bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The liquidity aspects of peer-to-peer lending
Authors: Ölvedi Tímea
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate investor behavior in the market of peer-to-peer lending, which is an alternative form of finance, from the liquidity perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Liquidity metrics and regressions are used to identify the trend of the market and the variables that significantly impact the successful resale, selling time and discount rate in the secondary market. Structural break analysis is used to examine the impact of COVID on the market.

Findings

There is a high demand for performing loans that are sold quickly; however, the discount rate is also high, which reflects the price of liquidity. Based on the results obtained from regressions, the main factors that impact the investors’ decisions are discount rate, borrower’s country, principal and the month passed after loan origination. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the pandemic has led to a structural break in March 2020, and investors have started to liquidate their claims.

Practical implications

This paper’s purpose is to add to the research that examines the secondary market in social lending. It also contributes to the understanding of an investor’s decision and behavior, which are key parts of the segment’s long-term sustainability from the demand perspective. The comprehensive understanding of a lender’s behavior is also essential for supervisory authorities and other participants of the financial market.

Originality/value

Previous studies mostly focused on credit risk aspects, whereas this paper contributes to the modest research of liquidity features. The added value of this paper is further supported by the use of a large European secondary market data set, including more than 5 million transactions, covering an 18-month horizon. Moreover, the market’s sensitivity is analyzed in the case of an external shock. In the beginning of 2020, the COVID outbreak caused an economic shutdown in many European countries. The paper examines how these uncertain economic conditions impact the secondary market.
Justice-oriented global education within three world history teachers' worldviews and practice
Authors: Shatara Hanadi
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to present the development of justice-oriented worldviews among three New York City public school global history teachers and its manifestations in their curriculum and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study, part of a larger study, relied on interviews centering around participants' backgrounds, international experiences and global perspectives, along with observations of their teaching.

Findings

The findings show that participants' experiences, particularly with global issues such as climate change, capitalism, and global inequality influenced their worldviews to focus on justice. As a result, there were direct connections of their justice-oriented worldviews in their teaching of global history.

Originality/value

This study highlights the ways in which global history teachers' worldviews influence their teaching practice. Presenting justice-oriented teaching allows for veteran and future teachers to consider this type of instruction in their world history and global studies classroom. Additionally, this study provides insight into the intersections of world history and global education taking place within secondary classrooms that focus on justice rather than traditional world history content teaching.
Defoliated trees die below a critical threshold of stored carbon
Authors: Barker Plotkin Audrey , Blumstein Meghan , Laflower Danelle , Pasquarella Valerie J. , Chandler Jennifer L. , Elkinton Joseph S. , Thompson Jonathan R.
Published: August 2021

Carbon starvation posits that defoliation‐ and drought‐induced mortality results from drawing down stored non‐structural carbohydrates (NSCs), but evidence is mixed, and few studies evaluate mortality directly. We tested the relationships among defoliation severity, NSC drawdown and tree mortality by measuring NSCs in mature oak trees defoliated by an invasive insect, Lymantria dispar, across a natural gradient of defoliation severity.

We collected stem and root samples from mature oaks (Quercus rubra and Q. alba) in interior forests (n = 34) and forest edges (n = 47) in central Massachusetts, USA. Total NSC (TNC; sugar + starch) stores were analysed with respect to tree size, species and defoliation severity, which ranged between 5% and 100%.

TNC stores declined significantly with increasingly severe defoliation. Forest edge trees had higher TNC stores that were less sensitive to defoliation than interior forest trees, although this may be a result of differing defoliation history. Furthermore, we observed a mortality threshold of 1.5% dry weight TNC.

Our study draws a direct link between insect defoliation and TNC reserves and defines a TNC threshold below which mortality is highly likely. These findings advance understanding and improve model parametrization of tree response to insect outbreaks, an increasing threat with globalization and climate change.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Flowers as dirty doorknobs: Deformed wing virus transmitted between Apis mellifera and Bombus impatiens through shared flowers
Authors: Burnham Phillip Alexander , Alger Samantha A. , Case Brendan , Boncristiani Humberto , Hébert‐Dufresne Laurent , Brody Alison K.
Published: August 2021

In light of bee declines, the importance of pollination services from managed and native bees to our agriculture and economy is of great political, scientific and public interest. Viruses, first observed in honeybees, have been documented in bumblebees and the prevalence and load of some RNA viruses have been associated with managed honeybees. Shared flowers may be the bridge across which viruses pass between bees but no study has yet demonstrated that bumblebees can pick up viruses while foraging on contaminated flowers.

Here, through a series of mechanistic laboratory experiments and mathematical modelling, we ask whether viruses can be transmitted between bee genera on shared flowers and how transmission can be effectively mitigated.

We demonstrated that deformed wing virus (DWV) can be transmitted from infected honeybees to bumblebees through the use of shared red clover. We were also able to show that the route may work in reverse and bumblebees could contribute to the spread as well.

Our model showed that reducing vector‐mediated transmission in honeybee colonies could potentially lead to a far greater reduction in bumblebee infection than simply reducing the number of honeybees. Additionally, we identified a dilution effect, whereby increasing floral abundance reduced transmission.

