bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) as a bioactive polyelectrolyte—production and properties
Authors: Stawski Dawid
Published: September 2023

Poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) is a polyelectrolyte with many important chemical and physical properties and, above all, offers a wide range of interesting biological properties. Currently, research on this polymer is ongoing in several centres around the world. The process of polymerizing the monomer is not easy, as there are difficulties in obtaining a product with repeatable properties. This work collected and described most of the currently known and used polymerization methods of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, taking into account the type of method, the solvent used, the initiator, as well as the process temperature and the average molecular weight of the polymer obtained. The most important properties of the discussed polymer, such as solubility, bioactivity, hydrophilicity, cytotoxicity, conductivity, and thermal and hydrodynamic parameters, are discussed on the basis of the available scientific literature. This work aims, among other things, to increase the possibility of using poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) as a material in advanced practical applications. Therefore, various methods of applied use of the polymer in question have also been described so far. Copolymers of the N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate are now too large a collection to fit in a single publication. Therefore, only the most interesting examples were cited in this work.
Estimation of epidemiological parameters and ascertainment rate from early transmission of COVID-19 across Africa
Authors: Han Qing , Bragazzi Nicola , Asgary Ali , Orbinski James , Wu Jianhong , Kong Jude Dzevela
Published: September 2023

Country reported case counts suggested a slow spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. Owing to inadequate public awareness, unestablished monitoring practices, limited testing and stigmas, there might exist extensive under-ascertainment of the true number of cases, especially at the beginning of the novel epidemic. We developed a compartmentalized epidemiological model to track the early epidemics in 54 African countries. Data on the reported cumulative number of cases and daily confirmed cases were used to fit the model for the time period with no or little massive national interventions yet in each country. We estimated that the mean basic reproduction number is 2.02 (s.d. 0.7), with a range between 1.12 (Zambia) and 3.64 (Nigeria). The mean overall report rate was estimated to be 5.37% (s.d. 5.71%), with the highest 30.41% in Libya and the lowest 0.02% in São Tomé and Príncipe. An average of 5.46% (s.d. 6.4%) of all infected cases were severe cases and 66.74% (s.d. 17.28%) were asymptomatic ones. The estimated low reporting rates in Africa suggested a clear need for improved reporting and surveillance systems in these countries.
Comprehensive insights into the genetic background of Chinese populations using Y chromosome markers
Authors: Li Jienan , Song Feng , Lang Min , Xie Mingkun
Published: September 2023

China is located in East Asia. With a high genetic and cultural diversity, human migration in China has always been a hot topic of genetics research. To explore the origins and migration routes of Chinese males, 3333 Chinese individuals (Han, Hui, Mongolia, Yi and Kyrgyz) with 27 Y-STRs and 143 Y-SNPs from published literature were analysed. Our data showed that there are five dominant haplogroups (O2-M122, O1-F265, C-M130, N-M231, R-M207) in China. Combining analysis of haplogroup frequencies, geographical positions and time with the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA), we found that haplogroups C-M130, N-M231 and R1-M173 and O1a-M175 probably migrated into China via the northern route. Interestingly, we found that haplogroup C*-M130 in China may originate in South Asia, whereas the major subbranches C2a-L1373 and C2b-F1067 migrated from northern China. The results of BATWING showed that the common ancestry of Y haplogroup in China can be traced back to 17 000 years ago, which was concurrent with global temperature increases after the Last Glacial Maximum.
Social calls of the little auk (
Alle alle
) reflect body size and possibly partnership, but not sex
Authors: Osiecka Anna N. , Briefer Elodie F. , Kidawa Dorota , Wojczulanis-Jakubas Katarzyna
Published: September 2023

Source–filter theory posits that an individual's size and vocal tract length are reflected in the parameters of their calls. In species that mate assortatively, this could result in vocal similarity. In the context of mate selection, this would mean that animals could listen in to find a partner that sounds—and therefore is—similar to them. We investigated the social calls of the little auk (
Alle alle
), a highly vocal seabird mating assortatively, using vocalizations produced inside 15 nests by known individuals. Source- and filter-related acoustic parameters were used in linear mixed models testing the possible impact of body size. A principal component analysis followed by a permuted discriminant function analysis tested the effect of sex. Additionally, randomization procedures tested whether partners are more vocally similar than random birds. There was a significant effect of size on the mean fundamental frequency of a simple call, but not on parameters of a multisyllable call with apparent formants. Neither sex nor partnership influenced the calls—there was, however, a tendency to match certain parameters between partners. This indicates that vocal cues are at best weak indicators of size, and other factors likely play a role in mate selection.
Frequency tunable electromagnetic vibration energy harvester using piecewise linear nonlinearity
Authors: Veney Jacob , D’Souza Kiran
Published: September 2023

