bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Australian and New Zealand nursing and midwifery educators' planetary health knowledge, views, confidence and teaching practices: A descriptive survey study
Authors: Bonnamy James , Levett‐Jones Tracy , Carr Bethany , Lokmic‐Tomkins Zerina , Maguire Jane , Catling Christine , Pich Jacqueline , Fields Lorraine , Brand Gabrielle
Published: July 2024

Aim

To explore Australian and New Zealand nursing and midwifery educators' planetary health knowledge, views, confidence and teaching practices.

Design

A cross‐sectional survey design.

Methods

An online survey was sent to Australian and New Zealand nursing and midwifery educators across the 45 Schools of Nursing and Midwifery between July and September 2023. The online survey consisted of 29 open‐ and closed‐ended questions about nursing and midwifery educators' planetary health knowledge, views, confidence and teaching practices.

Results

There was a total of 127 responses to the first open‐ended question. A total of 97 nursing and midwifery educators then completed the remaining questions. While educators had mostly positive views about integrating planetary health into their teaching, they lacked the knowledge and/or confidence to do so effectively.

Conclusion

Australian and New Zealand nursing and midwifery educators acknowledge that planetary health should be included in nursing and midwifery curricula, but most reported a deficit in knowledge and/or confidence to integrate these complex concepts into their teaching. When considering planetary health, most educators focussed on climate change, which demonstrates their limited understanding of the concept of planetary health.

Implications for the Profession

All nurses and midwives need to understand how the health of the planet and human civilization are interconnected and be prepared to address complex global health challenges now and in the future. Across the world, key healthcare organizations have called upon nursing and midwifery educators to prepare the healthcare workforce to practice in a more sustainable way, including supporting decarbonization of healthcare. However, our study has demonstrated that nursing and midwifery educators do not feel ready to respond due to a lack of required knowledge and/or confidence.

Reporting Method

We used the Consensus‐Based Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies (CROSS).

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.
Nudging (dis)trust in science: Exploring the interplay of social norms and scientific trust during public health crises
Authors: Borinca Islam , Griffin Siobhán M. , McMahon Grace , Maher Paul , Muldoon Orla T.
Published: July 2024

In times of public health crisis, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic, there is a critical need for interventions that emphasize group unification. Such interventions may motivate individuals to adhere personally and collectively to health advice, enhance national solidarity, and reduce conspiratorial beliefs among members—particularly among those who may express skepticism or distrust towards science. Across three experimental studies (Ntotal = 1604) conducted online (Experiments 1 & 3) and in a real‐world setting (Experiment 2) in Ireland and Kosovo, we assessed participants' trust in science (i.e., the extent to which they trust in science and scientists) and exposed them to one of three conditions regarding COVID‐19 health advice: compliance (i.e., the majority of ingroup members comply with the health advice), non‐compliance (i.e., the majority of ingroup members do not comply with the health advice), or no advice (i.e., control condition with no health advice information). Overall, the results showed that participants with low (vs. high) trust in science intended to adhere to health advice, expected ingroup members to do the same, experienced greater national solidarity, and reduced their conspiracy beliefs in the compliance condition compared to noncompliance or control conditions. Participants' feelings of national solidarity explained the observed effects. In sum, this set of experimental studies shows that compliance with health advice during a health crisis not only enhances national solidarity but also promotes adherence to health behaviors and reduces conspiracy beliefs, especially among those initially skeptical of science.
Power Through Pressure: How Interconnection Became Part of the EU's Overarching Climate and Energy Policy
Authors: Ydersbond Inga Margrete
Published: July 2024

Interconnection is important to attain several important EU climate and energy targets. Drawing on data from 56 stakeholder interviews, stakeholder event participation and document studies, this study enquires as to why electricity interconnection became a part of the EU's overarching climate and energy policy in 2014. The theoretical approaches liberal intergovernmentalism (LI) and the advocacy coalition framework (ACF) are tested complementarily. LI received support: member states, particularly Portugal and Spain, were essential for the outcome. These successfully played the veto card in the high‐level negotiations for the 2030 Climate and Energy Policy Framework, leading to the first inclusion of concrete interconnection targets in it and interconnection becoming a European Commission priority. ACF received partial support: a ‘green’ long‐term, multi‐level advocacy coalition consisting of the renewables industry, environmental organisations and others promoted a binding target for electricity interconnection. This ‘green’ advocacy coalition was instrumental in aiding Portugal and Spain.
Editorial Perspective: Healthy body—Healthy mind? Does exercise benefit people with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder?
Authors: Hsieh Shu‐Shih
Published: July 2024

Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stands out as one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders, significantly affecting daily functioning. However, finding a sustainable treatment strategy for ADHD remains a challenge. In this context, exercise emerges as a highly accessible behavioural intervention with lasting effects on ADHD. Historically, exercise has proven effective in inducing functional and structural adaptations in the brains of neurotypical populations, leading to improved cognition. Scientists working with individuals with ADHD have adapted approaches from research on neurotypical populations to understand the effects of exercise on reducing ADHD‐related symptoms. To advance this research area further and enhance the therapeutic potential of exercise for managing ADHD symptoms, this editorial perspective offers the following recommendations:

More research is required to better understand the neural markers of exercise interventions for ADHD and the inter‐relation between changes in ADHD‐related neural mechanisms and alterations in behavioural and cognitive symptomatology.

