bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contesting fan tokens under crypto-capitalism: how sport NFT furthers the hypercommodification of fandom
Authors: Chen Chen
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Given the rise of sport non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and sponsorships from cryptocurrency companies in the sport industry during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this paper aims to critically frame the partnerships between cryptocurrency and sport by exploring the reception of fan tokens amongst supporters of three English Premier League clubs: Manchester City, Everton and Crystal Palace.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon the emerging critical scholarship on cryptocurrency and the political economy of professional football, this study uses digital ethnography in an attempt to understand the major themes emanating from the online forum discussions amongst fans in response to the issuance of fan tokens by the aforementioned three clubs, among other types of partnerships with crypto companies.

Findings

The supporters’ critical deliberations revolved around the contradictions of fan tokens (as a means for supposed “fan engagement” or for financial speculation) and the utility of cryptocurrency for the public. These reactions in turn showcase a larger tension underlying the financially unstable professional football industry: the contest between the owners and the fan bases over the exchange value (for profit) and use value (for community) of the clubs.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the first studies to adopt a critical framework to examine the emerging partnerships between sports and cryptocurrency companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provides one of the first in-depth analyses of the critical receptions of sport NFTs amongst sport fans. While contributing to the literature on fan activism/protest in the context of the commercialization and commodification of sport, the paper also raises new questions on the responsible use of cryptocurrency/NFT in sport.
Consumer vulnerability: understanding transparency and control in the online environment
Authors: Waseem Donia , Chen Shijiao (Joseph) , Xia Zhenhua (Raymond) , Rana Nripendra P. , Potdar Balkrushna , Tran Khai Trieu
Published: February 2024

Purpose

In the online environment, consumers increasingly feel vulnerable due to firms’ expanding capabilities of collecting and using their data in an unsanctioned manner. Drawing from gossip theory, this research focuses on two key suppressors of consumer vulnerability: transparency and control. Previous studies conceptualize transparency and control from rationalistic approaches that overlook individual experiences and present a unidimensional conceptualization. This research aims to understand how individuals interpret transparency and control concerning privacy vulnerability in the online environment. Additionally, it explores strategic approaches to communicating the value of transparency and control.

Design/methodology/approach

An interpretivism paradigm and phenomenology were adopted in the research design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 41 participants, including consumers and experts, and analyzed through thematic analysis.

Findings

The findings identify key conceptual dimensions of transparency and control by adapting justice theory. They also reveal that firms can communicate assurance, functional, technical and social values of transparency and control to address consumer vulnerability.

Originality/value

This research makes the following contributions to the data privacy literature. The findings exhibit multidimensional and comprehensive conceptualizations of transparency and control, including user, firm and information perspectives. Additionally, the conceptual framework combines empirical insights from both experiencers and observers to offer an understanding of how transparency and control serve as justice mechanisms to effectively tackle the issue of unsanctioned transmission of personal information and subsequently address vulnerability. Lastly, the findings provide strategic approaches to communicating the value of transparency and control.
Value chain extension services for climate-smart agriculture adoption: evidence from Burkina Faso's cotton farming
Authors: Zanre Kourgnan Patrice
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study assesses the extent to which integrated extension services contribute to the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) innovations within the cotton value chain in Burkina Faso.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the research question, a probit multivariate econometric model with sample selection is utilized. The model is applied to a random sample of farmers (n = 510), and the endogeneity is addressed through a control function approach.

Findings

The study highlights the central role of value chains, particularly in the cotton sector, in overcoming resource scarcity through integrated extension services. Findings show that smallholder farmers who benefit from sound extension services are more willing to adopt and diversify CSA technologies. These include improved seeds, conservation techniques, adapted planting dates and mechanization. This study confirms the synergistic nature of these technologies and emphasizes that effective climate risk mitigation depends on the combined adoption of CSA technologies.

Research limitations/implications

The use of cross-sectional data limits the analysis of long-term farmer behavior, and due to data limitations, the focus was primarily on the contributions of cotton companies and farmers to climate risk mitigation. Future research using panel data across the value chain could provide a more robust insights for policy decision-making.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by emphasizing the crucial role of integrated extension services within the cotton value chain in developing countries. This highlights the critical benefits for farmers and emphasizes the need to diversify modern technologies to effectively combat climate change and its variability in agriculture.
Are private placements associated with more active media management than public offerings? Evidence from Taiwan
Authors: Wang Ming-Chang , Hsu Yu-Feng , Chien Hsiang-Ying
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study investigates the media activities of firms issuing private equity placements and seasoned equity offerings in Taiwan, as firms have incentives to manage media coverage to influence their stock prices during private equity placement.

Design/methodology/approach

We collect a corpus of news stories and transform the news into term sets based on the part of speech. Then, we refer to Cecchini et al. (2010) to classify the news terms into positive, negative, and usual categories. Next, we employ the SVM algorithm to perform the classification tasks and the term frequency method to perform the text mining task. In last, we use a multiple regression model to verify the hypotheses.

