bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serial reversal learning in an olfactory discrimination task in 3xTg-AD mice
Authors: Roddick Kyle M. , Schellinck Heather M. , Brown Richard E.
Published: November 2023

Male and female 3xTg-AD mice between 5 and 24 mo of age and their B6129F2/J wild-type controls were tested on a series of 18 olfactory discrimination and reversal tasks in an operant olfactometer. All mice learned the odor discriminations and reversals to a criterion of 85% correct, but the 3xTg-AD mice made fewer errors than the B6129F2/J mice in the odor discriminations and in the first six reversal learning tasks. Many mice showed evidence of near errorless learning, and on the reversal tasks the 3xTg-AD mice showed more instances of near errorless learning than the B6129F2/J mice. There was no evidence of an age effect on odor discrimination, but there was a decrease in errorless reversal learning in aged B6129F2/J mice. In long-term memory tests, there was an increase in the number of errors made but no genotype difference. The high level of performance indicates that the mice were able to develop a “learning to learn” strategy. The finding that the 3xTg-AD mice outperformed their littermate controls provides an example of paradoxical functional facilitation in these mice.
Understanding food pleasure in organic consumption: the moderating effects of trust within the theory of planned behavior
Authors: Cao Dayu , Zheng Yan , Li Gucheng
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aims to identify and describe the relationships among sensory-driven pleasure, cognition-driven pleasure, symbolic-driven pleasure and organic food purchase behavior considering the moderating effects of functionality trust and authenticity trust from the viewpoint of the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using a structured questionnaire survey in first-tier cities in China. A total of 352 consumers of organic foods participated in the study. Structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analysis were employed for data analysis.

Findings

The results indicated the significant association of perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, attitude, sensory-driven pleasure and cognition-driven pleasure with purchase intention. Perceived behavioral control and purchase intention had significantly positive effects on purchase behavior. Moreover, functionality trust had a positive moderating effect on purchase intention and purchase behavior.

Practical implications

This study not only provides novel and original insights for understanding organic consumption but also provides a reference for organic producers, sellers and policymakers to develop effective strategies to guide organic consumption that are conducive to promoting sustainable consumption.

Originality/value

For the first time, this research introduces the construct of food pleasure into the TPB to explore the relationships between food pleasure and purchase behavior based on the TPB. It may expand the scope of the TPB and provide valuable insights regarding how to improve the existing intention–behavior gap in organic consumption.
Dynamics in accommodation feature preferences: exploring the use of time series analysis of online reviews for decomposing temporal effects
Authors: Teichert Thorsten , González-Martel Christian , Hernández Juan M. , Schweiggart Nadja
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aims to explore the use of time series analyses to examine changes in travelers’ preferences in accommodation features by disentangling seasonal, trend and the COVID-19 pandemic’s once-off disruptive effects.

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal data are retrieved by online traveler reviews (n = 519,200) from the Canary Islands, Spain, over a period of seven years (2015 to 2022). A time series analysis decomposes the seasonal, trend and disruptive effects of six prominent accommodation features (view, terrace, pool, shop, location and room).

Findings

Single accommodation features reveal different seasonal patterns. Trend analyses indicate long-term trend effects and short-term disruption effects caused by Covid-19. In contrast, no long-term effect of the pandemic was found.

Practical implications

The findings stress the need to address seasonality at the single accommodation feature level. Beyond targeting specific features at different guest groups, new approaches could allow dynamic price optimization. Real-time insight can be used for the targeted marketing of platform providers and accommodation owners.

Originality/value

A novel application of a time series perspective reveals trends and seasonal changes in travelers’ accommodation feature preferences. The findings help better address travelers’ needs in P2P offerings.
The role of ICTs for knowledge sharing in franchising networks
Authors: Rocha Elenise Martins , Pacheco Diego Augusto de Jesus , Silvério Natália , Zanuzzi Cinthya Mônica da Silva , Selig Paulo Maurício
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Despite the significance of knowledge sharing for competitive advantage in networked businesses like franchising systems, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the strategic value of knowledge sharing in the context of franchising. In particular, the specific contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in facilitating interorganizational knowledge exchange among franchising members remains inadequately understood, particularly in emerging economies. Therefore, this study aims to explore the mechanisms involved in the knowledge-sharing process facilitated by a virtual learning environment (VLE) within franchising networks and examine the role of VLEs in facilitating knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a multiple-case study approach involving 24 franchisees and the franchisor within a Brazilian franchising network operating in the furniture market to examine the role played by a VLE.

