bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of focal cortical cooling on somatosensory evoked potentials in rats
Authors: Gotoh Mizuho , Dezawa Shinnosuke , Takashima Ichiro , Yamamoto Shinya
Published: December 2023

Although the focal brain cooling technique is widely used to examine brain function, the effects of cortical temperature at various levels on sensory information processing and neural mechanisms remain underexplored. To elucidate the mechanisms of temperature modulation in somatosensory processing, this study aimed to examine how P1 and N1 deflections of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) depend on cortical temperature and how excitatory and inhibitory inputs contribute to this temperature dependency. SEPs were generated through electrical stimulation of the contralateral forepaw in anesthetized rats. The SEPs were recorded while cortical temperatures were altered between 17–38 °C either without any antagonists, with a gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor antagonist (gabazine), with aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist (NBQX), or withN-Methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist ([R]-CPP). The effects of different gabazine concentrations (0, 1, and 10 µM) were examined in the 35–38 °C range. The P1/N1 amplitudes and their peak-to-peak differences plotted against cortical temperature showed an inverted U relationship with a maximum at approximately 27.5 °C when no antagonists were administered. The negative correlation between these amplitudes and temperatures of ≥27.5 °C plateaued after gabazine administration, which occurred progressively as the gabazine concentration increased. In contrast, the correlation remained negative after the administration of NBQX and (R)-CPP. These results suggest that GABAergic inhibitory inputs contribute to the negative correlation between SEP amplitude and cortical temperature around the physiological cortical temperature.

Highlights

Focal cortical cooling altered somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs).

SEP amplitude was negatively correlated with cortical temperatures of 27.5−38.0 °C.

GABAAR but not AMPAR nor NMDAR antagonists eliminated the negative correlation.

GABAergic signaling is involved in the temperature dependency of SEPs.
Adaptation of a commercial NAD quantification kit to assay the base exchange activity of SARM1
Authors: Cirilli Ilenia , Amici Adolfo , Gilley Jonathan , Coleman Michael P. , Orsomando Giuseppe
Published: December 2023

Here we report an adapted protocol using the Promega NAD/NADH-Glo™ Assay kit. The assay normally allows quantification of trace amounts of both oxidized and reduced forms of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) by enzymatic cycling, but we now show that the NAD analog 3- acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide (AcPyrAD) also acts as a substrate. In fact, AcPyrAD generates amplification signals of larger amplitude than those obtained with NAD. We exploited this finding to devise and validate a novel method for assaying the base exchange activity of SARM1 in reactions containing NAD and an excess of the free base 3-acetylpyridine (AcPyr), where AcPyrAD is the product. We also propose an application of this method based on competition between AcPyr and other free bases to rank their preference for SARM1. This has significant advantages over traditional methods for assaying SARM1 base exchange as it is rapid, sensitive, cost-effective, and easily scalable. This could represent a useful tool given current interest in the role of SARM1 base exchange in programmed axon death and related human disorders. It may also be applicable to other multifunctional NAD glycohydrolases (EC 3.2.2.6) that possess similar base exchange activity.
Harnessing alkaline-pH regulatable promoters for efficient methanol-free expression of enzymes of industrial interest inKomagataella phaffii
Authors: Albacar Marcel , Casamayor Antonio , Ariño Joaquín
Published: December 2023

Background

The yeastKomagataella phaffiihas become a very popular host for heterologous protein expression, very often based on the use of theAOX1promoter, which becomes activated when cells are grown with methanol as a carbon source. However, the use of methanol in industrial settings is not devoid of problems, and therefore, the search for alternative expression methods has become a priority in the last few years.

Results

We recently reported that moderate alkalinization of the medium triggers a fast and wide transcriptional response inK. phaffii. Here, we present the utilization of three alkaline pH-responsive promoters (pTSA1, pHSP12and pPHO89) to drive the expression of a secreted phytase enzyme by simply shifting the pH of the medium to 8.0. These promoters offer a wide range of strengths, and the production of phytase could be modulated by adjusting the pH to specific values. TheTSA1andPHO89promoters offered exquisite regulation, with virtually no enzyme production at acidic pH, while limitation of Pi in the medium further potentiated alkaline pH-driven phytase expression from thePHO89promoter. An evolved strain based on this promoter was able to produce twice as much phytase as the reference pAOX1-based strain. Functional mapping of theTSA1andHSP12promoters suggests that both contain at least two alkaline pH-sensitive regulatory regions.

Conclusions

Our work shows that the use of alkaline pH-regulatable promoters could be a useful alternative to methanol-based expression systems, offering advantages in terms of simplicity, safety and economy.
Twitter bots, democratic deliberation and social accountability: the case of #OccupyWallStreet
Authors: Neu Dean , Saxton Gregory D.
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study is motivated to provide a theoretically informed, data-driven assessment of the consequences associated with the participation of non-human bots in social accountability movements; specifically, the anti-inequality/anti-corporate #OccupyWallStreet conversation stream on Twitter.

