bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Invisible Surgery Concept and Scenario Strategy: How to Get the Best Aesthetic Results in Oncoplastic Breast-Conserving Surgery
Authors: Zhygulin Andrii , Fedosov Artem , Palytsia Valentyn
Published: November 2021

The authors believe that oncoplastic breast surgery has to achieve the best possible aesthetic results. In this article, they propose the concept of “invisible surgery.” This is a combination of certain oncoplastic techniques that allows for restoration of the original appearance of the breast without obvious scars on the breast. Further, the authors classify the techniques as follows: the “level 1 technique,” with contour approach; the “from inside” technique; the lateral parenchymal flap; the axillary subcutaneous adipofascial flap; the rotational lateral thoracic flap; regional island perforator flaps (lateral intercostal artery perforator, lateral thoracic artery perforator, anterior intercostal artery perforator, and medial intercostal artery perforator flaps); and the nipple-sparing mastectomy with immediate expander reconstruction. These techniques were combined by internal logic—one can move from one to another according to the preoperative planning and margins status during the operation. They call their approach the “scenario strategy.” The authors have performed 138 operations in 137 patients using this approach. Most of them involved the “from inside” technique and perforator flaps. The average tumor size was 2.4 cm, and the average specimen weight was 43.2 g. The total rate of complications was 14.6 percent. According to this concept, the surgery should be performed in such way that breast appearance will not change. It should be planned as one would plan a staged procedure, taking into account possible changes in the scenario during the operation to achieve the best possible aesthetic result.
Hyaluronic Acid Embolism Treated with Subcutaneous High and Low Hyaluronidase Doses: Efficacy and Surrounding Tissue Effect
Authors: Salinas-Alvarez Yolanda , Welsh Esperanza C. , Soto-Dominguez Adolfo , Quiroga-Garza Alejandro , Hernandez-Garate Yenitzeh A. K. , De-La-Garza-Castro Oscar , Elizondo-Omaña Rodrigo E. , Guzman-Lopez Santos
Published: November 2021

Background:

The use of hyaluronidase in hyaluronic acid vascular occlusion has been evaluated; however, the models used do not accurately assimilate the facial morphologic characteristics or study the effects on adjacent tissues. The purpose of this study was to determine an effective concentration of subcutaneous hyaluronidase to dissolve a hyaluronic acid embolism and its effect on surrounding tissue.

Methods:

Fifteen rabbits were divided into six groups. An inguinal incision was performed on the femoral artery to create a hyaluronic acid embolism in the control and treatment groups (low-, medium-, and high-hyaluronidase groups). Hyaluronidase was injected subcutaneously. Photographic follow-up, histologic analysis, and quantification of hyaluronic acid were performed. Kruskal-Wallis test and post hoc with Bonferroni correction (p < 0.05) was used to compare the presence of hyaluronic acid in the arterial lumen between groups.

Results:

Despite the persistence of intravascular hyaluronic acid, macroscopic and microscopic differences were found between the embolism control group and embolism hyaluronidase high-dose group. Histologic analysis demonstrated thrombosis throughout groups. Skeletal muscle was least affected in the embolism hyaluronidase 500 IU group with less lysis and inflammatory infiltrate.

Conclusions:

A 500 IU hyaluronidase dose partially prevents the damage caused by the embolism, and does not affect the surrounding tissue. The use of thrombolytic therapy combined with higher doses of hyaluronidase subcutaneously in this model is proposed.
Female Leadership in Academic Plastic Surgery: A Comprehensive Analysis
Authors: Moeller Ellie , Riesel Johanna , Boms Okechi , Pompermaier Laura , Pusic Andrea , Corlew Scott
Published: November 2021

Background:

Gender equity remains to be realized in academic plastic and reconstructive surgery. The purpose of this study was to measure the proportion of women in leadership roles in academic plastic and reconstructive surgery to verify where gender gaps may persist.

Methods:

Six markers of leadership were analyzed: academic faculty rank, manuscript authorship, program directorship, journal editor-in-chief positions, society board of directors membership, and professional society membership. Descriptive statistics were performed, and chi-square tests were used to compare categorical variables.

Results:

About 16 percent to 19 percent of practicing plastic surgeons are female, as measured by the percentage of female faculty and American Society of Plastic Surgeons members. Female plastic surgeons comprised 18.9 percent (n = 178) of the faculty from 88 academic plastic surgery institutions, and represented 9.9 percent of full professors and 10.8 percent of chiefs. Nineteen institutions had no female faculty. Women were first authors in 23.4 percent of publications and senior author in 14.7 percent of publications. No journal studied had a female editor-in-chief. Of the examined plastic and reconstructive societies, the proportion of women on the board of directors ranged from 16.7 percent to 23.5 percent.