Synthesis and applications. In this study, we showed that DWV may be spread between bee genera through the shared use of flowers. Through mathematical simulation, we identified two practical management options for reducing spread. The combination of treating honeybees effectively for the Varroa mite, a known vector of DWV, and increasing floral abundance where honeybees and native pollinators share the landscape were shown to reduce the spread of DWV within bee communities in simulations.
Unmet health care needs and inequality: A cross‐country comparison of the situation of people with spinal cord injury
Authors: Pacheco Barzallo Diana , Oña Ana , Gemperli Armin
Published: August 2021

Objective

To estimate and compare unmet health care needs of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) across countries, the causes of these shortfalls, and the role of income.

Data Sources

We analyzed cross‐sectional data of 20 countries from the International Spinal Cord Injury (InSCI) survey, a compendium of comparable data on the living situation of persons with SCI. Data included information on high‐, middle‐, and low‐income countries. The survey comprises information on 12,095 participants.

Study Design

We used logit regressions to estimate the probability of unmet health care needs of persons with SCI and its causes. We adjusted the results by the individuals' characteristics and countries' fixed effects. We disaggregated the results by income decile of individuals in each country.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

The inclusion criteria for the InSCI survey were adults aged 18 years and older with SCI living in the community, who were able to respond to the survey and who provided informed consent.

Principal Findings

Unmet health care needs are significant for people with long‐term conditions like SCI, where people in low‐income groups tend to be more affected. Among the barriers to meeting health care needs, the foremost is health care cost (in 11 of the 20 countries), followed by transportation and service availability. Persons with SCI in Morocco reported the highest probability of unmet health care needs in the sample, 0.54 (CI: 047–0.59), followed well behind by South Africa, 0.27 (CI: 0.20–0.33), and Brazil, 0.26 (CI: 0.20–0.33). In contrast, persons with SCI in Spain, 0.06 (CI: 0.04–0.08), reported the lowest probability of unmet health care needs, closely followed by Norway, 0.07 (CI: 0.05–0.09), Thailand, 0.08 (CI: 0.05–0.11), France, 0.08 (CI: 0.06–0.11), and Switzerland, 0.09 (CI: 0.07–0.10).

Conclusions

SCI is a long‐term, irreversible health condition characterized by physical impairment and a series of chronic illness. This makes SCI a high‐need, high‐cost group that faces significant unmet health care needs, which are mainly explained by the costs of health services, transportation, and services availability. This situation is prevalent in low‐, middle‐, and high‐income countries, where persons in lower income groups are disproportionately affected. To improve the situation, a combination of measures from the health and social systems are required.
Two long‐term phase 3 studies of enarodustat (JTZ‐951) in Japanese anemic patients with chronic kidney disease not on dialysis or on maintenance hemodialysis: SYMPHONY ND‐Long and HD‐Long studies
Authors: Akizawa Tadao , Nangaku Masaomi , Yamaguchi Takuhiro , Koretomo Ryosuke , Maeda Kazuo , Yamada Osamu , Hirakata Hideki
Published: August 2021

Enarodustat (JTZ‐951) is an oral hypoxia‐inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor developed for treating anemia in chronic kidney disease. Two open‐label, uncontrolled phase 3 studies evaluated the 52‐week safety and efficacy of enarodustat in Japanese anemic patients with chronic kidney disease not on dialysis (n = 132) [SYMPHONY ND‐Long study] or on maintenance hemodialysis (n = 136) [SYMPHONY HD‐Long study]. The most frequent adverse events were viral upper respiratory tract infection (25.8%) followed by chronic kidney disease (8.3%) in the SYMPHONY ND‐Long study, and viral upper respiratory tract infection (49.3%) followed by contusion (16.9%) and diarrhea (16.9%) in the SYMPHONY HD‐Long study. The incidence of any adverse events did not increase over time. Mean hemoglobin levels and 95% confidence intervals were maintained within the target range (10.0–12.0 g/dl) over 52 weeks in both studies. The long‐term safety and efficacy of enarodustat were confirmed in Japanese anemic patients with chronic kidney disease.
Influence of host plants on the development, survivorship, and fecundity of the summer fruit tortrix moth, Adoxophyes orana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Li Guang‐wei , Wang Hui‐min , Yang Wen‐tao , Chen Xiu‐lin , Li Bo‐liao , Chen Yu‐xin
Published: August 2021

The summer fruit tortrix moth Adoxophyes orana is a seriously damaged leaf roller pest for fruit trees. In this study, we evaluated the effect of five host plants (apple, Malus domestica B.; peach, Prunus persica var. nectarina; apricot, Armeniaca vulgaris Lam.; mulberry, Morus alba L.; and jujube, Ziziphus jujuba M.) on the development, survival, and fecundity of A. orana under laboratory conditions. Results showed that the development times of A. orana on jujube were significantly longer than those on the other four plants. The preimaginal survival rate was influenced by the host plants, which were fed during the larval stage, and with the highest on peach, followed by apple, apricot, and mulberry, and with the lowest on jujube. Adult females from larvae reared on apricot laid the greatest numbers of eggs (318.11 eggs per female), while that on apple, jujube, and mulberry was smaller, and no significant difference was observed among them. The highest intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was observed on peach and apricot; these two fruit trees were considered to be the most suitable host plant for A. orana because of the shorter developmental duration, higher survival rate, and the highest fecundity.
Esophagogastric junction contractile integral abnormalities in patients with proton pump inhibitor‐refractory symptoms
Authors: Wang Yan , Ding Yu , Lin Lin , Jiang Liu Qin
Published: August 2021

Objectives

Esophagogastric junction contractile integral (EGJ‐CI) is a novel indicator to evaluate quantitatively the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) barrier function. We aimed to assess the role of EGJ‐CI in patients with refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and the correlation between EGJ‐CI and impedance‐pH monitoring characteristics.

