bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contextualising gender policy in tech entrepreneurship: a cross national and multiple-level analysis
Authors: Callerstig Anne-Charlott , Lindvert Marta , Ljunggren Elisabet Carine , Breivik-Meyer Marit , Alsos Gry Agnete , Balkmar Dag
Published: February 2024

Purpose

In order to address the gender divide in technology entrepreneurship, we explore how different national contexts impact policies and policy implementation. We investigate how transnational concerns (macro level) about women’s low participation in (technology) entrepreneurship are translated and implemented amongst actors at the meso level (technology incubators) and understood at the micro level (women tech entrepreneurs).

Design/methodology/approach

We adopt gender institutionalism as a theoretical lens to understand what happens in the implementation of gender equality goals in technology entrepreneurship policy. We apply Gains and Lowndes’ (2014) conceptual framework to investigate the gendered character and effects of institutional formation. Four countries represent different levels of gender equality: high (Norway and Sweden), medium (Ireland) and low (Israel). An initial policy document analysis provides the macro level understanding (Heilbrunn et al., 2020). At the meso level, managers of technology business incubators (n = 3–5) in each country were interviewed. At the micro level, 10 female technology entrepreneurs in each country were interviewed. We use an inductive research approach, combined with thematic analysis.

Findings

Policies differ across the four countries, ranging from women-centred approaches to gender mainstreaming. Macro level policies are interpreted and implemented in different ways amongst actors at the meso level, who tend to act in line with given national policies. Actors at the micro level often understand gender equality in ways that reflect their national policies. However, women in all four countries share similar struggles with work-life balance and gendered expectations in relation to family responsibilities.

Originality/value

The contribution of our paper is to (1) entrepreneurship theory by applying gendered institutionalism theory to (tech) entrepreneurship, and (2) our findings clearly show that the gendered context matters for policy implementation.
Islamic green finance: mapping the climate funding landscape in Indonesia
Authors: Faizi Faizi , Kusuma Airlangga Surya , Widodo Purwanto
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study aims to explore the potential of Islamic climate finance in Indonesia and to map Islamic climate finance based on Islamic finance instruments, both commercial and social.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis was conducted in Jakarta, Indonesia, between October 2022 and June 2023. This study adopted a qualitative interpretive approach in two phases. The first phase was desk-based research which focused on document analysis such as official documents, scientific publications, non-governmental organization publications and company reports in Indonesia. This analysis was conducted to identify significant milestones in developing green and eco-friendly finance that used Islamic financial instruments in Indonesia. The second phase consisted of interviews with essential Islamic climate finance project actors, such as green sukuk publishers, zakat and waqf collection agencies, stakeholders, capital market regulators, Shariah supervisory boards and Islamic finance experts.

Findings

The main finding of this study is that the development of Islamic green finance in Indonesia can occur through various channels, including greening Islamic capital markets, greening Islamic social finance, Islamic green finance and developing green banking services for the unbanked to support financial inclusion. Green sukuk, or Islamic bonds, are key financial instruments in Islamic green finance. They are used to fund projects in areas such as clean energy, mass transit, water conservation, forestry and low-carbon technology. These green financing initiatives also include socially responsible investments that are designed to improve the lives of people and communities.

Research limitations/implications

First, the availability of data on Islamic green finance practices in Indonesia may be limited, making it difficult to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape. Second, cultural and religious factors may play a role in the adoption and implementation of Islamic green finance, and these factors may vary across different regions in Indonesia.

Practical implications

The exploration and clustering of Islamic climate finance based on Islamic financial instruments in Indonesia can lead to the development of more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices in the financial industry.

Originality/value

This study serves as a pioneering effort to explore the potential and clustering of Islamic climate finance based on Islamic financial instruments in Indonesia.
Investigating the role of green curriculum in shaping pro-environmental behaviors and environmental values orientation for sustainability
Authors: Ni Likun , Fayaz Ahmad Sayed , Alsanie Ghadeer , Lan Na , Irshad Muhammad , Bin Saeed Rima H. , Bani Ahmad Ahmad , Khan Yasser
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study aims to find out the role of green curriculum (GC) in making a green generation (GG) and ensuring sustainability. The study considers the green curriculum a key factor for understanding environmental values orientation (EVO) and adopting pro-environmental behaviors (Pr-EnB) for social, economic, human and environmental sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is quantitative and cross-sectional. Partial least square-structural equation modeling was used to test the research model and data which was collected through a questionnaire survey from university faculty and students in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and China.