Findings

The results of the study reveal that the introduction of a VLE has played a significant role in fostering enhancements in the knowledge-sharing process among the franchisor and franchisees in the network. Moreover, the results indicate that VLEs play a significant role in overcoming geographical obstacles, thereby enabling efficient knowledge sharing between franchisees and franchisors operating in extensive territorial contexts. Finally, findings indicate that intracommercial competition acts as a prominent barrier, leading to low levels of cooperation and knowledge-sharing intent among franchisees within the network.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing knowledge by enhancing the understanding of how ICTs can facilitate knowledge sharing in organizations operating within franchising systems. Furthermore, this paper advances the comprehension of the role of networking franchising configuration and governance in supporting organizational improvements. Additional actionable insights are provided.
Soup du jour – existing and emerging trends in archives and records management standardization
Authors: Katuu Shadrack
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the concept of standardization beyond its traditional use in generating and implementing standards and good practice guidelines (S&GPG) by looking at existing and emerging trends.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper utilizes two primary approaches to categorizing S&GPG for better comprehension: categorization based on provenance as well as based on subject matter.

Findings

A significant concern related to categorizing S&GPG based on provenance or subject is the constant proliferation of standards being developed and introduced every year. This rapid growth in standards requires frequent re-categorization to keep up with the dynamic nature of this field. To tackle this problem, this paper explores emerging concepts such as ontological representation and frameworks that offer archives and records management (ARM) professionals.

Practical implications

Standardization refers to establishing uniform rules through mutual agreement to ensure consistency. The study of standardization goes beyond the development of individual S&GPG, encompassing their practical application in work settings. Categorizing standards alone may not fully capture their actual use. However, abstraction mechanisms like ontological representations, models and frameworks can demonstrate how these standards have been leveraged. This paper provides illustrative examples rather than an exhaustive list to showcase how these mechanisms have been applied in research projects or as practical tools.

Originality/value

This paper explores the emerging topic of standardization from the perspective of ontological representations and models or frameworks. In addition, it also contributes to the discussion of the 2022 version of ARMA International’s Information Governance Implementation Model and the 2020 version of the World Bank Group's Records Management Roadmap, providing unique insights into these topics.
Understanding public servants’ perspectives on return to office and digital government: lessons learned from Canada
Authors: Gintova Maria
Published: November 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore public servants’ perspectives on return to office, hybrid work model and digital government. This is done by answering two research questions: what benefits and challenges public servants foresee with return to office and whether hybrid work enables or impedes digital government initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is designed as a mixed methods study of federal and provincial governments in Canada based on the analysis of Reddit data. Research methods include machine-assisted toxicity and sentiment analysis and manual content analysis to identify emerging themes.

Findings

The findings highlight public servants’ mostly discussed concerns with return to office. Other notable discussion topics include resistance to the hybrid work model and identifying the ways how it would be operationalized. Some supported return to office.

Research limitations/implications

This study’s limitations are related to using Reddit as the data source and user representation on Reddit. The main implications are its contribution to emerging literature on the future of work and digital government.

Practical implications

This study highlights that perspectives of public servants are paramount for development and implementation of transformational initiatives and offers insights for public sector managers on how to incorporate these into practice while improving the efficiency of digital government initiatives and the system.

Originality/value

This study addresses the gap in literature by seeking to understand the perspectives of public servants in a variety of roles as well as implications of transition to hybrid work on digital government and future of work initiatives.
Writing trans histories with an ethics of care, while reading gender in imperial Roman literature
Authors: Merkley Ky
Published: November 2023

Two major barriers interfere with writing trans histories of the premodern world: the conflict between creating a legible or foreignised past and balancing the vastness of the social system of gender against individual performances of gender identity. In this article, I propose one methodology to bypass these barriers. Additionally, this methodology reminds us that both gender and history are systems which we use to generate narratives about ourselves and that these narratives always care for and nourish certain people. Here, I issue a call for trans historians to unabashedly write histories that care for and nourish trans lives.
Effect of MAFLD on albuminuria and the interaction between MAFLD and diabetes on albuminuria
Authors: Liu Yufang , Chai Sanbao , Zhang Xiaomei
Published: November 2023

Objective

To investigate the effects of metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) on chronic kidney disease (CKD) and abnormal albuminuria and the interaction between MAFLD and diabetes on abnormal albuminuria.

Methods

Data of participants in the American 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. Hepatic steatosis was defined as median controlled attenuation parameter ≥248 dB/m, which was measured by ultrasound transient elastography. MAFLD was defined by evidence of hepatic steatosis on ultrasound in addition to any metabolic dysregulation. Hepatic fibrosis was detected by FibroScan and quantified by parameter of stiffness (E). Hepatic fibrosis was defined as E ≥ 9.7 kPa. As component of CKD, reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was defined as<60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and abnormal albuminuria was defined as urinary albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g.

