bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gig worker typology and research agenda: advancing research for frontline service providers
Authors: Davidson Alexander , Gleim Mark R. , Johnson Catherine M. , Stevens Jennifer L.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The unique employment status of gig workers as independent contractors and their impact on consumers provide an important opportunity for the current research to understand gig workers' perceptions of their employment and how that affects job performance outcomes. These gig workers serve as the frontline service providers for platforms like Airbnb hosts, Lyft drivers and Wag walkers performing customer-facing services. However, their status as gig workers, not traditional employees, presents challenges to platforms. The purpose of this research is to gain insights into the profiles of gig workers, examine the challenges platforms have in retaining high-performing workers and provide a research agenda on this important group of frontline service providers.

Design/methodology/approach

Incorporating variables deemed important in examining self-determination theory, a large-scale data collection via an online survey was administered, yielding 447 completed surveys. A two-step cluster analysis procedure was conducted to categorize sample respondents into four distinct groups.

Findings

Four groups emerged from the cluster analysis, labeled “Ambivalent Outsider,” “Competent Cog,” “Independent Insider” and “Committed Comrade.” The results suggest that there are significant differences across all variables and groups based on gig worker responses and self-reported customer satisfaction scores. The gig worker profiles developed are then utilized to formulate research propositions that are the basis for the research agenda presented.

Practical implications

The goal of many collaborative consumption platforms may be to hire Independent Insiders or Committed Comrades; however, that is difficult to attain with every hire. Thus, the segmentation results provide insights for companies seeking to hire, retain, and successfully motivate their workforce.

Originality/value

Given the freedom and flexibility afforded to gig workers, and the importance they have on the service experience for customers, understanding their own perceptions of employment and performance is critical to ensuring a positive experience for all parties. Research on collaborative consumption has largely focused on consumers or the management of freelance workers with only tangential applicability to gig work. This paper offers a comprehensive research agenda for gig worker management based on the typology of gig workers created.
Analyzing the spatiotemporal coupling relationship between public opinion and the epidemic during COVID-19
Authors: Sun Jingjing , Zeng Ziming , Li Tingting , Sun Shouqiang
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The outbreak of COVID-19 has become a major public health emergency worldwide. How to effectively guide public opinion and implement precise prevention and control is a hot topic in current research. Mining the spatiotemporal coupling between online public opinion and offline epidemics can provide decision support for the precise management and control of future emergencies.

Design/methodology/approach

This study focuses on analyzing the spatiotemporal coupling relationship between public opinion and the epidemic. First, based on Weibo information and confirmed case information, a field framework is constructed using field theory. Second, SnowNLP is used for sentiment mining and LDA is utilized for topic extraction to analyze the topic evolution and the sentiment evolution of public opinion in each coupling stage. Finally, the spatial model is used to explore the coupling relationship between public opinion and the epidemic in space.

Findings

The findings show that there is a certain coupling between online public opinion sentiment and offline epidemics, with a significant coupling relationship in the time dimension, while there is no remarkable coupling relationship in space. In addition, the core topics of public concern are different at different coupling stages.

Originality/value

This study deeply explores the spatiotemporal coupling relationship between online public opinion and offline epidemics, adding a new research perspective to related research. The result can help the government and relevant departments understand the dynamic development of epidemic events and achieve precise control while mastering the dynamics of online public opinion.
Why am I still in hospital? Evaluation of delayed discharges from two learning disability assessment and treatment units in England
Authors: Gibson Daisy Alicia , Eick Holly , Meddings Susanne , Woodrow Ceri
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the prevalence and reasons for delayed discharge from two regional assessment and treatment units (ATUs) for people with learning disabilities, in line with the transforming care agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a retrospective evaluation of 44 admissions and discharges from two ATUs from February 2019 to March 2022.

Findings

Of 44 admissions who were discharged during the included period, 20 experienced delays in their discharge. Delayed discharges occurred despite the two ATUs meeting standards for length of assessment and treatment as specified by the Learning Disability Professional Senate. The most prevalent reasons for discharge delays were identification of a new placement, recruitment of care staff and building work.

Originality/value

This paper offers an in-depth evaluation of recent delayed discharges from two regional ATUs, highlighting the most common reasons for delays and offering suggestion for reducing delays in future.
What can a Family Liaison Service offer families of children with disabilities and/or developmental difficulties?
Authors: Collins Bethan , McGrath Nicole Anneke , Maguire Sabine
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Families of children with disabilities experience many challenges, which Sparkle’s Family Liaison Service (FLS) aims to alleviate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the service.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative interviews with ten families who had accessed the FLS and 14 professionals working with children with disabilities were conducted in 2020. Interview transcripts were analysed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis.

