bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards real-world neuroscience using mobile EEG and augmented reality
Authors: Krugliak Alexandra , Clarke Alex
Published: October 2021

Our visual environment impacts multiple aspects of cognition including perception, attention and memory, yet most studies traditionally remove or control the external environment. As a result, we have a limited understanding of neurocognitive processes beyond the controlled lab environment. Here, we aim to study neural processes in real-world environments, while also maintaining a degree of control over perception. To achieve this, we combined mobile EEG (mEEG) and augmented reality (AR), which allows us to place virtual objects into the real world. We validated this AR and mEEG approach using a well-characterised cognitive response - the face inversion effect. Participants viewed upright and inverted faces in three EEG tasks (1) a lab-based computer task, (2) walking through an indoor environment while seeing face photographs, and (3) walking through an indoor environment while seeing virtual faces. We find greater low frequency EEG activity for inverted compared to upright faces in all experimental tasks, demonstrating that cognitively relevant signals can be extracted from mEEG and AR paradigms. This was established in both an epoch-based analysis aligned to face events, and a GLM-based approach that incorporates continuous EEG signals and face perception states. Together, this research helps pave the way to exploring neurocognitive processes in real-world environments while maintaining experimental control using AR.
Computational model of 3D cell migration based on the molecular clutch mechanism
Authors: Campbell Samuel , Zitnay Rebecca , Mendoza Michelle , Bidone Tamara C
Published: October 2021

The external environment is a regulator of cell activity. Its stiffness and microstructure can either facilitate or prevent 3D cell migration in both physiology and disease. 3D cell migration results from force feedbacks between the cell and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Adhesions regulate these force feedbacks by working as molecular clutches that dynamically bind and unbind the ECM. Because of the interdependency between ECM properties, adhesion dynamics, and cell contractility, how exactly 3D cell migration occurs in different environments is not fully understood. In order to elucidate the effect of ECM on 3D cell migration through force-sensitive molecular clutches, we developed a computational model based on a lattice point approach. Results from the model show that increases in ECM pore size reduce cell migration speed. In contrast, matrix porosity increases it, given a sufficient number of ligands for cell adhesions and limited crowding of the matrix from cell replication. Importantly, these effects are maintained across a range of ECM stiffnesses’, demonstrating that mechanical factors are not responsible for how matrix microstructure regulates cell motility.
Higher-order olfactory neurons in the lateral horn supports odor valence and odor identity coding in Drosophila
Authors: Chakraborty Sudeshna Das , Chang Hetan , Hansson Bill S. , Sachse Silke
Published: October 2021

Understanding neuronal representations of odor-evoked activities and their progressive transformation from the sensory level to higher brain centers features one of the major aims in olfactory neuroscience. Here, we investigated how odor information is transformed and represented in higher-order neurons of the lateral horn, one of the higher olfactory centers implicated in determining innate behavior, using Drosophila melanogaster. We focused on a subset of third-order glutamatergic lateral horn neurons (LHNs) and characterized their odor coding properties in relation to their presynaptic partner neurons, the projection neurons (PNs) by two-photon functional imaging. We found that odors evoke reproducible, stereotypic and odor-specific response patterns in LHNs. Notably, odor-evoked responses in these neurons are valence-specific in a way that their response amplitude is positively correlated with innate odor preferences. We postulate that this valence-specific activity is the result of integrating inputs from multiple olfactory channels through second-order neurons. GRASP and micro-lesioning experiments provide evidence that glutamatergic LHNs obtain their major excitatory input from uniglomerular PNs, while they receive an odor-specific inhibition through inhibitory multiglomerular PNs. In summary, our study indicates that odor representations in glutamatergic LHNs encode hedonic valence and odor identity and primarily retain the odor coding properties of second-order neurons.
Integrative genomics uncover mechanisms of renal medullary carcinoma transformation, microenvironment landscape and therapeutic vulnerabilities
Authors: Vokshi Bujamin H. , Davidson Guillaume , Helleux Alexandra , Rippinger Marc , Haller Alexandre R. , Gantzer Justine , Thouvenin Jonathan , Baltzinger Philippe , Bouarich Rachida , Manriquez Valeria , Zaidi Sakina , Msaouel Pavlos , Su Xiaoping , Lang Hervé , Tricard Thibault , Lindner Véronique , Surdez Didier , Kurtz Jean-Emmanuel , Bourdeaut Franck , Tannir Nizar M. , Davidson Irwin , Malouf Gabriel G.
Published: October 2021

