bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vietnamese consumers' willingness to pay for improved food safety for vegetables and pork
Authors: Vuong Hue , Pannell David , Schilizzi Steven , Burton Michael
Published: July 2024

Food safety is an issue of growing concern in many developing countries. Threats to food safety in Vietnam include contamination with toxic chemicals, microbiological hazards and adulterated food. To determine Vietnamese consumers' willingness to pay for food safety of pork and vegetables, a discrete choice experiment was employed in the cities of Hanoi and Haiphong. Principal factor analysis and mixed logit models reveal that urban consumers are, on average, willing to pay considerable price premiums for food safety attributes. On average, consumers are willing to pay a price premium of 244% for vegetables produced with the safe application of pesticides, 70% premium for pork processed in certified abattoirs that assure pork safety and 67% price premium for pork if the convenience attribute is satisfied. Regarding vegetables, there is considerable heterogeneity in the extent to which consumers are willing to pay for growth‐hormone‐free vegetables, depending on their education, and in perceptions towards food safety risks resulting from chemical hazards and foodborne illness in Vietnam. For pork, if consumers believe that contaminated food could cause life‐threatening risks for people, they are willing to pay up to 102% more than the current market price for hormone‐free and drug‐free pork. The factor representing consumers' trust in food safety influences their WTP for traceability and clean water attributes. Moreover, consumer's self‐health evaluation influenced their WTP for pork traceability. Almost all consumers prefer the convenience of being able to purchase vegetables and pork nearby.
The Economics of Missionary Colonialism: Evaluating the Church Missionary Society's Complicity in Dispossessing the Tsimshian of Metlakatla, 1882–1887
Authors: Reid Darren
Published: July 2024

The 1882 religious schism in the mission village of Metlakatla, British Columbia, and the subsequent battle over land rights between the Tsimshian First Nations and settler governments, are some of the most extensively analysed events in the history of missions in nineteenth‐century Canada. Yet historians have overlooked the role played by the Church Missionary Society in perpetuating these events. Most importantly, historians have failed to ask why a society that was in financial difficulties and that regularly abandoned mission stations all over the world was so determined to hold on to this one station. The Society's official story was that it needed to protect its converts from persecution, but this article argues that two economic factors also contributed to the value of Metlakatla for the Society. First, competition with Methodist missionaries in the region made Metlakatla a valuable asset for attracting government grants and private donations. Second, the religious schism in Metlakatla undermined the Society's branding as a bastion of doctrinal purity, rendering it necessary to protect the Society's marketing strategy. Attending to these economic factors complicates simplistic narratives of imperial missionary work as only about Christianisation and civilisation, and contributes to ongoing efforts to understand missionary societies as corporations.
Experience matters in special educators' preparation in intervention planning for autistic students
Authors: Hugh Maria L. , Horbanczuk Stefan , Fettig Angel , Locke Jill
Published: July 2024

Educators struggle to select evidence‐based practices (EBPs) for autistic students, which is an important skill to develop for special educators in training (SETs). To examine how these SETs learn and begin to make decisions about instructional practices for autistic students to attain their goals, we interviewed and surveyed 11 SETs before and after completing a university course on evidence‐based practices for autistic students. We used the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), a comprehensive compilation of research‐based factors that influence behaviour change, to guide qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis to identify factors that influenced SETs' decision difficulty and intention to implement instructional plans. At the beginning of the course, most SETs described a lack of familiarity, weak intentions and surface understanding of factors. At the end of the course, SETs described and reported less difficulty in intervention planning and improved knowledge of EBP, but this was not statistically significant. We discuss important individual differences related to their difficulty, consideration of collaborative and environmental factors and intentions to implement their plans, which often corresponded with their reports of applied experience. Future directions for the pre‐service preparation of special educators service autistic students are shared.
Objective or biased? CEO overconfidence and journalists' coverage
Authors: Gong Rong
Published: July 2024

This study explores whether journalists report more positively or negatively on acquisitions by chief executive officers (CEOs) with greater overconfidence than those with less overconfident CEOs. The results show that journalists report acquisition events conducted by firms with overconfident CEOs more negatively than those without. Meanwhile, journalists' negativity in reporting acquisitions by overconfident CEOs is mitigated during periods of high market uncertainty. This result suggests that journalists are not biased upward because of the positive prospects presented by overconfident CEOs but instead act as information intermediaries to inform readers about the overoptimistic view of overconfident CEOs.
Impacts of brightness contrast, road environment complexity, travel direction and judgement type on speed perception errors among older adult pedestrians' road‐crossing decision‐making
Authors: Wu Chia‐Chen
Published: July 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to explore how various factors affect older people's vehicle speed perception to enhance their road safety as pedestrians, focusing on the impact of their cognitive and perceptual abilities on road‐crossing decisions.

Methods

The study evaluated the effects of brightness contrast (high, medium and low), road complexity (high and low) and vehicle travel direction (same and opposite) on speed perception errors in simulated traffic settings. It involved 38 older participants who estimated the speed of a comparison vehicle under two judgement conditions.

