bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When is vancomycin prophylaxis necessary? Risk factors for MRSA surgical site infection
Authors: Nguyen Cynthia T. , Baccile Rachel , Brown Amanda M. , Lew Alison K. , Pisano Jennifer , Pettit Natasha N.
Published: January 2024

Background:

The 2022 SHEA/IDSA/APIC guidance for surgical site infection (SSI) prevention recommends reserving vancomycin prophylaxis to patients who are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonized. Unfortunately, vancomycin prophylaxis remains common due to the overestimation of MRSA risk and the desire to cover MRSA in patients with certain healthcare-associated characteristics. To optimize vancomycin prophylaxis, we sought to identify risk factors for MRSA SSI.

Methods:

This was a single-center, case-control study of patients with a postoperative SSI after undergoing a National Healthcare Safety Network operative procedure over eight years. MRSA SSI cases were compared to non-MRSA SSI controls. Forty-two demographic, medical, and surgical characteristics were evaluated.

Results:

Of the 441 patients included, 23 developed MRSA SSIs (rate = 5.2 per 100 SSIs). In the multivariable model, we identified two independent risk factors for MRSA SSI: a history of MRSA colonization or infection (OR, 9.0 [95% CI, 1.9–29.6]) and hip or knee replacement surgery (OR, 3.8 [95% CI, 1.3–9.9]). Hemodialysis, previous hospitalization, and prolonged hospitalization prior to the procedure had no measurable association with odds of MRSA SSI.

Conclusions:

Patients with prior MRSA colonization or infection had 9–10 times greater odds of MRSA SSI and patients undergoing hip and knee replacement had 3–4 times greater odds of MRSA SSI. Healthcare-associated characteristics, such as previous hospitalization or hemodialysis, were not associated with MRSA SSI. Our findings support national recommendations to reserve vancomycin prophylaxis for patients who are MRSA colonized, as well as those undergoing hip and knee replacement, in the absence of routine MRSA colonization surveillance.
An Ecofeminist Politics of Chicken Ovulation: A Socio-Capitalist Model of Ability as Farmed Animal Impairment
Authors: Narayanan Yamini
Published: January 2024

Through a combined ecofeminist, and critical disability philosophical analysis of the commodification of female farmed animal reproduction, the paper conceptualizes ability as a socio-capitalist construct that can carry the potential for harm. Patriarchal farmed animal capitalism relies upon the idea of naturalized ability of farmed females to be hyper-reproductive/hyper-ovulatory/hyper-lactative. This paper frames the introduced condition of hyper-ovulation in “egg” hens, or the amplification of their ability to lay through selective breeding, as reproductive impairment, and an act of violent patriarchal commodification and capitalization of female reproduction. Impairment, then, functions not just as disability, but also as ability. Focusing on our rescued chickens, the paper argues that such intentionally bred hyper-fertility manifests for individual hens in its least harmful form as chronic illness with the likelihood of everyday pain and inflammation, anxiety, and metabolic hunger; and in its most harmful form as a life-threatening condition. It then examines the subversive ecofeminist politics of using contraception for chickens in a fraught attempt to restore a closer pace of avian ovulation cycles that existed prior to their selective breeding. In allowing infertility to be restored to hen bodies, chicken contraception highlights the disappearance of intentionally introduced reproductive impairment to materialize the patriarchal-capitalist ableist construct of hens who naturally ovulate daily. Ideas of normal and natural can also thus operate in the service of ability. Ultimately, the paper positions the infertile hen as central to a fuller feminist resistance to the governance and control of the female reproductive body.
Potential underreporting of treated patients using a Clostridioides difficile testing algorithm that screens with a nucleic acid amplification test
Authors: Guh Alice Y. , Fridkin Scott , Goodenough Dana , Winston Lisa G. , Johnston Helen , Basiliere Elizabeth , Olson Danyel , Wilson Christopher D. , Watkins Jasmine J. , Korhonen Lauren , Gerding Dale N.
Published: January 2024

Objective:

Patients tested for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) using a 2-step algorithm with a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) followed by toxin assay are not reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network as a laboratory-identified CDI event if they are NAAT positive (+)/toxin negative (−). We compared NAAT+/toxin− and NAAT+/toxin+ patients and identified factors associated with CDI treatment among NAAT+/toxin− patients.

Design:

Retrospective observational study.

Setting:

The study was conducted across 36 laboratories at 5 Emerging Infections Program sites.

Patients:

We defined a CDI case as a positive test detected by this 2-step algorithm during 2018–2020 in a patient aged ≥1 year with no positive test in the previous 8 weeks.

Methods:

We used multivariable logistic regression to compare CDI-related complications and recurrence between NAAT+/toxin− and NAAT+/toxin+ cases. We used a mixed-effects logistic model to identify factors associated with treatment in NAAT+/toxin− cases.

