bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Top‐floor discounts in residential buildings: Evidence from South Korea
Authors: Hwang Sam Il Myoung , Ma Leo
Published: September 2022

This study assesses the phenomenon of resale price discounts for top‐floor units of residential buildings, or “top‐floor discounts.” Using 1.9 million resale transactions of apartment units from South Korea, we find that top‐floor discounts range from 1.3% to 8.3% of resale prices. We hypothesize that top‐floor discounts exist because of larger heating/cooling costs for these units relative to those on lower levels, resulting from relatively more extreme variation in indoor temperatures unique to top‐floor apartment units. Using a household‐level survey data on energy consumption and exploiting variations in weather conditions and roof material across time and regions throughout South Korea, we provide evidence in support of our hypothesis.
The use of time domain 1H NMR to study proton dynamics in starch‐rich foods: A review
Authors: Riley Isabella M. , Nivelle Mieke A. , Ooms Nand , Delcour Jan A.
Published: September 2022

Starch is a major contributor to the carbohydrate portion of our diet. When it is present with water, it undergoes several transformations during heating and/or cooling making it an essential structure‐forming component in starch‐rich food systems (e.g., bread and cake). Time domain proton nuclear magnetic resonance (TD 1H NMR) is a useful technique to study starch–water interactions by evaluation of molecular mobility and water distribution. The data obtained correspond to changes in starch structure and the state of water during or resulting from processing. When this technique was first applied to starch(‐rich) foods, significant challenges were encountered during data interpretation of complex food systems (e.g., cake or biscuit) due to the presence of multiple constituents (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, etc.). This article discusses the principles of TD 1H NMR and the tools applied that improved characterization and interpretation of TD NMR data. More in particular, the major differences in proton distribution of various dough and cooked/baked food systems are examined. The application of variable‐temperature TD 1H NMR is also discussed as it demonstrates exceptional ability to elucidate the molecular dynamics of starch transitions (e.g., gelatinization, gelation) in dough/batter systems during heating/cooling. In conclusion, TD NMR is considered a valuable tool to understand the behavior of starch and water that relate to the characteristics and/or quality of starchy food products. Such insights are crucial for food product optimization and development in response to the needs of the food industry.
Evaluation of the loss of fingermark ridge clarity as a function of biological sex
Authors: Salmeron Lily C. , De Alcaraz‐Fossoul Josep
Published: September 2022

Latent fingermark ridge patterns result from imprinting sweat secretions onto receiving surfaces. However, little is known about the loss of skin moisture between immediate consecutive depositions and its effects on the visual quality of ridges and their degradation over time. In practice, it is recurrently assumed that the first touch should contain the most residue and, therefore, display the highest ridge quality. Also, it is expected to observe a gradual decrease in the quantity of residue deposited and, in turn, in the clarity of ridges. In this study, a total of 480 fingermarks were obtained from 20 donors, 10 males and 10 females, to assess the pattern loss of ridge quality across six successive impressions in a depletion series. Black magnetic powder (BMP) was utilized to visualize and photograph fingermarks on glass microscope slides. After image standardization, Quality Scores (QS) as well as metrics on ridge clarity were obtained from the FBI's Universal Latent Workstation (ULW). Data analyses revealed a significant drop in ridge quality over the six consecutive depositions, but notably after deposition four. No differences in ridge clarity between sexes were detected within the first three depositions although an effect was noted beyond this point. ULW proved to be an excellent and sensitive tool in detecting minute changes in ridge quality across the depletion series. These results may contribute in determining the chronological order of events and support further research in estimating time‐since‐deposition.
Comparison of all renal replacement therapy modalities in terms of COVID‐19 infection rate & mortality in the COVID‐19 pandemic and importance of home therapies
Authors: Kahvecioglu Serdar , Bilen Nurhan , Celik Huseyin , Gul Cuma Bulent , Usta Mehmet , Aktaş Nimet , Bilen Yusuf
Published: September 2022

Background

This study aimed to compare the infection rate and infection‐related mortality among all renal replacement therapies during the COVID‐19 pandemics.

Methods

One thousand three hundred thirty‐six end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who had applied for renal replacement therapy between March 2020 and January 2021 were included in the study. COVID‐19 infection and mortality rates were compared between patient groups.

Results

The COVID‐19 infection rate in the whole study group was 13.12% (n: 178). The highest infection rate was in the center hemodialysis, 16.33% (n: 139). There was no COVID‐19 infection in home hemodialysis (HHD). Mortality rate was 2.87% (n: 39) in the whole cohort and 3.87% (n: 33) in center hemodialysis (CHD), 1.47% (n:5) in kidney transplant (Tx), and 0.81% (n: 1) in the peritoneal dialysis (PD) group. COVID‐19 infection rate of home replacement therapy (HRT) (n: 39) patients was significantly lower than CHD (n: 139) (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The COVID‐19 infection rate and mortality were significantly lower than those of CHD in all home‐based modalities subgroups.
The role of alcohol and cannabis co‐use in drinking rate and its impact on consequences
Authors: Gunn Rachel L. , Sokolovsky Alexander W. , Drohan Megan M. , Boyle Holly K. , Stevens Angela K. , White Helene R. , Jackson Kristina
Published: September 2022

Background

The impact of alcohol and cannabis co‐use on college student drinking and related outcomes is complex. Specific characteristics or patterns of co‐use events beyond drinking quantity may be important to the experience of consequences. The present study used repeated daily surveys to examine the association between co‐use (versus use of alcohol only) and drinking rate on negative consequences.

