bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Revival of Business Groups’ Risk Sharing: Evidence from Japanese Real Estate Investment Trust Market
Authors: Mori Masaki , Ong Seow Eng , Ooi Joseph T. L.
Published: January 2022

We examine the business groups’ risk-sharing hypothesis in the Japanese Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) market in which the unique external management system seems to be reinforcing power relationships among firms affiliated with the modern Japanese business groups, called keiretsu. We find that REITs whose sponsors belong to one of the keiretsu groups (keiretsu REITs) have significantly lower volatility of profitability than REITs whose sponsors do not belong to the keiretsu groups (non-keiretsu REITs). There is no significant difference in profitability between keiretsu REITs and non-keiretsu REITs, controlling for firm and property characteristics. The abnormal portion of the profitability unexplained by firm characteristics is also significantly lower with keiretsu REITs. We also find that the keiretsu affiliation reduces the systematic volatility of affiliated REITs, while such an effect is not observed with the idiosyncratic volatility, suggesting that the risk-sharing effect may be beneficial for the value of REITs. Using the difference-in-differences design with propensity score matching, we find that the negative impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake on the profitability was significantly smaller with keiretsu REITs than with non-keiretsu REITs. Keiretsu REITs were also able to stabilize their capital structure by shifting some short-term debts to long-term debts without increasing the cost of loans under the uncertain situation caused by the Earthquake. Keiretsu REITs were able to borrow money from their affiliated group banks even right after the earthquake, while non-keiretsu REITs seem to have struggled to secure loans from those banks.
Monitoring of RAS mutant clones in plasma of patients with RAS mutant metastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Fernández Montes A. , Élez E. , Vivancos A. , Martínez N. , González P. , Covela M. , de la Cámara J. , Cousillas A. , Méndez J. C. , Graña B. , Aranda E.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Some patients with histologically confirmed primary mCRC and mutated RAS reported undetectable RAS mutant clones in plasma after receiving anti-VEGF treatment. The aim was to prospectively assess it with its potential therapeutic implications.

Methods

RAS mutant genes in solid biopsy (before first-line treatment: FOLFOX/CAPOX + bevacizumab) were compared in liquid biopsy (before second-line treatment: panitumumab + FOLFIRI), using Idylla™ system. Discordant results between solid/liquid biopsies were assessed by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) test (solid/liquid biopsies).

Results

Twenty-three patients were assessed (seven had RAS mutant discrepancies between solid/liquid biopsies). The NGS test confirmed that 3/23 (13%) patients had undetectable RAS mutant clones in liquid biopsy and 3/23 (13%) presented discrepancies in solid biopsy (Idylla™ system vs. NGS test).

Conclusion

Thirteen percentage of patients had undetectable RAS mutant clones in liquid biopsy after first-line treatment. However, some discrepancies between solid and liquid biopsies have been observed. These results suggest a need to improve accuracy of RAS analyses, especially in solid biopsies.
Spatial Heterogeneity in Prey Availability, Feeding Success, and Dietary Selectivity for the Threatened Longfin Smelt
Authors: Barros Arthur , Hobbs James A. , Willmes Malte , Parker Christina M. , Bisson Micah , Fangue Nann A. , Rypel Andrew L. , Lewis Levi S.
Published: January 2022

Food availability is a key determinant of the nursery value of a given habitat for larval and juvenile fishes. Growth, survival, and recruitment success are often inter-correlated and influenced by prey availability and associated feeding success. This is likely true for the threatened population of Longfin Smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) in the San Francisco Estuary (SFE) which has collapsed in recent decades along with its preferred prey. In years with high precipitation and freshwater outflow, larval Longfin Smelt are found in shallow wetland habitats throughout the SFE, but variation in the availability of food and feeding success in these habitats remains unexplored. To examine spatial variation in the trophic value of different rearing habitats, we quantified variation in prey availability, feeding success, and prey selection for larval and juvenile Longfin Smelt captured in restored tidal marshes, sloughs, and open-water habitats in the northern and southern SFE. Prey abundance varied spatially, with densities approximately tenfold greater in southern sloughs and restored tidal ponds relative to northern and open-water habitats. Feeding success of larval Longfin Smelt was positively correlated with both fish length and prey density. Larval Longfin Smelt fed selectively on the copepodEurytemora affinis, with larger individuals (> 25 mm total length) exhibiting an ontogenetic diet shift to larger mysid shrimps. Our results suggest that wetland habitats across the SFE vary greatly in their trophic value, with previously unexplored habitats exhibiting the highest densities of prey and the highest foraging success for larval Longfin Smelt.
Do Speed and Proximity Affect Human-Robot Collaboration with an Industrial Robot Arm?
Authors: Story Matthew , Webb Phil , Fletcher Sarah R. , Tang Gilbert , Jaksic Cyril , Carberry Jon
Published: January 2022