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is an aggressive desmoplastic tumour driven by bi-allelic loss of SMARCB1, however the cell-of-origin, the oncogenic mechanism and the features of its microenvironment remain poorly understood. Using single-cell and multi-region sequencing of human RMC, we defined transformation of thick ascending limb (TAL) cells into at least three RMC cell states along an epithelial-mesenchymal gradient through a transcriptional switch involving loss of renal transcription factor TFCP2L1 and gain of a NFE2L2-associated ferroptosis resistance program. SMARCB1 re-expression in cultured RMC cells reactivates TFCP2L1 that relocates SWI/SNF from the promoters of the MYC-driven oncogenic program to the enhancers of TAL identity genes followed by ferroptotic cell death. We further show that RMC is associated with abundant M2-type macrophages and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and we identify key regulatory cross-talks that shape this immunosuppressive microenvironment. Together our data describe the molecular events of RMC transformation and identify novel therapeutically targetable vulnerabilities.
Hemodynamic Correlates of Fluctuations in Neuronal Excitability: A Simultaneous Paired Associative Stimulation (PAS) and functional Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Study
Authors: Cai Zhengchen , Pellegrino Giovanni , Spilkin Amanda , Delaire Edouard , Uji Makoto , Abdallah Chifaou , Lina Jean-Marc , Fecteau Shirley , Grova Christophe
Published: October 2021

Background

The relationship between task-related hemodynamic activity and brain excitability is poorly understood in humans as it is technically challenging to combine simultaneously non-invasive brain stimulation and neuroimaging modalities. Cortical excitability corresponds to the readiness to become active and as such it may be linked to metabolic demand.

Hypotheses

Cortical excitability and hemodynamic activity are positively linked so that increases in hemodynamic activity correspond to increases in excitability and vice-versa.

Methods

Fluctuations of excitability and hemodynamic activity were investigated via simultaneous Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). Sixteen healthy subjects participated in a sham-controlled, pseudorandomized, counterbalanced study with PAS (PAS10/PAS25/Sham) on the right primary motor cortex (M1). The relationship between M1 excitability (Motor Evoked Potentials, MEP) and hemodynamic responses to finger tapping reconstructed via personalized fNIRS was assessed.

Results

Hemodynamic activity exhibited a significant correlation with cortical excitability: increased HbO and HbR (absolute amplitude) corresponded to increased excitability and vice-versa (r=0.25; p=0.03 and r=0.16; p=0.17, respectively). The effect of PAS on excitability and hemodynamic activity showed a trend of positive correlation: correlation of MEP ratios (post-PAS/pre-PAS) with HbO and HbR ratios (r=0.19, p=0.29; r=0.18, p=0.30, respectively).

Conclusions

TMS-fNIRS is a suitable technique for simultaneous investigation of excitability and hemodynamic responses and indicates a relationship between these two cortical properties. PAS effect is not limited to cortical excitability but also impacts hemodynamic processes. These findings have an impact on the application of neuromodulatory interventions in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.
Assessing the Functionality of RNA Interference (RNAi) in the Phloem-feeding Maize pestDalbulus maidis
Authors: Jones Tara-Kay L. , Bernal Julio S. , Medina Raul F.
Published: October 2021

Dalbulus maidis[(DeLong & Wolcott), corn leafhopper], a phloem-feeding insect, is the most efficient vector of maize stunting pathogens (Spiroplasma kunkelii, Maize bushy stunt phytoplasma, and Maize rayado fino virus) in the Americas. Studies involving gene editing in insects are rapidly providing information that can potentially be used for insect vector and plant disease control. RNA interference (RNAi), a sequence-specific gene silencing method, is one of the most widely used molecular tools in functional genomics studies. RNAi uses exogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) or small interfering RNA (siRNA) to prevent the production of proteins by inhibiting the expression of their corresponding messenger RNA (mRNA). In this study, we measured the efficacy of gene silencing, and its effects onD. maidismortality as proof of concept that RNAi is a viable tool for use in genetic pest control of phloem-feeding insects. Oral delivery of dsRNA using an artificial diet was used to silence two key insect genes, vacuolar ATP synthase subunit B, and subunit D (V-ATPase BandV-ATPase D). Our results showed reduced gene expression ofV-ATPase BandV-ATPase Dafter ingestion of dsRNA, and significantly higher mortality, and wing deformation, associated with reduced gene expression, compared to control insects that were not orally fed dsRNA. These results reveal RNAi as a viable tool for use in genetic pest control of phloem-feeding insects, and a way for further functional genomic studies, such as identification of potential target genes for either population suppression or population replacement of this vector of maize diseases.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress activates human IRE1α through reversible assembly of inactive dimers into small oligomers
Authors: Belyy Vladislav , Zuazo-Gaztelu Iratxe , Alamban Andrew , Ashkenazi Avi , Walter Peter
Published: October 2021

Protein folding homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is regulated by a signaling network, termed the unfolded protein response (UPR). Inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) is an ER membrane-resident kinase/RNase that mediates signal transmission in the most evolutionarily conserved branch of the UPR. Dimerization and/or higher-order oligomerization of IRE1 are thought to be important for its activation mechanism, yet the actual oligomeric states of inactive, active, and attenuated mammalian IRE1 complexes remained unknown. We developed an automated two-color single-molecule tracking approach to dissect the oligomerization of tagged endogenous human IRE1 in live cells. In contrast to previous models, our data indicate that IRE1 exists as a constitutive homodimer at baseline and assembles into small oligomers upon ER stress. We demonstrate that the formation of inactive dimers and stress-dependent oligomers is fully governed by IRE1’s lumenal domain. Phosphorylation of IRE1’s kinase domain occurs more slowly than oligomerization and is retained after oligomers disassemble back into dimers. Our findings suggest that assembly of IRE1 dimers into larger oligomers specifically enables trans- autophosphorylation, which in turn drives IRE1’s RNase activity.
Bile Acid Regulates the Colonization and Dissemination ofCandida albicansfrom the Gastrointestinal Tract by Controlling Host Defense System and Microbiota
Authors: Thangamani Shankar , Monasky Ross , Lee Jung Keun , Antharam Vijay , HogenEsch Harm , Hazbun Tony , Jin Yan , Gu Haiwei , Guo Grace L.
Published: October 2021

