bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of the technology acceptance model and the information systems success model in the analysis of Moodle's satisfaction and continuity of use
Authors: Legramante Douglas , Azevedo Ana , Azevedo Jose Manuel
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse the factors that influence the satisfaction and intention of continuity of use, of teachers and students, regarding using Moodle in undergraduate courses in one Campus at the Federal Institute of Rondônia in Brazil. The starting point was an integration of DeLone and McLean's Information Systems Success Model (ISSM) with Davis' Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research approach was adopted. After the definition of the hypotheses, data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaires were designed to measure the five constructs: Quality of Information (QI), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), User Satisfaction (US) and Behavioural Intention to use (BI) that make up the conceptual model of the study. The data were analysed based on 144 valid questionnaires. The technique of maximum likelihood estimation was adopted in the data analysis through structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

The results confirmed six of the nine hypothesised relationships. QI positively impacts PEOU and US. PEOU positively impacts PU, which in turn positively impacts US and BI. Similarly, US positively impacts Moodle's BI. It was also evidenced that PU is the strongest predictor of US.

Practical implications

These results can help educational institutions, managers, administrators and designers of e-learning systems to develop strategies to increase Moodle's user satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study provides insights into the perception of students and teachers regarding the use of Moodle. A model that integrates constructs from two models widely used in research related to e-learning (TAM and ISSM) was used in a developing country context. This is important, given cultural differences and social idiosyncrasies in different contexts, particularly in an educational institution in the Amazonia region in northern Brazil.
How do factors of brand-related behavior (brand loyalty, brand relevance in category, brand schematicity) impact consumers’ alcoholic drink purchases?
Authors: Temesi Ágoston , Lakner Zoltán , Unger-Plasek Brigitta
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study investigated the factors of brand-related behavior, such as brand schematicity (BS), brand relevance in category (BRiC) and brand loyalty (BL), to clarify how they influence customer purchasing behavior regarding alcohol and other beverages. This study aims to provide insights that may benefit corporate and regulatory sectors regarding brand-related customer behavior and increases/decreases in alcoholic beverage purchases.

Design/methodology/approach

This study included a sample of 501 Hungarian participants, representative of the population in many respects. The author constructed a model using partial least squares structural equation modeling with data collected from internationally validated scales.

Findings

The findings of this study reveal that BL or BRiC do not positively and directly influence purchase frequency in the beer, wine and pálinka categories; however, their purchase frequency is significantly and positively influenced by BS. Additionally, the degree of BS was somewhat above average for alcoholic beverages compared to nonalcoholic beverages; it was also slightly higher for beer than for wine and pálinka.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the three brand-related factors of customer behavior, analyze their connections and clarify their effects on alcoholic beverage purchases. BS is a relatively new factor; to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study to date has measured the extent of BS and its association with beverage-related customer behaviors. Future studies can compare this study’s findings on the level of BS for eight alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is also the first to investigate brand-related customer behavior regarding pálinka.
Personal initiative, risk-taking, creativity and opportunity discovery among students
Authors: Junça-Silva Ana , Duarte Henrique , Santos Susana C.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Discovering opportunities is a key entrepreneurship competence for those who want to start their own business and who choose to enter the workforce. In this study, the authors focus on the antecedents of the ability to discover entrepreneurial opportunities by uncovering how and when students' personal initiative (Frese and Fay, 2001) leads to an increase in this key competency. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of risk-taking and creativity in the interplay between personal initiative and opportunity discovery competencies among university students.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected with a self-assessment tool in two moments in time, using a sample of 103 university students from Portugal enrolled in an entrepreneurship course. The authors measured personal initiative and entrepreneurial risk-taking at the beginning of the entrepreneurship course (Time 1). Two months later (Time 2), by the end of an entrepreneurship course, the authors measured creativity and opportunity discovery abilities.

Findings

The results of this study showed that risk-taking mediates the effect of personal initiative on opportunity discovery and that creativity interacts with risk-taking and opportunity discovery. Specifically, the authors found that the relationship between entrepreneurial risk-taking and opportunity discovery is positive and statistically significant when students display average or above-average creativity. The indirect effect of the personal initiative on opportunity discovery through entrepreneurial risk-taking seems to increase when the student's creativity increases, as the index of moderated mediation is positive.

Research limitations/implications

As with all studies, there are limitations to work of this study. First, data of this study is restricted to a sample of students from Portugal. As such, the authors should be careful about generalizations concerning students from other cultural settings; entrepreneurship competencies can differ across countries. Second, the findings of the present study are based on students’ self-reports regarding their own entrepreneurship competencies.