Findings

The findings show that the GC has significant positive effects on EVO and pro-environmental behavior. However, it has no significant effect on social sustainability. There is a positive significant effect of pro-environmental behavior on economic, environmental, human and social sustainability. Whereas, environmental orientation has no significant effect on economic sustainability but significantly influences environmental, human and social sustainability. GC has no significant effect on economic, environmental and human sustainability. However, when considering the combined effects of GC and environmental values orientation or pro-environmental behavior, significant positive effects were found on economic, environmental, human and social sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

The result suggests that implementing a GC positively influences environmental orientation, pro-environmental behavior and various dimensions of sustainability.

Practical implications

These results have implications for educational institutions and policymakers aiming to promote sustainability through green curriculum and help in the attainment of sustainable development goals.

Originality/value

The study fulfills an essential need to obtain sustainability and sustainable development goals through education.
Alternative model of Islamic deposit insurance for the Islamic banking system
Authors: Susamto Burhanuddin , Susamto Akhmad Akbar
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a novel approach to Islamic deposit insurance, specifically addressing the deficiencies in the current prevailing models of Islamic deposit insurance.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis in this paper adopts a qualitative content analysis approach to review the existing literature on Islamic deposit insurance and propose a new model.

Findings

The proposed model includes a revised scheme. In the event of a bank failure, the funds used to reimburse depositors of the failed bank are divided into two distinct categories. The first category includes nonrepayable premiums that have been previously paid by the failed bank and managed by the Islamic deposit insurance agency or Islamic deposit insurance corporation. The second category comprises qard hasan, an interest-free loan provided by the Islamic deposit insurance agency or Islamic deposit insurance corporation using the deposit insurance funds from the collective pool of premiums of other banks.

Practical implications

The proposed model ensures that well-managed banks are not unfairly burdened by the failures of their poorly managed counterparts, thus preventing a sense of unfairness and inefficiency. Implementing the proposed model may result in higher business practices and risk management standards, ultimately leading to better depositors’ protection and banking system’s stability.

Originality/value

This paper offers a significant contribution to the limited literature on Islamic deposit insurance. The proposed model enriches the discourse and offers valuable insights for the future development of Islamic banking.
Lessons from over 70 years of regional alignment processes in Europe for international higher education
Authors: de Wit Hans , Wang Lizhou
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This article provides an overview and analysis of 50 years of European policies, actions, and challenges to align its higher education and research, as well as lessons learned from this for similar initiatives elsewhere.

Design/methodology/approach

The study builds on a comprehensive overview and study of policy documents and scholarly literature to identify by decade the main policies and actions and the related challenges towards a European Higher Education and Research Area.

Findings

The findings make clear the key rationales, challenges, shifts and lessons to be learned from 50-year European policies for the alignment of higher education.

Originality/value

Its value lies in the historical overview and analysis of current initiatives, in particular the European Universities Initiative (EUI), to provide a historical and geographical context, which might give insight for similar initiatives elsewhere.
Leadership learning during a pandemic: reflections in a time of crisis
Authors: Vaughn Laura , Beatty Cameron C. , Ostermeyer Emily
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This qualitative study aims to provide insights and reflections of how the pandemic affected the identity and a sense of self of students, who completed undergraduate leadership learning academic program.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews.

Findings

Findings of this study showed three major themes throughout the interviews. During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants identified experiences with self-reflection, building community and navigating issues of social justice.

Originality/value

These findings highlight how leadership learning enabled certain participants to navigate and seek to resolve these problems and how their leadership learning aided their own self-discovery.
Customer transformation in services: conceptualization and research agenda
Authors: Robledo Marco Antonio
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Customer transformation is currently overlooked in service research. This article aims to conceptualize customer transformation and develop a research agenda to encourage more exploration in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual article builds on the literature on transformation and related topics in psychology, sociology, education and anthropology.

Findings

The presented definition of customer transformation distinguishes itself from other related concepts such as minor change. The research agenda, structured around five themes, reveals four distinctive attributes of customer transformation that warrant academic investigation. These include the inability of businesses to guarantee transformations, the potential tension between transformational aspirations and immediate needs and well-being, the imperative of cultivating long-term engagement and the likelihood of encountering customer resistance. This highlights the criticality of embracing a customer-centric approach in transformational services.

Research limitations/implications

Given the vastness of the topic, the literature review is limited and the research agenda could be widened. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of the subject introduces the possibility that the conceptual framework and research agenda may become outdated. Lastly, the universal applicability of the findings and the proposed conceptual framework are uncertain, necessitating potential validation across diverse contexts. The practical implications may also fall short of addressing the specific challenges encountered by different industries or businesses.

Practical implications

The article provides insights on customer transformation and strategies for businesses to support ongoing transformations, emphasizing personalized engagement and co-creating value to meet evolving customer aspirations.

Social implications

The need for development and growth is more pressing and decisive than ever. This need is often not well understood and, as a result, is not addressed by either scholars or companies. This paper helps address that social need.