Current guidelines for Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) allow a person to be within the working area of an industrial robot arm whilst maintaining their physical safety. However, research into increasing automation and social robotics have shown that attributes in the robot, such as speed and proximity setting, can influence a person’s workload and trust. Despite this, studies into how an industrial robot arm’s attributes affect a person during HRC are limited and require further development. Therefore, a study was proposed to assess the impact of robot’s speed and proximity setting on a person’s workload and trust during an HRC task. Eighty-three participants from Cranfield University and the ASK Centre, BAE Systems Samlesbury, completed a task in collaboration with a UR5 industrial robot arm running at different speeds and proximity settings, workload and trust were measured after each run. Workload was found to be positively related to speed but not significantly related to proximity setting. Significant interaction was not found for trust with speed or proximity setting. This study showed that even when operating within current safety guidelines, an industrial robot can affect a person’s workload. The lack of significant interaction with trust was attributed to the robot’s relatively small size and high success rate, and therefore may have an influence in larger industrial robots. As workload and trust can have a significant impact on a person’s performance and satisfaction, it is key to understand this relationship early in the development and design of collaborative work cells to ensure safe and high productivity.
Effects of an 8-Week Mindfulness Course on Affective Polarization
Authors: Simonsson Otto , Bazin Olivier , Fisher Stephen D. , Goldberg Simon B.
Published: January 2022

Objectives

The European Union Brexit referendum has split the British electorate into two camps, with high levels of affective polarization between those who affiliate with the Remain side (Remainers) and the Leave side (Leavers) of the debate. Previous research has shown that a brief meditation intervention can reduce affective polarization, but no study has thus far investigated the effects of an 8-week mindfulness program on affective polarization. This is what will be examined in this study.

Methods

The present study used a randomized waitlist control design (n = 177) with a 1-month post-intervention follow-up to investigate whether an 8-week mindfulness program delivered online would have an effect on affective polarization among Remainers and Leavers.

Results

Results showed significantly greater reductions in affective polarization over time for participants in the mindfulness condition relative to participants in the waitlist control condition (time X group B =  − 0.087, p = .024).

Conclusions

Taken together, the findings highlight the potential of mindfulness training as a means to reduce intergroup biases in political contexts.

Trial Registration

Preregistered on the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/px8m2.
Hydrocarbon prospectivity of the miocene-pliocene clastic reservoirs, Northern Taranaki basin, New Zealand: integration of petrographic and geophysical studies
Authors: Radwan Ahmed A. , Nabawy Bassem S.
Published: January 2022

In this study, it is aimed to characterize the Early pliocene sandstone (EP-SD) and the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene Mangaa sandstone reservoirs and the efficiency of their sealing cap rocks using the petrographical and petrophysical data of these sandstone zones in northern Taranaki basin, New Zealand. The prospective potential reservoirs were studied using impregnated thin sections, XRD data analysis, and well log data (self-potential, gamma-ray, sonic, density, neutron, shallow\deep resistivity and PEF) to characterize the reservoir zones, in addition to Mercury intrusion capillary pressure data (MICP) to check the efficiency of some potential seals. The EP-SD and the Mangaa sandstone units are typically poorly consolidated very fine sandstone to siltstone, with porosities averaging 25%. The sands are composed of quartz (38.3–57.4%), with common feldspars (9.9–15.2% plagioclase, and 2.7–6.3% K-feldspars) and up to 31.8% mica. In Albacore-1 well to the north of the Taranaki Basin, the Mangaa formation includes three separate for each of the EP-SD zones (EP-SD1, EP-SD2, and EP-SD3), and the Mangaa sequence (Mangaa-0, Mangaa-1, and Mangaa-2). The thin section studies indicate that, the studied samples are grouped into greywackes, arenites and siltstone microfacies with much lithic fragments and feldspars, sometimes with glauconite pellets. From the XRD data, it is achieved that the mineral composition is dominated by quartz, mica/illite, feldspars, and chlorite. The petrophysical investigation revealed absence of pay zones in the EP-SD zones, and presence of thin pay zone with net thickness 5.79 m and hydrocarbon saturation of about 25.6%. The effective porosities vary between 23.6 and 27.7%, while the shale volume lies between 12.3 and 16.9%. Although the shale content is relatively low, the relatively high API (50–112 API of average 75 API) is contributed by the relatively high K-feldspar content and intercalations with thin siltstone and muddy siltstone beds. Sealing units include the intra-formational seals within the Mangaa sequence, mudstones and fine grained units overlying the Mangaa and further intra-formational mudstones, within the shallower EP-SD units. The efficiency of these seals indicates the capability to trap 16.4–40.6 m gas or 17.4–43.0 m oil which is relatively low in correlation with their efficiency in the central parts of the Taranaki Basin Overlying the primary seals, mudstones of the Giant Foresets Formation provide additional regional seal.
Batokines: Mediators of Inter-Tissue Communication (a Mini-Review)
Authors: Yang Felix T. , Stanford Kristin I.
Published: January 2022

Purpose of Review

This review highlights aspects of brown adipose tissue (BAT) communication with other organ systems and how BAT-to-tissue cross-talk could help elucidate future obesity treatments.

Recent Findings

Until recently, research on BAT has focused mainly on its thermogenic activity. New research has identified an endocrine/paracrine function of BAT and determined that many BAT-derived molecules, termed “batokines,” affect the physiology of a variety of organ systems and cell types. Batokines encompass a variety of signaling molecules including peptides, metabolites, lipids, or microRNAs. Recent studies have noted significant effects of batokines on physiology as it relates whole-body metabolism and cardiac function. This review will discuss batokines and other BAT processes that affect the liver, cardiovascular system, skeletal muscle, immune cells, and brown and white adipose tissue.

