bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aging, Skeletal Muscle, and Epigenetics
Authors: Stewart Claire E. , Sharples Adam P.
Published: September 2022

We are living in an aging society. In 2019, 1 billion individuals were already aged over 60. The number of people in this demographic is predicted to reach 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050 (WHO). In the USA, individuals over 65 represent the fastest growing segment of the population (US census bureau). Similar trends are seen in the UK, with 16.2 million people already aged over 60, equivalent to 24% of the total population (Age UK; https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/reports-and-publications/later_life_uk_factsheet.pdf). Indeed, in the UK, people over the age of 60 outnumbered those under the age of 18, for the first time in 2008. This statistic still prevails today. Because of medical and biopharmaceutical progress, lifespan is increasing rapidly, but healthspan is failing to keep up. If we are to increase healthy living, then we need to begin to understand the mechanisms of how we age across the life course, so that relevant interventions may be developed to facilitate “life in our years,” not simply “years in our life.” It is reported that only 25% of aging is genetically predetermined. This fits with observations of some families aging very quickly and poorly and others aging slowly and well. If this is indeed the case and the rate of aging is not fixed, then this knowledge provides a significant opportunity to manipulate the impact of environmental influencers of age. With that in mind, it begs the question of what are the mechanisms of aging and is there potential to manipulate this process on an individual-by-individual basis? The focus of this article will be on the process of muscle wasting with aging (sarcopenia) and the potential of exercise and its underlying mechanisms to reverse or delay sarcopenia. There will be a focus on epigenetics in muscle wasting and the capability of exercise to change our skeletal muscle epigenetic profile for the good. The article ends with considerations relating to facial aging, Botox treatment, and gene editing as a tool for plastic surgeons in the future.
Self-management plan of chronic disease among inpatients admitted to a Portuguese Endocrinology unit: a best practice implementation project
Authors: Neves Teresa Margarida Almeida , Marques António Manuel
Published: September 2022

Introduction:

Globally, there is an increasing incidence of chronic diseases, particularly, diabetes. Patient engagement in disease self-management is essential to improve outcomes and reduce consumption of health resources. Despite investment in this area, there is a need to improve nursing care practices.

Aims:

To increase compliance of Endocrinology nurses with best practice in promoting self-management of diabetes by patients.

Methods:

The project was conducted in an Endocrinology unit of a Portuguese central hospital. It was based on the JBI's model approach, considering three phases: baseline audit, strategy design and implementation, and follow-up audit. For the audits, 11 criteria were considered. The sample was composed of patients (15 in the baseline; 30 at the follow-up audit), and nurses (15 in both audits).

Results:

The baseline audit showed that there was poor compliance in some criteria. Four barriers were identified and the strategies/resources to mitigate them. There was improvement in all audit criteria as the project developed (100% compliance in seven criteria; two criteria increased from 0 to 100%).

Conclusion:

The evidence-based implementation project improved nursing practices for self-management planning of the person with diabetes. The adequacy of the strategies developed should be highlighted, namely the training and reflection on practices. The creation of the standardized discharge procedure has also improved compliance (criteria 7–10). The culture of patient-centred care, the desire to provide quality care, the involvement of the nurse manager, informal leaders, and the support office for information and documentation systems in nursing were facilitators in this process.
Turning the flywheel: mobilizing the JBI model of evidence-based healthcare
Authors: Jordan Zoe , Pilla Bianca , Porritt Kylie , Munn Zachary , Aromataris Ed , Lockwood Craig
Published: September 2022

Since its emergence in the 1990s, evidence-based healthcare (EBHC) has made great strides in locating, synthesizing, summarizing, and disseminating evidence, but sustainable mechanisms for getting trustworthy evidence into policy and practice continues to be less well understood. We propose that there is an EBHC ‘Flywheel’ that begins and ends with culture and the development of adaptive but disciplined approaches that generate new ‘norms’ in relation to EBHC. In mechanics, a flywheel is a device that uses momentum to create rotational energy. The concept of a ‘flywheel effect’ has been adopted in management fields to demonstrate how change in organizations or practices rarely happen in one fell swoop; rather, sustainable change requires energy and persistent effort.

This energy might be exemplified by leadership to get the wheel moving, but it needs to be guided, channelled, harnessed and supported throughout the rest of the organization. To achieve sustainable momentum, it is necessary to communicate with transparency the EBHC principles, practices, and perspectives that are considered of broad organizational value to generate cohesion and understanding about practice expectations. With a common vision, cooperation and collective identity in place, true multidisciplinary collaboration underpinned by EBHC is possible. The final component in the EBHC flywheel, capacity, is self-generating (i.e. you do not need ‘more time’ or ‘more resource’ for EBHC as EBHC is embedded in the fabric and fibre of the organization). This shifts the notion of EBHC initiatives from being ‘in addition to’ or being singular one-off initiatives or projects to being part of the lifeblood of how the organization functions. EBHC is, ultimately, a human-to-human endeavour. It relates to individuals connecting and committing to a common purpose. The ‘four C's’ that underpin the JBI Model (culture, communication, collaboration, and capacity) are the organizational navigational instruments and roadmaps required to provide the human focus/lens that is needed.
Mechanism for turbulence proliferation in subcritical flows
Authors: Frishman Anna , Grafke Tobias
Published: September 2022

