bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the relationship between women’s experience of postnatal care and reported staffing measures: an observational study
Authors: Turner Lesley , Ball Jane , Culliford David , Kitson-Reynolds Ellen , Griffiths Peter
Published: April 2024

Background

Women have reported dissatisfaction with care received on postnatal wards and this area has been highlighted for improvement. Studies have shown an association between midwifery staffing levels and postnatal care experiences, but so far, the influence of registered and support staff deployed in postnatal wards has not been studied. This work is timely as the number of support workers has increased in the workforce and there has been little research on skill mix to date.

Methods

Cross sectional secondary analysis including 13,264 women from 123 postnatal wards within 93 hospital Trusts. Staffing was measured at organisational level as Full Time Equivalent staff, and at ward level using Care Hours Per Patient Day. Women’s experiences were assessed using four items from the 2019 national maternity survey. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine relationships and adjust for maternal age, parity, type of birth, medical staff and number of births per year in the Trust.

Results

Trusts with higher levels of midwifery staffing had higher rates of women reporting positive experiences of postnatal care. However, when staffing was measured at a ward level, there was no evidence of an association between registered staffing and patient experience. Wards with higher levels of support worker staffing were associated with higher rates of women reporting they had help when they needed it and were treated with kindness and understanding.

Conclusion

The relationship between reported registered staffing levels on postnatal wards and women’s experience is uncertain. Further work should be carried out to examine why relationships observed at an organisational level were not replicated closer to the patient, at ward level. It is possible that reported staffing levels do not reflect staff as deployed if midwives are floated to cover delivery units. This study highlights the potential contribution of support workers in providing quality care on postnatal wards.
Harnessing defective interfering particles and lipid nanoparticles for effective delivery of an anti-dengue virus RNA therapy
Authors: Lin Min-Hsuan , Maniam Pramila , Li Dongsheng , Tang Bing , Bishop Cameron , Suhrbier Andreas , Wales-Earl Lucy , Tayyar Yaman , McMillan Nigel A. J. , Li Li , Harrich David
Published: April 2024

Presently, no approved antiviral drug targets dengue virus (DENV) infection. Treatment mainly relies on supportive measures, while DENV vaccines’ efficacy varies based on factors like vaccine type, circulating DENV serotypes and vaccinated population. This study explores using defective interfering particles (DIPs) and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver an anti-DENV defective interfering RNA, known as DI290. Results showed that both DIPs and DI290 loaded LNPs (LNP-290) effectively suppressed DENV infection in human primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), THP-1 macrophages and human fibroblasts, representing cell types naturally targeted by DENV. Furthermore, LNP-290 demonstrated >log10inhibition of DENV viral loads in IFNAR-deficient mice, which lack functional type I interferon (IFN) receptors. DI290-mediated inhibition was also effective in IFN regulatory factor 3 and 7 double knockout mice. RNA-Seq data from LNP-treated C57BL/6J mice, IFNAR-deficient mice and human MDMs treated with LNPs or DENV DIPs illustrated DI290 treatment heightened IFN responses, particularly IFNγ, as well as IFNα/β and IFNλ. DI290 thus induces a broad range of IFN responses, with IFNγ and IFNλ providing anti-viral activity when IFNα/β responses are absent. Mice administered LNP-290 also did not manifest acute overt clinical signs. In summary, these experiments suggest DI290’s potential as a therapeutic approach for combating DENV infection.
Dimalis: A complete standalone pipeline to analyse prokaryotic cell growth from time-lapse imaging
Authors: Todorov Helena , Bentvelsen Bouke , Ugolini Stefano , Pacheco Alan R. , Convers Anthony , Miguel Trabajo Tania , van der Meer Jan Roelof
Published: April 2024

Real-time imaging of bacterial cell division, population growth and behaviour is essential for our understanding of microbial-catalyzed processes at the microscale. However, despite the relative ease by which high resolution imaging data can be acquired, the extraction of relevant cell features from images remains cumbersome. Here we present a versatile pipeline for automated extraction of bacterial cell features from standalone or time-resolved image series, with standardized data output for easy downstream processing. The input consist of phase-contrast images with or without additional fluorescence details, which are denoised to account for potential out-of-focus regions, and segmented to outline the morphologies of individual cells. Cells are then tracked over subsequent time frame images to provide genealogy or microcolony spatial information. We test the pipeline with eight different bacterial strains, cultured in microfluidics systems with or without nutrient flow, or on agarose miniature surfaces to follow microcolony growth. Examples of downstream processing in form of extraction of growth kinetic parameters or bistable cell differentiation are provided. The pipeline is wrapped in a Docker to facilitate installation, consistent processing and avoiding constant software updates.
Mitochondrial ATP synthesis is essential for efficient gametogenesis inPlasmodium falciparum
Authors: Sparkes Penny C , Famodimu Mufuliat Toyin , Alves Eduardo , Springer Eric , Przyborski Jude , Delves Michael J
Published: April 2024

