bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multidisciplinary Initiative to Increase Guideline-concordant Antibiotic Prescription at Discharge for Hospitalized Children with Uncomplicated Community-acquired Pneumonia
Authors: Yonts Alexandra B. , O’Neill Laura B. , Magyar Matthew A. , Bozzella Michael J.
Published: December 2023

Background:

Clinical practice guidelines recommend using narrow-spectrum antibiotics to treat uncomplicated pneumonia in children. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to evaluate if QI methods could improve guideline-concordant antibiotic prescribing at hospital discharge for children with uncomplicated pneumonia.

Methods:

For this single-center QI project, we implemented QI interventions in serial plan-do-study-act cycles, focusing on the key drivers targeting general pediatric inpatient resident teams. Interventions included: (1)Small bimonthly group didactic sessions, (2)Visual job aids posted in resident work areas, and (3) A noon conference session. Balancing measures included postdischarge emergency room visits, readmission and adverse drug reactions.

Results:

To establish a baseline rate, we conducted a chart review of 112 children diagnosed with uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia during hospitalization from July 2017 through January 2019. The average monthly percentage of children discharged with guideline-concordant antibiotics was 67%. The intervention period was from February 2019 through February 2020, with 118 children meeting the criteria after a review of 262 charts. After our interventions, the average monthly percentage of children discharged with guideline-concordant antibiotics increased to 87%, with the increase persisting for at least 12 months. There were no significant differences in balancing measures pre- and post-interventions.

Conclusions:

Our QI initiative sustained increased rates of uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia guideline-concordant antibiotic prescribing at discharge over 12 months without an increase in balancing measures. The enduring changes in prescribing behavior suggest a lasting impact of our interventions.
The Pedicled Sensate Osteocutaneous Groin Flap for Reconstruction of the Forearm and Hand
Authors: Turan Aydin
Published: December 2023

Background

The groin flap is axial pedicled and versatile. Until now, this flap has been used with many modifications for the reconstruction of forearm and hand defects. However, this flap has not been used in forearm, hand, and thumb reconstruction as a pedicled sensate osteocutaneous flap. In this study, a pedicled sensate osteocutaneous groin flap was used for the reconstruction of composite tissue defects on the forearm, hand, and thumb.

Patients and Methods

A pedicled sensate osteocutaneous groin flap was used to reconstruction composite tissue defects on the forearm, hand, and thumb in 7 patients. The mean age of the patients was 42 years. The defects were located on the dorsal surface of the forearm and hand in 2 patients, the dorsal surface of the hand and finger in 2 patients, and the thumb in 3 patients. The dimensions of the flap skin paddle ranged from 7 × 11 cm to 8 × 23 cm, and the dimensions of the bone component ranged from 1 × 1.5 × 3.5 cm to 1 × 1.5 × 5 cm. The mean follow-up duration was 26 months.

Results

All the flaps survived. Flap debulking was performed using 3 flaps. Sensory recovery in the flaps was completed approximately 18 months after the first operation. When the results of static 2-point discrimination test and Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test were evaluated at 18 months postoperatively, it showed that protective sensation was obtained. Except for 1 patient, motion restriction did not develop in the wrist, elbow, or shoulder joints. An acceptable aesthetic result, minimal donor site deformity, and protective sensation were obtained in all patients.

Conclusions

The pedicled sensate osteocutaneous groin flap can be safely used in the reconstruction of forearm and hand composite tissue defects that do not have available vascular structures for free flaps in the recipient area and in thumb reconstruction where toe transfer and pollicization cannot be performed.
Revisiting the U-Shaped Elevator for Zygomaticomaxillary Fracture: Study and Comparison of Elevators for Zygomaticomaxillary Fracture Reduction
Authors: Soltani Hannah , Allison Sophia G. , Chwa Emily S. , Qureshi Umer , Aronson Sofia , Yamada Akira
Published: December 2023

The authors present the case of a 15-year-old male who sustained a unilateral zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture and underwent open reduction and rigid internal fixation, for which a U-shaped elevator was utilized. The authors discuss techniques in reduction and fixation of zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures, focusing on the use of various elevators during reduction, including straight-type and curved elevators. The U-shaped elevator is a handheld tool with bilateral symmetrically curved ends that is seldom used, despite its specific benefits including nonslip serrated tips, symmetrical nature that allows for direct loading needed for accurate reduction, visualization of the fracture site, and avoidance of tissue compression during elevation.
Clinical and Cephalometric Changes in Long-face Patients With Retrogenia Following the Novel B-genioplasty Technique
Authors: Behnia Parsa , Behnia Hossein , Tehranchi Azita , Tabrizi Reza
Published: December 2023

Background:

The chin plays a fundamental role in facial attractiveness. Accordingly, several surgical procedures have been proposed for chin contouring. This study aimed to introduce “B-genioplasty” as a novel genioplasty technique and assess the clinical and cephalometric changes in long-face patients with retrognathia following the novel B-genioplasty.

Methods:

This is a cross-sectional study. Subjects with class I occlusion increased lower facial height and retrognathia underwent B-genioplasty in this prospective experimental study. Soft and hard tissue cephalometric measurements were made, and the depth of the notch in the lower border of the mandible was measured on lateral cephalograms at 6 months postoperatively and compared with baseline. Patient satisfaction with the outcome was also assessed.