Findings

We determine that issuing firms in a private placement have substantially more positive news stories and fewer negative news stories than those in public offerings. Furthermore, we evidence that the media management effects of postequity issues are more active than those of preequity issues. Finally, our results demonstrate that the timing and content of financial media coverage among different equity issuance methods may be biased by firm management. According to previous studies, they may attempt to manipulate stock prices to increase the number of highly profitable insider stakeholders.

Originality/value

To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate that if private placement will associate with more active media management than the public offerings. According to our results of the difference-in-means test, the public offerings market may control news coverage; however, this result is inconsistent with that of the regression results. The private placements market may also exercise media management in the “before announcement day” and “after announcement day” periods by increasing positive news and reducing negative news.
Why do employees craft their jobs: a qualitative analysis of job crafting motives from actor and observer perspectives
Authors: Lin Xinyue , Meng Liang
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Despite its flourishing development since first proposed, job crafting literature has provided limited insights into why people craft their jobs. This study theoretically develops a two-dimensional integrative framework for the motives of job crafting, including orientation (self-oriented vs work-oriented vs other-oriented) and self-determination (autonomous vs introjected vs external) dimensions. We further investigate the specific motives of job crafting from actor and observer perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted two critical-incident recall surveys among 120 and 100 employees from varied sectors and organizations, who responded from the actor and observer perspective respectively. 395 and 299 valid open-ended responses were then collected and coded following the steps for content analysis.

Findings

Drawing from the proposed two-dimensional theoretical framework, we identified 16 specific job crafting motives from actor and observer perspectives.

Practical implications

Our findings remind managers to pay attention to employees' motives of job crafting and take appropriate managerial actions according to their varied motives.

Originality/value

By incorporating job crafting from the motivation literature and identifying diversified motives that drive employees to engage in job crafting, this qualitative study contributes to both the job crafting literature and the broader application of self-determination theory in the field of organizational behavior.
Study on the symbiosis evolution mechanism of the digital innovation ecosystem: considering government regulation
Authors: Chen Donglin , Fu Min , Wang Lei
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the symbiotic evolution decisions of digital innovation enterprises, research institutes and the government in the digital innovation ecosystem.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on innovation ecosystem theory and an evolutionary game model, this study constructs a tripartite symbiotic evolution game model of digital innovation ecosystems with digital innovation enterprises, research institutes and the government as the main bodies and analyzes the influencing factors as well as the evolution paths of the different behavioral strategies of each subject through numerical simulation.

Findings

The research shows that the digital innovation ecosystem has the characteristic of self-organization, which requires the symbiotic cooperation of each subject. The government plays an active role in any stage of symbiotic evolution, and the system cannot enter symbiosis under a low level of subsidies and penalties. Only when the initial willingness to cooperate of digital innovation enterprises and scientific research institutes is at a medium or high level is the system likely to become symbiotic. While digital innovation enterprises are more sensitive to government subsidies and punishments, scientific research institutes are more sensitive to the distribution proportion of cooperation income.

Originality/value

This study includes government regulation into the research scope, expands the research mode of the digital innovation ecosystem and overcomes the difficulties of empirical research in collecting dynamic large sample data. It vividly and systematically simulates the symbiotic evolution process of the digital innovation ecosystem, which provides a theoretical and practical reference for digital innovation ecosystem governance.
From profits to purpose: ESG practices, CEO compensation and institutional ownership
Authors: Nasta Luigi , Magnanelli Barbara Sveva , Ciaburri Mirella
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Based on stakeholder, agency and institutional theory, this study aims to examine the role of institutional ownership in the relationship between environmental, social and governance practices and CEO compensation.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing a fixed-effect panel regression analysis, this research utilized a panel data approach, analyzing data spanning from 2014 to 2021, focusing on US companies listed on the S&P500 stock market index. The dataset encompassed 219 companies, leading to a total of 1,533 observations.

Findings

The analysis identified that environmental scores significantly impact CEO equity-linked compensation, unlike social and governance scores. Additionally, it was found that institutional ownership acts as a moderating factor in the relationship between the environmental score and CEO equity-linked compensation, as well as the association between the social score and CEO equity-linked compensation. Interestingly, the direction of these moderating effects varied between the two relationships, suggesting a nuanced role of institutional ownership.

Originality/value

This research makes a unique contribution to the field of corporate governance by exploring the relatively understudied area of institutional ownership's influence on the ESG practices–CEO compensation nexus.
Self-management of dementia by family carers: a hybrid concept analysis
Authors: Shehadeh Anas , Hunter Sharyn , Jeong Sarah
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study aims to describe the current conceptualisation of self-management of dementia by family carers in the literature and from the views of dementia professionals and family carers, and to establish a more comprehensive concept of self-management of dementia by family carers.