Methods

In total 82 patients with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)‐refractory gastroesophageal reflux symptoms (heartburn or regurgitation) were enrolled. These patients were further divided into two groups based on their EGJ‐CI value (39 mmHg·cm). The mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI) was measured to explore its association with EGJ‐CI.

Results

The median EGJ‐CI in patients with PPI‐refractory symptoms was 30.8 mmHg·cm. EGJ‐CI was inversely correlated with acid exposure time and reflux episodes; while it was positively correlated with MNBI, distal contractile integral, lower esophageal sphincter basal pressure and integrated relaxation pressure. Patients were further divided into the high (n = 27) and low (n = 55) EGJ‐CI groups using a cut‐off value of 39.0 mmHg·cm. Patients with a low EGJ‐CI had a lower MNBI level than those with a high EGJ‐CI (2703 Ω vs 3545 Ω, P = 0.034).

Conclusions

In patients with PPIs‐refractory symptoms, EGJ‐CI is associated with acid exposure and conventional high‐resolution manometry parameters. EGJ‐CI may play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with refractory GERD.
Solving the sample size problem for resource selection functions
Authors: Street Garrett M. , Potts Jonathan R. , Börger Luca , Beasley James C. , Demarais Stephen , Fryxell John M. , McLoughlin Philip D. , Monteith Kevin L. , Prokopenko Christina M. , Ribeiro Miltinho C. , Rodgers Arthur R. , Strickland Bronson K. , van Beest Floris M. , Bernasconi David A. , Beumer Larissa T. , Dharmarajan Guha , Dwinnell Samantha P. , Keiter David A. , Keuroghlian Alexine , Newediuk Levi J. , Oshima Júlia Emi F. , Rhodes Olin , Schlichting Peter E. , Schmidt Niels M. , Vander Wal Eric
Published: August 2021

Sample size sufficiency is a critical consideration for estimating resource selection functions (RSFs) from GPS‐based animal telemetry. Cited thresholds for sufficiency include a number of captured animals and as many relocations per animal N as possible. These thresholds render many RSF‐based studies misleading if large sample sizes were truly insufficient, or unpublishable if small sample sizes were sufficient but failed to meet reviewer expectations.

We provide the first comprehensive solution for RSF sample size by deriving closed‐form mathematical expressions for the number of animals M and the number of relocations per animal N required for model outputs to a given degree of precision. The sample sizes needed depend on just 3 biologically meaningful quantities: habitat selection strength, variation in individual selection and a novel measure of landscape complexity, which we define rigorously. The mathematical expressions are calculable for any environmental dataset at any spatial scale and are applicable to any study involving resource selection (including sessile organisms). We validate our analytical solutions using globally relevant empirical data including 5,678,623 GPS locations from 511 animals from 10 species (omnivores, carnivores and herbivores living in boreal, temperate and tropical forests, montane woodlands, swamps and Arctic tundra).

Our analytic expressions show that the required M and N must decline with increasing selection strength and increasing landscape complexity, and this decline is insensitive to the definition of availability used in the analysis. Our results demonstrate that the most biologically relevant effects on the utilization distribution (i.e. those landscape conditions with the greatest absolute magnitude of resource selection) can often be estimated with much fewer than animals.

We identify several critical steps in implementing these equations, including (a) a priori selection of expected model coefficients and (b) regular sampling of background (pseudoabsence) data within a given definition of availability. We discuss possible methods to identify a priori expectations for habitat selection coefficients, effects of scale on RSF estimation and caveats for rare species applications. We argue that these equations should be a mandatory component for all future RSF studies.
Bordering practices
Authors: ACHTNICH MARTHE
Published: August 2021

In Libya's context of fragmented state authority, what does it mean for sub‐Saharan migrants to be legible to state and criminal actors through their bodies rather than through the law? How do they experience and navigate precarity? Examining informal bordering practices in Libya reveals a mode of migration governance that is based less on legally restricting mobility and more on allowing uncertainty to proliferate and on exploiting migrants’ lives. In this system, certain bodies become targets for policing according to their skin color, documents, and blood tests, which can lead migrants to be extorted for money and detained. Migrants cope with such informal borderwork through affective labor. This plays a vital role in shaping their mobility decisions. By linking informal bordering practices with affect and mobilities, we can recast formal, state‐centered ideas about migration governance. [mobility, migration, bordering practices, affect, Libya]
Growth performance responses to increased tryptophan supplementation in growing barrows fed three different very low crude protein corn and soybean meal‐based diets fortified with essential amino acids
Authors: Sato Hiroyuki , Miura Makoto , Fujieda Takeshi , Taciak Marcin , Kikusato Motoi , Sato Kan , Toyomizu Masaaki
Published: August 2021