Interrupting parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes is vital for malaria elimination and eradication.Plasmodiummale and female gametocytes are the gatekeepers of human to mosquito transmission. Whilst dormant in the human host, their divergent roles during transmission become visually apparent soon after ingestion by the mosquito after rapid transformation into gametes – the males forming eight motile sperm-like cells that each aim to fertilise a single female gamete. Here we report that antibodies raised against PfLDH2 allow accurate identification of male gametocytes. Using this novel tool and functional mitochondrial labelling, we show that the male gametocyte mitochondrion is less active than that of female gametocytes. Rather than being a vestigial organelle discarded during male gametogenesis, we demonstrate that mitochondrial ATP synthesis is essential for male gametocytes to complete gametogenesis and inhibition leads to early arrest. Additionally, using a genetically encoded ratiometric sensor of ATP, we show that gametocytes can maintain cytoplasmic ATP homeostasis in the absence of mitochondrial respiration, indicating the essentiality of the gametocyte mitochondrion for transmission alone. Together, this reveals how gametocytes balance the conflicting energy demands of a dormant and active lifestyle and highlights the mitochondria as a rich source of transmission-blocking targets for future drug development.
PBK/TOPK mediates Ikaros, Aiolos and CTCF displacement from mitotic chromosomes and alters chromatin accessibility at selected C2H2-zinc finger protein binding sites
Authors: Dimond Andrew , Gim Do Hyeon , Ing-Simmons Elizabeth , Whilding Chad , Kramer Holger , Djeghloul Dounia , Montoya Alex , Patel Bhavik , Cheriyamkunnel Sherry , Brown Karen , Shliaha Pavel , Vaquerizas Juan M. , Merkenschlager Mathias , Fisher Amanda G.
Published: April 2024

PBK/TOPK is a mitotic kinase implicated in haematological and non-haematological cancers. Here we show that the key haemopoietic regulators Ikaros and Aiolos require PBK-mediated phosphorylation to dissociate from chromosomes in mitosis. Eviction of Ikaros is rapidly reversed by addition of the PBK-inhibitor OTS514, revealing dynamic regulation by kinase and phosphatase activities. To identify more PBK targets, we analysed loss of mitotic phosphorylation events inPbk−/−preB cells and performed proteomic comparisons on isolated mitotic chromosomes. Among a large pool of C2H2-zinc finger targets, PBK is essential for evicting the CCCTC-binding protein CTCF and zinc finger proteins encoded byIkzf1,Ikzf3,Znf131andZbtb11. PBK-deficient cells were able to divide but showed altered chromatin accessibility and nucleosome positioning consistent with CTCF retention. Our studies reveal that PBK controls the dissociation of selected factors from condensing mitotic chromosomes and contributes to their compaction.
Epg5 links proteotoxic stress due to defective autophagic clearance and epileptogenesis inDrosophilaand Vici Syndrome patients
Authors: Deneubourg Celine , Salimi Dafsari Hormos , Lowe Simon , Martinez-Cotrina Aitana , Mazaud David , Park Seo Hyun , Vergani Virginia , Maroofian Reza , Averdunk Luisa , Ghayoor-Karimiani Ehsan , Jayawant Sandeep , Mignot Cyril , Keren Boris , Peters Renate , Kamath Arveen , Mattas Lauren , Verma Sumit , Silwal Arpana , Distelmaier Felix , Houlden Henry , Antebi Adam , Jepson James , Jungbluth Heinz , Fanto Manolis
Published: April 2024

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that arises from dysfunctional neuronal circuit control due to either acquired or innate disorders. Autophagy is an essential neuronal housekeeping mechanism, which causes severe proteotoxic stress when impaired. Autophagy impairment has been associated to epileptogenesis through a variety of molecular mechanisms. Vici Syndrome (VS) is the paradigmatic congenital autophagy disorder in humans due to recessive variants in the ectopic P-granules autophagy tethering factor 5 (EPG5) gene that is crucial for autophagosome-lysosome fusion and ultimately for effective autophagic clearance. VS is characterized by a wide range of neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neurological features, including epilepsy. Here, we usedDrosophila melanogasterto study the importance ofepg5in development, ageing, and seizures. Our data indicate that proteotoxic stress due to impaired autophagic clearance and seizure-like behaviors correlate and are commonly regulated, suggesting that seizures occur as a direct consequence of proteotoxic stress and age-dependent neurodegenerative progression inepg5 Drosophilamutants, in the absence of evident neurodevelopmental abnormalities. We provide complementary evidence fromEPG5-mutated patients demonstrating an epilepsy phenotype consistent withDrosophilapredictions and propose autophagy stimulating diets as a feasible approach to controlEPG5-related pharmacoresistant seizures.
Ribonuclease activity undermines immune sensing of naked extracellular RNA
Authors: Castellano Mauricio , Blanco Valentina , Calzi Marco Li , Costa Bruno , Witwer Kenneth , Hill Marcelo , Cayota Alfonso , Segovia Mercedes , Tosar Juan Pablo
Published: April 2024

