bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integrated space-based building maintenance management model using multi-objective optimization
Authors: AL-Smadi Huthaifa , Al-Sakkaf Abobakr , Zayed Tarek , Nasiri Fuzhan
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to minimize cost and minimize building condition. Weibull distribution approach was employed to generate deterioration curves over time. The third floor of Concordia University’s Engineering And Visual Arts (EV) Complex in Montreal, Canada, served as a case study to test the maintenance model and determine the optimal maintenance activities to be performed.

Design/methodology/approach

This research has demonstrated that there is insufficient fund allocation for the maintenance of non-residential buildings. Therefore, this research focused on designing and developing a maintenance optimization model that provides the type of spaces (architectural system) in a building. Sensitivity analysis was used to calculate weights to validate the model. Particle swarm optimization, based explicitly on multiple objectives, was applied for the optimization problem using MATLAB.

Findings

Following 100 iterations, 13 non-dominant solutions were generated. Not only was the overall maintenance cost minimized, but the condition of the building was also maximized. Moreover, the condition prediction model demonstrated that the window system type has the most rapid deterioration in educational buildings.

Originality/value

The model is flexible and can be modified by facility managers to align with the required codes or standards.
Fluorescence quenching-based bodipy-boronic acid linked viologen dual system for potential glucose sensing applications
Authors: Demirel Topel Seda , Beyaz Mustafa İlker
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a non-enzymatic based glucose-sensing platform composed of Bodipy-BBV dual system which can be monitored by a photodetector under the blue LED excitation.

Design/methodology/approach

The sensor has been developed from a dual system including a fluorescent dye, an aldehyde derivative of boron dipyrromethene (Bodipy) and a quencher, orto-boronic acid linked viologen (o-BBV) where their combination resulted in a ratiometric fluorescence quenching in ethanol: PBS (1:1, pH:7.4) solution under UV light excitation. By glucose addition, o-BBV has been released from the Bodipy and binded to cis-diol groups of glucose, thereby fluorescence emission of Bodipy has been regained. Furthermore, a setup consisting of a light emitting diode (LED) and a photodiode (PD) was used to prove electrical detection of glucose without the need for expensive and bulky optical equipment, enabling the development of a miniaturized and low-cost glucose-sensing platform.

Findings

The fluorescence intensity of the Bodipy derivative in the solution (2 × 10−6 M) was diminished by 93% in the presence of o-BBV solution (5 × 10−3 M). Upon the glucose addition, 81% of the Bodipy fluorescence intensity has been recovered after introduction of 30 mM of glucose, where the ratio of o-BBV/Bodipy was 35:1. A linear response between 10 and 30 mM glucose concentration was obtained, which covers the biologically significant range. A high correlation between the photodiode current and Bodipy fluorescence intensity was achieved.

Originality/value

Even though Bodipy molecules are known with their superior optical properties and applied to the fluorescence-based detection of glucose, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no work has been reported on Bodipy-BBV dual system to detect glucose molecules as a non-enzymatic based method. This design enables the dye and the quencher to independently coexist in the solution, allowing for tuning of their individual concentrations to optimize the glucose sensitivity. Furthermore, an electrical light detection scheme consisting of a LED and a photodiode has been implemented to eliminate the bulky optical equipment from the measurement setup and further this work for the development of a compact and inexpensive sensor. The results presented here demonstrate the feasibility of this system for the development of a novel glucose sensor.
Tourism and carbon emissions: a bibliometric review of the last three decades: 1990–2021
Authors: Mishra Hari Govind , Pandita Shailesh , Bhat Aasif Ali , Mishra Ram Kumar , Sharma Sonali
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the diversified existing literature on tourism and carbon emissions using bibliometric analysis to churn down the multiple studies under one paper, which not only provides insights into the evolution and progress of the research area but also sets the future research agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted the Scientometrics review methodology based on the bibliometric analysis. Bibliometric analysis is conducted through the following techniques, namely, citation analysis, thematic mapping, country collaboration, co-citation analysis and co-occurrence of keywords with the help of R-based bibliometrix and visualization of similarities (VOS) viewer open-source software.

Findings

The study identified the most prominent authors, studies, journals, affiliations and countries in the field of sustainable tourism, as well as the most co-cited authors and journals, based on a bibliometric analysis of 398 research papers retrieved from the Scopus database during the past three decades (1990–2021). Moreover, some of the relevant themes identified by the authors are energy use and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission of the tourism sector, economic impacts of tourism and CO2emissions and CO2emissions and carbon tax.

