bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MoleculeExperiment enables consistent infrastructure for molecule-resolved spatial transcriptomics data in Bioconductor
Authors: Couto Bárbara Zita Peters , Robertson Nicholas , Patrick Ellis , Ghazanfar Shila
Published: May 2023

Imaging-based spatial transcriptomics technologies have achieved subcellular resolution, enabling detection of individual molecules in their native tissue context. Data associated with these technologies promises unprecedented opportunity towards understanding cellular and subcellular biology. However, in R/Bioconductor there is a scarcity of existing computational infrastructure to represent such data, and particularly to summarise and transform it for existing widely adopted computational tools in single cell transcriptomics analysis, including SingleCellExperiment and SpatialExperiment classes. With the emergence of several commercial offerings of imaging-based spatial transcriptomics, there is a pressing need to develop consistent data structure standards for these technologies at the individual molecule level. To this end, we have developed MoleculeExperiment, an R/Bioconductor package, which i) stores molecule and cell segmentation boundary information at the molecule-level, ii) standardises this molecule-level information across different imaging-based ST technologies, including 10x Genomics’ Xenium, and iii) streamlines transition from a MoleculeExperiment object to a SpatialExperiment object. Overall, MoleculeExperiment is generally applicable as a data infrastructure class for consistent analysis of imaging-based spatial transcriptomics data.
Prominent role of PM10 but not of circulating inflammation in the link between air pollution and the risk of neurodegenerative disorders
Authors: Gialluisi Alessandro , Costanzo Simona , Veronesi Giovanni , Cembalo Assuntina , Tirozzi Alfonsina , Falciglia Stefania , Ricci Moreno , Martone Francesco , Zazzaro Gaetano , Ferrario Marco Mario , Gianfagna Francesco , Cerletti Chiara , Donati Maria Benedetta , Massari Stefania , de Gaetano Giovanni , Iacoviello Licia
Published: May 2023

Background

Several studies revealed an implication of air pollution in neurodegenerative disorders, although this link and the potential underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Objectives

To analyze the impact of air pollution on neurodegenerative risk by testing multiple pollutants simultaneously, along with other potential risk/protective factors, and the role of circulating inflammation.

Methods

In the Moli-sani cohort (N=24,325; ≥35 years; 51.9% women, baseline 2005-2010), we estimated yearly levels of exposure to nitrogen oxides, ozone, particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide and BTX hydrocarbons in 2006-2018, applying residence geo-localization of participants and Kriging interpolation algorithm to land measurements of air pollutants. We performed a principal component (PC) analysis of pollutant levels and tested associations of the resulting PC scores with the incident risk of dementia (AD) and Parkinson’s disease/parkinsonism (PD), through multivariable Cox PH regressions adjusted for age, sex, education level, and several professional and lifestyle exposures. Moreover, we tested whether a composite biomarker of circulating inflammation (INFLA-score) may explain part of these associations.

Results

Over 24,308 subjects with pollution data available (51.9% women, mean age 55.8(12.0) years), we extracted three PCs explaining ≥5% of pollution exposure variance: PC1 (38.2%, tagging PM10), PC2 (19.5%, O3/CO/SO2), PC3 (8.5%, NOx/BTX hydrocarbons). Over a median (IQR) follow-up of 11.2(2.0) years, we observed statistically significant associations of PC1 with an increased risk of both AD (HR[CI] = 1.06[1.04-1.08]; 218 cases) and PD (1.05[1.03-1.06]; 405 incident cases), independent on other covariates. These associations were confirmed testing average PM10 levels during follow-up time (25[19-31]% and 19[15-24]% increase of AD and PD risk, per 1 μg/m3of PM10). INFLA-score explained a negligible (<1%) proportion of these associations.

Discussion

Air pollution – especially PM10 – is associated with increased neurodegenerative risk in the Italian population, independent on concurring risk factors, suggesting its reduction as a potential public health target.
Lipidomics for diagnosis and prognosis of pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Bordag Natalie , Nagy Bence Miklos , Zügner Elmar , Ludwig Helga , Foris Vasile , Nagaraj Chandran , Biasin Valentina , Bodenhofer Ulrich , Magnes Christoph , Maron Bradley A. , Ulrich Silvia , Lange Tobias J. , Hötzenecker Konrad , Pieber Thomas , Olschewski Horst , Olschewski Andrea
Published: May 2023

Background

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) poses a significant health threat with high morbidity and mortality, necessitating improved diagnostic tools for enhanced management. Current biomarkers for PH lack functionality and comprehensive diagnostic and prognostic capabilities. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop biomarkers that address these gaps in PH diagnostics and prognosis.

Methods

To address this need, we employed a comprehensive metabolomics analysis in 233 blood based samples coupled with machine learning analysis. For functional insights, human pulmonary arteries (PA) of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) lungs were investigated and the effect of extrinsic FFAs on human PA endothelial and smooth muscle cells was testedin vitro.

