bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In the pursuit of a healthier diet among young Chinese adults: identifying important food quality attributes and factors that influence food choices
Authors: Liu Shuainan , Begho Toritseju
Published: April 2024

The paper examines preferences for nutritional and health‐related food attributes, the importance placed on intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of food and the individual, household and psychographic determinants when making choices. To address the lack of empirical studies, the paper estimates Poisson, negative binomial and linear regressions using data from 457 young Chinese adults between 18 and 30 years. The results show a strong preference for nutritional and health‐related food attributes. Gender and unemployment are associated with a decrease in the number of nutritional features valued in food choices. In contrast, a higher income and a positive perception of body shape are associated with an increase in the number of valued nutritional features. Also, older individuals assign lower importance to intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics in evaluating food, while larger household size, higher income, and positive body shape perception increase the importance placed on intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics in evaluating food.
Characterisation of chitosan coating incorporated with oleuropein and its effects on the quality of refrigerated chicken breasts
Authors: Guo Weiping , Xu Yunfeng , He Xiangxiang , Wang Jiakang , Xiang Jinle , Li Peiyan , Luo Denglin
Published: April 2024

The stability, microstructure and antioxidant capacity of the composite coating solution of chitosan (CS) and oleuropein (OLE, 0.08–0.32%, w/v) were estimated by zeta potential, rheological properties, scanning electron microscope and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assays. Effects of the composite coating on refrigerated chicken breasts were evaluated by microbial, chemical and sensory assays. The results revealed that the coating solutions were stable, intact and exhibited good antioxidant activities. When chicken samples were stored at 4 °C for 12 days, the microbial population treated with CS + OLE decreased to 5.43–7.59 log CFU g−1 compared with the control (8.41 log CFU g−1). The increase in pH values, total volatile base nitrogen and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances contents, and drip loss rate of chicken samples had also been deferred. Overall, the results indicated that it was feasible to apply CS with OLE to extend the shelf life of chicken breasts.
WeChat use and social participation among community‐dwelling adults with severe mental disorders: A mixed‐methods study
Authors: Li Ying
Published: April 2024

The social media platform WeChat is increasingly used by individuals with severe mental disorders (SMDs). However, few studies have examined WeChat use of adults with SMDs and its association with social participation in the Chinese context. This mixed‐methods study examined the effects of WeChat use on this population's social participation. The results indicate that WeChat use was positively and significantly associated with social participation among older adults with SMDs, helping them maintain contact with family, relatives, friends, community residents, and mental health professionals. Owing to different life stages and associated social expectations, younger adults with SMDs were mainly concerned with employment or family obligations and were less likely to use WeChat for social interactions with friends and community residents. WeChat can be a useful tool to encourage social participation among older adults with SMDs; age‐related expectations for participation need to be considered in the design and delivery of intervention services.
Nursing roles in disaster zones: Experiences and lessons from Turkey's 2023 earthquakes
Authors: Segev Ronen , Suliman Moriya , Gorodetzer Roee , Zukin Ludmila , Spitz Ahuva
Published: April 2024

Background

Disasters affect human health and well‐being globally. Nursing plays a vital role in disaster preparedness and response, ensuring efficient early care coordination and delivering effective field treatment.

Aim

This study investigates the challenges an Israeli humanitarian delegation encountered during their response to major earthquakes in Turkey in 2023. It explicitly focuses on difficulties in preparation, operations, and collaboration with local teams. The study further analyzes the findings and extracts valuable lessons from the mission.

Methods

Using a qualitative descriptive design, 22 out of 32 nurses involved in delegation participated in three focus group discussions within two months of returning to Israel. The discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. The study followed the COREQ guidelines, ensuring comprehensive reporting and methodological rigor in qualitative research.

Findings

The study's main findings spanned predeparture preparation, mission challenges in the disaster zone, and postmission lessons, each highlighted by subthemes and participant quotations. A strong sense of mission was evident among the participants, along with frustration at inefficient time management prior to deployment. Many participants noted additional challenges, related to the difficulty of working in multiple languages and across cultures, and the opportunities for resolution. Finally, participants called for better psychological support following the mission.

Conclusion

Nurses in disaster zones offer valuable insights to enhance preparation, cross‐cultural communication, and postmission implementation.

Nursing and health policy implications

Nurse managers and healthcare policymakers can utilize this study's findings to develop future nursing training programs in disaster‐related skills. Additionally, it can help foster collaboration among international healthcare teams.
The effects of bribery on the digitization of small and medium enterprises in Latin America
Authors: Andrade‐Rojas Mariana Giovanna , Erskine Michael A.
Published: April 2024

In this study, we examine the effects of bribery on the digitization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within Latin America. We apply neo‐institutional theory as the overarching theoretical framework to establish that bribery negatively influences digitization. We propose that firm characteristics (i.e., managerial experience and firm size) affect the firm‐level relationship between bribery and digitization. We also examine how the perceived tax burden mediates the effect of bribery on digitization. Our study is both theoretically and practically relevant. Theoretically, we are among the first to explicate the direct relationship between bribery and digitization. This novel perspective extends the information systems literature to explain digitization challenges in Latin America. For managers and policymakers, we present a path towards essential digitization for Latin American SMEs. Our empirical analysis uses secondary data from a World Bank survey of 1549 Latin American SMEs conducted over three years in six countries. Our findings show that bribery negatively influences digitization while SME characteristics positively moderate this relationship. In addition, we show that the perceived tax burden mediates the effects of bribery on digitization.
Oxygen consumption rate during recovery from loss of equilibrium induced by warming, hypoxia, or exhaustive exercise in rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum)
Authors: Borowiec Brittney G. , Firth Britney L. , Craig Paul M.
Published: April 2024

