bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What outcome measures are most useful in measuring the effectiveness of anti-dementia medication in people with intellectual disabilities and dementia?
Authors: Ghazirad Marjan , Hewitt Olivia , Walden Sarah
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The use of anti-dementia medication in people with intellectual disabilities has been controversial and requires additional research to assess the efficacy of such medications. An essential part of this treatment (both in terms of research and clinical practice) is having robust outcome measures to assess the efficacy of these medications for individuals. Currently there is no consensus in the UK regarding which outcome measures, in conjunction with clinical judgement, are effective in informing clinicians’ decision-making regarding anti-dementia medication management and this paper aims to present useful outcome measures.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify relevant outcome measures. Outcome measures focused on aspects of patients’ presentation such as cognition, activities of daily living, neuropsychiatric presentation or the impact of their presentation (either on themselves, or on others). These outcome measures were critically appraised to ascertain their suitability in informing clinician’s decisions regarding management of anti-dementia medication. The focus of this appraisal was on good quality measures that are practical and accessible and can be easily used within clinical NHS services.

Findings

This paper provides advice for clinicians on using appropriate outcome measures, depending on patients’ presentations and the symptoms of dementia being targeted, that can be used alongside their clinical assessment to enhance their anti-dementia medication management. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the use of such outcome measures.

Originality/value

The case for using a range of assessments that are both broad in focus, and those specifically selected to measure the areas of functioning targeted by the anti-dementia medication, is presented.
A content analysis of Asian countries’ tourism video advertisements: a luxury travel perspective
Authors: Salangsang Louis James , Liwanag Micah Joy , Notorio Paul Anthony
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This study aims to examine the elements of luxury travel found in YouTube video advertisements uploaded by various National Tourism Offices from 19 selected Asian countries at the onset of Covid-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers used content analysis to systematically analyze the themes among the Asian tourism video advertisements through the lens of the hierarchy of luxury travel needs.

Findings

Thailand and the Philippines showcase the most elements of luxury travel needs (LTNs), featuring five out of the seven components. In fact, Thailand has the highest aggregate featured LTN elements among all countries, with 164 coded references across five components. Exclusivity is the most featured element of the LTN by all Asian countries, except for South Korea and Bhutan whose focus is on authentic experience. Interestingly, product quality standards were not seen in any videos.

Practical implications

Tourism industry decision-makers can use this study in evaluating their promotional plans, developing promotional strategies, crafting future video advertisements and exploring future research in the field of social media, videos and luxury.

Originality/value

The study provides insights and understanding of the current priorities of tourism advertisements. This study’s use of the hierarchy of LTNs provides a novel contribution within the studies in luxury travel, post-pandemic travel and tourism advertisement.
Melting process of PCM with Carreau – Yasuda non-Newtonian behavior in a shell and tube heat exchanger occupied by anisotropic porous medium
Authors: Fadaei Mojtaba , Izadi Mohsen , Assareh Ehsanolah , Ershadi Ali
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the melting process of the phase-change RT-35 material in a shell and tube heat exchanger saturated with a porous medium. Titanium porous media with isotropic and inhomogeneous structures are studied. The considered tubes in the shell and tube exchanger are made of copper with specific thicknesses. The phase-change material has a non-Newtonian behavior and follows the endorsed Carreau–Yasuda Model.

Design/methodology/approach

The enthalpy–porosity method is used for modeling of the melting process. The governing equations were transferred to their dimensionless forms. Finally, the equations are solved by applying the Galerkin finite element method.

Findings

The findings for different values of the relative permeability (K*) and permeability deviation angle (λ) are represented in the forms of charts, streamlines and constant temperature contours. The considerable effects of the relative permeability (K*) and deviation angle (λ) on the flow line patterns of the melting phase-change material are some of the significant achievements of this works.

Originality/value

This study was conducted using data from relevant research articles provided by reputable academic sources. The data included in this manuscript have not been published previously and are not under consideration by any other journal.
Research on the influence of online media reports on earnings management based on the perspective on abnormal investor attention
Authors: Wang Ye , Wang Fusheng , Liu Shiyu
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss whether the attention of investors to abnormalities can serve as a mechanism for the influence of online media coverage on earnings management.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on Baidu index data of China’s A-share listed companies between 2014 and 2018, this paper studies influencing mechanism of online media reports on earnings management from the perspective on abnormal investor attention.

Findings

The results show that internet media reports can impose pressure on managers of companies by inducing abnormal focus of the public on listed companies and further force the latter to generate more actions on the management of earnings. It is the abnormal rather than normal investor attention that mediates network media reports and earnings management.

Practical implications

This research enriches and refines the theory on influencing mechanism of media effects on earnings management and provides significant empirical evidence for future researches. Meanwhile, the conclusion of the research is of great practical importance for instructing listed firms dealing with media reports, guiding rational investment of investors and intensifying precision regulation of regulators.

