bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An artificial intelligence approach for the estimation of conduction heat transfer using deep neural networks
Authors: Edalatifar Mohammad , Shafi Jana , Khalid Majdi , Baro Manuel , Sheremet Mikhail A. , Ghalambaz Mohammad
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to use deep neural networks (DNNs) to learn the conduction heat transfer physics and estimate temperature distribution images in a physical domain without using any physical model or mathematical governing equation.

Design/methodology/approach

Two novel DNNs capable of learning the conduction heat transfer physics were defined. The first DNN (U-Net autoencoder residual network [UARN]) was designed to extract local and global features simultaneously. In the second DNN, a conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN) was used to enhance the accuracy of UARN, which is referred to as CGUARN. Then, novel loss functions, introduced based on outlier errors, were used to train the DNNs.

Findings

A UARN neural network could learn the physics of heat transfer. Within a few epochs, it reached mean and outlier errors that other DNNs could never reach after many epochs. The composite outlier-mean error as a loss function showed excellent performance in training DNNs for physical images. A UARN could excellently capture local and global features of conduction heat transfer, whereas the composite error could accurately guide DNN to extract high-level information by estimating temperature distribution images.

Originality/value

This study offers a unique approach to estimating physical information, moving from traditional mathematical and physical models to machine learning approaches. Developing novel DNNs and loss functions has shown promising results, opening up new avenues in heat transfer physics and potentially other fields.
Immersive time in the metaverse and visits to the physical world: why not both? A holistic customer engagement framework
Authors: Cheung Man Lai , Leung Wilson K.S. , Chang Ludwig Man Kit , Aw Eugene Cheng-Xi , Wong Randy Y.M.
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Through the theoretical lenses of media richness, perceived realism and customer engagement, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms that promote customer engagement in metaverse-mediated environments in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) context, as well as the impact of customer engagement on customers’ metaverse usage intensity and future visit intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of customers who have experience with metaverse-mediated MICE activities was conducted. Data from 267 respondents were analysed using partial least squares-structural equation modelling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to test our research framework.

Findings

Media richness dimensions, including multiple cues, immediate feedback and personal focus, were found to enhance perceived metaverse realism, which in turn affects the dimensions of customer engagement, leading to customers’ metaverse usage intensity and future visit intention. The fsQCA analysis identifies three configurations that lead to high event visit intention.

Practical implications

This research helps developers and marketers better understand how rich media contents create realistic experiences in the metaverse, aiding them to devise strategies for customer engagement and improve resource allocation.

Originality/value

Despite its potentially revolutionary impacts, empirical studies on the mechanisms driving customer engagement in the metaverse and its effects are scarce. This study contributes by revealing the multiple-phase mechanism of the customer engagement journey in the metaverse-mediated MICE context. By expanding the media richness theory into this area, our study provides new insights by illustrating how media richness dimensions create multisensory experiences and real-time interactions, enhancing perceived metaverse realism and customer engagement. It also addresses the debate on whether metaverse-mediated events substitute or complement real-life events.
Improved social equity learning in an introduction to sustainability course
Authors: Kaplowitz Michael , Liu Yuqing , Raven Matt , Eustice Crystal
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact on diverse students’ social equity outcome measures that result from incorporating social justice education and inclusive practices into an introductory course on sustainability offered online asynchronously, online synchronously and in-person.

Design/methodology/approach

From fall 2020 to fall 2021, 706 students took “Introduction to Sustainability” at Michigan State University. A revised curriculum increased inclusive practices and social justice content centered on race and other social identities; institutional, individual and implicit bias; interrupting bias; socialization; and spheres of influence. Students’ self-reported change was examined using a retrospective pre/post survey.

Findings

Students reported significant growth in social equity understanding and practice across teaching modes with in-person instruction associated with the largest reported growth. Students reported growth regardless of their racial/ethnic identity or gender, with instructor effects varying in expected ways. The gap in social equity understanding between students with low precourse ratings (on outcome measures) and those with high precourse ratings was significantly smaller after the course.

Research limitations/implications

This study is not without limitations. First, the authors were limited in the student-specific information that they could collect. Second, the authors did not have access to an alternative course that could serve as a control. Third, the authors did not have the resources to also conduct an in-depth, thorough qualitative study. Furthermore, the authors did not conduct their investigation during “normal” campus life because it took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic was a factor that could not be accounted for and might have impacted the outcomes.

Originality/value

This study is novel in identifying and incorporating specific social justice education material, tools and practices for improved teaching of social equity components of sustainability.
Unpacking the complexities of health record misuse: insights from Australian health services
Authors: Pool Javad , Akhlaghpour Saeed , Burton-Jones Andrew
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Information systems (IS) research in general and health IS studies, in particular, are prone to a positivity bias – largely focusing on upside gains rather than the potential misuse practices. This paper aims to explore failures in health IS use and shortcomings in data privacy and cybersecurity and to provide an explanatory model for health record misuse.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on four data sets that we collected through a longitudinal project studying digital health (implementation, use and evaluation), interviews with experts (cybersecurity and digital health) and healthcare stakeholders (health professionals and managers). We applied qualitative analysis to explain health records misuse from a sociotechnical perspective.

