bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How to boost college students’ pro-environmental behavior: the implicit theory perspective
Authors: Fu Mengmeng , Zhang Jianwei , Zheng Wenfeng , Jiang Yunshan
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine how higher education can overcome some of the psychological barriers to pro-environmental behavior among college students by cultivating growth mindset of nature and to investigate whether, how and when growth mindset of nature can enhance pro-environmental behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-wave survey was conducted to collect quantitative data on growth mindset of nature, connectedness with nature, pro-environment behavior and pro-environmental school climate among 283 undergraduate college students at two universities in China. This study used the Process Macro for SPSS (models 4 and 14) to reveal the effects of direct, mediating and moderated mediation.

Findings

The findings showed that growth mindset of nature positively affected students’ pro-environment behavior. Moreover, growth mindset of nature contributed to pro-environment behavior through the beneficial effects of connectedness with nature. In particular, positive pro-environmental school climate strengthens the mediating effects of connectedness with nature on the relationship between growth mindset of nature and pro-environment behavior.

Practical implications

Growth mindset of nature provides a vital impetus for facilitating college students’ pro-environmental behavior so that universities can incorporate sustainable development, climate change and environmental sustainability into curricula to cultivate students’ growth mindset of nature. Furthermore, educators could develop students’ connectedness with nature through environmental education by directly exposing them to nature. Finally, the pro-environmental school climate is the essential social-environmental nourishment for college students’ pro-environmental behavior.

Originality/value

This study advances implicit theory by introducing implicit beliefs to the environmental realm. Meanwhile, this study solves the puzzle concerning why people are aware of increasingly serious environmental issues, yet few are really engaged in pro-environmental behavior. A second contribution lies in extending the application of the pro-environmental climates into educational contexts to uncover the “black box” of how growth mindset of nature promotes college students’ pro-environmental behavior. Finally, this study enriches the literature on connectedness with nature by exploring the mediating mechanism of connectedness with nature between growth mindset of nature and pro-environmental behavior.
Strategic philanthropy of athletes after transgression: examining the congruence effect of pre-transgression and transgression issues
Authors: Lee Myungwoo , Lee Dong Hun , Cottingham Michael , Hawkins Billy
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study comprehensively explains how sports consumers evaluate athletes’ post-transgression philanthropic activities. We specifically focus on the congruence effect between the pre-transgression philanthropic endeavors and the transgression issue, shedding light on the effectiveness of these strategies in reinstating the positive image of athletes and associated entities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a rigorous research design, replicating two studies using sports-related (n = 409) and non-sports-related (n = 404) transgression cases. Data were collected by the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. A series of experimental studies aimed to investigate the congruence mechanism underlying athletes’ post-transgression philanthropic efforts.

Findings

When the post-transgression philanthropic initiative is related to the transgression, sport consumers are less likely to view it skeptically and are more inclined to positively evaluate the brand attitude and purchase intention, especially when the transgression is unrelated to the pre-transgression philanthropic efforts.

Research limitations/implications

As is the case with most research, this study has a limitation. This study used a fictitious athlete name to prevent any prior biases or preconceived notions about the athletes and to avoid any unforeseen influences of personal attitudes toward the athlete. However, designing this study around a fictitious athlete may pose construct validity issues because it may not reflect real-life interactions with the athletes. To increase the validity of findings, future research should aim to replicate the current findings using the names of actual athletes.

Originality/value

This unique approach provides valuable insights and equips sports marketers and brand managers with effective strategies to restore the positive image of athletes and associated entities after a transgression has been made public, empowering them to make informed decisions in challenging situations.
Experimental study on the influence of flexible structure and gas supply method on the characteristics of aerostatic tilting-pad bearing
Authors: Huang LingFeng , Zhu Liming , Yi Shuxiang , Zhang Xiaohan , Wang Xiaojing , Li Xiangyu
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to propose novel flexible structure-supported tilting-pad aerostatic bearings and to improve operational stability and vibration reduction of aerostatic bearings.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors established an aerostatic bearing-rotor test rig and designed two aerostatic tilting-pad bearings with different flexible support structure and an ordinary aerostatic tilting-pad bearing and then examined their effects in dynamic performance to assess the vibration reduction performance of different flexible structures. Furthermore, the authors proposed three gas supply methods and conducted experiments to study the influence of gas supply methods in the performance of bearings.

Findings

The experimental results show that among the three structures, the double-layer flexible structure-supported tilting-pad bearing demonstrates outstanding vibration damping performance and it significantly enhances the operational stability of the bearing-rotor system. Furthermore, the experimental results indicate that the gas supply method has a significant impact on the performance of the aerostatic bearing. There is a certain pressure difference between the gas supply pressure for the loading pads and that for the nonloading pads, which is advantageous for increasing the operational stability and reducing system vibration.

