bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How can coworking spaces promote knowledge sharing among coworkers: an identification-based perspective
Authors: Tandon Ankita , Chakrabarti Diganta
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Coworking spaces provide coworkers significant opportunities to connect, share knowledge, learn from each other and innovate. Yet, there is hardly any research literature on how coworking spaces support this. This paper examines how coworking spaces can promote knowledge sharing among coworkers to support innovation and develops a conceptual framework for the same.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper brings together literature from the fields of coworking spaces, communities of practice, identification and knowledge sharing to develop a conceptual framework.

Findings

Coworking space managers can drive specific activities to promote a sense of community among coworkers. This can create identification with the coworking community and with the coworking space, leading to higher propensity to collaborate, share knowledge and work together to innovate.

Research limitations/implications

This paper proposes a conceptual framework that can be further examined through qualitative and quantitative research.

Practical implications

This paper suggests specific activities which coworking space managers can undertake to promote learning and innovation – important motivations for people to use coworking spaces. This will also help coworking spaces to make a strong business case and differentiate themselves from competitors.

Originality/value

Since coworking spaces bring together people from varied backgrounds who belong to diverse organizations and work on varied domains, nudging them to share knowledge is difficult. This paper is one of the first attempts at developing a framework to promote knowledge sharing in coworking spaces.
Rational expectations tests on financial analysts’ cash flow forecasts
Authors: He Ting , Zheng Kenneth
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study investigates whether financial analysts process information efficiently when they make cash flow forecasts.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 3,967 observations spanning 2004–2016, we perform empirical analyses by regressing actual cash flows on previous cash flow forecasts for the current period and a vector of information variables known to the analysts at the time of the forecasts.

Findings

We find that analysts do not incorporate past stock returns or past cash flow information efficiently when they generate cash flow forecasts. We also find weak evidence that analysts do not incorporate past consensus cash flow forecasts or past accruals information when they generate cash flow forecasts.

Practical implications

Our findings contribute to the analyst forecast efficiency literature and highlight the difference between analyst cash flow forecast efficiency and earnings forecast efficiency.

Originality/value

While extant research on whether analysts use publicly available information efficiently when generating earnings forecasts documents mixed findings (e.g. DeBondt and Thaler, 1990; Abarbanell and Bernard, 1992; Basu and Markov, 2004; Evans et al., 2017), our results regarding analysts’ cash flow forecast efficiency are unambiguous.
Empowering stakeholder engagement and decision-making in future nuclear organisations: a multilevel research framework for challenges and opportunities
Authors: Abdeldayem Marwan , Baqi Abdulhameed , Aldulaimi Saeed
Published: November 2024

Purpose

This study aims to present a comprehensive research framework designed to assess stakeholder perceptions in the nuclear power plant (NPP) industry, with a focus on the unique context of the Al Barakah NPP in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The framework combines a thorough literature review, primary data collection methods and strategic action planning to facilitate stakeholder engagement and drive progress in the industry.

Design/methodology/approach

To develop the framework, an extensive review of relevant literature was conducted, identifying gaps and incorporating insights from sectoral reports, governmental documents and scholarly works. Primary data collection was then carried out using an online survey administered through Google Forms. The survey instrument was carefully designed, adhering to established guidelines and incorporating closed-ended questions, Likert scales and multiple-choice formats. Pilot-testing of the survey was conducted among the general public residing in the vicinity of the Al Barakah NPP.

Findings

The multi-level research framework enables a systematic assessment of stakeholder perceptions in the NPP industry. Through the analysis and synthesis of collected data, a strategic approach and customised managerial action plan can be formulated, tailored to the specific context of the NPP. This approach encourages stakeholder involvement and plays a vital role in driving industry advancements.

Practical implications

The proposed framework offers a valuable tool for NPP stakeholders, policymakers and industry professionals to gather and analyse stakeholder perceptions effectively. It empowers informed decision-making, fosters stakeholder engagement and supports the development of strategic actions that address concerns and propel progress in the NPP industry.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature by presenting a comprehensive research framework specifically designed for assessing stakeholder perceptions in the NPP industry. By integrating literature review, primary data collection and strategic action planning, it provides a holistic approach to comprehend stakeholder perspectives and promote sustainable development in the nuclear energy sector.
Do the origins of climate assemblies shape public reactions? Examining the impact of partisanship
Authors: KEVINS ANTHONY , ROBISON JOSHUA
Published: November 2024

Governments around the world are experimenting with deliberative mini‐publics as a means of integrating public input into policymaking processes, including as a method for directly creating policy. This raises the important question of when ordinary people will judge the outputs of mini‐publics to be legitimate and support their use. We investigate how public support for mini‐publics is shaped by: (1) whether the mini‐public is held in response to calls from politicians or from the general public; (2) which political party sets up the mini‐public; and (3) whether there is partisan conflict surrounding the mini‐public's creation. To do so, we use two pre‐registered survey experiments fielded in the United Kingdom that focus on climate assemblies, a prominent form of deliberative mini‐public. Results are three‐fold. First, we find some evidence that assemblies are more positively evaluated when they stem from the demands of local residents rather than partisan actors, but this effect is relatively modest and does not emerge consistently across our analyses. Similar findings are noted with regard to partisanship. Partisan conflict, by contrast, has a more robust effect – leading respondents to adopt more ideologically stereotypical views of the assembly, with left‐wing (right‐wing) respondents being more supportive of Labour‐sponsored (Conservative‐sponsored) assemblies.
The financialization of housing and its political consequences
Authors: Dancygier Rafaela , Wiedemann Andreas
Published: November 2024