Conclusions:

The proportion of female program directors, first manuscript authors, and board members of certain societies is commensurate with the number of women in the field, suggesting an evolving landscape within the specialty. However, women remain underrepresented in many other leadership roles, heralding the work that remains to ensure gender parity exists for those pursuing leadership roles in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Patient-Reported Outcomes after Fibula Free Flap Harvest: A Pilot Study
Authors: Hatchell Alexandra C. , Schrag Christiaan H. , Temple-Oberle Claire F. , Matthews Jennifer L. , McKenzie C. David , Matthews T. Wayne , Chandarana Shamir P. , Dort Joseph C. , Baaqeel Rasha
Published: November 2021

Patient-reported outcomes regarding donor-site morbidity and quality of life for the fibula free flap in head and neck reconstruction patients have not been studied. The authors reviewed and identified patients who had undergone head and neck reconstruction using a fibula free flap (2011 to 2016). Patients were assessed via physical examination and two patient-reported outcomes questionnaires: the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (score range, 0 to 100) and the Pain Disability Questionnaire (score range, 0 to 100). Quantitative data were analyzed with appropriate statistical tests. Semistructured interviews exploring donor-site challenges were performed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Seventeen patients agreed to participate. Their mean age was 62 years (range, 41 to 81 years). Mean follow-up was 38 months (range, 12 to 65 years). Mean perceived level of function compared to baseline was 67 percent. Mean scores for the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score subscales were 84.6 (pain), 80.5 (symptoms), 86.7 (activities of daily living), 67.7 (sport), and 65.6 (quality of life). The mean Pain Disability Questionnaire score was 26.3 (mild/moderate perceived disability). Higher perceived level of function was associated with higher Foot and Ankle Outcome Score values (pain, symptoms, and activities of daily living, p < 0.05). Donor limbs had decreased range of motion and manual muscle testing scores compared with their contralateral limbs (p < 0.05). Lack of ankle support and balance, resulting in limitations and aversions to daily and sporting activities, were the most common themes regarding donor-site challenges. In conclusion, patients who have undergone fibula free flap harvest struggle with ankle support and balance and face functional difficulties that have an impact on their quality of life. Multidisciplinary approaches for targeted rehabilitation after fibula free flap harvest should be explored to determine the impact on patients’ quality of life.
Roseibium limicola sp. nov., isolated from tidal mudflat
Authors: Weerawongwiwat Veeraya , Kim Jong-Hwa , Yoon Jung-Hoon , Suh Min Kuk , Kim Han Sol , Lee Jung-Sook , Sukhoom Ampaitip , Kim Wonyong
Published: November 2021

A novel bacterium, designated strain CAU 1637T, was isolated from a tidal mudflat. Cells of strain CAU 1637T were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile with single flagellum and rod-shaped. The optimum conditions for growth were observed at 30 °C, pH 6.0 and in the presence of 2 % (w/v) NaCl. The respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain CAU 1637T was closely related to the genus

Roseibium

, with the highest similarity to

Roseibium aestuarii

NRBC 112946T (97.4 %), followed by

Roseibium hamelinense

NRBC 16783T (96.8 %),

Roseibium aquae

JCM 19310T (96.4 %),

Roseibium sediminis

KCTC 52373T (95.8 %) and

Roseibium denhamense

JCM 10543T (95.3 %). The predominant cellular fatty acids were C18 : 1
 ω7c 11-methyl and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1
 ω7c and/or C18 : 1
 ω6c). The major polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. The average nucleotide identity values between the novel isolate and related strains ranged from 71.0 to 76.4 %, and the DNA−DNA hybridization values ranged from 19.3 to 20.3 %. The G+C content was 58.4 mol% and the whole-genome size was 4.6 Mb, which included 17 contigs and 3931 protein-coding genes. Based on the taxonomic data, strain CAU 1637T represents a novel species of the genus

Roseibium

, for which the name Roseibium limicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CAU 1637T (=KCTC 82429T=MCCC 1K06080T).
Out with the old and in with the new: time to rethink twentieth century chemotaxonomic practices in bacterial taxonomy
Authors: Vandamme Peter , Sutcliffe Iain
Published: November 2021

Chemotaxonomic methods played an important role in the development of the polyphasic approach to classification of Archaea and Bacteria. However, we here argue that routine application of these methods is unnecessary in an era when genomic data are available and sufficient for species delineation. Thus, authors who choose not to utilize such methods should not be forced to do so during the peer review and editorial handling of manuscripts describing novel species. Instead, we argue that chemotaxonomy will thrive if improved analytical methods are introduced and deployed, primarily by specialist laboratories, in studies at taxonomic levels above the characterisation of novel species.
RFPlasmid: predicting plasmid sequences from short-read assembly data using machine learning
Authors: van der Graaf-van Bloois Linda , Wagenaar Jaap A. , Zomer Aldert L.
Published: November 2021

Antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) genes in bacteria are often carried on plasmids and these plasmids can transfer AMR genes between bacteria. For molecular epidemiology purposes and risk assessment, it is important to know whether the genes are located on highly transferable plasmids or in the more stable chromosomes. However, draft whole-genome sequences are fragmented, making it difficult to discriminate plasmid and chromosomal contigs. Current methods that predict plasmid sequences from draft genome sequences rely on single features, like k-mer composition, circularity of the DNA molecule, copy number or sequence identity to plasmid replication genes, all of which have their drawbacks, especially when faced with large single-copy plasmids, which often carry resistance genes. With our newly developed prediction tool RFPlasmid, we use a combination of multiple features, including k-mer composition and databases with plasmid and chromosomal marker proteins, to predict whether the likely source of a contig is plasmid or chromosomal. The tool RFPlasmid supports models for 17 different bacterial taxa, including

