bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the choice of human resource and the artificial intelligence: “strategic behavior” and the existence of industry equilibrium
Authors: Das Dipankar
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an input to the production of goods and services. Therefore, a general question is there that “How the labor hour/human resource will be replaced by the artificial intelligence?” To answer this question, the paper considers that both AI and the human resources (HR) are the inputs to the firm and explains the choice between the two with reference to the customer relationship management. The paper derives the individual firms and the industry demand functions of the AI and the HR when both are present in the production of the identical or closely related goods and services. Moreover, the paper also shows the strategic behavior of an individual firm with the industry in selecting the AI and the HR. It has been shown that the individual firm's choice in the industry depends on the choice of the industry leader. The paper explains the supermodular game between the firms in an industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Game theory, industrial organization and non-convexity theories have been used in this paper to identify the choice between the HR and the AI in the customer relationship management.

Findings

The paper explains analytically the preference and demand for AI in the industry. Individual firm's strategic behavior and decision on choosing AI and the industry equilibrium have been studied logically. Moreover, the paper gives some light on the question of employment in presence of AI. The paper proves that in the presence of AI, labor demand will not be reduced but both will be used.

Originality/value

This work proves for the first time using some logical derivation that AI will not crowd out labor from the market. Moreover, to run AI, labor should also be used. It has been proved that to complete a job with speed and quality, both AI and HR are to be used.
Engaging older workers: the role of a supportive psychological climate
Authors: Kilroy Steven , Van de Voorde Karina , Kooij Dorien , van den Dungen Sophie
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate if a supportive psychological climate specifically aimed at older workers (i.e. employee perceptions that the organization supports and activates older workers) will result in higher levels of older workers' vitality and dedication mediated through increased levels of older workers' perceived organizational support (POS).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a two-wave survey study among 209 older university employees (aged above 45 years) using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results revealed that a change in supportive psychological climate is positively associated with a change in vitality and dedication, which was mediated by a change in POS.

Practical implications

Since workforces are aging around the world, one of the most pressing challenges for human resource managers is to find effective strategies to encourage older workers to remain engaged and active members of the workforce for as long as possible. In this study, the authors demonstrate that a supportive psychological climate for older workers is particular important in this regard.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this study is that it identifies the important role of a supportive psychological climate for older workers in predicting older workers engagement i.e. vitality and dedication, while also shedding light on the underlying mechanisms involved.
New venture top management team's shared leadership and its indirect effect on strategic performance: findings from SEM and fsQCA
Authors: Yu Jun , Ma Zhengcong , Song Wenhao
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to empirically explore the relationship between a new venture top management team's (NVTMT’s) shared leadership and strategic performance in opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial bricolage by drawing on the upper echelons theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 344 new manufacturing ventures located in Eastern China. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) through the AMOS 23.0 software package. The confluence of the contextual factors of the new venture is examined by a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

Findings

The results indicate that NVTMT shared leadership has an indirect and positive effect on strategic performance through opportunity recognition, especially in a highly uncertain environment, while the mediating effect of entrepreneurial bricolage is not significant. Furthermore, although the SEM results show that the impact of NVTMT shared leadership on entrepreneurial bricolage is negative, the fsQCA shows that NVTMT shared leadership can significantly and positively affect entrepreneurial bricolage in an environment with high uncertainty, ultimately enhancing strategic performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the shared leadership literature by proposing a model on how shared leadership shapes the strategic performance of new ventures via opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial bricolage. The findings not only enrich relevant research on the upper echelons theory, but also help in understanding the patterns of contextual conditions that facilitate the value-adding properties of NVTMT shared leadership.
Microbes, memory and moisture: Predicting microbial moisture responses and their impact on carbon cycling
Authors: E. Evans Sarah , D. Allison Steven , V. Hawkes Christine
Published: March 2022

Soil moisture is a major driver of microbial activity and thus, of the release of carbon (C) into the Earth's atmosphere. Yet, there is no consensus on the relationship between soil moisture and microbial respiration, and as a result, moisture response functions are a poorly constrained aspect of C models. In addition, models assume that the response of microbial respiration to moisture is the same for all ecosystems, regardless of climate history, an assumption that many empirical studies have challenged. These gaps in understanding of the microbial respiration response to moisture contribute to uncertainty in model predictions.

We review our understanding of what drives microbial moisture response, highlighting evidence that historical precipitation can influence both responses to moisture and sensitivity to drought. We present two hypotheses, the ‘climate history hypothesis’, where we predict that baseline moisture response functions change as a function of precipitation history, and the ‘drought legacy hypothesis’, in which we suggest that the intensity and frequency of historical drought have shaped microbial communities in ways that will control moisture responses to contemporary drought. Underlying mechanisms include biological selection and filtering of the microbial community by rainfall regimes, which result in microbial traits and trade‐offs that shape function.

