bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perioperative Hyperoxia and Delirium after On-pump Cardiac Surgery: A Mediation Analysis
Authors: Wiredu Kwame , Voicu Stefana , Naseem Heba , Muller Ariel L , Boone Myles D , Gerber Scott A. , Shaefi Shahzad
Published: June 2022

Background

Neurologic and neurobehavioural complications are common after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Exposure to the artificial bypass surface, conversion to laminar flow and hypothermia likely contribute to systemic inflammation observed after CPB. To ensure adequate systemic oxygenation, the CPB patient is often exposed to supraphysiologic levels of oxygen. Relative to normoxia, perioperative hyperoxia during CPB has not been shown to impact neurocognition in the long-term. Whether this holds true for the immediate post-operative neurocognitive function is the question of this nested case-control study.

Methods

46 age-and sex-matched subjects, aged ≥65 years, selected for this study were randomized to receive normoxia or hyperoxia during CABG with CPB in the parent trial. Levels of four neuroinflammatory biomarkers (S100B, ENO2, CHI3L1, UCHL1) were measured at baseline and at post-bypass. Baseline neurocognition was established with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool and patients were assessed on each post-operative day for delirium using the confusion assessment method. Mediation analyses was conducted for the conditional effect of perioperative oxygen treatment on the occurrence of delirium, assuming mediation effect from change in biomarker levels.

Results

26 subjects (n= 12) demonstrated delirium. Of the four biomarkers, only S100B levels were differentially abundant post-bypass regardless of treatment (8.18 versus 10.15pg/mL,pvalue < 0.001). We found significant direct effects of treatment on the occurrence of delirium (effect size = -2.477,p= 0.004). There was no statistically significant mediating effect by S100B.

Conclusion

While perioperative hyperoxia may not be associated with neurocognitive dysfunction in the long-term, its immediate effects may contribute significantly to the occurrence of post-operative delirium. Taken together, our findings suggest a dose-response-time relationship between hyperoxia and neurocognitive function.
Distinct roles of dentate gyrus and medial entorhinal cortex inputs for phase precession and temporal correlations in the hippocampal CA3 area
Authors: Ahmadi Siavash , Sasaki Takuya , Sabariego Marta , Leibold Christian , Leutgeb Stefan , Leutgeb Jill K.
Published: June 2022

The hippocampal CA3 subregion is a densely connected recurrent circuit that supports memory consolidation and retrieval by generating and storing sequential neuronal activity patterns that reflect recent experience. While theta phase precession is thought to be critical for generating sequential activity during memory encoding, the circuit mechanisms that support this computation across hippocampal subregions are unknown. By analyzing CA3 network activity in the absence of each of its theta modulated excitatory inputs, we show necessary and unique contributions of the dentate gyrus (DG) and the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) to phase precession. DG inputs are essential for generating the preferential spiking of CA3 cells during late theta phases and for organizing the temporal order of neuronal firing, while MEC inputs modulate the general precision of phase precession. A computational model that accounts for the empirical findings suggests that DG inputs affect the phase and MEC inputs affect the amplitude of inhibitory subnetworks. Our results thus identify a novel and unique functional role of the DG for the generation of sequence coding in the CA3 recurrent circuit.
Circulating plasma IL-13 and periostin are dysregulated type 2 inflammatory biomarkers in prurigo nodularis: a cluster analysis
Authors: Parthasarathy Varsha , Cravero Karen , Deng Junwen , Sun Zhe , Engle Sarah , Auxier Autum , Hahn Nathan , Sims Jonathan T. , Okragly Angela , Alphonse Martin P. , Kwatra Shawn G.
Published: June 2022

Background

Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by severe pruritus and notable disease heterogeneity. There is evidence of systemic inflammation in PN, including dysregulation observed in type 2 inflammation in subsets of patients. We aimed to elucidate which components of type 2 inflammation are dysregulated in PN patients using plasma immunoassay cytokine profiling.

Materials and Methods

Whole blood was obtained from PN patients with uncontrolled disease and control patients without pruritus. Plasma samples were isolated from whole blood and assayed for IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IgE, and periostin. For statistical analysis, ANOVA was utilized to compare PN and control patients. For multiple hypothesis, adjusted p-value was calculated with a Benjamini-Hochberg procedure with the significance threshold at 0.05. Clustering was performed using K-means clustering in R version 4.0.3.