Findings

Families valued an accessible service and a neutral individual who could empathise with them. Professionals highlighted the FLS relieving pressure they felt to provide informal support for families they work with, resulting in considerable time saving.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first evaluation of the novel FLS meeting the unmet needs of families of children with disabilities. The service equips and empowers caregivers to enhance their own lives and the lives of their children and family.
Nature-inspired awe toward tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior intention
Authors: Xu Songjun , Hu Yaou
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Awe is an important yet largely overlooked emotion in tourism. This paper aims to reveal the underlying mechanism of the effects of nature-inspired awe on stimulating tourists' environmentally responsible behavior (TERB) intention by delving into the serial mediation effect of state construal level, small-self perception and state connectedness to nature (CNT).

Design/methodology/approach

This research was built upon the appraisal theory of emotion. Study 1 was a scenario-induced quasi-experimental study to test the proposed model linking awe, small-self perception, state CNT and TERB intention. A total of 271 valid questionnaires were collected via an online questionnaire platform. Study 2 was a field study designed to replicate the findings of Study 1 and further uncover the mediating role of the state construal level. Study 2 was conducted in Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area, China. A total of 229 valid questionnaires were used for analysis.

Findings

This research deepens our understanding of the effects of nature-inspired awe in the tourism and travel fields. This research uncovers the underlying mechanism by which awe increases TERB intention through serial mediation. Specifically, awe inspires tourists to apply a higher level of construal, which makes tourists perceive a smaller self, making them feel more connected to nature and exert more intention to adopt ERB.

Originality/value

This research linked tourists' mindset (i.e. state construal level), internal (i.e. small-self perception) and external (i.e. state CNT) cognition in an integrated model, explaining how nature-inspired awe contributes to eliciting TERB intention. The findings add critical theoretical contributions to the travel and tourism literature and provide important implications for the tourism industry to inspire awe and benefit from such emotion.
Population divergence in maternal investment and embryo energy use and allocation suggests adaptive responses to cool climates
Authors: Pettersen A. K. , Ruuskanen S. , Nord A. , Nilsson J. F. , Miñano M. R. , Fitzpatrick L. J. , While G. M. , Uller T.
Published: June 2023

The thermal sensitivity of early life stages can play a fundamental role in constraining species distributions. For egg‐laying ectotherms, cool temperatures often extend development time and exacerbate developmental energy cost. Despite these costs, egg laying is still observed at high latitudes and altitudes. How embryos overcome the developmental constraints posed by cool climates is crucial knowledge for explaining the persistence of oviparous species in such environments and for understanding thermal adaptation more broadly.

Here, we studied maternal investment and embryo energy use and allocation in wall lizards spanning altitudinal regions, as potential mechanisms that enable successful development to hatching in cool climates. Specifically, we compared population‐level differences in (1) investment from mothers (egg mass, embryo retention and thyroid yolk hormone concentration), (2) embryo energy expenditure during development, and (3) embryo energy allocation from yolk towards tissue.

We found evidence that energy expenditure was greater under cool compared with warm incubation temperatures. Females from relatively cool regions did not compensate for this energetic cost of development by producing larger eggs or increasing thyroid hormone concentration in yolk. Instead, embryos from the high‐altitude region used less energy to complete development, that is, they developed faster without a concomitant increase in metabolic rate, compared with those from the low‐altitude region. Embryos from high altitudes also allocated relatively more energy towards tissue production, hatching with lower residual yolk: tissue ratios than low‐altitude region embryos.

These results are consistent with local adaptation to cool climate and suggest that this is underpinned by mechanisms that regulate embryonic utilisation of yolk reserves and its allocation towards tissue, rather than shifts in maternal investment of yolk content or composition.
Towards a trait‐based framework for marine macroalgae: Using categorical data to explore the nature of emergent functional groups
Authors: Fong C. R. , Ryznar E. R. , Smith L. L. , Fong P.
Published: June 2023

While trait‐based approaches have been effectively leveraged by plant ecologists to advance our understanding of community responses to major global challenges, such as climate change and invasive species, the study of marine macroalgae is still mired in a functional group (FG) framework developed in the 1980s.

In this paper, we used predominantly categorical data for 18 macroalgal traits that were accessible in public databases and/or the literature to explore their usefulness in a trait‐based framework for marine macroalgae. Species were clustered into emergent, data‐driven groups using a Gower dissimilarity matrix, then a k‐medoid clustering approach called partitioning around the medoids.

We identified 14 emergent groups (EGs) that captured a spectrum of strategies used by different macroalgal species. However, significant ‘gaps’ in trait space may identify evolutionary constraints to algal adaptive strategies. Multivariate analysis showed how the 18 traits created trait space and drove the clustering. A spectrum of strategies and the influence of multiple traits imply that algal strategies are likely governed by complex multivariate, not bivariate, trade‐offs. Finally, we found that our EGs appeared to reflect multivariate trade‐offs and diverse ecological strategies more than the traditional FG model for macroalgae. We tested the usefulness of our EGs by comparing real‐world spatial distributions of species across habitats with known strong environmental filters to their area occupied in trait space. We found significant separation in trait space and divergent occupancy patterns across global distributions, attachment substrates and elevational zones. These results support the use of categorical data accessible in the literature as a useful step towards developing trait‐based ecology for marine macroalgae.