Results

Findings showed a consistent underestimation of speed in all conditions. A repeated‐measure ANOVA revealed that speed perception errors were significantly higher with low brightness contrast, in simpler road environments, with vehicles travelling in the same direction, and when using absolute judgements.

Conclusions

These results have practical importance for public safety initiatives, traffic regulation and road design catering to older adults' perceptual needs. They also provide valuable insights for driver training programs for older adults, aimed at enhancing their understanding and management of perceptual biases.
Comparison of opioid‐free and opioid‐inclusive propofol anaesthesia for thyroid and parathyroid surgery: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Wang Dan , Sun Yan , Zhu Ya‐Juan , Shan Xi‐Sheng , Liu Hong , Ji Fu‐Hai , Peng Ke
Published: July 2024

Background

Postoperative nausea and vomiting occur frequently following thyroid and parathyroid surgery and are associated with worse patient outcomes. We hypothesised that opioid‐free propofol anaesthesia would reduce the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting compared with opioid‐inclusive propofol anaesthesia in patients undergoing these procedures.

Methods

We conducted a randomised, double‐blinded controlled trial in adult patients scheduled to undergo thyroid and parathyroid surgery at two medical centres in mainland China. Patients were allocated randomly (1:1, stratified by sex and trial site) to an opioid‐free anaesthesia group (esketamine, lidocaine, dexmedetomidine and propofol) or an opioid‐inclusive group (sufentanil and propofol). Propofol infusions were titrated to bispectral index 45–55. Patients received prophylaxis for nausea and vomiting using dexamethasone and ondansetron and multimodal analgesia with paracetamol and flurbiprofen axetil. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in the first 48 h after surgery.

Results

We assessed 557 patients for eligibility and 394 completed this trial. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in the first postoperative 48 h was lower in the opioid‐free anaesthesia group (10/197, 5%) compared with opioid‐inclusive group (47/197, 24%) (OR (95%CI) 0.17 (0.08–0.35), p < 0.001), yielding a number needed to treat of 5.3. Additionally, opioid‐free propofol anaesthesia was associated with a reduced need for rescue anti‐emetics, lower rates of hypotension and desaturation after tracheal extubation, and higher patient satisfaction. Time to tracheal extubation was prolonged slightly in the opioid‐free group. The two groups had similar postoperative pain scores and 30‐day outcomes.

Discussion

Opioid‐free propofol anaesthesia reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing thyroid and parathyroid surgery. An opioid‐free anaesthetic regimen can optimise anaesthetic care during thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
Are we on track to increase organ utilization? An analysis of machine perfusion preservation for liver transplantation in the United States
Authors: Robinson Todd , Vargas Paola A. , Yemini Renana , Goldaracena Nicolas , Pelletier Shawn
Published: July 2024

Background

Efforts to improve the quality of marginal grafts for transplantation are essential. Machine perfusion preservation appears as a promising solution.

Methods

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was queried for deceased liver donor records between 2016 and 2022. The primary outcome of interest was the organ nonutilization rate. Long‐term graft and patient survival among extended criteria donors (ECDs) were also analyzed.

Results

During the study period, out of 54 578 liver grafts recovered for transplant, 5085 (9.3%) were nonutilized. Multivariable analysis identified normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) preservation as the only predictor associated with a reduction in graft nonutilization (OR = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.06–0.023, p < 0.001). Further analysis of ECD grafts that were transplanted revealed comparable 1‐,2‐ and 3‐years graft survival (89%/88%/82% vs. 90%/85%/81%, p = 0.60), and patient survival (92%/91%/84% vs. 92%/88%/84%, p = 0.65) between grafts that underwent MP vs. those who did not, respectively.

Conclusions

Liver nonutilization rates in the United States are at an all‐time high. Available data, most likely including cases from clinical trials, showed that NMP reduced the odds of organ nonutilization by 12% among the entire deceased donor pool and by 16% among grafts from ECD. Collective efforts and further evidence reflecting day‐to‐day clinical practice are needed to fully reach the potential of MP for liver transplant.
Plasma concentrations of peptide hormones: Unrealistic levels of vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OXT), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)
Authors: Bie Peter
Published: July 2024

Hormones are specific molecules measured in biological fluids by elaborate analytical systems requiring meticulous attention. Variation between laboratories can be expected. However, recently published measurements of AVP, OXT, and BNP in human plasma under basal/control conditions include numbers which, between publications, vary by 100–10 000‐fold. Generally, the methods descriptions are scant, at best, and provide no information about quality control measures. Clearly, two results describing the same basal hormone concentration by numbers three orders of magnitude apart are incongruent providing reason for concern. Basal concentrations of bioactive AVP, OXT, and BNP in human plasma are in the order of 1–10 pmol/L. Therefore, assay systems applied to plasma must be able to measure concentrations of less than 1 pmol/L with appropriate specificity and accuracy. Basal concentrations of AVP, OXT, and BNP above 100 pmol/L should be reconsidered, as such results do not reflect bioactive hormone levels in humans, rats, or mice. Any concentration above 1000 pmol/L is of concern because such levels of bioactive hormone may be seen only under extreme conditions, if at all.
Editorial: Decoding the enigma—Navigating complexity in MASLD management
Authors: Ho Karen Cheuk‐Ying , Mak Lung‐Yi
Published: July 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Alkhouri et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18149 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18185
Ghosts of Alignments Past: Understanding Latin American Proposals for ‘Mediation’ in the War against Ukraine
Authors: Quiroga‐Villamarín Daniel R.
Published: July 2024

