Triggering Action Research Articles

Alternatywa dla Niemiec w Brandenburgii – postulaty polityczne i ich realizacja

The goal of this article is analysis of the perception and support for the activities of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Brandenburg through the submitted postulates, represented attitudes, program documents, and the activity of politicians. The reasons for defining AfD as a conservative protest and movement party as well as a populist and radical group were analyzed. The AfD's opposition to the policies of the SPD, CDU and Greens coalition triggered reactions and actions of political and social actors in Brandenburg, proving the evolution of political culture in Germany and influencing the perception of sustainable development, the functioning of democracy and reflecting a heated debate on the ongoing multi-faceted transformation of social and economic life in Europe.

Caveolar Compartmentalization of Pacemaker Signaling is Required for Stable Rhythmicity of Sinus Nodal Cells and is Disrupted in Heart Failure.

Heart rhythm relies on complex interactions between electrogenic membrane proteins and intracellular Ca2+ signaling in sinoatrial node (SAN) myocytes; however, mechanisms underlying the functional organization of proteins involved in SAN pacemaking and its structural foundation remain elusive. Caveolae are nanoscale, plasma membrane pits that compartmentalize various ion channels and transporters, including those involved in SAN pacemaking, via binding with the caveolin-3 scaffolding protein, but the precise role of caveolae in cardiac pacemaker function is unknown. Our objective was to determine the role of caveolae in SAN pacemaking and dysfunction (SND). Biochemical co-purification, in vivo electrocardiogram monitoring, ex vivo optical mapping, in vitro confocal Ca2+ imaging, and immunofluorescent and electron microscopy analyses were performed in wild type, cardiac-specific caveolin-3 knockout, and 8-weeks post-myocardial infarction heart failure (HF) mice. SAN tissue samples from donor human hearts were used for biochemical studies. We utilized a novel 3-dimensional single SAN cell mathematical model to determine the functional outcomes of protein nanodomain-specific localization and redistribution in SAN pacemaking. In both mouse and human SANs, caveolae compartmentalized HCN4, Cav1.2, Cav1.3, Cav3.1 and NCX1 proteins within discrete pacemaker signalosomes via direct association with caveolin-3. This compartmentalization positioned electrogenic sarcolemmal proteins near the subsarcolemmal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane and ensured fast and robust activation of NCX1 by subsarcolemmal local SR Ca2+ release events (LCRs), which diffuse across ~15-nm subsarcolemmal cleft. Disruption of caveolae led to the development of SND via suppression of pacemaker automaticity through a 50% decrease of the L-type Ca2+ current, a negative shift of the HCN current (I f) activation curve, and a 40% reduction of Na+/Ca2+-exchanger function, along with ~2.3-times widening of the sarcolemma-SR distance. These changes significantly decreased the SAN depolarizing force, both during diastolic depolarization and upstroke phase, leading to bradycardia, sinus pauses, recurrent development of SAN quiescence, and significant increase in heart rate lability. Computational modeling, supported by biochemical studies, identified NCX1 redistribution to extra-caveolar membrane as the primary mechanism of SAN pauses and quiescence due to the impaired ability of NCX1 to be effectively activated by LCRs and trigger action potentials. HF remodeling mirrored caveolae disruption leading to NCX1-LCR uncoupling and SND. SAN pacemaking is driven by complex protein interactions within a nanoscale caveolar pacemaker signalosome. Disruption of caveolae leads to SND, potentially demonstrating a new dimension of SAN remodeling and providing a newly recognized target for therapy.

Deep learning classification of drug-related problems from pharmaceutical interventions issued by hospital clinical pharmacists during medication prescription review: a large-scale descriptive retrospective study in a French university hospital

ObjectivesPharmaceutical interventions are proposals made by hospital clinical pharmacists to address sub-optimal uses of medications during prescription review. Pharmaceutical interventions include the identification of drug-related problems, their prevention and resolution....

Integrator dynamics in the cortico-basal ganglia loop underlie flexible motor timing.

