bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stakeholder engagement for sustainable value co‐creation: Evidence from made in Italy SMEs
Authors: Matarazzo Michela , Oduro Stephen , Gennaro Alessandro
Published: January 2024

How Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) engage with stakeholders on their sustainable practices remains an under‐researched topic in extant business research. This occurs even though SMEs play a tremendous role across all economies, and they often engage stakeholders on sustainability issues to foster their competitive advantage. In this article, drawing on stakeholder and innovation ecosystem theories, we use empirical evidence from multiple case studies of made in Italy firms operating in the fashion, food, and furniture industries to explore the proposed research model in the SME context. Our case studies analysis reveals the specific stakeholder engagement levels activated by SMEs to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for circular value co‐creation. Furthermore, we find that the stakeholder engagement levels revolve chiefly around open dialog with local community and customers, involvement of employees, customers, and community, and cooperation with suppliers, Government, and Academy. Implications of the findings for researchers, managers, and policymakers are discussed.
Investigation of the moderation effect of gender and study level on the acceptance and use of generative AI by higher education students: Comparative evidence from Poland and Egypt
Authors: Strzelecki Artur , ElArabawy Sara
Published: January 2024

This study delves into the implications of incorporating AI tools, specifically ChatGPT, in higher education contexts. With a primary focus on understanding the acceptance and utilization of ChatGPT among university students, the research utilizes the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as the guiding framework. The investigation probes into four crucial constructs of UTAUT—performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions—to understand their impact on the intent and actual use behaviour of students. The study relies on data collected from six universities in two countries and assessed through descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling techniques, and also takes into account participants' gender and study level. The key findings show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence significantly influence behavioural intention. Furthermore, behavioural intention, when considered alongside facilitating conditions, influences actual use behaviour. This research also explores the moderating impact of gender and study level on the relationships among these variables. The results not only augment our comprehension of technology acceptance in the context of AI tools but also provide valuable input for formulating strategies that promote effective incorporation of ChatGPT in higher education. The study underscores the need for effective awareness initiatives, bespoke training programmes, and intuitive tool designs to bolster students' perceptions and foster the wider adoption of AI tools in education.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

ChatGPT is a tool that is quickly gaining worldwide recognition.

ChatGPT helps with writing essays and solving assignments.

ChatGPT raises ethical concerns about authorship, plagiarism and ethics.

What this paper adds

This study explores students' acceptance of ChatGPT as an aid in their education, which has not been studied previously.

We used the extended Unified Technology Acceptance and Use of Technology theory to test what factors mostly influence the use of ChatGPT by students.

We conducted a multiple study in Poland and Egypt based on sampling strategy from six universities.

Implications for practice and/or policy

ChatGPT is a global game changer and should be incorporated into study programmes.

The limitations of ChatGPT should be well explained and known since it is prone to making mistakes.

Higher education teachers should be aware of ChatGPT's capabilities.
The role of feeding roosts in seed dispersal service bats provide in urban areas
Authors: da Silveira Maria Clara , Silveira Maurício , Medeiros Luana Stefany , Aguiar Ludmilla M. S.
Published: January 2024

In urban ecosystems, bats play an essential role in seed dispersal, which is facilitated by their use of feeding roosts. However, there are several knowledge gaps in this ecosystem service that bats provide in urban areas. We aimed to describe the fruits consumed by bats in an urban area, the selection and use of feeding roosts, and the patterns of seed dispersal by fruit bats in a Brazilian city. We collected and identified the seeds deposited under feeding roosts and tested for differences in the size of the seed of fruits consumed by bats and the seeds of fruits available in the study area. We also captured and identified bats feeding near roosts using mist nets and assessed the vegetation structure and urban variables that might influence the bats' tree choice for roosts. We found that Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus planirostris, and Platyrrhinus lineatus potentially used feeding roosts and preferred the tallest trees, which were located further away from artificial light. The average distance of seed dispersal was 105.5 meters, and the average size of the dispersed seeds did not differ from the seeds of the fruits available in the area, suggesting that bats are not limited to dispersing only tiny seeds. However, the prevalence of exotic seeds raises concerns that bats may spread exotic species, especially in surrounding protected areas. These results highlight the importance of frugivorous bats as significant seed dispersers in urban areas and emphasize the need for further research to understand their role in shaping urban ecosystems.

Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.
Winter dry season reproductive phenology in Bahamian dry forest and implications for conservation
Authors: Fleming Genie M. , Wunderle Joseph M. , White Jennifer D. , Currie David , Helmer Eileen H. , Ewert David N.
Published: January 2024

