bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measurement of Oxidative Stress in Huh-7 Cell Line to Determine the Effectiveness of PNPLA3 Targeted Gene Therapy for Mitigation of Lipid and Alcohol Induced Oxidative Stress in the Liver
Authors: Kwon Jihoon , Budyak Elena Ivanovna
Published: May 2023

NAFLD is a condition of increased buildup of fat in the liver, causing lipotoxicity that can manifest to cirrhosis, steatosis and fibrosis, which can cause significant and eventually irreversible damage to the liver. A key gene associated is the PNPLA3 I148M variant, which has been shown to display lipogenesis functionality. However, the role of PNPLA3 in increased ROS formation is debated. Moreover, there are no studies determining correlation between the variant and alcohol-induced oxidative stress. This project determines the following mechanistic functions of the PNPLA I148M variant to test for the efficiency of PNPLA3 gene therapy for patients with fatty liver disease and alcohol liver disease.

There is a strong correlation between lipid induced oxidative stress and PNPLA3 148M variant. DCFDA shows increased concentration of H2O2for PNPLA3 148M overexpressed cell lines for both ethanol and FFA treatment groups. Moreover, there is a statistical correlation between PNPLA3 148M overexpressed cell lines and increased mitochondrial oxidative stress by MitoSOX cellular ROS analysis methods. This study confirmed the significant decrease in oxidative stress levels for 148I variant overexpressed cell lines and proved the efficiency of PNPLA3 targeted gene therapy to NAFLD patients and suggested the potential use of the therapeutic method to patients with ALD. To ensure gene therapeutic effectiveness for patients with NAFLD and alcoholic liver diseases, further experiments may be needed to verify molecular pathways of ROS formation by PNPLA3 with qPCR analysis.
Learning Equivariant Object Recognition and its Reverse Application to Imagery
Authors: Klepel Florentine , Goebel Rainer
Published: May 2023

To investigate the relationship of perception and imagery, we model the visual ventral stream with an encoder and decoder part with the help of capsule networks. The proposed network consists of V1 and V2 from CorNet-Z, as well as the Capsule Network architecture with the routing by agreement algorithm for V4 and IT. The decoder reverses this architecture to model the feedback activation patterns of the visual ventral stream. The model was trained using EMNIST (letters H, S, C, T). Resulting classification performance was high with good generalization performance to different sizes, positions, and rotations. Contextual information was used for occluded stimuli in the feedback path for reconstructions resulting in high classification performance. Additionally, a pre-trained network was used to reconstruct remapped fMRI activation patterns from higher visual areas. Reconstructions of single-trial imagery data showed significant correlations to physical letter stimuli. The fMRI activation patterns of V1 and V2 and their reconstructions with population receptive field mapping and an autoencoder were related to activation patterns of the network to test biological plausibility. Representational Similarity Analysis and spatial correlations indicated an overlap of information content between the capsule network and the fMRI activations. Due to the capsule networks’ high generalization performance and the implemented feedback connections, the proposed network is a promising approach to improve current modelling efforts of perception and imagery. Further research is needed to compare the presented network to established networks that model the visual ventral stream.
Long-read sequencing reveals extensive DNA methylations in human gut phagenome contributed by prevalently phage-encoded methyltransferases
Authors: Sun Chuqing , Chen Jingchao , Jin Menglu , Zhao Xueyang , Li Yun Y , Dong Yanqi , Gao Na L , Liu Zhi , Bork Peer , Zhao Xing-Ming , Chen Wei-Hua
Published: May 2023

DNA methylation is essential for the survival of bacteriophages (phages), yet, we know little about the methylation of their genomes. Here, we analyze the DNA methylation patterns of 8,848 metagenome-assembled high-quality phages across 104 fecal samples using single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing. We show that 97.60% of gut phages could be methylated, and reveal factors that correlate with methylation densities. Phages having higher methylation densities are more prevent, suggesting putative viability advantages of the DNA methylation. Strikingly, more than a third of the phages encode their own DNA methyltransferases (MTases). More MTase copies are associated with increased genome methylation densities, methylation motifs, and higher prevalence of certain phage groups. Most MTases are closely homologous to gut bacterium-encoded ones, likely exchanged during phage-bacterium interactions, and could be used to accurately predict phage-host relationships. Taken together, our results suggest that the gut DNA phages universally use DNA methylation to escape from host defense systems with significant contribution from phage-encoded MTases.
Optimizing In Situ Proximity Ligation Assays for Mitochondria, ER, or MERC Markers in Skeletal Muscle Tissue and Cells
Authors: Stephens Dominique C. , Crabtree Amber , Beasley Heather K. , Garza-Lopez Edgar , Neikirk Kit , Mungai Margaret , Vang Larry , Vue Zer , Vue Neng , Marshall Andrea G. , Turner Kyrin , Shao Jian-qiang , Murray Sandra A. , Gaddy Jennifer A. , Wanjalla Celestine , Davis Jamaine , Damo Steven M. , Hinton Antentor
Published: May 2023

