bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Settlement in the High Andes
Authors: Haas Randall
Published: November 2023

The Andean highlands of western South America spans 7,000 km from the equator to Patagonia and reaches altitudes of 7,000 m. Extreme cold, hypoxia, and low bioproductivity impose a distinct set of challenges to human survival and reproduction. This adaptive setting has inspired considerable archaeological and genetic research, which seeks to define the timing and nature of the adaptive process. Current evidence establishes that Paleoindian populations with fluted-point projectile technology first entered the highlands around 12.8 cal. ka. Paleoindian use of the highlands over the subsequent one thousand years appears to have been ephemeral. During the Early Archaic period (11.7–9.0 cal. ka), a culturally and genetically distinct population appears to have replaced the Paleoindian population in the highlands where they eventually established year-round settlement systems. Early Archaic cultural adaptations included large-mammal hunting, tuber foraging, animal-hide technology, logistical mobility, and egalitarian social structure. Potential genetic adaptations include selection for respiratory and cardiovascular strength and enhanced starch digestion capacity. Human adaptation to the Andean highlands thus appears to have been a multifaceted process that transpired over some four thousand years. Although current evidence favors a model of gradual adaptation, a more rapid adaptive process cannot yet be excluded. Paleoindian sites remain woefully sparse, which may indicate limited use or a sampling problem. And although recent genetic and isotopic analyses have been incisive, they are restricted to few samples from relatively late contexts. Continued investigations at the intersection of traditional archaeological methods and new biomolecular methods are likely to resolve outstanding questions soon and create opportunities to explore more-nuanced questions about the peopling of the high Andes.
Iconography and Iconology
Authors: Džalto Davor
Published: November 2023

Iconography and iconology are the ways of describing and interpreting images and their meaning. Although closely related, iconography and iconology can be understood as distinct disciplines. When clearly differentiated, iconography is understood as a method of identifying and describing the themes and motifs (“subject matter”) represented in an image, while iconology is understood as an interpretation of the meaning of images. Especially in the contemporary applications of the method, iconology is often understood as an interdisciplinary enterprise.

In its rudimentary form, iconography has been practiced since the earliest recorded attempts to describe images, conveying “what is depicted” in the medium of language. Already in antiquity is the application of the iconographic method understood as a way of relating depicted visual forms with textual sources, aimed at an identification of the subject matter in images. In the Renaissance, attempts at the systematization and codification of the most commonly used motifs in visual arts are found, resulting in manuals that offered a description of the motifs and an explanation of the meaning of particular symbols or entire scenes. The modern period (especially the 19th and 20th centuries) is the time when iconography was fully developed as a method, but this is also the time of a clearer differentiation (both conceptual and terminological) between iconography and iconology. A series of authors, primarily art historians, contributed to this differentiation and to the development of iconology as a discipline that deals with the meaning in and of images and artworks. Among the most prominent ones are Aby Warburg, Erwin Panofsky, and Ernst Gombrich. Iconology, understood as an interdisciplinary approach to the issue of visual phenomena, has successfully been applied in the interpretation of a variety of visual phenomena, from ancient, medieval, and Renaissance artworks to works of contemporary art and visual culture understood more broadly.
Public and Private in Everyday Spaces of Water Use in Jalisco during the 19th and 20th Centuries
Authors: Mendoza Bohne Lourdes Sofía
Published: November 2023

Water use in everyday life occurs and is reproduced in specific spaces designed for the supply, conservation, and use of water. The objectives of this article are: (a) to document the places in which water is supplied, used, and replenished in Guadalajara City from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century; (b) to analyze these practices from the perspective of social spaces as axes of interaction between the city and its experience through the use of water in daily life; (c) to use the concept of public and private to understand and analyze these spaces as they relate to the analytical axes of shared habits for public spaces and survival strategies for private spaces; (d) to explore the ways in which people transit between public and private spheres and change their notions and practices with regard to space, and how these are metabolized in public and in private.

Public contexts are understood in terms of shared behaviors at local springs, swimming pools, public baths, streams, public laundries, watering troughs, and public fountains; these include locations with religious significance such Chapala Lake, considered sacred by both Catholics and the Wirrarika, an indigenous community in northern Jalisco. Private contexts are related to survival behaviors such as cooking, daily showers, domestic cleaning, cleaning one’s body, self-image, personal hygiene, and using the toilet. In this sense, the places in which Guadalajaran society interacts with water become daily spaces where the presence of water offers cultural meanings as points of reference for the city in that period and the spaces of water are metabolized as points of reference for life. In the early 20th century, new tools, infrastructure, and uses of water bring about the transformation and the re-signification of a new Culture of Water.
Number Marking in Nouns and Adjectives in the Romance Languages
Authors: Floricic Franck
Published: November 2023