Vibration energy harvesting is increasingly being seen as a viable energy source to provide for our energy-dependent society. There has been great interest in scavenging previously unused or wasted energy in a large variety of systems including vibrating machinery, ocean waves and human motion. In this work, a bench-top system of a piecewise-linear nonlinear vibration energy harvester is studied. A similar idealized model of the system had previously been studied numerically, and in this work the method is adjusted to better account for the physical system. This new design is able to actively tune the system’s resonant frequency to match the current excitation through the adjustment of the gap size between the oscillator and mechanical stopper; thus maximizing the system response over a broad frequency range. This design shows an increased effective frequency bandwidth compared with traditional linear systems and improves upon current nonlinear designs that are less effective than linear harvesters at resonance. In this paper, the physical system is tested at various excitation conditions and gap sizes to showcase the new harvester design’s effectiveness.
Thermotolerant coral–algal mutualisms maintain high rates of nutrient transfer while exposed to heat stress
Authors: Kemp Dustin W. , Hoadley Kenneth D. , Lewis Allison M. , Wham Drew C. , Smith Robin T. , Warner Mark E. , LaJeunesse Todd C.
Published: September 2023

Symbiotic mutualisms are essential to ecosystems and numerous species across the tree of life. For reef-building corals, the benefits of their association with endosymbiotic dinoflagellates differ within and across taxa, and nutrient exchange between these partners is influenced by environmental conditions. Furthermore, it is widely assumed that corals associated with symbionts in the genus
Durusdinium
tolerate high thermal stress at the expense of lower nutrient exchange to support coral growth. We traced both inorganic carbon (H
13
CO
3
–
) and nitrate (
15
NO
3
–
) uptake by divergent symbiont species and quantified nutrient transfer to the host coral under normal temperatures as well as in colonies exposed to high thermal stress. Colonies representative of diverse coral taxa associated with
Durusdinium trenchii
or
Cladocopium
spp. exhibited similar nutrient exchange under ambient conditions. By contrast, heat-exposed colonies with
D. trenchii
experienced less physiological stress than conspecifics with
Cladocopium
spp. while high carbon assimilation and nutrient transfer to the host was maintained. This discovery differs from the prevailing notion that these mutualisms inevitably suffer trade-offs in physiological performance. These findings emphasize that many host–symbiont combinations adapted to high-temperature equatorial environments are high-functioning mutualisms; and why their increased prevalence is likely to be important to the future productivity and stability of coral reef ecosystems.
Personality traits differentially affect components of reproductive success in a Neotropical poison frog
Authors: Peignier Mélissa , Araya-Ajoy Yimen G. , Ringler Max , Ringler Eva
Published: September 2023

Individual reproductive success has several components, including the acquisition of mating partners, offspring production, and offspring survival until adulthood. While the effects of certain personality traits—such as boldness or aggressiveness—on single components of reproductive success are well studied, we know little about the composite and multifaceted effects behavioural traits can have on all the aspects of reproductive success. Behavioural traits positively linked to one component of reproductive success might not be beneficial for other components, and these effects may differ between sexes. We investigated the influence of boldness, aggressiveness, and exploration on the number of mating partners, mating events, and offspring surviving until adulthood in males and females of the Neotropical poison frog
Allobates femoralis
. Behavioural traits had different—even opposite—effects on distinct components of reproductive success in both males and females. For example, males who displayed high levels of aggressiveness and exploration (or low levels of aggressiveness and exploration) managed to attract high number of mating partners, while males with low levels of boldness, low levels of aggressiveness, and high levels of exploration had the most offspring surviving until adulthood. Our results therefore suggest correlational selection favouring particular combinations of behavioural traits.
Natronosalvus halobius gen. nov., sp. nov., Natronosalvus caseinilyticus sp. nov., Natronosalvus vescus sp. nov., Natronosalvus rutilus sp. nov. and Natronosalvus amylolyticus sp. nov., halophilic archaea isolated from salt lakes and soda lakes
Authors: Tan Shun , Cheng Mu , Li Xin-Xin , Hu Yao , Ma Xue , Hou Jing , Cui Heng-Lin
Published: September 2023

Five halophilic archaeal strains (AGai3-5T, KZCA101T, CGA3T, WLHS1T and WLHSJ1T) were isolated from salt lakes and soda lakes in PR China. These strains had low 16S rRNA gene similarities (91.3–96.0 %) to closely related species of the family

Natrialbaceae

and may represent a new genus of the family. Phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses revealed that these strains formed a distinct clade, separate from the nearby genera

Natronobiforma

and

Saliphagus

. The average nucleotide identity, digital DNA–DNA hybridization and average amino acid identity (AAI) values among these five strains and the current members of the family

Natrialbaceae

were 72–90, 20–42 and 62–91 %, respectively, clearly below the threshold values for species demarcation. According to the critical value of AAI (≤76 %) proposed to differentiate genera within the family