As the continent continues to reel from the effects of a seemingly distant conflict, certain Latin American diplomatic actors have surprised their partners abroad by issuing calls for mediation to end the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. While these proposals have often been dismissed as naïve or cynical, I argue that they ought to be understood in the context of a decades‐long Latin American uneasiness with notions of alignment in international relations. To understand the conundrums of this continental foreign policy strategy, I contextualise the history and theory of this uneasy project of active neutrality or non‐indifference.
The role of family and school during lockdown: Notable differences regarding children's satisfaction with their support
Authors: Montserrat Carme , Llosada‐Gistau Joan , Gallart Judit , Planas‐Lladó Anna , Martí‐Llambrich Carolina
Published: July 2024

Studying the support received from key agents in children's lives, family and school, from the point of view of the children themselves, will allow us to be better prepared to guide them in a post‐pandemic scenario. The main objective is to study the perceptions and evaluations of students between the ages of 9 and 17 regarding the guidance and support they received during the pandemic, and more specifically the help they received from their family and school. With a quantitative design, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of 1216 children (M = 14.3; SD = 2.468), from five geographical areas in Catalonia, Spain. Two multiple regression models were built with a good fit (p < .001) and explanatory capacity (adjR2 = 0.42 and adjR2 = 0.45). One of the outstanding results is the huge difference between the children's satisfaction with the help received from their family (very high) and from school (very low). In addition, children who identify as non‐binary as well as secondary school students show much lower average levels of satisfaction with the support they receive. The ultimate purpose of this article is to make proposals to strengthen personalization and support from the perspective of community socio‐educational resilience.
Alcohol abuse and discretionary habits in psoriatic patients: impact on IL‐17 and IL‐23 inhibitors response
Authors: Mastorino Luca , Daniele Rebecca , Dapavo Paolo , Frigatti Giada , Ponti Renata , Giunipero di Corteranzo Isotta , Bongiovanni Eleonora , Quaglino Pietro , Ribero Simone
Published: July 2024

Background

Alcohol abuse is correlated with the onset and worsening of psoriasis, but its effects, as for smoking, on biological therapies are still poorly investigated.

Materials and methods

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of alcohol abuse and other discretionary habits (such as smoking and sedentary lifestyle) in patients with psoriasis treated with topicals, conventional systemic and biologic therapies. The second objective is to investigate the impact of discretionary habits, focusing on alcohol abuse, on the response to biological therapy. To identify alcohol dependence, the CAGE questionnaire was distributed among patients of our clinic.

Results

305 patients were included with 18% at high risk of alcohol abuse. Clinically, guttate psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis were more common in patients at higher risk of alcohol abuse. Furthermore, patients with an alcohol problem who started biological therapy reported a higher PASI than those who drank less. None of the considered variables seemed to correlate with discontinuation of medication or with lower achievement of the analyzed outcomes (PASI100, PASI90, and PASI≤3). There was a stronger association between alcohol dependence and patients receiving conventional therapy than with patients receiving biologics.

Conclusions

The efficacy of biologicals did not seem to be impacted by alcohol consumption, smoking, or sedentary lifestyle.
Retrospective study of postoperative survival of keratinocyte‐derived skin cancer patients at the end of life
Authors: Ahmadipour Mahya , Kitzwögerer Melitta , Trautinger Franz
Published: July 2024

Background and objectives

Basal and squamous cell carcinoma (BCC, SCC), collectively referred to as keratinocyte‐derived skin cancer (KC), are the most common human cancers worldwide. Surgery is the treatment of choice, but may represent overtreatment in the very elderly. This study aims to address this issue by investigating the life expectancy of patients over 80 years after surgery.

Patients and methods

A single‐center, retrospective study was performed to include surgically treated KC patients at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology of the University Hospital in St. Pölten, Austria, between 01.01.2011 and 31.12.2017, who were 80 years or older. Data on individual survival (cut‐off April 30, 2020), date and cause of death were retrieved from the Austrian national demographic database at Statistics Austria (Vienna).

Results

940 patients (450 female, 490 male, 639 BCCs, 301 SCCs) were included with 307 being alive at the cut‐off date. Median postoperative survival was 57 months (95% CI, 54–63 months).