Researchers should consider user perspectives and incorporate social support activities when developing exercise programmes for ADHD and

Researchers should evaluate exercise as a stand‐alone treatment approach using high‐quality and well‐designed clinical trials.
Assessing the transparency in reporting of clinical trials investigating manual therapy interventions for low back pain: A methodological review
Authors: Junkin Jennifer C. , Vraa Derek , Young Jodi L. , Rhon Daniel I.
Published: July 2024

Rationale

Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition with a significant societal burden. Manual therapy is an effective treatment for LBP and recommended in clinical practice guidelines. While the quantity of literature supporting the use of manual therapy is large, the methodological quality and transparency of this collective work are unclear.

Aims and Objectives

Explore the transparency in reporting of clinical trials assessing manual therapy interventions in patients with LBP by comparing planned components in the trial registration with what was reported in the published manuscript.

Methods

Three databases were searched to identify trials assessing the treatment effect of manual therapy for LBP from January 2005 to May 2023. Studies were included if the manual therapy consisted of thrust manipulations, mobilizations or muscle energy techniques.

Results

From 4462 studies initially identified, 167 studies remained in the final review after title, abstract and full‐text review. Only 87 (52.1%) of the 167 studies were registered (n = 57 prospectively and n = 30 retrospectively). Primary outcomes in the publications were identical to the registration in 54 (62.1%) of the registered trials. Secondary outcomes in the publication were identical to the registration in 27 (31.0%) of the registered trials. The CONSORT reporting guideline was referenced in only 19 (21.8%) trials. Multiple discrepancies between registration and publication were noted for primary and secondary outcomes. All trials had eligibility criteria in the registration that matched their corresponding manuscript, while only four (4.6%) trial registrations addressed any type of statistical analysis plan.

Conclusion

Approximately half of the trials were not registered. Of those registered, only half were registered prospectively. Substantial discrepancies existed between registered and published outcomes that were never addressed by the authors, raising questions about potential bias. Transparency can be improved through more stringent requirements during manuscript submission to journals, and better reporting of the rationale for discrepancies between registration and publication.
New insights into Microsporidia polar tube function and invasion mechanism
Authors: Fayet Maurine , Long Mengxian , Han Bing , Belkorchia Abdel , Delbac Frédéric , Polonais Valerie
Published: July 2024

Microsporidia comprise a large phylum of single‐cell and obligate intracellular parasites that can infect a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts including humans. These fungal‐related parasites are characterized by a highly reduced genome, a strong energy dependence on their host, but also by their unique invasion organelle known as the polar tube which is coiled within the resistant spore. Upon appropriate environmental stimulation, the long hollow polar tube (ranging from 50 to 500 μm in length) is extruded at ultra‐fast speeds (300 μm/s) from the spore acting as a harpoon‐like organelle to transport and deliver the infectious material or sporoplasm into the host cell. To date, seven polar tube proteins (PTPs) with distinct localizations along the extruded polar tube have been described. For example, the specific location of PTP4 and PTP7 at the tip of the polar tube supports their role in interacting with cellular receptor(s). This chapter provides a brief overview on the current understanding of polar tube structure and dynamics of extrusion, primarily through recent advancements in cryo‐tomography and 3D reconstruction. It also explores the various mechanisms used for host cell invasion. Finally, recent studies on the structure and maturation of sporoplasm and its moving through the tube are discussed.
Measuring due process and fairness in the child welfare court system
Authors: Richards Tammy , Fromknecht Anne
Published: July 2024

Upholding the fundamental rights of families during child welfare court cases is critical to ensuring equal access to justice. This article review research related to the due process measures in the Judicial, Court, and Attorney Measures of Performance (JCAMP). Studies of due process practices early in the case to avoid unnecessary involvement of families are presented. These represent divergent opinions on the role of the judge and arguments for the early appointment of parent attorneys. Future research is critical to understand practices which promote fairness and address the over‐representation of families of color in the child welfare system.
An integrated life cycle emergy analysis for environmental–economic sustainability assessment
Authors: Theng Mary Lina , Tan Lian See , Liew Peng Yen , Tan Jully
Published: July 2024