Candida albicans(CA), a commensal and opportunistic eukaryotic organism, frequently inhabits the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and causes life-threatening infections. Antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis is a major risk factor for increased CA colonization and dissemination from the GI tract. We identified a significant increase of taurocholic acid(TCA),a major bile acid in antibiotic-treated mice susceptible to CA infection.In vivofindings indicate that administration of TCA through drinking water is sufficient to induce colonization and dissemination of CA in wild type and immunosuppressed mice. Treatment with TCA significantly reduced mRNA expression of immune genesang4andCxcr3in the colon. In addition, TCA significantly decreased the relative abundance of three culturable species of commensal bacteria,Turicibacter sanguinis, Lactobacillus johnsonii, andClostridium celatum, in both cecal contents and mucosal scrapings from colon. Taken together, our results indicate that TCA promotes fungal colonization and dissemination of CA from the GI tract by controlling host defense system and intestinal microbiota that play a critical role in regulating CA in the intestine.

Importance

Broad-spectrum antibiotics, FDA-approved bile acid drugs, and probiotics used to control metabolic and infectious diseases profoundly alter the level of TCA in the gut. Furthermore, TCA level is highly altered in a subset of cancer, colitis and surgery patients who are highly susceptible to CA infection. Inadvertently, these therapies and disease conditions could be either promoting CA colonization and dissemination. Our findings indicate that TCA alone can induce fungal colonization and dissemination from the intestine. Results from this study will have a significant impact in understanding how bile acids interact with the microbiota and host in regulating invasive fungal infections that originate from the intestine and to develop potential new antifungal therapeutics.
Pyronaridine Protects Against SARS-CoV-2 in Mouse
Authors: Puhl Ana C. , Gomes Giovanni F. , Damasceno Samara , Godoy Andre S. , Noske Gabriela D. , Nakamura Aline M. , Gawriljuk Victor O. , Fernandes Rafaela S. , Monakhova Natalia , Riabova Olga , Lane Thomas R. , Makarov Vadim , Veras Flavio P. , Batah Sabrina S. , Fabro Alexandre T. , Oliva Glaucius , Cunha Fernando Q. , Alves-Filho José C. , Cunha Thiago M. , Ekins Sean
Published: October 2021

There are currently relatively few small-molecule antiviral drugs that are either approved or emergency approved for use against SARS-CoV-2. One of these is remdesivir, which was originally repurposed from its use against Ebola and functions by causing early RNA chain termination. We used this as justification to evaluate three molecules we had previously identified computationally with antiviral activity against Ebola and Marburg. Out of these we previously identified pyronaridine, which inhibited the SARS-CoV-2 replication in A549-ACE2 cells. Herein, the in vivo efficacy of pyronaridine has now been assessed in a K18-hACE transgenic mouse model of COVID-19. Pyronaridine treatment demonstrated a statistically significant reduction of viral load in the lungs of SARS CoV-2 infected mice. Furthermore, the pyronaridine treated group reduced lung pathology, which was also associated with significant reduction in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokine and cell infiltration. Notably, pyronaridine inhibited the viral PLpro activity in vitro (IC50 of 1.8 µM) without any effect on Mpro, indicating a possible molecular mechanism involved in its ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication. Interestingly, pyronaridine also selectively inhibits the host kinase CAMK1 (IC50 of 2.4 µM). We have also generated several pyronaridine analogs to assist in understanding the structure activity relationship for PLpro inhibition. Our results indicate that pyronaridine is a potential therapeutic candidate for COVID-19.

One sentence summary

There is currently intense interest in discovering small molecules with direct antiviral activity against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2). Pyronaridine, an antiviral drug with in vitro activity against Ebola, Marburg and SARS-CoV-2 has now statistically significantly reduced the viral load in mice along with IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-β ultimately demonstrating a protective effect against lung damage by infection to provide a new potential treatment for testing clinically.
Structural mapping of antibody landscapes to human betacoronavirus spike proteins
Authors: Bangaru Sandhya , Antanasijevic Aleksandar , Kose Nurgun , Sewall Leigh M. , Jackson Abigail M. , Suryadevara Naveenchandra , Zhan Xiaoyan , Torres Jonathan L. , Copps Jeffrey , Torrents de la Peña Alba , Crowe James E. , Ward Andrew B.
Published: October 2021

Preexisting immunity against seasonal coronaviruses (CoV) represents an important variable in predicting antibody responses and disease severity to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-2) infections. We used electron microscopy based polyclonal epitope mapping (EMPEM) to characterize the antibody specificities against β-CoV spike proteins in sera from healthy donors (HDs) or SARS-2 convalescent donors (CDs). We observed that most HDs possessed antibodies specific to seasonal human CoVs (HCoVs) OC43 and HKU1 spike proteins while the CDs showed reactivity across all human β-CoVs. Detailed molecular mapping of spike-antibody complexes revealed epitopes that were differentially targeted by antibodies in preexisting and convalescent serum. Our studies provide an antigenic landscape to β-HCoV spikes in the general population serving as a basis for cross-reactive epitope analyses in SARS-2 -infected individuals.