Design/methodology/approach

A hybrid concept analysis included three phases: the theoretical phase reviewed the literature on self-management of dementia by family carers; the fieldwork phase interviewed professionals and family carers; and the analytical phase synthesised and discussed the findings from the previous two phases.

Findings

The findings revealed that self-management of dementia by family carers encompasses four domains: supporting care recipients, self-care, sustaining a positive relationship with care recipients, and personal characteristics and skills.

Originality/value

The findings highlighted the essential elements of the construct of self-management of dementia by family carers. The findings can be used as a conceptual framework of self-management and are useful in designing and evaluating self-management support interventions for family carers.
A scoping review into the service needs of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds living with disability to engage in meaningful occupations
Authors: Chu Natalie , Pho Jacqueline , Dark Leigha , Tan Aidan , Alford Stewart , Tang Clarice Y. , Ellison Caroline , Lim David
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Although there is a large proportion of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds within Australia, their rate of access to disability services is disproportionately low. This review aims to understand the service needs of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with disability to facilitate engagement in meaningful occupations.

Methods

Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework was employed. Ten databases were searched for Australian studies. A deductive content analysis framework was applied in the synthesis.

Results

Fourteen papers were included. Themes that emerged include language and cultural needs and considerations, which highlights the need for information sharing to take account of intergenerational, intercultural and sociolinguistic differences. It also identified the need for improved training and skills of existing interpreters. Culturally competent and responsive services was another theme identified, which emphasised the need to enhance the workforces' understanding of cultural practices. There is also a strong call for a more culturally diverse workforce to reduce the use of some interpreters and to build a more culturally competent workforce. The last theme was responsive service delivery, which requires the governance to support the development of a nurturing trusting therapeutic relationship.

Conclusions

Service providers should be trained on the inequities and intersectionality of this population. Further research is required to explore current disability policy in Australia with an intersectionality lens to ensure recommendations can be made to address barriers and ensure this population receives services in a manner that enhances their ability to engage in occupations meaningfully.
Discrimination between right‐ and left‐handed writers based on sister lines
Authors: Miéville Roxane , Marquis Raymond , Mazzella Williams
Published: February 2024

Forensic document examiners are often confronted with questioned documents written with ballpoint pens. Depending on the force applied (or pressure) as well as the angle between the pen and the surface, sister lines running parallel to the inked strokes can be left by the lip of the housing ball. In a real case, sister lines were observed on the left side of inked strokes of a questioned signature. To assess whether the writer of that signature was a left‐handed or a right‐handed writer based on this result, an experimental study was carried out. Handwritten samples and signatures from 182 right‐handed and 18 left‐handed writers were collected with different ballpoint pens. For every writer, the presence or absence of sister lines was recorded. Sister lines were observed in 49% of the writers of the studied population (in 50% of the right‐handed and ca. 39% of the left‐handed writers). Most individuals who left sister lines showed a writing angle of 50°–55°. The location of sister lines was tabulated to inform probabilities of observing sister lines at a given location, if the writer is a right‐handed or left‐handed writer. In the case at hand, a likelihood ratio of 48 was obtained in support of the proposition of a left‐handed writer, rather than a right‐handed writer. Applying Bayes' theorem, such value moves the prior probability of 15% that the writer of the questioned signature is left‐handed to a posterior probability of 89%.
Is there a prognostic difference among stage I lung adenocarcinoma patients with different BRAF‐mutation status?
Authors: Ma Shang‐Shang , Wang Rang‐Rang , Peng Qiao , Liu Yu'e , Qian Jia‐Yi , Li Ming‐Jun , Li Kun , Huang Zhi‐Ye , Wu Lei‐Lei , Xie Dong
Published: February 2024

Background

The data of the prognostic role of V‐Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) mutations in early‐stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the proportion, clinicopathological features, and prognostic significance of patients with stage I LUAD carrying BRAF mutations.

Methods

We collected 431 patients with pathological stage I LUAD from cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics and 1604 LUAD patients tested for BRAF V600E and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations from Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital. Survival curves were drawn by the Kaplan–Meier method and compared by log‐rank test. Cox proportional hazard models, propensity‐score matching (PSM), and overlap weighting (OW) were performed in this study. The primary endpoint was recurrence‐free survival (RFS).

Results

The proportion of BRAF mutations was estimated at 5.6% in a Caucasian cohort. BRAF V600E mutations were detected in six (1.4%) patients in Caucasian populations and 16 (1.0%) patients in Chinese populations. Two BRAF V600E‐mutant patients were detected to have concurrent EGFR mutations, one for 19‐del and one for L858R. For pathological stage I LUAD patients, BRAF mutations were not significantly associated with worse RFS than wild‐type BRAF patients (HR = 1.111; p = 0.885). After PSM and OW, similar results were presented (HR = 1.352; p = 0.742 and HR = 1.246; p = 0.764, respectively). BRAF V600E mutation status also lacked predictive significance for RFS (HR, 1.844; p = 0.226; HR = 1.144; p = 0.831 and HR = 1.466; p = 0.450, respectively).