Results

Data pertaining to 5119 participants were included in the analysis, with 40.6% hepatic normal, 52.1% MAFLD, and 7.2% hepatic fibrosis. Multivariable regression analyses showed that for abnormal albuminuria, the odds ratio (OR) was 0.82 (0.65–1.04) for MAFLD group and 1.73 (1.14.–,2.63) for hepatic fibrosis group, both taking the hepatic healthy group as reference. As for reduced eGFR, the OR was 0.68 (0.51–0.92) for MAFLD group and 0.93 (0.56–1.53) for hepatic fibrosis group. Diabetes was significantly related to greater risk of abnormal albuminuria (3.04 [2.70–3.42]) and reduced eGFR (1.53 [1.33–1.77]). With regard to the prevalence of abnormal albuminuria, the OR was 1.64 (1.03–2.60) for those with hepatic fibrosis only, 3.30 (2.80–3.89) for those with diabetes only, and 5.05 (3.30–7.72) for those with both two conditions. But there were neither additive interaction (relative excess risk due to interaction 0.56 [−1.41–.53], p = .577) nor multiplicative interaction (OR 0.81 [0.45–1.47], p = .492) between hepatic fibrosis and diabetes on the prevalence of abnormal albuminuria.

Conclusion

MAFLD with hepatic fibrosis is an independent risk factor for abnormal albuminuria, but it does not have interaction with diabetes on abnormal albuminuria.
Cryptocurrency as an alternative inflation hedge?
Authors: Smales L. A.
Published: November 2023

We examine the association of Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrency, returns with changes in inflation expectations, and form a comparison with gold, a traditional inflation hedge. We control for uncertainty in economic policy, cryptocurrency, and financial markets, and show that cryptocurrency returns are positively related to changes in US inflation expectations only for a limited set of circumstances. Unlike with gold, the identified relationship is only significant for short‐term inflation expectations, and when inflation or market‐implied inflation expectations are below 2% (the Fed's inflation target). Moreover, cryptocurrency returns tend to be lower on days with monthly consumer price index (CPI) announcements and respond negatively to CPI surprises. Our results suggest that cryptocurrencies do not currently offer investors a viable alternative to gold for hedging inflation.
The Roles and Intersections of Constrained Labour Agency
Authors: Jordhus‐Lier David C. , Coe Neil M.
Published: November 2023

Ever since labour geography first started demonstrating workers’ ability to shape geographies, geographers have problematised the agency of labour. This article responds to a recent intervention by Strauss (2020a; Progress in Human Geography 44[1]:150–159), challenging the sub‐discipline to reflect on who counts as a worker and what counts as work. By combining theories of roles and intersectionality, the article poses a related question: as whom do workers act? Theoretically, a critical realist approach to labour agency forms the basis for an intersectional reading of the active subject. To illustrate our argument, we juxtapose the accounts of three people who speak for groups of workers or are asked to justify the actions of collective actors like unions or social movements. By showing how these actors improvise their own role incumbency while actively negotiating social identities, the article problematises the epistemology of constrained labour agency while responding to Strauss’ call for a rethinking of the ontologies of work.
Social networking service messages improve novice trainees' motivation and performance of skills
Authors: Yamane Yusuke , Arai Junichi , Shinohara Shota , Ozeki Keisuke , Ishii Minori , Matsumoto Keitaro , Nagayasu Takeshi
Published: November 2023

Purpose

We examined the usefulness of positive social networking service (SNS) messages to improve motivation and performance during off‐the‐job training.

Methods

Subjects were sixth‐year medical students who completed a 4‐week clinical clerkship in our department involving two separate tasks. Time taken to perform the tasks was recorded on Days 1, 14, and 28. All trainees voluntarily practiced the task until Day 14. The trainees were classified into two groups according to the results of their time measurements on Day 14. The slow time group was intervened with SNS messages (SNS group) and the fast time group was not intervened (non SNS group, nSNS). The SNS group received messages from the moderator daily or every other day. The time to complete the skills practiced in the first (Days 1–14) and second half (Days 15–28) were recorded for each group.

Results

On Day 14, the time for both tasks of the nSNS group was significantly faster than the SNS group. However, there was no significant time difference on Day 28. During Days 15–28, the SNS group had significantly more practice days than the nSNS group (5.3 vs. 3.8 days, p = .023). On questionnaire, all SNS group participants indicated that the messages increased their motivation to practice.

Conclusions

SNS messages using smartphones might have increased motivation for task training and improved the performance of tasks in off‐the‐job training for novice trainees.
Subtyping treatment response of tirofiban in acute ischemic stroke based on neuroimaging features
Authors: Han Bin , Man Xu , Ding Jian , Li Yuzhu , Tian Xintao , Zhu Xuelian , Yu Jiang , Sun Jinping
Published: November 2023