Originality/value

The authors designed novel flexible aerostatic tilting-pad journal bearing structures, which can enhance the operational stability and reduce vibrations of the bearing. Additionally, this article proposes an air supply method advantageous for increasing the stability of the bearing and reducing system vibrations.
Homebuyer complaints during defect liability period: critical analysis of individual presumptions, defect discovery and post-rectifications factors
Authors: Saufi Mohd , Yusof Liyana M. , Rahman Rahimi A.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate factors leading to homebuyer complaints during defect liability periods (DLP). The specific study objectives are to: identify critical factors leading to homebuyer complaints during DLP; compare the factors among regions, house price and developer recognition; group the factors into subcategories; and evaluate the criticality of the categories.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with 20 homebuyers were carried out, generating 37 factors. A survey was developed with the factors categorized into three categories: individual presumptions, defects discovery and post-rectifications. The survey data were collected from 104 homebuyers who had acquired new houses within the last five years. The collected data were subjected to statistical analyses, including normalized mean analysis, Kruskal–Wallis H test, factor analysis and fuzzy synthetic evaluation.

Findings

The results indicate that individual presumptions, defects discovery and post-rectifications have 8, 14 and 6 critical factors. Then, there are high similarities in the criticality of the factors among regions, house price and developer recognition. The defect discovery factors can be grouped into function- and precision-related factors. Finally, the defect discovery category has the highest overall criticality, followed by post-rectification and individual presumption categories.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to quantitatively investigate factors leading to homebuyers’ complaints during DLP. The study findings offer a new perspective for policymakers in the development of housing regulations.
Subscriber retention management: SRM framework and future research agenda
Authors: Muratcehajic Denis , Loureiro Sandra Maria Correia
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This article aims to systematically review the fragmented but increasingly relevant research field of customer retention management in subscription scenarios, proposing the subscriber retention management framework for retention management in subscription settings and directing future research.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors systematically reviewed 1,295 articles to offer a comprehensive, unbiased overview on customer retention management in subscription-based services. From 122 selected articles, the authors conducted a descriptive analysis, conceptualized key insights into a novel framework and recognized research gaps.

Findings

Among 122 articles, 111 focus on private customers across various service sectors, while lacking reflection on new digital industries, reactive retention and the corporate context. The conceptualization of results merges existing insights into seven dimensions, encompassing strategic and tactical aspects and the interplay of controllable and uncontrollable factors. The authors also outline 12 emerging research directions.

Research limitations/implications

Given the extensive body of literature, the authors were unable to delve into detailed explanations. The findings are limited to management science research sourced from Scopus, adhering to a rigorous filtering process. Sub-domains, such as reactive or business-to-business retention management, remain somewhat provisional due to little results.

Practical implications

A sustainable subscriber retention strategy hinges on: (1) integrating retention into business strategy, (2) adjusting acquisition and retention tactics to specific markets and (3) using a consistent retention marketing mix considering affective, calculative and habitual commitment factors.

Originality/value

The authors contribute with a first systematic review of subscription-specific retention management in a rapidly growing area. This results in a novel framework that broadens the understanding of subscriber retention and identifies research gaps.
The sorrows of methods researchers
Authors: Kuppelwieser Volker , Klaus Phil
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on service research methods and highlights the need to treat method parts similar to the theoretical parts in papers.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors discuss current methodological topics and reflect on their own way of crafting method parts.

Findings

The authors provide recommendations on how to treat and enhance service-marketing research methods.

Originality/value

This paper aims to start discussions about methods in service-related papers, either from an editorial, reviewer or author’s perspective.
Intelligent manufacturing, auditor selection and audit quality
Authors: Chen Siqi , Yang Jie
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of intelligent manufacturing on audit quality and its underlying mechanism as well as the variation in this influence across different types of organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

This research utilizes a difference-in-differences (DID) method to examine how enterprises that apply intelligent manufacturing choose auditors and impact their audit work. The study is based on 15,228 observations of Chinese-listed A-shares from 2011 to 2020.

Findings

(1) There is a strong correlation between intelligent manufacturing and audit quality. (2) This positive correlation is statistically significant only in state-owned enterprises (SOEs), those that have steady institutional investors and where the roles of the CEO and chairman are distinct. (3) Enterprises that have implemented intelligent manufacturing are more inclined to employ auditors who possess extensive industry expertise. The auditor's industry expertise plays a crucial role in ensuring audit quality. (4) The adoption of intelligent manufacturing also leads to higher audit fees and longer audit delay periods.

Practical implications

This paper validates the beneficial impact of intelligent manufacturing on improving corporate governance. In addition, it is recommended that managers prioritize the involvement of skilled auditors with specialized knowledge in the industry to ensure the high audit quality and the transparency of information in intelligent manufacturing enterprises.

