bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparing the impact of surgical expert versus non‐ophthalmologist instructors on virtual‐reality surgical performance: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Boberg‐Ans Lars Christian , Hutter Daniel Ethan , La Cour Morten , Konge Lars , Le Anton , Vangsted Andreas , Thomsen Ann Sofia Skou
Published: May 2024

Purpose

To compare Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) microsurgical performance in course participants who received virtual reality simulation‐based training by either a surgical expert or a non‐ophthalmologist instructor.

Setting

Copenhagen Academy for Medical Education and Simulation, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Design

Randomized controlled trial.

Methods

Residents and specialists in ophthalmology with no prior MSICS experience were included to receive virtual reality simulation training in MSICS using the HelpMeSee simulator. The participants were randomly allocated to receive training from either an experienced MSICS surgeon or a non‐ophthalmologist, also known as near‐peer teaching. The performances of the participants were evaluated at baseline and post‐training using a MSICS proficiency‐based test with evidence of validity.

Results

Thirty participants were included in the study and 29 completed the course. There was no significant difference in final test score between the two groups (p = 0.13). The performance score of both groups of participants increased significantly after receiving the training (p < 0.001). All participants passed the proficiency‐based test after receiving the training.

Conclusion

We found no significant difference in surgical proficiency‐level whether the participants were trained by a surgical expert or a non‐ophthalmologist instructor for MSICS in a virtual‐reality based setting. The findings of this study suggest that near‐peer teaching within microsurgical performance potentially could be applied with teaching outcomes comparable to a surgical expert‐instructor.
Age, GVHD prophylaxis, and timing matter in thrombotic microangiopathy after haematopoietic cell transplantation—A secondary CIBMTR analysis
Authors: Schoettler Michelle L. , Westbrook Adrianna , Watkins Benjamin , Stenger Elizabeth , Qayed Muna , Chonat Satheesh , Williams Kirsten M.
Published: May 2024

Most reports of risk factors (RF) for developing transplant‐associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA‐TMA) and death are derived from paediatric and young adult cohorts, with minimal data on differences in RF and outcomes by age. In this secondary CIBMTR analysis, we used a previously prepared dataset that included all first allogenic haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients with malignant or non‐malignant diseases between 2008 and 2016. The incidence of TA‐TMA 6 months post HCT was similar in children and adults 2.1% and 2.0% respectively. Grade 2–4 acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGVHD) was a significant adjusted RF for developing TA‐TMA in both children and adults. In adults, additional adjusted RFs for TA‐TMA included female sex and black race, and in children an unrelated donor. Compared to a calcineurin inhibitor and sirolimus, other forms of GVHD prophylaxis had an adjusted decreased risk of developing TA‐TMA in adults. Adjusted RF for death in those with TA‐TMA (n = 652) included age ≥18 years old, early onset of TA‐TMA diagnosis (<100 days post HCT), grade 3–4 aGVHD and a performance score of <90 prior to HCT. In this cohort, the incidence of TA‐TMA was similar in children and adults, and TA‐TMA timing was a newly identified RF for death.
Explaining Brazil's Stance on the Ukraine War
Authors: Krause Felipe
Published: May 2024

Brazil's diplomatic stance on the Ukraine War should be understood within the context of broader geopolitical tensions. Brazil's position goes beyond geopolitical hedging and represents a strategic alignment with the global South based on a vision aimed at stimulating economic development through cooperation. This article highlights Brazil's reluctance to criticise Russia, articulates its grievances with the West and explains the Brazilian government's conviction that a stronger alliance with the global South can result in economic gain. Ultimately, Brazil's new foreign policy is shifting from its historical commitment to non‐alignment and pragmatism and reveals a growing inclination to challenge liberal international norms.
QPGx‐CARES: Qatar pharmacogenetics clinical applications and research enhancement strategies
Authors: Abdel‐latif Rania , Badji Radja , Mohammed Shaban , Al‐Muftah Wadha , Mbarek Hamdi , Darwish Dima , Assaf Duha , Al‐Badriyeh Daoud , Elewa Hazem , Afifi Nahla , Masoodi Naseer Ahmad , Omar Amr Salah , Al Suwaidi Jassim , Bujassoum Salha , Al Hail Moza , Ismail Said I. , Althani Asma
Published: May 2024

Pharmacogenetic (PGx)‐informed medication prescription is a cutting‐edge genomic application in contemporary medicine, offering the potential to overcome the conventional “trial‐and‐error” approach in drug prescription. The ability to use an individual's genetic profile to predict drug responses allows for personalized drug and dosage selection, thereby enhancing the safety and efficacy of treatments. However, despite significant scientific and clinical advancements in PGx, its integration into routine healthcare practices remains limited. To address this gap, the Qatar Genome Program (QGP) has embarked on an ambitious initiative known as QPGx‐CARES (Qatar Pharmacogenetics Clinical Applications and Research Enhancement Strategies), which aims to set a roadmap for optimizing PGx research and clinical implementation on a national scale. The goal of QPGx‐CARES initiative is to integrate PGx testing into clinical settings with the aim of improving patient health outcomes. In 2022, QGP initiated several implementation projects in various clinical settings. These projects aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of PGx testing, gather valuable insights into the effective dissemination of PGx data to healthcare professionals and patients, and identify the gaps and the challenges for wider adoption. QPGx‐CARES strategy aimed to integrate evidence‐based PGx findings into clinical practice, focusing on implementing PGx testing for cardiovascular medications, supported by robust scientific evidence. The current initiative sets a precedent for the nationwide implementation of precision medicine across diverse clinical domains.
Technological Innovation, Productivity, and Global Value Chains Participation of Philippine Manufacturers
Authors: Mendoza Adrian R.
Published: May 2024