Originality/value

By categorizing abnormal investor attention into active spontaneous abnormal attention which is not guided by media report and passive guided abnormal attention which is guided by media reports, the authors clarify the difference between the two categories. The result indicates that it is only the latter that is the influential mechanism of media report on earnings management.
Clinical features of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor‐associated bullous pemphigoid in Japan: A nationwide retrospective observational study
Authors: Sugiyama Seiko , Yamamoto Takenobu , Aoyama Yumi
Published: April 2022

Many cases of bullous pemphigoid (BP) have been reported in patients taking dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors (DPP‐4i), which are the most widely used antidiabetic drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, no large‐scale survey has been conducted in Japan. This retrospective study investigated the incidence, clinical presentation, and clinical course of DPP‐4i‐associated BP (DPP‐4i‐BP) using epidemiological data from a nationwide registry for BP. In 2016, 713 new BP patients at 94 dermatological institutes were registered, 243 (34.1%) with DPP‐4i‐BP and 461 (64.7%) with non‐DPP‐4i‐BP. The male‐to‐female ratio was 1.9 and 0.84, respectively. Patients with DPP‐4i‐BP were predominantly male. Non‐inflammatory BP was more common in DPP‐4i‐BP (33.3%) than in non‐DPP‐4i‐BP (14.6%), while inflammatory BP was common in both. No specific subtype or difference in disease severity was evident in DPP‐4i‐BP. The most common gliptins administered to DPP‐4i‐BP patients were vildagliptin (37.2%) and linagliptin (23.8%). DPP‐4i intake was discontinued in 79.9% of cases after diagnosis. Some DPP‐4i‐BP patients (17.6%) achieved spontaneous remission after discontinuing DPP‐4i without requiring the use of systemic corticosteroids and/or adjuvant therapy. Mean duration to achieve disease control was 2.87 months. The odds ratio for non‐inflammatory BP requiring systemic corticosteroids and/or adjuvant therapy was low (0.52), suggesting that remission was achieved easily with supportive care in that phenotype. Non‐inflammatory and mild cases of DPP‐4i‐BP may resolve spontaneously with supportive care, including the discontinuation of DPP‐4i and no oral corticosteroid therapy.
Physicochemical characterisation of ACE‐inhibitory and antioxidant peptides from Alcalase® whey protein hydrolysates using fractionation strategies
Authors: López Emilse C , Eberhardt Agustina , Marino Fernanda , Mammarella Enrique J , Sihufe Guillermo A , Manzo Ricardo M
Published: April 2022

Antioxidant activity (AOA) and ACE‐inhibitory activity (AHA) were obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of bovine whey using food‐grade Alcalase®. The aim of this report was to characterise relevant physicochemical properties of the bioactive peptides and evaluate them with respect to the degree of hydrolysis (DH) using separation techniques. The results suggest that low molecular weight peptides containing high concentrations of cationic and aromatic amino acid residues were responsible for AHA, whereas those related to AOA would possess anionic and both nonpolar aliphatic and aromatic amino acid residues within their sequence. Furthermore, an extensive DH negatively influenced radical scavenging AOA but positively affected angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition.
Instrumental and sensory techniques to characterize the texture of foods suitable for dysphagic people: A systematic review
Authors: Ibañez Francisco C. , Merino Gorka , Marín‐Arroyo María Remedios , Beriain María José
Published: April 2022

The interest to characterize texture‐modified foods (TMFs) intended for people with oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) has grown significantly since 2011. Several instrumental and sensory techniques have been applied in the analysis of these foods. The objective of the present systematic review was to identify the most appropriate techniques, especially for the food industry and clinical setting. The search was carried out in three online databases according to the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses” (PRISMA). Across the multiple trials reviewed, Texture Profile Analysis and the Uniaxial Compression Test were most used as the instrumental technique for solid foods, and the Back Extrusion Test for fluid and semisolid foods. All trials used descriptive analysis as the sensory technique. However, the experimental conditions of the trials lacked standardization. Consequently, the results of the trials were not comparable. To properly characterize the texture of TMFs intended for OD by each technique, an international consensus is needed to establish standardized experimental conditions. Methods based on these techniques should also be validated by collaborative studies to verify repeatability, replicability, and reproducibility.
Salmonella spp. in low water activity food: Occurrence, survival mechanisms, and thermoresistance
Authors: Morasi Rafaela Martins , Rall Vera Lúcia Mores , Dantas Stéfani Thais Alves , Alonso Vanessa Pereira Perez , Silva Nathália Cristina Cirone
Published: April 2022

The occurrence of disease outbreaks involving low‐water‐activity (aw) foods has gained increased prominence due in part to the fact that reducing free water in these foods is normally a measure that controls the growth and multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms. Salmonella, one of the main bacteria involved in these outbreaks, represents a major public health problem worldwide and in Brazil, which highlights the importance of good manufacturing and handling practices for food quality. The virulence of this pathogen, associated with its high ability to persist in the environment, makes Salmonella one of the main challenges for the food industry. The objectives of this article are to present the general characteristics, virulence, thermoresistance, control, and relevance of Salmonella in foodborne diseases, and describe the so‐called low‐water‐activity foods and the salmonellosis outbreaks involving them.
Influence of Gas Hydrate on the Acoustic Properties of Sediment: A Comprehensive Review with a Focus on Experimental Measurements
Authors: ZHANG Qi , LIU Xin , HE Tao , LU Hailong
Published: April 2022