Proximity ligation assays (PLA) use specific antibodies to detect endogenous protein-protein interactions. PLA is a highly useful biochemical technique that allows two proteins within close proximity to be visualized with fluorescent probes amplified by PCR. While this technique has gained prominence, the use of PLA in mouse skeletal muscle (SkM) is novel. In this article, we discuss how the PLA method can be used in SkM to study the protein-protein interactions within mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum contact sites (MERCs).
Mono-phosphorylation at Ser4 of Barrier-to-autointegration Factor (Banf1) significantly reduces its DNA binding capability by inducing critical changes in its local conformation and DNA binding surface
Authors: Tang Ming , Suraweera Amila , Nie Xuqiang , Li Zilin , Wells James W. , O’Byrne Kenneth J , Woods Robert J , Bolderson Emma , Richard Derek J
Published: May 2023

Barrier-to-Autointegration Factor (Banf1) is a small DNA-bridging protein. The binding status of Banf1 to DNA is regulated by its N-terminal phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, which plays a critical role in cell proliferation. Banf1 can be phosphorylated at Ser4 into mono-phosphorylated Banf1, which is further phosphorylated at Thr3 to form di-phosphorylated Banf1. It was observed decades ago that mono-phosphorylated Banf1 cannot bind to DNA. However, the underlying molecular- and atomic-level mechanisms remain unclear. A clear understanding of these mechanisms will aid in interfering with the cell proliferation process for better global health. Herein, we explored the detailed atomic bases of unphosphorylated Banf1-DNA binding and how mono- and di-phosphorylation of Banf1 impair these atomic bases to eliminate its DNA-binding capability, followed by exploring the DNA-binding capability of mono- and di-phosphorylation Banf1, using comprehensive and systematic molecular modelling and molecular dynamics simulations. This work presented in detail the residue-level binding energies, hydrogen bonds and water bridges between Banf1 and DNA, some of which have not been reported. Moreover, we revealed that mono-phosphorylation of Banf1 causes its N-terminal secondary structure changes, which in turn induce significant changes in Banf1’s DNA binding surface, thus eliminating its DNA-binding capability. At the atomic level, we also uncovered the alterations in interactions due to the induction of mono-phosphorylation that result in the N-terminal secondary structure changes of Banf1. Additionally, our modelling showed that phosphorylated Banf1 with their dominant N-terminal secondary structures bind to DNA with a significantly lower affinity and the docked binding pose are not stable in MD simulations. These findings help future studies in predicting effect of mutations in Banf1 on its DNA-binding capability and open a novel avenue for the development of therapeutics such as cancer drugs, targeting cell proliferation by inducing conformational changes in Banf1’s N-terminal domain.
A landing pad system for multicopy gene integration inIssatchenkia orientalis
Authors: Fatma Zia , Tan Shih-I , Boob Aashutosh Girish , Zhao Huimin
Published: May 2023

The robust nature of the non-conventional yeastIssatchenkia orientalisallows it to grow under highly acidic conditions and therefore, has gained increasing interest in producing organic acids using a variety of carbon sources. Recently, the development of a genetic toolbox forI. orientalis, including an episomal plasmid, characterization of multiple promoters and terminators, and CRISPR-Cas9 tools, has eased the metabolic engineering efforts inI. orientalis. However, multiplex engineering is still hampered by the lack of efficient multicopy integration tools. To facilitate the construction of large, complex metabolic pathways by multiplex CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing, we developed a bioinformatics pipeline to identify and prioritize genome-wide intergenic loci and characterized 47 sites. These loci are screened for guide RNA cutting efficiency, integration efficiency of a gene cassette, the resulting cellular fitness, and GFP expression level. We further developed a landing pad system using components from these well-characterized loci, which can aid in the integration of multiple genes using single guide RNA and multiple repair templates of the user’s choice. We have demonstrated the use of the landing pad for simultaneous integrations of 2, 3, 4, or 5 genes to the target loci with efficiencies greater than 80%. As a proof of concept, we showed how the production of 5-aminolevulinic acid can be improved by integrating five copies of genes at multiple sites in one step. We have further demonstrated the efficiency of this tool by constructing a metabolic pathway for succinic acid production by integrating five gene expression cassettes using a single guide RNA along with five different repair templates, leading to the production of 9 g/L of succinic acid in batch fermentations. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a single gRNA-mediated CRISPR platform to build complex metabolic pathways in non-conventional yeast. This landing pad system will be a valuable tool for the metabolic engineering ofI. orientalis.

HIGHLIGHTS

In silicoscreening was performed to identify 204 unique guide RNAs in the intergenic regions of the genome.

27 loci demonstrated high integration efficiency (>80%) and can be used for efficient gene or long pathway (∼18 kb) integration.