Using a unique dataset on Philippine manufacturers from 2007 to 2011, this study adopts the three‐stage Crépon‐Duguet‐Mairesse model to trace which trade linkages in global value chains (GVCs) contribute to Philippine firms' technological innovation and labor productivity. The results indicate that Philippine GVC suppliers primarily implement incremental process innovations using imported technology and externally sourced knowledge, while internally developed technology is less common. Accordingly, imported rather than indigenous knowledge contributes more to the labor productivity premium of GVC suppliers. Nevertheless, pure exporting is generally unrelated to process and product innovations. These results suggest that the innovation and productivity effects of GVC participation in the Philippines are mainly driven by imports and foreign‐sourced technology. Since suppliers' innovative behavior tend to complement the technological requirements of their production activities, we argue that the results are consistent with Philippine manufacturers' limited participation in technology‐ and innovation‐intensive GVC functions. The implication on long‐run upgrading is discussed.
Exploring health professionals' knowledge, practices and attitudes regarding gestational diabetes: A cross‐sectional Irish national survey
Authors: Dunne Pauline , Culliney Linda , O'Mahony Louise , Byrne Molly , Murphy Andrew W. , O'Reilly Sharleen
Published: May 2024

Aim

Gestational diabetes confers short‐ and long‐term risk of mother and offspring health complications. Healthcare professionals such as endocrinologists, diabetes nurses, dietitians, midwives and general practitioners provide gestational diabetes care. We sought to explore healthcare professionals’ perspectives on gestational diabetes care during pregnancy and postpartum.

Methods

Healthcare professionals in the Republic of Ireland, whose role included gestational diabetes care were invited to complete an online 20‐item survey between June and September 2022. Social media, professional organisations and personal networks were used for recruitment. Questions included guideline use, postpartum diabetes screening and advice practices. Analyses were performed using SPSS statistical software and free text was coded using NVivo.

Results

Seventeen healthcare professions across primary and secondary care settings participated (n = 127). No differences were noted between groups (medical, nursing/midwifery, allied health/other); therefore, findings were reported as a single group. Healthcare professionals reported using multiple different guidelines to support gestational diabetes management (n = 14). The most cited were ‘Health Service Executive guidelines’ (24.5%), ‘local guidelines’ (13.2%) and National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines (11.3%); 12.3% cited uncertainty, and 27.5% reported not to follow any named guidelines. For postpartum follow‐up, 39% felt clear guidelines were available to support practice, 37% felt appropriate systems were in place and 29% reported effective communication between primary and secondary care services. Qualitative findings emphasised a desire for improved communication between systems, participants and providers, clear interdisciplinary guidelines, and adequate resourcing for gestational diabetes management and postpartum diabetes prevention, including comprehensive support and follow‐up.

Conclusion

System‐level challenges and ineffective communication across settings are barriers to optimum postpartum care. Nationally agreed guidelines for best practice gestational diabetes management including postpartum diabetes prevention are needed.
A commentary on the role of hatcheries and stocking programs in salmon conservation and adapting ourselves to less‐than‐wild futures
Authors: Harrison Hannah L. , Berseth Valerie
Published: May 2024

Hatcheries and stocking programs serve a variety of objectives, including the conservation of salmon populations. Much attention has been given to the importance of genetic integrity and adaptive capacity of salmon stocks, particularly as they interact with hatchery‐origin fish. Literature on hatchery and stocking programs has increasingly focused on genetic indicators of quality and success, with genetically ‘wild’ salmon valued over hatchery‐influenced salmon. However, conservation in the Anthropocene is challenging paradigms of wildness and definitions of conservation success. For salmon populations that exist on the ragged edge of climate change where threats are unlikely to be remediated to the status of ecologies past, definitions of ‘wild’ and the role of conservation hatcheries and stocking becomes convoluted. If definitions of ‘wild’ or ‘natural’ salmon depend on salmon archetypes situated in historic ecologies, then what do salmon futures look like? In that context, we argue to expand from primarily genetic criteria for conservation stocking to additional criteria cognizant of hybrid ecosystems and future human‐salmon relationships. We draw on the concept of adaptive epistemologies within the context of conservation‐oriented hatchery and stocking programs to critically reflect on knowledge paradigms and values that underlie salmon conservation stocking efforts and the changing ecosystems in which they are situated. We critique ‘wild’ discourses rooted in western thought and make suggestions toward a reimagining of salmon conservation‐via‐hatchery in the Anthropocene that allows for expansive human‐salmon futures. Critically, we conclude with warnings against using the arguments in this paper as social permission to use hatcheries as a conservation panacea.
Examining the process of a collaborative strategic planning initiative: The pediatric shift care initiative in Pennsylvania Medicaid
Authors: Hafer Joseph A. , Harris Nicole M. , Zander Gwen
Published: May 2024