Design/methodology/approach

A latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling approach as well as XGBoost machine learning algorithms are applied to a dataset of 9.2 million #OccupyWallStreet tweets in order to analyze not only how the speech patterns of bots differ from other participants but also how bot participation impacts the trajectory of the aggregate social accountability conversation stream. The authors consider two research questions: (1) do bots speak differently than non-bots and (2) does bot participation influence the conversation stream.

Findings

The results indicate that bots do speak differently than non-bots and that bots exert both weak form and strong form influence. Bots also steadily become more prevalent. At the same time, the results show that bots also learn from and adapt their speaking patterns to emphasize the topics that are important to non-bots and that non-bots continue to speak about their initial topics.

Research limitations/implications

These findings help improve understanding of the consequences of bot participation within social media-based democratic dialogic processes. The analyses also raise important questions about the increasing importance of apparently nonhuman actors within different spheres of social life.

Originality/value

The current study is the first, to the authors’ knowledge, that uses a theoretically informed Big Data approach to simultaneously consider the micro details and aggregate consequences of bot participation within social media-based dialogic social accountability processes.
Thermal contact conductance model of rough surfaces with inclination based on three-dimensional fractal theory
Authors: Sun Xianguang
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to establish a thermal contact conductance model of rough surfaces with inclination based on three-dimensional fractal theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The effects of contact load, inclination angle, fractal dimensional and fractal roughness on thermal contact conductance of rough surfaces were studied using numerical simulation.

Findings

The results show that the thermal contact conductance of the rough surface increases with the increase of contact load and fractal dimension and decreases with the increase of fractal roughness and inclination angle. The inclination angle of the rough surface has an important influence on the thermal contact conductance of the rough, and it is a factor that cannot be ignored in the study of the thermal contact conductance of rough surfaces.

Originality/value

A thermal contact conductance model of rough surfaces with inclination based on three-dimensional fractal theory was established in this study. The achievements of this study provide some theoretical basis for the investigation of the thermal contact conductance of rough surfaces.
A systematic review on work from home (WFH) and libraries: service delivery, tools used, challenges and opportunities
Authors: Siddique Nadeem , Safdar Muhammad , Ahmad Adeel , Khan Muhammad Ajmal
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The paper aims to systematically collect and review the literature on work from home (WFH) and libraries. Another objective of the review is to identify the services professionals offered while WFH, tools used, challenges and opportunities in this connection.

Design/methodology/approach

The study consulted four databases, namely, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar and Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts, to collect and review the literature on the topic. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline was used to select the eligible studies for this review. A total of 27 studies out of 1,571 were considered eligible for the study. The authors also consulted Boynton and Greenhalgh (2004) guide for assessing the quality of the reviewed research. All types of studies and except books were selected for the review. However, the researchers did not apply the time limitation.

Findings

The research identified that libraries provided various services, including Mystery Box, live chat and 24-hour service, using different tools, including MS Teams, Zoom and Google Meet, while WFH. The study shared different challenges and opportunities identified from the reviewed literature, for libraries.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic review conducted to systematically collect and review the literature produced on WFH in terms of libraries regarding offered services, tools used to serve the users, challenges and opportunities. The review filled the literature gap and shared implications for library professionals and related stakeholders.
Do we really make a difference? A case study on the value of taught environmental sustainability postgraduate programmes within geography
Authors: Rodway-Dyer Sue , Barr Stewart
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to discover the impacts of taught environmental sustainability-focused geography postgraduate programmes on student attitudes, behaviours and practices in relation to environmental awareness within two research-intensive universities in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study involved online surveys to measure environmental attitudes, behaviours and practices at the start and end of four taught geography postgraduate programmes.

Findings

There was widespread attitudinal change and an increasing prioritisation of environmental issues reported among participants after they had completed their programme. However, behavioural change was limited, and there was little evidence of greater awareness being translated into changed practices. The learning benefits included a greater focus on interdisciplinarity, holistic thinking and critical self-reflection.

Practical implications

The findings demonstrate that postgraduate taught (PGT) programmes in sustainability improve student awareness and concern about environmental issues but do not necessarily lead to widespread behavioural change. This raises questions for programme convenors about how education for sustainability can be truly transformational and avoid leading students to develop eco-anxieties over the scale of change required.

Originality/value

There is a lack of research engaging with students on PGT programmes, especially in understanding their impacts on environmental attitudes, behaviours and practices. The research provides an evidence base for understanding the effects of PGT programmes in challenging student values, attitudes and practices and by implication knowledge transfer post-graduation, with the potential to help protect the environment and identify ways of living better with the ever-changing planet.
Constructing Spanish smart destinations: a new guide for the tourism industry
Authors: Florido-Benítez Lázaro
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyse Benidorm, San Sebastián, Gijón, Málaga, Tenerife Island and Santander smart tourist destinations (STDs) as a touristic model and example to follow by other destinations in Spain and all over the world.