An array of landing pad systems was installed at four loci for multiplex engineering.

Multicopy integration of the gene cassettes (GFP, ALAS) resulted in a proportional increase in GFP fluorescence and 5-ALA production.

A five-gene biosynthetic pathway was integrated into the chromosome in one step.

This is the first study reporting the development of the landing pad system inIssatchenkia orientalis.
Disentangling reference frames in the neural compass
Authors: Dutriaux Léo , Xu Yangwen , Sartorato Nicola , Lhuillier Simon , Bottini Roberto
Published: May 2023

The neural system that encodes heading direction in humans is found consistently in the medial and superior parietal cortex and the entorhinal-retrosplenial circuit. However, it is still unclear whether heading direction in these different regions is represented within an allocentric or egocentric coordinate system. To investigate this problem, we first asked whether regions encoding (putatively) allocentric facing direction also encode (unambiguously) egocentric goal direction. Second, we assessed whether directional coding in these regions scaled with the preference for an allocentric perspective during everyday navigation. Before the experiment, participants learned different object maps in two geometrically similar rooms. In the MRI scanner, their task was to retrieve the egocentric position of a target object (e.g., Front, Left) relative to an imagined facing direction (e.g., North, West). Multivariate analyses showed, as predicted, that facing direction was encoded bilaterally in the superior parietal lobule (SPL), the retrosplenial complex (RSC), and the left entorhinal cortex (EC). Crucially, we found that the same voxels in the SPL and RSC also coded for egocentric goal direction. Moreover, when facing directions were expressed as egocentric bearings relative to a reference vector, activities for facing direction and egocentric direction were correlated, suggesting a common reference frame. Besides, only the left EC coded allocentric goal direction as a function of the subject’s propensity to use allocentric strategies. Altogether, these results suggest that heading direction in the superior and medial parietal cortex is mediated by an egocentric code, whereas the entorhinal cortex encodes directions according to an allocentric reference frame.
Variation in histone configurations correlates with gene expression across nine inbred strains of mice
Authors: Tyler Anna L. , Spruce Catrina , Kursawe Romy , Haber Annat , Ball Robyn L. , Pitman Wendy A. , Fine Alexander D. , Raghupathy Narayanan , Walker Michael , Philip Vivek M. , Baker Christopher L. , Mahoney J. Matthew , Churchill Gary A. , Trowbridge Jennifer J. , Stitzel Michael L. , Paigen Kenneth , Petkov Petko M. , Carter Gregory W.
Published: May 2023

The Diversity Outbred (DO) mice and their inbred founders are widely used models of human disease. However, although the genetic diversity of these mice has been well documented, their epigenetic diversity has not. Epigenetic modifications, such as histone modifications and DNA methylation, are important regulators of gene expression and, as such, are a critical mechanistic link between genotype and phenotype. Therefore, creating a map of epigenetic modifications in the DO mice and their founders is an important step toward understanding mechanisms of gene regulation and the link to disease in this widely used resource. To this end, we performed a strain survey of epigenetic modifications in hepatocytes of the DO founders. We surveyed four histone modifications (H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K27me3, and H3K27ac), as well as DNA methylation. We used ChromHMM to identify 14 chromatin states, each of which represents a distinct combination of the four histone modifications. We found that the epigenetic landscape is highly variable across the DO founders and is associated with variation in gene expression across strains. We found that epigenetic state imputed into a population of DO mice recapitulated the association with gene expression seen in the founders, suggesting that both histone modifications and DNA methylation are highly heritable mechanisms of gene expression regulation. We illustrate how DO gene expression can be aligned with inbred epigenetic states to identify putativecis-regulatory regions. Finally, we provide a data resource that documents strain-specific variation in the chromatin state and DNA methylation in hepatocytes across nine widely used strains of laboratory mice.
Does the rhetoric art in sustainability reports obstruct the assurance practice?
Authors: Mnif Yosra , Kchaou Jihene
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the readability of sustainability reports and assurance provider effort, captured by assurance delay and the moderating effect of the assurance provider.

Design/methodology/approach

This sample consists of companies operating in sustainability sensitive industries from 39 countries for the period that covers the years 2016–2018.

Findings

The results show that poor sustainability reporting readability is associated with longer assurance delays. Indeed, assurance providers spend more effort assuring clients when sustainability reports are less readable, as shown by long assurance delay. In addition, increases in assurance delay associated with poor sustainability reporting readability are driven by accounting assurance providers. These results hold after controlling for endogeneity using Heckman's (1979) analysis and other measures of assurance delay readability used in prior literature. By checking the specialization of assurance provider partners and setting aside dominant countries, the authors provide insight into the impact of assurance provider specialization on the association between sustainability report readability and assurance provider effort measured by assurance delay and thus, lending further confidence to the strength of the study’s main findings.