The subcritical transition to turbulence, as occurs in pipe flow, is believed to generically be a phase transition in the directed percolation universality class. At its heart is a balance between the decay rate and proliferation rate of localized turbulent structures, called puffs in pipe flow. Here, we propose the first-ever dynamical mechanism for puff proliferation—the process by which a puff splits into two. In the first stage of our mechanism, a puff expands into a slug. In the second stage, a laminar gap is formed within the turbulent core. The notion of a split-edge state, mediating the transition from a single puff to a two-puff state, is introduced and its form is predicted. The role of fluctuations in the two stages of the transition, and how splits could be suppressed with increasing Reynolds number, are discussed. Using numerical simulations, the mechanism is validated within the stochastic Barkley model. Concrete predictions to test the proposed mechanism in pipe and other wall-bounded flows, and implications for the universality of the directed percolation picture, are discussed.
IS26-mediated plasmid reshuffling results in convergence of toxin–antitoxin systems but loss of resistance genes in XDR Klebsiella pneumoniae from a chronic infection
Authors: Luo Ting L. , Corey Brendan W. , Snesrud Erik , Iovleva Alina , McElheny Christi L. , Preston Lan N. , Kwak Yoon I. , Bennett Jason W. , Doi Yohei , McGann Patrick T. , Lebreton Francois
Published: September 2022

Carbapenem-resistant

Enterobacterales

pose an urgent threat to human health worldwide.

Klebsiella pneumoniae

sequence type (ST) 14, initially identified in the Middle East and South-Asia and co-harbouring the carbapenemase genes bla
OXA-232 and bla
NDM-1, is now emerging globally. One such strain was detected in the USA in 2013 from a patient initially treated in India that also carried armA, a 16S rRNA methyltransferase that confers resistance to all clinically relevant aminoglycosides. Genetic and phenotypic changes were observed in 14 serial isolates collected from this chronically infected patient. The index isolate carried five plasmids, including an IncFIB–IncHI1B (harbouring armA and bla
NDM-1), an IncFIA (bla
CTX-M-15) and a ColE-like (bla
OXA-232), and was extensively resistant to antibiotics. Four years later, a subsequent isolate had accumulated 34 variants, including a loss-of-function mutation in romA, resulting in tigecycline non-susceptibility. Importantly, this isolate now only carried two plasmids, including a large mosaic molecule made of fragments, all harbouring distinct toxin–antitoxin systems, from three of the canonical plasmids. Of the original acquired antibiotic resistance genes, this isolate only retained bla
CTX-M-15, and as a result susceptibility to the carbapenems and amikacin was restored. Long-read sequencing of a subset of five representative isolates, collected between 2013 and 2017, allowed for the elucidation of the complex plasmid patterns and revealed the role of IS26-mediated plasmid reshuffling in the evolution of this clone. Such investigations of the mechanisms underlying plasmid stability, together with global and local surveillance programmes, are key to a better understanding of plasmid host range and dissemination.
The role of perceived expertise and trustworthiness in research study and clinical trial recruitment: Perspectives of clinical research coordinators and African American and Black Caribbean patients
Authors: Morgan Susan E. , Harrison Tyler R. , Wright Kallia O. , Jia Xiaofeng , Deal Bonnie , Malova Kate
Published: September 2022

This study investigates the role of source credibility on minority participant recruitment, particularly African American and Black Caribbean patients. A total of nine focus groups (N = 48 participants) were conducted with both patient groups and clinical research coordinators (CRCs). Using the elaboration likelihood model as a guiding framework for analysis, this study found that the credibility of research coordinators (or other professionals who recruit for research studies and clinical trials) was instrumental in shaping attitudes of prospective participants. The perspectives of patients and CRCs aligned closely, with few exceptions. For both groups, professionalism and professional displays (clothing, institutional artifacts) enhanced perceived expertise, a core component of credibility. Trustworthiness, another important component of credibility, was fostered through homophily between recruiter and patient, expressions of goodwill and assuaging anxiety about CRCs’ financial motivations for recruitment. Additionally, CRCs believed that credibility was supported when CRCs could emphasize transparency and truthfulness in communication. The importance of these findings for the development of empirically-based training programs to improve communication practices in recruitment contexts is discussed.
Age-associated sleep-wake patterns are altered with Prdm13 signaling in the dorsomedial hypothalamus and dietary restriction in mice
Authors: Tsuji Shogo , Brace Cynthia S , Yao Ruiqing , Tanie Yoshitaka , Tada Hirobumi , Rensing Nicholas , Mizuno Seiya , Almunia Julio , Kong Yingyi , Nakamura Kazuhiro , Ogiso Noboru , Toyokuni Shinya , Takahashi Satoru , Wong Michael , Imai Shin-ichiro , Satoh Akiko
Published: September 2022