Results:

Of 1,801 cases, 1,252 were NAAT+/toxin−, and 549 were NAAT+/toxin+. CDI treatment was given to 866 (71.5%) of 1,212 NAAT+/toxin− cases versus 510 (95.9%) of 532 NAAT+/toxin+ cases (P < .0001). NAAT+/toxin− status was protective for recurrence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.65; 95% CI, 0.55–0.77) but not CDI-related complications (aOR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.87–1.28). Among NAAT+/toxin− cases, white blood cell count ≥15,000/µL (aOR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.28–2.74), ≥3 unformed stools for ≥1 day (aOR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.40–2.59), and diagnosis by a laboratory that provided no or neutral interpretive comments (aOR, 3.23; 95% CI, 2.23–4.68) were predictors of CDI treatment.

Conclusion:

Use of this 2-step algorithm likely results in underreporting of some NAAT+/toxin− cases with clinically relevant CDI. Disease severity and laboratory interpretive comments influence treatment decisions for NAAT+/toxin− cases.
A five-year quasi-experimental study to evaluate the impact of empiric antibiotic order sets on antibiotic use metrics among hospitalized adult patients
Authors: Kufel Wesley D. , Steele Jeffrey M. , Mahapatra Rahul , Brodey Mitchell V. , Wang Dongliang , Paolino Kristopher M. , Suits Paul , Empey Derek W. , Thomas Stephen J.
Published: January 2024

Objective:

Evaluation of adult antibiotic order sets (AOSs) on antibiotic stewardship metrics has been limited. The primary outcome was to evaluate the standardized antimicrobial administration ratio (SAAR). Secondary outcomes included antibiotic days of therapy (DOT) per 1,000 patient days (PD); selected antibiotic use; AOS utilization; Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) cases; and clinicians’ perceptions of the AOS via a survey following the final study phase.

Design:

This 5-year, single-center, quasi-experimental study comprised 5 phases from 2017 to 2022 over 10-month periods between August 1 and May 31.

Setting:

The study was conducted in a 752-bed tertiary care, academic medical center.

Intervention:

Our institution implemented AOSs in the electronic medical record (EMR) for common infections among hospitalized adults.

Results:

For the primary outcome, a statistically significant decreases in SAAR were detected from phase 1 to phase 5 (1.0 vs 0.90; P < .001). A statistically significant decreases were detected in DOT per 1,000 PD (4,884 vs 3,939; P = .001), fluoroquinolone orders (407 vs 175; P < .001), carbapenem orders (147 vs 106; P = .024), and clindamycin orders (113 vs 73; P = .01). No statistically significant change in mean vancomycin orders was detected (991 vs 902; P = .221). A statistically significant decrease in CDI cases was also detected (7.8, vs 2.4; P = .002) but may have been attributable to changes in CDI case diagnosis. Clinicians indicated that the AOSs were easy to use overall and that they helped them select the appropriate antibiotics.

Conclusions:

Implementing AOS into the EMR was associated with a statistically significant reduction in SAAR, antibiotic DOT per 1,000 PD, selected antibiotic orders, and CDI cases.
Wall-attached convection under strong inclined magnetic fields
Authors: Bhattacharya Shashwat , Boeck Thomas , Krasnov Dmitry , Schumacher Jörg
Published: January 2024

We employ a linear stability analysis and direct numerical simulations to study the characteristics of wall modes in thermal convection in a rectangular box under strong and inclined magnetic fields. The walls of the convection cell are electrically insulated. The stability analysis assumes periodicity in the spanwise direction perpendicular to the plane of a homogeneous magnetic field. Our study shows that for a fixed vertical magnetic field, the imposition of horizontal magnetic fields results in an increase of the critical Rayleigh number along with a decrease in the wavelength of the wall modes. The wall modes become tilted along the direction of the resulting magnetic fields and therefore extend further into the bulk as the horizontal magnetic field is increased. Once the modes localized on the opposite walls interact, the critical Rayleigh number decreases again and eventually drops below the value for onset with a purely vertical field. We find that for sufficiently strong horizontal magnetic fields, the steady wall modes occupy the entire bulk and therefore convection is no longer restricted to the sidewalls. The aforementioned results are confirmed by direct numerical simulations of the nonlinear evolution of magnetoconvection. The direct numerical simulation results also reveal that at least for large values of horizontal magnetic field, the wall-mode structures and the resulting heat transfer are dependent on the initial conditions.
Cambrian trilobites and associated fossils from the Uinta Mountains of Utah (USA)
Authors: Foster John R. , Sundberg Frederick A. , Hagadorn James W.
Published: January 2024

Fossils are rare in Cambrian strata of the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah, and are important because they can help integrate our understanding of laterally adjacent but discontiguous rock units, e. g., the Tintic Quartzite of Utah and the Lodore Formation of Utah-Colorado. New body fossils from strata previously mapped as Tintic or Cambrian Undifferentiated, but here interpreted as the Ophir Formation, include indeterminate hyoliths and hyolithids, brachiopods including a linguloid, and the trilobites Trachycheilus Resser, 1945 and Elrathiella Poulsen, 1927. The last two assign these strata to the Ehmaniella Biozone (uppermost Wuliuan Stage; Miaolingian Series) or traditional Laurentian middle Cambrian. These data, together with fossil occurrences elsewhere in Utah, require that the Tintic Quartzite was deposited prior to and/or during the early Wuliuan, and suggest that the unit could be correlative to much of the Lodore Formation of Utah and Colorado.
De Finetti’s control problem with a concave bound on the control rate
Authors: Locas Félix , Renaud Jean-François
Published: January 2024