Institutional investors in residential real estate have become targets of political backlash against unaffordable housing. We argue that this backlash is not only about economic issues such as rising rents; it reflects a fundamental rejection of “financialized capitalism” that turns housing from a basic need into a speculative asset. Using novel geo‐coded real estate transaction data, we document the extent of housing financialization cross‐nationally and over time, and demonstrate that neighborhood‐level exposure to financialization alone is insufficient to explain the widespread support to expropriate corporate landlords in a historic 2021 Berlin referendum. We then develop nationally representative surveys to show that German citizens conceptualize housing as a social right and hold the state responsible for its under‐provision. We demonstrate experimentally that arguments about housing financialization significantly raise support for expropriation beyond rent effects. Our findings suggest that financialized capitalism can unite diverse groups of voters in favor of housing socialism.
Between Now and Future Sovereignty: Indigenous Forestry in the Conjuncture
Authors: Simpson Michael , Atleo Clifford Gordon , Braun Bruce
Published: November 2024

The participation of Indigenous nations in the industrial logging of their own territories has received scant attention in academic literature despite the challenges it poses for decolonial critiques of extractive industries and efforts of non‐Indigenous land defenders to build solidarity with Indigenous nations. Taking as a point of departure recent struggles over the logging of old forests on Vancouver Island, in the settler province of British Columbia, and drawing on the political economic history of the island's Nuu‐chah‐nulth peoples, we employ a conjunctural analysis to argue that Indigenous forestry can be understood as the articulation of Indigenous practices of self‐determination (in a context heavily constrained by the colonial past and present) with a set of structural fixes for an industry in crisis. We argue that understanding the present moment of Indigenous forestry as a conjuncture affords an analysis of the tricky conditions that Indigenous communities must imperfectly and strategically navigate to adapt their livelihoods and exercise self‐determination in the colonial present while maintaining possibilities for a decolonised future. It also points to a series of contractions at work in Indigenous forestry which could become disarticulated and rearticulated, potentially opening up wider possibilities for a decolonial future in “BC forests”.
Engaging youth in biodiversity education through visual narrative
Authors: Ricci Kyra , Lu Kathleen , Shidemantle Grascen , Hua Jessica
Published: November 2024

Engaging youth in early and sustained conservation education has important implications for promoting positive attitudes and behaviors in those who will become the future of conservation and management. Toward this goal, visual narratives (comic books, graphic novels) are an increasingly popular method used by conservation scientists to educate young people due to their approachable use of art and narrative storytelling. However, no studies have directly assessed how visual narratives compare with more traditional forms of conservation education for youth. We asked, how does education about biodiversity through visual narrative affect student perceptions and knowledge of science content relative to a traditional resource, and is there a novelty effect when using visual narrative versus traditional resources? To assess our questions, we utilized a semistructured approach to develop a biodiversity education program. Specifically, we developed an original graphic novel (visual narrative treatment) and a slideshow presentation (traditional treatment) with the same content to educate children about wetland biodiversity. We recruited, trained, and randomized 26 third‐grade teachers to deliver either the visual narrative or traditional resource in their classrooms. Students completed pretest, posttest, and follow‐up surveys assessing their perceptions of science and knowledge of the lesson content. Students in the visual narrative treatment held more positive perceptions of science (by 3.79%, p = 0.001), whereas students in the traditional treatment performed better on content quizzes (by 7.97%, p = 0.002). We found evidence for a novelty bias when using the visual narrative but not the traditional resource. These findings point to the importance of understanding the target audience and clearly defining educational goals. Overall, our results contribute to broader understanding of the relative benefits and limitations of conservation education through nontraditional means and of practices for successfully delivering effective, accessible, and rewarding conservation education to educators and youth.
Free, prior, and informed consent, local officials, and changing biodiversity governance in Hin Nam No, Laos
Authors: Larsen Peter Bille , Chanthavisouk Chantaly
Published: November 2024