The reproductive phenology of plants has profound influence on ecosystem dynamics including plant–animal interactions. Broad phenological patterns, especially the timing of reproduction, may result from long‐term climate trends and co‐evolution between plants and their pollinators, dispersers, and predators. Yet, interannual climate variation and local abiotic conditions may also affect the timing and magnitude of plant reproduction. Understanding the patterns of and controls on plant reproduction are crucial for conservation efforts under a changing global climate and rapidly expanding human development. However, phenology studies from the Neotropics are sparse. Here, we examine the relative timing and magnitude of fleshy‐fruited plant reproduction during the winter dry season in subtropical dry forest on Eleuthera, The Bahamas over a nine‐year period. At least 47 species were observed with some dry season reproductive activity, but only 17% showed evidence of a fruiting peak or continuous reproduction. Overall fruit abundance generally declined through the dry season, but flower production increased between mid and late dry season. Variation in fruit and flower abundance among years was related to temperature and rainfall, but local site conditions—particularly successional stage and groundwater availability—explained more variability in reproductive activity than climate variation. Groundwater availability had a particularly strong positive influence on flower and fruit abundance at the end of the dry season, a critical time for migrant frugivores preparing to return to their breeding grounds. This emphasizes the importance of protecting sites with accessible groundwater to conserve biodiversity in the archipelago and elsewhere.
Molecular and clinicopathological features of KIT/PDGFRAwild‐type gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Authors: Nishida Toshirou , Naito Yoichi , Takahashi Tsuyoshi , Saito Takuro , Hisamori Shigeo , Manaka Dai , Ogawa Katsuhiro , Hirota Seiichi , Ichikawa Hitoshi
Published: January 2024

Approximately 10% of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) harbor reportedly no KIT and PDGFRA mutations (wild‐type GISTs). The clinicopathological features and oncologic outcomes of wild‐type GISTs based on molecular profiles are unknown. We recruited 35 wild‐type GIST patients from the two registry studies of high‐risk GISTs between 2012 and 2015 and primary GISTs between 2003 and 2014. Molecular profiling of wild‐type GISTs was performed by targeted next‐generation sequencing (NGS) using formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tumor samples. Among 35 wild‐type GISTs, targeted NGS analysis detected NF1, SDH, or BRAF mutation: 16 NF1‐GISTs with various NF1 mutations, 12 SDH‐GISTs (4 with SDHA mutations, 4 with SDHB mutations, and 4 with SDHB‐negative staining), and 5 BRAF‐GISTs with the V600E mutation. Two GISTs showed no mutations based on our targeted NGS analysis. Additional gene mutations were infrequent in primary wild‐type GISTs and found in TP53, CREBBP, CDKN2A, and CHEK2. Most NF1‐GISTs were located in the small intestine (N = 12; 75%) and showed spindle cell features (N = 15; 94%) and multiple tumors (N = 6, 38%) with modest proliferation activities. In contrast, SDH‐GISTs were predominantly found in the stomach (N = 11; 92%), exhibiting epithelioid cell (N = 6; 50%) and multiple (N = 6, 50%) features. The overall survival of patients with SDH‐GISTs appeared to be better than that of BRAF‐GISTs (p = 0.0107) or NF1‐GISTs (p = 0.0754), respectively. In conclusion, major molecular changes in wild‐type GISTs include NF1, SDH, and BRAF. NF1‐GISTs involved multifocal spindle cell tumors in the small intestine. SDH‐GISTs occurred in young patients and were multifocal in the stomach and clinically indolent.
Quality assessment of patient‐reported outcome measures for patients with multiple ear complaints
Authors: Kraak Jeroen T. , Merkus Paul , Patrick Donald L.
Published: January 2024

Introduction

There is an increased demand for well‐validated PROMs in otology. This study will systematically assess the methodological quality of all published patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMS) for patients with multiple ear complaints and to identify the best suitable PROM for use by clinicians treating patients with multiple ear complaints.

Methods

An extensive systematic mapping review of all otology questionnaires was performed to identify questionnaires measuring multiple ear complaints. The ‘Consensus‐based standards for the selection of health measurement Instruments’ (COSMIN) checklists were used to evaluate the quality of the questionnaire by two researchers. The worst item score per aspect of the methodological assessment counted.

Results

Twelve multiple‐complaint questionnaires were included in the study for quality assessment. Ten questionnaires were disease‐specific (COMQ‐12, CES, ZCMEI‐21, MD‐POSI, PAN‐QOL, ETDQ‐7, MDOQ, GYSSCDQ, COMOT‐15 and DEU‐MDDS). Two questionnaires were ear domain‐specific (OQUA and COQOL). The majority of multiple complaint questionnaires lacked good design with concept elicitation and patient involvement.

Conclusion

For the majority of questionnaires, the quality assessment was inadequate as only a few authors consulted with patients affected by the complaints in the development. Modifications of earlier versions of PROMS or combinations of multiple questionnaires lead to ongoing (cross‐cultural) validation of these questionnaires albeit mediocre design and validation. The two domain‐specific questionnaires are the COQOL and OQUA, both with adequate quality but different focus. COQOL to quantify the quality of life and OQUA to measure and evaluate the severity and impact of ear complaints. [Correction added on 26 January 2024, after first online publication: In the preceding sentence, the spelling of the abbreviation COQOL has been corrected in this version.]
Evaluation of averted loss gains under Victorian biodiversity offset policy
Authors: O'Brien Anna , Gordon Ascelin
Published: January 2024