We consider De Finetti’s control problem for absolutely continuous strategies with control rates bounded by a concave function and prove that a generalized mean-reverting strategy is optimal in a Brownian model. In order to solve this problem, we need to deal with a nonlinear Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process. Despite the level of generality of the bound imposed on the rate, an explicit expression for the value function is obtained up to the evaluation of two functions. This optimal control problem has, as special cases, those solved in Jeanblanc-Picqué and Shiryaev (1995) and Renaud and Simard (2021) when the control rate is bounded by a constant and a linear function, respectively.
The effect of lexicalization biases on cross-situational statistical learning of novel verbs
Authors: George Nathan R. , Ciaccio Sabina , Berry Lucia , Weiss Daniel J.
Published: January 2024

Languages vary in the mapping of relational terms onto events. For instance, English motion descriptions favor manner (how something moves) verbs over path (where something move) verbs, whereas those of other languages, like Spanish, show the opposite pattern. While these lexicalization biases are malleable, adopting a novel lexicalization pattern can be slow for second language learners. One potential mechanism for learning non-native verb mappings is cross-situational statistical learning (CSSL). However, the application of CSSL to verbs is limited and does not explicitly examine how lexicalization biases may complicate adults’ ability to resolve the referential uncertainty of multiple referents. We ask English-speaking monolingual adults to learn the mappings of ten verbs via CSSL. Verbs mapped onto either manner or path of motion, with the other event component held constant. Adults in both conditions demonstrated successful learning of novel verbs, with adults learning the manner verbs showing more consistent performance across accepting correct referents and rejecting incorrect ones. Our results are the first to demonstrate adults’ use of CSSL to acquire verb meanings that both align with and cut against native lexicalization biases and suggest a limited influence of lexicalization biases on adults’ learning in idealized CSSL conditions.
Community, Place, and Identity in Middle Formative Coastal Ecuador: Human Burials at Salango, a Machalilla Phase Fishing Village
Authors: Lunniss Richard M. , Ubelaker Douglas H.
Published: January 2024

Thirty-one individuals buried at Salango, a Machalilla phase fishing village, constitute the only significant Middle Formative funerary assemblage so far recovered for the coast of Ecuador. Our description and discussion of the burials in the context of the nature, location, and history of the settlement and a comparison with preceding coastal Valdivia and contemporary highland Cotocollao funerary practices show that, although they represent a new general tradition, Machalilla burial rituals at Salango reflected specific social conditions and concern with community identity. In particular, the elaborate burial of an adult female not only points to the continuing authority of women in coastal Ecuadorian Formative communities but also expresses the spiritual and economic importance of the sea for Machalilla phase Salango.
The AKP’s clientelist–machine politics and the role of Kurdish brokers: the case of Bağcılar
Authors: Kuran İbrahim
Published: January 2024

Although there are numerous studies showing the significance of clientelism in the electoral mobilization of the poor in Turkey, scant attention has been paid on the specific clientelistic strategies employed by the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi; AKP) among the Kurdish population in İstanbul. Addressing this gap, this study focuses on the AKP’s clientelist politics among Kurdish voters in Bağcılar, a lower-income district on the European side of İstanbul. Drawing on fieldwork, this study argues that the AKP successfully mobilizes Kurdish voters through machine politics and relational clientelism, which are facilitated by co-ethnic brokerage and intermediary linkages. By analyzing different modalities of Kurdish brokers – Kurdish (male) entrepreneurs, Kurdish housewives and Kurdish associations – the study discloses the intricate dynamics of the AKP’s clientelist–machine politics at the local level. It reveals that the AKP’s co-ethnic brokers not only distribute material benefits but also cultivate enduring personal relationships with Kurdish voters, providing problem-solving networks for the Kurdish poor in everyday life. The AKP’s co-ethnic brokerage relations foster trust, care, solidarity, and affectivity among Kurds. The study concludes that the AKP employs both material and symbolic dimensions of clientelism to mobilize the Kurdish electorate in İstanbul.
Superabsorbent polymers in soil: The new microplastics?
Authors: Buchmann Christian , Neff Janina , Meyer Maximilian , Bundschuh Mirco , Steinmetz Zacharias
Published: January 2024

The extensive use of synthetic polymers in our everyday lives has resulted in significant plastic pollution. Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are yet another class of anthropogenic materials with uncertain environmental implications. SAPs, like polyacrylates (PAA) or polyacrylamides (PAM), find applications in personal care products, construction, wastewater treatment, agriculture and soil remediation. However, when SAPs enter the soil, weathering may change their intended properties, potentially forming plastic-like solid residues over time. This review aims to evaluate the current scientific understanding of the application and environmental fate of SAPs in soil, focusing on the processes driving their potential transformation into solid residues. We explore analytical techniques for the qualitative and quantitative characterization of SAPs and solid SAP residues. Our research provides first insights into the potential mechanisms and conditions governing SAP aging and transformation, advancing our understanding of the fate of SAPs in soil and their impact on soil properties and functioning. There are specific knowledge gaps regarding the influence of climate change on the application and transformation of SAPs in soil. To facilitate future research, we suggest scrutinizing relevant processes of SAP transformation in the field, critically (re)evaluating SAP application to the soil and establishing robust monitoring methods.
Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric and ICE Reporting Interest: Evidence from a Large-Scale Study of Web Search Data
Authors: Krupenkin Masha , Hill Shawndra , Rothschild David
Published: January 2024