The plasma membrane and the membrane of endosomal vesicles are considered physical barriers preventing extracellular RNA uptake. While naked RNA can be spontaneously internalized by certain cells types, functional delivery of naked RNA into the cytosol has been rarely observed. Here we show that extracellular ribonucleases, mainly derived from cell culture supplements, have so far hindered the study of extracellular RNA functionality. In the presence of active ribonuclease inhibitors (RI), naked bacterial RNA is pro-inflammatory when spiked in the media of dendritic cells and macrophages. In murine cells, this response mainly depends on the action of endosomal Toll-like receptors. However, we also show that naked RNA can perform endosomal escape and engage with cytosolic RNA sensors and ribosomes. For example, naked mRNAs encoding reporter proteins can be spontaneously internalized and translated by a variety of cell types, in an RI-dependent manner. In vivo, RI co-injection enhances the activation induced by naked extracellular RNA on splenic lymphocytes and myeloid-derived leukocytes. Furthermore, naked extracellular RNA is inherently pro-inflammatory in ribonuclease-poor compartments such as the peritoneal cavity. Overall, these results demonstrate that naked RNA is bioactive and does not need encapsulation inside synthetic or biological lipid vesicles for functional uptake, making a case for nonvesicular extracellular RNA-mediated intercellular communication.
A Cost of Illness Analysis of Children with Encephalitis Presenting to A Major Hospital in Vietnam
Authors: Huong Nguyen Hoang Thien , Toan Nguyen Duc , Khanh Truong Huu , Thinh Le Quoc , Nhan Le Nguyen Thanh , Minh Ngo Ngoc Quang , Thoa Nguyen Thi Kim , Hung Nguyen Thanh , Quy Du Tuan , Thwaites C. Louise , Irani Sarosh R , Tan Le Van , Turner Hugo C.
Published: April 2024

Background

Encephalitis is a significant global health problem, especially in children. Knowledge of its economic burden is essential for policymakers in prioritizing the development and implementation of interventions but remains limited.

Methods

An observational study was prospectively conducted at a major children’s hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from 2020 to 2022. Data on direct medical costs, direct non- medical costs and productivity costs were collected alongside demographic information, clinical features, diagnosis, severity, and outcomes of study participants. This was used to undertake a cost of illness analysis from a societal perspective.

Results

Data were collected from a total of 164 paediatric patients. The mean cost of illness per case was estimated at US$2,820.43 (95% confidence interval (CI), US$2,431.96– US$3,208.91), of which productivity costs accounted for US$434.04 (95% CI, US$362.48– US$505.60). The direct costs were the main cost driver, accounting for 84.6% of the total cost of illness (US$2,386.38 (95%CI: US$2,033.91–US$2,738.85)). The cost of illness was higher in more severe patients, patients with sequelae, and ventilated patients. On average 51.8% of direct medical costs attributed to hospitalisation (US$960.09) resulted in out-of- pocket payments from the patient’s family.

Conclusions

The results showed that the cost of illness of encephalitis in children is considerable. The results will be useful for policymakers in prioritizing resources for the development and implementation of intervention strategies to reduce the burden of paediatric encephalitis.
Flexible and scalable participatory syndromic and virological surveillance for respiratory infections: our experiences in The Netherlands
Authors: Smit Tara , Carstens Gesa , Han Wanda , Bulsink Kirsten , de Bakker Jordy , Elahi Mansoer , van Gageldonk-Lafeber Rianne , van den Hof Susan , Eggink Dirk , van Hoek Albert Jan
Published: April 2024

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic participatory digital syndromic surveillance systems proved itself, as it is scalable, flexible and function independent from the health care system or health care seeking behaviour. A limitation of syndromic surveillance is the inability of pathogen identification. We describe our experiences regarding integrating self-swabs with centralized testing into a participatory syndromic surveillance system in the Netherlands (Infectieradar).

Methods

In the 2022/2023 winter seasonInfectieradarwas extended to include nose- and throat swabs. Participants received test-kits including SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests for home use as well as nose- and throat swabs. All SARS-CoV-2 positive participants and a random sample of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 self-test negative participants were asked to return a nose- and throat swab by regular post. Self-test negative swabs were tested by multiplex-PCR on 22 pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. Self-test SARS-CoV-2 positive samples with a Ct-value < 30 were sequenced for variant analysis.

Results

Over 17,000 participants were included in the study. We collected 1,475 (median: 37 per week) swabs from participants with positive and 4,096 swabs (median: 136 per week) from participants with negative SARS-CoV-2 antigen self-tests. Of the swabs following a negative self-test, 47.7% tested positive in the multiplex-PCR, and rhinovirus/enterovirus was the most frequently detected pathogen (24.5%). Self-test SARS-CoV-2 positivity was laboratory-confirmed in 96.1% of swabs and showed parallel variant distributions as the national SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance.

