bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of ultrasound‐assisted enzymatic hydrolysis and monosaccharides on structural, antioxidant and flavour characteristics of Maillard reaction products from sweet potato protein hydrolysates
Authors: Habinshuti Ildephonse , Zhang Miao , Sun Hong‐Nan , Mu Tai‐Hua
Published: July 2021

Effects of ultrasound (US)‐assisted enzymatic hydrolysis and different monosaccharides (arabinose; xylose, XY; galactose and glucose) on peptide structure, antioxidant activities and flavour characteristics of Maillard reaction products (MRP) from sweet potato protein hydrolysates were investigated. US markedly enhanced the MR progress, and USXY showed the lowest pH value of 5.04, the highest browning intensity and fluorescence intensity (P < 0.05). FTIR results revealed significant peptide structure changes in USXY, USAR and USGA compared to other samples. USXY exhibited the highest Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) value of 109.15 µg TE/mL, followed by USGA and USAR (94.07 and 93.41 µg TE/mL), respectively (P < 0.05). USXY and USAR showed different aroma features as compared to other MRP (P < 0.05). In addition, US enhanced umami, sweetness and sourness attributes and reduced bitterness of all MRP. USXY exhibited the highest umami intensity score (7.4), followed by USGA (7.3) and USAR (7.2), respectively. Partial least square regression analysis showed that the stronger umami taste was strongly correlated to aldehydes, thiophenes, MW 1000–3000 and 500–1000 Da peptides. Thus, US‐assisted enzymatic hydrolysis and MR with xylose (XY) could be a promising way to produce natural flavouring with improved antioxidant activity.
Kantianism and the Problem of Child Sex Robots
Authors: Gordon John‐Stewart , Nyholm Sven
Published: July 2021

Recent years have seen a growing interest in the ethics of sex robots, fuelled by the technology industry's ability to build better and better robots that can be used as sex toys (such as realdoll.com). Although the pros and cons of sex robots have been discussed for several years in the philosophy of technology, only a few contributions have focussed on child sex robots. None of these prior essays have examined a Kantian approach to the question of whether one should allow people to use child robots as sex toys. Accordingly, this article considers the possibility of using Kant either in support of or in opposition to child sex robots. The conclusion is that a Kantian approach yields inconclusive results and is therefore ill‐equipped to solve this particular moral problem.
The cecal appendix is correlated with greater maximal longevity in mammals
Authors: Collard Maxime K. , Bardin Jérémie , Laurin Michel , Ogier‐Denis Eric
Published: July 2021

The cecal appendix had been considered as a useless vestige since Darwin's work, but recent research questioned this idea demonstrating that the cecal appendix appeared among the mammals at least 80 million years ago and has made multiple and independent appearances without any obvious correlation with diet, social life, ecology, or size of the cecum. However, functions and probable selective advantage conferred by this anatomical structure still remain enigmatic. We found, through analyses of data on 258 mammalian species, that cecal appendix presence is correlated with increased maximal observed longevity. This is the first demonstration of a correlation between cecal appendix presence and life history. Interestingly, the classical evolutionary theory of aging that predicts an increased longevity when the extrinsic mortality is reduced has been questioned several times, but recent comparative studies asserted its validity in the taxa, which experience age‐dependent and density‐dependent mortality, as in mammals. Thus, the cecal appendix may contribute to the increase in longevity through a reduction of extrinsic mortality. A lower risk of fatal infectious diarrhea is one of the most plausible hypotheses that could explain it. However, several hypotheses coexist about the possible functions of the cecal appendix, and our results provide new insights about this much‐disputed question. In addition, we show that the cecal appendix arose at least 16 times and was lost only once during the evolutionary history of the considered mammals, an asymmetry that supports the existence of a positive selective of this structure.
Psychometric properties of psychosocial dimensions associated with postpartum depression
Authors: Ghaedrahmati Maryam , Kazemi Ashraf , Kheirabadi Gholamreza , Bahrami Masoud , Ebrahimi Amrollah
Published: July 2021

Aim

The aim of the study was psychometric properties of a questionnaire for assessing psychosocial dimensions associated with postpartum depression (PAPP).

Methods

Initial form of the questionnaire for assessing PAPP was developed based on the results of a qualitative study. Principal component analysis was used to determine the construct validity, as well as Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient to determine the reliability of the questionnaire. Construct validity, predictability of the questionnaire, and confirmatory factor analysis were evaluated in a longitudinal study on 303 pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy. Also, using Edinburgh postnatal depression scale, the level of depression was evaluated 6 weeks after childbirth.

Results

Exploratory factor analysis led to a 47‐item questionnaire with five dimensions and confirmed that five factors determined 42.31% variance. Cronbach's alpha was 0.851 for the total score of questionnaire and for the factors, ranged from 0.84 to 0.92. ICC of total was 0.92 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69–0.93). Analyzing the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the 47 items questionnaire had a good construct validity (CMIN/DF = 2.01, p = 0.122). The level of the PAPP in women suffered from postpartum depression was higher than women without postpartum depression (odds ratio = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01–1.02, p = 0.001). A cut‐off score of 42 provided the best sensitivity (0.75) and specificity (0.50) for PAPP.