In a previously published clinical trial, we demonstrated that tirofiban was effective and safe in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who did not undergo early recanalization treatments. We aimed to evaluate neuroimaging characteristics and their clinical significance to guide tirofiban treatment. In this post hoc analysis, location of infarcts (anterior circulation stroke [ACS] vs. posterior circulation stroke [PCS]), degree of cerebral artery stenosis (≤69% vs. ≥70% or occlusion), total infarct volume, and ASPECTS were used to predict the treatment effects of tirofiban, defined as the proportions of excellent and favorable functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score of 0–1, 0–2) at 90 days. ACS patients were more likely to achieve excellent (OR 2.08; 95% CI 1.25–3.45; p = 0.004) and favorable functional outcome (OR 2.28; 95% CI 1.24–4.22; p = 0.008) when treated with tirofiban. However, there was no significant difference in PCS patients between tirofiban and the control group. For patients with severe stenosis (≥70% or occlusion), tirofiban treatment improved the proportion of good outcomes (OR 2.84; 95% CI 1.44–5.60; p = 0.002 for mRS 0–1; OR 2.42; 95% CI 1.22–4.77; p = 0.011 for mRS 0–2). Meanwhile, we found that tirofiban improved outcome in patients with ASPECTS 8–10 and was independent of total infarct volume. These findings support the hypothesis that patients with ACS and severe stenosis may be recommended for tirofiban treatment, which can be predicted independent of total infarct volume.
Lesional skin of seborrheic dermatitis patients is characterized by skin barrier dysfunction and correlating alterations in the stratum corneum ceramide composition
Authors: Rousel Jannik , Nădăban Andreea , Saghari Mahdi , Pagan Lisa , Zhuparris Ahnjili , Theelen Bart , Gambrah Tom , van der Wall Hein E. C. , Vreeken Rob J. , Feiss Gary L. , Niemeyer‐van der Kolk Tessa , Burggraaf Jacobus , van Doorn Martijn B. A. , Bouwstra Joke A. , Rissmann Robert
Published: November 2023

Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by erythematous papulosquamous lesions in sebum rich areas such as the face and scalp. Its pathogenesis appears multifactorial with a disbalanced immune system, Malassezia driven microbial involvement and skin barrier perturbations. Microbial involvement has been well described in SD, but skin barrier involvement remains to be properly elucidated. To determine whether barrier impairment is a critical factor of inflammation in SD alongside microbial dysbiosis, a cross‐sectional study was performed in 37 patients with mild‐to‐moderate facial SD. Their lesional and non‐lesional skin was comprehensively and non‐invasively assessed with standardized 2D‐photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), microbial profiling including Malassezia species identification, functional skin barrier assessments and ceramide profiling. The presence of inflammation was established through significant increases in erythema, epidermal thickness, vascularization and superficial roughness in lesional skin compared to non‐lesional skin. Lesional skin showed a perturbed skin barrier with an underlying skewed ceramide subclass composition, impaired chain elongation and increased chain unsaturation. Changes in ceramide composition correlated with barrier impairment indicating interdependency of the functional barrier and ceramide composition. Lesional skin showed significantly increased Staphylococcus and decreased Cutibacterium abundances but similar Malassezia abundances and mycobial composition compared to non‐lesional skin. Principal component analysis highlighted barrier properties as main discriminating features. To conclude, SD is associated with skin barrier dysfunction and changes in the ceramide composition. No significant differences in the abundance of Malassezia were observed. Restoring the cutaneous barrier might be a valid therapeutic approach in the treatment of facial SD.
Impact of anthropogenic infrastructure on aquatic and avian predator–prey interactions in a modified lowland river
Authors: Norman Josh , Reeds Jake , Wright Rosalind M. , Bolland Jonathan D.
Published: November 2023

The relationship between aquatic and avian predators and prey is a fundamental process that influences the ecological dynamics of freshwater communities; a landscape of fear underpins spatial and temporal habitat use of prey, i.e., non‐consumptive predation effects. For example, complex marginal vegetation and other natural in‐river refuges are known to be important for prey to manage predation risk and predators must alter their behaviour in response to habitat patches prey occupy. However, it is unclear how prey respond to predators, and vice versa, in heavily modified degraded lowland rivers with a high degree of river maintenance measures; a component critical for flood risk management globally. Such modifications could lead to prey seeking refuge at hazardous anthropogenic infrastructure, but a robust quantification of predator–prey interactions in this context is required to develop this understanding.

Using multi‐beam sonar (Dual‐Frequency Identification Sonar), we non‐invasively and simultaneously quantified the temporal rate of predator–prey interactions, the attack behaviour of predators, and the refuge seeking behaviour of prey at a pumping station intake during winter in a heavily modified lowland river.

Prey fish experienced temporally dynamic, density‐dependant, and species‐specific predation risks from two dissimilar predators (i.e., aquatic vs. avian); pike (Esox lucius) and cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). Generalised linear modelling revealed that prey refuge use was positively associated with predator attack rate. Non‐consumptive effects were evidenced by quantified changes to shoal structure (density, area), shoaling (group aggregation), and schooling (coordinated directional movement), including diurnal migrations to and from the pumping station intake for refuge.

Our results show that in the absence of natural refuge habitats the natural landscape of fear shifted and speculate that prey fish were paradoxically dependant on hazardous anthropogenic infrastructure, i.e., a pumping station intake, for refuge from predators in a degraded lowland river.