This study examines a collaborative strategic planning initiative undertaken by Pennsylvania's Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP) to enhance service delivery for children with medical complexity in Medicaid Managed Care. By engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders OMAP employed a structured yet adaptable process to collaborative strategic planning that resulted in multiple actionable recommendations. Analysis of the process provides insights for strategic management practice and research by identifying key process design features and process context factors. Findings reveal that success was primarily driven by effective leadership, strategic stakeholder engagement, and robust cross‐sector collaboration. The initiative exemplifies how structured, yet adaptable collaborative strategic planning can result in innovations to public service delivery. This case not only provides vicarious learning but also underscores the importance of systemic and inclusive approaches to public management.
Validity evidence for personality scores from algorithms trained on low‐stakes verbal data and applied to high‐stakes interviews
Authors: Stevenor Brent A. , Hickman Louis , Zickar Michael J. , Wimbush Fletcher , Beck Weston
Published: May 2024

We present multifaceted validity evidence for machine learning models (referred to as automated video interview personality assessments (AVI‐PAs) in this research) that were trained on verbal data and interviewer ratings from low‐stakes interviews and applied to high‐stakes interviews to infer applicant personality. The predictive models used RoBERTa embeddings and binary unigrams as predictors. In Study 1 (N = 107), AVI‐PAs more closely reflected interviewer ratings compared to applicant and reference ratings. Also, AVI‐PAs and interviewer ratings had similar relations with applicants' interview behaviors, biographical information, and hireability. In Study 2 (N = 25), AVI‐PAs had weak‐moderate (nonsignificant) relations with subsequent supervisor ratings of job performance. Empirically, the AVI‐PAs were most similar to interviewer ratings. AVI‐PAs, interviewer ratings, self‐reports, and reference‐reports all demonstrated weak discriminant validity evidence. LASSO regression provided superior (but still weak) discriminant evidence compared to elastic net regression. Despite using natural language embeddings to operationalize verbal behavior, the AVI‐PAs (except emotional stability) exhibited large correlations with interviewee word count. We discuss the implications of these findings for pre‐employment personality assessments and effective AVI‐PA design.
Re‐membering Mission
Authors: Gunda Masiiwa Ragies
Published: May 2024

This article grapples with the Anglican Communion's Five Marks of Mission, raising questions such as: Does the Communion need a mission? Does mission need the Communion? And do the Five Marks of Mission speak to the mission of God or mission of and in the Communion? Central to the article is the anxiety about the potential consequences of mission based on historic experiences of people from colonized territories, hence the use of a decolonial approach in this article. The article is also cognizant of the coloniality that continues to influence intra‐Communion and ecumenical relations. It asks whether the Five Marks of Mission carry in them some decoloniality impulses that could fundamentally heal the wounds of the past, celebrate the diversity in the Communion presently, and re‐envision a future in which the Communion sees itself as having a role to play in the missio Dei.
Negotiating Popular Culture and Public Theology in the Indonesian Context
Authors: Wijaya Yahya
Published: May 2024

This study relates theology to popular culture. As a platform for expressing the experiences of present‐day life, popular culture is theologically challenging. Scientific discourses on popular culture have revealed the significance of popular culture in society and its characteristics as a “translocal” cultural pattern. Using the approach of public theology, this study explores meeting points of theology and popular culture in the context of the Indonesian public sphere. The findings suggest that contextual encounters between theology and popular culture should take the form of negotiations rather than adaptations or confrontations.
Personalized Pricing When Consumers Can Purchase Multiple Items*
Authors: Lu Qiuyu , Matsushima Noriaki
Published: May 2024

We study the impact of competitive personalized pricing in a Hotelling duopoly model where consumers can purchase from both firms. We show that the impact crucially depends on the magnitude of the additional utility from consuming the second product. Compared with uniform pricing, personalized pricing benefits both consumers and firms when the additional utility is moderate; but it harms consumers while benefiting firms when the additional utility is large. These results contrast with the existing research on competitive personalized pricing, which assumes that consumers purchase one product only.
Risk factors for liver enzyme elevation with remdesivir use in the treatment of paediatric COVID‐19
Authors: Jinda Tsuyoshi , Mizuno Shinsuke , Tatami Shunsuke , Kasai Masashi , Ishida Tatsuhiko
Published: May 2024

Aim

Remdesivir (RDV) causes liver enzyme elevation in adults; however, the frequency of this elevation in children and the associated risk factors are largely unknown. Therefore, we aimed to examine risk factors for liver enzyme elevation in hospitalised paediatric patients who received RDV.

Methods

This was a retrospective case–control study of all patients aged <18 years who were diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 and received RDV at a tertiary care hospital between February 2022 and September 2023. Demographic and clinical data were retrieved from the medical records and analysed. Patients with liver enzyme elevation were defined as cases, while those with no liver enzyme elevation were defined as controls. The two groups were compared and analysed for possible risk factors for liver enzyme elevation with RDV use.