Emergy analysis (EmA) is the quantitative sustainability method that analyses materials, energy resources, goods, or services under a common unit of solar emergy (seJ). Meanwhile, life cycle assessment (LCA) is one of the popular tools to evaluate environmental impacts. Both methods have been widely used in various applications, hence, the idea of co‐jointing these two methods has been increasing to optimize the assessment's inclusivity. However, the existing integrated LCA–EmA methods are applied segmentally with minimal data integration, which has limited the potential of co‐benefits in sustainability accounting. This research proposes a more comprehensive integration between LCA and EmA, known as life cycle emergy analysis (LCEmA). The process data is fully integrated, and the detailed methodological approach is presented to demonstrate the assessment process. Diaper manufacturing is selected as a case study to validate the functionality of the proposed LCEmA approach. The inclusion of foreground and background data offered in LCEmA approach considers backend processes such as electricity generation for manufacturing activities. This has shifted the sustainability hotspot from raw material extraction to the manufacturing process. This research demonstrates that the LCEmA approach can perform comprehensive analysis as a promising alternative to the existing integrated LCA–EmA methods.
Understanding key mineral supply chain dynamics using economics‐informed material flow analysis and Bayesian optimization
Authors: Ryter John , Bhuwalka Karan , O'Rourke Michelena , Montanelli Luca , Cohen‐Tanugi David , Roth Richard , Olivetti Elsa
Published: July 2024

The low‐carbon energy transition requires significant increases in production for many mineral commodities. Understanding demand, technological requirements, and prices associated with this production increase requires understanding the supply chain dynamics of many minerals simultaneously, and via a consistent framework. A generalized economics‐informed material flow method, global materials modeling using Bayesian optimization, captures the market dynamics of key mineral commodities. The method relies only on a limited set of widely available historical data as input, enabling quantification of economic relationships (elasticities) for supply chain components where data are sparse, and relationships cannot be obtained via traditional statistical approaches. Building upon established material flow analysis (MFA) and economic modeling techniques, Bayesian optimization was applied to fit an economics‐informed MFA model to global historical demand, supply, and price for aluminum, copper, gold, lead, nickel, silver, iron, tin, and zinc. This approach enables estimates for the evolution of ore grades, mine costs, refining charges, sector‐specific demand, and scrap collection for each commodity. Economic relationships were quantified and compared with a database compiled from the literature, including 1333 values from 213 analyses across 65 publications. Discrepancies in methods and limited coverage make use of these parameters in modeling efforts difficult. This work provides a single, homogeneous, probabilistic approach to identifying economic relationships across mineral supply chains, with uncertainty quantification, a literature database for comparison, and a modeling framework in which to use them. This article met the requirements for a Gold‐Gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges.
Linking hypothetical extraction, the accumulation of production factors, and the addition of value
Authors: Hertwich Edgar G. , Koslowski Maximilian , Rasul Kajwan
Published: July 2024

In industrial ecology, approaches have been developed to analyze the contribution of specific sectors to environmental impacts within supply chains. In economics, a range of methods addresses the forward linkage (use of output) and backward linkage (dependency on inputs) of sectors, and the analysis of key sectors. This article offers a formal investigation of the relationship between these. It shows that both the analysis of supply chain impacts and of intersectoral linkages can be seen as special cases of a more general hypothetical extraction method (HEM). In HEM, sectors' role is assessed as the effect of their removal on the input–output model's solution. HEM also allows for the (partial) extraction of individual transactions. HEM thus offers a flexible approach to assessing the contribution of one or several sectors, or transactions, or parts thereof, to value added or footprint of any final demand. It can be applied to study the environmental footprints of companies or intermediate products, the contribution of certain inputs to sectors, or the potential impact of disruptions of supply chains on producers and consumers. In this article, the price model for HEM is introduced to identify the contribution of the extracted (target) sectors to the price or unit footprint of a commodity.
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 4 is caused by a GGC expansion in the ZFHX3 gene and is associated with prominent dysautonomia and motor neuron signs
Authors: Paucar Martin , Nilsson Daniel , Engvall Martin , Laffita‐Mesa José , Söderhäll Cilla , Skorpil Mikael , Halldin Christer , Fazio Patrik , Lagerstedt‐Robinson Kristina , Solders Göran , Angeria Maria , Varrone Andrea , Risling Mårten , Jiao Hong , Nennesmo Inger , Wedell Anna , Svenningsson Per
Published: July 2024

Background

Spinocerebellar ataxia 4 (SCA4), characterized in 1996, features adult‐onset ataxia, polyneuropathy, and linkage to chromosome 16q22.1; its underlying mutation has remained elusive.

Objective

To explore the radiological and neuropathological abnormalities in the entire neuroaxis in SCA4 and search for its mutation.

Methods

Three Swedish families with undiagnosed ataxia went through clinical, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging tests, including PET studies and genetic investigations. In four cases, neuropathological assessments of the neuroaxis were performed. Genetic testing included short read whole genome sequencing, short tandem repeat analysis with ExpansionHunter de novo, and long read sequencing.