Methods

The sample included 318 college students (Mage = 19.8, 47% female, 76% non‐Hispanic White) who were co‐users of alcohol and cannabis, recruited from three U.S. college campuses. Participants completed 56 days of data collection (number of drinking days ranged from 1 to 38). Two measures of drinking rate were examined: (1) daily rate (number of drinks divided by number of hours spent drinking per day); and (2) peak hour rate (maximum number of drinks consumed in a single hour) to account for anomalous drinking days of long duration. Generalized linear mixed models examined: (1) associations of co‐use with peak hour rate (model 1a) and daily rate (model 1b); (2) associations of peak hour rate (model 2a) and daily rate (model 2b) with experiencing any negative consequence; and (3) interactions of co‐use with peak hour rate (model 3a) and daily rate (model 3b) on experiencing a consequence.

Results

Co‐use was positively associated with peak hour rate but not daily rate. Both peak hour and daily rate positively predicted likelihood of experiencing a negative consequence. The interaction of both peak hour and daily rate by co‐use was significant such that the association of rate with experiencing a consequence was stronger on alcohol‐only days compared to co‐use days.

Conclusions

Daily drinking rate and peak hour drinking rate are unique and should be considered when discussing drinking patterns. Both predict negative consequences and may be important aspects of interventions for negative drinking‐related outcomes among college students.
The mediating role of accounting controls between supervisors' empowering leadership style and subordinates' creativity and goal productivity
Authors: Boedker Christina , Chong Kar Ming
Published: September 2022

This study investigates the impact of subordinates' use of accounting controls on their job performance in circumstances where their supervisor adopts an empowering leadership style. We surveyed 98 Australian managers in the disability and manufacturing industries. The results show that diagnostic and scanning use mediate the relationship between supervisors' empowering leadership style and subordinates' creativity and goal productivity. When supervisors engage in empowering behaviours, subordinates are more likely to draw on accounting controls to cope with the greater information demands and job ambiguity inherent to such a leadership style. Furthermore, scanning use increases creativity whilst diagnostic use reduces creativity.
Endonasal endoscopic management of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea: The Birmingham UK experience
Authors: Jolly Karan , Gupta Keshav Kumar , Bhamra Navdeep , Aslanidou Anastasia , Batra Ruchika , Ahmed Shahzada K.
Published: September 2022

Background

Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks (SCSFL) occur in the absence of trauma, surgery, or underlying intracranial pathology. They represent a significant healthcare burden on patients with complications such as meningitis. We present our experience of SCSFL repair via the endonasal endoscopic approach.

Methods

All patients who underwent CSF fistula repair at a tertiary UK hospital, between 1st January 2012 to 31st December 2019, were identified and had their case notes analyzed retrospectively.

Results

There were 33 patients included consisting of 27 (81.8%) females, with age range from 31 to 81 years (mean 55.2). Mean body mass index (BMI) was 35.2 kg/m2, with 32 (97.0%) patients overweight (BMI >25). All patients presented with intermittent watery rhinorrhoea and had a positive biochemical analysis. Computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identified leak sites in 29 patients (87.9%). The most common intraoperative defect site was the cribriform plate (42.4%). A variety of closing techniques were used including onlay grafts (72.7%), tissue glue (87.9%), nasoseptal flaps (63.6%), mucosal free grafts (21.2%), fat grafts (21.2%), and additional support materials (87.9%). Nasal packing was used in all patients. The average length of stay was 1.6 days. Postoperative complications occurred in two patients (6.1%) (meningitis, epistaxis). Overall, there was a successful primary repair in 32 (97.0%) patients with most cases employing a multilayered reconstruction method (78.8%).

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate excellent success rates with the endoscopic endonasal approach to SCSFL. This adds to the literature by demonstrating a detailed analysis of the experience in SCSFL management in one of the largest UK centres.
Adaptive Bayesian Sum of Trees Model for Covariate-Dependent Spectral Analysis
Authors: Wang Yakun , Li Zeda , Bruce Scott A.
Published: September 2022