Results

PA of idiopathic PAH lungs showed lipid accumulation and altered expression of lipid homeostasis-related genes. In PA smooth muscle cells, extrinsic FFAs caused excessive proliferation and endothelial barrier dysfunction in PA endothelial cells, both hallmarks of PAH.

In the training cohort of 74 PH patients, 30 disease controls without PH, and 65 healthy controls, diagnostic and prognostic markers were identified and subsequently validated in an independent cohort. Exploratory analysis showed a highly impacted metabolome in PH patients and machine learning confirmed a high diagnostic potential. Fully explainable specific free fatty acid (FFA)/lipid-ratios were derived, providing exceptional diagnostic accuracy with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89 in the training and 0.90 in the validation cohort, outperforming machine learning results. These ratios were also prognostic and complemented established clinical prognostic PAH scores (FPHR4p and COMPERA2.0), significantly increasing their hazard ratios (HR) from 2.5 and 3.4 to 4.2 and 6.1, respectively.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our research confirms the significance of lipidomic alterations in PH, introducing innovative diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. These findings may have the potential to reshape PH management strategies.
Modular subgraphs in large-scale connectomes underpin spontaneous co-fluctuation “events” in mouse and human brains
Authors: Ragone Elisabeth , Tanner Jacob , Jo Youngheun , Zamani Esfahlani Farnaz , Faskowitz Joshua , Pope Maria , Coletta Ludovico , Gozzi Alessandro , Betzel Richard
Published: May 2023

Previous studies have adopted an edge-centric framework to study fine-scale dynamics in human fMRI. To date, however, no studies have applied this same framework to data collected from model organisms. Here, we analyze structural and functional imaging data from lightly anesthetized mice through an edge-centric lens. We find evidence of “bursty” dynamics and events – brief periods of high-amplitude network connectivity. Further, we show that on a per-frame basis events best explain static FC and can be divided into a series of hierarchically-related clusters. The co-fluctuation patterns associated with each centroid link distinct anatomical areas and largely adhere to the boundaries of algorithmically detected functional brain systems. We then investigate the anatomical connectivity undergirding high-amplitude co-fluctuation patterns. We find that events induce modular bipartitions of the anatomical network of inter-areal axonal projections. Finally, we replicate these same findings in a human imaging dataset. In summary, this report recapitulates in a model organism many of the same phenomena observed in previously edge-centric analyses of human imaging data. However, unlike human subjects, the murine nervous system is amenable to invasive experimental perturbations. Thus, this study sets the stage for future investigation into the causal origins of fine-scale brain dynamics and high-amplitude co-fluctuations. Moreover, the cross-species consistency of the reported findings enhances the likelihood of future translation.
Copy-back viral genomes induce a cellular stress response that interferes with viral protein expression without affecting antiviral immunity
Authors: González Aparicio Lavinia J. , Yang Yanling , Hackbart Matthew S. , López Carolina B.
Published: May 2023

Antiviral responses are often accompanied by translation inhibition and formation of stress granules (SG) in infected cells. However, the triggers for these processes and their role during infection remain subjects of active investigation. Copy-back viral genomes (cbVGs) are the primary inducers of the Mitochondrial Antiviral Signaling (MAVS) pathway and antiviral immunity during Sendai Virus (SeV) and Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) infections. The relationship between cbVGs and cellular stress during viral infections is unknown. Here we show that SG form during infections containing high levels of cbVGs, and not during infections with low levels of cbVGs. Moreover, using RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization to differentiate accumulation of standard viral genomes from cbVGs at a single-cell level during infection, we show that SG form exclusively in cells that accumulate high levels of cbVGs. PKR activation is increased during high cbVG infections and, as expected, PKR is necessary to induce virus-induced SG. However, SG form independent of MAVS signaling, demonstrating that cbVGs induce antiviral immunity and SG formation through two independent mechanisms. Furthermore, we show that translation inhibition and SG formation do not affect the overall expression of interferon and interferon stimulated genes during infection, making the stress response dispensable for antiviral immunity. Using live-cell imaging, we show that SG formation is highly dynamic and correlates with a drastic reduction of viral protein expression even in cells infected for several days. Through analysis of active protein translation at a single cell level, we show that infected cells that form SG show inhibition of protein translation. Together, our data reveal a new cbVG-driven mechanism of viral interference where cbVGs induce PKR-mediated translation inhibition and SG formation leading to a reduction in viral protein expression without altering overall antiviral immunity.