Originality/value

The outcome of the selected studies is a unique contribution to the field of sustainable tourism as it is one of the first known studies to review tourism and carbon emissions. It provides in-depth bibliometric analysis of articles and identification of the important research trends.
Macroalgal and mangrove provenances demonstrate their relevance in contributing to the blue carbon pool of a tropical seagrass meadow
Authors: Hidayah Nur , Ng Chiew Tsann , Arina Natasha , Fairoz Mohammad , Rozaimi Mohammad
Published: October 2021

Mangroves, seagrasses and macroalgae form inter‐connected coastal habitats. They are involved in the direct and indirect sequestration and accumulation of blue carbon and are recognized for their role in climate change mitigation. Macroalgae, though residing within or in close proximity to these ecosystems are, however, not perceived as contributing to blue carbon storage. Such habitat connectivity among the mangrove, seagrass, and macroalgal compartments complicates a straightforward assessment of blue carbon storage. In this study, we assessed the contributions of these macrophytes as endmembers to the bulk organic carbon (OC) stocks in surficial (top 30 cm) and deep (31–100 cm) sediment layers of seagrass beds within the Sungai Pulai estuary (Malaysia). Organic carbon stocks in the seagrass sediments ranged from 14.3 to 21.4 Mg OC ha−1 (surficial depths), and 137.9 ± 23.3 (mean ± SE) Mg OC ha−1 for the deep layer. Mangrove‐derived matter contributed a maximum of 65% to the bulk OC pool. The existence of downcore variability indicated that macroalgae contributed up to 16% and were higher than seagrass sources (12%). Our results suggest that macroalgal‐derived and mangrove‐derived organic matter are important contributors to OC sequestration in the estuary. In view of the heterogeneous OC pool that contributes to bulk OC stocks, placing importance on only one OC source may construe an incomplete profile of habitat‐specific capacity for OC storage. This has wider implications for understanding OC subsidies, the effects of which are particularly relevant when one considers the impacts of coastal land use changes on blue carbon storage.
Massive investments in flowers were in vain: Mass flowering after a century did not bear fruit in the bamboo Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis
Authors: Kobayashi Keito , Umemura Mitsutoshi , Kitayama Kanehiro , Onoda Yusuke
Published: October 2021

Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis (Poales: Poaceae) is a tall, temperate bamboo species that has a long monocarpic life history with a flowering interval of around 120 years that is often conspicuously synchronized across a wide geographical area. Interestingly, observations of the last major flowering event, which was about a century ago, suggested that mature seeds were rarely produced as a consequence. As this bamboo has recently started flowering across Japan after a century of silence, we seek to understand its reproductive strategy by quantifying the following four issues: (1) flowering patterns within stands, (2) the presence or absence of mature seeds, (3) resource allocations to reproductive parts, and (4) asexual regrowth capacity after mass flowering. We conducted field surveys at five flowering bamboo stands in Japan. At each, many spikelets were found, but neither mature seeds nor seedlings. During the mass flowering, large amounts of resources were allocated to reproductive parts, accounting for 57% of the aboveground nitrogen pool and 63% of the aboveground phosphorus pool. These results indicate that the accumulated resources were used for flowers, but not for seed production, and thus apparently in vain. While most of the flowering ramets appeared to die, dwarf ramets (mostly less than 1 m in height) typically regenerated from the remaining belowground rhizomes and seem to be critical for maintaining the bamboo stands. This apparently inefficient sexual reproductive strategy still exists (without local extinction) perhaps due to the vigorous clonal growth system and to human‐assisted distribution.
Paragons, Mavericks and Innovators—A typology of orthopaedic surgeons' professional identities. A comparative case study of evidence‐based practice
Authors: Grove Amy , Pope Catherine , Currie Graeme , Clarke Aileen
Published: October 2021

Clinical guidelines, as vehicles for evidence‐based practice (EBP) attempt to standardize health‐care practice, reduce variation and increase quality. However, their use for surgery has been contested, and often resisted. This article examines professional responses to EBP in hip replacement surgery using data from case study observations and interviews in three English orthopaedic departments. A professional identity perspective is adopted to explain how standardization through EBP, represents an empirical phenomenon around which surgeons enact their identities as Paragons, Mavericks or Innovators, to enhance legitimacy and stratify themselves in their response to EBP. Attention is drawn to variation between Paragon surgeons working in university (teaching) hospitals and Maverick and Innovator types located in general hospitals, and the ways this interacts with adoption of EBP. The typology shows how practice variation is related to surgeons' tendencies to align to characteristic types, with distinct social processes, power and prestige, and which are in turn influenced by organizational context. The dynamics of EBP and professional identity continues to limit attempts to standardize surgical practice. The typology contributes to the understanding of failures to follow EBP, as associated with the identities individuals create and negotiate, and with identity narratives used to legitimize differing responses to EBP.
Hypofibrinogenaemia and hypocalcaemia in adult trauma patients receiving pre‐hospital packed red blood cell transfusions: Potential for supplementary pre‐hospital therapeutic interventions
Authors: Bodnar Daniel , Stevens Zoe , Williams Sue , Handy Michael , Rashford Steven , Brown Nathan J
Published: October 2021

Objective

To report the arrival ionised calcium (iCa) and fibrinogen concentrations in trauma patients treated with packed red blood cells by the road‐based high‐acuity response units of a metropolitan ambulance service.