Summary

Brown adipose tissue has a crucial secretory function that plays a key role in systemic physiology.
Electrospun Cu-doped In2O3 hollow nanofibers with enhanced H2S gas sensing performance
Authors: Zhang Yu , Han Shuai , Wang Mingyuan , Liu Siwei , Liu Guiwu , Meng Xianfeng , Xu Ziwei , Wang Mingsong , Qiao Guanjun
Published: January 2022

One-dimensional nanofibers can be transformed into hollow structures with larger specific surface area, which contributes to the enhancement of gas adsorption. We firstly fabricated Cu-doped In2O3 (Cu-In2O3) hollow nanofibers by electrospinning and calcination for detecting H2S. The experimental results show that the Cu doping concentration besides the operating temperature, gas concentration, and relative humidity can greatly affect the H2S sensing performance of the In2O3-based sensors. In particular, the responses of 6%Cu-In2O3 hollow nanofibers are 350.7 and 4201.5 to 50 and 100 ppm H2S at 250 °C, which are over 20 and 140 times higher than those of pristine In2O3 hollow nanofibers, respectively. Moreover, the corresponding sensor exhibits excellent selectivity and good reproducibility towards H2S, and the response of 6%Cu-In2O3 is still 1.5 to 1 ppm H2S. Finally, the gas sensing mechanism of Cu-In2O3 hollow nanofibers is thoroughly discussed, along with the assistance of first-principles calculations. Both the formation of hollow structure and Cu doping contribute to provide more active sites, and meanwhile a little CuO can form p–n heterojunctions with In2O3 and react with H2S, resulting in significant improvement of gas sensing performance. The Cu-In2O3 hollow nanofibers can be tailored for practical application to selectively detect H2S at lower concentrations.
Deep learning and model personalization in sensor-based human activity recognition
Authors: Ferrari Anna , Micucci Daniela , Mobilio Marco , Napoletano Paolo
Published: January 2022

Human activity recognition (HAR) is a line of research whose goal is to design and develop automatic techniques for recognizing activities of daily living (ADLs) using signals from sensors. HAR is an active research filed in response to the ever-increasing need to collect information remotely related to ADLs for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Traditionally, HAR used environmental or wearable sensors to acquire signals and relied on traditional machine-learning techniques to classify ADLs. In recent years, HAR is moving towards the use of both wearable devices (such as smartphones or fitness trackers, since they are daily used by people and they include reliable inertial sensors), and deep learning techniques (given the encouraging results obtained in the area of computer vision). One of the major challenges related to HAR is population diversity, which makes difficult traditional machine-learning algorithms to generalize. Recently, researchers successfully attempted to address the problem by proposing techniques based on personalization combined with traditional machine learning. To date, no effort has been directed at investigating the benefits that personalization can bring in deep learning techniques in the HAR domain. The goal of our research is to verify if personalization applied to both traditional and deep learning techniques can lead to better performance than classical approaches (i.e., without personalization). The experiments were conducted on three datasets that are extensively used in the literature and that contain metadata related to the subjects. AdaBoost is the technique chosen for traditional machine learning, while convolutional neural network is the one chosen for deep learning. These techniques have shown to offer good performance. Personalization considers both the physical characteristics of the subjects and the inertial signals generated by the subjects. Results suggest that personalization is most effective when applied to traditional machine-learning techniques rather than to deep learning ones. Moreover, results show that deep learning without personalization performs better than any other methods experimented in the paper in those cases where the number of training samples is high and samples are heterogeneous (i.e., they represent a wider spectrum of the population). This suggests that traditional deep learning can be more effective, provided you have a large and heterogeneous dataset, intrinsically modeling the population diversity in the training process.
Relation von Norm und Praxis erziehungswissenschaftlicher Zugänge zu Inklusion und Partizipation in der Grundschule
Authors: Sturm Tanja
Published: January 2022

Der Beitrag gibt einen Einblick in die Konzeption der Relation von Normen und Praxis von Inklusion und Partizipation, die im aktuellen erziehungswissenschaftlichen Diskurs der Grundschulpädagogik in unterschiedlichen aufgerufenen Zugängen beschrieben werden. Exemplarisch werden die Inklusions- und Partizipationsverständnisse der evidenzbasierten Bildungsforschung, der auf Foucault aufbauenden Dis_Ability Studies und der Praxeologischen Wissenssoziologie vergleichend vorgestellt. Es wird aufgezeigt, dass in den Ansätzen nicht nur die Genese von Normen und Praxen bei je unterschiedlichen sozialen Akteur:innen verortet wird, sondern auch deren (sozialwissenschaftliche) Bewertung. Dies geht seinerseits im Forschungsprozess mit unterschiedlichen Partizipationsmöglichkeiten derjenigen, deren Praxis Gegenstand der Forschung ist, einher.
The Rise of China, Inc.
Authors: Li Shaomin
Published: January 2022