One Sentence Summary

cbVGs trigger the cellular stress response independent of the antiviral response during RSV and parainfluenza virus infection leading to a reduction of virus protein expression.
Mitochondrial DNA Variations Modulate Alveolar Epithelial Mitochondrial Function and Oxidative Stress in Newborn Mice Exposed to Hyperoxia
Authors: Kandasamy Jegen , Li Rui , Vamesu Bianca M. , Olave Nelida , Halloran Brian , Jilling Tamas , Ballinger Scott W , Ambalavanan Namasivayam
Published: May 2023

Oxidative stress is an important contributor to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a form of chronic lung disease that is the most common morbidity in very preterm infants. Mitochondrial functional differences due to inherited and acquired mutations influence the pathogenesis of disorders in which oxidative stress plays a critical role. We previously showed using mitochondrial-nuclear exchange (MNX) mice that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations modulate hyperoxia-induced lung injury severity in a model of BPD. In this study, we studied the effects of mtDNA variations on mitochondrial function including mitophagy in alveolar epithelial cells (AT2) from MNX mice. We also investigated oxidant and inflammatory stress as well as transcriptomic profiles in lung tissue in mice and expression of proteins such as PINK1, Parkin and SIRT3 in infants with BPD. Our results indicate that AT2 from mice with C57 mtDNA had decreased mitochondrial bioenergetic function and inner membrane potential, increased mitochondrial membrane permeability and were exposed to higher levels of oxidant stress during hyperoxia compared to AT2 from mice with C3H mtDNA. Lungs from hyperoxia-exposed mice with C57 mtDNA also had higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to lungs from mice with C3H mtDNA. We also noted changes in KEGG pathways related to inflammation, PPAR and glutamatergic signaling, and mitophagy in mice with certain mito-nuclear combinations but not others. Mitophagy was decreased by hyperoxia in all mice strains, but to a greater degree in AT2 and neonatal mice lung fibroblasts from hyperoxia-exposed mice with C57 mtDNA compared to C3H mtDNA. Finally, mtDNA haplogroups vary with ethnicity, and Black infants with BPD had lower levels of PINK1, Parkin and SIRT3 expression in HUVEC at birth and tracheal aspirates at 28 days of life when compared to White infants with BPD. These results indicate that predisposition to neonatal lung injury may be modulated by variations in mtDNA and mito-nuclear interactions need to be investigated to discover novel pathogenic mechanisms for BPD.
Mycobacterium tuberculosisgrows linearly at the single-cell level with larger variability than model organisms
Authors: Chung Eun Seon , Kar Prathitha , Kamkaew Maliwan , Amir Ariel , Aldridge Bree B.
Published: May 2023

The ability of bacterial pathogens to regulate growth is crucial to control homeostasis, virulence, and drug response. Yet, we do not understand the growth and cell cycle behaviors ofMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb), a slow-growing pathogen, at the single-cell level. Here, we use time-lapse imaging and mathematical modeling to characterize these fundamental properties of Mtb. Whereas most organisms grow exponentially at the single-cell level, we find that Mtb exhibits a unique linear growth mode. Mtb growth characteristics are highly variable from cell-to-cell, notably in their growth speeds, cell cycle timing, and cell sizes. Together, our study demonstrates that growth behavior of Mtb diverges from what we have learned from model bacteria. Instead, Mtb generates a heterogeneous population while growing slowly and linearly. Our study provides a new level of detail into how Mtb grows and creates heterogeneity, and motivates more studies of growth behaviors in bacterial pathogens.
In situ X-ray area detector flat-field correction at an operating photon energy without flat illumination. Corrigendum
Authors: Weng James , Xu Wenqian , Wiaderek Kamila M. , Borkiewicz Olaf J. , Chen Jiahui , Von Dreele Robert B. , Gallington Leighanne C. , Ruett Uta
Published: May 2023

The name of an author in the article by Weng et al. (2023) [J. Synchrotron Rad.
30, 546–554] is corrected.
Audit committee effectiveness and audit quality: the moderating effect of joint audit
Authors: Elmashtawy Ahmed , Che Haat Mohd Hassan , Ismail Shahnaz , Almaqtari Faozi A.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The main aim of the present study is to assess the moderating effect of joint audit (JA) on the relationship between audit committee effectiveness (ACEFF) and audit quality (AQ) in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample included 61 non-financial corporations listed on the Egyptian Exchange from 2016 through 2020. The results are estimated using panel data analysis with fixed-effect models.

Findings

The findings exhibit that audit committee (AC) independence, ACEFF; and audit firm size negatively affect AQ. Conversely, the influence of AC meetings on AQ is positive and significant. The findings also reveal that JA moderates the relation between the ACEFF and AQ.

Research limitations/implications

The study offers theoretical contributions to corporate governance mechanisms, JA; and AQ by using data from listed firms in Egypt. The study is the first one that examines the moderating role of JA on ACEFF and AQ.

Practical implications

The study has practical implications for investors, board members, practitioners, academicians; and policymakers. Moreover, the study contributes using a composite measure for the ACEFF score.