Originality/value

This study builds upon previous research that has shown the importance of artificial intelligence in enhancing audit procedures. It contributes to the existing body of knowledge by examining how enterprise intelligent manufacturing systems (IMS) enhance audit quality. Additionally, this study provides valuable information on how to improve audit quality in the field of intelligent manufacturing by strategically selecting auditors based on resource dependency theory.
Dietary satisfaction and quality of life in individuals following diet programs satisfaction of diet programs
Authors: Kalkan İndrani , Ersoy Nesli
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess individuals’ satisfaction with their diet programs and evaluate the impact of their diet on their quality of life (QOL).

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 812 females and 334 males (n = 1,046) aged 18–65 years, all of whom were following a diet program under the guidance of a dietitian. The questionnaire included personal information as well as items related to dietary satisfaction and QOL, measured using the SF-36 scale.

Findings

Of the participants, 38.4% were aged 18–24, and 32.6% were aged 25–40. The mean score for dietary satisfaction was 3.0 ± 0.9 (out of 5), while the mean scores for the mental and physical components of the QOL scale were 62.0 ± 17.8 and 74.3 ± 19.2, respectively. Factors such as age, BMI and duration of the diet were associated with dietary satisfaction, whereas age, gender, health status, diet type and BMI impacted QOL (p < 0.05). Dietary satisfaction scores showed a weak positive correlation with QOL scores (r = 0.125; p < 0.01).

Originality/value

Dietary satisfaction and QOL are influenced by demographic characteristics, health status, diet type and the duration of the diet program. Additionally, there is a correlation between dietary satisfaction and QOL. To ensure the sustainability and suitability of long-term dietary plans, it is crucial to monitor patients’ dietary satisfaction. In this context, assessing the QOL in individuals on diet programs, using a newly validated diet satisfaction scale, adds originality and value to the study.
How can artificial intelligence impact the evaluation phase of a company takeover? Contribution of an in-depth case
Authors: Thelisson Anne-Sophie
Published: October 2024

Purpose

AI has a leading influence and impact on organizations’ strategies. Yet few studies address how AI tools can impact M&A negotiation and the takeover evaluation stages of firms. Through an in-depth case study, our work questions how such tools can help with key stages of screening and due diligence periods.

Design/methodology/approach

We conduct several interviews with founders of the acquiring firm (Group Impact), and we had access to a large amount of information on the launch of the takeover process (including the data room of negotiation documents).

Findings

We detail the phases in which AI saved time (nongenerative AI) and, with a view to the future, we detail how a generative version of AI could help in the due diligence and negotiation phases. Also, we address the sticking points that prevented the takeover from being finalized.

Originality/value

First, few studies address the negotiation stage of takeovers as part of these are not finalized and, for the others, researchers are present in the field when the operation is signed. Second, studies that address takeovers that have failed are rare, yet understanding the blocking factors are essential to continue a long-term external growth strategy.
Modelling agricultural landscape complementation for natural pest control
Authors: Mansier Laura , van Rijn Paul C. J.
Published: October 2024

Pest‐regulating natural enemies often require crop and non‐crop habitats to persist and be effective. These habitats offer hibernation sites, alternative prey or floral resources but can also be complementary in when they provide resources. The relative contribution of these different habitats to the performance of pest‐regulating insects is largely unknown, since it is difficult to study empirically. Landscape‐based population‐dynamical modelling can fill this research gap.

In this study, we modelled the dynamics of predatory hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphinae) and their aphid prey in a collection of habitats. These hoverflies are dependent on different habitats for different reasons. While their larvae predate on aphids, adult hoverflies require floral resources. Resources are often segregated in different habitats. In addition, they are only temporarily available in any habitat type. In our model, hoverflies move between different habitats and select where to feed and where to produce off‐spring based on optimal foraging considerations. The model represents habitats common in arable landscapes and their temporal availability of resources is parameterized based on field observations.

The model shows that effective pest suppression will only occur in the presence of at least three different habitats, including two crops that provide prey resources at different times of the year. A woody habitat with shrubs and trees provide aphid prey very early and late in the season, whereas an early crop and a late crop cover the period in between. In addition, these habitats need to provide floral resources in the same period as aphids, for example by flower strips in the margins of crop fields or blossoming trees or shrubs in the woody habitat. Under the model assumptions, the best pest suppression is obtained when the woody habitats take up 6% to 10% of the landscape. In addition to yearly population fluctuations, also bi‐ or multi‐yearly cycles may occur, depending on the composition of the landscape.