Design/methodology/approach

To fulfil the stated objective, this study follows several phases that introduce and classify a set of measures implemented by the six Spanish smart destinations to be designed as a STD.

Findings

Findings suggest that being a STD requires a high cost, and this is only accessible to big destinations with enough resources. Of the 50 Spanish provinces, eight are STDs, and these are localised in coastal areas. Obviously, this challenge is not within the reach of any Spanish city. Moreover, findings of the current study prove that the six Spanish smart destinations have a good air accessibility through their six airports, but the accessibility in a STD is not just physical; this must provide digital accessibility to tourists through destination marketing organisation’s website and app that will supply them with information on a wide range of services, including accommodations, tourist attractions, restaurants, public transport, museums and monuments’ locations, amongst many others.

Originality/value

From a resident point of view, a STD cannot be only focused on a technological and tourism context; a STD also requires knowing and meeting the needs of local residents and having a voice in decision-making processes. Hence, this study shows a new perspective on STDs that will benefit the literature on STDs.
Key success factors for stability of asymmetric technological collaborations: a bionic engineering approach
Authors: Ghazinoory Sepehr , Aghaei Parvaneh
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the importance and effect of asymmetric technological collaborations’ key success factors in developing countries. The number of collaborations between large enterprises and SMEs, known as asymmetric technological collaborations (ATC) is growing considerably. But this asymmetry in itself can increase the number and intensity of collaboration challenges. So far, limited studies have been conducted on the stability of ATCs, and most of them have been in the context of developed countries. Meanwhile, studying the strength and stability of collaboration in the nano industry with growing market value and increasing newcomers is of particular importance.

Design/methodology/approach

Here, with bionic engineering approach, we used chemistry for the first time to identify the main stability factors of ATCs and build our hypotheses and research model. To this end, we introduced the factors affecting the stability of the dative chemical bond as a bionic counterpart of corporate venture capital (CVC), which is a type of ATC, and proposed 4 hypotheses. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) with partial least squares (PLS) method to examine the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

The analysis of survey questionnaire data from 26 asymmetric collaborations in Iran’s nanotechnology industry shows that “learning of the acceptor company” with a negative effect, “network ties” and “development of the collaboration host region” with a positive effect and “diversity in the collaboration portfolio” with an inverted U-shaped effect are the most influential factors in the stability and continuity of CVCs, respectively.

Originality/value

The findings of this research can be the beginning of a broad path leading to exploring and getting inspiration from chemistry to analyze management issues.
Full Engagement with the NHS in an integrated age: reflections on past endeavours (the Wanless Report) and current challenges (the anti-vaxxer movement)
Authors: Manthorpe Jill , Iliffe Steve , Bourne Richard
Published: December 2023

Purpose

It is over 20 years since the publication of the Wanless Report, “Securing our Future Health: Taking a Long-Term View”. The Wanless Report argued that the National Health Service (NHS) would survive in its current form only if the population became “fully engaged” with it.

Design/methodology/approach

In this discussion paper, the authors explored what “fully engaged” meant to Wanless, what it might mean now (allowing for the impact of the anti-vaxxer movement) and what policymakers could do to enhance public engagement.

Findings

Although the Wanless Report neatly fitted into other long-term thinking about the NHS, it was unique in that it built economic models to predict the costs and impact of different patterns of NHS performance. Wanless predicted that people’s poor levels of health would put considerable pressure on the NHS. This pressure could swamp efforts to meet healthcare targets and improve health outcomes, despite its sizeable investment of money. Wanless set out three possible scenarios for public engagement with the NHS: solid progress, slow uptake and fully engaged.

Practical implications

The authors pose questions for policymakers and practitioners. Would a reboot of the Wanless approach be worth the effort for policymakers? If yes, how would it differ from the original? The NHS faces the whole of society; could it be the vehicle for engaging the anti-vaxxer public with the truthfulness of medical science, and will it be this, that is, Wanless' enduring legacy?

Originality/value

The exploration of the Wanless Report is complicated (at least for the time being) by the rise of the anti-vaxxer movement’s resistance to health promotion and mistrust of part of the NHS.
A COVID replication and extension of firms’ resilience to supply chain disruptions
Authors: Inman R. Anthony , Green Kenneth W. , Roberts Matthew D.
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose is to replicate and extend Ambulkar et al.’s (2015) work testing resource reconfiguration as a mediator of the supply chain disruption/firm resilience relationship and testing risk management infrastructure as a moderator. This study extends the work of Ambulkar in that it uses analysis of survey data gathered from manufacturing firms during an actual disruption event (COVID-19). The previous work is also in extended in that the authors include a pandemic disruption impact variable and supply chain performance is an expanded model.