Conclusions

In this study, we demonstrated that BRAF status may not be capable of predicting prognosis in stage I LUAD patients. There is a need for more data to validate our findings.
Scalable phylogenetic Gaussian process models improve the detectability of environmental signals on local extinctions for many Red List species
Authors: Matsuba Misako , Fukasawa Keita , Aoki Satoshi , Akasaka Munemitsu , Ishihama Fumiko
Published: February 2024

Conservation biologists have a daunting task of understanding the causes of species decline associated with anthropogenic factors and predicting the extinction risk of a growing number of endangered species. By reducing variances of estimates with information on closely related species, phylogenetic information among species can bridge gaps in information on species with small range sizes when modelling large numbers of endangered species. However, modelling many species with the Gaussian process (GP), which underlies the evolutionary process of phylogenetic random effects, remains a challenge owing to the computational burden in estimating the large variance–covariance matrix.

Here, we applied a phylogenetic generalised mixed model with random slopes and random intercepts to 1010 endangered vascular plant taxa in Japan following phylogenetic GPs implemented by nearest neighbour GP (NNGP) approximation. NNGP enables flexibility in changing the proximity on the phylogenetic tree of species from which information is borrowed to reduce the variances of estimates with a realistic computational burden. We evaluated the effectiveness of phylogenetic models by comparing the predictive performance and descriptive power of phylogenetic and non‐phylogenetic models and identified the anthropogenic factors contributing to the decline of each of the studied endangered species.

We found that the model with phylogenetic information had better prediction performance than the model without phylogenetic information. The results showed that across all explanatory variables, the phylogenetic model could detect interspecific differences in response to environmental factors in a number of species more clearly. Combined with the phylogenetic signal results, we could also detect a phylogenetic bias in the species that could benefit from the positive effects of protected areas but reduce the local extinctions of 95% of all studied taxa.

In conclusion, our model, considering phylogenetic information with NNGP, allows the elucidation of factors causing the decline of many endangered species. In future analyses, the estimation of extinction probability linked to environmental change might be applied to future climate–land use scenarios, advancing the comprehensive assessment of biodiversity degradation and threats to species at multiple scales.
Preparation of bacterial cellulose for xylitol‐reinforced waterlogged wood
Authors: Hu Yulan , Wang Xinxin , Liu Luqi , Zhang Bingjian , Jiang Lu
Published: February 2024

Reinforcement is a critical aspect in the preservation of waterlogged wooden artifacts to ensure their long‐term stability. In this study, we investigated the use of bacterial cellulose compounded with xylitol as a reinforcement material for simulated waterlogged wooden artifacts at varying concentrations. Evaluation of the reinforcement effects was based on indicators such as antishrinking efficacy, mechanical strength, and microscopic morphology. Our findings revealed that bacterial cellulose alone had limited effectiveness but showed enhanced reinforcement when mixed with xylitol. Optimized conditions resulted in remarkable improvements in bending strength (94.5 MPa) and deformation (20 mm) of the reinforced wood. This study offers novel insights and a scientific foundation for the reinforcement of waterlogged wooden artifacts, with potential implications for their preservation in cultural heritage conservation practices.
Suitability of emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) eggs for in ovo imaging research as an alternative to conventional animal model: First experience and non‐invasive investigation of physiological embryonal development on computed tomography
Authors: Perkas Olga , Pomraenke Marta , Greiser Julia , Porwoll Veronika , Wiegand Steffen , Kuehnel Christian , Winkens Thomas , Freesmeyer Martin
Published: February 2024

Fertilized bird eggs are an alternative model to conventional animal testing. In recent studies, a preclinical imaging model based on large ostrich eggs was introduced in a clinical research centre using imaging systems designed for humans, thus bypassing the need for dedicated small animal imaging systems. Ostrich eggs are only laid during the season with increased daylength, which limits its year‐round availability. The current study focuses on large emu eggs instead of ostrich eggs and aims at investigating its suitability for preclinical imaging research. Physiological development of emu embryos was observed by serial weightings and serial CT scans until developmental day (DD) 46. Differences between fertilized a non‐fertilized eggs were analysed. In fertilized eggs, the embryo was identified on CT scans as early as DD 13. As expected, CT scans showed continuous embryonal development and growth over time, comparable to ostriches. Neither the eggs' volume and weight nor the weight loss nor the radiodensity provided significant differences between fertilized and non‐fertilized eggs. Despite inferior incubation success in emus compared to ostriches, suitability of emu eggs for artificial incubation and subsequent research was confirmed. Hence, emu eggs represent an alternative model for preclinical imaging and allow a year‐round use for research purposes if combined with ostrich eggs.
The role of chimeric antigen receptor T cells targeting more than one antigen in the treatment of B‐cell malignancies
Authors: Brillembourg Helena , Martínez‐Cibrián Núria , Bachiller Mireia , Alserawan Leticia , Ortiz‐Maldonado Valentín , Guedan Sònia , Delgado Julio
Published: February 2024