Old animals display significant alterations in sleep-wake patterns such as increases in sleep fragmentation and sleep propensity. Here we demonstrated that dorsomedial hypothalamus-specific PR-domain containing protein 13-knockout (DMH-Prdm13-KO) mice recapitulated age-associated sleep alterations such as sleep fragmentation and increased sleep attempts during sleep deprivation (SD). These phenotypes were further exacerbated during aging, with increased adiposity and decreased physical activity, resulting in shortened lifespan. Dietary restriction (DR), a well-known anti-aging intervention in diverse organisms, ameliorated age-associated sleep alterations, whereas these effects of DR were abrogated in DMH-Prdm13-KO mice. Moreover, overexpression of Prdm13 in the DMH ameliorated sleep fragmentation and excessive sleepiness during SD in old mice. Therefore, maintaining Prdm13 signaling in the DMH might play an important role to control sleep-wake patterns during aging.
Interneuron-targeted disruption of SYNGAP1 alters sensory representations in neocortex and impairs sensory learning
Authors: Zhao Meiling , Kwon Sung Eun
Published: September 2022

SYNGAP1 haploinsufficiency in humans results in severe neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by intellectual disability, autism, epilepsy, and sensory processing deficits. However, circuit mechanisms that underlie SYNGAP1-related neurodevelopmental disorders are poorly understood. A decrease of SynGAP in mice causes cognitive and behavioral deficits in part by disrupting the development of excitatory glutamatergic connections. Whether and to what extent SynGAP functions in inhibitory circuits remain unclear. We show that interneuron-specific SYNGAP1 heterozygous mice display learning deficits characterized by elevated behavioral responses in the absence of relevant sensory input and premature responses to a sensory input unrelated to reward acquisition. These behavioral deficits are associated with specific circuit abnormalities within primary somatosensory cortex, characterized by increased detrimental correlations and elevated responses to irrelevant sensory stimuli. Collectively, we show that a decrease of SynGAP in inhibitory interneurons disrupts sensory representation in the primary sensory cortex, which likely contributes to behavioral deficits.
The Neurotoxin DSP-4 Dysregulates the Locus Coeruleus-Norepinephrine System and Recapitulates Molecular and Behavioral Aspects of Prodromal Neurodegenerative Disease
Authors: Iannitelli Alexa F. , Kelberman Michael A. , Lustberg Daniel J. , Korukonda Anu , McCann Katharine E. , Mulvey Bernard , Segal Arielle , Liles L. Cameron , Sloan Steven A. , Dougherty Joseph D. , Weinshenker David
Published: September 2022

The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is among the earliest sites of tau and alpha-synuclein pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), respectively. The onset of these pathologies coincides with loss of noradrenergic fibers in LC target regions and the emergence of prodromal symptoms including sleep disturbances and anxiety. Paradoxically, these prodromal symptoms are indicative of a noradrenergic hyperactivity phenotype, rather than the predicted loss of norepinephrine (NE) transmission following LC damage, suggesting the engagement of complex compensatory mechanisms. Because current therapeutic efforts are targeting early disease, interest in the LC has grown, and it is critical to identify the links between pathology and dysfunction. We employed the LC-specific neurotoxin DSP-4, which preferentially damages LC axons, to model early changes in the LC-NE system pertinent to AD and PD in male and female mice. DSP-4 (2 doses of 50 mg/kg, 1 week apart) induced LC axon degeneration, triggered neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, and reduced tissue NE levels. There was no LC cell death or changes to LC firing, but transcriptomics revealed reduced expression of genes that define noradrenergic identity and other changes relevant to neurodegenerative disease. Despite the dramatic loss of LC fibers, NE turnover and signaling were elevated in terminal regions and were associated with anxiogenic phenotypes in multiple behavioral tests. These results represent a comprehensive analysis of how the LC-NE system responds to axon/terminal damage reminiscent of early AD and PD at the molecular, cellular, systems, and behavioral levels, and provides potential mechanisms underlying prodromal neuropsychiatric symptoms.
An AMOS-SEM approach to evaluating stakeholders' influence on construction project delivery performance
Authors: AL-Fadhali Najib
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Construction project stakeholders can have a major effect on delivering projects on time. However, little attempt has been made to address the influence of internal stakeholders on delaying project delivery. This research aims to propose the internal stakeholders' influence as a solution to improving project delivery performance (PDP) in order to boost the value of investment in the construction industry's projects.

Design/methodology/approach

In Yemen, a structured questionnaire was distributed to owners, consultants and contractors, 283 of which were found usable after the data screening. A purposeful sampling technique was used and structural equation modelling (SEM) was adopted for analysis. The structural model was drawn up, based on seven categories of influencing factors: labour, supplier, designer, contractor, consultant, sub-contractor and owner.

