bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is economic complexity an enabler of environmental innovation? Novel insightful lessons from European region
Authors: Ha Le Thanh
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper empirically examines the influences of economic complexity performance on environmental innovation implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on four measures designed to assess the effectiveness of environmental innovations in 24 European countries, including the percentage of enterprises implementing environmental innovation investment (% of surveyed firms), the percentage of enterprises implementing environmental innovation activities (e.g. implementation of resource efficiency actions, sustainable products or ISO 14001 certificates) measured, a number of enterprises having new ISO 14001 registration and a number of environmental innovation related patents. After conducting various tests for longitudinal correlations and asymmetry of the studied series, we examine the relationship between product proximity, economic complexity and environmental innovation (EI) implementation using the panel-corrected standard error model (PCSE) model in the following section. The feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) model is employed to further verify our findings by taking into account heteroscedasticity. An application of the two-step generalized mixed model (GMM) is considered to resolve an endogeneity issue. In addition, the dynamic fixed-effects estimate (DFE) estimator is applied to the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) method in order to calculate both the short-run and long-run effects. As indicated by Ha (2022a, b) and Ha and Thanh (2022), the DFE-ARDL method can be used to identify both time-fixed effects and country-fixed effects.

Findings

The authors provide empirical evidence to propose the mechanism through which economic complexity encourages the implementation of environmental innovation through favorable impacts of economic complexity on environmental innovation investments of firms and governments and the public's awareness regarding the importance of environmental innovations.

Practical implications

This research provides important implications for policymakers in promoting environmental innovations.

Originality/value

The study is the first to empirically examine economic complexity performance's influences on environmental innovation implementation. It is also the first to investigate the importance of institutional quality in enhancing the influence of economic complexity on environmental performance.
The importance of a holistic approach to the factors determining population abundances
Authors: Magrach Ainhoa
Published: February 2023

Research Highlight: Ogilvie, J. E., & CaraDonna, P. J. (2022). The shifting importance of abiotic and biotic factors across the life cycles of wild pollinators. Journal of Animal Ecology, 91, 2412–2423. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365‐2656.13825. As global change and its multiple impacts continue to unfold across most of the planet, understanding how populations of wild species respond to changing conditions has become a major focus of ecological studies. Ogilvie and CaraDonna (Ogilvie & CaraDonna, 2022) focus on understanding how biotic and abiotic conditions affect bumblebee abundances. A major advance in their work is that, rather than focusing on a single measure of abundance at a particular life stage for each of the seven bumblebee species they survey (e.g. adult abundance), they focus on understanding the drivers of population abundance across the different stages of the species' life cycles. The authors specifically assess how three factors in particular, climate conditions, floral resource availability and previous life‐stage abundances impact these abundances. A main finding in their study is that each of these three factors directly impacted a different life stage, showing that just focusing on a single life‐stage would have resulted on a biased and incomplete picture of how abiotic and biotic factors affect bumblebee population dynamics. Studies like this one emphasize the need to focus on understanding the demographic mechanisms that determine population abundances.
Utility of commercial high‐resolution satellite imagery for monitoring general flowering in Sarawak, Borneo
Authors: Miura Tomoaki , Tokumoto Yuji , Shin Nagai , Shimizu Kentaro K. , Pungga Runi Anak Sylvester , Ichie Tomoaki
Published: February 2023

General flowering (GF), irregular synchronous mass flowering of multiple tree species across multiple families, is a unique biological phenomenon of the mixed lowland dipterocarp forest in Southeast Asia. Characterizing the spatial extent and temporal dynamics of GF is essential for an improved understanding of climate–vegetation interactions and the potential climate change impact on this species‐rich rainforest. We investigated the utility of newly available high‐temporal (daily) and high‐spatial (3–4 m) resolution remote sensing by the PlanetScope commercial satellite constellation for detecting flowering trees in a dipterocarp rainforest at Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia. Our study was focused on the latest GF event known to have occurred in the region in the year 2019. PlanetScope successfully acquired 13 clear‐sky or minimally cloud‐contaminated scenes over the park during a study period of January 1, 2019 to August 31, 2019 encompassing the 2019 GF event. In situ phenology observations verified that the PlanetScope images detected the flowering crowns of tree species that turned into white or orange. This multitemporal image dataset also captured the flowering peak and species differences. The correlation coefficients between the multitemporal image signatures and in situ phenology observations were moderate to very strong (0.52–0.85). The results indicated that the 2019 GF event was a whole‐park phenomenon with the flowering peak in May. This study reports the first successful satellite‐based observations of a GF event and suggests the possibility of regional‐scale characterization of species‐level phenology in the dipterocarp forest, key information for biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia.
Warmer winters result in reshaping of the European beech forest soil microbiome (bacteria, archaea and fungi)—With potential implications for ecosystem functioning
Authors: Dahl Mathilde Borg , Kreyling Juergen , Petters Sebastian , Wang Haitao , Mortensen Martin Steen , Maccario Lorrie , Sørensen Søren J. , Urich Tim , Weigel Robert
Published: February 2023