One-Sentence summary

We present the epitope mapping of polyclonal antibodies against beta-coronavirus spike proteins in human sera.
Biodegradation of naphthalene mediated by the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria
Authors: Timmusk Salme , Teder Tiiu , Behers Lawrence
Published: October 2021

We compared the ability of two bacterial strains, Paenibacillus polymyxa A26 and P. polymyxa A26Sfp, for biodegradation of naphthalene (NAP). The studies were performed under simulated laboratory conditions, in liquid medium and soil with different carbon sources, pH and salt contents. Changes in the luminescence inhibition of Aliivibrio fischeri, as an indicator of the baseline toxicity, were observed in degradation mixtures during 7 days of incubation. While both strains expressed the best growth and NAP degradation ability in the minimal salt medium containing sucrose and 5% NaCl at pH 8, the mutant strain remained effective even under extreme conditions.

A26Sfp was found to be an efficient and potentially industrially important polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation strain. Its extracellular polysaccharide production is 30% and glucan production twice that of the wild type A 26. The surface tension reduction ability was ascertained as 25–30% increased emulsification ability.
Cytoskeletal regulation of a transcription factor by DNA mimicry
Authors: Haque Farah , Freniere Christian , Ye Qiong , Mani Nandini , Wilson-Kubalek Elizabeth M. , Ku Pei-I , Milligan Ronald A. , Subramanian Radhika
Published: October 2021

A long-established strategy for transcription regulation is the tethering of transcription factors to cellular membranes. In contrast, the principal effectors of Hedgehog signaling, the Gli transcription factors, are regulated by microtubules in the primary cilium and the cytoplasm. How Gli is tethered to microtubules remains unclear. We uncover DNA mimicry by the ciliary kinesin Kif7 as a mechanism for the recruitment of Gli to microtubules, revealing a new mode of tethering a DNA-binding protein to the cytoskeleton. Gli increases the Kif7-microtubule affinity and consequently modulates the localization of both proteins to microtubules and the cilium tip. Thus, the kinesin-microtubule system is not a passive Gli tether but a regulatable platform tuned by the kinesin-transcription factor interaction. We re-tooled the unique DNA-mimicry-based Gli-Kif7 interaction for inhibiting the nuclear and cilium localization of Gli. This strategy can be potentially exploited for downregulating erroneously activated Gli in human cancers.
Advances in spatial transcriptomic data analysis
Authors: Dries Ruben , Chen Jiaji , del Rossi Natalie , Khan Mohammed Muzamil , Sistig Adriana , Yuan Guo-Cheng
Published: October 2021

Spatial transcriptomics is a rapidly growing field that promises to comprehensively characterize tissue organization and architecture at the single-cell or subcellular resolution. Such information provides a solid foundation for mechanistic understanding of many biological processes in both health and disease that cannot be obtained by using traditional technologies. The development of computational methods plays important roles in extracting biological signals from raw data. Various approaches have been developed to overcome technology-specific limitations such as spatial resolution, gene coverage, sensitivity, and technical biases. Downstream analysis tools formulate spatial organization and cell–cell communications as quantifiable properties, and provide algorithms to derive such properties. Integrative pipelines further assemble multiple tools in one package, allowing biologists to conveniently analyze data from beginning to end. In this review, we summarize the state of the art of spatial transcriptomic data analysis methods and pipelines, and discuss how they operate on different technological platforms.
Refinements in phase fraction determination of textured alloys from transmission diffraction data
Authors: Creuziger Adam , Phan Thien , Pagan Darren
Published: October 2021

The use of high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction sources has become increasingly common for high-quality phase fraction measurements and microstructural evolution experiments. While the high flux, large volume illuminated and large number of diffraction vectors should reduce common sources of uncertainty and bias, the distribution of the diffraction vectors may still cause bias in the phase fraction measurement. This hypothesis of bias was investigated with example experimental data and synthetic data. The authors found that there may be bias depending on the sample texture, the distribution of diffraction vectors and the hkl planes used in the phase fraction measurement, even for nearly complete coverage of a pole figure. The authors developed a series of geometry-based correction values that reduced the measurement bias due to sampling scheme and texture in the phase fraction measurement by an order of magnitude. The efficacy of these corrections was demonstrated with application to both experimental and synthetic data.
Computation of erosion in a hydro turbine
Authors: Ghenaiet Adel
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the trajectories of sand particles and erosion wear in a hydraulic turbine model.