Animals routinely encounter environmental (e.g., high temperatures and hypoxia) as well as physiological perturbations (e.g., exercise and digestion) that may threaten homeostasis. However, comparing the relative threat or “disruptiveness” imposed by different stressors is difficult, as stressors vary in their mechanisms, effects, and timescales. We exploited the fact that several acute stressors can induce the loss of equilibrium (LOE) in fish to (i) compare the metabolic recovery profiles of three environmentally relevant stressors and (ii) test the concept that LOE could be used as a physiological calibration for the intensity of different stressors. We focused on Etheostoma caeruleum, a species that routinely copes with environmental fluctuations in temperature and oxygen and that relies on burst swimming to relocate and avoid predators, as our model. Using stop‐flow (intermittent) respirometry, we tracked the oxygen consumption rate (MO2) as E. caeruleum recovered from LOE induced by hypoxia (PO2 at LOE), warming (critical thermal maximum, CTmax), or exhaustive exercise. Regardless of the stressor used, E. caeruleum recovered rapidly, returning to routine MO2 within ~3 h. Fish recovering from hypoxia and warming had similar maximum MO2, aerobic scopes, recovery time, and total excess post‐hypoxia or post‐warming oxygen consumption. Though exhaustive exercise induced a greater maximum MO2 and corresponding higher aerobic scope than warming or hypoxia, its recovery profile was otherwise similar to the other stressors, suggesting that “calibration” to a physiological state such as LOE may be a viable conceptual approach for investigators interested in questions related to multiple stressors, cross tolerance, and how animals cope with challenges to homeostasis.
Changes in clinical outcomes in Japanese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma due to hepatitis C virus following the development of direct‐acting antiviral agents
Authors: Ohama Hideko , Hiraoka Atsushi , Tada Toshifumi , Kariyama Kazuya , Itobayashi Ei , Tsuji Kunihiko , Ishikawa Toru , Toyoda Hidenori , Hatanaka Takeshi , Kakizaki Satoru , Naganuma Atsushi , Tada Fujimasa , Tanaka Hironori , Nakamura Shinichiro , Nouso Kazuhiro , Tanaka Kazunari , Kumada Takashi ,   the Real‐life Practice Experts for HCC (RELPEC) Study Group and HCC 48 Group (hepatocellular carcinoma experts from 48 clinics in Japan)
Published: April 2024

Background and Aim

Direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) have been accessible in Japan since 2014. The aim of this study is to compare how the prognosis of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCV‐HCC) changed before and after DAA development.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 1949 Japanese HCV‐HCC patients from January 2000 to January 2023 categorized them into pre‐DAA (before 2013, n = 1169) and post‐DAA (after 2014, n = 780) groups. Changes in clinical features and prognosis were assessed.

Results

Despite no significant differences in BCLC stage between groups, the post‐DAA group exhibited higher rates of sustained virological response (SVR) (45.6% vs. 9.8%), older age (73 vs 69 years), lower levels of AST (40 vs 56 IU/L), ALT (31 vs 46 IU/L), and AFP (11.7 vs 23.6 ng/mL), higher platelet count (13.5 vs 10.8 × 104/μL), better prothrombin time (88.0% vs 81.9%), and better ALBI score (−2.54 vs −2.36) (all P < 0.001). The post‐DAA group also showed higher rates of curative treatments (74.1% vs 65.2%) and significantly improved recurrence‐free survival (median 2.8 vs 2.1 years). Adjusted for inverse probability weighting, overall survival was superior in the post‐DAA group (median 7.4 vs 5.6 years, P < 0.001). Subanalysis within the post‐DAA group revealed significantly shorter overall survival for patients without SVR (median 4.8 years vs NA vs NA) compared to pre‐SVR or post‐SVR patients (both P < 0.001). No significant difference in OS was observed between the pre‐SVR and post‐SVR groups (P = 1.0).

Conclusion

The development of DAA therapy has dramatically improved the prognosis of HCV‐HCC patients.
Linked color imaging improves colorectal lesion detection especially for low performance endoscopists: An international trial in Asia
Authors: Hasegawa Issei , Suzuki Sho , Yamamura Takeshi , Aniwan Satmai , Chiu Han‐Mo , Laohavichitra Kannikar , Chirapongsathorn Sakkarin , Kuo Chen‐Ya , Yoshida Naohisa , Ang Tiing Leong , Takezawa Takahito , Rerknimitr Rungsun , Ishikawa Hideki , Gotoda Takuji ,   ATLAS trial Group
Published: April 2024

Background and Aim

Linked color imaging (LCI) is an image‐enhanced endoscopy technique that accentuates the color difference between red and white, potentially improving the adenoma detection rate (ADR). However, it remains unclear whether LCI performance in detecting colorectal lesions differs based on endoscopists' experience levels. We aimed to evaluate the differences in LCI efficacy based on the experience levels of endoscopists by conducting an exploratory analysis.