In temperate regions, climate warming alters temperature and precipitation regimes. During winter, a decline in insulating snow cover changes the soil environment, where especially frost exposure can have severe implications for soil microorganisms and subsequently for soil nutrient dynamics. Here, we investigated winter climate change responses in European beech forests soil microbiome. Nine study sites with each three treatments (snow exclusion, insolation, and ambient) were investigated. Long‐term adaptation to average climate was explored by comparing across sites. Triplicated treatment plots were used to evaluate short‐term (one single winter) responses. Community profiles of bacteria, archaea and fungi were created using amplicon sequencing. Correlations between the microbiome, vegetation and soil physicochemical properties were found. We identify core members of the forest‐microbiome and link them to key processes, for example, mycorrhizal symbiont and specialized beech wood degraders (fungi) and nitrogen cycling (bacteria, archaea). For bacteria, the shift of the microbiome composition due to short‐term soil temperature manipulations in winter was similar to the community differences observed between long‐term relatively cold to warm conditions. The results suggest a strong link between the changes in the microbiomes and changes in environmental processes, for example, nitrogen dynamics, driven by variations in winter climate.
Interplay between transcriptional regulators and VapBC toxin–antitoxin loci during thermal stress response in extremely thermoacidophilic archaea
Authors: Cooper Charlotte R. , Lewis April M. , Notey Jaspreet S. , Mukherjee Arpan , Willard Daniel J. , Blum Paul H. , Kelly Robert M.
Published: February 2023

Thermoacidophilic archaea lack sigma factors and the large inventory of heat shock proteins (HSPs) widespread in bacterial genomes, suggesting other strategies for handling thermal stress are involved. Heat shock transcriptomes for the thermoacidophilic archaeon Saccharolobus (f. Sulfolobus) solfataricus 98/2 revealed genes that were highly responsive to thermal stress, including transcriptional regulators YtrASs (Ssol_2420) and FadRSs (Ssol_0314), as well as type II toxin–antitoxin (TA) loci VapBC6 (Ssol_2337, Ssol_2338) and VapBC22 (Ssol_0819, Ssol_0818). The role, if any, of type II TA loci during stress response in microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, is controversial. But, when genes encoding YtrASs, FadRSs, VapC22, VapB6, and VapC6 were systematically mutated in Sa. solfataricus 98/2, significant up‐regulation of the other genes within this set was observed, implicating an interconnected regulatory network during thermal stress response. VapBC6 and VapBC22 have close homologues in other Sulfolobales, as well as in other archaea (e.g. Pyrococcus furiosus and Archaeoglobus fulgidus), and their corresponding genes were also heat shock responsive. The interplay between VapBC TA loci and heat shock regulators in Sa solfataricus 98/2 not only indicates a cellular mechanism for heat shock response that differs from bacteria but one that could have common features within the thermophilic archaea.
Comprehensive analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome ofMelanoplus differentialis(Acrididae: Melanoplinae) captured in Korea
Authors: Kim Dong Eon , Kim Philjae , Lee Heejo , Kim Nang‐Hee , Kim Dayeong , Lee Min‐Ji , Ban Young‐Gyu , Jang Beom‐jun , Park Jongsun
Published: February 2023

In this study, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome of the invasive insect speciesMelanoplus differentialiscaptured in Korea. The complete mitochondrial genome ofM. differentialisis 15,625 bp long and comprises 13 protein‐coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNAs, with a GC ratio of 25.2%. In total, 353 SNPs and 11 INDEL regions (total length 67 bp) were found against the previously sequencedM. differentialismitochondrial genome recorded as public genome data. The number of interspecific variations was greater than the number of intraspecific variations in this insect. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the mitochondrial genome clustered theMelanoplusclade with two previously reportedMelanoplussequences. However, the sequences were not divided at the species‐level clade possibly as a consequence of misidentification caused by an error in the public database. Our results extend the molecular database status ofMelanoplusby providing a novel complete mitochondrial genome sequence forM. differentialisthat could serve as reference for further molecular studies.
Common good human resource management, ethical employee behaviors, and organizational citizenship behaviors toward the individual
Authors: Pham Nhat Tan , Jabbour Charbel Jose Chiappetta , Pereira Vijay , Usman Muhammad , Ali Moazzam , Vo‐Thanh Tan
Published: February 2023

What happens to the behaviors of employees when their organizations' human resource management (HRM) systems take into account any challenges to the common good? Despite common good HRM (CGHRM) having recently been raised, the existing literature has not yet investigated the role played by CGHRM in relation to employee behaviors. Drawing on social exchange theory, we addressed this issue by exploring CGHRM and its influences on employee ethical behavior and organizational citizenship behaviors toward the individual (OCBI). We conducted this study in Vietnam, in two subsequent stages. Stage 1 involved a mixed‐method approach to develop and validate four items suited to measure CGHRM. In Stage 2, we examined a mediation‐moderation model showing the relationship between CGHRM and employee behaviors, and investigated the roles played by value commitment and spiritual leadership. We also included a survey using time‐lagged data and different sources. The findings reveal that CGHRM directly and positively influences ethical employee behaviors and OCBI, and indirectly and positively influences these two types of behavior via value commitment. Interestingly, the relationship between CGHRM and ethical employee behaviors was found to be significantly stronger when combined with high levels of spiritual leadership. Unexpectedly, however, spiritual leadership was not found to moderate the CGHRM‐OCBI relationship.
Individual health status as a resource: Analyzing associations between perceived illness symptom severity, burnout, and work engagement among employees with autoimmune diseases
Authors: Cook Alexandra (Sasha) , Zill Alexander
Published: February 2023

