibitory Emax model using steady‐state oxypurinol concentrations. Fat‐free body mass, estimated creatinine clearance and SLC22A12 rs505802 genotype (0.32 per T allele, 95% CI 0.13, 0.55) were found to predict differences in oxypurinol clearance. Oxypurinol concentration required to inhibit 50% of xanthine dehydrogenase activity was affected by PDZK1 rs12129861 genotype (−0.27 per A allele, 95% CI −0.38, −0.13). Most individuals with both PDZK1 rs12129861 AA and SLC22A12 rs505802 CC genotypes achieve target SU (with at least 75% success rate) with allopurinol below the maximum dose, regardless of renal function and body mass. In contrast, individuals with both PDZK1 rs12129861 GG and SLC22A12 rs505802 TT genotypes would require more than the maximum dose, thus requiring selection of alternative medications.

Conclusions

The proposed allopurinol dosing guide uses individuals' fat‐free mass, renal function and SLC22A12 rs505802 and PDZK1 rs12129861 genotypes to achieve target SU.
“Plan chunking” expands 3‐year‐olds' ability to complete multiple‐step plans
Authors: Blankenship Tashauna L. , Kibbe Melissa M.
Published: May 2023

The ability to use knowledge to guide the completion of goals is a critical cognitive skill, but 3‐year‐olds struggle to complete goals that require multiple steps. This study asked whether 3‐year‐olds could benefit from “plan chunking” to complete multistep goals. Thirty‐two U.S. children (range = 35.75–46.59 months; 18 girls; 9 white, 3 mixed race, 20 unknown; tested between July 2020 and April 2021) were asked to complete “treasure maps,” retrieving four colored map pieces by pressing specific buttons on a “rainbow box.” Children completed more of the four‐step sequence correctly when the steps were presented in a way that encouraged chunking the steps into pairs. These findings suggest a potential mechanism supporting memory‐guided planning abilities in early childhood.
Spatial and seasonal variation of livestock depredation by large carnivores in the Pamir Mountains of northern Pakistan
Authors: Rashid Wajid , Shi Jianbin , Rahim Inam ur , Dong Shikui , Khurshid Muhammad , Ali Asad , Yousafzai Mohammad Tariq
Published: May 2023

The livestock depredation by large carnivores is a main cause for increasing human–wildlife conflicts (HWCs) and is one of the prime challenges for carnivore's conservation and a major economic concern to livestock‐dependent communities around wildlife habitats. Thus, understanding the patterns and trends of livestock depredation may contribute to better understanding of the mechanisms underlying HWCs and to mitigating HWCs. HWCs characterized by livestock depredation by large carnivores are prevalent in northern Pakistan, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly investigated. This study was conducted in 2018 in the Khunjerab Valley and Shimshal Valley of the Pamir region to evaluate the spatial and seasonal variation and impact of livestock depredation by carnivores. Data were collected on livestock depredation and its associated economic impact through semi‐structured interviews of randomly selected households in the two valleys. The livestock in Shimshal Valley was more susceptible to large carnivores’ depredation (233 heads per year) than in Khunjerab Valley (125 heads per year). This spatial variation in livestock depredation was reflective of the difference in the socio‐economic conditions and physical locations between the two valleys. More livestock depredation took place in winter in Khunjerab Valley, while more livestock depredation occurred in summer in Shimshal Valley, mainly because of different grazing systems in the two valleys. The total economic loss incurred due to large carnivores’ depredation was US$ 76,063 in Shimshal Valley, as compared to US$ 34,175 in Khunjerab Valley in 2018. The average economic loss per household was US$ 950.8, accounting for nearly 30% of the household annual income in Shimshal Valley in 2018. A higher proportion of participants in Shimshal Valley (83%) in comparison to Khunjerab Valley (69%) expressed a negative attitude towards wild carnivores. The study concludes that Shimshal Valley, remotely located and having comparatively marginal income opportunities, was more reliant on agro‐pastoralism and thus more vulnerable to the economic repercussions of livestock depredation by wild carnivores. Thus, such measures as improvement in road transportation and livestock management are in urgent need to better manage HWCs in Shimshal Valley.
Research progress on the hematopoietic microenvironment in aplastic anemia
Authors: Li Hangchao , Zhou Chenjie , Shen Yingying , Xu Min , Wu Dijiong , Ye Baodong
Published: May 2023