Conclusions

With a median postoperative survival of almost 5 years, surgery remains a valid treatment option for KC at the end of life. However, 77 of the treated patients died within a year after surgery and preoperative assessment might have helped to avoid overtreatment in some of these cases.
The effect of physical activity on glycaemic control in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A systematic literature review and meta‐analysis
Authors: De Cock Diederik , Schreurs Lucas , Steenackers Nele , Pazmino Sofia , Cools Wilfried , Eykerman Lauren , Thiels Hannah , Mathieu Chantal , Van der Schueren Bart
Published: July 2024

Aims

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is characterised by insulin deficiency. Due to perceived physical activity (PA)‐related hypoglycaemia, a minority of people with T1DM exercise regularly. However, the relationship between T1DM and PA remains poorly understood. Our aim was to summarise the existing literature on the effects of PA on short‐term glucose control (glycated haemoglobin or time in range) in people with T1DM.

Methods

We searched seven electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, Cinahl, SPORTDiscus, PEDro and Web Of Science) and two sources of the grey literature (ClinicalTrials.gov and ICTRP). All reviews were screened via title/abstract and full text by two independent reviewers (LE and HT), conflicts were solved by a third independent reviewer (DDC). We excluded animal studies, case reports, non‐English articles, qualitative studies, conference abstracts and articles without full‐text access. A meta‐analysis using random effects model was performed to study the effect of PA on haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in people with T1DM.

Results

We obtained 19,201 unique references across nine different electronic databases. After screening and snowballing, 68 articles were found investigating the effect of PA on glycaemic control in people with T1DM. Overall, HbA1c levels in the PA group (mean difference = 0.29% (0.20%–0.39%)), were lower compared with the control group.

Conclusion

An overall small beneficial effect of PA on glycaemic control in people with T1DM was found. Caution is advised when interpreting the results of this meta‐analysis, given variations in study type, duration, frequency and intensity of physical activity across included studies.
Human brain dynamics dissociate early perceptual and late motor‐related stages of affordance processing
Authors: Wang Sheng , Djebbara Zakaria , Sanches de Oliveira Guilherme , Gramann Klaus
Published: July 2024

Affordances, the opportunities for action offered by the environment to an agent, are vital for meaningful behaviour and exist in every interaction with the environment. There is an ongoing debate in the field about whether the perception of affordances is an automated process. Some studies suggest that affordance perception is an automated process that is independent from the visual context and bodily interaction with the environment, whereas others argue that it is modulated by the visual and motor context in which affordances are perceived. The present paper aims to resolve this debate by examining affordance automaticity from the perspective of sensorimotor time windows. To investigate the impact of different forms of bodily interactions with an environment, that is, the movement context (physical vs. joystick movement), we replicated a previous study on affordance perception in which participants actively moved through differently wide doors in an immersive 3D virtual environment. In the present study, we displayed the same environment on a 2D screen with participants moving through doors of different widths using the keys on a standard keyboard. We compared components of the event‐related potential (ERP) from the continuously recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) that were previously reported to be related to affordance perception of architectural transitions (passable and impassable doors). Comparing early sensory and later motor‐related ERPs, our study replicated ERPs reflecting early affordance perception but found differences in later motor‐related components. These results indicate a shift from automated perception of affordances during early sensorimotor time windows to movement context dependence of affordance perception at later stages, suggesting that affordance perception is a dynamic and flexible process that changes over sensorimotor stages.
First report of Toumeyella parvicornis (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in Albania and its potential spread in the coastal area of the Balkans
Authors: Di Sora Nicolò , Contarini Mario , Rossini Luca , Turco Silvia , Brugneti Federico , Metaliaj Ramiz , Vejsiu Ina , Peri Leonidha , Speranza Stefano
Published: July 2024

During a survey carried out in October 2023, a severe infestation caused by the pine tortoise scale, Toumeyella parvicornis (Cockerell), was observed for the first time in Albania. To confirm the identity of the species, specimens were collected and characterized using morphological and molecular methods. T. parvicornis is native to North America, and Albania is the third European country where the pest has been reported, after Italy (2014) and France (2021). In these countries, this pest is causing severe damage to stone pines through its feeding activity, causing dieback and, in cases of severe infestation, the death of the trees. These observations highlight the potential harmfulness of this species and the need for effective management action on a large scale in the Balkan area. Therefore, further actions are suggested that may be beneficial for early detection and containment.
First record of Leucoptera malifoliella (O. Costa, 1836) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) in Tunisia
Authors: Soltani Rasmi , Rahmouni Hedi
Published: July 2024

The leaf blister moth, Leucoptera malifoliella is an invasive pest of apple and other Rosaceae species. It causes significant damage to apple leaves, threatening the production quality and the overall health of the tree. In this paper, we report the first record of L. malifoliella in Tunisia and give details of its distribution in apple orchards of central west Tunisia (Kasserine governorate). After signs of the pest were observed, cocoons were collected from the field and reared until adult eclosion. Identification of the species was based on observations of external morphology in the laboratory in addition to the field diagnosis based on larval damage on leaves. Leucoptera malifoliella was collected firstly in Foussana delegation, then in Sbeitla, Sbiba, Djedliane, Kasserine and Feriana delegations, showing that it is widely spread in the Kasserine governorate. This leaf miner was clearly identified as one of the most abundant pests in some localities. This paper describing the first record of L. malifoliella in central west Tunisia aims to raise awareness on the pest and encourage the collaboration between apple producers, researchers and extension services in the region to establish a programme of monitoring and managing the pest.
Leveraging the genetic diversity of trout in the rivers of the British Isles and northern France to understand the movements of sea trout (Salmo trutta L.) around the English Channel
Authors: King R. Andrew , Ellis Charlie D. , Bekkevold Dorte , Ensing Dennis , Lecointre Thomas , Osmond Daniel R. , Piper Adam , Roberts Dylan E. , Launey Sophie , Stevens Jamie R.
Published: July 2024