Results

Single-plex assays of the Th2 biomarkers demonstrated significantly elevated circulating plasma IL-13 (0.13 vs. 0.006 pg/mL, p=0.0008) and periostin (80.3 vs. 60.2 ng/mL, p=0.012) in PN patients compared to controls. IL-4 (0.11 vs. 0.02 pg/mL, p=0.30) and IL-5 (0.75 vs. 0.40 pg/mL, p=0.10) were not significantly elevated, while IgE approached significance in PN (1202.0 vs. 432.7 ng/mL, p=0.08). Clustering of PN and control patients together revealed mean silhouette maximization at two clusters. Cluster 1 (n=36) consisted of 18 PN patients and 18 controls. Cluster 2 (n=11) consisted entirely of PN patients (p<0.01) (Figure 1b). When comparing the two clusters, cluster 2 had higher levels of IL-13 (0.33 vs. 0.008 pg/mL, p=0.0001) and IL-5 (1.22 vs. 0.43 pg/mL, p=0.03) compared to cluster 1. There were no significant differences in any of the biomarkers between PN patients from cluster 1 and the healthy control patients in this cluster.

Figure 1.

Single-plex plasma immunoassays of prurigo nodularis vs. controls (a) Plasma single-plex immunoassays (b) Heatmap of Z-scored biomarker levels for each patient, delineated by cluster. PN, prurigo nodularis; HC, healthy control

Conclusions

This study demonstrates elevation of IL-13 and periostin in PN patients with distinct clusters with varying degrees of type 2 inflammation. Given this heterogeneity, further biomarker studies with single-cell resolution will provide better guidance towards future precision medicine approaches in the treatment of PN.
Predicting clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 drug treatments with a high throughput human airway on chip platform
Authors: Fisher Christine R. , Medie Felix Mba , Luu Rebeccah J. , Quezada Landys Lopez , Gaibler Robert B. , Mulhern Thomas J. , Rubio Logan D. , Marr Elizabeth E. , Gabriel Elizabeth P. , Borenstein Jeffrey T. , Gard Ashley L.
Published: June 2022

Despite the relatively common observation of therapeutic efficacy in discovery screens with immortalized cell lines, the vast majority of drug candidates do not reach clinical development. Candidates that do move forward often fail to demonstrate efficacy when progressed from animal models to humans. This dilemma highlights the need for new drug screening technologies that can parse drug candidates early in development with regard to predicted relevance for clinical use. PREDICT96-ALI is a high-throughput organ-on-chip platform incorporating human primary airway epithelial cells in a dynamic tissue microenvironment. Here we demonstrate the utility of PREDICT96-ALI as an antiviral screening tool for SARS-CoV-2, combining the high-throughput functionality of a 96-well plate format in a high containment laboratory with the relevant biology of primary human tissue. PREDICT96-ALI resolved differential efficacy in five antiviral compounds over a range of drug doses. Complementary viral genome quantification and immunofluorescence microscopy readouts achieved high repeatability between devices and replicate plates. Importantly, results from testing the three antiviral drugs currently available to patients (nirmatrelvir, molnupiravir, and remdesivir) tracked with clinical outcomes, demonstrating the value of this technology as a prognostic drug discovery tool.
BioImage Model Zoo: A Community-Driven Resource for Accessible Deep Learning in BioImage Analysis
Authors: Ouyang Wei , Beuttenmueller Fynn , Gómez-de-Mariscal Estibaliz , Pape Constantin , Burke Tom , Garcia-López-de-Haro Carlos , Russell Craig , Moya-Sans Lucía , de-la-Torre-Gutiérrez Cristina , Schmidt Deborah , Kutra Dominik , Novikov Maksim , Weigert Martin , Schmidt Uwe , Bankhead Peter , Jacquemet Guillaume , Sage Daniel , Henriques Ricardo , Muñoz-Barrutia Arrate , Lundberg Emma , Jug Florian , Kreshuk Anna
Published: June 2022

Deep learning-based approaches are revolutionizing imaging-driven scientific research. However, the accessibility and reproducibility of deep learning-based workflows for imaging scientists remain far from sufficient. Several tools have recently risen to the challenge of democratizing deep learning by providing user-friendly interfaces to analyze new data with pre-trained or fine-tuned models. Still, few of the existing pre-trained models are interoperable between these tools, critically restricting a model’s overall utility and the possibility of validating and reproducing scientific analyses. Here, we present the BioImage Model Zoo (https://bioimage.io): a community-driven, fully open resource where standardized pre-trained models can be shared, explored, tested, and downloaded for further adaptation or direct deployment in multiple end user-facing tools (e.g., ilastik, deepImageJ, QuPath, StarDist, ImJoy, ZeroCostDL4Mic, CSBDeep). To enable everyone to contribute and consume the Zoo resources, we provide a model standard to enable cross-compatibility, a rich list of example models and practical use-cases, developer tools, documentation, and the accompanying infrastructure for model upload, download and testing. Our contribution aims to lay the groundwork to make deep learning methods for microscopy imaging findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) across software tools and platforms.
MicroFPGA: an affordable FPGA platform for microscope control
Authors: Deschamps Joran , Kieser Christian , Hoess Philipp , Deguchi Takahiro , Ries Jonas
Published: June 2022