In recent years, natural gas hydrate has attracted increasing attention worldwide as a potential alternative energy source due to its attributes of wide distribution, large reserves, and low carbon. Since the acoustic characteristics of hydrate‐bearing reservoirs clearly differ from those of adjacent formations, an acoustic approach, using seismic and acoustic logging, is one of the most direct, effective and widely used methods among the identification and characterization techniques for hydrate reservoir exploration. This review of research on the influence of hydrate (content and distribution) on the acoustic properties (velocity and attenuation) of sediments in the past two decades includes experimental studies based on different hydrate formation methods and measurements, as well as rock physics models. The main problems in current research are also pointed out and future prospects discussed.
Dupal Anomaly and Identification using Nd‐Hf Isotopes
Authors: TIAN Ye , XU Jifeng , LIU Xijun
Published: April 2022

The Dupal anomaly has attracted widespread attention since being discovered and is regarded as the most direct manifestation of mantle inhomogeneity at present. From the initially defined anomalies limited to the southern hemisphere to the global scale, the criteria for identifying anomalies defined by Pb isotopes have also been adjusted, providing an important method and reference for the study of the mantle evolution. Pearce and Peate (1995) proposed the method of Nd‐Hf isotope and element ratio to identify the Dupal anomaly. The Nd‐Hf method also offers a possible way to discriminate the mantle region of arc magmatism through the correction of Nd in the subduction process. This paper introduces the concepts and determination methods of the Dupal anomaly, and reports new Hf isotopic data of MORB‐type rocks with Dupal signature in the several Tethys ophiolites. Our results of Nd‐Hf method are in good agreement with those of previous Pb isotope identification. Moreover, origins and their controversy of Dupal anomaly are reviewed, and possible internal connections between Dupal anomalies and the two Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs) in the lower mantle are discussed in depth. Further studies on origin and evolution of the Dupal anomaly are suggested, especially using integrated approach of Hf‐Nd and Pb isotopes.
Analysts' Book Value Forecasts: Initial Evidence from the Perspective of Real‐Options‐Based Valuation*
Authors: Hui Kai Wai , Liu Alfred Z. , Schneible Richard A. , Zhang Guochang
Published: April 2022

This study examines the usefulness of analysts' book value forecasts and the economic factors driving analysts' issuance of these forecasts. Guided by the real‐options‐based valuation model (ROM) of Zhang (2000), we explicitly link book value forecasts to the need for such information in valuation. We first establish that analysts' book value forecasts are superior to forecasts that are mechanically imputed from analysts' own earnings forecasts and those from random walk models and are incrementally informative beyond analysts' earnings, cash flow, and dividend forecasts. We then employ the ROM to explore the distinct information embedded in book value forecasts and analysts' decisions to issue these forecasts. Consistent with our expectations, we find that (i) book value forecasts convey growth information that is significantly correlated with ex ante indicators of real options, while analysts' earnings forecasts do not display this property; and (ii) analysts issue more book value forecasts when either growth options or, to a lesser extent, abandonment options are an important part of firm value. Our study sheds light on how analysts' book value forecasts are useful and under what circumstances analysts provide such information to meet investors' needs.
The influence of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program on local water quality
Authors: Liu Pengfei , Wang Yu , Zhang Wei
Published: April 2022

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is the primary conservation program on working agricultural land. The United States Department of Agriculture obligated over $15 billion through EQIP cost‐sharing contracts during the fiscal years 2009–2019. The voluntary nature of the program and the lack of performance assessment have led to speculations regarding the effectiveness of the program in delivering environmental benefits, in particular for improving water quality. This study provides quantitative estimates of the influence of EQIP payments on local water quality at a national scale. We link monitoring station level water quality readings with EQIP contract data and exploit the direction of river flow for identification. The estimated effects of EQIP vary across water quality measures. Estimates indicate that EQIP payments have significantly reduced biochemical oxygen demand and nitrogen, indicating improvements in water quality, but increased total suspended solids, fecal coliform, and phosphorus, suggesting that the implementation of certain conservation practices might have increased soil erosion and pathogen transfer, especially in watersheds with more agricultural production.
Test‐enhanced learning improves learner attendance during a laparoscopic box trainer simulation program
Authors: Lowe Belinda , Ng Jessica , Jordan Stephanie , Waynforth David , Angstetra Donald , Brazil Victoria
Published: April 2022

Background

Laparoscopy is the gold standard approach for many surgical procedures, but it is a complex skill to learn. Laparoscopic simulation training may help, but it is unclear how to best engage trainees in these programs. Test‐enhanced learning (TEL) uses regular, well‐defined assessments of performance throughout the training phase of learning.

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of TEL on a laparoscopic simulation program involving a cohort of medical student volunteers.

