bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementing pictorial health warning labels on waterpipe tobacco products: a qualitative study
Authors: Nakkash R , Jaafar M , Asfar T , Chehab S , Maziak W
Published: October 2022

Background

Waterpipe smoking rates in Lebanon are among the highest in the in the world. Research has documented the effectiveness of introducing pictorial health warning labels (PHWLs) in curbing waterpipe smoking. Seventeen years after ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and twelve years post adoption of a tobacco control law, PHWLs have not yet been implemented in Lebanon. This study aims to gain insight into stakeholders opinions and recommendations for adopting and implementing PHWLs on WP products within the current tobacco control policy environment.

Methods

We conducted 13 online interviews with policymakers, media, owners of establishments that serve waterpipe, as well as international and local NGO representatives whose mandate is tobacco control. During the interview process, key informants were shown PHWLs on waterpipe tobacco products and asked about feasibility of implementation and enforcement. National documents and legislations related to PHWLs were obtained from public record. We conducted content analysis on the documents. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically.

Results

The majority of the key informants agreed on who is responsible for enforcement of PHWLs and on the contextual obstacles to enforcement. Main barriers to implement PHWLs on WP products were: 1) the fact that the WP is a multi-component tobacco use method that will require including all WP components (charcoal, tobacco, device); 2) WP usually is used in several locations (e.g., home, restaurants); and 3) WP is sold via multiple sources (supermarkets, tobacco shop, etc). Stakeholders recommended some solutions to address barriers to implementation.

Conclusions

Stakeholders responsible for implementation of PHWLs need to take into consideration contextual barriers as well as the particularities of waterpipe tobacco smoking in terms of multiple components used to smoke, locations of consumption, and sources where it is sold.

Key messages

• Implementing PHWLs on waterpipe tobacco products requires distinct understanding of policy environment and context.

• Implementing PHWLs on waterpipe tobacco products needs to address the complex nature of waterpipe smoking as a multi-component tobacco use method .
Stakeholder perceptions and public health system performance: evidence from Greece
Authors: Karokis-Mavrikos V , Mavrikou M
Published: October 2022

Policy choices, aims and priorities are defined by the dominant belief system among stakeholders in a policy area (Jenkins-Smith et al., 2018). Traditional assessments of health systems performance have focused on the institutional configurations, processes and resources in place (Murray and Frenk, 2000). We argue that the more latent dimension of ‘stakeholder perceptions’ is crucial to understanding why seemingly effective health system policy designs underperform during implementation. This paper brings in new evidence (2020) from an elite population study of 261 stakeholders in Public Health policy in Greece (politicians, civil servants, experts, interest groups, industry). We questioned stakeholders on: their conceptual understanding of public health, public health determinants, the field’s policy responsibilities and jurisdiction, threats and enabling factors to policy advancement, and public health systemic performance in Greece. Our findings highlight that: 1) stakeholder beliefs converge regarding drivers for effective policymaking - most prominently resources, expertise, coordination and management - but respondents also identify their scarcity in the Greek public health system (GPHS); 2) stakeholders converge regarding systemic pathogenies - most prominently managing inequalities and monitoring - and rank all legally stated functions of the GPHS poorly on average; 3) stakeholders agree that the existing paradigm in Greek public health policy does not promote the holistic perspective to health but most maintain a medicine-centric view of public health. We conclude that despite Greece enjoying a progressive public health system policy design, the mismatch between the system’s stated aims and the prevailing anachronistic stakeholder perceptions has hampered effective policy development. Future research should zero in on the importance of installing a co-oriented culture among stakeholders to achieve success in the performance of health systems.

Key messages

• Stakeholder perceptions are crucial to understanding why seemingly effective health system policy designs under-perform during implementation.

• Despite Greece enjoying a progressive public health system policy design, the mismatch between the stated aims and the prevailing anachronistic stakeholder perceptions has hampered policy development.
The influence of overweight and obesity in the oral health of a sample of portuguese adults
Authors: Veiga N , Ferreira L , Couto P , Correia P , Lopes P , Correia MJ , Coelho I
Published: October 2022

Background

Overweight and obesity may lead to different problems in various body systems and in the oral cavity. Dental caries and periodontal disease have been related with overweight. The aim of this study was to assess how overweight and obesity have impact on the lifestyle, oral habits and oral pathologies.

Methods

We conducted an observational cross-sectional study where we applied a questionnaire to 140 individuals from Lisbon and Viseu, Portugal., which 70 had a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) (control group) and 70 had an excessive BMI. We also made an oral observation in each individual to record the permanent teeth decayed, missing and filled index (DMFT), the Community Periodontal Index and the oral hygiene status.