This paper introduces a flexible and adaptive nonparametric method for estimating the association between multiple covariates and power spectra of multiple time series. The proposed approach uses a Bayesian sum of trees model to capture complex dependencies and interactions between covariates and the power spectrum, which are often observed in studies of biomedical time series. Local power spectra corresponding to terminal nodes within trees are estimated nonparametrically using Bayesian penalized linear splines. The trees are considered to be random and fit using a Bayesian backfitting Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm that sequentially considers tree modifications via reversible-jump MCMC techniques. For high-dimensional covariates, a sparsity-inducing Dirichlet hyperprior on tree splitting proportions is considered, which provides sparse estimation of covariate effects and efficient variable selection. By averaging over the posterior distribution of trees, the proposed method can recover both smooth and abrupt changes in the power spectrum across multiple covariates. Empirical performance is evaluated via simulations to demonstrate the proposed method's ability to accurately recover complex relationships and interactions. The proposed methodology is used to study gait maturation in young children by evaluating age-related changes in power spectra of stride interval time series in the presence of other covariates.
Maximum Likelihood Estimation in the Additive Hazards Model
Authors: Lu Chengyuan , Goeman Jelle , Putter Hein
Published: September 2022

The additive hazards model specifies the effect of covariates on the hazard in an additive way, in contrast to the popular Cox model, in which it is multiplicative. As the non-parametric model, additive hazards offer a very flexible way of modeling time-varying covariate effects. It is most commonly estimated by ordinary least squares. In this paper, we consider the case where covariates are bounded, and derive the maximum likelihood estimator under the constraint that the hazard is non-negative for all covariate values in their domain. We show that the maximum likelihood estimator may be obtained by separately maximizing the log-likelihood contribution of each event time point, and we show that the maximizing problem is equivalent to fitting a series of Poisson regression models with an identity link under non-negativity constraints. We derive an analytic solution to the maximum likelihood estimator. We contrast the maximum likelihood estimator with the ordinary least-squares estimator in a simulation study and show that the maximum likelihood estimator has smaller mean squared error than the ordinary least-squares estimator. An illustration with data on patients with carcinoma of the oropharynx is provided.
Standardized methods to rear high‐quality Galleria mellonella larvae for the study of fungal pathogens
Authors: de Jong Auke W. , van Veldhuizen Dennis , Groot Astrid T. , Hagen Ferry
Published: September 2022

The greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), has gathered widespread interest in the biomedical research community as an alternative non‐mammalian model to study bacterial and fungal infections in humans. Nevertheless, most laboratories rely on commercial breeding companies that grow these larvae in bulk. Variation in rearing conditions between these companies and shipping of the larvae affects the response of G. mellonella to infection, both decreasing the reproducibility and comparability of infection experiments across laboratories. To unlock the full potential of G. mellonella as an infection model, standardized rearing is essential to produce healthy larvae of uniform quality. To this end, we developed an optimized protocol using a high‐nutritional artificial diet and cost‐effective housing solutions to ensure optimal conditions during each stage of the G. mellonella life cycle. This resulted in the rapid generation of larvae with a short larval phase, large size, and increased weight compared to other protocols and commercial larvae. A survival analysis comparing the standardized larvae with commercially obtained larvae showed significantly higher survival of standardized reared larvae after infection with Candida albicans (CP Robin) Berkhout (Saccharomycetales), proving the higher quality of standardized reared larvae.
Comparing morphological, parasitological, and genetic traits of an invasive minnow between intermittent and perennial stream reaches
Authors: Cruz Alejandra , Llinares Carla , Martín‐Barrio Inés , Castillo‐García Gema , Arana Pilar , García‐Berthou Emili , Fletcher David H. , Almeida David
Published: September 2022

Invasive fishes are a major environmental issue at the global scale, particularly for their impacts on freshwater ecosystems via the mechanisms of hybridisation, competition, predation, and disease transmission. This is of special conservation concern on the Iberian Peninsula due to the high level of endemism. With the aim to improve our knowledge on the invasion process of non‐native fishes, the present study consists of analysing key biological traits potentially related to their colonisation capacity: morphology, parasite communities, and genetic diversity.

A non‐native population of Languedoc minnow Phoxinus septimaniae (leuciscid species native to south‐east France) was assessed in Tordera Stream (north‐eastern Iberian Peninsula). Fish were sampled in mid‐May (reproductive period) 2018 and 2019. Biological traits were compared between colonising and resident individuals from stream reaches of intermittent and perennial flow, respectively.

After adjusting for fish size/body mass with analysis of covariance, body condition and health status (external and internal examination) tended to be better in the intermittent reach. Parasite load (number) and diversity (Shannon index) were significantly higher in the perennial reach. Fish development was also more stable in colonising minnow, as detected by low levels of fluctuating asymmetry for the eye diameter and the length of pectoral fins (adjusted for bilateral character size). Genetic diversity (microsatellite markers) was lower in resident minnow. Minnow genetic homozygosity (index of internal relatedness) was positively associated with parasite load and developmental instability (high fluctuating asymmetry levels).

Our results show that colonising minnows display particular profiles of morphological, parasitological, and genetic traits that apparently allow these individuals to increase their dispersal capacity to survive and reproduce in harsher environmental conditions. The potential mechanisms may be related to a wider physiological tolerance, better immune response, parasite resistance/tolerance, and genetic diversity in colonising specimens.