Materials and methods

A prospective cohort study was performed with a convenience sample of 40 medical students. Students were recruited to participate in a ten‐week laparoscopic simulation program. Twenty students participated in a laparoscopic surgical program with TEL (‘TEL group’), and 20 students participated in a standard laparoscopic simulation program (‘control group’).

Results

Attendance in the TEL group was significantly higher than in the standard group (71 vs 51.5%, P = 0.03). There was no difference between groups in mean time scores. Four themes were identified in qualitative data drawn from student surveys – personal traits and motivators, training context, clear goals and feedback enabling understanding of one's own performance.

Conclusion

Testing laparoscopic skills throughout a learning program, in conjunction with individualised feedback and tracking of learning trajectory, increases trainee attendance. Laparoscopic simulation training programs are encouraged to reflect on the pedagogic framework in which their procedural skills training operates.
Evaluation of the inflammatory profile following uncomplicated elective colectomy
Authors: Su'a Bruce , Milne Tony , Jaung Rebekah , Xia Weisi , Jin James , Svirskis Darren , Eglinton Tim , Bissett Ian , G. Hill Andrew
Published: April 2022

Background

Attenuation of the inflammatory response in patients undergoing colectomy with modern perioperative care and laparoscopic surgery has been a focus of research in recent years. Despite reported benefits, significant heterogeneity remains with studies including patients undergoing both rectal and colon surgery and including surgery with postoperative complications. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the inflammatory response in patients undergoing elective colectomy without complications, specifically comparing open and laparoscopic approaches.

Methods

A multicenter prospective study was conducted across four public hospitals in Auckland and Christchurch, New Zealand. Consecutive adults undergoing elective colectomy were included over a 3‐year period. Perioperative blood samples were collected and analysed for the following inflammatory markers: IL‐6, IL‐1β, TNFα, IL‐10, CRP, leucocyte and neutrophil count. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software.

Results

A total of 168 colectomy patients without complications were included in the analysis. Patients that underwent laparoscopy had significantly reduced IL‐6, neutrophils and CRP on postoperative day (POD) 1 (p < 0.05) compared to an open approach. IL‐10 and TNFα were significantly reduced on POD 2 (p < 0.05) in laparoscopic patients. Patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2 had significantly higher levels of CRP regardless of operative approach. Statins altered both preoperative and postoperative inflammatory markers.

Conclusion

The postoperative inflammatory response is influenced by surgical approach, perioperative medications, and patient factors. These findings have important implications in the utility of biomarkers in the diagnosis of postoperative surgical complications, in particular in the early diagnosis of anastomotic leak.
Do men with bladder stones benefit from treatment of benign prostatic obstruction?
Authors: Maresca Gianluca , Mc Clinton Samuel , Swami Satchi , El‐Mokadem Ismail , Donaldson James F.
Published: April 2022

Objective

To identify whether men aged ≥40 years with bladder stones (BS) benefit from treatment of benign prostatic obstruction (BPO).

Patients and methods

A regional, retrospective study of patients undergoing BS surgery between January 2011 and December 2018 was performed using a prospectively collected database. The primary outcome was BS recurrence after successful removal. Kruskal–Wallis and chi‐squared statistical tests were used.

Results

A total of 174 patients underwent BS removal and 71 (40.8%) were excluded due to BS formation secondary to causes other than BPO. Hence, 103 men aged ≥40 years had BS successfully removed, of which 40% had a history of upper tract urolithiasis. These men were divided into three groups: those undergoing contemporaneous medical, surgical, or no BPO treatment. Age, diabetes, previous urolithiasis and previous BPO surgery were well matched between the BPO treatment groups. In all, 18 of these men (17%) had BS recurrence after 46 months follow‐up.

Recurrences were significantly lower following BPO surgery; one of 34 (3%) men versus five of 28 (18%) with no BPO treatment (P = 0.048) and 12 of 41 (29%) with medical BPO treatment (P = 0.003). Recurrences after medical and no BPO treatment were similar (P = 0.280). In all, 34 men (33%) had BPO complications that were similar between groups (P = 0.378).

Conclusion

This is the largest reported cohort of men, with the longest follow‐up after BS removal. Most men aged ≥40 years with BS benefit from BPO surgery. However, the study findings also support a multifactorial aetiology for BS, which questions the dogma that BS are an ‘absolute indication’ for BPO surgery, as is stated in the Non‐neurogenic Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms European Association of Urology Guideline. Assessment and management of all causative factors is likely to enable selection of which men will benefit from BPO surgery and to reduce BS recurrence rates.
The secretome of Verticillium dahliae in collusion with plant defence responses modulates Verticillium wilt symptoms
Authors: Zhang Dan‐Dan , Dai Xiao‐Feng , Klosterman Steven J. , Subbarao Krishna V. , Chen Jie‐Yin
Published: April 2022

