bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genome-wide association study between SARS-CoV-2 single nucleotide polymorphisms and virus copies during infections
Authors: Li Ke , Chaguza Chrispin , Stamp Julian , Chew Yi Ting , Chen Nicholas F.G. , Ferguson David , Pandya Sameer , Kerantzas Nick , Schulz Wade ,   Yale SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Surveillance Initiative, Hahn Anne M. , Ogbunugafor C Brandon , Pitzer Virginia E. , Crawford Lorin , Weinberger Daniel M. , Grubaugh Nathan D.
Published: March 2024

Significant variations have been observed in viral copies generated during SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, the factors that impact viral copies and infection dynamics are not fully understood, and may be inherently dependent upon different viral and host factors. Here, we conducted virus whole genome sequencing and measured viral copies using RT-qPCR from 9,902 SARS-CoV-2 infections over a 2-year period to examine the impact of virus genetic variation on changes in viral copies adjusted for host age and vaccination status. Using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach, we identified multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) corresponding to amino acid changes in the SARS-CoV-2 genome associated with variations in viral copies. We further applied a marginal epistasis test to detect interactions among SNPs and identified multiple pairs of substitutions located in the spike gene that have non-linear effects on viral copies. We also analyzed the temporal patterns and found that SNPs associated with increased viral copies were predominantly observed in Delta and Omicron BA.2/BA.4/BA.5/XBB infections, whereas those associated with decreased viral copies were only observed in infections with Omicron BA.1 variants. Our work showcases how GWAS can be a useful tool for probing phenotypes related to SNPs in viral genomes that are worth further exploration. We argue that this approach can be used more broadly across pathogens to characterize emerging variants and monitor therapeutic interventions.

Author Summary

Our study explores why viral load (copies measured by RT-qPCR) varies during SARS-CoV-2 infections by analyzing viral mutations and measuring viral copies in 9,902 individuals over two years. We aimed to understand how genetic differences in SARS-CoV-2 influence viral copies, considering host age and vaccination status. Using a genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identified several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the virus linked to variations in viral levels. Notably, interactions between certain SNPs in the spike gene had non-linear effects on viral copies. Our analysis revealed that SNPs associated with higher viral copies were common in Delta and Omicron BA.2/BA.4/BA.5/XBB variants, while those linked to lower levels were mainly found in Omicron BA.1. This research highlights GWAS as a powerful tool for exploring virus genetics and suggests it can be broadly applied to monitor new variants of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
Developmental hematopoietic stem cell variation explains clonal hematopoiesis later in life
Authors: Kreger Jesse , Mooney Jazlyn A , Shibata Darryl , MacLean Adam L
Published: March 2024

Clonal hematopoiesis becomes increasingly common with age, but its cause is enigmatic because driver mutations are often absent. Serial observations infer weak selection indicating variants are acquired much earlier in life with unexplained initial growth spurts. Here we use fluctuating CpG methylation as a lineage marker to track stem cell clonal dynamics of hematopoiesis. We show, via the shared prenatal circulation of monozygotic twins, that weak selection conferred by stem cell variation created before birth can reliably yield clonal hematopoiesis later in life. Theory indicates weak selection will lead to dominance given enough time and large enough population sizes. Human hematopoiesis satisfies both these conditions. Stochastic loss of weakly selected variants is naturally prevented by the expansion of stem cell lineages during development. The dominance of stem cell clones created before birth is supported by blood fluctuating CpG methylation patterns that exhibit low correlation between unrelated individuals but are highly correlated between many elderly monozygotic twins. Therefore, clonal hematopoiesis driven by weak selection in later life appears to reflect variation created before birth.
Monitoring of emerging nutritional factors impacting health outcomes: KOMPAS prospective family cohort study
Authors: Selinger Eliška , Heniková Marina , Světnička Martin , Ouřadová Anna , Cahová Monika , Potočková Jana , Dlouhý Pavel , Hrnčířová Dana , el-Lababidi Eva , Gojda Jan
Published: March 2024

Introduction

The dietary habits of the population are undergone dramatic changes in recent years, with an increasing proportion of people adopting different variants of plant-based diets, limiting their consumption of food of animal origin. Moreover, the shift toward a plant-based diet is supported by scientific reports promoting them as a more sustainable dietary option, which is necessary to adopt on a global scale to mitigate the human influence on climate change. However, despite their growing popularity, many questions regarding their safety and long-term health effects remain unanswered. One of the biggest concerns is the health impact during childhood and adolescence, due to the higher risk of development of severe nutritional deficiencies accompanied by the lack of good quality evidence to guide clinical recommendations and management in those groups. To close the knowledge gap, we decided to establish a family cohort study with increased representation of vegetarian and vegan families with the aim to describe not only adult and child-specific outcomes associated with plant-based diet, but also shared family risks. The aim of the presented manuscript is to introduce the background of the establishment of the family cohort study and provide a description of its protocol.