Even though Romance languages are taken to be well-known because of their clearly identified ancestor, they continuously offer a source of patterns and phenomena that are far from being properly taken into account in typological surveys. Corbett rightly pointed out that the question of number has erroneously been held to be simple and straightforward. Needless to say, if many Romance varieties suffer from endangerment or from sociological marginalization, other varieties like French are in some sense trapped in the ice of their norm and such a situation may lead in some cases to questionable analyses. Any French speaker will hold that the feminine of adjectives such as natif [naˈtif] ‘native’ is formed by substituting [f] for [v] and adding final -e at the orthographic level, hence the feminine singular form native [naˈtiv], as in, say, vert-e ‘green’. It is clear, however, that the opposition between natif and native relies on voice-alternation of the adjective final consonant. Various examples of this kind can be adduced to show how phonetic processes contribute to morphological oppositions.
A comprehensive review and evaluation of graph neural networks for non-coding RNA and complex disease associations
Authors: Hu Xiaowen , Liu Dayun , Zhang Jiaxuan , Fan Yanhao , Ouyang Tianxiang , Luo Yue , Zhang Yuanpeng , Deng Lei
Published: November 2023

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a critical role in the occurrence and development of numerous human diseases. Consequently, studying the associations between ncRNAs and diseases has garnered significant attention from researchers in recent years. Various computational methods have been proposed to explore ncRNA–disease relationships, with Graph Neural Network (GNN) emerging as a state-of-the-art approach for ncRNA–disease association prediction. In this survey, we present a comprehensive review of GNN-based models for ncRNA–disease associations. Firstly, we provide a detailed introduction to ncRNAs and GNNs. Next, we delve into the motivations behind adopting GNNs for predicting ncRNA–disease associations, focusing on data structure, high-order connectivity in graphs and sparse supervision signals. Subsequently, we analyze the challenges associated with using GNNs in predicting ncRNA–disease associations, covering graph construction, feature propagation and aggregation, and model optimization. We then present a detailed summary and performance evaluation of existing GNN-based models in the context of ncRNA–disease associations. Lastly, we explore potential future research directions in this rapidly evolving field. This survey serves as a valuable resource for researchers interested in leveraging GNNs to uncover the complex relationships between ncRNAs and diseases.
Lipoprotein(a) and the risk of major adverse limb events in patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease
Authors: Bonaca M , Morrow D A , Giugliano R P , Scirica B M , Palazzolo M G , Jarolim P , Creager M A , O'donoghue M , Sabatine M S
Published: November 2023

Background/Introduction

Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease are at heightened risk of ischemic events, including adverse limb events. The pathobiology of adverse limb events ranges from events that are predominantly thrombotic such as acute limb ischemia (ALI) to those that are due primarily to progressive atherosclerosis such as worsening functional imitation requiring elective peripheral revascularization and development of critical limb ischemia (CLI). Evolving data suggest that lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] may be associated with the risk of adverse limb events; however, which type of events are related to Lp(a) has not been well described.

Purpose

To evaluate the association between Lp(a) and specific limb outcomes in patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Methods

Data from two randomized clinical trials including patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease were combined: TRA2P-TIMI 50 and FOURIER. We measured Lp(a) in baseline samples in the TIMI Clinical Trials Laboratory. Major adverse cardiovascular events (CV death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke) were the primary or key secondary outcomes of the trials. Peripheral revascularization procedures occurring during follow up were investigator reported. Adverse limb events, including CLI and ALI, were categorized through the review of safety data by two blinded vascular specialists. MALE was defined as the composite of peripheral revascularization, CLI, or ALI. The association of Lp(a) as a continuous variable and MALE was assessed and adjusted for randomized therapy in each trial, age, sex, race, region, prior MI, prior stroke, peripheral artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking status, and statin use.

Results

A total of 28,892 patients were included in the combined analysis population. The median Lp(a) was 36 nmol/L (IQR 12 – 159). A total of 1336 MALE events occurred during follow-up, including 1307 peripheral revascularizations (1237 elective, 173 urgent), 259 CLI events, and 148 ALI events. Lp(a) was associated with an increased risk of MALE (Adj HR 1.07 per SD, 95% CI 1.02 – 1.13, p=0.007, Figure Panel A) with the risk of a similar magnitude for that of MACE (Adj HR 1.05 per SD, 95% CI 1.01 – 1.10, p=0.020). The association of Lp(a) and MALE was driven by peripheral revascularizations including elective revascularization (Adj. HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02 – 1.13, p=0.010) with a consistent trend for CLI; however, a relationship with ALI was unclear (Figure Panel B).

Conclusion

In patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease, Lp(a) is associated with MALE with the relationship driven by peripheral revascularization and a consistent trend for CLI. Any relationship with ALI, a primarily thrombotic event, is less clear. Overall, these data support the relationship of Lp(a) and progression of lower extremity atherosclerosis.Figure Panel AFigure Panel B
The effect of resveratrol on aortic growth and function in patients with marfan syndrome
Authors: Bosshardt D , Van Andel M M , Schrauben E M , Gottwald L M , Van Kimmenade R R J , Scholte A J H A , Dickinson M G , Zwinderman A H , Mulder B J , Nederveen A J , Van Ooij P , Groenink M , De Waard V
Published: November 2023

Background

Patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) have an increased risk of life-threatening aortic complications, mostly preceded by aortic dilatation. Resveratrol, a dietary supplement that intervenes in cellular metabolism has been shown to reduce aortic dilatation rate in a rodent study (1).