Natrialbaceae

, it was further indicated that these strains represented a novel genus within the family. These strains could be distinguished from the related genera according to differential phenotypic characteristics. The major lipids of these strains were phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, mannosyl glucosyl diether (DGD-PA), sulphated DGD-1 (S-DGD-PA) and sulphated galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and phylogenomic features indicated that strains AGai3-5T (=CGMCC 1.16078T=JCM 33549T), KZCA101T (=CGMCC 1.17431T=JCM 35074T), CGA3T (=CGMCC 1.17463T=JCM 34318T), WLHS1T (=CGMCC 1.13780T=JCM 33562T) and WLHSJ1T (=CGMCC 1.13784T=JCM 33563T) represent five novel species of a new genus within the family

Natrialbaceae

, named Natronosalvus halobius gen. nov., sp. nov., Natronosalvus caseinilyticus sp. nov., Natronosalvus vescus sp. nov., Natronosalvus rutilus sp. nov. and Natronosalvus amylolyticus sp. nov., respectively.
Congenital heart defects in Down syndrome are caused by increased dosage of DYRK1A
Authors: Lana-Elola Eva , Aoidi Rifdat , Llorian Miriam , Gibbins Dorota , Buechsenschuetz Callan , Bussi Claudio , Flynn Helen , Gilmore Tegan , Watson-Scales Sheona , Hansen Marie Haugsten , Hayward Darryl , Song Ok-Ryul , Brault Véronique , Herault Yann , Deau Emmanuel , Meijer Laurent , Snijders Ambrosius P. , Gutierrez Maximiliano , Fisher Elizabeth M. C. , Tybulewicz Victor L. J.
Published: September 2023

Down syndrome (DS), trisomy 21, is a gene dosage disorder which results in multiple phenotypes including congenital heart defects (CHD). This clinically important pathology is caused by a third copy of one or more of the ∼230 genes on human chromosome 21 (Hsa21), but the identity of the causative dosage-sensitive genes is unknown and hence pathological mechanisms remain obscure. We show that embryonic hearts from human fetuses with DS and mouse models of DS have reduced expression of mitochondrial respiration and cell proliferation genes correlating with CHD. Using systematic genetic mapping, we determine that three copies of theDyrk1agene, encoding a serine/threonine protein kinase, are required to cause CHD. ReducingDyrk1acopy number from three to two reverses defects in proliferation and mitochondrial respiration in embryonic cardiomyocytes and rescues septation defects in DS hearts. Furthermore, treatment of pregnant mice with a DYRK1A inhibitor developed for clinical use partially reduces the incidence of CHD among Dp1Tyb embryos. Thus, increased dosage of DYRK1A is required to impair mitochondrial function and cause CHD in DS, revealing a therapeutic target for this common human condition.

One Sentence Summary

Increased dosage of DYRK1A causes mitochondrial dysfunction and congenital heart defects in Down syndrome and is ameliorated in utero by a drug.
Striatal dopamine depletion drives disease progression and network topology aberrations specifically by impairing left M1 network
Authors: Chen Zhichun , Li Guanglu , Zhou Liche , Zhang Lina , Liu Jun
Published: September 2023

Background

Stratal dopamine depletion contributes to both motor and non-motor symptoms of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The objective of current study is to explore whether stratal dopamine depletion shapes clinical heterogeneity by impairing brain networks of PD patients.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, PD participants undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging from Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) database were investigated. According to the levels of striatal binding ratio (SBR) in bilateral striatum, PD patients were classified into lower quartile group (SBR level rank: 0%∼25%), interquartile group (SBR level rank: 26%∼75%), and upper quartile group (SBR level rank: 76%∼100%) based on their SBR level quartiles to examine how stratal dopamine depletion affects clinical manifestations and brain networks.

Findings

PD patients in the lower quartile group showed more severe motor and non-motor symptoms compared to upper quartile group. Additionally, topological metrics in both structural and functional network were significantly different between upper quartile group and lower quartile group. Furthermore, the functional network of left primary motor cortex (M1) was specifically impaired in lower quartile group, which resulted in topological disruptions in functional network. Importantly, impaired left M1 network in PD patients mediated the effects of striatal dopamine depletion on both motor and non-motor symptoms.