Seventy‐five individually fed barrows averaging 35 kg were used in a series of three experiments for 6‐week growth assays (25 barrows each) to determine the effects of l‐tryptophan (Trp) supplementation on growth performance and to establish the lower limits of dietary crude protein (CP) levels. Corn and soybean meal (SBM)‐based diets containing 9% (Experiment 1), 10% (Experiment 2), and 11% CP (Experiment 3) fortified with deficient essential amino acids (AAs) except Trp were used as basal diets for each experiment. The experimental diets were supplemented with 0.00%, 0.02%, 0.04%, or 0.06% Trp. A 16% CP corn–SBM‐based diet was set as a positive control in each experiment, and feed and water were provided ad libitum. Average daily gain and gain‐to‐feed ratio improved quadratically (P < 0.05) as supplemented Trp increased in the 9% and 10% CP group, although these positive effects were not observed in the 11% CP group. Because the maximum performance parameters in 9%, 10%, and 11% CP groups were not different from that of the 16% CP positive control group, the marginally reduced level of dietary CP without growth performance being affected appears to be around 9% at most. A potential reduction of nitrogen intake was clearly indicated.
Impact of antibiotic allergy labels on patient outcomes in a tertiary paediatric hospital
Authors: Catalano Anthony C. , Pittet Laure F. , Choo Sharon , Segal Ahuva , Stephens David , Cranswick Noel E. , Gwee Amanda
Published: August 2021

Aims

Antibiotic allergies are reported in 5–15% of children. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of common β‐lactam antibiotic allergy labels (AALs) on hospital treatment, focusing on length of stay and appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study over 21 months at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Australia. A subset of children with the most common β‐lactam allergies, and who required admission for intravenous antibiotics over a 12‐month period, was analysed for appropriateness of prescribing. Non‐allergic patients were matched to evaluate associations between AALs and hospital treatment.

Results

There were 98 912 children admitted over the study period, of whom 938 (1%) had at least one AAL on first admission. Of all encounters, 5145 (2.5%) were for children with AALs. The most common AALs were to amoxicillin and amoxicillin‐clavulanic acid combinations (40.8%), cefalexin (14.4%) and trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole (9.7%). For the subset, there were 66 admissions for children who required intravenous antibiotics. Documentation was adequate for 27% of AALs. Inappropriate prescribing occurred in almost half (47%). Hospital stay was longer for children with AALs (median 4.7 days; IQR 2.3–9.2) compared to non‐allergic controls (median 3.9 days; IQR 1.9–6.8; P = .02). Children with AALs were more likely to receive restricted antibiotics (aOR 3.03; 95% CI, 1.45–6.30; P = .003).

Conclusion

This is the first study to demonstrate high rates of inappropriate prescribing in children with AALs. Children with AALs were significantly more likely to receive restricted antibiotics and had a longer length of stay compared with non‐allergic controls.
Re‐calibrating pure risk integrating individual data from two‐phase studies with external summary statistics
Authors: Zheng Jiayin , Zheng Yingye , Hsu Li
Published: August 2021

Accurate risk assessment is critical in clinical decision‐making. It entails the projected risk based on a risk prediction model agreeing with the observed risk in the target cohort. However, the model often over‐ or under‐estimates the risk. Building a new model for the target cohort would be ideal but costly. It is therefore of great interest to recalibrate an existing model for the target cohort. Existing methods have been proposed to recalibrate the model by leveraging the disease incidence rates from the target cohort. However, they assume the same covariate distribution across cohorts and when the assumption is violated, the recalibrated model can be substantially biased. Further, recalibration is also complicated by the two‐phase sampling design that is commonly used for developing risk prediction models. In this paper, we develop a weighted estimating‐equation approach accounting for the two‐phase design and combine it with a weighted empirical likelihood that leverages the summary information on both disease incidence rates and covariates from the target cohort. We provide a resampling‐based inference procedure. Our extensive simulation results show that using the summary information from the target population, the proposed recalibration method yields nearly unbiased risk estimates under a wide range of scenarios. An application to a colorectal cancer study also illustrates that the proposed method yields a well‐calibrated model in the target cohort.
Delta‐to‐fan source‐to‐sink coupling as a fundamental control on the delivery of coarse clastics to deepwater: Insights from stratigraphic forward modelling
Authors: Gong Chenglin , Li Dongwei , Steel Ronald J. , Peng Yang , Xu Shaohua , Wang Yingmin
Published: August 2021

