bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental factors linked to reporting of active malaria foci in Thailand
Authors: Prempree Preecha , Bisanzio Donal , Sudathip Prayuth , Kanjanasuwan Jerdsuda , Powell Isabel , Gopinath Deyer , Suttiwong Chalita , Pinyajeerapat Niparueradee , Poortinga Ate , Sintasath David , Shah Jui A.
Published: November 2022

Background

Thailand has made substantial progress toward malaria elimination, with 46 of the country’s 77 provinces declared malaria free as part of the subnational verification program. Nonetheless, these areas remain vulnerable to the reintroduction of malaria parasites and the reestablishment of indigenous transmission. As such, prevention of reestablishment (POR) planning is of increasing concern to ensure timely response to increasing cases. A thorough understanding of both risk of parasite importation and receptivity for transmission is essential for successful POR planning.

Methods

Routine geolocated case- and foci-level epidemiological and case-level demographic data were extracted from Thailand’s national malaria information system for all active foci from October 2012 to September 2020. A spatial analysis examined environmental and climate factors associated with remaining active foci. A logistic regression model collated surveillance data with remote sensing data to investigate associations with the probability of having reported an indigenous case within the previous year.

Results

Active foci are highly concentrated along international borders, particularly Thailand’s western border with Myanmar. Although there is heterogeneity in the habitats surrounding active foci, land covered by tropical forest and plantation was significantly higher for active foci than other foci. The regression results showed that tropical forest, plantations, forest disturbance, distance from international borders, historical foci classification, percentage of males, and percentage of short-term residents were associated with high probability to report indigenous cases.

Conclusion

These results confirm that Thailand’s emphasis on border areas and forest-going populations is well placed. The results suggest that environmental factors alone are not driving malaria transmission in Thailand; rather, other factors, including demographics and behaviors, may also be contributors. However, these factors are syndemic, so human activities in areas covered by tropical forests and plantations may result in malaria importation and potentially, local transmission, in foci that previously had been cleared. These factors should be addressed in POR planning.
Sex differences in prenatal development of neural complexity in the human brain
Authors: Frohlich Joel , Moser Julia , Sippel Katrin , Mediano Pedro A. M. , Preissl Hubert , Gharabaghi Alireza
Published: November 2022

The complexity of neural activity is a commonly used read-out of healthy functioning in cortical circuits. Prior work has linked neural complexity to the level of maternal care in preterm infants at risk for developing mental disorders, yet the evolution of neural complexity in early human development is largely unknown. We hypothesized that cortical dynamics would evolve to optimize information processing as birth approaches, thereby increasing the complexity of cortical activity. To test this hypothesis, we conducted the first ever study relating prenatal neural complexity to maturation. MEG recordings were obtained from a sample of fetuses and newborns, including longitudinal data before and after birth. Using cortical responses to auditory irregularities, we computed several entropy measures which reflect the complexity of the MEG signal. Despite our hypothesis, neural complexity significantly decreased with maturation in both fetuses and newborns. Furthermore, we found that complexity decreased significantly faster in male fetuses for most entropy measures. Our surprising results lay the groundwork for the first ever mapping of how neural complexity evolves in early human development, with important implications for future efforts to develop predictive biomarkers of psychiatric disorders based on the complexity of perinatal MEG signals.
Identification of Key Genes and Underlying Mechanisms in Cystic Fibrosis and its Associated Complications Based on Bioinformatics Analysis of Next Generation Sequencing Data Analysis
Authors: Vastrad Basavaraj , Vastrad Chanabasayya
Published: November 2022

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the inherited autosomal recessive disorders with very complicated pathogenesis. Identifying the molecular signatures and specific biomarkers of CF might provide novel clues for CF and and CF associated complications prognosis and targeted therapy. Based on the nexgeneration sequencing (NGS) dataset GSE136371 downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between CF samples and normal controls were identified by using DESeq2 bioconductor package of R software. Gene ontology (GO) and REACTOME pathway enrichment analyses were applied for the DEGs. Then protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of these DEGs was visualized by Cytoscape with IMEx interactome database. The most significant module from the PPI network was selected for GO and pathway enrichment analysis. Subsequently, a miRNA-hub gene regulatory network and TF-hub gene regulatory network were constructed to identify hub genes, miRNAs and TFs. Finally, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was established to validate these hub genes. Total of 917 DEGs were identified between CF and normal control samples in GSE136371 dataset, including 479 up regulated and 438 down regulated genes. The most enriched DEGs in GO and pathway enrichment analysis were mainly associated with response to stimulus, regulation of cellular process, Neutrophil degranulation and rRNA processing. PPI network, module analysis, miRNA-hub gene regulatory network and TF-hub gene regulatory network predicted ten hub genes (FN1, UBE2D1, SRPK1, MAPK14, CEBPB, HSP90AB1, HSPA8, XRCC6, NCL and PARP1). In conclusion, the DEGs, relative pathways and hub genes identified in the present study might aid in understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying CF and CF associated complications progression and provide potential molecular targets and biomarkers for CF and CF associated complications.
The yeast endocytic early/sorting compartment exists as an independent sub-compartment within thetrans-Golgi network
Authors: Toshima Junko Y. , Tsukahara Ayana , Nagano Makoto , Tojima Takuro , Siekhaus Daria E. , Nakano Akihiko , Toshima Jiro
Published: November 2022