Findings

The results of the structural model suggest that of these seven categories, designers, owners, suppliers and subcontractors have a significant p-value and impact on PDP, while the labour and consultant's impact was not substantiated. The findings support the proposal that internal stakeholders' influence contributes directly to construction PDP.

Originality/value

The influence of stakeholders on PDP is important. Nonetheless, few studies have focussed on their effectiveness, especially in developing countries. This paper's contribution is evaluating the cause–effect relationship between stakeholders' influence and construction PDP through analysis of moment structures (AMOS) analysis. The policy implications of the research are to encourage governments in general and construction companies in particular to take responsibility for improving PDP, as slow execution of construction projects leads to increased costs, failure and abandoning projects.
The role of HEIs to achieve SDG7 goals from Netzero campuses: case studies and possibilities in Brazil
Authors: Matana Júnior Sidnei , Antonio Leite Frandoloso Marcos , Barbosa Brião Vandré
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Energy consumption and renewable energy sources are included in the goals for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) agenda, and target buildings are the biggest electricity consumers. In turn, Netzero energy buildings (NZEB) contribute to achieve SDG7 goals. This paper aims to identify which Brazilian higher education institutions (HEIs) practices contribute to developing the NZEB concept.

Design/methodology/approach

Case studies were selected to identify which implanted practices applied by HEIs in Brazil, listed in the UI GreenMetric 2020 Ranking, are related to the NZEB concept. The implemented sustainable practices were also analyzed to evaluate the connections and impact between universities and the local community.

Findings

Results show the lighting and air conditioning retrofit were among the most common practices related to energy efficiency to reduce consumption. For renewable energy generation, photovoltaic solar energy is the most common practice used by HEIs.

Research limitations/implications

Only Brazilian HEIs listed in the UI Green Metric Ranking were analyzed. No standard regulation or formal reports support the wide dissemination of the strategies adopted by HEIs in Brazil.

Practical implications

The strategies adopted by HEIs related to Netzero buildings can reduce emissions, optimize operating costs and improve building comfort conditions, which connect all SDGs.

Social implications

HEIs can promote awareness related to energy use and clean energy generation within the local community.

Originality/value

This paper presents the most common strategies adopted by Brazilian HEIs. However, limitations related to lack of strategies, data transparency and specific Netzero energy regulation were also found. These issues can hinder other HEIs to adopt similar strategies and contribute to the promotion of SDG7 in Brazil.
Investigating the effects of innovation intensity and lenders’ monitoring on the relation between financial slack and performance
Authors: Jermias Johnny , Yigit Fatih
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating roles of innovation intensity and lenders’ monitoring on the relation between financial slack and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts an empirical method using data from firms listed in both the Compustat S&P500 and Boardex for the period 2010 to 2019 to analyze the effects of innovation intensity and lenders’ monitoring on the relation between financial slack and performance.

Findings

The authors find that financial slack is positively related to performance, and this relation is stronger as innovation intensity increases. Furthermore, we demonstrate that lenders’ monitoring strengthens the positive relationship between financial slack and performance.

Research limitations/implications

First, this study focuses on the effects of financial slack, research and development (R&D) intensity and lenders’ monitoring on financial performance. Future research might extend this study by investigating the effects of these variables on non-financial performance. Second, the data and results do not provide insights into the reasons for firms to accumulate financial slack. Future research might conduct a longitudinal field study to understand why firms build financial slack. Finally, this study only uses R&D intensity and lenders’ monitoring as the moderating variables. Future studies might incorporate other contingency variables such as firms’ budgeting and budget-based compensation systems to provide useful insights into the relationship between financial slack and performance.

Practical implications

This study provides important insights into the value of financial slack for firms that invest heavily in R&D activities. This study also provides useful insight into the benefits of lenders’ monitoring to mitigate managers’ unethical behavior.

Social implications

This study provides useful insights for companies that invest heavily in innovation activities by showing that financial slack is beneficial for this company and lenders’ monitoring is needed to discipline managers in using the slack resources.

Originality/value

This study is the first to investigate the moderating effects of innovation intensity and lenders’ monitoring on the relation between financial slack and performance. Previous studies focus their investigations on the direct effect of financial slack and performance.
Role of corporate social responsibility authenticity in developing perceived brand loyalty: a consumer perceptions paradigm
Authors: Safeer Asif Ali , Liu Hancheng
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Authenticity has become increasingly dominant in business practices, particularly in branding and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, as consumers want it in all aspects of their lives. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of perceived CSR authenticity in predicting perceived brand loyalty (i.e. brand trust, positive word of mouth [PWOM]) via perceived brand authenticity by considering the moderating effects of brand image on perceived brand authenticity and loyalty to determine its influence in the global branding context.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a non-probability convenience sampling technique, this study received 817 responses from consumers who regularly used global brands. Finally, this research examined 734 responses to test the proposed hypotheses using structural equation modeling.