Purpose

To investigate if treatment with Resveratrol reduces aortic dilatation rate in patients with MFS.

Methods

In this investigator-initiated, prospective, pre-post observational, multicenter trial, we analysed Resveratrol treatment in adults with MFS. Primary endpoint was the change in aortic dilatation rate at five predetermined locations along the thoracic aorta following the daily intake of 500 mg Resveratrol for one year. Aortic dilatation rate was calculated using diastolic Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) aorta diameters acquired at three time points: the most recent MRI examination available prior to inclusion and two Dixon 3D examinations on a 3 Tesla MRI system acquired at baseline and after one year Resveratrol administration. Additionally, we quantified and investigated regional changes in aortic hemodynamics (wall shear stress (WSS), flow velocity and pulse wave velocity (PWV)) determined by 4D-flow MRI.

Results

A total of 57 participants, mean age of 37 ± 9 years, of which 28 males (49%) were included in the study. Twenty-six (46%) had undergone aortic root replacement prior to the study. All aortic dimensions remained stable after 1.2 ± 0.3 years follow-up. A significant decrease in growth rate (mm/year) in the ascending aorta was observed during the trial compared to pre-trial, from 0.54 (IQR: 0.09–1.39) to 0.00 (IQR: -0.99–0.67), p=0.004. Global PWV and regional mean WSS and velocity did not change after one year of Resveratrol use. PWV (m/s) was significantly higher for patients with a history of aortic root surgery (9.83 ± 1.8 versus 8.42 ± 1.91, p=0.034). Additionally, using Spearman’s ρ correlation coefficient, a positive correlation between PWV and age was found; r=0.452, p=0.003.

Conclusion

In adult patients with MFS, Resveratrol treatment shows promising results towards stabilizing aortic growth rate after 1.2 year follow up, without major changes in aorta hemodynamics. These findings may warrant a subsequent larger study with a longer follow-up period.RESVcue study summary figure
Federal exceptionalism and constituent power: Afterword to the Foreword by Sergio Verdugo
Authors: Aroney Nicholas , Delaney Erin F , Tierney Stephen
Published: November 2023

Sergio Verdugo makes a powerful and cogent attack on constituent power. Nevertheless, we ask whether he has rushed to judgment in concluding the theory has outlived its usefulness, as he fails to take into consideration the complexities federation might introduce. In this Afterword, we present an argument for why the federal form might encourage or require a reconceptualization or reevaluation of constituent power, and we advocate a fuller exploration of “federal exceptionalism” before scholars pass judgment on the concept.
Codesigning community networking literacies with rural/remote Northern Indigenous communities in Northwest Territories, Canada
Authors: McMahon Rob , McNally Michael B , Nitschke Eric , Napier Kyle , Alvarez Malvido María , Akçayir Murat
Published: November 2023

Digital literacy research and practice typically presume certain conditions, such as an urban orientation and adequate, affordable access to connectivity and devices. But these conditions are not universal; for example, people in small, rural/remote Indigenous communities may seek to balance connectivity challenges and digital innovations with land-based living specific to place and community. Drawing on efforts to broaden critical digital literacies to support Indigenous sovereignty, we consider how overlapping contexts of places, communities, and infrastructures intersect in the cocreation of appropriate digital literacy. Specifically, we discuss a series of virtually facilitated, participatory workshops that utilize “hacker literacies” and “infrastructure literacy” to reimagine connectivity infrastructure and demonstrate the potential of community networking in, with, and by rural/remote Indigenous communities. We also reflect on limitations of this work and identify lessons for future projects.
Deficiency of long‐chain acyl‐CoA synthetase 4 leads to lipopolysaccharide‐induced mortality in a mouse model of septic shock
Authors: Kuwata Hiroshi , Nakatani Eriko , Tomitsuka Yuki , Ochiai Tsubasa , Sasaki Yuka , Yoda Emiko , Hara Shuntaro
Published: November 2023

Long‐chain acyl‐CoA synthetase 4 (ACSL4) converts free highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) into their acyl‐CoA esters and is important for HUFA utilization. HUFA‐containing phospholipids produced via ACSL4‐dependent reactions are involved in pathophysiological events such as inflammatory responses and ferroptosis as a source for lipid mediators and/or a target of oxidative stress, respectively. However, the in vivo role of ACSL4 in inflammatory responses is not fully understood. This study sought to define the effects of ACSL4 deficiency on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced systemic inflammatory responses using global Acsl4 knockout (Acsl4 KO) mice. Intraperitoneal injection of LPS‐induced more severe symptoms, including diarrhea, hypothermia, and higher mortality, in Acsl4 KO mice within 24 h compared with symptoms in wild‐type (WT) mice. Intestinal permeability induced 3 h after LPS challenge was also enhanced in Acsl4 KO mice compared with that in WT mice. In addition, plasma levels of some eicosanoids in Acsl4 KO mice 6 h post‐LPS injection were 2‐ to 9‐fold higher than those in WT mice. The increased mortality observed in LPS‐treated Acsl4 KO mice was significantly improved by treatment with the general cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin with a partial reduction in the severity of illness index for hypothermia, diarrhea score, and intestinal permeability. These results suggest that ACSL4 deficiency enhances susceptibility to endotoxin at least partly through the overproduction of cyclooxygenase‐derived eicosanoids.
Revisiting the unmet mental health needs in Canada
Authors: McAllister Matthew S. , Olagunju Andrew T.
Published: November 2023