Aplastic anemia (AA) is a disease of bone marrow hematopoietic failure, and the main clinical manifestation is pancytopenia. Its pathogenesis is still unclear. In recent years, more research has been done on its immune abnormalities to explain its pathogenesis and less on the hematopoietic microenvironment, but there are still some advances. This article summarizes the research on the hematopoietic microenvironment of AA in recent years to provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of AA.
Optimal cut‐off value of the modified Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Score in the diagnosis of polyneuropathy
Authors: Idiaquez Juan Francisco , Alcantara Monica , Bril Vera
Published: May 2023

Background and purpose

The modified Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Score (mTCNS) is a valid and reliable scale for the diagnosis and staging of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSP). The aim of this study was to determine the optimal diagnostic cut‐off value of the mTCNS in diverse polyneuropathies (PNPs).

Methods

Demographics and mTCNS values were retrospectively extracted from an electronic database of 190 patients with PNP and 20 normal controls. Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios and area under the receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curve were determined for each diagnosis and different cut‐off values of the mTCNS. Patients underwent clinical, electrophysiological and functional assessments of their PNP.

Results

Forty‐three percent of PNP was related to diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance. mTCNS was significantly higher in patients with PNP than in those without (15.27 ± 8 vs. 0.79 ± 1.4; p = 0.001). The cut‐off value for diagnosing PNP was ≥3 (sensitivity 98.4%, specificity 85.7%, positive likelihood ratio 6.88). The area under the ROC curve was 0.987.

Conclusion

A value of 3 or more on the mTCNS is recommended for the diagnosis of PNP.
Gills, growth and activity across fishes
Authors: Bigman Jennifer S. , Wegner Nicholas C. , Dulvy Nicholas K.
Published: May 2023

Life history theory suggests that maximum size and growth evolve to maximize fitness. In contrast, the Gill Oxygen Limitation Theory (GOLT) suggests that growth and maximum size in fishes and other aquatic, water‐breathing organisms is constrained by the body mass‐scaling of gill surface area. Here, we use new data and a novel phylogenetic Bayesian multilevel modelling framework to test this idea by asking the three questions posed by the GOLT regarding maximum size, growth and gills. Across fishes, we ask whether the body mass‐scaling of gill surface area explains (1) variation in the von Bertalanffy growth coefficient (k) above and beyond that explained by asymptomatic size (W∞), (2) variation in growth performance (a trait that integrates the tradeoff between k and W∞) and (3) more variation in growth performance compared to activity (as approximated by caudal fin aspect ratio). Overall, we find that there is only a weak relationship among maximum size, growth and gill surface area across species. Indeed, the body mass‐scaling of gill surface area does not explain much variation in k (especially for those species that reach the same W∞) or growth performance. Activity explained three to five times more variation in growth performance compared to gill surface area. Our results suggest that in fishes, gill surface area is not the only factor that explains variation in maximum size and growth, and that other covariates (e.g. activity) are likely important in understanding how growth, maximum size and other life history traits vary across species.
Serine‐rich domain of RNPS1 functions in activation of alternative splicing
Authors: Kumari Sweta , Deka Bhagyashree , Singh Kusum Kumari
Published: May 2023

RNA‐binding protein with serine‐rich domain 1 (RNPS1) gets deposited on the mRNA during the process of splicing and concomitantly associates with the exon junction complex (EJC). RNPS1 participates in post‐transcriptional gene regulation, including constitutive and alternative splicing, transcriptional regulation and nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay. In this study, we found that the tethering of RNPS1 or its isolated serine‐rich domain (S domain) causes exon inclusion of an HIV‐1 splicing substrate. In contrast, overexpressing the RRM domain of RNPS1 acts in a dominant negative manner and leads to the exon skipping of endogenous apoptotic pre‐mRNAs (Bcl‐X and MCL‐1). Further, tethering of core EJC proteins, eIF4A3, MAGOH, or Y14, does not lead to exon inclusion of an HIV substrate. Together, our results demonstrate how RNPS1 and its domains are differentially involved in alternative splicing activity.
Study on ballistic mechanism of B4C/Al gradient armor
Authors: Wang Dong , Liu Qing , Wan Hongqiang , Wang Qinghua , Xue Chao , Qiu Bo , Han Quanli
Published: May 2023