Research limitations/implications

This research provides preliminary evidence on the relationship between sustainability reporting readability and assurance delay as well as the influence of accounting assurance providers.

Practical implications

Sustainability assurance practice is viewed as a tool to add or enhance credibility. This study could be considered as another step into driving the standardization of sustainability reporting practice internationally.

Originality/value

This is the first investigation conducted in the sustainability literature on the assurance provider's response to the readability of sustainability reports.
The coupling of project delivery methods and contract strategies for public building projects in Ethiopia
Authors: Legesse Abay , Nejat Ali , Ghebrab Tewodros
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to use Delphi technique to assess the applicability of coupling various project delivery methods (PDMs) and contract strategies (CSs) for delivery of public building projects (PBP) in Ethiopia.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objective of this research, an online Delphi study was designed, conducted and analyzed using various statistical procedures. Results were compared to CII’s project delivery and CS (PDCS) tool, a US-based PDM selection tool.

Findings

This study converged in the third round signifying a consensus on the importance of design–build and construction manager at risk as alternatives to design–bid–build. In addition, “controlling schedule growth” was deemed to be a major performance measure that needs to be considered for PBP in Ethiopia, a result consistent with the outcomes from CII’s PDCS tool.

Originality/value

Among existing studies, none to the best of the authors’ knowledge has focused on a holistic approach to identify the most appropriate pairings of PDMs and CSs for PBP which was critically needed due to the magnitude and high stakes of these projects. This research is a steppingstone toward gaining knowledge on how to approach these types of projects in fast-growing environments thirsty for new building projects such as in Ethiopia.
Leadership, tacit and explicit knowledge sharing in Saudi Arabian non-profit organizations: the mediating role of organizational commitment
Authors: Sharif Shahbaz , Albadry Omaima Munawar , Durrani Muhammad Kashif , Shahbaz Muhammad Hamid
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Employees are driven and motivated to exercise knowledge-based resources as a result of leadership. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of authentic leadership on organizational commitment and tacit and explicit knowledge-sharing behaviors in Saudi non-profit organizations (NPOs). The study also aims to explore authentic leadership’s direct and indirect impact on tacit and explicit knowledge-sharing behaviors via organizational commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a quantitative research design by distributing a survey questionnaire among 415 employees. A total of 300 responses were collected during the survey questionnaire data collection.

Findings

The results showed that authentic leadership significantly and positively influenced organizational commitment and tacit and explicit knowledge sharing. Additionally, organizational commitment significantly and positively mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and tacit knowledge sharing, and there was partial mediation. However, organizational commitment failed to mediate the relationship between authentic leadership and explicit knowledge sharing.

Practical implications

The management of Saudi NPOs should focus on developing knowledge capital resources for employees who work in an organization to get a competitive advantage.

Originality/value

The study made a novel contribution that the Saudi NPOs should promote tacit and explicit knowledge-sharing but focus more on explicit knowledge sharing.
Testing of 3D printing on textile fabrics for garments application within circular design
Authors: Lekeckas Kestutis , Stirbe Julija , Ancutiene Kristina , Valusyte Ruta
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To explore the influence of various factors on the adhesion strength of 3D printing materials and chiffon fabrics, and to develop an original design clothing prototype with an extended functionality that would be compatible with the specifics of the circular design.

Design/methodology/approach

Four different chiffon fabrics and four 3D printed materials were chosen as the research subjects to determine the influence of various factors on the adhesion strength and ductility. The uniaxial tensile test was used to determine pull-out force and the pull-out elongation from the interlayer.

Findings

3D printed TPU elements can be used to join clothing parts made from low-elasticity chiffon fabrics to improve wearing comfort. In order to comply with the circular economy concept, it is important to select such adhesion parameters of the 3D printed elements and the material system that would ensure wear comfort and withstand wear-level loads; and at the end of the life cycle of a garment, the 3D printed elements could be separated from the product and recycled.

Originality/value

The systems developed can be used to renew and repair products, adding originality, individual touch or additional decorative features, while extending the functional possibilities of clothing items in accordance with circular design principles.
Is corporate digital transformation a tax haven?
Authors: Chen Wanyi , Meng Fanli
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Corporate digital transformation (CDT) has challenged traditional tax administration systems. This study examines the impact of CDT on tax avoidance behavior and tests whether tax authorities can identify this behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data on listed companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2008 to 2020, this study applies the Heckman two-stage and cross-section models.

Findings

The results show that the higher the degree of CDT, the more aggressive the tax avoidance behavior. The CDT's impact on corporate tax avoidance is more significant under strong government tax efforts.