Conclusion

This large-scale, centralized participatory surveillance system provides a comprehensive approach for performing syndromic and virological surveillance in the general population, including respiratory pathogen detection by self-test or multiplex-PCR. Given the continuous collection of samples among those who don’t seek care, the system provides valuable insights into circulating respiratory pathogens and is part of an answer on how to study the transmission, competition, virulence and evolution of circulating pathogens in interpandemic periods.
A new experimental setup for combined fast differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy
Authors: Martinelli Alessandro , Baglioni Jacopo , Sun Peihao , Dallari Francesco , Pineda Eloi , Duan Yajuan , Spitzbart-Silberer Tobias , Westermeier Fabian , Sprung Michael , Monaco Giulio
Published: April 2024

Synchrotron-radiation-based techniques are a powerful tool for the investigation of materials. In particular, the availability of highly brilliant sources has opened the possibility to develop techniques sensitive to dynamics at the atomic scale such as X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS). XPCS is particularly relevant in the study of glasses, which have been often investigated at the macroscopic scale by, for example, differential scanning calorimetry. Here, we show how to adapt a Flash calorimeter to combine XPCS and calorimetric scans. This setup paves the way to novel experiments requiring dynamical and thermodynamic information, ranging from the study of the crystallization kinetics to the study of the glass transition in systems that can be vitrified thanks to the high cooling rates reachable with an ultrafast calorimeter.
A distributed data processing scheme based on Hadoop for synchrotron radiation experiments
Authors: Zhang Ding , Dai Ze-Yi , Sun Xue-Ping , Wu Xue-Ting , Li Hui , Tang Lin , He Jian-Hua
Published: April 2024

With the development of synchrotron radiation sources and high-frame-rate detectors, the amount of experimental data collected at synchrotron radiation beamlines has increased exponentially. As a result, data processing for synchrotron radiation experiments has entered the era of big data. It is becoming increasingly important for beamlines to have the capability to process large-scale data in parallel to keep up with the rapid growth of data. Currently, there is no set of data processing solutions based on the big data technology framework for beamlines. Apache Hadoop is a widely used distributed system architecture for solving the problem of massive data storage and computation. This paper presents a set of distributed data processing schemes for beamlines with experimental data using Hadoop. The Hadoop Distributed File System is utilized as the distributed file storage system, and Hadoop YARN serves as the resource scheduler for the distributed computing cluster. A distributed data processing pipeline that can carry out massively parallel computation is designed and developed using Hadoop Spark. The entire data processing platform adopts a distributed microservice architecture, which makes the system easy to expand, reduces module coupling and improves reliability.
FICO Score
Authors: Maiden Stephen E.
Published: April 2024

This case teaches students the importance of maintaining a strong FICO score by illustrating the consequences of paying bills late or not at all. The protagonist is David Molina, a waiter at a struggling Italian restaurant located down the block from where he lives. Money is tight for Molina right now—his limited income means he lives paycheck to paycheck. However, Molina knows things will be looking up for him soon because he recently accepted a job as a bank teller across town—his first desk job.

Molina has been putting off paying two of his bills: a cable bill and his Bank of America credit card bill, both of which are late and have been issued, this time, in the form of threats to impact Molina's credit score if he doesn't pay them. He has just enough money to afford the minimum payments on each overdue bill. But then he receives a phone call from his friend, Jim Lindsey, reminding him about an invitation to go to Myrtle Beach for the upcoming weekend. Molina knows he cannot afford it, but a woman he's attracted to, Jessica, will be there too. Should Molina put off the bills yet again, and if so, how exactly will being late on them hurt his credit score?
Does monetary policy contribute to housing price booms? Empirical evidence from the US economy
Authors: Tariq Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Azam , Ali Niaz
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effect of monetary policy on housing prices for US economy. It specifically examines whether nominal or real interest rates are the key drivers behind fluctuations in housing prices in US.

Design/methodology/approach

Monthly data from January 1991 to July 2023 and various appropriate analytical tools such as unit root tests, Johansen’s cointegration test, vector error correction model (VECM), impulse response function and Granger causality test were applied for the data analysis.

Findings

The Johansen cointegration findings reveal the presence of a long-term relationship among the variables. VECM results indicate a negative correlation between nominal and real interest rates and housing prices in both the short and long terms, suggesting that a strict monetary policy can help in controlling the housing price increase in the USA. However, housing prices are more responsive to changes in nominal interest rates than to real interest rates. Additionally, the study reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the upsurge in housing prices in the USA.

Originality/value

This study contributes by examining the role that nominal or real interest rates play in shaping housing prices in the USA. Moreover, given the recent significant upsurge in housing prices, this study presents a unique opportunity to investigate whether these price increases are influenced by the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions regarding nominal or real interest rates. Additionally, using monthly data, this study provides a deeper understanding of the fluctuations in housing prices and their connection to monetary policy tools.
Unlocking the potential: a study on the role of operational excellence in Oman’s energy sector
Authors: Al Zaabi Yousuf , Antony Jiju , Garza-Reyes Jose Arturo , Tortorella Guilherme da Luz , Sony Michael , Jayaraman Raja
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Operational excellence (OpEx) is a proven philosophy focusing on continuous improvement in processes and systems for superior performance and efficiency. It plays a crucial role in the energy sector, acting as a catalyst for safety, customer satisfaction, sustainability and competitiveness. This research aims to assess OpEx methodologies in Oman’s energy sector, examining methods, approaches, motivations and sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies qualitative analysis methodology, involving interviews with 18 industry experts, from the energy sector in a sizeable energy country.

