bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Am I in charge? An examination of mentor perception of power from the Indian context with a global perspective
Authors: Kumar Anuradha Thittai , Prieto-Flores Òscar
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of college-age mentors in a school-based mentoring (SBM) program with the aim of understanding mentor perceptions of “power.”

Design/methodology/approach

Seventeen mentors, comprising both undergraduate (9) and graduate (8) students, participated in this exploratory qualitative study. One-on-one semi-structured interviews and Focus Groups served as the primary methods of data collection. The modified Grounded Theory approach guided the data analysis process. Mentor narratives were scrutinized within the Indian context while also considering a global perspective.

Findings

Three major role execution styles emerged from examining mentor behavior: leadership, coaching and companionship. These charted the trajectory of equitability, revealing two major aspects of mentor perception: (1) within a tightly monitored and firmly structured program in a collectivist context, mentors believed they had the power to promote equitability in their dyads and (2) raising awareness about inequity is not sufficient to activate equitability, but additionally, an open mindset is essential for making conscious efforts to disrupt hierarchy.

Research limitations/implications

The findings hold significant implications for higher education institutions and program creators in advocating school–college partnerships using SBM to promote equitable program structures and to develop a socially responsible next generation of leaders.

Originality/value

The study modestly fills critical gaps in the literature related to the understanding of power dynamics in mentoring relationships and understanding mentorship from mentors’ views. Future research could explore how college-age mentors perceive their own social capital.
The new legalities of Islamic contractual interpretation: institutional frameworks and the displacement of intention
Authors: Ercanbrack Jonathan G. , Ali Ali
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine the extent to which traditional juristic approaches to determining intention in Islamic law are altered in the institutional framework and standard-setting project of the Malaysian state.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used the transnational law theory, which views normativity as culturally, socially and religiously embedded. The development of norms, customs and laws is also contingent on self-maximizing behavior. The Sharīʿa Advisory Council’s interpretation of the bayʿ al-ʿīnah standard is a case study of this approach to the development of law.

Findings

This study shows that traditional approaches to determining the validity of an Islamic contract have been displaced by the institutional logic of the state, which prioritizes uniformity and certainty in law and reflects liberal, Western and capitalistic values. Islamic standard setting is part of the state’s objective to uniformize law due to the globalization of financial markets. The normative collisions in the standard-setting project produce a new jurisprudence based on the state’s uniform and purposive determination of a contract’s validity.

Research limitations/implications

Further research on institutional frameworks is needed to conceptualize how Islamic commercial principles and ethics can be incentivized in the state’s legal systems.

Originality/value

Few works, if any, have examined the interaction of the state’s institutional environment with jurists’ traditional approaches to determining contractual intention. Most scholarship assumes the decisive role of market forces, but the role of law and institutions in this context is under-researched.
Assessing credibility in eWOM: a meta-analysis using the heuristic-systematic model
Authors: Chauhan Sumedha , Gupta Parul
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The current research delves into how different cues in messages (such as argument quality, usefulness and informativeness) and cues related to the source (such as credibility and expertise) contribute to the perceived credibility of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). The investigation also explores whether source cues influence the overall impact of message cues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study synthesizes findings from 100 previous empirical works through the application of meta-analysis.

Findings

The outcomes affirm the presence of both systematic and heuristic processing, the additive effects of both message and source cues and the bias effects of source cues. Moreover, the study identifies a connection between eWOM credibility and behavioral intention. Expanding on this, the research discovers that users’ tendency to avoid uncertainty moderates the impact of message and source cues on their judgment of eWoM credibility.

Originality/value

The research contributes to the eWOM literature by providing a heuristic-systematic model of eWoM credibility judgments. It provides new insights for online sellers, who can benefit from eWoM by fostering potential buyers' behavioral intention to purchase.
Enough is enough: treatment dropout predictors of adolescents with harmful sexual behaviors in a New Zealand community sample
Authors: Tolcher Jonathan , Lambie Ian , Tasker Kahn , Loverich Tamara
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Adolescents with harmful sexual behaviors (AHSB) who drop out of treatment are more likely to continue offending than are those who complete treatment; therefore, it is important to identify factors that heighten the risk of dropout, so they can be detected early. The purpose of this paper is to present the predictors of treatment dropout derived from a community sample of AHSB in New Zealand.

Design/methodology/approach

Pretreatment data on 100 males (aged 12–16) in community-based treatment for harmful sexual behavior were analyzed. Data on 50 adolescents who dropped out were matched by age and ethnicity to 50 adolescents who completed treatment. Pretreatment variables were identified using the Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offence Recidivism. The degree to which these variables influenced treatment dropout was tested using logistic regression.

Findings

Compared to those who completed treatment, adolescents who dropped out were more likely to have a prior history of personal victimization, to deny or minimize their behavior, to have been mandated to attend treatment and to have engaged in noncontact offences.