Results:

Seventeen subjects were studied. Ten (58%) patients underwent rhinoplasty plus genioplasty. All patients were satisfied with the outcome. The step/notch in the lower border of the mandible was not detected in clinical examination in any patient. The mean notch depth was 0.5±0.83 mm on lateral cephalograms. The change in all soft and hard tissue cephalometric parameters was significant at 6 months postoperatively compared with baseline (P<0.001 for all).

Conclusion:

B-genioplasty caused satisfactory clinical and cephalometric changes in long-face patients with retrognathia, including prevention of step/notch in the inferior border of the mandible, significant reduction of gonial angle, correction of the mandibular plane, and reduction of lower facial height.
Utility of the LeFort I Osteotomy in the Acute Management of Midface Trauma
Authors: Nickel Kevin J. , DeSerres Joshua J. , Louie Gorman
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

Pure and isolated LeFort I, II, and III fractures are rare. Typically, they occur at different levels on each side and may be incomplete in nature, which complicates management. The LeFort I osteotomy is a well-described technique in elective management of midface deformities. However, there is minimal literature on its use in acute trauma. This study describes the use of the LeFort I osteotomy as a surgical maneuver to aid in the reduction of complex midface fractures and the re-establishment of premorbid occlusion.

Methods:

A retrospective review was performed of all consecutive midface fractures managed at our center from 2008 to 2020. The inclusion criteria were adult patients who had a LeFort I osteotomy in the setting of acute fracture management. Primary outcomes were the long-term stability of fracture fixation and the re-establishment of stable, reproducible occlusion at follow-up.

Results:

Twenty-two cases met the criteria for inclusion. The most common indication was contralateral LeFort I and ipsilateral incomplete or absent LeFort I (50%). Most remaining cases had a high LeFort (II or III) on the ipsilateral side and a high LeFort I on the contralateral side (41%). There was one case of nonunion requiring revision and bone grafting. In all remaining cases who presented for follow-up at an average of 1.5 years, stable, reproducible occlusion was achieved.

Conclusions:

In acute trauma, a LeFort I osteotomy is a safe and effective technique to re-establish premorbid occlusion when passive reduction of the maxilla cannot be achieved. This technique can be safely added to the armamentarium of any surgeon who manages acute craniofacial trauma.
Tailoring the Use of Central Pancreatectomy Through Prediction Models for Major Morbidity and Postoperative Diabetes
Authors: van Bodegraven Eduard Antonie , Lof Sanne , Jones Leia , Aussilhou Béatrice , Yong Gao , Jishu Wei , Klotz Rosa , Rocha-Castellanos Dario Missael , Matsumato Ippei , de Ponthaud Charles , Tanaka Kimitaka , Biesel Esther , Kauffmann Emmanuele , Dumitrascu Traian , Nagakawa Yuichi , Martí-Cruchaga Pablo , Roeyen Geert , Zerbi Alessandro , Goetz Mara , de Meijer Vincent E. , Pessaux Patrick , Ignatavicius Povilas , Demir Ihsan Ekin , Giuffrida Mario , Tingstedt Bobby , Marino Marco Vito , Mastoridis Sotiris , Brunner Maximilian , Mora-Oliver Isabel , Bortolato Cecilia , Gulla Aisté , Apers Thomas , Hermand Hélène , Mitsuka Yusuke , Popescu Irinel , Boggi Ugo , Wittel Uwe , Hirano Satoshi , Gaujoux Sébastien , Kamei Keiko , Fernández-Del Castillo Carlos , Hackert Thilo , Kuirong Jiang , Yi Miao , Sauvanet Alain , Besselink Marc , Abu Hilal Mohammad , Dokmak Safi ,   for the European Consortium on Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery and the International Consortium on Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery
Published: December 2023

Objective:

To develop a prediction model for major morbidity and endocrine dysfunction after central pancreatectomy (CP) which could help in tailoring the use of this procedure.

Background:

CP is a parenchyma-sparing alternative to distal pancreatectomy for symptomatic benign and premalignant tumors in the body and neck of the pancreas CP lowers the risk of new-onset diabetes and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency compared with distal pancreatectomy but it is thought to increase the risk of short-term complications, including postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF).

Methods:

International multicenter retrospective cohort study including patients from 51 centers in 19 countries (2010–2021). The primary endpoint was major morbidity. Secondary endpoints included POPF grade B/C, endocrine dysfunction, and the use of pancreatic enzymes. Two risk models were designed for major morbidity and endocrine dysfunction utilizing multivariable logistic regression and internal and external validation.

Results:

A total of 838 patients after CP were included [301 (36%) minimally invasive] and major morbidity occurred in 248 (30%) patients, POPF B/C in 365 (44%), and 30-day mortality in 4 (1%). Endocrine dysfunction in 91 patients (11%) and use of pancreatic enzymes in 108 (12%). The risk model for major morbidity included male sex, age, Body Mass Index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists score ≥3. The model performed acceptably with an area under the curve of 0.72 (CI: 0.68–0.76). The risk model for endocrine dysfunction included higher Body Mass Index and male sex and performed well [area under the curve: 0.83 (CI: 0.77–0.89)].