Biodiversity offsetting seeks to balance losses in biodiversity from development with offset actions that generate biodiversity gains. In Victoria, Australia, native vegetation offset policy aims to achieve No Net Loss (NNL) in biodiversity, meaning gains from offsetting must be at least equivalent to development losses. Gains may be generated from measures that protect the existing biodiversity from loss (averted loss gains), and those that restore or enhance the biodiversity (improvement gains). However, previous work has suggested the Victorian offset policy overestimates averted loss gains, allowing a larger development impact for the same offset. Here, we undertake a detailed examination of five impact‐offset exchanges permitted under Victorian offset policy in 2019 and 2020, comparing gains under the policy to those resulting from plausible counterfactuals. We find that the projected gains from averted loss were likely to be overestimated by between 3 and 240 times, compared to the counterfactuals. If this level of over‐estimation holds throughout the scheme, it would mean that up to 86% of offsets purchased do not compensate for permitted impacts to native vegetation, thwarting Victoria's NNL policy objective. We discuss the key policy issues and make recommendations to address over‐estimating averted loss gains.
Transmodern heritage as a space for imagining pluriversal relations—Insights from the African “periphery”
Authors: Bialostocka Olga
Published: January 2024

The N'zima village in Grand‐Bassam and the Abbashawel area in Asmara were intrinsically connected to the “modern” colonial capitals of present‐day Côte d'Ivoire and Eritrea, respectively, on the verges of which they functioned. However, structurally, organizationally and ontologically, they differed profoundly from their French‐ and Italian‐planned “neighbors,” together with which they are today inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Interpreted as antithetical counterparts, products of African encounters with modernity, the two urban entities within Grand‐Bassam and Asmara—European and African—tend to be described as interdependent, representing two sides of the same coin, neither of which could have existed without the other. This paper interrogates the said interpretation based on the center‐periphery dynamic created by the politics of modernity, and proposes to use instead the decolonial pluriversal perspective and the concept of transmodernity to understand the experiences of being of the colonized African populations of Grand‐Bassam and Asmara outside of Western onto‐epistemologies. It points to the N'zima village and Abbashawel as the areas that enable visualizing reality that contests the binaries created by Western modernity in seeking pluralistic politics.
The Distinct Dispossessions of Indian Settler Colonialism in Kashmir: Land, Narrative and Indigeneity
Authors: Zargar Haris , Osuri Goldie
Published: January 2024

India's annexation of Indian‐administered Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 has generated debates within Critical Kashmir Studies regarding the kind of settler colonialism that is operating in this disputed Himalayan region. To illuminate the current relationship between land dispossession and narratives that legitimize land grab (for the settlement of Hindu Indian settlers), this article traces the logics and genesis of this ongoing settler project in Kashmir, going back to the historic Dogra feudal rule. The authors argue that the Hindu Dogra dispensation installed a revenue surveillance system that enabled it to engage in institutionalized land grab, and show how that extractive land administrative structure has been repurposed by the Indian state for its settler project. The article demonstrates how the Indian state engages in the (epistemic/discursive) erasure of local voices to ensure that the Kashmiri (Muslim) native is stripped of the position of indigeneity both over land and over the narrative of an expropriatory land grab. It further illustrates how the state strives to create facts on the ground to (re)define the ‘native’ and (re)claim the land for Indian Hindu settlers.
Editor's introduction—January 2024
Authors: Warrick Catherine
Published: January 2024

本文评估了有关2011年阿拉伯起义的一系列出版物中的方法论民族主义、世界主义和跨国主义研究焦点的普遍性和启示。我们提出了一种新的类型学，它将“以国家为中心的方法论民族主义”与“方法论全球主义的世界主义视角”进行对比，作为衡量幅度的两端。跨国主义的概念介于两者之间，这归因于其对多个地点和跨边界变量的敏感性。我们通过定量研究和内容分析来比较这三个研究焦点的价值和局限性。我们对关于阿拉伯起义的十年学术研究进行了系统性综述，结果表明，中东研究中的民族主义研究方法一直处于主导地位。这是出乎意料的，因为阿拉伯起义的多地区性质表明最好对其进行跨国分析。因此，本文批判性地讨论了方法论民族主义偏见，以更好地理解和阐明这一趋势。最后，我们强调了关于“阿拉伯起义中的行动者、过程及其后果”的跨国视角所提供的一些比较优势。
GABAB receptor‐mediated modulation in the developing dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus
Authors: Javadova Amina , Felmy Felix
Published: January 2024

The dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (DNLL) is a GABAergic, reciprocally connected auditory brainstem structure that continues to develop postnatally in rodents. One key feature of the DNLL is the generation of a strong, prolonged, ionotropic, GABAA receptor‐mediated inhibition. Possible GABAB receptor‐mediated signalling is unexplored in the DNLL. Here, we used Mongolian gerbils of either sex to describe GABAB receptor‐mediated modulation of postsynaptic potassium currents and synaptic inputs in postnatal (P) animals of days 10/11 and 23–28. Throughout development, we observed the presence of a Baclofen‐activated GABAB receptor‐enhanced potassium outward conductance that is capable of suppressing action potential generation. In P10/11, old gerbils GABAB receptor activation enhances glutamatergic and suppresses ionotropic GABAergic synaptic transmission. During development, this differential modulation becomes less distinct, because in P22–28, old animals Baclofen‐activated GABAB receptors rather enhance ionotropic GABAergic synaptic transmission, whereas glutamatergic transmission is both enhanced and suppressed. Blocking GABAB receptors causes an increase in ionotropic GABAergic transmission in P10/11 old gerbils that was independent on stimulation frequency but depended on the type of short‐term plasticity. Together with the lack of Baclofen‐induced changes in the synaptic paired‐pulse ratio of either input type, we suggest that GABAB receptor‐mediated modulation is predominantly postsynaptic and activates different signalling cascades. Thus, we argue that in DNLL neurons, the GABAB receptor is a post‐synaptically located signalling hub that alters signalling cascades during development for distinct targets.
Chiropractic effects on stride parameters and heart rate during exercise in sport horses
Authors: Lorello Olivia , Rule Emily , Haughan Joanne , Wang Kai , Niu Mutian , Brown Kara , Navas de Solis Cristobal
Published: January 2024