Modern microscopy relies increasingly on microscope automation to improve throughput, ensure reproducibility or observe rare events. Automation requires in particular computer control of the important elements of the microscope. Furthermore, optical elements that are usually fixed or manually movable can be placed on electronically-controllable elements. In most cases, a central electronics board is necessary to generate the control signals they require and to communicate with the computer. Fur such tasks, Arduino microcontrollers are widely used due to their low cost and programming entry barrier. However, they are limiting in their performance for applications that require high-speed or multiple parallel processes. Field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) are the perfect technology for high-speed microscope control, as they are capable of processing signals in parallel and with high temporal precision. While plummeting price made the technology available to consumers, a major hurdle remains the complex languages used to configure them. In this work, we used an affordable FPGA, delivered with an open-source and friendly-to-use programming language, to create a versatile microscope control platform called MicroFPGA. It is capable of synchronously triggering cameras and multiple lasers following complex patterns, as well as generating various signals used to control microscope elements such as filter wheels, servomotor stages, flip-mirrors, laser power or acoustooptic modulators. MicroFPGA is open-source and we provide online Micro-Manager, Java, Python and LabVIEW libraries, together with blueprints and tutorials.
Immunomodulatory effect of mycobacterial outer membrane vesicles coated nanoparticles
Authors: George Edna , Goswami Avijit , Lodhiya Tejan , Padwal Priyanka , Iyer Shalini , Gauttam Iti , Sethi Lakshay , Jeyasankar Sharumathi , Sharma Pallavi Raj , Dravid Ameya Atul , Mukherjee Raju , Agarwal Rachit
Published: June 2022

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most widely prevalent infectious diseases that cause significant mortality. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the current TB vaccine used in clinics, shows variable efficacy and has safety concerns for immunocompromised patients. There is a need to develop new and more effective TB vaccines. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are vesicles released by Mycobacteria that contain several lipids and membrane proteins and act as a good source of antigens to prime immune response. However, the use of OMVs as vaccines has been hampered by their heterogeneous size and low stability. Here we report that mycobacterial OMVs can be stabilized by coating over uniform-sized 50 nm gold nanoparticles. The OMV-coated gold nanoparticles (OMV-AuNP) show enhanced uptake and activation of macrophages and dendritic cells. Proteinase K and TLR inhibitor studies demonstrated that the enhanced activation was attributed to proteins present on OMVs and was mediated primarily by TLR2 and TLR4. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed several potential membrane proteins that were common in both free OMVs and OMV-AuNP. Such strategies may open up new avenues and the utilization of novel antigens for developing TB vaccines.
Method Comparison for Japanese Encephalitis Virus Detection in Samples Collected from the Indo-Pacific Region
Authors: Crispell Gary , Williams Kelly , Zielinksi Eric , Iwami Akira , Homas Zachary , Thomas Karen
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne viral pathogen, which is becoming a growing public health concern throughout the Indo-Pacific. Five genotypes of JEV have been identified. Current vaccines are based on genotype III and provide a high degree of protection for 4 of the 5 known genotypes.

Methods

RT-PCR, Magpix, Twist Biosciences Comprehensive Viral Research Panel (CVRP), and SISPA methods were used to detect JEV from mosquito samples collected in South Korea during 2021. These methods were compared to determine which method would be most effective for biosurveillance in the Indo-Pacific region.

Results

Our data showed that RT-PCR, Twist CVRP, and SISPA methods were all able to detect JEV genotype I, however, the proprietary Magpix panel was only able to detect JEV genotype III. Use of minION sequencing for pathogen detection in arthropod samples will require further method development.

Conclusion

Biosurveillance of vectorborne pathogens remains an area of concern throughout the Indo-Pacific. RT-PCR was the most cost effective method used in the study, but TWIST CVRP allows for the identification of over 3,100 viral genomes. Further research and comparisons will be conducted to ensure optimal methods are used for large scale biosurveillance.
The effect of potential factors on all-cause and cause-specific and mortality: a pre-COVID-19 period review
Authors: Xu Jia , Lin Yunkai , Tong Jianyu , Zhou Ying
Published: June 2022

Background

About 3 million people die every year in USA. In order to provide a general direction and background for subsequent research and development in this field, we reviewed the studies about impact of potential factors associated with the main causes of mortality and all-cause mortality.

Method

Researches are selected by PubMed website for last 15 years with published language of English. The leading cause of death were published by CDC in 2020 (excluded COVID-19) including the ten natural mortalities and unnatural mortality. We summarized the potential factors associated with the mortality and sorted them by “positive/negative effect” and “long-term/short-term effect”.

Result

Among risk factors, the factors of depression, unhealthy diet, overweight and obesity and other similar factors increase the mortality of main leading natural causes. Among protective factors, the factors of physical activity, nut intake, chocolate consumption were associated with the reduced mortality of multiple diseases. We also found that some factors possess bidirectional influence on different diseases or even one disease. The gender of female negatively affects mortality of diabetes, but positively affects cardiovascular diseases. The majority of air pollutants are risk factors for respiratory diseases while ozone possibly reduce the mortality.