Flexible control of motor timing is crucial for behavior. Before volitional movement begins, the frontal cortex and striatum exhibit ramping spiking activity, with variable ramp slopes anticipating movement onsets. This activity in the cortico-basal ganglia loop may function as an adjustable 'timer,' triggering actions at the desired timing. However, because the frontal cortex and striatum share similar ramping dynamics and are both necessary for timing behaviors, distinguishing their individual roles in this timer function remains challenging. To address this, we conducted perturbation experiments combined with multi-regional electrophysiology in mice performing a flexible lick-timing task. Following transient silencing of the frontal cortex, cortical and striatal activity swiftly returned to pre-silencing levels and resumed ramping, leading to a shift in lick timing close to the silencing duration. Conversely, briefly inhibiting the striatum caused a gradual decrease in ramping activity in both regions, with ramping resuming from post-inhibition levels, shifting lick timing beyond the inhibition duration. Thus, inhibiting the frontal cortex and striatum effectively paused and rewound the timer, respectively. These findings suggest the striatum is a part of the network that temporally integrates input from the frontal cortex and generates ramping activity that regulates motor timing.

Scientists, censorship, and suppression: A combined comparative‐processual analysis of U.S. cases involving chemical and climate change expertise

AbstractAlthough scientific research is often crucial for efforts to achieve improved environmental regulation for industrial products and processes, scientists who document or publicize research on possible risks can face suppression or censorship by industry, government, and other actors. This study contributes to the sociology of science by examining the challenges and responses of environmental scientists in the U.S. in two research areas: toxic chemicals and climate change. Drawing on comparative and processual methods applied to a small‐N, unique data set of cases, the study conducts formal coding of variables for contextual conditions and four general categories of the suppression sequence: triggering circumstances and actions, suppression actions, responses, and outcomes. The first stage of the analysis identifies significant relationships between contextual conditions and the suppression sequence, such as the different forms of suppression that government employees and university professors face. The second stage identifies three composite processual sequences: employment risk for government scientists, records attacks for both government and university scientists, and reputation attacks on university scientists. Together, the two types of analysis advance research by identifying novel relationships in a more systematic way than is accomplished with the standard approach of one or a few cases. The approach also examines the benefits of a mode of comparative analysis that can be more readily connected with theory testing via process tracing at the case level. The practical issue of responding to suppression or censorship is considered, which could be of value to environmental scientists and their partners.

Potential of focal cortical dysplasia in migraine pathogenesis.

Focal cortical dysplasias are abnormalities of the cerebral cortex associated with an elevated risk of neurological disturbances. Cortical spreading depolarization/depression is a correlate of migraine aura/headache and a trigger of migraine pain mechanisms. However, cortical spreading depolarization/depression is associated with cortical structural changes, which can be classified as transient focal cortical dysplasias. Migraine is reported to be associated with changes in various brain structures, including malformations and lesions in the cortex. Such malformations may be related to focal cortical dysplasias, which may play a role in migraine pathogenesis. Results obtained so far suggest that focal cortical dysplasias may belong to the causes and consequences of migraine. Certain focal cortical dysplasias may lower the threshold of cortical excitability and facilitate the action of migraine triggers. Migraine prevalence in epileptic patients is higher than in the general population, and focal cortical dysplasias are an established element of epilepsy pathogenesis. In this narrative/hypothesis review, we present mainly information on cortical structural changes in migraine, but studies on structural alterations in deep white matter and other brain regions are also presented. We develop the hypothesis that focal cortical dysplasias may be causally associated with migraine and link pathogeneses of migraine and epilepsy.

The water flow diagram

IntroductionThe Water Flow Diagram (WFD) is a novel advocacy and communication tool that presents urban water supply and management in a simple visualization. Rapid urbanization, growing populations, and the climate crisis increase the pressure on water resources, particularly in urbanized areas. The WFD aims to foster a dialogue around conflict of interests and opportunities among different stakeholders, and trigger actions toward more sustainable urban water management (UWM), as well as a water secure future.MethodThe WFD is produced from data on water abstraction, water use of different sectors, water treatment, water recycling and contamination risks. The data were obtained from government services, wastewater and water utilities, large industries, universities and reports of intergovernmental organizations. If these sources did not have data, reports from NGOs or consultants, comparable contexts, default values or expert judgements were considered. The annual water flows are presented in a Sankey Diagram. An intuitive color code highlights the flows as “problematic” or “appropriate” and points to areas where UWM practices should be improved.Results and conclusionsThe final diagrams are a concise instrument that identifies challenges of UWM in the four application cases presented in this article. Key challenges that became evident included: pollution from agricultural production, the lack of wastewater and sanitation infrastructure, high water losses in the distribution networks, water exports leading to a lack in local supply and sewer overflows during heavy rainfalls. Opportunities identified were the need to: invest in sanitation and wastewater to protect resources, create coordination bodies to align conflict of interests, and/or invest in blue-green infrastructure for rainwater retention. The WFD triggered local actions, such as in-depth discussions between relevant actors, the formation of integrated water use committees and the interest of the national ministry in Senegal to replicate the diagram for other locations. This article presents the methodology, discusses the four case studies and deliberates on the prospective use of the WFD.