Background

Equine veterinarians performing chiropractic treatments are frequently asked to evaluate and treat sound horses to improve their performance and address pain associated with the axial skeleton. Studies describing the effects and mechanisms of chiropractic treatments in horses without overt lameness are scarce.

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chiropractic treatments on stride rate, length, symmetry, heart rate and rider‐perceived quality of the ridden work in sport horses.

Study design

A blind randomised controlled trial with crossover design.

Methods

Thirty‐eight horses ridden in the hunter–jumper discipline were enrolled. Exercise tests were recorded before and after chiropractic or sham treatment while horses were wearing a fitness tracker. Stride length, rate and symmetry, heart rate and the perceived quality of the ridden work were compared.

Results

There was a difference in the qualitative assessment of the ridden work by riders between treatments (odds ratio 33.8, 95% CI [4.68, 458.71], p < 0.01). Stride length, rate, symmetry and heart rate were not different between treatments.

Main limitations

The quantitative outcomes measured may not be sensitive enough to detect changes that improve the ridden work. Terrain, weather and rider were not standard across horses making small changes difficult to detect.

Conclusions

Riders participating in a blind randomised controlled trial perceived a positive effect of chiropractic treatments on the quality of the ridden work. There were no differences in stride length, stride rate, stride symmetry or heart rate. The mechanisms, indications and potential benefits of chiropractic treatments in horses need further study.
‘I want to be the sort of owner that he wants me to be’: Rationales for biosecurity implementation among British horse owners
Authors: Spence Kelsey L. , Rosanowski Sarah M. , Slater Josh , Cardwell Jacqueline M.
Published: January 2024

Background

Horse owners play a critical role in mitigating the risk of pathogen spread between horses. However, little is known about how they view biosecurity and whether they experience barriers to the uptake of preventive measures.

Objectives

To explore horse owners' attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of biosecurity and identify how these factors shape horse owners' decisions for biosecurity implementation.

Study design

Qualitative study using semi‐structured interviews.

Methods

Interviews were conducted with 23 horse owners across Great Britain. Participants were purposively selected to include those in different geographic regions, with different management arrangements, and varied length of horse ownership experience. Interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using a critical realist thematic analysis.

Results

Participants felt a moral obligation to prioritise their horse's happiness, which became a challenge when certain biosecurity measures (e.g., quarantine) were perceived as compromising their horse's happiness or comfort (Theme 1). A lack of biosecurity was the social norm among shared yards and competition venues (Theme 2), which made it difficult for participants to implement biosecurity measures effectively on their own. Combined with the sense of moral obligation participants felt towards their horse, this meant that participants had to ‘care double’ (i.e., be more vigilant than they would otherwise) to compensate for collective inaction (Theme 3).

Main limitations

Participants may have been more interested in and/or knowledgeable about biosecurity than the general horse owning population.

Conclusions

The findings highlight several challenges that could be addressed to improve biosecurity implementation among horse owners. Efforts to encourage improved uptake of biosecurity measures should focus on communicating how reducing the risk of disease aligns with horse care. Further research on social norms in the horse industry is needed, in addition to identifying strategies to encourage a collective adoption of biosecurity measures.
Hourly load prediction based feature selection scheme and hybrid CNN‐LSTM method for building's smart solar microgrid
Authors: Da Thao Nguyen , Cho Ming‐Yuan , Thanh Phuong Nguyen
Published: January 2024

The short‐term load prediction is the critical operation in the peak demand administration and power generation scheduling of buildings that integrated the smart solar microgrid (SSM). Many research studies have proved that hybrid deep learning strategies achieve more accuracy and feasibility in practical applications than individual algorithms. Moreover, many buildings have integrated the SSM on the rooftop with the battery management system (BMS) to enhance energy efficiency management. However, the traditional methodologies only processed the weather parameters and power demand information for short‐term load prediction, ignoring the collected data from SSM and BMS by the advanced metering infrastructures (AMI), which probably improved prediction accuracy. In this research, many accumulated data of building and SSM are collected before methodology implementation. Considering the diversities of accumulated parameters from SSM and BMS, an adaptive convolution neural network long short‐term memory (CNN‐LSTM) is proposed for hourly electrical load prediction. The CNN could extract the critical large‐scale input feature, while the LSTM could achieve better accurate forecasts. The Pearson correlation matrix is calculated for the feature selection scheme from different data units. The hyperparameter tuning is utilized for obtaining the optimized hybrid CNN‐LSTM algorithm. The K‐fold cross‐validation is employed for deep learning algorithm verification, which includes LSTM, GRU, CNN, and Bi‐LSTM methodologies. The results prove that the hybrid CNN‐LSTM achieved outperformed improvements, which are 20.57%, 29.63%, 19.06% in MSE, MAE, MAPE, and 21.24%, 22.02%, 3.82% in validating MSE, MAE, MAPE, respectively. The hybrid CNN and LSTM combined with the feature selection scheme achieve superior predicting accuracies, proving the adaptability ability for integrating into the energy management system (EMS) of the building's SSM.
Study on the degradation of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose‐modified magnesium phosphate cement in different solutions
Authors: Chen Junying , Duan Xingze , Wen Jing , Ma Tingting , Liao Jianguo
Published: January 2024