Interpretation

Striatal dopamine depletion specifically impaired left M1 network, which contributed to aberrant functional network topology and dopamine-dependent motor and non-motor symptoms.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81873778, 82071415) and National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai (Grant No. NRCTM(SH)-2021-03).
Single-step genome engineering in the bee gut symbiontSnodgrassella alvi
Authors: Lariviere Patrick J. , Ashraf A. H. M. Zuberi , Leonard Sean P. , Miller Laurel G. , Moran Nancy A. , Barrick Jeffrey E.
Published: September 2023

Honey bees are economically relevant pollinators experiencing population declines due to a number of threats. As in humans, the health of bees is influenced by their microbiome. The bacteriumSnodgrassella alviis a key member of the bee gut microbiome and has a role in excluding pathogens. Despite this importance, there are not currently any easy-to-use methods for modifying theS. alvichromosome to study its genetics. To solve this problem, we developed a one-step procedure that uses electroporation and homologous recombination, which we term SnODIFY (Snodgrassella-specificOne-step geneDeletion orInsertion to alterFunctionalitY). We used SnODIFY to create seven single-gene knockout mutants and recovered mutants for all constructs tested. Nearly all transformants had the designed genome modifications, indicating that SnODIFY is highly accurate. Mutant phenotypes were validated through knockout of Type 4 pilus genes, which led to reduced biofilm formation. We also used SnODIFY to insert heterologous sequences into the genome by integrating fluorescent protein-coding genes. Finally, we confirmed that genome modification is dependent onS. alvi’s endogenous RecA protein. Because it does not require expression of exogenous recombination machinery, SnODIFY is a straightforward, accurate, and lightweight method for genome editing inS. alvi. This workflow can be used to study the functions ofS. alvigenes and to engineer this symbiont for applications including protection of honey bee health.
Sai Coating: Detonation Spray Gun
Authors: Sahay Arvind
Published: September 2023

Sai Coating, a small entrepreneurial firm, was one of the three firms that had received the license from ARCI for marketing the Detonation Spray Coating (DSC). Sai Coating made and sold the detonation gun (D-Gun) to three sectors, namely: Wire Drawing, Textiles and Aero components. The coating enhanced the life of the coated wire or surface and its functionality in some ways. The firm had a turnover of INR 4,500,000 and was looking to generate scale and maximize its revenues. The case revolves around the pricing strategy to be adopted by Sai coating to extract value from different set of customers. What should be the price levels given the nature of the product?
Polluted psyche: the effect of regional discrimination on tourists’ unethical behavior intention
Authors: Li Yaoqi , Tu Jinghua , He Mang , Liu Pei
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of regional discrimination on tourists’ unethical behavior intention and the mediating role of tourist anger. Furthermore, the study examines whether the impact of regional discrimination on tourist anger is moderated by tourist self-efficacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Three scenario experiments were conducted to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicated an indirect effect of regional discrimination on tourists’ unethical behavior intention via tourist anger. In addition, the findings showed that tourist self-efficacy would weaken the relationship between regional discrimination and tourist anger.

Research limitations/implications

This study reveals tourists’ emotional and behavioral reactions to regional discrimination. Further research can examine the influence of regional discrimination from other theoretical lens and field experiments are encouraged.

Originality/value

This study enriches current knowledge on regional discrimination by developing an integral framework to explore tourists’ reactions toward regional discrimination.
You are lying! How misinformation accusations spread on Twitter
Authors: Galande Ashish S. , Mathmann Frank , Ariza-Rojas Cesar , Torgler Benno , Garbas Janina
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Misinformation is notoriously difficult to combat. Although social media firms have focused on combating the publication of misinformation, misinformation accusations, an important by-product of the spread of misinformation, have been neglected. The authors offer insights into factors contributing to the spread of misinformation accusations on social media platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a corpus of 234,556 tweets about the 2020 US presidential election (Study 1) and 99,032 tweets about the 2022 US midterm elections (Study 2) to show how the sharing of misinformation accusations is explained by locomotion orientation.

Findings

The study findings indicate that the sharing of misinformation accusations is explained by writers' lower locomotion orientation, which is amplified among liberal tweet writers.

Research limitations/implications

Practitioners and policymakers can use the study findings to track and reduce the spread of misinformation accusations by developing algorithms to analyze the language of posts. A limitation of this research is that it focuses on political misinformation accusations. Future research in different contexts, such as vaccines, would be pertinent.

Practical implications

The authors show how social media firms can identify messages containing misinformation accusations with the potential to become viral by considering the tweet writer's locomotion language and geographical data.

Social implications

Early identification of messages containing misinformation accusations can help to improve the quality of the political conversation and electoral decision-making.

Originality/value

Strategies used by social media platforms to identify misinformation lack scale and perform poorly, making it important for social media platforms to manage misinformation accusations in an effort to retain trust. The authors identify linguistic and geographical factors that drive misinformation accusation retweets.
The relation between psychopathy factors and emotional states prior and during criminal behaviour in a Dutch sample
Authors: Keulen-de Vos Marije , Herzog-Evans Martine , Benbouriche Massil
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the predictive value of psychopathy features on crime-related emotional states in forensic male patients with offence histories who were mandated to Dutch clinical care.