Leveraging its absolute power, low human rights advantage, and tolerance by other countries, the Chinese Communist Party has transformed China into a giant corporation. Living and working is not a right, but a privilege granted by the party. State-owned firms are business units or subsidiaries, private firms are joint ventures, and foreign firms are franchisees of the party. 'China, Inc.' enjoys the agility of a firm and the vast resources of a state. Meanwhile, foreign firms competing with Chinese firms can find themselves matched against the mighty Chinese state. The Rise of China, Inc. will interest many readers: it will compel business scholars to rethink state-firm relationships; assist multinational business practitioners in formulating effective strategies; aid policy-makers in countering China's expansion; and inform the public of the massive corporate organisation China has become, and how democracies can effectively deal with it.
Two-dimensional turbulence on a sphere
Authors: Lindborg Erik , Nordmark Arne
Published: January 2022

Following Fjørtoft (Tellus, vol. 5, 1953, pp. 225–230) we undertake a spectral analysis of a non-divergent flow on a sphere. It is shown that the spherical harmonic energy spectrum is invariant under rotations of the polar axis of the spherical harmonic system and argued that a constraint of isotropy would not simplify the analysis but only exclude low-order modes. The spectral energy equation is derived and it is shown that the viscous term has a slightly different form than given in previous studies. The relations involving energy transfer within a triad of modes, which Fjørtoft (Tellus, vol. 5, 1953, pp. 225–230) derived under the condition that energy transfer is restricted to three modes, are derived under general conditions. These relations show that there are two types of interaction within a triad. The first type is where the middle mode acts as a source for the two other modes and the second type is where it acts as a sink. The inequality indicating cascade directions which was derived by Gkioulekas & Tung (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 576, 2007, pp. 173–189) in Fourier space under the assumptions of narrow band forcing and stationarity is derived in spherical harmonic space under the assumption of dominance of first type interactions. The double cascade theory of Kraichnan (Phys. Fluids, vol. 10, 1967, pp. 1417–1423) is discussed in the light of the derived equations and it is hypothesised that in flows with limited scale separation the two cascades may, to a large extent, be produced by the same triad interactions. Finally, we conclude that the spherical geometry is the optimal test ground for exploration of two-dimensional turbulence by means of simulations.
A potential treatment approach for subclinical mastitis in dairy cows: auriculotherapy of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve
Authors: Winkler Max Jochen , Franz Sonja , Wittek Thomas , Pothmann Harald
Published: January 2022

This research aims to test the hypothesis that neural therapy (NT) on the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN) in dairy cows diagnosed with subclinical mastitis (SCM) results in a reduction of the somatic cell count. Therapeutic options for SCM are mostly based on use of antibiotics and often lead to unsatisfactory results. An alternative therapy targeting the anti-inflammatory properties of the vagus nerve showing good efficacy, economic viability and without major side effects would be of considerable interest. Auriculotherapy (AT) was performed using three repeated infiltrations of 8.0 mg (0.4 ml) procaine hydrochloride (2%) at the location of the ear tag associated with the auricular acupuncture point (AAP) of the udder. Some 85 clinically healthy cows from nine dairy farms were sampled for evaluation of quarter somatic cell count (QSCC) on four days (d0, d2, d4 and d6). Quarters with a QSCC > 100 000 cells/ml on d0 were included in the analysis. Over the study period, a total of 784 quarters were analysed, 385 control (CON) quarters from 40 cows and 399 treated (TRE) quarters from 45 cows. Results showed that AT of the ABNV resulted in a significant reduction of the QSCC after three treatments. The effect was independent of bacteriological culture results of the quarter milk samples. The bacteriological cure rate, however, was not influenced by AT. To our knowledge this is the first report of AT reducing QSCC in dairy cows with SCM. Before AT can be regarded as an alternative therapeutic approach, further research should focus on possible long-term effects of AT on the reduction of SCC, any bacterial elimination and the neural pathways of AT in dairy cows with SCM.
Temporal effects and changes in the parasitic community ofProchilodus lineatus(Valenciennes, 1837) (Characiformes: Prochilodontidae) in a floodplain
Authors: Lehun Atsler Luana , Cavalcanti Lidiany Doreto , Lizama Maria de los Angeles Perez , Santos Silva João Otávio , Casali Guilherme Pomaro , Takemoto Ricardo Massato
Published: January 2022

The construction of dams causes several impacts on aquatic environments, altering the flow of rivers, environmental variables, and all biota present, including parasites. Little is known about how the parasitic community can be influenced in the long term by environmental changes. In this study, it was expected that the impacts caused by environmental disturbances will be directly reflected by the composition of the parasite populations. We evaluated the change in the structure of theProchilodus lineatusendoparasite community between two periods sampled 15 years apart in the upper Paraná River floodplain. There was a significant difference in the weight–length relationship ofP. lineatusbetween these periods and a total of 15 species of parasites were found: 11 species in Period 1 and nine species in Period 2 and five species occurred in both periods. The species richness and diversity were higher in Period 1, and we observed that the correlation of descriptors (richness, diversity and evenness) increased with fish length in this period. In both periods, digeneans numerically dominated the parasitic community, and we verified changes in the composition of parasites between periods. Both the host and the parasites were possibly affected by the environmental impacts resulting from the construction of dams over time, and it is noteworthy that complex life cycle parasites such as Digenea and Acanthocephala require intermediate hosts to complete their life cycle, and the population responds to fluctuations in the face of modified environments.
Cochlear implantation in patients with asymmetric hearing loss: reporting and discussing the benefits in speech perception, speech reception threshold, squelch abilities, and patients’ reported outcomes
Authors: Forli F , Berrettini S , Bruschini L , Canelli R , Lazzerini F
Published: January 2022

Objectives

This study presents the results obtained in a group of patients with asymmetric hearing loss undergoing cochlear implantation at our institution. Prognostic factors are discussed in relation to different rehabilitative approaches for asymmetric hearing loss remediation. The current literature is also discussed.

