bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An intestinal sphingolipid promotes neuronal health across generations
Authors: Wang Wenyue , Sherry Tessa , Cheng Xinran , Fan Qi , Cornell Rebecca , Liu Jie , Xiao Zhicheng , Pocock Roger
Published: July 2022

Maternal diet and environment can influence the neuronal health of offspring. Here, we report that diet-induced intestinal sphingolipid biosynthesis reduces adult-onset neurodegeneration intergenerationally inCaenorhabditis elegans. FeedingC. eleganswith ursolic acid (UA), a natural plant product, provides neuroprotection by enhancing maternal provisioning of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) - a bioactive sphingolipid. S1P promotes neuronal health across generations by upregulating transcription of the acid ceramidase-1 (asah-1) gene in the intestine. Intergenerational intestine-to-oocyte S1P transfer is essential for promoting neuronal health and is dependent on the lipoprotein yolk receptor RME-2 (Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis-2). Spatially regulating sphingolipid biosynthesis is critical, as inappropriateasah-1neuronal expression causes developmental axon outgrowth defects. Our results reveal that sphingolipid homeostasis impacts the development and intergenerational health of the nervous system.

One-Sentence Summary

An intestinal lipid prevents neurodegeneration across generations.
Are known bacterial strains really present?
Authors: Ventolero Minerva , Wang Saidi , Hu Haiyan , Li Xiaoman
Published: July 2022

Known strains are widely used to study bacterial genomes in shotgun metagenomic samples and to understand drug resistance to bacterial infection. However, bacterial genomes constantly evolve, with mutations accumulated in the genomes over time. It is thus unclear whether the previously identified known bacterial strains are still helpful or even valid for understanding a current shotgun metagenomic sample. To address this question, here we revisited the known strains of the bacterial speciesS. aureusandS. epidermisidentified in 68 atopic dermatitis shotgun metagenomic samples. We find that even the same tools cannot predict the previously reported known strains on the same samples, and most known strains identified by different tools are different. Moreover, the coverage in the pooled and individual samples supports none of the inferred known strain. Our study thus indicates the limitation of the known-strain-based studies, especially those on rapidly evolving bacterial species. Our study also called for de novo bacterial strain identification directly from shotgun metagenomic reads.
Evaluating the accuracy of methods for detecting correlated rates of molecular and morphological evolution
Authors: Asar Yasmin , Sauquet Hervé , Ho Simon Y.W.
Published: July 2022

Determining the link between genomic and phenotypic evolution is a fundamental goal in evolutionary biology. Insights into this link can be gained by using a phylogenetic approach to test for correlations between rates of molecular and morphological evolution. However, there has been persistent uncertainty about the relationship between these rates, partly because conflicting results have been obtained using various methods that have not been examined in detail. We carried out a simulation study to evaluate the performance of five statistical methods for detecting correlated rates of evolution. Our simulations explored the evolution of molecular sequences and morphological characters under a range of conditions. Of the methods tested, Bayesian relaxed-clock estimation of branch rates was able to detect correlated rates of evolution correctly in the largest number of cases. This was followed by correlations of root-to-tip distances, Bayesian model selection, independent sister-pairs contrasts, and likelihood-based model selection. As expected, the power to detect correlated rates increased with the amount of data, both in terms of tree size and number of morphological characters. Likewise, the performance of all five methods improved when there was greater rate variation among lineages. We then applied these methods to a data set from flowering plants and did not find evidence of a correlation in evolutionary rates between genomic data and morphological characters. The results of our study have practical implications for phylogenetic analyses of combined molecular and morphological data sets, and highlight the conditions under which the links between genomic and phenotypic rates of evolution can be evaluated quantitatively.
Building artificial plant cell wall on lipid bilayer by assembling polysaccharides and engineered proteins
Authors: Notova Simona , Cannac Nathan , Rabagliati Luca , Touzard Maeva , Mante Josselin , Navon Yotam , Coche-Guérente Liliane , Lerouxel Olivier , Heux Laurent , Imberty Anne
Published: July 2022

The cell wall constitutes a fundamental structural component of plant cells, providing them with mechanical resistance and flexibility. Mimicking that wall is a critical step in the conception of an experimental model of the plant cell. The assembly of cellulose/hemicellulose in the form of cellulose nanocrystals and xyloglucans as a representative model of the plant cell wall has already been mastered, however, those models lacked the pectin component. In this work, we used an engineered chimeric protein designed for bridging pectin to the cellulose/hemicellulose network, therefore achieving the assembly of complete cell wall mimics. We first engineered proteins, i.e. carbohydrate-binding module from Ruminococcus flavefaciens able to bind oligo-galactorunan, resulting in high-affinity polygalacturonan receptors with Kd in the micromolar range. A Janus protein, with cell wall gluing property, was then designed by assembling this CBM with a Ralstonia solanacearum lectin specific for fucosylated xyloglucans. The resulting supramolecular architecture is able to bind fucose-containing xyloglucans and homogalacturonan ensuring high affinity for both. A two-dimension assembly of an artificial plant cell wall was then built first on synthetic polymer and then on supported lipid bilayer. Such artificial cell wall can serve as a basis for the development of plant cell mechanical models and thus deepen the understanding of the principles underlying various aspects of plant cells and tissues.

