bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of the role of aluminium and corrosion mechanism in galvalume coating in the marine atmospheric environment
Authors: Wang Shuliu , Liu Qianqian , Wang Jin , Chen Nana , Chen JunHang , Song Jialiang , Zhang Xin , Xiao Kui
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the role of aluminium (Al) in marine environment and the corrosion mechanism of galvalume coatings by conducting accelerated experiments and data analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

Samples were subjected to accelerated corrosion for 136 days via salt spray tests to simulate the natural conditions of marine environment and consequently accelerate the experiments. Subsequently, the samples were examined using various test methods, such as EDS, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and the obtained data were analysed.

Findings

Galvalume coatings comprised interdigitated zinc (Zn)-rich and dendritic Al-rich phases. Corrosion was observed to begin with a Zn-rich phase. The primary components of the corrosion product film were Al2O3 and Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O. It was confirmed that the role of Al was to form a dense protective film, thereby successfully blocking the entry of corrosive media and protecting the iron substrate.

Originality/value

This study provides a clearer understanding of the corrosion mechanism and kinetics of galvalume coatings in a simulated marine environment. In addition, the role of Al, which is rarely mentioned in the literature, was investigated.
Rocky Brands: considerations for growth and expansion
Authors: Scheepers Carla , Moore Amy Fisher
Published: February 2024

Learning outcomes

After completion of the case study, the students will be able to identify and discuss competition using Porter’s five forces, analyse and understand the enablers and challenges that impacted Rocky Brands’ growth and recommend a solution in relation to Rocky Brands’ growth strategy.

Case overview/synopsis

This case study investigates Rocky Brands, a South African manufacturer and distributor of cleaning products in the retail market. The case was set in November 2022 and highlights the important events ranging from the company’s founding in 2011 up until 2022. This case aims to study strategy in the South African fast moving consumer goods industry. At the time of writing the case study, Rocky Brands was operating across South Africa, with their main manufacturing warehouse in Johannesburg and a subsidiary manufacturing warehouse in Durban. They were changing the Durban warehouse to a distribution warehouse, as they planned to manufacture primarily from a bigger warehouse in Johannesburg. Rishav Juglall, the main protagonist, is the founder and managing director of Rocky Brands. Rocky Brands imports and redistributes several of the brands that the company sells, including Weiman’s, Wright’s and Goo Gone. They also manufacture their own line of products in South Africa under the Oakmont brand. Juglall acknowledges that their sales and revenue have grown yearly, but they have recently saturated the market and reached a plateau. Juglall needs to determine whether he should diversify into Africa, expand his product range or enter the market for private label cleaning products.

Complexity academic level

The case study’s primary focus is on strategy in an emerging market. This case study is suited to undergraduate students studying Porter’s five competitive forces, SWOT analysis (see teaching note exhibit) or the Ansoff matrix in the fields of strategy, marketing or macroeconomics. This case study can be taught in courses such as decision-making, environment of business, leadership or strategic implementation. The case study will teach students how to apply the frameworks to a business and assist students in determining which option is best for the business.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Understanding the key drivers in using mobile payment (M-Payment) among Generation Z travellers
Authors: Hanafiah Mohd Hafiz , Asyraff Muhammad Aliff , Ismail Mohd Noor Ismawi , Sjukriana Juke
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is twofold. The first objective is to identify the factors that affect Gen Z tourists' M-payment behaviour. Next, this study investigates the inter-relationship between Gen Z tourist’s perception of M-payment benefits, adoption behaviour, usage risk and future usage intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprised Malaysian Gen Z individuals (n = 326) who had experience using M-payment methods while travelling outbound. Given the complex nature of the model and the goal to predict and explain relationships within Gen Z's M-payment usage, partial-least square-structural equation modelling was used to assess the study framework and test the proposed relationships.

Findings

This study reveals significant influences on Gen Z tourists' behavioural intentions towards M-payment usage. Perceived benefits, performance expectancy, social influence and perceived trust positively impact behavioural intentions, while effort expectancy exhibits no significant effect. Furthermore, perceived trust is strongly influenced by perceived security, which also positively influences behavioural intentions. A mediated relationship is evident as trust mediating the effect of perceived security on behavioural intentions.

Research limitations/implications

This study’s findings contribute to understanding the intricate relationships influencing Gen Z's M-payment behaviour and underscore trust's pivotal role in mediating the security–behavioural intention relationship.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to consider Mental Accounting Theory and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology as crucial underpinning theories in comprehending the intricate relationships that influence Gen Z travellers' perceptions and behaviours concerning M-payment systems.
Preparation of red jujube powder with high content of Amadori compounds and higher antioxidant activity by controlling the Maillard reaction
Authors: Yang Cheng , Li Shuo , Li Chenyan , Li Jing , Shi Rundongdong , Cao Jialing , Zhang Lianfu
Published: February 2024