Such information reveals the specific traits of successful fish invaders under a seasonal colonisation dynamic. These data are relevant for environmental managers, to predict and identify areas vulnerable to invasion, in order to establish monitoring programmes for early detection, which will help to reduce the spread of non‐native fish populations.
Synthesis of chitosan–phenolic acid copolymer: exploration of structural and physicochemical properties
Authors: Huang Yufan , Shen Bihua , Zheng Chenmin , Huang Bingqing , Zhang Guoguang , Fei Peng
Published: September 2022

Chitosan and phenolic acid were catalysed by 1‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐3‐ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC)/1‐hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt) to produce graft copolymer with high performance. The grafting ratios of gallic acid‐grafted chitosan copolymer (GA‐CS, 16.58%) and protocatechuic acid‐grafted chitosan copolymer (PCA‐CS, 14.36%) were determined by ultraviolet–visible spectrometer. The characterisation of products was analysed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, proton nuclear magnetic resonance and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The water solubility of natural chitosan (NA‐CS, 5.63%), GA‐CS (45.05%) and PCA‐CS (85.96%) confirmed that the water solubility of the modified chitosan enhanced after the existence of phenolic acid. 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl hydrazine (DPPH) scavenging test, β‐carotene rinsing experiment, total reducing power determination and standard agar well diffusion assay method were used to evaluate the antioxidant capacity and antibacterial ability of copolymer. Notably, the antibacterial ability of PCA‐CS and GA‐CS remained relatively consistent, but GA‐CS has the highest antioxidant capacity. This study shows that the EDC/HOBt reaction system can successfully graft phenolic acids onto chitosan without affecting the bioactivity of phenolic acids. In addition, the preparation of food preservation coatings by phenolic acid–chitosan copolymers with high antibacterial and antioxidant properties will have great development potential in the field of food technology.
Myofibroblast‐dominant proliferation associated with severe fibrosis in bulbar urethral strictures
Authors: Hirano Yusuke , Horiguchi Akio , Ojima Kenichiro , Azuma Ryuichi , Shinchi Masayuki , Ito Kenichi , Miyai Kosuke
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Myofibroblast‐dominant proliferation (relative to fibroblast proliferation) is the key process in urethral fibrosis, but its association with clinical features is not understood. We conducted a histological analysis of urethral strictures and examined the association between myofibroblast proliferation and stricture characteristics.

Methods

Formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded urethral sections sliced axially from 175 male patients with bulbar urethral strictures were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent excision and primary anastomosis between September 2008 and January 2021 by a surgeon (AH). Masson's trichrome stain was used to estimate the area of fibrosis. Corresponding unstained slides with the largest area of fibrosis were selected and double‐immunostained with anti‐smooth muscle actin (SMA) and anti‐TE‐7 mouse monoclonal antibodies for the assessment of myofibroblasts and fibroblasts, respectively. The ratio of the number of SMA‐positive cells to the number of TE‐7‐positive cells (SMA/TE‐7 ratio) was calculated.

Results

The area of fibrosis in strictures due to perineal trauma (n = 85, median 108.9 mm2) was significantly larger than that in non‐traumatic strictures (n = 90, median 42.9 mm2, p < 0.0001). The area of fibrosis positively correlated with SMA expression (r = 0.35, p < 0.0001) and the SMA/TE‐7 ratio (r = 0.36, p < 0.0001), but not with TE‐7 expression (r = −0.01, p = 0.75). In a multivariate linear regression model, traumatic etiology (standard coefficient 0.37, t value 3.9, p < 0.0001) and increased SMA expression (standard coefficient 0.17, t value 2.1, p = 0.03) were the predictors of wide fibrosis area.

Conclusions

Myofibroblast‐dominant proliferation may contribute to the pathogenesis of severe urethral fibrosis.
The missing link in biogeographic reconstruction: Accounting for lineage extinction rewrites history
Authors: Herrera‐Alsina Leonel , Algar Adam C. , Lancaster Lesley T. , Ornelas Juan Francisco , Bocedi Greta , Papadopulos Alexander S. T. , Gubry‐Rangin Cecile , Osborne Owen G. , Mynard Poppy , Sudiana I. Made , Lupiyaningdyah Pungki , Juliandi Berry , Travis Justin M. J.
Published: September 2022

Aim

In the most widely used family of methods for ancestral range estimation (ARE), dispersal, speciation and extirpation events are estimated from information on extant lineages. However, this approach fails to consider the geographic distribution of extinct species and their position on the phylogenetic tree, an omission that could compromise reconstruction. Here, we present a method that models the geographic distribution of extinct species and we quantify the potential inaccuracy in ancestral range estimation when extinction rates are above zero.

Location

Global applications, with an example from the Americas.

Taxon

All taxa, with an example from hummingbirds (Amazilia).

Methods

Methods capable of explicitly modelling extinct branches along with their reconstructed geographic information (GeoSSE) have been overlooked in ARE analysis, perhaps due to the inherent complexity of implementation. We develop a user‐friendly platform, which we term LEMAD (Lineage Extinction Model of Ancestral Distribution) that generalizes the likelihood described in GeoSSE for any number of areas and under several sets of geographic assumptions. We compare LEMAD and extinction‐free approaches using extensive simulations under different macroevolutionary scenarios. We apply our method to revisit the historical biogeography of Amazilia hummingbirds.