Graphical abstract
Partitioning time series to improve process-based models with machine learning
Authors: Boussange Victor , Aceituno Pau Vilimelis , Schäfer Frank , Pellissier Loïc
Published: July 2022

Process-based community models are required to extrapolate beyond current dynamics and anticipate biodiversity response to global change, but their adoption has been limited in practice because of issues with model parameter estimation and model inaccuracies. While observation data could be used to directly estimate parameters and refine model structures, model nonlinearities, sparse and noisy datasets and the complexity of ecological dynamics complicate this process. Here, we propose an inverse modelling framework designed for addressing these issues, that relies on a segmentation method combined with automatic differentiation, deep learning gradient-based optimizers, minibatching, and a parameter normalization technique. By partitioning the data into time series with a short time horizon, we show that the segmentation method regularizes the inverse problem. Implemented in the Julia packagePiecewiseInference.jl, the resulting framework enables the efficient calibration of realistic dynamical community models and supports the use of neural networks to represent complex ecological processes within the model. We evaluate the performance of the inverse modelling framework on simulated food-web dynamics of increasing complexity, including scenarios with partial observations. Our results demonstrate its performance in inferring model parameters and providing forecasts. We further showcase that the regularization induced by the framework, together with its efficiency, are instrumental for the online training of neural network-based parametrizations, alongside the other model parameters. Neural network-based parametrizations not only mitigate model inaccuracies but can also contribute to the refinement of ecological theory through their offline examination. The proposed inverse modelling framework is data-efficient, interpretable and capable of extrapolating beyond observed dynamics, showing promise in improving our ability to understand and forecast biodiversity dynamics.
Cognitive aging and categorical representations in visual working memory
Authors: Zhou Cherie , Lorist Monicque M.
Published: July 2022

A traditional view on cognitive aging is that visual working memory (VWM) capacity declines in older adults. Recent work has shown that visual information can be stored in VWM in different forms of representations. Specifically, VWM becomes more reliant on categorical representations (e.g., a prototypical red) as compared to continuous representations (e.g., a light reddish color) as memory load increases. Here, we replicated these findings and tested whether this holds for older adults. Participants memorized one to four colors; after a delay, an arrow pointed at the location of the color that needed to be reported. We used an extended mixture model (Zhou et al., 2022) to examine the extent to which memory responses were biased in the direction of the category prototypes. Our results showed that for both younger and older adults, VWM became more biased towards category prototypes with increasing memory load. Importantly, we found no difference in the extent to which VWM was biased towards category prototypes between younger and older adults. However, older adults showed an overall lower precision as compared to younger adults. Taken together, our results demonstrated that both younger and older adults became more reliant on categorical representations with increasing memory load; importantly, the extent to which categorical representations were involved in maintaining VWM information was insensitive to age.
Biosynthesis of Silver nanoparticles using Drimia indica and exploring its antibacterial profiling
Authors: Kamble Pratik S. , Nimbalkar Mansingraj S. , Patil Swaroopa A.
Published: July 2022

Biological synthesis reflects as an eco-friendly, nontoxic and easy method of nanoparticle preparation. Present investigation deals with biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Drimia indica leaf extract. Initially the synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized and confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and SEM. The synthesized nanoparticles when used for determination of antibacterial activity, by Microtitre Broth Dilution method exhibited remarkable activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli.
Sales manager encouragement behavior in value-centered business models
Authors: Hoffmann Clara , Alavi Sascha , Schmitz Christian
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Seeing past research, sales managers’ encouragement of their salespeople, tailored to the demands of value-creating sales, should constitute a key success factor for implementing value-centered business models. But prior research is largely silent on sales managers’ encouragement behavior for adopting value-centered business models regarding specific sales manager encouragement behaviors. Hence, this paper aims to examine the moderating effect of in-role and extra-role encouragement by sales managers in value-centered business models on financial firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The research model was tested empirically on a sample of key informants from 209 firms working in (sales) management positions using regression analysis.

Findings

The findings suggest that in-role encouragement behavior is more effective to achieve financial firm performance in value-centered business models. Sales managers should use in-role encouragement to provide their salespeople with a clear structure as a framework for their tasks and work environment and a strategic alignment along the sales organization.