Synthesis. Our findings indicate that readily accessible categorical traits produce emergent FGs that reflect environmental filtering and therefore demonstrate the power of trait‐based approaches over the current FG framework. Furthermore, we posit that categorical traits are a valuable and potentially complementary addition to a newly developing database of continuous traits because they encompass a broader, more globally accessible set of traits.
Wildfires disturb the natural skin microbiota of terrestrial salamanders
Authors: Mulla Lubna , Hernández‐Gómez Obed
Published: June 2023

Environmental change can disturb natural associations between wildlife and microbial symbionts, in many cases to the detriment of host health. We used a North American terrestrial salamander system to assess how the skin microbiota of amphibians responds to wildfires. In northern California's redwood/oak forests, we assessed how recent wildfires affected the skin microbiota of three different salamander species (Taricha sp., Batrachoseps attenuatus, and Ensatina eschscholtzii) over two different sampling seasons in 2018 and 2021. We found species‐specific responses to wildfire disturbance on the alpha diversity of the skin microbiota of terrestrial salamanders, although burning in general altered the composition of the skin microbiota. The effect of burning on alpha diversities and body condition indices varied by sampling season, suggesting an additional effect of annual climatic conditions on body condition and skin microbiota response. We tested all salamanders for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and found four infected individuals in 2018 and none in 2021. Our study documents correlations in the skin microbiota response to an increasing source of disturbance in western North American ecosystems. In addition, our results highlight the need to consider the effects of increased wildfire regimes/intensities and longitudinal effects on wildlife‐associated microbiota and animal health.
The effect of quinoa germ on the quality properties of fresh whey‐less cheese made by ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract as a coagulant
Authors: Karimpour Sohreghe Mahsa , Javadi Afshin , Zomorodi Shahin , Anarjan Navideh
Published: June 2023

The effect of ginger extract (GE), as a milk coagulant, was investigated on the physicochemical, proteolysis, textural profiles and sensory properties of whey‐less cheese containing quinoa germ powder (QGP; 0, 3, 6 and 9%) during storage. The results showed that with increasing QGP, the dry matter, fat, soluble nitrogen at pH 4.6 and free tryptophan and tryptophan amino acids increased and protein content decreased. Consequently, it is suggested that using 6% quinoa germ in the production of whey‐less cheese made by GE as a coagulant can give the most desired product with no adverse effects on the quality and sensory properties.
The relationship between quality of the present level of academic achievement and functional performance statement and student learning
Authors: Burns Matthew K. , Lembke Erica S. , Duesenberg‐Marshall McKinzie D. , Hopkins Stephanie , Hirt Stacy , Romero Monica E. , Thomas Elizabeth , Steinbauer Jo Ann , Del Gaiso Amber , Crooks Scott
Published: June 2023

The present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) is an essential component of the individualised educational program (IEP) process because it identifies student strengths and areas for growth. However, there is minimal research that examines components of an IEP and student outcomes. The current study examined the relationship between PLAAFP quality and student achievement, and between training and ongoing professional development and quality of the PLAAFP. The data were obtained from 211 special education teachers in one state. Results suggested that ongoing professional development predicted the quality of the PLAAFP statement, accounted for a large amount of the variance (r2 = 0.14) in the PLAAFP quality score, and was a stronger predictor than participating in a single training. Additionally, PLAAFP quality predicted winter achievement scores beyond the school district, fall achievement scores and teacher variables, and accounted for significant and moderate amount of unique variance for reading (r2 = 0.05) and math (r2 = 0.07). Implications for research and practice are included.
Nematicidal effect of an Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. cystatin (AhCPI) on the root‐knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood
Authors: Cervantes‐Juan María Magdalena , Ibarra Jorge E. , Olalde‐Portugal Víctor , Manzo‐Valencia María Karina , Meraz Mercado Marco Antonio , Valdés‐Rodríguez Silvia
Published: June 2023

The root‐knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita is one of the most damaging plant parasitic nematodes in the world. In this study, the effect of cystatin from Amaranthus hypochondriacus (AhCPI) as a potential control agent for M. incognita was explored. In vitro bioassays demonstrated that AhCPI affects the growth and development of eggs and the infectivity of juveniles (J2) of M. incognita, such as mortality and slower development, showing characteristic tissue damage. Mortality levels were quantified by Probit analysis, estimating LC50s of 1.4 mg/mL for eggs and 0.028 mg/mL for J2. In planta bioassays showed that infected tomato seedlings treated with 0.056 mg/mL of AhCPI showed a 60% reduction in the number of galls, as compared with untreated J2‐inoculated seedlings. Under greenhouse conditions, three applications of 10 mL of AhCPI (1.4 mg/mL) in the soil around the stem of M. incognita‐infected tomato plants, reduced the number of galls by 93 ± 8%, as compared to the control M. incognita‐infected plants. The application of AhCPI to the infected plants increased the yield (10.7%) of harvested tomato fruits, as compared to infected plants. These results show the potential of AhCPI for the control of M. incognita in tomato plants.
Lane C
Authors: Starn Orin
Published: June 2023