Design/methodology/approach

Partial least squares structural equation modeling techniques were used to analyze data gathered from 184 US manufacturing managers during the height (Summer 2021) of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

Two of four of Ambulkars et al.’s (2015) hypotheses were confirmed as relevant to firm resilience during the pandemic while two were not confirmed. Results also show that supply chain disruption orientation, risk management infrastructure and resource reconfiguration combine to improve firm resilience, which in turn improves supply chain performance while mitigating the disruption impact of COVID-19.

Originality/value

Previous work is replicated and extended, using data from an actual disruption event (COVID-19). This study presents a more comprehensive model using a newly developed and validated scale to measure pandemic impact and including supply chain performance.
An iron fist in a velvet glove: The cooperation of a novel pyoverdine from Pseudomonas donghuensisP482 with 7‐hydroxytropolone is pivotal for its antibacterial activity
Authors: Jafra Sylwia , Jabłońska Magdalena , Maciąg Tomasz , Matuszewska Marta , Borowicz Marcin , Prusiński Michał , Żmudzińska Wioletta , Thiel Marcel , Czaplewska Paulina , Krzyżanowska Dorota M. , Czajkowski Robert
Published: December 2023

Pseudomonas donghuensis P482 exhibits broad antimicrobial activity against phytopathogens, including the soft rot bacteria of the Dickeya genus. Here, we report that under limited nutrient availability, the antibacterial activity of P. donghuensis P482 against Dickeya solani requires the reciprocal action of two iron scavengers: 7‐hydroxytropolone (7‐HT) and a newly characterized pyoverdine (PVDP482) and is quenched in the iron‐augmented environment. Further, we show that the biosynthesis of pyoverdine and 7‐HT is metabolically coordinated, and the functional BV82_4709 gene involved in 7‐HT synthesis is pivotal for expressing the BV82_3755 gene, essential for pyoverdine biosynthesis and vice versa. The synthesis of both scavengers is under the control of Gac/Rsm, but only PVD is controlled by Fur. The isoelectric focusing profile of the P482 siderophore differs from that of the other Pseudomonas spp. tested. This finding led to the unveiling of the chemical structure of the new pyoverdine PVDP482. To summarize, the antibacterial activity of P. donghuensis P482 is attributed to 7‐HT and PVDP482 varies depending on the nutrient and iron availability, highlighting the importance of these factors in the competition between P482 and D. solani.
Study of the influence of nanoscale porosity on the microbial electroactivity between expanded graphite electrodes and Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms
Authors: Ramírez‐Moreno M. , Berenguer R. , Ortiz J. M. , Esteve‐Núñez A.
Published: December 2023

Expanded graphite (EG) electrodes gather several advantages for their utilization in microbial electrochemical technologies (MET). Unfortunately, the low microbial electroactivity makes them non‐practical for implementing them as electrodes. The objective of this work is to explore the enhancement of microbial electroactivity of expanded graphite (commercial PV15) through the generation of nanopores by CO2 treatment. The changes in properties were thoroughly analysed by TG, XRD, Raman, XPS, gas adsorption, SEM and AFM, as well as microbial electroactivity in the presence of Geobacter sulfurreducens. Nanopores remarkably enhance the microbially derived electrical current (60‐fold increase). Given the inaccessibility of micron‐sized bacteria to these nanopores, it is suggested that the electric charge exchanged by electroactive microorganisms might be greatly affected by the capability of the electrode to compensate these charges through ion adsorption. The increased microbial current density produced on activated PV15 opens the possibility of using such materials as promising electrodes in MET.
Environmental processes and health implications potentially mediated by dust‐borne bacteria
Authors: Hu Pengfei , Sharaby Yehonatan , Gu Ji‐Dong , Radian Adi , Lang‐Yona Naama
Published: December 2023

Understanding microbial migration and survival mechanisms in dust events (DEs) can elucidate genetic and metabolic exchange between environments and help predict the atmospheric pathways of ecological and health‐related microbial stressors. Dust‐borne microbial communities have been previously characterized, but the impact and interactions between potentially active bacteria within transported communities remain limited. Here, we analysed samples collected during DEs in Israel, using amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes and transcripts. Different air trajectories and wind speeds were associated not only with the genomic microbial community composition variations but also with specific 16S rRNA bacterial transcripts. Potentially active dust‐borne bacteria exhibited positive interactions, including carbon and nitrogen cycling, biotransformation of heavy metals, degradation of organic compounds, biofilm formation, and the presence of pathogenic taxa. This study provides insights into the potential interactive relationships and survival strategies of microorganisms within the extreme dust environment.
Competition, liquidity creation and bank stability
Authors: Tran Vuong Thao , Nguyen Hoa
Published: December 2023