Several products containing chimeric antigen receptor T cells targeting CD19 (CART19) have been approved for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Despite very impressive response rates, a significant percentage of patients experience disease relapse and die of progressive disease. A major cause of CART19 failure is loss or downregulation of CD19 expression in tumour cells, which has prompted a myriad of novel strategies aimed at targeting more than one antigen (e.g. CD19 and CD20 or CD22). Dual targeting can the accomplished through co‐administration of two separate products, co‐transduction with two different vectors, bicistronic cassettes or tandem receptors. In this manuscript, we review the pros and cons of each strategy and the clinical results obtained so far.
When and how to use set‐exploratory structural equation modelling to test structural models: A tutorial using the R package lavaan
Authors: Marsh Herb , Alamer Abdullah
Published: February 2024

Exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) is an alternative to the well‐known method of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). ESEM is mainly used to assess the quality of measurement models of common factors but can be efficiently extended to test structural models. However, ESEM may not be the best option in some model specifications, especially when structural models are involved, because the full flexibility of ESEM could result in technical difficulties in model estimation. Thus, set‐ESEM was developed to accommodate the balance between full‐ESEM and CFA. In the present paper, we show examples where set‐ESEM should be used rather than full‐ESEM. Rather than relying on a simulation study, we provide two applied examples using real data that are included in the OSF repository. Additionally, we provide the code needed to run set‐ESEM in the free R package lavaan to make the paper practical. Set‐ESEM structural models outperform their CFA‐based counterparts in terms of goodness of fit and realistic factor correlation, and hence path coefficients in the two empirical examples. In several instances, effects that were non‐significant (i.e., attenuated) in the CFA‐based structural model become larger and significant in the set‐ESEM structural model, suggesting that set‐ESEM models may generate more accurate model parameters and, hence, lower Type II error rate.
Mikrozirkulationsstörungen der Haut
Authors: Lutze Stine , Westphal Thea , Jünger Michael , Arnold Andreas
Published: February 2024

Veränderungen in der Mikrozirkulation der Haut sind ein häufig beobachtetes Begleitphänomen vieler Erkrankungen, weit über das Spektrum dermatologischer Krankheiten hinausreichend. Nicht alle dieser Veränderungen haben einen Krankheitswert, viele treten temporär auf, ohne schwerwiegende Folgen zu verursachen. Dies trifft für viele inflammatorische Erkrankungen wie die Psoriasis vulgaris oder das atopische Ekzem zu.

Daneben gibt es aber auch Erkrankungen, bei denen funktionell und morphologisch erkennbare Mikroangiopathien zu schwerwiegenden Krankheitsfolgen führen. Eine der wichtigsten Erkrankungen in diesem Zusammenhang ist die systemische Sklerose, eine autoimmune Systemerkrankung mit multiplen Organmanifestationen. Hier sind die Untersuchungen der kutanen Mikrozirkulation sowohl in der Erstdiagnose als auch in der Prognose‐ und Verlaufsbeurteilung von weitreichender Bedeutung.

Auch bei Erkrankungen der peripheren Hämodynamik wie der peripheren arteriellen Verschlusskrankheit (pAVK) und der chronisch venösen Insuffizienz (CVI) spielt das Verständnis von Mikrozirkulationsstörungen eine wichtige Rolle für die Therapie und die Erfolgskontrolle therapeutischer Interventionen.
Photosensibilisierende Antihypertensiva und das Hautkrebsrisiko bei postmenopausalen Frauen
Authors: Hou Alexander , Li Yueyao , Shadyab Aladdin H. , Han Jiali , Eaton Charles B. , Qureshi Abrar , Cho Eunyoung
Published: February 2024

Hintergrund

Es gibt nur wenige prospektive Studien, die die Dosis‐Wirkungs‐Beziehung zwischen der Anwendung einiger photosensibilisierender Antihypertensiva und Hautkrebs untersucht haben.

Patienten und Methodik

Anhand prospektiver Daten aus der Women's Health Initiative Observational Study untersuchten wir den Zusammenhang zwischen der Anwendung von Antihypertensiva und dem Risiko für nicht melanozytären Hautkrebs (NMSC) und dem Melanom bei postmenopausalen Frauen im Alter von 50–79 Jahren (n = 64 918). Dabei wurden multivariable Cox‐Regressionsmodelle (Proportional‐Hazard‐Modelle) verwendet und Hazard Ratios (HR) sowie 95%‐Konfidenzintervalle (KI) berechnet.