Methods

Nineteen adult patients with post-verbal asymmetric hearing loss were enrolled. The results were assessed by means of a speech perception test, completed in silence and with background noise, and a speech reception threshold test (Oldenburg Sentence Test). The subjectively perceived benefits were assessed using the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale.

Results

Statistically significant improvements were achieved by all patients in terms of speech perception and speech reception threshold, and in subjective benefits.

Conclusion

The results confirm the literature findings which suggest that patients with asymmetric hearing loss generally gain substantial benefit from cochlear implantation because of the binaural input, with significant improvement in speech perception abilities in noise, speech reception threshold, and squelch abilities.
Experience with three-dimensional exoscope-assisted surgery of giant mastoid process osteoma
Authors: Remacha J , Navarro-Díaz M , Larrosa F
Published: January 2022

Background

The excision of a giant mastoid process osteoma can be challenging. In such situations, the three-dimensional exoscope intra-operative optic may be a promising tool.

Case report

This paper provides a technical description of a giant mastoid osteoma excised under three-dimensional exoscope magnification. A fragmented excision by intralesional curettage was adopted to prevent peri-tumoural damage. This technique had been previously described for the excision of large osteomas of the sinus.

Conclusion

The three-dimensional exoscope magnification tool had excellent applicability during surgery of a rare mastoid osteoma. In complex anatomical areas, the cavitation and fragmented excision of the tumour may prevent complications and is therefore recommended.
Another plea for ‘best practice’ in molecular approaches to trematode systematics: Diplostomum sp. clade Q identified as Diplostomum baeri Dubois, 1937 in Europe
Authors: Faltýnková Anna , Kudlai Olena , Pantoja Camila , Yakovleva Galina , Lebedeva Daria
Published: January 2022

DNA sequence data became an integral part of species characterization and identification. Still, specimens associated with a particular DNA sequence must be identified by the use of traditional morphology-based analysis and correct linking of sequence and identification must be ensured. Only a small part of DNA sequences of the genus Diplostomum (Diplostomidae) is based on adult isolates which are essential for accurate identification. In this study, we provide species identification with an aid of morphological and molecular (cox1, ITS-5.8S-ITS2 and 28S) characterization of adults of Diplostomum baeri Dubois, 1937 from naturally infected Larus canus Linnaeus in Karelia, Russia. Furthermore, we reveal that the DNA sequences of our isolates of D. baeri are identical with those of the lineage Diplostomum sp. clade Q , while other sequences labelled as the ‘D. baeri’ complex do not represent lineages of D. baeri. Our new material of cercariae from Radix balthica (Linnaeus) in Ireland is also linked to Diplostomum sp. clade Q. We reveal that D. baeri is widely distributed in Europe; as first intermediate hosts lymnaeid snails (Radix auricularia (Linnaeus), R. balthica) are used; metacercariae occur in eye lens of cyprinid fishes. In light of the convoluted taxonomy of D. baeri and other Diplostomum spp., we extend the recommendations of Blasco-Costa et al. (2016, Systematic Parasitology 93, 295–306) for the ‘best practice’ in molecular approaches to trematode systematics. The current study is another step in elucidating the species spectrum of Diplostomum based on integrative taxonomy with well-described morphology of adults linked to sequences.
Variability of glucose, insulin, and lipid disturbances in first-episode psychosis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Pillinger Toby , McCutcheon Robert A. , Howes Oliver D.
Published: January 2022

Background

First-episode psychosis (FEP) is associated with metabolic alterations. However, it is not known if there is heterogeneity in these alterations beyond what might be expected due to normal individual differences, indicative of subgroups of patients at greater vulnerability to metabolic dysregulation.

Methods

We employed meta-analysis of variance, indexed using the coefficient of variation ratio (CVR), to compare variability of the following metabolic parameters in antipsychotic naïve FEP and controls: fasting glucose, glucose post-oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), fasting insulin, insulin resistance, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and triglycerides. Standardised mean difference in metabolic parameters between groups was also calculated; meta-regression analyses examined physiological/demographic/psychopathological moderators of metabolic change.