Methods

A retrospective review of trauma patients treated with packed red blood cells by high‐acuity response units between January 2012 and December 2016. Patients were identified from databases at southeast Queensland adult trauma centres, Pathology Queensland Central Transfusion Laboratory, Gold Coast University Hospital blood bank and the Queensland Ambulance Service. Patient characteristics, results of laboratory tests within 30 min of ED arrival were analysed.

Results

A total of 164 cases were analysed. The median injury severity score was 33.5 (interquartile range 22–41), with blunt trauma the commonest mechanism of injury (n = 128, 78.0%). Fifty‐eight of the 117 patients (24.4%) with fibrinogen measured had a fibrinogen concentration ≤1.5 g/L; 79 of the 123 patients (64.2%) with an international normalised ratio (INR) measurement had an INR >1.2; 97 of 148 patients (63.8%) with an iCa measured, had an iCa below the Pathology Queensland reference range of 1.15–1.32 mmol/L. Arrival fibrinogen concentration ≤1.5 g/L and arrival iCa ≤1.00 were associated with in‐hospital mortality with odds ratio 11.90 (95% confidence interval 4.50–31.65) and odds ratio 4.97 (95% confidence interval 1.42–17.47), respectively.

Conclusions

Hypocalcaemia and hypofibrinogenaemia on ED arrival were common in this cohort. Future work should evaluate whether outcomes improve by correction of these deficits during the pre‐hospital phase of trauma care.
A standardized effect size for evaluating and comparing the strength of phylogenetic signal
Authors: Collyer Michael L. , Baken Erica K. , Adams Dean C.
Published: October 2021

Macroevolutionary studies frequently characterize the phylogenetic signal in phenotypes; however, analytical tools for comparing the strength of that signal across traits remain largely underdeveloped.

We developed a non‐parametric, permutation test for the log‐likelihood of an evolutionary model, plus a standardized statistic,, from this test, which can be considered a phylogenetic signal effect size. This statistic can be used in two‐sample tests to compare the strength of phylogenetic signal for multiple traits.

We performed simulation experiments that revealed thathad a linear association with Pagel's, which could be predicted by tree size, plus could be quickly interpreted as a hypothesis for phylogenetic signal based on a standard normal distribution. We additionally found that the permutation test had greater statistical power for detecting phylogenetic signal than parametric likelihood ratio tests, especially for small trees.

The analytical framework we present extends the phylogenetic comparative methods toolkit, allowing for statistical comparison of phylogenetic signal in multiple traits. Future studies could also consider this framework for the comparison of different evolutionary models, especially in light of different null processes.
Neuroscience and Narrative
Authors: Mehl‐Madrona Lewis , Mainguy Barbara
Published: October 2021

The narrative template is the form into which consciousness populates its memories and assembles a coherent self. A specific brain circuit exists to create and comprehend story. This circuit generates simulations or small stories, mostly about the important people in our lives and about ourselves. A salience network helps us switch between story brain and central‐executive function or task mode, in which we get things done. Memory is not stored accurately but more as a skeletal framework with gaps to which we add generic detail upon recall. At each recall, the memory changes in accordance with the demands of the situation in which we find ourselves and is re‐stored in that modification. A simple narrative structure characterizes the activity of the default mode in which characters interact sequentially with beliefs and intents (theory of mind) to produce outcomes that are more or less desirable to us. People are fundamentally narrative, whether or not they are conscious of the stories they generate. Memory is fundamentally flawed with gaps that are filled at recall to fit the needs of the situation for which our story is being told. Life may be more fiction than we have previously realized. Our goal is a conceptual review of narrative concepts in relation to neuroscience and neuroscience in relation to narrative concepts.
Racial and ethnic differences in abdominal soft tissue sarcoma incidence in New Zealand: a retrospective audit
Authors: Russell Michael , Mackay Georgia , Hooshyari Ali , Meyer Juliette Arianna , O'Hagan Lomani , Cranshaw Isaac
Published: October 2021

Background

Soft tissue sarcomas are a rare and heterogenous group of tumours. Anecdotally there seems to be an over representation of patients of Māori ethnicity presented at the Auckland Regional Sarcoma Multidisciplinary Meeting (MDM). To date no study has reported on ethnicity demographics of abdominal and retroperitoneal sarcoma in New Zealand. The aim of this study is to characterize the ethnicity distribution of patients discussed at the regional MDM.

Methods

A retrospective audit was performed of patients presented at the Auckland Regional Sarcoma MDM between January 2015 and December 2020 with abdominal sarcoma. Ethnicity documentation for these patients was reviewed.

Results

One hundred and twenty‐four patients with intra‐abdominal and retroperitoneal tumours were discussed at MDM with 61 proceeding for resection, of those 43 (70.5%) were primary tumours, 10 (16.4%) were recurrent tumours and 8 (13.1%) had metastatic disease. Liposarcoma made up 56 (45.2%) cases, Leiomyosarcoma 33 (26.6%), Other 35 (28.2%). Ethnicities for this group specifically were European 64 (51.6%), Māori 31 (25.0%), Pacific Peoples 17 (13.7%), Asian 6 (4.8%) and Other/unknown 3(2.4%). This was found to be statistically significantly different to the expected ethnicity distribution based on 2018 census data from North Island DHBs (χ2 = 19.55, p = 0.00), with Māori and Pacific Peoples being over‐represented and Asian patients being under‐represented. Recommendation for surgery did not appear to be related to ethnicity.