Originality/value

The research enriches the service literature by paving the way for a crucial subfield in service research. Additionally, it establishes a shared understanding of customer transformation by highlighting its distinct characteristics and analyzing their implications for service management, proposing a conceptual framework and research agenda.
Causes of the bullwhip effect: a systematic review and categorization of its causes
Authors: Brauch Manuel , Mohaghegh Matin , Größler Andreas
Published: February 2024

Purpose

One pertinent dynamic phenomenon in supply chains is the amplification of order variance, i.e. the bullwhip effect. Its continued significance is underscored in contemporary empirical research. While numerous publications have pinpointed various causes of the bullwhip effect, there remains a gap in their systematic consolidation. The purpose of this paper is to compile a comprehensive list of the causes of the bullwhip effect from existing literature and categorize them appropriately.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducts a systematic literature review to offer a comprehensive overview of bullwhip effect causes addressed in the existing literature. The identified causes are categorized using a qualitative content analysis approach.

Findings

The study shows the diversity of the causes of the bullwhip effect and their interdependencies. In addition, this study demonstrates that, at the highest level of aggregation, causes of the bullwhip effect can be classified into four main categories: causes inherent in the system structure, causes related to uncertainty, causes related to misaligned incentives and causes related to inadequate cognition of the situation.

Originality/value

The work provides an extensive overview and categorization of bullwhip effect causes, offering valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners seeking a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. In addition, it underscores managerial implications and highlights future research opportunities.
Emic and etic perspectives in transnational migration research: methodological reflections of a cross-national research team
Authors: Sasiwongsaroj Kwanchit , Ono Mitsuko , Duangkaew Sutpratana , Kimura Yumi
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This article presents fieldwork perspectives and research reflexivity gained from the cross-national research team, with the aim of promoting better qualitative research practices in transnational research. It focuses on how the team incorporates diverse cultural perspectives and insider and outsider roles to enhance the research in the data collection process.

Design/methodology/approach

This article is drawn from the authors' qualitative research with 25 Japanese retirees in Thailand, addressing cultural challenges encountered by researchers in the cross-national team when conducting field research.

Findings

Our findings indicate that researchers with an emic view in the cross-national team who shared nationality and cultural background as the participants facilitated an effective recruitment process and productive collaboration in data gathering. They also served as cultural brokers, tailoring smooth communication during interviews on certain cultures, participant traits and sensitive issues. On the other hand, the outsiders helped the team uncover more transnational issues that the insiders had overlooked. Additionally, combining emic and etic perspectives helps to avoid ethnocentric narratives or purely etic and emic conclusions.

Originality/value

This article addresses a gap in the methodological reflections in transnational research that remains largely overlooked. Our reflection highlights the advantages of cross-national teams, which include researchers from emigration and immigration countries. Their status and roles as insiders and outsiders significantly facilitate a positive impact on the research process and increase the extent of investigating the complex cultural dynamics of transnational practices. The incorporation of emic and etic perspectives is suggested in the methodological approach for transnational migration research.
Save or spend? Diverging water‐use strategies of grasses and encroaching clonal shrubs
Authors: Keen R. M. , Helliker B. R. , McCulloh K. A. , Nippert J. B.
Published: February 2024

Shrub encroachment is one of the primary threats to mesic grasslands around the world. This dramatic shift in plant cover has the potential to alter ecosystem‐scale water budgets and responses to novel rainfall regimes. Understanding divergent water‐use strategies among encroaching shrubs and the grasses they replace is critical for predicting shifts in ecosystem‐scale water dynamics as a result of shrub encroachment, particularly if drought events become more frequent and/or severe in the future.

In this study, we assessed how water‐use traits of a rapidly encroaching clonal shrub (Cornus drummondii) and a dominant C4 grass (Andropogon gerardii) impact responses to changes in water availability in tallgrass prairie. We assessed intra‐annual change in depth of water uptake, turgor loss point and stomatal regulation in each species. Sampling took place at Konza Prairie Biological Station (northeastern KS, USA) during the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons.

Cornus drummondii shifted from shallow to deep soil water sources across the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons. This plasticity in depth of water uptake facilitated a ‘wasteful’ water‐use strategy in C. drummondii, where stomatal conductance and transpiration rates continued to increase even when no further gain in photosynthetic rate occurred. A. gerardii photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance were more variable through time and were more responsive to changes in leaf water potential than C. drummondii. However, intra‐annual adjustment of turgor loss point was more pronounced in C. drummondii (ΔπTLP = −0.48 MPa ± 0.15 SD) than in A. gerardii (ΔπTLP = −0.29 MPa ± 0.19 SD).