Results

Twenty-eight studies were analysed (1716 patients, 1893 controls). Variability of fasting glucose [CVR = 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12–1.55; p = 0.001], glucose post-OGTT (CVR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.10–1.87; p = 0.008), fasting insulin (CVR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.09–1.58; p = 0.01), insulin resistance (CVR = 1.34; 95% CI 1.12–1.60; p = 0.001), HbA1c (CVR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.06–1.27; p < 0.0001), total-cholesterol (CVR = 1.15; 95% CI 1.01–1.31; p = 0.03), LDL-cholesterol (CVR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.09–1.50; p = 0.002), and HDL-cholesterol (CVR = 1.15; 95% CI 1.00–1.31; p < 0.05), but not triglycerides, was greater in patients than controls. Mean glucose, glucose post-OGTT, fasting insulin, insulin resistance, and triglycerides were greater in patients; mean total-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were reduced in patients. Increased symptom severity and female sex were associated with worse metabolic outcomes.

Conclusions

Patients with FEP present with greater variability in metabolic parameters relative to controls, consistent with a subgroup of patients with more severe metabolic changes compared to others. Understanding determinants of metabolic variability could help identify patients at-risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Female sex and severe psychopathology are associated with poorer metabolic outcomes, with implications for metabolic monitoring in clinical practice.
The complex syndrome of functional neurological disorder
Authors: Forejtová Zuzana , Serranová Tereza , Sieger Tomáš , Slovák Matěj , Nováková Lucia , Věchetová Gabriela , Růžička Evžen , Edwards Mark J.
Published: January 2022

Background

Patients with functional neurological disorders (FND) often present with multiple motor, sensory, psychological and cognitive symptoms. In order to explore the relationship between these common symptoms, we performed a detailed clinical assessment of motor, non-motor symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and disability in a large cohort of patients with motor FND. To understand the clinical heterogeneity, cluster analysis was used to search for subgroups within the cohort.

Methods

One hundred fifty-two patients with a clinically established diagnosis of motor FND were assessed for motor symptom severity using the Simplified Functional Movement Disorder Rating Scale (S-FMDRS), the number of different motor phenotypes (i.e. tremor, dystonia, gait disorder, myoclonus, and weakness), gait severity and postural instability. All patients then evaluated each motor symptom type severity on a Likert scale and completed questionnaires for depression, anxiety, pain, fatigue, cognitive complaints and HRQoL.

Results

Significant correlations were found among the self-reported and all objective motor symptoms severity measures. All self-reported measures including HRQoL correlated strongly with each other. S-FMDRS weakly correlated with HRQoL. Hierarchical cluster analysis supplemented with gap statistics revealed a homogenous patient sample which could not be separated into subgroups.

Conclusions

We interpret the lack of evidence of clusters along with a high degree of correlation between all self-reported and objective measures of motor or non-motor symptoms and HRQoL within current neurobiological models as evidence to support a unified pathophysiology of ‘functional’ symptoms. Our results support the unification of functional and somatic syndromes in classification schemes and for future mechanistic and therapeutic research.
Forest canopy resists plant invasions: a case study ofChromolaena odoratain Sal (Shorea robusta) forests of Nepal
Authors: Sharma L. N. , Adhikari B. , Watson M. F. , Shrestha B. B. , Paudel E. , Karna B. , Rijal D. P.
Published: January 2022

Invasive alien species are a major threat to global biodiversity due to the tremendous ecological and economic damage they cause in forestry, agriculture, wetlands, and pastoral resources. Understanding the spatial pattern of invasive alien species and disentangling the biophysical drivers of invasion at the forest stand level is essential for managing forest ecosystems and the wider landscape. However, forest-level and species-specific information on Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) abundance and their spatial extent are largely lacking. In this context, we analysed the cover of one of the world’s worst invasive plants,Chromolaena odorata, in Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in central Nepal. Vegetation was sampled in four community forests using 0.01 ha square quadrats, covering the forest edge to the interior.C. odoratacover, floral richness, tree density, forest canopy cover, shrub cover, tree basal area, and disturbances were measured in each plot. We also explored forest and IAPS management practices in community forests.C. odoratacover was negatively correlated with forest canopy cover, distance to the road, angle of slope, and shrub cover. Tree canopy cover had the largest effect onC. odoratacover. No pattern ofC. odoratacover was seen along native species richness gradients. In conclusion, forest canopy cover is the overriding biotic covariate suppressingC. odoratacover in Sal forests.
Combining antibody markers for serosurveillance of SARS-CoV-2 to estimate seroprevalence and time-since-infection
Authors: Bhuiyan Md S. , Brintz Ben J. , Whitcombe Alana L. , Markmann Alena J. , Bartelt Luther A. , Moreland Nicole J. , Azman Andrew S. , Leung Daniel T.
Published: January 2022

Serosurveillance is an important epidemiologic tool for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), used to estimate infection rates and the degree of population immunity. There is no general agreement on which antibody biomarker(s) should be used, especially with the rollout of vaccines globally. Here, we used random forest models to demonstrate that a single spike or receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibody was adequate for classifying prior infection, while a combination of two antibody biomarkers performed better than any single marker for estimating time-since-infection. Nucleocapsid antibodies performed worse than spike or RBD antibodies for classification, but can be useful for estimating time-since-infection, and in distinguishing infection-induced from vaccine-induced responses. Our analysis has the potential to inform the design of serosurveys for SARS-CoV-2, including decisions regarding a number of antibody biomarkers measured.
Characteristics of transmission routes of COVID-19 cluster infections in Gangwon Province, Korea
Authors: Lim Chaeyun , Nam Youngju , Oh Won Sup , Ham Sugeun , Kim Eunmi , Kim Myeonggi , Kim Saerom , Kim Yeojin , Jeong Seungmin
Published: January 2022