Methods

In this post hoc analysis of an international randomized controlled trial comparing the detection of adenoma and other lesions using colonoscopy with LCI and high‐definition white light imaging (WLI), we included patients from 11 institutions across four countries/regions: Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Singapore. We retrospectively reviewed differences in the lesion detection of LCI according to endoscopists' colonoscopy history or ADR.

Results

We included 1692 and 1138 patients who underwent colonoscopies performed by 54 experts (experience of ≥ 5000 colonoscopies) and by 43 non‐experts (experience of < 5000 colonoscopies), respectively. Both expert and non‐expert groups showed a significant improvement in ADR with LCI compared to WLI (expert, 61.7% vs 46.4%; P < 0.001; non‐expert, 56.6% vs 46.4%; P < 0.001). LCI had no effect on sessile serrated lesion detection rate in non‐experts (3.1% vs 2.5%; P = 0.518). LCI significantly improved detection rates in endoscopists with relatively low detection performance, defined as an ADR < 50%.

Conclusions

This exploratory study analyzed data from a previous trial and revealed that LCI is useful for both experts and non‐experts and is even more beneficial for endoscopists with relatively low detection performance using WLI.
Goal Setting and Saving in the FinTech Era
Authors: GARGANO ANTONIO , ROSSI ALBERTO G.
Published: April 2024

We study the effectiveness of saving goals in increasing individuals' savings using data from a Fintech app. Using a difference‐in‐differences identification strategy that randomly assigns users into a group of beta testers who can set goals and a group of users who cannot, we find that setting goals increases individuals' savings rate. The increased savings within the app do not reduce savings outside the app. Moreover, goal setting helps those individuals previously identified as having the lowest propensity to save. Matching App user survey responses to their behavior highlights the relative merits of monitoring and concreteness channels in explaining our findings.
Is Jim Halpert looking at me?: The Jim Halpert Gaze, The Office, and the Fascist Look
Authors: Casale Cooper
Published: April 2024

It's entirely possible to watch all nine seasons of The Office without asking the obvious: Is Jim Halpert Looking at Me? The six‐hundred‐fifty times Jim looks at us and the six‐hundred‐fifty sins to which his famous glare responds result in a training that confers viewers with the ability to mime the mime; to recover Jim's stupid, vampiric face by matching it's subtle permutations, to dismiss the naïve exertions of others as stupid and embarrassing; to find success, comfort, and safety in the image of the pitiless scientist, the capitalist boss, and the fascist father.
Capturing innovation opportunities: Learning from growth leaders
Authors: Day George S.
Published: April 2024

Firms that capture the benefits of innovation opportunities ahead of their rivals achieve superior rates of organic growth. These growth leaders don't wait for opportunities to appear before reacting. Instead, they systematically search for opportunities to select for development. Qualitative case analyses of four growth leaders found that each used two types of heuristics or rules of thumb while capturing innovation opportunities. Theirtop‐down strategy heuristicswere revealed with a wide‐spectrum framework that reimagined and stretched each dimension of their strategy. Growth leaders also usedbottom‐up process heuristicsto routinize and share their approaches to capturing innovation opportunities throughout their organization. These heuristics are a useful lens for studying innovation practices and suggest fruitful avenues for further research.
Industrial product development with lead users as a source of Schumpeterian opportunity
Authors: de Jong Jeroen P. J. , Mulhuijzen Max , Merfeld Katrin , Rigtering Coen , van Balen Timo , Boënne Mathias
Published: April 2024

In industrial product development with customers, it is well‐known that lead userness is associated with novel and commercially attractive products. We take a next step by analyzing if lead userness is related to product development that potentially affects industry‐level practices. Our main hypothesis is that lead userness results in the pursuit of Schumpeterian product opportunities: disequilibrating, radical, rare, and based on new knowledge and creative activities. In contrast, at low lead userness, more Kirznerian product opportunities are expected—which maintain industry standards. The hypothesis is supported by data from 139 high‐tech small firms. Next, we anticipate that factors related to the selection of lead users, and the effective processing of their inputs, moderate the connection between lead userness and Schumpeterian opportunity. As for selection, we find a stronger connection when firms collaborate with “new” customers. Conversely, when involved customers have been business partners already for a long time, the pursuit of Schumpeterian opportunities is mitigated. Also, tentative evidence is found that the connection between lead userness and Schumpeterian opportunity amplifies when involved customers are less dominant market players. Finally, when it comes to processing lead users' input, we report tentative evidence that firms' R&D intensity should be higher (indicating ability to process lead users' inputs and make continued development efforts). Our findings help to explain why lead users have been associated with industry dynamics, and provide guidance to identify “relevant” lead users when firms seek product opportunities that potentially disequilibrate their industry.
Predictors of postoperative storage symptoms in male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms: A retrospective analysis of prostate surgery for benign prostatic enlargement
Authors: Ito Hiroki , Takanashi Masato , Fukazawa Takeshi , Takizawa Hiroki , Hioki Mari , Shinoki Risa , Kawahara Takashi , Makiyama Kazuhide , Kobayashi Kazuki
Published: April 2024

Objectives

This study investigated the effects of prostate surgery on storage symptoms in male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) from benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). This study aimed to identify patient characteristics associated with improved, unchanged, and deteriorated post‐surgical storage symptoms and to identify the risk factors for non‐improvement or deterioration.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 586 prostate surgeries performed between 2016 and 2022 at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital was conducted on patients with LUTS and at least one storage symptom preoperatively. Patients with active urinary tract infection, prostate/bladder cancer, urethral strictures, or dementia were excluded. The study enrolled 230 patients and assessed storage symptoms using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS).