Originality/value

This study expands research on the economic consequences of CDT and the factors influencing corporate tax avoidance behavior. Moreover, it has important implications for governments to monitor tax avoidance behavior under the CDT, improve digital tax systems, and pay more attention to the tax administration of digital assets.
Why buy used? Motivators and barriers for re-commerce luxury fashion
Authors: Tangri Karun , Yu Hong
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The sale of second-hand goods in the luxury fashion space continues to soar. However, existing literature on this segment is limited and the factors that draw consumers to this space are not well understood. This study aims to fill this gap and proposes a conceptual model demonstrating the linkage between the motivators and barriers toward re-commerce in the luxury fashion space and actual shopping behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey sample of USA second-hand luxury fashion shoppers was collected. Participants were asked questions about various motivators and barriers toward re-commerce, as well as the participants' attitudes and shopping behavior. The results were analyzed using SmartPLS structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

Economic reasons, originality and self-extension were found to be statistically significant motivators of attitudes toward re-commerce, while status consumption, nostalgia and ecological motivators were not. Superstitious beliefs were also found to be statistically significant motivators toward attitudes of re-commerce. Attitudes were also found to be a significant predictor of shopping behavior as measured by dollars spent and shopping frequency.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to propose a conceptual model depicting the relationship between motivators and barriers to actual shopping behavior in the second-hand luxury fashion space. Many of the motivators and barriers examined in this study are novel and have not been considered in prior research. Superstitious beliefs in particular have not been studied in the context of re-commerce.
Fiscal illusion and income inequality: an empirical investigation
Authors: Zaroki Shahryar , Yousefi Barfurushi Arman , Yadollahi Otaghsara Mastaneh
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The present study investigates the role of fiscal illusion on income inequality in 46 selected countries in terms of income and development levels from 2002 to 2017.

Design/methodology/approach

The effect of fiscal illusion on income inequality is tested using the two-step system generalized method of moment (SYS-GMM) estimator.

Findings

The findings reveal the negative effect of fiscal illusion on income inequality, which means increasing fiscal illusion decreases income inequality in 46 selected countries. As in other countries, income inequality declines when fiscal illusion increases in high-income and developed countries, although the redistributive effect of fiscal illusion is more in high-income and developed countries than in other countries. In addition, the results demonstrate the positive effect of unemployment, urbanization and inflation as well as the negative effect of trade openness on income inequality in all three models.

Originality/value

Previous studies have examined the role of government in controlling income inequality from different perspectives; however, no study has detected the role of government in income distribution regarding fiscal illusion.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2022-0311.
Can market risk explain the systemic risk? Evidence from the US banking industry
Authors: Tzouvanas Panagiotis
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This paper sheds light on the impact of market risk measures on systemic risk. Market risk, which is captured by the volatility of stock market returns, is also decomposed into systematic and idiosyncratic risks.

Design/methodology/approach

The author uses the five-factor asset pricing model and systemic risk methodologies to derive market and systemic risk measures, respectively. Using a sample of 2,667 US banks for over 30 years and employing panel data estimation techniques, the author tests the said relationship.

Findings

It is shown that idiosyncratic risk can surge systemic risk, while systematic risk plays a less important role. Results survive a battery of tests, including different systemic risk measures, controlling causality and interacting with bank size, market fear and crisis periods.

Practical implications

These findings call for regulatory intervention, especially for large banks with high idiosyncratic risk.

Originality/value

This is the first paper that provides a more granular picture of the relationship between market and systemic risk from the US banking industry for more than 30 years.
The unethical use of deepfakes
Authors: de Rancourt-Raymond Audrey , Smaili Nadia
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to discuss the harmful use of deepfakes in an organizational context, based on the only two cases the authors found that were addressed by the media from the perspective of corporate fraud. This study offers an overview of deepfake technology, and in particular, examines five W questions to better decipher the impact of these tools on organizations: What is deepfake? Who is the fraudster and who is targeted? Why use them and how? And What after? Based on these five W questions, this study provides an in-depth discussion of the two cases identified. Even though this technology has several advantages, this study examines its dark side.

Design/methodology/approach

Using comparative analysis, the authors study the only two known and publicized fraud cases by using deepfakes that have targeted chief executive officers to date.

Findings

The paper provides an extensive picture of the unethical and illicit use of deepfakes in an organizational context and discusses how this technology could affect fraud risk. In addition, the analysis of cases shows that voice-generating software, combined with other fraud schemes such as business email compromise, facilitates the commission of the fraud, as the victims feel confident because they recognize the speaker’s voice and emails. The analysis shows that any organization could be vulnerable to this technology. The median costs of this type of fraud can be high. For the two cases identified, the estimated losses amounted to US$243,000 and US$35,000,000, respectively.

Originality/value

This paper adds new insights to the scarce research on deepfakes and financial crime by investigating the causes and consequences of the unethical and illicit use of deepfakes. It has several implications for organizations, boards of directors, management and regulatory authorities.
Enhancing the level of confidence in the safe fire evacuation operation employing a combination of BIM and fuzzy TOPSIS method
Authors: Soltaninejad Meysam , Noorzai Esmatullah , Faraji Amir
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This research aims to provide optimization and route safety planning employing the fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) technique.