Conclusions:

The proposed risk models help in tailoring the use of CP in patients with symptomatic benign and premalignant lesions in the body and neck of the pancreas (readily available through www.pancreascalculator.com).
Older females have increased mortality after trauma as compared with younger females and males, associated with increased fibrinolysis
Authors: Dujardin Romein W.G. , Kleinveld Derek J.B. , van den Brom Charissa E. , Geeraedts Leo M.G. , Beijer Elise , Gaarder Christine , Brohi Karim , Stanworth Simon , Johansson Pär I. , Stensballe Jakob , Maegele Marc , Juffermans Nicole P.
Published: December 2023

INTRODUCTION

Female sex may provide a survival benefit after trauma, possibly attributable to protective effects of estrogen. This study aimed to compare markers of coagulation between male and female trauma patients across different ages.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study that was conducted at six trauma centers. Trauma patients presenting with full trauma team activation were eligible for inclusion. Patients with a penetrating trauma or traumatic brain injury were excluded. Upon hospital arrival, blood was drawn for measurement of endothelial and coagulation markers and for rotational thromboelastometry measurement. Trauma patients were divided into four categories: males younger than 45 years, males 45 years or older, females younger than 45 years, and females 45 years or older. In a sensitivity analysis, patients between 45 and 55 years old were excluded to control for menopausal transitioning. Groups were compared with a Kruskal-Wallis test with Bonferroni correction. A logistic regression was performed to assess whether the independent effect of sex and age on mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 1,345 patients were available for analysis. Compared with the other groups, mortality was highest in females 45 years or older, albeit not independent from injury severity and shock. In the group of females 45 years or older, there was increased fibrinolysis, demonstrated by increased levels of plasmin-antiplasmin complexes with a concomitant decrease in α2-antiplasmin. Also, a modest decrease in coagulation factors II and X was observed. Fibrinogen levels were comparable between groups. The sensitivity analysis in 1,104 patients demonstrated an independent relationship between female sex, age 55 years or older, and mortality. Rotational thromboelastometry profiles did not reflect the changes in coagulation tests.

CONCLUSION

Female trauma patients past their reproductive age have an increased risk of mortality compared with younger females and males, associated with augmented fibrinolysis and clotting factor consumption. Rotational thromboelastometry parameters did not reflect coagulation differences between groups.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level III.
Quantifying the impact of the cluster clinic model on geographic service accessibility
Authors: Johnstone K , Turner S
Published: December 2023

Background

Travel distance is a barrier to accessing care, especially in large areas with low population density. The cluster clinic model is designed to provide paediatric scheduled care in the community setting within NHS Grampian. Here, we have quantified the effect on overall travel distance and equality of access.

Methods

Three models were compared: All clinics delivered at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, all clinics delivered at cluster clinics, and clinics at both hospital and cluster clinics. Shortest drivable distance from home to clinic in each model was calculated for all children in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. Equality of distribution was assessed using a Gini coefficient, with values closer to 0 representing better equality, and 1 representing worse equality.

Results

In model A, median travel distance was 8.64miles (Q1: 2.96miles, Q3: 25.7miles) with a Gini coefficient of 0.491. For model B, median travel distance was 3.14miles (Q1: 1.46miles, Q3: 9.07miles) with a Gini coefficient of 0.480. In model C, median travel distance was 3.13miles (Q1: 1.35miles, Q3: 9.07miles), with a Gini coefficient of 0.490.

Conclusions

The cluster clinic model significantly reduces travel distance, whilst simultaneously improving access equality. This methodology should be considered to prospectively evaluate implementation of similar models elsewhere.
Procuring authorities and project performance: a case study of PPP highway projects in India
Authors: Nayyer Mojahedul Islam , Annamalai Thillai Rajan
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Public-private partnership (PPP) highway projects in India are undertaken at both state and national levels, such that differences exist in how the procuring authorities manage project risk during the development and construction phase under different institutional frameworks. This study assesses the performance implication of the different administrative positionings of the procuring authority.

Design/methodology/approach

A data set of 516 PPP highway projects implemented in India formed the basis of this study. Means comparison, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and seemingly unrelated regression were used to assess the impact of procuring authority on schedule performance.

Findings

The findings suggest that the state and the national highway projects were no different in achieving financial closure. However, the administrative positioning of the procuring authorities had a significant impact on other schedule performance variables. The construction of the state highway projects started quickly after the financial closure compared to the national highway projects. Moreover, the state highway projects were not only planned to be implemented at a faster rate but they were actually implemented at a faster rate and had a lower time overrun.

Practical implications

Procuring authorities under the state governments, being closer to the project, are better placed to manage project risk than those under the national government.

Originality/value

The administrative distance of the procuring authority from the PPP project and its implication on performance has never been studied.
Expanding and developing the theoretical implications of socialist market economy with China's experience
Authors: Zhou Wen
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Expanding and developing the theoretical implications of socialist market economy with China’s experience.

Design/methodology/approach

In the course of exploring the development of a market economy, China has given full play to the advantages of the socialist system, which has distinguished itself from the Western countries and some of its developing peers. China's market economy is not directly transplanted and copied from the West. China not only insists on growing its market economy but also unswervingly sticks to the socialist orientation of its market economy.

