bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Will knowledge infrastructure capabilities elevate the project management maturity? An empirical study
Authors: Alghail Adnan , Yao Liu , Abbas Mohammed
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The factors for higher education institutions’ (HEIs) project management failure have been studied for several years. One of the issues is a lack of tools to combine their knowledge infrastructure capabilities (KIC) with project management (PM) to examine these infrastructures and monitor maturity. There are several project management maturity (PMM) models available. However, there are just a few empirical studies that support the three knowledge infrastructure capabilities and PMM integrations. As a result, the current research aims to suggest a new conceptual model, KIC-knowledge management (KM), and assess a research model that includes the three knowledge infrastructure capabilities as a prerequisite to elevate the PMM.

Design/methodology/approach

Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to evaluate the proposed research model. The study’s hypotheses were also examined using a sample of 352 respondents from PM departments at ten Yemeni public universities.

Findings

The study found that if the three key knowledge infrastructure capabilities integrate into the PMs, then it will help HEIs to perform project tasks more effectively and efficiently. Also, it will improve the PM maturity level if all the three capabilities positively effect PMM.

Research limitations/implications

The study findings cannot be generalized to other industries because the collected date were with the Yemeni public universities’ context. Also, the new proposed model can be assessed in various sectors to increase the validity of the model. One more thing, future academics can conduct qualitative research study to validate again the proposed model.

Practical implications

Project managers can develop and improve their organization’s effectiveness and performance by focusing on these findings and using the developed model. Also, the findings of this study can be used as a benchmark for evaluating initiatives and knowledge-based governmental entities.

Social implications

It is an opportunity for knowledge-based governmental entities particularly and other organizations to elevate most of projects to achieve a supreme level of maturity. Also, this study will assist employees to understand the relationship between KICs and projects within HEIs in Yemen.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first to empirically study the impact of the three knowledge infrastructure capabilities toward PMM. It links between two important domains: KM and PM.
Reliability of Hydrology and Water Quality Simulations Using Global Scale Datasets
Authors: Jayaprathiga Mahalingam , Cibin Raj , Sudheer K.P.
Published: April 2022

Physics‐based, comprehensive, distributed hydrologic models, such as the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, are a prime choice of decision makers and watershed managers for analyzing the impact of different land management practices on watershed hydrology and water quality. However, the decisions framed through the application of such models are highly affected by the model input data accuracy. On a global scale, the majority of watersheds are data‐limited (DL), and model input data at required spatial and temporal resolutions are unavailable, incomplete, or low in quality. Thus, the hydrological simulations are significantly influenced by poor representation and characterization of the system, which affects the reliability of simulations in DL regions. This study quantifies the effects of global‐scale dataset usage in ecohydrological simulations. The global‐scale datasets are generally coarse in spatial resolution and significantly affect the hydrology and water quality simulations. The average annual flow simulations were 35.7% higher for DL scenarios as compared to the data‐intensive scenario. Researchers with limited data should take special care to ensure that their simulations allow them to take informed decisions so that effective and reliable management system is planned. Validation with locally available data for land use and management practices may help increase reliability.
Petrogenesis and Geodynamic Implications of Early Cretaceous (∼130 Ma) Magmatism in the Baingoin Batholith, Central Tibet: Products of Subducting Slab Rollback
Authors: LI Faqiao , TANG Juxing , WANG Nan , LIU Zhibo , SONG Yang , ZHANG Jing , MA Xudong , FU Bin , LI Haifeng , HAN Songhao
Published: April 2022

The Baingoin batholith is one of the largest granitic plutons in the North Lhasa terrane. Its petrogenesis and tectonic setting have been studied for decades, but remain controversial. Here we report data on geochronology, geochemistry and isotopes of Early Cretaceous granitoids within the Baingoin batholith, which provide more evidence to uncover its petrogenesis and regional geodynamic processes. The Early Cretaceous magmatism yields ages of 134.4–132.0 Ma and can be divided into I‐type, S‐type and highly fractionated granites. The I‐ and S‐type granites exhibit medium SiO2, high K2O/Na2O with negative εNd(t) and εHf(t) values, whereas, the albite granites have very high SiO2 (79.04%–80.40%), very low K2O/N2O, negative εNd(t) and a large variation in εHf(t). Our new data indicate that these granitoids are derived from unbalanced melting in a heterogeneous source area. The granodiorites involved had a hybrid origin from partial melting of basalt‐derived and Al‐rich rocks in the crust, the porphyritic monzogranites being derived from partial melting of pelitic rocks. The albite granites crystallized from residual melt separated from K‐rich magma within the ‘mush’ process and underwent fractionation of K‐feldspar. We believe that the Early Cretaceous magmatism formed in an extensional setting produced by the initial and continuous rollback of a northward‐subducting slab of the NTO.
Source Lithology and Magmatic Processes Recorded in the Mineral of Basalts from the Parece Vela Basin
Authors: YUAN Long , YAN Quanshu
Published: April 2022