Design/methodology/approach

This research combines the use of graphical, communication tools and simulated models based on building information modeling (BIM) technology and agent-based modeling (ABM) to identify a safe evacuation route. Adopting the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach, the proposed rescue plan can reduce potential hazards along the evacuation route by selecting a safe route for evacuating residents and entering firefighters to the scene of the incident.

Findings

The results show that the use of simulated models along with MCDM methods in the selection of safe routes improves the performance of safe evacuation operations for both relief groups and residents.

Practical implications

The introduced model can improve the performance management of different groups at the time of the incident and reduce casualties and property losses using the information received from sensors at the scene. Moreover, the proposed rescue plan prevents group and individual reactivation at the time of the incident.

Originality/value

Despite many advances in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, the number of victims of fire incidents in buildings is increasing compared to other natural disasters. Improving decision management based on effective parameters at the time of incident reduces casualties of residents and rescue workers.
Long‐term maternal mortality risk following spontaneous preterm birth: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Theilen Lauren H. , Hammad Ibrahim , Meeks Huong , Fraser Alison , Manuck Tracy A. , Varner Michael W. , Smith Ken R.
Published: May 2023

Objective

To determine whether women with spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) have increased risks for long‐term mortality.

Design

Retrospective cohort.

Setting

Births in Utah between 1939 and 1977.

Population

We included women with a singleton live birth ≥20 weeks who survived at least 1 year following delivery. We excluded those who had never lived in Utah, had improbable birthweight/gestational age combinations, underwent induction (except for preterm membrane rupture) or had another diagnosis likely to cause PTB.

Methods

Exposed women had ≥1 spontaneous PTB between 20+0 weeks and 37+0 weeks. Women with >1 spontaneous PTB were included only once. Unexposed women had all deliveries at or beyond 38+0 weeks. Exposed women were matched to unexposed women by birth year, infant sex, maternal age group and infant birth order. Included women were followed up to 39 years after index delivery.

Main outcome measures

Overall and cause‐specific mortality risks were compared using Cox regression.

Results

We included 29 048 exposed and 57 992 matched unexposed women. There were 3551 deaths among exposed (12.2%) and 6013 deaths among unexposed women (10.4%). Spontaneous PTB was associated with all‐cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21–1.31), death from neoplasms (aHR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.18), circulatory disease (aHR 1.35, 95% CI 1.25–1.46), respiratory disease (aHR 1.73, 95% CI 1.46–2.06), digestive disease (aHR 1.33, 95% CI 1.12–1.58), genito‐urinary disease (aHR 1.60, 95% CI 1.15–2.23) and external causes (aHR 1.39, 95% CI 1.22–1.58).

Conclusions

Spontaneous PTB is associated with modestly increased risks for all‐cause and some cause‐specific mortality.
Cutting the Gordian Knot: Reassessing Australia's Lend‐Lease Settlement1
Authors: Clayton Mark
Published: May 2023

During the Second World War, Australia received almost $2 billion worth of Lend‐Lease aid from the United States — the largest foreign debt ever incurred by the Commonwealth. The settlement terms for this debt, however, were never defined or discussed during that conflict, remaining “an uncertain obligation to be assessed by an unknown person on an unspecified day of judgment.”2 This paper examines the economic, military, and geopolitical factors that shaped Australia's Lend‐Lease Settlement Agreement of June 1946. It focusses on the military aircraft which accounted for a quarter of this foreign debt. The least saleable of all Lend‐Lease surpluses, these also proved the most challenging for US and Australian negotiators. Having contested initial US claims and secured sizeable debt reductions, Lend‐Lease settlement was trumpeted by the Chifley government as a great diplomatic success. Findings from this investigation indicate instead that Australia's Lend‐Lease settlement terms were restrictive, and possibly punitive, having been substantially determined by US domestic and partisan‐political considerations. Moreover, these details and their significant implications were withheld from the public, the media, and the parliamentary opposition in the months leading to the September 1946 federal election.
The non‐essential‐essential worker: Thinking with Collins's “Revaluing work after COVID‐19”
Authors: Astacio Patricia Alvarez
Published: May 2023

As I read “Revaluing Work after COVID‐19” (Collins, this issue), I wondered how was it that garment workers making the personal protective equipment (PPE) so desperately needed during the pandemic were never considered “essential workers.” As governments wrestled with the need to sustain their economies while safeguarding the health of citizens, keeping health infrastructures functioning, and ensuring the basic needs of populations could be met, they had to determine whose work was “essential.” As Collins (this issue) shows, these debates exceeded the “narrow technical meanings coming to signify workers who were putting their lives on the line to insure the well‐being of the rest of us.” Amidst celebrations of other “essential workers” and craftivists sewing masks from the comfort of their homes, the non‐essential essential labor of garment workers stayed on the margins of the historical memory of COVID‐19. This essay thinks with Collins to consider how garment workers got lost in between the scales of the national and transnational.
The long‐term legacy of subvolcanic intrusions on fluid migration in sedimentary basins: The Cerro Alquitrán case study, northern Neuquén Basin, Argentina
Authors: Galland Olivier , Villar Héctor J. , Mescua José , Jerram Dougal A. , Midtkandal Ivar , Palma J. Octavio , Planke Sverre , Zanella Alain
Published: May 2023