In Canada, unmet mental health care needs remain a major issue despite mental disorders ranking as the second largest source of years lost to disability. As discussions continue on alternative models of healthcare to reduce the long waiting times for mental health treatment, leveraging the skills and resources available from physician associates/assistants (PAs) and NPs becomes imperative. Relatively few PAs in Canada work in psychiatry, despite widespread acceptance in other medical disciplines. Sustainable funding models for the training, recruitment, and retention of PAs in mental health care are vital. More research, policy development, and interprofessional collaboration can enhance the effective integration of PAs into mental health care.
Acetylated Histone Modifications: Intersection of Diabetes and Atherosclerosis
Authors: Liu Runyang , Li Lihua , Wang Zhongqun , Zhu Jie , Ji Yu
Published: November 2023

Worldwide, type 2 diabetes is predominant form of diabetes, and it is mainly affected by the environment. Furthermore, the offspring of patients with type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorder syndrome may have a higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which indicates that the environmental impact on diabetes prevalence can be transmitted across generations. In the process of diabetes onset and intergenerational transmission, the genetic structure of the individual is not directly changed but is regulated by epigenetics. In this process, genes or histones are modified, resulting in selective expression of proteins. This modification will affect not only the onset of diabetes but also the related onset of atherosclerosis. Acetylation and deacetylation may be important regulatory factors for the above lesions. Therefore, in this review, based on the whole process of atherosclerosis evolution, we explored the possible existence of acetylation/deacetylation caused by diabetes. However, because of the lack of atherosclerosis-related acetylation studies directly based on diabetic models, we also used a small number of experiments involving nondiabetic models of related molecular mechanisms.
N-linked glycans: an underappreciated key determinant of T cell development, activation, and function
Authors: Abdelbary Mahmoud , Nolz Jeffrey C.
Published: November 2023

N-linked glycosylation is a post-translational modification that results in the decoration of newly synthesized proteins with diverse types of oligosaccharides that originate from the amide group of the amino acid asparagine. The sequential and collective action of multiple glycosidases and glycosyltransferases are responsible for determining the overall size, composition, and location of N-linked glycans that become covalently linked to an asparagine during and after protein translation. A growing body of evidence supports the critical role of N-linked glycan synthesis in regulating many features of T cell biology, including thymocyte development and tolerance, as well as T cell activation and differentiation. Here, we provide an overview of how specific glycosidases and glycosyltransferases contribute to the generation of different types of N-linked glycans and how these post-translational modifications ultimately regulate multiple facets of T cell biology.
Comparison of carbapenem-susceptible and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales at nine sites in the USA, 2013–2016: a resource for antimicrobial resistance investigators
Authors: Lutgring Joseph D. , Kent Alyssa G. , Bowers Jolene R. , Jasso-Selles Daniel E. , Albrecht Valerie , Stevens Valerie A. , Pfeiffer Ashlyn , Barnes Riley , Engelthaler David M. , Johnson J. Kristie , Gargis Amy S. , Rasheed J. Kamile , Limbago Brandi M. , Elkins Christopher A. , Karlsson Maria , Halpin Alison L.
Published: November 2023

Carbapenem-resistant

Enterobacterales

(CRE) are an urgent public health threat. Genomic sequencing is an important tool for investigating CRE. Through the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion Sentinel Surveillance system, we collected CRE and carbapenem-susceptible

Enterobacterales

(CSE) from nine clinical laboratories in the USA from 2013 to 2016 and analysed both phenotypic and genomic sequencing data for 680 isolates. We describe the molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) data of this collection of isolates. We also performed a phenotype–genotype correlation for the carbapenems and evaluated the presence of virulence genes in

Klebsiella pneumoniae

complex isolates. These AST and genomic sequencing data can be used to compare and contrast CRE and CSE at these sites and serve as a resource for the antimicrobial resistance research community.
LightRoseTTA: High-efficient and Accurate Protein Structure Prediction Using an Ultra-Lightweight Deep Graph Model
Authors: Wang Xudong , Zhang Tong , Liu Guangbu , Cui Zhen , Zeng Zhiyong , Long Cheng , Zheng Wenming , Yang Jian
Published: November 2023