Since the Early Cenozoic, the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) has undergone a complex tectonic evolution. During this period the Parece Vela Basin (PVB) was formed by seafloor spreading in the back‐arc region of the proto‐Izu‐Bonin‐Mariana (IBM) arc. However, until now, studies of the geological, geophysical, and tectonic evolution of the PVB have been rare. In this study, we obtained in situ trace element and major element compositions of minerals in basalts collected from two sites in the southern part of the PVB. The results reveal that the basalts from site CJ09‐63 were likely formed via ∼10% partial melting of spinel‐garnet lherzolite, while the basalts from site CJ09‐64 were likely formed via 15%–25% partial melting of garnet lherzolite. The order of mineral crystallization for the basalts from site CJ09‐64 was olivine, spinel, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase, while the plagioclase in the basalts from site CJ09‐63 crystallized earlier than the clinopyroxene. Using a plagioclase‐liquid hygrometer and an olivine‐liquid oxybarometer, we determined that the basalts in this study have high H2O contents and oxygen fugacities, suggesting that the magma source of the Parece Vela basalts was affected by subduction components, which is consistent with the trace element composition of whole rock.
Facies Analysis, Sequence Stratigraphy and Diagenetic Studies of the Jurassic Carbonates of the Kohat Basin, Northwest Pakistan: Reservoir Implications
Authors: KHAN Emadullah , NASEEM Abbas Ali , KHAN Suleman , WADOOD Bilal , REHMAN Faisal , SALEEM Maryam , MEHMOOD Mubashir , AHMAD Waqar , AHMED Zubair , AZEEM Tahir
Published: April 2022

The present study deals with the depositional facies, diagenetic processes and sequence stratigraphy of the shallow marine carbonates of the Samana Suk Formation, Kohat Basin, in order to elucidate its reservoir quality. The Samana Suk Formation consists of thin to thick‐bedded, oolitic, bioclastic, dolomitic and fractured limestone. Based on the integration of outcrop, petrographic and biofacies analyses, the unit is thought to have been deposited on a gentle homoclinal ramp in peritidal, lagoonal and carbonate shoal settings. Frequent variations in microfacies based sea‐level curve have revealed seven Transgressive Systems Tracts (TSTs) and six Regressive Systems Tracts (RSTs). The unit has undergone various stages of diagenetic processes, including mechanical and chemical compaction, cementation, micritization, dissolution and dolomitization. The petrographic analyses show the evolution of porosity in various depositional and diagenetic phases. The fenestral porosity was mainly developed in peritidal carbonates during deposition, while the burial dissolution and diagenetic dolomitization have greatly enhanced the reservoir potential of the rock unit, as is further confirmed by the plug porosity and permeability analyses. The porosities and permeabilities were higher in shoal facies deposited in TSTs, as compared to lagoonal and peritidal facies, except for the dolomite in mudstone, deposited during RSTs. Hence good, moderate and poor reservoir potential is suggested for shoal, lagoonal and peritidal facies, respectively.
The Origin of the Black Shale Series and Bentonites from the Wufeng Formation in the Southwestern Upper Yangtze: Implications for the Convergence of the Yangtze and Cathaysia Blocks in the Late Ordovician
Authors: MIAO Yu , ZHOU Ye , ZHOU Jiaxi , TIAN Yufeng , WU Liang , LI Shizhong , ZHANG Yaotang , WANG Wanneng
Published: April 2022

Early Paleozoic black organic sediments and bentonites occur widely in the craton basin within the Yangtze block and are generally believed to be genetically related to a specific tectonic setting on the cratonic boundary. However, the intimate relationship between their origins and the dynamic mechanisms are unclear, as exemplified by the genesis of the black shale series and bentonites from the Wufeng Formation during the Ordovician–Silurian transition (OST). In order to reveal the relationship between the Wufeng Formation and the convergence of the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks (i.e., the intracontinental Kwangsian Orogeny), two stratigraphic sections respectively in Zhaotong area (Northeast Yunnan) and Puyi area (Northwestern Guizhou) that were located in the semi‐restricted inner Yangtze Sea during the OST were systematically studied, on the basis of whole‐rock geochemical composition, pyrite δ34S (δ34Spy), total organic carbon (TOC), stable Sr isotope, pyrite framboid size distribution and zircon U‐Pb age, trace elements. The evidence shows that the paleo‐oceanic environment changed significantly at the turn of the early–late Katian and formed the black shale series in the Wufeng Formation. These acritarch assemblages were formed in the transition process of the Upper Yangtze Basin from passive continental margin basin to foreland basin during this interval. Based on previous research on the genetic relationship between black shale series and plate tectonic movement, a basin‐mountain evolution model suitable for South China in the Late Ordovician is presented. The two bentonites in the Wufeng Formation with U‐Pb ages of 445.5 ± 0.8 Ma and 441.9 ± 2.4 Ma primarily originated from the intermediate–acid volcanic eruption during the collision and convergence between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks in the Late Ordovician, the provenance region probably being located in the Jiangnan orogenic belt. Thus, we believe that the appearance of the black shale series and bentonite in the Wufeng Formation at the turn of the early–late Katian may represent the initiation of basin‐mountain transformation and the Kwangsian Orogeny in South China, which provides important evidence for the collision and convergence of the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks in the Late Ordovician.
Efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in the treatment of refractory cases of polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A study from Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Mohammad Masudur , Laila Kamrul , Rahman Shahana Akhter
Published: April 2022