Synthesis and applications. Our model shows when an agricultural landscape is ‘complete’ for natural enemies (and for effective pest control). For this, it needs to contain multiple habitats that supply floral and prey resources in different periods of the year.
Stolen Identities, Suspended Lives. Embodied Active Imagination in Clinical Work with Victims of State Terrorism1
Authors: Fleischer Karin
Published: October 2024

Each collective trauma holds its own particularities and forms of horror. When the violence is exerted by the government responsible for the care of the population it is termed state terrorism. The traumatic experience and its subsequent negation create a profound dissociation between two narratives: the explicit, which conceals the true facts, and the implicit, which remains unconscious and unbridgeable. In the gap between the two, life becomes suspended. From a Jungian perspective, this can be understood as the interruption of the process of translation and integration (terms that I will explore in some depth) from implicit sensory phenomena to an explicit representational narrative. This profoundly affects the development of the ego‐self axis. In turn, it creates a special challenge for analytic technique that calls for new ways of listening to, and meeting the patient in, that non‐verbal, unrepresented territory. Drawing upon clinical material, an embodied perspective of Jungian clinical work is offered to show how the inclusion of the body of patient and analyst enables access to the non‐represented, though implicitly encoded, traumatic affective memories stored in the somatic unconscious.
Disputed Boundaries of the Self, the Group, and their Environment: What We Learn from Refugees about our Psychic Functioning1
Authors: Luci Monica
Published: October 2024

One of Jung’s most significant contributions concerns the mysterious, inexplicable and always out‐of‐reach nature of the self. In this paper, I will focus on the borders of the self and their nature, location and dynamics of maintenance and change in geographically, historically, and culturally situated subjects. Reflecting on the refugee experience, I intend to gain more insights into our psychic functioning and the dynamics of the self in relation to itself, the other and groups. The experiences of some refugees, marked bysignificant trauma and migration, shed light on how the boundaries of the self are frequently contested and perpetually negotiated with others, and how our subjectivity is shaped by ongoing dynamics of occupation, dispute and/or negotiation, conducted at various levels of our social and individual existence. My argument is that these processes occur at a specific site: the boundaries of the self, involving intrapsychic, interpersonal and group psychological dynamics, with reverberations in the socio‐political and cultural spheres, and reciprocal influences between all these levels. This paper aims to concentrate on the shifts in these boundaries, illustrated through clinical vignettes.
Comply or Explain: Do Firms Opportunistically Claim Trade Secrets in Mandatory Environmental Disclosure Programs?
Authors: JIANG YILE (ANSON)
Published: October 2024

This paper studies whether firms opportunistically make proprietary claims in mandatory environmental disclosure programs with trade secret exemption rules. Examining the mandatory chemical disclosure program in the fracking industry, I find evidence of opportunistic withholding of information among operators that are less likely to have trade secrets. Specifically, I find that these operators claim fewer chemicals as trade secrets when the operating site is in close proximity to water quality monitors. This is only observed among publicly traded operators that face a higher cost of societal backlash when disclosing pollutant information. Further analyses suggest that these operators are concerned about external environmental monitoring, which deters them from opportunistic information withholding. Regarding public and private operators that are more likely to have trade secrets, I do not find strong evidence that their information withholding varies with the monitoring conditions.
Shopping around: Empirical analysis of borrower comparison shopping and mortgage prices
Authors: Jackson Kristoffer (Kip) , Senney Garrett T.
Published: October 2024

Using a novel approach to identifying mortgage price shopping on the universe of mortgages from 2018 to 2020, we find that relatively few borrowers shop, but those who do end saving roughly 11 basis points on average. We also find significant differences by race in the incidence and benefits of shopping. When borrowers do shop, a vast majority engage in simultaneous search. Shoppers show a swifter movement away from commercial banks toward fintechs. Shoppers tend to be more creditworthy, wealthier, live in more urban areas, and apply more often with nondepository lenders. Minority shoppers show less affinity to minority‐owned lenders than corresponding nonshoppers. We also provide evidence that shopping is likely significantly overreported in available survey data.
Counter Accounting and Counter Accountability: A Post‐COVID‐19 Study of England's Hospital Infrastructure Crisis
Authors: Stafford Anne
Published: October 2024

Post‐COVID‐19 England's health‐care system remains in crisis, with growing waiting lists for elective care and rising backlog maintenance in its hospital infrastructure. The government indicates that its delivery plan issued in 2022, involving additional funding and greater use of the private sector, will tackle this problem. Framed as a consequence of the pandemic, in England, such a framing denies the historic problem of underfunding as well as the rise of financialization. Notably public accountability for health care has received little prominence over the past decade. This study uses an approach based on counter accounting to challenge the prevailing hegemony of English National Health System (NHS) health‐care infrastructure policy and offers a counter‐explanation of the current hospital infrastructure crisis. It examines an alternative set of evidence drawn from publicly available financial statements and other documents to make visible data relating to hospital infrastructure capital and revenue costs. This shows that health care has been systematically underfunded since the start of austerity in 2010, and that even additional funding during COVID‐19 was insufficient to make up the shortfall. Previously weakened accountability mechanisms have been further displaced from the public eye by the rhetoric around COVID‐19, meaning there is little challenge of private sector legitimacy in public health‐care provision, despite its financialized nature. The study considers that instigating strong oversight and evaluation of hospital infrastructure policy is necessary as over the next decade many private sector contracts will terminate and funding is likely to be in short supply.
Hippocampal Nogo66‐NgR1 signaling activation restricts postsynaptic assembly in aged mice with postoperative neurocognitive disorders
Authors: Jia Min , Li Gui‐zhou , Chen Jiang , Tang Xiao‐hui , Zang Yan‐yu , Yang Guo‐lin , Shi Yun Stone , Ma Daqing , Ji Mu‐huo , Yang Jian‐jun
Published: October 2024