Ergebnisse

8777 NMSC und 1227 Melanom‐Fälle wurden beobachtet. Die Anwendung von Antihypertensiva (HR [95%‐KI]: 1,12 [1,07–1,18]), ACE‐Hemmern (1,09 [1,01–1,18]), Kalziumkanalblockern (1,13 [1,05–1,22]), Diuretika (1,20 [1,12–1,27]), Schleifendiuretika (1,17 [1,07–1,28]) und Thiaziden (1,17 [1,03–1,33]) war jeweils mit einem erhöhten NMSC‐Risiko assoziiert. Das NMSC‐Risiko stieg linear mit der Anwendung mehrerer Antihypertensiva (p‐Trend = 0,02) und mit zunehmender Anwendungsdauer (p‐Trend < 0,01) an. Antihypertensiva (1,15 [1,00–1,31]), Angiotensin‐II‐Rezeptorblocker (1,82 [1,05–3,15]) und Diuretika (1,34 [1,13–1,59]) waren jeweils mit einem erhöhten Melanomrisiko assoziiert. Zwischen der Anwendung von Antihypertensiva und der Melanom‐Inzidenz wurde eine Effektmodifikation durch Exposition gegenüber Sonnenlicht‐Exposition beobachtet (p‐Interaktion = 0,02).

Schlussfolgerungen

Die Anwendung von Antihypertensiva allgemein und einiger einzelner Klassen von Antihypertensiva ging mit einer erhöhten Inzidenz von NMSC und Melanomen einher, wobei eine Dosis‐Wirkungs‐Beziehung bestand.
Participants' experiences of attending a structured education course (DAFNEplus) informed by behavioural science
Authors: Lawton Julia , Chadwick Paul M. , de Zoysa Nicole , Stanton‐Fay Stephanie , Heller Simon R. , Rankin David ,   the DAFNEplus Study Group
Published: February 2024

Aims

As part of a broader process evaluation, we explored participants' experiences of, and engagement with, the DAFNEplus programme's group‐based structured education course. This course, which was informed by behavioural science, provided participants with education and instruction to use flexible intensive insulin therapy (FIIT) together with techniques to identify and address unhelpful cognitive and emotional influences on their type 1 diabetes self‐management.

Methods

We interviewed n = 28 DAFNEplus participants. Data were analysed thematically and took account of previous work exploring individuals' experiences of standard DAFNE courses.

Results

As well as benefitting from the DAFNEplus course's skills‐based training and educational curriculum, participants' accounts suggested they had experienced cognitive and emotional changes that had positively influenced their confidence and motivation to adopt and sustain the use of FIIT. These benefits were most keenly felt by those who reported negative emotional states and mind‐sets pre‐course which had made their diabetes self‐management challenging. Participants' cognitive and emotional changes were enabled through techniques used during the course to normalise setbacks and imperfect diabetes self‐management, capitalise upon group synergies and encourage the use of social support, including from healthcare professionals. Participants also highlighted motivational gains arising from being reassured that diabetes complications are not common or inevitable if a FIIT regimen is followed.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that offering training in FIIT, in conjunction with behaviour change techniques that target unhelpful mindsets and emotional resilience, may be more effective in promoting diabetes self‐management than offering education and skills training alone.
The evolution of chemodiversity in plants—From verbal to quantitative models
Authors: Thon Frans M. , Müller Caroline , Wittmann Meike J.
Published: February 2024

Plants harbour a great chemodiversity, that is diversity of specialised metabolites (SMs), at different scales. For instance, individuals can produce a large number of SMs, and populations can differ in their metabolite composition. Given the ecological and economic importance of plant chemodiversity, it is important to understand how it arises and is maintained over evolutionary time. For other dimensions of biodiversity, that is species diversity and genetic diversity, quantitative models play an important role in addressing such questions. Here, we provide a synthesis of existing hypotheses and quantitative models, that is mathematical models and computer simulations, for the evolution of plant chemodiversity. We describe each model's ingredients, that is the biological processes that shape chemodiversity, the scales it considers and whether it has been formalized as a quantitative model. Although we identify several quantitative models, not all are dynamic and many influential models have remained verbal. To fill these gaps, we outline our vision for the future of chemodiversity modelling. We identify quantitative models used for genetic variation that may be adapted for chemodiversity, and we present a flexible framework for the creation of individual‐based models that address different scales of chemodiversity and combine different ingredients that bring this chemodiversity about.
The effects of land‐use change on semi‐aquatic bugs (Gerromorpha, Hemiptera) in rainforest streams in Sabah, Malaysia
Authors: Harianja Martina F. , Turner Edgar C. , Barclay Holly , Chey Vun K. , Aldridge David C. , Foster William A. , Luke Sarah H.
Published: February 2024

Land‐use change and agricultural expansion have caused marked biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia, but impacts on freshwater communities have been very little studied. Semi‐aquatic bugs are abundant in streams, provide prey for many other animals, and are sensitive to environmental change, making them a relevant group for studying land‐use change.