Research limitations/implications

First, while the study included a variety of industries, it only covered countries from the Dach region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland), which could limit the generalizability of the findings. To validate the results in additional countries, future research could replicate the research in a cross-country study to test whether the effects differ between countries. Second, the study surveys one key informant per firm on a firm-level leadership tendency. Although leadership culture may promote similar leadership styles or behaviors within one firm, individual leadership behaviors may still vary. Future research should validate the findings using individual sales managers data.

Practical implications

Firm managers must encourage sales managers in value-centered business models to engage in in-role encouragement and avoid extra-role encouragement and thus intensify their micromanagement. Micromanaging the salesforce comprises extensive guidance regarding their expectations and execution toward their salespeople’s work-related tasks and their way of thinking. Furthermore, firms must ask themselves whether their sales managers are capable of micromanaging at all and whether they have the capacity to do so. If not, they must create the appropriate capacities for this. Supplementary, firms should offer regular training for managers on the application of in-role encouragement.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study combining the two rather separately considered research streams of encouragement behavior and value-centered business models regarding the effects on firm performance outcomes.
A practical analysis of blended training efficacy on organizational outcomes
Authors: Ma Gang , Yang Rui , Minneyfield Aarren , Gu Xieting , Gan Yinghui , Li Lin , Liu Sixia , Jiang Wenjun , Lai Weiguo , Wu Yihua
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature of blended learning by practically implementing best practices in employee training.

Design/methodology/approach

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, an organization had modified its training procedures over the course of three years to improve employee and organizational outcomes. Employee candidates who were onboarded into sales positions during the years 2019–2021 were given the opportunity to learn the content in an online format and subsequently evaluated prior to their in-person training and final evaluation to provide them with a self-paced blended learning experience. Both evaluation scores, along with the length it took to complete the trainings, were used to determine the trainings effectiveness and efficiency respectively.

Findings

The findings for the study showed that the organization was successfully able to improve upon the efficiency of the training by reducing training length and the effectiveness by improving employee outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s design was limited to the probation process, which resulted in issues drawing conclusions for employee outcomes that were relevant to their long-term organizational success. This emphasizes the importance of comprehensive investigations for future practical studies.

Practical implications

The findings allow for the improvement of blended learning models within real-world organizational contexts that provide organizations with the opportunity to improve employee outcomes while reducing time costs.

Originality/value

This study provides data from applied blended learning procedures that were validated using empirical findings, which contributes to the practicality of blended learning in workplace training.
Sightseeing spot satisfaction of inbound tourists: comparative analysis of first-time visitors and repeat visitors in Japan
Authors: Yoo Bosul , Katsumata Sotaro
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study aims to enhance knowledge on marketing strategies to increase repeat visitors. Furthermore, the authors suggest using appropriate destination information tailored to first-time visitors and repeat visitors as social capital.

Design/methodology/approach

This study compares the differences in satisfaction between first-time foreign tourists and those repeat visiting. The authors apply a theoretical framework based on optimal distinctiveness theory (ODT) and consumer knowledge to determine which actions maximize the satisfaction of each group. Then, the relationships among assimilation desire, differentiation desire and satisfaction are quantitatively analyzed.

Findings

The results show the difference in the relationship between assimilation and travel satisfaction for first-time visitors and repeat visitors. First-time visitors are satisfied with popular sightseeing spots with higher assimilation level, whereas repeat visitors are satisfied with moderately unpopular sightseeing spots with lower assimilation level. The results clarify that information reflecting only the popularity of destinations is significantly effective for first-time visitors, but unsuitable for repeat visitors. Therefore, it would be possible to propose to repeat visitors a combination of “moderately differentiated” destinations.

Originality/value

The first contribution is that on the basis of Brewer (1991), the quantitative analysis confirmed that the social identity of an individual changes from assimilation to differentiation with the accumulation of experience until the optimal point is found. The second contribution is that we combined several fields such as ODT (Brewer, 1991), familiarity (Alba and Hutchinson, 1987), trial/repeat behavior (Iyengar et al., 2015) and reference groups (Peter & Olson, 2010). The third contribution is that the authors proposed marketing strategies on the basis of the empirical analysis to increase the number of inbound tourists.
The application of hibah al-ʿumra in disbursement of family Takāful benefits: an exploratory study
Authors: Rahman Md. Habibur , Abdullah Md. Faruk , Hoque Muhammad Nazmul , Ahmad Abu Umar Faruq
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate and propose the potential practice of hibah al-ʿumra as a Shari‘ah-compliant policy that would encompass the disbursement of death benefits and facilitate their smooth distribution among the projected beneficiaries of the family Takāful.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative approach. It conducts semi-structured interviews with different Takāful practitioners in Malaysia. This study also consulted a few Shari‘ah scholars regarding their opinions on the application of hibah al-ʿumra in disbursing family Takāful benefits. The thematic analysis is carried out to analyse qualitative data.