Conclusion

The psychometric properties of the PAPP showed an appropriate validity and reliability, and it may applicable to predict of at risk pregnant women for postpartum depression who seeking antenatal care services.
Adherence to a healthy sleep pattern is associated with lower risks of all‐cause, cardiovascular and cancer‐specific mortality
Authors: Zhou Tao , Yuan Yu , Xue Qiaochu , Li Xiang , Wang Mengying , Ma Hao , Heianza Yoriko , Qi Lu
Published: July 2021

Background

Individual unhealthy sleep behaviours have been associated with increased risks of all‐cause mortality and deaths due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer. The evidence regarding the association of sleep patterns with these risks is limited.

Objective

To examine the associations of sleep patterns with all‐cause, CVD and cancer mortality in a large prospective cohort.

Methods

This prospective cohort study included 283,443 adults from UK Biobank without CVD and cancer at baseline. We created a healthy sleep score and sleep patterns combining five individual sleep behaviours.

Results

During a mean (standard deviation) of 8.9 (1.1) years (2.5 million person‐years) of follow up, a total of 7936 all‐cause deaths, 762 CVD‐caused deaths, and 4540 cancer‐caused deaths occurred during follow up. One point increase of the healthy sleep score was associated with a 4–11% lower risk of all‐cause mortality (Hazard Ratio [HR], 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92–0.96), CVD mortality (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83–0.95) and cancer mortality (HR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93–0.99), with adjustment for age, sex, assessment centres, smoking status, alcohol intake status, socioeconomic status and physical activity. Compared with participants with an unfavourable sleep pattern, those with a favourable sleep pattern had 24–42% lower risks of all‐cause and CVD mortality. The association with all‐cause mortality tended to be stronger among underweight participants and those with insufficient physical activity.

Conclusions

A healthy sleep pattern was associated with lower risks of all‐cause mortality and mortality from CVD and cancer. Our findings highlight the importance of improving overall sleep behaviours in lowering mortality.
A Survey of Befriending Services for People With Intellectual Disabilities in the United Kingdom
Authors: Tse Cheuk Yin , Mckenzie Emma , Hassiotis Angela , Ali Afia
Published: July 2021

Background

Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) may benefit from befriending services, which can help to widen their social networks and reduce social isolation. This study examined the characteristics and challenges encountered by befriending services in the United Kingdom and motivations and experiences of volunteers working with people with ID.

Methods

This is a cross‐sectional study using two separate online surveys, one for befriending services and one for volunteers.

Results

Eight services and 58 volunteers (aged 15 to 72) responded to the survey. The two major issues faced by befriending services were related to funding and recruitment of volunteers. The most common volunteering motivation was “To give something back” (75.9%). While unemployed volunteers were more likely to be motivated by wanting to do something useful with their spare time (OR 3.62, 95% CI 1.09–12.05), young volunteers expressed wanting to gain work experience through volunteering (OR 11.37, 95% CI 1.31–98.59). Most volunteers reported that volunteering had a positive impact on them and would like to continue volunteering in the future. Both positive and negative volunteer experiences were explored.

Discussion

Volunteers experienced unique difficulties in interacting with service users with ID due to physical and cognitive barriers. More training and support could be provided to volunteers to help them manage these difficulties and to improve outcomes and experiences of both volunteers and individuals with ID. Policy guidance should be developed on how to set up high‐quality befriending services for this group.
Correlation of self‐ and interspecific incompatibility among sympatric Hedyotis species (Rubiaceae) and consequences for hybridization
Authors: Dias Mahadura A. , Saunders Richard M. K.
Published: July 2021

Breakdown of self‐incompatibility increases opportunities for both self‐fertilization and interspecific hybridization, although the latter is dependent on the extent of competition between heterospecific and conspecific pollen. We investigate the mating system and pollination biology of five phylogenetically closely related species within a distylous species complex in Hedyotis L. (Rubiaceae) in southern China. The complex comprises Hedyotis acutangula Champ. ex Benth., Hedyotis shiuyingiae T.Chen, Hedyotis vachellii (Hook. & Arn.) Kuntze, and two putative hybrid species, Hedyotis bodinieri (H.Lév.) Chun and Hedyotis loganioides Benth., hypothesized to result from interbreeding between these species. We test the hypothesis that the breakdown of self‐ and interspecific incompatibilities in sympatric Hedyotis species might allow interspecific hybridization in natural populations. We assessed the extent of self‐ and interspecific incompatibility in sympatric populations, including investigations of spontaneous and artificial self‐pollination, geitonogamy, inter‐ and intramorph xenogamy. Artificial interspecific crosses were undertaken between H. acutangula, H. shiuyingiae, and H. bodinieri, between H. acutangula and H. vachellii, and between H. acutangula and H. loganioides. Hedyotis acutangula is demonstrated to be self‐ and interspecific compatible, whereas H. vachellii, H. bodinieri, and H. loganioides are self‐compatible and interspecific incompatible; H. shiuyingiae, in contrast, is strictly self‐ and interspecific incompatible. Comparisons of pollen tube growth rates in hybridizing species‐pairs revealed that heterospecific pollen of H. shiuyingiae, H. vachellii, and H. bodinieri can compete with conspecific self‐pollen of H. acutangula. Our study therefore indicates that the breakdown of self‐incompatibility directly and indirectly facilitates interspecific hybridization and provides a platform for better understanding evolutionary directionality in Hedyotis.
Oxygen and Al‐Mg isotopic constraints on cooling rate and age of partial melting of an Allende Type B CAI, Golfball
Authors: Kawasaki Noriyuki , Itoh Shoichi , Sakamoto Naoya , Simon Steven B. , Yamamoto Daiki , Yurimoto Hisayoshi
Published: July 2021