Methods

To investigate the long-term effect of these newly emerging dietary habits, a cohort of families with at least one child under 7 years of age and with the same diet followed by all members was established. The goal for the first year of the study was to recruit at least 40 vegetarian, 40 vegan, and 60-80 omnivore families. At the time of enrollment, biological samples, as well as medical history, together with 3 day dietary records, were taken. The initial active follow-up is planned for at least 5 years.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board no. EK-VP/391012. The results of the study will serve as a basis for future research, as well as clinical guidelines and dietary recommendations in Czechia and neighboring regions.
Development of a clinical risk score to risk stratify for a serious cause of vertigo: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Ohle Robert , Savage David W. , Roy Danielle , McIsaac Sarah , Singh Ravinder , Lelli Daniel , Tse Darren , Johns Peter , Yadav Krishan , Perry Jeffrey J.
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Identify high-risk clinical characteristics for a serious cause of vertigo in patients presenting to the emergency department.

Design

Multicentre prospective cohort study over 3 years.

Setting

Three university-affiliated tertiary care emergency departments.

Participants

Patients presenting with vertigo, dizziness or imbalance. A total of 2078 of 2618 potentially eligible patients (79.4%) were enrolled (mean age 77.1 years; 59% women).

Main outcome measurements

An adjudicated serious diagnosis defined as stroke, transient ischemic attack, vertebral artery dissection or brain tumour.

Results

Serious events occurred in 111 (5.3%) patients. We used logistic regression to create a 7-item prediction model: male, age over 65, hypertension, diabetes, motor/sensory deficits, cerebellar signs/symptoms and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo diagnosis (C-statistic 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92–0.98). The risk of a serious diagnosis ranged from 0% for a score of <5, 2.1% for a score of 5-8, and 41% for a score >8. Sensitivity for a serious diagnosis was 100% (95% CI, 97.1-100%) and specificity 72.1% (95% CI, 70.1-74%) for a score <5.

Conclusions

The Sudbury Vertigo Risk Score identifies the risk of a serious diagnosis as a cause of a patient’s vertigo and can assist physicians in guiding further investigation, consultation and treatment decisions, improving resource utilization and reducing missed diagnoses.
Patient preferences and priorities for the design of an acute kidney injury prevention trial: Findings from a consensus workshop
Authors: Elliott Meghan J. , Fiest Kirsten M. , Love Shannan , Birdsell Dale , Loth Maureena , Dumka Heather , Rana Benny , Shommu Nusrat , Benterud Eleanor , Gil Sarah , Acharya Dilaram , Harrison Tyrone G. , Pannu Neesh , James Matthew T.
Published: March 2024

Introduction

High-quality clinical trials are needed to establish the safety, efficacy, and real-world use of potential therapies for acute kidney injury (AKI) prevention. In this consensus workshop, we identified patient and caregiver priorities for recruitment, intervention delivery, and outcomes of a clinical trial of cilastatin to prevent nephrotoxic AKI.

Methods

We included adults with lived experience of AKI, chronic kidney disease, or risk factors for AKI (e.g., critical care hospitalization), and their caregivers. Using a modified nominal group technique approach, we conducted a series of hybrid in-person/virtual discussions covering 3 clinical trial topic areas: (1) consent and recruitment; (2) intervention delivery; and (3) trial outcomes. Participants voted on their top preferences in each topic area, and discussion transcripts were analyzed inductively using conventional content analysis.

Results

Thirteen individuals (11 patients, 2 caregivers) participated in the workshop. For consent and recruitment, participants prioritized technology enabled pre-screening and involvement of family members in the consent process. For intervention delivery, participants prioritized measures to facilitate intervention administration and return visits. For trial outcomes, participants identified kidney-related and other clinical outcomes (e.g., AKI, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular events) as top priorities. Analysis of transcripts provided insight into care team and family involvement in trial-related decisions, implications of allocation to a placebo arm, and impact of participants’ experiences of AKI and critical illness.

Conclusion

Findings from our workshop will directly inform development of a clinical trial protocol of cilastatin for nephrotoxic AKI prevention and can assist others in patient-centered approaches to AKI trial design.
RegionScan: A comprehensive R package for region-level genome-wide association testing with integration and visualization of multiple-variant and single-variant hypothesis testing
Authors: Brossard Myriam , Roshandel Delnaz , Luo Kexin , Yavartanoo Fatemeh , Paterson Andrew D. , Yoo Yun J. , Bull Shelley B.
Published: March 2024

RegionScan is an R package for comprehensive and scalable genome-wide association testing of region-level multiple-variant and single-variant statistics and visualization of the results. It implements various state-of-the-art region-level tests to improve signal detection under heterogeneous genetic architectures and facilitates comparison of multiple-variant region-level and single-variant test results. It exploits local linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure for genomic partitioning and LD-adaptive region definition. RegionScan is compatible with VCF input file formats for genotyped and imputed variants, and options are available for analysis of multi-allelic variants and unbalanced binary phenotypes. It accommodates parallel region-level processing and analysis to improve computational time and memory efficiency and provides detailed outputs and utility functions to assist results comparison, visualization, and interpretation.