This poem for the “hundreds” in honor of Kathleen Stewart is about anthropology, life and death, and doing fieldwork in an Amazon.com warehouse.
Range of motion required for Auslan: a biomechanical analysis
Authors: Graham David J. , McCarron Luke , Phillips Teresa , Sivakumar Brahman
Published: June 2023

Background

Auslan is used by the Australian deaf community and relies heavily on hand, wrist, and elbow movement. Upper limb injury or dysfunction may require surgical intervention to alleviate pain and provide a stable skeleton for function, leading to partial or complete reduction in motion. The aim of this study was to assess the wrist, forearm, and elbow motion required to communicate via Auslan, to tailor optimal interventions in this population.

Methods

A biomechanical analysis was conducted on two native Auslan communicators, who signed 28 pre‐selected and common Auslan words and phrases.

Results

Sagittal plane wrist and elbow motion was found to be of greater importance than axial plane forearm rotation. Relative elbow flexion and generous wrist motion was common for many of the words and phrases, while end‐range elbow extension was not recorded.

Conclusion

The maintenance of wrist and elbow motion should be prioritized when selecting surgical interventions for patients who communicate using Auslan.
Exploring the determinants of health‐promoting behaviors among miners: A text mining and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wang Lulu , Guo Yu , Yin Xuechen , Wang Yuhao , Tong Ruipeng
Published: June 2023

The health‐promoting behaviors of miners are of great significance to their physical and mental well‐being. With a focus on enhancing their overall health, this study aimed to explore the determinants and influencing mechanisms of health‐promoting behaviors in miners. Initially, the latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model was utilized to extract topical keywords from literature over the last 23 years and to categorize the determinants based on integrating the health promotion model and the health belief model. Subsequently, a meta‐analysis was performed based on 51 related empirical research to explore the mechanisms between determinants and health‐promoting behaviors. The results indicated that (1) the factors influencing miners' health‐promoting behaviors can be divided into four dimensions: physical environment, psychosocial environment, individual characteristics, and health beliefs. (2) Noise was negatively related to health‐promoting behaviors, while protective equipment, health culture, interpersonal relationships, health literacy, health attitudes, and income were positively related to health‐promoting behaviors. (3) Protective equipment and health literacy were positively related to perceived threat, whereas interpersonal relationships were positively related to perceived benefits. This study sheds light on the mechanisms influencing miners' health‐promoting behaviors and could inform behavioral interventions in occupational health.
Can I control my actions and emotions? Examining when and why employees react adaptively or maladaptively to coworker voice
Authors: Zhou Xiang , Chong SinHui , Tong Jiajin
Published: June 2023

Voice highlights important issues in the workplace, but it may be malfunctional if recipients do not possess the adequate mastery to act on the feedback received. Our research draws on the control value theory of emotions to explain how appraisals and affective processes shape employees' adaptive or maladaptive responses to challenge‐oriented voices from their coworkers. We contend that constructive (destructive) coworker voice activates a positive (negative) affective state more strongly in recipients who perceive higher (vs. lower) behavioral control because they will attribute greater personal responsibility over the voice content. We also expect the affective states to predict interpersonal citizenship behavior and work withdrawal behavior more strongly in recipients with lower (vs. higher) emotional control due to their greater susceptibility to the influences of affective states. The results from three‐wave, multi‐source data collected from 307 insurance sales representatives support most of our hypotheses, except that perceived behavioral control does not moderate the link between destructive coworker voice and employee negative affective state. The findings extend voice literature by taking a recipient perspective on how and why they react differently to constructive or destructive coworker voice, and offer practical suggestions for facilitating optimal behavioral responses to coworker voice in an applied setting.
Political orientation, trust and discriminatory beliefs during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Longitudinal evidence from the United Kingdom
Authors: Frackowiak Michal , Russell Pascale Sophie , Rusconi Patrice , Fasoli Fabio , Cohen‐Chen Smadar
Published: June 2023