Design/methodology/approach

The Lagrangian-based approach is used to track large numbers of sand particles and determine their impact through the hydro turbine components. The tracking procedure includes the stochastic eddy interaction model and the squeeze film effect. The number of particles, sizes and release positions are conformed to the particle concentration and size distribution. The impact locations, frequency and conditions of impacts are used to estimate the erosion rates and thereby the eroded mass from the distributor vane and the rotor blade and their deteriorated geometry.

Findings

The patterns of erosion in the stationary and rotating parts differ significantly and the effect of the initial position of the runner blade is elucidated. The distributor vane is characterized by a widespread of erosion over the pressure side. Typically, the surface beyond the throat and the root and tip junctions are the regions prone to erosion wear. The entry region of the runner blade is subject to a high number of impacts resulting in high erosion rates visible from the forepart of the blade pressure side.

Practical implications

The erosion patterns and geometry deterioration may serve to evaluate the drop in the hydraulic performance and to select the appropriate surface coating to extend the lifetime of the turbomachinery parts and reduce the maintenance cost.

Originality/value

Erosion developments reveal a strong dependence on the blade position against the distributor vane and the particle size and concentration level.
The promises and the reality of smart, digital telecare in England
Authors: Stirling Phoebe , Burgess Gemma
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper asks how the introduction of “smart” digital technologies might affect the goals that can be attributed to telecare for older people, by those coordinating its provision.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 29 in-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with local authorities, housing associations and other organisations coordinating smart telecare provision, as well as telecare manufacturers and suppliers. Interviews were analysed by using qualitative thematic analysis.

Findings

The analysis reveals discrepancies between the goals and outcomes of smart telecare provision, according to those coordinating service delivery. This study concludes that the goal for smart telecare to be preventative and cost-efficient may be complicated by various organisational and operational challenges associated with coordinating provision.

Originality/value

New, “smart” telecare technology for older people stands apart from earlier, user-activated or automatic devices. It may have distinct and under-researched organisational and ethical implications.
Modeling and analysis of barriers in controlling TB: developing countries' perspective
Authors: Mittal Palka , Ajmera Puneeta , Jain Vineet , Aggarwal Gaurav
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to c-exist with humans despite many TB control programs and elimination strategies. This depicts that some barriers are not allowing achieving the desired results. The current study aims to focus on identification and ranking of such barriers to facilitate TB control programs in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

In the present study, 13 barriers that can influence success rate of TB elimination strategies have been recognized with an in-depth assessment of related literature and opinions of specialists from medical industry and academic world. The interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) techniques have been employed for the ranking of barriers.

Findings

Based on driving power of barriers, the study coined that underinvestment is a major barrier followed by poor implementation of government policies and programs, poverty and poor primary health care infrastructure.

Research limitations/implications

The findings may guide healthcare service providers and researchers in analyzing the barriers and understanding the necessity of further advancements to decrease the count of already existing and incident cases.

Practical implications

Policy- and decision-makers may utilize the information on dependence and driving power of barriers for better planning and effective execution of TB control strategies.

Originality/value

Although a lot of literature is available on different barriers that are affecting success of TB strategies, the current study analyzes all the key barriers collectively for the prioritization of barriers.
Priceless time – The UHNWI's most precious possession: implications for international marketing theory and practice
Authors: Klaus Philipp ‘Phil’ , Park JungKun , Tarquini-Poli Annalisa
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Traditionally, international luxury marketing highlights possible disparities of cultural and value perception. The context-specific nature of traditional international luxury marketing, which ranges from educational and cultural to financial and offering-based variations, delivers little guidance to managers in the field regarding how to cater best to their highest target segment. The study aims to exemplify the relevance of global consumer culture (GCC) theory for the ultra-high-net-worth-individual (UHNWI) context. The authors' research on UHNWIs maps the DNA, so to speak, of the UHNWI customer experience (CX) by determining what drives UHNWI purchasing behavior independent of background – in other words, what matters most to this exclusive consumer segment.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviewing 15 UHNWIs using a means-end approach and incorporating the emerging consensus technique (ECT), the authors explored the CX of UHNWIs leading to their purchasing decisions.

Findings

The authors' analysis reveals the three main constituents of the UHNWI CX: the value of time, expectation mismanagement and the utilitarian nature of luxury. The findings highlight that UHNWIs see traditional luxury as a necessity rather than a luxury and value different factors, such as time, much more highly. The findings highlight the UHNWI homogenous nature, connecting GCC to purchasing behavior.

Practical implications

The authors' study delivers empirical evidence of what matters most to the UHNWI segment and drives their purchasing behavior. The authors are questioning existing luxury segmentation strategies and lay out a clear guidance on how to design and deliver effective and efficient marketing, sales and communications strategies for the elusive UHNWI segment. The research highlights that it is the experience and the three main dimensions, namely expectation mismanagement, luxury as a utility and the value of time. Following UHNWI CX DNA framework will allow luxury companies to build their marketing and client acquisition efforts on a solid understanding of what matters most to the UHNWI target segment.