Results

Novel features for SCA4 include dysautonomia, motor neuron affection, and abnormal eye movements. We found evidence of anticipation; neuroimaging demonstrated atrophy in the cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord. [18F]FDG‐PET demonstrated brain hypometabolism and [11C]Flumazenil‐PET reduced binding in several brain lobes, insula, thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebellum. Moderate to severe loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum and of motor neurons in the anterior horns of the spinal cord along with pronounced degeneration of posterior tracts was also found. Intranuclear, mainly neuronal, inclusions positive for p62 and ubiquitin were sparse but widespread in the CNS. This finding prompted assessment for nucleotide expansions. A polyglycine stretch encoding GGC expansions in the last exon of the zink finger homeobox 3 gene was identified segregating with disease and not found in 1000 controls.

Conclusions

SCA4 is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a novel GGC expansion in the coding region of ZFHX3, and its spectrum is expanded to include dysautonomia and neuromuscular manifestations.
Bacillus‐based product protects soybean, improves grain yield and produces metabolites able to promote plant growth and antagonize pathogenic fungi
Authors: dos Santos Fabio Mulinari , de Souza Viera Laura , Camargo Darcila Pereira , Queiroz dos Santos Dhylan K. , Brião Muniz Marlove F. , Dressler da Costa Ivan F. , Pereira Santos Jansen R. , Pereira da Silva Julio C.
Published: July 2024

Soybean is frequently affected by pathogenic fungi, which are usually managed by chemicals. Foliar sprays with biological agents have been introduced as new allies to reduce plant diseases. This study verified foliar sprays of Bacillus subtilis‐based product applied for three consecutive cropping seasons associated or not with chemical fungicides to control Asian rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) and the effect of B. subtilis‐produced metabolites against pathogenic fungi and on soybean growth. Field treatments were as follows: (i) Foliar application of B. subtilis‐based product, followed by chemical sprays; (ii) chemical management alone; (iii) B. subtilis‐based product alone, and (iv) control treatment with water sprays. In the three years, B. subtilis‐based product alone or followed by chemicals reduced at least 75% the Asian rust severity, similar to chemical management. Moreover, soybean grain yield increased when B. subtilis‐based product was followed by chemicals. Cell‐free filtrates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from B. subtilis isolate or from the formulated bioproduct were tested against fungi pathogens Fusarium cf. incarnatum/equiseti and Macrophomina phaseolina. All filtrates and VOCs emission reduced more than 40% the mycelial growth of both fungi. Also, the filtrates stimulated the soybean growth at a rate similar to the bioproduct, indicating the potential of the B. subtilis compounds to control fungi pathogens and promote plant growth. Therefore, the B. subtilis‐based product showed a satisfactory protection and yield increment for soybean and B. subtilis‐produced metabolites antagonized pathogenic fungi and stimulated the soybean plant growth.
Optimizing green splits in high‐dimensional traffic signal control with trust region Bayesian optimization
Authors: Gong Yunhai , Zhong Shaopeng , Zhao Shengchuan , Xiao Feng , Wang Wenwen , Jiang Yu
Published: July 2024

Centralized traffic signal control has long been a challenging, high‐dimensional optimization problem. This study establishes a simulation‐based optimization framework and develops a novel optimization algorithm based on trust region Bayesian optimization (TuRBO), which can efficiently obtain an approximate optimal solution to the high‐dimensional traffic signal control problem. Local Gaussian process (GP), trust region, and Thompson sampling are employed in the TuRBO and contribute considerably to performance in terms of computational speed, solution quality, and scalability. Empirical studies are carried out using data from Mudanjiang and Chengdu, China. The performance of TuRBO is compared with that of Bayesian optimization (BO), genetic algorithm and random sampling. The results show that TuRBO converges the fastest because of its ability to balance exploration and exploitation through the trust region and Thompson sampling. Meanwhile, because TuRBO enables more efficient exploitation through the local GP, the solution quality of TuRBO outperforms others significantly. The average waiting time achieved by TuRBO was 2.84% lower than that achieved by BO. Finally, the method has been successfully extended to a large network with 233‐dimensional spaces and 122 signalized intersections, demonstrating that the developed methodology can deal with high‐dimensional traffic signal control effectively for real case applications.
Conceptualising personhood in nursing care for people with altered consciousness, cognition and behaviours: A discussion paper
Authors: Kivunja Stephen , Pryor Julie , River Jo , Gullick Janice
Published: July 2024

The aim of this discussion paper is to explore factors and contexts that influence how nurses might conceptualise and assign personhood for people with altered consciousness, cognition and behaviours. While a biomedical framing is founded upon a dichotomy between the body and self, such that the body can be subjected to a medical and objectifying gaze, relational theories of self, multiculturalism and technological advances for life‐sustaining interventions present new dilemmas which necessitate discussion about what constitutes personhood. The concept of personhood is dynamic and evolving: where historical constructs of rationality, agency, autonomy and a conscious mind once formed the basis for personhood, these ideas have been challenged to encompass embodied, relational, social and cultural paradigms of selfhood. Themes in this discussion include: the right to personhood, mind–body dualism versus the embodied self; personhood as consciousness, rationality and narratives of self; social relational contexts of personhood and cultural contexts of personhood. Patricia Benner's and Christine Tanner's clinical judgement model is then applied to consider the implications for nursing care that seeks to reflexively incorporate personhood. Nurse clinicians are able to move between conceptions of personhood and act to support the body, as well as presumed autonomy and relational, social and cultural personhood. In doing so, they use analytical, intuitive and narrative reasoning which prioritises autonomous constructions of self. They also incorporate relational and social contexts of the person receiving care within the possibilities of technological advances and constraints of contextual resources.
Unpacking Conflict Process on the Korean Peninsula with Political and Seasonal Distribution
Authors: Sung Ki‐Eun , Hwang Won‐June
Published: July 2024