The COVID‐19 pandemic has impacted the world in many ways; for example, evidence from the United Kingdom indicates that higher rates of discriminatory behaviours against immigrants have been recorded during this period. Prior research suggests that political orientation and trust are instrumental in discriminatory beliefs against immigrants. A longitudinal study (six waves and a follow‐up) was conducted in the United Kingdom during the COVID‐19 pandemic (September 2020–August 2021) using convenience sampling (N = 383). The hypotheses enquired about whether political orientation predicts trust in government, trust in science and discriminatory beliefs. Multilevel regression and mediation analyses were conducted, using repeated measures nested within individuals. It was found that conservative views are associated with higher discriminatory beliefs, lower trust in science and higher trust in government. Furthermore, trust in science promotes reduction of discrimination, whereas trust in government, increases discriminatory beliefs. However, a nuance revealed by an interaction effect, shows that a positive alignment between political and scientific authorities may be required to reduce prejudice against immigrants. Exploratory multilevel mediation showed that trust is a mediator between political orientation and discriminatory beliefs.
A multifaceted framework to establish the presence of meaning in non‐human communication
Authors: Amphaeris Jenny , Blumstein Daniel T. , Shannon Graeme , Tenbrink Thora , Kershenbaum Arik
Published: June 2023

Does non‐human communication, like language, involve meaning? This question guides our focus through an interdisciplinary review of the theories and terminology used to study meaning across disciplines and species. Until now, it has been difficult to apply the concept of meaning to communication in non‐humans. This is partly because of the varied approaches to the study of meaning. Additionally, while there is a scholarly acknowledgement of potential meaning in non‐human cognition, there is also scepticism when the topic of communication arises. We organise some of the key literature into a coherent framework that can bridge disciplines and species, to ensure that aspects of meaning are accurately and fairly compared. We clarify the growing view in the literature that, rather than requiring multiple definitions or being split into different types, meaning is a multifaceted yet still unified concept. In so doing, we propose that meaning is an umbrella term. Meaning cannot be summed up with a short definition or list of features, but involves multiple complexities that are outlined in our framework. Specifically, three global facets are needed to describe meaning: a Signal Meaning Facet, an Interactant Meaning Facet, and a Resultant Meaning Facet. Most importantly, we show that such analyses are possible to apply as much to non‐humans as to humans. We also emphasise that meaning nuances differ among non‐human species, making a dichotomous approach to meaning questionable. Instead, we show that a multifaceted approach to meaning establishes how meaning appears within highly diverse examples of non‐human communication, in ways consistent with the phenomenon's presence in human non‐verbal communication and language(s). Therefore, without further recourse to ‘functional’ approaches that circumvent the critical question of whether any non‐human meaning exists, we show that the concept of meaning is suitable for evolutionary biologists, behavioural ecologists, and others to study, to establish exactly which species exhibit meaning in their communication and in what ways.
Medical and psychosocial outcomes of state‐funded population genomic screening
Authors: Cannon Ashley , McMillan Olivia , Kelley Whitley V. , East Kelly M. , Cochran Meagan E. , Miskell Edrika L. , Moss Irene P. , Garner‐Duckworth Sherilyn , Redden David T. , Might Matthew , Barsh Gregory S. , Korf Bruce R.
Published: June 2023

As the uptake of population screening expands, assessment of medical and psychosocial outcomes is needed. Through the Alabama Genomic Health Initiative (AGHI), a state‐funded genomic research program, individuals received screening for pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in 59 actionable genes via genotyping. Of the 3874 eligible participants that received screening results, 858 (22%) responded to an outcomes survey. The most commonly reported motivation for seeking testing through AGHI was contribution to genetic research (64%). Participants with positive results reported a higher median number of planned actions (median = 5) due to AGHI results as compared to negative results (median = 3). Interviews were conducted with survey participants with positive screening results. As determined by certified genetic counselors, 50% of interviewees took appropriate medical action based on their result. There were no negative or harmful actions taken. These findings indicate population genomic screening of an unselected adult population is feasible, is not harmful, and may have positive outcomes on participants now and in the future; however, further research is needed in order to assess clinical utility.
Marginal bone level changes around dental implants with one or two adjacent teeth – A clinical and radiographic retrospective study with a follow‐up of at least 10 years
Authors: Weigel Lucienne D. , Scherrer Angelina , Schmid Lucas , Stähli Alexandra , Imber Jean‐Claude , Roccuzzo Andrea , Salvi Giovanni E.
Published: June 2023

Aim

To compare mean bone level (mBL) changes around dental implants with one or two adjacent teeth after a function time of ≥10 years.

Materials and Methods

One hundred thirty three periodontally compromised patients (PCPs) with 551 implants enrolled in supportive periodontal care (SPC) were screened. Implants were categorized either into group TIT (tooth‐implant‐tooth) or into group TIG (tooth‐implant‐gap). MBL changes from delivery of restoration (i.e., baseline) to follow‐up were calculated in millimeters and compared between implants and adjacent teeth. Survival rates and the need for surgical interventions during SPC were recorded.