Results

Overall, storage symptoms improved, remained unchanged, and deteriorated in 87.0%, 5.7%, and 7.4% of patients, respectively. The patients in the deteriorated group were significantly older, whereas those in the no‐change group had smaller prostate volumes. Patient‐reported outcome scores (IPSS, IPSS‐QoL, and BII) were significantly higher in the improved group. The predictors of non‐improvement included low IPSS storage score, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus. Predictors of deterioration included advanced age and low IPSS storage score.

Conclusions

Patients with severe LUTS showed greater postoperative improvement in storage symptoms. A low IPSS storage score predicted non‐improvement and deterioration. Advanced age, low IPSS storage score, and a history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus were identified as key predictors. Awareness of these factors may guide preoperative counseling and improve decision‐making in prostate surgery, ensuring more personalized and effective treatment strategies.
Icodextrin‐induced acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis in a patient with peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Liu Chun‐Hao , Chen Chien‐Chou , Sung Chih‐Chien
Published: April 2024

Icodextrin has been widely prescribed for peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with inadequate ultrafiltration, but icodextrin induced acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) has been not well recognized in clinical practice. We described a young‐aged female with IgA nephropathy and end stage kidney disease under continuous automated peritoneal dialysis. She developed skin erythema with exfoliation over the groin 7th day after initiation of icodextrin based PD dialysate. Initially, her scaling skin lesion with pinhead‐sized pustules affected the bilateral inguinal folds, and then it extended to general trunk accompanied by pruritus. She was admitted because of deterioration of skin lesion on 14th day of icodextrin exposure. She was afebrile and physical examination was notable for widespread erythematous papules with pruritus extending over her groins and trunk. Pertinent laboratory examination showed leukocytosis of 18 970 cells/μL with neutrophile count of 17 642 cells/μL (92.3%), and c‐reactive‐protein: 3.39 mg/dL. Skin biopsy revealed multifocal sub corneal abscess with papillary dermal edema, and upper‐dermal neutrophilia with perivascular accentuation, consistent with the diagnosis of AGEP. After discontinuation of PD, she underwent temporary high‐flux haemodialysis with treatment of steroid and antihistamine. Her dermatologic lesion resolved without any skin sequalae completely within 4 days, and she underwent icodextrin‐free peritoneal dialysis at 17th day. This case highlighted the fact that icodextrin‐induced AGEP should be early recognized to avoid inappropriate management.
Complement‐mediated thrombotic microangiopathy on a background of Alport syndrome: A case report
Authors: Coorey Craig Peter , de Malmanche Theo , Chou Angela , Feddersen Martin
Published: April 2024

Here we present a case of complement‐mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in a patient who has a background of Stage 5 chronic kidney disease secondary to Alport syndrome. We explain our approach to the diagnosis of TMA, especially the reliance on non‐renal manifestations of TMA and the role of kidney biopsy given there was a background of advanced kidney impairment at baseline.
Loose patch clamp membrane current measurements in cornus ammonis 1 neurons in murine hippocampal slices
Authors: Bertagna Federico , Ahmad Shiraz , Lewis Rebecca , Silva S. Ravi P. , McFadden Johnjoe , Huang Christopher L.‐H. , Matthews Hugh R. , Jeevaratnam Kamalan
Published: April 2024

Hippocampal pyramidal neuronal activity has been previously studied using conventional patch clamp in isolated cells and brain slices. We here introduce the loose patch clamping study of voltage‐activated currents from in situ pyramidal neurons in murine cornus ammonis 1 hippocampal coronal slices. Depolarizing pulses of 15‐ms duration elicited early transient inward, followed by transient and prolonged outward currents in the readily identifiable junctional region between the stratum pyramidalis (SP) and oriens (SO) containing pyramidal cell somas and initial segments. These resembled pyramidal cell currents previously recorded using conventional patch clamp. Shortening the depolarizing pulses to >1–2 ms continued to evoke transient currents; hyperpolarizing pulses to varying voltages evoked decays whose time constants could be shortened to <1 ms, clarifying the speed of clamping in this experimental system. The inward and outward currents had distinct pharmacological characteristics and voltage‐dependent inactivation and recovery from inactivation. Comparative recordings from the SP, known to contain pyramidal cell somas, demonstrated similar current properties. Recordings from the SO and stratum radiatum demonstrated smaller inward and outward current magnitudes and reduced transient outward currents, consistent with previous conventional patch clamp results from their different interneuron types. The loose patch clamp method is thus useful for in situ studies of neurons in hippocampal brain slices.
Soybean steroids improve crop abiotic stress tolerance and increase yield
Authors: Yu Tai‐Fei , Hou Ze‐Hao , Wang Hai‐Long , Chang Shi‐Yang , Song Xin‐Yuan , Zheng Wei‐Jun , Zheng Lei , Wei Ji‐Tong , Lu Zhi‐Wei , Chen Jun , Zhou Yong‐Bin , Chen Ming , Sun Su‐Li , Jiang Qi‐Yan , Jin Long‐Guo , Ma You‐Zhi , Xu Zhao‐Shi
Published: April 2024