Ethnicity-specific blood pressure thresholds based on cardiovascular and renal complications: a prospective study in the UK Biobank.

The appropriateness of hypertension thresholds for triggering action to prevent cardiovascular and renal complications among non-White populations in the UK is subject to question. Our objective was to establish ethnicity-specific systolic blood pressure (SBP) cutoffs for ethnic minority populations and assess the efficacy of these ethnicity-specific cutoffs in predicting adverse outcomes. We analyzed data from UK Biobank, which included 444,418 participants from White, South Asian, Black Caribbean, and Black African populations with no history of cardiorenal complications. We fitted Poisson regression models with continuous SBP and ethnic groups, using Whites as the referent category, for the composite outcome of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. We determined ethnicity-specific thresholds equivalent to the risks observed in Whites at SBP levels of 120, 130, and 140mm Hg. We adjusted models for clinical characteristics, sociodemographic factors, and behavioral factors. The performance of ethnicity-specific thresholds for predicting adverse outcomes and associated population-attributable fraction (PAF) was assessed in ethnic minority groups. After a median follow-up of 12.5years (interquartile range, 11.7-13.2), 32,662 (7.4%) participants had incident composite outcomes. At any given SBP, the predicted incidence rate of the composite outcome was the highest for South Asians, followed by White, Black Caribbean, and Black African. For an equivalent risk of outcomes observed in the White population at an SBP level of 140mm Hg, the SBP threshold was lower for South Asians (123mm Hg) and higher for Black Caribbean (156mm Hg) and Black African (165mm Hg). Furthermore, hypertension defined by ethnicity-specific thresholds was a stronger predictor and resulted in a larger PAF for composite outcomes in South Asians (21.5% [95% CI, 2.4,36.9] vs. 11.3% [95% CI, 2.6,19.1]) and Black Africans (7.1% [95% CI, 0.2,14.0] vs. 5.7 [95% CI, -16.2,23.5]) compared to hypertension defined by guideline-recommended thresholds. Guideline-recommended blood pressure thresholds may overestimate risks for the Black population and underestimate risks for South Asians. Using ethnicity-specific SBP thresholds may improve risk estimation and optimize hypertension management toward the goal of eliminating ethnic disparities in cardiorenal complications.

Topical issues of therapy for patients with ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disease characterized by ulcerative destructive processes in the mucous membrane of the colon. Despite advances in the pharmaceutical industry, its prevalence in the world is increasing every year. The etiology of UC is currently unknown to the end. According to modern concepts, ulcerative colitis is considered as a multifactorial disease, in the pathogenesis of which genetic determinism, disorders of the intestinal microbiota with a decrease in populations of anaerobic bacteria in combination with the trigger action of environmental factors are discussed. With high probability, the leading pathogenetic mechanisms of the disease are associated with the polarization of the Th2-type immune response, which is characterized by the synthesis of IL-4, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13, which is regulated by STAT-5 and Gata-3. During the development of the disease, Th17, a type of immune response, is also involved in the immunopathological process, but with the participation of transcription factors STAT-3 and ROR-yt and the synthesis of IL-17, IL-2, IL-6, IL-26 and IL-22, as well as chemokine CCL20. Diet and lifestyle are part of the global guidelines for the treatment of patients with ulcerative colitis. Derivatives of 5-aminosalicylic acid are used as basic therapy preparations: combined preparations and preparations of pure 5-aminosalicylic acid. Nevertheless, the administration of systemic glucocorticosteroids is indicated to control the activity of the disease. However, as our practice shows, they are effective, but only at the first attack and subsequent 2-3 relapses of the disease, followed by a high incidence of hormone resistance. To date, there are modern medicines with a different mechanism of action, allowing achieving stable remission and improving the quality of life of patients. Among them, JAK -tofacitinib inhibitors are of particular interest in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. This is the first oral drug capable of inducing and maintaining steroidal remission. The choice of a particular drug is determined by the experience of use, cost and national recommendations.

Advancing piezoelectric 2D nanomaterials for applications in drug delivery systems and therapeutic approaches.