Magnesium phosphate bone cement (MPBC) is a bone repair material that has been extensively studied. For better availability of clinical medicine, its degradation rate needs to be effectively controlled. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) has often been used as a drug carrier for controlled drug release. This property was utilized to influence the release kinetics of MPBC. This work investigated the degradation mechanism of MPBC controlled by HPMC. It was found that MPBC samples with 3 wt. % HPMC had the optimal properties. In this case, the setting time was 11 min and the maximum strength was 63.9 ± 2.5 MPa. The study found HPMC primarily controlled the degradation of MPBC hydration products via the combined actions of gradual diffusion, and release of MPBC hydration products, which subsequently caused the swelling, corrosion, and dissolution of the HPMC skeleton. Besides, the results showed that HPMC‐modified MPBC has good bioactivity, which is beneficial to bone repair. This bioactive HPMC‐modified MPBC showed a controllable degradation rate and proper mechanic properties, which may be applied to bone repair.
Influence of in situ dysprosium aluminate garnet formation on sintering of reaction sintered magnesium aluminate spinel
Authors: Baruah Biswajit , Sarkar Ritwik
Published: January 2024

In the present study, commercially available different sources of magnesia and alumina were used to produce reaction sintered magnesium aluminate spinel (MgAl2O4). Initially, spinel with stoichiometric composition was prepared from three different sources of Al2O3 and two sources of MgO and then the effect of dysprosia (Dy2O3) in a concentration range of 1–4 wt.% on the sintered properties of spinels was studied in the temperature range of 1550–1650°C. The densities of the doped compositions were higher compared with the undoped ones, and the maximum density was found for the 1 wt.% Dy2O3‐doped samples. Phase analysis and microstructural studies revealed that formation of dysprosium aluminum garnet (Dy3Al5O12) phase along the intergranular positions, which served as grain‐growth inhibitors and improved densification. Further, 1 wt.% Dy2O3‐doped compositions also revealed better flexural strength and retained strength post thermal shock values than undoped spinel.
Pathways to reintegration in Senegal and Nigeria promoted by Italian Assisted Voluntary Return programmes
Authors: Caselli Marco , Marcu Oana
Published: January 2024

This article presents the main findings of a research study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of pathways to reintegration for citizens repatriated from Italy to Senegal and Nigeria through Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programmes. Based on the scientific debate on the subject, the article begins by offering an in‐depth exploration of the issue of whether or not AVRR is truly voluntary, as well as the meaning of the term ‘reintegration’. It then illustrates the Italian AVRR system before presenting the methodology and results of the research carried out. In particular, the aim is to identify and analyse the main factors upon which the result of the reintegration of citizens who have used AVRR programmes depends, perhaps most notably the type of reception given to the returnee by friends and relatives who remained in their home country.
The relationship between self‐efficacy, malicious or benign envy in nurses: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Polat Şehrinaz , Yeşil Aslı , Afşar Doğrusöz Leyla
Published: January 2024

Aim

To determine whether nurses' self‐efficacy affected envy levels and to develop the necessary strategies.

Background

Envy is a widespread global phenomenon. Envy can harm the individual, the work environment, and nursing care. However, the relationships between self‐efficacy and envy have not been adequately explored in the nursing context.

Methods

This study was conducted as a cross‐sectional descriptive study. The study sample consisted of 361 nurses working in a university hospital in a province of Türkiye. The research model was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The participants were selected using convenience sampling. This study was reported using the STROBE checklist for cross‐sectional studies.

Results

Nurses' educational status affected their self‐efficacy. No other personal characteristics influenced self‐efficacy and envy. There was a positive relationship between malicious and benign envy. As nurses' self‐efficacy increased, malicious envy decreased and benign envy increased.

Conclusions

The results of this study showed that nurses' education level affected self‐efficacy, and self‐efficacy level affected envy, and malicious envy could be reduced by improving nurses' self‐efficacy.

Implications for nursing and health policy

Nursing managers and policymakers should support nursing education at the minimum undergraduate level, encourage nurses to continue their professional education to improve their self‐efficacy, and provide training to increase their self‐efficacy.
In‐field detection and characterization of B/Victoria lineage deletion variant viruses causing early influenza activity and an outbreak in Louisiana, 2019
Authors: Shu Bo , Wilson Malania M. , Keller Matthew W. , Tran Ha , Sokol Theresa , Lee Grace , Rambo‐Martin Benjamin L. , Kirby Marie K. , Hassell Norman , Haydel Danielle , Hand Julie , Wentworth David E. , Barnes John R.
Published: January 2024

Background

In 2019, the Louisiana Department of Health reported an early influenza B/Victoria (B/VIC) virus outbreak.