This study investigated the characteristics of transmission routes of COVID-19 cluster infections (⩾10 linked cases within a short period) in Gangwon Province between 22 February 2020 and 31 May 2021. Transmission routes were divided into five major categories and 35 sub-categories according to the relationship between the infector and the infectee and the location of transmission. A total of 61 clusters occurred during the study period, including 1741 confirmed cases (55.7% of all confirmed cases (n = 3125)). The the five major routes of transmission were as follows: ‘using (staying in) the same facility (50.7%), ‘cohabiting family members’ (23.3%), ‘social gatherings with acquaintances’ (10.8%), ‘other transmission routes’ (7.0%), and ‘social gatherings with non-cohabiting family members/relatives’ (5.5%). For transmission caused by using (staying in) the same facility, the highest number of confirmed cases was associated with churches, followed by medical institutions (inpatient), sports facilities, military bases, offices, nightlife businesses, schools, restaurants, day-care centres and kindergarten, and service businesses. Our analysis highlights specific locations with frequent transmission of infections, and transmission routes that should be targeted in situations where adherence to disease control rules is difficult.
Whole-genome sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for prediction of drug resistance
Authors: Wang Luqi , Yang Jinghui , Chen Liang , Wang Weibing , Yu Fangyou , Xiong Haiyan
Published: January 2022

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has shown tremendous potential in rapid diagnosis of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). In the current study, we performed WGS on drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates obtained from Shanghai (n = 137) and Russia (n = 78). We aimed to characterise the underlying and high-frequency novel drug-resistance-conferring mutations, and also create valuable combinations of resistance mutations with high predictive sensitivity to predict multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/XDR-TB) phenotype using a bootstrap method. Most strains belonged to L2.2, L4.2, L4.4, L4.5 and L4.8 lineages. We found that WGS could predict 82.07% of phenotypically drug-resistant domestic strains. The prediction sensitivity for rifampicin (RIF), isoniazid (INH), ethambutol (EMB), streptomycin (STR), ofloxacin (OFL), amikacin (AMK) and capreomycin (CAP) was 79.71%, 86.30%, 76.47%, 88.37%, 83.33%, 70.00% and 70.00%, respectively. The mutation combination with the highest sensitivity for MDR prediction was rpoB S450L + rpoB H445A/P + katG S315T + inhA I21T + inhA S94A, with a sensitivity of 92.17% (0.8615, 0.9646), and the mutation combination with highest sensitivity for XDR prediction was rpoB S450L + katG S315T + gyrA D94G + rrs A1401G, with a sensitivity of 92.86% (0.8158, 0.9796). The molecular information presented here will be of particular value for the rapid clinical detection of MDR- and XDR-TB isolates through laboratory diagnosis.
Viticulture, opus doliare, and the patrimonium Caesaris at the Roman imperial estate at Vagnari (Puglia)
Authors: Carroll Maureen
Published: January 2022

This article focuses on the establishment of a winery on the Roman imperial estate at Vagnari in southeast Italy in the 2nd c. CE and the ceramic vats (dolia defossa) needed to mature and store the estate's vintages. A scientific analysis of the clay used to make the dolia has revealed their likely place of manufacture to have been in Latium or on the border between Latium and Campania on the Tyrrhenian (west) coast of Italy. With these analytical results in hand, it is now possible to inquire into the historical and economic significance for the imperial fiscus of importing dolia for wine making in the vicus at Vagnari, the route and mechanisms by which they might have traveled to the other side of the Italian peninsula, and the connectivity between this Apulian imperial estate and other potential imperial properties in western Italy. This places the present study at the intersection of agriculture, manufacturing, and property transfer within the patrimonium Caesaris.
Point-of-Care Ultrasound Use by EMS Providers in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Kreiser Michael A. , Hill Brieanna , Karki Dikchhya , Wood Elke , Shelton Ryan , Peterson Jodi , Riccio John , Zapata Isain , Khalil Paul A. , Gubler Dean , LaPorta Anthony J. , Roosevelt Genie E. , Toney Amanda G.
Published: January 2022

Aim:

Paramedics received training in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to assess for cardiac contractility during management of medical out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The primary outcome was the percentage of adequate POCUS video acquisition and accurate video interpretation during OHCA resuscitations. Secondary outcomes included POCUS impact on patient management and resuscitation protocol adherence.

Methods:

A prospective, observational cohort study of paramedics was performed following a four-hour training session, which included a didactic lecture and hands-on POCUS instruction. The Prehospital Echocardiogram in Cardiac Arrest (PECA) protocol was developed and integrated into the resuscitation algorithm for medical non-shockable OHCA. The ultrasound (US) images were reviewed by a single POCUS expert investigator to determine the adequacy of the POCUS video acquisition and accuracy of the video interpretation. Change in patient management and resuscitation protocol adherence data, including end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) monitoring following advanced airway placement, adrenaline administration, and compression pauses under ten seconds, were queried from the prehospital electronic health record (EHR).