Findings

We propose a contextualized model of “health records misuse” with two overarching dimensions: data misfit and improper data processing. We explain sub-categories of data misfit: availability misfit, meaning misfit and place misfit, as well as sub-categories of improper data processing: improper interaction and improper use-related actions. Our findings demonstrate how health records misuse can emerge in sociotechnical health systems and impact health service delivery and patient safety.

Originality/value

Through contextualizing system misuse in healthcare, this research advances the understanding of ineffective use and failures in health data protection practices. Our proposed theoretical model provides explanations for unique patterns of IS misuse in healthcare, where data protection failures are consequential for healthcare organizations and patient safety.
A voice system or a voice maze? Navigating employee voice in a hospital setting
Authors: Wilkinson Adrian , Barry Michael , Hague Leah , Biggs Amanda , Brough Paula
Published: July 2024

Purpose

In recent years, in research and policy circles, there is growing interest in the subject of speaking up (and silence) within the health sector, and there is a consensus that it is a major issue that needs to be addressed. However, there remain gaps in our knowledge and while scholars talk of a voice system – that is the existence of complementary voice channels designed to allow employees to speak up – empirical evidence is limited. We seek to explore the notion of a voice system in a healthcare organisation as comprising structures and cultures as seen from different stakeholder perspectives. What do they see and how do they behave and why? To what extent do the users see a voice system they can access and easily navigate?

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews and focus groups were conducted with a voice stakeholder group (e.g. designers of the system from senior management and HR, which comprised 23 staff members) as well as those who have to use the system, with 13 managers and 26 employees from three units within a metropolitan hospital: an oncology department, an intensive care unit and a community health service. Overall, a total of 62 staff members participated and the data were analysed using grounded theory to identify key themes.

Findings

This study revealed that although a plethora of formal voice structures existed, these were not always visible or accessible to staff, leading to confusion as to who to speak up to about which issues. Equally other avenues which were not designated voice platforms were used by employees to get their voices heard.

Originality/value

This papers looks at the voice system across the organisation rather than examining a specific scheme. In doing so it enables us to see the lived perceptions and experiences of potential users of these schemes and their awareness of the system as a whole.
The effect of sustainable supply chain toward sustainability performance mediated by joint efforts and sharing activities: evidence from Bali farmer groups
Authors: Ariadi Gede , Werastuti Desak Nyoman Sri , Inggarwati Komala
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This research aims to analyze the influence of sustainable supply chains on the performance of farmer groups in the province of Bali, Indonesia. The authors focus on mediating variables that were Joint Efforts and Sharing Activities based on resource dependence theory.

Design/methodology/approach

This research data used observations of 214 farmer groups in Bali Province with partial least square-structural equation modelling analysis.

Findings

The critical findings of this study are as follows: sustainable supply chain has a direct effect on sustainability performance; and joint efforts and sharing activities concurrently partially mediate the link between sustainable supply chain and sustainability performance. In explicit, farmers’ sharing activities are a more vital mediating variable than joint efforts in the researched linkage.

Practical implications

Joint efforts and the sharing of activities have an essential role in supply chain development that encourages farmer groups to collaborate with other supply chain parties to achieve sustainability performance.

Originality/value

Sustainable development is the primary goal of the organization, but problems occur in the horticultural supply chain, which is based on economic, environmental and social aspects.
Implementing the multiple capitals model in integrated reporting: insight from a case study
Authors: Incollingo Alberto , Santis Serena , Bianchi Michela
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to explore the process of identifying and defining multiple capitals in the integrated report (IR) of a government-owned tourism company.

Design/methodology/approach

Interventionist research was conducted using a case study design. The researcher was directly involved in developing the first IR of Zètema, a heritage and tourism company owned by the Municipality of Rome. The research team analyzed internal reports, business model (BM), strategic plan and marketing plan, and collected data through semistructured interviews and participation in company meetings.

Findings

A template based on a step-by-step deductive process to select and define relevant capitals was derived. Following this process, an appropriate form of capital emerged: “cultural capital”. Furthermore, this study emphasizes a novel awareness of the different meanings that capitals can assume as inputs and outcomes of a BM.

Originality/value

This study meets the demand for empirical research that investigates real information in integrated reports intended for those for whom value is created. Thus, the paper contributes to the existing knowledge on integrated reporting by examining the partially explored concept of capital, particularly its identification process. Furthermore, this study provides support to preparers of integrated reports by defining a conceptual reference model for the disclosure of significant capitals and underlining the importance of distinguishing capitals as input or outcome.
How do users select the content they share on social media: flow theory perspective
Authors: Shree Tanu
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Paper studies the intervention of FI and TD on the sharing intention on social media (SM) users with different motivations.