Conclusion

Our descriptive data shows a higher proportion of patients of Māori ethnicity discussed through the North Island regional sarcoma MDM than we would expect comparted to ethnicity distribution in the general population. It is unclear whether this represents a true difference in incidence based on ethnicity.
Transgastric laparoendoscopic approach to tumours of the stomach
Authors: Yahya Zarif , Liu David S. , Foo Gary , Aly Ahmad
Published: October 2021

Background

There is currently limited data to reassure the technical efficacy, particularly in attaining clear margins, through a transgastric laparo‐endoscopic approach to resecting tumours located near the gastroesophageal junction (GOJ) or the pylorus.

Methods

Single institution retrospective analysis of all cases from 1 April 2008 to 31 Dec 2019.

Results

Overall, 34 patients (38 tumours) underwent transgastric laparo‐endoscopic resection. Of these, 27 (71.1%) and 5 (14.7%) cases were located close to the GOJ and pylorus respectively. Three (8.0%) cases were converted to conventional laparoscopic excision. No anatomical gastric resection was required. The mean (SD) operative time was 167.5 (64.2) minutes and reduced with increasing experience. The median (IQR) length‐of‐stay was 3.0 (3.0–4.5) days. Major post‐operative complication (Clavian–Dindo ≥3) occurred in 1 (2.9%) patient, which required surgical control of staple line bleeding. The most common pathology was gastrointestinal stromal tumour (71.1%), followed by leiomyoma (10.5%), schwannoma (5.2%), dysplastic polyp (5.2%), and neuroendocrine tumour (2.6%). The mean (SD) tumour diameter was 3.9 (2.1) cm (largest 10.1 cm, 10 cases >5 cm). Resection margins were clear in all cases. We found no evidence of tumour recurrence or gastric stenosis at a median follow‐up of 88 months.

Conclusion

Transgastric laparo‐endoscopic resection of junctional and pyloric tumours with low metastatic potential is technically feasible. This approach achieved clear resection margins in all our cases, with acceptable perioperative and longer‐term outcomes.
The Countersovereignty of Critical Infrastructure Security: Settler‐State Anxiety versus the Pipeline Blockade
Authors: Bosworth Kai , Chua Charmaine
Published: October 2021

Scholars argue that blockades of infrastructure pose an economic threat to capital circulation. This explains how activists can gain power through strategic spatial occupations and why states seek to protect “critical infrastructure” from disruption. However, Indigenous‐led blockades of pipelines gain power not (only) by disrupting economic flows alone, but by eliciting state anxieties about the racialised political, psychic and economic project of settler colonialism. Analysing public discourse surrounding the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, including legislative measures introduced to criminalise protest since the blockade at Standing Rock, we reframe critical infrastructure security as a component operation of settler countersovereignty. The criminalisation of Indigenous dissent through the state’s escalation of protest legislation is an investment in maintaining settler political authority, leading us to conclude that blockades must be understood not only as a form of anti‐capitalist resistance, but also as a locus of anti‐colonial struggle.
Distinguishing outcomes of neonatal intestinal volvulus: Review of our experience over the last 20 years
Authors: Maya‐Enero Silvia , Prat‐Ortells Jordi , Martín‐Solé Oriol , De Haro‐Jorge Irene , Pertierra‐Cortada Àfrica , Iriondo‐Sanz Martín
Published: October 2021

Aim

There are two types of intestinal volvulus: midgut (MGV) and segmental (SV). Patients with different types of intestinal volvulus are often included in the same case series, which may affect the perception of how severe "intestinal volvuli" are. We aimed to compare both types of intestinal volvulus.

Methods

This is a retrospective observational study including all patients with MGV and SV up to 28 days of life admitted to a tertiary hospital in Spain over a 20‐year‐period (1999–2019). A comparison between groups and a logistic regression model for mortality were done.

Results

We identified 32 patients: 23 MGV and 9 SV. Malrotation was exclusive of MGV. Prenatal diagnosis, cystic fibrosis, and intestinal resection were significantly more frequent in SV. Surgery was performed at a significantly lower age in SV. The mortality observed in acute MGV with intestinal compromise (41.7%) is four times higher than the mortality of SV (11.1%). The overall mortality of all MGV patients (21.7%) is almost twice that of SV. Mortality was best predicted by the presence of hemodynamic instability (OR 27.5 95% CI 2.50–302.17; p = 0.007).