Background

Biological disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are treatment options for refractory juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) cases which cannot be afforded by the majority. Tofacitinib is a novel Janus kinase inhibitor, which is reported to be a cost‐effective oral alternative to biologics. This prospective observational study was carried out to observe the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in refractory polyarticular course JIA patients.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka. Twenty‐seven refractory polyarticular course JIA patients were included in this study. Patients received tofacitinib at recommended doses. Disease activity level was assessed by Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS) 27. Cases were evaluated at baseline and at the 6th, 12th and 24th weeks. Safety was monitored from history, examination findings and laboratory reports. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests.

Results

Enthesitis‐related arthritis was the commonest type (37%) followed by polyarticular (rheumatoid factor+) and systemic JIA. There was significant improvement in JADAS 27 in all the subtypes of JIA except oligoarticular extended type. Among 100% high disease activity state cases at baseline, 70.4% were inactive at 24 weeks. It was also possible to significantly reduce the dose of steroid. Few side effects like headache and vomiting, elevation of alanine aminotransferase and anemia were observed at 6 weeks. These side effects subsequently improved.

Conclusion

Significant reduction of disease activity score was observed from baseline to follow up in this study. Tofacitinib was well tolerated with minimum side effects.
Rewards and Fear of Being Labeled as Racist: A Tax Fraud Whistleblowing Investigation*
Authors: Dhaliwal Sonia , Farrar Jonathan , Hausserman Cass
Published: April 2022

This article investigates experimentally, in the income tax context, how whistleblowing intentions are influenced when a tax fraud perpetrator is of a different race than a potential whistleblower. In particular, it examines the impact of a message highlighting the social value of whistleblowing and how fear of being perceived as racist influences whistleblowing decision‐making. Using insights from the fear elicitation and processing literature, we find that a potential whistleblower from a majority racial group who learns about a fraud perpetrated by someone from a minority racial group is significantly more likely to blow the whistle anonymously when a social value message is present versus absent, as the presence of a social value message reduces fear of being perceived as racist. However, we do not find that race dissimilarity is significantly associated with non‐anonymous whistleblowing intentions, irrespective of the presence of a social value message. Furthermore, in non‐anonymous whistleblowing situations, potential whistleblowers have to disclose their identities to the tax authority to become eligible for a cash reward. Even when potential whistleblowers can choose the amount of a cash reward they would have to be paid in order to blow the whistle, our results show that whistleblowing intentions do not increase significantly when perpetrators and potential whistleblowers are of different races. Overall, our results suggest that the societal value of tax whistleblowing and the use of cash rewards for whistleblowing are limited by other sociological considerations.
Palliative care interventions for adults in the emergency department: A review of components, delivery models, and outcomes
Authors: Bayuo Jonathan , Agbeko Anita Eseenam , Acheampong Emmanuel Kwasi , Abu‐Odah Hammoda , Davids Jephtah
Published: April 2022

Background

Existing evidence suggest the emergence of palliative care (PC) services in the emergency department (ED). To gain insight into the nature of these services and provide direction to future actions, there is a need for a comprehensive review that ascertains the components of these services, integration models, and outcomes.

Methods

A scoping review design was employed and reported according to the PRISMA extension guidelines for scoping reviews. Extensive searches in peer‐reviewed databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Medline) and gray literature sources (Trove, MedNar, OpenGrey, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) were undertaken and supplemented with hand searching. Titles, abstracts, and full text were reviewed in duplicate. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported on a PC intervention implemented in the ED for adults. Codes were formulated across the included studies, which facilitated the conduct of a narrative synthesis.

Results

Twenty‐three studies were retained with the majority (n = 15) emerging from the United States. The components of PC interventions in the ED were categorized as: (1) screening, (2) goals of care discussion and communication, (3) managing pain and other distressing symptoms in the ED, (4) transitions across care settings, (5) end‐of‐life (EoL) care, (6) family/caregiver support, and (7) ED staff education. Traditional PC consultations and integrated ED–PC services were the main modes of delivery. PC in the ED can potentially improve patient symptoms, facilitate access to relevant services, reduce length of stay, improve care at the EoL, facilitate bereavement and postbereavement support for family members, and improve ED staff confidence in delivering PC.

Conclusions

PC implementation in the ED may potentially improve patient and family outcomes. More studies are needed, however, to standardize trigger or screening tools. More prospective studies are also needed to test PC interventions in the ED.
Insights from biosurveillance: non‐fatal opioid overdoses in Rhode Island 2019–21
Authors: King Ewa , Marchetti Louis , Weidele Heidi , Wolanski Jenna , Shrestha Noyo , St John Kristen , Scagos Rachel
Published: April 2022

Background and Aims

Opioids biosurveillance is a new approach to public health surveillance of non‐fatal overdoses that relies upon laboratory analysis of residual biospecimens from hospitals treating opioids overdoses. In Rhode Island (RI), USA, hospitals report suspected opioid overdoses to the Department of Health. Residual specimens associated with these overdoses are submitted to the State Health Laboratories for further characterization. This surveillance project aimed to characterize non‐fatal overdoses through toxicological testing of urine specimens associated with non‐fatal overdoses during the initial 2‐year period of biosurveillance implementation in RI to assess the feasibility and public health utility of this approach.