We investigated the effects of logging and conversion of forest to oil palm plantations on semi‐aquatic bugs in Sabah, Malaysia, and the potential value of retaining riparian buffer strips in plantations, by sampling across 12 rivers along an existing land‐use gradient. We recorded catchment, riparian, and stream‐scale environmental variables and surveyed semi‐aquatic bugs within streams in old‐growth forest, logged forest, and oil palm plantation with (OPB) and without buffer strips (OP). We recorded the abundance, richness, total biomass, and proportion of juveniles and winged adult individuals of all species, together with the sex ratio of a common morphospecies (Ptilomera sp.), as possible indicators of disturbance effects.

Average abundance and average richness, but not total biomass, of all semi‐aquatic bugs were lower in areas with higher habitat disturbance. In particular, average abundance in old‐growth forest was more than two, four, and six times higher than that in logged forest, OPB, and OP, respectively. Average richness in old‐growth forest was higher than in logged forest by two species, but more than two and three times higher than in OPB and OP, respectively.

The presence of riparian buffer strips in oil palm had little effect on the abundance and richness of semi‐aquatic bugs. We found no significant differences in the proportion of juveniles, winged adult individuals, or the sex ratio of Ptilomera sp. along the disturbance gradient.

In conclusion, oil palm plantations were associated with lower average abundance and richness of semi‐aquatic bugs than forest sites, but community composition did not differ markedly between logged and old‐growth forests. We also found that the forested buffer strips maintained within our oil palm plantation study sites did not protect forest species of semi‐aquatic bugs. Maintaining forest may therefore provide the best option for the conservation of semi‐aquatic bugs, but further studies of the effects of land‐use change and management options are needed across Southeast Asia.
Prognostic significance of tumour budding in noncolorectal gastrointestinal tract and pancreatobiliary tract: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Park Ji Hyun , Shin Jae Il , Lim Beom Jin
Published: February 2024

Tumour budding shows promise as a prognostic factor in various cancers, but its widespread application is hindered by the lack of large, validated studies and standardized criteria. This meta‐analysis aims to review and examine the prognostic role of tumour budding specifically in noncolorectal gastrointestinal and pancreatobiliary tract cancers, broadening our perspective on its clinical relevance. The literature review was conducted through PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception till 20 February 2023. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the relation between tumour budding and clinicopathologic features, as well as overall survival. Each study was evaluated using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale and both heterogeneity and publication bias were analysed. In this meta‐analysis of 57 studies across various cancer types, multivariate HR revealed worse overall survival in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (HR 3.34 [95% CI 2.21–5.04]), gastric adenocarcinoma (2.03 [1.38–2.99]), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (2.56 [2.02–3.25]), and biliary tract adenocarcinoma (3.11 [2.46–3.93]) with high‐grade tumour budding. Additionally, high‐grade tumour budding consistently correlated with adverse clinicopathological features, including lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular invasion, and distant metastasis without any observed inverse association. High heterogeneity was noted. Our study suggests that tumour budding is a valuable prognostic marker in various cancers. Nonetheless, standardized criteria tailored to specific organ types are necessary to enhance its clinical utility.
Delineation of an exhumed intermediate‐depth crustal fault in a collisional setting: An example from the Himalaya
Authors: Sarkar Dyuti Prakash , Ando Jun‐ichi , Das Kaushik , Ghosh Gautam
Published: February 2024

The regionally prominent main boundary thrust (MBT) of the Himalayan fold‐thrust belt in northwest India is typically defined by the presence of Proterozoic rocks in the hanging wall and Cenozoic rocks in the footwall. The present study focuses on identifying the MBT contact across Gambar River section in Himachal Pradesh, India, using alternative methodologies, such as the meter‐scale litho‐structural mapping, followed by detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology to precisely identify the thrust contact and provide insights on the deformation history of the MBT zone. We have identified a sharp change in the age (from ~600 to ~61 Ma) of the sedimentary units along a narrow zone in the study area by detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology using LA‐ICP‐MS. The sharp change in the detrital zircon U–Pb age data thus delineate the MBT occurring in the area along a < ~1 m thickness. The lithological assemblage and the age data indicate the unified maximum depositional age from ~700 to ~600 Ma for the hanging wall rocks, which have been equated with the Krol Group of the Lesser Himalayan Sequence (LHS). In comparison, the footwall rocks exhibit the maximum depositional age of ~61 Ma and have been equated with the Cenozoic Subathu Formation of the Sub‐Himalayan Sequence (SHS).
Seguridad y salud en el trabajo como derechos fundamentales. Estudio histórico‐comparativo de la estrategia de realismo vigilante de la OIT
Authors: HILGERT Jeffrey
Published: February 2024