Findings

So far, the socialist market economy has proved to be more effective than the conventional one-sided, planned economy and also outperforms the capitalist market economy.

Originality/value

The socialist market economy has surpassed the conventional planned economy and the capitalist market economy – it is a reconstructed and reshaped mechanism and system as well as a successful and new path of market economy explored by China through reform and opening up, rather than a counterpart of Western market economy or the simple combination of socialism and market economy.
Azithromycin regulates bacterial virulence and immune response in a murine model of ceftazidime‐treated Pseudomonas aeruginosa acute pneumonia
Authors: Leroy A.‐G. , Caillon J. , Broquet A. , Lemabecque V. , Delanou S. , Caroff N. , Asehnoune K. , Roquilly A. , Crémet L.
Published: December 2023

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) remains one of the leading causes of nosocomial acute pneumonia. The array of virulence factors expressed by PA and the intense immune response associated with PA pneumonia play a major role in the severity of these infections. New therapeutic approaches are needed to overcome the high resistance of PA to antibiotics and to reduce the direct damage to host tissues. Through its immunomodulatory and anti‐virulence effects, azithromycin (AZM) has demonstrated clinical benefits in patients with chronic PA respiratory infections. However, there is relatively little evidence in PA acute pneumonia. We investigated the effects of AZM, as an adjunctive therapy combined with ceftazidime (CAZ), in a murine model of PA acute pneumonia. We observed that the combined therapy (i) reduces the weight loss of mice 24 h post‐infection (hpi), (ii) decreases neutrophil influx into the lungs at 6 and 24 hpi, while this effect is absent in a LPS‐induced pneumonia or when PA is pretreated with antibiotics and mice do not receive any antibiotics, and that (iii) AZM, alone or with CAZ, modulates the expression of PA quorum sensing regulators and virulence factors (LasI, LasA, PqsE, PhzM, ExoS). Our findings support beneficial effects of AZM with CAZ on PA acute pneumonia by both bacterial virulence and immune response modulations. Further investigations are needed to clarify the exact underlying mechanisms responsible for the reduction of the neutrophils influx and to better discriminate between direct immunomodulatory properties of AZM, and indirect effects on neutrophilia resulting from bacterial virulence modulation.
Differential apicomplexan presence predicts thermal stress mortality in the Mediterranean coral Paramuricea clavata
Authors: Bonacolta Anthony M. , Miravall Jordi , Gómez‐Gras Daniel , Ledoux Jean‐Baptiste , López‐Sendino Paula , Garrabou Joaquim , Massana Ramon , del Campo Javier
Published: December 2023

Paramuricea clavata is an ecosystem architect of the Mediterranean temperate reefs that is currently threatened by episodic mass mortality events related to global warming. The microbiome may play an active role in the thermal stress susceptibility of corals, potentially holding the answer as to why corals show differential sensitivity to heat stress. To investigate this, the prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiome of P. clavata collected from around the Mediterranean was characterised before experimental heat stress to determine if its microbial composition influences the thermal response of the holobiont. We found that members of P. clavata's microeukaryotic community were significantly correlated with thermal stress sensitivity. Syndiniales from the Dino‐Group I Clade 1 were significantly enriched in thermally resistant corals, while the apicomplexan corallicolids were significantly enriched in thermally susceptible corals. We hypothesise that P. clavata mortality following heat stress may be caused by a shift from apparent commensalism to parasitism in the corallicolid‐coral host relationship driven by the added stress. Our results show the potential importance of corallicolids and the rest of the microeukaryotic community of corals to understanding thermal stress response in corals and provide a useful tool to guide conservation efforts and future research into coral‐associated microeukaryotes.
Exploring trajectories of depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults: Effects of gender and social activity participation
Authors: Wang Juanjuan , Hoe Maanse
Published: December 2023

The purpose of this study was to analyze the trajectory of late‐life depressive symptoms and to explore the effect of gender and social activity participation on that trajectory. Data from 4943 older adults aged 60 and above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018) were analyzed using the Latent Growth Curve Model (LGCM) in Mplus. The results were (1) late‐life depressive symptoms increased during the survey; (2) at the initiation level, depression was higher in women than men, while there was no gender difference in the rate of change; and (3) lower social activity participation significantly negatively affected the increase of depressive symptoms in old age at that time. The findings implicated that, first, it is essential to screen for depressive symptoms and prevent or slow the growth of depressive symptoms in geriatric services on time. Second, services to improve depressive symptoms in older adults do not simply work separately by gender. Finally, welfare policymakers should consider how to support older adults to actively participate in social activities to prevent or slow down the growth of depressive symptoms.
The interplay between leptin, glucocorticoids, and GLP1 regulates food intake and feeding behaviour
Authors: Perez‐Leighton Claudio , Kerr Bredford , Scherer Philipp E. , Baudrand René , Cortés Víctor
Published: December 2023