Amadori compounds (ACs) are stable compounds produced in the early stage of the Maillard reaction (MR) with health benefits such as immunomodulatory, antithrombosis, and tumor‐preventive effects. Jujube is a medicinal and edible fruit in China. It is rich in free amino acids and reducing sugar, but traditionally, little attention was paid to the formation of ACs when jujube was processed, neither the influence of ACs on health effects. In this paper, we aimed to increase ACs through controlling the MR during different heating processes of jujube powder with adjusted water content and find the most effective AC that contributed to the antioxidant effects of jujube powder. The optimal dry‐heating conditions to produce ACs were as follows: The water activity was 0.294, the heating temperature was 90°C, and the time was 120 min. After processing, the ACs content of jujube powder was 18.55 ± 0.19 mg/g dry weight (DW), which was more than 100 times of those in the unheated jujube powder (0.153 ± 0.003 mg/g DW). Besides, the antioxidant activity of jujube powder after dry‐heating process was higher than that of unheated one. As the most abundant AC in the dry‐heated jujube powder (12.90 ± 0.75 mg/g DW), N‐(1‐deoxy‐d‐fructose‐1‐yl) proline (Fru‐Pro) showed the highest antioxidant activity (62% of equivalent l‐ascorbic acid) among 12 ACs in ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. This result provided a method to produce jujube product with high content of ACs and confirmed the positive contribution of Fru‐Pro to the antioxidant activity of the jujube powder.
Antecedents of maternal pregnancy‐related anxiety trajectories: The FinnBrain birth cohort study
Authors: Huizink Anja C. , Lammassaari Dora , Nolvi Saara , Korja Riikka , Karlsson Linnea , Karlsson Hasse , Kataja Eeva Leena
Published: February 2024

Objective

Little is known about the normative courses of pregnancy‐related anxiety throughout pregnancy and their antecedents. We examined in a large scale pregnancy cohort which potentially distinct trajectories of pregnancy‐related anxiety across pregnancy can be identified, and which factors predict these trajectories.

Methods

A general sample of pregnant women (n = 2928) from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort participated in this study. Several questionnaires were filled in at 14, 24, and 34 weeks of gestation, including the pregnancy‐related anxiety questionnaire‐revised as main outcome. Latent Growth Mixture Modeling was applied to identify the trajectories of pregnancy‐related anxiety across pregnancy, and t‐tests and chi‐quare tests were conducted to find antecedents of these trajectories.

Results

Two distinct trajectories were identified: (1) a low symptoms group, N = 2594 (88.6%), with lower and slightly increasing levels of pregnancy‐related anxiety (2) a moderately‐high symptoms group, N = 334 (11.4%) reported higher and slightly decreasing levels of anxiety. Correlates of the moderately‐high anxious group included a lower monthly income, drinking alcohol or smoking in early pregnancy, more daily hassles and less joy, more early life adversities, younger age, primiparity, single parenthood, using depression medication, and having higher scores on depression and general anxiety.

Conclusions

Although the majority of pregnant women fall within a low risk trajectory of pregnancy‐related anxiety, another group with consistently higher levels of pregnancy anxiety throughout pregnancy may need more clinical attention, as their high pregnancy‐related anxiety scores may indicate a risk profile that includes a variety of general and more pregnancy‐specific risk factors, which together can negatively affect fetal and infant development and behavior.
Comparison of craniometric measurements of New Zealand rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) using three‐dimensional scanner with digital calliper measurements: A methodological study
Authors: Koçyiğit Ali , Demircioğlu İsmail
Published: February 2024

As technology has developed in recent years, the use of three‐dimensional (3D) scanners and printers has become widespread in the medical field. However, since this field is new, all kinds of methodological and experimental related studies gain importance. This study aimed to identify the differences between the calliper measurements by determining the craniometric data on the models constructed by scanning the crania of New Zealand Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.), preferred as experimental animals, with a three‐dimensional scanner. Therefore, a total of 12 New Zealand rabbits including 6 females and 6 males were used. After the crania that comprised the study material were macerated, they were subjected to 3D scanning. After the scanning process was completed, they were craniometrically measured both on the scanned models and by using a digital calliper. Analysis of the craniometric data of the 3D scanner showed that there was a difference between sexes at the level of p < 0.05 in widest length between the external acoustic meatus (WLBEAM), skull width and Foramen magnum height (FMH) parameters and cranial index data, and at the level of p < 0.001 in the largest nasal width (LNW) parameter. A statistical difference was found between sexes in frontal length, WLBEAM, LNW and FMH parameters and cranial index values in craniometric data collected with the digital calliper (p < 0.05). Consequently, the data collected in this study were found to be close to each other in both methods, suggesting that the 3D scanner may be used in morphometric studies.
Drug‐induced liver injury from selective androgen receptor modulators, anabolic‐androgenic steroids and bodybuilding supplements in Australia
Authors: Nash Emily , Nicoll Amanda , Batt Nicholas , George Jacob , Perananthan Varan , Prince David , Wallace Michael , Gow Paul , Vaz Karl , Chitturi Shivakumar , Flores Joan Ericka , Braund Alicia , Bonnichsen Mark , Riordan Stephen , Humphris Jeremy , Duong Tuan , McKenzie Catriona , Liu Ken , Strasser Simone I.
Published: February 2024

Background

Reports of DILI due to herbal and dietary supplements have been increasing over time.