In order to improve the anti‐penetration performance of gradient armor, the constitutive models of B4C/Al composites with different compositions were determined according to the bending curves. The anti‐bullet simulation of B4C/Al gradient armor was carried out by ANSYS‐DYNA finite element software, and the stress state of B4C/Al gradient material under 7.62‐mm bullet penetration was analyzed. Meanwhile, the propagation law of stress wave in armor was studied by Hopkinson bar simulation and the improved internal stress wave model, which further revealed the ballistic mechanism of B4C/Al gradient armor. The simulation results showed that, compared with the traditional laminated armor, the toughness of B4C/Al gradient armor material increased with the change of layer thickness, resulting in the fact that the whole armor could withstand greater stress without breaking, and the anti‐penetration time was prolonged. In addition, the performance difference between the layers of the gradient armor was slight, and the spallation phenomenon of the relative double‐layer armor decreases, which enhanced the multiple hit performance of the armor and the absorption capacity of the stress wave. The performance of B4C/Al gradient armor specimens and double‐layer specimens were tested by drop hammer impact test. The test results were consistent with the simulation results.
Paediatric obesity and metabolic syndrome associations with cognition and the brain in youth: Current evidence and future directions
Authors: Sadler Jennifer R. , Thapaliya Gita , Ranganath Kushi , Gabay Andrea , Chen Liuyi , Smith Kimberly R. , Osorio Ricardo S. , Convit Antonio , Carnell Susan
Published: May 2023

Obesity and components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) are associated with differences in brain structure and function and in general and food‐related cognition in adults. Here, we review evidence for similar phenomena in children and adolescents, with a focus on the implications of extant research for possible underlying mechanisms and potential interventions for obesity and MetS in youth. Current evidence is limited by a relative reliance on small cross‐sectional studies. However, we find that youth with obesity and MetS or MetS components show differences in brain structure, including alterations in grey matter volume and cortical thickness across brain regions subserving reward, cognitive control and other functions, as well as in white matter integrity and volume. Children with obesity and MetS components also show some evidence for hyperresponsivity of food reward regions and hyporesponsivity of cognitive control circuits during food‐related tasks, altered brain responses to food tastes, and altered resting‐state connectivity including between cognitive control and reward processing networks. Potential mechanisms for these findings include neuroinflammation, impaired vascular reactivity, and effects of diet and obesity on myelination and dopamine function. Future observational research using longitudinal measures, improved sampling strategies and study designs, and rigorous statistical methods, promises to further illuminate dynamic relationships and causal mechanisms. Intervention studies targeted at modifiable biological and behavioural factors associated with paediatric obesity and MetS can further inform mechanisms, as well as test whether brain and behaviour can be altered for beneficial outcomes.
Moving toward patient specificity for devising cone‐beam computed tomography field‐of‐views: A normative maxillary skeletal dimensional analysis
Authors: Shujaat Sohaib , Kesztyüs Artúr , Song Dandan , Regnstrand Tobias , Benchimol Daniel , Nagy Krisztian , Jacobs Reinhilde
Published: May 2023

Background

A lack of evidence exists comprehensively assessing skeletal dimensions in a Caucasian population group at different ages.

Aim

To provide age‐ and gender‐specific normative skeletal dimensional measurements of the maxillary region using cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging.

Design

Cone‐beam computed tomography images of Caucasian patients were acquired and divided into different age groups ranging from 8 to 20 years. Linear measurements were taken to evaluate seven distance‐based variables, which included anterior nasal spine‐posterior nasal spine (ANS‐PNS) distance, bilateral maxillary first molar's central fossae (CF) distance, palatal vault depth (PVD), bilateral palatal cementoenamel junction (PCEJ) distance, bilateral vestibular CEJ (VCEJ) distance, bilateral jugulare distance (Jug) and arch length (AL).

Results

A total of 529 patients (243 male, 286 female) were selected. ANS‐PNS and PVD showed the highest change in dimensions from 8 to 20 years of age. On the contrary, AL had the least variability in all age groups. Male patients had larger dimensions and showed a significant change in all dimensional measurements (p < .001) than female patients.