Epidemiological data suggest that the prevalence of autoimmune diseases is increasing. Although evidence implies that people with chronic illnesses experience higher levels of burnout, there are few available insights for developing preventative interventions. This paper builds on the conservation of resources (COR) and the job demands–resources (JD‐R) framework to investigate the association between impaired health, burnout, and work engagement. In two studies, we research the role of health status as a resource, respectively, autoimmune illness symptom severity as a diminished resource, and investigate its variance explanation in burnout and work engagement above and beyond the effects of job demands and resources. Study 1 investigated the hypotheses among 87 employees with inflammatory bowel diseases. Controlling for job demands and resources, symptom severity was positively associated with (exhaustion) burnout and negatively associated with work engagement. In Study 2, we applied mixed model analyses using a sample of 129 employees with multiple sclerosis. We found significant associations of symptom severity on burnout and vigor work engagement above and beyond the effects of job demands and social support. Our studies provide important insights for employees with chronic illnesses and the organizations in which they work and give indications for theory development, future research, and the development of interventions.
Robotic gastrectomy for remnant gastric cancer after pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: Ito Sunao , Sagawa Hiroyuki , Yamamoto Seiya , Saito Masaki , Ueno Shuhei , Hayakawa Shunsuke , Okubo Tomotaka , Tanaka Tatsuya , Ogawa Ryo , Takahashi Hiroki , Matsuo Yoichi , Mitsui Akira , Kimura Masahiro , Takiguchi Shuji
Published: February 2023

The utility of robotic surgery for remnant gastric cancer remains unclear. We report a case of a robotic gastrectomy for remnant gastric cancer after pancreaticoduodenectomy and Child reconstruction with Braun enteroenterostomy. Adhesiolysis, lymphadenectomy, and gastrectomy were robotically performed. Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging confirmed the tissue perfusion of the reconstructive tract. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Robotic surgery facilitates safety for gastrectomy after pancreaticoduodenectomy because of its precise manipulation; its advantages can be further exploited by maximizing usage of the assistant's forceps. Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging capability of the da Vinci Xi Surgical System allows timely evaluation of tissue perfusion at the site of interest, leading to a more reliable procedure.
Long‐Termoutcome following surgical excision of large, low to intermediate grade soft tissue sarcomas in dogs
Authors: Davis A , Hosgood G
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a heterogeneous group of tumours, with varying mesenchymal cell origin, size and histological grade. Large soft tissue sarcomas pose a surgical challenge due to feasibility of excision, and are often dismissed as good surgical candidates due to an anticipated poor prognosis.

Objective

To evaluate the long‐term outcome of dogs that underwent surgical excision of large (≥5 cm), low to intermediate grade, soft tissue sarcomas.

Methods

Medical records of dogs that presented for STS excision between 2009 and 2021 were reviewed. Information was obtained regarding signalment, tumour location and size, preoperative cytology and histology, preoperative imaging, surgical findings, postoperative histological diagnosis and outcome. Dogs were included in the study if they underwent surgical excision of a de novo cutaneous or subcutaneous STS, which measured at least five centimeters in one plane, and was histologically diagnosed as low‐intermediate grade. Long‐term follow‐up data were obtained via consultation, telephone or email.

Results

Thirty‐nine dogs with large, low‐intermediate grade STS were included. Most tumours were Grade 1 (28/39), located predominantly on the thigh and thorax (17/39). Tumours were removed by at least a narrow margin excision (≥1 cm) and deep fascial plane in all cases. Histological margins were deemed complete in 15/39, close (1–3 mm) in 8/39, incomplete in 4/39, and unknown in 12/39. All sites were closed primarily, either directly (22/39) or with flap reconstruction (17/39). Long‐term follow‐up (median 1064 days) reported good postoperative function, with owner reported local recurrence in 2/39. Minor complications occurred in 10/39 and major complications requiring surgical intervention occurred in 5/39.