Conclusion

SV and MGV have a different clinical presentation. Hemodynamic instability is the major risk factor for death.
Aligning green infrastructure to sustainable development: A geographical contribution to an ongoing debate
Authors: De Vito Laura , Staddon Chad , Zuniga‐Teran Adriana A. , Gerlak Andrea K. , Schoeman Yolandi , Hart Aimee , Booth Giles
Published: October 2021

Blue and green infrastructure (BGI) is increasingly viewed as a promising solution to promoting a shift beyond traditionally engineered “grey” approaches towards more socially and environmentally sustainable infrastructure systems. The specific insights of geographical scholarship on how to address issues of processes, scale, and place in BGI design, implementation, and long‐term management would help unlock the potential for BGI to be appropriate and inclusive, as well as support environmentally sound solutions. In this paper we unpack issues of processes for inclusive decision‐making to design and implement BGI projects that can advance sustainable development. We present an assessment framework and its application to two case studies that highlight the potential for better alignment of BGI projects to the three pillars of sustainable development and that reveal key research challenges that geographical scholarship could address. We believe that co‐produced geographical research in this domain is well placed to tackle these research challenges.
Functional additive models for optimizing individualized treatment rules
Authors: Park Hyung , Petkova Eva , Tarpey Thaddeus , Ogden R. Todd
Published: October 2021

A novel functional additive model is proposed, which is uniquely modified and constrained to model nonlinear interactions between a treatment indicator and a potentially large number of functional and/or scalar pretreatment covariates. The primary motivation for this approach is to optimize individualized treatment rules based on data from a randomized clinical trial. We generalize functional additive regression models by incorporating treatment‐specific components into additive effect components. A structural constraint is imposed on the treatment‐specific components in order to provide a class of additive models with main effects and interaction effects that are orthogonal to each other. If primary interest is in the interaction between treatment and the covariates, as is generally the case when optimizing individualized treatment rules, we can thereby circumvent the need to estimate the main effects of the covariates, obviating the need to specify their form and thus avoiding the issue of model misspecification. The methods are illustrated with data from a depression clinical trial with electroencephalogram functional data as patients' pretreatment covariates.
Severe histomorphological alterations in post‐mortem olfactory glomeruli in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Son Gowoon , Steinbusch Harry W. M. , López‐Iglesias Carmen , Moon Cheil , Jahanshahi Ali
Published: October 2021

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia. Key AD symptoms include memory and cognitive decline; however, comorbid symptoms such as depression and sensory‐perceptual dysfunction are often reported. Among these, a deterioration of olfactory sensation is observed in approximately 90% of AD patients. However, the precise pathophysiological basis underlying olfactory deficits because of AD remains elusive. The olfactory glomeruli in the olfactory bulb (OB) receive sensory information in the olfactory processing pathway. Maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the olfactory glomerulus is critical to olfactory signalling. Herein, we conducted an in‐depth histopathological assessment to reveal detailed structural alterations in the olfactory glomeruli in AD patients. Fresh frozen post‐mortem OB specimens obtained from six AD patients and seven healthy age‐matched individuals were examined. We used combined immunohistochemistry and stereology to assess the gross morphology and histological alterations, such as those in the expression of Aβ protein, microglia, and neurotransmitters in the OB. Electron microscopy was employed to study the ultrastructural features in the glomeruli. Significant accumulation of Aβ, morphologic damage, altered neurotransmitter levels, and microgliosis in the olfactory glomeruli of AD patients suggests that glomerular damage could affect olfactory function. Moreover, greater neurodegeneration was observed in the ventral olfactory glomeruli of AD patients. The synaptic ultrastructure revealed distorted postsynaptic densities and a decline in presynaptic vesicles in AD specimens. These findings show that the primary olfactory pathway is affected by the pathogenesis of AD, and may provide clues to identifying the mechanism involved in olfactory dysfunction in AD.
GET4 is a novel driver gene in colorectal cancer that regulates the localization of BAG6, a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein
Authors: Koike Kensuke , Masuda Takaaki , Sato Kuniaki , Fujii Atsushi , Wakiyama Hiroaki , Tobo Taro , Takahashi Junichi , Motomura Yushi , Nakano Takafumi , Saito Hideyuki , Matsumoto Yoshihiro , Otsu Hajime , Takeishi Kazuki , Yonemura Yusuke , Mimori Koshi , Nakagawa Takashi
Published: October 2021