These findings strongly enhance our understanding of the impact of anthropogenic infrastructure on predator–prey interactions by demonstrating how flood risk management, including river maintenance measures, and associated anthropogenic infrastructure can impact the behavioural game played between aquatic and avian predators and their prey.
Changes and correlation analysis of intestinal microflora composition, inflammatory index, and skeletal muscle mass in elderly patients with sarcopenia
Authors: Lou Junhao , Wang Qiang , Wan Xiongfei , Cheng Jingping
Published: November 2023

Aim

This study aimed to explore the alterations in characteristics of intestinal flora, inflammatory factors and skeletal muscle mass in elderly patients affected by sarcopenia, as well as the correlation among the three, in order to provide a reference for the early identification, intervention, and treatment of sarcopenia in elderly patients.

Method

A total of 206 elderly patients (≥60 years old) admitted to the Geriatric Outpatient Department of China Resources Wugang General Hospital were included in this study as the research participants. The differences in the general data, laboratory examination and intestinal flora in patients between the two groups were statistically analyzed, and the correlation between intestinal flora composition and skeletal muscle mass index, grip and inflammatory factors was also determined.

Results

The normal group and sarcopenia group exhibited a significant difference in the composition of the intestinal flora (P < 0.05). The abundance of Escherichia‐Shigella between the two groups was negatively correlated with the patient's relative skeletal muscle mass index and positively correlated with the interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) level; moreover, Lacchnospira abundance was positively correlated with relative skeletal muscle mass index; Lactobacillus and Roseburia abundance were negatively correlated with IL‐6; and Lactobacillus, Lachnospira, and Eubacterium_rectale_group were positively correlated with grip, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Overall, it was found that elderly patients with sarcopenia have intestinal flora disorders, and the abundance of such flora was negatively correlated with the relative skeletal muscle mass index, which was positively correlated with the IL‐6 level. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 140–146.
RETRACTED: Effects of evidence‐based nursing in preventing pressure ulcers in intensive care unit patients: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Li Yuanli , Huang Zhifeng , Yu Keping , Li Ya
Published: November 2023

To systematically analyse the effects of evidence‐based nursing (EBN) in preventing the development of pressure ulcers (PUs) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We conducted a computerised search of the Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang databases for randomised controlled trials on the prevention of PUs in ICU patients by EBN, published before the respective databases were established until September 2023. Two investigators independently performed literature screening, data extraction and quality assessment. A meta‐analysis was performed using Stata 17.0. Eighteen papers were included, comprising 2593 patients, of whom 1297 and 1296 received EBN and conventional nursing, respectively. The incidence of PUs was 2.70% and 12.04% in the EBN and conventional nursing groups, respectively. Meta‐analysis showed a statistically significantly lower incidence of PUs in the EBN group than that in the conventional nursing group (risk ratio = 0.22, 95% confidence interval: 0.16–0.32, p < 0.001). EBN interventions are more effective than conventional nursing in preventing PUs in ICU patients. However, since the literature included in this study was from China, the conclusions require further confirmation via higher‐quality studies.
Nurses’ experiences of moral distress and how it affects daily work in surgical care—a qualitative study
Authors: Demir Maria , Håkansson Elin , Drott Jenny
Published: November 2023

Aim

To describe nurses’ and specialist nurses’ experiences of moral distress and how it affects daily work in surgical care.

Design

A qualitative descriptive study design was used.

Methods

A qualitative study with 12 interviews with nurses and specialist nurses working in surgical care. All interviews were conducted during October and November 2022 in two hospitals in southeastern Sweden. Data were analysed using conventional qualitative content analysis.

Findings

Three categories and seven subcategories generated from the data analysis. The three categories generated from the analysis were Experiences that lead to moral distress, Perceived consequences of moral distress and Strategies in case of moral distress. The results show that a lack of personnel in combination with people with complex surgical needs is the main source of moral distress. Both high demands on nurses as individuals and the teamwork are factors that generate moral distress and can have severe consequences for the safety of patients, individual nurses and future care.

Conclusions

The results show that moral distress is a problem for today's nurses and specialist nurses in surgical care. Action is necessary to prevent nurses from leaving surgical care. Prioritizing tasks is perceived as challenging for the profession, and moral distress can pose a patient safety risk.

Impact

Surgical care departments should design support structures for nurses, give nurses an authentic voice to express ethical concerns and allow them to practice surgical nursing in a way that does not violate their core professional values. Healthcare organizations should take this seriously and work strategically to make the nursing profession more attractive.