We examine the conditioning role of competition in affecting the relationship between liquidity creation and bank risk in a sample of US banks from 2001 to 2016. We find aggregate evidence that competition is related to bank fragility as proxied by the Z‐score both directly and indirectly through its interaction with liquidity creation. However, when the ex‐ante level of liquidity creation is low and/or competition is low to moderate, competition is associated with an improvement in bank risk at a given level of liquidity creation. In addition, the joint fragility effect of competition and liquidity creation manifests more strongly, in an economic sense, in poorly capitalised banks and large banks with assets of more than $3 billion. Our findings emphasise the crucial role of targeted competition regulations in ensuring bank solvency and systemic stability while maintaining a robust level of competition.
Privileged observers and colonial continuities
Authors: Green Maia
Published: December 2023

Anthropological debates about development are often framed by a moral contrast between pure and instrumental knowledge. But the good of anthropology is situationally produced, as we can demonstrate by reflecting on the discipline's institutional conditions. Institutional contexts sustain our professional identities and research practices, including the claimed differences between them. These contexts are in turn produced by political economies of development expertise and academic knowledge production. Indeed, social anthropology's core research practices were shaped by its configuration within political economies of colonial governance, and they were perpetuated through the expansion of university systems. We should, then, stop sustaining the fictions that our work is situated outside political economies of interest or that we write purely in pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Rather, we need to be more transparent about the economies that determine the kinds of knowledge we produce and the political implications of what we authorize as knowledge.
Rifampicin does not reduce moxifloxacin concentrations at the site of infection and may not improve treatment outcome of a one‐stage exchange surgery protocol of implant‐associated osteomyelitis lesions in a porcine model
Authors: Vittrup Sofus , Jensen Louise Kruse , Hartmann Katrine Top , Aalbæk Bent , Hanberg Pelle , Slater Josefine , Hvistendahl Magnus Andreas , Stilling Maiken , Jørgensen Nis Pedersen , Bue Mats
Published: December 2023

We aimed to evaluate moxifloxacin steady‐state concentrations in infected bone and soft tissue and to explore the additive microbiological and pathological treatment effect of rifampicin to standard moxifloxacin treatment of implant‐associated osteomyelitis (IAO). 16 pigs were included. On Day 0, IAO was induced in the proximal tibia using a susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strain. On Day 7, the pigs underwent one‐stage exchange surgery of the IAO lesions and were randomized to receive seven days of intravenous antibiotic treatment of either rifampicin combined with moxifloxacin or moxifloxacin monotherapy. On Day 14, microdialysis was applied for continuous sampling (8 h) of moxifloxacin concentrations. Microbiological, macroscopical pathology, and histopathological analyses were performed postmortem. Steady‐state moxifloxacin area under the concentration–time curve was lower in the combination therapy group in plasma (total) and subcutaneous tissue compartments (infected and noninfected) (p < 0.04), while no differences were found in bone compartments. No additional treatment effect of rifampicin to moxifloxacin treatment was found (p = 0.57). Conclusive, additive rifampicin treatment does not reduce moxifloxacin concentrations at the infection site. Rifampicin treatment may not be necessary in a one‐stage exchange treatment of IAO. However, our sample size and treatment period may have been too small and short to reveal true clinical differences.
Editorial: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate more than an antiviral drug—Another piece of the puzzle. Authors' reply
Authors: Cheng Pin‐Nan , Liu Chun‐Jen
Published: December 2023

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Cheng et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17765 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17793
The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology: The first 50 years
Authors: Cremers Serge , Tucker Geoffrey T. , Aronson Jeffrey K. , Ritter James M. , Cohen Adam F.
Published: December 2023

The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology celebrates its 50th anniversary of publication in 2023. Here four previous Editors‐in‐Chief and the current Editor reflect on the Journal's history and the changes that have occurred during that time.
Migrant community resource persons as bricoleurs of family support
Authors: Vindevogel Sofie , Delaere Karolien , Van Poucke Joris
Published: December 2023

Families from migrant backgrounds are found to generally underutilize mainstream child and family support services and recourse more to their social networks and community‐based actors for support. This article explores the role of migrant community resource persons (CRPs). Drawing on the novel concept of welfare bricolage, the study sought to unravel CRPs' take on family support and their position in the family support landscape beyond the dominant framing as instrumental intermediaries. Semi‐structured in‐depth interviews were conducted with 27 CRPs in Flanders, Belgium, to which thematic analysis was applied. This thematic analysis was guided by key principles of welfare bricolage. The findings add to the existing knowledge that CRPs creatively and flexibly shape community‐based family support outside and independent of the predefined, mainstream pathways. CRPs seek to strengthen families and their communities by purposefully assembling and deploying a wide range of resources from various support systems. The findings expand the notion of family support, what it is and who provides it, and thus provide an impetus to reconsider child and family social work in superdiverse settings. This article therefore informs government authorities and formal and informal actors working to support family welfare.
Public values to guide childhood vaccination mandates: A report on four Australian community juries
Authors: Degeling Chris , Leask Julie , Attwell Katie , Wood Nicholas , Braunack‐Mayer Annette , Wiley Kerrie , Ward Paul , Carter Stacy M.
Published: December 2023

Objective

Governments use vaccination mandates, of different degrees of coerciveness, to encourage or require childhood vaccination. We elicited the views of well‐informed community members on the public acceptability of using childhood vaccination mandates in Australia.