Findings

This study discovered that perceived CSR authenticity strengthened perceived brand authenticity, which fostered perceived brand loyalty by enhancing brand trust and motivating consumers to spread PWOM about global brands. Similarly, perceived CSR authenticity directly influenced perceived brand loyalty by enhancing brand trust but did not affect PWOM. Likewise, the moderating effect of brand image was significant in fostering perceived brand loyalty by enhancing brand trust, but it had no effect on PWOM. In contrast, the brand image had a significant negative effect on perceived brand authenticity.

Practical implications

This research offered many insightful suggestions to global managers in the manufacturing and service industries that might assist them in designing and implementing several branding strategies to achieve corporate objectives.

Originality/value

This novel research contributes to the attribution theory by examining consumers’ perceptions of CSR authenticity, brand image, brand authenticity and brand loyalty from the global branding perspective.
Critical success factors for open source innovation in pharma industry: learning from two case studies
Authors: Jha Ajay , Sharma R.R.K. , Kumar Vimal
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The study aims to add to the body of knowledge of open source tangible product management (also called open design). The objective is also to develop a guideline for efficient open source tangible product development and adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

The exploratory research design using secondary data (like newspapers, magazines, research articles, bogs, papers, etc.) is used to analyze open source tangible product design challenges and enablers. The success stories of Open Source Software projects (OSS) were studied for identification of critical success factors and further their relevancy was tested in the two popular cases of open source drug discovery (malaria and tuberculosis)

Findings

Open innovation has become a part of competitive strategy of current businesses. It requires an efficient intellectual property protection regime for its implementation. However, in a market dominated by proprietary benefits, the open source technology development can serve as remedy for innovation needs of neglected sectors. The OSS literature revealed managing two classes of factors, namely technology sponsor level factors and environmental factors for efficiency and effectiveness. The case study analysis in the context of applicability of these OSS critical factors showed their limitations in open source tangible products, and highlighted understanding additional challenges and remedies.

Research limitations/implications

Open source innovation is a collaborative effort involving inputs from various/diverse players, hence monitoring the effort and motivation level of the contributors is a cumbersome task. Only the information that is available online and in print media is taken as research inputs in this work. Also the data taken were from two case studies; a lot more case studies in the open design domain can progress the theory. The implications of this study are far-reaching in the areas where profit motivated proprietary efforts lack in addressing societal need. It provides guidelines for addressing those unmet needs by developing products in a collaborative way without intellectual property hurdles.

Originality/value

The essence of open design is becoming more vital, and there is a pressing need to build theory to support it, which still is elusive and dispersed. The study fills the gap using secondary data and case study approach.
Results of pre‐eclampsia screening vary by race; cut‐offs versus continuums
Authors: Steer Philip J.
Published: September 2022

Linked article: This is a mini commentary on Wright et al., pp. 78–87 in this issue. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17296.
The risk and prognostic factors for liver metastases in esophageal cancer patients: A large‐cohort based study
Authors: Luo Peng , Wei Xiufeng , Liu Chen , Chen Xiankai , Yang Yafan , Zhang Ruixiang , Kang Xiaozheng , Qin Jianjun , Qi Xiuzhu , Li Yin
Published: September 2022

Background

This retrospective study aimed to explore risk factors for liver metastases (LiM) in patients with esophageal cancer (EC) and to identify prognostic factors in patients initially diagnosed with LiM.

Methods

A total of 28 654 EC patients were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database from 2010 to 2018. A multivariate logistic regression model was utilized to identify risk factors for LiM. A Cox regression model was used to identify prognostic factors for patients with LiM.

Results

Of 28 654 EC patients, 4062 (14.2%) had LiM at diagnosis. The median overall survival (OS) for patients with and without LiM was 6.00 (95% CI: 5.70–6.30) months and 15.00 (95% CI: 14.64–15.36) months, respectively. Variables significantly associated with LiM included gender, age, tumor site, histology, tumor grade, tumor size, clinical T stage, clinical N stage, bone metastases (BoM), brain metastases (BrM) and lung metastases (LuM). Variables independently predicting survival for EC patients with LiM were age, histology, tumor grade, BoM, BrM, LuM, and chemotherapy. A risk prediction model and two survival prediction models were then constructed revealing satisfactory predictive accuracy.