Campylobacter

,

Escherichia coli

and

Salmonella

, and has a taxon agnostic model for metagenomic assemblies or unsupported organisms. RFPlasmid is available both as a standalone tool and via a web interface.
Negative Binomial factor regression with application to microbiome data analysis
Authors: Mishra Aditya K. , Müller Christian L.
Published: November 2021

The human microbiome provides essential physiological functions and helps maintain host homeostasis via the formation of intricate ecological host-microbiome relationships. While it is well established that the lifestyle of the host, dietary preferences, demographic background, and health status can influence microbial community composition and dynamics, robust generalizable associations between specific host-associated factors and specific microbial taxa have remained largely elusive. Here, we propose factor regression models that allow the estimation of structured parsimonious associations between host-related features and amplicon-derived microbial taxa. To account for the overdispersed nature of the amplicon sequencing count data, we propose Negative Binomial reduced rank regression (NB-RRR) and Negative Binomial co-sparse factor regression (NB-FAR). While NB-RRR encodes the underlying dependency among the microbial abundances as outcomes and the host-associated features as predictors through a rank-constrained coefficient matrix, NB-FAR uses a sparse singular value decomposition of the coefficient matrix. The latter approach avoids the notoriously difficult joint parameter estimation by extracting sparse unit-rank components of the coefficient matrix sequentially. To solve the non-convex optimization problems associated with these factor regression models, we present a novel iterative block-wise majorization procedure. Extensive simulation studies and an application to the microbial abundance data from the American Gut Project demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed procedure. In the American Gut Project data, we identify key factors that strongly link dietary habits and host life style to specific microbial families.
The exploration of Thermococcus barophilus lipidome reveals the widest variety of phosphoglycolipids in Thermococcales
Authors: Tourte Maxime , Coffinet Sarah , Wörmer Lars , Lipp Julius S. , Hinrichs Kai-Uwe , Oger Philippe M.
Published: November 2021

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Archaea is their unique lipids. While the general nature of archaeal lipids has been linked to their tolerance to extreme conditions, little is known about the diversity of lipidic structures Archaea are able to synthesize, which hinders the elucidation of the physicochemical properties of their cell membrane. In an effort to widen the known lipid repertoire of the piezophilic and hyperthermophilic model archaeon Thermococcus barophilus, we comprehensively characterized its intact polar lipid (IPL), core lipid (CL), and polar head group compositions using a combination of cutting-edge liquid chromatography and mass spectrometric ionization systems. We tentatively identified 82 different IPLs based on five distinct CLs and 10 polar head group derivatives of phosphatidylhexoses, including compounds reported here for the first time, e.g., di-N-acetylhexosamine phosphatidylhexose-bearing lipids. Despite having extended the knowledge on the lipidome, our results also indicate that the majority of T. barophilus lipids remain inaccessible to current analytical procedures and that improvements in lipid extraction and analysis are still required. This expanded yet incomplete lipidome nonetheless opens new avenues for understanding the physiology, physicochemical properties, and organization of the membrane in this archaeon as well as other Archaea.
Comparison of TIMS-PASEF quantitative proteomics data-analysis workflows using FragPipe, DIA-NN, and Spectronaut from a user’s perspective
Authors: Fernández-Vega Alejandro , Farabegoli Federica , Alonso-Martínez María M. , Ortea Ignacio
Published: November 2021

Data-independent acquisition (DIA) methods have gained great popularity in bottom-up quantitative proteomics, as they overcome the irreproducibility and under-sampling limitations of data-dependent acquisition (DDA). diaPASEF, recently developed for the timsTOF Pro mass spectrometers, has brought improvements to DIA, providing additional ion separation (in the ion mobility dimension) and increasing sensitivity. Several studies have benchmarked different workflows for DIA quantitative proteomics, but mostly using instruments from Sciex and Thermo, and therefore, the results are not extrapolable to diaPASEF data. In this work, using a real-life sample set like the one that can be found in any proteomics experiment, we compared the results of analyzing PASEF data with different combinations of library-based and library-free analysis, combining the tools of the FragPipe suite, DIA-NN and including MS1-level LFQ with DDA-PASEF data, and also comparing with the workflows possible in Spectronaut. We verified that library-independent workflows, not so efficient not so long ago, have greatly improved in the recent versions of the software tools, and now perform as well or even better than librarybased ones. We report here information so that the user who is going to conduct a relative quantitative proteomics study using a timsTOF Pro mass spectrometer can make an informed decision on how to acquire (diaPASEF for DIA analysis, or DDA-PASEF for MS1-level LFQ) the samples, and what can be expected depending on the data analysis tool used, among the different alternatives offered by the recently optimized tools for TIMS-PASEF data analysis.
Differential regulation of flower transpiration during abiotic stress in plants
Authors: Sinha Ranjita , Zandalinas Sara I. , Fichman Yosef , Sen Sidharth , Gómez-Cadenas Aurelio , Joshi Trupti , Fritschi Felix B. , Mittler Ron
Published: November 2021