Results

From the final sample, 30% of the subjects with overweight brushed their teeth once a day or less, while the majority (62.9%) of the control group brushed twice a day. In the oral examination, 70% had calculus, while in the control group only 22.5% presented calcified plaque. The DMFT was higher among the obesity group in comparison with the control group. Regarding periodontal disease, the participants with overweight need more dental intervention (81.4%) in contrast with the control group (14%).

Conclusions

Most overweight and obese individuals present precarious oral hygiene habits, higher prevalence of dental caries, and worse periods of periodontal health. They are not aware of the repercussions of the association between their cariogenic diet, oral health and overweight.

Key messages

• Oral health behaviors are related with other health conditions, namely obesity and this is a fundamental public health issue.

• Primary preventive strategies should be established having in consideration the oral health status of adults in treatment for obesity and in weight control programs.
HPV self-sampling acceptability among women in Italy: preliminary results of a cross-sectional study
Authors: Angelillo S , Licata F , Errico EA , Maruca R , Freccia S , Pujia R , Di Gennaro G , Bianco A
Published: October 2022

Background

Secondary prevention measures have strongly contributed to the reduction of incidence and mortality of cervical cancer (CC) identifying women at high risk of developing it. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the acceptability of a home-based self-sampling methodology for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) testing and the factors that may influence women’s preference.

Methods

A random sample of women over the age of 50 years has been selected in Southern part of Italy. Data was collected through an anonymous self-administered questionnaire and included socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of HPV infection and prevention measures, and attitudes towards the acceptability of self-collected cervico-vaginal sampling (CVS) and urine sampling (US).

Results

Among the 321 women who completed the survey, more than two-thirds (73.7%) knew that CC is caused by HPV, only 68.9% knew that the HPV screening is useful for an early detection and diagnosis of CC, and 17% never had Pap-test or HPV-DNA test. Of the respondents, 67.9% declared that they preferred self-collected US for future HPV testing compared with clinician-taken cervical samples (CCS). The most common reasons reported for preferring US included that it was easier (54.8%), more convenient (28.7%), and less embarrassing (21.7%). Among those women who showed negative attitude towards self-collected US, 8 out of 10 (77.3%) expressed scepticism about its diagnostic performance. Only 37% of the sample preferred CVS, and this attitude is mainly attributable to the fear of not carrying out a correct self-sampling (71.2%) and to its underrated diagnostic performance (33.7%).

Conclusions

The preliminary results suggest that US is more acceptable than CCS and CVS in Italy. Urinary HPV test presents similar accuracy of the latter tests to detect CC and its supply in the context of population-based screening programmes could improve adherence, reducing the cost and burden on physicians.

Key messages

• Urine self-sampling could represent an innovative early detection approach to increase adherence to cervical cancer screening programmes.

• Further research is needed to assess whether the screening status and the strategy of self-samplers distribution could act as predictors of screening uptake.
Dissemination of knowledge from Cochrane systematic reviews in public health: Cross-sectional study
Authors: Helmer SM , Mergenthal L , De Santis K , Matthias K
Published: October 2022

Background

Appropriate dissemination of public health evidence is of high importance to ensure that relevant knowledge reaches potential stakeholders and relevant population groups. A wide distrust towards science and its findings indicates that communication thereof remains below its potential. Cochrane Public Health (CPH) provides an important source of high-quality scientific evidence. This study aimed to identify (1) dissemination strategies and (2) possible stakeholders of Cochrane Public Health reviews.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional, meta-research study. All 68 records (reviews or protocols) listed on the CPH website https://ph.cochrane.org/cph-reviews-and-topics up to 08.03.2022 were included. Record characteristics, dissemination strategy information and potential stakeholder details were coded by one author and 10% of records were checked by another author. Data were descriptively analysed.

Results

53 reviews (46 systematic reviews, 6 rapid reviews, 1 scoping review) and 15 review protocols were included. The 53 reviews were published between 2010-2022 and included 1-153 primary studies. All reviews had an open-access plain language summary (PLS) in English with translations in 3-13 other languages. Although 16 of 53 reviews and 4 of 15 protocols reported any involvement in the review process of an advisory group, only 3 of 68 records included a dissemination plan aiming to inform non-academic audiences or policy.

Conclusions

All identified records can be considered as relevant to a wide range of stakeholders and population groups. However, CPH reviews or protocols rarely report their dissemination strategies. It is unclear what dissemination strategies are used after CPH reviews are published. High relevance of CPH evidence for non-academic stakeholders and the general population highlights the need for adequate knowledge translation beyond academia.

Key messages

• Dissemination plans and implementation is rarely reported in CPH reviews.