Findings

The analysis revealed a growing demand, particularly, in the oil and gas industry, driven by emerging business needs. Qualitative data analysis has identified 10 themes such as implemented methodologies, motivation drivers, deployment approaches, sustainability factors, benefits and challenges. Additionally, new themes emerged, including influencers to start OpEx, resource requirements, enablers for successful OpEx and systems.

Research limitations/implications

This research was limited to Oman and the findings drawn from Omani energy companies may have limited applicability to energy companies in other regions. Therefore, if these findings were to be used, the validation of the findings in relation to other countries should be conducted, to ensure the validity of the context and outcome.

Practical implications

These findings contribute to understanding OpEx dynamics in the Omani energy sector, offering valuable insights for effective utilisation and organisational goal achievement. Furthermore, the study offers valuable insights on how to effectively employ OpEx initiatives in the energy sector to achieve their goals and create value. It addresses the lack of knowledge, offers a framework for successful OpEx implementation, bridges the theory-practice gap and provides insights for optimal utilisation.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study on assessing OpEx methodologies in the energy sector, and therefore it serves as a foundation for many future studies. The study provides a theoretical foundation for the OpEx methodologies in terms of organisational readiness for successful OpEx implementation.
A narrative review of the research on school leaders’ emotional labor: a typology inspired by Habermas’s cognitive interests
Authors: Huang Yingying , Yin Hongbiao
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Guided by Habermas’s three cognitive interests, this paper reviews the studies on school leaders’ emotional labor. It seeks to provide a typology of how researchers inquire about school leaders’ emotional labor by focusing on different understandings, topics and characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a narrative review with 38 studies finally selected for analysis. Guided by Habermas’s three cognitive interests, all the studies were examined carefully and were found to fall into different clusters of understanding of school leaders’ emotional labor.

Findings

The review revealed three understandings of school leaders’ emotional labor, namely instrumental understanding, practical understanding and emancipatory understanding. The instrumental understanding treats school leaders’ emotional labor as a tool to effectively control the schools; the practical understanding regards emotional labor as a way to build and maintain relationships and as the process of meaning-making; the emancipatory understanding perceives emotional labor as a site for school leaders’ reflection and action for achieving a more just and self-determined leadership.

Originality/value

This review contributes to the growing literature on school leadership and emotional labor by providing a theory-guided typology and synthesis of the existing understanding of school leaders’ emotional labor, which lays a knowledge base and points out directions for future scholarly inquiries. It also provides practical suggestions for educational policy, school leaders’ practice and leadership training.
International trade, mandatory IFRS adoption and financial reporting quality
Authors: Carvajal Mariela , Cahan Steven
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study examines how bilateral international trade among mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adopter countries moderates the relation between IFRS adoption and firms’ financial reporting quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use data from 2007 to 2015 and focus on publicly listed firms from non-European Union countries that adopted IFRS on a mandatory basis.

Findings

The authors find that the interaction between mandatory IFRS adoption and a country’s bilateral trade with other countries using IFRS is negatively and significantly related to accruals-based earnings management, which is an inverse measure of financial reporting quality. This result is driven by firms in less developed countries. The improvement in accounting quality is for firms located in countries that both fully and partially adopt IFRS. The authors also find a significant and negative coefficient for the relation between real earnings management and the interaction between mandatory IFRS adoption and a country’s bilateral trade with other IFRS countries in the post-global financial crisis period.

Originality/value

Overall, the authors’ results are consistent with the notion that the mandatory adoption of IFRS creates a positive externality where firms improve their accounting quality because increased financial statement comparability means that foreign customers and suppliers can monitor the quality of earnings more easily.
Plant traits, microclimate temperature and humidity: A research agenda for advancing nature‐based solutions to a warming and drying climate
Authors: Wright A. J. , Francia R. M.
Published: April 2024

Climate models predict at least another 1.5°C warming in the next 75 years. This warming drives increased atmospheric drying and a global increase in the severity and duration of ecological drought. Vegetation has the capacity to reduce microclimate temperatures and atmospheric aridity.

All species of plants create shade, move water, evapotranspire, humidify the air around them, and affect the temperature and vapour pressure deficit of the environment. Vegetation can thus act as a nature‐based solution to warming and atmospheric drying.

These microclimate modifications likely depend on the traits, functional groups and diversity of the plant community. Vegetative feedbacks on microclimate are strong enough to buffer some plants against the negative impacts of warming and drying (e.g. facilitation).