Design/methodology/approach

The mechanism for different motivations of SM users to influence sharing intention is explored using WarpPLS. The proposed model applies TAM in Hedonic Motivation System context and includes an alternate pathway of flow state.

Findings

Reciprocal relationship between FI and TD is empirically proven. Insights from the “Motivated Sharing Model for Social Media”(MSMSM) follow that users who use SM for information get immersed, however intention to share is not triggered by it.

Practical implications

This study emphasizes on the compatibility of content characteristics with the gratifications of the motivations for SM use to achieve virality. Practitioners may use MSMSM to optimize content, so it appeals to the target audience and has a higher probability of being shared.

Originality/value

Social media users carry different motivations and choose to share select content on the overloaded platform. However, the mechanism for different motivations to drive sharing on SM has remained unexplored. Literature highlights flow as the driver of sharing, whilst the findings on the relationship between flow state and sharing intention on SM are inconclusive; some estimate a positively significant relationship, while others find it to be partially or selectively significant. In this study, intervention of the two dimensions of induced flow: namely, focused immersion (FI) and temporal dissociation (TD)—on the sharing intention on SM is examined.
A polyphonic model for tracing in(ex)clusivity and relative dominance in CSR narratives
Authors: Karimova Gulnara Z. , Goby Valerie Priscilla
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is primarily conceptual, presenting the notion of a polyphonic model as a tool for analyzing the interactions of diverse stakeholder voices in generating corporate social responsibility (CSR) narratives and practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical basis for this model is Bakhtin’s notions of voice, polyphony, dialogic relations and placement within dialogue.

Findings

To demonstrate possible applications of the model, this study considers CSR narratives that are emerging from some countries of the Arabian Gulf, given that this region’s historical trajectory and socio-political context differ substantially from those of more widely studied geopolitical contexts. This application reveals valuable use of the model.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper is its pioneering development of a polyphonic model that serves to reveal the diverse voices that shape CSR narratives. This provides a tool particularly useful for investigating the creation of CSR narratives in less researched organizational and national contexts.
International remittances and labor supply in Nigeria: Do educational attainment and household income matter?
Authors: Alhassan Usman , Maswana Jean‐Claude , Inaba Kazuo
Published: July 2024

The effect of remittances on the labor supply decisions of recipients remains a subject of contention. To contribute to the debate, we investigate how the educational attainment and household income of remittance recipients shape their decisions to work. Using data from the 2018–2019 living standard measurement survey for over 61,000 Nigerians and applying the instrumental variable probit and Tobit techniques, we find that remittances are associated with an occupational switch from agriculture to nonagricultural (paid jobs and nonfarm enterprises) works. Specifically, the results show that remittance recipients are more likely to exit or reduce the hours worked on the farm, regardless of educational attainment and household income status. On the other hand, remittances promote labor supply to paid jobs and nonfarm enterprises, especially among the less educated in Northern Nigeria. In terms of household income, the positive effect of remittances on nonfarm jobs only holds for individuals in the top income quartile, regardless of their region of residence. Our findings are robust to alternative estimation techniques and hold important cues for policymakers.
Not Just a Numbers Game: Assessing the Journey of Women in Policing from Representation to Inclusion
Authors: Charman Sarah
Published: July 2024

A focus on improvements to the recruitment rates of women in policing in England and Wales simplifies the issue of organisational integration and hides the complex task of addressing the structural and cultural gendered inequalities running throughout the service. This article considers the structural barriers to women's progression within the police service and presents a cultural analysis of the impact of this environment on women's organisational inclusion. It concludes by suggesting that a different style of policing, one which prioritises fairness and compassion, might have a positive impact on all of those serving as police officers in England and Wales.
Animals, Wonder, and “Order Trouble” during the Jesuit Mission to Japan
Authors: Misra Drisana
Published: July 2024

When Jesuit missionaries began arriving in Japan in the sixteenth century, they brought not only a new religion, Christianity, but also several domestic and exotic animals. Not only did these animals provoke feelings of curiosity and wonder, but they became a site of epistemic contestation between Christian and Buddhist views on human‐animal relations. In Buddhist thought, humans and animals were conceived of as interrelated, as both were thought to be trapped in an endless cycle of death and rebirth. On the other hand, in Christian thought, humans and animals were stratified according to Aristotelian hierarchies, according to which the former were viewed as superior to the latter. After the Jesuits arrived in Japan, it soon became clear that their proselytes' pre‐existing modes of relating to and classifying the natural world would need to be converted to Aristotelian ones in order to propagate a Christian way of life. Thus, animals became a central part of Jesuit evangelism. Many of these creatures were deployed as tribute gifts, which altered the emotional landscape between the European and Japanese humans who used them as a buffer. This paper explores how animals, wonder, and religious epistemologies intersected to transform Japanese Christian attitudes towards animals during the Jesuit Mission to Japan.
Predictive modelling of yellow stem borer population in rice using light trap: A comparative study of MLP and LSTM networks
Authors: Bapatla Kiran Gandhi , Gadratagi Basana Gowda , Patil Naveenkumar B. , Govindharaj Guru‐Pirasanna Pandi , Thalluri Lakshmi Narayana , Panda Bipin Bihari
Published: July 2024