Under what conditions does a North Korean threat escalate to the actual use of force? To address this question, we delve into the underlying causal mechanism that shapes the entire conflict process on the Korean Peninsula. Dismissing the presumption that repeated disputes are independent of one another and that factors exhibit a monotonic effect across conflict stages, we direct our focus towards the comprehensive conflict process encompassing North Korea's provocation onset and escalation. Our approach involves the systematic collection of monthly data, which we analyze using appropriate statistical models to account for the selection effect. The empirical investigation not only corroborates our theoretical proposition but also uncovers several key factors that exhibit a non‐monotonic effect across various stages of conflict. The results indicate that North Korea's domestic factors and those within South Korea influence the onset of conflict, while the escalation stage is shaped by factors within the United States. Furthermore, our findings highlight the effect of seasonality, indicating an increased frequency of conflict onset and escalation during the summer season.
PmHs1pro‐1 monitors Bsursaphelenchus xylophilus infection and activates defensive response in resistant Pinus massoniana
Authors: Xie Yini , Liu Bin , Zhou Zhichun , Gao Kai , Yin Hengfu , Zhao Yunxiao , Liu Qinghua
Published: July 2024

Plant resistance (R) genes play a crucial role in the detection of effector proteins secreted by pathogens, either directly or indirectly, as well as in the subsequent activation of downstream defence mechanisms. However, little is known about how R genes regulate the defence responses of conifers, particularly Pinus massoniana, against the destructive pine wood nematode (PWN; Bursaphelenchus xylophilus). Here, we isolated and characterised PmHs1pro‐1, a nematode‐resistance gene of P. massoniana, using bioinformatics, molecular biology, histochemistry and transgenesis. Tissue‐specific expressional pattern and localisation of PmHs1pro‐1 suggested that it was a crucial positive regulator in response to PWN attack in resistant P. massoniana. Meanwhile, overexpression of PmHs1pro‐1 was found to activate reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism‐related enzymes and the expressional level of their key genes, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase. In addition, we showed that PmHs1pro‐1 directly recognised the effector protein BxSCD1of PWN, and induced the ROS burst responding to PWN invasion in resistant P. massoniana. Our findings illustrated the molecular framework of R genes directly recognising the effector protein of pathology in pine, which offered a novel insight into the plant–pathogen arms race.
LSTrAP‐denovo: Automated Generation of Transcriptome Atlases for Eukaryotic Species Without Genomes
Authors: Lim Peng Ken , Wang Ruoxi , Mutwil Marek
Published: July 2024

Despite the abundance of species with transcriptomic data, a significant number of species still lack sequenced genomes, making it difficult to study gene function and expression in these organisms. While de novo transcriptome assembly can be used to assemble protein‐coding transcripts from RNA‐sequencing (RNA‐seq) data, the datasets used often only feature samples of arbitrarily selected or similar experimental conditions, which might fail to capture condition‐specific transcripts. We developed the Large‐Scale Transcriptome Assembly Pipeline for de novo assembled transcripts (LSTrAP‐denovo) to automatically generate transcriptome atlases of eukaryotic species. Specifically, given an NCBI TaxID, LSTrAP‐denovo can (1) filter undesirable RNA‐seq accessions based on read data, (2) select RNA‐seq accessions via unsupervised machine learning to construct a sample‐balanced dataset for download, (3) assemble transcripts via over‐assembly, (4) functionally annotate coding sequences (CDS) from assembled transcripts and (5) generate transcriptome atlases in the form of expression matrices for downstream transcriptomic analyses. LSTrAP‐denovo is easy to implement, written in Python, and is freely available at https://github.com/pengkenlim/LSTrAP-denovo/.
Charting a course for peatland restoration in Ireland: a case study to support restoration frameworks in other regions
Authors: Farrell Catherine A. , Connolly John , Morley Terry R.
Published: July 2024