Populations of anadromous brown trout, also known as sea trout, have suffered recent marked declines in abundance due to multiple factors, including climate change and human activities. While much is known about their freshwater phase, less is known about the species' marine feeding migrations. This situation is hindering the effective management and conservation of anadromous trout in the marine environment. Using a panel of 95 single nucleotide polymorphism markers we developed a genetic baseline, which demonstrated strong regional structuring of genetic diversity in trout populations around the English Channel and adjacent waters. Extensive baseline testing showed this structuring allowed high‐confidence assignment of known‐origin individuals to region of origin. This study presents new data on the movements of anadromous trout in the English Channel and southern North Sea. Assignment of anadromous trout sampled from 12 marine and estuarine localities highlighted contrasting results for these areas. The majority of these fisheries are composed predominately of stocks local to the sampling location. However, there were multiple cases of long‐distance movements of anadromous trout, with several individuals originating from rivers in northeast England being caught in the English Channel and southern North Sea, in some cases more than 1000 km from their natal region. These results have implications for the management of sea trout in inshore waters around the English Channel and southern North Sea.
Metabolomic profiling and accurate diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma by MALDI imaging and machine learning
Authors: Brorsen Lauritz F. , McKenzie James S. , Pinto Fernanda E. , Glud Martin , Hansen Harald S. , Haedersdal Merete , Takats Zoltan , Janfelt Christian , Lerche Catharina M.
Published: July 2024

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common keratinocyte cancer, presents a substantial public health challenge due to its high prevalence. Traditional diagnostic methods, which rely on visual examination and histopathological analysis, do not include metabolomic data. This exploratory study aims to molecularly characterize BCC and diagnose tumour tissue by applying matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI‐MSI) and machine learning (ML). BCC tumour development was induced in a mouse model and tissue sections containing BCC (n = 12) were analysed. The study design involved three phases: (i) Model training, (ii) Model validation and (iii) Metabolomic analysis. The ML algorithm was trained on MS data extracted and labelled in accordance with histopathology. An overall classification accuracy of 99.0% was reached for the labelled data. Classification of unlabelled tissue areas aligned with the evaluation of a certified Mohs surgeon for 99.9% of the total tissue area, underscoring the model's high sensitivity and specificity in identifying BCC. Tentative metabolite identifications were assigned to 189 signals of importance for the recognition of BCC, each indicating a potential tumour marker of diagnostic value. These findings demonstrate the potential for MALDI‐MSI coupled with ML to characterize the metabolomic profile of BCC and to diagnose tumour tissue with high sensitivity and specificity. Further studies are needed to explore the potential of implementing integrated MS and automated analyses in the clinical setting.
Disentangling the drivers of urban bird diversity in the non‐breeding season: A general synthesis
Authors: Moreno‐Contreras Israel , Jokimäki Jukka , Kaisanlahti‐Jokimäki Marja‐Liisa , Leveau Lucas M. , Suhonen Jukka , Tobias Joseph A. , Tryjanowski Piotr
Published: July 2024

Current knowledge about the impacts of urbanisation on bird assemblages is based on evidence from studies partly or wholly undertaken in the breeding season. In comparison, the non‐breeding season remains little studied, despite the fact that winter conditions at higher latitudes are changing more rapidly than other seasons. During the non‐breeding season, cities may attract or retain bird species because they offer milder conditions or better feeding opportunities than surrounding habitats. However, the range of climatic, ecological and anthropogenic mechanisms shaping different facets of urban bird diversity in the non‐breeding season are poorly understood. We explored these mechanisms using structural equation modelling to assess how urbanisation affects the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of avian assemblages sampled worldwide in the non‐breeding season. We found that minimum temperature, elevation, urban area and city age played a critical role in determining taxonomic diversity while a range of factors—including productivity, precipitation, elevation, distance to coasts and rivers, socio‐economic (as a proxy of human facilitation) and road density—each contributed to patterns of phylogenetic and functional diversity. The structure and function of urban bird assemblages appear to be predominantly shaped by temperature, productivity and city age, with effects of these factors differing across seasons. Our results underline the importance of considering multiple hypotheses, including seasonal effects, when evaluating the impacts of urbanisation on biodiversity.
Quantifying co‐extinctions and ecosystem service vulnerability in coastal ecosystems experiencing climate warming
Authors: Wilkes Lexi N. , Barner Allison K. , Keyes Aislyn A. , Morton Dana , Byrnes Jarrett E. K. , Dee Laura E.
Published: July 2024