• Evidence from CPH reviews is relevant for a multitude of stakeholders.
Access to nicotine products among Polish youth – PolNicoYouth study results
Authors: Tyrańska-Fobke A , Balwicki Ł , Kaleta D , Goniewicz M , Juszczyk G
Published: October 2022

Smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes pose a risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to analyze the availability of these products for Polish youth. The cross-sectional study was carried out in 2020 on a sample of secondary school students (N = 19241) representative of the Polish population, using the CAWI method. In order to estimate the relationship between the independent variables and the outcome variables, the Bayesian multivariate logistic regression was used in the R program using the brms library. It was observed that there were differences in the factors related to the refusal to sell traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes to Polish youth. The age of adolescents has a more significant relationship (lnBF <2.3) with the refusal to sell them traditional cigarettes (lnBF = 49.65) than e-cigarettes (lnBF = 25.21). Contrary to gender and province of residence, which show a significant relationship only with the refusal to sell e-cigarettes (lnBF = 4.9, lnBF = 3.5). However, they are not related to the refusal to sell traditional cigarettes at all. The amount of expenditure of Polish youth on traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes significantly depends on the size of pocket money (lnBF = 49.39), the type of school attended by young people (lnBF = 12.19) and the province of residence (lnBF = 3). Other factors, such as age, gender or the size of the place of residence, remain irrelevant. Higher pocket money contributes to higher spending on nicotine products ((lnBF = 12.19). It seems that the age of adolescents does not equally limit access to nicotine products, making e-cigarettes more easily available for sale. Action is needed to effectively limit the access of young people to harmful products.

Key messages

• It seems that the age of adolescents does not equally limit access to nicotine products, making e-cigarettes more easily available for sale.

• Action is needed to effectively limit the access of young people to harmful products.
Nicotine initiation risk among Polish youth - PolNicoYouth study results
Authors: Balwicki Ł , Tyrańska-Fobke A , Kaleta D , Goniewicz M , Klimiuk K
Published: October 2022

Smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes pose a risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to analyze the initiation of these behaviors among Polish youth. The cross-sectional study was carried out in 2020 on a sample of secondary school students (N = 19241) representative of the Polish population, using the CAWI method. In order to estimate the relationship between the independent variables and the outcome variables, the Bayesian multivariate logistic regression was used in the R program using the brms library. Among Polish youth, age (lnBF = 303.55), smoking of traditional cigarettes by parents (lnBF = 117.29) and the type of school to which youth (lnBF = 36.15) and the province of residence (lnBF = 9.08) attend. Gender, size of the place of residence and parents’ education are not related to the risk of tobacco initiation with traditional cigarettes. When e-cigarettes were tried at least once in their life, a significant correlation was identified with a greater number of factors, such as age (lnBF = 124.87), smoking of traditional cigarettes by parents (lnBF = 56.48), province of residence (lnBF = 23.41), gender (lnBF = 16.53), use of heated tobacco (lnBF = 9.34) and e-cigarettes (lnBF = 9.13) by parents, size of the place of residence (lnBF = 8.61) and school type (lnBF = 7.26). Only the level of parents’ education remains unrelated. Factors related to the initiation and attempted use of nicotine products by adolescents indicate potential targets for the intervention. Parents who smoke and use e-cigarettes and heated tobacco should be made aware that their addiction is a strong risk factor for their children’s health. It can become a motivating factor for quitting the addiction.

Key messages

• Parental health behaviors are factors related to the initiation and attempted use of nicotine products by adolescents and indicate a potential target for a public health intervention.

• Parents who smoke and use tobacco products should be made aware that their addiction is a strong risk factor for their children’s health. It can become a motivating factor for quitting the addiction.
Mortality before and during COVID-19 outbreak in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Cilović-Lagarija Š , Musa S , Skočibušić S
Published: October 2022

Background

Mortality data are essential for monitoring population health and is one of the most important data for evaluation and comparison of health status at the local, national, and international level.

Objective: We analysed all-cause mortality data in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) for the period 2016-2021 and compared it with mortality occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 and 2021.

Methods

Using data on all-cause deaths for the period 2016-2021, obtained from the Institute for Statistics of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we compared annual number of deaths (all-ages) and death rates during the 2020 and 2021 to pre-pandemic years.

Results

In 2016 the reported number of death was 21,146, in 2017 was 21,942, in 2018 was 21,691, and in 2019 was 22,024, and during the pandemic period in 2020 and 2021, 26,026 and 29,086 deaths were reported respectively. In 2020, 4,115 more deaths has been reported (15,8%), and in 2021 more 6,438 death (22,1%) compared with period 2016-2019. In FBiH in 2021, the death rate per 100,000 inhabitants was 1,341.2 and it is recorded an increase compared to 2020 when it had a value of 1,208.3 while in 2016 the value was 951.7.

Conclusions

A large proportion of increased mortality during pandemic was probably caused directly by COVID-19. However, the pandemic also resulted in deaths that would otherwise not have occurred (indirect deaths) due lack of access to medical services when hospitals were overwhelmed and changes in health seeking behaviour. An in-depth investigation of the underlying causes of the high excess mortality should be conducted to inform changes in the health care system and efforts to prevent severe COVID-19 through vaccination of vulnerable groups should be a priority.