Results

We find that accounting for the lineages removed from a tree by extinction improves reconstructions of ancestral distributions, especially when rates of vicariant speciation are higher than rates of in situ speciation, and when rates of extinction and range evolution are high. Rates of in situ and vicariant speciation are accurately estimated by LEMAD in all scenarios. North America as the most likely region for the common ancestor of hummingbirds.

Main conclusions

Methods that neglect lineage extinction are less likely to accurately reconstruct true biogeographic histories of extant clades. Our findings on an empirical dataset reconcile the Eurasian origin of Amazilia with biogeographic reconstructions when lineage extinction is considered.
Late pacemaker implantation after atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia ablation: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Sim Ming G. , Chan Siew P. , Kojodjojo Pipin , Tan Eugene S. J.
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Catheter ablation (CA) of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is associated with late pacemakers for AV block (AVB). We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the pooled incidence of late pacemakers for AVB after CA of AVNRT.

Methods and Results

Relevant studies were identified from four electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane Trial Register) from inception to 2022. A random effects model was used to calculate the odds of late pacemakers in CA of AVNRT compared to atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT). Of 533 articles screened, 13 were included in systematic review. CA for AVNRT was performed in 16 471 patients (mean age 54 ± 17 years, 63% females), of which 68 (0.4%) underwent pacemaker implantation for late AVB. Meta‐analysis was performed in 5 of the 13 studies (mean follow‐up duration 7 ± 4 years). Patients who underwent CA of AVNRT were older (58 ± 17 vs. 52 ± 20 years, p < .001), and more likely female (60% vs. 41%, p < .001) than AVRT. Pooled estimates of late pacemakers for AVB were higher in CA of AVNRT than AVRT (0.5% vs. 0.2%, p = .006), with CA in AVNRT associated with almost twofold increased odds of late pacemakers indicated for AVB (odds ratio: 1.94, 95% confidence interval: 1.08–3.47, p = .027) compared to AVRT.

Conclusion

AVNRT ablation is safe but associated with a low but definitely increased risk of requiring pacing in the later years due to AVB. This association is confirmed by pooling over 16 000 AVNRT patients receiving clinically indicated ablation and is helpful in providing informed consent for prospective patients undergoing ablation for AVNRT.
Safety of left atrial appendage closure in heart failure patients
Authors: Das Subrat , Lorente‐Ros Marta , Wu Lingling , Mehta Davendra , Suri Ranjit
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is an intervention aimed at stroke prevention in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF). There is a three‐fold increased risk of stroke in patients with concomitant presence of AF and heart failure (HF). While anticoagulation is effective, only 60% receive it. We aimed at studying the safety of LAAC in HF patients using a national all‐payer database.

Methods

We queried the National Inpatient Sample for the year 2016–2018 for WATCHMAN device insertion using ICD 10 procedure codes. We divided the study population into HF and non‐HF groups. Outcomes were compared using appropriate statistical tests, p< .05 was considered significant.

Results

34 385 LAAC procedures were identified of which 8530 (24.8%) were done in patients with HF. The mean (SD) age of the study population was 76 (7.9) years and 42% were female. There was no difference in mean age between HF and non‐HF groups. Our findings indicate that there is no difference in inpatient mortality and cardiac complications between the HF and non‐HF groups. However, noncardiac complications including acute kidney injury and respiratory failure were higher in the HF group.

Conclusion

LAAC appears to be a safe procedure in patients with HF. The study is limited by a short follow up period and long‐term follow‐up is required before definitive conclusions can be made.
Hunger for sex: Abundant, heterogeneous resources select for sexual reproduction in the field
Authors: Pequeno Pedro Aurélio Costa Lima , Franklin Elizabeth , Norton Roy A.
Published: September 2022

Major hypotheses on sex evolution predict that resource abundance and heterogeneity should either select for or against sexual reproduction. However, seldom have these predictions been explicitly tested in the field. Here, we investigated this question using soil oribatid mites, a diverse and abundant group of soil arthropods whose local communities can be dominated by either sexual or asexual species. First, we refined theoretical predictions by addressing how the effects of resource abundance, heterogeneity and abiotic conditions could modify each other. Then, we estimated the strength of selection for sexual species in local communities while controlling for phylogeny and neutral processes (ecological drift and dispersal), and tested its relation to resource and abiotic gradients. We show that sexual species tended to be favoured with increasing litter amount, a measure of basal resource abundance. Further, there was some evidence that this response occurred mainly under higher tree species richness, a measure of basal resource heterogeneity. This response to resources is unlikely to reflect niche partitioning between reproductive modes, as sexual and asexual species overlapped in trophic niche according to a comparative analysis using literature data on stable isotope ratios. Rather, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that sex facilitates adaptation by breaking unfavourable genetic associations, an advantage that should increase with effective population size when many loci are under selection and, thus, with resource abundance.
Legitimacy in clinical practice: How patients with chronic muscle pain position themselves in the physiotherapy encounter
Authors: Ahlsen Birgitte , Mengshoel Anne Marit , Engebretsen Eivind
Published: September 2022

Rationale, Aims & Objective

Patients who seek healthcare for long‐lasting pain and symptoms without a detectable disease must put in extra work to be taken seriously and gain recognition as a patient. However, little is known about how patients' help‐seeking is performed in clinical practice. The aim of the current study was to gain knowledge about the ways in which patients with chronic muscle pain position themselves as help‐seekers during their first physiotherapy encounter.