Climate change is negatively impacting ecosystems and their contributions to human well‐being, known as ecosystem services. Previous research has mainly focused on the direct effects of climate change on species and ecosystem services, leaving a gap in understanding the indirect impacts resulting from changes in species interactions within complex ecosystems. This knowledge gap is significant because the loss of a species in a food web can lead to additional species losses or “co‐extinctions,” particularly when the species most impacted by climate change are also the species that play critical roles in food web persistence or provide ecosystem services. Here, we present a framework to investigate the relationships among species vulnerability to climate change, their roles within the food web, their contributions to ecosystem services, and the overall persistence of these systems and services in the face of climate‐induced species losses. To do this, we assess the robustness of food webs and their associated ecosystem services to climate‐driven species extinctions in eight empirical rocky intertidal food webs. Across food webs, we find that highly connected species are not the most vulnerable to climate change. However, we find species that directly provide ecosystem services are more vulnerable to climate change and more connected than species that do not directly provide services, which results in ecosystem service provision collapsing before food webs. Overall, we find that food webs are more robust to climate change than the ecosystem services they provide and show that combining species roles in food webs and services with their vulnerability to climate change offer predictions about the impacts of co‐extinctions for future food web and ecosystem service persistence. However, these conclusions are limited by data availability and quality, underscoring the need for more comprehensive data collection on linking species roles in interaction networks and their vulnerabilities to climate change.
Determination of Rare Earth Elements, Zirconium, Hafnium, Thorium and Uranium in Ultramafic Rocks by ICP‐MS after RE‐UTEVA Resin Columns for Separation and Pre‐Concentration
Authors: Guan Qiuyun , Guo Xudong , Sun Yali , Liu Xiaoming , Zhao Shouqian
Published: July 2024

A simple method was developed for the determination of REEs, Zr, Hf, Th and U in ultramafic rocks by inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry with a combination of RE and UTEVA extraction resins for their separation and pre‐concentration. Ultramafic rocks were digested with HNO3‐HF‐HClO4 and finally turned into 11 mol l−1 HCl solutions together with H3BO3 to remove insoluble fluorides. The removal of matrix elements was achieved during the loading procedure. Following this, REEs on RE resin, and Zr, Hf, Th and U on UTEVA resin were eluted with 10 ml of 0.24 mol l−1 HCl, with recoveries better than 94.4%. This method was validated using reference materials JP‐1, DTS‐2B, OKUM, UB‐N, MUH‐1 and DZΣ‐2, and the measurement results for target analytes were comparable to literature values, indicating its applicability to the determination of REEs, Zr, Hf, Th and U at ultra‐trace level in ultramafic rocks.
Applications of geoforensic trace evidence
Authors: Jeffery Adam J. , Pirrie Duncan , Pringle Jamie K. , Ruffell Alastair , Stimpson Ian G.
Published: July 2024

Geoforensic trace evidence studies can be crucial for law enforcement and civil/criminal prosecution and defence, to test potential links between suspect(s), crime scenes or forensic object(s). In addition, trace geological evidence can be used to identify forensic sites of interest such as clandestine graves of murder victims. However, geoforensic trace evidence also has applications in a range of other investigations. This article briefly details the current geoscientific methods used to assist in such investigations and uses recent case studies to illustrate their use.
Forensic geoscience on, and in, water
Authors: Ruffell Alastair , Pringle Jamie K. , Powell Neil , O'Keefe Amy , Wisniewski Kristopher D. , Hobson Luke
Published: July 2024

Geoscientists are being increasingly asked by law enforcement, environmental agencies and even wildlife trusts to investigate suspected illegal activities in and around water bodies for criminal or civil investigations. Searches and surveys in aquatic environments can be challenging, depending on the item(s) of interest that is being looked for, the available search teams and equipment and the search area. This article will briefly detail the current work of geoscientists in assisting these aquatic investigations, provide some relevant case studies and discuss future developments.
Aristotelian versus Platonic and Machiavellian interpretations of phronesis: A critical reflection on leadership and management education
Authors: Girado‐Sierra Jesús David , Gallego‐Ortiz María Camila , Thoene Ulf
Published: July 2024

Given the high incidence of corporate scandals, we are faced with reconsidering management theory, principles and education. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, we seek to show that it is necessary and possible to analyse current managerial and directive action in the light of Aristotle's ethical thought, specifically concerning phronesis (practical wisdom). The second aim is to highlight that the Platonic interpretation of phronesis as a matter of contemplative life contributes to an inadequate leadership style and ethical apathy. Furthermore, we claim that the Machiavellian interpretation of phronesis contributes to leadership based on manipulation and exclusion of morality in management. The third and final objective is to respond to these two interpretations by reviewing Aristotle's exceptional teachings on the relevance of phronesis as a special kind of wisdom in which good judgment, discernment and an adequate understanding of events for decision‐making converge. An essential claim of this paper is that Aristotle and his notion of phronesis, rather than Plato's or Machiavelli's, ought to inform contemporary debates in management scholarship and education. Aristotle's philosophical insights into practice, wisdom and more comprehensive ethics are highly relevant for public discourse in our contemporary societal context, especially for management education. Integrating phronesis into management and leadership education involves using case studies and experiential learning to teach practical wisdom and sound judgment.
Sheffield One‐Stop Service: A potential model to improve the screening uptake of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and other microvascular complications of diabetes
Authors: Sloan Gordon , Dela Pena Pepito , Andag‐Silva Aimee , Cunanan Elaine , Jimeno Cecilia , Robles Jeremy Jones , Tesfaye Solomon
Published: July 2024