*This abstract is support by ‘BoCO-19 - The Burden of Disease due to COVID-19'. Project is coordinated/led by Robert Koch Institute and supported by the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

Key messages

• During the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, population in FBiH had a significant increase in all-cause mortality.

• The direct standardized death rate for all causes and age groups per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020 for FBiH was 818.0 and it is slightly higher compared to the EU average.
Masculinities and self-perceived risk of contracting STIs among young men in Stockholm, Sweden
Authors: Canabarro A , Salazar M
Published: October 2022

Background

Risk perception is a key factor influencing young men’s health-seeking behavior for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) detection. Men’s risk perception could be influenced by gendered norms embedded in social constructions of masculinities. However, the association between different domains of traditional masculinities and young men’s risk perception - which is key to inform effective health interventions - has not been studied yet. This study aimed to test if young men’s endorsement of different traditional masculinities forms were associated with current self-perceived risk of contracting STIs among young men in Stockholm, Sweden.

Methods

A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2018 in Stockholm (N = 521 men aged 20-29 years). The Conformity to Masculinity Norms Inventory 46-items tool was used to measure different traditional masculinity domains (Winning, Emotional control, Risk taking, Violence, Playboy, Self-reliance, Primacy of work, Power over women and Heterosexual self-presentation) and overall masculinity. Adjusted multinomial logistic regressions tested the associations between masculinities (overall and each domain) and self-perceived risk of contracting STIs.

Results

Any self-perceived risk of contracting STIs was reported by 39.5% of the sample. After adjusting for confounding factors, endorsing any traditional masculinity behavior was associated with reporting any perceived risk of contracting STIs (RRR 4.9; 95% CI 2.4-10.0). Among the domains, Playboy showed the strongest association (RRR 3.6; 95% CI 2.5-5.1), followed by Risk taking (RRR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3-2.5).

Conclusions

Young men who endorse traditional masculinities behaviors have higher self-perceived risk of contracting STIs, especially those endorsing playboy and risk-taking norms. These findings highlight the need to design policies challenging traditional masculinity behaviors among young Swedish men that can be underpinning their self-perceived STIs risk.

Key messages

• Endorsement of playboy (willingness to have casual sexual partners) and risk taking (willingness to be exposed to risk) masculinity norms were associated with perceiving any risk of contracting STIs.

• Policies challenging traditional masculinity norms among young Swedish men can be designed to influence behaviors underpinning the self-perceived risk for STIs in this group.
Endosperm and Maternal-specific expression ofEIN2in the endosperm affects endosperm cellularization and seed size inArabidopsis
Authors: Ando Atsumi , Kirkbride Ryan C , Qiao Hong , Chen Z Jeffrey
Published: October 2022

Seed size is related to plant evolution and crop yield and is affected by genetic mutations, imprinting, and genome dosage. Imprinting is a widespread epigenetic phenomenon in mammals and flowering plants. ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE2 (EIN2) encodes a membrane protein that links the ethylene perception to transcriptional regulation. Interestingly, during seed development EIN2 is maternally expressed in Arabidopsis and maize, but the role of EIN2 in seed development is unknown. Here, we show that EIN2 is expressed specifically in the endosperm, and the maternal-specific EIN2 expression affects temporal regulation of endosperm cellularization. As a result, seed size increases in the genetic cross using the ein2 mutant as the maternal parent or in the ein2 mutant. The maternal-specific expression of EIN2 in the endosperm is controlled by DNA methylation but not by H3K27me3 or by ethylene and several ethylene pathway genes tested. RNA-seq analysis in the endosperm isolated by laser-capture microdissection show upregulation of many endosperm-expressed genes such as AGAMOUS-LIKEs (AGLs) in the ein2 mutant or when the maternal EIN2 allele is not expressed. EIN2 does not interact with DNA and may act through ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3), a DNA-binding protein present in sporophytic tissues, to activate target genes like AGLs, which in turn mediate temporal regulation of endosperm cellularization and seed size. These results provide mechanistic insights into endosperm and maternal-specific expression of EIN2 on endosperm cellularization and seed development, which could help improve seed production in plants and crops.
Below the Surface of Clinical Ethics
Authors: Parker J Clint
Published: October 2022

Often lurking below the surface of many clinical ethical issues are questions regarding background metaphysical, epistemological, meta-ethical, and political beliefs. In this issue, authors critically examine the effects of background beliefs on conscientious objection, explore ethical issues through the lenses of particular theoretical approaches like pragmatism and intersectional theory, rigorously explore the basic concepts at play within the patient safety movement, offer new theoretical approaches to old problems involving decision making for patients with dementia, explicate and explore the problems and promises of machine learning in medicine, and offer us a non-rights-based argument for the just distribution of healthcare resources.
World War II Origins
Authors: Maiolo Joseph A.
Published: October 2022