Clinical Significance

Large, low‐intermediate grade STSs can be surgically excised with good long‐term function and outcome, where consideration is given to appropriate case selection and planning. If skin flap reconstruction is required, owners should be made aware of the possible complications associated with their use.
Programmed death ligand 1 regulates epithelial–mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cell phenotypes in hepatocellular carcinoma through the serum and glucocorticoid kinase 2/β‐catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Kong Xin , Peng Hong , Liu Peng , Fu Xiao , Wang Ni , Zhang Dazhi
Published: February 2023

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) plays an important role in the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study indicated that epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and induction of cancer stem cell (CSC)‐like properties contribute to metastasis of cancers. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying PD‐L1 and EMT and CSC phenotypes in HCC remain to be elucidated. Here, we report that PD‐L1 regulates not only EMT but also the stem‐like transition in liver cancer cells. We observed high PD‐L1 expression in CD133+ liver CSCs and CSC‐enriched tumor spheres. Altering PD‐L1 expression promoted liver CSC phenotypes by increasing the expression of stemness genes, the CD133+ cell population sizes, and the ability to form tumor spheres. Programmed death ligand 1 enhanced HCC cell tumorigenicity and invasion in nude mice. Additionally, PD‐L1 overexpression in cells significantly increased cell motility and invasion, as well as the EMT process. Conversely, suppression of PD‐L1 in cells had an opposite effect. Prolonged treatment of HCC cells with Akt inhibitor prefosine leads to activation of serum and glucocorticoid kinase 2 (SGK2) and rescued downregulation of PD‐L1. Mechanistically, PD‐L1 directly interacted with SGK2. Programmed death ligand 1 upregulated SGK2 and activated the SGK2/β‐catenin signaling pathway, and promoted EMT and CSC expansion in liver cancer cells, highlighting the role of SGK2 in PD‐L1‐mediated EMT and CSC phenotypes in liver cancer cells. In conclusion, our findings suggest that PD‐L1 activated the SGK2/β‐catenin signaling pathway, to induce EMT and acquisition of a stem cell phenotype.
Therapeutic implications of crocin in Parkinson's disease: A review of preclinical research
Authors: Goyal Ahsas , Verma Aanchal , Agrawal Anant , Dubey Nandini , Kumar Abhay , Behl Tapan
Published: February 2023

Parkinson's disease is among the most common forms of neurodegenerative illness, with present treatment being primarily symptomatic and frequently coming with substantial adverse effects. Neuronal degeneration may arise due to a variety of pathological events, like inflammatory responses, neurotransmitter dysregulation, oxidative damage, mitochondrial malfunction, apoptosis, and genetic factors. The health issue and financial burden brought on by Parkinson's disease can worsen as the population ages. In the search for new and secure therapeutic agents for Parkinson's disease, several natural compounds have been shown to exert considerable neuroprotective benefits. Crocin, a naturally occurring carotenoid molecule, was found to have neuroprotective potential in the therapy of this disorder. Taking into account, the outcomes of various studies and the restorative actions of crocin, the present study emphasized the protective ability of crocin in this disease. Given the strong evidence supporting the neuroprotective ability of crocin, it is inferred that crocin inhibits inflammatory, apoptotic, and antioxidant processes through multiple mechanisms. Therefore, this compound is considered a safe and effective therapeutic choice for neurodegenerative illnesses like Parkinson's disease. However, more research on its efficacy as a treatment of Parkinson's disease is needed, specifically examining its mechanisms and the results obtained in clinical trials.
Design, synthesis, and evaluation of 1H‐benzo[d]imidazole‐4‐carboxamide PARP‐1 inhibitors using different saturated nitrogen‐contained heterocycle as linker group
Authors: Wu Kaiyue , Peng Xiaoyu , Li Yang , Chen Miaojia , Liu Yunfan , Liu Dan , Jiang Lizhi , He Yan , Peng Junmei , Cao Xuan
Published: February 2023

Poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase‐1 (PARP‐1) inhibitors have been successfully applied in the clinical treatment of various cancer. Side effects and drug resistant cases were reported, and more effective PARP‐1 inhibitors were required. However, studies on the AD site of PARP‐1 inhibitors are currently incomplete. Therefore, to synthesize more potential candidate PARP‐1 inhibitors and disclose some AD site SAR of the PARP‐1 inhibitors, herein, a series of 2‐phenyl‐benzimidazole‐4‐carboxamide derivatives using different saturated nitrogen‐contained heterocycles as linker group (6a‐6t) have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated PARP‐1 inhibitory activity and proliferation inhibitory against BRCA‐1 mutant MDA‐MB‐436 cell line in vitro. The results showed 6b (IC50 = 8.65 nM) exhibited the most PARP‐1 enzyme inhibitory activity comparable with Veliparib (IC50 = 15.54 nM) and Olaparib (IC50 = 2.77 nM); 6m exhibited the strongest MDA‐MB‐436 cell anti‐proliferation activity (IC50 = 25.36 ± 6.06 μM) comparable with Olaparib (IC50 = 23.89 ± 3.81 μM). The compounds 6b, 6r, and 6m could be potential candidates for effective PARP‐1 inhibitors and valuable for further optimization. The analysis of activity data also showed that the holistically anti‐proliferation activity of the 1,4‐diazepane group was about~twofold than that of the piperazine group. Meanwhile, the terminal 3‐methyl‐furanyl group exhibited the most robust PARP‐1 inhibitory and anti‐proliferation activity. It is hoped that the results could benefitable for further optimization of PARP‐1 inhibitors. Furthermore, we note that some compounds (6d,6g,6n,6p,6s) showed poor PARP‐1 inhibitory (>500 nM) but relatively good anti‐proliferation activity, which indicates the proliferation inhibitory mechanism against MDA‐MB‐436 cell line was worth investigating in‐depth.
Infants and toddlers leverage their understanding of action goals to evaluate agents who help others
Authors: Woo Brandon M. , Spelke Elizabeth S.
Published: February 2023