Practical implications

Screening for a prior history of personal victimization, denial or minimization, mandated treatment and noncontact offences may facilitate the prediction of dropout risk more confidently. Addressing these pretreatment risk variables has the potential to improve treatment completion rates.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to highlight treatment dropout predictors in a New Zealand community sample.
A law and economic analysis of trading through dark pools
Authors: Ntourou Artemisa , Mallios Aineas
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the latest directives of the European Parliament and the Council – MiFID II and MiFIR – on markets in financial instruments in response to the growth of dark pools in European equity markets.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines the impact of the new regulatory packages on European equity markets by identifying areas where the legislation is effective and comparing these changes in EU legislation with US legislation on dark pools.

Findings

This paper find that the MiFID II and MiFIR directives, implemented by the European Securities and Markets Authority to address these concerns, have reduced information asymmetry between market participants, thereby increasing competition between regulated markets and alternative trading facilities.

Research limitations/implications

Increased competition can improve market quality, which has practical implications for financial market regulation and policy formulation.

Originality/value

These findings are novel in the existing literature on high frequency trading through dark pools. They improve the understanding of dark trading and its impact on competition and market efficiency. In addition, this research can assist policymakers in designing effective financial market regulation. The economic analysis of legislation also helps regulators assess the impact of new legal provisions on the functioning of capital markets.
They acclaimed, I used: an investigation of traveller’s behavioural intention to use YouTube shorts for selection of ecotourism destination
Authors: Sharma Nidhi , Arora Nilesh
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Social media offers better prospect for travellers to seek for travel information, choose a location and share their personal travel experiences. The current study aims to examine how tourists gather information from YouTube shorts and its influence on their intention to use it for selection of an ecotourism destination.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual model of the study is constructed on information adoption model (IAM). An adaptive questionnaire was utilised to gather 374 valid responses. Partial least square structural equational modelling (PLS-SEM) was utilised for data analysis.

Findings

The results showed a positive significant relationship between all the constructs of IAM. The findings also show significant mediating effect of attitude and moderating effect of involvement between information quality and adoption also between source credibility and information usefulness.

Research limitations/implications

This study will help destination marketers by providing valuable insights to them to promote their destinations more effectively on social media platforms. This study will also help travel influencers in understanding what are the factors they should focus on while providing information about ecotourism destination. It will additionally help the local economy and conveys a message to travellers about responsible travel behaviour when selecting or visiting ecotourism destination.

Originality/value

This is the very first attempt to investigate the adoption of YouTube shorts information and formulating behavioural intentions to utilise it for ecotourism destination selection.
Connection is a power: exploring the dynamic interaction between social and psychological capital in fostering innovative behavior
Authors: Hidayat Agi Syarif , Nastiti Tur , Sitalaksmi Sari
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The investigation into the influence of psychological capital on innovative behavior has typically been grounded in self-efficacy theory. However, individuals with high self-efficacy may encounter obstacles such as overconfidence and reluctance to accept feedback, potentially hindering successful innovation outcomes. Acknowledging the significance of collaborative efforts among organizational members in promoting innovation success, this study aims to examine the association between psychological capital and innovative behavior, with particular attention to the mediating influence of social capital.

Design/methodology/approach

The data utilized in this study were obtained from 6,409 participants enrolled in the Independent Study program “Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka” in 2022. Data collection employed an online survey approach, while data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling through the SEM-PLS application.

Findings

Social capital serves as a mediator in the relationship between psychological capital and innovative behavior. The results highlight the importance of understanding innovation as an outcome emerging from intricate interactions between psychological and social factors.

Originality/value

This investigation, utilizing social capital theory, furnishes preliminary empirical insights into the intermediary role of social capital between psychological capital and innovative behavior, thereby augmenting the scholarly discourse within this field and paving the way for further scholarly inquiry.
Waste management techniques to promote sustainability and green practices
Authors: Mia Md. Mamun
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This study aims to fill a knowledge gap about the best ways to execute waste management regulations that support sustainability and environmental responsibility. However, the study seeks to investigate and assess how well waste management systems support sustainability and environmentally friendly behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

Since the quantitative technique was used to discover and generate hypotheses about relationships between variables, it was chosen for the entirety of the study. The data collection from ready-made garments (RMG) in Bangladesh was carried out using a survey strategy that involved the distribution of questionnaires using a cluster sampling approach. The partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was used for quantitative analysis with SmartPLS.

Findings

However, the results show the importance of waste management, green practice methods and sustainability for the company's goal of maintainable performance. On the other hand, PLS-SEM demonstrated that based on the provided t-statistics and p-values, all of the routes in the structural model are statistically significant at the level of p < 0.05. These routes also appeared to have far broader and more powerful effects. Principles of the circular economy are highlighted, as are the importance of holistic methods, awareness and education, stakeholder participation and fusing these concepts. Furthermore, it seems to affect significantly both short-term and long-term success due to its distinctiveness in sustained performance.