Free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) is now a globally established norm and is a condition of equitable engagement with Indigenous peoples and local communities in biodiversity conservation. However, implementation is frequently questioned in terms of its efficacy in top‐down‐driven governance contexts. Local officials represent core voices often absent from mainstream discourse. Conservation practices are framed by local discourses, value frameworks, and relationships that offer critical opportunities to tailor localized consent processes. Relative to an FPIC process for a prospective World Heritage Site in Hin Nam No National Park, Laos, we examined the importance of mediation by local officials in a comanagement context. The mediation led to commitments to address long‐standing community grievances and reconcile conservation and development relationships in the area. Building the capacity of local officials as critical duty‐bearers helped shape rights‐based conservation and development outcomes. Enhancing nonconfrontational mechanisms for rights holders to air concerns and dialogue spaces for duty‐bearers to respond plays a key role in this respect.
M̓ṇúxvʔit model for centering Indigenous knowledge and governance
Authors: White (Q̓íx̌itasu) Elroy , Artelle Kyle A. , Brown (H̓úṃpas ƛ̓úx̌v) Ed , Brown (ƛ̓áqvamut) Kelly , Chan Diana E. , Housty (Dúqva̓ísḷa) William
Published: November 2024

The importance of Indigenous (and local) knowledge and governance systems for addressing social and ecological crises is increasingly recognized. Unfortunately, attempts to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into Western approaches, often without the full leadership, consent, and participation of the peoples holding those knowledges, can cause harm and can constitute extractive activities. However, there remains considerable potential in collaborations bringing together multiple perspectives and knowledges. We introduce the M̓ṇúxvʔit model, which centers Indigenous governance systems as the natural starting point for respectful, cross‐knowledge system collaborations. M̓ṇúxvʔit means “to become one” in Haíɫzaqvḷa, the language of the Haíɫzaqv Nation from which this model originates, in this case referring to outside knowledges being incorporated into Indigenous systems (not vice versa). In collaborations following this model, Indigenous communities and governments lead the overall direction, Indigenous knowledge systems are foundational, local protocols are followed, benefits flow at least as much to communities as to collaborators, and collaborations are authentic and transparent. M̓ṇúxvʔit can occur at scales including a single person, such as Q̓íx̌itasu (Elroy White) complementing his Haíɫzaqv knowledge with Western archeology; a project, such as the Xvíɫm̓ístaƛ Hákq̓áṃ Qṇtxv Bákvḷásu (our foods will return) multispecies restoration program led by the Haíɫzaqv Nation and supported by invited collaborators; and a community, exemplified by the Heiltsuk (Haíɫzaqv) Integrated Resource Management Department leading resource stewardship collaborations across Haíɫzaqv Territory. Collaborations following the model uphold Indigenous and local sovereignty while avoiding superficial or tokenistic approaches. We share this model as a successful, locally born approach that we hope provides inspiration elsewhere and as a contribution to the conversation about how Western actors can work with local and Indigenous systems such that their collaborations constructively add to, not harmfully extract from, those systems.
Tests of Global Flights to Safety With US Financial Firm Bankruptcy Announcements
Authors: Kallenos Theodosis L. , Papakyriakou Panayiotis , Sakkas Athanasios , Taoushianis Zenon
Published: November 2024

This paper investigates whether bankruptcy announcements by large US financial institutions can induce flights to safety, leading investors to seek safer investments. To test this relationship, we employ a short‐horizon event study methodology and show that low‐risk investments—such as the US dollar, sovereign bonds and gold—exhibit significant appreciation following such announcements. This result is more pronounced when the local country‐level investor sentiment declines in the postannouncement period. We also analyze the transmission mechanism through which bankruptcy announcements cause flights to safety and empirically identify a global information contagion channel via negative shocks to the cash flows of stocks.
AXIN2 is a non‐redundant regulator of AXIN1 stability and β‐catenin in colorectal cancer cells
Authors: Liu Lin , Silke John
Published: November 2024

AXIN proteins are major components of the β‐catenin destruction complex or degradasome, which limits β‐catenin nuclear translocation and Wnt signalling activation at steady state. Schmidt et al. performed quantitative analysis of cellular AXIN protein levels in human colorectal cancer cells and revealed that AXIN2 plays a non‐redundant role in regulating the total AXIN pool and Wnt/β‐catenin signalling activity. Tankyrase (TNKS) inhibitors failed to inhibit Wnt/β‐catenin signalling in AXIN2 knockout cells, suggesting that AXIN2 is essential for TNKS inhibitors to function. Mechanistically, the authors show that AXIN2 recruits TNKS to AXIN1 and promotes TNKS‐mediated degradation of AXIN1. These findings may have important implications for anti‐cancer therapy by TNKS small molecule inhibitors.
Dissecting roles of pannier splice variants during pupal and adult morphogenesis in Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata
Authors: Xu Ping , Jin Lin , Li Guo‐Qing , Ze Long‐Ji
Published: November 2024