Sterols have long been associated with diverse fields, such as cancer treatment, drug development, and plant growth; however, their underlying mechanisms and functions remain enigmatic. Here, we unveil a critical role played by a GmNF‐YC9‐mediated CCAAT‐box transcription complex in modulating the steroid metabolism pathway within soybeans. Specifically, this complex directly activates squalene monooxygenase (GmSQE1), which is a rate‐limiting enzyme in steroid synthesis. Our findings demonstrate that overexpression of either GmNF‐YC9 or GmSQE1 significantly enhances soybean stress tolerance, while the inhibition of SQE weakens this tolerance. Field experiments conducted over two seasons further reveal increased yields per plant in both GmNF‐YC9 and GmSQE1 overexpressing plants under drought stress conditions. This enhanced stress tolerance is attributed to the reduction of abiotic stress‐induced cell oxidative damage. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses shed light on the upregulation of multiple sterol compounds, including fucosterol and soyasaponin II, in GmNF‐YC9 and GmSQE1 overexpressing soybean plants under stress conditions. Intriguingly, the application of soybean steroids, including fucosterol and soyasaponin II, significantly improves drought tolerance in soybean, wheat, foxtail millet, and maize. These findings underscore the pivotal role of soybean steroids in countering oxidative stress in plants and offer a new research strategy for enhancing crop stress tolerance and quality from gene regulation to chemical intervention.
How to explain the beneficial effects of platelet‐rich plasma
Authors: Gruber Reinhard
Published: April 2024

Platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) is the platelet and leukocyte‐containing plasmatic fraction of anticoagulated autologous blood. While evidence supporting the clinical use of PRP in dentistry is low, PRP is widely used in sports medicine, orthopedics, and dermatology. Its beneficial activity is commonly attributed to the growth factors released from platelets accumulating in PRP; however, evidence is indirect and not comprehensive. There is thus a demand to revisit PRP with respect to basic and translational science. This review is to (i) recapitulate protocols and tools to prepare PRP; (ii) to discuss the cellular and molecular composition of PRP with a focus on platelets, leukocytes, and the fibrin‐rich extracellular matrix of coagulated plasma; and finally (iii) to discuss potential beneficial effects of PRP on a cellular and molecular level with an outlook on its current use in dentistry and other medical fields.
Unethical leadership, moral compensation, and ethical followership: Evidence from a survey experiment with Chilean public servants
Authors: Schuster Christian , Fuenzalida Javier , Mikkelsen Kim Sass , Meyer‐Sahling Jan‐Hinrik
Published: April 2024

Numerous studies associate ethical leadership with ethical behavior in the public sector. By contrast, the effects of unethical leadership in the public sector have largely not been explored. Yet, unethical leadership need not beget unethical followership. Instead, we theorize that some bureaucrats may perceive unethical leadership as a moral threat and respond to it with moral compensation and greater ethical behavior. We provide evidence for our theorized effect through a vignette experiment with 19,852 bureaucrats in Chile. Bureaucrats exposed in the vignette to unethical role modeling by their superior or peers react with greater ethical awareness and ethical intent. This effect is concentrated among bureaucrats recruited through merit‐based, public service criteria rather than connections, and thus bureaucrats who more likely feel morally threatened by unethical leadership. This suggests that unethical leadership in the public sector may differ in its consequences from the mere absence of ethical leadership.
Artificial intelligence for risk analysis—A risk characterization perspective on advances, opportunities, and limitations
Authors: Stødle Kaia , Flage Roger , Guikema Seth , Aven Terje
Published: April 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) has seen numerous applications for risk analysis and provides ample opportunities for developing new and improved methods and models for this purpose. In the present article, we conceptualize the use of AI for risk analysis by framing it as an input–algorithm–output process and linking such a setup to three tasks in establishing a risk description: consequence characterization, uncertainty characterization, and knowledge management. We then give an overview of currently used concepts and methods for AI‐based risk analysis and outline potential future uses by extrapolating beyond currently produced types of output. We end with a discussion of the limits of automation, both near‐term limitations and a more fundamental question related to allowing AI to automatically prescribe risk management decisions. We conclude that there are opportunities for using AI for risk analysis to a greater extent than is commonly the case today; however, critical concerns about proper uncertainty representation and the need for risk‐informed rather than risk‐based decision‐making also lead us to conclude that risk analysis and decision‐making processes cannot be fully automated.
The surplus value of knowledge
Authors: Spohn Wolfgang
Published: April 2024