Design/methodology/approach

The study had a retrospective design in which psychopathy features were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. For each patient, information on the events leading up to the crime and a description of the crime itself were extracted from the hospital record to assess emotional states. These crime-related emotional states were assessed using the mode observation scale. The sample consisted of 175 patients with offence histories.

Findings

Multiple regression analyses indicated that affective features of psychopathy were a negative predictor for feelings of vulnerability in the events leading up to the crime but not predictive of loneliness. The interpersonal features were predictive of deceit during criminal behaviour.

Practical implications

This study leads to a better, more nuanced and substantiated understanding of which emotional states play a prominent role in criminal behaviour and how these states are affected by psychopathic traits. This knowledge can influence existing treatment programmes for patients with offence histories.

Originality/value

Several studies have examined the relationship between emotional states and criminal behaviour and between psychopathy and emotions, but less is known about the predictive relationship between psychopathy features and crime-scene-related emotional states.
A novel evaluation approach for the ability of older adults based on grey clustering model
Authors: Zhang Weiliang , Liu Sifeng , Du Junliang , Tao Liangyan , Dong Wenjie
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to advance a novel evaluation index system and evaluation approach for ability of older adults in China.

Design/methodology/approach

This study constructed a comprehensive older adult ability evaluation index system with 4 primary indicators and 17 secondary indicators. Grey clustering analysis and entropy weight method are combined into a robust evaluation model for the ability of older adults.

Findings

The result demonstrates that the proposed grey clustering model is readily available to calculate the disability level of elderly individuals. The constructed index system more comprehensively considers all aspects of the disability of the elderly.

Originality/value

This study provides a quantitative method and a more reasonable index system for the determination of the disability level of the elderly.
Virtual ideality vs. virtual authenticity: exploring the role of social signals in interactive marketing
Authors: Sun Chunhua , Ye Chenhui , Li Changdan , Liu Yezheng
Published: September 2023

Purpose

In the online marketing context, virtual reality (VR) has been used to display products and shopping environment, which effectively enhances the consumer experience. VR technology can not only recreate scenes similar to the real world (virtual authenticity, VA) but also create fictitious and desirable scenes that do not exist in the real world (virtual ideality, VI). The differences between VA and VI in influencing consumers' responses have not been fully understood. In addition, social signals have appeared in VR apps. However, the role of social signals in a VR context has rarely been studied. To fill the gaps in the literature, this study investigates the roles of VA and VI in shaping consumers' responses, as well as whether and how their effectiveness in shaping consumers' responses is influenced by social signals.

Design/methodology/approach

A VR real estate service platform was selected as the experimental platform, and two experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. The ANOVAs and regressions were used for data analysis.

Findings

Results show that VA leads to a higher level of perceived diagnosticity than VI, whereas VI leads to a higher level of inspiration than VA; perceived diagnosticity and inspiration positively affect visit intention. Furthermore, the relationship between consumers' perceived diagnosticity, inspiration and visit intention is moderated by the presence of social signals.

Originality

The study revealed the differences between VA and VI in shaping consumers' responses, as well as the effect of social signals in VR environment, which provide a new perspective for future VR research in the context of interactive marketing.
Corporate restructuring at Tata Steel Ltd
Authors: S.R. Vishwanatha , M. Durga Prasad
Published: September 2023

Research methodology

The case was developed from secondary sources and interviews with a security analyst. The secondary sources include company annual reports, news reports, analyst reports, industry reports, company websites, stock exchange websites and databases such as Bloomberg and CMIE Prowess.

Case overview/synopsis

Increasing competition in product and capital markets has put tremendous pressure on managers to become more cost competitive. To address their firms' uncompetitive cost structures, managers may have to consider dramatic restructuring of their businesses. During 2014–2017, Tata Steel Ltd (TSL) UK considered a series of divestitures and a merger plan to nurse the company back to health. The case considers the economics of the restructuring plan. The case is designed to help students analyze a corporate downsizing program undertaken by a large Indian company in the UK and to highlight the dynamic role of the CFO and governance issues in family firms. It introduces students to issues surrounding a typical restructuring and provides students a platform to practice the estimation of value creation in a restructuring exercise. While some cases on corporate restructuring in the context of developed economies are available, there are very few cases written in an emerging market context. This case bridges that gap. TSL presents a unique opportunity to study corporate restructuring necessitated by a failed cross-border acquisition. It illustrates the potential for value loss in large, cross-border acquisitions. It shows how managerial hubris can prompt family firm owners to overbid in acquisitions and create legacy hot spots. In addition, the case can be used to discuss the causes of governance failures such as weak institutional monitoring and poor legal enforcement in emerging markets that could potentially harm minority shareholders.