Heat waves, occurring during droughts, can have a devastating impact on yield, especially if they happen during the flowering and seed set stages of the crop cycle. Global warming and climate change are driving an alarming increase in the frequency and intensity of combined drought and heat stress episodes, critically threatening global food security. Previous studies revealed that during a combination of drought and heat stress stomata on leaves of many plants are closed, preventing cooling by transpiration. Because high temperature is detrimental to reproductive processes, essential for plant yield, we measured the inner temperature, transpiration, and sepal stomatal aperture of closed soybean flowers, developing on plants subjected to a combination of drought and heat stress. Here, we report that during a combination of drought and heat stress soybean plants prioritize transpiration through flowers over transpiration through leaves by opening their flower stomata, while keeping their leaf stomata closed. This acclimation strategy, termed ‘differential transpiration’, lowers flower inner temperature by about 2-3°C, protecting reproductive processes at the expense of vegetative tissues. Manipulating stomatal regulation, stomatal size and/or stomatal density of flowers could therefore serve as a viable strategy to enhance the yield of different crops and mitigate some of the current and future impacts of global warming and climate change on agriculture.

One sentence summary

During stress conditions that result in higher flower inner temperature plants use a differential transpiration strategy to protect reproductive processes at the expense of vegetative tissues.
Probing small ribosomal subunit RNA helix 45 acetylation across eukaryotic evolution
Authors: Marie-Line Bortolin-Cavaillé , Aurélie Quillien , Supuni Thalalla Gamage , Thomas Justin M. , Aldema Sas-Chen , Sunny Sharma , Célia Plisson-Chastang , Laurence Vandel , Patrick Blader , Lafontaine Denis L.J. , Schraga Schwartz , Meier Jordan L. , Jérôme Cavaillé
Published: November 2021

NAT10 is an essential enzyme that catalyzes the formation of N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) in eukaryotic transfer RNA (tRNA) and 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Recent studies in human cells suggested that rRNA acetylation is dependent on SNORD13, a non-canonical box C/D small nucleolar RNA (SNORD) predicted to base-pair with 18S rRNA via two antisense elements. However, the selectivity of SNORD13-dependent cytidine acetylation and its relationship to NAT10’s essential function in pre-rRNA processing remain to be defined. Here, we used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to formally demonstrate that SNORD13 is required for acetylation of a single cytidine residue of human and zebrafish 18S rRNA. In-depth characterization revealed that SNORD13-dependent ac4C is dispensable for yeast or human cell growth, ribosome biogenesis, translation, and the development of multicellular metazoan model organisms. This loss of function analysis inspired a cross-evolutionary survey of the eukaryotic rRNA acetylation ‘machinery’ that led to the characterization of many novel SNORD13 genes in phylogenetically-distant metazoans and more deeply rooted photosynthetic organisms. This includes an atypical SNORD13-like RNA in D. melanogaster which appears to guide ac4C to 18S rRNA helix 45 despite lacking one of the two rRNA antisense elements. Finally, we discover that C. elegans 18S rRNA is not acetylated despite the presence of an essential NAT10 homolog. Altogether, our findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying SNORD13-mediated rRNA acetylation across the eukaryotic tree of life and raise new questions regarding the biological function and evolutionary persistence of this highly conserved rRNA base modification.
Artifact removal in the contour areas of SAXS-CT images by Tikhonov-L1 minimization
Authors: Ogawa Hiroki , Ono Shunsuke , Watanabe Yuki , Nishikawa Yukihiro , Nishitsuji Shotaro , Kabe Taizo , Takenaka Mikihito
Published: November 2021

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) coupled with computed tomography (CT), denoted SAXS-CT, has enabled the spatial distribution of the characteristic parameters (e.g. size, shape, surface, length) of nanoscale structures inside samples to be visualized. In this work, a new scheme with Tikhonov regularization was developed to remove the effects of artifacts caused by streak scattering originating from the reflection of the incident beam in the contour regions of the sample. The noise due to streak scattering was successfully removed from the sinogram image and hence the CT image could be reconstructed free from artifacts in the contour regions.
Reward the inductor or inductee? The effect of the inductee's altruism on a shopping guide platform
Authors: Zhang Xiaojing , Zhang Yulin
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study highlights the effect of an inductee's altruism on referral reward programs (RRPs) on an online shopping guide platform to determine the optimal RRP and referral reward allocation under a Cashback and Referral RRP.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors consider a Stackelberg game with a platform, seller, inductor and inductee, where the inductee's altruism plays a vital role in determining the optimal RRP in equilibrium.