Verticillium dahliae is a notorious soil‐borne pathogen that enters hosts through the roots and proliferates in the plant water‐conducting elements to cause Verticillium wilt. Historically, Verticillium wilt symptoms have been explained by vascular occlusion, due to the accumulation of mycelia and plant biomacromolecule aggregation, and also by phytotoxicity caused by pathogen‐secreted toxins. Beyond the direct cytotoxicity of some members of the secretome, this review systematically discusses the roles of the V. dahliae secretome in vascular occlusion, including the deposition of polysaccharides as an outcome of plant cell wall destruction, the accumulation of fungal mycelia, and modulation of plant defence responses. By modulating plant defences and hormone levels, the secretome manipulates the vascular environment to induce Verticillium wilt. Thus, the secretome of V. dahliae colludes with plant defence responses to modulate Verticillium wilt symptoms, and thereby bridges the historical concepts of both toxin production by the pathogen and vascular occlusion as the cause of wilting symptoms.
Downregulation of microRNA‐124‐3p promotes subventricular zone neural stem cell activation by enhancing the function of BDNF downstream pathways after traumatic brain injury in adult rats
Authors: Kang En‐Ming , Jia Yi‐Bin , Wang Jia‐You , Wang Guan‐Yi , Chen Hui‐Jun , Chen Xiao‐Yan , Ye Yu‐Qin , Zhang Xin , Su Xin‐Hong , Wang Jing‐Yu , He Xiao‐Sheng
Published: April 2022

Aims

In this study, the effect of intracerebral ventricle injection with a miR‐124‐3p agomir or antagomir on prognosis and on subventricular zone (SVZ) neural stem cells (NSCs) in adult rats with moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) was investigated.

Methods

Model rats with moderate controlled cortical impact (CCI) were established and verified as described previously. The dynamic changes in miR‐124‐3p and the status of NSCs in the SVZ were analyzed. To evaluate the effect of lateral ventricle injection with miR‐124‐3p analogs and inhibitors after TBI, modified neurological severity scores (mNSSs) and rotarod tests were used to assess motor function prognosis. The variation in SVZ NSC marker expression was also explored. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of predicted miR‐124‐3p targets was performed to infer miR‐124‐3p functions, and miR‐124‐3p effects on pivotal predicted targets were further explored.

Results

Administration of miR‐124 inhibitors enhanced SVZ NSC proliferation and improved the motor function of TBI rats. Functional analysis of miR‐124 targets revealed high correlations between miR‐124 and neurotrophin signaling pathways, especially the TrkB downstream pathway. PI3K, Akt3, and Ras were found to be crucial miR‐124 targets and to be involved in most predicted functional pathways. Interference with miR‐124 expression in the lateral ventricle affected the PI3K/Akt3 and Ras pathways in the SVZ, and miR‐124 inhibitors intensified the potency of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in SVZ NSC proliferation after TBI.

Conclusion

Disrupting miR‐124 expression through lateral ventricle injection has beneficial effects on neuroregeneration and TBI prognosis. Moreover, the combined use of BDNF and miR‐124 inhibitors might lead to better outcomes in TBI than BDNF treatment alone.
The role of Trithorax family regulating osteogenic and Chondrogenic differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Ma Qingge , Song Chenghao , Yin Bei , Shi Yu , Ye Ling
Published: April 2022

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) hold great promise and clinical efficacy in bone/cartilage regeneration. With a deeper understanding of stem cell biology over the past decade, epigenetics stands out as one of the most promising ways to control MSCs differentiation. Trithorax group (TrxG) proteins, including the COMPASS family, ASH1L, CBP/p300 as histone modifying factors, and the SWI/SNF complexes as chromatin remodelers, play an important role in gene expression regulation during the process of stem cell differentiation. This review summarises the components and functions of TrxG complexes. We provide an overview of the regulation mechanisms of TrxG in MSCs osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation, and discuss the prospects of epigenetic regulation mediated by TrxG in bone and cartilage regeneration.
Patterns of maxillofacial trauma in helmet vs. non helmet wearing two wheeler drivers in a tertiary care center
Authors: Chalathadka Mahabaleshwara , Dengody Prasanna Kumar , Ram Bhargav , Pasha Aysha Kaleem , Madala Gayathri , Rao Chaithra
Published: April 2022

Background/Aims

The frequency and patterns of maxillofacial fractures vary by country, based on demographic, socioeconomic, cultural and environmental factors. Wearing a helmet is an efficient form of head protection for two‐wheeler drivers and is now required in the vast majority of countries. The aim of this study was to compare the patterns of maxillofacial trauma in patients who wore helmets and those who did not.

Materials and Methods

The data were gathered from clinical records of patients presenting with maxillofacial trauma between January 2019 and February 2022. The inclusion criteria were met by subjects involved in two‐wheeler accidents with comprehensive case records and radiological investigations.

Results

A total of 177 people presented following maxillofacial trauma. The mean age was 34.2 ± 12.7 years. There were 151 (85.3%) males and 26 (14.6%) females. One hundred and two patients had not been wearing a helmet, while 75 patients were wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Mandible fractures were the most common injury in both groups, followed by zygomatic arch fractures (which were more common in non‐helmet users) and dentoalveolar fractures in helmet users.