Peatlands are complex landscape ecosystems. Since the beginning of the last century, they have been viewed as wastelands, with little or no economic value of note in their natural state. This led to their hidden values, particularly their contributions to human well‐being, and global and local support systems, being completely overlooked in policy and decision‐making, both at national and global levels. In this paper, we highlight some of the complexities relating to Irish peatlands: from their traditional use, to changes in land use relating to national and European policy changes in the last century. We then outline essential supporting components of a framework for their restoration and future sustainable use. Policy relating to agriculture, forestry, and energy has driven most of the land use change in Ireland, particularly since the mid‐1900s, and this has led to dramatic changes in peatland extent and condition, with negative impacts on the flows of ecosystem services and benefits for people. Restoration of peatlands has significant potential to reverse those negative flows and deliver benefits (local and global) for carbon, water, biodiversity, and people. Local communities can, and are keen to, support the delivery of peatland restoration, but they need to be supported by national agencies and policy frameworks that address social, economic, and environmental targets. The act of restoration creates opportunities to re‐connect with peatlands in a positive way, re‐enforcing the intrinsic and reciprocal values of peatlands, and ultimately supporting their sustainable use.
Intangibles: How Far We Have Come and The Road Ahead
Authors: Sichel Daniel E.
Published: July 2024

Investment in intangible assets as a share of business sector GDP has increased rapidly across advanced market economies during the past several decades, and this explosion in intangible capital has been matched by a huge increase in related research on how rising intangible intensity has affected economic activity, the structure of the economy, and financial markets. These developments provide the backdrop for this survey essay—a summary of a keynote address delivered at the ESCoE‐IARIW conference on intangible assets held in London in 2021—written from the perspective of someone involved in intangibles research since the early 2000s. The essay selectively reviews work by researchers inside and outside National Statistical Offices (mostly on the measurement side) to highlight how far the measurement community has come since the early 2000s and to offer a perspective on key measurement research questions for the future to highlight the road ahead.
The Motherland and the Fight with Fascism: War Cult and War Film under Brezhnev (1965–82)
Authors: Kelly Catriona
Published: July 2024

This article, based on extensive archival documentation, newspapers, and periodicals, examines the impact upon the Soviet film industry of shifts in top‐level policy relating to representation of the war. It contends that Leonid Brezhnev’s May 8, 1965, speech on the eve of Victory Day propounded an inclusive vision of the war (later sections of the speech comprise an exhaustive inventory of different representatives of military and civilian society who had been responsible for victory). Yet, in lending encouragement to participants of all kinds to consider their experience valid, the speech opened up a discursive space in which validity might be contested. Further, the emphasis in the film industry upon innovation and the need to avoid predictability ran directly against the requirement that commemoration of the war should fit highly ritualized and easily recognizable patterns. The article traces the results of these overall contradictions in the arguments about overall policy on the war film between representatives of the High Command, film managers at Goskino, cinema’s central bureaucracy, and filmmakers themselves, and the controversies around individual films, including Iurii Ozerov’s Liberation (1968–72), Andrei Smirnov’s The Belorussian Station (1970), Aleksei German’s Operation “New Year” (1971, released as Checkpoint, 1985), and Larisa Shepit'ko’s Ascent (1977).
Preschoolers’ moral judgment and punishment attribution: Longitudinal links to theory of mind and emotion understanding
Authors: Seucan Daniela Teodora , Szekely‐Copîndean Raluca Diana , Visu‐Petra Laura
Published: July 2024

Understanding what others think and feel, an essential ingredient of social functioning, develops early on, allowing children to understand and evaluate other people's actions. To assess whether those actions break or uphold moral rules (moral judgments), children must consider the agent's intentions and whether the action harms or helps others. The present study investigated longitudinally the changes and interrelations between cognitive and affective perspective‐taking and moral evaluations in 3‐ to 5‐year‐old preschoolers (N = 92, 43 girls). We assessed children's first‐order theory of mind and their ability to understand other people's emotions. Next, we presented them with two moral stories which measured how children evaluated the “good” or “bad” nature of the character's intention, and whether the character deserved to be punished. Controlling for inhibitory control—which is thought to help individuals integrate information about intention—and for time across development, our main findings showed that moral judgment was positively associated with theory of mind and that both moral judgment and punishment were positively associated with the ability to understand other people's emotions. There were developmental effects for each of the measured variables, improvements being visible 15 months later, especially in the case of the theory of mind and punishment attributions. We discuss our findings in light of recent models of moral judgment regarding the processes involved in children's moral judgments and put forward future methodological directions.
Genome‐wide chromatin accessibility reveals transcriptional regulation of heterosis in inter‐subspecific hybrid rice
Authors: Wang Fei , Xi Zengde , Wang Mengyao , Wang Linyou , Wang Jianbo
Published: July 2024