Although budding yeast has been extensively used as a model organism for studying organelle functions and intracellular vesicle trafficking, whether it possesses an independent endocytic early/sorting compartment that sorts endocytic cargos to the endo-lysosomal pathway or the recycling pathway has long been unclear. The structure and properties of the endocytic early/sorting compartment differ significantly between organisms; in plant cells thetrans-Golgi network (TGN) serves this role, whereas in mammalian cells a separate intracellular structure performs this function. The yeast syntaxin homolog Tlg2p, widely localizing to the TGN and endosomal compartments, is presumed to act as a Q-SNARE for endocytic vesicles, but which compartment is the direct target for endocytic vesicles remained unanswered. Here we demonstrate by high-speed and high-resolution 4D imaging of fluorescently labeled endocytic cargos that the Tlg2p-residing compartment within the TGN functions as the early/sorting compartment. After arriving here, endocytic cargos are recycled to the plasma membrane or transported to the yeast Rab5-residing endosomal compartment through the pathway requiring the clathrin adaptors GGAs. Interestingly, Gga2p predominantly localizes at the Tlg2p-residing compartment, and the deletion of GGAs has little effect on another TGN region where Sec7p is present but suppresses dynamics of the Tlg2-residing early/sorting compartment, indicating that the Tlg2p- and Sec7p-residing regions are discrete entities in the mutant. Thus, the Tlg2p-residing region seems to serve as an early/sorting compartment, and function independently of the Sec7p-residing region within the TGN.
The Effect of Polymer Length in Phase Separation
Authors: Valdes-Garcia Gilberto , Gamage Kasun , Smith Casey , Martirosova Karina , Feig Michael , Lapidus Lisa J.
Published: November 2022

Understanding the thermodynamics that drives liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is quite important given the many numbers of diverse biomolecular systems undergoing this phenomenon. Regardless of the diversity, the processes underlying the formation of condensates exhibit physical similarities. Many studies have focused on condensates of long polymers, but very few systems of short polymer condensates have been observed and yet studied. Here we study a short polymer system of various lengths of poly-Adenine RNA and peptide formed by the RGRGG sequence repeats to understand the underlying thermodynamics of LLPS. We carried out MD simulations using the recently developed COCOMO coarse-grained (CG) model which revealed the possibility of condensates for lengths as short as 5-10 residues, which was then confirmed by experiment, making this one of the smallest LLPS systems yet observed. Condensation depends on polymer length and concentration, and phase boundaries were identified. A free energy model was also developed. Results show that the length dependent condensation is driven solely by entropy of confinement and identifies a negative free energy (-ΔG) of phase separation, indicating the stability of the condensates. The simplicity of this system will provide the basis for understanding more biologically realistic systems.
arfAantisense RNA regulates MscL excretory activity
Authors: Morra Rosa , Pratama Fenryco , Butterfield Thomas , Tomazetto Geizecler , Young Kate , Lopez Ruth , Dixon Neil
Published: November 2022

Bacteria adapt to acute changes in their environment by processing multiple input stimuli through signal integration and crosstalk to allow fine tuning of gene expression in response to stress. The response to hypoosmotic shock and ribosome stalling occurs through the action of mechanosensitive channels and ribosome rescue mechanisms respectively. However, it is not known if a mechanistic link exists between these stress response pathways. Here we report that the corresponding Large-conductance mechanosensitive channel (mscL) and Alternative ribosome-rescue factor A (arfA) genes are commonly co-located on the genomes of Gammaproteobacteria and display overlap in their respective 3’ UTR and 3’ CDS. We show this unusual genomic arrangement permits an antisense RNA mediated regulatory control betweenmscLandarfAand this modulates MscL excretory activity inE. coli. These findings highlight a mechanistic link between osmotic and translational stress responses inE. coli, and further elucidates the previously unknown regulatory function ofarfAsRNA.
Saccade-responsive visual cortical neurons do not exhibit distinct visual response properties
Authors: King Chase W. , Ledochowitsch Peter , Buice Michael A. , de Vries Saskia E. J.
Published: November 2022

Rapid saccadic eye movements are used by animals to sample different parts of the visual scene. Previous work has investigated neural correlates of these saccades in visual cortical areas such as V1, however how saccade-responsive neurons are distributed across visual areas, cell types, and cortical layers has remained unknown. Through analyzing 818 one-hour experimental sessions from the Allen Brain Observatory, we present a large-scale analysis of saccadic behaviors in head-fixed mice and their neural correlates. We find that saccade-responsive neurons are present across visual cortex, but their distribution varies considerably by transgenically-defined cell type, cortical area, and cortical layer. We also find that saccade-responsive neurons do not exhibit distinct visual response properties from the broader neural population, suggesting the saccadic responses of these neurons are likely not predominantly visually-driven. These results provide insight into the roles played by different cell types within a broader, distributed network of sensory and motor interactions.