Synthesis. These results suggest that C. drummondii is highly resilient to changes in water availability in surface soils and will likely remain unaffected by future droughts unless they are severe enough to reduce the availability of deep soil water. Given that clonal shrubs are key invaders of grasslands world‐wide, increased leaf‐level water loss is expected to accelerate ecosystem‐level drying as clonal shrub encroachment proceeds in mesic grasslands.
A New Era in the Not So New Economics of Fertility and Women's Time: An Introduction
Authors: Day Creina
Published: February 2024

This article examines a new era of models predicting fertility decline reversal as female‐to‐male wages rise. Standard microeconomic frameworks and diagrams simplify theoretical concepts for students and policymakers. The analysis reveals how demand for children may increase when households substitute childcare for women's time. An income effect dominates when responsiveness of the input mix and preference for children are high. Challenging conventional assumptions unveils the importance of gender inequality at home, economies of scale in raising children, and market‐determined childcare prices. The findings suggest that household taxation and preferences influence how childcare subsidies and paid maternity leave shape fertility upturn.
Implementing targeted social and emotional learning interventions in schools—Are more specific models needed?
Authors: Bond Caroline , Evans Vanessa , Humphrey Neil
Published: February 2024

Schools are increasingly encouraged to adopt evidence‐based or evidence informed interventions and implement them using insights from implementation science. The literature relating to implementation of interventions in schools has focused largely on universal interventions, particularly for social and emotional learning (SEL), which are designed for all children and young people. In contrast, targeted interventions provide additional support for those pupils who may require small group or individual support over and above that provided at the universal level. To date there has been limited consideration of factors which are important for the implementation of targeted SEL interventions. Data from an exploratory case study with two schools implementing Lego therapy are used to illustrate the implementation factors relevant to this targeted intervention. Findings indicate similarities in universal and targeted intervention core components and factors but also a number of distinct elements that are important to consider when implementing Lego therapy and potentially other targeted SEL interventions. Key considerations include the interaction with the wider school system, the pivotal role of the intervention champion, and the importance of external support for problem solving and sustainability. The resulting model may inform further development of implementation frameworks for Lego therapy and other targeted SEL interventions.
Prescription eyeglasses as a forensic physical evidence: Prediction of age based on refractive error measures using machine learning algorithm
Authors: Moustafa Maram Atef , Ghitani Sara Attia , Kholief Marwa Abdelfattah , Abulnoor Bassam Ahmed El‐Sayed , Attia MennattAllah Hassan
Published: February 2024

Refractive errors (RE) are commonly reported visual impairment problems worldwide. Previous clinical studies demonstrated age‐related changes in human eyes. We hypothesized that the binocular RE metrics including sphere and cylinder power, axis orientation, and interpupillary distance (IPD) can be used for forensic age estimation of an unknown individual. RE data of both eyes were collected from the clinical optometric exams and prescription glasses of 2027 Egyptian individuals aged between 2 to 93 years. The differences between age groups as well as sides, and sexual dimorphism were explored. Two modeling methods were compared: multiple and stepwise linear regression (LR) versus machine learning Regression Forest (RFM). Data were apportioned into training and test datasets with a ratio of 80/20. The results showed significant differences among the age groups in each eye for all variables. Stepwise LR improved the results over models based on the one‐sided lens due to selection of IPD in addition to the left and right axis, and left sphere as independent variables. For the RFM, the left axis and IPD were the most important features. RFM outperformed LR in terms of accuracy and root mean squared error (RMSE). The estimated age within ±10 years showed 81.4% accuracy rate and RMSE = 8.9 years versus 38.5% accuracy rate and RMSE = 17.99 years using RFM and stepwise LR, respectively, in the test set. The current study upholds the significance of the age‐related changes of refractive error in formulating alternative forensic age estimation models when standard methods are unavailable.
What is Valentino's syndrome?
Authors: Pappas Theodore N.
Published: February 2024

The eponym ‘Valentino's syndrome’ is used to describe patients with perforated peptic ulcer disease who present with right lower quadrant pain and suspected appendicitis. It is named for Rudolph Valentino, the film star who died on 23 August 1926 at the age of 31 from complications of perforated peptic ulcer disease. In the early 1920s, the Italian‐born actor had a meteoric rise to fame in the burgeoning film industry. His first starring role in the 1921 silent film, The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, was a sensation and was followed quickly by a string of commercially successful movies. He was in good health until he presented with an acute abdomen in early August of 1926. He underwent a laparotomy and was found to have a perforated peptic ulcer that was repaired with simple closure and an omental patch. He initially rallied after surgery but ultimately died on the eighth post‐operative day from complications of sepsis. This manuscript will review Valentino's brief acting career, his medical history, and how the eponym which bears his name describes a disease presentation that is different from his actual clinical course.
Bacterial diversity and metabolites: Exploring correlations with preservative properties in soybean pastes
Authors: Ren Fei , Liu Ming , Tan Bin
Published: February 2024