This paper studies whether media cues can motivate interest in reporting suspected unauthorized immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Using web search data and automated content analysis of cable news transcripts, we examine the role of media coverage on searches for how to report immigrants to ICE and searches about immigrant crime and welfare dependency. We find significant and persistent increases in news segments on crime by after Trump's inauguration, accompanied by a sharp increase in searches for how to report immigrants. We find a strong association between daily reporting searches and immigration and crime coverage. Using searches during broadcasts of presidential speeches, we isolate the specific effect of anti-immigrant media coverage on searches for how to report immigrants to ICE. The findings indicate that the media's choices regarding the coverage of immigrants can have a strong impact on the public's interest in behaviour that directly harms immigrants.
Qing China and Its Offshore Islands in the Long Eighteenth Century
Authors: Po Ronald C.
Published: January 2024

A significant paradigm shift in the examination of China’s engagement with the maritime world has taken place over the past decade. The conventional image of the Qing dynasty in the long eighteenth century as being merely land-orientated has now become obsolete. Historians are no longer satisfied with this stereotype and have put aside the conception that the Qing only realized the importance of strategic marine governance after the First Opium War. In view of this historiographical turn, I seek to deepen our understanding of the Great Qing in relation to the sea. By focusing on a series of sea charts, alongside some relevant palace papers, from the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, I will argue that the Qing’s process of locating and charting those offshore islands was an essential, indicative, and demonstrative step for the central authority to project its imperial power onto the waters off the coast of China long before the arrival of Western gunboats in the age of global rivalry.
Advances in diagnostic approaches to Fasciola infection in animals and humans: An overviews
Authors: Aftab A. , Raina O.K. , Maxton A. , Masih S.A.
Published: January 2024

Fasciolosis, caused by Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica, is an impediment to the livestock industry’s expansion and has a massively negative socio-economic impact due to its widespread prevalence in livestock. It is a waterborne zoonosis affecting human populations in the countries where rural economies are associated with livestock rearing. Conventional diagnosis of Fasciola infection is done by detecting parasite eggs in the faeces of infected animals or by immunological methods. Accurate and quick immunodiagnosis of Fasciola infection in animals and humans is based on the detection of antibodies and specific antigens expressed in the prepatent stage of the parasite. Both molecular and serodiagnostic tests developed thus far have enhanced the reliability of Fasciola diagnosis in both man and animals but are not widely available in resource-poor nations. A pen-side diagnostic test based on a lateral flow assay or a DNA test like loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) would be simple, fast, and cost-effective, enabling clinicians to treat animals in a targeted manner and avoid the development of drug resistance to the limited flukicides. This review focuses on the recent advances made in the diagnosis of this parasite infection in animals and humans.
Assessing expectancy and suggestibility in a trial of escitalopram v. psilocybin for depression
Authors: Szigeti Balázs , Weiss Brandon , Rosas Fernando E. , Erritzoe David , Nutt David , Carhart-Harris Robin
Published: January 2024

Background

To investigate the association between pre-trial expectancy, suggestibility, and response to treatment in a trial of escitalopram and investigational drug, COMP360, psilocybin, in the treatment of major depressive disorder (ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03429075).

Methods

We used data (n = 55) from our recent double-blind, parallel-group, randomized head-to-head comparison trial of escitalopram and investigational drug, COMP360, psilocybin. Mixed linear models were used to investigate the association between pre-treatment efficacy-related expectations, as well as baseline trait suggestibility and absorption, and therapeutic response to both escitalopram and COMP360 psilocybin.

Results

Patients had significantly higher expectancy for psilocybin relative to escitalopram; however, expectancy for escitalopram was associated with improved therapeutic outcomes to escitalopram, expectancy for psilocybin was not predictive of response to psilocybin. Separately, we found that pre-treatment trait suggestibility was associated with therapeutic response in the psilocybin arm, but not in the escitalopram arm.

Conclusions

Overall, our results suggest that psychedelic therapy may be less vulnerable to expectancy biases than previously suspected. The relationship between baseline trait suggestibility and response to psilocybin therapy implies that highly suggestible individuals may be primed for response to this treatment.
Image-based anti-interference robotic Chinese character writing system
Authors: Li Xian , Yang Chenguang , Xu Sheng , Ou Yongsheng
Published: January 2024