Research limitations/implications

Much time will be required to assess waste management methods and their long-term effects. A healthcare manager may adapt research findings to practice, ensuring the study enhances management and patient care.

Originality/value

This research addresses a significant literature gap by providing managers and policymakers with concrete ideas on integrating sustainability into operational and strategic frameworks. In today's competitive environment, integrating stakeholder engagement and green practices into core company operations is an innovative way to achieve sustainable excellence.
HHP model of management: comparing managerial approaches across the United States, Europe, Japan, and China
Authors: Lin Xinqi
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Against the backdrop of the convergence and divergence debate in comparative management studies, this study aims to explore Chinese-style management and proposes the husband-housewife-patriarchy (HHP) model of management, emphasizing the uniqueness of Chinese management practices that are differentiated from Western- and Japanese-oriented paradigms while advocating a progressive and practical approach to understanding and applying these principles [1].

Design/methodology/approach

This study combines a “bottom-up” and “top-down” logic of analysis to reexamine the general managerial approaches, with particular attention toward human resource management as a stream within the whole management spectrum across China, the USA, Europe and Japan, reaching a typological representation of the above prototypes, which is coined as the HHP model of management. In doing so, this paper proffers a novel lens for revisiting these models and advancing management innovation in China.

Findings

Chinese-style management is characterized by an array of unique approaches diverging from Western and Japanese models. The HHP management model is presented as a new framework for reinterpreting these distinctions and encouraging management innovation within China, highlighting the potential of Chinese management practices in contributing to global management knowledge.

Originality/value

This paper offers novel perspectives on Chinese-style management and introduces the HHP management model, enriching the discourse on comparative management and local innovation in the managerial arena.
Relationships with horses and humans: Smith’s legacy
Authors: John Kelsey Dayle
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline the contributions of Smiths legacy in Indigenous methodologies and to show how her interventions encourage and facilitate meaningful research relationships with Indigenous communities. It is also a practical guide for future Indigenous researchers who aim to work with their communities.

Design/methodology/approach

This article outlines the legacy and interventions from Linda Smith that have influenced my research and pedagogy work with my community—the Navajo Nation. I weave together a Kejnrj story and theory to show how Smith’s predominant legacy has taught me how to create, maintain and safeguard relationships with horses, humans and knowledge while working within a Western institution.

Findings

I discuss the navigation of research relationships before, during and after official research and the implications this has for increasing indigenous sovereignty in partnership with research. It also describes the process of researcher reflexivity required for Indigenous methodological work.

Originality/value

This paper outlines one Navajo researcher’s individual story with research on community. This adds value to researchers who intend to do research/pedagogy work with Native communities.
Comparing microstructure and mechanical properties of AlSi10 alloy produced by powder bed fusion-laser beam and high pressure die casting
Authors: Katti Indrajeet , Jones Alistair , Weiss Matthias , Qiu Dong , Forsmark Joy H. , Easton Mark
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Powder bed fusion-laser beam (PBF-LB) is a rapidly growing manufacturing technology for producing Al-Si alloys. This technology can be used to produce high-pressure die-casting (HPDC) prototypes. The purpose of this paper is to understand the similarities and differences in the microstructures and properties of PBF-LB and HPDC alloys.

Design/methodology/approach

PBF-LB AlSi10Mg and HPDC AlSi10Mn plates with different thicknesses were manufactured. Iso-thermal heat treatment was conducted on PBF-LB bending plates. A detailed meso-micro-nanostructure analysis was performed. Tensile, bending and microhardness tests were conducted on both alloys.

Findings

The PBF-LB skin was highly textured and softer than its core, opposite to what is observed in the HPDC alloy. Increasing sample thickness increased the bulk strength for the PBF-LB alloy, contrasting with the decrease for the HPDC alloy. In addition, the tolerance to fracture initiation during bending deformation is greater for the HPDC material, probably due to its stronger skin region.

Practical implications

This knowledge is crucial to understand how geometry of parts may affect the properties of PBF-LB components. In particular, understanding the role of geometry is important when using PBF-LB as a HPDC prototype.

Originality/value

This is the first comprehensive meso-micro-nanostructure comparison of both PBF-LB and HPDC alloys from the millimetre to nanometre scale reported to date that also considers variations in the skin versus core microstructure and mechanical properties.
Multilevel learning in a knowledge-intensive public organization during teleworking implementation amidst the COVID-19 crisis
Authors: Salles Michelle de Andrade Souza Diniz , Cavalcante Fernando Victor , Villardi Beatriz Quiroz , Pereira-Guizzo Camila de Sousa
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This paper primarily aims to identify the multilevel learning processes emerging from abrupt telework implementation in a public knowledge-intensive organization (KIO) amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

This single-case process research was guided by interpretivist epistemology. Empirical data from documentary research and 41 interviewed managers were processed by inductive qualitative analysis using the multilevel learning theoretical model.