Conclusions

Based on the largest known cohort of EC, independent predictors of LiM and prognostic indicators of survival for patients with LiM were identified. Two models for predicting survival as well as a risk prediction model were developed with robust predictive accuracy.
Reprograming of proteasomal degradation by branched chain amino acid metabolism
Authors: Ravanelli Sonia , Li Qiaochu , Annibal Andrea , Trifunovic Aleksandra , Antebi Adam , Hoppe Thorsten
Published: September 2022

Branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism is a central hub for energy production and regulation of numerous physiological processes. Controversially, both increased and decreased levels of BCAAs are associated with longevity. Using genetics and multi‐omics analyses in Caenorhabditis elegans, we identified adaptive regulation of the ubiquitin‐proteasome system (UPS) in response to defective BCAA catabolic reactions after the initial transamination step. Worms with impaired BCAA metabolism show a slower turnover of a GFP‐based proteasome substrate, which is suppressed by loss‐of‐function of the first BCAA catabolic enzyme, the branched‐chain aminotransferase BCAT‐1. The exogenous supply of BCAA‐derived carboxylic acids, which are known to accumulate in the body fluid of patients with BCAA metabolic disorders, is sufficient to regulate the UPS. The link between BCAA intermediates and UPS function presented here sheds light on the unexplained role of BCAAs in the aging process and opens future possibilities for therapeutic interventions.
Decline in whistling rat (Parotomys brantsii) density: Possible response to climate change in the Karoo, South Africa
Authors: Milton Suzanne J. , Short Stefan , Dean W. Richard J.
Published: September 2022

The burrow systems (warrens) of whistling rat Parotomys brantsii are confined to patches of deep soil (biogenic mounds known as heuweltjies) on stony plains in the arid Succulent Karoo region of South Africa. Whistling rat warrens were recorded on heuweltjies at the Tierberg Long‐Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in the southern Karoo, Western Cape Province, South Africa, on eight occasions between 1988 and 2001. Increasing temperatures over the study period combined with a severe drought from 2015 to 2021 caused a 36% dieback in perennial shrub cover on the research site. The percentage of heuweltjies occupied by whistling rats declined from 44% occupation to 20% occupation between 2005 and 2021 during unusually hot, dry conditions indicated by low values in the Standardised Evapotranspiration Index. Around their warrens, whistling rats had no influence on species richness of perennial plants but reduced vegetation cover.
Clinical impact of bile‐derived exosomal microRNAs as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for biliary tract cancers
Authors: Yoshida Michihiro , Yukawa Hiroshi , Hayashi Kazuki , Naitoh Itaru , Miyabe Katsuyuki , Hori Yasuki , Natsume Makoto , Jinno Naruomi , Kato Akihisa , Kachi Kenta , Asano Go , Sahashi Hidenori , Toyohara Tadashi , Kuno Kayoko , Kito Yusuke , Kondo Hiromu , Hirano Atsuyuki , Okumura Fumihiro , Anbe Kaiki , Baba Yoshinobu , Kataoka Hiromi , Tanaka Yasuhito
Published: September 2022

Sampling of bile juice during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has potential benefit of being amenable to the identification of novel biomarkers in liquid biopsy. This study reports the results of a global investigation of exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) in bile to identify potential biomarkers for biliary tract cancers (BTCs). Eighty‐eight bile samples collected during ERCP (45 BTC and 43 noncancer control samples) were enrolled in this study. Eleven BTC samples and nine control samples were assigned as the discovery set. Exosomes in bile and serum samples were collected using a glass membrane column with size‐controlled macroporous glass (MPG), and exosomal miRNA expression profiles were evaluated using comprehensive miRNA microarray analysis (3D‐Gene). For validation, exosomal miRNA in the bile samples of 34 BTCs and 34 controls were comprehensively evaluated using 3D‐Gene. In the discovery set, eight exosomal miRNAs in bile were identified as significant aberrant expression markers, while no miRNA with aberrant expression in serum was identified. In a comparison of the discovery and validation sets, miR‐451a and miR‐3619‐3p were identified as reproducible upregulated markers, and the combination of the two bile miRNAs showed an excellent area under the curve (0.819) value for diagnosing BTCs. In addition, high miR‐3619‐3p expression in bile reflects poorer prognosis of BTCs (hazard ratio = 2.89). The MPG‐extracted exosomal miRNAs in bile aspirated during ERCP provide a convenient new approach for diagnosing biliary diseases. Bile‐derived miRNA analysis with miR‐451a and miR‐3619‐3p represents a potentially valuable diagnostic strategy for identifying BTCs as well as a predictive indicator of BTC prognosis.
Individual investors and social ownership structures in the UK before the 1930s: Joint holdings and trustee investment
Authors: Rutterford Janette , Sotiropoulos Dimitris P. , van Lieshout Carry
Published: September 2022

After the introduction of limited liability, a growing number of individuals in Britain from a widening social spectrum, including the less affluent, began to own stocks and shares. Drawing upon a unique and large dataset of 35 848 investors between 1870 and 1935, this study analyses joint holdings which have been a neglected aspect of investor behaviour. Our findings reveal that joint holdings were quite common and that about one in five UK investors were involved in a joint investment. Men were more likely to be joint holders than women for reasons related to institutions of social ownership such as trusts and executorships.
Mesoproterozoic surface oxygenation accompanied major sedimentary manganese deposition at 1.4 and 1.1 Ga
Authors: Spinks Sam C. , Sperling Erik A. , Thorne Robert L. , LaFountain Felicity , White Alistair J. R. , Armstrong Joseph , Woltering Martijn , Tyler Ian M.
Published: September 2022