Results

Sixty‐six patients were treated with RDV, 12 (18.2%) of whom developed liver enzyme elevation. Liver enzyme elevation was associated with the median duration of RDV administration (7.5 days vs. 3 days, P = 0.012), median total RDV dose (17.7 mg/kg vs. 10.3 mg/kg, P = 0.017) and acetaminophen use (67% vs. 22%) (odds ratio = 4.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–19.97, P = 0.023). All patients showed improvement, except three who had no liver enzyme measurements after having the highest aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase values during the observation period.

Conclusion

Liver enzyme elevation was reversible after discontinuing RDV use. Overall, RDV can be considered safe in children with careful monitoring.
Successional dynamics of species composition, functional traits and assembly mechanisms during the 60‐year long history of agricultural transformations in subarctic tundra communities
Authors: Novakovskiy Alexander Borisovich , Panyukov Andrey Nikolaevich , Yakimov Basil Nikolaevich
Published: May 2024

Aims

Tundra communities are known for their harsh environmental conditions and tundra is one of the most vulnerable biomes on Earth. Restoring these unique communities after anthropogenic impact is crucial for the sustainable development of northern regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the recovery of subarctic tundra after long‐term agricultural use.

Location

Subarctic zone, European northeast, Vorkuta district, Komi Republic, Russia.

Methods

In the latter half of the twentieth century, large areas of tundra were plowed and cultivated with cereals to be used as fodder in livestock farms. These areas were subsequently abandoned (1990–2000) and the stage of natural recovery began. From 1960 to 2017 one of these plant communities was regularly assessed and we used these data, along with data from a reference tundra community, to examine changes in community assembly. We evaluated biodiversity indices, functional diversity using various plant traits and phylogenetic diversity.

Results

Agricultural management in tundra areas has led to the development of a meadow community that differs significantly from the typical tundra found in similar landscapes. The highest level of meadow biodiversity was observed under moderate anthropogenic pressure. The most significant changes in plant community assembly were observed after withdrawal from agricultural use. The average plant height, leaf area, and leaf dry matter content increased, while the average specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen content decreased. The functional and phylogenetic clustering was replaced by overdispersion.

Conclusions

Over the 20‐year period following the cessation of agricultural use, we observed a decrease in the vitality of cultivated cereals and overall biodiversity. However, there was a redistribution of species abundance rather than a complete change in species composition. Deciduous and evergreen shrubs have not become introduced in sufficient abundance to transform the artificial meadow into the typical subarctic willow–shrub tundra. This is a fundamental difference between abandoned agricultural lands of the tundra zone and those of more southern regions, which are rapidly overgrown with pioneer tree or shrub species.
Long‐term risk of cardiovascular disease associated with MASLD and different cardiometabolic risk factors in IBD patients: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Zhang Qian , Xu Fang , Liu Si , Zhu Shengtao , Zhang Shutian , Wu Jing , Wu Shanshan
Published: May 2024

Background

To examine the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks associated with metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and different numbers of cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) based on a long‐term prospective cohort.

Methods

Prevalent IBD patients at baseline who were free of CVD, cancer, alcoholic liver disease, cancer and hepatitis B/C virus seropositive were included (N = 4204). MASLD, MASLD subtypes [pure MASLD, MASLD with increased alcohol intake (MetALD)], lean/non‐lean MASLD and CMRFs at baseline were defined according to the latest criteria proposed by AASLD and EASL. The primary outcome was incident CVD, including ischaemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure (HF) and stroke. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the relationship.

Results

Overall, 1528 (36.4%) were diagnosed with MASLD at baseline. During a median of 13.1‐year follow‐up, 503 incident CVDs were identified. Compared with IBD‐only, IBD‐MASLD patients had an increased risk of CVD (HR = 1.77, 95%CI: 1.26–2.49), especially in those with MetALD (HR = 2.34, 1.34–4.11) and lean MASLD (HR = 2.30, 1.13–4.66). As the number of CMRFs increased, the risks of CVD were significantly increased (p
trend <0.001), with a 116% and 92% excess risk in MASLD with 3 CMRFs (HR = 2.16, 1.48–3.15) and ≥4 CMRFs (HR = 1.92, 1.27–2.91). Similar excess risk of incident IHD and HF was observed in IBD‐MASLD, either pure MASLD or MetALD, as well as lean/non‐lean MASLD.

Conclusions

MASLD is associated with increased CVD risk in IBD patients, with greater risk as number of CMRFs increased and evidently higher risk in MetALD and lean MASLD patients.
Perceived family‐centered care and post‐traumatic stress in parents of infants cared for in the paediatric cardiac intensive care unit
Authors: Lisanti Amy J. , Min Jungwon , Golfenshtein Nadya , Marino Bradley S. , Curley Martha A. Q. , Medoff‐Cooper Barbara
Published: May 2024

Background

Family‐centred care (FCC), while a core value of paediatric hospitals, has not been well‐studied in the paediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU).

Aim

To describe parents' perceptions of FCC provided by nurses in the PCICU during their infant's recovery from neonatal cardiac surgery and explore associations of perceptions of FCC on parent post‐traumatic stress (PTS) 4 months post‐discharge.

Study Design

Data obtained from a previously conducted randomized clinical trial (RCT) on telehealth home monitoring after neonatal cardiac surgery at three free‐standing paediatric hospitals were analysed from a subset of 164 parents who completed the FCC Scale at hospital discharge, which measures a parent's experience of nursing care that embodies core principles of FCC. The RCT intervention was provided after hospital discharge, having no influence on parent's perception of FCC. The intervention also had no effect on PTS.