We propose that a more readily studied, secondary source‐to‐sink (S2S) systems can be formed on direct‐fed margins, in which shelf‐edge deltas are ‘sources’ and deep‐water fans are terminal depositional ‘sinks’, with channels working as delivery ‘conduits’ in between. DionisosFlow stratigraphic‐forward model, coupled to seismic and borehole data from middle Miocene Pearl River margin, are used to explore physical and conceptual linkages of delta‐to‐fan S2S systems, with a focus on the predictability of when and how coarse clastics are delivered from the deltas down to the submarine fans. Middle Miocene Pearl River delta‐to‐fan S2S coupling was stratigraphically enacted in three main ways: (a) deltas that lack downdip fans: high sea level or low sediment supply caused coarse clastics to be stored mainly on inner to outer shelf areas; (b) deltas that are linked downdip to fans: coarse clastics were funneled to submarine fans through slope channels, via direct delta‐to‐fan S2S linkages created by delta overreach at shelf break or channels extending back to shelf‐margin prodeltas; (c) fans that lack updip, coeval deltas: coarse shelf clastics were carried laterally by longshore or other shelf currents, but eventually captured by canyon heads, and then delivered directly to the basin floor. Moreover, our DionisosFlow stratigraphic‐forward models suggest that an oscillation in sea‐level behaviour from slowly falling to rapidly falling would result in a within‐system tract surface occurring within the falling‐stage systems tract. This surface is identified as a significant lower‐order unconformity in its proximal reaches and as a correlative conformity distally. Within‐system tract surfaces are identified by a change in shelf‐edge trajectory regimes from flat to slight falling to moderately falling and in architecture from mixed progradation and degradation to dominant degradation. They are coeval with the onset of the deposition of submarine fans linked updip to deltas or lacking updip deltas, highlighting that sandy deposits can be compartmentalized even within a single systems tract.
Identification of a peptide binding to cancer antigen Kita‐kyushu lung cancer antigen 1 from a phage‐display library
Authors: Yu Xiaoxiao , Yan Jiayao , Chen Xiaotong , Wei Jia , Yu Lixia , Liu Fangcen , Li Lin , Liu Baorui
Published: August 2021

Kita‐kyushu lung cancer antigen 1 (KK‐LC‐1) is a kind of cancer‐testis antigen with anti‐tumor potential for clinical application. As a class of small‐molecule antigen conjugate, tumor‐targeting peptides have broad application prospects in gastric cancer diagnosis, imaging, and biological treatment. Here, we screened specific cyclic nonapeptides from a phage‐display library. The targeting peptide with the best affinity was selected and further verified in ex vivo tissue sections. Finally, enrichment of targeting peptides in tumor tissues was observed in vivo, and the dynamic biodistribution process was also observed with micro‐positron emission tomography (micro‐PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging. Studies showed that the specific cyclic nonapeptide had a high binding capacity for KK‐LC‐1 protein. It has a strong affinity and specificity for KK‐LC‐1‐expressing positive tumor cells. Targeting peptides were significantly enriched at tumor sites in vivo, with very low normal tissue background. These findings demonstrated that the KK‐LC‐1 targeting peptide has high clinical potential.
A commitment to marginalized children in the European Union: The hope and challenges of the EU Child Guarantee
Authors: Rigby Michael J.
Published: August 2021

While children in general are usually seen as a societal priority, many children are disadvantaged by marginalization, with adverse effects on health and development. Following feasibility studies, the European Commission has now adopted a formal Child Guarantee of service access. This paper links the Feasibility Studies to other reports on the need to address marginalized and institutionalized children. The problems in identifying and quantifying such children are outlined, as are the challenges of planning for these groups of children and the difficulty of finding universal definitions and data. This European Union initiative is timely, given that around a quarter of European children are marginalized, while the effects of Covid‐19 will add to this marginalization.
A conservation roadmap for the subterranean biome
Authors: Wynne J. Judson , Howarth Francis G. , Mammola Stefano , Ferreira Rodrigo Lopes , Cardoso Pedro , Lorenzo Tiziana Di , Galassi Diana M. P. , Medellin Rodrigo A. , Miller Bruce W. , Sánchez‐Fernández David , Bichuette Maria Elina , Biswas Jayant , BlackEagle Cory W. , Boonyanusith Chaichat , Amorim Isabel R. , Borges Paulo Alexandre Vieira , Boston Penelope J. , Cal Reynold N. , Cheeptham Naowarat , Deharveng Louis , Eme David , Faille Arnaud , Fenolio Danté , Fišer Cene , Fišer Žiga , ʻOhukaniʻōhiʻa Gon Samuel M. , Goudarzi Forough , Griebler Christian , Halse Stuart , Hoch Hannelore , Kale Enock , Katz Aron D. , Kováč Ľubomír , Lilley Thomas M. , Manchi Shirish , Manenti Raoul , Martínez Alejandro , Meierhofer Melissa B. , Miller Ana Z. , Moldovan Oana Teodora , Niemiller Matthew L. , Peck Stewart B. , Pellegrini Thais Giovannini , Pipan Tanja , Phillips‐Lander Charity M. , Poot Celso , Racey Paul A. , Sendra Alberto , Shear William A. , Silva Marconi Souza , Taiti Stefano , Tian Mingyi , Venarsky Michael P. , Pakarati Sebastián Yancovic , Zagmajster Maja , Zhao Yahui
Published: August 2021

The 15th UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (COP15) will be held in Kunming, China in October 2021. Historically, CBDs and other multilateral treaties have either alluded to or entirely overlooked the subterranean biome. A multilateral effort to robustly examine, monitor, and incorporate the subterranean biome into future conservation targets will enable the CBD to further improve the ecological effectiveness of protected areas by including groundwater resources, subterranean ecosystem services, and the profoundly endemic subsurface biodiversity. To this end, we proffer a conservation roadmap that embodies five conceptual areas: (1) science gaps and data management needs; (2) anthropogenic stressors; (3) socioeconomic analysis and conflict resolution; (4) environmental education; and (5) national policies and multilateral agreements.
The importance of message framing in rule compliance by visitors during wildlife tourism
Authors: Gessa Simplicious J. , Rothman Jessica M.
Published: August 2021