The utilization of rice heterosis is essential for ensuring global food security; however, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, comprehensive analyses of accessible chromatin regions (ACRs), DNA methylation, and gene expression in inter‐subspecific hybrid and its parents were performed to determine the potential role of chromatin accessibility in rice heterosis. The hybrid exhibited abundant ACRs, in which the gene ACRs and proximal ACRs were directly related to transcriptional activation rather than the distal ACRs. Regarding the dynamic accessibility contribution of the parents, paternal ZHF1015 transmitted a greater number of ACRs to the hybrid. Accessible genotype‐specific target genes were enriched with overrepresented transcription factors, indicating a unique regulatory network of genes in the hybrid. Compared with its parents, the differentially accessible chromatin regions with upregulated chromatin accessibility were much greater than those with downregulated chromatin accessibility, reflecting a stronger regulation in the hybrid. Furthermore, DNA methylation levels were negatively correlated with ACR intensity, and genes were strongly affected by CHH methylation in the hybrid. Chromatin accessibility positively regulated the overall expression level of each genotype. ACR‐related genes with maternal Z04A‐bias allele‐specific expression tended to be enriched during carotenoid biosynthesis, whereas paternal ZHF1015‐bias genes were more active in carbohydrate metabolism. Our findings provide a new perspective on the mechanism of heterosis based on chromatin accessibility in inter‐subspecific hybrid rice.
Molecular basis of one‐step methyl anthranilate biosynthesis in grapes, sweet orange, and maize
Authors: Fallon Michael A. , Tadfie Hisham , Watson Aracely P. , Dyke Madeline M. , Flores Christopher , Cook Nathan , Fei Zhangjun , Holland Cynthia K.
Published: July 2024

Plants synthesize an array of volatile compounds, many of which serve ecological roles in attracting pollinators, deterring herbivores, and communicating with their surroundings. Methyl anthranilate (MeAA) is an anti‐herbivory defensive volatile responsible for grape aroma that is emitted by several agriculturally relevant plants, including citrus, grapes, and maize. Unlike maize, which uses a one‐step anthranilate methyltransferase (AAMT), grapes have been thought to use a two‐step pathway for MeAA biosynthesis. By mining available transcriptomics data, we identified two AAMTs in Vitis vinifera (wine grape), as well as one ortholog in “Concord” grape. Many angiosperms methylate the plant hormone salicylic acid (SA) to produce methyl salicylate, which acts as a plant‐to‐plant communication molecule. Because the Citrus sinensis (sweet orange) SA methyltransferase can methylate both anthranilate (AA) and SA, we used this enzyme to examine the molecular basis of AA activity by introducing rational mutations, which identified several active site residues that increase activity with AA. Reversing this approach, we introduced mutations that imparted activity with SA in the maize AAMT, which uncovered different active site residues from those in the citrus enzyme. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis revealed that one of the Vitis AAMTs shares an ancestor with jasmonic acid methyltransferases, similar to the AAMT from strawberry (Frageria sp.). Collectively, these data demonstrate the molecular mechanisms underpinning AA activity across methyltransferases and identify one‐step enzymes by which grapes synthesize MeAA.
eHealth early intervention programs to support premature parents transitioning from NICU to home on parental and infant outcomes: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Ferraz Liliana , Xavier Maria Raul , Gameiro Manuel , Cardoso Ana Filipa , Cardoso Daniela , Paradela Lúcia , Dinis Daniela , Coutinho Estela , Fernandes Ananda
Published: July 2024

Objective:

This review will assess the effectiveness of eHealth early intervention programs in supporting premature infants and their parents transition from neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to home and the impact of such programs on parental and infant outcomes.

Introduction:

The literature has shown the benefits of eHealth early intervention programs to support premature infants and their parents after discharge from NICUs. Parents have reported benefits such as enhanced user-friendliness, increased confidence in infant care, satisfaction, and knowledge acquisition. However, the effectiveness of these programs on parental and infant outcomes remains unclear.

Inclusion criteria:

This review will consider studies that assess any early intervention program using eHealth to support premature infants and their parents after discharge from NICU. The programs may be initiated during hospitalization or within the first month of discharge. The programs will include interventions that use eHealth components (eg, teleconsultation), either alone or in combination with face-to-face interventions (eg, home visits). This review will consider parental outcomes, including stress, anxiety, competence, and satisfaction, as well as infant outcomes, including health service utilization and cognitive, motor, and social development.

Methods:

This review will follow the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness. The search strategy will aim to find both published and unpublished quantitative studies in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, without any geographical or cultural limitations. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, critical appraisal, and data extraction. The results will be accompanied by a narrative synthesis. If possible, a meta-analysis will be conducted and the Summary of Findings will be presented using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach.

Review registration:

PROSPERO CRD42023444721
Expression patterns of
Mal
genes and association with differential maltose and maltotriose transport rate of two
Saccharomyces pastorianus
yeasts
Authors: Hernández-Vásquez César I. , García-García Jorge H. , Pérez-Ortega Esmeralda R. , Martínez-Segundo Adriana G. , Damas-Buenrostro Luis C. , Pereyra-Alférez Benito
Published: July 2024