Precision drug delivery and multimodal synergistic therapy are crucial in treating diverse ailments, such as cancer, tissue damage, and degenerative diseases. Electrodes that emit electric pulses have proven effective in enhancing molecule release and permeability in drug delivery systems. Moreover, the physiological electrical microenvironment plays a vital role in regulating biological functions and triggering action potentials in neural and muscular tissues. Due to their unique noncentrosymmetric structures, many 2D materials exhibit outstanding piezoelectric performance, generating positive and negative charges under mechanical forces. This ability facilitates precise drug targeting and ensures high stimulus responsiveness, thereby controlling cellular destinies. Additionally, the abundant active sites within piezoelectric 2D materials facilitate efficient catalysis through piezochemical coupling, offering multimodal synergistic therapeutic strategies. However, the full potential of piezoelectric 2D nanomaterials in drug delivery system design remains underexplored due to research gaps. In this context, the current applications of piezoelectric 2D materials in disease management are summarized in this review, and the development of drug delivery systems influenced by these materials is forecast.

Research on a spatial–temporal characterisation of blink-triggered eye control interactions

Eye-controlled human–computer interface (ECHCI) system is gradually becoming the focus of audience attention, owing to its humanistic, natural, and intuitive characteristics, which provide services for a wider range of user groups. We conducted a study on the ECHCI with “gaze locking + blink trigger” as the interaction method in the temporal dimension and the spatial dimension respectively and explored the optimisation of blink trigger actions. First, the optimal lock time of the interactive object (IO) was 650 ms, and a subjective evaluation experiment confirmed that the user’s subjective feeling was consistent with the results of the ergonomic experiment. Second, the direction and distance of the visual drift of the blink action were investigated by increasing the locking range of multiple IOs. The results showed that the main direction of the line-of-sight drift for the blinking action was the upper-right corner. Furthermore, it was experimentally demonstrated that the line-of-sight drifted by a certain distance during blinking and that the system had the highest success rate when the locking range corresponded to a viewing angle of 21.074°. This study provides theoretical support for the application of multi-movement combinations in blink ECHCI, which enhances the user experience of blink triggering.

LRRC37B is a human modifier of voltage-gated sodium channels and axon excitability in cortical neurons

The enhanced cognitive abilities characterizing the human species result from specialized features of neurons and circuits. Here, we report that the hominid-specific gene LRRC37B encodes a receptor expressed in human cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs) and selectively localized to the axon initial segment (AIS), the subcellular compartment triggering action potentials. Ectopic expression of LRRC37B in mouse CPNs invivo leads to reduced intrinsic excitability, a distinctive feature of some classes of human CPNs. Molecularly, LRRC37B binds to the secreted ligand FGF13A and to the voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav) β-subunit SCN1B. LRRC37B concentrates inhibitory effects of FGF13A on Nav channel function, thereby reducing excitability, specifically at the AIS level. Electrophysiological recordings in adult human cortical slices reveal lower neuronal excitability in human CPNs expressing LRRC37B. LRRC37B thus acts as a species-specific modifier of human neuron excitability, linking human genome and cell evolution, with important implications for human brain function and diseases.

Determination of road surface correction factors for CNOSSOS-EU in Ireland

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is a state agency in the Republic of Ireland. The primary function of TII is to provide an integrated approach to the future development and operation of the national roads network and light rail infrastructure throughout Ireland. TII are designated as the Noise Mapping Body (NMB) responsible for the development of strategic noise maps for all national roads carrying in excess of 3 million vehicles a year. Directive 2002/49/EC (commonly referred to as the Environment Noise Directive, 'the END') relates to the assessment and management of environmental noise. It is the main instrument of the European Union (EU) to quantify noise pollution levels, and trigger action within both Member States and at EU level. The END has the aim of establishing a common approach to the management of noise within the EU. Commission Directive (EU) 2015/996 established the common noise assessment methodology for Europe (CNOSSOS-EU). The CNOSSOS-EU road traffic noise emission model calculates rolling noise for different vehicle categories as a function of speed and frequency. The emission is initially calculated under reference conditions, then corrected for differing situations. For road surfaces which do not align with the reference surface, road surface correction factors should ideally be developed, otherwise a number of default values are provided within CNOSSOS-EU which are taken from the Dutch national noise assessment method, Rmg2012, and therefore contain only surfaces that are common in the Netherlands. For the implementation of CNOSSOS-EU in Ireland, a project was undertaken to develop road surface corrections for at least the three most common pavement types on the TII network with no direct match to the CNOSSOS-EU database. This paper will describe the measurements taken on Irish roads, the resulting road surface corrections, and our conclusions and recommendations for using the road surface corrections.