A conundrum of wildlife tourism is balancing wildlife conservation and tourist satisfaction. Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei) are a flagship species for biodiversity and there is worldwide interest in gorilla trekking safaris. This tourism provides substantial revenue to the government and local communities for gorilla protection, but puts them in danger of zoonotic diseases. To minimize disease transmission, health guidelines are in place for visitors whereby they are asked to remain 7 m from the endangered apes and stay in a cohesive group. Unfortunately, tourists often do not follow these rules and consequently their behavior puts gorillas at risk. The pre‐trekking messages presented to tourists in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda were changed to determine if the way messages are stated affects visitor adherence to rules. Tourists (n = 389) either received strategic messages that were positively or negatively framed in relation to expectations to follow specific rules to adhere to health guidelines, and tourist behavior was measured, such as the nearest distance they were to gorillas, and their cohesiveness. Using generalized linear mixed models, it was found that framing messages affected tourist behavior. Tourists who received a negatively framed message had a higher adherence to rules than those who received a positive or control message. They were 75% further from the gorillas (7.26 vs. 4.52 m), more cohesive (0.40 vs. 0.81 m to each other), and approached the gorillas less (0.34 vs. 1.32 times) than the control message. These findings demonstrate that communicating in different ways promotes changes in behavior by tourists, which reduces the chances of epizootic respiratory infections being passed to vulnerable animals. Strategic message framing should be widely considered as a cost‐effective mechanism to promote behavior change during ecotourism.
Impact of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on outcome of kidney transplantations from braindead donors aged ≥65 years
Authors: Echterdiek Fabian , Kitterer Daniel , Dippon Jürgen , Paul Gregor , Schwenger Vedat , Latus Joerg
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Patients with a history of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and subsequent brain death are frequently evaluated for organ donation. Whether kidneys from ≥65‐year‐old braindead donors with a history of CPR can be transplanted with satisfactory outcomes is unknown.

Material & Methods

All kidney transplants (KTs) from ≥65‐year‐old donors performed at our center from 1999 to 2018 (n = 185) were retrospectively analyzed and outcome was compared for KTs from donors with and without a history of CPR (n = 27 and n = 158, respectively).

Results

No significant differences in the incidence of delayed graft function (DGF) as well as 1‐ and 3‐year graft function were observed between the CPR and the no‐CPR group (DGF: 26.0% vs. 31.0%, p = .76; 1‐year serum creatinine: 150.4 μmol/L vs. 177.0 μmol/L, p = .11; 3‐year serum creatinine: 150.4 μmol/L vs. 168.2 μmol/L, p = .52, respectively). Death‐censored graft survival was comparable after 1 and 5 years (CPR group: 81.5% and 76.7% vs. no‐CPR group: 86.6% and 75.7%, p = .70). Likewise, patient survival was not significantly different. Multivariable Cox regression analysis also did not identify CPR as a significant risk factor for graft loss or death.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that, following stringent donor selection, the outcome of KTs from ≥65‐year‐old braindead donors with and without a history of CPR is comparable.
Metabolomic alteration induced by psychotropic drugs: Short‐term metabolite profile as a predictor of weight gain evolution
Authors: Lenski Marie , Sidibé Jonathan , Gholam Mehdi , Hennart Benjamin , Dubath Céline , Augsburger Marc , von Gunten Armin , Conus Philippe , Allorge Delphine , Thomas Aurelien , Eap Chin B.
Published: August 2021

Psychotropic drugs can induce strong metabolic adverse effects, potentially increasing morbidity and/or mortality of patients. Metabolomic profiling, by studying the levels of numerous metabolic intermediates and products in the blood, allows a more detailed examination of metabolism dysfunctions. We aimed to identify blood metabolomic markers associated with weight gain in psychiatric patients. Sixty‐two patients starting a treatment known to induce weight gain were recruited. Two hundred and six selected metabolites implicated in various pathways were analyzed in plasma, at baseline and after 1 month of treatment. Additionally, 15 metabolites of the kynurenine pathway were quantified. This latter analysis was repeated in a confirmatory cohort of 24 patients. Among the 206 metabolites, a plasma metabolomic fingerprint after 1 month of treatment embedded 19 compounds from different chemical classes (amino acids, acylcarnitines, carboxylic acids, catecholamines, nucleosides, pyridine, and tetrapyrrole) potentially involved in metabolic disruption and inflammation processes. The predictive potential of such early metabolite changes on 3 months of weight evolution was then explored using a linear mixed‐effects model. Of these 19 metabolites, short‐term modifications of kynurenine, hexanoylcarnitine, and biliverdin, as well as kynurenine/tryptophan ratio at 1 month, were associated with 3 months weight evolution. Alterations of the kynurenine pathway were confirmed by quantification, in both exploratory and confirmatory cohorts. Our metabolomic study suggests a specific metabolic dysregulation after 1 month of treatment with psychotropic drugs known to induce weight gain. The identified metabolomic signature could contribute in the future to the prediction of weight gain in patients treated with psychotropic drugs.
Kollektive menschliche Intelligenz übertrifft künstliche Intelligenz in einem Quiz zur Klassifizierung von Hautläsionen
Authors: Winkler Julia K. , Sies Katharina , Fink Christine , Toberer Ferdinand , Enk Alexander , Abassi Mohamed Souhayel , Fuchs Tobias , Blum Andreas , Stolz Wilhelm , Coras‐Stepanek Brigitte , Cipic Robert , Guther Stefanie , Haenssle Holger A.
Published: August 2021