Conclusion

Our review summarized various factors which have positive/negative and long-term/short-term effects on the main mortality of cause-specific and all-caused mortality. Further study is required to investigate the contribution of different variable on mortality.
Looking for the mechanism of arsenate respiration in an arsenate-dependent growing culture ofFusibactersp. strain 3D3, independent of ArrAB
Authors: Mauricio Acosta Grinok , Vázquez Susana , Nicolás Guiliani , Marín Sabrina , Cecilia Demergasso
Published: June 2022

The literature has reported the isolation of arsenate-dependent growing (ADG) microorganisms which lack a canonical homolog for respiratory arsenate reductase, ArrAB. We recently isolated an ADG bacterium from arsenic-bearing environments in Northern Chile,Fusibactersp. strain 3D3 (Fas) and studied the arsenic metabolism in this Gram-positive isolate. Features ofFasdeduced from genome analysis and comparative analysis with other arsenic-reducing microorganisms revealed the lack of ArrAB coding genes and the occurrence of twoarsCgenes encoding for putative cytoplasmic arsenate reductases named ArsC-1 and ArsC-2. Interestingly, ArsC-1 and ArsC-2 belong to the thioredoxin-coupled family (because of the redox-active disulfide protein used as reductant), but they conferred differential AsV resistance to theE. coliWC3110 ΔarsCstrain. PCR experiments confirmed the absence ofarrABgenes and results obtained using uncouplers revealed thatFasgrowth is linked to the proton gradient. In addition,Fasharbors ferredoxin-NAD+oxidoreductase (Rnf) coding genes. These are key molecular markers of a recently discovered flavin-based electron bifurcation mechanism involved in energy conservation, mainly in anaerobic metabolisms regulated by the cellular redox state and mostly associated with cytoplasmic enzyme complexes. At least three electron-bifurcating flavoenzyme complexes were evidenced inFas, some of them shared in conserved genomic regions by other members of theFusibactergenus. These physiological and genomic findings permit us to hypothesize the existence of an uncharacterized arsenate-dependent growth metabolism regulated by the cellular redox state inFusibactergenus.
Set1 regulates telomere function via H3K4 methylation-dependent and independent pathways and calibrates the abundance of telomere maintenance factors
Authors: Jezek Meagan , Sun Winny , Negesse Maraki Y. , Smith Zachary M. , Orosz Alexander , Green Erin M.
Published: June 2022

Set1 is an H3K4 methyltransferase which comprises the catalytic subunit of the COMPASS complex and has been implicated in transcription, DNA repair, cell cycle control, and numerous other genomic functions. Set1 also promotes proper telomere maintenance, as cells lacking Set1 have short telomeres and disrupted subtelomeric gene repression; however, the precise role for Set1 in these processes has not been fully defined. In this study, we have tested mutants of Set1 and the COMPASS complex which differentially alter H3K4 methylation status and attempt to separate catalytic and non-catalytic functions of Set1. Our data reveal that Set1-dependent subtelomeric gene repression relies on its catalytic activity towards H3K4, whereas telomere length is regulated by Set1 catalytic activity but likely independent of the H3K4 substrate. Furthermore, we uncover a role for Set1 in calibrating the abundance of critical telomere maintenance proteins, including components of the telomerase holoenzyme and members of the telomere capping CST (Cdc13-Stn1-Ten1) complex, through both transcriptional and post-transcriptional pathways. Altogether, our data provide new insights into the H3K4 methylation-dependent and independent roles for Set1 in telomere maintenance in yeast and shed light on possible roles for Set1-related methyltransferases in other systems.
Cryo-EM structure and B-factor refinement with ensemble representation
Authors: Cragnolini Tristan , Beton Joseph , Topf Maya
Published: June 2022

Cryo-EM experiments produce images of macromolecular assemblies that are combined to produce three-dimensional density maps. It is common to fit atomic models of the contained molecules to interpret those maps, followed by a density-guided refinement. Here, we propose TEMPy-REFF, a novel method for atomic structure refinement in cryo-EM density maps. By representing the atomic positions as components of a mixture model, their variances as B-factors, and a model ensemble description, we significantly improve the fit to the map compared to what is currently achievable with state-of-the-art methods. We validate our method on a large benchmark of 366 cryo-EM maps from EMDB at 1.8-7.1Å resolution and their corresponding PDB assembly models. We also show that our approach can provide newly-modelled regions in EMDB deposited maps by combining it with AlphaFold-Multimer. Finally, our method provides a natural interpretation of maps into components, allowing us to accurately create composite maps.
A Modular Chemoenzymatic Approach to C14-Functionalized Steroids
Authors: Song Fuzhen , Zheng Mengmeng , Wang Junlin , Liu Huanhuan , Lin Zhi , Liu Benben , Deng Zixin , Zhou Qianghui , Qu Xudong
Published: June 2022