Method

The material consisted of observation of 10 therapist‐patient clinical interviews in primary care clinics and was analyzed using perspectives from discourse theory and the concept of positioning.

Results

The study highlights how the patients positioned themselves in continually shift between two discourses: that of disease (considering the patient as an object under study) and that of illness (positioning the patient as an active and participating but also troubled individual). This shifting of position was negotiated in interaction with the therapist: patients' opportunities to position themselves within the discourse of illness were limited by therapists' focus on facts and causal relationships within the discourse of disease.

Conclusion

Patients with chronic muscle pain seek to establish their legitimacy through the positivistic discourse of medicine and also through their compliance with the moral discourse of the patient as someone active, willing to take responsibility for their own health—and therefore worthy of treatment.
Reading Ibn Khaldun in the Formative Period of Sociology
Authors: Alatas Syed Farid
Published: September 2022

‘Abd al‐Rahman Ibn Khaldun (1332‐1406), the founder of the science of society, became known to modern sociologists during the formative period of sociology, that is, the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. There was something of a reception of Ibn Khaldun in Europe at that time by sociologists and other scholars who were not necessarily involved with Islamic or West Asian studies. In fact, the reception of Ibn Khaldun by modern scholars in the West can be differentiated into Eurocentric or Orientalist as opposed to more disciplinary attitudes. While much has been said about the Eurocentric reception of Ibn Khaldun, less is discussed about the disciplinary approach to Ibn Khaldun among thinkers who wrote when the modern science of sociology was emerging in Europe. This special issue on Ibn Khaldun in the Formative Period of Sociology provides English translations of six articles originally written in Italian, French, German, Polish, Spanish and Turkish between 1896 and 1934. Not all of these articles were written by sociologists. Together, they provide some background as to how Ibn Khaldun was conceived of in non‐area studies circles, in the social sciences and humanities.
Incidental sun exposures as a source of sunburn among rural compared to urban residents in the United States
Authors: Jewett Patricia I. , Henning‐Smith Carrie , Lazovich DeAnn , Ahmed Rehana L. , Vogel Rachel I.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Melanoma incidence is higher in rural than in urban areas in the United States, possibly due to greater incidental sun exposures from rural outdoor‐focused lifestyles and occupational patterns. Our aim was to compare activities at the time of a sunburn between rural and urban residents.

Methods

Utilizing the nationally representative 2019 cross‐sectional Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), we report odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) from logistic regression models comparing self‐reported activities at most recent sunburn among rural versus urban adults.

Findings

About one‐third of participants (37.2%) reported a sunburn in the past year, higher in urban (38.0%) than in rural populations (32.5%). At the time of most recent sunburn, swimming (36.6%) and working outside a home (29.4%) were the most commonly reported activities. Working on a job (30.4% vs 10.4%; OR: 3.30, 95% CI: 1.33, 8.20) or outside the house (38.7% vs 28.1%; OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.33) were more common, while exercising or sunbathing were less common, among rural compared to urban participants.

Conclusions

Incidental sun exposures during outdoor‐focused rural occupations and work outside the house may be critical skin cancer prevention targets in rural populations; outdoor exercise and sunbathing may be more important in urban populations; incidental exposures while swimming may be important in both populations.
Homeobox transcription factors OsZHD1 and OsZHD2 induce inflorescence meristem activity at floral transition in rice
Authors: Yoon Jinmi , Baek Gibeom , Pasriga Richa , Tun Win , Min Cheol Woo , Kim Sun‐Tae , Cho Lae‐Hyeon , An Gynheung
Published: September 2022

Floral transition starts in the leaves when florigens respond to various environmental and developmental factors. Among several regulatory genes that are preferentially expressed in the inflorescence meristem during the floral transition, this study examines the homeobox genes OsZHD1 and OsZHD2 for their roles in regulating this transition. Although single mutations in these genes did not result in visible phenotype changes, double mutations in these genes delayed flowering. Florigen expression was not altered in the double mutants, indicating that the delay was due to a defect in florigen signaling. Morphological analysis of shoot apical meristem at the early developmental stage indicated that inflorescence meristem development was significantly delayed in the double mutants. Overexpression of ZHD2 causes early flowering because of downstream signals after the generation of florigens. Expression levels of the auxin biosynthesis genes were reduced in the mutants and the addition of indole‐3‐acetic acid recovered the defect in the mutants, suggesting that these homeobox genes play a role in auxin biosynthesis. A rice florigen, RICE FLOWERING LOCUS T 1, binds to the promoter regions of homeobox genes. These results indicate that florigens stimulate the expression of homeobox genes, enhancing inflorescence development in the shoot apex.
Transport of acylated anthocyanins by the Arabidopsis ATP‐binding cassette transporters AtABCC1, AtABCC2, and AtABCC14
Authors: Dean John V. , Willis Morgan , Shaban Laith
Published: September 2022