Originality/value

This work can inspire entrepreneurship educators to look at the entrepreneurship competencies models holistically and inspire future work to explore the relationship patterns between entrepreneurial competencies.
Lost archives and found voices: reconstructing the marketing history of medical marijuana in Austria-Hungary
Authors: Stojan Jure
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reconstruct the marketing history of medical marijuana cigarettes in the past three decades of Austria-Hungary.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper constructs an analytical narrative based on information scattered in historical periodicals.

Findings

Towards the end of Habsburg rule, two Ljubljana-based pharmacists, the Trnkóczy brothers, managed to establish themselves as monopolistic suppliers of pre-rolled medical marijuana cigarettes for the entire Austrian part of the dual monarchy. Garnering the support of the regional Carniolan Government, Julius von Trnkóczy successfully argued his wares were not affected by the prohibition passed against imported French medicinal cigarettes. This happened despite medical opposition, suggesting that Trnkóczys could only operate this business because of their elevated social status. In the past decade of the 19th century, Ubald von Trnkóczy took advantage of newly loosened regulation to obtain an official permit by the royal-imperial government in Vienna. This was followed, in late 1909, by an advertising campaign covering mass media throughout the empire. This was enabled, amongst others, by a cutting down on medicinal claims. Their declining price is further indication that the cigarettes were mass marketed, especially as their core ingredient, cannabis, underwent price inflation.

Research limitations/implications

Because of its later illegality, the research subject was for a long time considered embarrassing, leading to an absence of retrievable documents. Missing archival sources are thus a major limitation, but one which can be overcome by the concurrent reading of historical periodicals – ranging from mass-market newspapers to specialist journals and legal texts. This paper has implications for 21st-century challenges in the marketing of newly legalized medical marijuana.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the marketing history of cannabis, a drug rarely discussed in historical literature outside its medical and regulatory context, and reconstructs previously forgotten case histories.
SMEs’ intangible resources and their effects on export performance: a study on Malaysian halal F&B sector
Authors: Ahmad-Fauzi Nur Rosdiatul Husna , Md Saad Norsafinas
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The growing demand for halal products has attracted small and large companies looking to secure their market share in the lucrative global halal market. However, it is difficult for resource-constrained firms, such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to compete internationally. Therefore, drawing from a resource-based view, this paper aims to examine how intangible resources affect the export performance of Malaysian SMEs exporting halal food and beverages (F&B) products.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a purposive sampling technique, and respondents were reached out by mail. Out of 517 local SMEs exporting halal-certified F&Bs contacted, 193 firms responded, and only 188 responses were eligible to be used for data analysis. The partial least squares structural equation modelling technique was used to conduct the analysis. The data underwent measurement and structural model evaluation to confirm the hypotheses postulated.

Findings

Based on the data analysis conducted, it was discovered that intangible resources, namely, international orientation and marketing capability, significantly influence the export performance of Malaysian SMEs exporting halal F&B. However, the influence of cultural intelligence on export performance could not be demonstrated.

Originality/value

This paper fills the gap of the need for more attention to SMEs in developing countries, especially in the halal industry. This research paper also contributes to international business and halal studies by promoting an understanding of intangible resources as strategic resources for SMEs to create competitive advantages and elevate their export performance in the emerging global halal market.
Measuring the value of online databases: a case study to validate an ROI model
Authors: Kaba Abdoulaye , El Refae Ghaleb Awad , Eletter Shorouq , Yasmin Tahira
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The return on investment (ROI) model is a tool used to measure the financial benefits and costs of an investment, in this case, the investment in digital library resources. By applying this model to the AAU digital library resources, the study seeks to determine whether these resources are providing sufficient value for the investment made in them.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed ROI model has two distinct phases and utilizes two different sets of data to calculate the return on investment for a database subscription. In Phase I, the ROI is calculated based on the total number of downloads of full-text articles from the database during the academic year 2019–2020. This information is used to determine the financial returns of the database subscription costs. In Phase II, the ROI is calculated by examining the citations drawn from the Scopus database on a sample of 30 funded research projects for the College of Engineering during the year 2019. These data are used to determine the impact of the database subscription on research output and its contribution to the success of the College of Engineering's research projects. The two phases of the proposed ROI model aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the value of the database subscription and its impact on both financial returns and research output.

Findings

The findings of the study indicated different results between Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the study. The positive ROI in Phase 1 suggests that the investment in online databases has a good return for the AAU, as they are gaining almost a dollar for every dollar spent. However, the negative ROI in Phase 2 is concerning. It suggests that the investment in the IEEE database is not generating a positive return for the AAU and may even be costing the institution money. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of measuring ROI in academic libraries, particularly in Arab countries where resources may be limited. By understanding the impact of library investments on institutional outcomes, libraries can make informed decisions about where to allocate their resources and how to optimize their services to best serve their communities.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the current study were based on data collected from a specific sample, therefore, the findings may not be generalized to other academic libraries. A similar study with larger and more diverse samples can help to validate and extend the results of this study.