Findings

The authors show that the conditions under which it is optimal to reward the inductor only or reward both inductor and inductee are equal or unequal depending on the degree of the inductee's altruism. Suppose the platform is unable to dynamically decide the commission fee. In that case, the platform may not always be involved in RRPs and will gradually reduce the rewards for inductees as the altruism increases.

Research limitations/implications

This study focuses on a free-to-consumers model where sellers pay membership fees. Thus, this study has limitations regarding other pricing schemes such as a model in which consumers pay a fee while sellers do not or a model in which both types of users pay fees.

Practical implications

This analytical work can help platforms optimize referral reward strategies and referral reward allocation considering the influence of an inductee's altruism.

Originality/value

In a Cashback and Referral RRP on a shopping guide platform, the authors provide applicable conditions for the platform to involve in the RRPs when rewarding an equal bonus for the inductor and inductee first. Further, the authors show the optimal referral reward strategy and referral reward allocation when giving the different bonuses to the inductor and inductee.
A model of the Islamic sovereign wealth fund
Authors: Bahoo Salman , Hassan M. Kabir , Paltrinieri Andrea , Khan Ashraf
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model of the Islamic sovereign wealth funds (ISWFs) based on Islamic finance principles to modify the precarious image of SWFs from Muslim countries. The Shariah laws are the cardinal direction for this study.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors applied a qualitative research technique that consists of three approaches: exploratory case study approach to critically examine and rank the existing status of SWFs; descriptive analysis; and content analysis to present a model of ISWFs in comparison of conventional SWFs.

Findings

The authors propose a model of the “Islamic Sovereign Wealth Funds” based on four key pillars: the major Shariah principles; the Islamic corporate governance framework; the Islamic transparency and disclosure framework; and the Islamic corporate social responsibility framework. Furthermore, the authors argue that the potential effect of the ISWFs on Islamic finance and economy will be positive.

Research limitations/implications

The model is an initial work and idea to convert SWFs from Muslim countries into ISWFs, which required an in-depth policy review by governments.

Practical implications

The findings of the paper are useful for policymakers and governments of the Muslim countries to overcome the issues and criticism on SWFs by converting them in ISWFs.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature related to Islamic finance and sovereign wealth fund by presenting a first model of ISWFs for Muslim countries.
Using technology to automate syllabus construction for programmatic, curricular, faculty and experiential assessment activities
Authors: Wu Maryann , Brill Dabrick A. , Shirodkar Mrunmayee Prakash , Tan Jianxuan , Poptani Mukesh , Wang Ying , Haworth Ian S.
Published: November 2021

Purpose

With a growing need to assess multiple aspects of healthcare education, the goal of this study was to develop an innovative web-based application to streamline assessment processes and meet the increasingly complex role of the educational manager.

Design/methodology/approach

AARDVARC (Automated Approach to Reviewing and Developing Valuable Assessment Resources for your Curriculum) was created with the core function of standardizing course syllabi through the use of a web-based portal and the ability to query fields within the portal to collect multiple points of data. AARDVARC permits quick and efficient gathering of programmatic, curricular, faculty, teaching, preceptor and financial data to facilitate meaningful change and a shared responsibility of assessment. This software has allowed automatic completion of complex analytics each semester, including coverage of program outcomes, course learning objectives, teaching and assessment methods, course readings, topics covered in the curriculum, faculty teaching hours, experiential activities, coverage of disease states and scheduling of peer observation of teaching.

Findings

Three years after its initial launch, AARDVARC is now used by 520 faculty, 60 staff, 44 preceptors and over 2,000 students across multiple health profession and science programs. Data analytics through AARDVARC have allowed the School to reimagine how assessment can be conducted and have provided a pathway for making evidence-based programmatic and curricular changes.

Originality/value

This original software has provided an innovative approach to conduct assessment that combines best practices in curriculum, assessment, data analytics and educational technology while improving the overall quality, speed, and efficiency of academic and business operations.
The mediating effects of green organizational citizenship on the relationship between green transformational leadership and green creativity: evidence from hotels
Authors: Öğretmenoğlu Mert , Akova Orhan , Göktepe Sevinç
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Awareness of environmental and environmental ethical behaviours are increasing day by day in the hospitality sector. Concepts are examined more and more from the “green” point of view. This study aims to reveal the impact of green transformational leadership on green creativity and the mediating effects of green organizational citizenship behaviours in the relationship between green transformational leadership and green creativity in the context of hospitality.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was designed according to the quantitative approach. Hotel employees in Istanbul, Turkey (N = 201) provided data later analysed in three stages. First, JAMOVI software outputs provided descriptive statistics. Second, confirmatory factor analyses ensured the validity of the research. Third, SmartPLS was used to test the hypotheses of the study.