Aims

To characterise clinical, laboratory and histopathological phenotypes and outcomes of drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) due to anabolic‐androgenic steroids (AAS), selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), and bodybuilding supplements (BBS) in Australia.

Methods

Retrospective case series. Patients presented to nine Australian tertiary hospitals, 2017–2023. DILI was defined biochemically and patients were included if their treating physician attributed DILI to preceding use of AAS, SARMs or BBS. Primary endpoint was time to normalisation of liver biochemistry. Secondary endpoints were hospitalisation for investigation or management of DILI, death attributable to liver injury, and liver transplantation.

Results

Twenty‐three cases of DILI were identified, involving 40 drugs: 18 AAS, 14 SARMs and eight BBS. Patients were predominantly male (22/23), with median age 30 years (IQR 26–42). Most were symptomatic (21/23). Median latency of onset was 58 days (IQR 28–112 days) from drug commencement. Most patients (17/23) were admitted to hospital. Based on updated Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method, DILI was possible in 17/23, probable in 2/23 and unlikely in 4/23. Median time to normalisation of liver biochemistry was 175 days (IQR 70–292 days) from presentation. Three (3/23) were treated with corticosteroids, 14/23 were treated for itch, and one (1/23) underwent liver transplantation. There were no deaths.

Conclusions

The prognosis of DILI from AAS, SARMs and BBS is good although liver transplantation may rarely be required. A detailed drug history is important in uncovering DILI due to these supplements.
Maternal exposure to folate antagonists and susceptibility to congenital heart disease in offspring: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Luitel Prajjwol , Yadav Rukesh , Mandal Prince , Adhikari Niranjan , Paudel Sujan , Mudvari Anish
Published: February 2024

Aims

The objective of this meta‐analysis was to determine whether maternal exposure to folate antagonists is associated with increased rates of congenital heart disease in offspring.

Methods

A comprehensive search for articles in the MEDLINE (PubMed) and EMBASE databases published up to 21 August 2023 was performed. The search strategy was not limited by study design but only for articles in the English language.

Results

Analysis of 6 cohort studies and 5 cross‐sectional studies, published between 1976 and 2020, showed significant increase in rate of congenital heart disease (odds ratio 1.55, 95% confidence interval, 1.28–1.87) when exposed to folate antagonists compared with the control. Further subgroup analysis showed the increased rate for exposure to both dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors and antiepileptic drugs separately. No differences were observed when analyses were stratified by timing of study.

Conclusion

Administration of folate antagonists within the 12‐week period preceding conception and throughout the second and third months of gestation exhibited a statistically significant elevation in the susceptibility to congenital heart diseases. Notably, the protective effect of folic acid supplementation was reported in cases of congenital heart disease linked to dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors but not that associated with antiepileptic drugs.
Sensitivity of modelled passive margin stratigraphy to variations in sea level, sediment supply and subsidence
Authors: Schmelz William J. , Miller Kenneth G. , Mountain Gregory S. , Steckler Michael S. , Browning James V.
Published: February 2024

We produced a 10 Myr synthetic stratigraphic section using a forward stratigraphic model that generates marine deltaic stratigraphy over geological timescales. We recursively fit the model using a Bayesian inversion algorithm to test: (1) if it could be accurately reconstructed; (2) if the parameters used to create it could be recovered; and (3) the sensitivity of the model output to given model parameters and the attendant physical processes. The original synthetic stratigraphic section was produced with cyclical sea‐level variations of 40 and 30 m with 2.4 and 10 Myr periods respectively. Sediment was also supplied cyclically, in 2.4 and 10 Myr cycles with amplitudes of 30 and 80 tons/100 kyr, respectively, varying from a mean of 232 tons/100 kyr. Parameter values were sampled to fit the model using a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm, resulting in a ±5 m (1σ) variation between the experimental output and the original. Sea level varied by ±7 m (1σ) within the posterior distribution of parameters. As a result, both the 10 Myr and 2.4 Myr sea‐level cycles could be extracted from the original output. The variation in sediment supply was approximately ±38 tons/100 kyr (1σ) and, as a result, only the larger long‐term supply variations could be accurately recovered in refitting the model. The variation in thermal, flexural and total subsidence across those parameter sets is less than ±10 m (1σ). The original section experienced 150 m of total subsidence at the depocentre. Our results demonstrate the distinct and interpretable imprint of sea level and subsidence on continental margin stratigraphy can be quantified. Moreover, we conclude that sea‐level change produces a defined effect on the geometries of stratigraphic architecture, and that techniques applied for the purpose of delineating sea‐level variation from continental margin strata have a well‐founded conceptual basis.
Parental evaluations of neighbourhood green and play spaces and children's mental health
Authors: LeClair James A.
Published: February 2024