Patient or Public Contribution

There was no patient or public contribution.
Catheter ablation of typical atrial flutter improves cardiac chamber size and function
Authors: Jou Stephanie , Liu Qi , Gulsen Mert R. , Biviano Angelo , Wan Elaine Y. , Dizon Jose , Saluja Deepak , Garan Hasan , Yarmohammadi Hirad
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Cavo‐tricuspid isthmus (CTI) dependent atrial flutter (AFL) is one of the most common atrial arrhythmias involving the right atrium (RA) for which radiofrequency catheter ablation has been widely used as a therapy of choice. However, there is limited data on the effect of this intervention on cardiac size and function.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on 468 patients who underwent ablation for CTI dependent typical AFL at a single institution between 2010 and 2019. After excluding patients with congenital or rheumatic heart disease, heart transplant recipients, or those without baseline echocardiogram, a total of 130 patients were included in the analysis. Echocardiographic data were analyzed at baseline before ablation, and at early follow‐up within 1‐year postablation. Follow‐up echocardiographic data was available for 55 patients.

Results

Of the 55 patients with CTI‐AFL, the mean age was 64.2 ± 14.8 years old with 14.5% (n = 8) female. The average left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) significantly improved on follow‐up echo (40.2 ± 16.9 to 50.4 ± 14.9%, p < .0001), of which 50% of patients had an improvement in LVEF of at least 10%. There was a significant reduction in left atrial volume index (82.74 ± 28.5 to 72.96 ± 28 mL/m2, p = .008) and RA volume index (70.62 ± 25.6 to 64.15 ± 31 mL/m2, p = .046), and a significant improvement in left atrial reservoir strain (13.04 ± 6.8 to 19.10 ± 7.7, p < .0001).

Conclusions

Patients who underwent CTI dependent AFL ablation showed an improvement in cardiac size and function at follow‐up evaluation. While long‐term results are still unknown, these findings indicate that restoration of sinus rhythm in patients with typical AFL is associated with improvement in atrial size and left ventricular function.
Feasibility and safety of endoscopic resection for the jejunoileal lesions
Authors: Wang Li , Liu Zu‐Qiang , Zhang Ji‐Yuan , Li Quan‐Lin , Chen Shi‐Yao , Zhong Yun‐Shi , Zhang Yi‐Qun , Chen Wei‐Feng , Qin Wen‐Zheng , Hu Jian‐Wei , Cai Ming‐Yan , Yao Li‐Qing , Ma Li‐Li , Zhou Ping‐Hong
Published: November 2023

Background

Endoscopic resection (ER) for jejunoileal lesions (JILs) has been technically challenging. We aimed to characterize the clinicopathologic characteristics, feasibility, and safety of ER for JILs.

Method

We retrospectively investigated 52 patients with JILs who underwent ER from January 2012 to February 2022. We collected and analyzed clinicopathological characteristics, procedure‐related parameters, outcomes, and follow‐up data.

Results

The mean age was 49.4 years. Of the 52 JILs, 33 ileal tumors within 20 cm from the ileocecal valve were resected with colonoscopy, while 19 tumors in the jejunum or the ileum over 20 cm from the ileocecal valve received enteroscopy resection. The mean procedure duration was 49.0 min. The en bloc resection and en bloc with R0 resection rates were 86.5% and 84.6%, respectively. Adverse events (AEs) included one (1.9%) major AE (delayed bleeding) and five (9.6%) minor AEs. During a median follow‐up of 36.5 months, two patients had local recurrence (3.8%), while none had metastases. The 5‐year recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and disease‐specific survival (DSS) were 92.9% and 94.1%, respectively. Compared with the enteroscopy group, overall AEs were significantly lower in the colonoscopy group (P < 0.05), but no statistical differences were observed in RFS (P = 0.412) and DSS (P = 0.579). There were no significant differences in AEs, RFS, and DSS between the endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and the endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) group.

Conclusions

ER of JILs has favorable short‐term and long‐term outcomes. Both ESD and EMR can safely and effectively resect JILs in appropriately selected cases.
Antibacterial and antibiofilm effects of Camellia oleifera seed dreg extract and its application in cosmetics
Authors: Yeh Tsung‐Ming , Sung Wei‐Wen , Shih Wen‐Ling
Published: November 2023

Background

Cosmetic care products contain a high proportion of water and nutrients. Therefore, preventing bacterial growth is an important issue to ensure product quality and safety. The application of antibacterial natural ingredients derived from plants is considered to have the potential to maintain product quality and reduce the use of chemicals in formulations. Additionally, chemically synthesized antiseptic and antibacterial agents are widely used in the industry at present. However, some preservative ingredients have been reported that may cause skin irritation, redness, allergies, and even dermatitis.

Aims

This study aimed to prepare extract from Camellia oleifera tea seed dregs (CTSD), investigate the antibacterial effects on two pathogenic bacteria and evaluate the product preservative ability.

Methods

Ethanol extraction was prepared and subjected to characterize their triterpenoid contents. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) were determined for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The product's stability and preservative qualities, along with its ability to scavenge free radicals through antioxidant activity, were also assessed.