The GATA transcription factor gene, pannier (pnr), has been extensively studied in Drosophila, revealing its crucial role in dorsal closure, heart development and the regulation of cuticular bristle patterns in adults. However, studies on the functions of pnr in the development of coleopteran insects are still scarce. Herein, we identified the pnr gene in Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata and discovered two splicing variants named Hvpnr‐α and Hvpnr‐β respectively. Temporal expression analysis revealed that Hvpnr, Hvpnr‐α and Hvpnr‐β were expressed at various stages including egg, larval, pupal and adult stages. To investigate the developmental role of Hvpnr in H. vigintioctopunctata, RNA interference (RNAi) assays were conducted on third‐instar larvae. Injection of dsHvpnr, dsHvpnr‐α and dsHvpnr‐β and co‐injection of dsHvpnr‐α and dsHvpnr‐β (dsRNAs mix) all resulted in significant downregulation of the target transcripts. In pupae developed from dsHvpnr‐treated larvae, the symmetric black spots on both sides of the mesothorax, metathorax and tergites approached and connected. Pupal morphometric analysis revealed that dsHvpnr, dsHvpnr‐α and dsRNAs mix injections significantly narrowed the spacing of dorsal symmetric spots, contracted spiracle distances on tergite sides, diminished pronotum width and markedly reduced inter‐compound eye spacing compared to controls. In addition, injections of dsHvpnr and dsRNAs mix significantly reduced the oviposition in female adults. Silencing of Hvpnr led to the disappearance of the scutellum in adults, preventing the elytra from closing and properly attaching to the dorsal side of the abdomen. It is noteworthy that dsHvpnr‐α or dsRNA mix induced scutellum formation defects in adults, while knockdown of Hvpnr‐β had no impact. Furthermore, in stark contrast to previous studies on ladybird species such as Harmonia axyridis and Coccinella septempunctata, silencing Hvpnr did not affect melanin synthesis in pupae and adults in H. vigintioctopunctata. These findings demonstrate that among the splice variants of Hvpnr, Hvpnr‐α plays a dominant regulatory role in the post‐embryonic morphogenesis of H. vigintioctopunctata. This study also shows that Hvpnr is not involved in melanin synthesis, indicating significant functional differentiation of pnr during the evolution of ladybirds.
HEAL‐D Online: Exploring the potential for the spread and adoption of a virtual culturally tailored diabetes self‐management programme for adults of African and Caribbean heritage
Authors: Lowry Sophie , Low Joseph , Goff Louise , Irwin Sally , Sevdalis Nick , Okeke Pearl , Brady Oliver , Curran Natasha , Walker Andrew
Published: November 2024

Background

People of African and Caribbean heritage in the UK have a higher prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and poorer health outcomes than white Europeans. Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyles for Diabetes Online (HEAL‐D Online) is a co‐designed, culturally tailored T2D self‐management programme for black African and Caribbean adults, which, due to online delivery, is well positioned for spread. This qualitative evaluation uses the Exploration‐Preparation‐Implementation‐Sustainment (EPIS) framework to explore factors affecting scale‐up from delivery and commissioning perspectives.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with nine commissioners and providers of T2D services from three English areas with varying population characteristics to explore scale‐up. Focus groups were held with 15 people of African and Caribbean heritage with T2D lived experience to explore the impact of a digital model of participation. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, with themes mapped onto the EPIS framework exploration phase constructs to consider the outer and inner contextual factors for planning implementation.

Results

Six EPIS constructs were identified by commissioners and providers as key in scaling HEAL‐D Online. People with T2D lived experience explored the online mode of delivery, using the patient advocacy construct as the analytical lens. In delivering an online T2D programme, two themes were identified: (1) aligning course content with people's preferences; (2) practicalities to ensure online delivery was acceptable and accessible to the community.

Conclusions

HEAL‐D Online was acceptable with the potential to help address health inequalities. The EPIS framework provided a structure to understand factors in planning scale‐up for an intervention targeting underserved communities.
Humour, Transcendence, and Selfhood: An Essay on Lightness and Truth
Authors: Ravenscroft Simon
Published: November 2024

This article is concerned with a ‘lightness that is as far as possible from triviality’. It argues, firstly, that a connection can be drawn between comic perception and pictures of reality that entail transcendence, understood as an otherness at the heart of things that may be indirectly glimpsed but never fully grasped as the object of fixed knowledge. To picture transcendence as enigmatically near within immanence, rather than set abstractly over against it, introduces a sense of relativity and ambivalence into experience. This yields a comic lightness which is nonetheless philosophically serious because it has to do with truth. This has implications, secondly, for understanding selfhood. The essay looks at three accounts of transcendence in this context: the arguments of Socrates regarding the divine madness of eros in Plato's Phaedrus; the development of a more radical conception of transcendence via biblical sources in Philo and Augustine; and the application, via a reconceived Cartesian cogito, of a more moderated account of transcendence in the philosophy of Maurice Merleau‐Ponty to the themes of self‐knowledge and sincerity. In all cases, the affirmation of transcendence destabilises the ‘mundane’ world and human knowledge of it, and relocates the subject's centre of gravity outside themselves via a characteristic movement of release. In all of them, to grow towards truth requires a renunciation of self‐possession and secure self‐knowledge: the self must give itself over to transcendent otherness if it is to become what it more truly is. Both world and self increase in mystery in these different renditions, and this is where humour and lightness break in. The realisation of this mysteriousness is not a cause for despair, however, but the means by which one is freed from illusory claims to absolute knowledge (whether of world or self), and journeys towards truth, held now more lightly and with a greater sense of wonder.
ORAL VACCINE: AS A MEANS OF PREVENTING RABIES IN WILDLIFE
Authors: Mazbayeva D.M. , Bulatov Ye.A , Abitaev R.T. , Sametova Zh.Zh. , Toktyrova D.S.
Published: November 2024