C14-functionalized steroids belong to a unique class of steroids with important biological activities. However, the lack of efficient methods to access C14-functionalized steroids impede related steroidal drug discovery. Herein we report a modular chemoenzymatic approach to access diversified C14-functionalized steroids. We first identified a novel C14α-hydroxylase (CYP14A) from Cochliobolus lunatus with high catalytic efficiency and substrate promiscuity. Protein engineering of CYP14A generated three variants I111A, M115K and V124A that greatly improved the C14-hydroxy regioselectivity. Based on this efficient biocatalytic method, a range of C14α-OH steroids with C17 side chain were prepared in good yields, which was then transformed into Δ14 olefins through a facile elimination. The newly formed Δ14 olefin served as a versatile handle to install diversified functional groups (e.g. epoxide, β-OH, F, Cl and N3) at C14 position through hydrofunctionalization. Furthermore, the synthetic utility of this powerful chemoenzymatic methodology was demonstrated by performing a 7-step semisynthesis of periplogenin and the diversity-oriented synthesis of cardenolide (+)-digitoxigenin and its three diastereomers in a concise manner.
Enhanced mitochondrial G-quadruplex formation impedes replication fork progression leading to mtDNA loss in human cells
Authors: Doimo Mara , Abrahamsson Sanna , L’Hôte Valentin , Ndi Mama , Das Rabindra Nath , Aasumets Koit , Berner Andreas , Goffart Steffi , Pohjoismäki Jaakko L.O. , López Marcela Dávila , Chorell Erik , Wanrooij Sjoerd
Published: June 2022

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication stalling is considered an initial step in the formation of mtDNA deletions that associate with genetic inherited disorders and aging. However, the molecular details of how stalled replication forks lead to mtDNA deletions accumulation are still unclear. Mitochondrial DNA deletion breakpoints preferentially occur at sequence motifs predicted to form G-quadruplexes (G4s), four-stranded nucleic acid structures that can fold in guanine-rich regions. Whether mtDNA G4s form in vivo and their potential implication for mtDNA instability is still under debate.

In here, we developed new tools to map G4s in the mtDNA of living cells. We engineered a G4-binding protein targeted to the mitochondrial matrix of a human cell line and established the mtG4-ChIP method, enabling the determination of mtDNA G4s under different cellular conditions. Our results are indicative of transient mtDNA G4 formation in human cells. We demonstrated that mtDNA-specific replication stalling increases formation of G4s, particularly in the major arc. Moreover, elevated levels of G4 block the progression of the mtDNA replication fork and cause mtDNA loss. We conclude that stalling of the mtDNA replisome enhances mtDNA G4 occurrence, and that G4s not resolved in a timely manner can have a negative impact on mtDNA integrity.
Systematic analysis of the molecular and biophysical properties of key DNA damage response factors
Authors: Heyza Joshua R. , Mikhova Maria , Bahl Aastha , Broadbent David , Schmidt Jens C.
Published: June 2022

Repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) is integral to preserving genomic integrity. Therefore, defining the mechanisms underlying DSB repair will enhance our understanding of how defects in these pathways contribute to human disease and could lead to the discovery of new approaches for therapeutic intervention. Here, we established a panel of HaloTagged DNA damage response factors in U2OS cells which enables concentration-dependent protein labeling. Genomic insertion of the HaloTag at the endogenous loci of the repair factors preserves expression levels and proteins retain proper subcellular localization, foci-forming ability, and functionally support DSB repair. We systematically analyzed total cellular protein abundance, measured recruitment kinetics to DSBs, and defined the diffusion dynamics and chromatin binding by live-cell single-molecule imaging. Our work demonstrates that the Shieldin complex, a critical factor in end joining, does not exist in a preassembled state and Shieldin components are recruited to DSBs with different kinetics. Additionally, live-cell single-molecule imaging revealed the constitutive interaction between MDC1 and chromatin mediated by the PST repeat domain of MDC1. Altogether, our studies demonstrate the utility of single-molecule imaging to provide mechanistic insights into DNA repair, which will serve as a powerful resource for characterizing the biophysical properties of DNA repair factors in living cells.
Endothelial cells give a boost to senescence surveillance
Authors: Sampaio Gonçalves Daniel , Keyes William M.
Published: June 2022

Senescence is a specialized form of cell cycle arrest induced in response to damage and stress. In certain settings, senescent cells can promote their own removal by recruitment of the immune system, a process that is thought to decline in efficiency with age. In this issue of Genes & Development, Yin et al. (pp. 533–549) discover a surprising cross-talk where senescent cells instruct endothelial cells to help organize the clearance of the senescent population. This uncovers yet another layer of complexity in senescent cell biology, with implications for cancer treatment and aging.
Wellness programs in times of COVID-19, perceived organizational support and affective commitment: effects on employee innovative behavior
Authors: Muñoz Rosa M. , Andrade Silvia M. , Peña Isidro , Donate Mario J.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Innovation is one of the most important foundations on which to create and sustain competitive advantages in companies, but at the individual level, employee innovative behavior has recently been jeopardized by the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. changes in workplaces, employee interaction, motivation). This study analyzes wellness programs and actions through which organizations have tried to adapt to the new situation caused by COVID-19 and their effect on employee innovation behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling by means of the partial least squares technique was used to test the study's hypotheses after collecting survey data from Spanish companies, providing evidence that wellness programs and measures to deal with COVID-19 through perceived organizational support and affective commitment encourage employee innovation behavior.