Findings

From both Shari‘ah and the relevant industry perspectives, the notion of hibah al-ʿumra has a great potential to disburse the family Takāful benefits to the Takāful participants or nominated beneficiaries. Given the conditional nature of hibah in Takāful, it is argued that there is a scope for imposing some conditions to make hibah al-ʿumra a life grant gift. This is expected to play a significant role in resolving the issues relating to the disbursement of family Takāful benefits among the beneficiaries, where it becomes irrevocable.

Practical implications

In the current practice of family Takāful, in the event of the recipient’s death or divorce, the application of absolute hibah results in the disbursement of Takāful benefits among undesirable beneficiaries. In contrast, in hibah al-ʿumra, it is expected that subject to a condition of withdrawal, its practice would help manage any unwanted situation if other potential beneficiaries are nominated upon signing the agreement at the outset.

Originality/value

This study is expected to contribute to help channel the family Takāful benefits into the desired beneficiaries being the proposed hibah al-ʿumra as a form of conditional hibah. Besides, this type of hiba can be treated as a solution in any adverse situation.
Money laundering in corruption cases in Indonesia
Authors: Meiryani Meiryani , Isa Sani Muhamad , Kerta Johan Muliadi
Published: July 2022

Purpose

In the case of money laundering (ML) originating from the predicate crime of corruption, law enforcers find it difficult to prove all or the existence of a predicate crime on assets that produce assets. This paper aims to analyze ML in corruption cases in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses qualitative descriptive methods. This research discusses the law enforcement of corruption which coincides with the crime of ML.

Findings

New findings were discovered where against the corruption case which was carried out concurrently with the crime of money laundering, the value of which was Rp. 1bn and above and has been handled by investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), so the prosecution process is carried out by the public prosecutor from the KPK to continue the trial to the Corruption Court. With respect to cases of criminal acts of corruption, which were carried out concurrently with ML crimes, the value of which was Rp. 1bn and below and had been handled by the prosecutor’s investigators from the start, the prosecution process was carried out by the public prosecutor from the prosecutor’s office to continue the trial to the corruption court.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to use normative perspective on ML in corruption cases (white-collar crime). In contrast to previous studies that take fraud in general as an object of research, researchers are now interested in focusing more research on detecting suspected ML crimes: a case study on corruption cases in Indonesia.
Leader humility, leader authenticity and informal learning: how humble team leaders model everyday workplace learning
Authors: Rigolizzo Michele , Zhu Zhu , Harvey Jean-François
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study aims to empirically examine the relationship between the leader characteristic of humility and the informal learning of team members. It also evaluates the role of leader authenticity in mediating that relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected on 518 salespeople reporting to 66 managers in a time-lagged study of a financial services firm. Generalized structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test a multi-hierarchical mediation model.

Findings

Leader humility has a significant positive direct and indirect effect on individual informal learning in team contexts, and leader authenticity partially mediates this relationship.

Research limitations/implications

This study advances research on how leaders can help transform learning from a risky endeavor to a daily practice. It shows the impact of the leadership characteristic of humility and explains how humble behaviors provide a model for individual learning in team contexts. It also reveals that leader authenticity is a key mechanism through which leader humility comes to influence employees’ informal learning within work teams.

Originality/value

This study provides empirical support for the importance of leader humility in engendering the trust required for employees to engage in everyday workplace learning. It integrates social information processing theory with social learning theory to show that humble leaders provide critical information about the value, cost and methods of individual informal learning in team contexts. Leader humility increases employees’ beliefs that they can and do learn from working in teams because employees perceive the humble leader’s behaviors as representing the leader’s true intentions.
Resilience concepts in integrated urban transport: a comprehensive review on multi-mode framework
Authors: Du Yuchuan , Wang Han , Gao Qian , Pan Ning , Zhao Cong , Liu Chenglong
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Resilience concepts in integrated urban transport refer to the performance of dealing with external shock and the ability to continue to provide transportation services of all modes. A robust transportation resilience is a goal in pursuing transportation sustainability. Under this specified context, while before the perturbations, robustness refers to the degree of the system’s capability of functioning according to its design specifications on integrated modes and routes, redundancy is the degree of duplication of traffic routes and alternative modes to maintain persistency of service in case of perturbations. While after the perturbations, resourcefulness refers to the capacity to identify operational problems in the system, prioritize interventions and mobilize necessary material/ human resources to recover all the routes and modes, rapidity is the speed of complete recovery of all modes and traffic routes in the urban area. These “4R” are the most critical components of urban integrated resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

The trends of transportation resilience's connotation, metrics and strategies are summarized from the literature. A framework is introduced on both qualitative characteristics and quantitative metrics of transportation resilience. Using both model-based and mode-free methodologies that measure resilience in attributes, topology and system performance provides a benchmark for evaluating the mechanism of resilience changes during the perturbation. Correspondingly, different pre-perturbation and post-perturbation strategies for enhancing resilience under multi-mode scenarios are reviewed and summarized.