This article designs a robotic Chinese character writing system that can resist random human interference. Firstly, an innovative stroke extraction method of Chinese characters was devised. A basic Chinese character stroke extraction method based on cumulative direction vectors is used to extract the components that make up the strokes of Chinese characters. The components are then stitched together into strokes based on the sequential base stroke joining method. To enable the robot to imitate handwriting Chinese character skills, we utilised stroke information as the demonstration and modelled the skills using dynamic movement primitives (DMPs). To suppress random human interference, this article combines improved DMPs and conductance control to adjust robot trajectories based on real-time visual measurements. The experimental results show that the proposed method can accurately extract the strokes of most Chinese characters. The designed trajectory adjustment method offers better smoothness and robustness than direct rotating and translating curves. The robot is able to adjust its posture and trajectory in real time to eliminate the negative impacts of human interference.
Perceived benefits, burdens and effectiveness of a buffer zone programme in improving protected area–people relationships
Authors: Dixit Sweta , Poudyal Neelam Chandra , Silwal Thakur , Joshi Omkar , Bhandari Ananta , Pant Ganesh , Hodges Donald G
Published: January 2024

Programmes focused on buffer zones (BZs) and park revenue-sharing (PRS) are aimed at sharing protected area (PA) benefits with local communities to meet their development needs and, in turn, improve the PA–people relationship. However, whether and how these programmes improve public attitudes towards PAs is little understood. We assessed how residents perceive the benefit and burdens of Nepal’s BZ programme, which shares up to 50% of PA revenue with communities, and how this process relates to their perceptions of change in the PA–people relationship since the BZ programme was implemented. Survey results from 2122 households in the BZs of six PAs showed that residents’ perceptions of PA–people relationships had improved since the BZ programme’s implementation. Furthermore, the perceived trend in the PA–people relationship was positively related to the perception of benefits and satisfaction with coordination between the PA and local government; it was negatively related to perceived burdens of BZ-related laws in rural development, history of damage/loss from wildlife and misunderstandings of the purpose behind BZ funds being given to local communities. These findings provide valuable insights for PA managers in Nepal and worldwide in designing new or improving existing mechanisms of benefit-sharing with local people and to improve PA–people relationships.
Within-person reciprocal links between stress, sleep, and depressive symptoms across Latino/a adolescents’ transition to and through college
Authors: Sasser Jeri , Lecarie Emma K. , Gusman Michaela S. , Doane Leah D.
Published: January 2024

Evidence suggests bidirectional relations between stress, sleep, and depressive symptoms in adolescence and young adulthood. Less research has disaggregated within- and between-person variance in these associations over time or within Latino/a college students. This study examined longitudinal, within-person reciprocal relations between stress, sleep, and depressive symptoms among 181 Latino/a adolescents (Mage = 18.10; SD = 0.41, 35% male) transitioning to college. Participants were assessed in their senior year of high school and annually until their fourth year of college. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was used to parse out within- and between-person sources of variance. Results indicated overall (between-person) relations among depressive symptoms and school/college stress and sleep problems. There were reciprocal within-person links between stress and sleep problems across the first two years of college. Within-person increases in depressive symptoms during the second year of college predicted more stress than usual in the third year, which predicted increased depressive symptoms in the fourth year. More sleep problems than usual in the third year of college predicted higher stress in the fourth year. Findings provide evidence for within-person cross-lagged relations among various domains of adjustment during college and may inform future prevention efforts for incoming Latino/a college students targeting mental health and sleep problems.
The effects of life experiences and polygenic risk for depression on the development of positive and negative cognitive biases across adolescence: The CogBIAS hypothesis
Authors: Zavlis Orestis , Parsons Sam , Fox Elaine , Booth Charlotte , Songco Annabel , Vincent John Paul
Published: January 2024

The Cognitive Bias (CogBIAS) hypothesis proposes that cognitive biases develop as a function of environmental influences (which determine the valence of biases) and the genetic susceptibility to those influences (which determines the potency of biases). The current study employed a longitudinal, polygenic-by-environment approach to examine the CogBIAS hypothesis. To this end, measures of life experiences and polygenic scores for depression were used to assess the development of memory and interpretation biases in a three-wave sample of adolescents (12–16 years) (N = 337). Using mixed effects modeling, three patterns were revealed. First, positive life experiences (PLEs) were found to diminish negative and enhance positive forms of memory and social interpretation biases. Second, and against expectation, negative life experiences and depression polygenic scores were not associated with any cognitive outcomes, upon adjusting for psychopathology. Finally, and most importantly, the interaction between high polygenic risk and greater PLEs was associated with a stronger positive interpretation bias for social situations. These results provide the first line of polygenic evidence in support of the CogBIAS hypothesis, but also extend this hypothesis by highlighting positive genetic and nuanced environmental influences on the development of cognitive biases across adolescence.
Unique roles of adolescents’ friends and fathers in predicting verbal aggression in future adult romantic relationships
Authors: Allen Joseph P. , Costello Meghan A. , Pettit Corey , Bailey Natasha A. , Stern Jessica A.
Published: January 2024