The yellow stem borer (YSB), Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker), is a major insect pest that significantly damages rice crop. This study investigates methods to predict YSB populations in rice fields, aiming to develop an early warning system. Traditionally, rice farmers rely on light traps to monitor YSB presence. However, this study goes beyond this approach by combining light‐trap data with weather information (temperature, humidity, rainfall) and utilizing powerful artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to forecast future YSB populations. Two AI methods, multilayer perceptron (MLP) and long short‐term memory (LSTM), were employed to estimate YSB populations and assess their performance. The results revealed that the LSTM model outperformed the MLP model based on statistical metrics like RMSE, MAE, and R2 values. Utilizing LSTM model with historical data, stakeholders in the Eastern Coastal Plains and Hills agro‐climatic zone of India can gain a significant advantage in predicting YSB populations well in advance. This early warning system can alert stakeholders of potential YSB outbreaks, allowing them to take timely management actions and protect their rice crops from substantial yield losses.
Evaluation of serial QuantiFERON‐TB Gold in tube test results and tuberculosis infection status in patients with psoriasis receiving anti‐IL‐17 treatment (secukinumab and ixekizumab): Real‐world data from a tuberculosis‐endemic country
Authors: Erbağcı Ece , Koç Yıldırım Sema , Hapa Fatma Aslı
Published: July 2024

Background

In comparison with TNF‐α inhibitors, anti‐IL‐17A agents are considered to have a lower risk of active tuberculosis (TB) or latent TB infection (LTBI) reactivation.

Methods

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the TB infection status and serial QuantiFERON‐TB‐Gold in tube test (QFT) results of psoriasis patients using IL‐17 inhibitors (secukinumab [SEC] and ixekizumab [IXE]) in a real‐world setting from a tuberculosis‐endemic country. Patients who used an anti‐IL‐17 agent for at least 3 months in our follow‐up were included in the study. Patients' clinical and demographic features, baseline QFT results and latest QFT results (if any), and TB infection status were noted from the past medical records.

Results

A total of 717 patients, of whom 333 (46.4%) were female, were included in the study. The cumulative exposure time to an anti‐IL‐17 agent was 14,147 patient‐months, 9743 patient‐months for SEC and 4404 patient‐months for IXE. Also, 459 (SEC = 305/IXE = 154) patients used an anti‐IL‐17 agent for ≥ 12 months. Of these, 125 had positive baseline QFT results. In all, 334 had negative baseline QFT results. The latest QFT result of 309 was also negative (persistent seronegative group). During follow‐up, the QFT results of 10 patients changed from negative to positive (positive seroconversion group). Seven of them were using SEC and three were using IXE, respectively. No case of active TB infection was detected.

Conclusion

In our study, the positive seroconversion rate of 10/334 seems high, but this did not translate to active disease. However, closer monitoring may be required, especially in patients with advanced age, the presence of PsA, long disease duration and long anti‐IL‐17 treatment duration.
Outpatient vs inpatient management of preterm prelabor rupture of membranes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Williamson Monica , Dong Susan , D'Souza Rohan , Brignardello‐Petersen Romina , Ronzoni Stefania
Published: July 2024

Introduction

To compare neonatal, obstetrical, and maternal outcomes associated with outpatient vs inpatient management of pregnancies with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM).

Material and Methods

A search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Database and Central Register from January 1, 1990 to July 31, 2023 identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies comparing outpatient with inpatient management for pregnant persons diagnosed with PPROM before 37 weeks' gestation. No language restriction was applied. We applied a random effects model for meta‐analysis. Trustworthiness was assessed using recently published guidance and Risk of bias using the RoB 2.0 tool for RCTs and ROBINS‐I tool for cohort studies. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) approach was used to assess the certainty of evidence (COE). Outcomes of interest included perinatal mortality, neonatal morbidities, latency and gestational age at delivery, and maternal morbidities. RCTs and cohort studies were analyzed separately. This study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviewsr: CRD42022295275.

Results

From 2825 records, two RCTs and 10 cohort studies involving 1876 patients were included in the review and meta‐analysis. Outpatient management protocols varied but generally included brief initial hospitalization, strict eligibility criteria, and surveillance with laboratory and ultrasound investigations. Outpatient management showed lower rates of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (cohort: RR 0.63 [0.52–0.77, very low COE]), longer latency to delivery (RCT: MD 7.43 days [1.14–13.72 days, moderate COE], cohort: MD 8.78 days [2.29–15.26 days, low COE]), higher gestational age at birth (cohort: MD 7.70 days [2.02–13.38 days, low COE]), lower rates of Apgar scores <7 at 5 min of life (cohort: RR 0.66 [0.50–0.89, very low COE]), and lower rates of histological chorioamnionitis (cohort: RR 0.74 [0.62–0.89, low COE]) without increased risks of adverse neonatal, obstetrical, or maternal outcomes.