The study of the origins of World War II has produced an astounding wealth of literature. No one scholar can hope to master it all. This predicament has been magnified by the fact that historians now question the orthodox periodization, geographic scope, and causes of the war. According to the conventional view, the war arose in Europe as a struggle between democracies and dictatorships. The path to war began in January 1933 with the Nazi seizure of power in Germany. In the years that followed, the German dictator Adolf Hitler, abetted by his Italian counterpart Benito Mussolini and gullible French and British politicians, toppled the post-1919 peace settlement. World War II began in September 1939 when Hitler ordered the German army to destroy Poland, after which Britain and France declared war on Germany. France fell to the German army in May-June 1940 and Italy joined the war. In June 1941 Hitler expanded the war with a surprise attack on the Soviet Union. Six months later the war expanded once again when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and Hitler declared war on the United States. Although Berlin, Rome, and Tokyo had signed the Tripartite (Axis) Pact in September 1940, Japan’s war in China and the Pacific had its own distinct causes. In contrast to the conventional view of the war’s origins, historians now interpret World War II as the last and most destructive stage a particularly brutal era of great power imperialism and intensifying ideological conflict across and within national frontiers. Most historians now see the two world wars and the “interwar” years as constituting one great convulsion of political violence, another Thirty Years’ War (1914–1945). From this perspective, the Sino-Japanese wars of the 1930s are no longer regarded as sideshows to the main events in Europe, but rather manifestations of the general crisis of global order that caused World War II.
Geography of Speciation
Authors: Larson Erica L. , Taylor Scott A.
Published: October 2022

Speciation is the process of a single lineage splitting into two or more daughter lineages. Geography is key to this process. When populations are spatially isolated, they no longer exchange genes and can diverge. A byproduct of this divergence is the evolution of intrinsic reproductive barriers—traits that prevent species from interbreeding and signal the completion of speciation. Allopatric speciation is the origin of new species in spatially isolated populations. Allopatric speciation is the simplest and easiest model of speciation because there is no gene flow between populations that can erode divergence. Given enough time, allopatric speciation is expected, and it is widely agreed to be the most common mode of speciation. Indeed, allopatric speciation was described by Coyne and Orr in Speciation (2004) as “so plausible that it hardly seems worth documenting.” Speciation can of course occur in other geographic contexts, with differing levels of gene flow. A single panmictic population can be split into two isolated populations through disruptive selection, known as sympatric speciation, or new species can arise from populations that do not directly overlap, but are in close enough proximity to exchange genes, known as parapatric speciation. These three geographic modes represent different points on a continuum of spatial isolation that determines the connectivity, or amount of gene flow, among diverging populations. However, these are hardly discrete categories, and the term “speciation-with-gene-flow” (also “divergence-with-gene-flow”) is often used to encompass any geographic model of speciation other than strict allopatry. This article will provide an overview of the various geographic contexts for speciation, with a focus on cases where spatial isolation ranges from complete (allopatric speciation) to some form of contact between diverging populations.
Strategic analysis of the drought resilience of water supply systems
Authors: Murgatroyd Anna , Gavin Helen , Becher Olivia , Coxon Gemma , Hunt Doug , Fallon Emily , Wilson Jonny , Cuceloglu Gokhan , Hall Jim W.
Published: October 2022

Severe droughts can result in shortages of water supplies, with widespread social and economic consequences. Here we use a coupled simulation model to assess the reliability of public water supplies in England, in the context of changing scenarios of water demand, water regulation and climate change. The coupled simulation model combines climate simulations, a national-scale hydrological model and a national-scale water resource systems model to demonstrate how extreme meteorological droughts translate into hydrological droughts and water shortages for water users. We use this model to explore the effectiveness of strategic water resource options that are being planned in England to secure water supplies to most of England's population up to a drought return period of 1 in 500 years. We conclude that it is possible to achieve a 1-in-500-years standard in locations where strategic resource options are used, while also reducing water abstraction to restore the aquatic environment. However, the target will be easier to achieve if effective steps are also taken to reduce water demand.