Synthesis: Here we present, for the first time, a trait‐based framework that can be applied across study systems for assessing microclimate temperature and humidity under vegetation. This framework includes multiple new hypotheses for future work in this area. We emphasize that a systematic examination of trait–microclimate relationships will enable us to use vegetation as a nature‐based solution to warming and atmospheric drying in a changing climate.
Investigating the use of deep learning models for land cover classification from street‐level imagery
Authors: Tsutsumida Narumasa , Zhao Jing , Shibuya Naho , Nasahara Kenlo , Tadono Takeo
Published: April 2024

Land cover classification mapping is the process of assigning labels to different types of land surfaces based on overhead imagery. However, acquiring reference samples through fieldwork for ground truth can be costly and time‐intensive. Additionally, annotating high‐resolution satellite images poses challenges, as certain land cover types are difficult to discern solely from nadir images. To address these challenges, this study examined the feasibility of using street‐level imagery to support the collection of reference samples and identify land cover. We utilized 18,022 images captured in Japan, with 14 different land cover classes. Our approach involved using convolutional neural networks based on Inception‐v4 and DenseNet, as well as Transformer‐based Vision and Swin Transformers, both with and without pre‐trained weights and fine‐tuning techniques. Additionally, we explored explainability through Gradient‐Weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad‐CAM). Our results indicate that using a Vision Transformer was the most effective method, achieving an overall accuracy of 86.12% and allowing for full explainability of land cover targets within an image. This paper proposes a promising solution for land cover classification from street‐level imagery, which can be used for semi‐automatic reference sample collection from geo‐tagged street‐level photos.
5A accreditation of tourist attractions in China and international tourist arrivals: A system generalised method of moments approach
Authors: Wei Honghong , Cheng Mingming , Huang Li
Published: April 2024

While international accreditations for tourist attractions have been extensively examined, the impact of nationally developed accreditations has been less systematically investigated. Employing the system generalised method of moments approach, this study investigates the relationship between 5A tourist attractions, based on China's accreditation system, and international tourist arrivals in China, using annual city‐level panel data spanning from 2002 to 2017. The empirical results suggest that the 5A accreditation has a significantly positive effect on international tourists' arrivals. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the 5A accreditation has a substantial impact on the number of international tourists visiting lesser‐known cities. Moreover, the study reveals that international tourists from different countries respond differently to cultural and natural sites. This research provides valuable insights into tourism development strategies for local governments and tourist attractions.
Where's the beef? The feminisation of weight‐loss dieting in Britain and Scandinavia c.1890–1925
Authors: Hilborn Emma
Published: April 2024

Representations of the slim body have traditionally been at the centre of scholarly interest in dieting culture, whereas food often remains a shadowy presence compared with more persistent themes of body discipline, slenderness and anti‐fat messages. This article offers a different perspective on weight‐loss dieting, placing food at the very centre of the analysis. By examining different diets in British and Scandinavian ladies’ magazines from the 1890s to the 1920s, I argue that the gendering of different foods was central to the changes that weight‐loss diets went through at the turn of the twentieth century, when the meat‐heavy diets associated with male dieting were gradually transformed. That this process was initiated within the feminine beauty culture promoted by ladies’ magazines is reinforced by the fact that weight‐loss diets changed well before mainstream nutritional advice did. The empirical analysis shows that this process of feminisation tied weight‐loss diets to existing, vegetarian beauty routines for a good complexion, suggesting that modern dieting culture is not only about slimming, but can be seen as a variation of a theme within beauty culture that centres around the imagined impact of different foods on the gendered body.
Opening the door to anti‐system leaders? Anti‐corruption campaigns and the global rise of populism
Authors: CHEESEMAN NIC , PEIFFER CARYN
Published: April 2024

Almost all anti‐corruption drives contain an awareness raising element. However, recent research reveals that anti‐corruption awareness raising messages can backfire by triggering a sense that corruption is too big of a problem to tackle, thus encouraging resignation rather than resistance. We advance this literature by exploring another potential unintended impact. Corruption scandals have played a prominent role in the rise of many populist leaders, who claim to challenge ‘the corrupt status quo’. We test whether anti‐corruption messages that call attention to the problem unintentionally help to foster populist attitudes through an original survey experiment in Albania. Breaking new ground by testing messages based on descriptive (how the world is) and injunctive (how people want it to be) norms, we find that while the latter has no effect, exposure to the former – which is more common in contemporary anti‐corruption campaigns – is associated with greater agreement with populist sentiments and beliefs.
Association between physician–hospital integration and inpatient care delivery in accountable care organizations: An instrumental variable analysis
Authors: Lin Meng‐Yun , Hanchate Amresh D. , Frakt Austin B. , Burgess James F. , Carey Kathleen
Published: April 2024

Objective

To investigate the relationship between physician–hospital integration within accountable care organizations (ACOs) and inpatient care utilization and expenditure.

Data Sources

The primary data were Massachusetts All‐Payer Claims Database (2009–2013).

Study Setting

Fifteen provider organizations that entered a commercial ACO contract with a major private payer in Massachusetts between 2009 and 2013.

Study Design

Using an instrumental variable approach, the study compared inpatient care delivery between patients of ACOs demonstrating high versus low integration. We measured physician–hospital integration within ACOs by the proportion of primary care physicians in an ACO who billed for outpatient services with a place‐of‐service code indicating employment or practice ownership by a hospital. The study sample comprised non‐elderly adults who had continuous insurance coverage and were attributed to one of the 15 ACOs. Outcomes of interest included total medical expenditure during an episode of inpatient care, length of stay (LOS) of the index hospitalization, and 30‐day readmission. An inpatient episode was defined as 30, 45, and 60 days from the admission date.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Not applicable.