Postoperative neurocognitive disorders (pNCD) are a common neurological complication, especially in elderly following anesthesia and surgery. Yet, the underlying mechanisms of pNCD remain elusive. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms that compromise synaptic metaplasticity in pNCD development with a focus on the involvement of Nogo‐66 receptor 1 (NgR1) in the pathogenesis of pNCD in aged mice. Aged mice subjected to anesthesia and laparotomy surgery exhibited anxiety‐like behavior and contextual fear memory impairment. Moreover, the procedure significantly increased NogoA and NgR1 expressions, particularly in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions. This increase led to the depolymerization of F‐actin, attributed to the activation of the RhoA‐GTPase, resulting in a reduction of dendritic spines and changes in their morphology. Additionally, these changes hindered the efficient postsynaptic delivery of the subunit GluA1 and GluA2 of AMPA receptors (AMPARs), consequently diminishing excitatory neurotransmission in the hippocampus. Importantly, administering the competitive NgR1 antagonist peptide NEP1‐40 (Nogo‐A extracellular peptide residues 1–40 amino acids of Nogo‐66) and Fasudil (a Rho‐kinase inhibitor) effectively mitigated synaptic impairments and reversed neurocognitive deficits in aged mice following anesthesia and surgery. Our work indicates that high hippocampal Nogo66‐NgR1 signaling disrupts postsynaptic AMPA receptor surface delivery due to F‐actin depolymerization in the pathophysiology of pNCD.
The Joint Media Engagement Scale (JMES): An instrument for measuring shared media use with children aged 1 to 5 years old
Authors: Koch Felix‐Sebastian , Barr Rachel , Sundqvist Annette
Published: October 2024

The digital media landscape is rapidly shifting, and some children begin using digital media in infancy. As with book reading, young children need adult guidance to learn from digital media. Joint media engagement (JME) occurs when preschool children and their parents actively use digital media together. JME during early childhood is associated with increased learning from media. However, there are no validated scales of JME. In the present study, parents of 353 1‐to‐5‐year olds answered a series of questions about their media use and behaviours. Exploratory factor analysis yielded two scales, one for viewing video content together and one for playing digital games together. Convergent validity was established by comparison to the widely used Television Mediation Scale. Together, these findings establish the JME instrument as a valid and reliable tool for measuring joint media engagement during early childhood.
Course of immune thrombocytopenia according to the site of platelet destruction identified by indium‐111 platelet scintigraphy
Authors: Durand Pauline , Pottier Valérie , Debordeaux Frédéric , Mesguich Charles , Duffau Pierre , Lazaro Estibaliz , Viallard Jean‐François , Rivière Etienne
Published: October 2024

In primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), predictors of disease evolution and treatment response are needed. Data based on the site of platelet destruction are scarce. We performed a retrospective single‐centre study of adult patients with primary ITP undergoing at least one Indium‐111 platelet scintigraphy (IPS) between 2009 and 2018. Thirty‐three patients had isolated hepatic platelet destruction (H‐group), and 97 isolated splenic destruction (S‐group). Median age at diagnosis (p < 0.001), proportion of associated cardiovascular (p < 0.001), organ‐specific autoimmune diseases (p = 0.02), dependence on steroids (p = 0.003) and failure to rituximab (p = 0.01) were higher and relapse more frequent (p = 0.03) in H‐group compared to non‐splenectomized patients in S‐group. Splenectomy was only performed in patients from S‐group (as patients with hepatic sequestration are not splenectomized in our centre): 79% were in relapse‐free remission at the end of a median 3.4‐year post‐IPS follow‐up, 16% relapsed. In multivariate analyses, only a history of organ‐specific autoimmune or inflammatory disease was significantly associated with hepatic sequestration (OR = 4.3, 95% CI = 1.2–15, p = 0.02). Patients with isolated hepatic sequestration were older, had more cardiovascular events and organ‐specific autoimmune diseases, greater dependence on steroids, more relapses and a decreased response rate to rituximab suggesting an increased refractoriness to immunomodulatory therapies. Patients with isolated splenic sequestration responded well to splenectomy.
Ecosystem service assessment of coyote stories reveals tradeoffs from human–coyote interactions in rural Vermont, United States
Authors: Morse Joshua W. , Morse Cheryl E. , Gould Rachelle K.
Published: October 2024