Originality/value

The findings, supported by agency, resource dependence; and signaling theories, contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between ACEFF, AQ; and JA. The evidence about JA is still unknown in developing countries. Further, revisiting AQ with different measures, particularly accounting conservatism, has not been a subject of prior studies.
Ways ethics education toolkit impacts moral judgment of accounting students
Authors: Poje Tamara , Zaman Groff Maja
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To build public trust in the accounting profession, previous research studies have stressed the need for ethics education. This present research aims to investigate the effects of teaching ethics using the ethics education toolkit (EET) developed by the International Accounting Education Standards Board on accounting students’ moral judgment.

Design/methodology/approach

An experimental design was used to determine the effects of teaching ethics using the EET on moral judgment. Data were obtained using the multidimensional ethics scale questionnaire and analysed with multiple linear regression. Factor analysis was performed to obtain the four moral philosophies defined in the literature.

Findings

The results confirm that use of the EET improves the moral judgment of accounting students. The influence of utilitarianism and relativism on moral judgment was reduced, while the students’ ability to recognise violating an unwritten contract as an unethical act was improved. Contrary to expectations, the influence of justice on moral judgment decreased.

Practical implications

The study may benefit academics by showing positive outcomes of EET use. The EET is a well-developed teaching tool, also suitable for educators insufficiently qualified to develop their own ethics courses or facing time constraints.

Originality/value

The EET was developed to support implementation of ethics education in programmes for professional accountants. By investigating the applicability and effects of the tool in higher education, this study aims to develop moral judgment in accounting students before they enter the accounting profession.
The environmental externality of economic growth target pressure: evidence from China
Authors: Pang Fangying , Xie Hongji
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the external effect of the economic growth target pressure of local governments on establishment-level SO2 emissions.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on manually collected panel data of 74,058 China's industrial establishments and more than 330 thousand observations from CIED and ESR, the authors use a firm-fixed effect model, instrumental variables estimation and heterogeneity tests to identify the environmental externality of economic growth target pressure.

Findings

The establishments in cities that meet or slightly exceed the economic growth target experience greater negative externality measured by SO2 emission intensity. This external effect is more pronounced in regions: with a strict and overweighted target setting; with stronger officials' promotion incentives; with a low degree of marketization; and in firms with great economic importance. The authors identify the underlying mechanisms of dependence on dirty industry and the relaxation of environmental enforcement. And the environmental protection constraints in 2007 mitigate the negative externality.

Practical implications

The paper sheds light on to what extent economic growth target pressure has a negative externality of pollution in China and how this pressure may conflict with environmental protection.

Originality/value

This paper complements prior research on the economic effects of economic growth targets, expands the knowledge on the determinants of establishment-level pollution emission from the perspective of target pressure and provides insight into the environmental externality that results from political factors.
The factors affecting Vietnamese people’s sustainable tourism intention: an empirical study with extended the theory of planned behavior (TPB)
Authors: Nguyen Van Hau , Nguyen Thi Hao , Mai Lan Huong , Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong , Lan Nguyen Thi Mai , Nguyen Thi Phuong Linh
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors affecting Vietnamese people’s sustainable tourism intention (IN) with extended the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Design/methodology/approach

Preliminary quantitative research was carried out before large-scale formal quantitative research with a sample size of 628 Vietnamese people. Using the partial least squares structural equation modeling method with the SmartPLS tool, measurement and structural models 3.0 were evaluated before testing the research hypotheses about the influence of factors on the IN of sustainable tourism.

Findings

This study uses the extended TPB model with original constructs and two additional constructs, travel motivation (TM) and moral reflectiveness (MR), to find out the factors affecting the sustainable tourism IN of Vietnamese people. All hypotheses are accepted, except for the hypothesis about the relationship between TM and attitude toward sustainable tourism. MR has been shown to have a more positive and stronger (insignificant) effect than other factors of the proposed research model on sustainable tourism IN. Thereby, this study contributes both theoretically and practically to policymakers, researchers and tourism enterprises in promoting sustainable tourism IN.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this paper is the deliberate sampling method and targeting the demographic proportion corresponding to the population has lost the randomness of the survey sample.