Results

Perceived FCC was lowest for items ‘nurses helped me feel welcomed’ and ‘nurses helped me feel important in my child's care’. Having 12%–19% points lower perception of FCC at hospital discharge was associated with parent experience of six or more PTS symptoms, at least moderate PTS symptom severity, or PTS disorder diagnosis at 4‐month follow‐up. Every 10% increase in parental perceptions of FCC was associated with less PTS symptoms (β = −0.29, SE = 0.12; p = .02) and lower PTS symptom cluster scores of arousal (β = −0.18, SE = 0.08; p = .02).

Conclusions

Parents who perceived lower FCC during their infants' hospitalization were at increased risk for the development of PTS symptoms, more PTS symptom severity and PTS disorder diagnosis 4‐months post‐discharge.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

Nurses have a prominent role to support the implementation of FCC for infants with cardiac defects and their parents. FCC may positively influence overall parent mental health and well‐being, reducing the trauma and distress of the PCICU experience.
Coordinated control for the auricle asymmetric development by ZmIDD14 and ZmIDD15 fine‐tune the high‐density planting adaption in maize
Authors: Liu Dan , Ning Qiang , Zhai Lihong , Teng Feng , Li Yunfu , Zhao Ran , Xiong Qing , Zhan Jimin , Li Zhen , Yang Fang , Zhang Zuxin , Liu Lei
Published: May 2024

Multiple distinct specialized regions shape the architecture of maize leaves. Among them, the fringe‐like and wedge‐shaped auricles alter the angle between the leaf and stalk, which is a key trait in crop plant architecture. As planting density increased, a small leaf angle (LA) was typically selected to promote crop light capture efficiency and yield. In the present study, we characterized two paralogous INDETERMINATE DOMAIN (IDD) genes, ZmIDD14 and ZmIDD15, which contain the Cys2‐His2 zinc finger domain and function redundantly to regulate auricle development and LA in maize. Loss‐of‐function mutants showed decreased LA by reducing adaxial sclerenchyma thickness and increasing the colourless cell layers. In addition, the idd14;idd15 double mutant exhibited asymmetrically smaller auricles, which might cause by a failed maintenance of symmetric expression of the key auricle size controlling gene, LIGULELESS(LG1). The transcripts of ZmIDD14 and ZmIDD15 enriched in the ligular region, where LG1 was highly expressed, and both proteins physically interacted with ZmILI1 to promote LG1 transcription. Notably, the idd14;idd15 enhanced the grain yield of hybrids under high planting densities by shaping the plant architecture with a smaller LA. These findings demonstrate the functions of ZmIDD14 and ZmIDD15 in controlling the abaxial/adaxial development of sclerenchyma in the midrib and polar development along the medial‐lateral axes of auricles and provide an available tool for high‐density and high‐yield breeding in maize.
Supply chain/transaction cost insights into the profitability of health insurers during 2020, the start of COVID‐19
Authors: Baranoff Etti G. , Sager Thomas W. , Yang Charles , Shi Bo , Baranoff Dalit
Published: May 2024

Various US populations make up different health care markets/segments, and health insurers specialize in serving specific populations. US health insurers soared in profits during 2020, the first year of the Covid‐19 pandemic. The profit gains were unequal among segments. This research uses a supply chain/transaction costs economics (SC/TCE) model to find insights into the profitability differences. The SC/TCE model consists of three spheres of profitability determinants: health care characteristics, transactions costs differentials, and governance methods. Our univariate analyses combined with weighted regression results reveal that, for Medicaid, a significant increase in profitability was associated with a decrease in medical expenses, whereas the opposite is observed for the group and Medicare Advantage plans. Another finding is that transaction costs differentials led to significant increases in profitability for group and Medicare plans with opposite results for Medicaid plans. These results provide important practical implications for policymakers.
What is habit and how can it be used to change real‐world behaviour? Narrowing the theory‐reality gap
Authors: Gardner Benjamin , Rebar Amanda L. , de Wit Sanne , Lally Phillippa
Published: May 2024

Habit change is often seen as key to successful long‐term behaviour change. Making ‘good’ behaviours habitual—that is, ensuring a behaviour is prompted automatically on exposure to situational cues, based on cue‐response associations learnt through context‐consistent repetition—is portrayed as a mechanism for sustaining such behaviours over time. Conversely, disrupting ‘bad’ habits is expected to terminate longstanding unwanted actions. Yet, some commentators have suggested that the role of habit in real‐world behaviour and behaviour change has been overstated. Such critiques highlight a gap between habit theory and the reality of human behaviour ‘in the wild’. This state‐of‐the‐field review aims to narrow this gap. Building on a core distinction between habit and habitual behaviour, our review seeks to offer interpretations of habit theory and evidence that will better manage intervention designers' expectations regarding how modifying habit can realistically be expected to promote behaviour change. We emphasise that habit is just one potential influence on behaviour at any given moment, and highlight instances in which habit may dominate over intention, and in which intention may dominate over habit, in determining behaviour frequency. We suggest that, while it may assist behaviour maintenance, habit formation may be neither necessary nor sufficient to sustain real‐world behaviour change. We draw attention to the various ways in which habit may be ‘broken’ (i.e., disrupted), and discern the implications of each habit disruption mechanism for long‐term cessation of unwanted behaviours.
Independent regulation of strigolactones and blumenols during arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in rice
Authors: Servanté Emily K. , Halitschke Rayko , Rocha Catarina , Baldwin Ian T. , Paszkowski Uta
Published: May 2024