Geographical analyses of mental health problems have been undertaken since at least the 1930s, with such work preoccupied primarily with ecological correlations between the prevalence of mental illness and small‐area variations in socioeconomic status. More recently, parks and other green spaces have emerged as place characteristics of interest for their possible public health significance, as they relate to both physical and mental health, including the psychosocial well‐being of children. In this paper, I consider the relationships between parent‐reported adequacy of neighbourhood play and green spaces and children's psychosocial well‐being, as measured by parental assessments of their children's mental health, as well as scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, a psychometric instrument that is demonstrably effective in the identification of behavioural problems in children and adolescents. The findings reported here are consistent with the notion that access to natural spaces and opportunities to play are associated with a reduced risk for mental health problems. Specifically, risk reduction is suggested for overall behavioural functioning, as well as specific behavioural difficulties related to problems in peer relationships, hyperactivity, and emotional problems, as well as parent‐assessed child mental health status.
Camera trap sampling protocols for open landscapes: The value of time‐lapse imagery
Authors: Leorna Scott , Brinkman Todd
Published: February 2024

Camera traps (CT) have been used to study a wide diversity of wildlife around the world. However, despite their widespread use, standardized protocols are lacking, potentially leading to reduced efficiency and inhibiting study comparisons, generalizability, and repeatability. While there are general guidelines and considerations researchers should be aware of when designing a CT survey, studies have shown the vital importance of selecting sampling schemes and camera settings tailored to specific characteristics of the wildlife system of interest. For many species and regions, optimal sampling protocols have not been thoroughly evaluated, especially in vast open landscapes. We used CT data on barren‐ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in the open landscape of arctic Alaska as a case study to evaluate and quantify the influence of camera trigger type (i.e., motion detection vs. time‐lapse) and time‐lapse interval on data generation to inform sampling protocols for future CT research in this system or others like it. Comparing camera trigger types, we found 5 min interval time‐lapse generated seven‐times more images containing caribou compared to motion detection. However, the detection rate of motion detection was over 11‐times greater than time‐lapse resulting in more efficient data collection with respect to camera battery life, data storage, and data processing time. Exploring the effect of time‐lapse interval length, we found detections were highly sensitive to interval length with a 30 min interval producing 33.7% fewer images containing caribou and identifying 22.2% fewer trap days containing caribou compared to a 5 min interval. Our results provide insight into effective CT sampling protocols for open landscapes and highlight the importance of critically evaluating and selecting camera settings that account for characteristics of the study system to ensure adequate data is generated efficiently to address study objectives.
Effectiveness of combined plasma cell therapy and costimulation blockade based desensitization regimen in heart transplant candidates
Authors: Fida Nadia , Eagar Todd N. , Yun Allison N. , Rogers Alex W. , Nguyen Duc T. , Graviss Edward A. , Ishaq Farhan , DiPaola Nicholas R. , Kim Ju , Janardhana Gorthi , Kassi Mahwash , Yousefzai Rayan , Suarez Eric E. , Bhimaraj Arvind , Krisl Jill C. , Guha Ashrith
Published: February 2024

Background

Desensitization is one of the strategies to reduce antibodies and facilitate heart transplantation in highly sensitized patients. We describe our center's desensitization experience with combination of plasma cell (PC) depletion therapy (with proteasome inhibitor or daratumumab) and costimulation blockade (with belatacept).

Methods

We reviewed five highly sensitized patients who underwent desensitization therapy with plasma cell depletion and costimulation blockade. We evaluated the response to therapy by measuring the changes in cPRA, average MFI, and number of positive beads > 5000MFI.

Results

Five patients, mean age of 56 (37‐66) years with average cPRA of 98% at 5000 MFI underwent desensitization therapy. After desensitization, mean cPRA decreased from 98% to 70% (p = .09), average number of beads > 5000 MFI decreased from 59 to 37 (p = .15), and average MFI of beads > 5000 MFI decreased from 16713 to 13074 (p = .26).

Conclusion

Combined PC depletion and CoB could be a reasonable strategy for sustained reduction in antibodies in highly sensitized patients being listed for heart transplantation.
A quantitative assessment of renal function utilizing albuminuria in pediatric heart transplant recipients
Authors: Frandsen Erik L. , Kronmal Richard A. , Albers Erin A. , Friedland‐Little Joshua M. , Hong Borah J. , Spencer Katherine L. , Hingorani Sangeeta R. , Law Yuk M.
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Kidney disease is common after pediatric heart transplantation. Serum creatinine‐based glomerular filtration rate is the most frequently reported measure of kidney function. Albuminuria is an additional marker of kidney dysfunction and is not well described in this population. In this study, we evaluate the prevalence and degree of albuminuria and describe clinical factors associated with albuminuria in a cohort of pediatric heart transplant recipients.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study of pediatric heart transplant recipients. Albuminuria was assessed using spot urine albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio collected at the most recent annual screening cardiac catheterization through August 2019.

Results

In 115 patients at a median duration of 10.2 years post‐transplant, 39% had albuminuria. Stage 3 or greater chronic kidney disease was present in 6%. The immunosuppressive regimen at the time of measurement contained a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) in 88% and a proliferation signal inhibitor (PSI) in 62%. In multivariable modeling, lower eGFR, PSI use, and younger age at transplant were associated with higher levels of albuminuria, whereas CNI use was associated with lower levels of albuminuria.