Manganese (Mn) oxidation in marine environments requires oxygen (O2) or other reactive oxygen species in the water column, and widespread Mn oxide deposition in ancient sedimentary rocks has long been used as a proxy for oxidation. The oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere and oceans across the Archean‐Proterozoic boundary are associated with massive Mn deposits, whereas the interval from 1.8–1.0 Ga is generally believed to be a time of low atmospheric oxygen with an apparent hiatus in sedimentary Mn deposition. Here, we report geochemical and mineralogical analyses from 1.1 Ga manganiferous marine‐shelf siltstones from the Bangemall Supergroup, Western Australia, which underlie recently discovered economically significant manganese deposits. Layers bearing Mn carbonate microspheres, comparable with major global Mn deposits, reveal that intense periods of sedimentary Mn deposition occurred in the late Mesoproterozoic. Iron geochemical data suggest anoxic‐ferruginous seafloor conditions at the onset of Mn deposition, followed by oxic conditions in the water column as Mn deposition persisted and eventually ceased. These data imply there was spatially widespread surface oxygenation ~1.1 Ga with sufficiently oxic conditions in shelf environments to oxidize marine Mn(II). Comparable large stratiform Mn carbonate deposits also occur in ~1.4 Ga marine siltstones hosted in underlying sedimentary units. These deposits are greater or at least commensurate in scale (tonnage) to those that followed the major oxygenation transitions from the Neoproterozoic. Such a period of sedimentary manganogenesis is inconsistent with a model of persistently low O2 throughout the entirety of the Mesoproterozoic and provides robust evidence for dynamic redox changes in the mid to late Mesoproterozoic.
Tropical surface temperature response to vegetation cover changes and the role of drylands
Authors: Feldman Andrew F. , Short Gianotti Daniel J. , Dong Jianzhi , Trigo Isabel F. , Salvucci Guido D. , Entekhabi Dara
Published: September 2022

Vegetation cover creates competing effects on land surface temperature: it typically cools through enhancing energy dissipation and warms via decreasing surface albedo. Global vegetation has been previously found to overall net cool land surfaces with cooling contributions from temperate and tropical vegetation and warming contributions from boreal vegetation. Recent studies suggest that dryland vegetation across the tropics strongly contributes to this global net cooling feedback. However, observation‐based vegetation‐temperature interaction studies have been limited in the tropics, especially in their widespread drylands. Theoretical considerations also call into question the ability of dryland vegetation to strongly cool the surface under low water availability. Here, we use satellite observations to investigate how tropical vegetation cover influences the surface energy balance. We find that while increased vegetation cover would impart net cooling feedbacks across the tropics, net vegetal cooling effects are subdued in drylands. Using observations, we determine that dryland plants have less ability to cool the surface due to their cooling pathways being reduced by aridity, overall less efficient dissipation of turbulent energy, and their tendency to strongly increase solar radiation absorption. As a result, while proportional greening across the tropics would create an overall biophysical cooling feedback, dryland tropical vegetation reduces the overall tropical surface cooling magnitude by at least 14%, instead of enhancing cooling as suggested by previous global studies.
Efficacy of cabazitaxel in patients with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer: A single‐center study in Japan
Authors: Yamamoto Yoshiyuki , Ishii Makoto , Yoshimura Akihiro , Hayashi Takuji , Kawamura Norihiko , Nagahara Akira , Nakai Yasutomo , Nakayama Masashi , Kakimoto Ken‐ichi , Nishimura Kazuo
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Cabazitaxel is a next‐generation taxane that can prolong overall survival after docetaxel treatment in patients with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer. However, the efficacy of cabazitaxel varies among these patients. The clinical indicators of the prognosis after cabazitaxel treatment were analyzed.

Methods

A retrospective review of patients who received cabazitaxel between February 2015 and June 2021 was performed. All patients had metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer. Prognostic factors for prostate‐specific antigen progression‐free and overall survival were analyzed by Cox proportional‐hazards analysis and the log‐rank test.

Results

The study comprised 57 patients who received cabazitaxel (median 4 cycles, range 1–27) at a starting dose of 15–25 mg/m2. The median age and follow‐up duration were 70 years and 9.2 months. The median prostate‐specific antigen progression‐free survival and overall survival were 2.6 and 10.5 months, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that previous androgen receptor‐axis‐targeted therapy before cabazitaxel treatment was the only significant risk factor (hazard ratio 2.784, p = 0.022) for prostate‐specific antigen progression‐free survival. Multivariate analysis for overall survival revealed that poor performance status (≥1) (hazard ratio 2.107, p = 0.039), low hemoglobin (hazard ratio 0.142, p = 0.010), and high neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio (hazard ratio 9.150, p = 0.032) at baseline were significantly associated with a poor prognosis.