This article is part of the Royal Society Science+ meeting issue ‘Drought risk in the Anthropocene’.
Understanding the transgression of global and regional freshwater planetary boundaries
Authors: Pastor A. V. , Biemans H. , Franssen W. , Gerten D. , Hoff H. , Ludwig F. , Kabat P.
Published: October 2022

Freshwater ecosystems have been degraded due to intensive freshwater abstraction. Therefore, environmental flow requirements (EFRs) methods have been proposed to maintain healthy rivers and/or restore river flows. In this study, we used the Variable Monthly Flow (VMF) method to calculate the transgression of freshwater planetary boundaries: (1) natural deficits in which flow does not meet EFRs due to climate variability, and (2) anthropogenic deficits caused by water abstractions. The novelty is that we calculated spatially and cumulative monthly water deficits by river types including the frequency, magnitude and causes of environmental flow (EF) deficits (climatic and/or anthropogenic). Water deficit was found to be a regional rather than a global concern (less than 5% of total discharge). The results show that, from 1960 to 2000, perennial rivers with low flow alteration, such as the Amazon, had an EF deficit of 2–12% of the total discharge, and that the climate deficit was responsible for up to 75% of the total deficit. In rivers with high seasonality and high water abstractions such as the Indus, the total deficit represents up to 130% of its total discharge, 85% of which is due to withdrawals. We highlight the need to allocate water to humans and ecosystems sustainably.

This article is part of the Royal Society Science+ meeting issue ‘Drought risk in the Anthropocene’.
Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes: Minutes of the Meeting on 27 July 2022
Authors: Göker Markus
Published: October 2022

The minutes of the online meeting of the Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes that was held on 27 July 2022 per video conference are presented.
Investigating the Streptococcus sinensis competence regulon through a combination of transcriptome analysis and phenotypic evaluation
Authors: Brennan Alec A. , Harrington Anthony , Guo Mingzhe , Renshaw Clay P. , Tillett Richard L. , Miura Pedro , Tal-Gan Yftah
Published: October 2022

Streptococcus sinensis

is a recently identified member of the Mitis group of streptococci. This species has been associated with infective endocarditis; however its mechanisms of pathogenesis and virulence are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the competence-stimulating peptide (CSP) and the competence regulon quorum-sensing circuitry (ComABCDE) on subsequent gene transcription and expression, as well as resultant phenotypes. In this study we confirmed the native CSP identity, ascertained when endogenous CSP was produced and completed a transcriptome-wide analysis of all genes following CSP exposure. RNA sequencing analysis revealed the upregulation of genes known to be associated with competence, biofilm formation and virulence. As such, a variety of phenotypic assays were utilized to assess the correlation between increased mRNA expression and potential phenotype response, ultimately gaining insight into the effects of CSP on both gene expression and developed phenotypes. The results indicated that the addition of exogenous CSP aided in competence development and successful transformation, yielding an average transformation efficiency comparable to that of other Mitis group streptococci. Additional studies are needed to further delineate the effects of CSP exposure on biofilm formation and virulence. Overall, this study provides novel information regarding

S. sinensis

and provides a substantial foundation on which this species and its role in disease pathogenesis can be further investigated.
PALMO: a comprehensive platform for analyzing longitudinal multi-omics data
Authors: Vasaikar Suhas V. , Savage Adam K. , Gong Qiuyu , Swanson Elliott , Talla Aarthi , Lord Cara , Heubeck Alexander T , Reading Julian , Graybuck Lucas T. , Meijer Paul , Torgerson Troy R. , Skene Peter J. , Bumol Thomas F. , Li Xiao-jun
Published: October 2022

Longitudinal bulk and single-cell omics data is increasingly generated for biological and clinical research but is challenging to analyze due to its many intrinsic types of variations. We present PALMO (https://github.com/aifimmunology/PALMO), a platform that contains five analytical modules to examine longitudinal bulk and single-cell multi-omics data from multiple perspectives, including decomposition of sources of variations within the data, collection of stable or variable features across timepoints and participants, identification of up- or down-regulated markers across timepoints of individual participants, and investigation on samples of same participants for possible outlier events. We tested PALMO performance on a complex longitudinal multi-omics dataset of five data modalities on the same samples and six external datasets of diverse background. Both PALMO and our longitudinal multi-omics dataset can be valuable resources to the scientific community.
Predicting murine age across tissues and cell types using single cell transcriptome data
Authors: Neumann Janis Frederick , Leote Ana Carolina , Liersch Meike , Beyer Andreas
Published: October 2022

Molecular aging clocks utilize high-dimensional profiling data to predict the chronological or biological age of individuals. While this approach has proven successful across a wide range of species and tissues, the potential of using single-cell molecular profiling data for age prediction remains to be fully explored. Here, we demonstrate that aging clocks based on single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data enable studying aging effects for different cell types in the same organ and for similar cell types across organs. We utilize mouse single-cell RNA-Seq data to train molecular aging clocks that distinguish between cells of young and old mice using two models: a first model trained specifically to predict the age of B cells and a second one predicting age across 70 cell types from 14 tissues.

We evaluated Elastic Net regression and two tree-based machine learning methods, Random Forest and XGBoost, as well as three distinct methods of transforming the measured gene expression values. Our models proved to be transferable to independent individuals and tissues that were not used for model training, reaching an accuracy of over 90%. A single-cell molecular aging clock trained on B cells from the spleen was capable of correctly classifying the age of almost 95% of all B cells in different organs. This finding suggests common molecular aging processes for B cells, independent of their site of residence. Further, our aging models identified several aging markers involved in translation and formation of the cytoskeleton, suggesting that these fundamental cellular processes are affected by aging independent of the cell type. Beyond showing that it is possible to train highly accurate and transferable models of aging on single-cell transcriptomics data, our work opens up the possibility of studying global as well as cell-type-specific effects of age on the molecular state of a cell.