Cooling subvolcanic igneous intrusions are known to have a substantial impact on fluid flow in the shallow Earth's crust, for example activation of geothermal systems, circulation of mineralized fluids in ore deposits, fast maturation of organic matter in sedimentary rocks and the potential release of large volumes of greenhouse gases, which have triggered mass extinctions during the Earth's history. However, the long‐term post‐cooling legacy of subvolcanic intrusions on fluid flow received much less attention. Here we describe a demonstrative geological example in the Andean foothills, Argentina, showing that igneous intrusions have long‐term effects on fluid flow after their emplacement and cooling. The case study is a ca. 11‐million‐year‐old, eroded subvolcanic conduit, at the rims of which large volumes of bitumen are naturally seeping out on the Earth's surface. This contribution highlights that intense syn‐emplacement fracturing of the magma has created high‐permeability pathways that affect the regional fluid circulations, even millions of years after cooling. Our observations reveal how extinct subvolcanic intrusions have long‐term consequences on subsurface fluid circulations, which need to be accounted for in the exploration of geothermal energy, drinkable groundwater, hydrocarbons and CO2 sequestration in volcanic basins and regions hosting ancient shallow magma intrusions.
Clinical characteristics and treatment of patients with central pulmonary embolism and right heart thrombus
Authors: Cantu‐Martinez Omar , Martinez Manzano Jose Manuel , Peterson Eric , Tito Sahana , Prendergast Alexander , Jarrett Simone A. , Chiang Brenda , Wattoo Ammaar , Benzaquen Sadia , Lo Kevin Bryan , Amanullah Aman
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Right heart thrombus (RHT), also known as clot in transit, is an uncommon finding in pulmonary embolism (PE) that is associated with increased inpatient mortality. To date, there is no consensus on the management of RHT. Therefore, we aim to describe the clinical features, treatments, and outcomes of patients with simultaneous RHT and PE.

Methods

This is a retrospective, cross‐sectional, and single‐center study of hospitalized patients with central PE who had RHT visualized on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) from January 2012 to May 2022. We use descriptive statistics to describe their clinical features, treatments, and outcomes, including mechanical ventilation, major bleeding, inpatient mortality, length of hospital stay, and recurrent PE on follow‐up.

Results

Of 433 patients with central PE who underwent TTE, nine patients (2%) had RHT. The median age was 63 years (range 29–87), most were African American (6/9), and females (5/9). All patients had evidence of RV dysfunction and received therapeutic anticoagulation. Eight patients received RHT‐directed interventions, including systemic thrombolysis (2/9), catheter‐directed suction embolectomy (4/9), and surgical embolectomy (2/9). Regarding outcomes, 4/9 patients were hemodynamically unstable, 8/9 were hypoxemic, and 2/9 were mechanically ventilated. The median length of hospital stay was six days (range 1–16). One patient died during hospital admission, and two patients had recurrent PE.

Conclusion

We described the different therapeutic approaches and outcomes of patients with RHT treated in our institution. Our study adds valuable information to the literature, as there is no consensus on the treatment of RHT.

Highlights

Right heart thrombus (RHT) was a rare finding in central pulmonary embolism.

Most patients with RHT had evidence of RV dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension.

Most patients received RHT‐directed therapies in addition to therapeutic anticoagulation.
Short implants: Influence of different diameters, torques, and transmucosal heights of straight prosthetic abutments on screw preload loss after cycling
Authors: da Silva Karla Regina Nogueira , Teixeira Lucas Novaes , Teixeira Marcelo Lucchesi , Ambrosano Guilherme Bovi , Martinez Elizabeth Ferreira
Published: May 2023

This study evaluated the influence of different implant diameters, insertion torques, and transmucosal heights on the loosening of abutments installed on short implants, after mechanical cycling. The Morse taper connection implants (n = 96) tested were 5 mm high, divided according to the platform diameter: 4 or 6 mm. A universal abutment was coupled to each implant (with different transmucosal heights: 1 or 5 mm). The sets were subdivided into 20‐ and 32‐Ncm torque. After the cycle fatigue test, the detorque values were measured with a digital torque indicator. After mechanical cycling, the mean detorque values obtained for the abutment with 20‐Ncm insertion torque were lower than for implants with 32‐Ncm insertion torque, regardless of the platform diameter or transmucosal height. In the 20‐Ncm torque group, there was no statistically significant difference in the detorque values between platform diameters or transmucosal heights. Otherwise, for 32‐Ncm sets, a smaller platform diameter (4 mm), and a longer transmucosal height (5 mm) showed the lowest detorque values. In conclusion, implants placed with 32‐Ncm insertion torque and abutments with 1 mm transmucosal height and a 6 mm implant diameter demonstrated the highest detorque values.
SELF‐IDENTITY AND THE JEWISH BODY: ASSIMILATED GERMAN‐SPEAKING JEWISH AUTHORS ON TRADITIONAL JUDAISM
Authors: Almog Yael
Published: May 2023