Practical implications

The findings indicate that state management agencies and tourism enterprises in Vietnam need to pay attention to communication to raise awareness of environmentally oriented tourism and promote the ability to participate in sustainable tourism at a reasonable price as well as the opportunity for easy access and, at the same time, take measures to influence TM and have communication strategies that address the ethical value of participating in sustainable tourism.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first empirical study to contribute to the existing literature on tourism by integrating TPB constructs with TM and MR to predict sustainable tourism IN.
The 2018–2019 UK residential dwellings clay shrinkage subsidence event
Authors: MacQueen Margaret , Lawson Michael , Ding Wen-Nyi
Published: May 2023

Purpose

In the UK, responses to intense weather events regarding national and regional level perils include the support of a General Insurance policy at the address level as part of private residential and other insurance policies covering the key risks of flooding, subsidence and windstorm. In respect of the subsidence peril, dry summers can lead to many thousands of properties on shrinkable clay soils suffering differential downward movement as water is abstracted from the soil by vegetation. These events are forecast to increase in frequency and severity due to climate change, with costs for a dry event year of more than £500m to UK insurers. Assessing the character of these event years can inform government, local government, insurers and their agents as to the typical characteristics of an event year and its impacts. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the 2018 UK subsidence event year as it relates to trees and low rise buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

The research material is taken from claims that originated within the period commencing in the Summer of 2018, which in the UK was dry and with high levels of claim notification, and is from the private database of Property Risk Inspection Limited, one of the largest UK specialist subsidence claims handling businesses.

Findings

The data clearly illustrates the wide range of vegetative species causing or contributing to claims in the UK, their age ranges, sizes and conditions, management options and the range of land uses and statutory controls that exist in relation to title and other boundaries.

Originality/value

There have been various small-scale studies looking at individual cases of subsidence and the impacts of vegetation, but there have been no detailed investigations of large-scale claims-driven events such as the 2018 surge. The importance of this population-level investigation will only increase given the modelling for increased hot and dry summers over the coming decades.
The gender wage gap in Egypt: public versus private sector
Authors: Ghignoni Emanuela , Pastore Francesco
Published: May 2023

Purpose

After the decision of the Egyptian government to adhere to the Equal Pay International Coalition in 2020, a great deal needs to be done to guarantee ‘equal pay for equal work’. The authors provide a comprehensive, in-depth, up-to-date analysis of the gender wage gap in Egypt, as well as its evolution over the last 20 years, disaggregated by public and private sector. The authors also provide an analysis of the cultural determinants of Egypt's low female participation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors apply the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition (with sample selection) to assess the gender wage gap at the mean of the wage distribution in the public and private sector. The authors also implement a re-centred influence function decomposition to assess the extent of ‘discrimination’ along the wage distribution in both sectors. An inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment procedure is used to assess the joint impact of gender and firm-ownership. A female participation equation taking into account gender equality attitude is provided.

Findings

The authors find a sizable and increasing gender wage gap in the private sector almost entirely due to ‘discrimination’. The authors also find evidence of a sticky floor in the private sector and a glass ceiling in the public one. Cultural barriers play a major role in determining female participation.

Originality/value

This is the first paper on the evolution of gender equality in Egypt that takes into account the effect of the 'Arab Spring’ of 2011. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is also the first time that an IPWRA procedure is applied to study the interaction effect of gender and firm-ownership.
How do governmental wage subsidies enhance SME resilience in the COVID-19 pandemic?
Authors: Miocevic Dario , Srhoj Stjepan
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a tremendous negative effect on the economies around the world by infusing uncertainty into supply chains. In this paper, the authors address two important research questions (RQs): (1) did COVID-19 wage subsidies impact small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to become more flexible towards the SMEs' business customers and (2) can such flexibility be a source for greater resilience to the crisis? As a result, the authors investigate the relationship between governmental wage subsidies and SMEs' flexibility norms towards the SMEs' business customers (study 1). The authors further uncover when and how flexibility towards existing customers contributes to SME resilience (study 2).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors frame the inquiry under the resource dependence theory (RDT) and behavioural additionality principle. The authors use survey methodology and test the assumptions in study 1 (n = 225) and study 2 (n = 95) on a sample of SMEs from various business-to-business (B2B) industries in Croatia.

Findings

Overall, in study 1, the authors find that SMEs that receive governmental wage subsidies have greater flexibility norms. However, this relationship is significantly conditioned by SMEs' competitive profile. SMEs that strongly rely on innovation are more willing to behave flexibly when receiving subsidies, whereas SMEs driven by branding do not. Study 2 sheds light on when flexibility towards existing customers increases SME resilience. Findings show that flexibility norms are negatively related to resilience, but this relationship is becoming less negative amongst SMEs with lower financial dependence on the largest customer.

Originality/value

This study extends RDT in the area of firm–government relationships by showing that wage subsidies became a source of power for the Government and a source of dependency for SMEs. In such cases, the SMEs receiving those subsidies align with the governmental agenda and exhibit higher flexibility towards the SMEs' customers. Drawing arguments from behavioural additionality, the authors show that this effect varies due to SMEs' attention and organisational priorities resulting from different competitive profiles. Ultimately, the authors showcase that higher flexibility norms can contribute to resilience if the SME restructures its dependency by having a less-concentrated customer base.
Investment in water, sewage and waste disposal in Norwegian local governments
Authors: Hopland Arnt O. , Haraldsvik Marianne , Kvamsdal Sturla
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Describe the trends in investments in the water, sewage and waste disposal sector (WSD) in Norwegian local governments and search for determinants that can explain variations in investment levels across local governments. The water, sewage and WSD is the second most important sector in Norwegian local governments in terms of the share of total investments and is subject to much debate due to aging pipelines in many communities. However, as pipelines are hidden in the ground, this is also a sector that can easily be forgotten until an actual failure in the system occurs.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyze a large data set of all Norwegian local governments in the period 2003–2018 using descriptive statistics and regression techniques.

