bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acquisition of non-olfactory encoding improves odour discrimination in olfactory cortex
Authors: Federman Noel , Romano Sebastián A. , Amigo-Duran Macarena , Salomon Lucca , Marin-Burgin Antonia
Published: July 2023

Primary sensory cortices, initially considered elementary encoders of physicochemical attributes of environmental stimuli, are now known to be modulated by other aspects of experience, such as attentional state and internal expectations1–3, movement-related signals4–7and spatial information2, 8, 9. However, the specific role of these signals in cortical sensory processing is not fully understood10. Here we reveal multiple and diverse non-olfactory responses in the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex (PCx), which dynamically enhance PCx odour discrimination according to behavioural demands. We designed a behavioural task using a virtual reality environment and performed recordings in PCx neurons. In this task, mice were trained to associate specific odours with visual contexts in order to receive a reward. We found that learning shifts PCx activity from encoding solely odour identity to a more complex regime. In this regime, positional, contextual, and associative responses emerge on odour-responsive neurons that thus become mixed-selective. Contextual information is sustained in PCx activity of expert animals, specifically when visual context identity is needed to solve the task. After learning, odours are better decoded from PCx activity when mice are engaged in the task and when odours are presented within a rewarded context. This enhancement of PCx olfactory processing is reliant on the acquired mixed-selectivity. Thus, the integration of extra-sensory inputs within primary sensory cortices can encode the behavioural relevance of encountered stimuli while improving sensory processing.
Gladstone–Dale compatibility, electronic polarizability and vibrational spectroscopy of minerals and inorganic compounds with V4+O and V4+O2 vanadyl groups
Authors: Chukanov Nikita V. , Fischer Reinhard X. , Kazheva Olga N. , Aksenov Sergey M.
Published: July 2023

VO and VO2 vanadyl groups with short (typically 1.57–1.68 Å), essentially covalent, V—O bonds are common for V4+-bearing oxysalts with [5]- and [6]-coordinated vanadium. There is a clear negative correlation between vanadyl bond lengths and wavenumbers of the bands of V—O stretching vibrations in infrared spectra (in the range 1000–880 cm−1). Optical, structural and chemical data for vanadyl minerals are used to calculate Gladstone–Dale compatibility coefficients. Gladstone–Dale compatibility indices of minerals containing vanadyl bonds are compared with total electronic polarizabilities of V4+. Unlike compounds of [5]-coordinated Ti4+, for most minerals with V4+=O (vanadyl) bonds there is good agreement between measured refractive indices and those calculated based on the polarizability concept.
Phenomenographic analysis of students' learning approaches in the first year of architectural design study
Authors: Iyer Ashok Ganapathy , Roberts Andrew
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper presents the phenomenographic analysis of students' approaches to learning in the first year architectural design coursework; thereby correlating contextualization in the architectural curriculum.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews phenomenographic data of first year architecture students' learning experience through a comparative analysis of first- and fourth-year students' approaches to learning in the design studio; further co-relating this analysis to the final classification involving all five years of students' learning approaches in the architecture program.

Findings

Five meta-categories of the comparative analysis and nineteen meta-categories of the final classification are evaluated using first-year students' learning approaches – to understand the importance of contextualization in curriculums of architecture.

Practical implications

This phenomenographic analysis of first-year students' learning experience represents the onward journey from surface-to-deep approaches to learning that is encountered in their learning approaches, pertaining to the design process in the design coursework during five years of architectural education.

Originality/value

This paper systematically extends the discussion of first year architecture students' engagement in the design process that leads to deep learning; further delving into the static dimension of knowledge and its extension to the dynamic dimension of knowing architecture.
Exploring the role of digitalization as a driver for the adoption of circular economy principles in agrifood SMEs – an interpretive case study
Authors: Farace Biasino , Tarabella Angela
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This research aims to investigate the role of digitalization in facilitating the integration of circular economy (CE) principles within a firm operating in the Italian agrifood sector. The study seeks to explore the evidence and effects emerging from the adoption of digital technologies in a small and medium enterprise (SME) operational setting.

Design/methodology/approach

An interpretative case study was conducted on an SME operating in the Italian agrifood sector. The selected firm is known to adopt a business model oriented towards circularity by using entirely digitized closed-loop hydroponic cultivation.

Findings

The findings reveal that the digitalization of the production process, supported by an integrated information system, enables optimizing the use and consumption of natural resources and minimizes waste during the production stage. Additionally, the authors observed that digitalization triggers a complex mechanism of interaction between various firm factors, market dynamics and forms of institutionalization, which are intrinsically intertwined with the concepts of sustainability and resilience in the agrifood sector.