Soybean paste, a traditional fermented condiment, exhibits distinct quality attributes by its microbial communities. This study employed Illumina sequencing and LC–MS to scrutinize the bacterial biota and metabolome of highly preserved (HP) and easily spoiled (ES) soybean pastes. Firmicutes were prevalent in both pastes, with HP showcasing greater microbial α‐diversity compared to ES pastes. Bacillus predominated in HP pastes, whereas Lactobacillus was most abundant in ES pastes. Significant metabolic differences were observed between HP and ES samples in lipids, peptides, nucleic acids, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, protein digestion, amino acid metabolism, inflammatory mediator regulation, and neomycin, kanamycin, and gentamicin biosynthesis. Lactobacillus exhibited positive associations with daidzein and 3,4,5‐trihydroxypentanoylcarnitine, whereas Bacillus showed negative correlations with 1,n6‐ethenoadenosine, 2‐deoxy‐2,3‐dehydro‐n‐acetyl‐neuraminic acid, 3,4,5‐trihydroxypentanoyl carnitine, and fructosyl valine. These findings highlight the collaborative impact of bacterial communities and metabolites on soybean paste quality attributes. This research enhances our comprehension of preservation mechanisms in fermented foods, particularly soybean pastes.

Practical Application

The investigation would provide insights into the soybean pastes fermentation, safe and quality control methods, bio‐preservative development strategies, and so on of soybean pastes for related studies and the consumers. Bacteria and their metabolites could be used to optimize the fermentation processes for the preservative and safe regulations.
Systematic elucidation of independently modulated genes in Lactiplantibacillus plantarum reveals a trade‐off between secondary and primary metabolism
Authors: Qiu Sizhe , Huang Yidi , Liang Shishun , Zeng Hong , Yang Aidong
Published: February 2024

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is a probiotic bacterium widely used in food and health industries, but its gene regulatory information is limited in existing databases, which impedes the research of its physiology and its applications. To obtain a better understanding of the transcriptional regulatory network of L. plantarum, independent component analysis of its transcriptomes was used to derive 45 sets of independently modulated genes (iModulons). Those iModulons were annotated for associated transcription factors and functional pathways, and active iModulons in response to different growth conditions were identified and characterized in detail. Eventually, the analysis of iModulon activities reveals a trade‐off between regulatory activities of secondary and primary metabolism in L. plantarum.
Anna Letitia Barbauld's Insect Poetics
Authors: Powell Rosalind
Published: February 2024

This article reads Anna Letitia Barbauld's affective encounter in ‘The Caterpillar’ (1825) in the light of her broader entomological writing for both adults and children. It investigates the recommendations for attention to the small and the particular in her didactic work alongside the narratives of insect subjectivity and insect metamorphosis in her occasional and lyric verse to assess the poet's contribution to an ecological mode of writing in this period. This uncovers a key tension in Barbauld's communication of insect worlds, reflected in the conclusion of ‘The Caterpillar’, where the affective encounter exposes the inescapable otherness of the human observer.
Detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae in healthy poultry: Insights and perspectives from culturing and metagenomics
Authors: Kaspersen Håkon , Urdahl Anne Margrete , Ilag Hanna Karin , Franklin‐Alming Fiona Valerie , Haverkamp Thomas H. A. , Sunde Marianne
Published: February 2024

Previously, Klebsiella pneumoniae was found to occur more frequently in healthy turkey flocks than in healthy broiler flocks in Norway. This study aimed to investigate whether this higher occurrence could be attributed to a greater abundance of K. pneumoniae in turkey flocks. We compared culturing, qPCR, and shotgun metagenomic sequencing for the detection and quantification of K. pneumoniae. Using qPCR, we found that 20.7% of broiler flock samples and 63.9% of turkey flock samples were positive for K. pneumoniae. Culturing revealed a significantly higher abundance of K. pneumoniae in turkey flocks compared to broiler flocks. However, metagenomic analysis showed no difference in the relative abundance of Klebsiella spp. between broiler and turkey flocks, and no correlation between the results of culturing and metagenomic quantification. Interestingly, the differential abundance of K. quasipneumoniae was significantly different between the two hosts. Our results indicate that Klebsiella spp. are present in both turkey and broiler flocks at relatively low levels but with a higher abundance in turkey flocks. Our findings also suggest that shotgun metagenomic studies targeting low‐abundance taxa such as Klebsiella have poor sensitivity when comparing groups, indicating that reliance on results from metagenomic analysis without experimental validation should be done with caution.
How should respiratory depression and loss of airway patency be handled during initiation of palliative sedation?
Authors: Fredheim Olav Magnus S. , Torvund Solveig K. , Thoresen Lisbeth , Magelssen Morten
Published: February 2024

Background

Loss of airway patency has been reported during initiation of palliative sedation. In present guidelines the loss of airway patency during initiation of palliative sedation is not addressed. Airway patency can be restored by jaw thrust/chin lift or placing the patient in the recovery position.