Complexity academic level

The case was developed from secondary sources and interviews with a security analyst. The secondary sources include company annual reports, news reports, analyst reports, industry reports, company websites, stock exchange websites and databases such as Bloomberg and CMIE Prowess.
Evaluating Policy Impact: Working Out What Works
Authors: Leigh Andrew
Published: September 2023

Randomised trials frequently produce surprising findings, overturning conventional wisdom. During the twentieth century, randomised trials became commonplace within medicine, saving millions of lives. Randomised trials within government can now be conducted more cheaply, using administrative data. Just as it might be considered unethical to conduct a randomised trial if a program is indisputably effective, it might be considered unethical not to conduct a rigorous evaluation if a program lacks evidence. Developed within a robust ethical framework, and alongside community consultation, better evaluation can help governments save money and address social disadvantage.
What drives Angola's economic growth? New evidence from the roles of urbanization and industrial growth
Authors: Telly Yacouba , Liu Xuezhi , Zhao Jun , Tang Fangcheng , Sun Xiangdong
Published: September 2023

This study examines the impacts of urbanization, industrial growth, and carbon emissions on Angola's economic growth by employing annual time series data from 1991 to 2020. This intends to strengthen Angola's economic policies using the Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) bounds test approach, Johansen cointegration, and vector error correction model (VECM). The results show that: (1) Economic development will be realized at the expense of environmental protection; (2) carbon emissions and industrial growth reinforce the country's economic growth in the short and long runs, while urbanization has no vital influence on economic growth; and (3) a bidirectional causality between economic growth and carbon emissions and a unidirectional causality relationship ranging from urbanization and economic growth to industry value‐added. Our findings encourage the country's leaders to consider urbanization and industrial growth while reducing carbon emissions. The country's priorities should be skills training, developing clean technologies, gradually increasing renewable energy share in the mix of energy, and encouraging industries to turn to clean energy.
Deregulation of public civilian gun carrying and violent crimes: A longitudinal analysis 1981–2019
Authors: Doucette Mitchell L. , Crifasi Cassandra K. , McCourt Alex D. , Ward Julie A. , Fix Rebecca L. , Webster Daniel W.
Published: September 2023

Research Summary

We utilized the synthetic difference‐in‐difference method to estimate the impact of adopting a permitless concealed carry weapons (CCW) law on rates of assaults, robberies, and homicides committed with a firearm and by other means, as well as weapons arrests, from 1981 to 2019. We stratified permitless CCW laws by whether they previously prohibited violent misdemeanants from obtaining a CCW permit or previously required live firearm training to obtain a permit prior to law adoption. Findings robust to sensitivity analyses suggest that states that lost a training requirement to obtain a CCW permit had 21 additional gun assaults per 100,000 population (SE = 5.2) (32% increase).

Policy Implications

In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, states should implement CCW permitting law provisions that may reduce the risk of firearm violence. Requiring live firearm training prior to carry a concealed weapon may attenuate negative health impacts of deregulation associated with permitless CCW laws.
Intergenerational Preparedness: Climate Change, Community Interest Obligations and the Environmental Rule of Law
Authors: Minnerop Petra
Published: September 2023

This article argues that the protection of ‘community interests’ in international law includes intertemporal obligations of States, in cases where it is scientifically foreseeable that preserving the ‘status quo’ of a protected community interest is increasingly unlikely. The argument is developed for climate change as a ‘common concern of humankind’ and based on the premise that even if a temperature limitation of 1.5°C would be achieved towards the end of this century, future generations will nevertheless live in a world that has fundamentally changed due to current policy and law choices. The article introduces the new concept of ‘intergenerational preparedness’ to operationalise and expand the normative scope of the principle of intergenerational equity. While some argumentative structures will be examined where intergenerational preparedness can be given effect through legal interpretation, the expectation that States must adopt preparatory measures to account for their community interest obligations deserves a more explicit recognition. It is a matter of the (environmental) rule of law to protect community interests on a time continuum, and this encompasses measures to prevent the deterioration of protected interests and to prepare communities for foreseeable detrimental changes.
Mandatory Disclosures as Calculative Spaces: Public Sector Accountability on Restoring Species at Risk*
Authors: Smirnow Dasha , Deng Claire
Published: September 2023

While sustainability has been a subject of growing inquiry in the accounting literature, biodiversity loss, an issue of critical societal importance, has not received the same attention. Furthermore, despite corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and the public sector all having distinct influences on biodiversity loss, the role of the public sector remains largely unexamined. Mobilizing Cuckston's (2022) framework for analyzing disclosures as calculative spaces, our study examines the framing of public sector reporting on biodiversity conservation. Specifically, through discourse analysis, we scrutinize the mandatory annual reports prepared by the Canadian federal government under the 2002 Species at Risk Act (SARA), which is aimed at preventing species extinction. The disclosures within these reports present discussions on the government's administration of SARA, thereby offering insights into the government's efforts to discharge accountability over the protection of species at risk. Our findings examine the significance of public sector reporting in enabling accountability for species conservation and discuss the ways in which mandatory disclosures contribute to this process.
The epidemiology and outcomes of acute kidney injury following orthopaedic procedures: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Thorsdottir Helga , Long Thorir E. , Palsson Runolfur , Sigurdsson Martin I.
Published: September 2023