Findings

Eight types and three modes of learning processes during the COVID-19 pandemic were identified in a public KIO, iteratively emerging in multilevel learning dynamics during the compulsory adoption of telework and replacing the face-to-face work mode conducted since its foundation.

Research limitations/implications

As insider researchers, while daily and privileged access to the field was obtained, it also demanded their continuous effort to maintain transparency and scientific distancing; conceptual results are restricted to process theorisation studies, specifically the 4Is theoretical model in the scope of crisis learning process studies concerning KIOs.

Practical implications

This study provides evidence for managers to adopt interactive dynamics among eight multilevel types and three learning modes of emergent learning, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and support learning practices’ implementation and routinisation across three organizational levels in crisis situations. In addition, evidencing emergent types of learning enables organizational learning (OL) researchers to examine how organizational structures and work practices either promote or inhibit different learning types and impact multilevel learning when adopting teleworking during a crisis.

Originality/value

This research has theoretical value in two ways: (i) Providing empirically supported knowledge: This involves understanding multilevel learning processes resulting from emergent learning in a public KIO that abruptly adopted teleworking during a crisis context; (ii) deepening process theorization studies on OL: To achieve this, we enhance the 4I model by incorporating eight types and two modes of learning processes. These processes iteratively emerge from the individual and group levels towards the institutional level in a public KIO.
Relationship between acne vulgaris and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adolescent: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Koç Huriye Aybüke , Önal Bedia Sultan
Published: August 2024

High androgen hormone exposure in intrauterine life is held to be responsible for the etiopathogenesis of both acne vulgaris (AV) and attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of ADHD in AV patients. Patients between the ages of 12 and 17, diagnosed with AV and a control group were included in the study. The Conners‐Wells Adolescent Self‐Report Scale‐Long Form (CASS‐L) was applied to both groups to determine the severity of the ADHD. Ninety‐eight patients diagnosed with AV and 96 healthy controls participated in the study. All parameters of the CASS‐L were found to be significantly higher in AV patients compared to the control group. In addition, with the severity of the Global Acne Grading System, a positive low level among conduct problems (r = 0.223), cognitive problems (r = 0.271), ADHD index (r = 0.238), inattention (r = 0.238), and a positive moderate level among hyperactivity (r = 0.349), hyperactivity‐impulsivity (r = 0.414), and total score (r = 0.429). According to our results, patients diagnosed with AV were more prone to ADHD than the control group. Our study showed that adolescent patients diagnosed with AV were more prone to ADHD than people of similar age and gender without a diagnosis of AV. It should be noted that AV is not only a dermatological disease but may also be accompanied by psychiatric morbidities.
Ant sharing by plant species bearing extrafloral nectaries has a low impact on plant herbivory in a tropical system
Authors: Souza Caroline , Leal Laura C. , Baccaro Fabrício B. , Bergamo Pedro J. , Bronstein Judith L. , Rey Pedro J. , Nogueira Anselmo
Published: August 2024

Plant species bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) may indirectly influence other plant species by sharing protective ants, potentially altering herbivory levels. However, the propagation of indirect effects in this type of mutualism has seldom been investigated.

We investigated indirect effects via ant sharing among 21 EFN‐bearing plant species of the tribe Bignonieae distributed on 28 plots in the central Brazilian Amazon. We used an ecological network index to quantify potential indirect effects among plant species through shared dominant and subordinate ant species.

Plant species that were more attractive to ants (promoter species) had the highest potential to indirectly influence ant visitation to less attractive plant species (receptor species) in the community, primarily through changes in the attraction of dominant ant species. However, these potential indirect effects did not result in significant differences in herbivory patterns among the studied plants. Ant attendance and herbivory levels were similar among promoter species, neighbouring plants, and non‐neighbouring plants. Unlike other mutualisms involving plants (e.g., pollination), the indirect effects among plant species that share protective ants had limited consequences. The low levels of herbivory and the small foraging areas of shared ant defenders could be responsible for the observed limited impact of indirect interactions among plant species in this system.

Synthesis: This study demonstrates that plant species with EFNs can indirectly influence other plant species through ant sharing. The attractiveness of certain plants to ants enables them to affect the ant visitation patterns of less attractive plants in the community. However, these indirect effects did not significantly alter herbivory levels among plants. Overall, this study advances ecological understanding by showing that the sharing of protective ants among plant species can in some cases confer limited costs and benefits, leading indirect interactions to have minimal impact on herbivory patterns.
Effect of dependence on natural resources on employment quality: Insights from African countries
Authors: Totouom Armand , Nkengfack Hilaire , Ngameni Joseph Pasky
Published: August 2024