We present an integrated modelling and empirical approach for understanding microbial moisture responses and improving models. Standardized measures of moisture response (respiration rate across a range of moistures) and accompanying microbial properties are needed across sites. These data can be incorporated into trait‐based models to produce generalized moisture response functions, which can then be validated and incorporated into conventional and microbially explicit ecosystem models of soil C cycling. Future studies should strive to analyse realistic moisture conditions and consider the role of environmental factors and soil structure in microbial response.

Microbes are the engines that drive C storage and are sensitive to changes in rainfall. A greater understanding of the factors that govern this sensitivity could be a key part of improving predictions of soil C dynamics, climate change and C‐climate feedbacks.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
The implosion of radical right populism and the path forward for social democracy: Evidence from the 2019 Danish national election
Authors: Etzerodt Søren Frank , Kongshøj Kristian
Published: March 2022

The collapse of the Danish People's Party (DPP) was pivotal for the Danish 2019 election since a substantial bloc of their previous voters moved to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). This provides an interesting countermovement to the trend of mainstream left parties losing voters to populist or radical right‐wing parties across European countries. This paper seeks to explain the driving issues in this voter movement, thereby shedding light on how mainstream left parties can turn the tables vis‐à‐vis their new right‐wing challengers. Specifically, we focus on the traditional or first‐dimension issues of welfare and redistribution versus the second‐dimension issue of immigration. The simultaneous left‐wing turn on welfare and redistribution and right‐wing turn on immigration of the Danish SDP has provided room for varying interpretations of the election result. This paper utilizes new survey data to analyze the voter movements from and to the SDP with a special focus on defectors from the DPP. We find that attitudes toward welfare and redistribution were pivotal in moving voters from the DPP to the SDP. Meanwhile, the SDP has not completely “neutralized” the issue of immigration, which still tends to induce these voters to remain loyal to the DPP. We do not find support for the claim that immigration attitudes condition the extent to which redistributive preferences increase the likelihood of switching to the SDP. The SDP's right turn on immigration, moreover, seems to push voters to the immigration‐friendly (center‐left wing) support parties.
The final voids: the ambiguity of emptiness in Australian coal mine rehabilitation
Authors: Dahlgren Kari
Published: March 2022

In the Australian coal mining region of the Hunter Valley, a political contest is taking shape around the mine final voids, the large holes that are left in the ground after mining has finished. This article describes an effort led by the coal lobby to fill the voids with imaginative and hopeful futures, described as a process of techno‐speculative deferral. In contrast, local environmentalists (Indigenous and non‐Indigenous) are drawing on dispossession and ongoing extractivism to craft an affective politics of loss around these spaces. The article considers the particular issues around the mine final voids as metonyms of the Anthropocene in order to caution against approaches which celebrate the hopefulness of ruins. Instead, the void's negativity presents an alternative analytical starting point for a politics of the Anthropocene, one which derives from Indigenous dispossession and expands to counter ongoing ruination.
Mycenaean Adjectives in ‐te‐ri‐jo: A Reappraisal*
Authors: Piquero Juan
Published: March 2022

This paper offers a systematic study of the Mycenaean adjectives in ‐te‐ri‐jo / ‐tḗrios. Its purpose is twofold: first, to examine whether the suffix ‐tḗrios was already fossilized in the Mycenaean period (‐tḗrios vs. ‐tḗr + ios); second, to define the semantic values associated with this suffix in the same period. Particular attention will be paid to the interpretation of the Mycenaean words pu‐te‐ri‐ja and ko‐re‐te‐ri‐jo

El presente trabajo presenta un estudio sistemático de los adjetivos micénicos en ‐te‐ri‐jo / ‐tḗrios. El propósito es doble: por un lado, determinar si el sufijo ‐tḗrios está ya fosilizado en época micénica (‐tḗrios vs. ‐tḗr + ios); por otro, delimitar los valores semánticos asociados a este sufijo en este periodo. Se presta especial atención a la interpretación de los vocablos micénicos pu‐te‐ri‐ja y ko‐re‐te‐ri‐jo.

[Spanish]
Constructing a continuous hemodiafiltration‐type circulatory model of acute kidney injury in pigs
Authors: Horikawa Takumi , Maehata Junichi , Hashimoto Fumihiro , Ikuhara Toshihiko , Araki Hitomi , Umeno Hiroshi , Sano Yusuke , Ishikawa Chika , Takagi Hisayoshi , Watanabe Atsushi , Koizumi Toshinori
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Animal‐model experimental systems capable of reflecting the effects of devices for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) on living organisms are limited; thus, aimed to construct an animal model of AKI‐CRRT using pigs.

Methods

Pigs were subjected to renal artery ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) and then to a maximum of 24 h of continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF)‐type CRRT.

Results

Post‐IRI, pigs' creatinine levels rose threefold, and they exhibited 24 h of anuria and clear aggravation of oxidative stress, demonstrating successful induction of AKI for CRRT. Post‐CRRT, no significant changes in their vital signs or hematological parameters were observed. Creatinine and blood urea nitrogen clearance, as well as suppression of increases in oxidative stress, were also confirmed.