Findings

The investment levels are driven by need, in terms of expectations of a growing population, and fiscal capacity. Hence, the authors conclude that the investment decisions seem to be mostly based on reasonably rational evaluations of the local governments' future needs and capacity to pay for investments.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the literature on determinants of public capital expenditures. An important part of this debate is whether differences in expenditure levels reflect rational decisions based on changes in need and fiscal capacity or shortsighted policy decisions.
Orbital and sub-orbital space tourism: motivation, constraint and artificial intelligence
Authors: Kim Myung Ja , Hall Colin Michael , Kwon Ohbyung , Hwang Kyunghwa , Kim Jinok Susanna
Published: May 2023

Purpose

There is limited research on the behavior of different categories of space tourists as identified by different types of space tourism. To address this deficiency, the purpose of this study is to examine what factors make consumers participate in orbital and/or suborbital space tourism, along with three dimensions of motivation, constraint and artificial intelligence. To achieve this study’s goals, a comprehensive research model was developed that included three dimensions of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, intrapersonal and interpersonal constraint and awareness of and trust in artificial intelligence, in comparing orbital and suborbital space tourism groups.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was carried out with respondents who wanted to participate in orbital (n = 332) and suborbital (n = 332) space tourism in the future. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, multi-group analysis and deep learning were used to understand potential space tourist behavior.

Findings

Extrinsic motivation has the greatest positive impact on behavioral intention, followed by awareness of and trust in artificial intelligence, while intrapersonal constraint strongly negatively affects behavioral intention. Surprisingly, interpersonal constraint is insignificant by partial least squares-structural equation modeling but is still one of sufficient causal configurations by fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. Interestingly, the two types of space tourism have very distinct characteristics.

Originality/value

This study created a comprehensive integrated research model with three dimensions of motivation, constraint and artificial intelligence, along with potential orbital and suborbital space tourist groups, to identify future consumer behavior. Importantly, this study used multi-analysis methods using four different approaches to better shed light on potential orbital and suborbital space tourists.
Aggregates‐based fluorescence sensing technology for food hazard detection: Principles, improvement strategies, and applications
Authors: Chen Zhuoyun , Ma Ji , Sun Da‐Wen
Published: May 2023

Aggregates often exhibit modified or completely new properties compared with their molecular elements, making them an extraordinarily advantageous form of materials. The fluorescence signal change characteristics resulting from molecular aggregation endow aggregates with high sensitivity and broad applicability. In molecular aggregates, the photoluminescence properties at the molecular level can be annihilated or elevated, leading to aggregation‐causing quenching (ACQ) or aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) effects. This change in photoluminescence properties can be intelligently introduced in food hazard detection. Recognition units can combine with the aggregate‐based sensor by joining the aggregation process, endowing the sensor with the high specificity of analytes (such as mycotoxins, pathogens, and complex organic molecules). In this review, aggregation mechanisms, structural characteristics of fluorescent materials (including ACQ/AIE‐activated), and their applications in food hazard detection (with/without recognition units) are summarized. Because the design of aggregate‐based sensors may be influenced by the properties of their components, the sensing mechanisms of different fluorescent materials were described separately. Details of fluorescent materials, including conventional organic dyes, carbon nanomaterials, quantum dots, polymers and polymer‐based nanostructures and metal nanoclusters, and recognition units, such as aptamer, antibody, molecular imprinting, and host–guest recognition, are discussed. In addition, future trends of developing aggregate‐based fluorescence sensing technology in monitoring food hazards are also proposed.
Chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities of P. roxburghii oleoresin essential oils extracted by steam distillation, superheated steam, and supercritical fluid CO2 extraction
Authors: Ayub Muhammad Adnan , Choobkar Nasrin , Hanif Muhammad Asif , Abbas Mazhar , Ain Qurat Ul , Riaz Muhammad , Garmakhany Amir Daraei
Published: May 2023