Originality/value

From a theoretical point of view, the interpretive reading key – historically appropriate to embrace the complexity of the phenomena under study – can foster a deeper understanding of the dynamics underlying digitalization as an enabling factor to facilitating the adoption of CE principles in the agrifood sector. Regarding managerial implications, the study contributes to the debate on the importance of digital transition in the agrifood industry, which in the Italian context shows considerable resistance due, especially, to the size of the firms (mainly SMEs and micro) and managerial conservatism tradition.
Decoupling of a management standard: how decision-makers reinterpret, renegotiate, and modify the adoption of ISO 9001
Authors: Georgiev Emil , Georgiev Svetoslav
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The authors extend the literature on decoupling by analyzing the microlevel effects of institutionalized practices within the framework of international standards. This study investigates the specific informal management practices that decision-makers embrace in order for organizations to achieve ISO 9001 certification without all regulations being adopted and followed according to the standard's original design and purpose.

Design/methodology/approach

As the basis for its research framework, this paper adopts the neo-institutional theory. The research employs the comparative case study method and draws its data from a sample of 21 ISO 9001:2008 certified organizations in Bulgaria.

Findings

The results show ambivalent behavior toward the ISO 9001 standard's formal requirements. This behavior is expressed through targeted noncompliance with (certain) regulations and procedures regarding top management commitment, as well as documented information which are formally adopted within the organization and certified as complying with the standard.

Research limitations/implications

The study has implications for future research into decoupling, organizational learning, and standardization. In terms of limitations, the authors examined the process of decoupling from a micro perspective in Bulgaria only. Noncompliance with international standards such as the ISO 9000 may exhibit specific regional or national characteristics.

Practical implications

Findings from this research encourage the International Standards Organization to respond to previous calls for revising the formal structure of ISO 9000 and other international management standards by considering a more flexible and liberal point of view.

Originality/value

As opposed to previous studies which have explored decoupling from a macro perspective, this study focuses on how the internal constraints imposed by the standard's universal requirements are being mitigated at a micro level. That is, the authors provide a detailed account of the specific informal management practices which managers (deliberately) adopt in order to achieve certification without fully integrating the formal criteria imposed by international standards (e.g. ISO 9001).
Corruption, corporate governance, and sustainable development goals in Africa
Authors: Ahmed Abubakar , Anifowose Mutalib
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between corruption, corporate governance and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use panel data from 42 African countries over the period 2017–2020 and ordinary least square regression to test the research hypotheses. The authors also use alternative estimation techniques, including the fixed effect and random effect regressions and the generalized method of moment, to test the robustness of the results.

Findings

The results indicate that corruption negatively affects sustainable development (SD), whereas the effect of corporate governance is positive and significant. In addition, the positive influence of corporate governance on SD is stronger for countries with high corruption prevalence.

Practical implications

Policymakers may rely on the outcome of this study to formulate practical and implementable solutions around corruption and corporate governance that can help toward the achievement of the SDGs. Specifically, corporate governance mechanisms may be relied upon to achieve SD in countries with a high corruption prevalence.

Social implications

The social implication of this paper is that it demonstrates the adverse impact of corruption, which is rife in most African countries. Understanding corruption and the SDGs relationship will promote discussion with overarching implications for developing countries. Overall, the findings can sensitize society to the harmful effects of corruption and the positive effects of good corporate governance.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to literature and practice by demonstrating that corporate governance plays a significant role in the realization of national and global objectives such as the SDGs. This paper also provides novel evidence that corporate governance matters more in countries with a higher corruption incidence.
Dark side of teleworking: impact of initiated interdependence, professional isolation and psychological detachment on emotional exhaustion
Authors: Lyndon Shiji , Rokadia Husain , Navare Ajinkya
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The study aims to examine the dark side of teleworking and tests the various factors which lead to employee exhaustion while teleworking. The study examines two key variables, i.e. initiated interdependence and professional isolation, as antecedents of emotional exhaustion amongst employees who are teleworking. The study further investigates the mediating role of psychological detachment in these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 307 employees who were teleworking for more than three months. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypothesis.

Findings

The study found that initiated interdependence and professional isolation positively impact emotional exhaustion. These findings suggest that employees whose work is designed such that others depend on them will experience high emotional exhaustion while teleworking. Also, employees who experience professional isolation because of a lack of connection while teleworking will experience emotional exhaustion. The study also revealed the mediating role of psychological detachment in these relationships.

Practical implications

The study has insights for policy-making concerning telework practices.

Originality/value

It is one of the first studies examining the impact of teleworking in a context when it is not a choice exercised by the employees but has been imposed upon them. This study is particularly relevant in the context of the decision made by some organizations to move to telework as a permanent work format.
New work in modern times: predicting employees’ choice to work from home
Authors: Borzikowsky Christoph , Raimer Stephan , Kowalski Jens
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Not only since the Corona pandemic, working from home has become an important part of the modern workplace. The purpose of this study is to identify environmental as well as psychological factors that could predict employees’ weekly desired home office.