Originality/value

The findings of the study provide evidence that the proposed ROI model can be effectively applied in Arab countries and academic libraries in the Arab world, this could encourage more institutions in the region to adopt this model for evaluating their investments and projects. The study may also guide how to adapt the model to the specific cultural and organizational contexts of Arab countries.
Do tight environmental regulations cause economic contraction? Panel evidence from the European countries
Authors: Gorus Muhammed Sehid
Published: August 2023

Developed countries have long tried to increase their environmental standards to mitigate the negative effects of economic activities. For this purpose, they impose environmental taxes, energy taxes, and emission limits. In the last decade, a new measurement technique for environmental policy was introduced: the Environmental Policy Stringency Index (EPS index). This index takes values from 0.00 to 6.00, and higher values refer to more stringent environmental policies, whereas lower values suggest lax policies. This study aims to explore the impact of the EPS index on economic activities at the aggregate and sectoral levels for 20 European countries covering the period 1995–2020. For this purpose, this study utilizes the dynamic panel data approach, the two‐step system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation method. The empirical findings show that an increase in the EPS index causes a decline in economic growth at the aggregate level. At the sectoral level, it was found that the industry sector is negatively affected by increases in environmental standards. In addition to the system GMM results, this study employs the Dumitrescu–Hurlin panel non‐causality test to detect causal linkages between variables. The empirical findings show that the EPS index Granger causes economic activity in almost all sectors. The empirical results indicate that environmental regulations should be carefully designed to prevent economic contraction. Policymakers need to develop policies to decrease dependency on fossil fuels in industrial production. Thus, they can subsidize firms to invest in productive and innovative areas.
The determinants of occupational distribution in Seoul metropolitan area: Comparison of high‐ and low‐skilled occupations
Authors: Park Sohyun , Lee Keumsook
Published: August 2023

In this study we analyse the spatial distribution patterns of professionals and related workers in high‐skilled occupations and elementary workers in low‐skilled occupations in the Seoul metropolitan area and explore their geographical factors. Spatial autocorrelation relates to the formation and clustering of hot spots according to each occupational characteristic. Geographic factors affecting the distribution of workplaces and residences in professionals‐related occupations and elementary‐related occupations act differently for each middle occupational classification. However, some occupations show similar spatial distribution patterns. In particular, we found that industrial economic drivers have influence more significant than other regional factors in determining the distribution of workplace and residence by occupation. The spatial coefficient of geographical adjacency varies with the attributes of each occupation and tends to be larger in professional jobs. Findings from the study will help prepare policies related to local talents for specialisation and advancement of the occupational structure and will be of wider interest.
Improved recovery and annotation of genes in metagenomes through the prediction of fungal introns
Authors: Le Anh Vu , Větrovský Tomáš , Barucic Denis , Saraiva Joao Pedro , Dobbler Priscila Thiago , Kohout Petr , Pospíšek Martin , da Rocha Ulisses Nunes , Kléma Jiří , Baldrian Petr
Published: August 2023

Metagenomics provides a tool to assess the functional potential of environmental and host‐associated microbiomes based on the analysis of environmental DNA: assembly, gene prediction and annotation. While gene prediction is straightforward for most bacterial and archaeal taxa, it has limited applicability in the majority of eukaryotic organisms, including fungi that contain introns in gene coding sequences. As a consequence, eukaryotic genes are underrepresented in metagenomics datasets and our understanding of the contribution of fungi and other eukaryotes to microbiome functioning is limited. Here, we developed a machine intelligence‐based algorithm that predicts fungal introns in environmental DNA with reasonable precision and used it to improve the annotation of environmental metagenomes. Intron removal increased the number of predicted genes by up to 9.1% and improved the annotation of several others. The proportion of newly predicted genes increased with the share of eukaryotic genes in the metagenome and—within fungal taxa—increased with the number of introns per gene. Our approach provides a tool named SVMmycointron for improved metagenome annotation, especially of microbiomes with a high proportion of eukaryotes. The scripts described in the paper are made publicly available and can be readily utilized by microbiome researchers analysing metagenomics data.
Rhetorical coercion, institutional legitimacy and the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Authors: Yang Hai
Published: August 2023