Coarse‐grained, igneous Ca‐Al‐rich inclusions (CAIs) in CV chondrites formed through multiple melting events. We conducted in situ O‐isotope analysis and Al‐Mg systematics by secondary ion mass spectrometry of relict and overgrown minerals from a partial melting event in an Allende Type B CAI, Golfball. Golfball has a Type B CAI bulk composition and a unique structure: a fassaite‐rich mantle enclosing a melilite‐rich core. Many of the blocky melilite crystals in the core have irregularly shaped, Al‐rich (Åk5–15) cores enclosed in strongly zoned (Åk30–70) overgrowths. Since the Al‐rich melilite grains could not have formed from a melt of Golfball, they are interpreted as relict grains that survived later melting events. The O‐isotopic compositions of the blocky melilite crystals plot along the carbonaceous chondrite anhydrous mineral line, ranging between Δ17O ~ −14‰ and −5‰. The Al‐rich relict melilite grains and their overgrowths exhibit the same O‐isotopic compositions, while the O‐isotopic compositions are varied spatially among melilites. We found that the O‐isotopic compositions steeply change across several melilite crystals within few tens of micrometers, indicating the O‐isotopic compositions of the melt could not have been homogenized during the partial melting in that scale. According to the time scale of O self‐diffusivity in the melt, the cooling rate of the partial melting event is calculated to be >6 × 104 K h−1. Al‐Mg isotope data for core minerals plot on a straight line on an Al‐Mg evolution diagram. A mineral isochron for Golfball gives initial 26Al/27Al of (4.42 ± 0.20) × 10–5 and initial δ26Mg* of −0.035 ± 0.050‰. The chemical and O‐isotopic compositions of melilite and those initial values imply that its precursor consisted of fluffy Type A and/or fine‐grained CAIs. The partial melting event for Golfball may have occurred in very short order after the precursor formation.
Daily skin‐to‐skin contact in full‐term infants and breastfeeding: Secondary outcomes from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Cooijmans Kelly H. M. , Beijers Roseriet , Brett Bonnie E. , de Weerth Carolina
Published: July 2021

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of a 5‐week daily skin‐to‐skin contact (SSC) intervention between mothers and their full‐term infants, compared with care‐as‐usual, on exclusive and continued breastfeeding duration during the first post‐natal year. Healthy pregnant women (n = 116) from a community sample were enrolled and randomly allocated to the SSC or care‐as‐usual condition. SSC mothers were requested to provide one daily hour of SSC for the first five post‐natal weeks. Twelve months post‐partum, mothers indicated the number of exclusive and continued breastfeeding months. Multiple regression analyses were conducted using intention‐to‐treat, per‐protocol and exploratory dose–response frameworks. In intention‐to‐treat analyses, exclusive and continued breastfeeding duration was not different between groups (exclusive: 3.61 ± 1.99 vs. 3.16 ± 1.77 months; adjusted mean difference 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.33 to 0.89; p = 0.36; continued: 7.98 ± 4.20 vs. 6.75 ± 4.06 months; adjusted mean difference 0.81, 95% CI −0.46 to 2.08; p = 0.21). In per‐protocol analyses, exclusive and continued breastfeeding duration was longer for SSC than care‐as‐usual dyads (exclusive: 4.89 ± 1.26 vs. 3.25 ± 1.80 months; adjusted mean difference 1.28, 95% CI 0.31–2.24; p = 0.01; continued: 10.81 ± 1.97 vs. 6.98 ± 4.08 months; adjusted mean difference 2.33, 95% CI 0.13–4.54; p = 0.04). Exploratory dose–response effects indicated that more SSC hours predicted longer exclusive and continued breastfeeding duration. This study demonstrates that for the total group, the 5‐week daily SSC intervention did not extend exclusive and continued breastfeeding duration. However, for mothers performing a regular daily hour of SSC, this simple and accessible intervention may extend exclusive and continued breastfeeding duration by months. Future studies are required to confirm these promising findings. Trial registration: Netherlands Trial Register (NTR5697).
Health (il)literacy: Structural vulnerability in the nurse navigator service
Authors: Byrne Amy‐Louise , Harvey Clare , Baldwin Adele
Published: July 2021