This 20-year prospective study examined verbal aggression and intense conflict within the family of origin and between adolescents and their close friends as predictors of future verbal aggression in adult romantic relationships. A diverse community sample of 154 individuals was assessed repeatedly from age 13 to 34 years using self-, parent, peer, and romantic partner reports. As hypothesized, verbal aggression in adult romantic relationships was best predicted by both paternal verbal aggression toward mothers and by intense conflict within adolescent close friendships, with each factor contributing unique variance to explaining adult romantic verbal aggression. These factors also interacted, such that paternal verbal aggression was predictive of future romantic verbal aggression only in the context of co-occurring intense conflict between an adolescent and their closest friend. Predictions remained robust even after accounting for levels of parental abusive behavior toward the adolescent, levels of physical violence between parents, and the overall quality of the adolescent’s close friendship. Results indicate the critical importance of exposure to aggression and conflict within key horizontal relationships in adolescence. Implications for early identification of risk as well as for potential preventive interventions are discussed.
Automated annotation of parallel bible corpora with cross-lingual semantic concordance
Authors: Dörpinghaus Jens
Published: January 2024

Here we present an improved approach for automated annotation of New Testament corpora with cross-lingual semantic concordance based on Strong’s numbers. Based on already annotated texts, they provide references to the original Greek words. Since scientific editions and translations of biblical texts are often not available for scientific purposes and are rarely freely available, there is a lack of up-to-date training data. In addition, since annotation, curation, and quality control of alignments between these texts are expensive, there is a lack of available biblical resources for scholars. We present two improved approaches to the problem, based on dictionaries and already annotated biblical texts. We provide a detailed evaluation of annotated and unannotated translations. We also discuss a proof of concept based on English and German New Testament translations. The results presented in this paper are novel and, to our knowledge, unique. They show promising performance, although further research is needed.
Anisotropic span embeddings and the negative impact of higher-order inference for coreference resolution: An empirical analysis
Authors: Hou Feng , Wang Ruili , Ng See-Kiong , Zhu Fangyi , Witbrock Michael , Cahan Steven F. , Chen Lily , Jia Xiaoyun
Published: January 2024

Coreference resolution is the task of identifying and clustering mentions that refer to the same entity in a document. Based on state-of-the-art deep learning approaches, end-to-end coreference resolution considers all spans as candidate mentions and tackles mention detection and coreference resolution simultaneously. Recently, researchers have attempted to incorporate document-level context using higher-order inference (HOI) to improve end-to-end coreference resolution. However, HOI methods have been shown to have marginal or even negative impact on coreference resolution. In this paper, we reveal the reasons for the negative impact of HOI coreference resolution. Contextualized representations (e.g., those produced by BERT) for building span embeddings have been shown to be highly anisotropic. We show that HOI actually increases and thus worsens the anisotropy of span embeddings and makes it difficult to distinguish between related but distinct entities (e.g., pilots and flight attendants). Instead of using HOI, we propose two methods, Less-Anisotropic Internal Representations (LAIR) and Data Augmentation with Document Synthesis and Mention Swap (DSMS), to learn less-anisotropic span embeddings for coreference resolution. LAIR uses a linear aggregation of the first layer and the topmost layer of contextualized embeddings. DSMS generates more diversified examples of related but distinct entities by synthesizing documents and by mention swapping. Our experiments show that less-anisotropic span embeddings improve the performance significantly (+2.8 F1 gain on the OntoNotes benchmark) reaching new state-of-the-art performance on the GAP dataset.
Proportionality, Comparability, and Parity: A Discussion on the Rationality of Balancing
Authors: Ríos Carrillo Piero
Published: January 2024

This article analyses the rationality of the principle of proportionality as a justificatory method for solving cases involving conflicts of constitutional principles. It addresses the “problem of comparability”: a set of arguments claiming that proportionalists fail to understand what happens when constitutional principles collide. The problem of comparability suggests that balancing cannot be done if some conflicts of constitutional principles are, in reality, cases of noncomparability, incommensurability, incomparability, or vagueness. In this article, I challenge the views of both proportionalists and their skeptics. Against the skeptics, I argue that proportionality can survive the challenge posed by the problem of comparability. Against the proportionalists, I submit that proportionality cannot be understood as a system of tradeoffs between degrees of satisfaction of principles. If comparison among constitutional principles is to be rational, we need a different approach to normativity—one that allows for the possibility of parity.
South East Asian Nutrition Surveys II (SEANUTS II) Thailand: triple burden of malnutrition among Thai children aged 6 months to 12 years
Authors: Pongcharoen Tippawan , Rojroongwasinkul Nipa , Tuntipopipat Siriporn , Winichagoon Pattanee , Vongvimetee Nawarat , Phanyotha Triwoot , Sukboon Pornpan , Muangnoi Chawanphat , Praengam Kemika , Khouw Ilse
Published: January 2024

Objective:

This study assessed nutritional status among Thai children using anthropometry, dietary intakes and micronutrient status.

Design:

Cross-sectional survey with multi-stage cluster sampling. Body weight and height were measured in all children. Dietary intakes were assessed using 24-h dietary recall. Biochemical assessment was performed in one-third of the children.

Setting:

The study was conducted in Thailand’s four geographical regions and Bangkok.