This article centres around one singular yet substantively important empirical puzzle: why did the United States fail to delegitimate the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank? I argue that a crucial factor missing from existing analyses is China's rhetorical coercion. To substantiate this argument, I first reconstruct from the perspective of framing the US‐China rhetorical contestation over the AIIB at the early stage. This results in the identification of seven competing frames pertaining to the purpose and procedural legitimacy of the bank: Sub‐standard, Tool and Rival promoted by the United States; High‐quality, Equality, Complement and Welcome Change by China. To flesh out China's rhetorical coercion, I gauge the coercive power of the frames identified before zooming in on Complement and Welcome Change and uncovering therein three coercive claims: shortfalls in Asia's infrastructure finance, weaknesses in the existing system of international financial institutions and inconsistency in the US approach to the AIIB and China's rise. These claims considerably restricted the room for the United States to engage in principled opposition, and in tandem with developments favourable to the AIIB (not least the participation of Western countries), enabled China to rhetorically coerce the United States.
Improved survival in patients with isolated liver metastasis at initial diagnosis with surgery at primary and metastatic sites: A population‐based study in patients with breast cancer
Authors: Chai Yue , Chen Yujie , Liu Jiaxuan , He Maiyue , Jiang Mingxia , Xu Binghe , Li Qiao
Published: August 2023

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate epidemiological characteristics, risk factors, optimal treatment options, and survival outcomes of breast cancer patients with isolated liver metastasis (BCILM).

Methods

Patients with breast cancer (BC) were selected from Incidence‐Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Research Plus Data, 17 registries between 2010 and 2019. The Kaplan–Meier method and log‐rank test were used to compare survival rates between patients who received or did not receive surgery for the primary and liver metastatic sites. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using Cox regression analysis.

Results

This study included 17 743 stage IV BC patients, with 3604 (20.3%) patients experiencing liver metastasis at initial diagnosis. Of 3604 liver metastasis patients, 951 were diagnosed with BCILM. The median survival time of patients with BCILM who underwent surgery at the primary site (52.0 months) or distant sites (85.0 months) was significantly longer than that of patients who did not undergo surgery at the primary site (23.0 months) or distant sites (32.0 months). Univariate analysis indicated that age, race, histological grade, molecular subtype, T stage, N stage, surgery of the primary site, surgery to other regional/distant sites, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were prognostic factors affecting the overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) of patients with BCILM (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis suggested that age, race, molecular subtype, T stage, surgery of the primary site, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors. In the BCILM cohort, HR+/HER2+ patients exhibited the best OS and CSS, followed by HR−/HER2+, HR+/HER2−, and HR−/HER2− patients (p < 0.0001; p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Surgery at the primary and metastatic sites was associated with better survival in patients with BCILM. HER2+ patients with BCILM had a significantly better prognosis than HER2− patients.
Evaluation of trap type and attractant composition for potential mass trapping of Hylobius abietis
Authors: Heber Tobias , Helbig Christiane E. , Osmers Sören , Larquette Maike , Müller Michael G.
Published: August 2023

Different trap types and attractant compositions were tested with the goal of attracting as many individuals of Hylobius abietis as possible while assuring a minimal bycatch of nontarget species with regard to the family Carabidae on three study sites in the east of Germany.

The results revealed a modified pitfall trap based on a model by Nordlander (1987, Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 2, 199–213.) as the most effective trap type with a high degree of selectivity and minimal ecological side effects.

The modified Nordlander trap is suitable for potential H. abietis mass trapping as an instrument of integrated pest management.

Two field trials testing different attractant compositions showed that a simple attractant combination of (−)‐α‐pinene and ethanol is as effective as other more complex combinations and thus preferable for mass trapping efforts.

The addition of the monoterpenes camphene, Δ‐3‐carene, ocimene and terpinolene to the combination of (−)‐α‐pinene and ethanol did not increase trapping numbers significantly.

Trapping numbers of H. abietis indicate that a reduction of the local H. abietis population by trapping is possible, though further research about the influence of mass trapping on regeneration damage is recommended.
Morphology of the digestive system of the lesser bamboo rat (Cannomys badius)
Authors: Likidkarnchanakornkij Jettapol , Jindatip Depicha , Wannaprasert Thanakul
Published: August 2023

The lesser bamboo rat is a fossorial rodent within the monotypic genus Cannomys, family Spalacidae and is found in Indochina. The present work provides the first detailed description of the morphology of its digestive system, as examined by gross dissection and histological examination. The oesophagus was lined by a heavily keratinized epithelium and contained mostly striated muscles in the muscularis externa. The stomach was of the unilocular‐hemiglandular type with a cornified squamous area at the fundus separated from the glandular area by the limiting ridge. The length ratio of the small intestine to the entire intestine was relatively low compared to that in other rodents. The caecum contained five to seven haustra and numerous lymphoid tissues, but no distinct appendix. Within the long colon, two non‐papillated longitudinal folds forming a colonic groove, V‐shaped mucosal folds like fishbones and abundant goblet cells were apparent. A five‐lobed liver with a gallbladder and a diffuse pancreas were evident. These findings may indicate that the lesser bamboo rat is a caecal fermenter capable of feeding on highly abrasive plant material. Fermentation may take place via a mucus‐trap colonic separation mechanism without coprophagy. The digestive system of the lesser bamboo rat is somewhat different from that of spalacid relatives.
Unlearning the Discipline: Decolonising International Relations Through Pedagogy and Praxis
Authors: Boer Cueva Alba Rosa , Catterson Kit , Shepherd Laura J.
Published: August 2023