Design/methodology/approach

Two cross-sectional online surveys were conducted during April and July 2022 at a German company for digital services (Study 1: N1 = 1,912; Study 2: N2 = 1,132). In Study 1, the authors developed a multiple linear regression model with backward selection for employees’ weekly desired home office. Predictor variables were sociodemographic as well as psychological variables. After that, the authors validated the exploratory found model in Study 2.

Findings

In the final prediction model, the weekly desired home office was positively affected by two age groups (26 to 35 years and 36 to 45 years) and commuting distance (from 10 km upwards). In addition, it was also negatively affected by leader status (i.e. being a leader), stress experience at work and identification with the company.

Research limitations/implications

Some sociodemographic variables that should be relevant for employees’ choice to work from home were not measured in this study.

Practical implications

The paper contributes to both theory and practice. The validated prediction model may guide personnel managers in finding the best-fitting working solution for their employees.

Originality/value

A newly developed model for predicting employees’ weekly desired home office is presented.
Numerical computation on MHD natural convective ternary nanofluid flow and heat transfer in a porous square cavity: Marker-and-cell technique
Authors: Thirumalaisamy K. , Reddy A. Subramanyam
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The analysis of fluid flow and thermal transport performance inside the cavity has found numerous applications in various engineering fields, such as nuclear reactors and solar collectors. Nowadays, researchers are concentrating on improving heat transfer by using ternary nanofluids. With this motivation, the present study analyzes the natural convective flow and heat transfer efficiency of ternary nanofluids in different types of porous square cavities.

Design/methodology/approach

The cavity inclination angle is fixedω= 0 in case (I) andω=π4in case (II). The traditional fluid is water, andFe3O4+MWCNT+Cu/H2Ois treated as a working fluid. Ternary nanofluid's thermophysical properties are considered, according to the Tiwari–Das model. The marker-and-cell numerical scheme is adopted to solve the transformed dimensionless mathematical model with associated initial–boundary conditions.

Findings

The average heat transfer rate is computed for four combinations of ternary nanofluids:Fe3O4(25%)+MWCNT(25%)+Cu(50%),Fe3O4(50%)+MWCNT(25%)+Cu(25%),Fe3O4(33.3%)+MWCNT(33.3%)+Cu(33.3%)andFe3O4(25%)+MWCNT(50%)+Cu(25%)under the influence of various physical factors such as volume fraction of nanoparticles, inclined magnetic field, cavity inclination angle, porous medium, internal heat generation/absorption and thermal radiation. The transport phenomena within the square cavity are graphically displayed via streamlines, isotherms, local and average Nusselt number profiles with adequate physical interpretations.

Practical implications

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the ternary nanofluids may be used to achieve the high thermal transmission in nuclear power systems, generators and electronic device applications.

Social implications

The current analysis is useful to improve the thermal features of nuclear reactors, solar collectors, energy storage and hybrid fuel cells.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research has been carried out related to the magneto-hydrodynamic natural convectiveFe3O4+MWCNT+Cu/H2Oternary nanofluid flow and heat transmission filled in porous square cavities with an inclined cavity angle. The computational outcomes revealed that the average heat transfer depends not only on the nanoparticle’s volume concentration but also on the existence of heat source and sink.
Using item response theory in the assessment of the financial well-being scale: an application in Brazil and India
Authors: Ponchio Mateus Canniatti , Soni Mayank Jyotsna , Singha Mahapatra Mousumi , Sarkar Soumya
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate Netemeyer and colleagues' much cited financial well-being scale in Brazil and India and compare responses from different demographics. It also compares the results using two analysis techniques, item response theory (IRT) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 994 survey responses from Brazil and 1,081 from India were collected. IRT and CFA models were used to analyse the data.

Findings

The results demonstrate the two-dimensional structure of the financial well-being scale and show that different items are differentially useful in measuring the construct across different groups. These findings may support the scale's future refinement and use in applied studies that will target specific groups (e.g. males, females, younger respondents and older respondents).

Research limitations/implications

This study serves as an example to others who can explore the advantages of IRT over classical test theory methods to assess the psychometric properties of scales aimed at measuring latent constructs of interest in the field of marketing.

Practical implications

The correct diagnosis of financial well-being is important to guide interventions by governments and non-governmental entities, as well as by financial institutions interested in better understanding individuals.

Originality/value

The authors show how the identification of the characteristics of scale items provided by the IRT technique allows for a better understanding of its properties and how it can be improved.
Transforming boundaries: how does ChatGPT change knowledge work?
Authors: Ritala Paavo , Ruokonen Mika , Ramaul Laavanya
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate how the new generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool ChatGPT changes knowledge work for individuals and what are the implications of this change for companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on 22 interviews from informants across different industries, the authors conducted an inductive analysis on the use and utility of ChatGPT in knowledge work. Based on this initial analysis, they discovered different ways in which ChatGPT either augments human agency, makes it redundant or lacks capability in that regard.