Availability and implementation

RegionScan is freely available for download on GitHub (https://github.com/brossardMyriam/RegionScan).

Contact

bull@lunenfeld.ca,brossard@lunenfeld.ca.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Sampled subblock hashing for large-input randomness extraction
Authors: Ng Hong Jie , Kon Wen Yu , Primaatmaja Ignatius William , Wang Chao , Lim Charles
Published: March 2024

Randomness extraction is an essential postprocessing step in practical quantum cryptography systems. When statistical fluctuations are taken into consideration, the requirement of large-input data size could heavily penalize the speed and resource consumption of the randomness-extraction process, thereby limiting the overall system performance. In this work, we propose a sampled subblock hashing approach to circumvent this problem by randomly dividing the large-input block into multiple subblocks and processing them individually. Through simulations and experiments, we demonstrate that our method achieves an order-of-magnitude increase in system throughput while keeping the resource utilization low. Furthermore, our proposed approach is applicable to a generic class of quantum cryptographic protocols that satisfy the generalized entropy-accumulation framework, presenting a highly promising and general solution for high-speed postprocessing in quantum cryptographic applications such as quantum key distribution and quantum random number generation.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Order parameter and spectral function in
d
-wave holographic superconductors
Authors: Ghorai Debabrata , Yuk Taewon , Sin Sang-Jin
Published: March 2024

We consider the d-wave holographic superconductor model with full backreaction on the metric, addressing a missing part in the literature. We have identified the gap function by comparing the fermionic spectral function with the momentum-dependent order parameter. By numerical investigations of the fermionic spectral function in the presence of a tensor condensate, we find the Fermi arc and the gapped behavior, which closely resembles angle resolved photoemission spectrum data. Moreover, we have examined the influence of the coupling constant, chemical potential, and temperature on the spectral function. We find that d-wave fermionic spectral function can be obtained through px and py condensates combined with two fermion flavors. Similarly, combining dx2−y2 and dxy orbitals symmetry with two fermion flavors leads to a g-wave spectral function.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Universal Shot-Noise Limit for Quantum Metrology with Local Hamiltonians
Authors: Shi Hai-Long , Guan Xi-Wen , Yang Jing
Published: March 2024

Quantum many-body interactions can induce quantum entanglement among particles, rendering them valuable resources for quantum-enhanced sensing. In this work, we establish a link between the bound on the growth of the quantum Fisher information and the Lieb-Robinson bound, which characterizes the operator growth in locally interacting quantum many-body systems. We show that for initial separable states, despite the use of local many-body interactions, the precision cannot surpass the shot noise limit at all times. This conclusion also holds for an initial state that is the nondegenerate ground state of a local and gapped Hamiltonian. These findings strongly hint that when one can only prepare separable initial states, nonlocal and long-range interactions are essential resources for surpassing the shot noise limit. This observation is confirmed through numerical analysis on the long-range Ising model. Our results bridge the field of many-body quantum sensing and operator growth in many-body quantum systems and open the possibility to investigate the interplay between quantum sensing and control, many-body physics and information scrambling.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Impact of atomic reconstruction on optical spectra of twisted TMD homobilayers
Authors: Hagel Joakim , Brem Samuel , Pineiro Johannes Abelardo , Malic Ermin
Published: March 2024

Twisted bilayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have revealed a rich exciton landscape including hybrid excitons and spatially trapped moiré excitons that dominate the optical response of the material. Recent studies have shown that in the low-twist-angle regime, the lattice undergoes a significant relaxation in order to minimize local stacking energies. Here, large domains of low energy stacking configurations emerge, deforming the crystal lattices via strain and consequently impacting the electronic band structure. However, so far the direct impact of atomic reconstruction on the exciton energy landscape and the optical properties has not been well understood. Here, we apply a microscopic and material-specific approach and predict a significant change in the potential depth for moiré excitons in a reconstructed lattice, with the most drastic change occurring in naturally stacked TMD homobilayers. We show the appearance of multiple flat bands and a significant change in the position of trapping sites compared to the rigid lattice. Most importantly, we predict a multipeak structure emerging in optical absorption of WSe2 homobilayers—in contrast to the single peak that dominates the rigid lattice. This finding can be exploited as an unambiguous signature of atomic reconstruction in optical spectra of moiré excitons in naturally stacked twisted homobilayers.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Electric-field control of magnetic anisotropies: Applications to Kitaev spin liquids and topological spin textures
Authors: Furuya Shunsuke C. , Sato Masahiro
Published: March 2024

