bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sex Differences in Suicidal Ideation: Mediating Effects of Alcohol Abuse/Dependence on Suicidal Ideation through Psychological Distress and Hopelessness
Authors: Kim Yi Jin , Burlaka Viktor , Yoon Susan 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
This article aims to investigate the impact of psychological distress and hopelessness as mediators in the relationship between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and suicidal ideation among young adults. The study employed data from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, focusing on participants aged 18 to 25. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct a moderated mediation analysis. The findings revealed that AUD, psychological distress, and hopelessness were all significant risk factors for suicidal ideation among young adults. Furthermore, psychological distress and hopelessness served as significant mediators in the relationship between AUD and suicidal ideation. The study highlights the need for interventions and treatments that address co-occurring alcohol use and psychological distress/hopelessness in both sexes, for young adults at risk of suicide. In summary, the study underscores the importance of recognizing the underlying factors that contribute to suicidal ideation among young adults, especially those with AUD, psychological distress, and hopelessness.
Leadership aspirations versus reality: Germany's self-concept in Europe
Authors: Schoeller Magnus G 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Leadership by powerful states is considered crucial to the success of regional integration. Since the European Union (EU) entered a ‘polycrisis’, many eyes have therefore been on Germany. But does the German political elite see itself as a leader in Europe? To date, whether German political elite members have cast off their much-cited ‘leadership avoidance reflex’ has not been empirically investigated. Based on an original elite survey, this article therefore investigates the extent to which Germany conceives of itself as a leading power in the EU. The findings show that the time of a ‘leadership avoidance reflex’ is gone. Instead, there is a high level of agreement across EU policies that Germany should take on a leadership role. However, the study also exposes a gap between leadership aspirations and perceived reality, especially when it comes to Germany providing a vision for the future of Europe. In contrast to previous research, the article therefore argues that it is not the lack of desire for leadership, but the inability to realize such a role that keeps Germany from taking the lead in Europe.
New Zealand's ‘Maori foreign policy’ and China: a case of instrumental relationality?
Authors: Smith Nicholas Ross , Holster Bonnie 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
In 2021, Aotearoa New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, sketched out a kaupapa Māori (collective Māori vision) foreign policy for New Zealand based on four tikanga Māori (Māori customary practices and behaviours): manaakitanga (hospitality), whanaungatanga (connectedness), mahi tahi and kotahitanga (unity through collaboration), and kaitiakitanga (guardianship and the protection of intergenerational wellbeing). This article makes a novel contribution to the global International Relations body of literature by questioning to what extent New Zealand's ‘Māori foreign policy’ has been applied to its relationship with China. Through assessing the communications of Mahuta and other officials, it is found that New Zealand is utilizing a kaupapa Māori framework towards China: ‘the taniwha and the dragon’. It is argued that New Zealand is attempting to consolidate the maturity of the Sino-New Zealand relationship, as well as differentiate itself from the other Anglosphere countries that have recently pushed back on China. In doing so, not only is New Zealand something of an outlier, it is demonstrating how eschewing a western-centric understanding of foreign policy for a more relational view based on indigenous knowledge and perspectives (in this case, from te ao Māori: the Māori worldview) can be applied at a time of increasing great power competition.
How do honeyeaters drink nectar?
Authors: Hewes Amanda E , Baldwin Maude W , Buttemer William A , Rico-Guevara Alejandro 
Published: June 2023