Findings

The authors develop a 2 × 2 framework of algorithmic assistance, which demonstrates four ways in which ChatGPT (and generative AI in general) interacts with knowledge workers, depending on the usefulness of ChatGPT in particular tasks and the type of the task (routine vs creative).

Practical implications

Based on the insights from the interviews, the authors propose a set of actionable questions for individual knowledge workers and companies from four viewpoints: skills and capabilities; team structure and workflow coordination; culture and mindset; and business model innovation.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to identify and analyze the use of ChatGPT by knowledge workers across different industries.
Impediments during the compilation of a search and seizure warrant for digital information by forensic investigators in South Africa
Authors: Nortje Jacobus Gerhardus J. , Myburgh Daniel Christoffel
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss impediments in the compilation of an application for a search and seizure warrant for digital evidence and the structure of such a warrant in South African criminal cases.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper provides a brief overview of international and local impediments, followed by a detailed discussion of the implications of these impediments and how it is approached in various jurisdictions. The methodology of this paper consists of a literature review.

Findings

Addressing the impediments in the compilation of the application and the warrant will be beneficial for forensic investigators, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the administration of justice in South Africa.

Research limitations/implications

Search and seizures for digital evidence form part of civil, regulatory and criminal search and seizures. This study focuses on the search and seizure of digital evidence in criminal matters pursuant to mainly the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 and the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper lies in the approach to the drafting of applications for search and seizure warrants for digital information in South Africa. The contribution of the study is that, by using this approach, the SAPS can address the impediments during the application and compilation of the warrants, which would enhance the quality of investigations and contribute to the successful investigation and prosecution of crime in South Africa.
Much ahead of her times: Annie Besant’s life and journalism as a framework for sustainable women empowerment model
Authors: Hegde Sudha
Published: July 2023

Purpose

By studying Annie Besant’s leadership style as a transformational leader, women can learn how to effectively lead and empower themselves and others in their pursuits.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study explores the potential of Annie Besant’s personality traits and leadership style to derive a model for sustainable women’s empowerment.

Findings

This study provides valuable insights into a potential framework for sustainable women empowerment based on Annie Besant’s personality traits and proposes a sustainable women empowerment model.

Research limitations/implications

This is a theoretical model represented in a graphical mode, the societal impact of the model is yet to be ascertained.

Originality/value

This article is an original concept inspired by the life of Annie Besant, an Irish woman of many virtues.
An ultrawideband Koch fractal patch antenna
Authors: Masroor Iqra , Ansari Jamshed Aslam
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Compact and wideband antennas are the need of modern wireless systems that preferably work with compact, low-profile and easy-to-install devices that provide a wider coverage of operating frequencies. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel compact and ultrawideband (UWB) microstrip patch antenna intended for high frequency wireless applications.

Design/methodology/approach

A square microstrip patch antenna was initially modeled on finite element method-based electromagnetic simulation tool high frequency structure simulator. It was then loaded with a rectangular slit and Koch snowflake-shaped fractal notches for bandwidth enhancement. The fabricated prototype was tested by using vector network analyzer from Agilent Technologies, N5247A, Santa Clara, California, United States (US).

Findings

The designed Koch fractal patch antenna is highly compact with dimensions of 10 × 10 mm only and possesses UWB characteristics with multiple resonances in the operating band. The −10 dB measured impedance bandwidth was observed to be approximately 13.65 GHz in the frequency range (23.20–36.85 GHz).

Originality/value

Owing to its simple and compact structure, positive and substantial gain values, high radiation efficiency and stable radiation patterns throughout the frequency band of interest, the proposed antenna is a suitable candidate for high frequency wireless applications in the K (18–27 GHz) and Ka (26.5–40 GHz) microwave bands.
Test of a brief scale designed to measure high-level managers’ indirect leadership
Authors: Larsson Gerry , Höglund Madelene , Henrysson Jonas
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The Indirect Leadership Questionnaire (ILQ) is constructed to measure important parts of a theoretical model of indirect leadership to be used in leadership courses for high-level managers. The ILQ consists of 15 model-derived items plus extra space that provides for free-text comments. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the ILQ, its predictive power and practical usefulness in indirect leadership courses and to evaluate the indirect leadership model in the light of new data.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample consisted of 225 higher managers and 6–10 of their subordinates (total: 1,703). The latter were working at least two hierarchical levels below their higher manager. The managers made self-ratings, and the subordinates rated their respective higher manager using the ILQ.