Highlights

Saccadic eye movement behaviors in head-fixed mice tend to occur in bursts, preferentially along the horizontal axis, and do not strongly depend on visual stimulus.

Distributions of saccade-responsive neurons vary considerably by transgenically-defined cell type, visual area, and cortical layer. They are most prevalent in dorsal visual areas AL/PM/AM, inhibitory neurons, and deeper cortical layers.

The majority of saccade-responsive neurons are selective for saccades in a particular direction, with an overwhelming preference for temporal over nasal saccades.

Saccade-responsive neurons do not exhibit distinct visual response properties, suggesting saccade neural responses are not likely to be predominantly visually-driven.
Genome-wide prediction of dominant and recessive neurodevelopmental disorder risk genes
Authors: Dhindsa Ryan S. , Weido Blake , Dhindsa Justin S. , Shetty Arya J. , Sands Chloe , Petrovski Slavé , Vitsios Dimitrios , Zoghbi Anthony W.
Published: November 2022

Despite great progress in the identification of neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) risk genes, there are thousands that remain to be discovered. Computational tools that provide accurate gene-level predictions of NDD risk can significantly reduce the costs and time needed to prioritize and discover novel NDD risk genes. Here, we first demonstrate that machine learning models trained solely on single-cell RNA-sequencing data from the developing human cortex can robustly predict genes implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), and developmental delay (DD). Strikingly, we find differences in gene expression patterns of genes with monoallelic and biallelic inheritance patterns. We then integrate these expression data with 300 orthogonal features in a semi-supervised machine learning framework (mantis-ml) to train inheritance-specific models for ASD, DEE, and DD. The models have high predictive power (AUCs: 0.84 to 0.95) and top-ranked genes were up to two-fold (monoallelic models) and six-fold (biallelic models) more enriched for high-confidence NDD risk genes than genic intolerance metrics. Across all models, genes in the top decile of predicted risk genes were 60 to 130 times more likely to have publications strongly linking them to the phenotype of interest in PubMed compared to the bottom decile. Collectively, this work provides highly robust novel NDD risk gene predictions that can complement large-scale gene discovery efforts and underscores the importance of incorporating inheritance into gene risk prediction tools (https://nddgenes.com).
Development of an optimized maintenance scheduling for emergency rescue railway wagons using a genetic algorithm: a case study of Iran railways company
Authors: Zavareh Ali , Fallahiarezoudar Ehsan , Ahmadipourroudposht Mohaddeseh
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to optimize the maintenance scheduling of emergency rescue wagons in railway companies using a genetic algorithm (GA). It offers an integrated model for simultaneously solving maintenance planning, preventive maintenance, prognostic information and resource planning from which optimal levels of the system performance in terms of cost and repair time could be determined.

Design/methodology/approach

This study initially evaluates the previous types of research in presenting the optimal model of the rescue train wagon for maintenance and repair planning and lists the identified criteria based on experts' opinions using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) techniques. Then, the final weight of the desired criteria is calculated. Later, the final decision matrix is evaluated by the experts. The final normal decision matrix is formed to select the optimal maintenance and repair planning plan based on the GA. Finally, two strategies including joint optimization strategy of preventive maintenance planning are compared with the independent preventive maintenance planning strategy.

Findings

According to the primary results, three primary parameters, including technology, human damage caused by negligence and the average failure rate, should be considered for launching the GA model. Based on the results of the second part; by comparing the preventive maintenance planning strategy independently, the joint optimization strategy reduces the total cost of production up to 8.25%. Comparison results show that the total cost of joint optimization production is less than independent preventive maintenance and repair planning. Moreover, the value of total process time in joint optimization strategy was reduced by 1.2% compared to independent preventive maintenance (PM) planning (from 137.90 to 136.20 h).

Originality/value

The novelty of this paper lies on the application of the GAs to develop an optimized PM scheduling to localize the maintenance planning for maximizing productivity, avoid train accidents, reduce costs and increase efficiency and capacity.
The effects of appearance personification of service robots on customer decision-making in the product recommendation context
Authors: Zhang Shengliang , Tang Guanyu , Li Xiaodong , Ren Ai
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has made contactless services such as those provided by robots increasingly pervasive. Some stores are gradually adopting service robots to sell products, which has not been explored in previous research. This study aims to explore how appearance personification of service robots affects customer decision-making in the product recommendation context.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on authentic in-store product recommendation service interactions, an experiment for three simulated scenarios was conducted and data was collected from 338 valid samples.