Conclusion

Albuminuria is a prevalent finding in medium‐term follow up of pediatric heart transplant recipients, reflecting kidney injury, and is associated with other markers of kidney dysfunction, such as low eGFR. Younger age at transplant, lower eGFR, and PSI use were among the associations with albuminuria.
A retrospective analysis of anticoagulant safety among heart transplant recipients undergoing endomyocardial biopsy
Authors: Stock James Christian , Carlquist Jason , Melnyk Megan , Smith Sakima , Bole Indra , Patel Vaiibhav , Emani Sitaramesh , Foreman Beth , Hasan Ayesha , Franco Veronica , Lampert Brent Charles , Haas Garrie Joseph , Vallakati Ajay , Ma Jianing , Peng Jing , Boudoulas Konstantinos Dean , Kahwash Rami
Published: February 2024

Background

Transvenous endomyocardial biopsy is an invasive procedure which is used to diagnose rejection following an orthotopic heart transplant. Endomyocardial biopsy is widely regarded as low risk with all‐cause complication rates below 5% in most safety studies. Following transplant, some patients require therapeutic anticoagulation. It is unknown whether anticoagulation increases endomyocardial biopsy bleeding risk.

Methods

Records from 2061 endomyocardial biopsies performed for post‐transplant rejection surveillance at our institution between November 2016 and August 2022 were reviewed. Bleeding complications were defined as vascular access‐related hematoma or bleeding, procedure‐related red blood cell transfusion, and new pericardial effusion. Relative risk and small sample‐adjusted 95% confidence interval was calculated to investigate the association between bleeding complications and anticoagulation.

Results and Conclusions

The overall risk of bleeding was 1.2% (25/2061 cases). There was a statistically significant increase in bleeding among patients on intravenous (RR 4.46, CI 1.09–18.32) but not oral anticoagulants (RR .62, CI .15–2.63) compared to patients without anticoagulant exposure. There was a trend toward increased bleeding among patients taking warfarin with INR ≥ 1.8 (RR 3.74, CI .90–15.43). Importantly, no bleeding events occurred in patients taking direct oral anticoagulants such as apixaban. Based on these results, intravenous rather than oral anticoagulation was associated with a significantly higher risk of bleeding complications following endomyocardial biopsy.
Hebbian learning can explain rhythmic neural entrainment to statistical regularities
Authors: Endress Ansgar D.
Published: February 2024

In many domains, learners extract recurring units from continuous sequences. For example, in unknown languages, fluent speech is perceived as a continuous signal. Learners need to extract the underlying words from this continuous signal and then memorize them. One prominent candidate mechanism is statistical learning, whereby learners track how predictive syllables (or other items) are of one another. Syllables within the same word predict each other better than syllables straddling word boundaries. But does statistical learning lead to memories of the underlying words—or just to pairwise associations among syllables? Electrophysiological results provide the strongest evidence for the memory view. Electrophysiological responses can be time‐locked to statistical word boundaries (e.g., N400s) and show rhythmic activity with a periodicity of word durations. Here, I reproduce such results with a simple Hebbian network. When exposed to statistically structured syllable sequences (and when the underlying words are not excessively long), the network activation is rhythmic with the periodicity of a word duration and activation maxima on word‐final syllables. This is because word‐final syllables receive more excitation from earlier syllables with which they are associated than less predictable syllables that occur earlier in words. The network is also sensitive to information whose electrophysiological correlates were used to support the encoding of ordinal positions within words. Hebbian learning can thus explain rhythmic neural activity in statistical learning tasks without any memory representations of words. Learners might thus need to rely on cues beyond statistical associations to learn the words of their native language.

Research Highlights

Statistical learning may be utilized to identify recurring units in continuous sequences (e.g., words in fluent speech) but may not generate explicit memory for words.

Exposure to statistically structured sequences leads to rhythmic activity with a period of the duration of the underlying units (e.g., words).

I show that a memory‐less Hebbian network model can reproduce this rhythmic neural activity as well as putative encodings of ordinal positions observed in earlier research.

Direct tests are needed to establish whether statistical learning leads to declarative memories for words.
Designing for Regulated Industries: Innovating within Industry Boundaries
Authors: Mittersinker Gregor
Published: February 2024

Creating products for regulated industries involves a distinct blend of challenges and opportunities.

Although working within regulatory frameworks may seem restrictive and not at all conducive to innovation, perhaps the key to creating great products is to instead view the regulations as guidelines that offer structure and direction.
Winning the Hearts and Minds of the Change‐Averse: A People‐Shaped Approach
Authors: Marsh Matt
Published: February 2024

What's the missing piece of the puzzle that often eludes those leading the charge for change?

OPINION | We all know that change is inevitable but implementing it at the organizational level can be incredibly challenging. Perhaps a closer examination of the human element can provide the keys to achieving a better outcome.
Designence® 2.0: Strategic Design for a Responsible Future in Action
Authors: de Mozota Brigitte Borja , Collignon Hervé , Valade‐Amland Steinar
Published: February 2024

Design, design management and design thinking as drivers of innovation and as means to enhance organizational performance are only now, however slowly, being taken seriously by private sector service providers and manufacturing industries, the public sector, and third sector organizations.