Originality/value

The study highlights the commonalities of UHNWIs in terms of what matters most to them. Based on this, the authors develop a UHNWI CX DNA. The authors propose that traditional context-specific differences upheld by international marketing researchers might not apply to the UHNWI segment. The authors deliver evidence that UHNWI are an excellent example of the applicability of GCC theory. The only difference in perception the authors noticed was between CX evaluations of self-made UHNWIs and those who inherited their wealth in an otherwise homogenous segment.
Exploring whether wireless emergency alerts can help impede the spread of Covid‐19
Authors: Bean Hamilton , Grevstad Nels , Meyer Abigail , Koutsoukos Alex
Published: October 2021

Officials worldwide have sought ways to effectively use mobile technology to communicate health information to help thwart the spread of Covid‐19. This study offers a preliminary exploration of whether state‐level (N = 6) and local‐level (N = 53) wireless emergency alert (WEA) messages might contribute to impeding the spread of Covid‐19 in the United States. The study compares changes in reported rates of infections and deaths between states and localities that issued WEA messages in March and April of 2020 with states that did not. Small sample sizes and differences in the rates of Covid‐19 spread prohibit robust statistical analysis and detection of clear effect sizes, but estimated effects are generally in the right direction. Combining statistical analysis with preliminary categorization of both WEA message content and social media themes suggests that a positive effect from WEA messages cannot be ruled out.
A multimodel random forest ensemble method for an improved assessment of Chinese terrestrial vegetation carbon density
Authors: Wang Zhaosheng , Gong He , Huang Mei , Gu Fengxue , Wei Jie , Guo Qingchun , Song Wenchao
Published: October 2021

Assessing the terrestrial vegetation carbon density (TVCD) is crucial for evaluating the national carbon balance. However, current national‐scale TVCD assessments show strong disparities, despite the good estimation method of their underlying models. Here, we attribute this contradiction to a flaw in the methods of using multimodel simulation results, which ignore the connections between results, leading to an overoptimistic evaluation of the multimodel ensemble mean (MMEM) method.

Thus, using the state‐of‐the‐art multimodel random forest ensemble (MMRFE) method to integrate the results of 10 models, we reproduced Chinese TVCD data during 1982–2010.

Compared with the nationally averaged TVCD field investigation data (27 ± 26 Mg C/ha), we found that the results of five models were overestimated by 7.4%–85.2%, and the remaining models were underestimated by 3.7%–77.8%. The MMEM TVCD method produced an overestimation of 2%, but the MMRFE method produced an underestimation of only 0.2%. Additionally, the summary Taylor diagrams of the TVCD at the national and ecosystem (forest, shrub, grass and crop ecosystems) scales all showed that the MMRFE TVCD produced the smallest standard deviations and root mean square deviations and the highest correlation coefficients. Furthermore, the MMRFE TVCDs were all significantly positively correlated with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and they had the same increasing trend, but an opposite variation trend from the MMEM TVCD and NDVI. This result implied that the spatiotemporal variation modes of the MMRFE TVCD were consistent with those of the NDVI. The results suggested that compared with the traditional MMEM method, the MMRFE TVCD and its spatiotemporal variation modes were more similar to the real TVCD.

In conclusion, the MMRFE method can effectively improve the accuracy of national‐scale TVCD estimation, and effectively reduce the uncertainty of large‐scale terrestrial vegetation carbon estimation processes. Notably, we provide a new method that uses a machine learning approach to mine multimodel terrestrial carbon information to reduce the uncertainty in the estimation of terrestrial ecosystem carbon components.
Individuating Assets and Liabilities in Financial Accounting
Authors: Rutherford Brian A.
Published: October 2021

Until recently, accounting theorists gave little thought to what makes a particular instance of an asset or liability a single object and the very object it is—what individuates assets and liabilities. This paper offers an analysis of this individuation in the IASB's Conceptual Framework. It can be read at two levels: as an exploration of the coherence of the framework in its own terms, or, at a deeper level, as a philosophical analysis, located within philosophical pragmatism. I argue that the IASB framework's individuation is radically incoherent. I set out the case for a pragmatist approach and offer pragmatist principles of individuation. Standard setters have recently given some attention to individuation via a new kind of accounting object, the unit of account, and this is taken further in the IASB framework. This thinking is a good deal more convincing than the attempt to individuate assets and liabilities and is consistent with pragmatist principles. I propose reconceptualizing assets and liabilities using the principles developed for the unit of account. The paper extends our understanding of the way assets and liabilities are conceptualized in financial accounting; my proposal would improve the coherence of the conceptual framework in its own terms, provide a philosophically sound underpinning for its individuations, and open up the possibility of reconnecting the framework to the pragmatist epistemology encountered in classical accounting theory, extending the underpinning to the framework as a whole and, perhaps, reviving scholarly interest in the accounting theory of the framework project.
Risk factors for recurrence in colorectal cancer: a retrospective analysis in a regional Australian hospital
Authors: Holt Jonathon , Schwalb Heinrich , Elbourne Hugh , te Marvelde Luc , Reid Caitlin
Published: October 2021

Background

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy in Australia. Up to a third of patients who have undergone surgery with curative intent for colorectal cancer will have a recurrence of disease leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Regional Australians have disproportionately worse outcomes.