Conclusions

Meta‐analysis of data from RCTs and cohort studies with very low‐to‐moderate certainty of evidence indicates that further high‐quality research is needed to evaluate the safety and potential benefits of outpatient management for selected PPROM cases, given the moderate‐to‐high risk of bias in the included studies.
Mitochondrial regulation of erythropoiesis in homeostasis and disease
Authors: Menon Vijay , Slavinsky Mary , Hermine Olivier , Ghaffari Saghi
Published: July 2024

Erythroid cells undergo a highly complex maturation process, resulting in dynamic changes that generate red blood cells (RBCs) highly rich in haemoglobin. The end stages of the erythroid cell maturation process primarily include chromatin condensation and nuclear polarization, followed by nuclear expulsion called enucleation and clearance of mitochondria and other organelles to finally generate mature RBCs. While healthy RBCs are devoid of mitochondria, recent evidence suggests that mitochondria are actively implicated in the processes of erythroid cell maturation, erythroblast enucleation and RBC production. However, the extent of mitochondrial participation that occurs during these ultimate steps is not completely understood. This is specifically important since abnormal RBC retention of mitochondria or mitochondrial DNA contributes to the pathophysiology of sickle cell and other disorders. Here we review some of the key findings so far that elucidate the importance of this process in various aspects of erythroid maturation and RBC production under homeostasis and disease conditions.
Using comparative extinction risk analysis to prioritize the IUCN Red List reassessments of amphibians
Authors: Lucas Pablo Miguel , Di Marco Moreno , Cazalis Victor , Luedtke Jennifer , Neam Kelsey , Brown Mary H. , Langhammer Penny F. , Mancini Giordano , Santini Luca
Published: July 2024

Assessing the extinction risk of species based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List (RL) is key to guiding conservation policies and reducing biodiversity loss. This process is resource demanding, however, and requires continuous updating, which becomes increasingly difficult as new species are added to the RL. Automatic methods, such as comparative analyses used to predict species RL category, can be an efficient alternative to keep assessments up to date. Using amphibians as a study group, we predicted which species are more likely to change their RL category and thus should be prioritized for reassessment. We used species biological traits, environmental variables, and proxies of climate and land‐use change as predictors of RL category. We produced an ensemble prediction of IUCN RL category for each species by combining 4 different model algorithms: cumulative link models, phylogenetic generalized least squares, random forests, and neural networks. By comparing RL categories with the ensemble prediction and accounting for uncertainty among model algorithms, we identified species that should be prioritized for future reassessment based on the mismatch between predicted and observed values. The most important predicting variables across models were species’ range size and spatial configuration of the range, biological traits, climate change, and land‐use change. We compared our proposed prioritization index and the predicted RL changes with independent IUCN RL reassessments and found high performance of both the prioritization and the predicted directionality of changes in RL categories. Ensemble modeling of RL category is a promising tool for prioritizing species for reassessment while accounting for models’ uncertainty. This approach is broadly applicable to all taxa on the IUCN RL and to regional and national assessments and may improve allocation of the limited human and economic resources available to maintain an up‐to‐date IUCN RL.
A framework for evaluating reproducibility and replicability in economics
Authors: Dreber Anna , Johannesson Magnus
Published: July 2024

We propose a framework for evaluating reproducibility and replicability in economics. Reproducibility is defined as testing if the results of an original study can be reproduced using the same data and replicability is defined as testing if the results of an original study hold in new data. We further divide reproducibility and replicability studies into five types: computational reproducibility, recreate reproducibility, robustness reproducibility, direct replicability and conceptual replicability. In addition to this typology we propose indicators to measure the degree of reproducibility and replicability in both individual studies and for a group of studies.
The German sickle cell disease registry reveals a surprising risk of acute splenic sequestration and an increased transfusion requirement in patients with compound heterozygous sickle cell disease HbS/β‐thalassaemia and no or low HbA expression
Authors: Allard Pierre , Tagliaferri Laura , Weru Vivienn , Cario Holger , Lobitz Stephan , Grosse Regine , Bleeke Matthias , Oevermann Lena , Hakimeh Dani , Jarisch Andrea , Kopp‐Schneider Annette , Kulozik Andreas E. , Kunz Joachim B. ,   for the German Sickle Cell Disease Study Group, Lassay Lisa
Published: July 2024