Like everything else, the field of design changes to keep pace with the world around us. Learn about a unique tool that facilitates an examination of an organization's vision and mission in relation to the powers of design.
Transformation by Human‐Centered System Design
Authors: Lee Sheng‐Hung
Published: February 2024

Centering humans within larger systems to design services, products, and experiences can help designers create solutions with a “human temperature,” business value, and social impact.

Change is all around us and often impacts our lives in disruptive ways. What if designers, in addition to using human‐centered design, took a multidisciplinary approach to create systemic solutions to help solve the complex problems we face?
Association of tameness and sociability but no sign of domestication syndrome in mice selectively bred for active tameness
Authors: Venkatachalam Bharathi , Biswa Bhim B. , Nagayama Hiromichi , Koide Tsuyoshi
Published: February 2024

Domesticated animals have been developed by selecting desirable traits following the initial unconscious selection stage, and now exhibit phenotypes desired by humans. Tameness is a common behavioural trait found in all domesticated animals. At the same time, these domesticated animals exhibit a variety of morphological, behavioural, and physiological traits that differ from their wild counterparts of their ancestral species. These traits are collectively referred to as domestication syndrome. However, whether this phenomenon exists is debatable. Previously, selective breeding has been used to enhance active tameness, a motivation to interact with humans, in wild heterogeneous stock mice derived from eight wild inbred strains. In the current study, we used tame mice to study how selective breeding for active tameness affects behavioural and morphological traits. A series of behavioural and morphological analyses on mice showed an increased preference for social stimuli and a longer duration of engagement in non‐aggressive behaviour. However, no differences were observed in exploratory or anxiety‐related behaviours. Similarly, selection for tameness did not affect ultrasonic vocalisations in mice, and no changes were observed in known morphological traits associated with domestication syndrome. These results suggest that there may be a link between active tameness and sociability and provide insights into the relationship between tameness and other behaviours in the context of domestication.
Trade unions, refugees and immigrant labour: Has the attitude changed? The stance of Swedish blue‐collar trade unions as evidenced by sentiment analysis
Authors: Kazlou Aliaksei , Lerpold Lin , Sjöberg Örjan
Published: February 2024

The attitude of trade unions towards migration and migrants, be it of asylum seekers or those in search of jobs and better incomes, differs substantially across European countries. No matter the original stance, a common current pattern is that of the willingness to accept migrants being eroded over time. To see whether this is the case also in a country that both proved welcoming to labour migrants and refugees during the opening decades of the new millennium, we set out to explore the attitudes of blue‐collar trade unions in Sweden. Based on a diverse set of material issuing from the unions themselves, we use sentiment analysis to assess whether there are any changes to be discerned in the opinions of the representatives of 12 blue‐collar trade unions and their national confederation. At its most general, the trend appears to turn more negative over time, yet the influence of defining events and legal changes is not so easily observed at the aggregate level. The union representing workers in the industry with the largest proportion of immigrant labour, the Hotel and Restaurant Workers' Union, is therefore selected for closer analysis. To the extent that changes can, or cannot, be observed, we relate those to major events and policy changes that have taken place over the 2010s.
Impacts of firm life cycle on bond ratings and yields
Authors: Cai Kelly , Lee Heiwai , Zhu Hui
Published: February 2024

We examine how firm life cycle affects ratings and costs of debt for public offers. We find that ratings for issuers in the introduction and decline stages are lower than those for growth and mature issuers. A similar U‐shaped relation between life stage and yield spread, after controlling for credit rating, indicates that life stage affects cost of debt through multiple channels. Costs of debt are lower for growth and mature issuers than for introduction and decline issuers. Analyses of high‐yield bonds and term to maturity suggest that the adverse effect on costs of debt for introduction and decline firms is associated with their elevated riskiness and greater information asymmetry.
Genomic analysis of Nypa fruticans elucidates its intertidal adaptations and early palm evolution
Authors: Wu Weihong , Feng Xiao , Wang Nan , Shao Shao , Liu Min , Si Fa , Chen Linhao , Jin Chuanfeng , Xu Shaohua , Guo Zixiao , Zhong Cairong , Shi Suhua , He Ziwen
Published: February 2024