Anthocyanins are a group of pigments that have various roles in plants including attracting pollinators and seed dispersers and protecting against various types of stress. In vegetative tissue, these anthocyanins are sequestered in the vacuole following biosynthesis in the cytoplasm, though there remain questions as to the events leading to the vacuolar sequestration. In this study, we were able to show that the uptake of acylated anthocyanins by vacuolar membrane‐enriched vesicles isolated from Arabidopsis was stimulated by the addition of MgATP and was inhibited by both vanadate and glybenclamide, but not by gramicidin D or bafilomycin A1, suggesting that uptake involves an ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporter and not an H+‐antiporter. Membrane vesicles isolated from yeast expressing the ABC transporters designated AtABCC1, AtABCC2, and AtABCC14 are capable of MgATP‐dependent uptake of acylated anthocyanins. This uptake was not dependent on glutathione as seen previously for anthocyanidin 3‐O‐monoglucosides. Compared to the wild‐type, the transport of acylated anthocyanins was lower in vacuolar membrane‐enriched vesicles isolated from atabcc1 cell cultures providing evidence that AtABCC1 may be the predominant transporter of these compounds in vivo. In addition, the pattern of anthocyanin accumulation differed between the atabcc1, atabcc2, and atabcc14 mutants and the wild‐type seedlings under anthocyanin inductive conditions. We suggest that AtABCC1, AtABCC2, and AtABCC14 are involved in the vacuolar transport of acylated anthocyanins produced in the vegetative tissue of Arabidopsis and that the pattern of anthocyanin accumulation can be altered depending on the presence or absence of a specific vacuolar ABC transporter.
Does personalization of officeholders undermine the legitimacy of the office? On perceptions of objectivity in legal decisionmaking
Authors: Aronson Ori , Elad‐Strenger Julia , Kessler Thomas , Feldman Yuval
Published: September 2022

Public legitimation of legal decisionmaking can be promoted through various strategies. We examine strategies of legitimation that are premised on personalizing the public image of legal agents. A personalized public administration emphasizes individual decisionmakers and seeks legitimacy through familiarity with the character, identity, and virtues of individual agents, whereas a non‐personalized public administration projects an ethos of technocratic decisionmaking, seeking legitimacy through institutional objectivity and impartiality. We conducted an experiment to examine the efficacy of personalization strategies in the context of a politically charged legal affair: the criminal cases involving the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. We focus on people's perceived objectivity of the office of the Israeli attorney general (AG), given exposure (vs. no exposure) to different types of personal information about the AG, and while manipulating the salience of contrasting decisions concerning Netanyahu (indicting him on several counts of corruption versus exculpating him in others). We find that exposure to personal information about the AG decreased the perceived objectivity of his office, compared to no exposure to personal information, regardless of the type of information, decision salience, and respondents' political leanings. Our findings, therefore, support the legitimating potential of the non‐personalization of decisionmakers, and show that it pertains to people positioned as both “losers” and “winners” with regard the political impact of the decision. The study further reflects the capacity of nonabstract real‐world, real‐time, analyses to shed light on the drivers of public trust in legal decisionmaking in politically polarized contexts—an issue of pertinence in many contemporary democracies.
Lung cancer in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A retrospective multicentre study in Europe
Authors: Karampitsakos Theodoros , Spagnolo Paolo , Mogulkoc Nesrin , Wuyts Wim A. , Tomassetti Sara , Bendstrup Elisabeth , Molina‐Molina Maria , Manali Effrosyni D. , Unat Ömer Selim , Bonella Francesco , Kahn Nicolas , Kolilekas Lykourgos , Rosi Elisabetta , Gori Leonardo , Ravaglia Claudia , Poletti Venerino , Daniil Zoe , Prior Thomas Skovhus , Papanikolaou Ilias C. , Aso Samantha , Tryfon Stavros , Papakosta Despoina , Tzilas Vasillios , Balestro Elisabetta , Papiris Spyridon , Antoniou Katerina , Bouros Demosthenes , Wells Athol , Kreuter Michael , Tzouvelekis Argyris
Published: September 2022

Background and Objective

There remains a paucity of large databases for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and lung cancer. We aimed to create a European registry.

Methods

This was a multicentre, retrospective study across seven European countries between 1 January 2010 and 18 May 2021.