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Germany exhibit a substantial genetic diversity in the β‐globin genotype. Data collected by the national German SCD registry reflect this diversity and allowed us to analyze the phenotypes associated with different SCD genotypes. Our study focused on 90 patients with HbS/β‐thalassaemia (HbS/β‐thal) and compared these to patients with HbSS and HbSC. Patients with HbS/β‐thal were classified into three groups: HbS/β0‐thal (no HbA), HbS/β+‐thal (HbA < 14%), and HbS/β++‐thal (HbA≥14%). In comparison to HbSS, patients with HbS/β++‐thal had higher Hb‐levels, lower hemolytic activity and rarely required red blood cell transfusions. HbS/β0‐thal and HbS/β+‐thal closely resembled each other and are jointly referred to as HbS/β0/+‐thal. Compared to HbSS, patients with HbS/β0/+‐thal experienced a similar frequency of vasoocclusive crises and degree of hemolysis. However, the frequency of red blood cell transfusions (0.6 vs. 0.39/year, p = .0049) and splenic sequestration crises (42.4 vs. 15.5% of patients, p = 3.799e‐05) was higher in HbS/β0/+‐thal than in HbSS, but close to zero in HbS/β++‐thal. In conclusion, the level of HbA expression determines the phenotype of HbS/β+‐thal. HbS/β‐thal expressing no or little HbA is hematologically similar to HbSS, but causes a previously unknown high risk of splenic sequestration.
Association of elevated cerebrospinal fluid levels of the longevity protein α‐Klotho with a delayed onset of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease patients
Authors: Zimmermann Milan , Fandrich Madeleine , Jakobi Meike , Röben Benjamin , Wurster Isabel , Lerche Stefanie , Schulte Claudia , Zimmermann Shahrzad , Deuschle Christian , Schneiderhan‐Marra Nicole , Gasser Thomas , Brockmann Kathrin
Published: July 2024

Background and Purpose

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age‐related condition characterized by substantial phenotypic variability. Consequently, pathways and proteins involved in biological aging, such as the central aging pathway comprising insulin‐like growth factor 1–α‐Klotho–sirtuin 1–forkhead box O3–peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ, may potentially influence disease progression.

Methods

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of α‐Klotho in 471 PD patients were examined. Of the 471 patients, 96 carried a GBA1 variant (PD GBA1), whilst the 375 non‐carriers were classified as PD wild‐type (PD WT). Each patient was stratified into a CSF α‐Klotho tertile group based on the individual level. Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox regression analysis stratified by tertile groups were conducted. These longitudinal data were available for 255 patients. Follow‐up times reached from 8.4 to 12.4 years. The stratification into PD WT and PD GBA1 was undertaken to evaluate potential continuum patterns, particularly in relation to CSF levels.

Results

Higher CSF levels of α‐Klotho were associated with a significant later onset of cognitive impairment. Elevated levels of α‐Klotho in CSF were linked to higher Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores in male PD patients with GBA1 mutations.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that higher CSF levels of α‐Klotho are associated with a delayed cognitive decline in PD. Notably, this correlation is more prominently observed in PD patients with GBA1 mutations, potentially reflecting the accelerated biological aging profile characteristic of individuals harboring GBA1 variants.
An efficient object tracking based on multi‐head cross‐attention transformer
Authors: Dai Jiahai , Li Huimin , Jiang Shan , Yang Hongwei
Published: July 2024

Object tracking is an essential component of computer vision and plays a significant role in various practical applications. Recently, transformer‐based trackers have become the predominant method for tracking due to their robustness and efficiency. However, existing transformer‐based trackers typically focus solely on the template features, neglecting the interactions between the search features and the template features during the tracking process. To address this issue, this article introduces a multi‐head cross‐attention transformer for visual tracking (MCTT), which effectively enhance the interaction between the template branch and the search branch, enabling the tracker to prioritize discriminative feature. Additionally, an auxiliary segmentation mask head has been designed to produce a pixel‐level feature representation, enhancing and tracking accuracy by predicting a set of binary masks. Comprehensive experiments have been performed on benchmark datasets, such as LaSOT, GOT‐10k, UAV123 and TrackingNet using various advanced methods, demonstrating that our approach achieves promising tracking performance. MCTT achieves an AO score of 72.8 on the GOT‐10k.
A direct analytical methodology for the assessment of ductile fracture in metals based on multiaxial tests
Authors: Cortis Gabriele , Piacenti Marcello , Nalli Filippo , Cortese Luca
Published: July 2024

The prediction accuracy of ductile damage models is subject to a sound calibration strategy, which normally involves the execution of complex multiaxial tests and requires dedicated facilities. In addition, finite element (FE) analysis is mandatory to retrieve the stress and strain states at the critical point, which cannot be directly measured from experiments. To overcome this complexity, a minimal set of simple multiaxial tests is selected, and an analytical‐numerical approach is proposed to evaluate, without resorting to FE, both the stress evolution with plastic deformation and the fracture strain, under any different loading condition of each test. This is achieved from the sole knowledge of the material bilinear stress–strain relation and of the applied test displacement at fracture. The obtained results are compared with a traditional testing and calibration methodology, and the robustness of the approach is proved on a 17‐4PH steel, an X65 steel, and a Ti6Al4V alloy.
Species identity and diversity of filter‐feeding bivalves impact green and brown food webs
Authors: Kubala Megan E. , Hopper Garrett W. , González Irene Sánchez , Jackson Colin R. , Kuehn Kevin A. , Halvorson Halvor M. , Atkinson Carla L.
Published: July 2024