Conclusion

The maxillary linear dimensions varied across different age groups. The presented maxillary normative data could serve as a reference guide for devising patient‐specific CBCT field of views.
Negative parenting, epigenetic age, and psychological problems: prospective associations from adolescence to young adulthood
Authors: Mastrotheodoros Stefanos , Boks Marco P. , Rousseau Céline , Meeus Wim , Branje Susan
Published: May 2023

Background

Epigenetic clocks are based on DNA methylation levels of several genomic loci and have been developed as indices of biological aging. Studies examining the effects of stressful environmental exposures have shown that stress is associated with differences between epigenetic age and chronological age (i.e., Epigenetic Age acceleration, EA). This pre‐registered longitudinal study examined the long‐term effects of negative parenting and psychological problems throughout adolescence (ages 13–17 years) on EA in late adolescence (age 17 years) and EA changes from late adolescence to young adulthood (age 25 years). Further, it examined how (change in) EA is related to changes in psychological problems from adolescence to young adulthood.

Methods

We used data from a sample of 434 participants followed from age 13 to age 25, with saliva collected at ages 17 and 25. We estimated EA using four commonly used epigenetic clocks and analyzed the data using Structural Equation Modeling.

Results

While negative parenting was not related to EA nor change in EA, (change in) EA was related to developmental indices such as externalizing problems and self‐concept clarity.

Conclusions

Declining psychological well‐being during young adulthood was preceded by EA.
Evaluation of concordance in estimation of excess mortality due to COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Verma Vivek , Nath Dilip C. , Khan Hafiz T. A.
Published: May 2023

Background

The World Health Organization (WHO) kept track of COVID‐19 data at country level daily during the pandemic that included the number of tests, infected cases and fatalities. This daily record was susceptible to change depending on the time and place and impacted by underreporting. In addition to reporting cases of excess COVID‐19‐related deaths, the WHO also provided estimates of excess mortality based on mathematical models.

Objective

To evaluate the WHO reported and model‐based estimate of excess deaths to determine the degree of agreement and universality.

Methodology

Epidemiological data gathered from nine different countries between April 2020 and December 2021 are used in this study. These countries are India, Indonesia, Italy, Russia, United Kingdom, Mexico, the United States, Brazil and Peru and each of them recorded more than 1.5 million deaths from COVID‐19 during these months. Statistical tools including correlation, linear regression, intraclass correlation and Bland–Altman plots are used to assess the degree of agreement between reported and model‐based estimates of excess deaths.

Results

The WHO‐derived mathematical model for estimating excess deaths due to COVID‐19 was found to be appropriate for only four of the nine chosen countries, namely Italy, United Kingdom, the United States and Brazil. The other countries showed proportional biases and significantly high regression coefficients.

Conclusion

The study revealed that, for some of the chosen nations, the mathematical model proposed by the WHO is practical and capable of estimating the number of excess deaths brought on by COVID‐19. However, the derived approach cannot be applied globally.
Operant conditioning as a tool to assess hearing abilities in sharks
Authors: Nieder Carolin , Rapson Jimmy , Holland Kim , Meyer Carl , Montgomery John , Radford Craig
Published: May 2023

Sharks (elasmobranchs) are an ancient, diverse group of fishes, representing a basal stage in the evolution of vertebrate hearing. Yet, our understanding of behavioural measures of hearing abilities in sharks is limited. To address this, an operant conditioning paradigm was designed, and scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini and rig (spotted estuary smooth hound) Mustelus lenticulatus were successfully trained to respond to pure‐tone acoustic stimuli from an underwater speaker. After 2–3 weeks of training, both species showed distinctive responses to these acoustic stimuli and retained this behaviour when reinforced. S. lewini responded to a 400 Hz pulsed tone with an abrupt increase in tailbeat frequency (97 beats per 30 s vs. 69 beats for a 2 kHz control and 70 beats for no signal) and sustained vigorous swimming (arousal response) for at least 30 s. In response to a 200 Hz pulsed tone, M. lenticulatus visited a target area under the speaker significantly more frequently (13.4 ± 4.3 times per minute vs. 1.4 ± 1.5 times for a 1.2 kHz control and 0.9 ± 0.01 times for no signal) and swam circles under the speaker to search for food. The authors used S. lewini arousal responses to pure‐tone stimuli of 40, 80, 200, 400, 600 and 800 Hz to generate a provisional hearing‐threshold curve. The results show that S. lewini adapts to low‐frequency hearing (greatest sensitivity at 200 Hz, upper limit 800 Hz), which is like other coastal pelagic sharks that have been investigated so far. Despite challenges operant acoustic conditioning studies are a viable method for revealing auditory capabilities of sharks.
Locomotor, ecological and phylogenetic drivers of skeletal proportions in frogs
Authors: Leavey Alice , Ruta Marcello , Richards Christopher T. , Porro Laura B.
Published: May 2023