Magnetic anisotropies often originate from the spin-orbit coupling and determine magnetic ordering patterns. We develop a microscopic theory for dc electric-field controls of magnetic anisotropies in magnetic Mott insulators and discuss its applications to Kitaev materials and topological spin textures. Throughout this paper, we take a microscopic approach based on Hubbard-type lattice models, tight-binding models with onsite interactions. We derive a low-energy spin Hamiltonian from a fourth-order perturbation expansion of the Hubbard-type model. We show in the presence of a strong intra-atomic spin-orbit coupling that dc electric fields add non-Kitaev interactions such as a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and an off-diagonal Γ′ interaction to the Kitaev-Heisenberg model and can induce a topological quantum phase transition between Majorana Chern insulating phases. We also investigate the interatomic Rashba spin-orbit coupling and its effects on topological spin textures. dc electric fields turn out to create and annihilate magnetic skyrmions, hedgehogs, and chiral solitons. We propose several methods of creating topological spin textures with external electromagnetic fields. Our theory clarifies that the strong but feasible electric field can control Kitaev spin liquids and topological spin textures.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Automatic order detection and restoration through systematically improvable variational wave functions
Authors: Levy Ryan , Morales Miguel A. , Zhang Shiwei
Published: March 2024

Variational wave function are an invaluable tool to study the properties of strongly correlated systems. We propose such a wave function, based on the theory of auxiliary fields and combining aspects of auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo and modern variational optimization techniques including automatic differentiation. The resulting , consisting of several slices of optimized projectors, is highly expressive and systematically improvable. We benchmark this form on the two-dimensional Hubbard model, using both cylindrical and large, fully periodic supercells. The computed ground-state energies are competitive with the best variational results. Moreover, the optimized wave functions predict the correct ground-state order with near full symmetry restoration (i.e., translation invariance) despite initial states with incorrect orders. The can become a tool for local order prediction, leading to a new paradigm for variational studies of bulk systems. It can also be viewed as an approach to produce accurate and systematically improvable wave functions in a convenient form of nonorthogonal Slater determinants (e.g., for quantum chemistry) at polynomial computational cost.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Partially Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing Architecture with Error-Corrected Clifford Gates and Space-Time Efficient Analog Rotations
Authors: Akahoshi Yutaro , Maruyama Kazunori , Oshima Hirotaka , Sato Shintaro , Fujii Keisuke
Published: March 2024

Quantum computers are expected to drastically accelerate certain computing tasks versus classical computers. Noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices, which have tens to hundreds of noisy physical qubits, are gradually becoming available, but it is still challenging to achieve useful quantum advantages in meaningful tasks. On the other hand, full fault-tolerant quantum computing (FTQC) based on quantum error correction code remains far beyond realization due to its extremely large requirement of high-precision physical qubits. In this study, we propose a quantum computing architecture to close the gap between NISQ and FTQC architectures. Our architecture is based on erroneous arbitrary rotation gates and error-corrected Clifford gates implemented by lattice surgery. We omit the typical distillation protocol to achieve direct analog rotations and small qubit requirements, and minimize the remnant errors of the rotations by a carefully designed state injection protocol. Our estimation based on numerical simulations shows that for early-FTQC devices that consist of 104 physical qubits with physical error probability p=10−4, we can perform roughly 1.72×107 Clifford operations and 3.75×104 arbitrary rotations on 64 logical qubits. Such computations cannot be realized by the existing NISQ and FTQC architectures on the same device, as well as classical computers. We hope that our proposal and the corresponding development of quantum algorithms based on it will bring new insights into the realization of practical quantum computers in the future.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Crystal structure and analytical profile of 1,2-diphenyl-2-pyrrolidin-1-ylethanone hydrochloride or `α-D2PV': a synthetic cathinone seized by law enforcement, along with its diluent sugar, myo-inositol
Authors: Wood Matthew R. , Bernal Ivan , Lalancette Roger A.
Published: March 2024

A confiscated package of street drugs was characterized by the usual mass spectral (MS) and FT–IR analyses. The confiscated powder material was highly crystalline and was found to consist of two very different species, accidentally of sizes convenient for X-ray diffraction. Thus, one each was selected and redundant complete sets of data were collected at 100 K using Cu Kα radiation. The selected crystals contained: (a) 1,2-diphenyl-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethanone hydrochloride hemihydrate or 1-(2-oxo-1,2-diphenylethyl)pyrrolidin-1-ium chloride hemihydrate, C18H20NO+·Cl−·0.5H2O, (I), a synthetic cathinone called `α-D2PV', and (b) the sugar myo-inositol, C6H12O6, (II), probably the only instance in which the drug and its diluent have been fully characterized from a single confiscated sample. Moreover, the structural details of both are rather attractive showing: (i) interesting hydrogen bonding observed in pairwise interactions by the drug molecules, mediated by the chloride counter-anions and the waters of crystallization, and (ii) π–π interactions in the case of the phenyl rings of the drug which are of two different types, namely, π–π stacking and edge-to-π. Finally, the inositol crystallizes with Z′ = 2 and the resulting diastereoisomers were examined by overlay techniques.
Exploring the dynamics of bigdata adoption in the Indian food industry with fuzzy analytical hierarchical process
Authors: Singh Jayati , Kumar Rupesh , Kumar Vinod , Chatterjee Sheshadri
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The main aim of this study is to identify and prioritize the factors that influence the adoption of big data analytics (BDA) within the supply chain (SC) of the food industry in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is carried out in two distinct phases. In the first phase, barriers hindering BDA adoption in the Indian food industry are identified. Subsequently, the second phase rates/prioritizes these barriers using multicriteria methodologies such as the “analytical hierarchical process” (AHP) and the “fuzzy analytical hierarchical process” (FAHP). Fifteen barriers have been identified, collectively influencing the BDA adoption in the SC of the Indian food industry.