Participants:

3478 Thai children aged 0·5–12·9 years.

Results:

Stunting showed a downward trend by age group and was most prevalent among infants and toddlers. Overweight and obesity showed a significant upward trend by age group, location and sex and were highest among children aged 7–12·9 years. Risks of inadequate micronutrient intakes (Ca, Fe, Zn, vitamins A, C and D) were high (53·2–93·6 %). Prevalence of Zn and mild vitamin A deficiencies were low; vitamin D and B12 deficiencies were nil. Vitamin D insufficiency was significantly higher in the urban area and among girls. Anaemia was very high in infants and toddlers (56·6 and 35·2 %) but showed a significant downward trend by age group. There was an overall high prevalence of Fe deficiency (25 %) v. Fe deficiency anaemia (4·2 %) among children aged 4–12·9 years old.

Conclusions:

The high prevalence of stunting and anaemia among children aged 0·5–3·9 years and overweight and obesity among children aged 7–12·9 years requires continued attention. While prevalence of biochemical micronutrient deficiencies was not high (except for Fe), high prevalence of dietary inadequacies for several micronutrients warrants further in-depth investigations.
Economic Sanctions and the Material Well-being of Iranian Older Adults: Do Pensions Make a Difference?
Authors: Barardehi Ilyar Heydari , Milani Mahnoush Abdollah , Soltani Sepideh
Published: January 2024

Economic sanctions have inflicted various economic difficulties on Iranian families. The extent to which these sanctions-induced calamities have affected Iranian older adults’ material well-being remains unknown. Meanwhile, inadequate institutional support for the disadvantaged older population may worsen their precarious economic well-being. We use household-level surveys and quantile regression analysis to explore changes in Iranian older persons’ material well-being during the sanctions era. We also examine whether Iran’s pension system has alleviated the adverse effects of economic sanctions. Our investigation indicates that older adults’ material well-being decreases during sanctions. However, those without pension coverage are economically more vulnerable compared with pensioners. Among the non-pensioners, low-income and low-consumption ones are susceptible to relatively more considerable material well-being losses. To protect these vulnerable groups, policymakers should implement appropriate policy interventions, such as expansions in non-contributory anti-poverty schemes.
Influence of Deep‐Ocean Warming on Coastal Sea‐Level Decadal Trends in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Steinberg Jacob M. , Piecuch Christopher G. , Hamlington Benjamin D. , Thompson Phillip R. , Coats Sloan
Published: January 2024

Based on latest estimates (e.g., https://sealevel.nasa.gov), global mean sea level has risen nearly 100 mm since 1993. However, the rate of rise has not been constant in space or time and recent observations (since ∼ 2008) reveal pronounced regional acceleration in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Here we use model solutions and observational data to identify the physical mechanisms responsible for enhanced rates of coastal sea‐level rise in this region. We quantify the effect of offshore subsurface ocean warming on coastal sea‐level rise and its relationship to regional hypsometry, the distribution of ocean area with depth. Using an Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) state estimate, we establish that coastal sea‐level changes at the 10‐year timescale are largely the result of changes in regional ocean mass, reflected in ocean bottom pressure. These coastal bottom pressure changes reflect both net mass flux into the Gulf, as well as internal mass redistribution within the Gulf, which can be understood as an isostatic ocean response to subsurface warming. We test the relationships among coastal sea‐level, bottom pressure, and subsurface warming identified in ECCO using observations from satellite gravimetry, altimetry, tide gauges, and Argo floats. Estimates of mass redistribution explain a significant fraction of coastal sea‐level trends observed by tide gauges. For instance, at St. Petersburg, Florida, this mass redistribution mechanism accounts for >50% of the coastal sea‐level trend observed between 2008 and 2017. This study thus elucidates a physical mechanism whereby coastal sea‐level responds to open‐ocean subsurface density change.
Springtime Southern Hemisphere Quasi‐Stationary Planetary Wave Activities Associated With ENSO/IOD
Authors: Kim Donghyuk , Song Hajoon , Chun Hye‐Yeong , Yoo Changhyun , Kang Min‐Jee , Lee Hyun‐Kyu
Published: January 2024

The tropical climate variabilities, such as Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), are accompanied by changes in the tropical deep convection which can influence the atmospheric circulation in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). To investigate each role of IOD and ENSO in the September‐November (SON) circulation, we examine teleconnection patterns associated with IOD and ENSO events using the ERA5 monthly averaged data from 1979 to 2020. Our approach is to calculate the power spectral density (PSD) of the sea level pressure (SLP) and meridional wind and geopotential height at 300 hPa that are decomposed by zonal wave numbers (ZWNs), and to compute their correlations with IOD and ENSO at each latitudinal band. The main results are that IOD (ENSO) is negatively (positively) correlated with PSDs of ZWN2 and ZWN3 (ZWN1) at 300 hPa in the SH middle latitudes. Considering the Rossby wave train, IOD (ENSO) considerably affects the variability of the ZWN3 (ZWN1) pattern, which influences the meridional exchange of momentum. Additionally, the relationship between IOD and ZWN3 has become tighter in recent years, which is not seen in that with ENSO. The IOD and ENSO events also modify the SLP patterns and meridional surface winds, modulating the sea ice extent in the Southern Ocean. During the highly positive 2019 IOD event, the variability of the middle latitudes atmospheric circulation was considerably larger than climatology, suggesting a higher chance of more extreme weather patterns associated with more frequent intense IOD events in the warming climate.
Preserved Neonatal Follow-Up Care During COVID-19: Use of Neurodevelopmental Evaluation Via Telehealth
Authors: Butt Sakina , Nahman Julia , Cederberg Charles , Coultis Nora
Published: January 2024

Objective:

This retrospective study aimed to analyze the practicality of conducting teleneurodevelopmental evaluations with a general clinical population of children under 5 years of age. The project goal was to afford continued clinical care during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method:

The study sample included children who required neonatal intensive care hospitalization after birth, given increased risk for developmental delay. The practicality and usefulness of a modified developmental evaluation administered via telehealth were analyzed. Evaluation results indicated whether patients were largely performing within expectations for age (i.e., pass) or if performance was below expectations indicating concern for developmental delay (i.e., fail).