Conclusion

We believe that the use of our model can enable the preclinical evaluation of the effects of under‐development CRRT devices on living organisms under conditions similar to those encountered in an actual clinical setting.
Labor Market Benefit of Disaggregated Disclosure*
Authors: Cao Sean , Li Yinghua , Ma Guang
Published: March 2022

Asymmetric information is a fundamental friction that results in mismatches and efficiency losses in the labor market. In this study, we posit that more disaggregated financial disclosure by a CEO candidate's prior employer can help the hiring firm better assess the possible fit between its operational needs and the candidate's skill set. Using a mandatory segment reporting reform in the United States (SFAS 131) as an exogenous shock to disclosure disaggregation, we find a significant increase in the firm‐CEO match quality when the hiring firm has access to more disaggregated segment information about the external candidate's past employment. Furthermore, the improvement in firm‐CEO matching is greater when segment information is incrementally more useful for evaluation of candidate skills. These findings reveal a novel labor market benefit of disaggregated financial disclosure: alleviating pre‐hiring information deficiencies and facilitating efficient allocation of CEO talent across firms.
Different responses to DNA damage determine ageing differences between organs
Authors: Vougioukalaki Maria , Demmers Joris , Vermeij Wilbert P. , Baar Marjolein , Bruens Serena , Magaraki Aristea , Kuijk Ewart , Jager Myrthe , Merzouk Sarra , Brandt Renata M.C. , Kouwenberg Janneke , van Boxtel Ruben , Cuppen Edwin , Pothof Joris , Hoeijmakers Jan H. J.
Published: March 2022

Organs age differently, causing wide heterogeneity in multimorbidity, but underlying mechanisms are largely elusive. To investigate the basis of organ‐specific ageing, we utilized progeroid repair‐deficient Ercc1Δ/− mouse mutants and systematically compared at the tissue, stem cell and organoid level two organs representing ageing extremes. Ercc1Δ/− intestine shows hardly any accelerated ageing. Nevertheless, we found apoptosis and reduced numbers of intestinal stem cells (ISCs), but cell loss appears compensated by over‐proliferation. ISCs retain their organoid‐forming capacity, but organoids perform poorly in culture, compared with WT. Conversely, liver ages dramatically, even causing early death in Ercc1‐KO mice. Apoptosis, p21, polyploidization and proliferation of various (stem) cells were prominently elevated in Ercc1Δ/− liver and stem cell populations were either largely unaffected (Sox9+), or expanding (Lgr5+), but were functionally exhausted in organoid formation and development in vitro. Paradoxically, while intestine displays less ageing, repair in WT ISCs appears inferior to liver as shown by enhanced sensitivity to various DNA‐damaging agents, and lower lesion removal. Our findings reveal organ‐specific anti‐ageing strategies. Intestine, with short lifespan limiting time for damage accumulation and repair, favours apoptosis of damaged cells relying on ISC plasticity. Liver with low renewal rates depends more on repair pathways specifically protecting the transcribed compartment of the genome to promote sustained functionality and cell preservation. As shown before, the hematopoietic system with intermediate self‐renewal mainly invokes replication‐linked mechanisms, apoptosis and senescence. Hence, organs employ different genome maintenance strategies, explaining heterogeneity in organ ageing and the segmental nature of DNA‐repair‐deficient progerias.
Necrozoospermia: The tree that hides the forest
Authors: Boursier Angèle , Dumont Agathe , Boitrelle Florence , Prasivoravong Julie , Lefebvre‐Khalil Valérie , Robin Geoffroy , Barbotin Anne‐Laure
Published: March 2022

Background

Necrozoospermia is a condition found in 0.2%–0.4% of male infertility cases. The causes of necrozoospermia are multiple: they can be related to testicular and/or post‐testicular damage. Additionally, these causes most often involve the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and/or sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) which can reduce the chances of spontaneous pregnancy or affect the outcome of assisted reproductive technologies.

Objective

To focus on potential etiologies of necrozoospermia, its diagnosis and its therapeutic management especially before the employment of ICSI.

Methods

Authors searched PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Google and Institutional websites for medical subheading terms and free text words referred to “necrozoospermia”, “sperm vitality”, “sperm viability”, SDF and “ICSI”.

Results

We identified 12 main etiologies of necrozoospermia responsible for either a decrease of sperm vitality, a mild, a moderate or a severe necrozoospermia. In case of a confirmed decreased vitality, a thorough check‐up should be conducted and if available, etiological treatment should be proposed. Therapeutic management could also include repeated ejaculations, drug treatments, the use of ICSI with ejaculated or surgically extracted spermatozoa in case of a non‐treatable necrozoospermia.