Principal Findings

The study examined 33,535 admissions from patients served by the 15 ACOs. Average medical expenditure within 30 days of admission was $24,601, within 45 days was $26,447, and within 60 days was $28,043. Average LOS was 3.5 days, and 5.4% of patients were readmitted within 30 days. Physician–hospital integration was associated with a 10.6% reduction in 30‐day expenditure (95% CI, −15.1% to −5.9%). Corresponding estimates for 45 and 60 days were − 9.7% (95%CI, −14.2% to −4.9%) and − 9.6% (95%CI, −14.3% to −4.7%). Integration was associated with a 15.7% decrease in LOS (95%CI, −22.6% to −8.2%) but unrelated to 30‐day readmission rate.

Conclusions

Our instrumental variable analysis shows physician–hospital integration with ACOs was associated with reduced inpatient spending and LOS, with no evidence of elevated readmission rates.
Dietary factors and patterns in relation to risk of later‐onset ulcerative colitis in Chinese: A prospective study of 0.5 million people
Authors: Song Shuyao , Wu Zhiyu , Lv Jun , Yu Canqing , Sun Dianjianyi , Pei Pei , Pan Lang , Yang Ling , Chen Yiping , Du Huaidong , Chen Lingli , Schmidt Dan , Avery Daniel , Duan Liping , Chen Junshi , Chen Zhengming , Li Liming , Pang Yuanjie ,   the China Kadoorie Biobank Collaborative Group
Published: April 2024

Background

There is limited evidence on the associations of dietary factors and patterns with risk of later‐onset ulcerative colitis (UC) in Chinese adults.

Aims

To investigate the associations of dietary factors and patterns with risk of later‐onset UC in Chinese.

Methods

The prospective China Kadoorie Biobank cohort study recruited 512,726 participants aged 30–79. Dietary habits were assessed using food frequency questionnaires. Dietary patterns were derived by factor analysis with a principal component method. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

During a median follow‐up of 12.1 years, 312 cases of newly diagnosed UC were documented (median age of diagnosis 60.1 years). Egg consumption was associated with higher risk of UC (HR for daily vs. never or rarely: 2.29 [95% CI: 1.26–4.16]), while spicy food consumption was inversely associated with risk of UC (HR: 0.63 [0.45–0.88]). The traditional northern dietary pattern, characterised by high intake of wheat and low intake of rice, was associated with higher risk of UC (HR for highest vs. lowest quartile of score: 2.79 [1.93–4.05]). The modern dietary pattern, characterised by high intake of animal‐origin foods and fruits, was associated with higher risk of UC (HR: 2.48 [1.63–3.78]). Population attributable fraction was 13.04% (7.71%–19.11%) for daily/almost daily consumption of eggs and 9.87% (1.94%–18.22%) for never/rarely consumption of spicy food.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the importance of evaluating dietary factors and patterns in the primary prevention of later‐onset UC in Chinese adults.
Embedding research and enquiry in Australian DVM curriculum
Authors: Šlapeta J , Ward MP
Published: April 2024

Research and enquiry (R&E) is an integral part of veterinary training. It is a foundation of evidence‐based practice. In the University of Sydney Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree R&E culminates in a cap‐stone experience in Year 3: a ‘professionally focused project’, a student‐driven and academic supported individual research project. The project provides an authentic experience within a veterinary discipline. Students work with an academic advisor who provides guidance for developing and achieving meaningful educational and professional goals. Successful advising depends upon a shared understanding of, and commitment to, the advising process by students, advisors and the university. The R&E mission can be broadly defined as ‐ veterinarians recognise that evidence‐based approach to practice, which is based on the scientific method, leads to the generation of new knowledge that underpins the veterinary medical profession.
Harsh realities of female migration during the COVID epoch
Authors: Sahu Tarak Nath , Maity Sudarshan , Yadav Manjari
Published: April 2024

The study examines the consequences of the COVID‐19 pandemic‐induced lockdown on the socio‐economic status of 212 female migrant workers employed in the informal sector, originating from four underprivileged districts of West Bengal, India. The study assesses the changes in their scope of employment, financial instability, and the level of violence experienced within households and workplaces in the pre‐pandemic and post‐lockdown phases. We apply the binary logistic regression to identify factors influencing their low employment scope, the t‐test to observe changes in their income as a consequence of the pandemic, and the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test alongside effect size analysis to detect any rise in experiences of violence and exploitation against women. The findings suggest a notable decrease in their employment scope due to the absence of previous jobs, low wages, insecure workplaces, and family constraints; a decline in earnings; and an increased incidence of violence against them. The research suggests designing reforms to improve the current situation of female migrants, who represent one of the most marginalized sections of society. Formalizing the labor market and ensuring proper registration of these women would enable them to gain access to social security benefits, pension schemes, and relief packages that are vital for their well‐being.
Intersectional race–gender stereotypes in natural language
Authors: Bao Han‐Wu‐Shuang , Gries Peter
Published: April 2024