En los dos decenios siguientes a la adopción del Pacto Internacional de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales, la OIT aplicó un enfoque realista al defender que el ejercicio de la seguridad y salud en el trabajo (SST) como derecho fundamental pasaba por garantizar ciertas condiciones económicas previas. El presente estudio histórico‐comparativo pasa revista a la actuación de la OIT en ese contexto, a la luz del nuevo complejo de incertidumbre sanitaria mundial y de la incorporación de la SST al marco de principios y derechos fundamentales en el trabajo. Se analiza también la aplicabilidad de un enfoque de realismo vigilante a la labor actual de la OIT en este campo.
Effects of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy on wound infection of surgery in patients with prostate cancer: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Li Cheng , Wan Zheng‐Qiang , Zheng Dong‐Bing , Wang Ying‐Lei
Published: February 2024

This meta‐analysis aims to comprehensively assess the impact of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) on wound infection in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). A systematic search was conducted, from database inception to November 2023, in EMBASE, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing LRP with open radical prostatectomy (ORP) in the treatment of PCa. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data and conducted quality assessments based on pre‐defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Stata 17.0 software was employed for data analysis. Overall, 15 RCTs involving 1458 PCa patients were included. The analysis revealed the incidence of wound infection (odds ratio [OR] = 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.16–0.51, p < 0.001) and complications (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.20–0.37, p < 0.001) was significantly lower in the LRP group compared to the ORP group. This study demonstrates that LRP in PCa patients can effectively reduce the incidence of wound infections and complications, indicating significant therapeutic efficacy and justifying its broader clinical application.
The correlation between serum asprosin and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the community
Authors: Liang Dong , Shi Guoliang , Xu Mingang , Yin Jianhong , Liu Yunfeng , Yang Jing , Xu Linxin
Published: February 2024

Aims/Introduction

Serum asprosin is expected to become a screening indicator in early‐stage diabetic heart disease. The relationship between serum asprosin and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) was studied in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the community.

Materials and Methods

A total of 252 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited from Zhuoma Community Care Station and Chengbei West Street Community Care Service Center in Changzhi City of Shanxi Province from November 2019 to July 2021. Patients were divided into the LVDD group (n = 195) and the non‐LVDD group (n = 57). The t‐test, Mann–Whitney U test, and χ2 test were used to compare indicators between the LVDD group and the non‐LVDD group. Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis was adopted to evaluate the correlation between serum asprosin and other clinical data. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to analyze the influencing factors on LVDD.

Results

Compared with patients without LVDD, patients with LVDD had a higher level of low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), fasting blood glucose (FPG), and asprosin, but a lower level of early diastolic movement speed (A) to diastolic movement velocity (E) (E/A). Asprosin was positively associated with waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), creatinine, triglycerides (P < 0.05), and negatively associated with E/A and high density lipoprotein cholesterol HDL‐C (P < 0.05). The risk of LVDD increased with elevated asprosin levels after adjustment for age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), BMI, FPG, and LDL‐C. Compared with patients in the lowest tertile of serum asprosin (<275.25 pg/mL), a serum level of asprosin between 275.25–355.08 pg/mL [OR (95% CI) is 2.368 (1.169–4.796), P < 0.05] and asprosin >355.08 pg/mL [OR (95% CI) is 2.549 (1.275–5.095), P < 0.05] patients have a higher risk of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

Conclusions

Serum asprosin was positively associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, and the risk of LVDD increased significantly with increased serum levels of asprosin.
Fatty infiltration of gastrocnemius–soleus muscle complex: Considerations for myosteatosis rehabilitation
Authors: Hatzantonis Catherine , Satkunam Lalith , Rabey Karyne N. , Hocking Jennifer C. , Agur Anne M. R.
Published: February 2024

Although previous studies have reported fatty infiltration of the gastrocnemius–soleus complex, little is known about the volumetric distribution and patterns of fatty infiltration. The purpose of this anatomical study was to document and quantify the frequency, distribution, and pattern of fatty infiltration of the gastrocnemius–soleus complex. One hundred formalin‐embalmed specimens (mean age 78.1 ± 12.3 years; 48F/52M) were serially dissected to document the frequency, distribution, and pattern of fatty infiltration in the medial and lateral heads of gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Fatty infiltration was found in 23% of specimens, 13 unilaterally (8F/5M) and 10 (5M/5F) bilaterally. The fatty infiltration process was observed to begin medially from the medial aspect of the medial head of gastrocnemius and medial margin of soleus and then progressed laterally throughout the medial head of gastrocnemius and the marginal, anterior, and posterior soleus. The lateral head of gastrocnemius remained primarily muscular in all specimens. Microscopically, the pattern of infiltration was demonstrated as intramuscular with intact aponeuroses, and septa. The remaining endo‐, peri‐, and epimysium preserved the overall contour of the gastrocnemius–soleus complex, even in cases of significant fatty replacement. Since the external contour of the calf is preserved, the presence of fatty infiltration may be underdiagnosed in the clinic without imaging. Myosteatosis is associated with gait and balance challenges in the elderly, which can impact quality of life and result in increased risk of falling. The findings of the study have implications in the rehabilitation management of elderly patients with sarcopenia and myosteatosis.