bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of metal cations on the viscoelastic properties of Escherichia coli biofilms
Authors: Sarlet Adrien , Ruffine Valentin , Blank Kerstin G. , Bidan Cécile M.
Published: September 2022

Biofilms frequently cause complications in various areas of human life, e.g. in medicine and in the food industry. More recently, biofilms are discussed as new types of living materials with tuneable mechanical properties. In particular, Escherichia coli produces a matrix composed of amyloid-forming curli and phosphoethanolamine-modified cellulose fibres in response to suboptimal environmental conditions. It is currently unknown how the interaction between these fibres contributes to the overall mechanical properties of the formed biofilms and if extrinsic control parameters can be utilized to manipulate these properties. Using shear rheology, we show that biofilms formed by the E. coli K-12 strain AR3110 stiffen by a factor of two when exposed to the trivalent metal cations Al(III) and Fe(III) while no such response is observed for the bivalent cations Zn(II) and Ca(II). Strains producing only one matrix component did not show any stiffening response to either cation or even a small softening. No stiffening response was further observed when strains producing only one type of fibre were co-cultured or simply mixed after biofilm growth. These results suggest that the E. coli biofilm matrix is a uniquely structured composite material when both matrix fibres are produced from the same bacterium. While the exact interaction mechanism between curli, phosphoethanolamine-modified cellulose and trivalent metal cations is currently not known, our results highlight the potential of using extrinsic parameters to understand and control the interplay between biofilm structure and mechanical properties. This will ultimately aid the development of better strategies for controlling biofilm growth.

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Emergent chirality in active solid rotation of pancreas spheres
Authors: Tan Tzer Han , Amiri Aboutaleb , Seijo-Barandiarán Irene , Staddon Michael F. , Materne Anne , Tomas Sandra , Duclut Charlie , Popović Marko , Grapin-Botton Anne , Jülicher Frank
Published: September 2022

Collective cell dynamics play a crucial role in many developmental and physiological contexts. While two-dimensional (2D) cell migration has been widely studied, how three-dimensional (3D) geometry and topology interplay with collective cell behavior to determine dynamics and functions remains an open question. In this work, we elucidate the biophysical mechanism underlying rotation in spherical tissues, a phenomenon widely reported both in vivo and in vitro. Using murine pancreas-derived organoids as a model system, we find that epithelial spheres exhibit persistent rotation, rotational axis drift and rotation arrest. Using a 3D vertex model, we demonstrate how the interplay between traction force and polarity alignment can account for these distinct rotational dynamics. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the spherical tissue rotates as an active solid and exhibits spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking. Using a continuum model, we demonstrate how the types and location of topological defects in the polarity field underlie this symmetry breaking process. Altogether, our work shows that tissue chirality can arise via topological defects in the pattern of cell traction forces, with potential implications for left-right symmetry breaking processes in morphogenetic events.
Nazo, the Drosophila homolog of the NBIA-mutated protein – c19orf12, is required for triglyceride homeostasis
Authors: Sreejith Perinthottathil , Lolo Sara , Patten Kristen R. , Gunasinghe Maduka , More Neya , Pallanck Leo J. , Bharadwaj Rajnish
Published: September 2022

Lipid dyshomeostasis has been implicated in a variety of diseases ranging from obesity to neurodegenerative disorders such as NBIA. Here, we uncover the physiological role of Nazo, the Drosophila homolog of the NBIA-mutated protein – c19orf12, whose function has been elusive. Ablation of Drosophila c19orf12 homologs leads to dysregulation of multiple lipid metabolism genes. nazo mutants exhibit markedly reduced gut lipid droplet and whole-body triglyceride contents. Consequently, they are sensitive to starvation and oxidative stress. Nazo localizes to ER-lipid droplet contact sites and is required for maintaining normal levels of Perilipin2, an inhibitor of the lipase – Brummer. Concurrent knockdown of Brummer or overexpression of Perilipin2 rescues the nazo phenotype, suggesting that this defect may arise from diminished Perilipin2 on lipid droplets leading to aberrant Brummer-mediated lipolysis. Our findings provide novel insights into the role of c19orf12 as a possible link between lipid dyshomeostasis and neurodegeneration, particularly in the context of NBIA.
Learning with phenotypic similarity improves the prediction of functional effects of missense variants in voltage-gated sodium channels
Authors: Boßelmann Christian Malte , Hedrich Ulrike B.S. , Lerche Holger , Pfeifer Nico
Published: September 2022

Background

Missense variants in genes encoding voltage-gated sodium channels are associated with a spectrum of severe diseases affecting neuronal and muscle cells, the so-called sodium channelopathies. Variant effects on the biophysical function of the channel correlate with clinical features and can in most cases be categorized as an overall gain- or loss-of-function. This information enables a timely diagnosis, facilitates precision therapy, and guides prognosis. Machine learning models may be able to rapidly generate supporting evidence by predicting variant functional effects.