Hintergrund und Ziele

Faltende neuronale Netzwerke (CNN) ermöglichen eine exakte Diagnose medizinischer Bilder und erzielen eine vergleichbare oder überlegene Leistung gegenüber Ärzten. Kürzlich wurde eine diagnostische Überlegenheit der kollektiven menschlichen Intelligenz (CoHI, Mehrheitsvotum) gegenüber einzelnen Ärzten gezeigt. In unserer Arbeit wurde die diagnostische Leistung der CoHI (120 Dermatologen) gegenüber individuellen Dermatologen gegenüber zwei hochmodernen CNN untersucht.

Patienten und Methoden

Querschnittstudie mit Präsentation von 30 klinisch/dermatoskopischen Fällen an 120 Dermatologen. Sechs Diagnosen standen zur Auswahl. Antworten wurden über Abstimmungsgeräte erhoben (quizzbox®, Quizzbox Solutions GmbH, Stuttgart, Deutschland). Dermatoskopische Bilder wurden mit einem binären und einem Multiklassen‐CNN klassifiziert (beide FotoFinder Systems GmbH, Bad Birnbach, Deutschland). Die diagnostische Leistung dreier diagnostischer Gruppen wurde bestimmt: (1) CoHI, (2) individuelle Dermatologen und (3) CNN.

Ergebnisse

Bei binärer Klassifizierung erreichte CoHI eine signifikant höhere diagnostische Genauigkeit [95 %‐Konfidenzintervall] (80,0 % [62,7 %–90,5 %]) gegenüber individuellen Dermatologen (75,7 % [73,8 %–77,5 %]) und CNN (70,0 % [52,1 %–83,3 %]; alle P < 0,001). Außerdem erreichte CoHI eine höhere Sensitivität (82,4 % [59,0 %–93,8 %]) und Spezifität (76,9 % [49,7 %–91,8 %]) gegenüber individuellen Dermatologen (Sensitivität 77,8 % [75,3 %–80,2 %], Spezifität 73,0 % [70,6 %–75,4 %]) und CNN (Sensitivität 70,6 % [46,9 %–86,7 %], Spezifität 69,2 % [42,4 %–87,3 %]). Bei Multiklassen‐Auswertung war die diagnostische Genauigkeit von CoHI derjenigen individueller Dermatologen überlegen (P < 0,001), die wiederum eine dem Multiklassen‐CNN vergleichbare Genauigkeit erzielten.

Schlussfolgerungen

In einem anspruchsvollen Quiz zur Diagnose von Hautläsionen war das Mehrheitsvotum einer Gruppe von Dermatologen (CoHI) dem Ergebnis einzelner Ärzte sowie zweier CNN überlegen.
Plastic or self‐expandable metal stent: Which is the most suitable for patients with pancreatic head cancer in the upcoming era of neoadjuvant chemotherapy? A review
Authors: Hasegawa Sho , Endo Itaru , Kubota Kensuke
Published: August 2021

Obstructive jaundice is a major symptom of pancreatic head cancer, and although its amelioration is required before scheduling chemotherapy, the decision to perform biliary drainage for resectable pancreatic cancer has remained controversial. In recent years, the effectiveness of neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer has been reported. Preoperative biliary drainage has become increasingly necessary, making the choice of stent an important one; thus, the longer the waiting period extends through neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the more durable stents – such as self‐expandable metallic stents, rather than plastic stents – would be desired as an option. Still, there is insufficient evidence regarding surgical outcomes and long‐term prognosis, and further confirmatory studies are needed. Through this review, we aim to provide an update on the characteristics of biliary stents and preoperative biliary drainage for potentially resectable pancreatic cancer.
Artificial intelligence to improve efficiency of administration of gross motor function assessment in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Duran Ibrahim , Stark Christina , Saglam Ahmet , Semmelweis Alexandra , Lioba Wunram Heidrun , Spiess Karoline , Schoenau Eckhard
Published: August 2021

Aim

To create a reduced version of the 66‐item Gross Motor Function Measure (rGMFM‐66) using innovative artificial intelligence methods to improve efficiency of administration of the GMFM‐66.

Method

This study was undertaken using information from an existing data set of children with cerebral palsy participating in a rehabilitation programme. Different self‐learning approaches (random forest, support vector machine [SVM], and artificial neural network) were evaluated to estimate the GMFM‐66 score with the fewest possible test items. Test agreements were evaluated (among other statistics) by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results

Overall, 1217 GMFM‐66 assessments (509 females, mean age 8y 10mo [SD 3y 9mo]) at a single time and 187 GMFM‐66 assessments and reassessments (80 females, mean age 8y 5mo [SD 3y 10mo]) after 1 year were evaluated. The model with SVM predicted the GMFM‐66 scores most accurately. The ICCs of the rGMFM‐66 and the full GMFM‐66 were 0.997 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.996–0.997) at a single time and 0.993 (95% CI 0.993–0.995) for the evaluation of the change over time.