Findings

Cyber-physic transportation system (CPS) is a more targeted solution to resilience issues in transportation. A well-designed CPS can be applied to improve transport resilience facing different perturbations. The CPS ensures the independence and integrity of every child element within each functional zone while reacting rapidly.

Originality/value

This paper provides a more comprehensive understanding of transportation resilience in terms of integrated urban transport. The fundamental characteristics and strategies for resilience are summarized and elaborated. As little research has shed light on the resilience concepts in integrated urban transport, the findings from this paper point out the development trend of a resilient transportation system for digital and data-driven management.
Efficacy and safety of baricitinib for the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe atopic dermatitis: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Wang Bin , Pan Shuaixi , Yao Yue , Zeng Linxi , Zhang Guoqiang
Published: July 2022

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most prevalent inflammatory skin diseases. Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor baricitinib is a promising treatment for AD as shown in recent clinical trials. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the efficacy and safety of baricitinib. Data analysis was carried out using Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager 5.4 software and performed as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals. Six RCTs involving a total of 2595 patients were included in the review. The meta‐analysis revealed that patients in the baricitinib group had significantly higher rates achieving EASI75, EASI90, IGA‐Response, SCORAD75, and Itch NRS improvement. Pooled analysis also showed no significant differences in treatment of emergent adverse events (TEAEs) between baricitinib and placebo groups. In conclusion, our meta‐analysis showed that baricitinib has promising efficacy for moderate‐to‐severe AD with favourable safety files.
Investigating the microbial community of Cacopsylla spp. as potential factor in vector competence of phytoplasma
Authors: Schuler Hannes , Dittmer Jessica , Borruso Luigimaria , Galli Jonas , Fischnaller Stefanie , Anfora Gianfranco , Rota‐Stabelli Omar , Weil Tobias , Janik Katrin
Published: July 2022

Phytoplasmas are obligatory intracellular bacteria that colonize the phloem of many plant species and cause hundreds of plant diseases worldwide. In nature, phytoplasmas are primarily transmitted by hemipteran vectors. While all phloem‐feeding insects could in principle transmit phytoplasmas, only a limited number of species have been confirmed as vectors. Knowledge about factors that might determine the vector capacity is currently scarce. Here, we characterized the microbiomes of vector and non‐vector species of apple proliferation (AP) phytoplasma ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’ to investigate their potential role in the vector capacity of the host. We performed high‐throughput 16S rRNA metabarcoding of the two principal AP‐vectors Cacopsylla picta and Cacopsylla melanoneura and eight Cacopsylla species, which are not AP‐vectors but co‐occur in apple orchards. The microbiomes of all species are dominated by Carsonella, the primary endosymbiont of psyllids and a second uncharacterized Enterobacteriaceae endosymbiont. Each Cacopsylla species harboured a species‐specific phylotype of both symbionts. Moreover, we investigated differences between the microbiomes of AP‐vector versus non‐vector species and identified the predominant endosymbionts but also Wolbachia and several minor taxa as potential indicator species. Our study highlights the importance of considering the microbiome in future investigations of potential factors influencing host vector competence. We investigated the potential role of symbiotic bacteria in the acquisition and transmission of phytoplasma. By comparing the two main psyillid vector species of Apple proliferation (AP) phytoplasma and eight co‐occurring species, which are not able to vector AP‐phytoplasma, we found differences in the microbial communities of AP‐vector and non‐vector species, which appear to be driven by the predominant symbionts in both vector species and Wolbachia and several minor taxa in the non‐vector species. In contrast, infection with AP‐phytoplasma did not affect microbiome composition in both vector species. Our study provides new insights into the endosymbiont diversity of Cacopsylla spp. and highlights the importance of considering the microbiome when investigating potential factors influencing host vector competence.
The modification of volatile and nonvolatile compounds in lupines and faba beans by substrate modulation and lactic acid fermentation to facilitate their use for legume‐based beverages—A review
Authors: Ritter Stefan W. , Gastl Martina I. , Becker Thomas M.
Published: July 2022