The ecosystem system services framework has potential to help clarify wildlife management challenges at the single species scale, but existing methods struggle to capture the complex values and tradeoffs at play in human–wildlife interactions. We worked with community scientists to gather and use stories (n = 150) as a source of ecosystem services data about living alongside eastern coyotes (Canis latrans var) in rural Vermont, United States. Our a priori ecosystem service assessment showed that human–coyote interactions can have simultaneous positive and negative human well‐being impacts at both the sample scale and for individual interviewees. Our research identified emergent themes that lent insight into how interviewees justified different kinds of relationships with coyotes. We applied a tradeoffs lens to evaluate three policy options based on their potential to mitigate ecosystem disservices and maximize ecosystem services from human–coyote interactions. We found that ecosystem services assessment rooted in a dataset of stories revealed policy‐relevant understanding of value conflicts and alignments at the sample scale without overshadowing the nuances of individual interviewees' experiences.
Using key and critical biodiversity areas to identify gaps in the protected area network in the Limpopo Province, South Africa
Authors: Dalziel Alexandra , Evans Mary
Published: October 2024

The Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) commits signatories to expand the global protection of land and sea by 30% in 2030. Additionally, in South Africa, a local target set in 2016 aims to conserve 16% of terrestrial areas using protected areas within a two‐decade time frame. Concurrently, it is crucial to recognize and prioritize sites where biodiversity must be protected immediately. This recognition has given rise to global Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and South Africa's Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs). KBAs are sites of significance for the global persistence of biodiversity. In South Africa, CBAs delineate primarily or partially natural areas needing management. Despite their significance, an assessment of KBAs and CBAs in South Africa's Limpopo province, specifically the Vhembe District, is lacking. Employing GIS techniques, our evaluation focused on the coverage, size, and distribution of protected areas in the Vhembe District. Our analysis revealed that protected areas cover an impressive 38% of the Vhembe District. Critical Biodiversity Areas cover 9465 km2 (36%) of the region. Alarmingly, 70% (6809 km2) of these CBA sites lack protection. Additionally, KBAs cover 30% of the region, with 39% of sites covering approximately 3273 km2 and laying outside the protected area network, rendering them entirely unprotected. Sluggish protected areas establishment rates and a deficiency in the strategic targeting of significant sites have resulted in over 10,000 km2 of land warranting protection, particularly along the Soutpansberg Mountain Range. Moreover, South Africa's national target, established in 2016, which aims to protect a mere 16% of terrestrial areas by 2036, falls short of the global KMGBF target, reinforcing the urgency for an update in national policy and embracing other conservation methods. These findings suggest that, despite the commendable 38% protection of the district, setting a precedent for the rest of the country, there is a crucial need for municipalities, districts, and provinces to draw insights from the shortfalls of the Vhembe District.
Association of Donor Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Gene Polymorphism With Acute Renal Allograft Rejection
Authors: Prasad Narayan , Yadav Brijesh , Bhatt Mansi , Chauhan Ranjeet , Agrawal Vinita
Published: October 2024

Background

Recipient's VEGF‐A polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with the risk of acute allograft rejection. However, an association of the donor's VEGF‐A gene polymorphism with rejection remained unelucidated till now.

Methods

In this study, VEGF‐A gene SNPs at nine loci were analyzed in 160 kidney donors and recipients with rejection (rejectors, n = 80) and without rejection (non‐rejectors, n = 80). Blood VEGF‐A mRNA, plasma VEGF level, and intragraft VEGF expression were also analyzed by RT‐PCR, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry, respectively.

Results

On comparing between the donor and rejectors, the polymorphic genotypes of VEGF –634 C>G [GG genotype, p < 0.0001; OR (95% CI) = 17.74 (5.16–60.96)]; VEGF –1154 G>A [AG genotype, p < 0.0001, OR (95% CI) = 16.07 (3.68–70.15)]; VEGF +936 C>T [CT genotype, p < 0.0001, OR (95% CI) = 178.64 (23.28–1370.9), and TT genotype, p < 0.0001; OR (95% CI) = 3149 (278.91–35 553)]; VEGF –1455 T>C [CC genotype, p value = 0.0464, OR (95% CI) = 3.13 (1.07–9.10)]; VEGF –2578 C>A [CA genotype, p = 0.0426, OR (95% CI) = 4.62 (1.03–20.59), and AA genotype, p value < 0.0001, OR (95% CI) = 21.89 (4.94–97.04)]; VEGF –2549 18 bp Insertion/Deletion [ID genotype, p value < 0.0001, OR (95% CI) = 27.27 (3.61–205.73) and DD genotype, p value < 0.0001, OR (95% CI) = 25.18 (3.30–191.89) were significantly associated with acute rejection risk. On comparing rejectors versus non‐rejectors, GA genotype of VEGF –1190 G>A and TC genotype of VEGF –1455 T>C were associated with the risk of rejection. On comparing donor VEGF between rejectors and non‐rejectors, CG genotype of VEGF –634 C>G, AG of VEGF –1154 G>A; GA of VEGF –1190 G>A were associated with rejection. The blood VEGF‐A mRNA and plasma VEGF levels were higher in the rejectors group compared to non‐rejectors.