The apocarotenoid strigolactones (SLs) facilitate pre‐symbiotic communication between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and plants. Related blumenol‐C‐glucosides (blumenols), have also been associated with symbiosis, but the cues that are involved in the regulation of blumenol accumulation during AM symbiosis remain unclear. In rice, our analyses demonstrated a strict correlation between foliar blumenol abundance and intraradical fungal colonisation. More specifically, rice mutants affected at distinct stages of the interaction revealed that fungal cortex invasion was required for foliar blumenol accumulation. Plant phosphate status and D14L hormone signalling had no effect, contrasting their known role in induction of SLs. This a proportion of the SL biosynthetic enzymes, D27 and D17, are equally required for blumenol production. These results importantly clarify that, while there is a partially shared biosynthetic pathway between SL and blumenols, the dedicated induction of the related apocarotenoids occurs in response to cues acting at distinct stages during the root colonisation process. However, we reveal that neither SLs nor blumenols are essential for fungal invasion of rice roots.
CropMetabolome: a comprehensive metabolome database for major crops cross eight categories
Authors: Shi Han , Zhu Yan , Wu Xueting , Jiang Tao , Li Xuetong , Liu Jianju , Di Ye , Chen Feng , Gao Jinshan , Xu Xiaoyan , Xiao Ning , Feng Xianzhong , Zhang Peng , Wu Yongrui , La Qiong , Li Aihong , Chen Ping , Li Xuan
Published: May 2024

Chemical compositions of crops are of great agronomical importance, as crops serve as resources for nutrition, energy, and medicines for human and livestock. For crop metabolomics research, the lack of crop reference metabolome and high‐quality reference compound mass spectra, as well as utilities for metabolic profiling, has hindered the discovery and functional study of phytochemicals in crops. To meet these challenging needs, we have developed the Crop Metabolome database (abbreviated as CropMetabolome) that is dedicated to the construction of crop reference metabolome, repository, and dissemination of crop metabolomic data, and profiling and analytic tools for metabolomics research. CropMetabolome contains a metabolomics database for more than 50 crops (belonging to eight categories) that integrated self‐generated raw mass spectral data and public‐source datasets. The reference metabolome for 59 crop species was constructed, which have functions that parallel those of reference genome in genomic studies. CropMetabolome also contains ‘Standard compound mass spectral library’, ‘Flavonoids library’, ‘Pesticide library’, and a set of related analytical tools that enable metabolic profiling based on a reference metabolome (CropRefMetaBlast), annotation and identification of new metabolites (CompoundLibBlast), deducing the structure of novel flavonoid derivatives (FlavoDiscover), and detecting possible residual pesticides in crop samples (PesticiDiscover). In addition, CropMetabolome is a repository to share and disseminate metabolomics data and a platform to promote collaborations to develop reference metabolome for more crop species. CropMetabolome is a comprehensive platform that offers important functions in crop metabolomics research and contributes to improve crop breeding, nutrition, and safety. CropMetabolome is freely available at https://www.cropmetabolome.com/.
A Mini Review on Technologies and Storage Platforms in Supporting Learning Analytics
Authors: Lim Jia Yee , Tan Fei Zhi , Chan Weng Howe , Idris Muhammad Iqbal Tariq
Published: May 2024

Learning Analytics (LA) has emerged as a pivotal field in education, harnessing the power of data to enhance the learning experience and improve educational outcomes. This review paper delves into the multifaceted landscape of LA, focusing on the significance and the pivotal role of LA played by technology and storage platforms. An exploration is undertaken into the varied spectrum of platforms and storage solutions that underlie the foundation of LA. Ranging from traditional storage systems to advanced database storage, this review elucidates the distinctive roles and functionalities these technologies offer within the LA ecosystem. Additionally, a comprehensive examination of how data storage profoundly influences the outcomes of LA is conducted, with an emphasis on the pivotal aspects of efficient data management, security, and scalability. In addition, this paper includes insights into future trends and technological advancements in data storage for LA. As the field continues to evolve, understanding the central importance of technology and storage platforms becomes increasingly crucial. Therefore, this review paper serves as a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and technologists seeking to unlock the full potential of LA through the implementation of optimized data storage solutions.
Two new Aceria species (Acari: Eriophyidae) from Asteraceae in Iran

Authors: Lotfollahi Parisa , Hemmatzadeh-Khorshidabadi Haniyeh , Jahandideh-Dogijan Javad , Abbasi-Kalo Ayda , Sarabi Vahid
Published: May 2024