Findings

The findings suggest that the lack of data security, availability of skilled IT professionals, and uncertainty about return on investments (ROI) are the top three apprehensions of the consultants and managers regarding the BDA adoption in the Indian food industry SC.

Research limitations/implications

This research has identified several reasons for the adoption of bigdata analytics in the supply chain management of foods in India. This study has also highlighted that big data analytics applications need specific skillsets, and there is a shortage of critical skills in this industry. Therefore, the technical skills of the employees need to be enhanced by their organizations. Also, utilizing similar services offered by other external agencies could help organizations potentially save time and resources for their in-house teams with a faster turnaround.

Originality/value

The present study will provide vital information to companies regarding roadblocks in BDA adoption in the Indian food industry SC and motivate academicians to explore this area further.
Circular building adaptability in multi-residential buildings – the status quo and a conceptual design framework
Authors: Ollár Anita
Published: March 2024

Purpose

There is a renowned interest in adaptability as an important principle for achieving circularity in the built environment. Circular building adaptability (CBA) could enable long-term building utilisation and flexible use of space with limited material flows. This paper identifies and analyses design strategies facilitating CBA to propose a framework for enhancing the implementation of the concept.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were conducted with professionals experienced in circular building design to explore the questions “How do currently applied design strategies enable CBA?” and “How can CBA be implemented through a conceptual design framework?”. The interviews encircled multi-residential building examples to identify currently applied circular design strategies. The interviews were analysed through qualitative content analysis using CBA determinants as a coding framework.

Findings

The results show that all ten CBA determinants are supported by design strategies applied in current circular building design. However, some determinants are more supported than others, and design strategies are often employed without explicitly considering adaptability. The design strategies that enable adaptability offer long-term solutions requiring large-scale modifications rather than facilitating low-impact adaptation by dwelling occupants. The proposed conceptual design framework could aid architects in resolving these issues and implementing CBA in their circular building design.

Originality/value

This paper’s contribution to CBA is threefold. It demonstrates design strategies facilitating CBA, proposes a conceptual design framework to apply the concept and identifies the need for a more comprehensive application of available adaptability strategies.
A three-period extension of the CAPM
Authors: Habis Helga
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Our result of this paper aims to indicate that the beta pricing formula could be applied in a long-term model setting as well.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, we show that the capital asset pricing model can be derived from a three-period general equilibrium model.

Findings

We show that our extended model yields a Pareto efficient outcome.

Practical implications

The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) model can be used for pricing long-lived assets.

Social implications

Long-term modelling and sustainability can be modelled in our setting.

Originality/value

Our results were only known for two periods. The extension to 3 periods opens up a large scope of applicational possibilities in asset pricing, behavioural analysis and long-term efficiency.
Rethinking accounting education for a sustainable future: charting a course for sustainable development goals 2030
Authors: Othman Radiah , Ameer Rashid
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to seek accounting graduates' perspectives on the demand for accounting in their workplaces, on the gaps in accounting education (AE), and on the future of the accounting profession, inspired by the new definition of accounting proposed by Carnegie et al. (2021, 2022, 2023a), to adopt a strong focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs) in AE to inculcate tertiary students with the skills that lead them to approach and apply accounting as a multidimensional technical, social and moral (TSM) practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The online qualitative survey was distributed to 100 randomly selected New Zealand accounting graduates in order to gather insights from their workplaces. All responses from the 30 graduates who completed the questionnaire underwent qualitative analysis using Leximancer software, which automatically identifies high-level concepts and insights and offers interactive visualizations without bias.

Findings

The graduates’ experiences underscore the ongoing significance of technical skills in the New Zealand workplace. They emphasized the lack of non-technical skills training, stressed the necessity of diverse business knowledge and highlighted the importance of automation and digital skills.

Practical implications

The implications for transforming AE involve adopting an activist approach to integrate a TSM perspective into teaching and learning and being open to an interdisciplinary approach to expose tertiary students to the impact of accounting on sustainable development, including collaboration with professional bodies for real-world experiences.