Accurately predicting protein structure, from amino acid sequences to three-dimensional structures, is of great significance in biological research. To tackle this issue, a representative deep big model, RoseTTAFold, has been proposed with promising success. Here, we reportan ultra-lightweight deep graph network, namedLightRoseTTA, to achieve accurate and high-efficient prediction for proteins. Notably, three highlights are possessed by our LightRoseTTA:(i) high-accuratestructure prediction for proteins, beingcompetitive with RoseTTAFoldon multiple popular datasets including CASP14 and CAMEO;(ii) high-efficienttraining and inference with an ultra-lightweight model, costingonly one week on one single general NVIDIA 3090 GPU for model-training(vs 30 days on 8 high-speed NVIDIA V100 GPUs for RoseTTAFold) and containingonly 1.4M parameters(vs 130M in RoseTTAFold);(iii) low dependencyon multi-sequence alignments (MSA, widely-used homologous information), achievingthe best performance on three MSA-insufficient datasets: Orphan, De novo, and Orphan25. Besides, our LightRoseTTA istransferablefrom general proteins to antibody data, as verified in our experiments. We visualize some case studies to demonstrate the high-quality prediction, and provide some insights on how the structure predictions facilitate the understanding of biological functions. We further make a discussion on the time and resource costs of LightRoseTTA and RoseTTAFold, and demonstrate the feasibility of lightweight models for protein structure prediction, which may be crucial in the resource-limited research for universities and academy institutions.We release our code and model to speed biological research.
From the Wild to the City: How Domestication and Urbanization Reshape Animal Gut Microbiome
Authors: Das Angsuman , Das Bhabana , Das Jyotishmita
Published: November 2023

This review explores the profound effects of domestication and urbanization on the gut microbiota of animals. It delves into the complex interplay between these two processes and their transformative impact on the microorganisms residing in the gastrointestinal tracts of a wide range of species. Domestication, the centuries-old practice of taming and breeding animals for human use, has led to significant shifts in the gut microbiomes of domesticated animals. This shift is a result of altered diets, living conditions, and reduced exposure to natural environments. The paper examines the consequences of these changes on animal health, behavior, and their adaptation to domestic life. Conversely, urbanization, characterized by the rapid expansion of cities and human habitats, has driven wild animals to adapt to urban environments. This review investigates how the urban landscape, pollution, and dietary changes reshape the gut microbiomes of urban wildlife. It explores the potential implications of these alterations on the animals’ resilience to urban stressors and disease. Drawing parallels between domestication and urbanization, the paper reveals intriguing similarities and differences in gut microbiome transformations across various species. It also assesses the broader implications of these shifts on ecological dynamics, zoonotic disease transmission, and the potential for microbial interactions between domesticated animals, urban wildlife, and humans. Ultimately, this review consolidates current knowledge on the topic, shedding light on the shared mechanisms and unique adaptations that drive microbial changes in animals undergoing domestication and those adapting to urban environments. It concludes with a discussion of the implications for animal conservation, animal-human interactions, and the One Health perspective, emphasizing the importance of understanding these intricate icrobial relationships in our ever-changing world. By enhancing our comprehension of these complex dynamics, this paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge that informs our coexistence with the animals we share our lives and cities with, highlighting the critical role of gut microbiota in these processes.
Development and Characterization of a low intensity vibrational system for microgravity studies
Authors: Khan Omor M. , Gasperini Will , Necessary Chess , Jacobs Zach , Perry Sam , Rexroat Jason , Nelson Kendall , Gamble Paul , Clements Twyman , DeLeon Maximilien , Howard Sean , Zavala Anamaria , Farach-Carson Mary , Blaber Elizabeth , Wu Danielle , Satici Aykut , Uzer Gunes
Published: November 2023

The advent of extended-duration human spaceflight demands a better comprehension of the physiological impacts of microgravity. One primary concern is the adverse impact on the musculoskeletal system, including muscle atrophy and bone density reduction. Ground-based microgravity simulations have provided insights, with vibrational bioreactors emerging as potential mitigators of these negative effects. Despite the potential they have, the adaptation of vibrational bioreactors for space remains unfulfilled, resulting in a significant gap in microgravity research. This paper introduces the first automated low-intensity vibrational (LIV) bioreactor designed specifically for the International Space Station (ISS) environment. Our research covers the bioreactor’s design and characterization, the selection of an optimal linear guide for consistent 1-axis acceleration, a thorough analysis of its thermal and diffusion dynamics, and the pioneering use of BioMed Clear resin for enhanced scaffold design. This advancement sets the stage for more authentic space-based biological studies, vital for ensuring the safety of future space explorations.
Sonic play: on the B-side of literacy and songwriting
Authors: Petchauer Emery , Harvey Tia , Ybarra Rolando
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore sonic play in close proximity to a music, literacy and songwriting for social change community-based initiative. The authors leverage ideas about time, space and narrative under the concept of sonic flux to understand youth’s sonic and aural play on digital beatmaking technologies. In doing so, the authors break from a fixation on the written and spoken word and address sound, aurality and Blacktronika creative technologies that are often present but muted in literacies and songwriting scholarship.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors’ team consisted of three community-based teaching artists who situated this inquiry around their own practice with youth. The authors conducted this inquiry through a qualitative, participatory and community-engaged research approach. As such, the authors codeveloped and carried out research questions and sense-making protocols that balance the power of interpretation and epistemologies among us.