Health literacy is a contemporary term used in health services, often used to describe individuals requiring additional support to access, understand and implement health service information. It is used as a measure of self‐efficacy in chronic disease models of care such as the nurse navigator service. The aim of the research was to investigate the concept of health literacy in the nurse navigator service, particularly in relation to the defined role objective of person‐centred care. Fairclough's critical discourse analysis was used to analyse the experiential, relational and expressive elements of texts, investigating the hidden truths which are represented in discourse. Texts from a variety of health service micro‐, meso‐ and macro‐hierarchical sources were selected for analysis using the nurse navigator evaluation data set and other associated texts. Health literacy in the nurse navigator service is a technology of government used to increase participation of individuals in their own health and well‐being. The discourse suggests that health literacy responsibilises both individuals and nurses and is discursively formed within a matrix of rational choice. In this context, health literacy contributes to structural vulnerability.
Current status of fecal microbiota transplantation for irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: El‐Salhy Magdy , Hausken Trygve , Hatlebakk Jan Gunnar
Published: July 2021

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal functional disorder. Although IBS is a benign condition, it reduces the quality of life considerably. While there is currently no effective treatment for this disorder, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) seems to be promising.

Purpose

The aim of this review was to analysis possible factors affecting the success or failure of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of FMT for IBS and highlighting the gaps in our knowledge that need to be filled and of sketching a possible model for successful FMT in IBS patients.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted of literature published in English from January 2015 to December 2020 using the keywords: fecal microbiota transplantation, randomized trials, and IBS.

Key Results

Seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy of FMT for IBS were found in the literature. Four of the seven RCTs found various positive effects, while the other three did not find any effect.

Conclusions and Inferences

The efficacy of FMT for IBS appears to be donor‐dependent. The effective (super) donor would need to have a favorable microbiota signature, and 11 clinical criteria that are known to be associated with a favorable microbiota have been suggested for selecting FMT donors for IBS. Comparing the microbiota of the effective donors with those of healthy subjects would reveal the favorable microbiota signature required for a super‐donor. However, the studies reviewed were not designed to compare efficacy of different donor types. The dose of the fecal transplant is also an important factor influencing the outcome of FMT for IBS. However, further studies designed to test the effect of fecal transplant dose are needed to answer this question. Administering the fecal transplant to either the small or large intestine seems to be effective, but the optimal route of administration remains to be determined. Moreover, whether single or repeated FMT is more effective is also still unclear. A 1‐year follow‐up of IBS patients who received FMT showed that adverse events of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation were both mild and self‐limiting.
Functional diversity and identity of plant genotypes regulate rhizodeposition and soil microbial activity
Authors: Semchenko Marina , Xue Piao , Leigh Tomas
Published: July 2021

Our understanding of the linkages between plant diversity and soil carbon and nutrient cycling is primarily derived from studies at the species level, while the importance and mechanisms of diversity effects at the genotype level are poorly understood.

Here we examine how genotypic diversity and identity, and associated variation in functional traits, within a common grass species, Anthoxanthum odoratum, modified rhizodeposition, soil microbial activity and litter decomposition.

Root litter quality was not significantly affected by plant genotypic diversity, but decomposition was enhanced in soils with the legacy of higher genotypic diversity. Plant genotypic diversity and identity modified rhizodeposition and associated microbial activity via two independent pathways. Plant genotypic diversity enhanced soil functioning via positive effects on variation in specific leaf area and total rhizodeposition. Genotype identity affected both rhizodeposit quantity and quality, and these effects were mediated by differences in mean specific leaf area, shoot mass and plant height. Rhizodeposition was more strongly predicted by aboveground than belowground traits, suggesting strong linkages between photosynthesis and root exudation.

Our study demonstrates that functional diversity and identity of plant genotypes modulates belowground carbon supply and quality, representing an important but overlooked pathway by which biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning.
American patricians
Authors: Snyder Robert Lance
Published: July 2021

Focusing on two New England families marked by consanguinity, nine of Charles McCarry’s 14 novels published between 1973 and 2015 explore in non‐chronological order the mythography of a patrician elite in America. The linked history of those fictitious families revolves around the immersion of CIA agent Paul Christopher in an androcentric culture of secrecy during the Cold War and the parallel involvement of his cousin Julian Hubbard in national politics as chief of staff to an incumbent president. The crippling of their personal lives in relationships with the women they serially marry attests to the cost of these professional careers during the last half of the twentieth century. For his skill in exposing a flawed myth in U.S. historiography, McCarry figures as an important guide to the present era.
What's Luck Got to do with the Luck Pincer?
Authors: Hill Jesse
Published: July 2021