Findings

The results revealed that green transformational leadership positively affects employees' green creativity and green organizational citizenship behaviours. Moreover, green organizational citizenship behaviours partially mediate the relationship between green transformational leadership and green creativity.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, no research examines the mediating effect of green organizational citizenship behaviours in the relationship between green transformational leadership and green creativity. This research will contribute to the relevant literature by filling this gap. This study is original in its attempt to reveal the nature of green organizational behaviours of hospitality employees. It contributes to the literature on green transformational leadership, green creativity and green organizational citizenship behaviours.
Antithyroid drug therapy in pregnancy and risk of congenital anomalies: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Agrawal Medha , Lewis Steffan , Premawardhana Lakdasa , Dayan Colin M. , Taylor Peter N. , Okosieme Onyebuchi E.
Published: November 2021

Objectives

The risk of congenital anomalies following in utero exposure to thionamide antithyroid drugs (ATDs) is unresolved. Observational studies are contradictory and existing meta‐analyses predate and preclude more recent studies. We undertook an updated meta‐analysis of congenital anomaly risk in women exposed to carbimazole or methimazole (CMZ/MMI), propylthiouracil (PTU), or untreated hyperthyroidism in pregnancy.

Methods

We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane database for articles published up till August 2021. We pooled separate crude and adjusted risk estimates using random effects models and subgroup analyses to address heterogeneity.

Results

We identified 16 cohort studies comprising 5957, 15,785, and 15,666 exposures to CMZ/MMI, PTU, and untreated hyperthyroidism, respectively. Compared to nondisease controls, adjusted risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for congenital anomalies was increased for CMZ/MMI (RR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.06–1.54) and PTU (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08–1.25). Crude risk for CMZ/MMI was increased relative to PTU (RR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.01–1.43). Increased risk was also seen with exposure to both CMZ/MMI and PTU, that is, women who switched ATDs in pregnancy (RR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.14–1.99). However, the timing of ATD switch was highly variable and included prepregnancy switches in some studies. The excess number of anomalies per 1000 live births was 17.2 for patients exposed to CMZ/MMI, 9.8, for PTU exposure, and 31.4 for exposure to both CMZ/MMI and PTU. Risk in the untreated group did not differ from control or ATD groups. The untreated group was however highly heterogeneous in terms of thyroid status. Subgroup analysis showed more positive associations in studies with >500 exposures and up to 1‐year follow‐up.

Conclusions

ATD therapy carries a small risk of congenital anomalies which is higher for CMZ/MMI than for PTU and does not appear to be reduced by switching ATDs in pregnancy. Due to key limitations in the available data, further studies will be required to clarify the risks associated with untreated hyperthyroidism and with switching ATDs in pregnancy.
Improving the classification of phishing websites using a hybrid algorithm
Authors: Sharma Suvita Rani , Singh Birmohan , Kaur Manpreet
Published: November 2021

In this article, a hybrid algorithm has been proposed for the identification of phishing and legitimate websites. The dataset may have an imbalanced class distribution and may consist of irrelevant features. Therefore, in the data preprocessing, the adaptive synthetic sampling approach has been used to handle the imbalanced data. Irrelevant or redundant features are removed from the balanced data using the proposed binary version of Rao algorithms. The S‐shaped and V‐shaped transfer functions are applied for mapping continuous search space to discrete search space. Also, the results of these S‐shaped and V‐shaped transfer functions are analyzed for proposed algorithms. The performance is improved by optimizing the value of the k parameter in the kNN classifier. The dataset used in this article has been taken from the UCI machine‐learning repository. The performance of the proposed approach has been evaluated using the polygon area metric. The obtained classification accuracy is 97.044%. A comparison of the proposed hybrid algorithm with the other state‐of‐the‐art techniques is also made for validation. Moreover, the proposed approach has been compared with seven metaheuristic feature selection algorithms and six filter methods for performance analysis. Additionally, we have applied the proposed approach to URLs that are registered on the PhishTank website.
Food Security in the Era of COVID‐19: Wild Food Provisioning as Resilience During a Global Pandemic
Authors: Hall Jonathan C.
Published: November 2021

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐COV‐2) that causes COVID‐19 has had a devastating impact on human populations, infrastructure, and economies. The structures and systems that supply people with their basic needs have been stressed by the necessary changes COVID‐19 has rendered in everyday life. Here I explore the potential role of wild food provisioning in mitigating the acute impacts of COVID on food supply and its impacts more broadly on modern foodways. Wild food provisioning is a waning practice among human populations in the Global North, but recent research has shown that there are significant amounts of food produced and harvested on the landscape that go unaccounted for in food systems research. Building on this work, I theorize a framework for thinking about food systems that are inclusive of wild food provisioning practices and how said framework might increase the ability of human populations to withstand extreme disturbances such as a global pandemic.
The hidden role of multi‐trophic interactions in driving diversity–productivity relationships
Authors: Albert Georg , Gauzens Benoit , Loreau Michel , Wang Shaopeng , Brose Ulrich
Published: November 2021