Methods

Here, we describe a novel multi-task multi-kernel learning framework capable of harmonizing functional results and structural information with clinical phenotypes. We included 62 sequence- and structure-based features such as amino acid physiochemical properties, substitution radicality, conservation, protein-protein interaction sites, expert annotation, and others. We harmonized phenotypes as human phenotype ontology (HPO) terms, and compared different measures of phenotypic similarity under simulated sparsity or noise. The final model was trained on whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of 375 unique non-synonymous missense variants each expressed in mammalian cells.

Results

Our gain- or loss-of-function classifier outperformed both conventional baseline and state-of-the-art methods on internal validation (mean accuracy 0.837 ± 0.035, mean AU-ROC 0.890 ± 0.023) and on an independent set of recently described variants (n = 30, accuracy 0.967, AU-ROC 1.000). Model performance was robust across different phenotypic similarity measures and largely insensitive to phenotypic noise or sparsity. Localized multi-kernel learning offered biological insight and interpretability by highlighting channels with implicit genotype-phenotype correlations or latent task similarity for downstream analysis.

Conclusions

Learning with phenotypic similarity makes efficient use of clinical information to enable accurate and robust prediction of variant functional effects. Our framework extends the use of human phenotype ontology terms towards kernel-based methods in machine learning. Training data, pre-trained models, and a web-based graphical user interface for the model are publicly available.
Development shaped by cue reliability in the barn owl’s auditory midbrain
Authors: Shadron Keanu , Peña José L
Published: September 2022

Sensory systems display capability to preferentially choose stimuli based on their reliability at conveying accurate information. While previous reports have shown the ability of the brain to reweigh cues based on ongoing or dynamic changes in reliability, how the brain may learn and maintain neural responses to sensory statistics expected to be stable over longer time periods remain significant open questions of potential mechanisms underlying naturalistic biased perception. This study provides evidence that the barn owl’s midbrain is shaped by permanent statistics experienced during development. The barn owl’s midbrain features a topographic map of auditory space where neurons compute horizontal sound location from the interaural time difference (ITD). Previous work has shown that frequency tuning of these midbrain map neurons is correlated with the pattern of most reliable frequencies for the neurons’ preferred ITD. This pattern of ITD reliability is due to the filtering properties of the head, primarily determined by the facial ruff in the barn owl. In this study, we found that the absence of a facial ruff led to a decrease in the reliability of high frequencies originating from frontal space. To test if the owl’s frequency tuning of midbrain map neurons is driven by permanent changes in the pattern of ITD reliability, these neurons were recorded from adult owls, who had the facial ruff removed as juveniles, and from juvenile owls, before the facial ruff developed. In both groups, we found that frontally-tuned neurons displayed tunings to frequencies lower than reported in normal adult owls, consistent with the difference in ITD reliability between the normal and ruff removed conditions. Juvenile owls also exhibited more heterogeneous frequency tuning, suggesting developmental processes that refine tuning to match the pattern of ITD reliability. Additional recordings immediately upstream of the midbrain map displayed ITD tuned neural responses for all frequencies across the owl’s normal hearing range. Broader analysis of the effects of ruff-removal on the acoustical properties of spatial cues indicated a dominant role of ITD reliability in driving the adaptive changes in frequency tuning. These results support the hypothesis that frequency tuning in the midbrain map is developmentally adapted to permanent statistics of spatial cues, implementing probabilistic coding for sound localization.
A coordinated transcriptional switching network mediates antigenic variation of human malaria parasites
Authors: Zhang Xu , Florini Francesca , Visone Joseph E. , Leonardi Irina , Gross Mackensie R. , Patal Valay , Deitsch Kirk W.
Published: September 2022

Malaria parasites avoid immune clearance through their ability to systematically alter antigens exposed on the surface of infected red blood cells. This is accomplished by tightly regulated transcriptional control of individual members of a large, multicopy gene family called var and is the key to both the virulence and chronic nature of malaria infections. Expression of var genes is mutually exclusive and controlled epigenetically, however how large populations of parasites coordinate var gene switching to avoid premature exposure of the antigenic repertoire is unknown. Here we provide evidence for a transcriptional network anchored by a universally conserved gene called var2csa that coordinates the switching process. We describe a structured switching bias that shifts overtime and could shape the pattern of var expression over the course of a lengthy infection. Our results provide an explanation for a previously mysterious aspect of malaria infections and shed light on how parasites possessing a relatively small repertoire of variant antigen encoding genes can coordinate switching events to limit antigen exposure, thereby maintaining chronic infections.
Image recovery from unknown network mechanisms for DNA sequencing-based microscopy
Authors: Bonet David Fernandez , Hoffecker Ian T.
Published: September 2022