Luck skepticism is the view that no one is ever morally responsible for anything because of the nature and ubiquity of luck. One acclaimed argument in favor of this view is Neil Levy's luck pincer. The luck pincer holds that all morally significant acts or events involve either present luck, constitutive luck, or both and that present and constitutive luck each negate moral responsibility. Therefore, no one is ever morally responsible for any action or event. I argue that this argument is unsound as both of its premises are false. First, not all morally significant events involve present or constitutive luck. Some morally significant events are non‐lucky. Second, present and constitutive luck do not always negate moral responsibility. Luck – independent of ontological concerns – is not as threatening to free will as is often thought.
Dependent reliability: Why And How Conditional Reliability Should Be Replaced By It
Authors: Grundmann Thomas
Published: July 2021

According to Alvin Goldman, reliabilists need to distinguish between unconditionally and conditionally reliable processes. The latter category is used to account for processes such as reasoning or memory. In this paper, I will argue that Goldman’s account of conditional reliability needs substantial revision in two respects. First, conditional reliability must be reinterpreted in terms of dependent reliability to avoid serious problems. Second, we need a more liberal account that allows dependently reliable processes to operate not only on doxastic but also on non‐doxastic input. Thinking this way advances the explanatory power of reliabilism significantly.
Comparative transcriptomic analysis of genes involved in stem lignin biosynthesis in woody and herbaceous Paeonia species
Authors: Tong Ning‐Ning , Peng Li‐Ping , Liu Zheng‐An , Li Yang , Zhou Xiao‐Yang , Wang Xi‐Ruo , Shu Qing‐Yan
Published: July 2021

Paeonia is recognized globally due to its ornamental value. However, the mechanisms behind the formation of distinct levels of lignification in Paeonia stems remain largely unknown. In this study, we selected three representative Paeonia species, namely P. ostii (shrub), P. lactiflora (herb), and P. × ‘Hexie’ (semi‐shrub), to evaluate and contrast their respective anatomical structure, phytochemical composition and transcriptomic profile. Our results showed that the degree of lignin deposition on the cell wall, along with the total amount of lignin and its monomers (especially G‐lignin) were higher in P. ostii stems compared to the other two species at almost all development stages except 80 days after flowering. Furthermore, we estimated a total number of unigenes of 60,238 in P. ostii, 43,563 in P. × ‘Hexie’, and 40,212 in P. lactiflora from stem transcriptome. We then built a co‐expression network of 25 transcription factors and 21 enzyme genes involved in lignin biosynthesis and identified nine key candidate genes. The expression patterns of these genes were positively correlated with the transcription levels of PAL, C4H, 4CL2, CCR, and COMT, as well as lignin content. Moreover, the highest relative expression levels of CCR, 4CL2, and C4H were found in P. ostii. This study provides an explanation for the observed differences in lignification between woody and herbaceous Paeonia stems, and constitutes a novel reference for molecular studies of stem‐specific lignification process and lignin biosynthesis that can impact the ornamental industry.
Soil enrichment with actinomycete mitigates the toxicity of arsenic oxide nanoparticles on wheat and maize growth and metabolism
Authors: Selim Samy , AbdElgawad Hamada , Alsharari Salam S. , Atif Muhammad , Warrad Mona , Hagagy Nashwa , Madany Mahmoud M. Y. , Abuelsoud Walid
Published: July 2021

The use of plant growth‐promoting bacteria (PGPB) to enhance plant growth and protection against heavy metal toxicity has been extensively studied. However, its potentiality to reduce arsenate toxicity, a threat to plant growth and metabolism, has been hardly investigated. Moreover, the toxic effect of arsenic oxide nanoparticles (As‐NPs) on plants and possible mechanisms for its alleviation has not yet been explored. In this study, the impact of the bioactive actinomycete Streptomyces spp. on the growth, physiology and stress‐related metabolites, such as sugars and proline, on As‐NPs‐stressed wheat and maize plants was investigated. Soil amendment with arsenic oxide nanoparticles (As‐NPs) induced the uptake and accumulation of As in the plants of both species, resulting in reduced growth and photosynthesis, but less marked in maize than in wheat plants. Under As‐NPs‐free conditions, Streptomyces spp. treatment markedly improved growth and photosynthesis in wheat only. The application of Streptomyces spp. reduced As accumulation, recovered the As‐NPs‐induced growth, photosynthesis inhibition, and oxidative damage in plants of both species. Wheat plants specifically accumulated soluble sugars, while both species accumulated proline. Under As‐NPs stress, the ornithine pathway of proline biosynthesis was more important in maize than in wheat plants, while the glutamine pathway was dominant in wheat ones. The addition of Streptomyces spp. further induced the accumulation of proline and starch in both plant species. Overall, despite a different response to Streptomyces spp. under nontoxic conditions, the amendment of as‐contaminated soil with Streptomyces spp. induced similar metabolic responses in the two tested species, which trigger stress recovery.
Elderly people's quality of life in rural areas of Turkey and its relationship with loneliness and sociodemographic characteristics
Authors: Çam Cüneyt , Atay Emrah , Aygar Hatice , Öcal Ece E. , Önsüz Muhammed F. , Işıklı Burhanettin , Metintaş Selma
Published: July 2021

Background

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationships between loneliness, quality of life and the factors that may be related to the quality of life in individuals ≥65 years old living in rural areas of Turkey.