Why do infants and toddlers prefer helpers? Four experiments (conducted from 2019–2022;n= 136, 66% White, 15% Asian, 4% Black, 2% Hispanic/Latino, 13% multiracial, majority USA) investigated whether infants and toddlers favor agents whose actions allow others to achieve their goals. In the key experiment, 8‐month‐old infants and 15‐month‐old toddlers viewed a protagonist who tried and failed to open a box that contained a toy while two other agents (helpers) observed; then the toys were exchanged and the helpers opened different boxes. Infants and toddlers differently evaluated the two helpers, consistent with their developing means‐end understanding. Together, the present four experiments connect infants' and toddlers' evaluations of helping to their understanding of goal‐directed behavior.
De‐implementing opioid prescribing in a dental group practice: Lessons learned
Authors: Rindal Donald Brad , Gryczynski Jan , Asche Stephen E. , Truitt Anjali R. , Kane Sheryl M. , Worley Donald C. , Mitchell Shannon G.
Published: February 2023

Background

Drug overdose has become a leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Between 2000 and 2015, the rate of deaths from drug overdoses increased 137%, including a 200% increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids (including opioid pain relievers and heroin). Unnecessary opioid prescribing is one of the factors driving this epidemic.

Objectives

The primary objective of this paper is to share lessons learned while conducting a randomized trial to de‐implement opioids for post‐extraction pain management utilizing clinical decision support (CDS) with and without patient education. The lessons learned from conducting this trial in a real‐world setting can be applied to future dissemination and implementation oral health research.

Methods

The sources informing lessons learned were generated from qualitative interviews conducted with 20 of the forty‐nine dental providers involved in the study following the implementation phase of the trial. Ongoing policy, social and environmental factors were tracked throughout the study.

Results

Dental providers in the trial identified the impact of training that involved health professionals sharing information about the personal impact of pain and opioid use. Additionally, they found utility in being presented with a dashboard detailing their prescribing patterns related to other dentists. For the 30 general dentists with access to the CDS, use of its portal varied widely, with most using it 10%–49% of the time related to extractions.

Conclusions

In the context of a downward trend in opioid prescribing and considering the influence of the COVID pandemic during the trial, dental providers indicated benefit in training about negative personal impacts of prescribing opioids, and personally relevant feedback about their prescribing patterns. Only modest use of the CDS was realized. Implementation of this trial was impacted by governmental and health system policies and the COVID pandemic, prompt the consideration of implications regarding continuing ways to limit opioid prescribing among dental providers.
Genetic diversity and IUCN Red List status
Authors: Schmidt Chloé , Hoban Sean , Hunter Margaret , Paz‐Vinas Ivan , Garroway Colin J.
Published: February 2023

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is an important and widely used tool for conservation assessment. The IUCN uses information about a species’ range, population size, habitat quality and fragmentation levels, and trends in abundance to assess extinction risk. Genetic diversity is not considered, although it affects extinction risk. Declining populations are more strongly affected by genetic drift and higher rates of inbreeding, which can reduce the efficiency of selection, lead to fitness declines, and hinder species’ capacities to adapt to environmental change. Given the importance of conserving genetic diversity, attempts have been made to find relationships between red‐list status and genetic diversity. Yet, there is still no consensus on whether genetic diversity is captured by the current IUCN Red List categories in a way that is informative for conservation. To assess the predictive power of correlations between genetic diversity and IUCN Red List status in vertebrates, we synthesized previous work and reanalyzed data sets based on 3 types of genetic data: mitochondrial DNA, microsatellites, and whole genomes. Consistent with previous work, species with higher extinction risk status tended to have lower genetic diversity for all marker types, but these relationships were weak and varied across taxa. Regardless of marker type, genetic diversity did not accurately identify threatened species for any taxonomic group. Our results indicate that red‐list status is not a useful metric for informing species‐specific decisions about the protection of genetic diversity and that genetic data cannot be used to identify threat status in the absence of demographic data. Thus, there is a need to develop and assess metrics specifically designed to assess genetic diversity and inform conservation policy, including policies recently adopted by the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Evaluating the influence of nature connection and values on conservation attitudes at a tropical deforestation frontier
Authors: Mikołajczak Katarzyna M. , Barlow Jos , Lees Alexander C. , Ives Christopher D. , Strack Micha , de Almeida Oriana Trindade , Souza Agnis C. , Sinclair Frazer , Parry Luke
Published: February 2023