Findings

Results showed that the ILQ has acceptable psychometric properties in terms of dimensionality (two model-compatible factors were obtained), reliability, discriminability and predictive power. Previous problems with many “Don’t know” responses from subordinates working two or more hierarchical levels below their higher manager were considerably reduced. A qualitative analysis of the free-text responses showed that indirect leadership behaviors that can be seen as inspirational influence and communication skills should be more emphasized in future indirect leadership courses. The leaders’ personality, task-related competence and performance-orientation were also highlighted more than in the indirect leadership model.

Research limitations/implications

It was concluded that the ILQ is a useful tool in indirect leadership courses but that it is too limited to be used as a basis for theory development of indirect leadership.

Originality/value

The ILQ has acceptable psychometric properties and provides an easy-to-use tool to gain practical, usable knowledge of the “how’s” of indirect leadership.
Research on the heterogeneity of technical innovation in the Chinese e-cigarette industry – rethinking the A-U model
Authors: Xu Yanmei , Zhang Yanan , Wang Ziqiang , Song Xia , Bai Zhenli , Li Xiang
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Unlike traditional industries, the e-cigarette is an epoch-making innovative product originating in China and occupying an absolute competitive advantage in the international market. The traditional A-U model describes the laws and characteristics of technological innovation in developed countries. In contrast, the inverse A-U model depicts the process of “secondary innovation” in late-developing countries through digestion and absorption. This paper aims to find out that if the e-cigarette, as a “first innovation” industry in a late-developing country, conform to the A-U model or conform to the “inverse A-U model”.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper takes the patent data of e-cigarettes from 2004 to 2021 as the research object, and uses Python’s Jieba segment words to divide product innovation and process innovation, and then uses statistical analysis methods to conduct empirical analyses on these data.

Findings

Thus, an improved A-U model suitable for the e-cigarette industry is proposed. In this model, product innovation in the e-cigarette industry appeared earlier than process innovation, but the synchronous development of product and process innovation is not lagging. The improved A-U model in the e-cigarette industry is not only different from the traditional A-U model but also does not conform to the inverse A-U model.

Research limitations/implications

It is conducive to expanding and clarifying the theoretical contribution and applicable boundaries of the A-U model and has sparked thinking and exploration of the A-U model in e-cigarettes and emerging industries.

Practical implications

On this basis, suggestions on the development path and countermeasures of the e-cigarette industry are put forward.

Originality/value

Based on the e-cigarette industry, this paper takes patents as the research object and provides the method of dividing product innovation and process innovation, and proposes an A-U model suitable for the e-cigarette industry on this basis. By comparing the traditional A-U model with the inverse A-U model in latecomer countries, the background and causes of e-cigarette A-U model heterogeneity are analyzed from different stages and overall morphology. Based on this, the heterogeneity characteristics of e-cigarette innovation are summarized and sorted out.
Real‐world safety and efficacy of amenamevir in patients with herpes zoster in Japan: A postmarketing observational study (REWARD)
Authors: Imafuku Shinich , Korematsu Kenta , Mori Naoko , Kani Tsuyoshi , Matsui Keita
Published: July 2023

The helicase–primase inhibitor amenamevir (AMNV) was approved for herpes zoster in Japan in 2017. The authors conducted a 1‐month postmarketing observational study to evaluate the real‐world safety and efficacy (cutaneous improvement and pain resolution) of AMNV in patients with herpes zoster. Of the 3453 patients registered between March 2018 and December 2020, 3110 were included in the safety analyses. The mean age (±standard deviation) was 63.7 ± 17.5 years, with 57.9% of patients aged ≥65 years. Most patients had mild (53.3%) or moderate (41.0%) cutaneous lesions. Regarding pain, 43.9%, 25.6%, and 12.5% of patients had pain at the levels of 1–3, 4–6, and 7–10 on the numerical rating scale. In total, 30.0%, 27.2%, and 16.1% of patients were concomitantly treated with analgesics: acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, and Ca2+ channel α 2δ ligands, respectively, and 10.6% were treated with topical antiherpetic drugs. Adverse drug reactions occurred in 0.77% of patients, including four serious adverse drug reactions in four patients (hyponatremia, thrombocytopenia, rash, and rhabdomyolysis). Regarding important potential risks, renal disorder, cardiovascular events, and decreased platelets were observed in one, one, and two patients, respectively. Concerning efficacy, the cutaneous improvement rate (significantly improved or improved) was 95.5%, with significantly higher improvement rates in patients treated with AMNV for 7 days and in patients with less severe cutaneous lesions or less pain. Factors affecting the time to pain resolution were the severity of cutaneous lesions and pain at the start of AMNV treatment and older age. This study demonstrated that the AMNV is safe and effective in patients with herpes zoster in a real‐world clinical setting.
Background factors predicting the occurrence of herpes zoster in atopic dermatitis patients treated with upadacitinib
Authors: Hagino Teppei , Saeki Hidehisa , Fujimoto Eita , Kanda Naoko
Published: July 2023