Imaging-by-sequencing methods are an emerging alternative to conventional optical micro- or nanoscale imaging. In these methods, molecular networks form through proximity-dependent association between DNA molecules carrying random sequence identifiers. DNA strands record pairwise associations such that network structure may be recovered by sequencing which, in turn, reveals the underlying spatial relationships between molecules comprising the network. Determining the computational reconstruction strategy that makes the best use of the information (in terms of spatial localization accuracy, robustness to noise, and scalability) in these networks is an open problem. We present a graph-based technique for reconstructing a diversity of molecular network classes in 2 and 3 dimensions without prior knowledge of their fundamental generation mechanisms. The model achieves robustness by obtaining an unbiased sampling of local and global network structure using random walks, making use of minimal prior assumptions. Images are recovered from networks in two stages of dimensionality reduction first with this structural discovery step followed by the manifold learning step. By breaking the process into stages, computational complexity could be reduced leading to fast and accurate performance. Our method represents a means by which diverse molecular network generation strategies could be unified with a common reconstruction framework.
Metatranscriptomic response of the wheat holobiont to decreasing soil water content
Authors: Pande Pranav M. , Azarbad Hamed , Tremblay Julien , St-Arnaud Marc , Yergeau Etienne
Published: September 2022

Crops associate with microorganisms that help their resistance to biotic. However, it is not clear how the different partners of this association react during exposure to stresses. This knowledge is needed to target the right partners when trying to adapt crops to climate change. Here, we grew wheat in the field under rainout shelters that let through 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of the precipitation. At the peak of the growing season, we sampled plant roots and rhizosphere, and extracted and sequenced their RNA. We compared the 100% and the 25% treatments using differential abundance analysis. In the roots, most of the differentially abundant (DA) transcripts belonged to the fungi, and most were more abundant in the 25% precipitation treatment. About 10% of the DA transcripts belonged to the plant and most were less abundant in the 25% precipitation treatment. In the rhizosphere, most of the DA transcripts belonged to the bacteria and were generally more abundant in the 25% precipitation treatment. Taken together, our results show that the transcriptomic response of the wheat holobiont to decreasing precipitation levels is more intense for the fungal and bacterial partners than for the plant.
Detectability of runs of homozygosity is influenced by analysis parameters and population-specific demographic history
Authors: Harder Avril M. , Kirksey Kenneth B. , Mathur Samarth , Willoughby Janna R.
Published: September 2022

Wild populations are increasingly threatened by human-mediated climate change and land use changes. As populations decline, the probability of inbreeding increases, along with the potential for negative effects on individual fitness. Detecting and characterizing runs of homozygosity (ROHs) is a popular strategy for assessing the extent of individual inbreeding present in a population and can also shed light on the genetic mechanisms contributing to inbreeding depression. Here, we analyze simulated and empirical data sets to demonstrate the downstream effects of program selection and long-term demographic history on ROH inference. We also apply a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the effects of various parameter values on ROH-calling results and demonstrate its utility for parameter value selection. We show that ROH inferences can be biased when sequencing depth and the distribution of ROH length is not interpreted in light of demographic history as well as program-specific tendencies. This is particularly important for the management of endangered species, as underestimating inbreeding signals in the genome can substantially undermining conservation initiatives. Based on our observations, we suggest using a combination of ROH detection tools and ROH length-specific inferences to generate robust population inferences regarding inbreeding history. We outline these recommendations for ROH estimation at multiple levels of sequencing effort typical of conservation genomics studies.
Role of intraflagellar transport in transcriptional control during flagellar regeneration in Chlamydomonas
Authors: Perlaza Karina , Zamora Ivan , Marshall Wallace F.
Published: September 2022

Biosynthesis of organelle precursors is a central part of the organelle size control problem, but what systems are required to control precursor production? Genes encoding flagellar proteins are upregulated during flagellar regeneration in Chlamydomonas, and this upregulation is critical for flagella to reach their final length, but it not known how the cell triggers these genes during regeneration. Here we present two models based on transcriptional repressor that is either produced in the flagellum, or else is produced in the cell body and sequestered in the growing flagellum. We show that both models lead to stable flagellar length control, can reproduce the observed dynamics of gene expression, and are consistent with the effects of protein synthesis inhibitors on gene expression. The two models make opposite predictions regarding the effect of mutations that block intraflagellar transport (IFT). Using quantitative measurements of gene expression, we show that gene expression during flagellar regeneration is greatly reduced in mutations of FLA3, FLA8, and FLA10, which encode the three components of the heterotrimer kinesin-2 that drives IFT. This result is consistent with the predictions of the model in which a repressor is sequestered in the flagellum by IFT. In contrast to the effects of IFT mutants, we find that inhibiting axonemal assembly has much less effect on gene expression, suggesting that transport is more important than axonemal assembly. The repressor sequestration model allows precursor production to occur when flagella are growing rapidly, representing a form of derivative control.
Biogenic plate-like guanine crystals form via templated nucleation of thin crystal leaflets on amyloid scaffolds
Authors: Eyal Zohar , Deis Rachael , Varsano Neta , Dezorella Nili , Rechav Katya , Houben Lothar , Gur Dvir
Published: September 2022