Findings

The results show appearance personification has a positive impact on customer purchase behavior while it has negative impacts on customer decision time and degree of hesitation.

Originality/value

This study not only enriches the literature on application scenarios of service robots but also supplements the literature on various customer decision-making variables in the field of service robots. It provides important practical guidance for designing robots to optimize their impact on customer decision-making.
A spatial examination of solar PV adopters in Northern Ireland: the role of housing market and socio-economic characteristics
Authors: MacIntyre Sean , McCord Michael , Davis Peadar T. , Zacharopoulos Aggelos , McCord John A.
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine whether PV uptake is associated with key housing market determinants and linked to socio-economic profiles. An abundance of extant literature has examined the role of solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption and user costs, with an emerging corpus of literature investigating the role of the determinants of PV uptake, particularly in relation to the built environment and the spatial variation of PV dependency and dissimilarity. Despite this burgeoning literature, there remains limited insights from the UK perspective on housing market characteristics driving PV adoption and in relation spatial differences and heterogeneity that may exist.

Design/methodology/approach

Applying micro-based data at the Super Output Area-level geography, this study develops a series of ordinary least squares, spatial econometric models and a logistic regression analysis to examine built environment, housing tenure and deprivation attributes on PV adoption at the regional level in Northern Ireland, UK.

Findings

The findings emerging from the research reveal the presence of some spatial clustering and PV diffusion, in line with several existing studies. The findings demonstrate that an urban-rural dichotomy exists seemingly driven by social interaction and peer effects which has a profound impact on the likelihood of PV adoption. Further, the results exhibit tenure composition and “economic status” to be significant and important determinants of PV diffusion and uptake.

Originality/value

Housing market characteristics such as tenure composition across local market structures remain under-researched in relation to renewable energy uptake and adoption. This study examines the role of housing market attributes relative to socio-economic standing for adopting renewable energy.
More than a handshake – knowledge transfer in structured corporate–startup collaboration programs
Authors: Möllmann Juliane
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to review the existing literature on structured corporate–startup collaboration programs (SCSCPs) concerning their objectives and organizational design components. The design components of the program execution are analyzed on how they impact knowledge transfer and how the extant literature on SCSCP considers the knowledge management topic. A new perspective to examine its ramifications will be discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

Through an integrative literature review, 103 papers on the topic of SCSCP are analyzed about references of objectives and design components of the programs.

Findings

The literature shows a strong focus on strategic objectives corporations pursue in implementing an SCSCP. The design components can be divided into governance mode, structural decisions, selection of ventures, program execution and follow up.

Research limitations/implications

The literature review shows a lack of insights into the knowledge transfer process between the corporation and the ventures. Therefore, this study suggests a practice-based, longitudinal perspective on the interaction processes that occur during the program execution of an SCSCP.

Originality/value

Compared to existing literature reviews, the study takes the corporation’s perspective on incubation and acceleration and reveals design components specific to the corporate forms. Furthermore, SCSCPs center around strategic value generation and the design of the programs can vary highly. It is proposed that knowledge transfer is the central aspect of corporate programs and that a practice-based perspective would enrich the research on knowledge transfer in highly complex setups like this.
A simultaneous balancing and sequencing algorithm to plan assembly lines in the fashion industry
Authors: Perret Jens K.
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to fill a gap in the literature on mathematical production planning (joint balancing and sequencing) in the fashion industry. It considers in particular situations of mass customization, made-to-measure or small lot sizes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper develops a mathematical model based on product options and attributes instead of fixed variants. It proposes an easy-to-use genetic algorithm to solve the resulting optimization problem. Functionality and performance of the algorithm are illustrated via a computational study.

Findings

An easy-to-implement, yet efficient algorithm to solve the multi-objective implementation of a problem structure that becomes increasingly relevant in the fashion industry is proposed. Implementation of the algorithm revealed that the algorithm is ideally suited to generate significant savings and that these savings are impervious to problem and thus company size.

Practical implications

The solutions from the algorithm (Pareto-efficient frontier) offer decision-makers more flexibility in selecting those solutions they deem most fitting for their situation. The computational study illustrates the significant monetary savings possible by implementing the proposed algorithm to practical situations.