In this study, we described and illustrated two new Aceria species (Eriophyidae: Eriophyinae: Aceriini) associated with the Asteraceae host plants in rangelands of Lahrud and Agh Qal'eh villages, in Meshginshahr county, Ardabil province, Iran. They are Aceria anthemis Lotfollahi et Hemmatzadeh sp. nov. on Anthemis arvensis L. and Aceria carthami Lotfollahi et Hemmatzadeh sp. nov. on Carthamus lanatus L. Both new mite species are vagrants causing no apparent damage to their host plants.
Autonomous assembly and disassembly of gliding molecular robots regulated by a DNA-based molecular controller
Authors: Kawamata Ibuki , Nishiyama Kohei , Matsumoto Daiki , Ichiseki Shosei , Keya Jakia J. , Okuyama Kohei , Ichikawa Masatoshi , Kabir Arif Md. Rashedul , Sato Yusuke , Inoue Daisuke , Murata Satoshi , Sada Kazuki , Kakugo Akira , Nomura Shin-ichiro M.
Published: May 2024

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in engineering dynamic and autonomous systems with robotic functionalities using biomolecules. Specifically, the ability of molecular motors to convert chemical energy to mechanical forces and the programmability of DNA are regarded as promising components for these systems. However, current systems rely on the manual addition of external stimuli, limiting the potential for autonomous molecular systems. Here, we show that DNA-based cascade reactions can act as a molecular controller that drives the autonomous assembly and disassembly of DNA-functionalized microtubules propelled by kinesins. The DNA controller is designed to produce two different DNA strands that program the interaction between the microtubules. The gliding microtubules integrated with the controller autonomously assemble to bundle-like structures and disassemble into discrete filaments without external stimuli, which is observable by fluorescence microscopy. We believe this approach to be a starting point toward more autonomous behavior of motor protein–based multicomponent systems with robotic functionalities.
LncRNA gene
ANTSR
coordinates complementary sex determination in the Argentine ant
Authors: Pan Qiaowei , Darras Hugo , Keller Laurent
Published: May 2024

Animals have evolved various sex determination systems. Here, we describe a newly found mechanism. A long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) transduces complementary sex determination (CSD) signal in the invasive Argentine ant. In this haplodiploid species, we identified a 5-kilobase hyper-polymorphic region underlying CSD: Heterozygous embryos become females, while homozygous and hemizygous embryos become males. Heterozygosity at the
CSD
locus correlates with higher expression of
ANTSR
, a gene that overlaps with the
CSD
locus and specifies an lncRNA transcript.
ANTSR
knockdown in
CSD
heterozygotes leads to male development. Comparative analyses indicated that, in Hymenoptera,
ANTSR
is an ancient yet rapidly evolving gene. This study reveals an lncRNA involved in genetic sex determination, alongside a previously unknown regulatory mechanism underlying sex determination based on complementarity among noncoding alleles.
Genotypic diversity, virulence, and molecular genetic tools in
Histoplasma
Authors: Sepúlveda Victoria E. , Goldman William E. , Matute Daniel R.
Published: May 2024

SUMMARY

Histoplasmosis is arguably the most common fungal respiratory infection worldwide, with hundreds of thousands of new infections occurring annually in the United States alone. The infection can progress in the lung or disseminate to visceral organs and can be difficult to treat with antifungal drugs.
Histoplasma
, the causative agent of the disease, is a pathogenic fungus that causes life-threatening lung infections and is globally distributed. The fungus has the ability to germinate from conidia into either hyphal (mold) or yeast form, depending on the environmental temperature. This transition also regulates virulence.
Histoplasma
and histoplasmosis have been classified as being of emergent importance, and in 2022, the World Health Organization included
Histoplasma
as 1 of the 19 most concerning human fungal pathogens. In this review, we synthesize the current understanding of the ecological niche, evolutionary history, and virulence strategies of
Histoplasma
. We also describe general patterns of the symptomatology and epidemiology of histoplasmosis. We underscore areas where research is sorely needed and highlight research avenues that have been productive.
Marchenko–Pastur Law for Spectra of Random Weighted
Bipartite Graphs
Authors: Nadutkina A. V. , Tikhomirov A. N. , Timushev D. A.
Published: May 2024

We study the spectra of random weighted bipartite graphs. We establish that, under
specific assumptions on the edge probabilities, the symmetrized empirical spectral distribution
function of the graph’s adjacency matrix converges to the symmetrized Marchenko-Pastur
distribution function.
Relationship between parathyroid adenoma size, weight and histological subtypes with perioperative serum levels
Authors: Chuang Fred , Ng Shu Kay , Khan Roger , Lam Alfred King-yin
Published: May 2024

Aims

This study aims to identify associations between parathyroid adenoma (PTA) characteristics (histology, weight and size) with the change in parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium levels.

Methods

A historical cohort study was conducted on adult patients with solitary PTA removed in the Gold Coast Health Precinct, Australia, between 2017 and 2022.