Controlling the morphology of crystalline materials is challenging, as crystals have a strong tendency towards thermodynamically stable structures. Yet, organisms form crystals with distinct morphologies, such as the plate-like guanine crystals produced by many terrestrial and aquatic species for light manipulation. Regulation of crystal morphogenesis was hypothesized to entail physical growth restriction by the surrounding membrane, combined with fine-tuned interactions between organic molecules and the growing crystal. Using cryo electron tomography of developing zebrafish larvae, we found that guanine crystals form via templated nucleation of thin leaflets on preassembled scaffolds made of 20-nm-thick amyloid fibers. These leaflets then merge and coalesce into a single plate-like crystal. Our findings provide new insights into how organisms control the morphology and, thereby, the optical properties of crystals.
Whole genome sequencing and global metabolome profiling of clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates provide insights to their drug resistance status
Authors: Sahoo Ashutosh , Mohapatra Amit Kumar , Priyadarsini Haripriya , Pemmadi Raghuveer Varma , Das Anjan , Choedon Tenzin , Nikam Chaitali , Behera Rajendra Kumar , Masakapalli Shyam K. , Nanda Ranjan K.
Published: September 2022

Whole genome sequence analysis of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) isolates show correlation to their drug resistance phenotype which may also reflect in their global metabolome. In this report, clinical Mtb isolates (S1, S4, S5, S6, S7, S10) harvested from the sputum of tuberculosis patients were characterized using drug sensitive test (DST), electron microscope, whole genome sequencing (WGS) and metabolomics. Majority of these Mtb isolates showed similar size (length: 1.0–3.2 μm; width: 0.32–0.52 μm) to the H37Rv Mtb strain whereas significant variations were observed in their growth kinetics, WGS and metabolome profiles. In-silico drug resistance prediction, from the WGS data (single-nulceotide polymorphisms (SNP) pattern) of these Mtb isolates showed resistance to tuberculosis drugs and matched with DST results. Differences in the genes involved in stress response, pathogenicity, drug efflux pumps were observed between isolates but genes of the central carbon metabolic pathways and amino acid metabolism were conserved. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based metabolite profiling of these clinical isolates identified 291 metabolites involved in various metabolic pathways and a sub set of these metabolites (glutamic acid, aspartic acid and serine) contributed to the drug resistance patterns. These clinical Mtb isolates could be useful as alternate reagent for understanding host pathogen interaction and the pipeline used for WGS analysis could be used to predict drug resistance pattern of new Mtb isolates.
Sex Difference in Causes and Timing of One-Year Outcomes Among Young Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients; Results from the VIRGO Study
Authors: Sawano Mitsuaki , Lu Yuan , Caraballo Cesar , Mahajan Shiwani , Dreyer Rachel , Lichtman Judith H. , D’Onofrio Gail , Spatz Erica , Khera Rohan , Onuma Oyere , Murugiah Karthik , Spertus John A. , Krumholz Harlan M.
Published: September 2022

Background

Younger women have higher recurrent hospitalization rates and worse health status than men after their index episode of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, whether women have a higher risk of cardiovascular events in the year after discharge is unknown.

Methods

We used data from the VIRGO (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients) study, which enrolled young AMI patients aged 18 to 55 years across 103 US hospitals. Sex differences in all-cause and cause-specific hospitalizations were compared by calculating incidence rates (IR, per 1,000 person-years) and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We then performed sequential modeling to evaluate the sex difference by calculating sub-distribution hazard ratios (SHR) accounting for deaths.

Results

Among 2,007 women and 972 men, at least one all-cause hospitalization occurred among 905 (30.4%) participants in the year after discharge. The leading causes of hospitalization were MI-related (IR 171.8, 95% CI, 153.6-192.2 among women vs. IR 117.8, 95% CI, 97.3-142.6 among men), followed by non-cardiac (IR 145.8, 95% CI, 129.2-164.5 among women vs. IR 69.6, 95% CI, 54.5-88.9 among men) and other cardiac or stroke hospitalizations (IR 58.8, 95% CI, 48.8-70.7 among women vs. IR 53.8, 95% CI, 40.8-71.0 among men). Competing risk analysis showed that the sex difference was present for MI-related hospitalizations (SHR 1.33, 95%CI 1.04-1.70; P=0.02) and non-cardiac hospitalizations (SHR 1.51, 95%CI 1.13-2.07; P=0.01).