Originality/value

In contrast to existing papers, for the first time, to the best of the author’s knowledge, the focus of the joint balancing and sequencing approach has been applied in the fashion instead of the automotive industry. The applicability of the approach to specific fields of the fashion industry is discussed. An option and attributes-based model, rarely used in general assembly line sequencingper se, is used for more flexibility in representing a diverse set of model types.
Cognitive Sociolinguistic Variation in the Old Bailey Voices Corpus: The Case for a New Concept‐Led Framework
Authors: Robinson Justyna A. , Weeds Julie
Published: November 2022

The current paper contributes to a greater understanding of concepts in the context of cognitive sociolinguistic variation. We show how concepts, which we root in thesauri‐based units, co‐occur with other concepts and how they vary between and within groups of speakers as represented in historical transcripts from the Old Bailey court. In order to carry out distributional sociosemantic analysis at a conceptual level we have developed a tool which combines word sense disambiguation with dependency analysis, which we refer to asConceptual Dependency Corpus. A case study of gendered concepts from the Old Bailey Voices Corpus demonstrates that there are differences in the usage of concepts both within and between sociodemographic groupings of speakers. In particular, the co‐occurrence distributions of the concepts MAN, WOMAN and CHILD vary according to a speaker's gender and role in the court. By introducing methodological innovations, we empirically elicit socioconceptual polysemy, that is different speakers using the same concept in different ways and propose a framework to analyse and interpret this phenomenon. The results also provide support for engaging computational semantics in researching cognitive and sociolinguistic phenomena.
A critical review of recent knowledge of alcohol's effects on the immunological response in different tissues
Authors: Crotty Kathryn , Anton Paige , Coleman Leon G. , Morris Niya L. , Lewis Sloan A. , Samuelson Derrick R. , McMahan Rachel H. , Hartmann Phillipp , Kim Adam , Ratna Anuradha , Mandrekar Pranoti , Wyatt Todd A. , Choudhry Mashkoor A. , Kovacs Elizabeth J. , McCullough Rebecca , Yeligar Samantha M.
Published: November 2022

Alcohol misuse contributes to the dysregulation of immune responses and multiorgan dysfunction across various tissues, which are associated with higher risk of morbidity and mortality in people with alcohol use disorders. Organ‐specific immune cells, including microglia in the brain, alveolar macrophages in the lungs, and Kupffer cells in the liver, play vital functions in host immune defense through tissue repair and maintenance of homeostasis. However, binge drinking and chronic alcohol misuse impair these immune cells' abilities to regulate inflammatory signaling and metabolism, thus contributing to multiorgan dysfunction. Further complicating these delicate systems, immune cell dysfunction associated with alcohol misuse is exacerbated by aging and gut barrier leakage. This critical review describes recent advances in elucidating the potential mechanisms by which alcohol misuse leads to derangements in host immunity and highlights current gaps in knowledge that may be the focus of future investigations.
A cross‐sectional study: Nitrous oxide abuse in Parisian medical students
Authors: Cohen Laury , Duroy David , Perozziello Anne , Sasportes Adrien , Lejoyeux Michel , Geoffroy Pierre A.
Published: November 2022

Background and Objectives

Nitrous oxide (N2O) has euphoric properties, which are associated with an alarming increasing misuse. A lack of data exists regarding medical students. The objectives are: (i) evaluate the prevalence of N2O use and N2O use disorder (NUD) among French medical students, (ii) assess whether education about addictions has an impact on consumption, (iii) draw up clinical profiles of N2O users with or without NUD, (iv) identify factors associated with use and NUD.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study among medical students at Université de Paris, using an online questionnaire.

Results

Out of the 981 medical students (29% of the total medical students) who completed the questionnaire, 80% had used N2O. 19% had a mild use disorder, 4% moderate, and 1% severe. N2O use was significantly associated with the use of poppers (p < .0005), alcohol (p < .0005), and cocaine (p = .004). Factors significantly associated with NUD were alcohol use disorder (p = .017), male gender (p = .006), and being part of a student association (p = .0130).

Discussion and Conclusion

This survey shows a high prevalence of N2O use and NUD among medical students. It could be explained by the N2O pharmacokinetic profile or by a perception of “harmlessness.” We also identified associated risk factors that may be useful to better identify and treat students seeking help.

Scientific Significance

This is the first study to evaluate the use of this product among medical students. The evaluation of factors impacting use and dependence is also new in this population, which is at risk of misuse of substances.
Challenge in the boardroom: Director–manager question‐and‐answer interactions at board meetings
Authors: Pernelet Helen R. , Brennan Niamh M.
Published: November 2022

Research question/issue

Corporate governance codes of practice require non‐executive directors (NEDs) to challenge and question managers. Prior literature and best practice guidance remain silent on the precise meaning of, and on how directors might execute, “challenge”, and how management might respond. We explore the ways in which NEDs challenge, question, and dissent during board meetings, and how managers respond. We observe, audio‐record, and video‐record three boards during nine board meetings. Our boards are unique in holding part of their meetings in public and part in private.

Research findings/insights

Our dataset comprises 418 questions and 510 answers. We develop a typology of NEDs' challenge/questions comprising six categories/48 subcategories and managers' responses/answers comprising eight categories/69 subcategories. Our findings support the assertion that NEDs may be reluctant to offer moderate (i.e., constructive) challenge in public. We find significant differences between the level of dissent and the types of answers offered in public versus in private. We find an association between the type of question asked and the type of answer provided. Who asks and answers questions varies significantly in public versus in private, as do the questions and answers by each board.