Nypa fruticans (Wurmb), a mangrove palm species with origins dating back to the Late Cretaceous period, is a unique species for investigating long‐term adaptation strategies to intertidal environments and the early evolution of palms. Here, we present a chromosome‐level genome sequence and assembly for N. fruticans. We integrated the genomes of N. fruticans and other palm family members for a comparative genomic analysis, which confirmed that the common ancestor of all palms experienced a whole‐genome duplication event around 89 million years ago, shaping the distinctive characteristics observed in this clade. We also inferred a low mutation rate for the N. fruticans genome, which underwent strong purifying selection and evolved slowly, thus contributing to its stability over a long evolutionary period. Moreover, ancient duplicates were preferentially retained, with critical genes having experienced positive selection, enhancing waterlogging tolerance in N. fruticans. Furthermore, we discovered that the pseudogenization of Early Methionine‐labelled 1 (EM1) and EM6 in N. fruticans underly its crypto‐vivipary characteristics, reflecting its intertidal adaptation. Our study provides valuable genomic insights into the evolutionary history, genome stability, and adaptive evolution of the mangrove palm. Our results also shed light on the long‐term adaptation of this species and contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics in the palm family.
Ecophysiological and genomic approaches to cyanobacterial hardening for restoration
Authors: Roncero‐Ramos Beatriz , Savaglia Valentina , Durieu Benoit , Van de Vreken Isabelle , Richel Aurore , Wilmotte Annick
Published: February 2024

Cyanobacteria inhabit extreme environments, including drylands, providing multiple benefits to the ecosystem. Soil degradation in warm drylands is increasing due to land use intensification. Restoration methods adapted to the extreme stress in drylands are being developed, such as cyanobacteria inoculation to recover biocrusts. For this type of restoration method to be a success, it is crucial to optimize the survival of inoculated cyanobacteria in the field. One strategy is to harden them to be acclimated to stressful conditions after laboratory culturing. Here, we analyzed the genome and ecophysiological response to osmotic desiccation and UVR stresses of an Antarctic cyanobacterium, Stenomitos frigidus ULC029, which is closely related to other cyanobacteria from warm and cold dryland soils. Chlorophyll a concentrations showed that preculturing ULC029 under moderate osmotic stress improved its survival during an assay of desiccation plus rehydration under UVR. Additionally, its sequential exposure to these stress factors increased the production of exopolysaccharides, carotenoids, and scytonemin. Desiccation, but not osmotic stress, increased the concentrations of the osmoprotectants trehalose and sucrose. However, osmotic stress might induce the production of other osmoprotectants, for which the complete pathways were observed in the ULC029 genome. In total, 140 genes known to be involved in stress resistance were annotated. Here, we confirm that the sequential application of moderate osmotic stress and dehydration could improve cyanobacterial hardening for soil restoration by inducing several resistance mechanisms. We provide a high‐quality genome of ULC029 and a description of the main resistance mechanisms (i.e., production of exopolysaccharides, osmoprotectants, chlorophyll, and carotenoids; DNA repair; and oxidative stress protection).
Sensitivity and specificity of LDBioAspergillusICT lateral flow assay for diagnosing allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in adult asthmatics
Authors: Sehgal Inderpaul Singh , Muthu Valliappan , Dhooria Sahajal , Prasad Kuruswamy Thurai , Rudramurthy Shivaprakash M. , Aggarwal Ashutosh Nath , Garg Mandeep , Gangneux Jean‐Pierre , Chakrabarti Arunaloke , Agarwal Ritesh
Published: February 2024

Background

Aspergillus fumigatus‐specific IgG estimation is crucial for diagnosing allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). A point‐of‐care LDBio immunochromatographic lateral flow assay (LFA) had 0%–90% sensitivity to detect IgG/IgM antibodies against A. fumigatus.

Objective

To assess the accuracy of LDBio‐LFA in diagnosing ABPA, using the modified ISHAM‐ABPA working group criteria as the reference standard. The secondary objective was to compare the diagnostic performance between LDBio‐LFA and A. fumigatus‐specific IgG (cut‐offs, 27 and 40 mgA/L), using a multidisciplinary team (blinded to A. fumigatus‐IgG and LDBio‐LFA results) diagnosis of ABPA as the reference standard.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled adult subjects with asthma and ABPA. We performed the LDBio‐LFA per the manufacturer's recommendations. We used the commercially available automated fluorescent enzyme immunoassay for measuring serum A. fumigatus‐specific IgG. We used the same serum sample to perform both index tests. The tests were performed by technicians blinded to the results of other tests and clinical diagnoses.

Results

We included 123 asthmatic and 166 ABPA subjects, with a mean ± SD age of 37.4 ± 14.4 years. Bronchiectasis and high‐attenuation mucus were seen in 93.6% (146/156) and 24.3% (38/156) of the ABPA subjects. The sensitivity and specificity of LDBio‐LFA in diagnosing ABPA were 84.9% and 82.9%, respectively. The sensitivity of serum A. fumigatus‐specific IgG ≥27 mgA/L was 13% better than LDBio‐LFA, with no difference in specificity. There was no significant difference in sensitivity and specificity between LDBio‐LFA and serum A. fumigatus‐IgG ≥40 mgA/L.