Lupines and faba beans are promising ingredients for the beverage industry. They contain high amounts of protein and can be grown in different climate zones and agricultural areas. Therefore, these legumes appear as ideal raw material for vegan, functional, and sustainable beverages. Nevertheless, the sensory characteristic of legumes is generally not accepted in beverages. Therefore, the market contribution of legume‐based beverages is currently only marginal. This review highlights known major flavor aspects of lupines and faba beans and the possibilities to improve these by germination, heat treatment, enzymatic treatment, and subsequent lactic acid fermentation. First, the main aroma and taste compounds are described. Thereby, the “beany” aroma is identified as the most relevant off‐flavor. Second, the nutrients and antinutrients of these legumes regarding to their use as food and as substrate for lactic acid fermentation are reviewed, and possibilities to modulate the substrate are summarized. Finally, the modification of the sensory profile by lactic acid fermentation is outlined. To conclude, it seems likely that the nutritional and flavor attributes in legume‐based beverages can be improved by a combined process of substrate modulation and fermentation. In a first step, antinutrients should be decomposed and proteins solubilized while transforming the solid grains into a liquid substrate. Due to such substrate modulation, a broader variety of strains could be employed and the fermentation could be based exclusively on their impact on the flavor. By applying the concept of combining a substrate modulation with a subsequent fermentation, the use of legumes in beverages could be facilitated and new products like vegan, protein‐rich, refreshing beverages could be marketed.
Rare vascular involvement in Behçet's disease: Coronary artery pseudoaneurysm
Authors: Karabulut Mehmet Nuri , Topcu Ahmet Can , Erkul Sinan , Kayalar Nihan
Published: July 2022

Behçet's disease is a relapsing, inflammatory, multi‐systemic disease. Coronary arterial involvement in Behçet's disease is very rare with a prevalence of less than 0.5%. We report the case of a 34‐year‐old man who presented with a coronary artery pseudoaneurysm associated with Behçet's disease. The patient underwent a successful left internal thoracic artery to left anterior descending artery bypass graft procedure, and remains symptom‐free in a 6‐month follow up with normal electrocardiogram.
Evaluation and redesign of the primers for detecting nitrogen cycling genes in environments
Authors: Wang Zhujun , Feng Kai , Wei Ziyan , Wu Yueni , Isobe Kazuo , Senoo Keishi , Peng Xi , Wang Danrui , He Qing , Du Xiongfeng , Li Shuzhen , Li Yan , Deng Ye
Published: July 2022

A better understanding of how nitrogen (N) cycling genes are involved in ecological processes is one of the crucial areas of microbial ecology. Currently, most molecular biological techniques investigating N cycling genes in the environment heavily rely on the accuracy of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers; however, their specificity and coverage have not been comprehensively evaluated. Here, we collected a sequence database, NcycFunGen, aimed for primer evaluation and redesign.

NcycFunGen was based on hidden Markov model profiles for 22 marker genes involved in N cycling, which included 607,359 paired nucleotide and protein sequences with their taxonomic information. Then, a total of 608 published primers were fully evaluated through NcycFunGen, as well as against full‐length sequences collected from KEGG. The new primers were designed by DegePrime. In the experiment, the updated ureC gene primer pair ureC607F/ureC898R and nifH gene primer pair nifH107F64/nifH379R64 was applied to a urea amendment site using droplet digital PCR and high‐throughput amplicon sequencing.

The results showed that the majority of primer pairs cover less than 30% sequences of target genes and that 22.55% were inappropriate for quantitative PCR and amplicon sequencing (<100 bp or >550 bp). In general, this in‐silico evaluation demonstrated that although many primers have been adopted in published studies, some of them should be validated and updated as needed according to the updated gene database. Therefore, new degenerate primer pairs for ureC targeting urease, bacterial and archaeal amoA targeting ammonium monooxygenase, and nifH targeting nitrogenase were designed through NcycFunGen. These new primer pairs showed higher coverage and amplification efficiency, as well as amplicon lengths that were applicable for high‐throughput amplicon sequencing. Furthermore, the experimental results displayed better characteristics than commonly used published ureC and nifH gene primer pairs.

In conclusion, primer evaluation and redesign are highly recommended to improve the accuracy of primers targeting N cycling genes, which could facilitate amplicon‐based N cycling studies in various environments. The bioinformatics framework developed in this study can also be applied to build functional gene databases for other biogeochemical pathways.
Diagnostic accuracy of neuroimaging in emergency department patients with acute vertigo or dizziness: A systematic review and meta‐analysis for the guidelines for reasonable and appropriate care in the emergency department
Authors: Shah Vishal Paresh , Oliveira J. e Silva Lucas , Farah Wigdan , Seisa Mohamad , Kara Balla Abdalla , Christensen April , Farah Magdoleen , Hasan Bashar , Bellolio Fernanda , Murad M. Hassan
Published: July 2022

Background

Patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute vertigo or dizziness represent a diagnostic challenge. Neuroimaging has variable indications and yield. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the diagnostic test accuracy of neuroimaging for patients presenting with acute vertigo or dizziness.