Conclusions

Young women with AMI have more adverse outcomes compared with men in the year after discharge. MI-related hospitalizations were the most common cause of hospitalizations, but non-cardiac hospitalizations showed the most significant sex disparity. Further studies to better understand the underlying mechanisms of non-cardiac hospitalizations are warranted.
Comparative effectiveness of biologics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis stratified by body mass index and sex: a cohort study in SCQM
Authors: Vallejo-Yagüe Enriqueta , Burkard Theresa , Finckh Axel , Burden Andrea M.
Published: September 2022

Background

Obesity is associated with lower treatment response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Among obese patients, abatacept was suggested as a preferable option to tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) inhibitors. Sex and gender differences in RA were described.

Objectives

To assess the comparative effectiveness of etanercept, infliximab, and abatacept, compared to adalimumab, in patients with RA stratified by body mass index (BMI) and sex.

Methods

Observational cohort study in the Swiss Clinical Quality Management in Rheumatic Diseases (SCQM) registry (1997-2019). RA patients were classified in BMI-based cohorts: obese, overweight, and normal weight. Each BMI cohort was studied overall and stratified by sex. The study outcome was remission within 12-months, defined as a disease activity score (DAS28) <2.6. Missingness was addressed using confounder-adjusted response rate with attrition correction (CARRAC). Logistic regression compared the effectiveness of etanercept, infliximab, and abatacept versus adalimumab.

Results

The study included 443 obese, 829 overweight, and 1243 normal weight RA patients. Across the BMI cohorts, there were no significant differences in the odds of remission at ≤12-months for the study drugs compared to adalimumab. However, among females, an inverse effect for infliximab was found, whereby overweight patients had higher odds of remission, while obese patients had lower odds of remission, compared to the respective adalimumab users.

Conclusions

Despite the previous hypothesis, treatment with abatacept showed similar odds of remission compared to adalimumab in all BMI cohorts. Conversely, compared to adalimumab, infliximab performed better in overweight female patients but worse in female patients with obesity. However, further validation is needed.
Characterising complex health needs and the use of preventative therapies in the older population: a population-based cohort analysis of UK primary care and hospital linked data
Authors: Elhussein Leena , Jödicke Annika M. , He Ying , Delmestri Antonella , Robinson Danielle E. , Strauss Victoria Y. , Prieto-Alhambra Daniel
Published: September 2022

Background

Several definitions exist for multimorbidity, frailty or polypharmacy, but no formal definition exists for “complex health needs”. We aimed to identify and characterise older people with complex health needs based on healthcare resource use (unplanned hospitalisations or polypharmacy) or frailty.

Methods

In this cohort study, data was extracted from UK primary care records (CPRD GOLD), with linked Hospital Episode Statistics inpatient data. People aged >65 on 1st January 2010, registered in CPRD for ≥1 year were included. We identified complex health needs as the top quintile of unplanned hospitalisations, number of prescribed medicines, and electronic frailty index. We characterised all three cohorts, and quantified point-prevalence and incidence rates of preventative medicines use.

Results

Overall, 90597, 110225 and 116076 individuals were included in the hospitalisation, frailty, and polypharmacy cohorts respectively. Frailty and polypharmacy cohorts had the highest bi- directional overlap. Most comorbidities such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease were more common in the frailty and polypharmacy cohorts compared to the hospitalisation cohort. Generally, prevalence of preventative medicines use was highest in the polypharmacy cohort compared to the other two cohorts: For instance, one-year point-prevalence of statins was 64.2% in the polypharmacy cohort vs. 60.5% in the frailty cohort.

Conclusions

Three distinct groups of older people with complex health needs were identified. Compared to the hospitalisation cohort, frailty and polypharmacy cohorts had more comorbidities and higher preventative therapies use. Research is needed into the benefit-risk of different definitions of complex health needs and use of preventative therapies in the older population.
Ethnic inequities in the patterns of Personalised Care Adjustments for ‘Informed Dissent’ and ‘Patient Unsuitable’: A retrospective study using Clinical Practice Research Datalink
Authors: Hayanga B. , Stafford M. , Ashworth M. , Hughes J. , Bécares L.
Published: September 2022

Objectives

To examine patterns of PCA reporting for ‘informed dissent’ and ‘patient unsuitable’, how they vary by ethnic group, and whether ethnic inequities can be explained by socio-demographic factors or comorbidities.

Design

A retrospective study using routinely collected electronic health records.

Setting

Individual patient data from Clinical Practice Research Datalink collected from UK general practice.

Participants

Patients with at least one of the 12 Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) conditions which had PCA coding options from a random sample of 690,00 patients aged 18+ years on the 1stof Jan 2016.

Main outcomes measures

The associations between ethnicity and two PCA reasons (‘Informed Dissent’ and ‘Patient Unsuitable’) were examined using logistic regressions after adjustment for age, sex, multiple QOF conditions and area-level deprivation.