Findings

The results suggest that efforts developed by firms focused on employee well-being to overcome difficulties caused by the pandemic strengthen innovative behaviors by means of intrinsic motivation based essentially on personal commitment. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed by the paper's authors.

Originality/value

This paper corroborates and extends previous research regarding wellness programs, perceived organization support and affective commitment. It provides a comprehensive model of relationships that predicts employee innovative behavior. It analyzes the influence of enterprise wellness programs based on protective COVID-19 measures.
Examining predictors of digital library use: an application of the information system success model
Authors: Iqbal Memoona , Rafiq Muhammad , Soroya Saira Hanif
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Digital libraries are not only an assortment of information assets yet have turned into a digital community for correspondence, searching and electronic learning. Also, economically the investment in terms of money, time, energy and manpower associated with the development of effective digital library (DL) systems demands high utilization of these resources. This study aims to explore the factors that affect the utilization of digital libraries and may lead to users’ satisfaction and finally high exposure to information systems like digital libraries. However, these factors may work differently in different cultures. Considering this fact, DeLone and McLean’s IS success model (ISSM) is tested and expanded in a local academic context.

Design/methodology/approach

Following the quantitative research design, a total of 355 responses were collected through a questionnaire-based survey. Research scholars of the University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan were the reviewed population of this study. A two-stage stratified random sampling method was used to choose the sample. Structural equation modelling is used to find out the nature and extent of the relationship among studied variables.

Findings

The findings confirm that service quality is the strong predictor of DL system use, whereas overall users’ satisfaction mediates the relationship between the predictors (content and service quality) and the outcome variable (use).

Originality/value

This work done is the first main endeavour to use the “Information System Success” theories to intervene and mediate the effect of content, IQ, system quality and service quality on the use of DL in the local context.
Team autonomy, information exchange and team innovation performance: the moderating role of team conflict
Authors: Li Bao , Chen Wanming , He Changqing , Zhang Yuwen
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Team autonomy is thought to be important for team innovation performance. However, the theoretical basis of the relationship between team autonomy and team innovation performance is not well understood, and previous studies have found inconsistent relations between them. Based on motivated information processing in groups (MIP-G) theory, this paper aims to explain how and when team autonomy could influence team innovation performance from a new team-level perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a two-wave, time-lagged survey design, the authors collected data from 340 members of 86 teams in China. PROCESS 3.0 for SPSS was used to test hypothesized relationships.

Findings

The results show that team autonomy is positively related to team information exchange. Team information exchange mediates the positive relationship between team autonomy and team innovation performance. Furthermore, the positive relationship between team autonomy and team information exchange is stronger with less task conflict, which runs contrary to the hypothesis. Additionally, relationship conflict does not adjust the impact of team autonomy on team information exchange.

Originality/value

This study provides a new perspective to explain the mechanism between team autonomy and team innovation performance at team level from the information processing approach, specifically, MIP-G theory. It also incorporates team conflicts as important contextual factors to answer the call for a wider study of boundary conditions in the team autonomy research.
A novel federated learning based lightweight sustainable IoT approach to identify abnormal traffic
Authors: Alharbi Yasser
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This strategy significantly reduces the computational overhead and storage overhead required when using the kernel density estimation method to calculate the abnormal evaluation value of the test sample.

Design/methodology/approach

To effectively deal with the security threats of botnets to the home and personal Internet of Things (IoT), especially for the objective problem of insufficient resources for anomaly detection in the home environment, a novel kernel density estimation-based federated learning-based lightweight Internet of Things anomaly traffic detection based on nuclear density estimation (KDE-LIATD) method. First, the KDE-LIATD method uses Gaussian kernel density estimation method to estimate every normal sample in the training set. The eigenvalue probability density function of the dimensional feature and the corresponding probability density; then, a feature selection algorithm based on kernel density estimation, obtained features that make outstanding contributions to anomaly detection, thereby reducing the feature dimension while improving the accuracy of anomaly detection; finally, the anomaly evaluation value of the test sample is calculated by the cubic spine interpolation method and anomaly detection is performed.

Findings

The simulation experiment results show that the proposed KDE-LIATD method is relatively strong in the detection of abnormal traffic for heterogeneous IoT devices.