Rabies is a zoonotic infection of viral etiology that poses a danger to the health of both animals and humans. The disease is widespread everywhere, with the exception of some European countries, island states, Australia and Antarctica, which have managed to eliminate rabies in their territories. The causative agent of the infection is a representative of the family Rhabdoviridae, affecting all living organisms including vertebrates, invertebrates, plants and fish. A particular danger to humans is the genus Lyssavirus, which in most reported cases enters the body through contact of damaged skin with the saliva of an infected animal. The incubation time depends on the distance of the infection site to the brain. Affecting the nervous system and reaching the brain, the rabies virus leads to paralysis followed by imminent death. The main reservoirs for the virus are wild animals, in particular carnivores, as well as bats. One of the most effective ways to prevent transmission of the virus is to monitor and carry out preventive measures, including vaccination. The purpose of this review article is to show by global experience how oral vaccines have contributed to a significant reduction in the spread of rabies among wild carnivorous animals, which ultimately influenced the dynamics of morbidity among domestic animals and humans.
Determining factors for the appropriateness of soundscapes: A cross-sectional large-sample study in London (UK)
Authors: Fang Xiang , Aletta Francesco , Mitchell Andrew , Oberman Tin , Kang Jian
Published: November 2024

This study examines the association between appropriateness and the pleasantness-eventfulness circumplex model, as well as the influencing environmental and personal factors, in accordance with the recommended questionnaire of ISO/TS 12913-2 (2018). A database was used, containing over 1000 soundscape surveys collected across eleven locations in London. Confirmatory factor analysis and the structural summary method were applied to validate the relationship between appropriateness and the pleasantness-eventfulness circumplex model, while linear multilevel models were developed to investigate the effect of personal and environmental factors on appropriateness. The findings highlight varying relationship between appropriateness and the pleasantness-eventfulness dimensions of the soundscape circumplex model. The effect of personal factors on appropriateness is not negligible, accounting for approximately 2.1% of the variance. In contrast to the effects of the categories of landscape composition and acoustic metrics, dominant sound source type is the most influential category of environmental factors, with natural sounds explaining the most variance at 6%. Traffic noise is negatively associated with appropriateness which varies by location, while human sounds are negatively associated with appropriateness when respondents were Asian/Asian British. The findings provide empirical evidence of the relationship between appropriateness and the soundscape circumplex model and offer comprehensive insights into the affecting factors.
When softer sounds are more distracting: Task-irrelevant whispered speech causes disruption of serial recall
Authors: Kattner Florian , Föcker Julia , Moshona Cleopatra Christina , Marsh John E.
Published: November 2024

Two competing accounts propose that the disruption of short-term memory by irrelevant speech arises either due to interference-by-process (e.g., changing-state effect) or attentional capture, but it is unclear how whispering affects the irrelevant speech effect. According to the interference-by-process account, whispered speech should be less disruptive due to its reduced periodic spectro-temporal fine structure and lower amplitude modulations. In contrast, the attentional account predicts more disruption by whispered speech, possibly via enhanced listening effort in the case of a comprehended language. In two experiments, voiced and whispered speech (spoken sentences or monosyllabic words) were presented while participants memorized the order of visually presented letters. In both experiments, a changing-state effect was observed regardless of the phonation (sentences produced more disruption than “steady-state” words). Moreover, whispered speech (lower fluctuation strength) was more disruptive than voiced speech when participants understood the language (Experiment 1), but not when the language was incomprehensible (Experiment 2). The results suggest two functionally distinct mechanisms of auditory distraction: While changing-state speech causes automatic interference with seriation processes regardless of its meaning or intelligibility, whispering appears to contain cues that divert attention from the focal task primarily when presented in a comprehended language, possibly via enhanced listening effort.
Isometric Knee Extension and Hip Abduction Strength Are Negatively Correlated With Age in Female Recreational Runners
Authors: Hamilton Heather M. , Bennett Hunter J. , Mariano Mira , Lowe Dawn , Kakar Rumit Singh
Published: November 2024

Running mitigates age-related changes in cardiovascular fitness, but running alone does not preserve muscle strength in aging adults. In addition to age-related declines in muscle strength, menopause negatively affects muscle strength in females. However, the effects of aging on muscle strength in female runners has not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between age and lower-extremity muscle strength in healthy female recreational runners. Peak isometric and isokinetic (concentric and eccentric) strength of the hip abductors, hip extensors, knee extensors, and plantar flexors was tested in 54 participants (ages 27–65 years) using an isokinetic dynamometer. Simple correlation was used to determine the relationship between age and muscle strength. There was a significant negative correlation between age and isometric hip abduction strength (R = −.32, p = .017) and age and isometric knee extension strength (R = −.28, p = .041). There were no significant correlations between age and any other measures of isometric or isokinetic strength. Interventions to improve hip abduction and knee extension strength may be beneficial in aging female runners. Running may help mitigate some age-related declines in concentric muscle strength in female runners. Several strength measures were weakly to moderately correlated with running pace. Efforts to maintain lower-extremity muscle strength into older age may mitigate age-related declines in running pace.
Coordination between the eIF2 kinase GCN2 and p53 signaling supports purine metabolism and the progression of prostate cancer
Authors: Cordova Ricardo A. , Sommers Noah R. , Law Andrew S. , Klunk Angela J. , Brady Katherine E. , Goodrich David W. , Anthony Tracy G. , Brault Jeffrey J. , Pili Roberto , Wek Ronald C. , Staschke Kirk A.
Published: November 2024