Upadacitinib, an oral Janus kinase 1 inhibitor approved for treating atopic dermatitis (AD), can cause adverse events such as herpes zoster (HZ) and acne. We aimed to identify background factors predicting the occurrence of HZ and acne during upadacitinib treatment in patients with AD. From August 2021 to December 2022, 112 Japanese patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD (aged ≥12 years) were treated with upadacitinib 15 mg/day (78 patients) or 30 mg/day (34 patients) plus topical corticosteroids or delgocitinib limited to head and neck for 3–9 months. AD patients with the occurrence of HZ during upadacitinib treatment had higher incidences for history of HZ and of bronchial asthma than those without in the upadacitinib 15 mg, 30 mg, and whole groups. AD patients with occurrence of HZ had higher pretreatment values of lactate dehydrogenase and eczema area and severity index on head and neck compared to those without in the upadacitinib 15 mg and whole groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that history of HZ was associated with the occurrence of HZ in the upadacitinib 15 mg and whole groups. The proportion of underage patients (<18 years) was higher in patients with occurrence of acne compared to those without in the upadacitinib 30 mg group, but no significant differences were found in the other background factors between the two patient populations. History of HZ may predict the occurrence of HZ during upadacitinib treatment in patients with AD.
Inhibition of nitrous oxide reduction in forest soil microcosms by different forms of methanobactin
Authors: Chang Jin , Peng Peng , Farhan Ul‐Haque Muhammad , Hira Abid , DiSpirito Alan A. , Semrau Jeremy D.
Published: July 2023

Copper plays a critical role in controlling greenhouse gas emissions as it is a key component of the particulate methane monooxygenase and nitrous oxide reductase. Some methanotrophs excrete methanobactin (MB) that has an extremely high copper affinity. As a result, MB may limit the ability of other microbes to gather copper, thereby decreasing their activity as well as impacting microbial community composition. Here, we show using forest soil microcosms that multiple forms of MB; MB from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b (MB‐OB3b) and MB from Methylocystis sp. strain SB2 (MB‐SB2) increased nitrous oxide (N2O) production as well caused significant shifts in microbial community composition. Such effects, however, were mediated by the amount of copper in the soils, with low‐copper soil microcosms showing the strongest response to MB. Furthermore, MB‐SB2 had a stronger effect, likely due to its higher affinity for copper. The presence of either form of MB also inhibited nitrite reduction and generally increased the presence of genes encoding for the iron‐containing nitrite reductase (nirS) over the copper‐dependent nitrite reductase (nirK). These data indicate the methanotrophic‐mediated production of MB can significantly impact multiple steps of denitrification, as well as have broad effects on microbial community composition of forest soils.
A retrospective analysis of cardiovascular deaths: A 5‐year autopsy study of 1045 cases in Antalya, Turkey
Authors: Deveci Cemyigit , Demircin Sema
Published: July 2023

This study aims to identify the macroscopic and microscopic changes that occur in the heart in different causes of cardiovascular death and sudden cardiac death in autopsy cases and evaluate the difficulties that a forensic practitioner may encounter during autopsies. All forensic autopsy cases in the Morgue Department of the Council of Forensic Medicine, Antalya Group Administration between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019, were examined, retrospectively. The cases were chosen according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and their autopsy reports were examined in detail. It was determined that 1045 cases met the study criteria, 735 of which were also met the sudden cardiac death criteria. The top three common causes of death were ischemic heart disease (n = 719, 68.8%), left ventricular hypertrophy (n = 105, 10%), and aortic dissection (n = 58, 5.5%). The frequency of myocardial interstitial fibrosis was significantly higher in deaths due to left ventricular hypertrophy than in deaths due to ischemic heart disease and other causes (χ2(2) = 33.365, p < 0.001). Despite detailed autopsy and histopathological examinations, some heart diseases that cause sudden death may still not be detected.
The graduate dietitian experience of employment and employability: A longitudinal qualitative research study from one Australian university
Authors: Blair Merran , Mitchell Lana , Gibson Simone , Rees Charlotte E. , Ottrey Ella , Monrouxe Lynn V. , Palermo Claire
Published: July 2023

Aims

Diet‐related chronic disease contributes significantly to the global burden of disease. Dietitians are best placed to address this disease burden, yet graduate dietitians may struggle to find employment. This study aimed to explore dietetics graduates' experiences of employment and employability, up to 6‐month post‐degree completion.

Methods

Secondary data analysis of in‐depth qualitative interview data and longitudinal audio‐diaries was undertaken. An interpretivist approach was employed whereby knowledge was viewed as subjective and multiple realities exist. A total of five entrance interviews, 31 audio‐diaries and three exit interviews, from nine graduates were included in the analysis. This comprised 12 h of longitudinal audio data. Thematic analysis was undertaken using a framework analysis method.