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of cancer and a significant cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Further improvements of CRC therapeutic approaches are needed. BCL2‐associated athanogene 6 (BAG6), a multifunctional scaffold protein, plays an important role in tumor progression. However, regulation of BAG6 in malignancies remains unclear. This study showed that guided entry of tail‐anchored proteins factor 4 (GET4), a component of the BAG6 complex, regulates the intercellular localization of BAG6 in CRC. Furthermore, GET4 was identified as a candidate driver gene on the short arm of chromosome 7, which is often amplified in CRC, by our bioinformatics approach using the CRC dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Clinicopathologic and prognostic analyses using CRC datasets showed that GET4 was overexpressed in tumor cells due to an increased DNA copy number. High GET4 expression was an independent poor prognostic factor in CRC, whereas BAG6 was mainly overexpressed in the cytoplasm of tumor cells without gene alteration. The biological significance of GET4 was examined using GET4 KO CRC cells generated with CRISPR‐Cas9 technology or transfected CRC cells. In vitro and in vivo analyses showed that GET4 promoted tumor growth. It appears to facilitate cell cycle progression by cytoplasmic enrichment of BAG6‐mediated p53 acetylation followed by reduced p21 expression. In conclusion, we showed that GET4 is a novel driver gene and a prognostic biomarker that promotes CRC progression by inducing the cytoplasmic transport of BAG6. GET4 could be a promising therapeutic molecular target in CRC.
Hsa_circ_0005576 promotes osimertinib resistance through the miR‐512‐5p/IGF1R axis in lung adenocarcinoma cells
Authors: Liu Suo , Jiang Zhibin , Xiao Peng , Li Xiaozhi , Chen Yinji , Tang Hao , Chai Yanfei , Liu Yicai , Zhu Zhao , Xie Qianyi , He Wei , Ma Yuchao , Jin Longyu , Feng Wei
Published: October 2021

Osimertinib is a third‐generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR‐TKI) for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) harboring activating mutations, but patients ultimately develop acquired resistance. Circular RNAs are involved in EGFR‐TKI resistance, while the role of hsa_circ_0005576 in the osimertinib resistance of LUAD remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that hsa_circ_0005576 could facilitate osimertinib‐resistant LUAD cells. Briefly, knockdown of hsa_circ_0005576 not only suppressed the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of resistant LUAD cells, but also increased their sensitivity to osimertinib. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0005576, serving as an miRNA sponge, could directly interact with miR‐512‐5p and subsequently upregulate the miR‐512‐5p‐targeted insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor. Rescue assays indicated that miR‐512‐5p inhibition could reverse the effects of hsa_circ_0005576 knockdown in LUAD cells resistant to osimertinib. Overall, our study revealed that hsa_circ_0005576 regulates proliferation and apoptosis through miR‐512‐5p/IGF1R signaling, which contributes further to the resistance of LUAD cells to osimertinib. In addition, this study provides a novel insight into the mechanisms underlying osimertinib resistance of LUAD.
Children strategically conceal selfishness
Authors: Gonzalez Gorana , Ahl Richard E. , Cordes Sara , McAuliffe Katherine
Published: October 2021

Can children exploit knowledge asymmetries to get away with selfishness? This question was addressed by testing 6‐ to 9‐year‐old children (N = 164; 81 girls) from the Northeastern United States in a modified Ultimatum Game. Children were assigned to the roles of proposers (who offered some proportion of an endowment) and responders (who could accept or reject offers). Both players in the Informed condition knew the endowment quantity in each trial. However, in the Uninformed condition, only proposers knew this information. In this condition, many proposers made “strategically selfish” offers that seemed fair based on the responders’ incomplete knowledge but were actually highly selfish. These results indicate that even young children possess the ability to deceive others about their selfishness.
Power, politics, and culture of marine conservation technology in fisheries
Authors: Jenkins Lekelia D.
Published: October 2021

The term conservation technology is applied widely and loosely to any technology connected to conservation. This overly broad understanding can lead to confusion around the actual mechanisms of conservation in a technological system, which can result in neglect and underdevelopment of the human dimensions of conservation technology. Ultimately, this hinders its effectiveness as technological fixes for conservation problems. Through a process of concept mapping based on key case studies and literature, I devised precise definitions of marine conservation technology and technological marine conservation system. Concerns about the use of marine conservation technologies included unintended consequences, halfway technologies that address the symptoms but not the causes of problems, and misguided techno‐optimism (i.e., technology is a panacea that can solve any problem). Technology and technological systems can have power, politics, and culture, and these characteristics can influence the contextual fit of a technology, requiring that technology be thoughtfully created or adapted to the circumstances in which it will be used. Power, politics, and culture inherent in technology can also influence the distribution of conservation risks and benefits and potentially widen gaps in wealth, privilege, opportunities, and justice. Addressing these concerns can potentially be achieved through the better integration of social sciences in marine conservation technology and technological marine conservation system design and development and the application of the social‐ecological‐technological systems framework. This framework melds key concepts from the socioecological systems framework and science and technology studies. It recognizes as and elevates technology to be a central actor that can shape societies and the natural world. Such a framework incorporates broader understanding, so that the values and concerns of society are more effectively addressed in the creation and implementation of marine conservation technologies and technological marine conservation systems.
Population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic assessment of imipenem/cilastatin/relebactam in patients with hospital‐acquired/ventilator‐associated bacterial pneumonia
Authors: Patel Munjal , Bellanti Francesco , Daryani Naveen M. , Noormohamed Nadia , Hilbert David W. , Young Katherine , Kulkarni Pooja , Copalu William , Gheyas Ferdous , Rizk Matthew L.
Published: October 2021