Results

Eighty seven patients with 142 implants were re‐evaluated after a mean observation time of 14.5 ± 3.5 years. The mBL at mesial implant sites in the TIT group increased −0.07 ± 0.92 mm and decreased in the TIG group 0.52 ± 1.34 mm, respectively (95% CI: 0.04/1.14, p = .037). At distal implant sites, the mBL in the TIT group increased −0.08 ± 0.84 mm and decreased 0.03 ± 0.87 in the TIG group, respectively (95% CI: −0.20/0.42, p = .48). The overall implant loss rate was 3.5% (n = 5; 2 TIT, 3 TIG), without a statistically significant difference between the two groups (95% CI: 0.18/7.07, p = .892). Tooth loss rates (TIT: 12.3%, TIG: 12.3%) were not statistically significantly different (OR = 1.00, p = .989).

Conclusion

High tooth and implant survival rates were observed in PCPs. The presence of one or two adjacent teeth seemed to have no impact on marginal bone level changes.
Oxidative stress in pituitary neuroendocrine tumors: Affecting the tumor microenvironment and becoming a new target for pituitary neuroendocrine tumor therapy
Authors: Zhou Yuhang , Zhang Anke , Fang Chaoyou , Yuan Ling , Shao Anwen , Xu Yuanzhi , Zhou Danyang
Published: June 2023

Pituitary adenomas (PAs), or pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs), are commonly found in the anterior pituitary gland. Although the majority of PitNETs are benign and stable, several tumors have malignant characteristics. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in the process of tumorigenesis and is composed of several types of cells. Various cells in the TME are significantly affected by oxidative stress. It has been reported that immunotherapeutic strategies have good effects in several cancers. However, the clinical potential of immunotherapies in PitNETs has not yet been fully discussed. Oxidative stress can regulate PitNET cells and immune cells in the TME, thus affecting the immune status of the TME of PitNETs. Therefore, modulation of oxidative stress‐regulated immune cells using a combination of several agents and the immune system to suppress PitNETs is a promising therapeutic direction. In this review, we systematically analyzed the oxidative stress process within PitNET cells and various immune cells to elucidate the potential value of immunotherapy.
KLF2/PPARγ axis contributes to trauma‐induced heterotopic ossification by regulating mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Sun Ziyang , Liu Hang , Hu Yuehao , Luo Gang , Yuan Zhengqiang , Liu Weixuan , Tu Bing , Ruan Hongjiang , Li Juehong , Fan Cunyi
Published: June 2023

Trauma‐induced heterotopic ossification (HO) is a complex disorder after musculoskeletal injury and characterized by aberrant extraskeletal bone formation. Recent studies shed light on critical role of dysregulated osteogenic differentiation in aberrant bone formation. Krupel‐like factor 2 (KLF2) and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) are master adapter proteins that link cellular responses to osteogenesis; however, their roles and relationships in HO remain elusive. Using a murine burn/tenotomy model in vivo, we identified elevated KLF2 and reduced PPARγ levels in tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) during trauma‐induced HO formation. Both KLF2 inhibition and PPARγ promotion reduced mature HO, whereas the effects of PPARγ promotion were abolished by KLF2 overexpression. Additionally, mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production also increased after burn/tenotomy, and improvements in mitochondrial function (ROS scavenger) could alleviate HO formation, but were abolished by KLF2 activation and PPARγ suppression by affecting redox balance. Furthermore, in vitro, we found increased KLF2 and decreased PPARγ levels in osteogenically induced TSPCs. Both KLF2 inhibition and PPARγ promotion relieved osteogenesis by improving mitochondrial function and maintaining redox balance, and effects of PPARγ promotion were abolished by KLF2 overexpression. Our findings suggest that KLF2/PPARγ axis exerts regulatory effects on trauma‐induced HO through modulation of mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS production in TSPCs by affecting redox balance. Targeting KLF2/PPARγ axis and mitochondrial dysfunction can represent attractive approaches to therapeutic intervention in trauma‐induced HO.
The warming city: the increasing risk of summer fires in Delhi
Authors: Bankoff Greg , Chakravarty Sarika , Jordan Steve
Published: June 2023

Rising temperatures are mainly associated with wildfires, but the incidence of fire may also increase in the urban context. Yet, fire in Delhi, India, as elsewhere in the towns and cities of the Global South, remains largely invisible, despite the nearly 11 million people each year who are burnt severely enough to require medical attention. This paper focuses on whether summer temperatures in Delhi are rising and whether higher temperatures and lower humidity contribute to a greater number of fires in urban areas. The data strongly suggest a relationship between the warming city, a growing number of summer fires, and mounting temperatures around the world. Delhi, however, is only one example of an urban reality that is common to much of the Global South. Similar questions about the incidence of fire and whether the number is increasing need to be asked of other towns and cities that share the same vulnerabilities.
Temperature affects the timing and duration of fungal fruiting patterns across major terrestrial biomes
Authors: Krah Franz‐Sebastian , Büntgen Ulf , Bässler Claus
Published: June 2023