Conclusion

LDBio‐LFA is a valuable test for diagnosing ABPA. However, a negative test should be confirmed using an enzyme immunoassay.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in the setting of IgA vasculitis
Authors: Fanous Noah , Clarke Emily , Levy Moise L.
Published: February 2024

IgA vasculitis (IgAV), formerly known as Henoch–Scholein purpura, is a small vessel vasculitis, most commonly seen in pediatric patients, that can affect numerous internal organs including the kidneys, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and the central nervous system (CNS). CNS manifestations of this condition include hypertensive encephalopathy, thrombosis, optic neuropathy, seizures, CNS vasculitis, and a more recently described phenomenon known as posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). Symptoms of PRES include hypertension, altered mental status, and seizures caused by vasogenic disruption of the blood–brain barrier, and the condition is diagnosed by characteristic edema‐related gray–white matter changes in the parieto‐occipital lobes on magnetic resonance imaging. Herein, we present a rare case of PRES as a presenting sign of IgAV to increase awareness about this unusual association.
Topographic mapping of the sensorimotor qualities of empathic reactivity: A psychophysiological study in people with spinal cord injuries
Authors: Scandola Michele , Beccherle Maddalena , Togni Rossella , Caffini Giulia , Ferrari Federico , Aglioti Salvatore Maria , Moro Valentina
Published: February 2024

The experience of empathy for pain is underpinned by sensorimotor and affective dimensions which, although interconnected, are at least in part behaviorally and neurally distinct. Spinal cord injuries (SCI) induce a massive, below‐lesion level, sensorimotor body–brain disconnection. This condition may make it possible to test whether sensorimotor deprivation alters specific dimensions of empathic reactivity to observed pain. To explore this issue, we asked SCI people with paraplegia and healthy controls to observe videos of painful or neutral stimuli administered to a hand (intact) or a foot (deafferented). The stimuli were displayed by means of a virtual reality set‐up and seen from a first person (1PP) or third person (3PP) visual perspective. A number of measures were recorded ranging from explicit behaviors like explicit verbal reports on the videos, to implicit measures of muscular activity (like EMG from the corrugator and zygomatic muscles that may represent a proxy of sensorimotor empathy) and of autonomic reactivity (like the electrodermal response and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia that may represent a general proxy of affective empathy). While no across group differences in explicit verbal reports about the pain stimuli were found, SCI people exhibited reduced facial muscle reactivity to the stimuli applied to the foot (but not the hand) seen from the 1PP. Tellingly, the corrugator activity correlated with SCI participants' neuropathic pain. There were no across group differences in autonomic reactivity suggesting that SCI lesions may affect sensorimotor dimensions connected to empathy for pain.
Patterns of regulatory heterogeneity in international trade: Intensity, coverage, and structure
Authors: Garcés Irene , Vogt Achim
Published: February 2024

With falling tariffs the role of regulatory heterogeneity in international trade has become central in recent debates about regional integration and trade costs. In describing the NTM incidence few studies explicitly take into account the specific nature of underlying regulatory differences. We propose distinguishing regulatory heterogeneity with respect to the intensity, coverage, and structure of regulations, and present indicators reflecting each one of these dimensions. Enabled by detailed product‐level regulatory data based on coded reviews of national legislation, we illustrate the different channels of regulatory heterogeneity on the country‐ and sector‐level. The findings motivate a separate treatment of the different heterogeneity dimensions in the assessment of non‐tariff measures in international trade.
Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation
Authors: de Vries Bouke
Published: February 2024

Being the victim of a microaggression, that is, a relatively minor act of hostility that targets someone's (marginalized) social identity, can be distressing, but so can merely being in doubt over whether one has been the victim of such aggression. To address this last problem, Regina Rini has proposed a novel understanding of microaggressions that is meant to eliminate such doubts. On her “Ambiguous Experience Account,” whenever members of marginalized groups believe they might have been subjected to a microaggression, a microaggression will have been committed even if the would‐be perpetrator was not motivated by prejudiced aggression. This article challenges this account on grounds of being incompatible with people's lived experiences, including those of the would‐be victims, and argues that we should instead accept the conventional account on which microaggressive acts must be consciously or unconsciously motivated by prejudiced aggression. At the same time, it shows that those falsely suspected of having committed microaggressions will still merit blame sometimes for having failed to signal that their behavior was respectful of others, which lessens the concerns that Rini's conceptual engineering seeks to address. I conclude by drawing out some implications for the debate on microaggressions and attributional ambiguity.
Abortion as a sociological case
Authors: Kimport Katrina , Weitz Tracy A.
Published: February 2024

For over a century, abortion has been politically and socially contested, affecting people's lives through personal experience and/or public discourse. In the United States (US), abortion is sometimes exceptional—treated differently from other procedures, professions, and political issues—and sometimes an exemplar—an accessible example of a commonly occurring social, political, or personal phenomenon. It is, in other words, an excellent sociological case study. Yet the sociological literature on abortion is relatively thin. In this essay, we review research on abortion and opportunities for future sociological work in eight areas: gender; race; the body and embodiment; political economy; organizations, occupations, and work; medical sociology; law and society; and social movements. Sociologists have much to contribute to characterizing and understanding abortion, particularly following the 2022 US Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion. The discipline also has much to learn from studying abortion as a case. With its multifaceted social and political status and intersections with key areas of sociological interest, abortion offers a generative case for advancing sociological concepts, subfields, and constructs. While not exhaustive, our review aims to spark interest and inquiry, showcasing how a topic that spurs strong opinions can also catalyze sociological insights.