The Meno problem, asking for the surplus value of knowledge beyond the value of true justified belief, was recently much treated within reliabilist and virtue epistemologies. The answers from formal epistemology, by contrast, are quite poor. This paper attempts to improve the score of formal epistemology by precisely explicating Timothy Williamson's suggestion that ‘present knowledge is less vulnerable than mere present true belief to rational undermining by future evidence’. It does so by combining Nozick's sensitivity analysis of knowledge with Spohn's fact‐asserting epistemic interpretation of conditionals. Accordingly, the surplus value of knowledge lies in a specific kind of stability of knowledge, which differs, though, from that claimed by other so‐called stability analyses of knowledge.
Sugar beet PMT5a and STP13 carriers suitable for proton‐driven plasma membrane sucrose and glucose import in taproots
Authors: Reyer Antonella , Bazihizina Nadia , Jaślan Justyna , Scherzer Sönke , Schäfer Nadine , Jaślan Dawid , Becker Dirk , Müller Thomas D. , Pommerrenig Benjamin , Neuhaus H. Ekkehard , Marten Irene , Hedrich Rainer
Published: April 2024

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) is the major sugar‐producing crop in Europe and Northern America, as the taproot stores sucrose at a concentration of around 20%. Genome sequence analysis together with biochemical and electrophysiological approaches led to the identification and characterization of the TST sucrose transporter driving vacuolar sugar accumulation in the taproot. However, the sugar transporters mediating sucrose uptake across the plasma membrane of taproot parenchyma cells remained unknown. As with glucose, sucrose stimulation of taproot parenchyma cells caused inward proton fluxes and plasma membrane depolarization, indicating a sugar/proton symport mechanism. To decipher the nature of the corresponding proton‐driven sugar transporters, we performed taproot transcriptomic profiling and identified the cold‐induced PMT5a and STP13 transporters. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, BvPMT5a was characterized as a voltage‐ and H+‐driven low‐affinity glucose transporter, which does not transport sucrose. In contrast, BvSTP13 operated as a high‐affinity H+/sugar symporter, transporting glucose better than sucrose, and being more cold‐tolerant than BvPMT5a. Modeling of the BvSTP13 structure with bound mono‐ and disaccharides suggests plasticity of the binding cleft to accommodate the different saccharides. The identification of BvPMT5a and BvSTP13 as taproot sugar transporters could improve breeding of sugar beet to provide a sustainable energy crop.
Comparison of two autologous hematopoietic stem cell mobilization strategies in patients with multiple myeloma: CE plus G‐CSF versus G‐CSF only: A single‐center retrospective analysis
Authors: Dill Veronika , Blüm Philipp , Lindemann Anja , Biederstädt Alexander , Högner Marion , Götze Katharina S. , Bassermann Florian , Hildebrandt Martin
Published: April 2024

Background

Despite recent advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma, high‐dose chemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) remains an essential therapeutic keystone. As for the stem cell mobilization procedure, different regimens have been established, usually consisting of a cycle of chemotherapy followed by application of granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF), although febrile neutropenia is a common complication. Following national guidelines, our institution decided to primarily use G‐CSF only mobilization during the COVID‐19 pandemic to minimize the patients' risk of infection and to reduce the burden on the health system.

Study Design and Methods

In this retrospective single‐center analysis, the efficacy and safety of G‐CSF only mobilization was evaluated and compared to a historic control cohort undergoing chemotherapy‐based mobilization by cyclophosphamide and etoposide (CE) plus G‐CSF.

Results

Although G‐CSF only was associated with a higher need for plerixafor administration (p < .0001) and a higher number of apheresis sessions per patient (p = .0002), we were able to collect the target dose of hematopoietic stem cells in the majority of our patients. CE mobilization achieved higher hematopoietic stem cell yields (p = .0015) and shorter apheresis sessions (p < .0001) yet was accompanied by an increased risk of febrile neutropenia (p < .0001). There was no difference in engraftment after ASCT.

Discussion

G‐CSF only mobilization is a useful option in selected patients with comorbidities and an increased risk of serious infections, especially in the wintertime or in future pandemics.
In the face and neck, keloid scar distribution is related to skin thickness and stiffness changes associated with movement
Authors: Cho Hoyu , Dohi Teruyuki , Wakai Hanae , Quong Whitney Laurel , Linh Nguyen Doan Tien , Usami Satoshi , Ogawa Rei
Published: April 2024

Keloid scars tend to occur in high‐tension sites due to mechanical stimuli that are involved in their development. To date, a detailed analysis of keloid distribution focused specifically on facial and neck areas has not been reported, and limited literature exists as to the related mechanical factors. To rectify this deficiency of knowledge, we first quantified the facial and neck keloid distribution observed clinically in 113 patients. Subsequently, we performed a rigorous investigation into the mechanical factors and their associated changes at these anatomic sites in healthy volunteers without a history of pathologic scarring. The association between keloid‐predilection sites and sebaceous gland‐dense and acne‐prone sites was also examined. To assess skin stretch, thickness and stiffness, VECTRA, ultrasound and indentometer were utilised. Baseline skin stiffness and thickness were measured, as well as the magnitude of change in these values associated with facial expression and postural changes. Within the face and neck, keloids were most common near the mandibular angle (41.3%) and lateral submental (20.0%) regions. These areas of increased keloid incidence were not associated with areas more dense in sebaceous glands, nor linked consistently with acne‐susceptible regions. Binomial logistic regression revealed that changes in skin stiffness and thickness related to postural changes significantly predicted keloid distribution. Skin stiffness and thickness changes related to prolonged mechanical forces (postural changes) are most pronounced at sites of high keloid predilection. This finding further elucidates the means by which skin stretch and tension are related to keloid development. As a more detailed analysis of mechanical forces on facial and neck skin, this study evaluates the nuances of multiple skin‐mechanical properties, and their changes in a three‐dimensional framework. Such factors may be critical to better understanding keloid progression and development in the face and neck.
Early rehabilitation after spinal cord injury: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Martinache Florence , Foudhaïli Adéla , Vigué Bernard
Published: April 2024