Interpretation

The study shows that the efficiency of the full GMFM‐66 assessment can be increased by using machine learning (self‐learning algorithms). The presented rGMFM‐66 score showed an excellent agreement with the full GMFM‐66 score when applied to a single assessment and when evaluating the change over time.
Genomic region associated with run timing has similar haplotypes and phenotypic effects across three lineages of Chinook salmon
Authors: Willis Stuart C. , Hess Jon E. , Fryer Jeff K. , Whiteaker John M. , Narum Shawn R.
Published: August 2021

Conserving life‐history variation is a stated goal of many management programs, but the most effective means by which to accomplish this are often far from clear. Early‐ and late‐migrating forms of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) face unequal pressure from natural and anthropogenic forces that may alter the impacts of genetic variation underlying heritable migration timing. Genomic regions of chromosome 28 are known to be strongly associated with migration variation in adult Chinook salmon, but it remains unclear whether there is consistent association among diverse lineages and populations in large basins such as the Columbia River. With high‐throughput genotyping (GT‐seq) and phenotyping methods, we examined the association of genetic variation in 28 markers (spanning GREB1L to ROCK1 of chromosome 28) with individual adult migration timing characteristics gleaned from passive integrated transponder recordings of over 5000 Chinook salmon from the three major phylogeographic lineages that inhabit the Columbia River Basin. Despite the strong genetic differences among them in putatively neutral genomic regions, each of the three lineages exhibited very similar genetic variants in the chromosome 28 region that were significantly associated with adult migration timing phenotypes. This is particularly notable for the interior stream‐type lineage, which exhibits an earlier and more constrained freshwater entry than the other lineages. In both interior stream‐type and interior ocean‐type lineages of Chinook salmon, heterozygotes of the most strongly associated linkage groups had largely intermediate migration timing relative to homozygotes, and results indicate codominance or possibly marginal partial dominance of the allele associated with early migration. Our results lend support to utilization of chromosome 28 variation in tracking and predicting run timing in these lineages of Chinook salmon in the Columbia River.
Fully‐automatic identification of gynaecological abnormality using a new adaptive frequency filter and histogram of oriented gradients (HOG)
Authors: Hussein Ihsan Jasim , Burhanuddin Mohd Aboobaider , Mohammed Mazin Abed , Benameur Narjes , Maashi Marwah Suliman , Maashi Mashael S.
Published: August 2021

Ultrasound imaging (US) is one of the most common diagnostic imaging tools for producing images of the human body in clinical practice. This work is devoted to studying ultrasound images collected from gynaecological tests for medical purposes regarding ovarian and breast defects. The study revolves around (i) Enhancing the texture of the image by applying a new effective framework that can help in reducing the speckle noise from the image while preserving the most important information; (ii) Extracting the most prominent features using the histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) and; (iii) Fusing the features that are produced by the edge operators and using them as an input to the ANN classifier to generate three trained classifiers. The fusion technique has been used to get an effective decision by using the whole features. The experimental results of the proposed method for the breast cancer and ovarian tumour using the second experiment achieved 97.96% accuracy, 96.05% sensitivity, and 99.17% specificity by utilizing the breast cancer information set. Overall, 95.87% precision, 97.01% sensitivity, and 93.33% specificity have been achieved for the ovarian tumour data collection. Consequently, the proposed method has been improved to validate the output of modern computerized and automated technologies. This method analyzes the gynaecological ultrasound images to identify suspicious objects or cases with health consequences for women.
Integrating environmental variability to broaden the research on coral responses to future ocean conditions
Authors: Ziegler Maren , Anton Andrea , Klein Shannon G. , Rädecker Nils , Geraldi Nathan R. , Schmidt‐Roach Sebastian , Saderne Vincent , Mumby Peter J. , Cziesielski Maha J. , Martin Cecilia , Frölicher Thomas L. , Pandolfi John M. , Suggett David J. , Aranda Manuel , Duarte Carlos M. , Voolstra Christian R.
Published: August 2021

Our understanding of the response of reef‐building corals to changes in their physical environment is largely based on laboratory experiments, analysis of long‐term field data, and model projections. Experimental data provide unique insights into how organisms respond to variation of environmental drivers. However, an assessment of how well experimental conditions cover the breadth of environmental conditions and variability where corals live successfully is missing. Here, we compiled and analyzed a globally distributed dataset of in‐situ seasonal and diurnal variability of key environmental drivers (temperature, pCO2, and O2) critical for the growth and livelihood of reef‐building corals. Using a meta‐analysis approach, we compared the variability of environmental conditions assayed in coral experimental studies to current and projected conditions in their natural habitats. We found that annual temperature profiles projected for the end of the 21st century were characterized by distributional shifts in temperatures with warmer winters and longer warm periods in the summer, not just peak temperatures. Furthermore, short‐term hourly fluctuations of temperature and pCO2 may regularly expose corals to conditions beyond the projected average increases for the end of the 21st century. Coral reef sites varied in the degree of coupling between temperature, pCO2, and dissolved O2, which warrants site‐specific, differentiated experimental approaches depending on the local hydrography and influence of biological processes on the carbonate system and O2 availability. Our analysis highlights that a large portion of the natural environmental variability at short and long timescales is underexplored in experimental designs, which may provide a path to extend our understanding on the response of corals to global climate change.