Results

PTA weight is correlated with the change in day 1 PTH level (r=0.26, p=0.036), the change in day 1 corrected calcium level (r=0.20, p=0.033), and the change in follow-up corrected calcium level (r=0.47, p<0.001). The largest dimension (size) of PTA is also correlated with the change in day 1 PTH (r=0.30, p=0.011) and the change in follow-up corrected calcium level (r=0.40, p<0.001). Adjusted for age and gender, a statistically significant negative correlation was found between day 1 PTH level and adenoma size, resulting in a 0.5% change in size for every percentage change in PTH level (equating to a 5.0% increase in variance explained, p=0.038). Similarly, a negative correlation was identified in day 1 corrected calcium levels and weight, with a 4.7% change in weight for every percentage of change in day 1 corrected calcium level (an increase of 5.6% variance explained, p=0.010). In addition, a negative correlation was identified, where every 3.1% change in size (an increase of 17.4% variance explained, p<0.001) and 7.6% change in weight (an increase of 22.7% variance explained, p<0.001) was seen with every percentage change in follow-up corrected calcium levels. Clear-cell PTA had the most significant percentage fall in day 1 corrected calcium levels compared with other PTA subtypes (p=0.007).

Conclusions

Preoperative calcium and PTH levels correlate with PTA weight and size. The degree of change in postoperative corrected calcium levels behaved differently in the clear-cell subtype.
Complete nanopore repeat sequencing of SCA27B (GAA-FGF14ataxia) in Japanese
Authors: Miyatake Satoko , Doi Hiroshi , Yaguchi Hiroaki , Koshimizu Eriko , Kihara Naoki , Matsubara Tomoyasu , Mori Yasuko , Kunieda Kenjiro , Shimizu Yusaku , Toyota Tomoko , Shirai Shinichi , Matsushima Masaaki , Okubo Masaki , Wada Taishi , Kunii Misako , Johkura Ken , Miyamoto Ryosuke , Osaki Yusuke , Miyama Takabumi , Satoh Mai , Fujita Atsushi , Uchiyama Yuri , Tsuchida Naomi , Misawa Kazuharu , Hamanaka Kohei , Hamanoue Haruka , Mizuguchi Takeshi , Morino Hiroyuki , Izumi Yuishin , Shimohata Takayoshi , Yoshida Kunihiro , Adachi Hiroaki , Tanaka Fumiaki , Yabe Ichiro , Matsumoto Naomichi
Published: May 2024

Background

Although pure GAA expansion is considered pathogenic in SCA27B, non-GAA repeat motif is mostly mixed into longer repeat sequences. This study aimed to unravel the complete sequencing ofFGF14repeat expansion to elucidate its repeat motifs and pathogenicity.

Methods

We screenedFGF14repeat expansion in a Japanese cohort of 460 molecularly undiagnosed adult-onset cerebellar ataxia patients and 1022 controls, together with 92 non-Japanese controls, and performed nanopore sequencing ofFGF14repeat expansion.

Results

In the Japanese population, the GCA motif was predominantly observed as the non-GAA motif, whereas the GGA motif was frequently detected in non-Japanese controls. The 5′-common flanking variant was observed in all Japanese GAA repeat alleles within normal length, demonstrating its meiotic stability against repeat expansion. In both patients and controls, pure GAA repeat was up to 400 units in length, whereas non-pathogenic GAA-GCA repeat was larger, up to 900 units, but they evolved from different haplotypes, as rs534066520, located just upstream of the repeat sequence, completely discriminated them. Both (GAA)≥250and (GAA)≥200were enriched in patients, whereas (GAA-GCA)≥200was similarly observed in patients and controls, suggesting the pathogenic threshold of (GAA)≥200for cerebellar ataxia. We identified 14 patients with SCA27B (3.0%), but their single-nucleotide polymorphism genotype indicated different founder alleles between Japanese and Caucasians. The low prevalence of SCA27B in Japanese may be due to the lower allele frequency of (GAA)≥250in the Japanese population than in Caucasians (0.15% vs 0.32%–1.26%).

Conclusions

FGF14repeat expansion has unique features of pathogenicity and allelic origin, as revealed by a single ethnic study.
#Headlesspreggos: challenging visual imaginaries of pregnancy and reproduction
Authors: Cattapan Alana , Mastromatteo Danielle
Published: May 2024

Amid new abortion restrictions in the USA, scientific advances in genetic technologies and investigations of COVID-19 vaccinations in pregnancy, news stories about reproduction abound, often accompanied by images of what journalist Josie Glausiusz has called the “headless, legless, pregnancy bump”. These images of disembodied pregnant torsos at once improve search engine optimisation for news organisations while perpetuating the view of the ‘bump’ as the quintessential visual representation of pregnancy.

The images that accompany news articles convey meaning beyond what is included in the text and work to reinforce stereotypes about race, gender and age. In the so-called obesity epidemic, for example, psychotherapist and fat activist Charlotte Cooper documented how images of fat people with their heads cropped out view had become a visual symbol of abjection—‘the headless fatty’—without a face or agency to speak of. The use of ‘headless preggos’ similarly divorces pregnant people from the embodied experience of their pregnancies, reducing them to a single body part.

In this article, we chronicle our experiences tracking images of headless preggos via Twitter, arguing that their use works to erase pregnant people’s autonomy and to construct the fetus as the central concern in reproductive interventions. We begin by tracing the evolution of visual representations of pregnancy including the increasing focus on the fetus and ‘bump’. We then provide a description of our experience with the Twitter account, including our exchanges with academics, journalists and others that highlight how the continued reliance on headless preggos obscures the experiences of pregnant people by focusing all attention on the fetus, as well as how the same images might be thoughtfully deployed. We conclude by offering suggestions for those creating and selecting images that might result in more robust, creative visual representations of pregnancy and reproduction.