Originality/value

With its robustness and compatibility, it can effectively detect abnormal traffic of household and personal IoT botnets.
Management control systems effect on the micro-level processes of product innovation
Authors: Biswas Sharlene Sheetal Narayan , Akroyd Chris , Sawabe Norio
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Using institutional theory, this study aims to understand how the management control systems (MCSs) designed by top managers influence the micro-level process practices of organization members during product innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports on a case study carried out at NZMed to examine the design and use of MCSs and their product innovation practices. Simons’ levers of control was used to understand the ways in which MCSs were designed and used in a product innovation setting.

Findings

The findings indicate that the everyday micro-level processes of organization members encoded MCS when their espoused values aligned with those of top managers. However, when the perspectives within the organization differed, variations to the micro-level processes of organization members emerged. The authors show how this resulted in an increase in innovation capabilities necessary to meet organizational goals.

Practical implications

The misalignment between espoused values and enacted values had a positive effect as it helped the organization maintain their innovation culture, and build long-term trusting relationships with suppliers which enabled the achievement of organizational goals.

Originality/value

By focusing on the relationship between MCS and the micro-level processes of organization members in product innovation, the paper shows how the lack of alignment between the espoused values of top management and the enacted values of project managers explained the variations between the MCS used by top managers and the practices of project teams at our case study company.
Root factors limiting BIM implementation in developing countries: sampling the Turkish AEC industry
Authors: Tan Seda , Gumusburun Ayalp Gulden
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Despite several advantages of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology, BIM has not been adopted and implemented extensively in developing countries. Consequently BIM remains at a beginner level in developing countries. To increase the level of BIM implementation, first, knowing the root factors that resist BIM implementation is necessary to know. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the factors that limit BIM implementation in developing countries, specifically in the Turkish Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was designed with 46 influencing causes (ICs) identified through a systematic literature review. In total, 141 survey results were returned from architects and engineers, and reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted. Furthermore, a structural equation model (SEM) was developed to identify the root factors of BIM implementation.

Findings

Eight root factors affecting the prevalent use of BIM technology in the Turkish construction industry were determined and grouped into three categories based on BIM implementation level. Problems with the BIM transition process and a lack of management support are the most influential root factors limiting BIM implementation. Lack of incentives, lack of BIM education, bias regarding BIM technology and BIM-based software problems form the second group of root factors that have a significant effect. Awareness and lack of communication amongst stakeholders were identified as root factors that had a moderate effect.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the knowledge body by revealing eight root factors limiting BIM implementation in the Turkish AEC industry which can be generalised to most developing countries. Therefore, the outcomes of this study may be used as a practical reference for future research aimed at improving BIM adoption in developing countries through governmental, educational, and managerial solutions.

Originality/value

Several studies have identified the challenges and barriers of BIM implementation in the construction industry using qualitative and quantitative analyses and projected the current state. Unlike previous studies, this study comprehensively and quantitatively determined the root factors that constrain the use of BIM in Turkey using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modelling to present a structural model.
Measuring the impact of heavy rail transport infrastructure on house prices in Melbourne, Australia: a case study of Mernda rail extension project
Authors: Zhang Maojia , Shukla Jyoti
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The research examines the impact of heavy rail transport infrastructure on residential property prices in Melbourne at different stages of project development using the Mernda Rail Extension Project as a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

A difference-in-difference approach is used to quantitatively measure the magnitude of change in the house price at different stages of rail transport infrastructure project development.

Findings

When controlling for a range of structural, neighbourhood, and locational attributes, the authors find that properties within 800 m from the proposed train station are 8.7% higher in value than those outside 800 m (but within 1,600 m). However, during the project's construction, the project's benefits in the form of house price appreciation are not fully realised. “Unrealised benefit” is attributed to the negative externalities of construction works and apprehensions associated with the project's shelving and time delays.

Research limitations/implications

Depending on the availability of data on residential property transactions in the future, a spatial analysis of rail infrastructure's radius of catchment effect is needed.

Practical implications

Findings from this research are beneficial for policymakers concerned with transport and land use planning, property valuation for taxation and mortgage purposes.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the knowledge of the impact of the rail project on house prices in Melbourne. While there are earlier studies on the topic, there is limited understanding of this prime Australian city attractive to domestic and foreign investors.
Qualtrics and the Utah Jazz – a paradoxical relationship
Authors: King Skyler , Allred Anthony , Amos Clinton
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a medium for in-class discussions on trade-offs in investments in different marketing activities.

Research methodology

This case used both secondary and primary sources. An examination of the marketing academic literature on corporate social responsibility and news articles were the main sources of secondary sources. An in-depth interview with Mike Maughan, initiator of the 5 For The Fight campaign and Qualtrics’ Head of Brand Growth and Global Insights provided additional information and support for the case. The interview offered strategic insights from the initiator of 5 For The Fight that were unavailable through secondary sources alone. The interview also detailed insights into the strategic thinking of Qualtrics CEO, Ryan Smith and Jazz President, Steve Starks.