The world is experiencing an enormous rise in the prevalence of diabetes, which is associated with massive healthcare costs that threaten to overwhelm many healthcare systems. Most of the diabetes expenditure is attributed to the management of chronic diabetes complications, including diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN)/diabetic foot complications, chronic kidney disease, sight‐threatening retinopathy and cardiovascular diseases. Of these complications, the most overlooked is DPN. Most consultations around the world do not even involve taking off shoes and socks to carry out a foot examination, and even when carried out, the peripheral neurological examination using the 10‐g monofilament diagnoses DPN when it is already at an advanced stage. Thus, all too often diabetes complications are diagnosed late, resulting in devastating outcomes, particularly in low‐ to middle‐income countries. There is, therefore, an urgent need to instigate new strategies to improve microvascular screening uptake using a holistic protocol for annual diabetes health checks outside the busy diabetes clinic. One such approach, the Sheffield One‐Stop Microvascular Screening Service, which involves modern point of care devices to diagnose DPN, has been shown to be feasible and effective, resulting in high uptake and early management of diabetes complications. This article outlines the advantages of this One‐Stop Microvascular Screening Service and a plan to trial an adapted version of this service to a resource‐limited country, the Philippines. If successful, this model has the potential for implementation in other countries around the world.
Double marginalization in the pricing of complements: The case of US freight railroads
Authors: Alexandrov Alexei , Pittman Russell , Ukhaneva Olga
Published: July 2024

Monopolists selling complementary products charge a higher price in a static equilibrium than a single (multiproduct) monopolist would, reducing both the industry profits and consumer surplus. Firms could instead reach a Pareto improvement by lowering prices to the single‐monopolist level. We analyze pricing data of railroad coal shipping in the United States. We compare a coal producer that needs to ship from A to C, with the route passing through B, in two cases: (1) the same railroad owning AB and BC and (2) different railroads owning AB and BC. We do not find that the price in case (2) is higher than the price in case (1), suggesting that the complementary monopolist pricing inefficiency is absent in this market. Our findings are robust to propensity score blocking, causal machine learning algorithms, and difference‐in‐differences analysis. Our results have implications for vertical mergers, tragedy of the anticommons, mergers of firms selling complements, elimination of double marginalization, and royalty stacking and patent thickets.
Methionine aminopeptidases: Potential therapeutic target for microsporidia and other microbes
Authors: Das Bhaskar C. , Chokkalingam Parthiban , Shareef Mohammed Adil , Shukla Srushti , Das Sasmita , Saito Mariko , Weiss Louis M.
Published: July 2024

Methionine aminopeptidases (MetAPs) have emerged as a target for medicinal chemists in the quest for novel therapeutic agents for treating cancer, obesity, and other disorders. Methionine aminopeptidase is a metalloenzyme with two structurally distinct forms in humans, MetAP‐1 and MetAP‐2. The MetAP2 inhibitor fumagillin, which was used as an amebicide in the 1950s, has been used for the successful treatment of microsporidiosis in humans; however, it is no longer commercially available. Despite significant efforts and investments by many pharmaceutical companies, no new MetAP inhibitors have been approved for the clinic. Several lead compounds have been designed and synthesized by researchers as potential inhibitors of MetAP and evaluated for their potential activity in a wide range of diseases. MetAP inhibitors such as fumagillin, TNP‐470, beloranib, and reversible inhibitors and their analogs guide new prospects for MetAP inhibitor development in the ongoing quest for new pharmacological indications. This perspective provides insights into recent advances related to MetAP, as a potential therapeutic target in drug discovery, bioactive small molecule MetAP2 inhibitors, and data on the role of MetAP‐2 as a therapeutic target for microsporidiosis.
Effects of different pretreatment on the drying characteristics and pectin properties of jujube by microwave coupled with pulsed vacuum drying
Authors: Zhao Dandan , Ji Zhuofan , Xia Yukun , Rao Huan , Zhang Zhentao , Jenis Janar , Hao Jianxiong
Published: July 2024

The effects of ultrasound (US), ultrahigh pressure (UP), cold plasma (CP), and high pressure and pulsed electric fields (PEF) pretreatments were evaluated for drying characteristics, bioactive components, and pectin properties of jujube slices during microwave coupled with pulsed vacuum drying (MPVD). US, CP, and PEF reduced drying time by 18.75%, while UP reduced it by 6.25%. Samples treated with US and PEF showed improved color and rehydration (345.11%, 319.24%), with SEM revealing larger pores post‐pretreatment. PEF‐treated jujube had highest phenol (16.95 mg GAE/g DW) and water‐soluble pectin(WSP) (43.71 mg/g AIR), correlating positively with rehydration (r = 0.67). CP had highest flavonoid content (17.01 mg RE/g DW) and US showed highest antioxidant activity (DPPH 80.57%, ABTS 89.65%). Chelate‐soluble pectin (CSP) Sodium carbonate‐soluble pectin (NSP) was positively correlated with hardness (r = 0.71, 0.69). These findings suggest pretreatments improve drying efficiency, nutrient retention, and pectin functionality in jujube products.  