Conclusions

Besides the recipient's VEGF SNPS, the donor's VEGF SNPs are also associated with the risk of acute rejection and may be closely monitored in evaluation to determine the risk of rejection.
Long‐Term Stability of Marine Forests Facing Moderate Gradual Warming in a Remote Biodiversity Hotspot
Authors: Pessarrodona Albert , Wood Georgina , Grimaldi Camille M. , Goldberg Nisse , Kendrick Gary A. , Starko Samuel , Wernberg Thomas
Published: October 2024

Aim

Ocean warming and marine heatwaves are rapidly reconfiguring the composition of seaweed forests—the world's largest coastal vegetated biome. Seaweed forest responses to climate change in remote locations, which constitute the majority of the forest biome, remain however poorly quantified. Here, we examine the temporal stability of the seaweed forests across a global seaweed biodiversity hotspot where several species are predicted to undergo severe range contractions in this century.

Location

Western south coast of Australia.

Methods

Seaweed forest canopies were censused at 18 shallow (< 10 m) sheltered reefs between 1997 and 2006 and again between 2021 and 2024 (six sites per location). We also surveyed 24 sites to examine whether temporal changes differed over gradients of wave exposure and depth.

Results

Seaweed forest canopies across all locations showed surprisingly little change in biomass, cover, stand density and species composition over two decades, with strong spatial structuring across depth and exposure gradients persisting over time. The average thermal affinity of forest canopies (i.e., the community temperature index, CTI) did not track warming, suggesting that factors other than temperature (e.g., wave exposure and depth) are more important drivers of forest stand structure and/or that key thermal thresholds have not yet been crossed. Forests in the location with the most pronounced warming exhibited increased thermal bias over time (total bias of 0.8°C–2.2°C), indicating they were dominated by species with cooler affinities than their local temperatures.

Main Conclusions

The greater thermal bias in forests at the warmer edge of southern Australia suggests these will be more susceptible to future warming‐related compositional changes than forests in cooler locations. The relative stability we found contrasts with a current context of rapidly changing seaweed forests nationally and globally, highlighting the need to deepen our ecological understanding of the region so that future changes to its unique biodiversity and ecosystem services can be predicted and mitigated.
The context, need, limitations, and delivery of children and young people's social prescribing
Authors: Husk Kerryn , Berry Vashti
Published: October 2024

This commentary is on the original article by Ostojic et al. on pages 223–234 of this issue.
Use of continuous glucose monitoring and hybrid closed‐loop therapy in pregnancy
Authors: Benhalima Katrien , Yamamoto Jennifer M.
Published: October 2024

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has led to a paradigm shift in the management of pregnant women with type 1 diabetes (T1D), with improved glycaemic control, less hypoglycaemia and fewer pregnancy complications. Data on CGM use in pregnant women with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are limited. A large randomized controlled trial (RCT) on CGM use in people with T2D in pregnancy is ongoing. Small studies on CGM use in women with gestational diabetes (GDM) have suggested improved glycaemic control and better qualification when insulin is needed. However, none of these studies was powered to evaluate pregnancy outcomes. Several large RCTs are ongoing in women with GDM. In addition to CGM, other technologies, such as advanced hybrid closed‐loop (AHCL) systems have further improved glycaemic management in people with T1D. AHCL therapy adapts insulin delivery via a predictive algorithm integrated with CGM and an insulin pump. A large RCT with the AHCL CamAPS® FX demonstrated a 10% increase in time in range compared to standard insulin therapy in a pregnant population with T1D. Recently, an RCT of an AHCL system not approved for use in pregnancy (780G MiniMed) has also demonstrated additional benefits of AHCL therapy compared to standard insulin therapy, with improved time in range overnight, less hypoglycaemia and improved treatment satisfaction. More evidence is needed on the impact of AHCL therapy on maternal and neonatal outcomes and on which glycaemic targets with CGM should be used in pregnant women with T2D and GDM. We review the current evidence on the use of CGM and AHCL therapy in pregnancy.
Efficacy and Safety of Transthoracic Versus Transesophageal Echocardiography for Monitoring Closure of Atrial or Ventricular Septal Defects: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Ben Lele , Zhang Yuanhao , Wang Yu , Xing Weizhen , Cai Jianping , Han Yu
Published: October 2024

Purpose

For the repair of atrial/ventricular septal defects (ASD/VSD), transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is easy to perform, cost‐effective, and does not require general anesthesia and intubation. Still, TTE is not universally accepted. To compare efficacy and safety of TTE versus transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to guide percutaneous ASD/VSD closure.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched for articles published from their inception to December 2023. The primary outcome was the procedural success rate. The secondary outcomes were residual shunt, late complications, procedure time, and fluoroscopy time. All meta‐analyses were performed using a random‐effects model.