Theoretical/academic implications

Our empirical findings suggest board behavior varies in the presence of an audience of stakeholders. In public, boards go through the motions by engaging in the performativity of governance, while more substantive governance occurs in private.

Practitioner/policy implications

We show that regulatory calls for robust challenge by NEDs have not been met, at least judging by the three boards in our study. There is a lack of guidance and advice on how NEDs should exercise challenge and how managers might respond.
Interactions between microbial activity and bioturbation modes of benthic invertebrates determine nutrient releases from reservoir sediments
Authors: Gautreau Edwige , Volatier Laurence , Nogaro Géraldine , Gouze Emma , Marmonier Pierre , Mermillod‐Blondin Florian
Published: November 2022

Bioturbating invertebrates play key roles in nutrient recycling from sediments to the water column in most lentic ecosystems. Nevertheless, the role of bioturbating fauna on nutrient cycling depends on complex interactions between their bioturbation modes and both the sedimentary conditions and the microbial activity occurring inside sediments.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of different bioturbation modes by two invertebrate species (tubificid worm Tubifex tubifex and chironomid larvae of Chironomus plumosus), on the release of nutrients (NH4+, NO3−, and PO43−) from three different types of sediments characterised by distinct microbial activities and nutrient (N and P) contents. We expected that the influence of a bioturbation mode on nutrient fluxes was dependent on the microbial activity and organic matter processes occurring in sediments.

Aquatic mesocosms were setup in the laboratory with three fauna treatments (i.e. without fauna, with tubificid worms, and with chironomid larvae) and three sediment types (collected in three reservoirs).

The presence of bioturbating invertebrates increased PO43− concentrations into the water column (from 1.3‐ to 17‐fold higher concentrations) depending on the sediments tested. PO43− releases in the water column were positively linked to total P concentration and microbial activity in sediments. The influences of tubificid worms and chironomid larvae on PO43− releases into the water were not only due to their bioturbation modes but also depended on the interactions with P dynamics (e.g. adsorption of PO43− by iron oxides) at the water–sediment interface.

The influence of fauna on the release of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) varied strongly among sediments due to the control of N cycling by microbial processes. In sediments characterised by the lowest microbial activity, DIN release from sediments to the water column was significantly stimulated by invertebrates (from 1.3‐ to 3.7‐fold higher). In contrast, no fauna effect was detected compared to controls in sediments characterised by the highest microbial activity.

This study demonstrated that the influence of the bioturbation mode on nutrient (i.e. PO43− and DIN) dynamics at the water sediment interface was largely modulated by the intensity of microbial activity and biogeochemical processes occurring in sediments.
Neuropathic pain as a trigger for histone modifications in limbic circuitry
Authors: Bryant Svetlana , Balouek Julie‐Anne , Geiger Luke T. , Barker David J. , Peña Catherine J.
Published: November 2022

Chronic pain involves both central and peripheral neuronal plasticity that encompasses changes in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nociceptors. Within the forebrain, mesocorticolimbic regions associated with emotional regulation have recently been shown to exhibit lasting gene expression changes in models of chronic pain. To better understand how such enduring transcriptional changes might be regulated within brain structures associated with processing of pain or affect, we examined epigenetic modifications involved with active or permissive transcriptional states (histone H3 lysine 4 mono and trimethylation, and histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation) in periaqueductal gray (PAG), lateral hypothalamus (LH), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and ventral tegmental area (VTA) 5 weeks after sciatic nerve injury in mice to model chronic pain. For both male and female mice in chronic pain, we observed an overall trend for a reduction of these epigenetic markers in periaqueductal gray, LH, and NAc, but not VTA. Moreover, we discovered that some epigenetic modifications exhibited changes associated with pain history, while others were associated with individual differences in pain sensitivity. When taken together, these results suggest that nerve injury leads to chronic chromatin‐mediated suppression of transcription in key limbic brain structures and circuits, which may underlie enduring changes in pain processing and sensitivity within these systems.
Arrhythmia in chronic hemodialysis as a function of predialysis electrolytes and interdialytic interval
Authors: Edwards John C. , Mosman Amy , Hauptman Paul J. , Lee Taewoo , Philipneri Marie , Farahmand Firoozeh , Yn Louis , Brandon Margaret , Buchanan Paula M.
Published: November 2022

Introduction

People with end‐stage renal disease on hemodialysis are at increased risk for death due to arrhythmia associated with the prolonged interdialytic interval that typically spans the weekend, with bradycardia being the arrhythmia most closely associated with sudden death. In this prospective observational study we assessed whether predialysis fluid and electrolytes values including hyperkalemia are risk factors for the arrhythmias associated with the prolonged interdialytic interval.