Does Emotion-Related Impulsivity Relate to Specific ADHD Symptom Dimensions, and Do the Effects Generalize Across Comorbid Internalizing and Externalizing Syndromes?

Background: Recent work highlights the role of emotion dysregulation in the pathology of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As such, emotion-related impulsivity (ERI), the trait-like tendency toward disinhibited thoughts (Pervasive Influence of Feelings, PIF) and actions (Feelings Trigger Action, FTA) during heightened emotional states, may be particularly relevant. We explored whether Inattention (IN) and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity (HI), two core symptom dimensions of ADHD, would relate to distinct facets of ERI, and whether externalizing and internalizing symptoms would moderate these relations. Method: Using structural equation modeling, we examined hypotheses among 364 adults recruited for high internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results: We identified significant paths for FTA regressed on HI and PIF regressed on IN, supporting our hypotheses about main effects. Moderating paths were not significant. Conclusions: IN and HI correlate with distinct forms of ERI, These effects appear to generalize across co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Modulating cardiac physiology in engineered heart tissue with the bidirectional optogenetic tool BiPOLES

Optogenetic actuators are rapidly advancing tools used to control physiology in excitable cells, such as neurons and cardiomyocytes. In neuroscience, these tools have been used to either excite or inhibit neuronal activity. Cell type–targeted actuators have allowed to study the function of distinct cell populations. Whereas the first described cation channelrhodopsins allowed to excite specific neuronal cell populations, anion channelrhodopsins were used to inhibit neuronal activity. To allow for simultaneous excitation and inhibition, opsin combinations with low spectral overlap were introduced. BiPOLES (Bidirectional Pair of Opsins for Light-induced Excitation and Silencing) is a bidirectional optogenetic tool consisting of the anion channel Guillardia theta anion-conducting channelrhodopsin 2 (GtACR2 with a blue excitation spectrum and the red-shifted cation channel Chrimson. Here, we studied the effects of BiPOLES activation in cardiomyocytes. For this, we knocked in BiPOLES into the adeno-associated virus integration site 1 (AAVS1) locus of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC), subjected these to cardiac differentiation, and generated BiPOLES expressing engineered heart tissue (EHT) for physiological characterization. Continuous light application activating either GtACR2 or Chrimson resulted in cardiomyocyte depolarization and thus stopped EHT contractility. In contrast, short light pulses, with red as well as with blue light, triggered action potentials (AP) up to a rate of 240 bpm. In summary, we demonstrate that cation, as well as anion channelrhodopsins, can be used to activate stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes with pulsed photostimulation but also to silence cardiac contractility with prolonged photostimulation.

Cellular excitability and ns-pulsed electric fields: Potential involvement of lipid oxidation in the action potential activation

Recent studies showed that nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) can activate voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) and trigger action potentials (APs) in excitable cells. Under physiological conditions, VGICs’ activation takes place on time scales of the order 10–100 µs. These time scales are considerably longer than the applied pulse duration, thus activation of VGICs by nsPEFs remains puzzling and there is no clear consensus on the mechanisms involved. Here we propose that changes in local electrical properties of the cell membrane due to lipid oxidation might be implicated in AP activation. We first use MD simulations of model lipid bilayers with increasing concentration of primary and secondary lipid oxidation products and demonstrate that oxidation not only increases the bilayer conductance, but also the bilayer capacitance. Equipped with MD-based characterization of electrical properties of oxidized bilayers, we then resort to AP modelling at the cell level with Hodgkin-Huxley-type models. We confirm that a local change in membrane properties, particularly the increase in membrane conductance, due to formation of oxidized membrane lesions can be high enough to trigger an AP, even when no external stimulus is applied. However, excessive accumulation of oxidized lesions (or other conductive defects) can lead to altered cell excitability.

Patient perspectives on home-spirometry in interstitial lung disease: a qualitative co-designed study

BackgroundOpportunities for home-monitoring are increasing exponentially. Home- spirometry is reproducible and reliable in interstitial lung disease (ILD), yet patients’ experiences are not reported. Given the morbidity and mortality associated with...