Synopsis
We investigated the kinematics and biomechanics of nectar feeding in five species of honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, Acanthagenys rufogularis, Ptilotula penicillata, Certhionyx variegatus, Manorina flavigula). There is abundant information on honeyeater foraging behaviors and ecological relationships with plants, but there has never been an examination of their nectar-feeding from kinematic and biomechanical perspectives. We analyzed high-speed video of feeding in captive individuals to describe the kinematics of their nectar feeding, with specific focus on describing tongue movements and bill-tongue coordination, and to characterize the mechanism of nectar uptake in the tongue. We found clear interspecific variation in kinematics and tongue filling mechanics. Species varied in lick frequency, tongue velocity, and protrusion and retraction duration, which, in some cases, are relevant for differences in tongue filling mechanisms. We found support for the use of capillary filling in Certhionyx variegatus only. By contrast, Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, Acanthagenys rufogularis, Ptilotula penicillata, and Manorina flavigula employed a modified version of the expansive filling mechanism seen in hummingbirds, as there was dorsoventral expansion of the tongue body, even the portions that remain outside the nectar, once the tongue tip entered the nectar. All species use fluid trapping in the distal fimbriated portion of the tongue, which supports previous hypotheses describing the honeyeater tongue as a “paintbrush.”
Scaling of Gait, Limb Posture, Forces, and Inertial Properties in Terrestrial Locomotion of American Alligators Across a Thousand-Fold Increase in Body Mass
Authors: Iijima Masaya , Darlington Jim , Munteanu V David , Vliet Kent A , Blob Richard W 
Published: June 2023

Synopsis
Scaling of body shape, gait, limb kinematics, and kinetics can inform about mechanical and energetic constraints influencing animal locomotion on land. However, our knowledge of terrestrial locomotion among tetrapods is biased toward animals that use parasagittal limb postures (mammals and birds). Whether species that use non-parasagittal limb postures (e.g., crocodylians and lizards) share similar scaling principles remains uncertain, especially toward the larger end of the body size spectrum. Here, we compare new data from large adult American alligators (140–223 kg) with previous data from smaller individuals (0.2–5.6 kg) to evaluate the scaling of gait, limb posture, ground reaction forces, and inertial properties of body segments over a size range spanning three orders of magnitude. Larger alligators walked with higher relative stride frequencies and shorter relative stride lengths at equal dimensionless speeds, suggesting that alligators prioritize stance phase mechanical work reduction at the expense of higher costs for swing as they increase in size. Limb posture also changed with body mass: ∼1 kg and larger alligators typically used more adducted and extended limbs, which is expected to mitigate limb muscle forces during stance. Ground reaction forces were increasingly hindlimb dominant as alligators grow to larger size, paralleled by a posterior shift in the center of mass. Counterintuitively, the forelimb grew faster in mass than the hindlimb, possibly because recruited muscle volume is closer to its maximum capacity in the forelimb, compelling larger alligators to keep up with increased mechanical demands via muscle growth more for the forelimb than the hindlimb. These results highlight the numerous changes in body proportions and locomotor performance that are required among animals that use non-parasagittal limb posture, as they grow from neonatal sizes into large adults.
Mechanosensory Control of Locomotion in Animals and Robots: Moving Forward
Authors: Dallmann Chris J , Dickerson Bradley H , Simpson Julie H , Wyart Claire , Jayaram Kaushik 
Published: June 2023

Synopsis
While animals swim, crawl, walk, and fly with apparent ease, building robots capable of robust locomotion remains a significant challenge. In this review, we draw attention to mechanosensation—the sensing of mechanical forces generated within and outside the body—as a key sense that enables robust locomotion in animals. We discuss differences between mechanosensation in animals and current robots with respect to (1) the encoding properties and distribution of mechanosensors and (2) the integration and regulation of mechanosensory feedback. We argue that robotics would benefit greatly from a detailed understanding of these aspects in animals. To that end, we highlight promising experimental and engineering approaches to study mechanosensation, emphasizing the mutual benefits for biologists and engineers that emerge from moving forward together.
Efficiency of non-operative management for pectus deformities in children using an X-ray-free protocol
Authors: Belgacem Alexis , Tricard Jérémy , Dutoit Alexandre , Grosos Céline , Auditeau Emilie , Masselin Mathilde Casson , Fourcade Laurent , Ballouhey Quentin 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between the Haller index (HI), the external depth of protrusion and the external Haller index (EHI) for both pectus excavatum (PE) and pectus carinatum (PC) and to assess the variation in the HI during this first year of non-operative treatment for pectus deformities in children.