Graphical Abstract
The priming effect of rewarding brain stimulation persists following blockade of D2-like dopamine receptors
Authors: Evangelista Czarina , Mehrez Norhan , Brake Wayne G. , Shizgal Peter
Published: October 2022

Withdrawal statement

The authors have withdrawn their manuscript because its contents have now been merged into BIORXIV/2022/512941v3. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.
Complexes of 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid: effects of intramolecular hydrogen bonding on ligand geometry and metal binding modes
Authors: Abrahams Brendan F. , Commons Christopher J. , Hudson Timothy A. , Sanchez Arlt Robin , Ahl Rion , Carajias Eirene D. , Chan Jason W. K. , Guo Zhihao , Hill Renee E. , McGinty Alice , Peters Neale L. , Poon Joshua Y. P. , Qu Jingqi , Qu Jinglin , Rochette Emily E. , Walkear Catherine , Wang Hanlin , Wu Holly , Xu Chang , Zhang Jingyuan
Published: October 2022

This article describes a series of more than 20 new compounds formed by the combination of 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid (H4thba) with metal ions in the presence of a base, with structures that include discrete molecular units, chains, and two- and three-dimensional networks. As a result of the presence of two ortho-hydroxy groups, H4thba is a relatively strong acid (pK
a1 = 1.68). The carboxylate group in H3thba− is therefore considerably less basic than most carboxylates with intramolecular hydrogen bonds, conferring a rigid planar geometry upon the anion. These characteristics of H3thba− significantly impact upon the way it interacts with metal ions. In s-block metal compounds, where the interaction of the metal centres with the carboxylate O atoms is essentially ionic, the anion bonds to up to three metal centres via a variety of binding modes. In cases where the metal ion is able to form directional coordinate bonds, however, the carboxylate group tends to bond in a monodentate mode, interacting with just one metal centre in the syn mode. A dominant influence on the structures of the complexes seems to be the face-to-face stacking of the aromatic rings, which creates networks containing layers of metal–oxygen polyhedra that participate in hydrogen bonding. This investigation was undertaken, in part, by a group of secondary school students as an educational exercise designed to introduce school students to the technique of single-crystal X-ray diffraction and enhance their understanding of primary and secondary bonding.
N-Cycloamino substituent effects on the packing architecture of ortho-sulfanilamide molecular crystals and their in silico carbonic anhydrase II and IX inhibitory activities
Authors: Kolade Sherif O. , Izunobi Josephat U. , Gordon Allen T. , Hosten Eric C. , Olasupo Idris A. , Ogunlaja Adeniyi S. , Asekun Olayinka T. , Familoni Oluwole B.
Published: October 2022

In the search for new `sulfa drugs' with therapeutic properties, o-nitrosulfonamides and N-cycloamino-o-sulfanilamides were synthesized and characterized using techniques including 1H NMR, 13C NMR and FT–IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD). The calculated density functional theory (DFT)-optimized geometry of the molecules showed similar conformations to those obtained by SC-XRD. Molecular docking of N-piperidinyl-o-sulfanilamide and N-indolinyl-o-sulfanilamide supports the notion that o-sulfanilamides are able to bind to human carbonic anhydrase II and IX inhibitors (hCA II and IX; PDB entries 4iwz and 5fl4). Hirshfeld surface analyses and DFT studies of three o-nitrosulfonamides {1-[(2-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl]pyrrolidine, C10H12N2O4S, 1, 1-[(2-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl]piperidine, C11H14N2O4S, 2, and 1-[(2-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl]-2,3-dihydro-1H-indole, C14H12N2O4S, 3} and three N-cycloamino-o-sulfanilamides [2-(pyrrolidine-1-sulfonyl)aniline, C10H14N2O2S, 4, 2-(piperidine-1-sulfonyl)aniline, C11H16N2O2S, 5, and 2-(2,3-dihydro-1H-indole-1-sulfonyl)aniline, C14H14N2O2S, 6] suggested that forces such as hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions hold molecules together and further showed that charge transfer could promote bioactivity and the ability to form biological interactions at the piperidinyl and phenyl moieties.
Structural networks and dyadic negotiations in tourism destination ecosystems
Authors: Ness Håvard , Aarstad Jarle , Haugland Sven Arne
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how and to what extent structural network properties affect dyadic negotiation behavior in tourism destination ecosystems. Specifically, this study addresses negotiation behavior in terms of problem-solving and contending, because these two key strategies reflect the integrative and distributive aspects of dyadic interactions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study relies on network data and dyadic survey data from nine mountain tourism destinations in Southeastern Norway. The structural network properties the authors research are triadic closure – the extent to which a dyad has common ties to other actors – and structural equivalence – the similarities in networking patterns that capture firms’ competition for similar resources. In addition, the authors also study a possible effect of relationship duration on negotiation behavior.