Results

Four key themes were identified: (1) The tumultuous process of applying for jobs demonstrated that graduates struggled with repeated rejections. (2) The uncertain journey to employment indicated that job‐seeking was a limbo stage marked by uncertainty. (3) Feeling the pressure showed that graduates experienced pressure from multiple sources. (4) Enhancing employability explained that graduates were not prepared for available employment opportunities, but utilised resources to increase their employability.

Conclusion

Diverse placement experiences may better prepare graduates for available employment opportunities. To enhance employability, it may be beneficial to assist students to develop job‐seeking skills, and to engage in networking and volunteering experiences during their education.
Stereotactic ablation: A game changer?
Authors: Bale Reto , Laimer Gregor , Schullian Peter , Alzaga Amilcar
Published: July 2023

For both primary and metastatic liver cancer, thermal ablation represents an interesting alternative to surgery. However, except for a small fraction of patients, conventional ultrasound‐ and CT‐guided single‐probe approaches have not achieved oncologic outcomes comparable with surgery. In this overview, we describe our stereotactic ablation workflow and discuss the short‐ and long‐term results of stereotactic radiofrequency ablation (SRFA) and stereotactic microwave ablation (SMWA) for the treatment of primary and secondary liver tumours. The advantages of this method are discussed together with a summary of the existing stereotactic techniques for thermal ablation and the clinical data that support them. Stereotactic ablation is based on an optical navigation system and a specialized aiming tool. The workflow includes advanced three‐dimensional planning, precise needle/probe placements according to the plan and intraoperative image fusion to check the needle positions and the ablation margins. Stereotactic ablation offers all the advantages of a minimally invasive procedure while producing oncological results comparable with surgery. The number of locally treatable liver cancers may be significantly expanded with these cutting‐edge instruments and methods. We firmly believe that it can become a cornerstone in the treatment of liver cancers.
Azathioprine hypersensitivity: A Sweet‐like syndrome
Authors: Sivanandam Lokesh Koumar , Begum Benazir , Martinez Ernesto Calderon , Garikipati Sushmita , Sanker Vivek , Siddiq Abdelmonem
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Azathioprine hypersensitivity can occasionally present as Sweet‐like syndrome, a dose‐independent side effect characterized by the unanticipated onset of macules, papules, and pustules.

Case presentation

A 35‐year‐old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus presented with complaints of generalized maculopapular rash, facial swelling, and bilateral lower extremity edema with a duration of 4 days and a 2‐day history of constitutional symptoms within 2 weeks of the beginning of azathioprine therapy to treat existing lupus nephritis (class 2/3).

Discussion

Patients who experience azathioprine hypersensitivity syndrome can present with erythema nodosum, small‐vessel vasculitis, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, Sweet syndrome, and nonspecific dermatosis. The following signs and symptoms are used as criteria to diagnose drug‐induced Sweet syndrome: (a) abrupt onset of painful erythematous plaques, (b) histopathological evidence of dense neutrophilic infiltrate without evidence of leukocytoclastic vasculitis, (c) temperature higher than 39.7°C, (d) temporal relationship between drug ingestion and clinical presentation, and (e) temporal resolution of lesions after drug withdrawal. Our patient met three out of five criteria and was diagnosed with Sweet‐like syndrome.

Conclusion

Our case highlights the uncommonly presented azathioprine‐induced Sweet‐like syndrome that occurs abruptly after the commencement of the offending drug. This diagnosis can be established through basic laboratory workup and skin biopsy findings.
Acute adolescent morphine exposure improves dark avoidance memory and enhances long‐term potentiation of ventral hippocampal CA1 during adulthood in rats
Authors: Khani Fatemeh , Pourmotabbed Ali , Hosseinmardi Narges , Alaee Elham , Fathollahi Yaghoub , Azizi Hossein
Published: July 2023

Adolescence represents a distinctive vulnerable period when exposure to stressful situations including opioid exposure can entail lasting effects on brain and can change neural mechanisms involved in memory formation for drug‐associated cues, possibly increasing vulnerability of adolescents to addiction. Herein, the effects of acute adolescent morphine exposure (AAME, two injections of 2.5 mg/kg SC morphine on PND 31) were therefore investigated 6 weeks later (adulthood) on avoidance memory and hippocampal long‐term potentiation (LTP) at Schaffer collateral‐CA1 synapses in transvers slices from the ventral hippocampus in adult male rats using field recordings technique. Animal body weight was measured from PND 31 throughout PND 40 and also in four time points with 1 week intervals from adolescence to adulthood (PNDs 48, 55, 62 and 69) to evaluate the effect of AAME on the weight gain. We showed that there were no effects on body weight, anxiety‐like behaviour and locomotor activity, even until adulthood. There was an improved dark avoidance memory during adulthood. Finally, AAME had no effects on baseline synaptic responses and resulted in a decrease in the mean values of the field excitatory postsynaptic potential slopes required to evoke the half‐maximal population spike amplitude and an enhancement of LTP magnitude (%) in the ventral CA1 during adulthood. Briefly, our results suggest long‐lasting effects of acute adolescent morphine exposure on the ventral hippocampus, which begin the enhancing of synaptic plasticity and the improving of emotional memory in adulthood.
Decidual lymphatic endothelial cell‐derived granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor induces M1 macrophage polarization via the NF‐κB pathway in severe pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Jung Yun Ji , Lee Yeji , Kwon Hayan , Kim Hyoung‐Pyo , Kwon Han‐Sung , Park Eunhyang , Lee JoonHo , Kim Young‐Han , Maeng Yong‐Sun , Kwon Ja‐Young
Published: July 2023