Discussion and conclusion

The potential causes of necrozoospermia should be investigated because many of them could be corrected, thus avoiding the use of ICSI. Moreover, if ICSI procedure remains necessary, the therapeutic management of necrozoospermia could also improve the chances of success by reducing oxidative stress and/or SDF.
Experimental assessment of endozoochorous dispersal of Prosopis flexuosa seeds by domestic ungulates
Authors: Egea Ángela Vanina , Campagna María Sofía , Cona Mónica Inés , Sartor Carmen , Campos Claudia Mónica
Published: March 2022

Question

The spatial and temporal dynamics of plant communities in various ecosystems are shaped by the movements of seeds expressed as different dispersal modes. In desert rangeland, many plants produce relatively large fruits that are limited in their long‐distance dispersal abilities and, therefore, depend on transport inside animals, a process termed endozoochory. Evaluating the effectiveness of this process from experimental data is crucial for assessing the potential of domestic ungulates as effective long‐distance seed dispersers and, consequently, as management and restoration tools in degraded rangelands.

Methods

In this study we jointly estimated recovery, gut retention time (RT) and germination probability of Prosopis flexuosa seeds (a tree species of Monte desert in Argentina) transported by goats, horses and cattle (n = 4) through a seed‐feeding experiment. Also, in horses and cattle, we used plastic particles to distinguish between seed loss due to mastication and due to degradation in the gut.

Results

Results showed higher seed recovery in horses (26%) than in cattle (3%) and goats (5%), and different values of RT and germination of seeds among species (in decreasing order, RT was: cattle > goats > horses; and germination was: goat > horses > cattle = control seeds).

Conclusions

We concluded that the quality of seed treatment by horses is better than by the other species, because of the high seed recovery and high germination compared to control seeds. To get a complete picture of this mutualistic interaction, future studies could inquire about the physical and chemical properties of faeces as substrate and the environmental conditions of sites where seeds are deposited.
A null founder variant in NPNT, encoding nephronectin, causes autosomal recessive renal agenesis
Authors: Al‐Hamed Mohamed H. , Altuwaijri Norah , Alsahan Nada , Ali Wafaa , Abdulwahab Firdous , Alzahrani Fatema , Majrashi Nada , Alkuraya Fowzan S.
Published: March 2022

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are a spectrum of abnormalities affecting morphogenesis of the kidneys and other structures of the urinary tract. Bilateral renal agenesis (BRA) is the most severe presentation of CAKUT. Loss of either nephronectin (NPNT) or its receptor ITGA8 leads to failure of metanephric kidney development with resulting renal agenesis in murine models. Very recently, a single family with renal agenesis and a homozygous truncating variant in NPNT was reported. We report two families in whom genome‐wide linkage analysis showed an autozygous locus linked to BRA (at least one member has unilateral renal agenesis) at 4q24, with an LOD score of ~3. Exome sequencing detected a nonsense variant in NPNT in both families within the linkage interval. The pathogenicity of this variant was supported by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction data showing complete nonsense‐mediated decay of the NPNT transcript. Our report confirms the candidacy of NPNT in renal agenesis in humans and shows that even complete loss of function can be compatible with the formation of a single kidney.
Evaluation of the secondary and tertiary prevention strategies against occupational contact dermatitis in Germany: A systematic review
Authors: Ahlström Malin G. , Dietz Jojo B. , Wilke Annika , Johansen Jeanne D. , John Swen Malthe , Brans Richard
Published: March 2022

In Germany, a stepwise multidisciplinary approach has been established to prevent occupational skin diseases (OSDs), primarily occupational contact dermatitis. This review aims to perform a systematic evaluation of the short‐ and long‐term effects of the German secondary and tertiary individual prevention programmes (SIP and TIP, respectively) for OSDs. Primary outcomes were continuation of employment, severity of hand dermatitis, and quality of life (QoL). The PubMed and Embase databases were searched for studies reporting the effects of the SIP and TIP. A total of 19 studies encompassing 5527 patients with OSDs were included: 11 studies evaluated the SIP and 8 evaluated the TIP. Following the SIP, approximately 70% to 90% and 60% to 70% of patients remained in their occupation after 1 and 5 years, respectively. At 3 years after the TIP, 82.7% of patients remained in their occupation and exhibited a significant decrease in hand dermatitis severity, as well as an increase in QoL. Most of these studies were uncontrolled and the interventions, outcomes, and measurement instruments used were heterogeneous. The SIP and TIP lead to decreased disease severity, improved QoL, and enabled most patients to continue working in their chosen professions. Implementing a similar multidisciplinary approach across Europe may be beneficial.
Tail‐dependent spatial synchrony arises from nonlinear driver–response relationships
Authors: Walter Jonathan A. , Castorani Max C. N. , Bell Tom W. , Sheppard Lawrence W. , Cavanaugh Kyle C. , Reuman Daniel C.
Published: March 2022