Results

The gram‐positive S. aureus showed greater susceptibility to the treatment. In additional, CTSD possessed significant free radical scavenging activity in vitro and cultured normal human skin fibroblast CCD‐966SK cells under nontoxic concentration. The challenge test and accelerated storage test confirmed the CTSD containing formulated emulsion is eligible for commercialization.

Conclusions

CTSD has the potential to be developed as an alternative agent to control microbial biofilm formation, or can be used as an adjuvant compound for infectious disease control.
e‐Commerce platforms and self‐preferencing
Authors: Etro Federico
Published: November 2023

I review the literature on eCommerce platforms with particular emphasis on the antitrust debate on Amazon. The business model of hybrid marketplaces is based on monetization through fees on third party sellers hosted on the platform and direct margins on own products. Recent theoretical and empirical work on endogenous marketplace structures has analyzed the welfare impact of the dual mode and of recommendation algorithms that have been associated with self‐preferencing strategies. The trade offs are complex and one cannot easily conclude that Amazon entry is biased to expropriate third party sellers or that a ban on dual mode, self‐preferencing or copycatting would benefit consumers.
Becoming Silent Mentors: Buddhist Ethics Regarding Cadaver Donations for Science in Taiwan
Authors: Huang C. Julia
Published: November 2023

Since 1995, thousands of people in Taiwan have pledged each year to donate their cadavers to the medical college run by the Buddhist Tzu Chi (Ciji) Foundation. The “surge of cadavers” seems intriguing in a society where ancestor worship continues to be salient. Drawing on my fieldwork in 2012–2013 and 2015, the purpose of this paper is to describe a series of practices involving the transformation of a cadaver into a Buddhist moral subject: the donor, the family, and the medical school engage in various endeavors and rituals involving “emotional practices” to honor the deceased; situate the donation as a “good death”; and fulfill the family's obligations to ancestor worship. I argue what makes the ritual transformation efficacious is the dominant currency of emotional practices. Emotional practices “authenticate” the ritual transformation. The main ethic for commemorating the cadaver donation is not generosity or dāna but equanimity.
Comparative landscape genomics has arrived with a splash
Authors: Riginos Cynthia , Jahnke Marlene
Published: November 2023

Comparative methods are central for understanding the distribution of biodiversity. Assessing spatial variation of multiple species can identify biodiversity drivers across landscapes, including on the genetic level. Molecular ecology approaches have expanded in spatial precision, from phylogeography to landscape genetics, as have molecular tools that now allow genome‐scale inferences for virtually any organism. These welcome increases in genomic data richness, however, have not been matched by growth in the multispecies dimension, and empirical studies continue to focus predominantly on single species. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Zbinden et al. (Molecular Ecology, 2022, 32) present a landmark achievement for comparative landscape genomics, surveying an impressive 31 species of fishes, sampled from 75 locations in the White River Basin and genotyping each species for thousands of SNPs. Zbinden et al. (Molecular Ecology, 2022, 32) draw upon the statistical tools of landscape genetics to comprehensively interrogate four hypotheses—that populations of multiple freshwater fish species are isolated by river distance, barriers to dispersal, stream hierarchy or environment. Stream hierarchy overwhelmingly predicts population structure within co‐distributed fish species pointing to commonalities among species at the large landscape scale (100s of km). The tight alignment between intraspecific genetic spatial structure and stream hierarchies, moreover, provides clear validation for conservation and fisheries management to use watershed divisions as distinct management units.
A validation study of the Cantonese Chinese version of short form McGill pain questionnaire 2 in Cantonese‐speaking patients with chronic pain in Hong Kong
Authors: Tsui Fiona Pui Yee , Wong Stanley Sau Ching , Chan Timmy Chi Wing , Lee Yvonne , Cheung Chi Wai
Published: November 2023

Objective

The study tests the reliability and validity of the Cantonese Chinese version of Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2 (SF‐MPQ‐2‐CC).

Methods

The original Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF‐MPQ‐2) was translated into Cantonese Chinese version. Cantonese‐speaking chronic pain patients from three pain centers in Hong Kong were recruited and asked to complete SF‐MPQ‐2‐CC, validated Chinese versions of Identification Pain questionnaire (ID Pain), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36) for evaluation of convergent and divergent validity, 2 weeks apart for evaluation of internal consistency.