Results

The association between ethnicity and the two PCA reasons were in opposite directions. After accounting for age, gender, multiple QOF conditions and area-level deprivation, people of Bangladeshi [OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.55 to 0.87], Black African [OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.61 to 0.81], Black Caribbean, OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.58 to 0.76], Indian [OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.66 to 0.83], mixed [OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.99], other Asian [OR: 0.74 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.86] and other ethnicity [OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.55 to 0.80] were less likely to have a PCA record for ‘informed dissent’ than people of white ethnicity. Only people of Indian ethnicity were significantly less likely than people of white ethnicity to have a PCA record for ‘patient unsuitable’ in fully adjusted models [OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67 to 0.94]. We found ethnic inequities in PCA reporting for ‘patient unsuitable’ among people of Black Caribbean, Black other, Pakistani, and other ethnicity, but these attenuated after adjusting for multiple QOF conditions and/or area level deprivation.

Conclusion

Study findings counter the narratives that suggest that people from minoritised ethnic groups often refuse medical intervention. They illuminate the complex relationship between ‘informed dissent’ and (dis)empowerment which requires further scrutiny. They also show ethnic inequalities in PCA reporting for ‘patient unsuitable’ that are linked to clinical and social complexity and should be tackled to improve health outcomes for all.
Recording of intellectual disability in general hospitals 2006-2019: cohort study using linked datasets
Authors: Sheehan Rory , Mansour Hassan , Broadbent Matthew , Hassiotis Angela , Mueller Christoph , Stewart Robert , Strydom Andre , Sommerlad Andrew
Published: September 2022

Background

Accurate recognition and recording of intellectual disability in those who are admitted to general hospitals is necessary for making reasonable adjustments, ensuring equitable access, and monitoring quality of care. In this study we determined the rate of recording of intellectual disability in those with the condition who were admitted to hospital, and factors associated with the condition being unrecorded.

Methods and Findings

Retrospective cohort study using two linked datasets of routinely collected clinical data. We identified adults with diagnosed intellectual disability in a large secondary mental healthcare database and used general hospital records to investigate recording of intellectual disability when people were admitted to general hospitals between 2006 and 2019. Trends over time and factors associated with intellectual disability being unrecorded were investigated. We obtained data on 2,477 adults with intellectual disability who were admitted to a general hospital in England at least once during the study period (total number of admissions=27,314; median number of admissions=5). People with intellectual disability were accurately recorded as having the condition during 2.9% (95%CI 2.7-3.1%) of their admissions. Broadening the criteria to include a non-specific code of learning difficulty increased recording to 27.7% (95%CI 27.2-28.3%) of all admissions. Having a mild intellectual disability and being married were associated with increased odds of the intellectual disability being unrecorded in hospital records. We had no measure of quality of hospital care received and could not relate this to the presence or absence of a record of intellectual disability in the patient record.

Conclusions

Recognition and recording of intellectual disability in adults admitted to English general hospitals needs to be improved. Staff awareness training, screening at the point of admission, and data sharing between health and social care services could improve care for people with intellectual disability.
Gentle and fast all-atom model refinement to cryo-EM densities via Bayes’ approach
Authors: Blau Christian , Yvonnesdotter Linnea , Lindahl Erik
Published: September 2022

Better detectors and automated data collection have generated a flood of high-resolution cryo-EM maps, which in turn has renewed interest in improving methods for determining structure models corresponding to these maps. However, automatically fitting atoms to densities becomes difficult as their resolution increases and the refinement potential has a vast number of local minima. In practice, the problem becomes even more complex when one also wants to achieve a balance between a good fit of atom positions to the map, while also establishing good stereochemistry or allowing protein secondary structure to change during fitting. Here, we present a solution to this challenge using Bayes’ approach by formulating the problem as identifying the structure most likely to have produced the observed density map. This allows us to derive a new type of smooth refinement potential - based on relative entropy - in combination with a novel adaptive force scaling algorithm to allow balancing of force-field and density-based potentials. In a low-noise scenario, as expected from modern cryo-EM data, the Bayesian refinement potential outperforms alternatives, and the adaptive force scaling appears to also aid existing refinement potentials. The method is available as a component in the GROMACS molecular simulation toolkit.
Economic and social LMX and innovative work behaviour: the moderating effect of paradox mindset
Authors: van Assen Marcel F. , Caniëls Marjolein C.J.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

In this study the authors investigate the relationship of both social (SLMX) and economic (ELMX) leader–member exchange with innovative work behaviour (IWB) and the potential moderating effect of having a paradox mindset. A paradox mindset facilitates the recognition of tensions and the integration of competing demands and goals, which may fuel IWB.

Design/methodology/approach

At two points in time the authors gathered survey data from employees working in the mid and back office of a Dutch bank.

Findings

SLMX associates with innovative behaviour, whilst ELMX does not. However, when paradox mindset is included as a moderator, the authors find negative interaction effects of paradox mindset with both ELMX and SLMX.