Beer brewing is a well-known process that still faces great challenges, such as the total consumption of sugars present in the fermentation media. Lager-style beer, a major worldwide beer type, is elaborated by
Saccharomyces pastorianus
(Sp) yeast, which must ferment high maltotriose content worts, but its consumption represents a notable problem, especially among Sp strains belonging to group I. Factors, such as fermentation conditions, presence of maltotriose transporters, transporter copy number variation, and genetic regulation variations contribute to this issue. We assess the factors affecting fermentation in two Sp yeast strains: SpIB1, with limited maltotriose uptake, and SpIB2, known for efficient maltotriose transport. Here, SpIB2 transported significantly more maltose (28%) and maltotriose (32%) compared with SpIB1. Furthermore, SpIB2 expressed all MAL transporters (Sc
MAL
x1, Se
MAL
x1, Sc
AGT
1, Se
AGT
1,
MTT
1, and
MPH
x) on the first day of fermentation, whereas SpIB1 only exhibited Sc
Mal
x1, Sc
AGT
1, and
MPH
2/3 genes. Some SpIB2 transporters had polymorphic transmembrane domains (TMD) resembling
MTT
1, accompanied by higher expression of these transporters and its positive regulator genes, such as
MAL
63. These findings suggest that, in addition to the factors mentioned above, positive regulators of Mal transporters contribute significantly to phenotypic diversity in maltose and maltotriose consumption among the studied lager yeast strains.

IMPORTANCE

Beer, the third most popular beverage globally with a 90% market share in the alcoholic beverage industry, relies on
Saccharomyces pastorianus
(Sp) strains for lager beer production. These strains exhibit phenotypic diversity in maltotriose consumption, a crucial process for the acceptable organoleptic profile in lager beer. This diversity ranges from Sp group II strains with a notable maltotriose-consuming ability to Sp group I strains with limited capacity. Our study highlights that differential gene expression of maltose and maltotriose transporters and its upstream trans-elements, such as
MAL
gene-positive regulators, adds complexity to this variation. This insight can contribute to a more comprehensive analysis needed to the development of controlled and efficient biotechnological processes in the beer brewing industry.
Taurine modulates host cell responses to
Helicobacter pylori
VacA toxin
Authors: Westland Mandy D. , Schrimpe-Rutledge Alexandra C. , Codreanu Simona G. , Sherrod Stacy D. , McLean John A. , McClain Mark S. , Cover Timothy L.
Published: July 2024

Colonization of the human stomach with
Helicobacter pylori
strains producing active forms of the secreted toxin VacA is associated with an increased risk of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer, compared with colonization with strains producing hypoactive forms of VacA. Previous studies have shown that active s1m1 forms of VacA cause cell vacuolation and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this study, we sought to define the cellular metabolic consequences of VacA intoxication. Untargeted metabolomic analyses revealed that several hundred metabolites were significantly altered in VacA-treated gastroduodenal cells (AGS and AZ-521) compared with control cells. Pathway analysis suggested that VacA caused alterations in taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. Treatment of cells with the purified active s1m1 form of VacA, but not hypoactive s2m1 or Δ6–27 VacA-mutant proteins (defective in membrane channel formation), caused reductions in intracellular taurine and hypotaurine concentrations. Supplementation of the tissue culture medium with taurine or hypotaurine protected AZ-521 cells against VacA-induced cell death. Untargeted global metabolomics of VacA-treated AZ-521 cells or AGS cells in the presence or absence of extracellular taurine showed that taurine was the main intracellular metabolite significantly altered by extracellular taurine supplementation. These results indicate that VacA causes alterations in cellular taurine metabolism and that repletion of taurine is sufficient to attenuate VacA-induced cell death. We discuss these results in the context of previous literature showing the important role of taurine in cell physiology and the pathophysiology or treatment of multiple pathologic conditions, including gastric ulcers, cardiovascular disease, malignancy, inflammatory diseases, and other aging-related disorders.
Pseudomonas putida
KT2440: the long journey of a soil-dweller to become a synthetic biology chassis
Authors: de Lorenzo Victor , Pérez-Pantoja Danilo , Nikel Pablo I.
Published: July 2024

Although members of the genus
Pseudomonas
share specific morphological, metabolic, and genomic traits, the diversity of niches and lifestyles adopted by the family members is vast. One species of the group,
Pseudomonas putida,
thrives as a colonizer of plant roots and frequently inhabits soils polluted with various types of chemical waste. Owing to a combination of historical contingencies and inherent qualities, a particular strain,
P. putida
KT2440, emerged time ago as an archetype of an environmental microorganism amenable to recombinant DNA technologies, which was also capable of catabolizing chemical pollutants. Later, the same bacterium progressed as a reliable platform for programming traits and activities in various biotechnological applications. This article summarizes the stepwise upgrading of
P. putida
KT2440 from being a system for fundamental studies on the biodegradation of aromatic compounds (especially when harboring the TOL plasmid pWW0) to its adoption as a chassis of choice in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Although there are remaining uncertainties about the taxonomic classification of KT2440, advanced genome editing capabilities allow us to tailor its genetic makeup to meet specific needs. This makes its traditional categorization somewhat less important, while also increasing the strain’s overall value for contemporary industrial and environmental uses.