Conclusion

There was a significant difference in the pattern and severity of maxillofacial trauma in helmet users and non‐helmet users.
Interactive effects of multiple stressors vary with consumer interactions, stressor dynamics and magnitude
Authors: Turschwell Mischa P. , Connolly Sean R. , Schäfer Ralf B. , De Laender Frederik , Campbell Max D. , Mantyka‐Pringle Chrystal , Jackson Michelle C. , Kattwinkel Mira , Sievers Michael , Ashauer Roman , Côté Isabelle M. , Connolly Rod M. , van den Brink Paul J. , Brown Christopher J.
Published: April 2022

Predicting the impacts of multiple stressors is important for informing ecosystem management but is impeded by a lack of a general framework for predicting whether stressors interact synergistically, additively or antagonistically. Here, we use process‐based models to study how interactions generalise across three levels of biological organisation (physiological, population and consumer‐resource) for a two‐stressor experiment on a seagrass model system. We found that the same underlying processes could result in synergistic, additive or antagonistic interactions, with interaction type depending on initial conditions, experiment duration, stressor dynamics and consumer presence. Our results help explain why meta‐analyses of multiple stressor experimental results have struggled to identify predictors of consistently non‐additive interactions in the natural environment. Experiments run over extended temporal scales, with treatments across gradients of stressor magnitude, are needed to identify the processes that underpin how stressors interact and provide useful predictions to management.
Improve fatigue and mechanical properties of high carbon bearing steel by a new double vacuum melting route
Authors: Shi Zhiyue , Wang Hui , Gao Yuanhang , Wang Yutong , Yu Feng , Xu Haifeng , Zhang Xiaodan , Shang Chengjia , Cao Wenquan
Published: April 2022

A new double vacuum melting route (conventional second refining + vacuum arc refining [CSR + VAR]) with 33% lower production cost than the traditional VIM + VAR route has been tried. Compared with the CSR route, the CSR + VAR route reduces the average inclusion size from 27.1 ± 12.3 μm to 13.7 ± 2.4 μm, and the CSR + VAR steel processes a 13.1% higher rotatory bending fatigue (RBF) fatigue strength (
) and a 3‐timeslonger RCF L10 life. The crescent‐shaped granular bright facet (GBF) zone, normally found in high‐strength steels' very high cycle fatigue regimes beyond 107 cycles normally under a much lower stress amplitude, appears around inner inclusions on the CSR + VAR steel RBF fracture surfaces in high cycle fatigue regimes beyond 3 × 105 cycles. The development of GBF zones is estimated to account for 79%–90% of the RBF fatigue life. The average crack propagation rate (da/dN) for GBF zones varies from 1.3 × 10−12 m/cycle to 24 × 10−12 m/cycle and increases with the stress amplitude.
A strange sky: Security atmospheres and the technological management of geopolitical conflict in the case of Israel's Iron Dome
Authors: Slesinger Ian
Published: April 2022

This paper uses Israel's technologically advanced Iron Dome short‐range missile defence system as a deep empirical case study to examine how affective atmospheres mediate the relationship between state power and the agency of technological objects deployed to govern (in)security. Drawing theoretically from productive tensions between more‐than‐human theories of object‐oriented ontology, actor‐network theory and affect theory, it evaluates Iron Dome as a scintillating ‘bright object’ with variable capacities and limitations that exceed the sum of its components. Iron Dome both overreaches and contradicts the intentions and governance logics of state elites within a spatio‐temporally distributed array of architectures, infrastructures and practices. Within this milieu, its affective power is ambivalent and capricious, and can both enhance and undermine the atmospheric production of security in ways that exceed both instrumental functionality and human intentions. These findings indicate how a geography of security that attends to the affective dimension of object politics can account for the complex and non‐causal ways in which technologies can either reinforce or inhibit security as an anthropocentric endeavour.
Does carbon emission trading contribute to reducing infectious diseases? Evidence from China
Authors: Hao Yu , Li Yujia , Shen Zhiyang
Published: April 2022

Research at the biophysical level constitutes the main approach to study the path through which climate influences infectious diseases, but the influence of socioeconomic factors on climate change and the spread of infectious diseases also cannot be ignored. In the current context, with its emphasis on carbon emission reduction, countries have begun to adopt “total control and trading” methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This paper is based on the monthly relevant data of various provinces and cities from 2015 to 2019, adds the moderating variable of “carbon emission trading volume” based on current research results, establishes a static model of unbalanced panel fixed effects and a dynamic panel model, and deeply analyzes the impact of climate change on infectious disease popularity and the moderating effect of the carbon trading market. The study found that climate warming, frequent precipitation, and shortened sunshine duration will lead to an increase in the number of infectious disease cases and that the “carbon emission trading volume” variable plays a negative role in the positive correlation between climate change (temperature/precipitation) and the number of infectious disease cases. There are seasonal differences, and the moderating effect in summer/autumn is more obvious than that in winter/spring.
MgONP/Chitin nanowhisker‐based hybrid filler bound soy protein thin films for bioactive packaging applications
Authors: Koshy Rekha Rose , Reghunadhan Arunima , Mary Siji K. , Pothen Laly A. , Thomas Sabu
Published: April 2022