Methods

The World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Older Adults Module (WHOQOL OLD) and Loneliness Scale for the Elderly (LSE) was administered to 427 elderly participants. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the variables that affected QOL.

Results

The results of the multivariate linear regression analyses indicated that gender, marital status, education level, family income status, general health condition, living arrangement, and loneliness level for subdomains were within the predictors. Loneliness level had the strongest negative impact on the four WHOQOL OLD subdomains and total WHOQOL OLD score. It was the most important predictor for autonomy, past present future activities, social participation, death‐and‐dying, and intimacy subdomains and for the total QOL.

Conclusions

Remarkably, a sense of loneliness in the elderly was determined to be the most important factor for predicting their QOL. Loneliness should be considered in attempts to improve QOL for the elderly, interventions to reduce loneliness should specifically target this group, and activities with the potential to increase QOL should be encouraged.
Zero deforestation in the Amazon: The Soy Moratorium and global forest governance
Authors: Paim Maria‐Augusta
Published: July 2021

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has recently increased, and one of the main drivers is the expansion of soy production for international markets. The Soy Moratorium (SM) is a market‐based, zero‐deforestation commitment banning traders from purchasing soy produced in the Amazon’s deforested land after July 2008. Combined with public conservation policies, the SM has contributed to a decrease in the direct conversion of forests for soy production. This article considers the SM’s links with global forest protection, revealing that measures to protect forests at local levels are consistent with global trends. Specifically, the article suggests that the SM exemplifies the growing importance of non‐State actors in global environmental protection, the close relationship between forest protection and climate change goals, and the reconciliation of environmental practices with economic growth. As such, the article helps explain how the SM advance global forest governance at a time of erosion of environmental protection.
Accountability infrastructures: Pragmatic compliance inside organizations
Authors: Huising Ruthanne , Silbey Susan S.
Published: July 2021

We trace the pragmatic turn in regulatory governance from the level of the state and civil society to the coalface of the regulated organization. Since the 1980s, an array of new regulatory models has emerged. These models, while distinct, are unified in two related tendencies. First, they support the devolution of responsibility for standard setting, program design, and enforcement to the regulated organization. This delegation of governance to the organization itself has catalyzed the creation ofaccountability infrastructureswithin organizations, a network of offices, roles, programs, and procedures dedicated to aligning the organization's operations with external standards, codes of conduct, ethical and normative expectations, and regulations. Second, the diverse regulatory models depend, often implicitly, on organizational accountability infrastructures that incorporate the tenets of pragmatist philosophy: inquiry through narration, adaptation to context, and problem‐solving through experimentation. Reviewing the empirical literature on organizational compliance, we find ample evidence of inquiry through narration at the organizational coalface. However, we find limited evidence of narrating plurality in the organization and narrating experimentation as problem‐solving, as these activities create tensions with internal and external parties who expect singular, stable representations of governance. These tensions reveal an important incongruity between pragmatic governance across organizations and pragmatic governance within organizations. We contribute to the regulatory governance literature by documenting this important shift in the locus of governance to the organizational coalface and by charting a new research agenda. We argue that examinations of regulatory governance should be retraced in three ways. First, attention should shift to the organizational coalface, recognizing and analyzing accountability infrastructures as the central contemporary mechanism of governance. Second, the long‐standing focus in regulatory studies onwhyparties comply should shift to understandinghowregulated parties manage themselves to achieve compliance. Third, analyses of compliance should examine the tensions in narrating adaptation and experimentation, and the implications of such tensions for the achievement of prosocial outcomes.
Impact of repeated remote ischemic conditioning on diabetic foot ulcers: A proof‐of‐concept study
Authors: Regulski Matthew , Greenwood Todd , Leschinsky Boris
Published: July 2021

Patients with a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) suffer disabilities and are at increased risk for lower extremity amputation. Current standard of care includes debridement, topical antibiotics, and weight off‐loading—still resulting in low rates of healing. Previous small‐scale research has indicated that repeated remote ischemic conditioning (rRIC) is a novel modality that delivers significantly higher DFU healing rates. This proof‐of‐concept study was performed to expand the research on the utility of rRIC as an adjunctive treatment in the healing of chronic DFUs. Forty subjects (41 wounds) received rRIC treatment three times weekly in addition to standard of care for 12 weeks. Subjects that did not heal in this time frame but had a significant reduction in wound size were eligible to continue for an 8‐week extension period. By the end of the extension period, 31 of the 41 DFU wounds (75.6%) in this study were determined to be healed. This compares favourably to the 25–30% standard of care average healing rate. For additional comparison, another group of patients receiving standard of care alone, by the same investigator, was selected and matched by wound size at baseline and wound location. For this matching cohort, after 20 weeks of treatment, only 15 of the 41 DFU comparison wounds (36.6%) were determined to be healed, in line with other standard of care results. In the rRIC treatment group, the 10 wounds that did not heal, experienced an average reduction in wound area of 54.3%. The results of this proof‐of‐concept study reinforce earlier evidence that the addition of rRIC to local wound care significantly improves the healing of chronic diabetic foot ulcers.
OPEN THEISM AND RISK MANAGEMENT: A PHILOSOPHICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Mullins R. T. , Sani Emanuela
Published: July 2021