How are Asian and Black men and women stereotyped? Research from the gendered race and stereotype content perspectives has produced mixed empirical findings. Using BERT models pre‐trained on English language books, news articles, Wikipedia, Reddit and Twitter, with a new method for measuring propositions in natural language (the Fill‐Mask Association Test, FMAT), we explored the gender (masculinity–femininity), physical strength, warmth and competence contents of stereotypes about Asian and Black men and women. We find that Asian men (but not women) are stereotyped as less masculine and less moral/trustworthy than Black men. Compared to Black men and Black women, respectively, both Asian men and Asian women are stereotyped as less muscular/athletic and less assertive/dominant, but more sociable/friendly and more capable/intelligent. These findings suggest that Asian and Black stereotypes in natural language have multifaceted contents and gender nuances, requiring a balanced view integrating the gender schema theory and the stereotype content model. Exploring their semantic representations as propositions in large language models, this research reveals how intersectional race–gender stereotypes are naturally expressed in real life.
Microwave ablation combined with PD‐L1 blockade synergistically promotes Cxcl9‐mediated antitumor immunity
Authors: He Ningning , Huang Hao , Wu Shaoxian , Ji Weipeng , Tai Yicheng , Gao Ruicheng , Liu Yingting , Liu Yungang , Chen Lujun , Zhu Dawei , Zheng Xiao , Jiang Jingting
Published: April 2024

Although microwave ablation (MWA) is an important curative therapy in colorectal cancer liver metastasis, recurrence still occurs clinically. Our previous studies have shown that the expression of programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD‐L1) is upregulated following MWA, suggesting that MWA combined with anti‐PD‐L1 treatment can serve as a promising clinical therapeutic strategy against cancer. Using MWA‐treated preclinical mice models, MWA combined with αPD‐L1 treatment decreased tumor growth and prolonged overall survival (OS). Furthermore, through flow cytometry and single‐cell RNA sequencing analysis, we determined that the MWA plus αPD‐L1 therapy significantly suppressed CD8+ T cell exhaustion and enhanced their effector function. A significant increase in γ‐interferon (IFN‐γ) stimulated transcription factors, specifically Irf8, was observed. This enhancement facilitated the polarization of tumor‐associated macrophages (TAM1s and TAM2s) through the nuclear factor‐κB/JAK‐STAT1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, the combination therapy stimulated the production of CXC motif chemokine ligand (CXCL9) by TAM1s and tumor cells, potentially increasing the chemotaxis of CD8 T cells and Th1 cells. Knocking out Cxcl9 in MC38 tumor cells or using CXCL9 blockade enhanced tumor growth of untreated tumors and shortened OS. Taken together, our study showed that blocking the IFN‐γ‐Cxcl9‐CD8+ T axis promoted tumor progression and discovered a potential involvement of IRF8‐regulated TAMs in preventing T cell exhaustion. Collectively, we identified that the combination of MWA with anti‐PD‐L1 treatment holds promise as a therapeutic strategy to rejuvenate the immune response against tumors. This merits further exploration in clinical studies.
Anticancer mechanisms of β‐carbolines
Authors: Mishra Shivam , Gupta Aditi , Jain Shweta , Vaidya Ankur
Published: April 2024

β‐Carboline nucleus is therapeutically valuable in medicinal chemistry for the treatment of varied number of diseases, most importantly cancer. The potent and wide‐ranging activity of β‐carboline has established them as imperative pharmacological scaffolds especially in the cancer treatment. Numerous derivatives such as Tetrahydro β‐carbolines, metal complexed β‐carbolines, mono, di and tri substituted β‐carbolines have been reported to possess dynamic anticancer activity. These different substituted β‐carboline derivatives had shown different mechanism of action and plays important role in anticancer drug discovery and development. The review is an update of the chemistry of β‐carbolines, both synthetic and natural origin acting through various targets against cancerous cells. In addition to this, studies of multitarget molecules designed by coupling β‐carbolines along with other mechanisms for treatment of neoplasm are also summarized.
Developmental links between ethnic and racial discrimination and sleep
Authors: Yip Tiffany , Yan Jinjin , Johnson Shadane , Bae Jiwoon , Lorenzo Kyle , Ruedas‐Gracia Nidia , Zhao Zhenqiang
Published: April 2024

A robust literature is developing around how the stress of discrimination is implicated in individual‐ and group‐level sleep disturbances, and how these disturbances contribute to the development of population‐level sleep disparities over time. Although discrimination can be based on many individual and intersecting biases, like gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and education, in this article, we focus on discrimination rooted in ethnicity and race because of the well‐founded documentation of disparities in sleep by race. Focusing primarily on adolescence and young adulthood, we integrate research linking ethnic and racial discrimination to sleep across a variety of methods and developmental time spans, ending with reflections on interventions. In so doing, we seek to advance research and encourage conversations that cross‐fertilize collaborations between those with interests in discrimination, sleep, and population‐level health equity.