Nutritional, endocrine, and neurological signals converge in multiple brain centres to control feeding behaviour and food intake as part of the allostatic regulation of energy balance. Among the several neuroendocrine systems involved, the leptin, glucocorticoid, and glucagon‐like peptide 1 (GLP1) systems have been extensively researched. Leptin is at the top hierarchical level since its complete absence is sufficient to trigger severe hyperphagia. Glucocorticoids are key regulators of the energy balance adaptation to stress and their sustained excess leads to excessive adiposity and metabolic perturbations. GLP1 participates in metabolic adaptation to food intake, regulating insulin secretion and satiety by parallel central and peripheral signalling systems. Herein, we review the brain and peripheral targets of these three hormone systems that integrate to regulate food intake, feeding behaviour, and metabolic homeostasis. We examine the functional relationships between leptin, glucocorticoids, and GLP1 at the central and peripheral levels, including the cross‐regulation of their circulating levels and their cooperative or antagonistic actions at different brain centres. The pathophysiological roles of these neuroendocrine systems in dysregulated intake are explored in the two extremes of body adiposity – obesity and lipodystrophy – and eating behaviour disorders.
“We have a very colonial way of thinking…”: Ontario municipalities' climate collaborations with Indigenous Peoples
Authors: Gillis Jacqueline
Published: December 2023

This study examines the development of collaborative governance regimes (CGRs) to solve the pressing issues of climate change between municipalities and Indigenous Peoples in present day Ontario, Canada. Drawing on a survey of Ontario municipalities and key informant interviews with municipal public servants, the article applies an anticolonial informed integrative framework of collaborative governance to examine the barriers and facilitators to those engagements. The analysis that follows draws on lessons learned to identify recommended practices for municipal staff moving forward, followed by the conclusion.
Real‐world lived experience of older adults with type 1 diabetes after an automated insulin delivery trial
Authors: Kubilay Erin , Trawley Steven , Ward Glenn M. , Fourlanos Spiros , Colman Peter G. , McAuley Sybil A.
Published: December 2023

Aims

First‐generation closed‐loop automated insulin delivery improves glycaemia and psychosocial outcomes among older adults with type 1 diabetes in clinical trials. However, no study has previously assessed real‐world lived experience of older adults using closed‐loop therapy outside a trial environment.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with older adults who were pre‐existing insulin pump users and previously completed the OldeR Adult Closed‐Loop (ORACL) randomised trial. Interviews focused on perceptions of diabetes technology use, and factors influencing decisions regarding continuation.

Results

Twenty‐eight participants, mean age 70 years (SD 5), were interviewed at median 650 days (IQR 608–694) after their final ORACL trial visit. At interview, 23 participants (82%) were still using a commercial closed‐loop system (requiring manual input for prandial insulin bolus doses). Themes discussed in interviews relating to closed‐loop system use included sustained psychosocial benefits, cost and retirement considerations and usability frustrations relating to sensor accuracy and system alarms. Of the five participants who had discontinued, reasons included cost, continuous glucose monitoring‐associated difficulties and usability frustrations. Cost was the largest consideration regarding continued use; most participants considered the increased ease of diabetes management to be worth the associated costs, though cost was prohibitive for some.

Conclusions

Almost 2 years after completing a closed‐loop clinical trial, closed‐loop automated insulin delivery remains the preferred type 1 diabetes therapy for the majority of older adult participants. Chronological age is not a barrier to real‐world successful use of diabetes technology. Identifying age‐related barriers, and solutions, to diabetes technology use among older adults is warranted.
Controls on timescales of soil organic carbon persistence across sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: von Fromm Sophie F. , Doetterl Sebastian , Butler Benjamin M. , Aynekulu Ermias , Berhe Asmeret Asefaw , Haefele Stephan M. , McGrath Steve P. , Shepherd Keith D. , Six Johan , Tamene Lulseged , Tondoh Ebagnerin J. , Vågen Tor‐Gunnar , Winowiecki Leigh A. , Trumbore Susan E. , Hoyt Alison M.
Published: December 2023

Given the importance of soil for the global carbon cycle, it is essential to understand not only how much carbon soil stores but also how long this carbon persists. Previous studies have shown that the amount and age of soil carbon are strongly affected by the interaction of climate, vegetation, and mineralogy. However, these findings are primarily based on studies from temperate regions and from fine‐scale studies, leaving large knowledge gaps for soils from understudied regions such as sub‐Saharan Africa. In addition, there is a lack of data to validate modeled soil C dynamics at broad scales. Here, we present insights into organic carbon cycling, based on a new broad‐scale radiocarbon and mineral dataset for sub‐Saharan Africa. We found that in moderately weathered soils in seasonal climate zones with poorly crystalline and reactive clay minerals, organic carbon persists longer on average (topsoil: 201 ± 130 years; subsoil: 645 ± 385 years) than in highly weathered soils in humid regions (topsoil: 140 ± 46 years; subsoil: 454 ± 247 years) with less reactive minerals. Soils in arid climate zones (topsoil: 396 ± 339 years; subsoil: 963 ± 669 years) store organic carbon for periods more similar to those in seasonal climate zones, likely reflecting climatic constraints on weathering, carbon inputs and microbial decomposition. These insights into the timescales of organic carbon persistence in soils of sub‐Saharan Africa suggest that a process‐oriented grouping of soils based on pedo‐climatic conditions may be useful to improve predictions of soil responses to climate change at broader scales.
Utilisation de la transparence pour faire évoluer les relations entre capital et travail dans le secteur de l'habillement: analyse critique de l'Accord du Rana Plaza
Authors: COLLINS Jenny , YATES Julian S.
Published: December 2023