The discipline of International Relations (IR) in Australia, as elsewhere, is steeped in historical and ongoing violence, including violences of colonisation. The way that IR is taught and practised in Australia reproduces the discipline's erasures and ignorance of the effects of colonisation and ongoing forms of marginalisation, knowledge extraction, and harm that normalise existing structures of power. In this article, we ask how mainstream theories, pedagogies, and practices of IR scholarship in Australia contribute to the ongoing coloniality of the discipline and reproduce these geospatial hierarchies and structures of marginalisation and exclusion. We argue that, as teachers, we have to consistently engage in un‐doing the violence of disciplinary history. We theorise that this is so because the artefacts we teach are the product of a knowledge life cycle immersed in, and structured by, coloniality and hierarchy. Drawing on a survey of Australian universities' IR curricula and interviews with their instructors, in addition to our own research training and practice as Australian IR academics, we examine how, if, and when it is possible to connect decolonial theory with practice and to thus generate decolonial praxis in the production of IR knowledge.
Letter: Elderly onset inflammatory bowel disease—Treat to target approach is still warranted
Authors: Andrew Bridgette , Srinivasan Ashish , Zhou Annie , Vasudevan Abhinav
Published: August 2023

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Nørgård et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17520
Lemborexant levels in breast milk after single doses in healthy, lactating women
Authors: Rawal Sumit , Brimhall Darin , Aluri Jagadeesh , Cheng Jocelyn Y. , Hall Nancy , Moline Margaret
Published: August 2023

Aims

The aim of this study is to determine the cumulative amount of lemborexant (a competitive dual orexin receptor antagonist approved to treat adults with insomnia) excreted in human breast milk and the relative infant dose (RID) as a proportion of daily maternal dose.

Methods

E2006‐A001‐010 was a single‐centre, open‐label study that enrolled lactating women (≥18 years) who breastfed for ≥5 weeks postpartum. After overnight fasting, subjects received a single 10‐mg oral dose of lemborexant. Using a standardized electric pump, milk was sampled before and ≤240 h (10 days) after dosing; combined and total volume were recorded. The cumulative total amount of lemborexant excreted, fraction of dose excreted, daily infant dose and RID were calculated. Lemborexant concentration in human milk was assessed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

Eight subjects completed the study. The mean cumulative total amount of lemborexant reached 0.0174 mg (coefficient of variation [CV] 54.5%; 0.174% of lemborexant 10 mg administered) in breast milk at 240 h (10 days); ~70% of excreted lemborexant accumulated in the first 24 h. For an infant weighing 6 kg, the daily infant dose was 0.00290 mg kg−1 (CV 54.5%) and the RID was 1.96% (CV 63.1%) of daily maternal dose. Mild treatment‐emergent adverse events were reported in 4 subjects; these all resolved by end of study.

Conclusion

Trace quantities of lemborexant were found in human breast milk. Lemborexant was well tolerated by healthy lactating women.
Sleep patterns among preschool offspring of parents with and without psychopathology: Association with the development of psychopathology in childhood
Authors: Levenson Jessica C. , Joseph Heather M. , Merranko John , Hafeman Danella M. , Monk Kelly , Goldstein Benjamin I. , Axelson David , Sakolsky Dara , Diler Rasim S. , Goldstein Tina , Birmaher Boris
Published: August 2023

Background

Disturbed sleep during early childhood predicts social–emotional problems. However, it is not known how various early childhood sleep phenotypes are associated with the development of childhood psychopathology, nor whether these relationships vary as a function of parental psychopathology. We identified sleep phenotypes among preschool youth; examined whether these phenotypes were associated with child and parent factors; and determined if early sleep phenotypes predicted later childhood psychopathology.

Methods

Using data from the Pittsburgh Bipolar Offspring study, parents with bipolar disorder (BD), non‐BD psychopathology, and healthy controls reported about themselves and their offspring (n = 218) when their children were ages 2–5. Offspring and parents were interviewed directly approximately every 2 years from ages 6–18. Latent class analysis (LCA) identified latent sleep classes; we compared these classes on offspring demographics, parental sleep variables, and parental diagnoses. Kaplan–Meier survival models estimated hazard of developing any new‐onset Axis‐I disorders, as well as BD specifically, for each class.