Practical implications

The findings indicate that management should be aware of the impact that having a paradox mindset has on the innovative work behaviour of employees. Managers are well advised to assess the extent to which an employee entertains a paradox mindset and adjust the type of leadership appropriate to the situation, and in particular adjust the intensity of their exchange relationship with these employees.

Originality/value

Paradox mindset acts as a substitute for an employee's social relationship with the leader, as paradox mindset captures most of the variation in IWB, thereby drawing influence away from SLMX. This finding complements studies showing that a person's mindset can greatly influence innovative work behaviour.
Social CRM: linking the dots of customer service and customer loyalty during COVID-19 in the hotel industry
Authors: Afaq Anam , Gaur Loveleen , Singh Gurmeet
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Social customer relationship management (SCRM) is an evolving strategy gaining prominence in the hotel industry by cultivating new, improved relationships through engaging customers on social media (SM) platforms. Accordingly, this study aims to assess the effect of SCRM on customer service and customer loyalty (CL) in the hotel industry. This study also explores the moderating effect of COVID-19 (EC) on the relationship between (customer engagement [CE] and improved customer service [ICS]) and (CE and trust [TR]).

Design/methodology/approach

This study develops and tests the SCRM model using structural equation modelling on a sample size of 214 responses. The questionnaire was administered online to the customers of five preselected global hotel chains. The criteria for selecting the participants were that they must have tweeted from their Twitter handle by using # (hashtag) hotel name to resolve any customer service issues.

Findings

Results denote that CE significantly impacts ICS. CE was also found to exert a substantial effect on TR. The moderating EC was also found to be significant, but the effect was weak. Although the customers were extensively impacted by the pandemic and were initially hesitant to visit hotels, SCRM proved to be a powerful tool to gain back customer trust (CT) and develop CL by upsurging the shadows of COVID-19.

Practical implications

This study suggests that viable enforcement of the SCRM system can assist in real-time monitoring and tracking of customers' activities. This can develop a more profound connection with customers through CE which can boost the co-innovation process.

Originality/value

This study denotes a pioneer attempt to investigate the relationships between SCRM, CE, CT, ICS, CL and COVID-19 in the same framework in a SM context.
The influence of inkjet print parameters on warm/cool feeling and air permeability of printed textile substrates
Authors: Stančić Mladen , Grujić Dragana , Kašiković Nemanja , Ružičić Branka , Vujčić Djordje
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The research aims to examine the varying influence of printed inkjet ink on the warm/cool feeling and air permeability of printed textile materials and thus on the thermal properties of printed garments.

Design/methodology/approach

The influence of different number of printing pass and different tone value (TV) coverage was examined. The tested samples were printed with water-based pigment inkjet inks with 10, 50 and 100% TVs with one, three and five printing passes. The tested samples were subjected to thermal characteristics testing by measuring the warm/cool feeling and air permeability before and after printing.

Findings

The research results showed that there is an increase in the value of the warm/cool feeling by increasing the amount of applied ink on the textile material, which occurs by increasing the TVs and the number of printing pass. At the same time values of air permeability decrease by increasing the number of printing pass, as well as by increasing TVs.

Originality/value

Based on the results, mathematical models of the dependence of the warm/cool feeling value of printed textile materials on the air permeability and parameters of digital inkjet printing were created. These models are important in clothing design because they show in advance the values of the warm/cool feeling of the clothes being designed and thus enable the design of clothes for different purposes with optimal esthetic and thermal properties.
Investigating the asymmetric relationship between housing prices and the stock market in Iran: quantile-on-quantile approach
Authors: Balounejad Nouri Roozbeh
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study, the nonlinear relationship between the real estate market and the stock market was investigated in Iran. For this intent, the monthly data from 2012:4 to 2022:5 is used.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the quantile-on-quantile estimation method is used, which is a combination of the nonparametric estimation methods and the quantile regression.

Findings

The research results show that, in the low quantiles, the effect of stock market return on the housing market return is negative or zero. In fact, in this situation, the increasing returns in the stock market will shift part of the financial resources of the economy to the market and create stagnation or even negative returns in the housing market. This situation is seen more strongly in some other quantiles, including the 0.25 and 0.75 quantiles; in contrast, the effect of high quantiles of stock market returns is positive on the housing market.

Originality/value

It seems that the demand in the housing market increase in a situation where the returns of the stock market are growing, and the market is in a bullish condition, and this causes an increase in the price and returns in this market. In addition, the results show that the effect of stock market returns on capital market returns is asymmetric and nonlinear.
Exploring determinants of student satisfaction with synchronous e-learning: evidence during COVID-19
Authors: Gashi Albanë , Zhushi Genc , Krasniqi Besnik
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This paper aims at identifying crucial factors that affect student satisfaction with synchronous e-learning. For this purpose, a research model comprised of perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), computer anxiety (CA), self-efficacy (SE), system accessibility (SA), perceived interaction (PI) and perceived flexibility (PF) was developed.