Objective:

The objective of this scoping review is to identify the timings and types of early rehabilitation after spinal cord injuries (SCI) that are documented in the literature, as well as identify possible research gaps in this field.

Introduction:

Preclinical and clinical studies support the idea that early rehabilitation may be beneficial for patients with acute SCI. However, the timing and types of rehabilitation that should and could be used in the acute stage are still unclear. The first step towards such knowledge is to extensively review what is documented in the literature.

Inclusion Criteria:

This review will consider all papers focusing on early rehabilitation after SCI in adult humans or animals (<3 months post-SCI for humans and other primates and <3 weeks post-SCI for other animals). Interventions in the included papers must aim at sensorimotor or functional improvement and take place in a hospital or a rehabilitation center if they target human subjects.

Methods:

MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Embase (Embase.com), PEDro, Web of Science Core Collection, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane CENTRAL, PROSPERO, ClinicalTrials.gov, and gray literature sources will be searched for eligible articles. This review will include published and unpublished experimental and observational studies, research protocols, conference abstracts, systematic reviews, and guidelines. No language or date limits will be applied. Two independent reviewers will perform study selection and data extraction, and the results will be presented according to the SCI type and severity.

Review Registration:

Open Science Framework https://osf.io/q45er
Vortex Identification Method Based on Topological Analysis and Velocity Gradient Invariance
Authors: Qu Xiaoyun , He Rong , Wang Tong
Published: April 2024

Analysis on eddy motion is the essential method for understanding viscous flows. Compared with the current methods to identify the vortex, the study presents a method to investigate vortex structures based on topological analysis and nonlinear dynamics, and establishes a connection between the direction of the vortex and the real eigenvalue of the velocity gradient tensor. The study highlights the significance of the real and imaginary parts of complex eigenvalues in vortex development, wherein the real part indicates topological stability and the imaginary part represents swirling strength, contributing to get the characters of the viscous flows.
Interculturalidad: Aportes desde los estudios afrocolombianos
Authors: Restrepo Eduardo
Published: April 2024

Los estudios afrocolombianos son un campo consolidado que puede aportarle a la conversación en torno a la interculturalidad en América Latina en tanto esta ha sido pensada más desde las existencias y experiencias de los pueblos indígenas en el marco de unas sociedades mestizas o blanco-mestizas dominantes. Nociones de cultura y diferencia cultural que se movilizan desde las discusiones sobre interculturalidad se muestran insuficientes para dar cuenta de las trayectorias y características de las poblaciones afrodescendientes, así como para encarar la modalidad del racismo en desmentida que articula el entramado de privilegios y desigualdades en Colombia.
I tenia cor. Treball sexual, violències i resistències, de Livia Motterle
Authors: de Siervo Martina
Published: April 2024

¿Por qué el trabajo sexual está estigmatizado? ¿Por qué el trabajo sexual es trabajo? ¿Cuál es el punto de vista de la trabajadora sexual y de qué manera construye su capacidad de agencia? ¿Qué papel tienen las trabajadoras sexuales en relación con el contexto urbano en el que ejercen? Estas son algunas de las preguntas a las que la autora responde en el libro I tenia cor, en el cual, mezclando reflexiones antropológicas teóricas con el estudio de campo realizado en Barcelona, ofrece un viaje articulado al corazón de un fenómeno largamente distorsionado.
Confronting Fascism
Authors: El-Ojeili Chamsy
Published: April 2024

How did socialists in interwar Europe interpret fascism as it was evolving in the period? Taking a broad sociology of knowledge approach, this article examines the significant variety and complexity of socialist interpretations of fascism, but also the ways in which organisational interests, competitive intersocialist relations, and situational forces shaped and constrained these analyses. Furthermore, it explores the ways in which socialist defeats and the detachment of intellectuals from socialist organisations produced creative ruptures in socialist knowledge about fascism. The vigour, diversity, and richness of the knowledge on fascism produced by socialists in the interwar period can be of significant contemporary value to the Left as it faces an expanding, enigmatic far-right.
Case-Conceptualization Practices in Sport and Performance Psychology
Authors: Bird Matthew D. , Castillo Elmer A. , Jackman Patricia C.
Published: April 2024