Methods

Four community juries were conducted in Canberra, Launceston, Cairns and Melbourne, Australia between 2021 and 2022. We recruited 51 participants from diverse backgrounds, genders and ages through random digit dialling and social media. Two juries were held in metropolitan areas, and two in regional/rural settings. Outcome measures included jury verdicts and reasons in response to structured questions.

Results

All juries were concerned about collective protection and individual rights but prioritised the former over the latter. A majority in all juries supported mandates but juries disagreed with respect to the appropriate mandate types. All juries endorsed using the least restrictive or coercive means to encourage vaccination (providing incentives or education, e.g.) before imposing penalties such as financial losses and school exclusions. The overriding view was that it is fairer to place a direct burden on parents rather than children and that mandates should be designed to avoid inequitable impacts on less advantaged groups in society. Many jurors found conscientious objection acceptable as a controlled option for resolute refusers, provided that overall vaccination coverage remains high.

Conclusion

This paper gives policymakers access to the reasons that Australians have for supporting or opposing different mandates under conditions of high knowledge, understanding and deliberation regarding policy options. Sustaining high rates of vaccination requires high levels of co‐operation between governments, public health actors and the public. Our findings highlight the importance of considering public values in the design and implementation of vaccination mandates.

Patient and Public Involvement

We sought input from individuals who did and did not vaccinate during the study design. The views and perspectives of nonvaccinating parents were presented in the evidence to juries. We deliberately excluded nonvaccinating individuals from participating, as the divisive and often hostile nature of the topic, and their minority status, made it difficult to ensure they would feel safe as members of the jury without overrepresenting their perspective in the sample. Two related projects engaged directly with these parents.
Does outcome expectancy predict outcomes in online depression prevention? Secondary analysis of randomised‐controlled trials
Authors: Thielecke Janika , Kuper Paula , Ebert David , Cuijpers Pim , Smit Filip , Riper Heleen , Lehr Dirk , Buntrock Claudia
Published: December 2023

Background

Evidence shows that online interventions could prevent depression. However, to improve the effectiveness of preventive online interventions in individuals with subthreshold depression, it is worthwhile to study factors influencing intervention outcomes. Outcome expectancy has been shown to predict treatment outcomes in psychotherapy for depression. However, little is known about whether this also applies to depression prevention. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of participants' outcome expectancy in an online depression prevention intervention.

Methods

A secondary data analysis was conducted using data from two randomised‐controlled trials (N = 304). Multilevel modelling was used to explore the effect of outcome expectancy on depressive symptoms and close‐to‐symptom‐free status postintervention (6–7 weeks) and at follow‐up (3–6 months). In a subsample (n = 102), Cox regression was applied to assess the effect on depression onset within 12 months. Explorative analyses included baseline characteristics as possible moderators. Outcome expectancy did not predict posttreatment outcomes or the onset of depression.

Results

Small effects were observed at follow‐up for depressive symptoms (β = −.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [−0.75, −0.03], p = .032, padjusted = .130) and close‐to‐symptom‐free status (relative risk = 1.06, 95% CI: [1.01, 1.11], p = .013, padjusted = 0.064), but statistical significance was not maintained when controlling for multiple testing. Moderator analyses indicated that expectancy could be more influential for females and individuals with higher initial symptom severity.

Conclusion

More thoroughly designed, predictive studies targeting outcome expectancy are necessary to assess the full impact of the construct for effective depression prevention.

Patient or Public Contribution

This secondary analysis did not involve patients, service users, care‐givers, people with lived experience or members of the public. However, the findings incorporate the expectations of participants using the preventive online intervention, and these exploratory findings may inform the future involvement of participants in the design of indicated depression prevention interventions for adults.