Biogenic active packaging materials are on amplified demand owing to environmental concerns. Materials with enhanced properties and stability are still challenging. Bearing in mind these facts, here we are proposing an active soy protein isolate (SPI)‐based packaging film comprising magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NP) and chitin nanowhisker (CNW), to address this demand. The sol‐gel method was employed in the synthesis of MgO NP and an average particle size of 26.57 nm was obtained. Highly crystalline CNW having dimensions between 5 and 9 nm was synthesised using the steam explosion technique. SPI bio‐nanocomposite film reinforced with the as‐synthesised MgO NP and CNW exhibited high thermal stability, water barrier property and antibacterial activity. The enhancement in the properties is due to the interaction between polar groups of SPI with the hybrid as confirmed by FTIR studies. The prepared nanocomposite film has the potential to be used as bioactive packaging material.
Effects of supplemental feeding on nesting success and physiological metrics in eastern bluebirds Sialia sialis
Authors: Perryman Danielle C. , Pandit Meelyn M. , Riddell Eric A. , Sanders Tiana L. , Kanda Ian A. , Grindstaff Jennifer L.
Published: April 2022

Supplemental feeding is a common anthropogenic influence on wildlife which, dependent on natural food availability, can have positive or negative effects on physiological condition. For example, animals may respond negatively to supplemental feeding if the artificial food source increases disease exposure or there may be negative consequences from removal of a supplemental food source. We manipulated supplemental food availability in a wild population of eastern bluebirds Sialia sialis to examine the influence on body mass, physiological metrics and nesting success. Adult and nestling bluebirds were randomly assigned to one of three feeding groups. The first treatment group received mealworm Tenebrio molitor larvae inside nest boxes throughout the breeding attempt, the second treatment group received mealworms from nest completion until nestlings hatched, and the third treatment group received no supplementation. We collected blood samples from adults and nestlings to quantify bacterial killing ability, corticosterone levels and heterophil to lymphocyte ratios. As measures of nesting success, we quantified hatching success and fledging success. Supplement group tended to impact nestling mass near fledging; however, neither the physiological metrics nor the nesting success metrics differed significantly among experimental groups. Our results suggest eastern bluebird supplementation is largely neutral with the exception of its removal at the time of hatching, at least when natural food sources are abundant. Bird feeding by hobbyists may attract birds to locations with available nesting sites without demonstrably negative or positive effects, unless practiced inconsistently during breeding.
Sex and age‐class differences in feather mite loads in white wagtailsMotacilla alba lugenssuggest self‐regulation of feather mites by birds
Authors: Takagi Masaoki
Published: April 2022

In order to investigate the relationship between feather mites and their hosts taking into account host ecology I examined relationships among feather mite load, and sex, age, wing length and body‐condition in the white wagtailMotacilla alba lugens. I captured 288 wagtails in January (the first period) 2002 at a communal roost in Osaka, central Japan. All the wagtails were ringed individually, aged as yearlings (first‐winter) or adults (older) and sexed. I measured wing length, tarsus length and body mass, calculated a body condition index (BCI) and determined the feather mite loads (FML) of each individual by visual examination of the flight feathers of one wing, giving a score using the range 0–5. I recaptured 121 wagtails after an average of 45 days (the second period), and redetermined their FML. FML was not correlated with wing length or body‐condition. Yearlings had higher FML than adults in both periods. Males had greater FML than females in the second period. No significant differences in FML between the first and second periods were detected among yearling females, or adult males, but adult females had significantly lower FML and yearling males had significantly higher FML than the other age–sex classes in the second period. The sexual difference was caused by the lower FML of adult females and the higher FML of yearling males. The BCI of yearling males was the lowest among the four combinations of sex and age‐class. I conclude that wagtails may be able to prevent overpopulation of feather mites on their own plumage. The ability to control mite populations may be related to the condition of the host.
Digital learning of English as a foreign language among university students: How are approaches to learning linked to digital competence and technostress?
Authors: Niu Liwei , Wang Xinghua , Wallace Matthew P. , Pang Hui , Xu Yanping
Published: April 2022

Background

In view of the widespread use of digital technologies in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning and the importance of students' approaches to learning (SAL) and digital competence, as well as the threats of technostress in digital settings, digital EFL learning requires a critical examination.

Objectives

This study sought to investigate the interrelationships among of SAL, students' digital competence, and the emerging technostress in digital learning of EFL.

Methods

Survey and EFL test data of 477 university students taking EFL courses were collected. Partial least square structural equation modelling and cluster analysis were employed to analyze these data.

Results and Conclusions

The results indicate that a surface approach to learning was significantly positively associated with technostress while negatively associated with digital competence. The deep and organized learning approaches positively predicted digital competence, which further negatively predicted technostress and burnout in digital learning of EFL. Technostress was found to be positively related to exhaustion and cynicism, with cynicism being negatively related to EFL learning outcomes. The cluster analysis identified three clusters of EFL learners and revealed that, overall, high scores in the deep and organized approaches to learning were generally aligned with strong digital competence, low technostress, low burnout, and high EFL learning outcomes.