Inner phenomena, such as personal motivations for pursuing sustainability, may be critical levers for improving conservation outcomes. Most conservation research and policies, however, focus on external phenomena (e.g., ecological change or economic processes). We explored the factors shaping 9 conservation attitudes toward forest and wildlife protection among colonist farmers around an Amazonian deforestation frontier. Our data comprised 241 face‐to‐face quantitative surveys, complemented with qualitative insights from open‐ended questionnaire responses and opportunistic semistructured interviews. To account for the full spectrum of possible inner motivations, we employed measures of nature connection (indicating biospheric motivation) and personal values organized around the traditionalism (traditionalist through to high openness to change) and universalism dimensions (egoistic through to altruistic motivations). We used averaged beta‐binomial generalized linear models to assess the role of external factors (socioeconomic, sociodemographic, and environmental) and personal (inner) motivations on the variation in attitudes. Each attitude was modeled separately. The relative importance of each predictor was judged by the proportion of models where it appeared as significant. Proconservation views were expressed by the majority (at least 65%) of the respondents in 7 out of the 9 attitude models. The most consistent predictors were emotional nature connection and personal values (significant in 4–6 out of 9 models), rather than external phenomena (significant in 0–5 models). However, the poorest farmers had lower scores on the agreement with prioritizing nature over development (𝛽 = –0.52, 95% CI: –0.96 to –0.07). Qualitative data also indicated that economic barriers hinder forest conservation on farms. These results suggest that biospheric, traditionalistic, and altruistic motivations promote people's proconservation attitudes, but nurturing these latent motivations is unlikely to improve conservation outcomes if material poverty remains unaddressed. Integrating the inner–outer perspective into conservation thinking and practical interventions could foster environmental stewardship and increase human well‐being.
An expert‐based system to predict population survival rate from health data
Authors: Schwacke Lori H. , Thomas Len , Wells Randall S. , Rowles Teresa K. , Bossart Gregory D. , Townsend Forrest , Mazzoil Marilyn , Allen Jason B. , Balmer Brian C. , Barleycorn Aaron A. , Barratclough Ashley , Burt Louise , De Guise Sylvain , Fauquier Deborah , Gomez Forrest M. , Kellar Nicholas M. , Schwacke John H. , Speakman Todd R. , Stolen Eric D. , Quigley Brian M. , Zolman Eric S. , Smith Cynthia R.
Published: February 2023

Timely detection and understanding of causes for population decline are essential for effective wildlife management and conservation. Assessing trends in population size has been the standard approach, but we propose that monitoring population health could prove more effective. We collated data from 7 bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) populations in the southeastern United States to develop a method for estimating survival probability based on a suite of health measures identified by experts as indices for inflammatory, metabolic, pulmonary, and neuroendocrine systems. We used logistic regression to implement the veterinary expert system for outcome prediction (VESOP) within a Bayesian analysis framework. We fitted parameters with records from 5 of the sites that had a robust network of responders to marine mammal strandings and frequent photographic identification surveys that documented definitive survival outcomes. We also conducted capture–mark–recapture (CMR) analyses of photographic identification data to obtain separate estimates of population survival rates for comparison with VESOP survival estimates. The VESOP analyses showed that multiple measures of health, particularly markers of inflammation, were predictive of 1‐ and 2‐year individual survival. The highest mortality risk 1 year following health assessment related to low alkaline phosphatase (odds ratio [OR] = 10.2 [95% CI: 3.41–26.8]), whereas 2‐year mortality was most influenced by elevated globulin (OR = 9.60 [95% CI: 3.88–22.4]); both are markers of inflammation. The VESOP model predicted population‐level survival rates that correlated with estimated survival rates from CMR analyses for the same populations (1‐year Pearson's r = 0.99, p = 1.52 × 10–5; 2‐year r = 0.94, p = 0.001). Although our proposed approach will not detect acute mortality threats that are largely independent of animal health, such as harmful algal blooms, it can be used to detect chronic health conditions that increase mortality risk. Random sampling of the population is important and advancement in remote sampling methods could facilitate more random selection of subjects, obtainment of larger sample sizes, and extension of the approach to other wildlife species.
Do 50‐year‐old Ramsar criteria still do the best possible job? A plea for broadened scientific underpinning of the global protection of wetlands and migratory waterbirds
Authors: Navedo Juan G. , Piersma Theunis
Published: February 2023

With its focus on wetlands, the Ramsar Convention provides the clearest global agreement helping the conservation of migratory waterbirds. Two specific criteria (5 and 6) support the scientific basis for sites to achieve Ramsar recognition based on waterbird counts, while criterion 4, on species and ecological communities, also plays a role. Other international conventions and agreements follow these criteria. We identify several reasons why the listing thus established can only “catch” the absolute minimum wetland network for the conservation of migratory waterbirds. We argue that individual tracking and modern observational tools allow to better delineate the areas needed to effectively give migratory waterbird populations full life cycle protection. The sophisticated techniques to measure population characteristics now available should be used to modernize the guidance for the application of Criteria 4 and 6 of the Ramsar Convention for waterbirds, based on (i) time spent in a site throughout migration; (ii) critical (“untouchable”) sites; (iii) robustness of designated site network including buffer areas; (iv) full life cycle information—including early life phases; and (v) refuges used on‐and‐off during migration in emergency situations. In these enhanced ways, migratory waterbirds can enact their roles as effective sentinels of the ecological state of the world.
Emodin alleviates lung ischemia–reperfusion injury by suppressing gasdermin D‐mediated pyroptosis in rats
Authors: Jin Tao , Ai Fen , Zhou Jin , Kong Lin , Xiong Zhangming , Wang Dingping , Lu Ruilin , Chen Zhen , Zhang Muxi
Published: February 2023

Background

Pyroptosis refers to programmed cell death associated with inflammation. Emodin has been reported to alleviate lung injuries caused by various pathological processes and attenuate ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injuries in diverse tissues.