Methods

An electronic search was designed following patient–intervention–control–outcome (PICO) question—(P) adult patients with acute vertigo or dizziness presenting to the ED; (I) neuroimaging including computed tomography (CT), CT angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and ultrasound (US); (C) MRI/clinical criterion standard; and (O) central causes (stroke, hemorrhage, tumor, others) versus peripheral causes of symptoms. Articles were assessed in duplicate. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) was used to assess certainty of evidence in pooled estimates.

Results

We included studies that reported diagnostic test accuracy. From 6309 titles, 460 articles were retrieved, and 12 were included: noncontrast CT scan—six studies, 771 patients, pooled sensitivity 28.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14.4%–48.5%, moderate certainty) and specificity 98.9% (95% CI 93.4%–99.8%, moderate certainty); MRI—five studies, 943 patients, sensitivity 79.8% (95% CI 71.4%–86.2%, high certainty) and specificity 98.8% (95% CI 96.2%–100%, high certainty); CTA—one study, 153 patients, sensitivity 14.3% (95% CI 1.8%–42.8%) and specificity 97.7% (95% CI 93.8%–99.6%), CT had higher sensitivity than CTA (21.4% and 14.3%) for central etiology; MRA—one study, 24 patients, sensitivity 60.0% (95% CI 26.2%–87.8%) and specificity 92.9% (95% CI 66.1%–99.8%); US—three studies, 258 patients, sensitivity ranged from 30% to 53.6%, specificity from 94.9% to 100%.

Conclusions

Noncontrast CT has very low sensitivity and MRI will miss approximately one in five patients with stroke if imaging is obtained early after symptom onset. The evidence does not support neuroimaging as the only tool for ruling out stroke and other central causes in patients with acute dizziness or vertigo presenting to the ED.
School performance and later diagnoses of nonaffective psychoses, bipolar disorder, and depression
Authors: Gyllenberg David , Ristikari Tiina , Kelleher Ian , Kääriälä Antti , Gissler Mika
Published: July 2022

Objective

It is unclear whether there are differences between specific school subject performance and later psychiatric disorders. We examined whether mean grade point average (MGPA) and specific school subjects associated with diagnoses of nonaffective psychoses, bipolar disorder and depression.

Methods

In this register‐based study, we studied the Finnish population born in 1987 who had available MGPA and six specific school grades (age = 15.4–16.4 years; n = 50,508). Grades were analyzed with smoothing splines. Covariates included sex, urbanicity, parental education level and parental diagnosed psychiatric disorders. Outcomes were incident nonaffective psychosis, bipolar disorder and depression diagnosed in specialized services until year 2015 (age = 28.0–28.9 years).

Results

During the follow‐up, 727 individuals were diagnosed with nonaffective psychoses, 489 with bipolar disorder and 3492 with depression. MGPA was inversely associated with all outcomes. In multivariate models including specific school subjects and covariates, the school subject with largest risk ratios (RR) was Physical Education (RR and Bonferroni‐corrected confidence interval [CI] at −1.5 SD: nonaffective psychoses 1.63, 1.36–1.95; bipolar disorder 1.64, 1.30–2.05; depression 1.72, 1.53–1.93). Higher grades in Art were associated with nonaffective psychoses and depression (RR and Bonferroni‐corrected CI at +1.5 SD: nonaffective psychoses 1.48, 1.11–1.96; depression 1.22, 1.07–1.38).

Conclusion

There was a robust association between poorer scores on Physical Education and risk for psychosis, bipolar disorder and depression. Higher grades in Art were also associated with risk for later disorders. Subject specific school performance may be more informative about mental disorder risk than overall school performance.
Novel color fluorescence imaging for sentinel lymph node detection in oral and oropharyngeal cancer
Authors: Miyamoto Shunsuke , Nakayama Meijin , Kano Koichi , Tsutsumi Shohei , Momiyama Kaho , Matsuki Takashi , Yamashita Taku
Published: July 2022

Aim

Fluorescence imaging (FI) using indocyanine green (ICG) is a noteworthy alternative technique for sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection without radiation exposure in oral cavity and oropharynx cancer. However, conventional FI is monochrome, so the visibility is limited. This study assessed whether color FI using the HyperEye Medical System (HEMS) is feasible as an alternative for SLN detection.

Methods

Patients with previously untreated cT1‐2N0 oral or oropharyngeal cancer who were to undergo primary tumor resection and elective neck dissection (END) in our hospital were enrolled from November 2012 to March 2016. The patients underwent SLN detection for biopsy via the HEMS following the injection of ICG solution around the primary lesion before neck dissection. The visibility and the diagnostic accuracy of the imaging were evaluated.