Resource‐use complementarity of producer species is often invoked to explain the generally positive diversity–productivity relationships. Additionally, multi‐trophic interactions that link processes across trophic levels have received increasing attention as a possible key driver. Given that both are integral to natural ecosystems, their interactive effect should be evident but has remained hidden. We address this issue by analysing diversity–productivity relationships in a simulation experiment of producer communities nested within complex food‐webs, manipulating resource‐use complementarity and multi‐trophic animal richness. We show that these two mechanisms interactively create diverse communities of complementary producer species. This shapes diversity–productivity relationships such that their joint contribution generally exceeds their individual effects. Specifically, multi‐trophic interactions in animal‐rich ecosystems facilitate producer coexistence by preventing competitive exclusion despite overlaps in resource‐use, which increases the realised complementarity. The interdependence of food‐webs and producer complementarity in creating biodiversity–productivity relationships highlights the importance to adopt a multi‐trophic perspective on biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships.
What factors influence fin‐nipping damage by the invasive Gambusia holbrooki (Poeciliidae) on native fishes in riverine systems?
Authors: Beatty Stephen J. , Lear Karissa O. , Allen Mark G. , Lymbery Alan J. , Tweedley James R. , Morgan David L.
Published: November 2021

Gambusia holbrooki is arguably the most widely introduced and ecologically damaging freshwater fish in the world. Although aspects of its aggressive behaviour have been studied in lentic environments and ex situ experiments, the physical damage to native freshwater fishes in riverine systems caused by this behaviour remains relatively unknown.

This study quantified the spatial and temporal patterns of abundance of G. holbrooki and the prevalence of fin‐nipping damage on freshwater fishes in river systems of south‐western Australia, a globally endemic hotspot with a high proportion of threatened species. It then determined the environmental factors influencing the abundance of G. holbrooki and the prevalence of fin‐nipping damage on native fishes.

Caudal fin damage differed significantly among four endemic native fishes, with damage being most prevalent in the percichthyid Nannoperca vittata, which has a similar size and ecological niche to G. holbrooki. Fin‐nipping damage of native species also showed significant seasonal variation; occurring most commonly during summer and autumn when many rivers in this region cease to flow and contract to refuge pools, probably increasing interactions between G. holbrooki and the native fishes. Moreover, the environmental variables that best explained both the density of G. holbrooki and the prevalence of fin‐nipping were broadly similar and were characteristic of more degraded habitats.

We anticipate that habitat degradation, river regulation and severe declines in surface flows resulting from climate change will benefit G. holbrooki to the detriment of native fishes. Restoration of riverine environments along with public education campaigns to prevent the further spread of G. holbrooki or the introduction of additional species is crucial to mitigate their effects on aquatic ecosystems.
Effects of different crop starches on the cooking quality of Chinese dried noodles
Authors: Li Yao , Wang Yuyan , Liu Haibo , Liu Xiong
Published: November 2021

To investigate the effects of seven starches made from different crop sources on noodle quality, Chinese dried noodles made from various reconstituted flours were prepared and analysed. Potato starch had better solubility and swelling power than the other starches, leading to higher water absorption, cooking loss and breakage ratio of the potato starch noodles. The correlation results unravelled that the cooking breakage ratio of noodles presented positive correlations with solubility, swelling power, peak viscosity (PV), trough viscosity (TV) and final viscosity (FV) values of starches. Besides, the adhesiveness of noodles showed a positive correlation with conclusion temperature (Tc) and setback viscosity (SV) values of starches. Moreover, the peak temperature (Tp) value of starches was negatively correlated with cooking loss; the granule size of starches had a positive correlation with noodles water absorption; and the peak time (PkT) value of starches represented positive relationships with noodles chewiness, shearing force and breaking strength.
The development of the Adapted Firesetting Assessment Scale
Authors: Collins Josephine , Barnoux Magali , Langdon Peter E.
Published: November 2021

Background

Treatment for adults who set fires relies upon valid and reliable assessment. Research is needed to ensure self‐report measures are available for adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities and that they are robust.

Method

Qualitative and quantitative data from three rounds of a Delphi exercise with practitioners and a focus group discussion with adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities were used to generate consensus about the accessibility of item adaptations made to the Fire Interest Rating Scale, Fire Attitudes Scale, and the Identification with Fire Questionnaire.

Results

Findings suggested the accessibility of current measures could be improved to better meet the needs of adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities and adaptations to all questionnaire items were needed.

Conclusion

Following feedback, revisions to current measures were implemented leading to the development of the Adapted Firesetting Assessment Scale with improved accessibility for adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Patterns and mechanisms underlying ecoregion delineation in North American freshwater plants
Authors: Alahuhta Janne , García‐Girón Jorge
Published: November 2021

Aim

The regionalized patterns of biodiversity distributions are actively studied in terrestrial and marine ecosystems, but much less is known on the geographical patterns of ecoregions founded on freshwater taxa. Here, we studied, for the first time, how well existing freshwater ecoregions describe the geographical distribution of inland water plants.

Location

Greenland, continental Canada and USA.

Taxon

Freshwater vascular plants of all taxa and multiple functional groups (i.e. growth forms).

Methods

Using newly available fine‐grained data on freshwater plant distributions, we studied how ecoregions founded on fish are suitable for freshwater plant regionalization across North America. Specifically, we calculated internal homogeneity and distinctness among neighbouring ecoregions in relation to species replacements and richness differences. We also explored how a complex suite of ecogeographical characteristics affect ecoregion delineation of freshwater plants using spatially explicit regression routines.