Aim

A structured ethical analysis of how respiratory depression and loss of airway patency during initiation of palliative sedation should be handled. The essence of the dilemma is whether it is appropriate to apply simple non‐invasive methods to restore airway patency in order to avoid the patient's immediate death.

Design

A structured analysis based on the four principles of healthcare ethics and stakeholders' interests.

Results

Beneficence and autonomy support a decision not to regain airway patency whereas non‐maleficence lends weight to a decision to restore airway patency. Whether the proportionality criterion of the principle of double effect is met depends on the features of the individual case. The ethical problem appears to be a genuine dilemma where important values and arguments point to different conclusions.

Conclusion

Whether to restore airway patency when the airway is obstructed during initiation of palliative sedation will ultimately be based on clinical judgment taking into account both any known patient preferences and relevant clinical information. There are strong arguments favoring both options in this clinical and ethical dilemma. The fact that a clear and universal recommendation cannot be made does not imply indifference regarding what is the clinically and ethically best option for each individual patient.
Chronic heart failure induces early defenestration of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) in mice
Authors: Wojnar‐Lason Kamila , Tyrankiewicz Urszula , Kij Agnieszka , Kurpinska Anna , Kaczara Patrycja , Kwiatkowski Grzegorz , Wilkosz Natalia , Giergiel Magdalena , Stojak Marta , Grosicki Marek , Mohaissen Tasnim , Jasztal Agnieszka , Kurylowicz Zuzanna , Szymonski Marek , Czyzynska‐Cichon Izabela , Chlopicki Stefan
Published: February 2024

Aim

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is often linked to liver malfunction and systemic endothelial dysfunction. However, whether cardio‐hepatic interactions in heart failure involve dysfunction of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) is not known. Here we characterize LSECs phenotype in early and end stages of chronic heart failure in a murine model.

Methods

Right ventricle (RV) function, features of congestive hepatopathy, and the phenotype of primary LSECs were characterized in Tgαq*44 mice, with cardiomyocyte‐specific overexpression of the Gαq protein, at the age of 4‐ and 12‐month representative for early and end‐stage phases of CHF, respectively.

Results

4‐ and 12‐month‐old Tgαq*44 mice displayed progressive impairment of RV function and alterations in hepatic blood flow velocity resulting in hepatic congestion with elevated GGT and bilirubin plasma levels and decreased albumin concentration without gross liver pathology. LSECs isolated from 4‐ and 12‐month‐old Tgαq*44 mice displayed significant loss of fenestrae with impaired functional response to cytochalasin B, significant changes in proteome related to cytoskeleton remodeling, and altered vasoprotective function. However, LSECs barrier function and bioenergetics were largely preserved. In 4‐ and 12‐month‐old Tgαq*44 mice, LSECs defenestration was associated with prolonged postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and in 12‐month‐old Tgαq*44 mice with proteomic changes of hepatocytes indicative of altered lipid metabolism.

Conclusion

Tgαq*44 mice displayed right‐sided HF and altered hepatic blood flow leading to LSECs dysfunction involving defenestration, shift in eicosanoid profile, and proteomic changes. LSECs dysfunction appears as an early and persistent event in CHF, preceding congestive hepatopathy and contributing to alterations in lipoprotein transport and CHF pathophysiology.
Ministerial policy roles and mandate letters in the Justin Trudeau government
Authors: Ie Kenny William
Published: February 2024

This article examines ministers as policy actors through analysis of tasks in mandate letters. These tasks were coded as involving either policy initiation, supplementation, maintenance, coordination, engagement, or information. The 2021 mandate letters show that policy maintenance tasks are most common, initiation the least, suggesting that most ministers are constrained to passive policy management. Four distinctive ministerial types are also identified. Activists are distinguished by their dominance over policy initiation, advocates are characterized most by policy supplementation and maintenance, managers are mostly tasked with maintaining the policy status quo, and networkers are distinctive in their share of coordination and information tasks.
Ferritinophagy: A novel insight into the double‐edged sword in ferritinophagy–ferroptosis axis and human diseases
Authors: Li Jing‐Yan , Feng Yan‐Hua , Li Yu‐Xuan , He Peng‐Yi , Zhou Qi‐Yuan , Tian Ying‐Ping , Yao Ren‐Qi , Yao Yong‐Ming
Published: February 2024