Open theism denies that God has definite exhaustive foreknowledge, and affirms that God takes certain risks when creating the universe. Critics of open theism often complain that the risks are too high. Perhaps there is something morally wrong with God taking a risk in creating a universe with an open future. Open theists have tried to respond by clarifying how much risk is involved in God creating an open universe, though we argue that it remains unclear how much risk is actually involved. We claim that open theists need to start developing theories about how God manages risks in order to bring about His purposes for the universe. In this article, we will take a philosophical and biological perspective on risk management that adds plausibility to open theism. We will consider how God can use different risk‐management, surveillance, and redundancy systems in the natural world in order to accomplish His goals.
Abwesenheit and Anwesenheit in Beethoven's Op. 81a
Authors: Burstein L. Poundie
Published: July 2021

A sense of absence can be evoked in a piece of music through various means. For instance, the appearance of a musical event may be suggested through certain features while being noticeably obscured by others, or the arrival of an event that is strongly prepared ultimately may be conspicuously
thwarted. Such strategies may be witnessed in the second movement of Beethoven's Sonata for Piano in E♭, Op. 81a. Significantly, Beethoven subtitled this movement "Abwesenheit"—that is, "Absence." This subtitle and also the layout of the movement arguably have programmatic implications
possibly understandable as relating to landmark events that occurred in Vienna around the time of the sonata's composition.
Theoretical Analysis of a Single-Stage Gas-Fired Ejector Heat Pump Water Heater
Authors: Spitzenberger Jeremy , Wang Pengtao , Ismael Laith , Ma Hongbin , Abuheiba Ahmad , Nawaz Kashif
Published: July 2021

Ejector-driven systems have the ability to operate at high efficiencies, utilizing recycled thermal energy as a power source. For a typical ejector heat pump (EHP) system, the increase of the condenser temperature reduces the coefficient of performance (COP). In addition, if the condenser temperature is higher than the critical temperature, the ejector may not function. In this situation, the condenser temperature must be reduced, and an additional heater will be utilized to heat the production water from the condenser temperature to the desired temperature. In this study, a single-stage gas-fired EHP is investigated and thermodynamically modeled to optimize the system COP for the purpose of heating water by utilizing the thermal energy from the ambient air. The effects of the high-temperature evaporator (HTE) and low-temperature evaporator (LTE) on the ejector critical back pressure and the EHP system performance are examined for a HTE temperature range of 120–180 °C and LTE temperatures of 15.5, 17.5, and 19.5 °C. Results show that an optimized COP for the EHP system exists and is dependent on HTE and LTE temperatures and the primary nozzle throat diameter. In addition, it is found that the peak EHP COP does not necessarily coincide with a large ejector COP. From this study, a maximum EHP COP of 1.31 is achieved at a HTE temperature of 170 °C and LTE temperature of 19.5 °C with a total heating capacity of 15.98 kW.
Interpretation of Stall Precursor Signatures
Authors: Brandstetter Christoph , Ottavy Xavier , Paoletti Benoit , Stapelfeldt Sina
Published: July 2021

Unsteady aerodynamic phenomena appearing close to the stall boundary in axial fans and compressors have been the subject of extensive investigations. A particular phenomenon known as “rotating instabilities” typically occurs in the tip region at highly loaded conditions and is often linked to blade vibrations. During rig and engine testing, it is usually identified by the characteristic shape of its pressure spectra. In the 1990s, this shape has been explained as the result of a circumferentially propagating disturbance, which is unsteady in a frame of reference rotating with the disturbance. In this analysis, conclusions regarding its propagation speed and frequency have been made based on the analysis of spectral peaks, and this method is still often used to classify unsteady aerodynamic phenomena. However, in high subsonic and transonic machines, where aeroacoustic and aeroelastic phenomena interact with aerodynamic disturbances, the interpretation of measurements using spectra alone is challenging. The present article aims to demonstrate the difficulties and subtleties associated with the analysis of measurement signals, which need to be overcome to correctly interpret stall precursor signatures. At the example of a recent investigation on a composite fan, the consequences of sensor placement and postprocessing techniques are discussed with a focus on spectral averaging, isolation of non-synchronous phenomena, and multisensor cross correlation methods. It is seen that the interpretation of phenomena based solely on spectral peaks and their spacing can be misleading and that the characteristic features of a rotating instability spectrum do not require an unstable pulsating disturbance.
Evaluation of aspiration problems in L2 English pronunciation employing machine learning
Authors: Piotrowska Magdalena , Czyżewski Andrzej , Ciszewski Tomasz , Korvel Gražina , Kurowski Adam , Kostek Bożena
Published: July 2021