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication following major surgery. This study examined the incidence and risk factors of AKI following orthopaedic surgeries in an Icelandic cohort, as well as the association between AKI and patient‐ and surgery‐related factors.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study comprised all patients 18 years and older who underwent orthopaedic surgeries at Landspitali – The National University Hospital in the years 2006–2018 with available serum creatinine (SCr) measurements adjacent to the surgery to stage AKI. AKI was defined according to SCr portion of the KDIGO criteria. Logistic regression was used to identify patient‐ and surgical factors related to progression of AKI and Poisson‐regression was used to explore changes in incidence.

Results

A total of 222 cases of AKI following 3208 surgeries (6.9%) were identified in the study period with a rise in the incidence by about 17% per year. Higher age (odds ratio (OR), 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01–1.04 per year) and underlying reduction in kidney function (OR 1.93 (1.30–2.81), 3.24 (2.08–4.96) and 4.08 (2.35–6.96) for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 30–59, 15–29 and <15 mL/min/1.73 m2 compared with eGFR >60 mL/min/1.73 m2) were associated with higher risk of AKI, but female sex was associated with decreased odds (OR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.54–0.98). After correcting for age, sex, preoperative kidney function, emergency surgery and underlying comorbidities and frailty, there was an increased risk of long‐term mortality in patients with AKI (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.08–1.85), and patients who developed AKI also had accelerated progression of chronic kidney disease compared with patients who did not develop AKI.

Conclusions

The incidence of AKI following orthopaedic surgeries is increasing and is associated with adverse outcomes. It is important that elderly individuals and patients who have reduced kidney function receive adequate monitoring and surveillance in the perioperative period.
Effects of the Connections program on return‐to‐custody, mortality and treatment uptake among people with a history of opioid use: Retrospective cohort study in an Australian prison system
Authors: Sullivan Elizabeth , Zeki Reem , Ward Stephen , Sherwood Juanita , Remond Marc , Chang Sungwon , Kypri Kypros , Brown James
Published: September 2023

Background and Aims

Connections is a voluntary health program that facilitates access to opioid agonist treatment (OAT) and social services for people with opioid use exiting prison. This study aimed to measure the effectiveness of Connections in reducing recidivism and improving health outcomes for people with a history of opioid use on leaving prison.

Design

Retrospective cohort study with quasi‐random allocation to the program.

Setting

Public adult prisons in New South Wales, Australia, 2008–2015.

Participants

Adults released from custody with a history of opioid use. Of 5549 eligible releasees, 3973 were allocated to Connections and 1576 to treatment‐as‐usual.

Measurements

Outcomes were return‐to‐custody, all‐cause mortality, and OAT participation.

Findings

Regression analyses on an intention‐to‐treat basis, and adjusting for baseline propensity scores, comparing patients allocated to Connections versus treatment‐as‐usual showed no difference in rates of return‐to‐custody within 2 years (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92 –1.12). Patients allocated to the Connections program were more likely to access OAT (odds ratio [OR]: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.06–1.39) and had lower mortality within 28 days of release (0.25% vs. 0.66%; HR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.14–1.03). Differences in mortality did not persist beyond 28 days. Subgroup analyses showed that allocation to Connections was associated with higher risk of return‐to‐custody within 28 days for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) and female releasees.

Conclusions

The Connections program for people with opioid use exiting prison did not reduce the likelihood of return‐to‐custody but did facilitate opioid agonist treatment participation on release from prison.
Systemic treatment of advanced and metastatic urothelial cancer: The landscape in Australia
Authors: Gurney Howard , Clay Timothy D. , Oliveira Niara , Wong Shirley , Tran Ben , Harris Carole
Published: September 2023