METHODS
From January 2018 to December 2022, all children treated for PE by vacuum bell and for PC by compression therapy at our institution were evaluated by external gauge, 3D scanning (iPad with Structure Sensor and Captevia—Rodin4D) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The main objectives were to assess the effectiveness of the treatment during the first year and to compare the HI determined by MRI to the EHI evaluated with 3D scanning and external measurements. The HI determined by MRI was compared to the EHI evaluated with 3D scanning and external measurements at M0 and M12.

RESULTS
A total of 118 patients (80 PE and 38 PC) had been referred for pectus deformity. Of these, 79 met the inclusion criteria (median age 13.7 years, 8.6–17.8). There was a statistically significant difference in the external measurements of the depth for PE between M0 and M12: 23.0 ± 7.2 vs 13.8 ± 6.1 mm, respectively, P &lt; 0.05, and for PC 31.1 ± 10.6 vs 16.7 ± 8.9 mm, respectively, P &lt; 0.01. During this first year of treatment, the reduction in the external measurement increased more rapidly for PE compared with PC. We found a strong correlation between the HI by MRI and the EHI by 3D scanning for PE (Pearson coefficient = 0.910, P &lt; 0.001) and for PC (Pearson coefficient = 0.934, P &lt; 0.001). A correlation between the EHI by 3D scanning and the external measurements by profile gauge was found for PE (Pearson coefficient = 0.663, P &lt; 0.001) but not for PC.

CONCLUSIONS
Excellent results were observed as soon as the sixth month for both PE and PC. Measurement of protrusion is a reliable monitoring tool at clinical consultation but caution is required for PC as it does not appear to be correlated to the HI by MRI.
Characterizing COVID-19 transmission risk factors among frontline health-care workers using the WHO risk assessment tool: insights from a tertiary care center in South India
Authors: Moni Melin , Kulirankal Kiran G , Prasanna Preetha , Mary Ann , Thomas Elizabeth Mary , Sreelakshmi R , Sundaram Rejitha P , Babu Binil , Bindu Veena , Edathadathil Fabia , Madathil Sai Bala , Beena K V , Sathyapalan Dipu T 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Background
The objective of this study was to assess the exposure risk factors for transmission of and subsequent infection caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) among the frontline health-care workers (HCWs) in a South Indian tertiary care center during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods
This retrospective, observational study was conducted over a period of 6 months, from June 2020 to November 2020. Participants included HCWs who completed a risk assessment to identify encounters with COVID-19-positive individuals using a modified World Health Organization COVID-19 risk assessment tool.

Results
A total of 4744 HCWs who had exposure to COVID-19-positive individuals were assessed during the study period. There were 942 (19.8%) participants identified as having had high-risk exposure and 3802 (80.2%) identified as having had low-risk exposure. There were 106 (2.2%) participants who became infected with COVID-19 during the surveillance period of 14 days; 4.8% of high risk and 1.5% of low risk tested positive. Among the HCWs working in high-risk COVID-19 areas, only one HCW had contracted the illness (N = 1, 0.9%). Shared spaces (70%) and infection protection and control breaches (66%) were found to be highly prevalent modes of exposure in the COVID-19-positive cohort. The attack rate among COVID-19 cluster groups (two or more confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 who are linked by the same location of exposure) (5.5%) was higher than the attack rate (2.2%) noted among the total contacts screened, and no significant association was observed between risk categories in the clustered groups.

Conclusion
This study highlights higher risk of COVID-19 positivity among high-risk contacts as compared to low-risk contacts.
A retrospective evaluation of a multidisciplinary management strategy implemented to optimize outpatient care, hospitalization rates and clinical outcomes in a single-centre cohort of COVID-19-positive pregnant women in Australia during the Omicron BA.1 surge
Authors: Bishop Emma Jane , Ford Jolyon , Rosengarten Pamela , McGee Fergus , Griffin Kelly , Churchill Travis , Sehu Marjoree M 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Background
During the Omicron BA.1 surge between 12 January and 18 February 2022, 189 COVID-19-positive pregnant women were managed by the Peninsula Health Positive Pathways program, in the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. A multidisciplinary specialist team was rapidly assembled to work in conjunction with the Pathways COVID-19 physicians and monitoring team, to optimize patient care.