Frogs exhibit complex anatomical features of the pelvis, limbs and spine, long assumed to represent specialisations for jumping. Yet frogs employ a wide range of locomotor modes, with several taxa featuring primary locomotor modes other than jumping. Using a combination of techniques (CT imaging and 3D visualization, morphometrics, phylogenetic mapping), this study aims to determine the link between skeletal anatomy and locomotor style, habitat type and phylogenetic history, shedding new light on how functional demands impact morphology. Body and limb measurements for 164 taxa from all the recognised anuran families are extracted from digitally segmented CT scans of whole frog skeletons and analysed using various statistical techniques. We find that the expansion of the sacral diapophyses is the most important variable for predicting locomotor mode, which was more closely correlated with frog morphology than either habitat type or phylogenetic relationships. Predictive analyses suggest that skeletal morphology is a useful indicator of jumping but less so for other locomotor modes, suggesting that there is a wide range of anatomical solutions to performing locomotor styles such as swimming, burrowing or walking.
The parent, child and young person experience of difficult venous access and recommendations for clinical practice: A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Sharp Rebecca , Muncaster Michele , Baring Catherine L. , Manos Jacinta , Kleidon Tricia M. , Ullman Amanda J.
Published: May 2023

Aims and objectives

Explore the parent and child/young person experience of difficult venous access and identify ideas and preferences for changes to clinical practice.

Background

Peripheral intravenous catheter insertion is one of the most common invasive procedures in hospitalised paediatric patients. Multiple insertion attempts in paediatric patients are common and associated with pain and distress. Little research has explored the parent and child/young person experience of difficult venous access nor sought to identify their suggestions to improve clinical practice.

Design

Qualitative description.

Methods

A purposive sampling approach was used to identify children and young people with experience of difficult venous access and their parents. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted, with sample size based on data saturation. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

There were 12 participants, seven parents and five children/young people (five parent/child dyads and two individual parents). Analysis of the data revealed three main themes: (1) Distress—before, during and after (2) Families navigating the system: the challenging journey from general clinician to specialist and (3) Difficult venous access impacts both treatment and life outside the hospital A pre‐determined theme, (4) Recommendations for good clinical practice is also described.

Conclusions

Multiple attempts to insert a peripheral intravenous catheter are a source of substantial distress for children/young people, leading to treatment avoidance. Effective interpersonal skills, providing choice and avoiding frightening language are important to minimise distress. Clinicians without specialist training should assess each child's venous access experience and consider immediate referral to a specialist if they have a history of difficult venous access. Cultural change is required so clinicians and healthcare services recognise that repeated cannulation may be a source of psychological distress for children/young people.
Functional identification of OsMADS6 and OsMADS17 in floral organ development in rice
Authors: Dong Hao , Qiu Yingxin , Wang Tiankang , Song Shufeng , Li Li , Li Yixing
Published: May 2023

Rice floral organs are closely related to rice yield and quality, and MADS family genes play an important role in rice floral organ development. In this study, we identified functions of two MADS genes in floral organ development by bioinformatics analysis and CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Our results showed that MADS6 and MADS17 were a pair of highly homologous genes, which had highly similar sequences, motifs and expression profiles. The floral organs of mads6 and mads6/17 mutants were abnormal, whereas mads17 mutants showed no difference with wild type. Collectively, these results reveal that there are functional differentiations between conserved gene MADS6 and MADS17. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for further analysing the function of MADS family homologous genes and unravelling their molecular mechanism and regulatory network.
Feeling Politics at High School: Antecedents and Effects of Emotions in Civic Education
Authors: Graf Elisabeth , Goetz Thomas , Bieleke Maik , Murano Dana
Published: May 2023