Methods

Sixty patients on hemodialysis with a history of hyperkalemia underwent cardiac monitoring for 1 week. Arrhythmia frequency, average QTc interval, and average root mean square of successive differences (rMSSD) per 4‐h period were reported. Predialysis electrolytes and electrocardiograms were collected prior to pre‐ and post‐weekend dialysis sessions. Clinical variables were assessed for correlation with arrhythmias.

Findings

Predialysis hyperkalemia occurred in 29 subjects and was more common at the post‐weekend dialysis session. Bradycardia occurred in 11 subjects and increased before and during the post‐weekend dialysis session, but was not correlated with any electrolyte or clinical parameter. Ventricular ectopy occurred in 50 subjects with diurnal variation unrelated to dialysis. Pre‐dialysis prolonged QTc was common and not affected by interdialytic interval. Average QTc increased and rMSSD decreased during dialysis sessions and were not correlated with clinical parameters.

Discussion

The results confirm that arrhythmias are prevalent in dialysis subjects with bradycardia particularly associated with the longer interdialytic interval; EKG markers of arrhythmia risk are increased during dialysis independent of interdialytic interval. Larger sample size and/or longer recording may be necessary to identify the clinical parameters responsible.
A data‐driven optimization approach to plan smart waste collection operations
Authors: de Morais Carolina Soares , Ramos Tânia Rodrigues Pereira , Lopes Manuel , Barbosa‐Póvoa Ana Paula
Published: November 2022

Waste collection is an important logistic operation that is often inefficient due to the high uncertainty associated with bin fill levels, resulting either in routes that visit empty bins or in bins overflowing due to lack of routes. To reduce such uncertainty, sensors installed in the bins can provide real‐time information on waste levels. However, this is not enough, and the management of this information needs to be combined with dynamic optimization approaches to effectively design smart collection routes. This paper investigates this challenge and uses real‐time information on waste levels, treated through machine learning techniques, to feed a dynamic reverse inventory routing optimization model. The resulting data‐driven optimization approach allows the definition of a medium‐term collection route plan that can be updated daily as new information becomes available. To demonstrate the applicability of such an approach, a real‐world case is solved, and the results show significant improvements in operational efficiency and service levels.
A spotlight on lymphoedema Did Not Attends: Demographics and workforce costs
Authors: Thomas Melanie Jane , Humphreys Ioan , Noble‐Jones Rhian Wyn
Published: November 2022

This unique evaluation aimed to estimate, the financial impact of non‐attendance on a nation‐wide hospital lymphoedema service. Along with gaining some understanding of patient characteristics of those who Did Not Attend (DNA) and were subsequently discharged. The evaluation design interrogated existing performance data from 2012 to 2022. This information was used to estimate the costs incurred based on national published sources and pay scales. Staffing costs of over £1.1 m in one decade related to the financial impact of over 23 000 unattended lymphoedema appointments. The characteristics of 870 patients from 2019/2020 were also evaluated suggesting that those with a wound alongside complex lymphoedema were less likely to DNA appointments. Two‐thirds of patients were managing two or more comorbidities—obesity, cardiac conditions and diabetes being the most common. It seems likely that some DNAs are avoidable by adapting appointment administrative processes and greater understanding of patients' perception of value. However, the reasons for DNA are likely to be varied and nuanced so potentially a small proportion are unavoidable. Modernising appointment processes and identifying patient value may help minimise DNA costs in the future.
CEO contractual protection and debt contracting
Authors: Chen Xia , Cheng Qiang , Lo Alvis K. , Wang Xin
Published: November 2022

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) contractual protection, in the forms of CEO employment agreements and CEO severance pay agreements, is prevalent among S&P 1500 firms. While prior research has examined the impact of these agreements on corporate decisions from shareholders’ perspective, there is little research on the impact from debt holders’ perspective. We find that, compared with other loans, loans issued by firms with CEO contractual protection on average contain more performance covenants and performance‐pricing provisions. This effect increases with CEOs’ risk‐taking incentives and opportunities, but it decreases with CEOs’ preference for and opportunity of enjoying a quiet life. Furthermore, for loans issued by firms with CEO contractual protection, debt holders include stricter covenants, charge a higher interest rate and use a more diffuse syndicate structure. Collectively, these results shed light on the impact of CEO contractual protection on debt contracting.
Merit‐based incentive payment system participation and after‐hours documentation among US office‐based physicians: Findings from the 2021 National Electronic Health Records Survey
Authors: Nguyen Oliver T. , Turner Kea , Parekh Arpan , Alishahi Tabriz Amir , Hanna Karim , Merlo Lisa J. , Hong Young‐Rock
Published: November 2022

Background

After‐hours documentation burden among US clinicians is often uncompensated work and has been associated with burnout, leading health systems to identify root causes and seek interventions to reduce this. A few studies have suggested quality programme participation (e.g., Merit‐Based Incentive Payment System [MIPS]) was associated with a higher administrative burden. However, the association between MIPS participation and after‐hours documentation has not been fully explored. Thus, this study aims to assess whether participation in the MIPS programme was independently associated with after‐hours documentation burden.