The 5‐year survival rate of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) is estimated to be as low as 5%. Currently, systemic platinum‐based chemotherapy followed by avelumab maintenance therapy is the only first‐line treatment for mUC that has an overall survival benefit. Cisplatin‐based chemotherapy (usually in combination with gemcitabine) is the preferred treatment but carboplatin is substituted where contraindications to cisplatin exist. Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, antibody‐drug conjugates, and kinase inhibitors has not yet demonstrated superiority to chemotherapy as first‐line therapy and remains investigational in this setting. A recent media release indicates that chemotherapy plus nivolumab gives an OS advantage as first‐line treatment but results of this study have not yet been made public. Pembrolizumab remains an option in those having primary progression on first‐line chemotherapy or within 12 months of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The antibody‐drug conjugate, enfortumab vedotin has TGA approval for patients whose cancer has progressed following chemotherapy and immunotherapy and has just received a positive Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme recommendation. The use of molecular screens for somatic genetic mutations, gene amplifications, and protein expression is expanding as drugs that target such abnormalities show promise. However, despite these advances, a substantial proportion of patients with mUC have significant barriers to receiving any treatment, including advancing age, frailty, and comorbidities, and less toxic, effective therapies are needed.
Association between gut‐derived endotoxins and porto‐sinusoidal vascular disorder with portal hypertension
Authors: Gioia Stefania , Carnevale Roberto , Tavano Daniele , Overi Diletta , Ridola Lorenzo , Nardelli Silvia , Merli Manuela , d'Amati Giulia , Pellicelli Adriano , Cardinale Vincenzo , Giannelli Valerio , Baiocchini Andrea , Riggio Oliviero , Gaudio Eugenio , Carpino Guido
Published: September 2023

Background

Porto‐sinusoidal vascular disorder (PSVD) is characterised by lesions involving portal veins and sinusoids in absence of cirrhosis with an unclear pathophysiology. However, its association with immunodeficiency, bowel disorders and abdominal bacterial infections supports the role of altered intestinal permeability and gut‐derived endotoxins. The study aimed at assessing the association between serological markers of increased intestinal permeability, pro‐aggregating/procoagulant state and liver injury in PSVD and portal hypertension.

Methods

Thirty‐three patients with biopsy‐proven PSVD and portal hypertension and 33 healthy subjects were submitted to a venous blood sampling for the measurement of zonulin and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as markers of intestinal permeability, of s‐Glycoprotein VI, sP‐selectin, ADAMTS13 and von Willebrand factor (vWF), as markers of platelet aggregation and microvascular inflammation, factor VIII and F1 + 2 as markers of hypercoagulability. In 17 PSVD patients, histomorphological and immunohistochemical study on liver biopsies was performed.

Results

Compared with controls, PSVD patients had higher levels of LPS, zonulin, vWF, factor VIII and sP‐selectin, F1 + 2. ADAMTS13 was reduced. Serum LPS correlated with zonulin, sP‐selectin, FVIII and vWF. At histological analysis, PSVD specimens had increased LPS localisation, toll‐like receptor‐4(TLR4)‐positive macrophages and platelet number compared with samples from healthy liver donors. TLR4+ macrophage number correlated with portal inflammation and fibrosis. Sinusoid dilation and capillarisation were observed. PSVD biopsies showed signs of biliary damage and reduced ductular reaction without alteration in Sox9+ cell population.

Conclusions

PSVD patients display an altered intestinal permeability and endotoxemia correlated to a pro‐aggregating/procoagulant state; histologically, PSVD was associated with increased TLR4+ cell involvement and platelet clumps within sinusoids. Our study suggests that LPS‐TLR4 pathway could contribute to the pathophysiological basis of PSVD with portal hypertension.
Ratio of stemness to interferon signalling as a biomarker and therapeutic target of myeloproliferative neoplasm progression to acute myeloid leukaemia
Authors: de Castro Fabíola Attié , Mehdipour Parinaz , Chakravarthy Ankur , Ettayebi Ilias , Loo Yau Helen , Medina Tiago Silva , Marhon Sajid A. , de Almeida Felipe Campos , Bianco Thiago Mantello , Arruda Andrea G. F. , Devlin Rebecca , de Figueiredo‐Pontes Lorena Lobo , Chahud Fernando , da Costa Cacemiro Maira , Minden Mark D. , Gupta Vikas , De Carvalho Daniel D.
Published: September 2023

Progression to aggressive secondary acute myeloid leukaemia (sAML) poses a significant challenge in the management of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Since the physiopathology of MPN is closely linked to the activation of interferon (IFN) signalling and that AML initiation and aggressiveness is driven by leukaemia stem cells (LSCs), we investigated these pathways in MPN to sAML progression. We found that high IFN signalling correlated with low LSC signalling in MPN and AML samples, while MPN progression and AML transformation were characterized by decreased IFN signalling and increased LSC signature. A high LSC to IFN expression ratio in MPN patients was associated with adverse clinical prognosis and higher colony forming potential. Moreover, treatment with hypomethylating agents (HMAs) activates the IFN signalling pathway in MPN cells by inducing a viral mimicry response. This response is characterized by double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) formation and MDA5/RIG‐I activation. The HMA‐induced IFN response leads to a reduction in LSC signature, resulting in decreased stemness. These findings reveal the frequent evasion of viral mimicry during MPN‐to‐sAML progression, establish the LSC‐to‐IFN expression ratio as a progression biomarker, and suggests that HMAs treatment can lead to haematological response in murine models by re‐activating dsRNA‐associated IFN signalling.