Findings

The findings address how the joy, laughter and play of one young musician, Malik, moved across different conceptions of time while learning to make beats in proximity to peers writing lyrics for songs. Specifically, the authors unpack how Malik’s play with mobile sound-making technologies moved across linear and nonlinear time that characterize sonic space and sound art, not music and lyric writing. In doing so, the loops and durations of his sonic play were sometimes unbound by narrative structures that often code literacy and songwriting initiatives.

Originality/value

The authors’ inquiry speaks into literacy and songwriting initiatives that privilege spoken, written and performed word over sound. The authors ask what kind of participating structures, collaborations, ontologies and youth epistemologies open up if we think of youth in these spaces not only as performers but as programmers tinkering with time in the machine. In addition, the authors ask what literacy and songwriting spaces might look like when the duration, loops and drones of sonic space and not music are the structuring codes over narratives and linearity.
Employee based brand equity: a systematic review of literature, framework development, and implications for future research
Authors: Sousa Bianca , Ferreira Pedro
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Through a systematic literature review, this paper aims to endeavor to present a thorough historical perspective on the evolution of employee-based brand equity (EBBE), offering a comprehensive understanding of its development. The study explores the general model, causes and effects of EBBE, as well as the role of culture, leadership and brand management in building EBBE. The paper proposes an integrative framework to understand the interrelationships between the various dimensions of EBBE and offers practical guidelines for future research and the business world.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a systematic literature review approach to analyze and synthesize 30 studies on EBBE retrieved from SCOPUS and Web of Science. The analysis involves a thematic and content-based examination of the literature, which is organized into three thematic groups.

Findings

The review highlights the importance of EBBE as a driver of organizational performance and success. The paper identifies the evolution of the major themes, trends and debates in the literature and suggests areas for future research. It underscores the need for more qualitative, multi-level and longitudinal research on EBBE, as well as the exploration of the links between EBBE and other forms of brand equity.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the first systematic literature reviews of EBBE, offering a comprehensive and integrated view of the existing literature since the beginning of this concept. The paper’s originality lies in its proposed integrative framework that captures the interrelationships between the various dimensions of EBBE and provides practical guidelines for future research and the business world.
Familiarity bias in direct stock investment by individual investors
Authors: Lei Shan , Mathers Ani Manakyan
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study examines the relationship between investors' familiarity bias, including the home bias and endowment bias, and their financial situations, expectations and personal characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances, the authors utilize an ordinary least squares regression to identify the presence of endowment bias and home bias in individual investors' direct stock holdings and use a Heckman selection model to examine determinants of the extent of endowment bias and home bias.

Findings

This study finds that investors with higher income and more education, men, non-white investors and people with greater risk tolerance are actually at a greater risk of endowment bias. This study also identifies a profile of investors that are more likely to have a home bias: with less financial sophistication, lower net worth, older, female, more risk-averse, with a positive expectation about the domestic economy and a relatively shorter investment horizon.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first to use US investors' directly reported stock holdings to examine the individual characteristics that are correlated with greater familiarity bias, providing financial professionals with information about how to allocate their limited time in providing education to a variety of clients.
Autonomy, Power and the Special Case of Scarcity: Consumer Adoption of Highly Autonomous Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Frank Darius‐Aurel , Otterbring Tobias
Published: November 2023

Unlike previous generations of artificial intelligence (AI), AI assistants today can autonomously perform actions without human input or intervention. Several studies have proposed but not tested the notion that increased levels of AI autonomy may ultimately conflict with consumers’ fundamental need for autonomy themselves. Across five experiments (N = 1981), including representative samples and pre‐registered hypotheses, we investigate consumer responses to high (vs. low) AI autonomy in the context of online shopping. The results show a pronounced negative effect of high AI autonomy on consumers’ adoption intentions – an effect mediated by consumers’ relative state of powerlessness in the presence of high AI autonomy. However, when consumers face situations characterized by scarcity, such as when preferred options are being sold out rapidly (e.g. Black Friday), the aversive aspects of high (vs. low) AI autonomy are attenuated. Together, these findings offer novel insights regarding whether, when and why consumers are willing to adopt high (vs. low)‐autonomy AI assistants in online shopping settings.
Sharing suits and letters: redressing late‐capitalist precarity in South Korea
Authors: Fedorenko Olga
Published: November 2023

The contemporary sharing economy comprises a variety of technology‐mediated user‐to‐user transactions and reveals both the extremes of the late‐capitalist regime of accumulation and possible paths to supersede it. To critically explore the idea of the sharing economy, this article examines how it has been mobilized by a non‐profit startup in neoliberalized South Korea. Open Closet cheaply rents donated suits to precarious job‐seekers for interviews, while requesting that donors and renters write each other letters with their ‘suit stories’. The article tracks how sharing at Open Closet is realized via circulations of suits, letters, and ‘warm hearts’, and how its meanings and obligations are interpreted via the historical relations of mutual responsibility within local collectivities of belonging. The article thus illuminates new imaginaries for livelihoods, subjecthoods, and solidarities that emerge when the contemporary sharing economy ambiguates capitalist and non‐capitalist relations, becoming a site for experimentation with affectivity and mutuality among strangers.
The Origin of Differential Object Marking and Tripartite Alignment in Udi (East Caucasian)
Authors: Authier Gilles
Published: November 2023