Results:

Thirty-five out of a total of 51 patients had in-person evaluation transitioned to telehealth. No significant associations were found between gender, age at the time of testing, and evaluation accessibility. There was a significant association between gender and prior history of developmental delay. No other significant associations were found based on gestational age and birth weight. Concern for developmental delay was identified in 29% of evaluations. Intervention supports, including a combination of feeding therapy, medication/behavioral intervention, and speech–language therapy, were recommended for 46% of the patients identified with concern for developmental delay.

Conclusions:

Telehealth developmental evaluation was practical and useful for patients, met clinical needs, and limited delay in accessing early intervention supports.

Implications for Impact Statement

Approximately 250 million children across the globe aged 5 and younger are at heightened risk for delayed developmental milestones. Early detection, prevention, and intervention are crucial for optimizing academic, economic, and health outcomes for these children. Determining the practicality and usefulness of providing neurodevelopmental evaluations via telehealth provides important information as to alternative service delivery options for clinical care of young children. Conducting preliminary neurodevelopmental evaluations via telehealth with the option for further intervention if deemed necessary allows services to be more widely available to those who face undue burden attending in-person consultations.
Fever education for caregivers in the emergency room (The FEVER study)–an interventional trial
Authors: Lynch Catherine J. , Kuhar Maja , Blackburn Carol , Barrett Michael J.
Published: January 2024

Background

Despite the vast majority of fevers representing benign self-limiting illnesses, caregiver anxiety regarding fever is high. Empowering caregivers with knowledge to safely and appropriately manage fever at home has the potential to reduce demands upon healthcare services.

Aim

To improve caregiver knowledge about fever and its management in children via an educational intervention.

Methods

Caregivers of children over 6 months presenting with fever to a Paediatric Emergency Department were recruited. A pre-intervention survey was completed to ascertain caregiver knowledge about fever and its management. The intervention of (i) an infographic about fever, with (ii) a short video on fever was viewed. A post-intervention survey re-assessed knowledge. The primary outcome was the correct definition of fever as a temperature ≥38 °C.

Results

Caregivers (n = 51) who correctly defined fever increased from 41% (n = 21) pre-intervention to 94% (n = 48) post-intervention. There was a reduction in common misconceptions about fever, including a higher fever representing a more serious infection (76% vs. 8%). Caregivers reported they were less likely to seek emergency healthcare due to the height and nature of the fever alone.

Conclusions

A simple brief educational intervention can rapidly increase caregiver knowledge about fever in children. There is a continuing need for clear, easily-accessible information for caregivers on this topic.

Impact

Parental knowledge about fever and how to manage it in their children is low.

A simple brief educational intervention can significantly increase caregiver knowledge about fever.

A combined written and audiovisual approach is effective and well-received by parents.

Educating caregivers has the potential to improve the management of childhood fever at home and to reduce the burden on healthcare services, as well as reduce unpleasant hospital visits for children and their caregivers.
Age-related secretion of grancalcin by macrophages induces skeletal stem/progenitor cell senescence during fracture healing
Authors: Zou Nan-Yu , Liu Ran , Huang Mei , Jiao Yu-Rui , Wei Jie , Jiang Yangzi , He Wen-Zhen , Huang Min , Xu Yi-Li , Liu Ling , Sun Yu-Chen , Yang Mi , Guo Qi , Huang Yan , Su Tian , Xiao Ye , Wang Wei-Shan , Zeng Chao , Lei Guang-Hua , Luo Xiang-Hang , Li Chang-Jun
Published: January 2024

Skeletal stem/progenitor cell (SSPC) senescence is a major cause of decreased bone regenerative potential with aging, but the causes of SSPC senescence remain unclear. In this study, we revealed that macrophages in calluses secrete prosenescent factors, including grancalcin (GCA), during aging, which triggers SSPC senescence and impairs fracture healing. Local injection of human rGCA in young mice induced SSPC senescence and delayed fracture repair. Genetic deletion of Gca in monocytes/macrophages was sufficient to rejuvenate fracture repair in aged mice and alleviate SSPC senescence. Mechanistically, GCA binds to the plexin-B2 receptor and activates Arg2-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in cellular senescence. Depletion of Plxnb2 in SSPCs impaired fracture healing. Administration of GCA-neutralizing antibody enhanced fracture healing in aged mice. Thus, our study revealed that senescent macrophages within calluses secrete GCA to trigger SSPC secondary senescence, and GCA neutralization represents a promising therapy for nonunion or delayed union in elderly individuals.