The Earth's ecosystems are affected by a complex interplay of biotic and abiotic factors. While global temperatures increase, associated changes in the fruiting behaviour of fungi remain unknown. Here, we analyse 6.1 million fungal fruit body (mushroom) records and show that the major terrestrial biomes exhibit similarities and differences in fruiting events. We observed one main fruiting peak in most years across all biomes. However, in boreal and temperate biomes, there was a substantial number of years with a second peak, indicating spring and autumn fruiting. Distinct fruiting peaks are spatially synchronized in boreal and temperate biomes, but less defined and longer in the humid tropics. The timing and duration of fungal fruiting were significantly related to temperature mean and variability. Temperature‐dependent aboveground fungal fruiting behaviour, which is arguably also representative of belowground processes, suggests that the observed biome‐specific differences in fungal phenology will change in space and time when global temperatures continue to increase.
The tumour is in the detail: Local phylogenetic, population and epidemiological dynamics of a transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils
Authors: Hamede Rodrigo , Fountain‐Jones Nicholas M. , Arce Fernando , Jones Menna , Storfer Andrew , Hohenlohe Paul A. , McCallum Hamish , Roche Benjamin , Ujvari Beata , Thomas Frédéric
Published: June 2023

Infectious diseases are a major threat for biodiversity conservation and can exert strong influence on wildlife population dynamics. Understanding the mechanisms driving infection rates and epidemic outcomes requires empirical data on the evolutionary trajectory of pathogens and host selective processes. Phylodynamics is a robust framework to understand the interaction of pathogen evolutionary processes with epidemiological dynamics, providing a powerful tool to evaluate disease control strategies. Tasmanian devils have been threatened by a fatal transmissible cancer, devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), for more than two decades. Here we employ a phylodynamic approach using tumour mitochondrial genomes to assess the role of tumour genetic diversity in epidemiological and population dynamics in a devil population subject to 12 years of intensive monitoring, since the beginning of the epidemic outbreak. DFTD molecular clock estimates of disease introduction mirrored observed estimates in the field, and DFTD genetic diversity was positively correlated with estimates of devil population size. However, prevalence and force of infection were the lowest when devil population size and tumour genetic diversity was the highest. This could be due to either differential virulence or transmissibility in tumour lineages or the development of host defence strategies against infection. Our results support the view that evolutionary processes and epidemiological trade‐offs can drive host‐pathogen coexistence, even when disease‐induced mortality is extremely high. We highlight the importance of integrating pathogen and population evolutionary interactions to better understand long‐term epidemic dynamics and evaluating disease control strategies.
Retirement risk factors, exercise management and muscle mass in US senior horses
Authors: Herbst Alisa C. , Coleman Michelle C. , Macon Erica L. , Brokman Aviv , Stromberg Arnold J. , Harris Pat A. , Adams Amanda A.
Published: June 2023

Background

Information on the management and health of US senior horses (≥15 years of age) is currently limited.

Objectives

Provide information on (1) primary use of US senior horses, (2) reasons and risk factors for horse retirement, (3) exercise management, (4) prevalence of low muscle mass and (5) risk factors for, and owner‐perceived consequences of, low muscle mass.

Study design

Online survey.

Methods

Survey responses from 2717 owners of U.S.‐resident senior horses (≥15 years of age) were analysed descriptively and inferentially, using ordered and binomial logistic regression, ANOVA and the Kruskal–Wallis test.

Results

The most frequently reported primary uses were pleasure riding/driving (38.5%) and full retirement (39.8%). Most horses (61.5%) were retired between 15 and 24 years of age, with health problems being the main reason. Age, female sex, Thoroughbred breed and various medical conditions were identified as risk factors for retirement. In working horses (i.e., those not retired or semi‐retired), exercise intensity was negatively associated with age. The owner‐reported prevalence of low muscle mass in all horses was 17.2% (95%CI = 15.7–18.7). In those affected by low muscle mass, the ability to work and welfare‐related aspects were commonly perceived to be impaired. Increasing age, sex (gelding), pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, osteoarthritis, laminitis and primary use (retired and semi‐retired vs. use for competition) were identified as risk factors for owner‐reported low muscle mass.

Main limitations

Potential response, recall and sampling bias. Causal relationships cannot be established.

Conclusions

Although structured exercise into old age may provide health benefits (as seen in elderly people), a large proportion of horses were fully retired in the current study. Senior horses were mainly retired for health problems and characterising these problems may aid in extending their work/active life. Low muscle mass was perceived to affect horses' welfare and ability to work, and identification of prevention and treatment strategies is therefore warranted.
Metabolic reprogramming regulates microglial polarization and its role in cerebral ischemia reperfusion
Authors: Sun Xiao‐Rong , Yao Zi‐Meng , Chen Lei , Huang Jie , Dong Shu‐Ying
Published: June 2023