Thanks to the discovery in Mount Sinai Monastery of the Albanian palimpsest, which contains fragments of the Bible in an ancient form of Udi, this language has become the earliest attested member of the East Caucasian family. However, due to its long evolution in contact with unrelated languages, both old and modern Udi show many characteristics unknown to their closest relatives, including Differential Object Marking. Combined with ergative case marking, this feature results in a rare ‘tripartite alignment’. After describing the case marking of arguments in Lezgian, modern dialects of Udi and the three non‐East Caucasian languages of the area (Tat, Azeri and Armenian) showing Differential Object Marking, we examine the available Old Udi / Caucasian Albanian data, compare them with data from Old Armenian, Old Turkic and Middle Iranian, and try to assess the best candidate for the source of the Udi phenomenon in the light of what is known about its history in terms of contact and sociolinguistic dominance.
Acetaldehyde‐mediated increase in glutamatergic and N‐acetylaspartate neurometabolite levels in the midcingulate cortex of ALDH2*1/*2 heterozygous young adults
Authors: Ueno Fumihiko , Sakuma Mutsuki , Nakajima Shinichiro , Tsugawa Sakiko , Ochi Ryo , Tani Hideaki , Noda Yoshihiro , Graff‐Guerrero Ariel , Uchida Hiroyuki , Mimura Masaru , Oshima Shunji , Matsushita Sachio
Published: November 2023

Background

To elucidate the neurobiology underlying alcohol's effect on the human brain, we examined the acute effects of moderate alcohol administration on levels of glutamatergic neurometabolites and N‐acetylaspartate, an amino acid found in neurons, may reflect disordered neuronal integrity.

Methods

Eighteen healthy Japanese participants (7 males/11 females) aged 20–30 years who were heterozygous for an inactive allele of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase‐2 (ALDH/*1/*2) were included. Participants underwent an intravenous alcohol infusion using the clamp method at a target blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.50 mg/mL for 90 min within a range of ±0.05 mg/mL. We examined glutamate + glutamine (Glx) and N‐acetylaspartate N‐acetylaspartylglutamate (NAA) levels in the midcingulate cortex (MCC) using 3 T 1H‐MRS PRESS at baseline, 90 min, and 180 min (i.e., 90 min after alcohol infusion was finished). A two‐way repeated‐measures analysis of variance was used to assess longitudinal changes in Glx and NAA levels, with time and sex as within‐ and between‐subject factors, respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated among neurometabolite levels and BAC or blood acetaldehyde concentration (BAAC).

Results

Both Glx (F(2,32) = 8.15, p = 0.004, η2 = 0.15) and NAA (F(2,32) = 5.01, p = 0.04, η2 = 0.07) levels were increased after alcohol injection. There were no sex or time × sex interaction effects observed. NAA levels were positively correlated with BAAC at 90 min (r(13) = 0.77, p = 0.01). There were no associations between neurometabolite levels and BAC.

Conclusions

Both Glx and NAA levels in the MCC increased in response to the administration of moderate concentrations of alcohol. Given positive associations between NAA levels and BAAC and the hypothetical glutamate release via dopamine pathways, the effects of drinking on the MCC in the acute phase may be ascribed to acetaldehyde metabolized from alcohol.
Identification of genomic regions associated with differences in fleece type in Huacaya and Suri alpacas (Vicugna pacos)
Authors: Tan K. , Adeniyi O. O. , Letko A. , RuddGarces G. , Manz E. , Wagner H. , Zanolari P. , Drögemüller C. , Lühken G.
Published: November 2023

The difference in fleece type is the distinguishing trait between the two types of alpacas (Vicugna pacos), Huacaya and Suri. The Suri fleece type has been found to be inherited dominantly over the Huacaya type, resulting in offspring with the Suri phenotype. The aim of our study was to map genomic regions associated with the two different fleece types. In this study, 91 alpacas (54 Huacayas and 37 Suris) from Germany and Switzerland were genotyped using the 76k alpaca SNP array. Only 59k chromosome‐localised markers map to the alpaca reference assembly VicPac3.1, and after quality control 49 866 SNPs, were retained for population structure assessment and to conduct a genome‐wide association study. Both principal component and neighbour‐joining tree analysis showed that the two fleece‐type cohorts overlapped rather than forming two distinct clusters. Genome‐wide significantly associated markers were observed in the scaffold region of chromosome 16 (NW_021964192.1), which contains a cluster of keratin genes. A haplotype predominantly found in Suri alpacas has been identified which supports dominant inheritance. Variant filtering of nine whole‐genome sequenced alpacas from both fleece types in the critical interval of 0.4 Mb did not reveal perfect segregation of either fleece type for specific variants. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use the recently developed species‐specific SNP array to identify genomic regions associated with differences in fleece type in alpacas. There are still some limitations, such as the preliminary status of the reference assembly and the incomplete annotation of the alpaca genome.
Lay beliefs about the perceived harmfulness of excess weight: Influence of weight status and the cause of weight
Authors: Black Clancy K. , Vartanian Lenny R. , Faasse Kate
Published: November 2023