Methods

We used 2021 data from the National Electronic Health Records Survey. We used a multivariable ordinal logistic regression model to assess whether MIPS participation was associated with the amount of after‐hours documentation burden when controlling for other factors. We controlled for physician age, specialty, sex, number of practice locations, number of physicians, practice ownership, whether team support (e.g., scribes) is used for documentation tasks, and whether the practice accepts Medicaid patients.

Results

We included 1801 office‐based US physician respondents with complete data for variables of interest. After controlling for other factors, MIPS participation was associated with greater odds of spending a greater number of hours on after‐hours documentation (odds ratio = 1.44, 95% confidence interval 1.06–1.95).

Conclusions

MIPS participation may increase after‐hours documentation burden among US office‐based physicians, suggesting that physicians may require additional resources to more efficiently report data.
Rapid cytologic diagnosis of subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn
Authors: Harview Christina L. , Chen Ailynna , Stone Mary , Fairley Janet
Published: November 2022

Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn is a rare self‐limited panniculitis that classically presents within the first few weeks of life. The diagnosis is typically clinical, but some cases require skin biopsy with hematoxylin and eosin stain for confirmation. We report a previously undocumented rapid diagnostic protocol that involves collecting a small amount of exudate from a suppurative lesion, placement onto a slide without fixation, and simply viewing the material under a microscope. This novel and practical method of diagnosis reveals doubly refractile crystals diagnostic of subcutaneous fat necrosis without a biopsy, which may be helpful for rapid diagnosis or use in low resource settings.
Long‐term regional convergence in Mexico: A new look
Authors: German‐Soto Vicente , Gluschenko Konstantin
Published: November 2022

This paper explores the convergence hypothesis of Mexican states with the national level and with one another from 1940 to 2015. Interpreting convergence as catching‐up, we also capture other types of regular evolution, namely, invariance of the income gap over time, permanent absence of the gap, and steadily increasing gap (deterministic divergence). As a tool of econometric analysis, we use a novel model that describes convergence by asymptotically decaying trends and covers other types of evolution as particular cases. The results obtained suggest one or other type of regularity to be peculiar to roughly ca. 40% of income gaps both with the national level and between states. However, convergence is observed only in 6% to 15% of cases. Regarding convergence at the national level, an additional analysis by three 50‐year subperiod shows that in many cases the type of evolution changes for the same state from one subperiod to another. Analyzing convergence between states, we find that convergence between neighboring states is more frequent than between other states; however, the effect of the neighborhood is not too strong.
The novel HLA‐C*01:239 allele, identified by Sanger dideoxy nucleotide sequencing in a Chinese individual
Authors: Zhou Fang , Zheng Zhong‐zheng , Du Ke‐ming , An Lin , Wang Ning‐juan
Published: November 2022

HLA‐C*01:239 differs from HLA‐C*01:02:01:01 by one nucleotide in exon 4.
Influence of Unsteady State Dynamics on the Rejection of Cadmium (II) by Ultrafiltration
Authors: Mahendran G. , Vamsi Krishna T. , Thuyavan Lukka , Arthanareeswaran G.
Published: November 2022

The unsteady-state permeate flux response to a step change in the transmembrane pressure in a stirred ultrafiltration cell was studied. The changes in the gel-layer concentration and gel-layer growth, with the change in the transmembrane pressure were studied. Metal solutions were prepared in a polymeric solvent, and the dynamics of the operating parameters on this process were studied. The process, a hybrid process called Polymer Enhanced Ultrafiltration, (PEUF) was modeled mathematically and validated using experimentation for the change in the transmembrane pressure and concentration of the polymeric solvent added. The permeate flux was modeled using gel-polarization model and first principles model which was solved using MATLAB’s PDE and ODE solver subroutines.
Grand Challenge in Membrane Simulation for Gas Separation
Authors: Shi Linggao , Lai Li Sze , Horng Tay Wee , Pin Yeap Swee , Fong Yeong Yin
Published: November 2022

This article presents various gas separation membrane simulation techniques based on typical engineering and design techniques for membrane process description. Modelling and design processes are tasks that use different tools to simulate the profile of the process. Given some initial data, such as flow, temperature, concentration and pressure, the correlations presented can be used to perform simulations. After selecting the flow configuration, types of membrane element and settings, it can be determined whether the process is working as expected. The design process, on the other hand, involves the specific results to be obtained, namely the material and geometry estimation of the membrane itself. This paper presents the challenges faced in the membrane simulation study for gas separation, which is important to predict and design the industry scale of gas separation process. At the same time, attainment of accurate results at non-ideal conditions remains challenging. More experimental data and research are needed to support and validate the results.