Results

SLNs were visualized in all eight cases; however, transcutaneous fluorescence detection was not observed in all cases. Utilizing color mode imaging simplified harvest by clearly discriminating SLNs from surrounding structures, while the monochrome mode proved to be more sensitive for detection. Two cases showed occult metastases on both sentinel and regional nodes. The identification and false negative rates were 100% and 0%, respectively. There were no complications incurred due to this method.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that color FI with the HEMS allows for the accurate and safe harvest of SLNs with a preparatory skin incision. Although there is room for improvement of sensitivity, this easy‐to‐handle procedure might provide the potential to expand the role of the ICG method for SLN detection in head and neck cancer.
Integrated bioinformatic analysis of dysregulated microRNA‐mRNA co‐expression network in ovarian endometriosis
Authors: Liu Yong , Fan Linyuan , Jin Lingge , Lu Chang , Li Ting , Zhang Zhan , Xie Chengmao , Li Shenghui , Zhang Yudi , Ren Jian , Lu Dan
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Ovarian endometriosis is a frequently occurring gynecological disease with large socioeconomic impact. Accumulating evidence has suggested that aberrant miRNA‐mRNA interactions are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of ovarian endometriosis. This study aims to identify key miRNAs in ovarian endometriosis by using integrated bioinformatic analysis of a dysregulated miRNA‐mRNA co‐expression network.

Material and methods

Expression profiling of miRNA and mRNA in three normal endometria and five pairs of ectopic/eutopic endometria from patients with ovarian endometriosis was determined by high‐throughput sequencing techniques. The data were then integrated with the public sequencing datasets (GSE105764 and GSE105765) using a non‐biased approach and a miRNA‐mRNA co‐expression regulatory network was constructed by in‐depth bioinformatic analysis.

Results

The constructed miRNA‐mRNA network included 87 functionally DEMs, 482 target mRNAs and 1850 paired miRNA‐mRNA regulatory interactions. Specifically, five miRNAs (miR‐141‐3p, miR‐363‐3p, miR‐577, miR‐767‐5p, miR‐96‐5p) were gradually decreased and two miRNAs (miR‐493‐5p, miR‐592) were gradually increased from normal endometria to eutopic endometria, and then ectopic endometria tissues. Importantly, miR‐141‐3p, miR‐363‐3p and miR‐96‐5p belonged to the miR‐200 family, miR‐106a‐363 cluster and miR‐183/96/182 cluster, respectively. Their target mRNAs were mainly associated with cell adhesion, locomotion and binding, which are suggested to play vital regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometriosis.

Conclusions

Integrated bioinformatic analysis of the miRNA‐mRNA co‐expression network defines the crucial roles of the miR‐200 family, miR‐106a‐363 cluster and miR‐183/96/182 cluster in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometriosis. Further in‐depth functional studies are needed to unveil the molecular mechanisms of these miRNAs, and may provide clues for the optimization of therapeutic strategies for ovarian endometriosis.
The Report of the Van Fleet Missionas an intended blueprint for American grand strategy in the Asia‐Pacific during the early Cold War
Authors: Jo Kyu‐hyun
Published: July 2022

TheVan Fleet Mission's Reporthas long received much attention in Korea and Japan as a controversial document stating the United States' position on the Dokdo/Takeshima dispute. However, linking theReportonly with Dokdo/Takeshima is missing the forest for the trees. TheVan Fleet Report's genuine importance with regard to the document's intention is that it was an intended blueprint for an American grand strategy in the Asia‐Pacific. Its central objective was to organize an anti‐communist bloc with Japan as its core and use it to counter the expansionist tendency of Chinese communism toward the Asia‐Pacific and strengthen Korea, Japan, and the Philippines military capabilities.
The horizontal S‐shaped relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance: The moderating effects of firm size and industry dynamism
Authors: Wang Kewen , Qiao Yuanbo
Published: July 2022

The relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance (CFP) is inconclusive. Building on CSR power and stakeholder power arguments, slack resource theory, and agency theory, this study constructs a three‐stage model to compare CSR benefits and costs. This comparison indicates a horizontal S‐shaped CSR‐CFP relationship. Using a sample including 27,628 firm‐year observations of Chinese listed firms from 2010 to 2020, we find evidence for this horizontal S‐shaped CSR‐CFP relationship, which reveals that the S curve is more pronounced for smaller firms and for firms operating in more dynamic industries. Our findings contribute to the CSR‐CFP literature, CSR power and stakeholder power arguments, and the evaluation of the moderating effects on the S curve. Accordingly, these findings highlight key implications for decision‐makers and policymakers.