Nuclear receptor coactive 4 (NCOA4), which functions as a selective cargo receptor, is a critical regulator of the particularly autophagic degradation of ferritin, a process known as ferritinophagy. Mechanistically, NCOA4‐mediated ferritinophagy performs an increasingly vital role in the maintenance of intracellular iron homeostasis by promoting ferritin transport and iron release as needed. Ferritinophagy is not only involved in iron‐dependent responses but also in the pathogenesis and progression of various human diseases, including metabolism‐related, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and infectious diseases. Therefore, ferritinophagy is of great importance in maintaining cell viability and function and represents a potential therapeutic target. Recent studies indicated that ferritinophagy regulates the signalling pathway associated with ferroptosis, a newly discovered type of cell death characterised by iron‐dependent lipid peroxidation. Although accumulating evidence clearly demonstrates the importance of the interplay between dysfunction in iron metabolism and ferroptosis, a deeper understanding of the double‐edged sword effect of ferritinophagy in ferroptosis has remained elusive. Details of the mechanisms underlying the ferritinophagy–ferroptosis axis in regulating relevant human diseases remain to be elucidated. In this review, we discuss the latest research findings regarding the mechanisms that regulate the biological function of NCOA4‐mediated ferritinophagy and its contribution to the pathophysiology of ferroptosis. The important role of the ferritinophagy–ferroptosis axis in human diseases will be discussed in detail, highlighting the great potential of targeting ferritinophagy in the treatment of diseases.
1084. Eryngium yuccifolium Michx
Authors: Rix Martyn , Lambkin Deborah
Published: February 2024

Eryngium yuccifolium, the rattlesnake master, a characteristic species of tall‐grass prairies in eastern North America, is illustrated from plants growing in the North American Prairie planting at Wakehurst Place; its history, ecology, pollination and cultivation are described.
Quais são as barreiras e facilitadores para a participação de pessoas com Síndrome de Down? Uma Revisão de Escopo
Authors: Souto Deisiane Oliveira , de Sousa Marina Oliveira , Ferreira Rafaela Guimarães , Brandão Ana Claudia , Carrera Pedro Brandão , Leite Hércules Ribeiro
Published: February 2024

Objetivo

Determinar as barreiras e facilitadores da participação ativa na comunidade de crianças, adolescentes e adultos com Síndrome de Down (SD). Métodos: Foram realizadas buscas em cinco bases de dados eletrônicas para identificar estudos originais sobre a participação de crianças, adolescentes (idades <18 anos) e adultos (idades de 18 a 59 anos) com SD. Barreiras e facilitadores para a participação foram categorizados em fatores: pessoais, sociais, ambientais e de políticas e programas. Os achados foram analisados e validados por um jovem adulto com SD e um membro da família, utilizando a estratégia de Envolvimento do Público e Paciente. Resultados: Quatorze estudos foram incluídos, oito com crianças e adolescentes e seis com adultos. Dos 14 estudos, dez eram qualitativos e quatro quantitativos. A maioria dos estudos (n = 9) investigou a participação em atividades físicas, enquanto apenas alguns estudos examinaram a participação em atividades comunitárias/sociais (n = 3), atividades diárias (n = 2) e atividades de lazer (n = 1). As barreiras e facilitadores mais frequentemente citados foram a disponibilidade de programas e profissionais especializados, transporte, bem como atitudes e comportamentos. As características físicas e psicológicas das pessoas com SD e as instalações também foram frequentemente mencionadas como barreiras. Por outro lado, o desejo de se manter ativo e o interesse pessoal na atividade estavam entre os facilitadores mais frequentemente relatados.

Interpretação

A participação de pessoas com SD é principalmente influenciada por fatores físicos ou psicológicos, o apoio e as atitudes dos pais/cuidadores e a disponibilidade de programas especializados. Dada a escassez de pesquisas investigando a participação de pessoas com SD em atividades comunitárias, atividades diárias e lazer, especialmente em adultos, mais estudos ainda são necessários.
Potential bottom‐up control of Metamasius callizona in Florida, USA
Authors: Cooper Teresa M. , Cave Ronald D. , Frank J. Howard
Published: February 2024

Metamasius callizona (Chevrolat) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an invasive weevil destroying Tillandsia utriculata L. (Bromeliaceae) populations in Florida, USA. A T. utriculata population in Belize coexists with M. callizona without adverse effects. Tillandsia utriculata and M. callizona from Belize and Florida were studied in the laboratory to determine how Belize T. utriculata can coexist with Belize M. callizona, using Florida and Belize T. utriculata, as well as pineapple, Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. (Bromeliaceae), as host plants. Florida M. callizona on pineapple leaves produced more eggs per female per day and had a shorter developmental time and pupation period, as well as a smaller adult width, than Belize M. callizona. Florida and Belize weevils did not differ significantly in rates of egg hatch, pupation, and adult emergence. Florida M. callizona laid similar numbers of eggs per day on Florida and Belize T. utriculata. Egg hatch rates were similar on pineapple and Florida and Belize T. utriculata. Pupation rates were similar on pineapple and Florida T. utriculata leaves; no larvae on Belize T. utriculata attained fourth instar. Field and laboratory observations revealed that Belize and Florida M. callizona mined Belize T. utriculata without destroying the meristem, allowing plants to survive, but Belize M. callizona destroyed the core of pineapple tops. Soluble solids were greatest in pineapple and least in Belize T. utriculata. Leaf toughness was greatest in pineapple and least in Florida T. utriculata. Metamasius callizona biology and behavior and T. utriculata plant characteristics may drive the severity of weevil damage on populations of T. utriculata. The discovery of a T. utriculata population in Belize coexisting with M. callizona offers a possible way to control M. callizona in Florida.
Why should you believe in yourself? Students' performance‐approach goals shape their approach to learning through self‐efficacy: A longitudinal analysis
Authors: Paloș Ramona , Vîrgă Delia , Okros Norberth
Published: February 2024