Pinus roxburghii is a rich source of high‐quality oleoresin that is composed of resin acids and essential oil (EO). The present research work was planned to study and compare the yield, biological activities, and chemical profiling of P. roxburghii oleoresin EOs extracted through various green extraction methods. Steam distillation (SD), supercritical fluid extraction, and superheated SD (SHSD) at different temperatures (120, 140, and 160°C) were employed to extract EOs from P. roxburghii oleoresin. Antioxidant potential of EOs was determined by total antioxidant content/ferric‐reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)‐free radical scavenging activity (DPPH‐FRSA), hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays, and percentage inhibition in linoleic acid. Antimicrobial activity of EOs was determined by resazurin microtiter‐plate, disc diffusion, and micro‐dilution broth susceptibility assays. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to determine the chemical composition of EOs. It was observed that extraction methods significantly affected the yield, biological activities, and chemical composition of EOs. The maximum yield (19.92%) was found in EO extracted by SHSD at 160°C. EO extracted by SHSD at 120°C showed the highest DPPH‐FRSA (63.33% ± 0.47%), linoleic acid oxidation inhibition (96.55% ± 1.71%), hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (59.42% ± 0.32%), and total antioxidant contents/FRAP (134.49% ± 1.34 mg/L of gallic acid equivalent). The antimicrobial activity results showed that superheated steam–extracted EO of 120°C revealed the highest antifungal and antibacterial activity. It is concluded that SHSD is an alternative and effective technique for the extraction of oleoresins EO that improves the EO yield and biological activities. Further research on optimization and experimental parameters for the extraction of P. roxburghii oleoresin EO by SHSD is required.
Self‐assembled human placental model from trophoblast stem cells in a dynamic organ‐on‐a‐chip system
Authors: Cao Rongkai , Wang Yaqing , Liu Jiayue , Rong Lujuan , Qin Jianhua
Published: May 2023

The placental barrier plays a key role in protecting the developing fetus from xenobiotics and exchanging substances between the fetus and mother. However, the trophoblast cell lines and animal models are often inadequate to recapitulate the key architecture and functional characteristics of human placental barrier. Here, we described a biomimetic placental barrier model from human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) in a perfused organ chip system. The placental barrier was constructed by co‐culture of hTSCs and endothelial cells on the opposite sides of a collagen‐coated membrane on chip. hTSCs can differentiate into cytotrophoblasts (CT) and syncytiotrophoblast (ST), which self‐assembled into bilayered trophoblastic epithelium with placental microvilli‐like structure under dynamic cultures. The formed placental barrier displayed dense microvilli, higher level secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), enhanced glucose transport activity. Moreover, RNA‐seq analysis revealed upregulated ST expression and activation of trophoblast differentiation‐related signalling pathways. These results indicated the key role of fluid flow in promoting trophoblast syncytialization and placental early development. After exposure to mono‐2‐ethylhexyl phthalate, one of the endocrine disrupting chemicals, the model showed inhibited hCG production and disturbed ST formation in trophoblastic epithelium, suggesting impaired placental structure and function elicited by environmental toxicants. Collectively, the hTSCs‐derived placental model can recapitulate placenta physiology and pathological response to external stimuli in a biomimetic manner, which is useful for the study of placental biology and associated diseases.
Initiating stiripentol before 2 years of age in patients with Dravet syndrome is safe and beneficial against status epilepticus
Authors: Chiron Catherine , Chemaly Nicole , Chancharme Laurent , Nabbout Rima
Published: May 2023

Aim

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of stiripentol initiated before 2 years of age in patients with Dravet syndrome.

Method

This was a 30‐year, real‐world retrospective study. We extracted the data of the 131 patients (59 females, 72 males) who initiated stiripentol before 2 years of age between 1991 and 2021 from the four longitudinal databases of Dravet syndrome available in France.

Results

Stiripentol was added to valproate and clobazam (93%) at 13 months and a median dose of 50 mg/kg/day. With short‐term therapy (<6 months on stiripentol, median 4 months, median age 16 months), the frequency of tonic–clonic seizures (TCS) lasting longer than 5 minutes decreased (p < 0.01) and status epilepticus (>30 minutes) disappeared in 55% of patients. With long‐term therapy (last visit on stiripentol <7 years of age, median stiripentol 28 months, median age 41 months), the frequency of long‐lasting TCS continued to decline (p = 0.03). Emergency hospitalizations dropped from 91% to 43% and 12% with short‐ and long‐term therapies respectively (p < 0.001). Three patients died, all from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Three patients discontinued stiripentol for adverse events; 55% reported at least one adverse event, mostly loss of appetite/weight (21%) and somnolence (11%). Stiripentol was used earlier, at lower doses, and was better tolerated by patients in the newest database than in the oldest (p < 0.01).