Design/methodology/approach

For the purpose of this research, an online questionnaire was used. All of the measures are adapted from previously validated instruments and adjusted to fit the research aim. Accordingly, the questionnaire resulted in 49 items, which yielded eight constructs. To test the hypothesized model, structural equation modeling was employed on a valid sample of 263 higher education students.

Findings

According to the results, PU, PI, CA and flexibility were all found to be significant. PU demonstrated the most contribution following by PF and PI.

Research limitations/implications

Even though this study has included some critical factors theorized to influence e-learning settings, it does not incorporate all elements. In terms of sample size, a bigger sample would be more favorable. Lastly, the study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, where free movement and social activities were restricted, which may have influenced students' perception of synchronous e-learning.

Practical implications

This research contributes to a greater understanding of the student experience with synchronous e-learning, and its findings can provide relevant stakeholders, particularly e-learning practitioners, with insights into effectively adopting and improving such settings.

Originality/value

This study uses an integrated model of several constructs to investigate student satisfaction in terms of just synchronous e-learning rather than e-learning in general. Several validated instruments were used and tested in a new context and sample. Additionally, the study provides evidence during COVID-19.
Luck and skill in the performance of global equity funds in Central and Eastern Europe
Authors: Tapver Triinu
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The authors examine the performance of individual global equity funds in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and separate the skill of their fund managers from luck.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use cross-sectional bootstrap simulations to study the monthly net and gross returns of 175 funds over the period September 2005 to December 2019. Simulations are applied to three, four, and five-factor asset pricing models, and to regressions run on fund-specific benchmark indexes. The authors also examine the value added by all funds and by fund size groups.

Findings

Using multifactor models, a majority of the individual funds fail to deliver alpha, both net and gross of fees; whereas, most of the negative alphas appear due to poor skills, not bad luck. Relative to benchmark indexes, about 5% of the sample shows skill only gross of fees, indicating that fund management fees absorb this skill. As a whole, global equity funds in CEE add more economic value than they destroy, gross of fees, which is largely driven by large funds.

Practical implications

Market-tracking passive indexes are the most reliable choice for investors who want to maximise their risk-adjusted returns at the lowest possible cost. However, investors with a high level of risk appetite might prefer small actively managed funds in CEE when market conditions are stable or growing. Investors who are less risk tolerant might prefer large actively managed funds.

Originality/value

This is the first study to shed light on the presence of skill in mutual fund returns in CEE.
Remarkable lives – Kirsty Lilley in conversation with Robert Hurst
Authors: Lilley Kirsty , Hurst Robert
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to share Kirsty Lilley’s story.

Design/methodology/approach

Kirsty wrote a biographic piece detailing her journey, then shared a creative piece of writing about trust before being interviewed by Robert.

Findings

Kirsty shared stories from her life and how her experiences have shaped who she is. In Trust, she gives the reader an intimate insight into her internal and psychological experiences.

Research limitations/implications

Recovery narratives such as this give us an overview of only a single person’s experiences. However, they allow the person with lived experience to explore their story in depth.

Practical implications

Kirsty writes evocatively – her stories will connect with readers.

Social implications

There is so much to learn from stories such as Kirsty’s. For those who have had similar experiences and for those who work in mental health services.

Originality/value

This is the first time that Kirsty has chosen to share her unique story. It is also the first time in Remarkable Lives that a piece of creative writing has been included alongside a biography.
Case study of high strength concrete mix proportioning optimization
Authors: Hadji Tarek , Attia Ahmed
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this work is to discuss high-strength concrete mix proportioning optimization. In this study, the three parameters (W/B ratio), coarse aggregate maximum size (Dmax) and superplasticizer dosage (Sp%) were considered.

Design/methodology/approach

A full factorial design with three factors and two levels was carried out. The statistical analysis and analysis of variance of statistical models were made easier with the aid of JMP7 software. The generated models explain how each parameter affects the mechanical compressive strength at 28 days (Cs28) and slump, and they have an excellent determination coefficient (R2 = 0.99). For each high-strength concrete (HSC) mixture, the slump was measured four times: at 0 min, 20 min, 40 min and 60 min.

Findings

The results show that HSC6 (0.35(W/B), 12.5(Dmax), 1.4(Sp%)) is the best HSC mixture, with a (Cs28) of 71.84 MPa, a slump of 22 cm, and slump loss of 3.5 cm in 60 min.

Originality/value

Quantifying the impact of high-strength concrete mix components from a small number of experiments is made achievable by combining two methods: the Dreux-Gorisse method and the full factorial design approach. It's possible to tune the mix proportioning of the high-strength concrete for the desired slump and compressive mechanical strength thanks to the created statistical models.