Based on the Achievement Goals Theory and Students' Approaches to Learning, we proposed a model in which students' self‐efficacy acts as a mediator between students' performance‐approach goals orientation and their approach to learning in dealing with academic tasks throughout an academic year. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the model on a sample of 565 first‐year university students at three different moments. The results showed that self‐efficacy in academic tasks at T2 totally mediated the relationship between performance‐approach goals at T1 and the deep approach at T3 and partially the relationship with the surface approach at T3. The results underline that if the direct effect of performance‐approach goals is that of the surface approach intensification without any impact on the deep approach, an increase in the deep approach and a decline in the surface approach can be observed through self‐efficacy in academic tasks.
Modifications to gene body methylation do not alter gene expression plasticity in a reef‐building coral
Authors: Abbott Evelyn , Loockerman Coral , Matz Mikhail V.
Published: February 2024

As coral reefs continue to decline due to climate change, the role of coral epigenetics (specifically, gene body methylation, GBM) in coral acclimatization warrants investigation. The evidence is currently conflicting. In diverse animal phyla, the baseline GBM level is associated with gene function: continuously expressed “housekeeping” genes are typically highly methylated, while inducible context‐dependent genes have low or no methylation at all. Some authors report an association between GBM and the environment and interpret this observation as evidence of the GBM's role in acclimatization. Yet, others argue that the correlation between GBM change and gene expression change is typically absent or negligible. Here, we used the reef‐building coral, Acropora millepora, to test whether environmentally driven changes in GBM are associated with a gene's ability to respond to environmental changes (plasticity) rather than expression level. We analyzed two cases of modified gene expression plasticity observed in a 3‐week‐long heat acclimatization experiment. The first one was a group of heat‐induced genes that failed to revert their expression after the coral was translocated back to the control tank. The second case involved genes that changed the magnitude of their response to the daily temperature fluctuations over the course of the experiment. In both cases, we found negligible or no association with GBM change. We conclude that although both gene expression plasticity and GBM can change during acclimatization, there is no direct association between the two. This adds to the increasing volume of evidence that the function of GBM in invertebrates is unrelated to acclimatization on physiological timescales.
A review of deep learning‐based approaches for deepfake content detection
Authors: Passos Leandro A. , Jodas Danilo , Costa Kelton A. P. , Souza Júnior Luis A. , Rodrigues Douglas , Del Ser Javier , Camacho David , Papa João Paulo
Published: February 2024

Recent advancements in deep learning generative models have raised concerns as they can create highly convincing counterfeit images and videos. This poses a threat to people's integrity and can lead to social instability. To address this issue, there is a pressing need to develop new computational models that can efficiently detect forged content and alert users to potential image and video manipulations. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent studies for deepfake content detection using deep learning‐based approaches. We aim to broaden the state‐of‐the‐art research by systematically reviewing the different categories of fake content detection. Furthermore, we report the advantages and drawbacks of the examined works, and prescribe several future directions towards the issues and shortcomings still unsolved on deepfake detection.
Influence of pulse duration on the fatigue behavior of a carbon‐fiber‐reinforced composite under cyclic three‐point bending at 20 kHz
Authors: Premanand Aravind , Balle Frank
Published: February 2024

Very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) experiments are limited in practice due to their long testing times. In ultrasonic fatigue test (UFT) systems, the cyclic oscillation is applied using resonance at 20 kHz with a pulse and pause sequence. However, determining optimal pulse durations to achieve minimal testing time and avoid thermal‐induced fatigue damage in fiber‐reinforced polymer composites remains a challenge. In this work, several fatigue experiments, temperature analyses, and digital light optical microscopy were carried out to evaluate the influence of pulse duration on the fatigue behavior of a carbon‐fiber fabric reinforced in polyether‐ketone‐ketone (CF‐PEKK) composite. A shorter pulse duration with the same pulse–pause ratio as the longer pulse duration is proposed for higher stress amplitudes to avoid any thermal influence during mechanical fatigue without altering the underlying fatigue damage mechanisms.