Les caractéristiques structurelles innovantes des instruments de régulation privée du travail dans les réseaux de production mondiaux de l'habillement ont été peu étudiées. Les auteurs tentent de combler cette lacune en analysant celles de l'Accord sur la sécurité incendie et la sécurité des bâtiments au Bangladesh, à savoir: 1) son caractère juridiquement contraignant, 2) la représentation paritaire des travailleurs, 3) le nombre élevé d'entreprises signataires et 4) la transparence. Leurs conclusions contribuent à la compréhension de nouveaux modèles hybrides, qui associent la coopération multipartite et la dynamique capital‐travail traditionnelle afin de faire évoluer la régulation du travail au sein des réseaux de production mondiaux par des voies nouvelles et contradictoires.
Corporate social responsibility reporting and investment: Evidence from mergers and acquisitions
Authors: Wang Kun Tracy , Wu Yue
Published: December 2023

While corporate social responsibility (CSR) has played an increasingly important role in corporate decision‐making, the role of CSR disclosure in a firm's investment activities remains poorly understood. This study investigates the impact of CSR disclosure on mergers and acquisitions (M&As), which are pivotal investment activities. We find that firms disclosing voluntary CSR reports experience significantly stronger market reactions to M&A announcements than those that do not disclose such reports. Specifically, acquisitions by voluntary CSR disclosers achieve 1.2% higher returns upon acquisition announcements, leading to a substantial increase in shareholder value. Our findings are consistent across a series of robustness tests. Additional analyses suggest that the positive market reactions are especially tied to voluntary disclosures concerning the protection of employees and customers, and that the quality and financial materiality of voluntary CSR disclosures amplify positive market responses. We also find that voluntary CSR disclosers exhibit better long‐term post‐acquisition market and operational performance. Collectively, our findings suggest that voluntary CSR disclosures bolster acquisition returns by mitigating stakeholder resistance. Additionally, by leveraging the unique conditional CSR disclosure regulation in China and using a staggered DID design, we observe a diminished market reaction for acquirers following mandatory CSR disclosures. Overall, this research provides new insights into the contrasting effects of voluntary and mandatory CSR disclosures, emphasizing the vital role of effective stakeholder CSR communication in the success of M&As.
A review of research on supply chain adaptability: Opening the black box
Authors: Phadnis Shardul
Published: December 2023

Supply chain adaptabilityis the least explored of the three revered Triple‐A qualities (agility and alignment being the other two) and in the greatest need of a deeper understanding in the unpredictably evolving contemporary business environment. This study critically reviews the literature and makes three contributions. First, it outlines the different ways supply chain adaptability has been understood and describes the epistemological basis of this knowledge. Second, it synthesizes the findings into a theoretical model linking supply chain adaptability to its antecedents and outcomes. Third, despite its origins in a practitioner‐focused journal, supply chain adaptability has largely been explored like a black box, with few insights into its workings or actionable recommendations for its creation. To this end, the study outlines an agenda for future research to deepen our understanding along the extant lines of inquiry and to broaden our investigation to cover new empirical foci to open the black box of supply chain adaptability.
Ceratocystis fimbriata alters root system architecture and causes symptom development only in detached storage roots in Bayou Belle and Beauregard sweet potato
Authors: Villordon Arthur Q. , DeRobertis Catherine D. , Clark Christopher A.
Published: December 2023

Little is known about how the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) root system responds to Ceratocystis fimbriata in the growth substrate. Understanding whether the fungus affects the root system before harvest of storage roots (SR) could guide timing of management efforts. Cuttings of cultivars Bayou Belle and Beauregard, both previously considered susceptible to black rot, were in unamended or infested sand. At the onset of SR formation, effects on first‐ and second‐order lateral root (LR) length and number among and within treatments, cultivars and replicate experiments were recorded. First‐order LR length in inoculated Bayou Belle plants was 31% greater than in inoculated plants of cultivar Beauregard in Expt 1, but there were no differences in Expt 2. Second‐order LR length varied among, and within, cultivars, inoculum treatments and experiments in Expts 1 and 2. At 49 days after planting in Expt 1, only inoculated plants had necrotic lesions on stems in both cultivars, with more than twice as many recorded on Bayou Belle than Beauregard. SR had no lesions at harvest. Detached SR originating from inoculated treatments and stored in sampling bags for 25 days developed black rot lesions at either end of the SR (45% and 31% of total in Expt 1 and Expt 2, respectively) or elsewhere, including those centred on LR emergence sites or lenticels (55% and 69%, respectively). Exposing developing plants to inoculation may reveal differences in SR susceptibility not found when harvested SR are wounded and inoculated.
Induced error‐related theta activity, not error‐related negativity, predicts task performance as well as anxiety and worry during real‐life stress in a youth sample
Authors: Shner‐Livne Gil , Buzzell George A. , Fox Nathan A. , Shechner Tomer
Published: December 2023

Objective

The study examined differences between induced error‐related theta activity (4–7 Hz) and error‐related negativity (ERN) in youth and their unique associations with task performance as well as anxiety and worry during real‐life stress a year later. We hypothesized that induced theta, but not the ERN, would predict task performance. We also hypothesized that induced theta would predict less anxiety and worries during situational stress a year later, while ERN would predict more anxiety and worries.