This study evaluates the effect of natural resource dependence on employment quality in Africa, analysing data from 2002 to 2020. Our findings indicate that resource dependence is positively and significantly linked to poor employment quality. Specifically, a one‐percentage‐point increase in resource rent dependence results in a 0.026‐percentage‐point rise in vulnerable employment and a 0.282‐percentage‐point increase in working poverty rates. However, this effect of resource rents on employment quality occurs only when institutional quality is low. Once institutional quality surpasses a certain threshold, this adverse effect is reversed. These results highlight the need for policies that diversify economic structures to reduce African economies' overreliance on natural resource rents and enhance institutional quality.
Provenance and Paleoclimate of the Triassic to Middle Jurassic Adigrat Sandstone, Blue Nile Basin, Central Ethiopia
Authors: BARSISA Bekele , DEREJE Ayalew , GILAMICHAEL Kidanemariam , BALEMWAL Atnafu , PIK Raphaël
Published: August 2024

Mineralogical and geochemical studies have been undertaken on the Triassic to Lower Jurassic Adigrat Sandstone of the Blue Nile Basin of central Ethiopia to infer its source rock type, paleoweathering, and paleoclimatic history. The Adigrat Sandstone occurs at the basal section of the Mesozoic sedimentary formation and unconformably overlays the Neoproterozoic–Paleozoic crystalline rocks, or locally, the Karroo sediments in the northern Blue Nile Basin. A mineralogical study reveals that quartz (Q), feldspars (F), and lithic fragments (L) are the framework grains of the sandstone. On the QFL diagram, the plot of the modal composition of the sandstone mainly falls within the feldspathic arenite and quartzose arenite fields. The geochemical data of the lower section of the sandstone mainly falls within the arkose and subarkose fields, whereas the upper section data falls within the quartzose and sublithic arenite fields. Mineralogical and geochemical weathering indices indicate that the provenances of the Adigrat Sandstone were exposed to pronounced weathering intensity, where the lower part of the sandstone was controlled by arid to semi‐arid conditions, whereas the upper section was linked to humid to semi‐humid (tropical to subtropical) climatic conditions. Mineralogical and geochemical data also indicate that mafic to intermediate basement rocks were the primary source rocks of the sediment. Perhaps the sediment was assumed to have been reworked by multi‐cyclic sedimentary processes. The discriminant function diagram, the REE pattern, La/Th vs. La/Yb, and the Th–Hf–Co plot are consistent. A comparison of provenance studies for the Adigrat Sandstone in the Blue Nile Basin and the Mekele outlier of northern Ethiopia indicates that the sediment of the former is highly sorted, experienced higher weathering intensity, and compositionally derived from mafic to intermediate crystalline rocks. On the other hand, the sediment of the latter is essentially a weathering product of felsic rocks.
Mantle Driven Early Eocene Magmatic Flare‐up of the Gangdese Arc, Tibet: A Case Study on the Nymo Intrusive Complex
Authors: MA Xuxuan , MEERT Joseph G. , CAO Wenrong , TIAN Zuolin , LIU Dongliang , XIONG Fahui , LI Haibing
Published: August 2024

Magmatic periodicity is recognized in continental arcs worldwide, but the mechanism responsible for punctuated arc magmatism is controversial. Continental arcs in the Trans‐Himalayan orogenic system display episodic magmatism and the most voluminous flare‐up in this system was in early Eocene during the transition from subduction to collision. The close association of the flare‐up with collision is intriguing. Our study employs zircon Lu‐Hf and bulk rock Sr‐Nd isotopes, along with mineral geochemistry, to track the melt sources of the Nymo intrusive complex and the role of mantle magma during the early Eocene flare‐up of the Gangdese arc, Tibet. The Nymo intrusive complex is composed of gabbronorite, diorite, quartz diorite, and granodiorite which define an arc‐related calc‐alkaline suite. Zircon U‐Pb ages reveal that the complex was emplaced between ~50–47 Ma. Zircon Hf isotopes yield εHf(t) values of 8.2–13.1, while whole‐rock Sr and Nd isotopes yield εNd(t) values of 2.7–6.5 indicative of magmatism dominated by melting of a juvenile mantle source with only minor crustal assimilation (~15%–25%) as indicated by assimilation and fractional crystallization modeling. Together with published data, the early Eocene magmatic flare‐up was likely triggered by slab breakoff of subducted oceanic lithosphere at depths shallower than the overriding plate. The early Eocene magmatic flare‐up may have contributed to crustal thickening of the Gangdese arc. This study provides important insights into the magmatic flare‐up and its significant role in the generation of large batholiths during the transition from subduction to collision.
Lower Continental Crusts Involved in the Alpine Orogeny: New Insight from the Santa Lucia Nappe Metasediments (Corsica, France)
Authors: FRASSI Chiara , DI ROSA Maria , PANDOLFI Luca , MARRONI Michele
Published: August 2024