Conclusions

Previous androgen receptor‐axis‐targeted therapy was the only risk factor for biochemical progression. Poor performance status, anemia, and high neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio were risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer treated with cabazitaxel. These risk factors seem useful for identifying patients with survival benefit from cabazitaxel treatment.
The importance of seawater tolerance and native status in mediating the distribution of inland fishes
Authors: Cano‐Barbacil Carlos , Radinger Johannes , García‐Berthou Emili
Published: September 2022

Aim

Unravelling the ecological and historical factors that underlie species distributions has challenged ecologists for a long time. Thus, our objective is to understand the role of environmental variables explaining the distribution of three major eco‐evolutionary groups of inland fishes (Darlington's divisions: primary, i.e. strict freshwater; secondary, i.e. salt‐tolerant; and peripheral, i.e. diadromous and marine origin), and how these variables are related to fish traits.

Location

Iberian Peninsula.

Taxon

51 native and 17 alien inland fish species from the Iberian Peninsula.

Methods

We modelled distributions of the most common inland fish species across the Iberian Peninsula to compare the importance of different predictors among the three Darlington's divisions and between native and alien species. To explore the importance of specific environmental variables in determining the distribution of different traits of inland fish, variable importances obtained from species distribution models were subjected to a redundancy analysis.

Results

Darlington's divisions differ significantly in salinity tolerance, in distribution overlap, in the importance of distribution predictors and associated life‐history traits. Topographic and climatic variables were generally more important than land use and anthropogenic factors in explaining fish distributions. We found significant differences in the importance of variables explaining the distribution of native vs. alien species and especially among Darlington's divisions. River basin was most important for primary native and many alien species. Increasing mean temperature and damming were positively associated with the presence of tolerant, large‐bodied and warm‐water alien species from more hydrologically stable habitats.

Main conclusions

Despite marked differences in the distribution patterns of native and alien species, evolutionary and introduction histories as well as seawater tolerance are central factors explaining the current distribution of inland fishes. Darlington's divisions proved useful for addressing ecological and biogeographical questions at broader spatial scales.
Effect of mHealth interventions on psychological issues experienced by women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Akingbade Oluwadamilare , Nguyen Khanh Thi , Chow Ka Ming
Published: September 2022

Background

A range of psychological issues often accompany breast cancer chemotherapy. Due to their ubiquity, mobile phones have been used to deliver supportive interventions addressing these issues. However, we currently lack sufficient evidence to guide the design of such interventions.

Aim

To analyse and synthesise available evidence on the effectiveness of mobile‐phone‐based (mHealth) interventions in alleviating the psychological issues experienced by women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted from 14 relevant databases. Revman 5.4 was used to pool the quantitative results from comparable studies for statistical meta‐analysis. For clinically heterogeneous studies where statistical pooling of results was not possible, a narrative summary was used to present the findings.

Results

The review included nine RCTs which covered 1457 patients. The meta‐analysis results indicated a significant improvement in the quality of life (standardised mean difference [SMD] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.07, 0.58], p = .01, I2 = 17%). No significant effects were found for anxiety (SMD = −0.01, 95% CI [−0.26, 0.25], p = .96, I2 = 53%) and depression (SMD = 0.02, 95% CI [−0.17, 0.20], p = .87, I2 = 0%). Individual studies suggest reduced symptom prevalence (p = .033, d = 0.27), symptom distress (p = .004, d = 0.34), symptom interference (p = .02, d = 0.51), supportive care needs (p < .05, d = 2.43); improved self‐efficacy (p = .03, d = 0.53), self‐esteem (p < .001, d = 0.87) and emotional functioning (p = .008, d = 0.30). The methodological quality ranged from low to moderate.

Conclusion

mHealth interventions might help address certain psychological issues experienced by this population, although the evidence is still being gathered and not yet conclusive. More rigorous trials are warranted to confirm the suitable duration while addressing the methodological flaws found in previous studies.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021224307.
Selecting Innovation Projects: Do Middle and Senior Managers Differ When It Comes to Radical Innovation?
Authors: Wilden Ralf , Lin Nidthida , Hohberger Jan , Randhawa Krithika
Published: September 2022

Drawing on the attention‐based view, we theorize about the differences in middle and senior managers' choices to pursue innovation projects. We test our hypotheses in an experimental study examining the decision‐making processes of 180 senior and middle managers in selecting, or not, 2880 innovation projects. We find that managers differ in how they select innovation projects in general, and this difference becomes even more salient when such selections involve radical innovation. Specifically, when considering a radical innovation project, middle managers place more value on innovation characteristics required to complete the project, such as social capital and internal knowledge resources. In comparison, senior managers are concerned only with external knowledge resources, which can benefit radical innovation. Our study highlights the need to understand the role of middle managers, who frequently lead the implementation of innovation projects, and provides a theoretical underpinning for the differences in middle and senior managers' decision‐making.