Takeaways

The findings of this study carry important implications for practitioners of EFL learning and teaching in the design of strategies, pedagogies, and EFL learning technologies that improve EFL learning in digital settings while maintaining learners' wellbeing.
The responsiveness of muscle strength tests in adults with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Weterings S. , Oppewal A. , Bierma‐Zeinstra S. M. A. , Hilgenkamp T. I. M.
Published: April 2022

Background

Muscle strength is both a strong predictor for future negative health outcomes and a prerequisite for physical fitness and daily functioning of adults with ID. Therefore, it is important to be able to monitor the muscle strength of adults with ID over time. The aim of this study is to assess the responsiveness of five field tests that measure muscle strength and endurance (grip strength, hand‐held dynamometry of leg extension and arm flexion, 10RM‐test of the seated squat and the biceps curl, 30‐s chair stand and the 5‐times Chair stand) in adults with ID after a 24‐week resistance‐exercise training (RT) programme.

Method

The responsiveness of the five muscle strength and endurance tests was assessed by correlating the change scores of the five tests with the slope of the training progression of specific exercises within the RT‐programme, namely, the step up, seated squat, biceps curl and triceps curl.

Results

The 10RM‐test of the seated squat was significantly correlated with the step up (R = 0.53, P = 0.02) and the seated squat (R = 0.70 P = 0.00). None of change scores on the other tests was significantly correlated with the training progression of the exercises.

Conclusion

The 10RM test of the seated squat could potentially be used to evaluate the effects of an RT‐programme in adults with ID. Responsiveness of the grip strength, hand held dynamometry, 10RM‐test of the biceps curl, 30‐s chair stand and the 5‐times chair stand could not yet be confirmed.
The clinical features and management of Lynch syndrome‐associated ovarian cancer
Authors: Ran Xuting , Jing Huining , Li Zhengyu
Published: April 2022

Aim

Lynch syndrome (LS) is one of the most common hereditary cancer syndromes, characterized by mutations in mismatch repair genes and autosomal dominant inheritance. Women with LS have an additional increased risk of gynecologic malignancies, including endometrial cancer (EC) and ovarian cancer (OC). Compared with EC, OC is relatively under investigation. This review thoroughly summarizes the current clinical evidence of surveillance, screening, and prevention strategies, and describes the molecular and clinical characteristics of LS‐associated OC.

Methods

An electronic search from databases of PubMed and Google Scholar was carried out using key words pertaining to Lynch syndrome and ovarian cancer. A review of the literatures including review articles, experimental, and observational studies published between 2000 and 2021 was conducted.

Results

The lifetime risk of OC in women with LS of MLH1, MSH2, and MSH6 mutations is approximately 7%, with the median age at onset being 46 years, 10–15 years earlier than that in sporadic cases. Histologically, LS‐associated OCs are primarily endometrioid (40%), high‐grade (25%), and low‐grade (11%) serous, or clear cell (6%) in nature. Eighty‐five percent of patients are diagnosed at an early stage, presenting with a good prognosis at 84% 5‐year survival. Optimal screening strategies for OC in LS are controversial; combined screening of patients' clinical and family history, immunohistochemical analysis, and microsatellite instability testing for mismatch repair deficiency have been proven efficient.

Conclusion

The clinical features were different between ovarian cancer in Lynch syndrome and sporadic cases. More research are needed for a greater understanding of the prevention and medical treatment of LS‐associated OC.
The macrofaunal metropolis in the sediments around the first‐ever deep‐sea alligator fall
Authors: Bryant Sara River Dixon , Nunnally Clifton , Hanks Granger , McClain Craig R.
Published: April 2022

The maintenance of high diversity in deep‐sea sediments is often hypothesized to be a result of heterogeneity in disturbance and carbon availability creating long‐lived patches of unique communities. Deep‐sea food falls are known to contribute to this patchiness, influencing the beta‐diversity of soft‐bottom communities through varying effects of enrichment and disturbance. Previous food fall work has centered on large (>1000 kg, e.g., whales) or small (0–10 kg, e.g., kelp, fish, wood) food parcels, leading to the hypothesis that only the largest persist long enough to impact sediment communities. The effect of intermediately sized (10–1000 kg) carcasses on sediment macrofauna communities remains poorly understood. Here, we deployed an individual Alligator mississippiensis carcass (19.5 kg) as organic enrichment to an otherwise food‐poor landscape at 2034 m in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Sediment cores collected at three distances from the alligator fall following decomposition were used to describe changes in macrofauna abundance and alpha‐ and beta‐diversity. We found that the carcass enriched nearby sediments with up to three times more carbon than background sediments. This carbon enrichment near the carcass did not influence species richness but did correlate with higher abundance and a suite of species unique from background communities. Our findings suggest that the food fall size threshold above which enrichment of local sediments occurs may be lower than previously thought, as we demonstrate that an intermediately sized (19.5 kg) food fall can contribute carbon and promote beta‐ and thus gamma‐ diversity of the infaunal benthos.