Methods

This study included individuals who presented for treatment for a suspected opioid overdose in 10 RI hospitals between July 2019 and June 2021. Urine samples were received for 1354 unique overdose encounters corresponding to reported overdoses. Some individuals experienced multiple overdoses during this time. Urine samples were extracted and then analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry with a panel consisting of 1033 opiates, synthetic opioids, fentanyl analogs and select metabolites. Temporal and spatial trends were evaluated for the studied population.

Results

A total of 1354 samples were tested for the presence of opioids in urine collected from individuals who experienced a suspected overdose. Fentanyl (and/or norfentanyl) was present in 79% of all samples in which opioids were found (n = 1033). Fentanyl analogs varied in their contribution to these totals, with observations ranging as high as 35% of all opioid‐containing samples in August 2019 and May 2021.

Conclusions

Laboratory identification of opioids involved in suspected overdoses shows that fentanyl and its analogs are the main drivers of the opioids overdose epidemic in Rhode Island, USA. The biosurveillance approach is unique in its ability to quantify contributions of novel fentanyl analogs to the burden of overdoses.
Blended (online and in‐person) Women’s Health Interprofessional Learning by Simulation (WHIPLS) for medical and midwifery students
Authors: Lee Timothy , Yoon Si Woo , Fernando Shavi , Willey Suzanne , Kumar Arunaz
Published: April 2022

Background

Blended teaching combines traditional in‐person components (simulation‐based training and clinical‐based placement) with online resources. Due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, we modified our Women's Health Interprofessional Learning through Simulation (WHIPLS) program – to develop core obstetric and gynaecological skills – into a blended teaching program. There is limited literature reporting the observations of blended teaching on learning.

Aims

To qualitatively evaluate the blended teaching program and explore how it contributes to learning.

Materials and Methods

This study was performed at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. A total of 98 medical students and 39 midwifery students participated. Data were collected by written survey and analysed by authors using a thematic analysis framework.

Results

Students reported that in‐person teaching remains a vital aspect of their curriculum, contributing an averaged 63.2% toward an individual's learning, compared with online. Five substantial themes demonstrate how students learnt and maximised education opportunities using a blended teaching program: ‘low‐pressure simulation environments’, ‘peer‐assisted learning’, ‘haptic learning’, ‘scaffolded learning’ and ‘the impact of online discourse’.

Discussion

In‐person teaching remains a cornerstone of obstetric and gynaecological clinical skills education, of which interprofessional simulation and clinical‐based placement are key components. Teaching via online discourse alone, is not sufficient to completely replace and provide comparable learning outcomes, but certainly plays an important role to prime students' learning and to maximise in‐person opportunities and resources. Our study reveals key pedagogies of a blended (online and in‐person) learning program, providing further evidence to support its ongoing utility as a feasible and warranted approach to learning.
Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch‐anal anastomosis in elderly patients – is advanced age a contraindication?
Authors: Duraes Leonardo C. , Liang Jennifer , Steele Scott R. , Cengiz Bora , Delaney Conor P. , Holubar Stefan D. , Gorgun Emre
Published: April 2022

Aim

We aimed to determine pouch function and retention rate for restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch‐anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC) in elderly patients.

Methods

We identified patients over 50 years old subjected to IPAA for confirmed pathological UC from 1980 until 2016. Patients were grouped according to age: 50–59, 60–69 and 70+ years. Short and long‐term outcomes and quality of life (QOL) were compared among the groups.

Results

Six hundred and one patients were identified (399 (66.4%) between 50–59 181 (30.1%) between 60–69, and 21 (3.5%) over 70 years of age). More males were in the 70+ arm, and more two‐stage procedures were performed in this group. Wound infection increased with age (P = 0.023). There was a trend of more fistula and pouchitis in the 70+ patients (P = 0.052 and P = 0.055, respectively). Pouch failure rate increased with age, and it was statistically significant in the 70+ cohort (P = 0.015). Multivariate stepwise logistic regression showed that pelvic sepsis (HR 4.8 (95% CI 1.5–15.4), P = 0.009), fistula (HR 6.0 (95% CI 1.7–21.5), and mucosectomy with handsewn anastomosis (HR 4.5 (95% CI 1.4–14.7)), were independently associated with pouch failure. No difference was observed in the QOL among the groups, but pouch function was better for patients younger than 60 years.