Studies on voters have shown that emotions are an important factor in politics. However, less is known about emotions experienced by adolescents in the context of civic education. Applying the control‐value theory to a cross‐curricular context, we analyze the relations between two types of emotions experienced in civic education and their antecedents and effects on learning: achievement emotions experienced during in‐class political discussions and epistemic emotions experienced during individual processing of political information in school. We hypothesized both types of emotions relate to control and value appraisal antecedents (e.g., internal political efficacy, personal importance). Further, we expected—depending on the specific emotion—positive or negative relations with academic outcomes (e.g., motivation, engagement, and knowledge). Data were collected with an online questionnaire in Austrian upper secondary schools with students (N = 594, Mage = 17.1) from grades 10 to 13. Bivariate latent correlations broadly support the expectations: We found mainly positive associations of antecedents and outcomes to enjoyment, hope, pride, curiosity, and surprise and negative associations to hopelessness, confusion, and boredom, but more complex correlation patterns for anxiety, anger, and shame. The results provide first insights into which emotions are experienced during political learning and underscore the importance of acknowledging the role of emotions in civic education.
Clinical presentation of exercise‐associated hyponatremia in male and female IRONMAN® triathletes over three decades
Authors: Johnson Kasey B. , Connolly Christopher P. , Cho Stephanie P. , Miller Thomas K. , Sallis Robert E. , Hiller W. Douglas B.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Exercise‐associated hyponatremia (EAH) is common in ultra‐endurance events and severe cases are more common in females. The purpose of this paper is to compare the clinical presentation of EAH between male and female triathletes in ultra‐endurance competitions.

Methods

Medical records with sodium concentrations (n = 3138) from the IRONMAN® World Championships over the timeframe of 1989–2019 were reviewed for both male (n = 2253) and female (n = 885) competitors. Logistic regression was used to explore the relationships between sex, sodium concentration, and various clinical presentations.

Results

When comparing male and female triathletes, clinical variables found to have a different relationship with sodium concentration include altered mental status (inversely related in males and not related in females), abdominal pain, muscle cramps, hypotension, and tachycardia (directly related in males and not related in females), and vomiting and hypokalemia (not related in males and inversely related in females). Overall, males lost significantly more weight than females, and notably, approximately half of all athletes were dehydrated and lost weight.

Conclusions

Altered mental status, vomiting, abdominal pain, muscle cramps, hypotension, tachycardia, and hyperkalemia appear to present differently between sexes when comparing hyponatremic to eunatremic athletes. Although overhydration is the most common etiology of hypervolemic hyponatremia, hypovolemic hyponatremia comprises a significant amount of hyponatremic triathletes. Further understanding of how EAH presents helps athletes and medical professionals identify it early and prevent life‐threatening complications.
Boundedness
Authors: Walser Hannah
Published: May 2023

This chapter traces the troubled fate of a particular cognitive metaphor—the mind as a container for textual mental states—in American literary history. The novels that Charles Brockden Brown wrote in 1798–99 obsessively return to a curious scenario: a chest or box is supposed to hold important papers—usually letters or diaries—but either turns out to hold nothing or is destroyed before its contents can be accessed. Appearing in moments of what I call cognitive emergency, these scenes expose the distinctive frailties of the “mind as container for texts” metaphor: vulnerability to invasion, inability to distinguish between genuine and “forged” or externally induced mental states, and paranoid obsession with tracing behavior to its source. The trope recurs over the course of the nineteenth century in texts as diverse as Poe’s Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, Douglass’s Narrative of the Life, James’s The American, and Chesnutt’s “Baxter’s Procrustes.”
Religious Associations and Political Movements
Authors: Bishara Azmi
Published: May 2023

This chapter sheds light on the early proliferation of Salafi groups outside the Arab Peninsula, including quietist forms in Egypt and the Levant, which were not always Hanbali, challenged modernization at the state level, and sought to impose social control on liberties. It highlights that there was no iron wall between Salafism and Sufism when it came to religious revival. However, Salafi associations were set up in the cities to provide an outlet for religious enthusiasm that could compete with Sufism. This early form of popularizing Salafism and Reformism both overlapped and diverged on many issues. This chapter argues that all Salafi movements are modern in the sense that they are ideological movements that emerged in the modern world, using modern means and terminology to organize, and as a result of the pressures of the modern world itself. They reject modernism ideologically while making instrumental use of its products.