Interpretation

Initiating stiripentol in infants with Dravet syndrome is safe and beneficial, significantly reducing long‐lasting seizures including status epilepticus, hospitalizations, and mortality in the critical first years of life.
Towards a multifaceted measure of perceived legitimacy of participatory governance
Authors: Haesevoets Tessa , Roets Arne , Steyvers Kristof , Verschuere Bram , Wauters Bram
Published: May 2023

Policy decision‐making modes in governance contexts have become increasingly participatory. This raises questions about legitimacy, and how to measure this concept. The current article advances a multifaceted measurement of perceived legitimacy of policy decision‐making modes in participatory governance, capturing the three components of legitimacy (input, throughput, and output) with two items each. This six‐item measure was tested in a vignette survey (total N = 4583), which was administered among four types of democratic stakeholders: politicians, civil servants, civil society, and citizens. Respondents completed the scale for four different policy decision‐making modes (representative, consultative, co‐decisive, and decisive). Our six‐item scale shows excellent internal consistency as an encompassing measure, while at the same time also allowing for fine‐grained analyses on difference patterns in the input, throughput, and output components of legitimacy. As such, it provides a relevant and parsimonious tool for future research that requires a multifaceted measurement of the perceived legitimacy of participatory governance.
Peering through the lens of high‐reliability theory: A competencies driven security culture model of high‐reliability organisations
Authors: Hassandoust Farkhondeh , Johnston Allen C.
Published: May 2023

To improve organisational safety and enhance security efficiency, organisations seek to establish a culture of security that provides a foundation for how employees should approach security. There are several frameworks and models that provide a set of requirements for forming security cultures; however, for many organisations, the requirements of the frameworks are difficult to meet, if not impossible. In this research, we take a different perspective and focus on the core underlying competencies that high‐reliability organisations (HROs) have shown to be effective in achieving levels of risk tolerance consistent with the goals of a security culture. In doing so we draw on high‐reliability theory to develop a Security Culture Model that explains how a firm's supportive and practical competencies form its organisational security culture. To refine and test the model, we conducted a developmental mixed‐method study using interviews and survey data with professional managers involved in the information security (InfoSec) programs within their respective HROs. Our findings emphasise the importance of an organisation's supportive and practical competencies for developing a culture of security. Our results suggest that organisations' security cultures are a product of their InfoSec practices and that organisational mindfulness, top management involvement and organisational structure are key to the development of those practices.
Collaborative programming based on social shared regulation: An approach to improving students' programming achievements and group metacognition
Authors: Liu Cheng‐Ye , Li Wei , Huang Ji‐Yi , Lei Lu‐Yuan , Zhang Pei‐Rou
Published: May 2023

Background

Socially shared regulation is a vital factor that affects students' collaborative programming performance. However, students' weak group metacognitive skills or inability to adopt shared regulation mechanisms lead to unsatisfactory collaborative programming learning.

Objectives

This study proposes an approach to support socially shared regulation in collaborative programming learning in order to enhance students' programming achievements and group metacognition.

Methods

A quasi‐experimental study was conducted in a junior high school over a 10‐week period to investigate the impact of the proposed approach on programming achievements, group metacognition, and cognitive load. Forty eighth‐grade students participated in the study, with the experimental group learning via the proposed approach, while the control group used the conventional collaborative programming learning approach.

Results and Conclusions

The analysis included data from 38 participants. The experimental results showed that the programming achievements and group metacognition of the experimental group were significantly better than those of the control group. Additionally, the proposed approach did not increase the cognitive load of the students.

Implications

This study has important implications for teachers, learners, and researchers in collaborative programming and social regulation. Our proposed collaborative programming learning approach enhances learners' social regulation and performance, providing teachers with an effective tool for improving collaborative programming learning. This study also extends the field of socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL), demonstrating its potential to improve the effectiveness of collaborative programming learning and highlighting the need for future research to explore the mechanisms of SSRL in this context.
A probabilistic approach to levee reliability based on sliding, backward erosion and overflowing mechanisms: Application to an inspired Canadian case study
Authors: Mainguenaud Florence , Peyras Laurent , Khan Usman T. , Carvajal Claudio , Sharma Jitendra , Beullac Bruno
Published: May 2023

Improving protection against fluvial floods requires a better estimation of levee failure. We developed an assessment method of levee failure probabilities for sliding, backward erosion, and overflowing each represented by fragility curves. We tested two approaches to aggregate those fragility curves into a global fragility curve respectively using: an enveloping curve and Monte‐Carlo simulations. We implemented this approach to earthen levee reliability for several flood return periods to the Bow River in Calgary, Canada. We used limit equilibrium method to estimate the safety factor of the levee segment and Monte‐Carlo simulations to estimate sliding probabilities. We used Terzaghi's critical hydraulic gradient to estimate backward erosion failure probabilities. The estimation of overflowing probabilities required expert judgment. We discussed how the choice of the hydraulic gradient area and the consideration of a steady state or transient model impact backward erosion failure probabilities. The results showed for our study case that, even though the transient model is a closer representation of reality, the levee saturation parameter has little impact on hydraulic gradient values, by extension, on sliding and backward erosion failure probabilities. The Monte‐Carlo aggregated fragility curve is more realistic than the envelop curve of the failure mechanisms for an equivalent computation time.