Method

Participants included 76 children aged 8–13 years who completed a flanker task while electroencephalogram (EEG) and behavioral data (t0) were collected. Approximately 1 year later (t1), during the first COVID‐19 lockdown, 40 families from the original sample completed a battery of online questionnaires to assess the children's stress‐related symptoms (anxiety, negative emotions and worries). We employed an analytical method that allowed us to differentiate between induced error‐related theta and the evoked ERN.

Results

Induced error‐related theta, but not ERN, was associated with behavioral changes during the task, such as post‐error speeding. Furthermore, induced error‐related theta, but not ERN, was prospectively associated with less anxiety, worries, and fewer negative emotions a year later during COVID‐19 lockdown.

Conclusions

Findings suggest ERN and error‐related theta are dissociable processes reflecting error monitoring in youth. Specifically, induced error‐related theta is more robustly associated with changes in behavior in the laboratory and with less anxiety and worries in real‐world settings.
Digital sustainability assurance governing global value chains: The case of aquaculture
Authors: Kruk Sake R. L. , Toonen Hilde M. , Bush Simon R.
Published: December 2023

Sustainability risks in aquaculture are increasingly addressed through forms of assurance that rely on the use of digital technologies. By bringing in new actors and informational processes, these forms of digital sustainability assurance challenge existing notions of how global value chains are governed. Based on in‐depth interviews with experts, we find that the growing use of digital technologies to mediate assurance is shaped by the digital codification of informational processes designed to support sustainability, which in turn increases the complexity of sustainability claims and changes the capabilities needed by value chain actors to comply. Furthermore, we find that digital sustainability assurance represents a new form of value chain coordination by a new set of extra‐transactional “digital lead actors.” As these lead actors become more prominent, their control over digital data flows constitutes a new form of value chain governance with the potential to have greater impact on steering toward sustainability.
Identifying important predictors of adolescent suicide ideation, planning, and attempt in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Donnelly Hayoung Kim , Richardson Danielle , Solberg V. Scott H.
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Over 90% of all adolescent suicides occur in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC), yet the majority of suicide research has focused on primarily high‐income countries (HIC).

Method

Using nationally representative data on 82,494 adolescents from thirty‐four LMIC, this research employed machine learning to compare the predictive effects of multiple determinants of suicidal behaviors previously identified in the literature.

Results

Results indicate that distinct predictors are present for suicidal ideation, suicidal planning, and suicide attempts in youth living in LMIC as well as shared predictors common to all three behaviors.

Conclusion

These findings provide insights into the unique needs in global mental health policy and efforts within and across adolescents in LMIC.
Young Immigrants Acting as Interpreters and Communication Facilitators
Authors: Al-Tarawneh Alalddin
Published: December 2023

This investigation delves into the position of youthful migrants who step up as interpreters in their linguistically eclectic surroundings to help their parents navigate life. The focus is on the Gypsy minority located in Jordan, known for being disregarded by authorities in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The research seeks to gather information through a qualitative examination that institutes an ethnographic approach. The interviewees were 63 youngsters aged between 11-17 years old who provided profound insights during the semi-structured interviews. Gypsies, who live in tents on the outskirts of Zarqa, were the participants of the study. The study aims to show that Gypsies possess an oral tradition and face challenges in communicating with authorities. Additionally, the study aims to highlight the critical role that young immigrants play in improving the lives of their elders. Amidst the results, it surfaced that the Jordanian Gypsies were often disregarded. This is primarily due to the fact that their language, Domari, is not one that the country's translation services accommodate. Furthermore, the community's lack of education and high rates of adult illiteracy meant that the younger generation, who have received mandatory schooling, had to step in as intermediaries between the Gypsies and authority figures.
Escalating
Plasmodium falciparum K13
marker prevalence indicative of artemisinin resistance in southern Rwanda
Authors: van Loon Welmoed , Schallenberg Emma , Igiraneza Clement , Habarugira Felix , Mbarushimana Djibril , Nshimiyimana Fabian , Ngarambe Christian , Ntihumbya Jean Baptiste , Ndoli Jules Minega , Mockenhaupt Frank P.
Published: December 2023

In 2023, we updated data collected since 2010 on
Plasmodium falciparum K13
and
MDR1
drug resistance markers in Huye district, southern Rwanda. Artemisinin resistance-associated
PfK13
markers occurred in 17.5% of 212 malaria patients (561H, 9.0%; 675V, 5.7%; and 469F, 2.8%), nearly double the frequency from 2019.
PfMDR1
N86, linked with lumefantrine tolerance, was close to fixation at 98%. In southern Rwanda, markers signaling resistance to artemisinin and lumefantrine are increasing, albeit at a relatively slow rate.
Transcriptional regulation of the HIV-1 inhibitory factor human mannose receptor 1 by the myeloid-specific transcription factor PU.1
Authors: Mallorson Rosa , Miyagi Eri , Kao Sandra , Sukegawa Sayaka , Saito Hideki , Fabryova Helena , Morellatto Ruggieri Luciana , Mediouni Sonia , Valente Susana T. , Strebel Klaus
Published: December 2023