Originality/value

The importance of engaging with SDG-related narratives is stressed to stimulate further discussion, debate and research aimed at identifying practical solutions for AE as a facilitator for SDGs in realizing accounting as a TSM practice.
Safety and effectiveness of avelumab in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma in general clinical practice in Japan: Post‐marketing surveillance
Authors: Uhara Hisashi , Kiyohara Yoshio , Isei Taiki , Nagase Kotaro , Kambe Anzu , Sato Masashi , Tanaka Yutaro , Yamazaki Naoya
Published: March 2024

Avelumab, a programmed cell death ligand 1 blocking antibody, was approved for its first indication in Japan in September 2017 to treat unresectable Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Given that the pivotal JAVELIN Merkel 200 study only included a few Japanese patients, this post‐marketing surveillance (PMS) evaluated the safety and effectiveness outcomes of patients with MCC who received avelumab in general clinical practice in Japan. This prospective, non‐comparative, multicenter PMS included data from all patients with unresectable MCC who received avelumab between November 22, 2017 (avelumab launch date) and October 31, 2019. The primary objective was to evaluate avelumab safety (i.e., adverse events [AEs], adverse drug reactions [ADRs], and ADRs of safety specifications). The secondary objective was to evaluate avelumab effectiveness (i.e., objective response rate and overall survival [OS] rate). Seventy‐five evaluable patients were included, of whom 81.3% experienced AEs of any grade (57.3% experienced AEs of grade ≥ 3; 41.3% experienced AEs of grade 5) and 61.3% experienced ADRs (14.7% experienced ADRs of grade ≥ 3; no grade 5 ADRs were observed). The most common ADRs were pyrexia (18.7%), infusion related reaction (10.7%), and chills (6.7%). The most common ADRs of safety specifications were infusion reactions (any grade: n = 21 [28.0%]; grade 3 or 4: n = 3 [4.0%]), thyroid dysfunction (n = 7 [9.3%]), and hepatic function disorders (n = 4 [5.3%]). The median observation period was 51 weeks. An objective response was achieved by 34/75 patients (45.3%; complete response, 24.0%; partial response, 21.3%) and 6‐ and 12‐month OS rates were 77.7% and 59.6%, respectively. This PMS confirmed the clinical tolerability and effectiveness of avelumab in patients with MCC, with no new safety concerns. The risk–benefit profile of avelumab was comparable with that observed in clinical trials and remains favorable for use in general clinical practice in Japan.
Nitrogen and phosphorus availability alters tree‐grass competition intensity in savannas
Authors: Biro Arielle , Wong Michelle Y. , Zhou Yong , Batterman Sarah A. , Staver A. Carla
Published: March 2024

Plant essential macronutrients like nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) can limit savanna tree growth and are important determinants of savanna vegetation dynamics, along with rainfall, fire and herbivory. How nitrogen and phosphorus shape tree‐grass competition and their coexistence remain unclear, hindering our ability to predict how savannas may respond to altered nutrient cycling.

Here, we evaluate (1) if trees and grasses respond differently to N versus P availability, or (2) if grasses are more competitive in low nutrient environments while trees are more competitive in high nutrient environments. To do this, we grew saplings of 6 tree and 1 grass species from the Kruger National Park, South Africa, for 16 weeks under fully factorial nutrient and competition treatments (with/without competitors, low/high rate of N supply and low/high rate of P supply) under a watering regime designed to mimic wet season rainfall in a mesic savanna.

Trees and grasses foraged most aggressively for nitrogen and allocated biomass differently depending on nitrogen availability. Overall, tree growth decreased in competition with grass, even in high nutrient environments where they grew faster. Grasses were always better below‐ground competitors, utilising aggressive nutrient foraging strategies, including high root phosphatase activity in response to nitrogen and large root biomass allocation.

Synthesis. In low nutrient environments (e.g. on nutrient‐poor sandy soils), nutrients may limit tree growth. Nutrient rich environments enable tree growth, but grasses continue to compete effectively with trees. Understanding what this means for ecosystem responses to nutrient availability is not trivial, especially in the context of fire and herbivory. However, it is clear that soil nutrients likely affect tree and grass growth and competition in savannas, which suggests that future changes in nutrient cycling, such as N deposition, may have important effects on savanna vegetation.
Phenotype‐dependent downstream dispersal under ordinary flow conditions in juvenile white‐spotted char
Authors: Yamada Hiroyuki , Wada Satoshi
Published: March 2024