Clinical Trial Registration

Original studies: DRKS00004709, DRKS00005973; secondary analysis: osf.io/9xj6a.
MiR‐22‐3p facilitates bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell osteogenesis and fracture healing through the SOSTDC1‐PI3K/AKT pathway
Authors: Wang Chunqiu , Wang Xinguo , Cheng Hui , Fang Jiahu
Published: December 2023

Bone fractures are the most common form of musculoskeletal trauma worldwide. Numerous microRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested to be participants in regulating bone‐related diseases. Recent studies revealed the regulatory role of miR‐22‐3p in osteogenic differentiation, but its role in fracture healing has not been investigated previously. Here, a rat femoral fracture model was established, Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were isolated to detect the specific function and underlying mechanisms of miR‐22‐3p. MiR‐22‐3p and sclerostin domain‐containing 1 (SOSTDC1) expression was determined by RT‐qPCR and immunohistochemistry staining. The levels of proteins associated with osteogenic differentiation were assessed by western blotting. Flow cytometry was conducted to identify the isolated rat BMSCs. Alizarin red staining, alkaline phosphatase staining and Oil Red O staining were used to evaluate the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of rat BMSCs. The interaction between miR‐22‐3p and SOSTDC1 was verified using a luciferase reporter assay. Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining of the bone tissues was performed to analyse the effect of miR‐22‐3p on histopathological changes in vivo. MiR‐22‐3p was downregulated in the callus tissues of rat femoral fracture, while the expression of SOSTDC1 was upregulated. The isolated rat BMSCs had the capacity for both osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. The differentiation capacity of BMSCs into osteoblasts was increased by miR‐22‐3p overexpression. MiR‐22‐3p activated the PI3K/AKT pathway by targeting SOSTDC1. SOSTDC1 overexpression and PI3K/AKT signalling inhibitor LY294002 abolished the enhancing effect of miR‐22‐3p overexpression on the osteogenesis of BMSCs. Thus MiR‐22‐3p facilitated the femoral fracture healing in rats. MiR‐22‐3p overexpression promoted fracture healing via the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway by targeting SOSTDC1.
Effective thermal conductivity of fiberglass insulation
Authors: Choudhary Manoj K. , Eastes Walter
Published: December 2023

Globally, the operational energy usage in buildings accounts for about 30% of the final energy consumption and 26% of the energy‐related emissions. In 2022, the building sector recorded 132 EJ in energy usage and 9.8 Gt of CO2 emissions. Energy‐intensive space heating and air conditioning play a significant role in these statistics, with slightly over half of US home energy usage attributed to them. Thus, energy‐efficient buildings, incorporating effective thermal insulation, are essential for addressing climate change. Fiberglass is the dominant insulation material used in US homes, comprising about 71% of installations. The paper discusses the fundamental aspects of heat transfer in fibrous insulation in general and fiberglass insulation in particular. The thermal performance of a fibrous insulation is characterized by an effective thermal conductivity, which combines conductive and radiative terms. The former represents heat conduction through the gas–fiber network and the latter the absorption and the scattering of thermal radiation by the fibers. The paper describes mathematical formulations for these terms and presents results showing the dependence of the effective conductivity on insulation density, fiber diameter, and temperature. The predicted values of the effective conductivity are found to be in good agreement with the measured ones.
The clinical impact of ureteroscopy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma: A multicenter study
Authors: Nakano Juria , Urabe Fumihiko , Kiuchi Yuria , Takamizawa Shigeyoshi , Suzuki Hirotaka , Kawano Shota , Miyajima Keiichiro , Fukuokaya Wataru , Takahashi Kazuhiro , Iwatani Kosuke , Imai Yu , Kayano Sotaro , Aikawa Koichi , Yanagisawa Takafumi , Tashiro Kojiro , Yuen Steffi , Sato Shun , Tsuzuki Shunsuke , Miki Jun , Kimura Takahiro ,   JIKEI‐YAYOI Collaborative Group
Published: December 2023

Background

With the development of kidney‐sparing surgery and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, ureteroscopic biopsy (URSBx) has become important for the management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from 744 patients with UTUC who underwent radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), stratified into no ureteroscopy (URS), URS alone, and URSBx groups. Intravesical recurrence‐free survival (IVRFS) was examined using the Kaplan–Meier method. We conducted Cox regression analyses to identify risk factors for IVR. We investigated differences between clinical and pathological staging to assess the ability to predict the pathological tumor stage and grade of RNU specimens.

Results

Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression revealed significantly more IVR and inferior IVRFS in patients who underwent URS and URSBx. Superficial, but not invasive, bladder cancer recurrence was more frequent in the URS and URSBx groups than in the no URS group. Clinical and pathological staging agreed for 55 (32.4%) patients. Downstaging occurred for 48 (28.2%) patients and clinical understaging occurred for 67 (39.4%) patients. Upstaging to muscle‐invasive disease occurred for 39 (35.8%) of 109 patients with ≤cT1 disease. Clinical and pathological grading were similar for 72 (42.3%) patients. Downgrading occurred for 5 (2.9%) patients, and clinical undergrading occurred for 93 (54.7%) patients.