In the Alpine Corsica (France), the Santa Lucia Nappe represents a peculiar unit preserving the unique relicts of Paleozoic lower to medium continental crust. It consists of composite basement affected by Permian granulite facies metamorphic conditions unconformably covered by a Late Cretaceous clastic sequence (Tomboni Conglomerate and Tralonca Flysch) affected by polyphase deformation and low‐grade‐metamorphism. In this work, we present a new reconstruction of the deformation events registered by the Tralonca Flysch during the Alpine orogeny. The D1 phase was testified by rare isoclinal folds. The D2 phase produced a continuous foliation and a map‐scale sheath‐fold with a top‐to‐W sense of shear. The D3 phase produced E‐verging non‐cylindrical folds and S3 crenulation cleavage that is not associated to metamorphic blastesis. We present the first temperature‐pressure‐deformation (P‐T‐d) path for the Tralonca Flysch, demonstrating that the Santa Lucia Nappe underwent accretion and then first stage exhumation in the Alpine wedge during the D1 phase with pressure and temperature peaks both occurred under blueschist metamorphic conditions. The D2 phase occurred at lower pressure‐temperature conditions during a second stage exhumation. This pressure‐temperature‐deformation path is comparable with those of the Lower Units (i.e., the subducted continental units of Alpine Corsica) suggesting a common geodynamic history.
Noradrenaline dose cutoffs to characterise the severity of cardiovascular failure: Data‐based development and external validation
Authors: Pölkki Anssi , Pekkarinen Pirkka T. , Hess Benjamin , Blaser Annika Reintam , Bachmann Kaspar F. , Lakbar Inès , Hollenberg Steven M. , Lobo Suzana M. , Rezende Ederlon , Selander Tuomas , Reinikainen Matti
Published: August 2024

Background

The vasopressor dose needed is a common measure to assess the severity of cardiovascular failure, but there is no consensus on the ranges of vasopressor doses determining different levels of cardiovascular support. We aimed to identify cutoffs for determining low, intermediate and high doses of noradrenaline (norepinephrine), the primary vasopressor used in intensive care, based on association with hospital mortality.

Methods

We conducted a binational registry study to determine cutoffs between low, intermediate and high noradrenaline doses. We required the cutoffs to be statistically rational and practical (rounded to the first decimal and easy to remember), and to result in increasing mortality with increasing doses. The highest noradrenaline dose in the first 24 h after intensive care unit (ICU) admission was used. The cutoffs were developed using data from 8079 ICU patients treated in the ICU at Kuopio University Hospital, Finland, between 2013 and 2019. Subsequently, the cutoffs were validated in the eICU database, including 39,007 ICU admissions to 29 ICUs in the United States of America in 2014–2015. The log‐rank statistic, with the Contal and O'Quigley method, was used to determine the cutoffs resulting in the most significant split between the noradrenaline dose groups with regard to hospital mortality.

Results

The two most prominent peaks in the log‐rank statistic corresponded to noradrenaline doses 0.20 and 0.44 μg/kg/min. Accordingly, we determined three dose ranges: low (<0.2 μg/kg/min), intermediate (0.2–0.4 μg/kg/min) and high (>0.4 μg/kg/min). Mortality increased, whereas the number of patients decreased consistently with increasing noradrenaline doses in both cohorts. In the development cohort, hospital mortality was 6.5% in the group without noradrenaline administered and 14.0%, 26.4% and 40.2%, respectively, in the low‐dose, intermediate‐dose and high‐dose groups. Compared to patients who received no noradrenaline, the hazard ratio for in‐hospital death was 1.4 for the low‐dose group, 4.0 for the intermediate‐dose group and 7.5 for the high‐dose group in the validation cohort (p < .001).

Conclusions

The highest noradrenaline dose is a useful measure for quantifying circulatory failure. Cutoffs 0.2 and 0.4 μg/kg/min seem to be suitable for defining low, intermediate and high doses.
Transient receptor potential channels as an emerging target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Unravelling the potential of pharmacological interventions
Authors: Joshi Nishit , Vaidya Bhupesh , Sharma Shyam Sunder
Published: August 2024

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating disorder with a multifaceted aetiology characterized by dementia, which later progresses to cognitive impairment. Significant efforts have been made to develop pharmacological interventions that slow down the pathogenesis of AD. However, conventional drugs have failed to satisfactorily treat AD and are more focussed towards symptomatic management. Thus, there is a gap in the literature regarding novel targets and modulators targeting them for the effective treatment of AD. Recent studies have demonstrated that modulation of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels has the potential to halt AD pathogenesis at an early stage and rescue hippocampal neurons from death. Amongst several members, TRP channels like TRPA1, TRPC6, TRPM2 and TRPV2 have shown promising results in the attenuation of neurobehavioural cognitive deficits as well as signalling pathways governing such cognitive decline. Furthermore, as these channels govern the ionic balance in the cell, their beneficial effects have also been known to maintain the homeostasis of Ca2+, which is the major culprit eliciting the vicious cycle of excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, ROS generation and neurodegeneration. Despite such tremendous potential of TRP channel modulators, their clinical investigation remains elusive. Therefore, in the present review, we have discussed such agents in the light of TRP channels as molecular targets for the amelioration of AD both at the preclinical and clinical levels.
Birthing parent postpartum acute care use: Multilevel opportunities for strengthening healthcare
Authors: Busse Clara E. , Stuebe Alison M. , Tumlinson Katherine , Tucker Christine , Vladutiu Catherine J. , Pence Brian , Tully Kristin P.
Published: August 2024

Background

Two‐thirds of pregnancy‐related deaths occur from 1 day to 1 year after birth, and medical complications frequently occur after birth. Postpartum health concerns are often urgent, requiring timely medical care, which may contribute to a reliance on acute care. One approach to improving postpartum health is to investigate birthing parents' accounts of acute care use in the months after birth, which is what we did in this study.