The approach proposed in this study includes methods specifically dedicated to the detection of allophonic variation in English. This study aims to find an efficient method for automatic evaluation of aspiration in the case of Polish second-language (L2) English speakers' pronunciation when whole words are analyzed instead of particular allophones extracted from words. Sample words including aspirated and unaspirated allophones were prepared by experts in English phonetics and phonology. The datasets created include recordings of words pronounced by nine native English speakers of standard southern British accent and 20 Polish L2 English users. Complete unedited words are treated as input data for feature extraction and classification algorithms such as k-nearest neighbors, naive Bayes method, long-short term memory, and convolutional neural network (CNN). Various signal representations, including low-level audio features, the so-called mid-term and feature trajectory, and spectrograms, are tested in the context of their usability for the detection of aspiration. The results obtained show high potential for an automated evaluation of pronunciation focused on a particular phonological feature (aspiration) when classifiers analyze whole words. Additionally, CNN returns satisfying results for the automated classification of words containing aspirated and unaspirated allophones produced by Polish L2 speakers.
Complete Genome Sequences of the Methicillin-Resistant Strain Staphylococcus aureus 17Gst354 and Its Prophage Staphylococcus Phage vB_StaphS-IVBph354
Authors: Kittl Sonja , Brodard Isabelle , Overesch Gudrun , Kuhnert Peter , Jores Joerg , Labroussaa Fabien
Published: July 2021

We report the complete 2,783,931-bp circular genome sequence of the human methicillin-resistant strain
Staphylococcus aureus
17Gst354, isolated from a nasal swab. The strain possessed an additional 4,397-bp plasmid. Moreover, we induced and sequenced its temperate phage
Staphylococcus
phage vB_StaphS-IVBph354, which has a circular genome of 41,970 bp.
Metformin-associated lactic acidosis
Authors: Fadden Emma Jane , Longley Christian , Mahambrey Tushar
Published: July 2021

A 58-year-old female with known type 2 diabetes mellitus continued to take her usual medications, including metformin, an ACE inhibitor and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, while suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting. On presentation to the emergency department, she was found to have a profound lactic acidosis, cardiovascular instability and acute kidney injury. Despite a pH of 6.6, lactate of 14 mmol/L and a brief asystolic cardiac arrest, supportive treatment and the use of renal replacement therapy resulted in rapid improvement in her acid–base abnormalities and haemodynamic parameters. Metformin-associated lactic acidosis is a rare but life-threatening complication of diabetes management. Patient education and awareness amongst clinicians are paramount in the prevention and treatment of this condition.
Total knee arthroplasty in a young patient with achondroplasia
Authors: Zmerly Hassan , Russo Marco , Moscato Manuela , Akkawi Ibrahim
Published: July 2021

Achondroplasia is a genetic skeletal dysplasia, characterised by dwarfism, with upper and lower limb deformities, that can lead to knee osteoarthritis; the surgical treatment is a challenge due to the particular joint anatomy variances. We present a 40-year-old woman, affected by achondroplasia with severe left knee osteoarthritis; the patient was treated conservatively with poor results. Between the ages of 12 and 17 years, she underwent multiple operative procedures for lower limb lengthening and a partial correction of the valgus deformity, by applying an external fixator. The patient was successfully treated with cemented posterior stabilised, fixed-bearing, total knee arthroplasty. The patient affected by achondroplasia, with severe knee osteoarthritis, should be considered for total joint replacement, which can be carried out with or without additional extra-articular osteotomy for alignment correction. Due to skeletal dysplasia in joint deformities, knee replacement requires careful preoperative planning and special technical considerations.
Model for developing context-sensitive responses to vulnerability in research: managing ethical dilemmas faced by frontline research staff in Kenya
Authors: Molyneux Sassy , Sukhtankar Priya , Thitiri Johnstone , Njeru Rita , Muraya Kui , Sanga Gladys , Walson Judd L , Berkley James , Kelley Maureen , Marsh Vicki
Published: July 2021

Health research in low-resource settings often involves individuals and populations defined as ‘vulnerable’. There is growing attention in the literature to the ethical dilemmas that frontline research staff face while conducting such research. However, there is little documented as to how research staff might support one another in identifying and handling these dilemmas in different contexts. Over the course of conducting empirical ethics research embedded in the Childhood Acute Illness & Nutrition Network, we developed an approach to examine and respond to the ethical issues and dilemmas faced by the study teams, particularly frontline staff. In this paper we describe the specific tools and approach we developed, which centred on regular cross-team ethics reflection sessions, and share lessons learnt. We suggest that all studies involving potentially vulnerable participants should incorporate activities and processes to support frontline staff in identifying, reflecting on and responding to ethical dilemmas, throughout studies. We outline the resources needed to do this and share piloted tools for further adaptation and evaluation. Such initiatives should complement and feed into—and certainly not in any way replace or substitute for—strong institutional ethics review, safeguarding and health and safety policies and processes, as well broader staff training and career support initiatives.