Health campaigns often emphasise the association between excess weight and poor health. Past research suggests that whether an individual's excess weight is viewed as harmful is partially explained by the quantity of excess weight. The present research explored whether the purported cause of excess weight also influences its perceived harmfulness. Across two studies (total N = 577), participants read information about target individuals whose excess weight was caused by different factors (unhealthy lifestyle vs. medical condition). Participants rated the extent to which the target's weight was harmful and also recommended health‐related behaviours to the target. For the target with overweight, when her weight was described as being caused by unhealthy behaviours as opposed to a medical condition, her weight was rated as more harmful, and she was recommended to engage in more healthy behaviours. For the target with obesity, her weight was viewed as harmful irrespective of its described cause. Compared with the target with overweight, the weight of the target with obesity was rated as more harmful and she was recommended to diet more. Perceptions of the harmfulness of ‘overweight’ are influenced by the purported cause of that overweight, whereas obesity itself is viewed as harmful, regardless of the cause.
Intravenously engrafted human multilineage‐differentiating stress‐enduring (Muse) cells rescue erectile function after rat cavernous nerve injury
Authors: Koyama Juntaro , Yamashita Shinichi , Kato Yuya , Nezu Kunihisa , Goto Takuro , Fujii Shinji , Suzuki Yu , Nakayashiki Atsushi , Kawasaki Yoshihide , Kawamorita Naoki , Okita Hitomi , Ito Takako , Kushida Yoshihiro , Goto Masafumi , Dezawa Mari , Tominaga Teiji , Niizuma Kuniyasu , Ito Akihiro
Published: November 2023

Objective

To evaluate the effect of intravenous administration of human multilineage‐differentiating stress‐enduring (Muse) cells on rat postoperative erectile dysfunction (ED) with cavernous nerve (CN) injury without an immunosuppressant.

Materials and Methods

Male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomised into three groups after CN crush injury. Either human‐Muse cells, non‐Muse mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) (both 1.0 × 105 cells), or vehicle was infused intravenously at 3 h after CN injury without immunosuppressant. Erectile function was assessed by measuring intracavernous pressure (ICP) and arterial pressure (AP) during pelvic nerve electrostimulation 28 days after surgery. At 48 h and 28 days after intravenous infusion of Muse cells, the homing of Muse cells and non‐Muse MSCs was evaluated in the major pelvic ganglion (MPG) after CN injury. In addition, expressions of C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand (Cxcl12) and glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (Gdnf) in the MPG were examined by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analyses and comparisons among groups were performed using one‐way analysis of variance followed by the Tukey test for parametric data and Kruskal–Wallis test followed by the Dunn–Bonferroni test for non‐parametric data.

Results

The mean (SEM) ICP/AP values at 28 days were 0.51 (0.02) in the Muse cell group, 0.37 (0.03) in the non‐Muse MSC group, and 0.36 (0.04) in the vehicle group, showing a significant positive response in the Muse cell group compared with the non‐Muse and vehicle groups (P = 0.013 and P = 0.010, respectively). In the MPG, Muse cells were observed to be engrafted at 48 h and expressed Schwann cell markers S100 (~46%) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (~24%) at 28 days, while non‐Muse MSCs were basically not engrafted at 48 h. Higher gene expression of Cxcl12 (P = 0.048) and Gdnf (P = 0.040) was found in the MPG of the Muse group than in the vehicle group 48 h after infusion.

Conclusion

Intravenously engrafted human Muse cells recovered rat erectile function after CN injury in a rat model possibly by upregulating Cxcl12 and Gdnf.
Performance evaluation of the EUROIMMUN anti‐acetylcholine receptor enzyme‐linked immunoassay
Authors: Kawaguchi Naoki , Imafuku Asami , Fujii Satoshi , Sohn Ji‐Hoon
Published: November 2023

Objectives

Anti‐acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR Ab) are one of the pathogenic autoantibodies in myasthenia gravis (MG), and they are specifically mentioned in the Japanese clinical guidelines for MG. In the serological diagnosis and measurement of autoantibodies as an adjunct marker for MG, the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method has been conventionally used as the gold standard. However, there have been several worldwide concerns regarding the use of radioisotopes. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the EUROIMMUN AChR Ab enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in comparison with RIA.

Methods

ELISA reproducibility and dilution linearity were analyzed using AChR Ab‐positive samples. Sera from 50 patients with suspected MG and 50 healthy donors were used to assess the correlation and qualitative agreement between the two methods.

Results

The ELISA showed good interassay precision and dilution linearity. The correlation coefficient, sensitivity, specificity and overall agreement of the ELISA in comparison with the conventional RIA amounted to 0.87, 98%, 92% and 95% (kappa = 0.895), respectively. Analysis of the discordant results suggested that the ELISA might be more capable of detecting low AChR Ab reactivity in patients with suspected MG.

Conclusions

The AchR Ab ELISA provides a reliable tool for the quantification of AchR Ab, supporting the diagnosis of MG. As a non‐isotopic assay with good precision, shorter handling time and high correlation with the conventional RIA, the AChR ELISA could be a useful alternative in the laboratory routine.