Results

A total of 333 and 197 participants completed the first and second set of questionnaires, respectively. SF‐MPQ‐2‐CC was shown to have excellent internal consistency, with an overall Cronbach's alpha value of 0.933. The overall correlation coefficient was 0.875 that shows good test–retest reliability. Construct validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis, where a seconder‐order factor model demonstrated a good fit with our data (χ2 = 826.51, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.908, RMSEA = 0.097; SRMR = 0.063; error terms adjusted). SF‐MPQ‐2‐CC also showed good convergent validity with Chinese versions of ID Pain (neuropathic pain) and PCS (continuous pain), and divergent validity was shown by a negative correlation with Chinese version of SF‐36.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that SF‐MPQ‐2‐CC is a valid and reliable pain assessment tool for Cantonese‐speaking patients in Hong Kong with a wide range of chronic pain conditions. It also helps to identify the presence of neuropathic pain and negative pain cognition among respondents.
Effects of freezing temperatures on early life stages of native trees of different elevational origin: implications for tree recruitment in seasonally dry mountain forests
Authors: Torres R. C. , Valfré‐Giorello T. A. , Cingolani A. M. , Cáceres Y. , Barberá I. , Hensen I. , Renison D.
Published: November 2023

In mountain forests, tree regeneration is limited by increasingly frequent frosts with increasing elevation. We investigated the effects of exposure to freezing temperature on early life stages of two native trees of different elevational origin in a seasonally dry mountain forest. We hypothesized that the negative effects of freezing exposure on performance of early life stages increases as freezing temperature decreases, and that frost resistance increases in plants of high elevational origin.

We collected seeds of two tree species (Kageneckia lanceolata and Lithraea molleoides) from populations located at different elevations and grew seedlings and saplings in a greenhouse. Dry seeds, imbibed seeds and 1‐month‐old seedlings were exposed to seven temperature treatments ranging from 4 °C to −20 °C, while 12‐month‐old saplings were exposed to four temperature treatments from −8 °C to −20 °C. After freezing exposure in a climate chamber, we monitored seed germination and seedling and sapling survival.

Germination of K. lanceolata decreased with decreasing temperature only for imbibed seeds from mid‐ and high elevations, whereas germination of L. molleoides slightly increased with decreasing temperature only for imbibed seeds from high elevations. For both species, seedling survival decreased with decreasing temperature. For K. lanceolata, the negative effects of freezing temperatures were weaker as elevational origin of seeds increased, whereas L. molleoides showed the opposite pattern. For both species, saplings only survived at the mildest applied freezing temperature (−8 °C).

We conclude that effects of climatic variation associated with elevation depend on the study species and life stage. The observed patterns could be caused by maternal effects, which are absent at the sapling stage. Moreover, temperatures below −8 °C can limit recruitment since partial mortality of seedlings and saplings occurred at such values.
Heterosis in crop improvement
Authors: Paril Jefferson , Reif Jochen , Fournier‐Level Alexandre , Pourkheirandish Mohammad
Published: November 2023

Heterosis, also known as hybrid vigor, is the phenomenon wherein a progeny exhibits superior traits relative to one or both parents. In terms of crop breeding, this usually refers to the yield advantage of F1 hybrids over both inbred parents. The development of high‐yielding hybrid cultivars across a wider range of crops is key to meeting future food demands. However, conventional hybrid breeding strategies are proving to be exceptionally challenging to apply commercially in many self‐pollinating crops, particularly wheat and barley. Currently in these crops, the relative performance advantage of hybrids over inbred line cultivars does not outweigh the cost of hybrid seed production. Here, we review the genetic basis of heterosis, discuss the challenges in hybrid breeding, and propose a strategy to recruit multiple heterosis‐associated genes to develop lines with improved agronomic characteristics. This strategy leverages modern genetic engineering tools to synthesize supergenes by fusing multiple heterotic alleles across multiple heterosis‐associated loci. We outline a plan to assess the feasibility of this approach to improve line performance using barley (Hordeum vulgare) as the model self‐pollinating crop species, and a few heterosis‐associated genes. The proposed method can be applied to all crops for which heterotic gene combinations can be identified.
Re-humanising News: Delineating the Trends and Research Scope for Curatorial Journalism
Authors: Upmanyu Kabir
Published: November 2023

The pivot to online news in the last two decades has had far-reaching changes in the way information is created, disseminated and consumed. One aspect of this transformation to digital has been the salience of curatorial journalism – a human-centric practice involving selection of newsworthy content, its organisation and presentation in consumable styles and formats. News curation has been pitched as an antidote to an ecosystem of information overload. While research into the practice online exists in certain contexts, it has been sparse in countries such as India. This paper reviews and synthesises contemporary literature pertaining journalistic practice and roles, news curation and its formats, digital intermediaries and structures of the digital journalism ecosystem. It thematically suggests three approaches that could be adopted by researchers to fill the gaps in the discourse around news curation : the role and identity-centric approach; format and style-centric approach; and, business and economy-centric approach. While the role and identity-centric approach emphasises on how many journalists today work as ‘information “managers”’, the format and style-centric approach delves into how curatorial products may adopt a conversationalised style to engage audiences. The question of the value proposition of curatorial products in a precarious environment is dealt with by the third approach. By placing the discussion of these approaches in the context of four curatorial offerings in the English language Indian news ecosystem, the paper highlights the vast potential of research that exists for a diverse country like India. But at the same time, these approaches would be applicable to other contexts as well, where extant research on curation has been found lacking.