MARNet: Backdoor Attacks Against Cooperative Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning

Recent works have revealed that backdoor attacks against Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) could lead to abnormal action selections of the agent, which may result in failure or even catastrophe in crucial decision processes. However, existing attacks only consider single-agent RL systems, in which the only agent can observe the global state and have full control of the decision process. In this paper, we explore a new backdoor attack paradigm in cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning (CMARL) scenarios, where a group of agents coordinate with each other to achieve a common goal, while each agent can only observe the local state. In the proposed MARNet attack framework, we carefully design a pipeline of trigger design, action poisoning, and reward hacking modules to accommodate the cooperative multi-agent settings. In particular, as only a subset of agents can observe the triggers in their local observations, we maneuver their actions to the worst actions suggested by an expert policy model. Since the global reward in CMARL is aggregated by individual rewards from all agents, we propose to modify the reward in a way that boosts the bad actions of poisoned agents (agents who observe the triggers) but mitigates the influence on non-poisoned agents. We conduct extensive experiments on three classical CMARL algorithms VDN, COMA, and QMIX, in two popular CMARL games Predator Prey and SMAC. The results show that the baselines extended from single-agent DRL backdoor attacks seldom work in CMARL problems while MARNet performs well by reducing the utility under attack by nearly 100%. We apply fine-tuning as a potential defense against MARNet and demonstrate that fine-tuning cannot entirely eliminate the effect of the attack.

The risk may not be limited to flooding: polluted flood sediments pose a human health threat to the unaware public

BackgroundBecause of global climate change, extreme flood events are expected to increase in quantity and intensity in the upcoming decades. In catchments affected by ore mining, flooding leads to the deposition of fine sediments enriched in trace metal(loid)s. Depending on their concentration, trace metal(loid)s can be a health hazard. Therefore, exposure of the local population to flood sediments, either by ingestion (covering direct ingestion and consuming food grown on these sediments) or via inhalation of dried sediments contributing to atmospheric particulate matter, is of concern.ResultsThe extreme flood of July 2021 deposited large amounts of sediment across the town of Eschweiler (western Germany), with the inundation area exceeding previously mapped extreme flood limits (HQextreme). These sediments are rich in fine material (with the < 63 µm fraction making up 32% to 96%), which either can stick to the skin and be ingested or inhaled. They are moderately to heavily enriched in Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd > Sn compared to local background concentrations. The concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, and As in flood sediments exceed international trigger action values. A simple assessment of inhalation and ingestion by humans reveals that the tolerable daily intake is exceeded for Pb. Despite the enrichment of other trace elements like Zn, Cu, Cd, and Sn, they presumably do not pose a risk to human well-being. However, exposure to high dust concentrations may be a health risk.ConclusionsIn conclusion, flood sediments, especially in catchments impacted by mining, may pose a risk to the affected public. Hence, we propose to (I) improve the flood mapping by incorporating potential pollution sources; (II) extend warning messages to incorporate specific guidance; (III) use appropriate clean-up strategies in the aftermath of such flooding events; (IV) provide medical support, and (V) clue the public and medical professionals in on this topic accordingly.Graphical

The value of capturing diverse perspectives when setting decision triggers for threatened species management

Abstract Conservation practitioners commonly work together in management teams, contributing expertise to the planning and decision‐making associated with threatened species management. These groups may include individuals with different perspectives around if, when and how to implement management. Yet, rarely do we consider the value of discussion in shaping these perspectives, and thus management. Decision triggers can be used to formalise decisions around management and encourage teams to explore these decisions proactively. Previous research has identified how individual experts set decision triggers but there are no accepted approaches for capturing the expertise that exists across management teams when setting decision triggers. To address this gap, we developed an approach to formalise team deliberations about when and how to intervene if a decline in the condition of a threatened species were to be observed. Using a modified Delphi process, individual experts within a threatened species management team were asked to independently set trigger points and assign actions for the species. Then, as a group, experts discussed anonymised responses, enabling us to understand how group dynamics influenced the decision‐making process. Experts had the opportunity to update their responses based on the group discussion, providing a rationale to support their decisions. We tested the approach with experts from teams managing threatened species across conservation organisations in Australia and New Zealand. We found that experts often updated their responses to incorporate issues raised by the group, demonstrating a willingness to integrate the perspectives of other team members. Experts tended to become more cautious after discussing their responses, setting additional trigger points and actions, and triggering actions sooner. Synthesis and applications: Our approach provides a structured process to formally integrate the range of perspectives and experience of groups of experts when setting trigger points and actions. This can help to address common biases that arise during unstructured decision‐making, and ensure decision‐making processes are transparent.