HIV-1 infection of human macrophages leads to the downmodulation of human mannose receptor 1 (hMRC1), a cell-surface glycoprotein that is involved in the host innate immune response. We previously reported that downmodulation of hMRC1 involves the transactivator of transcription (Tat)-dependent transcriptional silencing of the hMRC1 promoter. However, the inhibitory effect of Tat on hMRC1 transcription was indirect and involved inhibition of the transcriptional activator PU.1, which normally upregulates hMRC1 expression in macrophages and other myeloid cells. We cloned a 284-bp fragment of the hMRC1 promoter, and within it, we identified four PU.1 box elements. We assessed the relative contribution of each of the four PU.1 boxes to PU.1-dependent transcriptional regulation and, surprisingly, found that only one of the four PU.1 boxes [PU.1(b)] was critically required for PU.1-mediated upregulation of luciferase expression. Transfer of this PU.1 box to a heterologous promoter conferred PU.1 responsiveness to an otherwise PU.1 insensitive promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays identified this PU.1 box as a direct binding site for PU.1 both in the context of the hMRC1 promoter and the heterologous promoter. Furthermore, mutational analysis of the PU.1 protein identified the C-terminal DNA-binding domain in PU.1 as the region responsible for interaction with the PU.1 box. Recombinant HIV-1 Tat protein did not bind to the hMRC1 promoter element but efficiently interfered with the binding of PU.1 protein to the hMRC1 promoter. Thus, Tat is likely to inhibit the formation of active PU.1 transcription complexes, presumably by binding to and depleting common transcriptional cofactors.

IMPORTANCE

HIV-1 infection of cells results in the modulation of cellular gene expression by virus-encoded proteins in a manner that benefits the virus. We reported that HIV-1 transactivator of transcription (Tat) dysregulates the expression of the human mannose receptor 1 (hMRC1). hMRC1 is involved in the innate immune response of macrophages to foreign pathogens. Tat does not act directly on the hMRC1 promoter but instead inhibits PU.1, a cellular transcription factor regulating hMRC1 gene expression. Here, we characterize the PU.1-dependent regulation of hMRC1 expression. We identified four potential PU.1 binding sites in the hMRC1 promoter region but found that only one, PU.1(b), functioned as a true binding site for PU.1. Transfer of the PU.1(b) box to a heterologous promoter did not activate this promoter
per se
but rendered it responsive to PU.1. Our results support the view that PU.1 acts as a transcriptional co-factor whose activity can be regulated by HIV-1 Tat.
Liberation of host heme by
Clostridioides difficile-
mediated damage enhances
Enterococcus faecalis
fitness during infection
Authors: Smith Alexander B. , Specker Jonathan T. , Hewlett Katharine K. , Scoggins Troy R. , Knight Montana , Lustig Abigail M. , Li Yanhong , Evans Kirsten M. , Guo Yingchan , She Qianxuan , Christopher Michael W. , Garrett Timothy J. , Moustafa Ahmed M. , Van Tyne Daria , Prentice Boone M. , Zackular Joseph P.
Published: December 2023

Toxin production by
Clostridioides difficile
damages the colonic epithelium and leads to a robust inflammatory response. This disruption of the epithelial barrier markedly alters the nutritional landscape in the
C. difficile-
infected gut. The impact of toxin-mediated nutritional remodeling during
C. difficile
infection (CDI) on resident microbiota remains largely unexplored. One group of opportunistic pathogens, the enterococci, thrive during CDI, but it is unclear what strategies they employ to survive in this altered environment. Here, we demonstrate that
Enterococcus faecalis
, a heme auxotroph, takes advantage of
C. difficile
toxin-mediated damage to acquire host heme for enhanced fitness. Specifically, heme acquired from the
C. difficile-
infected gut is used by
E. faecalis
to populate a heme-dependent cytochrome and aerobically respire. This fitness advantage is specific to
C. difficile
toxin-mediated damage, as infection with a toxin-null strain of
C. difficile
does not provide
E. faecalis
with a fitness advantage. Finally, targeted disruption of the
E. faecalis
cytochrome (
cydABDC
) operon leads to a fitness defect in the
C. difficile-
infected gut. Together, this work demonstrates that
C. difficile
toxin remodels the gut ecosystem and improves the fitness of
E. faecalis
in a
cydABDC
-dependent manner. These data further highlight growing evidence of a cooperative partnership between
C. difficile
and enterococci that has implications on susceptibility to and severity of CDI.

IMPORTANCE

Clostridioides difficile
and
Enterococcus faecalis
are two pathogens of great public health importance. Both bacteria colonize the human gastrointestinal tract where they are known to interact in ways that worsen disease outcomes. We show that the damage associated with
C. difficile
infection (CDI) releases nutrients that benefit
E. faecalis
. One particular nutrient, heme, allows
E. faecalis
to use oxygen to generate energy and grow better in the gut. Understanding the mechanisms of these interspecies interactions could inform therapeutic strategies for CDI.