Conclusion

In elderly patients with UC, IPAA may be offered with reasonable functional outcomes, and ileal pouch retention rates, as an alternative to the permanent stoma. Stapled anastomosis increases the chance of pouch retention and should be recommended as long as the distal rectum does not carry dysplasia.
Investigation of the influence of blade configuration on the hemodynamic performance and blood damage of the centrifugal blood pump
Authors: Li Yuan , Yu Jiachen , Wang Hongyu , Xi Yifeng , Deng Xiaoyan , Chen Zengsheng , Fan Yubo
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The design and optimization of centrifugal blood pumps are crucial for improved extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system performance. Secondary flow passages are common in centrifugal blood pumps, allowing for a high volume of unstable flow. Traditional design theory offers minimal guidance on the design and optimization of centrifugal blood pumps, so it's critical to understand how design parameter variables affect hydraulic performance and hemocompatibility.

Methods

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was employed to investigate the effects of blade number, blade wrap angle, blade thickness, and splitters on pressure head, hemolysis, and platelet activation state. Eulerian and Lagrangian features were used to analyze the flow fields and hemocompatibility metrics such as scalar shear stress, velocity distribution, and their correlation.

Results

The equalization of frictional and flow losses allow impellers with more blades and smaller wrap angles to have higher pressure heads, whereas the trade‐off between the volume of high scalar shear stress and exposure time allows impellers with fewer blades and larger blade wrap angles to have a lower HI; there are configurations that increase the possibility of platelet activation for both number of blades and wrap angles. The hydraulic performance and hemocompatibility of centrifugal blood pumps are not affected by blade thickness. Compared to the main blades, splitters can improve the blood compatibility of a centrifugal blood pump with a small reduction in pressure head, but there is a trade‐off between the length and location of the splitter that suppresses flow losses while reducing the velocity gradient. According to correlation analysis, pressure head, HI, and the volume of high shear stress were all substantially connected, and exposure time had a significant impact on HI. The platelet activation state was influenced by the average scalar shear stress and the volume of low velocity.

Conclusion

The findings reveal the impact of design variables on the performance of centrifugal blood pumps with secondary flow passages, as well as the relationship between hemocompatibility, hydraulic performance, and flow characteristics, and are useful for the design and optimization of this type of blood pump, as well as the prediction of clinical complications.
Erythema nodosum induced by Covid‐19 Pfizer‐BioNTech mRNA vaccine: A case report and brief literature review
Authors: Chahed Ferdaous , Ben Fadhel Najah , Ben Romdhane Haifa , Youssef Monia , Ben Hammouda Seifeddine , Chaabane Amel , Aouam Karim , Ben Fredj Nadia
Published: April 2022

Erythema nodosum (EN), the most common form of panniculitis, is a reactive inflammation of the subcutaneous fat clinically presented with a sudden onset of painful, erythematous, nodular, subcutaneous lesions, typically localized to the pretibial area. EN is commonly caused by numerous infections (especially beta‐haemolytic streptococcal infections), autoimmune diseases (sarcoidosis), inflammatory bowel conditions and drugs. EN induced by Covid‐19 vaccines is rarely reported. We describe an original clinical observation of a 75‐year‐old woman who presented with EN after receiving the second dose of BNT162b2, an mRNA vaccine.
Fatalities associated with gabapentinoids in England (2004–2020)
Authors: Kalk Nicola J. , Chiu Ching‐Ting , Sadoughi Rasa , Baho Heli , Williams Bryn D. , Taylor David , Copeland Caroline S.
Published: April 2022

The gabapentinoids were reclassified as Schedule II medications and Class C drugs in the UK in 2019 due to their potential misuse. In this study we examined deaths following gabapentinoid use in England reported to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths.

A total of 3051 deaths were reported (gabapentin: 913 cases; pregabalin: 2322 cases [both detected in 184 cases]). Prescribed and illicitly obtained gabapentinoids accounted for similar proportions of deaths (gabapentin illicit 38.0%, prescribed 37.1%; pregabalin illicit 41.0%, prescribed 34.6%). Opioids were co‐detected in most cases (92.0%), and co‐prescribed in a quarter (25.3%). Postmortem blood gabapentinoid concentrations were commonly (sub)therapeutic (65.0% of gabapentin cases; 50.8% of pregabalin cases). In only two cases was gabapentinoid toxicity alone attributed in causing death.

Gabapentinoids alone rarely cause death. Clinically relevant doses can, however, prove fatal, possibly by reducing tolerance to opioids. Doctors and patients should be aware of this interaction.

Gabapentinoid–opioid co‐prescribing needs urgent revision.
Treating second‐relapsed/refractory first‐relapsed childhood acute myeloid leukaemia: Successful salvage rather than palliation?
Authors: Merli Pietro
Published: April 2022

Prognosis of second‐relapsed/refractory first‐relapsed childhood acute myeloid leukaemia remains poor and there are no clear guidelines on the best treatment approach. The report by White et al. suggests that, while outcomes are still unsatisfactory, there is room to pursue a curative approach rather than palliation.