Methods

Lewis rats were assigned into the sham, the I/R, and the I/R + emodin groups. Emodin and phosphate‐buffered saline were intraperitoneally injected into rats of the emodin group and I/R group for 30 min, respectively. These rats were then subjected to left thoracotomy followed by 90‐min clamping of the left hilum and 120‐min reperfusion. Sham‐operated rats underwent 210‐min ventilation. Lung functions, histological changes, lung edema, and cytokine levels were assessed. Protein levels were measured by western blotting. Immunofluorescence staining was conducted to evaluate pyroptosis.

Results

Emodin alleviated the I/R‐induced lung dysfunction, lung damages, and inflammation. Protective effects of emodin against I/R‐mediated endothelial pyroptosis was observed in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, emodin inactivated the TLR4/MyD88/NF‐κB/NLRP3 pathway.

Conclusion

Emodin attenuates lung ischemia–reperfusion injury by inhibiting GSDMD‐mediated pyroptosis in rats.
Donor's long‐term quality of life following living‐donor lobar lung transplantation
Authors: Fujii Kento , Tanaka Shin , Ishihara Megumi , Matsubara Kei , Hashimoto Kohei , Okahara Shuji , Shien Kazuhiko , Suzawa Ken , Miyoshi Kentaroh , Otani Shinji , Yamamoto Hiromasa , Okazaki Mikio , Sugimoto Seiichiro , Yamane Masaomi , Toyooka Shinichi
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Living‐donor lobar lung transplantation is an alternative procedure to deceased donation lung transplantation. It involves graft donation from healthy donors; however, only a few reports have discussed its long‐term prognosis in living lung donors and their associated health‐related quality of life. This study aimed to examine living lung donors’ health‐related quality of life.

Methods

In our cross‐sectional survey of living lung donors, we assessed health‐related quality of life‐based on three key aspects (physical, mental, and social health) using the 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey. We also evaluated chronic postoperative pain and postoperative breathlessness using the numeric rating scale and the modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea scale, respectively.

Results

We obtained consent from 117 of 174 living lung donors. The average scores of the living lung donors on the 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey were higher than the national average. However, some donors had poorer physical, mental, and social health, with lower summary scores than the national averages. Low mental component summary predictors included donor age (<40 years; odds ratio = 10.2; p < .001) and recipient age (<18 years; odds ratio = 2.73; p < .032). Low role‐social component summary predictors included high lung allocation score (≥50; odds ratio = 3.94, p < .002) and recipient death (odds ratio = 3.64; p = .005). There were no predictors for a physical component summary. Additionally, many donors did not complain of pain or dyspnea.

Conclusions

Living lung donors maintained an acceptable long‐term health‐related quality of life after surgery. Potential donors should be informed of relevant risk factors, and high‐risk donors should receive appropriate support.
Visualizando a deficiência: Vendo o outro lado
Authors: Basu Ana , Friel Kathleen , Olusanya Bolajoko , Hadders‐Algra Mijna
Published: February 2023

The English version of this invited editorial is available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.15452
Functional neurological disorder in children and young people: Incidence, clinical features, and prognosis
Authors: Yong Kenneith , Chin Richard F. M. , Shetty Jay , Hogg Kirsty , Burgess Kieran , Lindsay Max , McLellan Ailsa , Stone Jon , KamathTallur Krishnaraya ,   the Edinburgh Paediatric FND Study Group
Published: February 2023

Aim

To report incidence, demographic and clinical characteristics, and symptom outcome of functional neurological disorder (FND) in children.

Method

Children diagnosed with FND at a regional children's hospital were prospectively recruited by weekly active surveillance for 36 months. Demographic, clinical, and follow‐up data were retrospectively extracted by review of electronic records. Descriptive statistical analyses were used.

Results

Ninety‐seven children (age range 5–15 years) met the case definition of FND (annual incidence 18.3 per 100 000 children). Children with FND were likely to be female (n = 68 [70%]) and older (median 13 years) with no difference in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (marker of socioeconomic status) compared with the general childhood population. Functional motor (41%) and sensory (41%) symptoms were most common; other somatic symptoms such as headache (31%) and pain (27%) were frequent. Self‐reported psychiatric symptoms and infection/inflammation were the most common predisposing and precipitating factors respectively. At a median of 15 months follow‐up, 49% of 75 children reported improvement or resolution of FND symptoms with no prognostic factors found.