Spatial synchrony may be tail‐dependent, that is, stronger when populations are abundant than scarce, or vice‐versa. Here, ‘tail‐dependent’ follows from distributions having a lower tail consisting of relatively low values and an upper tail of relatively high values. We present a general theory of how the distribution and correlation structure of an environmental driver translates into tail‐dependent spatial synchrony through a non‐linear response, and examine empirical evidence for theoretical predictions in giant kelp along the California coastline. In sheltered areas, kelp declines synchronously (lower‐tail dependence) when waves are relatively intense, because waves below a certain height do little damage to kelp. Conversely, in exposed areas, kelp is synchronised primarily by periods of calmness that cause shared recovery (upper‐tail dependence). We find evidence for geographies of tail dependence in synchrony, which helps structure regional population resilience: areas where population declines are asynchronous may be more resilient to disturbance because remnant populations facilitate reestablishment.
Delayed B cell repopulation after rituximab treatment in multiple sclerosis patients with expanded adaptive natural killer cells
Authors: Moreira Antía , Munteis Elvira , Vera Andrea , Macías Gómez Adrián , Bertrán Recasens Bernat , Rubio Pérez Miguel Ángel , Llop Mireia , Martínez‐Rodríguez Jose E.
Published: March 2022

Background and purpose

The aim was to evaluate whether adaptive NKG2C+ natural killer (NK) cells, characterized by enhanced antibody‐dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC), may influence time to B cell repopulation after rituximab treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study of MS patients treated with rituximab monitoring peripheral B cells for repeated doses. B cell repopulation was defined as CD19+ cells above 2% of total lymphocytes, classifying cases according to the median time of B cell repopulation as early or late (≤9 months, >9 months, respectively). Basal NK cell immunophenotype and in vitro ADCC responses induced by rituximab were assessed by flow cytometry.

Results

B cell repopulation in 38 patients (24 relapsing–remitting MS [RRMS]; 14 progressive MS) was classified as early (≤9 months, n = 19) or late (>9 months, n = 19). RRMS patients with late B cell repopulation had higher proportions of NKG2C+ NK cells compared to those with early repopulation (24.7% ± 16.2% vs. 11.3% ± 10.4%, p < 0.05), and a direct correlation between time to B cell repopulation and percentage of NKG2C+ NK cells (R 0.45, p < 0.05) was observed. RRMS cases with late repopulation compared with early repopulation had a higher secretion of tumor necrosis factor α and interferon γ by NK cells after rituximab‐dependent NK cell activation. The NK cell immunophenotype appeared unrelated to B cell repopulation in progressive MS patients.

Conclusions

Adaptive NKG2C+ NK cells in RRMS may be associated with delayed B cell repopulation after rituximab, a finding probably related to enhanced depletion of B cells exerted by NK‐cell‐mediated ADCC, pointing to the use of personalized regimens with anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy in some patients.
Context matters: Longitudinal associations between marital relationships and sibling relationships in Black families
Authors: Skinner Olivenne D. , McHale Susan M.
Published: March 2022

Objective and Background

Sibling relationship qualities have been linked to parents' marital dynamics, but we know little about the contextual conditions underlying these linkages. We examined longitudinal associations between parents' reports of their marital satisfaction and conflict and siblings' reports of warmth and conflict and tested whether these associations varied by family economic strain, neighborhood economic disadvantage, and parent and youth gender.

Method

Data were collected in three annual home interviews with mothers and fathers and two adolescent siblings from 185 Black families.

Results

Results from multilevel models showed that associations between mothers' and fathers' marital and youth's sibling relationship varied according to neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, family economic strain, and youth gender. For example, consistent with a spillover model, on occasions when parents reported more marital conflict than usual, youth reported less sibling positivity, but only when parents also experienced less economic strain than usual. Supporting a compensation hypothesis, on occasions when parents reported more marital conflict than usual, boys reported more sibling positivity.

Conclusions

Results provide new insights into family systems processes in an understudied group, including the role of contextual factors and youth gender in shaping those processes.

Implications

Researchers and practitioners should consider multiple family relationship dynamics and the larger family contexts in which these relationships take place to better understand youth relational adjustment.
Mutually inclusive mechanisms of drought‐induced tree mortality
Authors: Hajek Peter , Link Roman M. , Nock Charles A. , Bauhus Jürgen , Gebauer Tobias , Gessler Arthur , Kovach Kyle , Messier Christian , Paquette Alain , Saurer Matthias , Scherer‐Lorenzen Michael , Rose Laura , Schuldt Bernhard
Published: March 2022

Unprecedented tree dieback across Central Europe caused by recent global change‐type drought events highlights the need for a better mechanistic understanding of drought‐induced tree mortality. Although numerous physiological risk factors have been identified, the importance of two principal mechanisms, hydraulic failure and carbon starvation, is still debated. It further remains largely unresolved how the local neighborhood composition affects individual mortality risk. We studied 9435 young trees of 12 temperate species planted in a diversity experiment in 2013 to assess how hydraulic traits, carbon dynamics, pest infestation, tree height and neighborhood competition influence individual mortality risk. Following the most extreme global change‐type drought since record in 2018, one third of these trees died. Across species, hydraulic safety margins (HSMs) were negatively and a shift towards a higher sugar fraction in the non‐structural carbohydrate (NSC) pool positively associated with mortality risk. Moreover, trees infested by bark beetles had a higher mortality risk, and taller trees a lower mortality risk. Most neighborhood interactions were beneficial, although neighborhood effects were highly species‐specific. Species that suffered more from drought, especially Larix spp. and Betula spp., tended to increase the survival probability of their neighbors and vice versa. While severe tissue dehydration marks the final stage of drought‐induced tree mortality, we show that hydraulic failure is interrelated with a series of other, mutually inclusive processes. These include shifts in NSC pools driven by osmotic adjustment and/or starch depletion as well as pest infestation and are modulated by the size and species identity of a tree and its neighbors. A more holistic view that accounts for multiple causes of drought‐induced tree mortality is required to improve predictions of trends in global forest dynamics and to identify mutually beneficial species combinations.
Global geographical and latitudinal variation in butterfly species richness captured through a comprehensive country‐level occurrence database
Authors: Pinkert Stefan , Barve Vijay , Guralnick Robert , Jetz Walter
Published: March 2022