Method

As it was an atypically large outbreak, we deployed to Louisiana to investigate it using genomics and a triplex real‐time RT‐PCR assay to detect three antigenically distinct B/VIC lineage variant viruses.

Results

The investigation indicated that B/VIC V1A.3 subclade, containing a three amino acid deletion in the hemagglutinin and known to be antigenically distinct to the B/Colorado/06/2017 vaccine virus, was the most prevalent circulating virus within the specimens evaluated (86/88 in real‐time RT‐PCR).

Conclusion

This work underscores the value of portable platforms for rapid, onsite pathogen characterization.
Surveillance of seasonal influenza viruses during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Tokyo, Japan, 2018–2023, a single‐center study
Authors: Takahashi Hidenori , Nagamatsu Hiroki , Yamada Yuka , Toba Naoya , Toyama‐Kousaka Mio , Ota Shinichiro , Morikawa Miwa , Shinoda Masahiro , Takano Syunsuke , Fukasawa Suzuko , Park Kaeyoung , Yano Takahiko , Mineshita Masamichi , Shinkai Masaharu
Published: January 2024

Introduction

COVID‐19 pandemic led to significant reductions in influenza detection worldwide, fueling debates on whether influenza truly ceased circulating in communities. The number of influenza cases decreased significantly in Japan, raising concerns about the potential risk of decreased immunity to influenza in the population. Our single‐center study aimed to investigate influenza trends before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Tokyo, Japan.

Materials and Methods

This cross‐sectional study included patients of all ages who visited Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital between April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2023. Influenza and COVID‐19 tests were conducted using Quick Navi‐Flu2 and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We analyzed data from before and during the COVID‐19 epidemic, based on patient background, hospitalization, and deaths, collected from medical records.

Results

A total of 12 577 influenza tests were conducted, with approximately 100 tests consistently performed each month even in the influenza off‐season. Throughout the observation period, 962 positive cases were identified. However, no cases were observed for 27 months between March 2020 and November 2022. Influenza A cases were reobserved in December 2022, followed by influenza B cases in March 2023, similar to the influenza incidence reports from Tokyo. The positivity rate during the 2022–2023 winter season was lower than before the COVID‐19 epidemic and decreased in elderly patients, with no hospitalizations or deaths observed.

Conclusion

This single‐center study provided actual trend data for influenza patients before and during COVID‐19 outbreaks in Tokyo, which could offer insights into the potential impact and likelihood of influenza virus infection in Japan.
Composition formulas of silicate glasses
Authors: Dong Chenxi , Ma Yanping , Jiang Hong , Dong Chuang
Published: January 2024

We here extend the cluster‐plus‐glue‐atom model, originally developed for metallic glasses, to the interpretation of silicate glass compositions. By referring to β‐SiO2 crystal structure and to the widely recognized random network model, our model identifies a 16‐basic‐unit (or 32‐cation) composition formula {M1+2O}n–{M3+2O3}16−(m+n)–{M4+2O4}m, where monovalent unit {M1+2O} and quadrivalent unit {M4+2O4} cannot coexist and the trivalent units {M3+2O3} are constructed from pure trivalent cations such as {(Al,B)2O3} and from combinations of monovalent and divalent cations with the base quadrivalent Si such as {(Na,K)2/3Si4/3O3} and {(Mg,Ca)SiO3}. After analyzing some glasses of historical importance, it is pointed out that most of soda–lime–silica and aluminosilicate glasses satisfy closely {M3+2O3}16, as exemplified by ancient glasses as well as by modern ones, such as Container glass, 1980, Jena Standard Glass, and Corning Gorilla glasses of the first generation. On the other hand, borosilicate glasses feature extra {Si2O4} units ranging from 4 to 9.5 in their 16‐unit formulas, as exemplified by Corning E‐glass and Schott thermometer glass with {Si2O4}4 and Corning Pyrex with {Si2O4}9.5 containing the highest silica proportion. The number of monovalent cations in 32‐cation formulas follows linear dependences on the average cation valence e/c and on the 16‐unit parameters 2 m − 4n, showing that, except alkali‐free glasses, the compositions of soda–silicate glasses converge to 2N2 + N3 ≈ 8, where N2 and N3 are, respectively, the numbers of divalent and trivalent cations in the 32‐cation formula. The revelation of the composition rule shows the capacity of the cluster‐plus‐glue‐atom model in understanding the compositions of complex glassy systems.
Design and evaluation of deltamethrin‐based microemulsion formulation to control Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Farhadi Zohreh , Ziaee Masumeh , Esfandiari Mehdi , Salimi Anayatollah , Rasekh Arash , Sahito Zulfiqar Ali
Published: January 2024