Animal dispersal is often phenotype‐dependent and can exert evolutionary pressures on populations in which it occurs. The evolutionary pressure arising from phenotype‐dependent dispersal is called spatial sorting. We examined the evolutionary pressure arising from spatial sorting (sorting pressure) caused by downstream dispersal in juvenile white‐spotted char Salvelinus leucomaenis under ordinary flow conditions. We conducted outdoor experiments using an artificial channel with 10 steps to investigate the relationship between phenotypic characteristics and the occurrence or distance of downstream dispersal during five daytime hours. Six experiments were conducted using young‐of‐the‐year juveniles collected early in the morning of each experimental day. We focused on two phenotypes, fork length (body size) and station‐holding (SH) behavior, where juveniles remain sedentary on the substrate. Juveniles were assigned to the “SH group” if they exhibited SH behavior for more than 10 s during a 540‐s observation period, and to the “swimming group” if they exhibited SH behavior for less than 10 s. Juveniles in the swimming group had a higher occurrence of downstream dispersal than in the SH group. In addition, large juveniles in the SH group and small juveniles in the swimming group tended to show long dispersal distances. These results suggest an effective sorting pressure against juveniles with active swimming behavior. This sorting pressure may accumulate in isolated char populations located above a tall migration barrier and contribute to the creation and maintenance of the reported interpopulation variation in SH behavior.
Effects of social drinking context on subjective effects, affect, and next‐day appraisals in the natural environment
Authors: Acuff Samuel F. , Padovano Hayley Treloar , Carpenter Ryan W. , Emery Noah N. , Miranda Robert
Published: March 2024

Background

Drinking commonly occurs in social settings and may bolster social reinforcement. Laboratory studies suggest that subjective effects and mood are mechanisms through which the social context influences alcohol consumption. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) may be useful for extending these findings to the natural environment. This pre‐registered secondary analysis of EMA data investigated the influence of the social environment on: (1) stimulating and sedating subjective effects of alcohol, (2) contentedness and negative affect, and (3) next‐day evaluations of the drinking occasion.

Methods

Nontreatment seeking adults reporting past‐month heavy drinking (N = 131; Mage = 28.09; 42% female) completed 7 days of EMA (in the morning, at random, and following drinking prompts), which included questions on their social context (drinking in the presence of known others or alone), contemporaneous stimulating and sedating effects, contentedness and negative affect, alcohol consumption, and next‐day evaluations of a prior day's drinking event (how satisfying/pleasant was drinking). We used multi‐level models in SAS 9.4 M7 software to examine relations among the variables.

Results

Contemporaneous subjective effects (stimulating or sedating), negative affect, and contentedness did not significantly depend on the social context. For next‐day evaluations of pleasure/satisfaction from drinking, context effects were dependent on consumption totals. As the total number of standard drinks consumed increased, recollections of pleasure/satisfaction were higher when drinking had occurred with others, relative to alone. At lower consumption totals, next‐day evaluations did not appear to depend on social context.

Conclusions

When reported contemporaneously, subjective effects and affect do not appear dependent upon the presence of known others. However, heavier drinking events, relative to lighter drinking events, are appraised more favorably the following day when occurring within social contexts.
Exploring enablers of internal knowledge dissemination for boundary‐spanning industrial PhD students
Authors: Abu Sa'a Ehab , Yström Anna
Published: March 2024

Industrial PhD students, affiliating to industrial firms and academic institutions, hold unique boundary‐spanning positions as they engage in knowledge co‐creation through university–industry collaboration (UIC). Despite much research on knowledge transfer processes and boundary spanners in inter‐organizational contexts, firms who engage in UIC remain uncertain about how to reap the benefits of co‐creating knowledge through industrial PhD projects. This paper investigates the enablers of knowledge dissemination for PhD students in industrial firms. Based on a qualitative case study in Sweden, our study identifies enablers and mechanisms related to individual and organizational actions in the internal knowledge dissemination process. Based on the findings, the paper presents a model that distinguishes between surface and deep knowledge dissemination and elaborates on the symbiotic nature of enablers, with middle management mediating between the individual and organizational levels. The paper enhances research on knowledge dissemination in UIC by specifically addressing industrial PhD students' dissemination of co‐created knowledge. The findings inform organizations in managing their expectations, making more informed decisions and improving dissemination conditions for boundary‐spanning industrial PhD students in UIC.
Inflammatory marker profiles and in‐hospital neurological deterioration in patients with acute minor ischemic stroke
Authors: Yi Luo , Li Zi‐Xiao , Jiang Ying‐Yu , Jiang Yong , Meng Xia , Li Hao , Zhao Xing‐Quan , Wang Yi‐Long , Liu Li‐Ping , Wang Yong‐Jun , Gu Hong‐Qiu
Published: March 2024

Aim

The aim of the study was to analyze the association between inflammatory marker profiles and in‐hospital neurological deterioration (ND) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.

Methods

Data from patients with minor AIS from the Third China National Stroke Registry were analyzed. Inflammatory cytokine levels within 24 h of admission were measured. The primary outcome was in‐hospital ND (an increase in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥4 from admission to discharge). Associations were evaluated using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) derived from logistic regression models. Net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used to evaluate incremental predictive values.

Results

A total of 4031 patients (1246 women, 30.9%) with a median age of 62 years were included. In‐hospital ND occurred in 121 patients (3%). Each standard‐deviation increase in interleukin (IL)‐6 (OR, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.06–1.31]) and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) (OR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.24–1.66]) levels was associated with increased in‐hospital ND risk. Incremental predictive values for adding IL‐6 (IDI, 0.012; NRI, 0.329) but not hsCRP levels to the conventional risk factors were found.