Case overview/synopsis

This case examines Qualtrics, a company that took an unprecedented approach to social responsibility. Qualtrics paid millions of dollars and provided significant promotional and administrative support for cancer research without directly identifying itself as the sponsor on the Utah Jazz National Basketball Association jersey patch.

Complexity academic level

This case is suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses in marketing, management and strategy. This case would also be of interest in a sports marketing course, as it includes an initiative by the National Basketball Association. Moreover, this case will be valuable for courses that include advanced discussions on corporate social responsibility. The case can also provide invaluable insights into innovative strategic planning for marketing and management practitioners. A portion of this case has been tested in a few undergraduate marketing courses.
Soil denitrification rates are more sensitive to hydrological changes than restoration approaches in a unique riparian zone
Authors: Yao Lu , Gong Yu , Ye Chen , Shi Wenjun , Zhang Kerong , Du Ming , Zhang Quanfa
Published: June 2022

Riparian zones, an aquatic‐terrestrial interface, can intercept more than half of nitrogen (N) exported from terrestrial ecosystems to adjacent rivers, primarily by denitrification processes. However, damming has disrupted natural patterns and processes of flooding and vegetation community assemblages, and yet little is known about how hydrological changes and ecosystem restoration affect the biogeochemical functioning in the riparian ecosystems.

We conducted an in situ experiment to evaluate the effects of hydrological change (e.g. altering flooding intensity and frequency) and restoration approaches (e.g. natural regeneration and active revegetation) on denitrification rates and the abundance of denitrifier genes in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China.

Our results showed that active revegetation did not significantly increase denitrification rates compared to the natural regeneration, but their underlying mechanism was different. At the natural regeneration area, the denitrification rate was primarily regulated by soil properties and abundance ofnosZgene, while at the active revegetation area, it was controlled merely by the abundance ofnosZgene. In addition, vegetation types showed little effect on the soil denitrification process, and the denitrification rate decreased with flooding intensity by reducing denitrifier gene abundance.

The periodic flooding treatment doubled the denitrification rate compared with the no flooding treatment, which might be attributed to the enhancement of soil carbon availability. Our results suggest that in terms of N removal via denitrification processes, natural regeneration is a priority approach to restoring degraded riparian ecosystems.

Read the freePlain Language Summaryfor this article on the Journal blog.
Detection of nitrofurans residues in honey using surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Yan Shuai , Li Yongyu , Peng Yankun , Ma Shaojin , Han Donghai
Published: June 2022

Residues of veterinary antibiotics in honey may be damaging to human health. Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy (SERS) is an emerging technology widely applied in food safety. SERS has advantages of enabling fingerprint identification and fast detection, as well as does not require complex pretreatment. Considering the overuse of nitrofurans in honeybee breeding, SERS combined with spectral preprocessing was used to detect nitrofurantoin in honey. By using standardized experimental procedures and improved spectral correction methods, the lowest detection limit of nitrofurantoin was 0.1321 mg/kg. A good linear relationship in the partial least squares regression model was found among spiked samples, which allowed prediction of nitrofurantoin content in honey sample (=  0.9744; =  0.976; RMSECV = 1.0353 mg/kg; RMSEP  =  0.9987 mg/kg). Collectively, these results reliably demonstrated that quantification is more accurate when spectral preprocessing is better controlled. Therefore, this study indicates that SERS could be further implemented in fast and onsite detection of nitrofurantoin in honey for improved food safety.

Practical Application

This article presents a novel SERS‐based method for the rapid detection of nitrofurantoin residues in honey. The original spectra were corrected by multiple linear regression based on the fitting baseline. This study aims to develop a rapid onsite detection method for toxic hazardous substance residues in food.
The MMDx®diagnostic system: A critical re‐appraisal of its knowledge gaps and a call for rigorous validation studies
Authors: Randhawa Parmjeet
Published: June 2022

Transcriptomics generates pathogenetic insights not obtainable by histology, but translation of these insights into diagnostic tests is not a trivial task. This opinion‐piece critically appraises declarative MMDx statements, such as the infallibility of machine learning algorithms, measurements of gene expression with >99% precision, and “unambiguous reclassifications” of contentious biopsies such as those with borderline change, polyomavirus nephropathy, chronic active T‐cell or mixed rejection, isolated intimal arteritis, and renal medullary pathology.

It is shown that molecular diagnoses that do not agree with histology cannot be attributed primarily to pathology reading errors. Neither can all molecular calls derived from arbitrary binary thresholds be automatically accepted as the ground truth. Important other sources of discrepancies between clinico‐pathologic and molecular calls include: (a) organ being studied, (b) disease definition, (c) clinical histologic, and gene expression heterogeneity within the same diagnostic label, (d) size and composition of comparator groups, (e) molecular noise, (f) variability in output of different machine learning algorithms, and (g) the nonavailability of a molecular classifier for chronic active TCMR. Carefully designed clinical trials are needed to determine which of the proposed indications of MMDx provide incremental value over existing standard of care protocols.