Interpretation

At this regional centre, FND in children had a higher incidence than previously reported and a less optimistic outcome than in some other studies.
‘It is in our hands—Why wait until you are sick?’: Perceptions about diabetes prevention of Latina mothers in Mexico and the United States
Authors: Toney Ashley Mulcahy , Pineros‐Leano Maria , Pérez‐Flores Nancy Jacquelyn , Gomez Diana , Aguayo Liliana
Published: February 2023

Aims

This study aimed to understand the perceptions driving type 2 diabetes mellitus prevention and management behaviours of Mexican and Latina mothers in Mexico and the United States.

Methods

Low‐income Mexican mothers in San Luis Potosí, Mexico and Latina mothers in Illinois, United States, were recruited by the Holistic Obesity Prevention Study (HOPS). Verbatim transcripts of the semistructured interviews conducted in Spanish (n = 24) and English (n = 1) were analysed using the Health Belief Model (HBM) framework.

Results

Of the 25 participants, 22 (88%) indicated ‘knowing someone with diabetes’—specifically a father (n = 8), mother (n = 6) or grandparent (n = 7). Using the HBM, themes showed that mothers perceived: that Type 2 diabetes can happen to anyone, are attributable to genetic predisposition and may be driven by strong emotions (perceived susceptibility). Type 2 diabetes introduces severe comorbidities and emotional difficulties for people and their families (perceived severity). Adopting a healthier diet, exercising and staying in good spirits were recognized as benefits of Type 2 diabetes prevention (perceived benefits). The costs of food, challenges of exercising, dieting, modifying habits and time limitations were recognized as perceived costs. Cues to action included doctors' recommendations (external) and fear (internal). Mothers acknowledged they could live a healthy life by controlling their weight, exercising, adhering to treatments/medications and having the determination to carry‐on (self‐efficacy).

Conclusions

Mothers sought to prevent Type 2 diabetes and live healthy lives, particularly, after receiving a diagnosis of gestational diabetes or when learning about their children's risks for Type 2 diabetes but perceived significant barriers to Type 2 diabetes prevention.
Global digital platforms, technology transfer and foreign direct investment policies in two‐sided markets
Authors: Klimenko Mikhail , Qu Jingwen
Published: February 2023

This paper examines the preferences of a foreign firm and a host country government over two modes of FDI in two‐sided markets: de novo entry (through the establishment of a new platform) and acquisition of the domestic incumbent platform. Technology transfer, cross‐side network externalities and platform service differentiation determine the ranking of the host country welfare gains and the entrant's profits under the two entry modes. In the case where the foreign entrant and the host government disagree over the entry modes ranking, asymmetric foreign equity restrictions can induce the welfare‐optimal choice of the entry mode by the foreign firm.
Violated contracts, inadequate career support, but still forgiveness: Key organizational factors that determine championing behaviors
Authors: De Clercq Dirk , Pereira Renato
Published: February 2023

To establish how and when psychological contract violations steer employees away from championing behaviors, this study addresses the mediating role of beliefs about inadequate career support and the moderating role of forgiveness climates, as perceived by employees. Survey data from 208 employees of a retail organization, along with a simultaneous estimation of mediation and moderation effects (Process macro), reveal that a sense of organizational betrayal undermines efforts to mobilize support for innovative ideas, because employees critique employers for offering limited career support. Perceptions of an organizational climate that forgives mistakes mitigate this harmful process. For championing research, this study unpacks an unexplored link between psychological contract violations and championing efforts, influenced by career‐related adversity and organizational forgiveness. For practitioners, it pinpoints the danger that employees who feel betrayed might inadvertently make things more difficult, because they react with work‐related complacency. Organizations should create benevolent internal environments to diminish this danger.
Among‐individual behavioral responses to predation risk are invariant within two species of freshwater snails
Authors: Toscano Benjamin J. , Allegue Hassen , Gownaris Natasha J. , Drausnik Marta , Yung Zach , Bauloye Daniel , Gorman Flynn , Ver Pault Mia
Published: February 2023

Prey behavioral response to predation risk drives a range of ecological and evolutionary processes. Key to these effects is the degree to which conspecifics exhibit consistent individual differences in their response to risk or instead follow a mean population‐level pattern. Here, we employed the behavioral reaction norm framework to quantify among‐individual variation in average predator avoidance behavior (i.e., behavioral types) and the behavioral response to risk (i.e., individual plasticity) in two snail species (Helisoma trivolvis and Physa acuta) that differ in their vulnerability to predators. While both snail species exhibited substantial variation in behavioral types, individual plasticity in response to risk was remarkably invariant—both snail species increased avoidance behavior with increasing risk, but all conspecific individuals followed the population‐level pattern (i.e., parallel reaction norms). Instead, individual snails differed in how they adjusted their behavior over the course of repeated behavioral assays (n = 12 per individual), with some exhibiting increased sensitization to risk cues and others habituation. We further show that among‐individual behavioral variation, both in behavioral types and in individual responses to repeated assays, was sometimes correlated with physiological traits, providing potential mechanisms for the maintenance of this variation. In total, our results indicate that behavioral types and individual plasticity vary at different hierarchical scales (individual‐ vs. population‐level, respectively) in freshwater snails, which has implications for species interactions and the evolution of predator avoidance behavior.