Commentary on: White et al. Clinical outcomes of second relapsed and refractory first relapsed paediatric AML: A retrospective study within the NOPHO‐DB SHIP consortium. Br J Haematol 2022;197:755‐765.
Punicalagin suppresses inflammation in ventilator‐induced lung injury through protease‐activated receptor‐2 inhibition‐induced inhibition of NLR family pyrin domain containing‐3 inflammasome activation
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhu Qi
Published: April 2022

Punicalagin is recorded to be a potent anti‐inflammatory drug, while its effect on inflammation existing in ventilator‐induced lung injury (VILI) requires further verification. Rats were pretreated with punicalagin, followed by VILI modeling. Lung histopathological examination was performed with hematoxylin–eosin staining accompanied by the lung injury score. The lung wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio and total bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein level were measured. After transfection with protease‐activated receptor‐2 (PAR2) overexpression plasmids, mouse alveolar epithelial MLE‐12 cells were treated with punicalagin and then subjected to cyclic stretching. Punicalagin's cytotoxicity to MLE‐12 cells were measured by MTT assay. The levels of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interleukin (IL)‐1β, and IL‐6), PAR2, NLR family pyrin domain containing‐3 (NLRP3), and apoptosis‐associated speck‐like protein containing a CARD (ASC) in the BALF, lung tissues or cells were analyzed by enzyme‐linked immune‐sorbent assay (ELISA), qRT‐PCR or/and western blot. Punicalagin treatment attenuated VILI‐induced lung histopathological changes and counteracted VILI‐induced increases in the lung injury score, W/D weight ratio and total protein level in BALF. Also, punicalagin treatment counteracted in vivo VILI/cyclic stretching‐induced increases in the levels of PAR2, inflammatory cytokines, NLRP3, and ASC. PAR2 overexpression potentiated the cyclic stretching‐induced effects, while punicalagin treatment revoked this PAR2 overexpression‐induced potentiation effect. In turn, PAR2 overexpression partly resisted the punicalagin treatment‐induced counteractive effects on the cyclic stretching‐induced effects. Punicalagin suppresses inflammation in VILI through PAR2 inhibition‐induced inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
Synthesis, molecular docking, and biological evaluation of novel 1,2,4‐triazole‐isatin derivatives as potential Mycobacterium tuberculosis shikimate kinase inhibitors
Authors: Dadlani Vedika G. , Chhabhaiya Heta , Somani Rakesh R. , Tripathi Pushpendra K.
Published: April 2022

The issue of emerging resistance to antitubercular drugs has created a formidable barrier in the effective prevention and cure of tuberculosis globally. In an effort to search for new antimycobacterial agents, possibly comprising new pharmacophore, novel triazole‐isatin derivatives were designed as Mycobacterium tuberculosis shikimate kinase inhibitors and synthesized by microwave‐assisted method. The synthesized molecules were evaluated for their antimycobacterial activity by MABA assay against M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The molecule 5h demonstrated MIC of 0.8 μg/ml and good safety profile with higher selectivity index with HEK293 cell line. The antimycobacterial activity was further substantiated with molecular docking studies. The triazole‐isatin derivatives showed significant binding interactions with amino acid residues in the active site of the enzyme. These studies revealed that molecule 5h could act as a potential lead molecule for further studies to find new target‐directed molecules.
Using land‐use history and multiple baselines to determine bird responses to cocoa agroforestry
Authors: Martin Dominic A. , Raveloaritiana Estelle
Published: April 2022

Agroforests can play an important role in biodiversity conservation in complex landscapes. A key factor distinguishing among agroforests is land‐use history – whether agroforests are established inside forests or on historically forested but currently open lands. The disparity between land‐use histories means the appropriate biodiversity baselines may differ, which should be accounted for when assessing the conservation value of agroforests. Specifically, comparisons between multiple baselines in forest and open land could enrich understanding of species’ responses by contextualizing them. We made such comparisons based on data from a recently published meta‐analysis of the effects of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) agroforestry on bird diversity. We regrouped rustic, mixed shade cocoa, and low shade cocoa agroforests, based on land‐use history, into forest‐derived and open‐land‐derived agroforests and compared bird species diversity (species richness, abundance, and Shannon's index values) between forest and open land, which represented the 2 alternative baselines. Bird diversity was similar in forest‐derived agroforests and forests (Hedges’ g* estimate [SE] = ‐0.3144 [0.3416], p = 0.36). Open‐land‐derived agroforests were significantly less diverse than forests (g* = 1.4312 [0.6308], p = 0.023) and comparable to open lands (g* = ‐0.1529 [0.5035], p = 0.76). Our results highlight how land‐use history determined the conservation value of cocoa agroforests. Forest‐derived cocoa agroforests were comparable to the available – usually already degraded – forest baselines, but entail future degradation risks. In contrast, open‐land‐derived cocoa agroforestry may offer restoration opportunities. Our results showed that comparisons among multiple baselines may inform relative contributions of agroforestry systems to bird conservation on a landscape scale.
Motivating children's cooperation to conserve forests
Authors: Bowie Aleah , Zhou Wen , Tan Jingzhi , White Philip , Stoinski Tara , Su Yanjie , Hare Brian
Published: April 2022