In freshwater ecosystems, consumers can play large roles in nutrient cycling by modifying nutrient availability for autotrophic and heterotrophic microbes. Nutrients released by consumers directly support green food webs based on primary production and brown food webs based on decomposition. While much research has focused on impacts of consumer driven nutrient dynamics on green food webs, less attention has been given to studying the effects of these dynamics on brown food webs.

Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) can dominate benthic biomass in aquatic systems as they often occur in dense aggregations that create biogeochemical hotspots that can control ecosystem structure and function through nutrient release. However, despite functional similarities as filter‐feeders, mussels exhibit variation in nutrient excretion and tissue stoichiometry due in part to their phylogenetic origin. Here, we conducted a mesocosm experiment to evaluate how communities of three phylogenetically distinct species of mussels individually and collectively influence components of green and brown food webs.

We predicted that the presence of mussels would elicit a positive response in both brown and green food webs by providing nutrients and energy via excretion and biodeposition to autotrophic and heterotrophic microbes. We also predicted that bottom‐up provisioning of nutrients would vary among treatments as a result of stoichiometric differences of species combinations, and that increasing species richness would lead to greater ecosystem functioning through complementarity resulting from greater trait diversity.

Our results show that mussels affect the functioning of green and brown food webs through altering nutrient availability for both autotrophic and heterotrophic microbes. These effects are likely to be driven by phylogenetic constraints on tissue nutrient stoichiometry and consequential excretion stoichiometry, which can have functional effects on ecosystem processes. Our study highlights the importance of measuring multiple functional responses across a gradient of diversity in ecologically similar consumers to gain a more holistic view of aquatic food webs.
Carbonate chimneys at the highly productive point Dume methane seep: Fine‐scale mineralogical, geochemical, and microbiological heterogeneity reflects dynamic and long‐lived methane‐metabolizing habitats
Authors: Schroedl Peter , Silverstein Michael , DiGregorio Daisy , Blättler Clara L. , Loyd Sean , Bradbury Harold J. , Edwards R. Lawrence , Marlow Jeffrey
Published: July 2024

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that enters the marine system in large quantities at seafloor methane seeps. At a newly discovered seep site off the coast of Point Dume, CA, ~ meter‐scale carbonate chimneys host microbial communities that exhibit the highest methane‐oxidizing potential recorded to date. Here, we provide a detailed assessment of chimney geobiology through correlative mineralogical, geochemical, and microbiological studies of seven chimney samples in order to clarify the longevity and heterogeneity of these highly productive systems. U‐Th dating indicated that a methane‐driven carbonate precipitating system at Point Dume has existed for ~20 Kyr, while millimeter‐scale variations in carbon and calcium isotopic values, elemental abundances, and carbonate polymorphs revealed changes in carbon source, precipitation rates, and diagenetic processes throughout the chimneys' lifespan. Microbial community analyses revealed diverse modern communities with prominent anaerobic methanotrophs, sulfate‐reducing bacteria, and Anaerolineaceae; communities were more similar within a given chimney wall transect than in similar horizons of distinct structures. The chimneys represent long‐lived repositories of methane‐oxidizing communities and provide a window into how carbon can be transformed, sequestered, and altered over millennia at the Point Dume methane seep.
The tooth survival of non‐surgical root‐filled posterior teeth and the associated prognostic tooth‐related factors: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Patel S. R. , Jarad F. , Moawad E. , Boland A. , Greenhalgh J. , Liu Maria , Maden Michelle
Published: July 2024

Background

Analysis of the survival of root‐filled posterior teeth and the associated prognostic tooth‐related factors will enable clinicians to predict the outcome of root canal treatment.

Objectives

To investigate (i) the survival of root‐filled posterior teeth and (ii) the tooth‐related factors that may affect their survival.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials, comparative studies and observational studies assessing survival rates of root‐filled posterior teeth with a minimum 4‐year follow‐up period were identified through an electronic search of the following databases up to January 2023: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline via PubMed, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, Web of Science and NIHR centre for reviews and dissemination. Two reviewers (SP and ML) independently selected the final studies based on pre‐defined inclusion criteria. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Trials were used to assess the risk of bias. Pooled weighted survival rates were analysed using a random effects meta‐analysis model using DerSimonean and Laird methods. Descriptive analysis of studies describing any prognostic tooth‐related factors was conducted.