Results

The optimal LCA solution featured four sleep classes, which we characterized as (1) good sleep, (2) wake after sleep onset problems, (3) bedtime problems (e.g., trouble falling asleep, resists going to bed), and (4) poor sleep generally. Good sleepers tended to have significantly less parental psychopathology than the other three classes. Risk of developing new‐onset Axis‐I disorders was highest among the poor sleep class and lowest among the good sleep class.

Conclusions

Preschool sleep phenotypes are an important predictor of the development of psychopathology. Future work is needed to understand the biopsychosocial processes underlying these trajectories.
Helicobacter macacaeMazF interplays with Escherichia coli homologs and enhances antibiotic tolerance
Authors: Zeng Xi , Hu Limiao , Ai Qi , Liu Cai‐Juan , Xiong Lu‐Xi , Yang Wei‐Wei , Zhang Xiaotuan , Liu Logen , Li Guo‐Qing
Published: August 2023

Background

Toxin‐antitoxin systems are highly variable, even among strains of the same bacterial species. The MazEF toxin‐antitoxin system is found in many bacteria and plays important roles in various biological processes such as antibiotic tolerance and phage defense. However, no interplay of MazEF systems between different species was reported.

Materials and Methods

MazEF toxin‐antitoxin system of Helicobacter macacae was examined in three Escherichia coli strains with and without endogenous MazEF knockout. In vivo toxicity, antibiotic tolerance, and live/dead staining followed by flowcytometry analysis were performed to evaluate the functionality and interplay of the toxin‐antitoxin system between the two species.

Results

Controlled ectopic expression of MazF of H. macacae (MazFhm) in E. coli did not affect its growth. However, in endogenous MazEF knockout E. coli strains, MazFhm expression caused a sharp growth arrest. The toxicity of MazFhm could be neutralized by both the antitoxin of MazE homolog of H.macacae and the antitoxin of MazE of E. coli, indicating interplay of MazEF toxin‐antitoxin systems between the two species. Induced expression of MazFhm enhanced tolerance to a lethal dose of levofloxacin, suggesting enhanced persister formation, which was further confirmed by live/dead cell staining.

Conclusions

The MazEF toxin‐antitoxin system of H. macace enhances persister formation and thus antibiotic tolerance in E. coli. Our findings reveal an interplay between the MazEF systems of H. macacae and E. coli, emphasizing the need to consider this interaction while evaluating the toxicity and functionality of MazF homologs from different species in future studies.
Conditional recurrence analysis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Changes in recurrence rate and survival after recurrence resection by disease‐free interval
Authors: Maki Harufumi , Kawaguchi Yoshikuni , Nagata Rihito , Mihara Yuichiro , Ichida Akihiko , Ishizawa Takeaki , Akamatsu Nobuhisa , Kaneko Junichi , Arita Junichi , Hasegawa Kiyoshi
Published: August 2023

Aim

The prognosis of patients with resected intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is still unsatisfactory, with a high recurrence rate. We aimed to evaluate risks of recurrence changing over time and the survival benefit of resection for recurrent ICC.

Methods

This study included patients who underwent hepatectomy for ICC during 1995–2020. Risk factors for recurrence‐free survival (RFS) in patients undergoing initial resection and overall survival (OS) in patients who developed recurrence after initial resection were analyzed. Conditional cumulative incidence of recurrence was assessed.

Results

A total of 169 patients were included in the study and 114 patients (67.5%) developed recurrence. Cumulative analyses showed that the 5‐year recurrence rate was 69.3% at the time of initial resection but decreased to 24.8% in patients free from recurrence at 2 years after initial resection and 2.6% in patients free from recurrence at 4 years. Re‐resection was carried out in 26 (22.8%) of 114 patients who developed recurrence. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model analysis indicated re‐resection (hazard ratio [HR] 0.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.11–0.40, p < 0.001), microvascular invasion (MVI) (HR 2.39; 95% CI 1.05–5.40, p = 0.037), and disease‐free interval (months) (HR 0.97; 95% CI 0.95–1.00, p = 0.067) were significantly associated with longer OS after recurrence.

Conclusions

Although the rate of recurrence remains high, conditional cumulative recurrence rate analysis showed that the rate of recurrence decreased by disease‐free interval. Resection of recurrent ICC was associated with improved OS, particularly among patients with longer disease‐free interval and absence of MVI after initial hepatectomy.
South European mountain butterflies at a high risk from land abandonment and amplified effects of climate change
Authors: Mora Amparo , Wilby Andrew , Menéndez Rosa
Published: August 2023

Data from existing monitoring schemes point to a global crisis of butterflies across Europe, with habitat loss/degradation, climate change and chemical pollution as the main drivers of decline.