This article investigates portrayals of traditional Judaism and observant Jews in writings by assimilated German‐Jewish authors. It thus explores notions projected onto traditional Jews – and particularly the Jewish body – as elements immanent to Jewish cultural production. At the centre of the enquiry are Heinrich Heine's Hebräische Melodien (1851), Otto Weininger's Geschlecht und Charakter (1902) and Joseph Roth's Juden auf Wanderschaft (1927). These writings construct speakers or narrators who endeavour to depart from traditional Judaism while at the same time questioning the feasibility of this effort. Following this dynamic, the article proposes that Anthony Giddens’ notion of self‐identity can elucidate the pre‐occupation with the body in modern German‐Jewish literature. This preoccupation illustrates individuals’ internalisation of social norms as well as their active rewriting of these same norms.
INFERNAL MATTER(S) AND THE POWER OF THE WORD IN FERIDUN ZAIMOGLU'S EVANGELIO
Authors: Littler Margaret
Published: May 2023

Feridun Zaimoglu's ‘Luther‐Roman’ Evangelio (2017) concerns Martin Luther's incarceration in the Wartburg (1521–2), evoking his struggles with Satan, his translation of the New Testament into German, and the spiritual and political volatility of his world. Reception of the novel was mixed, some readers delighting in the archaic idiom that echoes Luther's own Early New High German, others disappointed by the absence of a recognisable engagement with Luther's theology. This essay locates the novel in the context of two important features of Zaimoglu's work: his fascination with the transformative potential of religious belief and the well‐known virtuosity of his literary language. Drawing on the materialist philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari it adopts a non‐representational approach to the novel's immersive narrative, viewing the forces unleashed by Luther's heresy in terms of the Deleuzian war machine, rendering reality unstable before the Reformation takes its historically documented course. This is achieved in a poetic language that evokes the demotic idiom of Luther's own translation. The novel may not represent Luther's theology, but it enacts the power of the word so central to his translation project.
Poverty in Europe: How long‐term poverty developed following the financial crisis and what drives it
Authors: Franzen Axel , Bahr Sebastian
Published: May 2023

The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on the development of the long‐term relative poverty rate in Europe. We use European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions data (EU‐SILC) for 26 European countries between 2009 and 2018. In addition to describing the development of long‐term poverty, we also analyse the drivers of poverty on the country level via fixed effects panel regression analysis. We are particularly interested in how economic growth, employment rates, social expenditure, and short‐term poverty rates are related to long‐term poverty. Overall, the results show that long‐term poverty has increased in 13 out of 26 countries, but was unchanged or decreased in 13 countries. Gross domestic product growth is not related to the development of long‐term poverty. However, we find that male employment and social welfare expenditure reduce poverty rates. Furthermore, short‐term poverty is negatively associated with long‐term poverty. Hence, short‐term poverty and long‐term poverty rather substitute than complement each other.
Professional quality of life, resilience, posttraumatic stress and leisure activity among intensive care unit nurses
Authors: Shin Noori , Choi Yun‐Jung
Published: May 2023

Background

Nurses working in the intensive care unit (ICU) often experience posttraumatic stress due to being exposed to pain, death, disease and surrogate trauma. Thus, it is necessary to investigate ways to enhance their coping abilities and improve their professional quality of life.

Aim

This study explores factors related to professional quality of life, resilience and posttraumatic stress of ICU nurses and provides basic data for the development of psychological support programmes to address.

Methods

The participants in this cross‐sectional study consisted of 112 ICU nurses working at a general hospital in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected using self‐report questionnaires on general characteristics, professional quality of life, resilience and posttraumatic stress and analysed using IBM SPSS for Windows version 25.

Findings

Professional quality of life showed a significant positive correlation with nurses’ resilience, whereas posttraumatic stress was significantly negatively correlated with professional quality of life. Among participants’ general characteristics, leisure activity showed the strongest positive correlation with professional quality of life and resilience and a significant negative correlation with posttraumatic stress.

Conclusion

This study explored the correlations among resilience, posttraumatic stress and professional quality of life of ICU nurses. Further, we found that leisure activities are associated with their higher resilience and lower posttraumatic stress.

Implications for Nursing and Health Policy

Policy development and organisational supports are required to promote various club activities and stress reduction programmes for clinical nurses in order to increase their professional quality of life and resilience as well as prevent posttraumatic stress.