Methods

This mixed‐methods study included questionnaire responses, semi‐structured interviews, and chart review of 18 English‐speaking individuals who used acute care in the 90 days after birth in the southeastern United States. Interviews were conducted remotely, recorded, and professionally transcribed. Qualitative data were inductively coded to iteratively develop categories and themes with respect to contributors and barriers to postpartum acute care use.

Results

Birthing parents engaged in complex decision‐making processes to decide where and when to seek postpartum acute care in response to their urgent health concerns. Many described fear and uncertainty about their postpartum health. Most participants contacted a healthcare practitioner before using acute care, followed their guidance, and were treated or otherwise reassured at the acute care visit.

Discussion

These findings suggest multilevel opportunities for strengthening healthcare systems, including better‐preparing individuals for the postpartum period and structuring care to accommodate birthing parents and include their support systems. The insights from this study can inform multilevel strategies for strengthening healthcare so that birthing parents are safe and well postpartum.
Dissecting CASK: Novel splice site variant associated with male MICPCH phenotype
Authors: Silveira Karina C. , Ambrose Anastasia , Athey Taryn , Taylor Sherryl , Mercimek‐Andrews Saadet , Kannu Peter
Published: August 2024

CASK (MIM#300172), encoding a calcium/calmodulin‐dependent serine protein kinase, is crucial for synaptic transmission and gene regulation during neural development. Pathogenic variants of CASK are known to cause several neurodevelopmental disorders, including X‐linked intellectual disability and microcephaly with pontine and cerebellar hypoplasia (MICPCH). This study introduces a novel, de novo synonymous CASK variant (NM_001367721.1: c.1737G>A, p.(Glu579=)), discovered in a male patient diagnosed with MICPCH, characterized by microcephaly, developmental delay, visual impairment, and myoclonic seizures. The variant disrupts a donor splice‐site at the end of exon 18. Transcriptomic analysis of blood identified 12 different CASK transcripts secondary to the synonymous variant. Nearly one third of these transcripts were predicted to result in nonsense mediated decay or protein degradation. Protein modeling revealed structural alterations in the PDZ functional domain of CASK, due to exon 18 deletion. Our findings highlight the utility of transcriptomic analysis in demonstrating the underlying disease mechanism in neurodevelopmental disorders.
Splicing control by PHF5A is crucial for melanoma cell survival
Authors: Meißgeier Tina , Kappelmann‐Fenzl Melanie , Staebler Sebastian , Ahari Ata Jadid , Mertes Christian , Gagneur Julien , Linck‐Paulus Lisa , Bosserhoff Anja Katrin
Published: August 2024

Abnormalities in alternative splicing are a hallmark of cancer formation. In this study, we investigated the role of the splicing factor PHD finger protein 5A (PHF5A) in melanoma. Malignant melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and patients with a high PHF5A expression show poor overall survival. Our data revealed that an siRNA‐mediated downregulation of PHF5A in different melanoma cell lines leads to massive splicing defects of different tumour‐relevant genes. The loss of PHF5A results in an increased rate of apoptosis by triggering Fas‐ and unfolded protein response (UPR)‐mediated apoptosis pathways in melanoma cells. These findings are tumour‐specific because we did not observe this regulation in fibroblasts. Our study identifies a crucial role of PHF5A as driver for melanoma malignancy and the described underlying splicing network provides an interesting basis for the development of new therapeutic targets for this aggressive form of skin cancer.
Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease with marrow fibrosis and extramedullary hematopoiesis
Authors: Blommers Marley , Selegean Sorin , Wood Richard K. , Sarmiento Bustamante Mateo , Shyamsundar Saishravan , Wiley E. Ashley , Comeau Emilie , Shawwa Allam A. , Rose‐John Stefan , Fajgenbaum David C. , Chen Luke Y. C.
Published: August 2024

Background

Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a rare inflammatory disorder mediated by excessive proinflammatory cytokine signaling, most notably by interleukin 6 (IL‐6). IL‐6‐induced extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) has been reported in murine models of iMCD. Herein we present four cases of iMCD with EMH in humans.