The existing butterfly time series from Western Europe come from densely populated, relatively flat areas. However, population trends from less populated areas, such as mountain ranges in the south of Europe, have been less studied, despite these areas harbouring one of the highest butterfly biodiversity of the continent.

Here, we analyse trends for butterfly populations in a Southwestern Europe mountain range (Picos de Europa, Northwest Spain), for the last 9 years (2013–2021), across an altitudinal gradient (80–2000 m). We show that this region, protected as National Park more than 100 years ago, is nonetheless under a great threat, with a decline in butterfly abundance of, on average, 5.7% per year (45.7% cumulative decline in the last 9 years).

Species at higher elevations are faring worse than those at low elevations and communities at mid‐elevations (below the tree line) are changing towards higher abundance of species with a preference from closed habitats. Combined effects of amplified climate change in mountains and habitat loss, due to abandonment of traditional management, appear to be affecting both individual species and community composition of butterflies in our study area.
Characterization of Na2Zn2TeO6 ceramic solid electrolyte densified by hot pressing
Authors: Itaya Akihiro , Ono Yuki , Yamamoto Kazuki , Inada Ryoji
Published: August 2023

In this work, we applied hot pressing (HP) for the densification of Na2Zn2TeO6 (NZTO) at lower temperature than conventional furnace sintering (FS). Calcined NZTO powder was densified by HP at 700°C for 1 h under uniaxial pressure of 20 and 60 MPa using a graphite mold. By increasing the uniaxial pressure to 60 MPa for HP, high relative density above 90% was obtained. As‐prepared NZTO by HP showed total (bulk + grain‐boundary) ionic conductivity of 0.29 mS cm−1 at room temperature, which is lower than NZTO prepared by FS at 800°C (=0.4 mS cm−1) with lower relative density (<85%). It was found that the contribution of grain‐boundary resistance in as‐prepared NZTO by HP is larger than NZTO by FS. We confirmed that the grain‐boundary resistance was significantly reduced by post‐annealing. Consequently, total conductivity at room temperature was improved to 0.42 and 0.56 mS cm−1 by annealing at 700 and 800°C for 2 h, respectively. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that the residual carbon‐contained secondary phases were reduced by post‐annealing. These secondary phases could be formed by the carbon contamination from a graphite mold used for HP, and their removal by post‐annealing results in the improvement of ionic conduction at grain‐boundary.
Computed tomographic manifestations of celiac ganglia between hypertensive and non‐hypertensive population
Authors: Xiao Wenkai , Long Xueying , Chen Junyu , Tan Yu , Cheng Xunjie , Gong Li , Qiu Xueting , Ma Tianqi , Bai Yongping , Li Chuanchang
Published: August 2023

The celiac ganglion (CG) is associated with the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The characteristics of the CG in patients with hypertension remain unknown. The aim of our study was to explore the differences in celiac ganglia (CGs) characteristics between hypertensive and non‐hypertensive populations using computed tomography (CT). CGs manifestations on multidetector row CT in 1003 patients with and without hypertension were retrospectively analyzed. The morphological characteristics and CT values of the left CGs were recorded. The CT values of the ipsilateral adrenal gland (AG) and crus of the diaphragm (CD) were also measured. The left CG was located between the left AG and CD, and most CGs were long strips. The frequency of visualization of the left CGs was higher in the hypertension group than in the non‐hypertension group (p < .05). There were no significant differences in the maximum diameter, size, and shape ratio of the left CGs between the two groups (p > .05). Except for the left CG in the arterial phase, the CT values of the left CG and AG in the non‐hypertensive group were higher than those in the hypertension group (p < .05). The venous phase enhancement of the left CG in the non‐hypertension group was significantly higher than that in the hypertension group (p < .05). Our findings reveal that CGs have characteristic manifestations in the hypertensive population. As important targets of the SNS, CGs have the potential to regulate blood pressure.
Structurally compromised teeth. Part II: A novel approach to peripheral build up procedures
Authors: Fichera Guido , Mazzitelli Claudia , Picciariello Vincenzo , Maravic Tatjana , Josic Uros , Mazzoni Annalisa , Breschi Lorenzo
Published: August 2023

Objective

To introduce the “Peripheral Build‐Up technique – PBUt” as a foundation restoration strategy for structurally compromised teeth (SCT).