Objective
The aim is to describe the processes utilized to care for the pregnancy cohort from the time of enrolment to the COVID Monitor until recovery including outpatient monitoring, treatment strategies, hospital review criteria, and clinical outcomes including rate of hospitalization, oxygen requirements, and maternal and foetal outcomes during the study period.

Method
Outpatients were monitored daily by the Pathways program, while COVID-19 physicians and obstetricians conducted early telehealth review of patients after diagnosis. Members of the multidisciplinary team met on a virtual platform twice daily, and institution-specific treatment guidelines and hospital review criteria were established. Enoxaparin prophylaxis was delivered to the homes of selected patients, and inhaled budesonide was utilized for patients who did not require oxygen, who were immunocompromised, and who had significant respiratory symptoms or risk factors for deterioration. Sotrovimab was offered to women as per the existing Australian National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce eligibility criteria. A service evaluation was undertaken adopting a retrospective cohort approach.

Results
There was minimal maternal morbidity and no mortality with 24/189 (12.7%) women requiring hospitalization, 18/189 (9.5%) requiring same-day emergency department presentations only, and 4/189 (2.1%) requiring oxygen, with no requirement for non-invasive ventilation or intensive care unit admission. Sixteen patients delivered live newborns during the study period, and there were two pregnancy losses at 7 and 19 weeks gestation, respectively, in patients with prior pregnancy complications.

Conclusion
A multidisciplinary approach involving virtual communication twice daily between treating specialist physicians may be a broadly applicable model to optimize care of pregnant women with COVID-19.
Media Choice and Response Patterns to Questions About Political Knowledge
Authors: Asano Taka-aki 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Previous studies have examined not only whether people answer correctly to questions about political knowledge, but also whether “don’t know” (DK) is a response that implies low self-confidence in their knowledge. However, while it has become clear that different people have accurate knowledge in different topics, there has been little discussion of whether knowledge on specific facts promotes self-confidence. Furthermore, it is believed that people learn about politics through news media, but it is unclear whether the type of media consumption correlates with patterns of correct, incorrect, or DK responses on political knowledge questions. We conducted a survey that asks about knowledge on a variety of topics, such as the political system and current affairs, to (1) categorize patterns of correct, incorrect, and DK answers, and (2) examine their relationship to media choices. We find that those who read newspapers or online news are more knowledgeable about the political system and tend not to choose DK even on questions about knowledge they do not know accurately. In contrast, those who gain knowledge of current issues from watching TV have less confidence in their knowledge and answer DK to questions for which they do not know the correct answer.
Does the Glucocorticoid Stress Response Make Toads More Toxic? An Experimental Study on the Regulation of Bufadienolide Toxin Synthesis
Authors: Üveges B , Kalina C , Szabó K , Móricz Á M , Holly D , Gabor C R , Hettyey A , Bókony V 
Published: June 2023

SynopsisChemical defense is a crucial component of fitness in many organisms, yet the physiological regulation of defensive toxin synthesis is poorly understood, especially in vertebrates. Bufadienolides, the main defensive compounds of toads, are toxic to many predators and other natural enemies, and their synthesis can be upregulated by stressors, including predation risk, high conspecific density, and pollutants. Thus, higher toxin content may be the consequence of a general endocrine stress response in toads. Therefore, we hypothesized that bufadienolide synthesis may be stimulated by elevated levels of corticosterone (CORT), the main glucocorticoid hormone of amphibians, or by upstream regulators that stimulate CORT production. To test these alternatives, we treated common toad tadpoles with exogenous CORT (exoCORT) or metyrapone (MTP, a CORT-synthesis inhibitor that stimulates upstream regulators of CORT by negative feedback) in the presence or absence of predation cues for 2 or 6 days, and subsequently measured their CORT release rates and bufadienolide content. We found that CORT release rates were elevated by exoCORT, and to a lesser extent also by MTP, regardless of treatment length. Bufadienolide content was significantly decreased by treatment with exoCORT for 6 days but was unaffected by exposure to exoCORT for 2 days or to MTP for either 6 or 2 days. The presence or absence of predation cues affected neither CORT release rate nor bufadienolide content. Our results suggest that changes in bufadienolide synthesis in response to environmental challenges are not driven by CORT but may rather be regulated by upstream hormones of the stress response.
High-Density Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Intraspecific Cranial Integration in the Barred Grass Snake (Natrix helvetica) and Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
Authors: Tharakan S , Shepherd N , Gower D J , Stanley E L , Felice R N , Goswami A , Watanabe A 
Published: June 2023