Motivation

Insects provide vital ecological functions and account for over half of all described species. An at least basic understanding of their geographical distributions is key for addressing a range of central ecological and evolutionary questions and to inform conservation. However, even for popular groups, such as butterflies, the knowledge of species’ distributions at global scale remains highly incomplete. To address this information gap, we present a data product of comprehensive country‐level occurrences for the 19,327 accepted species of extant butterflies. This compilation is based on a quality‐controlled combination of 165 literature sources and publicly available occurrence records from Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), harmonized to a global master taxonomy, and constitutes 159,659 (87,506 unique) species–country combinations. We developed a protocol for the integration of country‐level information from literature into the process of cleaning/validating species point occurrence records that facilitates dynamic updates of these country‐level checklist data. Such occurrence records are available for less than 54% of the species, with an apparent bias towards temperate regions and taxa. We use this combined database for a global assessment of the geographical variation in the diversity of butterflies, including an analysis of latitudinal gradients in the species richness—the first undertaken at this higher resolution. Country‐level richness decreases from the equator to the poles, both with and without control for country sizes. The presented data and analyses highlight the potential of leveraging multiple types of distribution information, particularly for taxa with limited data and their incorporation in ecological and conservation analysis. Our database and associated workflows provide a basis for an improved biogeographical understanding and conservation of insect biodiversity.

Main types of variables contained

Country‐level occurrences and their sources.

Spatial location and grain

Global, 256 countries.

Time period and grain

1861 to 2021.

Major taxa and level of measurement

19,191 accepted species of extant butterflies.

Software format

.csv, .shp.
Association of tumor molecular factors with in‐transit metastasis in primary cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Jakub James W. , Weaver Amy L. , Meves Alexander
Published: March 2022

Background

In‐transit metastases (ITM) are a form of locoregional relapse representing intralymphatic metastatic spread and occur in approximately 4–9% of patients with melanoma >1 mm Breslow thickness. Our objective was to evaluate a combination of clinicopathologic risk factors and gene expression biomarkers predictive of ITM risk.

Methods

We used PCR to quantify gene expression in diagnostic biopsy tissue across a prospectively designed archival cohort of 854 consecutive thin and intermediate thickness primary cutaneous melanomas. The outcome of interest was ITM >90 days after a melanoma diagnosis. Cox proportional hazard models were fit to estimate each clinicopathologic and molecular characteristic’s association with the risk of ITM.

Results

The 5‐year cumulative incidence of ITM was 3.2%. Clinical factors univariately associated with an increased risk of ITM were older age, greater Breslow thickness, greater mitotic rate, lower extremity location, ulceration, and a positive SLN biopsy. Of 108 genes tested, five were significantly upregulated and five significantly downregulated when evaluated in Cox models adjusted for age, Breslow thickness, mitotic rate, and lower extremity location. Among the upregulated genes, the strongest association was observed for interleukin‐8 (IL8).

Conclusion

A subset of gene expression biomarkers was identified as independently associated with the risk of ITM after adjusting for key covariates. Once sufficiently validated, our results may lead the way to regional therapy trials for a small, selected group of high‐risk patients.
Texture improvement of fermented minced pepper under vacuum impregnation with pectin methylesterase and CaCl2during fermentation
Authors: Wang Yingrui , Qin Keying , Chen Fei , Jiang Liwen , Zhou Hui , Ding Shenghua , Wang Rongrong
Published: March 2022