Clinical Considerations

Several strategies have been proposed over time (cervical marginal relocation, doughnut, and preformed ring techniques) to enable the management of restorative procedures in challenging situations such as the presence of deep subgingival defects. The PBUt is a versatile, completely additive direct technique that share some strategical concepts with these techniques to approach critical clinical situations while supplying a wider field of application thanks to distinct operative expedients. The clamp insertion modality, the extension of the proximal wall and the matrix customization/stabilization strategies adopted in PBUt endorse the possibility to manage the most apical and peripheral border of the residual tooth structure when located up to >1.5 mm above the bone crest. The periodontal response has to be then monitored over time. Moreover, thanks to the peripheral and apically‐extended addictive approach, it allows a massive preservation of residual sound tooth structure and improves the resistance and retentive physical/geometrical features of the abutment tooth. The PBUt operative workflow is herein explained.

Clinical Significance

The Peripheral‐Build‐Up technique (PBUt) advocates some innovative clinical restorative steps for the management of SCT with coronal and deep subgingival defects.
Similarities between friends on service, activism, and awareness of inequities in an adolescent social network
Authors: Wegemer Christopher M.
Published: August 2023

This brief report characterizes the tendency of adolescent friends to be similar on civic behaviors and critical consciousness. Using two waves of network data from a high school that serves primarily low‐income Latiné youth (2019, N = 519; 2020, N = 521), the present study examined homophily on service, activism, and awareness of inequities. The results of Exponential Random Graph Models indicated that adolescents tended to be friends with peers who had similar service behavior and awareness of inequities, but not activism. The findings suggest that schools could foster civic engagement by providing infrastructure that encourages civic interactions between peers. The current study highlights the potential that social network analysis holds for generating novel insights into the relational underpinnings of youth civic engagement.
Reading to Dogs as a form of animal‐assisted education: are positive outcomes supported by quality research?
Authors: Steel Jill
Published: August 2023

Reading to Dogs (RTD) in schools, a form of animal‐assisted education (AAE), is growing in popularity and prevalence. RTD involves children reading to a registered dog with benefits to well‐being and reading outcomes thought to arise because of the unconditional positive regard and non‐critical listening bestowed on the child by the dog. Yet RTD research is underdeveloped, and the practice lacks a substantial evidence base, casting dubiety over RTD's suitability for adoption in schools. This paper examines the research to date, exploring methodological factors and the potential efficacy of RTD for improving children's reading outcomes. Building on Hall et al.'s (2016) systematic review of RTD, related reviews, in addition to individual studies of relevance, are explored, followed by a brief discussion of further pertinent issues in RTD research. Cautious optimism about RTD as an impactful intervention to support reading outcomes is suggested, providing impetus for further research of increased quality.
Social Studies of Science and Technology: New ways to illuminate challenges in training for health information technologies utilisation
Authors: Rangel J. Cristian , Humphrey‐Murto Susan
Published: August 2023

Context

Electronic health records (EHRs) have transformed clinical practice. They are not simply replacements for paper records but integrated systems with the potential to improve patient safety and quality of care. Training physicians in the use of EHR is a highly complex intervention that occurs in a dynamic socio‐technical health system. Training in this complex space is considered a wicked problem and would benefit from different analytic approaches to the traditional linear causal relationship analysis. Social Sciences theories see technological change in relation to complex social and institutional processes and provide a useful starting point.

Aim

Our aim, therefore, is to introduce the medical education scholar to a selection of theoretical approaches from the Social Studies of Science and Technology (SSST) literatures, to inform educational efforts in training for EHR use.

Methods

We suggest a body of theories and frameworks that can expand the epistemological repertoire of medical education scholarship to respond to this wicked problem. Drawing from our work on EHR implementation, we discuss current limitations in framing training for EHRs use as a research problem in medical education. We then present a selection of alternative theories.

Results

Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) explains the individual adoption of new technologies in the workplace and has four key constructs: performance/effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions. Social Practice Theory (SPT), rather than focusing on individuals or institutions, starts with the activity or practice. The socio‐technical model (STM) is a comprehensive theory that offers a multidimensional framework for studying the innovation and application of EHRs. Practical examples are provided.

Conclusions

We argue that education for effective utilisation of EHRs requires moving beyond the epistemological monism often present in the field. New theoretical lenses can illuminate the complexity of research to identify the best practices for educating and training physicians.
Venous thoracic outlet syndrome, as a pitfall for cardiac implantable electronic device implantations
Authors: Kawano Daisuke , Mori Hitoshi , Taniwaki Masanori , Tsutsui Kenta , Kato Ritsushi
Published: August 2023

The subclavian vein is typically used in cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) implantations. External stress on the subclavian vein can lead to lead‐related complications. There are several causes of this stress, such as frequent upper extremity movements or external injury. Venous thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) can also become the cause of external lead stress. However, the diagnosis of venous TOS can be challenging because subclavian venography can appear normal at first glance. We present a unique case of a device infection in a patient with venous TOS. A careful observation of the imaging studies is vital for diagnosing venous TOS and a leadless pacemaker implantation could be an alternative therapeutic option.