Practical Applications

Drying for jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is the most common method of processing and ensure the sale. Three kinds of non‐thermal processing pretreatment method (ultrasound, ultrahigh pressure, and cold plasma) combined with novel drying method, microwave coupled pulsed vacuum drying (MPVD) was studied in the application on the dehydration of jujube slice in this paper. The drying characteristics and pectin properties of winter jujube were analyzed and treated by MPVD compared with freeze drying and hot air drying, for both technological research and processing practice. The drying kinetics, bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, sensory attributes, and pectin properties were also used as descriptors in order to promising dehydration method for obtaining high value‐added jujube products. Moreover, the relationship between the cell wall pectin and the phenols, hardness and crispness were analyzed, which give a new insight to study the changing scheme in the nutrients and the texture during the dehydration for fruits and vegetables.
Effectiveness of hyaluronic acid fillers for cheek augmentation using a treatment guide to choose between products
Authors: Nikolis Andreas , Bertucci Vince , Humphrey Shannon , Beleznay Katie , Bernstein Steven , Prygova Inna
Published: July 2024

Background

Patients can have different reasons for seeking cheek augmentation; while some are in need of volume augmentation, others may request projection and lifting. A treatment guide can be useful for treating clinicians in choosing the most suitable product.

Aims

This 8‐week, multicenter study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of cheek augmentation using a treatment guide to choose between study products HACON and HALYF.

Patients/Methods

Female subjects intending to undergo cheek augmentation were treated according to primary need for treatment—HACON for contouring or HALYF for projection. Treatments were performed according to approved labels. Assessments included Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) evaluations, subject satisfaction, subject‐perceived age (FACE‐Q), naturalness of facial expressions, 3D imaging analysis, and safety assessments.

Results

All subjects (n = 60) were assessed as aesthetically improved by the investigators 4 and 8 weeks after last injection. For all subjects, contouring or projection was achieved as planned with natural‐looking results. Subject satisfaction was high in both study groups. Volume change of the cheek area was statistically significant from baseline to Week 4 (p < 0.001), in both treatment groups and on both sides of the face. Overall, treatments were well tolerated with mainly mild adverse events related to treatment.

Conclusions

The proposed guide for product selection of HACON or HALYF for treatment of the cheek area was useful to achieve the primary treatment goal for both products. Treatments were well tolerated and associated with improved aesthetic appearance of the cheeks as well as high subject satisfaction.
Ultrasound rejuvenation for upper facial skin: A randomized blinded prospective study
Authors: Chen Wei , Deng Yuequ , Qiao Guanqun , Cai Wei
Published: July 2024

Background

Growing demand for facial rejuvenation drives advancements in these therapies, including laser, radiofrequency, and focused ultrasound, alongside thermal stimulation adjuncts. These methods, known for stimulating collagen regeneration, skin tightening, and lifting, have gained popularity due to their minimal side effects, low trauma, and high safety, demonstrating favorable outcomes in clinical practice.

Objective

We sought to assess the efficacy of ultrasound skin tightening for brow lift within the scope of a procedure addressing facial sagging across the entire face. Our aim was to explore a noninvasive method capable of effectively enhancing mild to moderate brow ptosis by tightening and lifting the skin in the upper facial region.

Methods

This was a rater‐blinded, prospective cohort study. The upper facial region of the participants was treated with the new device, micro‐focused ultrasound (MFU), in model D3.0/D2.0/M3.0. Outcomes of brow lift were measured in comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment photographs and three‐dimensional (3D) vector analysis.

Results

A total of 42 participants (37 females) were enrolled, with 2 participants withdrawing from the trial, resulting in 40 subjects who completed 180‐day‐follow‐up and evaluation. 35 (87.5%) were deemed to have clinically significant brow elevation by two blinded assessors (experienced clinicians) at 180‐day posttreatment (p < 0.01). The mean change in brow height after 90‐day was 2.16 ± 0.63 mm at the frontal position (straight‐ahead gaze) (p < 0.01). The 3D vector analysis reveals varying magnitudes of vector displacement in the upward and outward directions of the skin on the frontal region above the eyebrows.

Conclusion

Focused ultrasound appears to be a safe and effective method for upper facial skin rejuvenation. A single focused ultrasound treatment on the forehead and temple areas resulted in an average brow elevation of 2.1 mm.