Cancers invoke various pathways to mitigate external and internal stresses to continue their growth and progression. We previously reported that the eIF2 kinase GCN2 and the integrated stress response are constitutively active in prostate cancer (PCa) and are required to maintain amino acid homeostasis needed to fuel tumor growth. However, although loss of GCN2 function reduces intracellular amino acid availability and PCa growth, there is no appreciable cell death. Here, we discovered that the loss of GCN2 in PCa induces prosenescent p53 signaling. This p53 activation occurred through GCN2 inhibition–dependent reductions in purine nucleotides that impaired ribosome biogenesis and, consequently, induced the impaired ribosome biogenesis checkpoint. p53 signaling induced cell cycle arrest and senescence that promoted the survival of GCN2-deficient PCa cells. Depletion of GCN2 combined with loss of p53 or pharmacological inhibition of de novo purine biosynthesis reduced proliferation and enhanced cell death in PCa cell lines, organoids, and xenograft models. Our findings highlight the coordinated interplay between GCN2 and p53 regulation during nutrient stress and provide insight into how they could be targeted in developing new therapeutic strategies for PCa.
Differential tectonic activity along the southern boundary of the Qilian Mountains: Insights from low-temperature thermochronology, seismic data, and fluvial geomorphology
Authors: Yu Xiangjiang , Guo Zhaojie , Du Wei , Wang Zhendong , Yang Yizhou , Wu Jiawei , Yi Kexin , Wu Mulin
Published: November 2024

The Cenozoic development of the Tibetan Plateau is one of the most remarkable events in the geosciences. The southern boundary of the Qilian Mountains is a spectacular basin-mountain boundary in the northern Tibetan Plateau offering a valuable opportunity to investigate the growth processes and mechanisms of the Tibetan Plateau. Structural activity is significantly variable across the northern Qaidam basin, and the underlying reason for these differences remains uncertain. To address this issue, we undertook an analysis of two main watersheds—the Tataleng and Yuqia River watersheds—encompassing the middle section of the northern Qaidam basin. This study utilized a multidisciplinary approach combining fluvial geomorphology, low-temperature thermochronology, and seismic data to comprehensively investigate the structural activity within the northern Qaidam basin. The high channel steepness index, young low-temperature thermochronologic ages, concentrated earthquakes, and numerous knickpoints along the piedmont area of the Qaidam Shan collectively suggest that this region is among the most structurally active areas along the southern boundary of the Qilian Mountains. The varying levels of structural activity in the northern Qaidam basin could be linked to the intense glacial erosion in the Qaidam Shan during the Quaternary. Moreover, the flow orientation observed in the bedrock mountains is consistent with the N-S compressional stress field in the northern Qaidam basin during the early Cenozoic, representing a stark contrast to the modern NE-SW stress field. In this way, this research supports the understanding that river geomorphic parameters, including river steepness index and flow direction, are valuable tools for unveiling the regional tectonic evolution in bedrock mountain areas.
Organic Matter in the Thermal Waters of the Paratunka Geothermal Field, Kamchatka
Authors: Poturay V. A.
Published: November 2024

The first data on the composition of organic compounds in thermal waters have been obtained from deep boreholes in the Paratunka geothermal field in Kamchatka. A variety of organic compounds belonging to eleven homological series were identified by capillary gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and solid phase extraction. The thermal waters were found out to be strongly dominated by aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons (HC), which were formed in relation to both thermogenic processes (transformation of organic residues under the effect of high temperatures and pressures) and bacterial activity. The Karymshina thermal waters are characterized by a specific molecular mass distribution of HC and contain only even-normal alkanes. It is shown that the composition of organic compounds of medium volatility in the Paratunka geothermal field is similar to the composition of organic matter (OM) in other thermal water occurrences of the Kamchatka Peninsula (Mutnovka and Uzon geothermal fields), which have been previously studied using the same methodology: all the waters are characterized by the prevalence of aliphatic and aromatic HC over other identified compounds.
Targeting Minimal Residual Disease
Authors: Chou Yu-Ting , Allegakoen Paul , Bivona Trever G.
Published: November 2024