Aim

To identify factors associated with recurrence in colorectal cancer patients treated at a regional Australian hospital.

Methods

This study is a retrospective cohort analysis. Consecutive patients who have undergone curative resection at a regional public and private hospital by three surgeons from a single surgical practice for either rectal cancer or colon cancer were included. Prognostic indicators of recurrence were examined via both univariate and multivariate time‐to‐event analyses.

Results

Three hundred nine patients were included with 43 recurrences. Thirty presented with distant metastases, seven presented with locoregional recurrence and six presented with locoregional as well as distant recurrence. In univariable analysis, higher rates of recurrence were associated with tumour type, higher AJCC summary stage, higher preoperative levels of CA19‐9, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, <12 nodes examined, positive lymph nodes and emergency surgery status. On multivariable analysis recurrence remained associated with tumours with a mucinous and/or signet cell component, positive nodes and <12 lymph nodes examined.

Conclusion

A combination of patient and treatment factors are relevant in determining the risk of recurrence for stage I–III colorectal cancer. This study emphasises the importance of histology in determining risk, particularly the number of nodes examined. CEA 19–9 may also be a useful pre‐operative predictor of recurrence.
Does the body mass index impact lymph node yield for colorectal cancer resection, and does operative approach influence this: a review of bi‐national colorectal cancer audit database
Authors: Cheong Ju Yong , Young Christopher John , Byrne Christopher
Published: October 2021

Background

Operating on an obese patient is technically more challenging. This study aimed to determine whether there was any correlation between lymph node (LN) harvesting and patient's BMI, and how the operative approach influences this.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of the bi‐national colorectal cancer audit (BCCA) database from 2008 to 2018 was performed.

Results

In the analysis of the correlation between operative approach and number of lymph nodes, data on 22 963 patients were analyzed. The operative approach did not lead to a significant difference in the number of lymph nodes yielded, except for proctocolectomy and low anterior resection where laparoscopic approach yielded greater lymph nodes than open approach. Linear regression of BMI and number of lymph nodes harvested for each operation based on 3986 patients showed that BMI largely does not impact the lymph node yield. The exception was open left hemicolectomy/sigmoid colectomy and laparoscopic high anterior resection, where a unit increase in BMI led to a reduction in the number of lymph nodes harvested. However, the regression coefficient and reduction in number of lymph nodes were low (r2 = 0.11, r2 = 0.0108 and 0.41, 0.18 lymph nodes).

Conclusion

In colorectal cancer operations, the number of lymph nodes removed is largely not impacted by the patient's body mass index, regardless of which operative approach is taken.
Modalities of endovascular management for internal iliac artery aneurysms
Authors: Chen Reuben J. , Vaes Roel H. D. , Qi Sara D. , J. Westcott Mark , Robinson Domenic R.
Published: October 2021

Background

Internal iliac artery aneurysms (IIAA) are uncommon. Open repair is technically challenging and has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality compared with repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms. The aim of this study is to assess the outcomes of endovascular treatment of IIAA and incidence of postoperative pelvic ischaemia.

Methods

A single‐centre retrospective analysis was performed for IIAAs treated with endovascular repair between January 2005 and December 2017. Aneurysm morphology, mode of presentation and operative technique were evaluated. Primary outcomes were 30‐day mortality and incidence of pelvic ischaemia. Secondary outcomes were technical success, major complications and reintervention.

Results

Twenty‐nine IIAAs were treated in 23 patients with a mean age of 74 */‐ 9 years. Six patients had isolated IIAAs (26%); the remaining 17 patients had aortoiliac aneurysms. Five patients (22%) required emergent repair for ruptured IIAAs. Mean IIAA size was 4.1 cm */‐ 1.8 and ruptures occurred at mean 6.1 cm */‐ 2.6. Endovascular techniques used: stent graft occlusion of the internal iliac artery (IIA) ostium (n = 16), deployment of iliac branch device (n = 9), and other endovascular techniques (n = 4). The 30‐day mortality was zero. Three patients (13%) experienced post‐operative pelvic ischemia which were all minor chronic gluteal claudication after IIA occlusion. Primary technical success was achieved in 27 repairs (93%). There was one late reintervention (3%).

Conclusion

IIAAs are often asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally, however, a significant proportion present emergently. Endovascular treatment is feasible for both ruptured and non‐ruptured aneurysms with low perioperative morbidity, mortality and reintervention rates.
Neurostructural differences associated with self‐harm in youth bipolar disorder
Authors: Dimick Mikaela K. , Kennedy Kody G. , Mitchell Rachel H. B. , Sinyor Mark , MacIntosh Bradley J. , Goldstein Benjamin I.
Published: October 2021

Background

Youth with bipolar disorder (BD) are at greatly elevated risk for suicide. Self‐harm, encompassing all self‐injurious behaviors regardless of suicidal intent, is among one of the greatest risk factors for death by suicide. This study aims to extend the sparse literature regarding the neurostructural correlates of self‐harm in youth with BD.