Case Series

The index case is a 24‐year‐old white woman who presented with pancytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, and diffuse lymphadenopathy (LAD) with EMH in core lymph node biopsies. We then searched ACCELERATE, a Castleman disease (CD) natural history registry, and identified three additional CD cases with EMH reported in biopsies: A 23‐year‐old Asian man with fatigue, edema, LAD, and splenomegaly; a 20‐year‐old white man with fever, dyspnea, LAD, and hepatosplenomegaly; and a 50‐year‐old white man with constitutional symptoms, LAD, and myelodysplastic syndrome in bone marrow with a KRAS mutation.

Results

All four patients presented with thrombocytopenia and fever and/or markedly elevated C‐reactive protein. Patient 1 had iMCD‐NOS (not otherwise specified) with severe thrombocytopenia, reticulin fibrosis in bone marrow, small volume LAD and organomegaly but no anasarca. The other three patients had iMCD‐TAFRO (thrombocytopenia, anasarca, reticulin fibrosis, renal dysfunction, organomegaly). Two had mixed CD and two had hypervascular CD in lymph nodes. All four had bone marrow hypercellularity and megakaryocyte hyperplasia and two had reticulin fibrosis.

Conclusions

This case series demonstrates that EMH can be seen in CD, particularly in iMCD‐TAFRO. Given the similarity of this finding to previous murine models of IL‐6‐induced marrow and lymph node changes we hypothesize that this is an IL‐6‐mediated phenomenon.
Enhancing motor imagery in the third‐person perspective by manipulating sense of body ownership with virtual reality
Authors: Xu Xiaotian , Fan Xiaoya , Dong Jiaoyang , Zhang Xiting , Song Zhe , Bai Dingqun , Pu Fang
Published: August 2024

Virtual reality (VR)–guided motor imagery (MI) is a widely used approach for motor rehabilitation, especially for patients with severe motor impairments. Most approaches provide visual guidance from the first‐person perspective (1PP). MI training with visual guidance from the third‐person perspective (3PP) remains largely unexplored. We argue that 3PP MI training has its own advantages and can supplement 1PP MI. For some movements beyond the view of 1PP, such as shoulder shrugging and other axial movements, MI are suitable performed under 3PP. However, the efficiency of existing paradigms for 3PP MI is unsatisfactory. We speculate that the absence of sense of body ownership (SOO) from 3PP could be one possible factor and hypothesize that 3PP MI could be enhanced by eliciting SOO over a 3PP avatar. Based on our hypothesis, a novel paradigm was proposed to enhance 3PP MI by inducing full‐body illusion (FBI) from 3PP, which is similar to the so‐called out‐of‐body experience (OBE), using synchronous visuo‐tactile stimulus with VR. The event‐related Electroencephalograph (EEG) desynchronization (ERD) at motor‐related regions from 31 healthy participants were calculated and compared with a control paradigm without “OBE” FBI induction. This study attempts to enhance 3PP MI with FBI induction. It offers an opportunity to perform MI guided by action observation from 3PP with elicited SOO to the observed avatar. We believe that 3PP MI could provide more possibilities for effective rehabilitation training, when SOO could be elicited to a virtual avatar and the present work demonstrates its viability and effectiveness.
Assessing Languages Across the Curriculum: Critical reflection and student learning perspectives
Authors: Britton Emma R. , Kraemer Angelika
Published: August 2024

Language program evaluation is a complicated field of practice, especially for models that are not commonly implemented in higher education. This article features Languages Across the Curriculum (LAC), a lesser‐known program model, reporting on a qualitative evaluative program study taking place in a Northeastern university. It identifies challenges associated with common program evaluation approaches (used in LAC and other language models) and advances a holistic framework, informed by multiple learning perspectives, to interpret students' experiences. Drawing on interviews with 16 students of Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish (as primary data) and triangulating interviews with observations in nine classrooms as well as other programmatic artifacts, it explores how participants reflected on their experiences and identifies the learning types that LAC appears to support. Findings indicate that LAC especially supported critical content‐based language learning, language maintenance, and peer‐to‐peer collaboration among learners of mixed abilities. Implications for LAC program evaluation are discussed.
Asymptomatic evanescent plaques on the buttocks of an elderly woman
Authors: Ceravalls Joan , Pérez‐Muñoz Noelia , Sola María Án. , Gallardo Fernando , Colomo Lluís , Pujol Ramón M.
Published: August 2024

B‐cell epidermotropism is an exceptional finding in cutaneous lymphomas. The few cases previously described in the literature mostly correspond to systemic lymphomas, with the most frequent being splenic marginal zone lymphoma. This lymphoma can manifest as a cutaneous eruption preceding the splenomegaly, with systemic involvement demonstrated by bone marrow and/or peripheral blood. This presentation is known as epidermotropic B‐cell lymphoma. Herein, we present a new case that emphasizes B‐cell epidermotropism as a feature that should alert the clinician of the possibility of a secondary involvement and, consequently, prompt them to expand the recommended initial staging.