Results

Eight studies and 1295 patients were included. There were no significant differences between TTE and TEE regarding the procedural success rate (OR = 1.93, 95% CI: 0.90–4.13, p = 0.092; I2 = 52.2%, Pheterogeneity = 0.063) and residual shunt rate (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.38–1.76, p = 0.600; I2 = 0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.518). Compared with TEE, TTE reduced the frequency of late complications (OR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.14–0.43, p < 0.001; I2 = 13.8%, Pheterogeneity = 0.326), reduced the procedure time (WMD = −8.92, 95% CI: −12.08, −5.75, p < 0.001; I2 = 87.4%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001), and reduced the fluoroscopy time (WMD = −5.08, 95% CI: −9.59, −0.56, p = 0.028; I2 = 95.6%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001). The sensitivity analyses showed that the results of the meta‐analyses were robust.

Conclusion

Compared with TEE, TTE showed no differences regarding the rates of success and residual shunt, but there were lower rates of late complications and shorter procedure and fluoroscopy times.
Support Vector Machines With Uncertainty Option and Incremental Sampling for Kriging
Authors: Xiong Chen , Honeine Paul , Berar Maxime , van Exem Antonin
Published: October 2024

This paper presents a novel approach to pollution assessment by investigating support vector machines (SVM) with an uncertainty option to overcome the limitations of traditional kriging. While kriging is a major tool for geostatistical modelling, allowing to estimate the distribution of contaminants in a region from a small set of samples, it does not allow to extract also the uncertainty map. An uncertainty map is of great interest, as it allows to identify regions of high uncertainty where one should sample in order to reduce high level of uncertainties. In this paper, we propose two variants of the SVM with an uncertainty option, each using a different hinge loss to improve the accuracy and efficiency. These losses allow to estimate different levels of contaminations, as well as uncertainty, such as the three levels: positive, uncertain and negative, namely for pollution estimation: high‐pollution, uncertain and low‐pollution. In addition to the exploration of SVM variants, we propose an innovative active sample selection strategy based on the uncertainty criterion. This strategy is designed to systematically reduce uncertainties in pollution assessment, thus providing adaptability to dynamic environmental changes. An incremental SVM with an uncertainty option is introduced to further optimise the sample selection process. Furthermore, the decision‐making process is refined through the introduction of a novel three‐hinge loss. The corresponding optimization problem and its resolution allow for a more nuanced contamination assessment with multiple levels of estimation, providing a valuable tool for characterising contamination levels with increased granularity. Extensive experiments on synthetic and real data validate the proposed methodology. Synthetic data simulations assess the quality of the approach, while real data from a two‐dimensional porosity measurement demonstrate practical applicability. This research contributes to the advancement of pollution assessment methodologies, providing an adaptable solution for environmental monitoring.
The role of cerebellar FOXP1 in the development of motor and communicative behaviors in mice
Authors: Chasse R. , McLeod R. , Surian A. , Fitch R. H. , Li J.
Published: October 2024

The gene FOXP2 is well established for a role in human speech and language; far less is known about FOXP1. However, this related gene has also been implicated in human language development as well as disorders associated with features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). FOXP1 protein expression has also recently been identified in the cerebellum—a neural structure previously shown to express FOXP2 protein. The current study sought to elucidate the behavioral implications of a conditional knock‐out of Foxp1 using an En1‐Cre driver, which is active in the entirety of the cerebellum and a subset of neurons in the midbrain and spinal cord, in mice using a test battery including motor tasks associated with cerebellar dysfunction, as well as communicative and autistic‐relevant behaviors. Male and female mice with a conditional knock‐out (cKO, n = 31) and wildtype littermate controls (WT, n = 34) were assessed for gross and orofacial motor control, motor‐coordination learning, locomotion, social behavior, anxiety, auditory processing and expressive vocalizations. Overall results suggest Foxp1 plays a specific role in the development of communicative systems, and phenotypic expression of disruptions may interact with sex. Robust motor deficits associated with Foxp1 protein loss may particularly affect vocalizations based on significant orofacial motor deficits in cKO subjects could also contribute to vocalization anomalies. In summary, the current study provides key insights into the role of Foxp1 in cerebellar function and associated behaviors in mice, with implications for an improved understanding of communicative and motor‐based neurodevelopmental disabilities in humans.