Results

We found a clear geographical patterning of ecoregion robustness for North American freshwater plants, with communities being more internally homogeneous and more similar to one another in Polar and Subtropical inland waters. The degree of internal homogeneity and ecoregion distinctness were almost equally driven by species replacements and richness differences. Considering different life‐forms, ecoregion delineation performed best for emergent and floating‐leaved plants. Finally, within‐ecoregion homogeneity and distinctness were best explained by annual mean temperature and terrain ruggedness, respectively, with mean water alkalinity, ecoregion area and late Quaternary glacial legacies having supplementary effects.

Main conclusions

Our findings suggest that selection through climate filtering (e.g. mean annual temperature) is likely the main mechanistic driver of freshwater plant ecoregions. Geographical regionalizations founded on a particular organismal group may not be directly applicable for all taxa but can be a good basis for further adjustments. Our study is a promising starting point for further investigations of geographical delineations for freshwater taxa other than fish.
Treatment of hypertension with angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers and resting metabolic rate: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Pedrianes‐Martin Pablo B. , Martin‐Rincon Marcos , Morales‐Alamo David , Perez‐Suarez Ismael , Perez‐Valera Mario , Galvan‐Alvarez Victor , Curtelin David , de Pablos‐Velasco Pedro , Calbet Jose A.L.
Published: November 2021

Hypertension in obese and overweight patients is associated with an elevated resting metabolic rate (RMR). The aim of this study was to determine whether RMR is reduced in hypertensive patients treated with angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and blockers (ARB). The RMR was determined by indirect calorimetry in 174 volunteers; 93 (46.5 %) were hypertensive, of which 16 men and 13 women were treated with ACEI/ARB, while 30 men and 19 women with untreated hypertension served as a control group. Treated and untreated hypertensives had similar age, BMI, physical activity, and cardiorespiratory fitness. The RMR normalized to the lean body mass (LBM) was 15% higher in the untreated than ACEI/ARB‐treated hypertensive women (p = .003). After accounting for LBM, whole‐body fat mass, age, the double product (heart rate x systolic blood pressure), and the distance walked per day, the RMR was 2.9% lower in the patients taking ACEI/ARB (p = .26, treatment x sex interaction p = .005). LBM, age, and the double product explained 78% of the variability in RMR (R2 = 0.78, p < .001). In contrast, fat mass, the distance walked per day, and total T4 or TSH did not add predictive power to the model. Compared to men, a greater RMR per kg of LBM was observed in untreated hypertensive overweight and obese women, while this sex difference was not observed in patients treated with ACEI or ARBs. In conclusion, our results indicate that elevated RMR per kg of LBM may be normalized by antagonizing the renin‐angiotensin system.
CaMKII inhibitor KN‐93 impaired angiogenesis and aggravated cardiac remodelling and heart failure via inhibiting NOX2/mtROS/p‐VEGFR2 and STAT3 pathways
Authors: Ni Yajuan , Deng Jie , Bai Hongyuan , Liu Chang , Liu Xin , Wang Xiaofang
Published: November 2021

Persistent cardiac Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent Kinase II (CaMKII) activation was considered to promote heart failure (HF) development, some studies believed that CaMKII was a target for therapy of HF. However, CaMKII was an important mediator for the ischaemia‐induced coronary angiogenesis, and new evidence confirmed that angiogenesis inhibited cardiac remodelling and improved heart function, and some conditions which impaired angiogenesis aggravated ventricular remodelling. This study aimed to investigate the roles and the underlying mechanisms of CaMKII inhibitor in cardiac remodelling. First, we induced cardiac remodelling rat model by ISO, pre‐treated by CaMKII inhibitor KN‐93, evaluated heart function by echocardiography measurements, and performed HE staining, Masson staining, Tunel staining, Western blot and RT‐PCR to test cardiac remodelling and myocardial microvessel density; we also observed ultrastructure of cardiac tissue with transmission electron microscope. Second, we cultured HUVECs, pre‐treated by ISO and KN‐93, detected cell proliferation, migration, tubule formation and apoptosis, and carried out Western blot to determine the expression of NOX2, NOX4, VEGF, VEGFR2, p‐VEGFR2 and STAT3; mtROS level was also measured. In vivo, we found KN‐93 severely reduced myocardial microvessel density, caused apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells, enhanced cardiac hypertrophy, myocardial apoptosis, collagen deposition, aggravated the deterioration of myocardial ultrastructure and heart function. In vitro, KN‐93 inhibited HUVECs proliferation, migration and tubule formation, and promoted apoptosis of HUVECs. The expression of NOX2, NOX4, p‐VEGFR2 and STAT3 were down‐regulated by KN‐93; mtROS level was severely reduced by KN‐93. We concluded that KN‐93 impaired angiogenesis and aggravated cardiac remodelling and heart failure via inhibiting NOX2/mtROS/p‐VEGFR2 and STAT3 pathways.