Results

Of the 72 studies identified, data from 20 studies were included in the survival meta‐analysis, and data from 13 of these studies were included in the descriptive analysis of tooth‐related factors; 12 studies were retrospective, 7 were prospective, and one was a randomized control trial. The pooled survival rates at 4–7 years and 8–20 years of root‐filled posterior teeth regardless of tooth type was 91% (95% CI, 0.85; 0.95) and 87% (95% CI, 0.77; 0.93), respectively. The prognostic tooth‐related factors mentioned in the included studies were (i) remaining coronal tooth structure, (ii) ferrule, (iii) crown‐to‐root ratio (iv) tooth type and location (v) periodontal disease (vi) proximal contacts and (vii) cracks.

Conclusions

The meta‐analysis suggests that root canal treatment has a high medium to long term survival outcome. The narrative summary identified 7 factors that affect tooth survival. However, there is a paucity of evidence, and more research is needed in this area.

Registration

PROSPERO Registration: CRD42021227213.
Comparative analysis of kokumi tastant intensity from mechanically deboned meat across three species through in vitro calcium‐sensing receptor activity
Authors: Kim Jihan , Deb‐Choudhury Santanu , Subbaraj Arvind , Realini Carolina E. , Ahmad Raise
Published: July 2024

The emergence of kokumi sensation as a flavour enhancer prompted the search for cost effective and the sustainable production of kokumi flavour substances (KS), including small γ‐glutamyl peptides (GGP) and aromatic free amino acids (FAA). We sought to investigate the potential of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) from beef, mutton, lamb and venison for KS production through enzymatic γ‐glutamylation. Liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and in vitro calcium‐sensing receptor (CaSR) activity assays were utilised to identify GGPs and their kokumi intensity, respectively. The enzymatic method significantly increased GGP and FAA in all MDM samples with differences in individual peptides across the species. Notably, all four sources of MDM activated CaSR in a dose‐dependent manner, displaying varying potency and efficacy levels. Beef, lamb and mutton showed a similar range of higher potency, while venison exhibited lower potency but higher efficacy. The thermal stability of γ‐glutamylated beef samples, used as an exemplar, was confirmed at temperatures of 80 °C, 120 °C and 150 °C. Given these findings, MDM represents a promising substrate for KS production and warrants further investigation to assess its practical applicability for enhancing kokumi flavour in the food industry.
Estimated compared with actual plans of paediatric dental treatment performed under deep sedation: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Moskovitz Moti , Cohen‐Solal Eva , Efrat Kobi , Shmueli Aviv , Halperson Elinor , Ram Diana , Fux‐Noy Avia
Published: July 2024

Background

Planning the extent of paediatric dental treatment under deep sedation is highly important, as the duration of the sedation should be limited to approximately 1 h, and the amount of local anesthesia is limited by the children's body weight.

Aim

To compare treatment plans estimated at initial examinations with actual dental treatments under intravenous deep sedation. We examined factors that could affect the differences.

Design

For this retrospective cohort study, data were collected from the medical records of all the children younger than 18 years who underwent dental treatment under intravenous deep sedation during 2019–2021 at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

Results

In total, 108 children were included. During the actual versus the estimated treatment under deep sedation, more teeth were treated (p < .001), and the treatment was more complex (p < .001). A longer waiting period for dental treatment was found to be correlated with a greater number of treated teeth than was estimated (p = .003) and with greater complexity of the actual than the estimated treatment (p = .003).

Conclusion

Actual compared with estimated dental treatment under deep sedation involved more teeth and was of greater complexity. This suggests that referrals should include children with limited estimated treatment plans.
Clinical use of CRT‐D devices with left ventricular sensing: Impact of the desynchronization‐detection algorithm
Authors: Barold S. Serge , Kucher Andreas
Published: July 2024

The use of CRT‐D devices with left ventricular (LV) sensing has created controversy about programming various parameters especially the left ventricular T wave protection (LVTP) designed to prevent the delivery of a pacing stimulus into the LV vulnerable period. Such devices are available from two manufacturers. This review focuses only on those provided by Biotronik. As the LVTP controls LV sensing, some investigators have advocated turning off the LVTP to prevent episodic desynchronization known a CRT pacing interrupt. However, LVTP off reduces but does not eliminate this type of desynchronization if triggering of an LV stimulus upon right ventricular sensing (RVs) is programmed on. Deactivation of the LVTP incurs loss of diagnostic data provided by CRT pacing interrupt itself. By choice, the occurrence of CRT pacing interrupt can be totally eliminated by appropriate programming of the LV upper rate interval, LVTP and triggering of an LV pacing event upon RVs. Various programmability options are available according to clinical circumstances. As a rule, clinical judgement must weigh the potential diagnostic benefit of preserving the LVTP capable of recording of episodic CRT pacing interrupt against the loss of diagnostic benefit when LVTP is programmed off (with or without triggering of an LV stimulus upon RVs).