Synopsis
How do phenotypic associations intrinsic to an organism, such as developmental and mechanical processes, direct morphological evolution? Comparisons of intraspecific and clade-wide patterns of phenotypic covariation could inform how population-level trends ultimately dictate macroevolutionary changes. However, most studies have focused on analyzing integration and modularity either at macroevolutionary or intraspecific levels, without a shared analytical framework unifying these temporal scales. In this study, we investigate the intraspecific patterns of cranial integration in two squamate species: Natrix helvetica and Anolis carolinensis. We analyze their cranial integration patterns using the same high-density three-dimensional geometric morphometric approach used in a prior squamate-wide evolutionary study. Our results indicate that Natrix and Anolis exhibit shared intraspecific cranial integration patterns, with some differences, including a more integrated rostrum in the latter. Notably, these differences in intraspecific patterns correspond to their respective interspecific patterns in snakes and lizards, with few exceptions. These results suggest that interspecific patterns of cranial integration reflect intraspecific patterns. Hence, our study suggests that the phenotypic associations that direct morphological variation within species extend across micro- and macroevolutionary levels, bridging these two scales.
Adaptive E-Learning and Dyslexia: an Empirical Evaluation and Recommendations for Future Work
Authors: Alghabban Weam Gaoud , Hendley Robert 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Adaptive e-learning is becoming increasingly popular as a tool to help learners with dyslexia. It provides more customized learning experiences based on the learners’ characteristics. Each learner with dyslexia has unique characteristics for which material should ideally be suitably tailored. However, adaptation to the characteristics of learners with dyslexia—in particular, their dyslexia type and reading skill level—is limited. By examining the learning effectiveness of adaptation of learning material based on the learner’s type of dyslexia and reading skill, this study fills a knowledge vacuum in this under-researched area. An empirical evaluation through a controlled experiment with 47 Arabic subjects has been undertaken and assessed using the following metrics: learning gain and learner satisfaction. The findings reveal that adapting learning material to the combination of dyslexia type and reading skill level yields significantly better short- and long-term learning gains and improves the learners’ satisfaction compared to non-adapted material. There is evidence that this benefit also extends to how well learners read unseen material. This paper also discusses implications and important avenues for future research and practice related to how adaptation influences learners with dyslexia.
Action and Relation: Toward a New Theory of the Image
Authors: Petrovsky Helen 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
This article examines a changing global reality that manifests itself in new forms of social activism. The struggle of the multitude challenges political representation and contemporary art seems to corroborate this observation. Becoming a form of social intervention, it turns into an active force and leaves behind the need to double action with representation, representational practices being the hallmark of classical art. A new theory of the image would have to incorporate this dynamic: it would have to treat and develop the basic categories of action and relation. There are few philosophies of the act, and the existing semiotic models mostly deal with dual structures (signifier/signified; sign/meaning; image/referent, and so on). It is necessary to sketch out a dynamic theory of the image that would: (1) reveal the limitations of the concept of representation; (2) conceive of the image as a set of multiple changing relations. The image would thus be seen as a necessary part of the relations governing the world in its entirety, that is, as part of the movement of matter itself. Which is another way of saying that those relations are actualized, or expressed, in the image.