In the phase III RESTORE‐IMI 2 study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02493764), the combination antibacterial agent imipenem/cilastatin/relebactam (IMI/REL) demonstrated noninferiority to piperacillin/tazobactam for the end points of all‐cause mortality at day 28 and favorable clinical response at the early follow‐up visit in adult participants with gram‐negative hospital‐acquired bacterial pneumonia/ventilator‐associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP). Existing population pharmacokinetic models for imipenem (IPM) and REL were updated using data from patients with HABP/VABP from RESTORE‐IMI 2. Creatinine clearance (CrCl), body weight, infection type, and ventilation status were significant covariates in the updated model. The following simulations were performed to calculate the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic joint probability of target attainment among patients with HABP/VABP and varying degrees of renal function: augmented renal clearance (CrCl ≥150 ml/min), normal renal function (CrCl ≥90 to <150 ml/min), renal impairment (mild, CrCl ≥60 to <90 ml/min; moderate, CrCl ≥30 to <60 ml/min; or severe, CrCl ≥15 to <30 ml/min), and end‐stage renal disease (CrCl <15 ml/min). At the recommended IMI/REL dosing regimens across renal categories, greater than 90% of patients in all renal function groups were predicted to achieve joint pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic targets at a minimum inhibitory concentration breakpoint of ≤2 μg/ml, regardless of ventilation status. This modeling and simulation analysis supports use of the recommended IMI/REL dosing regimens, adjusted based on renal function, in patients with HABP/VABP.
Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of internet‐mediated ‘relapse prevention therapy’ for patients with alcohol use disorder: A pilot study
Authors: Sharma Anu , Das Karobi , Sharma Sunita , Ghosh Abhishek
Published: October 2021

Introduction

To assess the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of synchronous internet‐mediated relapse prevention therapy (i‐RPT) in alcohol use disorder.

Methods

This was a pilot, quasi‐experimental study. Thirty‐two adult men with alcohol use disorder were recruited through purposive sampling from an outpatient setting. We assessed patterns of drinking, craving, motivation and coping. Patients received five twice‐weekly sessions of i‐RPT. They were reassessed 12 weeks post‐intervention (CTRI Trial REF/2020/09/036392).

Results

Thirty‐two (48%) of the 67 patients fulfilled the eligibility criteria and all consented to the study. All participants completed at least two sessions and 23 (71.9%) completed all five sessions. Two‐thirds of participants reported high satisfaction in the Telehealth Satisfaction Questionnaire. We observed modest intervention effects on days of abstinence in both per‐protocol (P <0.001; r = 0.6) and worst‐case (P <0.001, r = 0.5) analyses. There were also reductions in the amount of alcohol use, frequency of drinking and heavy drinking, craving and maladaptive coping behaviours. Per‐protocol analysis revealed a positive post‐intervention change in the motivational level to change alcohol use.

Conclusion

iRPT appears to be feasible, acceptable and possibly effective in alcohol use disorder.
Existing approaches and future directions to link macroecology, macroevolution and conservation prioritization
Authors: Zizka Alexander , Barratt Christopher D. , Ritter Camila Duarte , Joerger‐Hickfang Theresa , Zizka Vera M. A.
Published: October 2021

Due to increasing human transformation of virtually all habitats on Earth, setting global priorities for conservation is essential. The emerging disciplines of macroecology and macroevolution (MEE) can provide a global perspective and information for such prioritization but remain relatively separated from conservation prioritization, partly because MEE researchers are unaware of the requirements for effective conservation prioritization and existing approaches implementing these. Indeed, existing approaches for conservation prioritization at large scale are scattered across literature. Here, we systematically review this literature and provide a guideline for researchers in MEE as to which of approaches might be suitable for their needs. From >11 000 scientific publications, we identified 134 methods suitable for commonly used MEE data and geographic scale. Furthermore, we use a ‘trait matrix' to identify families of similar approaches and to design a guideline to select the most suitable method, given a user‐defined set of data and analysis scope. The guidelines are freely available via the conserveR R‐package (). Finally, we used our review to identify increasing scalability, continuous monitoring and the integration of molecular, remote sensing and animal movement data as key areas for future impacts of MEE in conservation prioritization. We anticipate that our review can serve as a guide to MEE researchers interested in linking their data to conservation as well as for conservation scientists interested in using MEE approaches.
Modelling species presence‐only data with random forests
Authors: Valavi Roozbeh , Elith Jane , Lahoz‐Monfort José J. , Guillera‐Arroita Gurutzeta
Published: October 2021