Fermented minced pepper (FMP) usually suffers from the deterioration of texture quality during fermentation, which can affect sensory and consumer acceptance. In this study, vacuum impregnation (VI) with CaCl2, pectin methylesterase (PME) and CaCl2and PME (PME + CaCl2 + VI) were compared to improve the texture quality of FMP. FMP treated with PME + CaCl2 + VI showed the relatively intact cells structure after fermentation. In that case, its firmness maintained high level, while water‐soluble pectin (WSP) content was minimum after fermentation. Meanwhile, the molar ratio of most monosaccharides of WSP in PME + CaCl2 + VI treated FMP decreased, while rhamnose (Rha) molar ratio significantly (p < 0.05) increased after fermentation. The high Rha content represents the stability of rhamnogalacturonan‐I linear skeleton of WSP. The negative effect on molecular weight of WSP was delayed by PME + CaCl2 + VI treatment, and its peak area and value increased after fermentation. Atomic force microscope images indicated that PME + CaCl2 + VI treatment could retain the long chain and branch structures, and inhibit the degradation of WSP net‐like structure at some extent. Hence, PME + CaCl2 + VI treatment was effective to improve the texture of FMP and inhibit the solubilisation of WSP via the formation of cross‐linked pectin chains between Ca2+and demethylesterified pectin.
Suppression of internal browning and maintenance of antioxidants in beeswax plus salicylic acid coated pear fruit during different storage conditions
Authors: Sinha Aeshna , Gill Parmpal Singh , Jawandha Sukhit Kaur , Grewal Satvir Kaur
Published: March 2022

Postharvest application of edible waxes blended with antioxidants is an effective strategy to regulate postharvest quality and antioxidant losses in fruits. Effect of beeswax coatings (BW 1.0% and 2.0%) alone or enriched with salicylic acid (SA) on antioxidant properties of pear fruit was studied during 67 days of cold storage and 20 days of supermarket storage conditions respectively. Results showed that under both the storage conditions fruits coated with BW + SA maintained higher total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity and ascorbic acid content (AsA) as compared to the control. Furthermore, combined coatings significantly reduced polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities and inhibited internal browning (IB) in pears throughout cold and supermarket storage. Overall, the BW 2.0% + SA 2.0 mM exhibited the most competitive effect in terms of preserving the antioxidant properties and preventing internal browning in pears during storage.
National survey of periodontal diseases in adolescents and young adults in Morocco
Authors: Kissa Jamila , Albandar Jasim M. , El Houari Bouchra , Khlil Nadia , Amine Khadija , Chemlali Sihame , Mikou Salwa , Gharibi Amina , El Ouadnassi Imane , Tricha Latifa , Himmiche Mohammed , Rifki Chouaib
Published: March 2022

Aim

National surveys of periodontal diseases in children are rare. This study describes the first national survey of oral health of adolescents attending public schools in Morocco. We report the prevalence and demographic determinants of periodontal diseases, and generate population estimates for this young population.

Materials and Methods

This study used a multi‐stage probability sample comprising 14,667 students in 87 schools and 520 classrooms, representative of students attending grades 6–12 (age 12–18 years) in Morocco. The students were interviewed and then examined clinically to assess their periodontal status, which was classified according to the 2017 World Workshop. In addition, the diagnosis of aggressive periodontitis (AgP) was assessed.

Results

Of approximately 3 million students in this age cohort, 12.3% (or approximately 360,894 subjects) had periodontitis and 46.9% (1.4 million) had gingivitis. They comprised 10.8%, 2.9%, and 6.1% subjects with periodontitis stage I, II, and III/IV, respectively; 5.0%, or 148,336 subjects, had AgP. The prevalence rates were not significantly different by gender or urban status. However, the prevalence of AgP was particularly high in certain regions of Morocco.

Conclusions

The prevalence of staged periodontitis and AgP in this young population is among the highest reported in national surveys worldwide.
Do high performers always obtain supervisory career mentoring? The role of perspective‐taking
Authors: Wang Xiaoyu (Christina) , Zheng Xiaotong (Janey) , Guan Yanjun , Zhao Shuming
Published: March 2022

Drawing on social exchange theory, this study examines when and why high performers may fail to obtain supervisory career mentoring (SCM). Although high performance by protégés often makes SCM more efficient and successful, we argue that supervising mentors may be reluctant to offer SCM due to the victimization of high performers that has been shown by recent findings in the supervision literature. We further propose that high performers should be high in perspective‐taking, a core relational competence and a key individual factor that moderates the relationship between protégé performance and SCM. Findings from a multi‐source multi‐time survey (Study 1) and an online experiment (Study 2) consistently show that when high performers are low in perspective‐taking, they are less likely to receive SCM. Moreover, the findings from Study 2 also show that low perspective‐taking by high performers significantly reduces supervisors’ expected benefits from mentoring them, which in turn leads to the supervisors having low willingness to mentor. Our research therefore highlights the importance of taking into account the interaction between task and relational competence in understanding how protégé characteristics may influence SCM in organizational settings. The paper concludes with theoretical and practical implications.

Practitioner points

At workplace, employees tend to focus on improving their performance and task competence and believe that high performance can help them receive more resources to develop their career. However, if they cannot imagine oneself in another’s shoes, high performance can lead to less positive results.

High performers should take others’ perspective to understand what others feel and think to reduce potential threats seen by the supervisor and their colleagues. Therefore, task and relational competence are equally important.