Methods

Participants included 156 youth (17.14 ± 1.61 years): 38 BD with lifetime history of self‐harm (BDSH+), 43 BD without history of self‐harm (BDSH−), and 75 healthy controls (HC). Measures of cortical thickness, surface area (SA), and volume were obtained using 3 T magnetic resonance imaging. Orbitofrontal and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices were examined in region‐of‐interest (ROI) analyses, complemented by exploratory vertex‐wise analyses using a general linear model controlling for age, sex, and intracranial volume.

Results

In ROI analyses, there were no between‐group differences after correction for multiple comparisons. Vertex‐wise analysis revealed three significant clusters in precentral gyrus SA, inferior temporal gyrus SA, and caudal middle frontal gyrus volume. Post‐hoc vertex‐wise analyses showed BDSH+ had lower cortical SA and volume compared with both BDSH− and HC for all clusters.

Conclusions

Significant vertex‐wise findings were observed in frontotemporal regions relevant to BD and self‐harm, with smaller neurostructural measures among BDSH+ compared with both BDSH− and HC. Future studies are needed to evaluate the temporal nature of the relationship of these neurostructural differences (i.e., potential risk indicators) to self‐harm and to identify mechanisms underlying these findings.
An empirical study of firm productivity growth based on the dynamic selection model: Effects on the recent decline in Korean exports
Authors: Son Nyeong Seon , Hur Jung
Published: October 2021

Export and productivity growth in the Korean manufacturing sector have both been slow since 2011. To understand this relationship, we examine the productivity distributions of manufacturing firms in Korea by applying the dynamic selection model developed by Sampson (2016). The fitness of the dynamic selection model suggests that a slowdown in the market selection mechanism may be a crucial contributor to the stagnant growth in the productivity. In addition, we find that the productivity difference between exporting firms and non‐exporting firms has decreased and the low productivity growth of firms exporting to non‐foreign affiliates has contributed to this trend.
Learning to recognize uncertainty vs. recognizing uncertainty to learn: Confidence judgments and exploration decisions in preschoolers
Authors: Lapidow Elizabeth , Killeen Isabella , Walker Caren M.
Published: October 2021

During exploration, young children often show an intuitive sensitivity to uncertainty, despite their strong tendency towards overconfidence in their explicit judgments. Here, we examine the development of children's explicit and implicit recognition of uncertainty using the same stimuli. We presented 4‐ and 5‐year‐olds with objects that varied in their amount of perceptual occlusion, and assessed their ability to distinguish among them using two types of measures. Experiment 1 used a traditional 3‐point confidence scale to examine children's explicit uncertainty judgments. We compared these confidence judgments before and after they observed disconfirming evidence, to assess the impact of this experience on their acknowledgement of uncertainty in later trials. Experiment 2 examined children's exploration preference as a measure of implicit sensitivity to uncertainty. Our results indicate that children intuitively recognize gaps in their knowledge, and that this implicit recognition may be leveraged to support their explicit judgments. Specifically, we found that children's baseline confidence judgments improved significantly following the presentation of disconfirming evidence. Furthermore, when asked to make exploration decisions about the same set of objects, children showed a spontaneous sensitivity to uncertainty, prior to any evidence. Taken together, these results suggest that children's exploration behavior may be used as an early developing measure of uncertainty control and raise the intriguing possibility that the experience of unexpected outcomes may play a role in the development of metacognition.
Changes in quality of life following hypoglycaemia in adults with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review of longitudinal studies
Authors: Matlock Kevin A. , Broadley Melanie , Hendrieckx Christel , Clowes Mark , Sutton Anthea , Heller Simon R. , de Galan Bastiaan E. , Pouwer Frans , Speight Jane ,   for the Hypo‐RESOLVE consortium
Published: October 2021

Aim

To conduct a systematic review of published studies reporting on the longitudinal impacts of hypoglycaemia on quality of life (QoL) in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Method

Database searches with no restrictions by language or date were conducted in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and PsycINFO. Studies were included for review if they used a longitudinal design (e.g. cohort studies, randomised controlled trials) and reported on the association between hypoglycaemia and changes over time in patient‐reported outcomes related to QoL.

Results

In all, 20 longitudinal studies published between 1998 and 2020, representing 50,429 adults with type 2 diabetes, were selected for review. A descriptive synthesis following Synthesis Without Meta‐analysis guidelines indicated that self‐treated symptomatic hypoglycaemia was followed by impairments in daily functioning along with elevated symptoms of generalised anxiety, diabetes distress and fear of hypoglycaemia. Severe hypoglycaemic events were associated with reduced confidence in diabetes self‐management and lower ratings of perceived health over time. Frequent hypoglycaemia was followed by reduced energy levels and diminished emotional well‐being. There was insufficient evidence, however, to conclude that hypoglycaemia impacted sleep quality, depressive symptoms, general mood, social support or overall diabetes‐specific QoL.

Conclusions

Longitudinal evidence in this review suggests hypoglycaemia is a common occurrence among adults with type 2 diabetes that impacts key facets in the physical and psychological domains of QoL. Nonetheless, additional longitudinal research is needed—in particular, studies targeting diverse forms of hypoglycaemia, more varied facets of QoL and outcomes assessed using hypoglycaemia‐specific measures.