The brain is quite sensitive to changes in energy supply because of its high energetic demand. Even small changes in energy metabolism may be the basis of impaired brain function, leading to the occurrence and development of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Abundant evidence supports that metabolic defects of brain energy during the post‐reperfusion period, especially low glucose oxidative metabolism and elevated glycolysis levels, which play a crucial role in cerebral I/R pathophysiology. Whereas research on brain energy metabolism dysfunction under the background of cerebral I/R mainly focuses on neurons, the research on the complexity of microglia energy metabolism in cerebral I/R is just emerging. As resident immune cells of the central nervous system, microglia activate rapidly and then transform into an M1 or M2 phenotype to correspond to changes in brain homeostasis during cerebral I/R injury. M1 microglia release proinflammatory factors to promote neuroinflammation, while M2 microglia play a neuroprotective role by secreting anti‐inflammatory factors. The abnormal brain microenvironment promotes the metabolic reprogramming of microglia, which further affects the polarization state of microglia and disrupts the dynamic equilibrium of M1/M2, resulting in the aggravation of cerebral I/R injury. Increasing evidence suggests that metabolic reprogramming is a key driver of microglial inflammation. For example, M1 microglia preferentially produce energy through glycolysis, while M2 microglia provide energy primarily through oxidative phosphorylation. In this review, we highlight the emerging significance of regulating microglial energy metabolism in cerebral I/R injury.
A selection criterion of small load truncation level based on the principle of same distribution of fatigue life
Authors: Cao Jing , Yao Weixing
Published: June 2023

A new criterion of selecting the small load truncation level for simplification of fatigue test spectrum was developed, which is based on the principle that the truncated spectrum has the same fatigue life distribution as the original spectrum. Considering the influence of uncertainties of material fatigue performance and load spectrum on the fatigue life distribution, the relation between the distribution difference and the small load truncation level was established. According to the designed tolerance value of distribution difference, the appropriate small load truncation level could be determined accordingly. The selection criterion was verified by the fatigue tests of LC4CS aluminum alloy smooth sheet specimens. The results show that good simplification effect of spectrum can be achieved based on the criterion.
Heat over heritability: Increasing body size in response to global warming is not stabilized by genetic effects in Bechstein's bats
Authors: Mundinger Carolin , van Schaik Jaap , Scheuerlein Alexander , Kerth Gerald
Published: June 2023

How well populations can cope with global warming will often depend on the evolutionary potential and plasticity of their temperature‐sensitive, fitness‐relevant traits. In Bechstein's bats (Myotis bechsteinii), body size has increased over the last decades in response to warmer summers. If this trend continues it may threaten populations as larger females exhibit higher mortality. To assess the evolutionary potential of body size, we applied a Bayesian ‘animal model’ to estimate additive genetic variance, heritability and evolvability of body size, based on a 25‐year pedigree of 332 wild females. Both heritability and additive genetic variance were reduced in hot summers compared to average and cold summers, while evolvability of body size was generally low. This suggests that the observed increase in body size was mostly driven by phenotypic plasticity. Thus, if warm summers continue to become more frequent, body size likely increases further and the resulting fitness loss could threaten populations.
HISTORY AND POLITICS AS IF WE STILL LIVED IN THE HOLOCENE
Authors: GREGORY BRAD S.
Published: June 2023

The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity (2021), by David Graeber and David Wengrow, is a monumental, boldly revisionist study of the human past from the last ice age to the present. It is geared explicitly toward the present in political terms and seeks to explain how primordial forms of human freedom were lost in ways that resulted in our current structures of violence and domination. The authors explore a vast range of prehistoric, ancient, and non‐Western peoples to undermine (neo)evolutionist, stadial theories of long‐term human development, particularly any that imply determinism, inevitability, or teleology. If so many peoples in the past were so much freer than we are today, how is it that we got stuck? And are we really as stuck as we think? Graeber and Wengrow successfully undermine the social scientific template of stage‐based human development from hunter‐gatherers to modern capitalist nation‐states, but their book suffers from two major omissions. First, they ignore almost entirely the Anthropocene epoch and show no grasp of its implications for their analysis of the present or prospects for the future. Second, their “new history of humanity” ignores the history that is most relevant to answering their own questions about how we have arrived globally in our current structures of violence and domination: the early modern and modern history of expansionist, colonialist, capitalist, belligerent, imperialist Western European nations and their extensions since the fifteenth century. These two omissions are connected: it is disproportionately the history of the (early) modern West before and after the Industrial Revolution that explains how the planet arrived in the Anthropocene with the “Great Acceleration” around the mid‐twentieth century. But heeding this history and its consequences would have undermined the authors’ upbeat political vision about our prospects for the future—essentially, a recycled Enlightenment vision about human self‐determination and individual freedom that depends on environmental exploitation as if we still lived in the Holocene. For all its undoubted achievement, The Dawn of Everything neglects the history that is most salient to answering the main questions its own authors pose. What matters most about that history is not that it was inevitable but that it was actual—and that its cumulative consequences remain with us.