Findings

Triadic closure and relationship duration have positive effects on problem-solving, and structural equivalence tends to decrease problem-solving, although the effect is inconsistent; none of these three independent variables was found to affect contending negotiation behavior.

Research limitations/implications

This study shows that a dyad’s structural network embeddedness has implications for negotiation behavior. Further research is encouraged to develop this theoretical perspective.

Originality/value

This study is a pioneering investigation of how structural network properties affect dyadic negotiation behavior in ongoing coproducing relationships in real-world destination ecosystems.
Is online collaboration process suitable for digital youth organization? A design approach
Authors: Cheng Xusen , Liu Wanxin , Li Yuanyuan
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Collaboration is significant but difficult for the development of youth organizations, this research aims to explore whether the online collaboration process is suitable for youth organizations' collaboration and improve their effectiveness and efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

This research has applied a design approach using the collaboration engineering method, to design an online collaboration process for youth organizations to improve their effectiveness and efficiency. Using a self-developed group support systems (GSS) tool, the authors have tested the new collaboration process through an experiment among four youth organizations and conducted a survey afterwards.

Findings

The new process improves the collaboration effectiveness and efficiency. The research also identifies the detailed relationships among influencing factors in the online collaboration process.

Originality/value

There is little research in the context of computer mediated youth organization collaboration. This research designs an online collaboration process for the effective and efficient collaboration of youth organizations and has it tested among representative youth organizations, providing practical instructions for digital youth organization collaboration in the context of global pandemic.
Listing product benefits on an extra affixed label: effects on claim credibility and product evaluation
Authors: Ku Hsuan-Hsuan , Chen Pei-Ting
Published: October 2022

Purpose

To heighten shopper interest, fast moving consumer goods marketers often attach supplementary labels to the package front to promote product benefits. This study aims to use claim credibility as the foundation for investigating how an extra affixed label that addresses product benefits impacts consumer evaluation, as well as identifying important factors that might moderate the resulting responses.

Design/methodology/approach

Three between-subjects experiments examine how claim credibility mediates the influence of extra affixed labels on product evaluation (Study 1). They also test whether the impact on consumer responses of extra affixed labels, with emphasis on the same vs different benefits as those printed on the front of a package (Study 2.1) or with a high or low relevance between their claimed benefits and the front-of-package stated ingredients (Study 2.2), is dependent upon individuals’ need for cognition.

Findings

Results show the power of extra affixed labels in improving product evaluation. Claim credibility mediated the observed effects of extra affixed labeling. Yet, the favorable effects of extra affixed labels for individuals high in need for cognition is diminished when expressed in a different (vs same) claim from those printed on the package front or the claim about product benefits is low (vs high) relevance to the declared ingredients. The reverse holds true for those low in need for cognition.

Originality/value

This study advances knowledge on the effects of extra affixed label claims on product evaluation.
Design and development of an environmentally controlled enclosure for a commercial 3D printer
Authors: Gonzalez Lugo Carlos A. , Caputo Dylan Scott , Hutchinson Michael J. , Fouladi Kamran , Eslami Babak
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to design and develop an environmentally controlled enclosure for commercial three-dimensional (3D) printers.

Design/methodology/approach

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental testing investigated various designs for environmentally controlled enclosures. CFD simulations provided the necessary information to select the optimal and feasible design, whereas experimental testing validated the CFD simulation results. An environmentally controlled environment allowed test samples to be printed at several relative humidity (RH) settings (20% RH, 50% RH and 80% RH). The test samples were characterized at both the macro and micro scales. The macroscale characterization was conducted using the static tensile testing procedure, while the microscale polymer material properties were determined using atomic force microscopy.

Findings

An environmentally controlled enclosure was designed and built to produce airflow in the print region with an average RH uniformity of over 0.70. Three batches of ASTM D638 standard test samples were printed at 20% RH (low RH), 50% RH (mid RH) and 80% RH (high RH). Macroscale characterization showed that the samples printed at lower humidity had statistically significantly higher tangent modulus, ultimate tensile strength and rupture strength. atomic force microscopy studies have also verified these results at the microscale and nanoscale. These studies also showed that a high humidity environment interacts with melted polylactic acid, causing additional surface roughness that reduces the strength of 3D-printed parts.

Originality/value

There is a need for stronger and higher-quality 3D-printed parts in the additive manufacturing (AM) market. This study fulfills that need by designing and developing an environmentally controlled add-on enclosure for the AM market.