Results:

Captured images were deemed adequate in 42/49 (85.7%) scans and paramedic interpretation of sonography was accurate in 43/49 (87.7%) scans. The POCUS results altered patient management in 14/49 (28.6%) cases. Paramedics adhered to EtCO2 monitoring in 36/36 (100.0%) patients with an advanced airway, adrenaline administration for 38/38 (100.0%) patients, and compression pauses under ten seconds for 36/38 (94.7%) patients.

Conclusion:

Paramedics were able to accurately obtain and interpret cardiac POCUS videos during medical OHCA while adhering to a resuscitation protocol. These findings suggest that POCUS can be effectively integrated into paramedic protocols for medical OHCA.
Terrorist Attacks in Western Europe: A Counter-Terrorism Medicine Analysis
Authors: Tin Derrick , Barten Dennis G. , De Cauwer Harald , Mortelmans Luc JM , Ciottone Gregory R.
Published: January 2022

Background:

The modern concept of terrorism has its roots in the “old continent” of Western Europe, more specifically in France, during the “Reign of Terror” period of the French Revolution. At the time, this form of state terror had a positive connotation: it was a legitimate means of defending the young state. While no single accepted definition of terrorism exists today, it is universally considered an attack on both state and society. The health care impacts of terrorist attacks often extend disproportionally beyond the casualty toll, but the potential for such events to induce mass casualties remains a concern to Disaster Medicine and Counter-Terrorism Medicine (CTM) specialists.

Method:

Data collection was performed using a retrospective database search through the Global Terrorism Database (GTD). The GTD was searched using the internal database search functions for all events which occurred in Western Europe from January 1, 1970 - December 31, 2019. Years 2020 and 2021 were not yet available at the time of the study. Primary weapon type, country where the incident occurred, and number of deaths and injured were collated. Results were exported into an Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft Corp.; Redmond, Washington USA) for analysis.

Results:

A total of 15,306 events were recorded in Western Europe out of a total of 201,183 events world-wide between the years 1970 and 2019 inclusive. This resulted in a total of 5,548 deaths and 17,187 injuries. Explosives were used as a primary weapon/attack modality in 8,103 attacks, followed by incendiary attacks in 3,050 events and firearm use in 2,955 events. The use of chemical, biological, radiation, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons was rare and only accounted for 47 events.

Conclusion:

From 1970 through 2019, 9.11% of all terrorist attacks occurred in Western Europe. Compared to global trends of attack methodologies in the same study period, the use of explosives as a primary attack modality in Western Europe was similar (52.94% in Western Europe versus 48.78% Global). Firearm use was comparatively low (19.31% versus 26.77%) and the use of CBRN as an attack modality was rare (0.30% versus 0.20%). The United Kingdom, Spain, and France accounted for over 65% of all terrorist attacks and over 75% of terrorism-related deaths in Western Europe.
Answering Fuzzy Queries over Fuzzy DL-Lite Ontologies
Authors: PASI GABRIELLA , PEÑALOZA RAFAEL
Published: January 2022

A prominent problem in knowledge representation is how to answer queries taking into account also the implicit consequences of an ontology representing domain knowledge. While this problem has been widely studied within the realm of description logic ontologies, it has been surprisingly neglected within the context of vague or imprecise knowledge, particularly from the point of view of mathematical fuzzy logic. In this paper, we study the problem of answering conjunctive queries and threshold queries w.r.t. ontologies in fuzzy DL-Lite. Specifically, we show through a rewriting approach that threshold query answering w.r.t. consistent ontologies remains in
${AC}^{0}$
in data complexity, but that conjunctive query answering is highly dependent on the selected triangular norm, which has an impact on the underlying semantics. For the idempotent Gödel t-norm, we provide an effective method based on a reduction to the classical case.
Assessment of Acacia dealbata as green manure and weed control for maize crop
Authors: Lorenzo Paula , Álvarez-Iglesias Lorena , González Luís , Revilla Pedro
Published: January 2022

Acacia dealbata Link is one of the main invasive species in southwestern Europe and a resource with potential value for agriculture. Our objective was to assess the value of A. dealbata vegetative aerial biomass used as green manure and as a tool for weed control in maize crops through three sequential experiments. In 2017, an experiment was carried out with acacia green manure vs inorganic fertilization of pots sown with a field corn and a sweet corn hybrid with strong and weak nutrient demand, respectively. Nutrients were not released from acacia green manure at an appropriate timing, and maize suffered nutrient deficit. In 2018, a pot experiment was made outdoors incorporating acacia green manure at different times before maize sowing, and we found that a 4-month period was required for maximum nutrient release from acacia green manure. In 2019, an early and a late-field experiments were performed by incorporating acacia green manure 4 months before maize sowing. Physiological and agronomic data were recorded in maize, along with soil data, for all years, and weed data the last year. Altogether, most effects and interactions between genotype or environment and fertilization treatment were not significant, and some deficiencies caused by acacia green manure fertilization depend on genotype and environment. Incorporation of acacia green manure 4 months before maize sowing partially controlled weeds and replaced inorganic fertilization. However, deficiencies should be corrected with additional weed control practices and fertilization treatments, according to the nutrient demand of the crop and the soil environment.