Case conceptualization is an important stage in the sport and performance psychology (SPP) consulting process. The conceptualization of a case can influence a consultant’s understanding of the underpinning mechanisms contributing to a presenting concern, interventions selected to help a client, and the effectiveness of provided services. Guidelines for case conceptualization have been developed for SPP professionals, but little is known about how this activity is undertaken in practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the case-conceptualization methods and approaches of certified SPP professionals. Fifty-two certified mental performance consultants completed an online qualitative survey exploring how they conceptualized cases. Our findings suggested that SPP consultants viewed case conceptualization as an ongoing process, something that helps a consultant understand a client’s presenting concerns and guide any intervention plans, a collaboration between client and consultant, and a way to evaluate the effectiveness of their practice.
A magnetic massive star has experienced a stellar merger
Authors: Frost A. J. , Sana H. , Mahy L. , Wade G. , Barron J. , Le Bouquin J.-B. , Mérand A. , Schneider F. R. N. , Shenar T. , Barbá R. H. , Bowman D. M. , Fabry M. , Farhang A. , Marchant P. , Morrell N. I. , Smoker J. V.
Published: April 2024

Massive stars (those ≥8 solar masses at formation) have radiative envelopes that cannot sustain a dynamo, the mechanism that produces magnetic fields in lower-mass stars. Despite this, approximately 7% of massive stars have observed magnetic fields, the origin of which is debated. We used multi-epoch interferometric and spectroscopic observations to characterize HD 148937, a binary system of two massive stars. We found that only one star is magnetic and that it appears younger than its companion. The system properties and a surrounding bipolar nebula can be reproduced with a model in which two stars merged (in a previous triple system) to produce the magnetic massive star. Our results provide observational evidence that magnetic fields form in at least some massive stars through stellar mergers.
Size, distribution, and vulnerability of the global soil inorganic carbon
Authors: Huang Yuanyuan , Song Xiaodong , Wang Ying-Ping , Canadell Josep G. , Luo Yiqi , Ciais Philippe , Chen Anping , Hong Songbai , Wang Yugang , Tao Feng , Li Wei , Xu Yiming , Mirzaeitalarposhti Reza , Elbasiouny Heba , Savin Igor , Shchepashchenko Dmitry , Rossel Raphael A. Viscarra , Goll Daniel S. , Chang Jinfeng , Houlton Benjamin Z. , Wu Huayong , Yang Fei , Feng Xiaoming , Chen Yongzhe , Liu Yu , Niu Shuli , Zhang Gan-Lin
Published: April 2024

Global estimates of the size, distribution, and vulnerability of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) remain largely unquantified. By compiling 223,593 field-based measurements and developing machine-learning models, we report that global soils store 2305 ± 636 (±1 SD) billion tonnes of carbon as SIC over the top 2-meter depth. Under future scenarios, soil acidification associated with nitrogen additions to terrestrial ecosystems will reduce global SIC (0.3 meters) up to 23 billion tonnes of carbon over the next 30 years, with India and China being the most affected. Our synthesis of present-day land-water carbon inventories and inland-water carbonate chemistry reveals that at least 1.13 ± 0.33 billion tonnes of inorganic carbon is lost to inland-waters through soils annually, resulting in large but overlooked impacts on atmospheric and hydrospheric carbon dynamics.
Thin adhesive oil films lead to anomalously stable mixtures of water in oil
Authors: Nannette Claire , Baudry Jean , Chen Anqi , Song Yiqiao , Shglabow Abdulwahed , Bremond Nicolas , Démoulin Damien , Walters Jamie , Weitz David A. , Bibette Jérôme
Published: April 2024

Oil and water can only be mixed by dispersing droplets of one fluid in the other. When two droplets approach one another, the thin film that separates them invariably becomes unstable, causing the droplets to coalesce. The only known way to avoid this instability is through addition of a third component, typically a surfactant, which stabilizes the thin film at its equilibrium thickness. We report the observation that a thin fluid film of oil separating two water droplets can lead to an adhesive interaction between the droplets. Moreover, this interaction prevents their coalescence over timescales of several weeks, without the use of any surfactant or solvent.
Closed-loop recyclability of a biomass-derived epoxy-amine thermoset by methanolysis
Authors: Wu Xianyuan , Hartmann Peter , Berne Dimitri , De bruyn Mario , Cuminet Florian , Wang Zhiwen , Zechner Johannes Matthias , Boese Adrian Daniel , Placet Vincent , Caillol Sylvain , Barta Katalin
Published: April 2024

Epoxy resin thermosets (ERTs) are an important class of polymeric materials. However, owing to their highly cross-linked nature, they suffer from poor recyclability, which contributes to an unacceptable level of environmental pollution. There is a clear need for the design of inherently recyclable ERTs that are based on renewable resources. We present the synthesis and closed-loop recycling of a fully lignocellulose-derivable epoxy resin (DGF/MBCA), prepared from dimethyl ester of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (DMFD), 4,4′-methylenebis(cyclohexylamine) (MBCA), and glycidol, which displays excellent thermomechanical properties (a glass transition temperature of 170°C, and a storage modulus at 25°C of 1.2 gigapascals). Notably, the material undergoes methanolysis in the absence of any catalyst, regenerating 90% of the original DMFD. The diamine MBCA and glycidol can subsequently be reformed by acetolysis. Application and recycling of DGF/MBCA in glass and plant fiber composites are demonstrated.