Results

We identified 324 patients with lung cancer among 3178 patients with IPF (prevalence = 10.2%). By the end of the 10 year‐period following IPF diagnosis, 26.6% of alive patients with IPF had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Patients with IPF and lung cancer experienced increased risk of all‐cause mortality than IPF patients without lung cancer (HR: 1.51, [95% CI: 1.22–1.86], p < 0.0001). All‐cause mortality was significantly lower for patients with IPF and lung cancer with a monocyte count of either <0.60 or 0.60–<0.95 K/μl than patients with monocyte count ≥0.95 K/μl (HR [<0.60 vs. ≥0.95 K/μl]: 0.35, [95% CI: 0.17–0.72], HR [0.60–<0.95 vs. ≥0.95 K/μl]: 0.42, [95% CI: 0.21–0.82], p = 0.003). Patients with IPF and lung cancer that received antifibrotics presented with decreased all cause‐mortality compared to those who did not receive antifibrotics (HR: 0.61, [95% CI: 0.42–0.87], p = 0.006). In the adjusted model, a significantly lower proportion of surgically treated patients with IPF and otherwise technically operable lung cancer experienced all‐cause mortality compared to non‐surgically treated patients (HR: 0.30 [95% CI: 0.11–0.86], p = 0.02).

Conclusion

Lung cancer exerts a dramatic impact on patients with IPF. A consensus statement for the management of patients with IPF and lung cancer is sorely needed.
Nitrogen dioxide increases the risk of disease progression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Yoon Hee‐Young , Kim Sun‐Young , Kim Ok‐Jin , Song Jin Woo
Published: September 2022

Background and Objective

Air pollution affects clinical course and prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, the effect of individual exposure to air pollutants on disease progression is unclear. We aimed to identify the effect of individual exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm [PM10]) on disease progression in patients with IPF.

Methods

The serial lung function data of 946 IPF patients (mean age: 65.4 years, male: 80.9%) were analysed. Individual‐level long‐term exposures to NO2 and PM10 at the residential addresses of patients were estimated using a national‐scale exposure prediction model, constructed based on air quality regulatory monitoring data. Progression was defined as a relative decline (≥10%) in forced vital capacity. Individual‐ and area‐level covariates were adjusted in the primary analysis model.

Results

Overall, 547 patients (57.8%) experienced progression during a median follow‐up of 1.0 year (interquartile range: 0.4–2.6 years). In the primary model, a 10‐ppb increase in NO2 concentration was associated with a 10.5% increase in the risk of progression (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.105; 95% CI = 1.000–1.219) in patients with IPF. There was also an increasing trend of progression in patients with IPF according to the second to fourth quartiles of NO2 (Q2 [HR = 1.299; 95% CI = 0.972–1.735], Q3 [1.409; 1.001–1.984], Q4 [1.598; 1.106–2.310]) compared to the first quartile. We found no association between PM10 and progression in IPF patients.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that increased individual exposure to NO2 can increase the risk of progression in patients with IPF.
Score Test for Assessing the Conditional Dependence in Latent Class Models and its Application to Record Linkage
Authors: Xu Huiping , Li Xiaochun , Zhang Zuoyi , Grannis Shaun
Published: September 2022

The Fellegi–Sunter model has been widely used in probabilistic record linkage despite its often invalid conditional independence assumption. Prior research has demonstrated that conditional dependence latent class models yield improved match performance when using the correct conditional dependence structure. With a misspecified conditional dependence structure, these models can yield worse performance. It is, therefore, critically important to correctly identify the conditional dependence structure. Existing methods for identifying the conditional dependence structure include the correlation residual plot, the log-odds ratio check, and the bivariate residual, all of which have been shown to perform inadequately. Bootstrap bivariate residual approach and score test have also been proposed and found to have better performance, with the score test having greater power and lower computational burden. In this paper, we extend the score-test-based approach to account for different conditional dependence structures. Through a simulation study, we develop practical recommendations on the utilisation of the score test and assess the match performance with conditional dependence identified by the proposed method. Performance of the proposed method is further evaluated using a real-world record linkage example. Findings show that the proposed method leads to improved matching accuracy relative to the Fellegi–Sunter model.
Contour Models for Physical Boundaries Enclosing Star-Shaped and Approximately Star-Shaped Polygons
Authors: Director Hannah M. , Raftery Adrian E.
Published: September 2022

Boundaries on spatial fields divide regions with particular features from surrounding background areas. Methods to identify boundary lines from interpolated spatial fields are well established. Less attention has been paid to how to model sequences of connected spatial points. Such models are needed for physical boundaries. For example, in the Arctic ocean, large contiguous areas are covered by sea ice, or frozen ocean water. We define the ice edge contour as the ordered sequences of spatial points that connect to form a line around set(s) of contiguous grid boxes with sea ice present. Polar scientists need to describe how this contiguous area behaves in present and historical data and under future climate change scenarios. We introduce the Gaussian Star-shaped Contour Model (GSCM) for modelling boundaries represented as connected sequences of spatial points such as the sea ice edge. GSCMs generate sequences of spatial points via generating sets of distances in various directions from a fixed starting point. The GSCM can be applied to contours that enclose regions that are star-shaped polygons or approximately star-shaped polygons. Metrics are introduced to assess the extent to which a polygon deviates from star-shapedness. Simulation studies illustrate the performance of the GSCM in different situations.