Organizations can help their employees develop this perspective‐taking, including creating more opportunities (e.g., informal social events or formal training) for employees and their supervisors to understand each other’s work roles, perspectives and values, which can help employees to understand their supervisors’ views and stand in their supervisors’ shoes.
Before‐School Physical Activity Program's Impact on Social and Emotional Learning
Authors: Goh Tan Leng , Leong Chee Hoi , Fede Marybeth , Ciotto Carol
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

Despite the positive impact of social and emotional learning (SEL) on the emotional well‐being of children, literature on physical activity engagement and SEL among this population has been limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether school students' SEL would improve after participation in a before‐school physical activity program.

METHODS

A total of 138 fourth and sixth grade students from 1 elementary school and 1 middle school participated in this study. Seventy‐five students participated in the before‐school physical activity program, while 63 students were in the control group. The physical education teachers implemented the program 3 days per week, for 3 weeks. The participants completed a 10‐question adapted Devereux Student Strengths Assessment‐Mini before and after the program. Repeated measures ANOVA was run to determine the effects of the program on SEL competence.

RESULTS

The fourth and sixth grade students who participated in the program reported a 7 and 10% improvement in pre‐ versus post‐intervention SEL competence, respectively. Students in the control group reported no change in their SEL competence.

CONCLUSION

Considering the benefits of a before‐school physical activity program on students' SEL, stakeholders should consider including more physical activity programming within school policies.
Effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide on growth performance, blood parameters and immunity in weaned piglets
Authors: Li Chenxu , Zhao Pengli , Shao Qi , Chen Wenbin , Huang Shucheng , Wang Xueying , Zhang Cai , He Lei
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GCP) on growth performance, blood parameters and immunity in weaned piglets. A total of 240 (10.33 ± 0.62 kg body weight) 35‐day‐old (Duroc × Landrace × White) weaned piglets were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, with six replicate pens per treatment and 10 piglets per pen (five males and five females). The dietary treatments continued for 21 days and comprised a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control group), 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg GCP. The results showed that the inclusion of 1000 and 2000 mg/kg GCP increased the average daily gain and decreased the feed conversion rate compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The piglets treated with 500 and 1000 mg/kg GCP had a lower diarrhoeal incidence than the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, supplementation with 1000 mg/kg GCP increased the counts of white blood cells, neutrophils, red blood cells, and platelets, and elevated alkaline phosphatase, total protein, globulin, glucose, triglyceride, immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, and total antioxidant capacity levels (p < 0.05), and decreased malondialdehyde content compare with the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, relative to the control group, piglets fed 500 and 1000 mg/kg GCP had significantly lower expression of interleukin‐6 mRNA in spleen (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that dietary supplementation with GCP can improve growth performance, blood parameters and immunity in weaned piglets. Our study suggests that adding 1000 mg/kg GCP to the diet had the most beneficial effect.
Validity of chronotype questionnaires in adolescents: Correlations with actigraphy
Authors: Paciello Leonie M. , Quante Mirja , Weidenauer Corina , Rueschman Michael , Nieratschker Vanessa , Poets Christian F. , Randler Christoph
Published: March 2022

There are only a few validated chronotype and morningness–eveningness questionnaires for adolescents. We evaluated three such questionnaires, namely Morningness–Eveningness Stability Scale improved; reduced Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents; and Composite Scale of Morningness in adolescents against actigraphy. Fifty‐five healthy 13‐ to 16‐year‐old adolescents completed the Morningness–Eveningness Stability Scale improved, reduced Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, Composite Scale of Morningness, and Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale, and provided a 7‐day actigraphy and sleep diary recording about their sleep–wake patterns. We examined the correlations between sleep–wake and activity parameters, and the questionnaires. The influence of age and sex on chronotype classification was studied using uni‐ and multivariate analyses. All three chronotype questionnaires showed good internal consistency and convergent validity. Spearman correlations reflected less daytime sleepiness, earlier sleep times, midpoints of sleep, and acrophase in morning‐oriented participants. Evening‐oriented participants had more sleepiness and later respective sleep–wake times. Chronotype classification differed significantly between questionnaires. The Composite Scale of Morningness classified more participants as morning types when compared with the reduced Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (12 versus 7, respectively), and fewer adolescents as evening types (5 versus 9, respectively). Age and sex had no significant influence on questionnaire scores. The Morningness–Eveningness Stability Scale improved, reduced Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, and Composite Scale of Morningness are valid instruments to determine circadian preference in adolescents; however, chronotype classification from the Composite Scale of Morningness and reduced Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents cannot be used interchangeably.
Primary tuberculous granuloma in the falciform ligament of liver
Authors: Wang Piao , Liu Xiang‐dong , Li Bo , Su Song
Published: March 2022

Isolated tuberculous granuloma in the falciform ligament of the liver has never been reported. Here, we report a case of tuberculous granuloma in the falciform ligament of the liver of a 45‐year‐old woman who complained only of persistent right upper abdominal pain. On abdominal contrast‐enhanced CT and MRI, it is difficult to distinguish benign from malignant masses. Imaging on 18F‐FDG PET/CT showed high uptake of 18F‐FDG in the lesion, which was thus considered more likely to be malignant. However, postoperative pathological examination showed granulomatous inflammation with caseous necrosis, which was diagnosed as tuberculosis.