Conclusion

In minor AIS, hsCRP and IL‐6 levels were associated with in‐hospital ND, including IL‐6 levels in prognostic models improved risk classification.
Unraveling the complex pathophysiology of white matter hemorrhage in intracerebral stroke: A single‐cell RNA sequencing approach
Authors: Ye Lisha , Tang Xiaoyan , Zhong Jun , Li Wenfeng , Xu Ting , Xiang Chao , Gu Jianjun , Feng Hua , Luo Qianqian , Wang Guohua
Published: March 2024

Aim

This study aims to elucidate the cellular dynamics and pathophysiology of white matter hemorrhage (WMH) in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods

Using varying doses of collagenase IV, a consistent rat ICH model characterized by pronounced WMH was established. Verification was achieved through behavioral assays, hematoma volume, and histological evaluations. Single‐cell suspensions from the hemorrhaged region of the ipsilateral striatum on day three post‐ICH were profiled using single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq). Gene Ontology (GO) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) further interpreted the differentially expressed genes (DEGs).

Results

Following WMH induction, there was a notable increase in the percentage of myeloid cells and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), alongside a reduction in the percentage of neurons, microglia, and oligodendrocytes (OLGs). Post‐ICH WMH showed homeostatic microglia transitioning into pro‐, anti‐inflammatory, and proliferative states, influencing lipid metabolic pathways. Myeloid cells amplified chemokine expression, linked with ferroptosis pathways. Macrophages exhibited M1 and M2 phenotypes, and post‐WMH, macrophages displayed a predominance of M2 phenotypes, characterized by their anti‐inflammatory properties. A surge in OPC proliferation aligned with enhanced ribosomal signaling, suggesting potential reparative responses post‐WMH.

Conclusion

The study offers valuable insights into WMH's complex pathophysiology following ICH, highlighting the significance and utility of scRNA‐seq in understanding the cellular dynamics and contributing to future cerebrovascular research.
The Role of Feedback in the Statistical Learning of Language‐Like Regularities
Authors: Frinsel Felicity F. , Trecca Fabio , Christiansen Morten H.
Published: March 2024

In language learning, learners engage with their environment, incorporating cues from different sources. However, in lab‐based experiments, using artificial languages, many of the cues and features that are part of real‐world language learning are stripped away. In three experiments, we investigated the role of positive, negative, and mixed feedback on the gradual learning of language‐like statistical regularities within an active guessing game paradigm. In Experiment 1, participants received deterministic feedback (100%), whereas probabilistic feedback (i.e., 75% or 50%) was introduced in Experiment 2. Finally, Experiment 3 explored the impact of mixed probabilistic feedback (33% positive, 33% negative, 33% no feedback). The results showed that cross‐situational learning of words was observed without feedback, but participants were able to learn structural regularities of the miniature language only when feedback was provided. Interestingly, the presence of positive feedback was particularly helpful for the learner, promoting more in‐depth learning of the artificial language.
Assessing the value of citizen scientist observations in tracking the abundance of marine fishes
Authors: Greenberg Dan A. , Pattengill‐Semmens Christy V. , Semmens Brice X.
Published: March 2024

The state of biodiversity for most of the world is largely enigmatic due to a lack of long‐term population monitoring data. Citizen science programs could substantially contribute to resolving this data crisis, but there are noted concerns on whether methods can overcome the biases and imprecision inherent to aggregated opportunistic observations. We explicitly test this question by examining the temporal correlation of population time‐series estimated from opportunistic citizen science data and a rigorous fishery‐independent survey that concurrently sampled populations of coral‐reef fishes (n = 87) in Key Largo, Florida, USA, over 25 years. The majority of species exhibited positive temporal correlations between population time‐series, but survey congruence varied considerably amongst taxonomic and trait‐based groups. Overall, these results suggest that citizen scientists can be effective sentinels of ecological change, and that there may be substantial value in leveraging their observations to monitor otherwise data‐limited marine species.
Museum participation as labor
Authors: Hilden Irene , Zavadski Andrei
Published: March 2024

Set in the tradition of museum ethnography, this article looks at museum participation through the lens of labor. Based primarily on interview material, it analyzes the lengthy—and laborious—participatory process behind the creation of “Berlin Global,” an exhibition at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin, Germany. The authors explore three aspects of participation related to labor, as identified in their research: the different types of knowledge and experience that participants bring with them, the organization of the participatory work process, and the presentation of the participants' contributions within the exhibition. The authors argue that because museum participation tends to be viewed as an act of civic duty, individually and socially meaningful, the different kinds of labor involved in it are often overlooked, resulting in power imbalances between curators and their external partners. A greater awareness of the labor demanded by participatory work is able to address this problem, decreasing the number of frictions and tensions, and thus making mutual beneficiality, participation's main goal, more achievable.