Problem

Direct interactions between macrophages and lymphatic vessels have been shown previously. In pre‐eclampsia (PE), macrophages are dominantly polarized into a proinflammatory M1 phenotype and lymphangiogenesis is defective in the decidua. Here, we investigated whether decidual lymphatic endothelial cells (dLECs) affect macrophage polarization in PE.

Method of Study

THP‐1 macrophages were cocultured with dLECs or cultured in the conditioned medium (CM) of dLECs. Macrophage polarization was measured using flow cytometry. Granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) expression in dLECs was measured using qRT‐PCR and ELISA. The activation of nuclear translocation of nuclear factor‐κ (NF‐κB), an upstream signaling molecule of GM‐CSF, was assessed by immunocytochemical localization of p65. Through GM‐CSF knockdown and NF‐κB inhibition in dLEC, we evaluated whether the GM‐CSF/NF‐κB pathway of PE dLEC affects decidual macrophage polarization.

Results

The ratio of inflammatory M1 macrophages with HLA‐DR+/CD80+ markers significantly increased following coculturing with PE dLECs or culturing in PE dLEC CM, indicating that the PE dLEC‐derived soluble factor acts in a paracrine manner. GM‐CSF expression was significantly upregulated in PE dLECs. Recombinant human GM‐CSF induced macrophage polarization toward an M1‐like phenotype, whereas its knockdown in PE dLECs suppressed it, suggesting PE dLECs induce M1 macrophage polarization by secreting GM‐CSF. The NF‐κB p65 significantly increased in PE dLECs compared to the control, and pretreatment with an NF‐κB inhibitor significantly suppressed GM‐CSF production from PE dLECs.

Conclusions

In PE, dLECs expressing high levels of GM‐CSF via the NF‐κB‐dependent pathway play a role in inducing decidual M1 macrophage polarization.
Another path to electoral reform: Cohort replacement and electoral issues for rule changes in Japan
Authors: Kim Yong Jae , Patterson Dennis
Published: July 2023

The literature of electoral reform explains politicians' preferences and social forces such as working‐class power or expansions of the suffrage are the major factors that bring about a change in electoral rules. However, we argue that generational replacement and electoral issue effects lead politicians to introduce a new electoral system for their electoral survival in future. By examining Japan's surveys for pre‐ and postreform elections, we show that the entrance of new generation and salient issue concerns dissolve electoral bases of political parties and finally give rise to a change in the rules of the game for the greater electoral stability that political elites desire.
Deprescribing in primary care without deterioration of health‐related outcomes: A real‐life, quality improvement project
Authors: Olesen Anne Estrup , Væver Tanja Joest , Simonsen Martin , Simonsen Peter Gaardbo , Høj Kirsten
Published: July 2023

Medication reviews focusing on deprescribing can reduce potentially inappropriate medication; however, evidence regarding effects on health‐related outcomes is sparse. In a real‐life quality improvement project using a newly developed chronic care model, we investigated how a general practitioner‐led medication review intervention focusing on deprescribing affected health‐related outcomes. We performed a before–after intervention study including care home residents and community‐dwelling patients affiliated with a large Danish general practice. The primary outcomes were changes in self‐reported health status, general condition and functional level from baseline to 3–4 months follow‐up. Of the 105 included patients, 87 completed the follow‐up. From baseline to follow‐up, 255 medication changes were made, of which 83% were deprescribing. Mean self‐reported health status increased (0.55 [95% CI: 0.22 to 0.87]); the proportion with general condition rated as ‘average or above’ was stable (0.06 [95% CI: −0.02 to 0.14]); and the proportion with functional level ‘without any disability’ was stable (−0.05 [95% CI: −0.09 to 0.001]). In conclusion, this general practitioner‐led medication review intervention was associated with deprescribing and increased self‐reported health status without the deterioration of general condition or functional level in real‐life primary care patients. The results should be interpreted carefully given the small sample size and lack of control group.