Minimal residual disease (MRD) represents a significant challenge in the treatment of various cancers, acting as a precursor to relapse and therapeutic resistance. This review discusses the clinical background of MRD, exploring its role as a critical determinant in patient outcomes. The persistence of MRD is attributed to several mechanisms, including Darwinian selection of preexisting resistant clones, Lamarckian induction of resistance traits, and pharmacologic resistance due to the tumor's intrinsic barriers to drugs and treatment limitations. These processes underscore MRD as the seed for long-term drug resistance, complicating treatment efficacy. Addressing MRD requires innovative therapeutic strategies, ranging from targeted therapies to novel drug combinations, aimed at eradicating these resilient cancer cells. By understanding and targeting MRD, we could improve patient prognoses and develop more effective cancer treatments. This review synthesizes current knowledge and emerging approaches in the quest to manage and eliminate MRD.
Detection and Confirmation of Naegleria fowleri in a Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis Patient Using a Molecular Approach
Authors: Aurongzeb Muhammad , Nazir Muhammad Amer , Yasmin Raheela , Kiran Ammeema , Fatima Raiha , Ali Rehan , Khan Salman Ahmed , Ul-Haq Asad , Al-Regaiey Khalid , Abualait Turki , Kaleem Imdad , Bashir Shahid
Published: November 2024

The Naegleria fowleri amoeba stands as the primary culprit behind primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), presenting a substantial global public health concern. In recent years, over 17 cases of PAM have been reported in Karachi, Pakistan, highlighting its increased prevalence in the country’s most densely populated city. This study scrutinized 74 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples collected from meningitis patients across various health facilities in the city. These samples underwent thorough examination employing biochemical, microbial, and cytological methods. Additionally, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers targeting the Naegleria genus and N. fowleri was employed to ascertain the presence of N. fowleri in the CSF samples. While biochemical and cytological analyses provided supportive information, they failed to yield a distinct diagnostic pattern. Nevertheless, through direct microscopic observation, cultural growth, and PCR‐based analyses, N. fowleri was definitively identified in one CSF sample.
Doxazosin Immediate Release as a Novel Treatment for Nightmares in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Khan Danyaal , Richardson Christie , Forsberg Martin
Published: November 2024

Nightmares and flashbacks are common debilitating symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that can disrupt daily functioning. Prazosin, an alpha‐1 adrenergic antagonist, has been commonly used off‐label for the treatment of these intrusion symptoms, although its short half‐life makes it so that often multiple doses are needed. Doxazosin, another alpha‐1 antagonist, is starting to be investigated in the treatment of PTSD‐related nightmares due to its lesser side effect profile and longer half‐life. In our case series, we present three cases of patients with PTSD‐related nightmares who were successfully treated with doxazosin following a relapse of symptoms after discontinuation of prazosin for various reasons. The success of doxazosin immediate release for PTSD‐related nightmares warrants further studies into its efficacy and use as an alternative treatment to prazosin.
Clostridium innocuum: More Important Than Ever
Authors: Luo Xujuan , Wang Xiaobo , Wang Jun
Published: November 2024

Clostridium innocuum (CI) is an emerging pathogen associated with a diverse range of diseases. This review primarily delves into clinical studies pertaining to CI and its potential pathogenic mechanisms, aiming to provide guidance for future research endeavors on this topic.
Long Noncoding RNA EMX2‐AS Facilitates Osteoblast Differentiation and Bone Formation by Inhibiting EMX2 Protein Translation and Activating Wnt/β‐Catenin Pathway
Authors: Fan Linyuan , Zhang Li , Zhang Xin , Wei Wei , Liu Zhaohui
Published: November 2024

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), as a potentially new and crucial element of biological regulation, have gained widespread attention in recent years. Our previous work identified lncRNA empty spiracles homeobox 2 antisence (EMX2‐AS) was significantly increased during the osteoblast differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Overexpression of lncRNA EMX2‐AS promoted osteogenesis in vitro and enhanced heterotopic bone formation in vivo, whereas lncRNA EMX2‐AS knockdown had the opposite effect. EMX2 could negatively regulate the osteoblast differentiation of MSCs. lncRNA EMX2‐AS was 80% expressed in the cytoplasm during osteoblast differentiation in MSCs. Mechanistic analysis revealed that lncRNA EMX2‐AS acts as a positive regulator of osteogenic differentiation through interaction with EMX2 and suppression of its expression at the translational level and Wnt/β‐catenin pathway is involved in lncRNA EMX2‐AS/EMX2 regulated osteogenic differentiation. Our findings not only provide new targets for the treatment of diseases related to osteoblast differentiation disruption but also enrich the understanding of the regulation mechanisms of lncRNA during stem cell differentiation.
Evaluation of Cardiomyopathy-Related Target Genes by Next-Generation Sequencing Method and Investigation of the Phenotype-Genotype Relationship
Authors: Sezginer Guler Hazal , Zhuri Drenushe , Yalcintepe Sinem , Altay Servet , Deveci Murat , Demir Selma , Gurlertop Hanefi Yekta , Atli Engin , Atli Emine İkbal , Gurkan Hakan
Published: November 2024