Conclusion

URS and URSBx instrumentation will be risk factors for superficial, but not invasive, bladder cancer recurrence. Clinical understaging/undergrading and upstaging to muscle‐invasive disease occurred for a large proportion of patients with UTUC who underwent RNU. These data emphasize the challenges involved in accurate UTUC staging and grading.
Assessing social performance in supply chain design and planning through a monetization approach
Authors: da Silva Cátia , Barbosa‐Póvoa Ana , Carvalho Ana
Published: December 2023

Sustainable development is today a major concern, and within this supply chain’ environmental and social performances need to be considered. The social pillar of the supply chain is not easy to measure, and its quantification is a researcher's challenge. In addition, quantifying the social impact of a monetary unit, easily understood by decision‐makers, is an important step towards achieving global sustainable supply chain performance. This work intends to contribute to this challenge and develops a monetization approach for assessing supply chain's social performance, considering three main relevant social indicators: job creation, accidents and training.  These are then integrated into an optimization‐based decision tool that can be used to design and plan a supply chain based on an informed decision. This operation research–based tool considers the economic and the social pillars independently or simultaneously, allowing the development of different analyses to reflect on the different trade‐offs that could be considered when designing and planning sustainable supply chains. A case study is utilized to demonstrate the tool's applicability, and a number of conclusions and insights are provided on how to strengthen supply chain sustainability.
A multistart biased‐randomized algorithm for solving a three‐dimensional case picking problem with real‐life constraints
Authors: Neroni Mattia , Juan Angel A. , Bertolini Massimo
Published: December 2023

This paper introduces the three‐dimensional case picking problem (3D‐CPP) and proposes a multistart biased‐randomized algorithm (BRA) to solve it. The 3D‐CPP combines two important topics in modern warehouse logistics: the pallet loading problem and the routing of pickers in manual warehouses. The proposed optimization procedure aims at minimizing the overall distance traveled by the pickers, and is achieved by combining a routing problem (i.e., the order in which picking positions are visited) with a loading problem (i.e., the way in which cases are placed onto the pallet). We also consider additional constraints regarding the weight, vertical support, and strength of the cases. In order to solve this problem, we first propose a constructive heuristic which combines routing and packing procedures. This initial heuristic is then extended into a multistart BRA by employing a skewed probability distribution to introduce a certain degree of randomness during the solution‐construction process. A series of computational experiments allow us to assess the quality of the proposed approach, through a comparison with other algorithms as well as using real‐life data provided by an industrial partner.
The capacitated family traveling salesperson problem
Authors: Domínguez‐Casasola Saúl , González‐Velarde José Luis , Ríos‐Solís Yasmín Á. , Reyes‐Vega Kevin Alain
Published: December 2023

The capacitated family traveling salesperson problem (CFTSP) is about a graph in which nodes are partitioned into disjoint and differently weighted families. The objective is to find the shortest route that visits a given number of nodes in each family with a set of capacitated agents. The CFTSP is a new variant of the family traveling salesman problem (FTSP). Nevertheless, existing exact and metaheuristic methods for the FSTP cannot be straightforwardly applied due to the feasibility condition that requires agents to stay within their capacity. Thus, we propose integer linear programming formulations with five different subtour inequalities sets that are tested and compared with the classical approaches. In addition, we propose a biased random‐key genetic algorithm with four decoder algorithms that find high‐quality solutions in short computational times. Based on our experiments, we have found that our methods are effective in addressing subtour avoidance and ensuring feasible assignments.
The impact of psychological interventions on surgical site wound healing post‐surgery in psoriasis patients: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Wang Na , Pei Lin , Zhang Mengqian , Wang Gang , Zheng Shumao , Kou Xiaoli , Chen Hu
Published: December 2023

This meta‐analysis investigates the impact of psychological interventions on the wound healing process at surgical sites in patients with psoriasis who have undergone various surgical procedures. Following the PRISMA guidelines, an extensive database search was conducted, initially identifying 679 articles, with 6 studies ultimately meeting our rigorous selection criteria. These studies, which included both Randomized Controlled Trials and observational designs, utilized a range of scales, such as the REEDA and Manchester Scar Scale (MSS), to measure the healing of surgical wounds. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager and SPSS, revealing that psychological interventions significantly expedited wound healing as early as 1 week post‐surgery (I2 = 93%; Random: SMD = −3.01, 95% CI: [−4.35, −1.66], p < 0.01), according to the REEDA scale. At the one‐month follow‐up, a continued positive effect was observed on the MSS (I2 = 69%; Random: SMD = 2.31, 95% CI: [1.54, 3.08], p < 0.01). The studies demonstrated a low risk of bias, and funnel plot analysis suggested no significant publication bias. These results highlight the beneficial role of psychological support in the postoperative recovery of psoriasis patients, suggesting a need for a more integrated approach to patient care that includes psychological well‐being as a component of comprehensive treatment strategies.