A microemulsion is a stable, homogeneous pesticide formulation, based on an aqueous solvent, which is considered as a suitable alternative to emulsion formulations. In this study, microemulsion formulations of deltamethrin insecticide were designed to control Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), one of the important pests of many crops and ornamental plants. The solvent was selected based on the higher solubility of deltamethrin, and the appropriate surfactants were selected based on the quality of microemulsion formation. Pseudo‐ternary phase diagrams were constructed by the water titration method. The microemulsion systems were prepared using mixtures composed of deltamethrin, surfactants including Kenon 10 + SDS, Tensiofix 8427 + SDS and Tensiofix 8427 + SLS, and cosurfactant (1‐butanol). The Physico‐chemical properties of the obtained microemulsions were also evaluated. The appearance of microemulsion systems was transparent, and the droplet size of all samples was less than 20 nm. The formulations showed thermodynamic stability and low viscosity. All four microemulsion formulations had high insecticidal activity against A. gossypii, compared with an aqueous solution of pure deltamethrin. In this study, an environment‐friendly microemulsion system was designed to improve the efficacy of deltamethrin for controlling populations of A. gossypii. However, further research could be performed to assess the behaviour and ultimate fate in the environment prior to commercialization.
Different effects of CO2 laser and estrogen treatment on vaginal mucosa microbiota and function in genitourinary syndrome of menopause patients
Authors: Qi Yingying , Mo Kexin , Wang Aiping , He Yueming
Published: January 2024

Aim

To characterize the effects of CO2 laser treatment and estrogen treatment on vaginal microbiota in patients with genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM).

Methods

Sixty‐four patients with genitourinary syndrome were divided into the estrogen group, the CO2 laser group, and the control group. The control group did not receive any treatment. Vaginal mucosa was collected after 3 and 12 months of treatment. The former was used for 16S rRNA sequencing, and the latter was used for pathological evaluation. Vaginal health and voiding function were assessed using the vaginal health index (VHI) scale and the UDI‐6 scale at 3 and 12 months after treatment.

Results

The results showed that both treatments reduced alpha diversity in the vaginal flora. Additionally, the abundance of 65 genera differed significantly between the treatment and control groups, with an increase in potentially beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus, IheB3_7, Mycoplasma urealyticum, and Streptococcus. In addition, the VHI and UDI‐6 scores improved in both treatment groups compared to the control group after 3 months. Whereas VHI and UDI‐6 scores were close to baseline in the estrogen group, and remained significantly improved in the CO2 laser group after 12 months. Pathological results showed that both methods improved the vaginal health status of patients with GSM after 12 months of treatment. However, the CO2 group exhibited a more significant increase in type III collagen.

Conclusions

Both CO2 laser and estrogen therapies can regulate the vaginal flora imbalance of GSM and improve the corresponding symptoms. However, the long‐term efficacy of CO2 laser therapy is superior compared to estrogen therapy.
Identifying missed opportunities for hepatitis C virus antenatal testing and diagnosis in England
Authors: Hibbert Matthew , Simmons Ruth , Sabin Caroline A. , Mandal Sema , Desai Monica
Published: January 2024

New case‐finding opportunities are needed to achieve hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination in England by the year 2030. HCV antenatal testing is not offered universally in England but is recommended for women with risk factors for HCV (e.g. injecting drug use, being born in a high‐prevalence country). The aim of this analysis was to investigate the missed opportunities for HCV antenatal testing among women who had given birth and were subsequently diagnosed with HCV at some time after childbirth. By linking data on live births (2010–2020) to laboratory reports of HCV diagnoses (1995–2021), we identified all women who were diagnosed with HCV after the date of their first childbirth. This group was considered to potentially have experienced a missed opportunity for HCV antenatal testing; HCV‐RNA testing and treatment outcomes were also obtained for these women. Of the 32,295 women who gave birth between 2010 and 2020 with a linked diagnosis of HCV (median age: 34 years, 72.1% UK‐born), over half (n = 17,123) were diagnosed after childbirth. In multivariable analyses, the odds of being diagnosed with HCV after childbirth were higher in those of Asian Bangladeshi, Black African or Chinese ethnicity and among those born in Africa. Over four‐fifths (3510/4260) of those eligible for treatment were linked to treatment, 30.7% (747/2435) of whom had a liver scarring level of at least moderate and 9.4% (228/2435) had cirrhosis. Given the potential opportunity to identify cases of HCV with targeted case‐finding through antenatal services, universal opt‐out testing should be considered in these settings.
Sex‐biased gene content is associated with sex chromosome turnover in Danaini butterflies
Authors: Mora Pablo , Hospodářská Monika , Voleníková Anna Chung , Koutecký Petr , Štundlová Jana , Dalíková Martina , Walters James R. , Nguyen Petr
Published: January 2024