Forests are essential common‐pool resources. Understanding children's and adolescents’ motivations for conservation is critical to improving conservation education. In 2 experiments, we investigated 1086 school‐aged children and adolescents (6–16 years old) from the United States, China, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Testing participants in groups, we assessed their motivation for conservation based on collective‐risk common‐pool goods games in which they were threatened with losing their endowment unless the group donation exceeded a threshold needed to maintain the forest. Extrinsic motivations, rather than intrinsic, tended to lead to successful cooperation to maintain a forest. Certainty of losing individual payoffs significantly boosted successful cooperative conservation efforts across cultures (success rates were 90.63% and 74.19% in the 2 risk‐extrinsic conditions, and 43.75% in the control condition). In U.S. participants, 2 extrinsic incentives, priming discussions of the value of forests and delay of payoffs as punishment, also increased success of cooperative conservation (success rates were 97.22% and 76.92% in the 2 extrinsic‐incentive conditions, and 29.19% and 30.77% in the 2 control conditions). Conservation simulations, like those we used, may allow educators to encourage forest protection by leading groups to experience successful cooperation and the extrinsic incentives needed to motivate forest conservation.
Perioperative management of adult living donor liver transplantation: Part 1 – recipients
Authors: Sakai Tetsuro , Ko Justin Sangwook , Crouch Cara E. , Kumar Sathish , Little Michael B. , Chae Min Suk , Ganoza Armando , Gómez‐Salinas Luis , Humar Abhi , Kim Sang Hyun , Koo Bon‐Nyeo , Rodriguez Gonzalo , Sirianni Joel , Smith Natalie K. , Song Jun‐Gol , Ullah Aisha , Hendrickse Adrian
Published: April 2022

Living donor liver transplantation was first developed to mitigate the limited access to deceased donor organs in Asia in the 1990s. This alternative liver transplantation option has become an established and widely practiced transplantation method for adult patients suffering from end‐stage liver disease. It has successfully addressed the shortage of deceased donors. The Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia and the Korean Society of Transplant Anesthesia jointly reviewed published studies on the perioperative management of live donor liver transplant recipients. The review aims to offer transplant anesthesiologists and critical care physicians a comprehensive overview of the perioperative management of adult live liver transplantation recipients. We feature the status, outcomes, surgical procedure, portal venous decompression, anesthetic management, prevention of acute kidney injury, avoidance of blood transfusion, monitoring and therapeutic strategies of hemodynamic derangements, and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols for liver transplant recipients.
The role of expert focus echocardiography during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: McPhail Eleanor , Jahagirdar Nishat , Walker Nicola , Harris Scott , Monaghan Mark , Papachristidis Alexandros
Published: April 2022

Background

Focus Echocardiography has routinely been used to offer quick diagnosis in critical care environments, predominantly by clinicians with limited training. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, international guidance recommended all echocardiography scans were performed as focus studies to limit operator viral exposure in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of eFoCUS, a focus scan performed by fully trained echocardiographers following a minimum dataset plus full interrogation of any pathology found.

Methods

All diagnostic echocardiograms, performed by fully trained echocardiographers during an 8‐week period during the first UK COVID‐19 wave, were included. The number of images acquired was compared in the following categories: admission status, COVID status, image quality, indication, invasive ventilation, pathology found, echocardiographer experience, and whether eFoCUS was deemed adequate to answer the clinical question.

Results

In 87.4% of the 698 scans included, the operator considered that the eFOCUS echo protocol, with additional images when needed, was sufficient to answer the clinical question on the request. Echocardiographer experience did not affect the number of images acquired. Less images were acquired in COVID‐19 positive patients compared to negative/asymptomatic (38 ± 12 vs. 42 ± 12, p = .001), and more images were required when a valve pathology was identified.

Conclusion

eFoCUS echocardiography is an effective protocol for use during the COVID‐19 pandemic. It provides sufficient diagnostic information to answer the clinical question but differs from standard focus/limited protocols by enabling the identification and interrogation of significant pathology and incidental findings, preventing unnecessary repeat scans and viral exposure of operators.
Do soil density and humidity affect nest‐founding in leaf‐cutting ant queens?
Authors: Sousa Kátia K. A. , Camargo Roberto S. , Caldato Nadia , Farias Adriano P. , Matos Carlos A. O. , Zanuncio José C. , Forti Luiz C.
Published: April 2022

The habitat choice of nest sites by founding queens of leaf‐cutting ants varies with abiotic factors such as temperature, soil density, and soil humidity. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that soil density and moisture affect excavation effort (i.e., excavation period, excavated soil amount, initial nest depth, initial chamber volume, and mortality) in queens of the leaf‐cutting ant Atta sexdens (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Queens were placed in experimental areas in three natural soils in Brazil with varying density and moisture content. The excavated soil was collected, dried, and weighed, and digging period, nest depth, chamber volume, and queen mortality were evaluated after nest establishment. In artificially shaded habitats (less dense and more humid soil), the establishment of queens was greater, the period of nest foundation was shorter, and excavated soil amount, nest depth, and volume of the initial chamber were greater than in forest and pasture habitats (denser and drier soils). Also, queen mortality was lower in less dense, more humid soil. This indicates a trade‐off between maximizing the depth of the nest, to increase protection against inadequate environmental conditions, and minimizing energy expenditure during excavation, affecting their survival.
Validation of the HScore and the HLH‐2004 diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a multicenter cohort
Authors: Bilston Lisa , Croden Jennifer , Taparia Minakshi , Karkhaneh Mohammad , Grossman Jennifer , Sun Haowei (Linda)
Published: April 2022

Timely diagnosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is critical and relies on clinical judgment. The HLH‐2004 criteria are commonly used diagnostic criteria, whereas HScore was recently developed for reactive HLH.