The random forest (RF) algorithm is an ensemble of classification or regression trees and is widely used, including for species distribution modelling (SDM). Many researchers use implementations of RF in the R programming language with default parameters to analyse species presence‐only data together with ‘background' samples. However, there is good evidence that RF with default parameters does not perform well for such ‘presence‐background' modelling. This is often attributed to the disparity between the number of presence and background samples, also known as 'class imbalance', and several solutions have been proposed. Here, we first set the context: the background sample should be large enough to represent all environments in the region. We then aim to understand the drivers of poor performance of RF when models are fitted to presence‐only species data alongside background samples. We show that 'class overlap' (where both classes occur in the same environment) is an important driver of poor performance, alongside class imbalance. Class overlap can even degrade performance for presence–absence data. We explain, test and evaluate suggested solutions. Using simulated and real presence‐background data, we compare performance of default RF with other weighting and sampling approaches. Our results demonstrate clear evidence of improvement in the performance of RFs when techniques that explicitly manage imbalance are used. We show that these either limit or enforce tree depth. Without compromising the environmental representativeness of the sampled background, we identify approaches to fitting RF that ameliorate the effects of imbalance and overlap and allow excellent predictive performance. Understanding the problems of RF in presence‐background modelling allows new insights into how best to fit models, and should guide future efforts to best deal with such data.
Human‐induced evolution: Signatures, processes and mechanisms underneath anthropogenic footprints on natural systems
Authors: Baltazar‐Soares Miguel , Brans Kristien I. , Eizaguirre Christophe
Published: October 2021

The impact of human activities on the global environment has increased to such an extent that the current geological era has been coined the Anthropocene. Studies dedicated to understanding the evolutionary consequences of human‐induced selection on all levels of diversity (species, populations, traits, genes) provide direct knowledge about the mechanisms underlying species' responses and their evolutionary potential. A better understanding of the effects of human‐induced selection is needed to leverage evolved mechanisms to develop appropriate conservation programmes to guarantee the maintenance of healthy systems. In this special issue, we focus on different types of human‐mediated selection pressures, from the direct harvesting of individuals (e.g. hunting, fishing), to the more pervasive effects of climate change. Contributions highlight the diversity of human‐induced selection pressures ranging from fisheries, trophy‐hunting, poaching and domestication to climate change, and pollution. With those, we question whether there are parallel evolutionary solutions across fisheries systems, whether hunting pressures alter population dynamics and population structure, and whether climate change is an evolutionary dead‐end. The contributions reflect the direction of travel of the field and the solutions to mitigate the impact of human activities.
Experimental investigation of the fatigue crack growth behavior in wire arc additively manufactured ER100S‐1 steel specimens
Authors: Ermakova Anna , Ganguly Supriyo , Razavi Nima , Berto Filippo , Mehmanparast Ali
Published: October 2021

Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is an advanced fabrication technology for the rapid and efficient production of large‐scale engineering structures. In order to design WAAM components for a given loading condition, it is essential to characterize the mechanical and failure behavior of the parts. In this study, the performance of ER100S‐1 low carbon steel has been investigated by performing fatigue crack growth tests on compact tension specimens extracted from a WAAM built wall. The experimental results have been compared with the recommended trends in the BS7910 standard and with data available in the literature. Metallurgical investigations have been carried out to explore the microstructural effects on the fatigue behavior of the WAAM built components. The specimen location and orientation effects were comprehensively examined, and the results are discussed in terms of the influence of macroscopic and microscopic deformation on the overall response of the WAAM built components under fatigue loading conditions.
Non‐indigenous molluscs in the Eastern Mediterranean have distinct traits and cannot replace historic ecosystem functioning
Authors: Steger Jan , Bošnjak Marija , Belmaker Jonathan , Galil Bella S. , Zuschin Martin , Albano Paolo G.
Published: October 2021

Aim

A large body of ecological theory predicts that non‐indigenous species (NIS) are successful invaders if their niches overlap little with native taxa. Native–non‐indigenous trait dissimilarity, however, may also be observed if NIS have outcompeted ecologically similar native species. Discriminating these scenarios is essential for assessing invasion impacts but requires baseline assemblage data that are frequently unavailable. We overcome this impediment by analysing death assemblages – identifiable organism remains in the seafloor – which are natural community archives. Focusing on molluscs from the heavily invaded Eastern Mediterranean, we gain insights into the contentious role of competitive displacement by NIS as the primary driver of the massive regional declines of native populations, and their potential to alter ecosystem functioning.

Location

Israel/Eastern Mediterranean.

Time period

Pre‐Lessepsian invasion (pre‐1869) to contemporary.

Major taxa studied

Mollusca.

Methods

We sampled molluscan living and death assemblages from various substrates on the Israeli shelf and compiled trait information on all constituent species. We then compared the abundance‐weighted trait composition and functional diversity of native and non‐indigenous assemblage components. Death assemblage time‐coverage was quantified radiometrically.

Results

Native and non‐indigenous assemblage components consistently differed in trait composition, both in present‐day (i.e., living) and historical (i.e., death) assemblages, irrespective of habitat conditions. Furthermore, present‐day non‐indigenous assemblage components had a different trait composition than historical native assemblages. These findings suggest that the increasing NIS dominance has considerably altered the functional properties of shallow‐water molluscan assemblages.

Main conclusions

By utilizing death assemblages, we show that native and non‐indigenous assemblage components have differed in trait composition since the onset of the invasion, suggesting that competition was unlikely the primary driver of the regional‐scale native biodiversity loss. Our findings, however, also imply that NIS cannot functionally compensate for native species disappearance. Instead, the transition towards increasingly NIS‐dominated assemblages has profoundly altered ecosystem functioning, with unknown consequences.