Background: Primary heart muscle diseases called cardiomyopathy (CMP) constitute an important group of subsequent heart disorders. CMPs are basically divided into four subgroups associated with the heart muscle but clinically distinguishable: hypertrophic CMP (HCM), dilated CMP (DCM), restrictive CMP (RCM), and left ventricular non-compaction CMP. Material and Methods: The results of the patients who applied to the Genetic Diseases Evaluation Center with the preliminary diagnosis of clinical CMP were evaluated retrospectively in the current study. In the current study, 103 cases were included and evaluated for phenotype-genotype association with the CMP next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel. Results: Fifty-eight different variants were identified in 45 patients. Sixteen out of those 58 variants were novel. Of these variants, 19 (32.75%) were likely pathogenic (LP)/pathogenic (P), and 35 (60.34%) were variants of uncertain significance. Conclusion: The prevalence of pathogenic variants in target genes associated with CMP is important for our current country's population, and multiple gene groups associated with CMP can be screened through NGS. The contribution rate to the clinical diagnosis was 18.44% in terms of the individual population who applied to our medical genetics center and were compatible with the CMP indication.
Selective outcome reporting bias in randomized controlled trials on dental caries in children and adolescents: A meta-research study
Authors: Oliveira Livia da Rosa , Elagami Rokaia Ahmed , Reis Thais Marchezini , Tedesco Tamara Kerber , Mendes Fausto Medeiros , Braga Mariana Minatel , Pannuti Claudio Mendes , Raggio Daniela Prócida
Published: November 2024

Introduction. Selective Outcome Reporting (SOR) is a type of bias that potentially manifests in Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and is defined as the change or omission of the primary outcome in the publication compared to the protocol. Researchers may alter outcomes to emphasize statistical significant results. We aimed to assess the prevalence of SOR in RCTs related to dental caries in Pediatric Dentistry.

Methods. We conducted a search on the ClinicalTrials.gov and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), using a comprehensive search strategy that included terms related to pediatric dentistry and dental caries, up to February 2023. Two independent reviewers included any trial that had two or more arms and focused on dental caries in pediatric dentistry. We excluded any registration that did not result in at least one published article. Data such as study characteristics and outcome data were extracted. The chi-square test was used with a significance level set at 5% to detect the association between SOR and the pre-specified variables.

Results. One hundred and forty-four protocols and their corresponding publications were included. SOR was observed in 58.9% (n=103), and 41.1% (n=72) having discrepancies in the primary outcome follow-up. Retrospectively registered studies accounted for 73.7%. SOR was significantly associated with discrepancies in the follow-up period (p<0.001) and with type of study design in paper (p=0.048).

Conclusion. The high prevalence of SOR in dental caries RCTs in pediatric dentistry confirms that the issue deserves attention. Achieving transparency in the process requires the implementation of an appropriate pre-registered protocol, disclosure of deviations from it, and allowing stakeholders to compare the established protocol with the submitted documents
Registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5UVJ8
Nutritional Management of Low Birth Weight and Preterm Infants in Low- and Low Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Azhar Maha , Yasin Rahima , Hanif Sawera , Bughio Sharib Afzal , Das Jai K. , Bhutta Zulfiqar A.
Published: November 2024

Introduction: Preterm and low birth weight (LBW) infants are at an increased risk of morbidity and mortality compared with their term counterparts, with more than 20 million LBW infants born each year, the majority in lower middle-income countries (LMICs). Given the increased vulnerability and higher nutritional needs of these infants, optimizing feeding strategies may play a crucial role in improving their health outcomes. Methods: We updated evidence of Every Newborn Series published in The Lancet 2014 by identifying relevant systematic reviews, extracting low-income country (LIC) and LMIC data, and conducting revised meta-analysis for these contexts. Results: We found 15 reviews; the evidence showed that early initiation of enteral feeding reduced neonatal mortality overall, but not in LIC/LMIC settings. Breastfeeding promotion interventions increased the prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding at 3 and 6 months of age in LMIC settings. There was an increased risk of neonatal mortality with formula milk in LIC/LMIC settings. Despite contributing to greater weight gain, there was a higher risk of necrotizing enterocolitis with formula milk overall. Breast milk fortification and nutrient-enriched formula improved growth outcomes. Iron and vitamin A supplementation reduced anemia and mortality rates (LMIC), respectively. The evidence also suggested that benefits of various different micronutrient supplementation interventions such as zinc, calcium/phosphorous, and vitamin D, outweigh the risks since our review demonstrates little to no adverse effects deriving from their supplementation, particularly for a breastfed preterm and/or LBW infant. Conclusion: Early adequate nutritional support of preterm or LBW infant is paramount to averse adverse health outcomes, contribute to normal growth, resistance to infection, and optimal development. Breast milk feeding and micronutrient supplementation are crucial to reduce diarrhea incidence and mortality respectively while feed fortification or nutrient-enriched formula, when breast milk is not available, to enhance better growth especially in LMICs where there is higher population of growth restriction and stunting. This review also highlights need for randomized trials in LMICs at large scale to further strengthen the evidence.