Objective

In this external validation study, we sought to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the HLH‐2004 criteria and HScore and identify optimal cutoffs stratified by underlying etiology.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort of all hospitalized adults in Alberta, Canada, (1999–2019) who had ferritin >500 ng/ml and underwent either biopsies or soluble CD25 testing, we calculated the diagnostic accuracy of HLH‐2004 and HScore for the overall population and different etiologies.

Results

Of 916 patients, 98 (11%) had HLH. HLH‐2004 criteria ≥5 predicted HLH with a sensitivity of 91%, specificity of 93%, positive predictive value of 90%, and negative predictive value of 94% (c‐statistic 92%). HScore ≥169 predicted HLH with better sensitivity (96%) but reduced specificity (71%), whereas the optimal cutoff ≥200 performed comparably to HLH‐2004. HLH‐2004 criteria outperformed HScore in most etiologies, whereas HScore improved sensitivity in inflammatory/autoimmune‐HLH. The optimal cutoff of HScore was higher in hematopoietic cell transplant due to higher prevalence of fevers and cytopenias.

Conclusion

HLH‐2004 criteria and HScore demonstrated excellent discriminatory power in identifying HLH. HScore may improve diagnostic accuracy in autoimmune‐HLH.
Side‐by‐side management of mutual funds and actively managed exchange traded funds
Authors: Aiken Adam L. , Sherrill D. Eli , Upton Kate
Published: April 2022

We document the recent rise in the side‐by‐side (SBS) management of mutual funds and actively managed ETFs (AMETFs). Although these funds are run in a SBS manner, only 21% share an investment objective code. This relationship is started by families with more ETF experience and is not used to reward “star” managers. On average, mutual funds with SBS AMETFs perform similarly to comparable funds after SBS formation; however, their flows fall when pairs share the same investment objective. We find evidence of both a substitution effect and conflicts of interest between SBS funds, depending on the contracting and organizational structures.
Geographic context is a key driver of spatial variation of bird species richness during migration
Authors: Echeverría‐Caro Aldo , Feldman Richard Evan , Bahn Volker
Published: April 2022

Aim

Determine whether primary productivity or location (distance to the coast) is more important to migrating bird habitat selection.

Location

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Time period

August–December and February–May 2009–2016.

Taxa

Migratory birds.

Methods

Using eBird data, we modelled spatial variation in species richness as a function of primary productivity and distance to the coast and how the relationships vary with time during spring and autumn migration. We compared the standardized regression coefficients of linear models with a Poisson error distribution.

Results

We found that three primary productivity indices [normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), heterogeneity] performed similarly in predicting species richness. However, species richness was more strongly associated with distance to the coast. In autumn, richness was higher closer to the coast through most of the season and then shifted inland late in autumn. Richness was also higher in more productive habitats. In spring, richness was higher inland early in the season but then increased closer to the coast. Species richness was relatively similar across the primary productivity gradient, even declining slightly with increasing NDVI.

Main conclusions

We did not find convincing evidence for a strong relationship between species richness and primary productivity. Instead, migration constrains birds such that they concentrate in coastal environments. In autumn, migrants may favour habitats that are both coastal and productive, such as those that occur along the Caribbean coast. In spring, migrants may also use the less productive Gulf of Mexico coast, possibly due to high arthropod production occurring during an otherwise dry time of year.
Correlations between histological characterizations and methylation statuses of tumour suppressor genes in Wilms' tumours
Authors: Lai Yen‐Chein , Lu Meng‐Yao , Wang Wen‐Chung , Hou Tai‐Cheng , Kuo Chen‐Yun
Published: April 2022

Wilms' tumour is a solid tumour that frequently occurs in children. Genetic changes in WT1 and epigenetic aberrations that affect imprinted control region 1 in WT2 loci are implicated in its aetiology. Moreover, tumour suppressor genes are frequently silenced by methylation in this tumour. In the present study, we analysed the methylation statuses of promoter regions of 24 tumour suppressor genes using a methylation‐specific multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MS‐MLPA)‐based approach in 6 Wilms' tumours. Methylation of RASSF1 was specific to all 6 Wilms' tumours and was not observed in normal tissues. Moreover, methylated HIC1 was identified in stromal‐type Wilms' tumours and methylated BRCA1 was identified in epithelial‐type Wilms' tumours. Unmethylated CASP8, RARB, MLH1_167, APC and CDKN2A were found only in blastemal predominant‐type Wilms' tumour. Our results indicated that methylation of RASSF1 may be a vital event in the tumorigenesis of Wilms' tumour, which informs its clinical and therapeutic management. In addition, mixed‐type Wilms' tumours may be classified according to epithelial, stromal and blastemal components via MS‐MLPA‐based approach.