Sex chromosomes play an outsized role in adaptation and speciation, and thus deserve particular attention in evolutionary genomics. In particular, fusions between sex chromosomes and autosomes can produce neo‐sex chromosomes, which offer important insights into the evolutionary dynamics of sex chromosomes. Here, we investigate the evolutionary origin of the previously reported Danaus neo‐sex chromosome within the tribe Danaini. We assembled and annotated genomes of Tirumala septentrionis (subtribe Danaina), Ideopsis similis (Amaurina), Idea leuconoe (Euploeina) and Lycorea halia (Itunina) and identified their Z‐linked scaffolds. We found that the Danaus neo‐sex chromosome resulting from the fusion between a Z chromosome and an autosome corresponding to the Melitaea cinxia chromosome (McChr) 21 arose in a common ancestor of Danaina, Amaurina and Euploina. We also identified two additional fusions as the W chromosome further fused with the synteny block McChr31 in I. similis and independent fusion occurred between ancestral Z chromosome and McChr12 in L. halia. We further tested a possible role of sexually antagonistic selection in sex chromosome turnover by analysing the genomic distribution of sex‐biased genes in I. leuconoe and L. halia. The autosomes corresponding to McChr21 and McChr31 involved in the fusions are significantly enriched in female‐ and male‐biased genes, respectively, which could have hypothetically facilitated fixation of the neo‐sex chromosomes. This suggests a role of sexual antagonism in sex chromosome turnover in Lepidoptera. The neo‐Z chromosomes of both I. leuconoe and L. halia appear fully compensated in somatic tissues, but the extent of dosage compensation for the ancestral Z varies across tissues and species.
Demand‐led industrialisation policy in a dual‐sector small open economy
Authors: Nomaler Önder , Spinola Danilo , Verspagen Bart
Published: January 2024

This article models the process of structural transformation and catching‐up in a demand‐led Southern economy constrained by its balance of payments. Starting from the Sraffian Supermultiplier Model, we model a dual‐sector small open economy with a traditional and a modern sector that interacts with a technologically advanced Northern economy. We propose two (alternative) autonomous elements that define the growth rate of this demand‐led economy: government spending and exports. Drawing from the Structuralist literature, productivity in the technologically laggard Southern economy grows by absorbing technology from the Northern economy, by both embodied and disembodied spillovers, and potentially closing the technology gap. The gap affects the income elasticity of exports, bringing a supply‐side mediation to the growth rates in line with the Balance of Payments Constrained Model. We observe that a demand‐led government policy plays a central role in structural change, pushing the modern sector to a larger share of employment than what results under export‐led growth. Such a demand policy is the only way in which partial catching up (in productivity and GDP per capita) can result, and this is facilitated by a global market place in which the balance of payments constraint is relatively soft.
Diverse mechanisms control amino acid‐dependent environmental alkalization by Candida albicans
Authors: Silao Fitz Gerald S. , Valeriano Valerie Diane , Uddström Erika , Falconer Emilie , Ljungdahl Per O.
Published: January 2024

Candida albicans has the capacity to neutralize acidic growth environments by releasing ammonia derived from the catabolism of amino acids. The molecular components underlying alkalization and its physiological significance remain poorly understood. Here, we present an integrative model with the cytosolic NAD+‐dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (Gdh2) as the principal ammonia‐generating component. We show that alkalization is dependent on the SPS‐sensor‐regulated transcription factor STP2 and the proline‐responsive activator Put3. These factors function in parallel to derepress GDH2 and the two proline catabolic enzymes PUT1 and PUT2. Consistently, a double mutant lacking STP2 and PUT3 exhibits a severe alkalization defect that nearly phenocopies that of a gdh2‐/‐ strain. Alkalization is dependent on mitochondrial activity and in wild‐type cells occurs as long as the conditions permit respiratory growth. Strikingly, Gdh2 levels decrease and cells transiently extrude glutamate as the environment becomes more alkaline. Together, these processes constitute a rudimentary regulatory system that counters and limits the negative effects associated with ammonia generation. These findings align with Gdh2 being dispensable for virulence, and based on a whole human blood virulence assay, the same is true for C. glabrata and C. auris. Using a transwell co‐culture system, we observed that the growth and proliferation of Lactobacillus crispatus, a common component of the acidic vaginal microenvironment and a potent antagonist of C. albicans, is unaffected by fungal‐induced alkalization. Consequently, although Candida spp. can alkalinize their growth environments, other fungal‐associated processes are more critical in promoting dysbiosis and virulent fungal growth.
The determining factors of hydrogen isotope offsets between plants and their source waters
Authors: Zhao Liangju , Liu Xiaohong , Wang Ninglian , Barbeta Adrià , Zhang Yu , Cernusak Lucas A. , Wang Lixin
Published: January 2024

A fundamental assumption when using hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes to understand ecohydrological processes is that no isotope fractionation occurs during plant water uptake/transport/redistribution. A growing body of evidence has indicated that hydrogen isotope fractionation occurs in certain environments or for certain plant species. However, whether the plant water source hydrogen isotope offset (δ2H offset) is a common phenomenon and how it varies among different climates and plant functional types remains unclear.

Here, we demonstrated the presence of positive, negative, and zero offsets based on extensive observations of 12 plant species of 635 paired stable isotopic compositions along a strong climate gradient within an inland river basin.

Both temperature and relative humidity affected δ2H offsets. In cool and moist environments, temperature mainly affected δ2H offsets negatively due to its role in physiological activity. In warm and dry environments, relative humidity mainly affected δ2H offsets, likely by impacting plant leaf stomatal conductance. These δ2H offsets also showed substantial linkages with leaf water 18O enrichment, an indicator of transpiration and evaporative demand.

Further studies focusing on the ecophysiological and biochemical understanding of plant δ2H dynamics under specific environments are essential for understanding regional ecohydrological processes and for conducting paleoclimate reconstructions.