bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
More than just agents: the role of executives' psychological ownership in aligning interests of principals and agents
Authors: Renz Franziska M. , Vogel Julian U. N.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Aligning interests of principals and agents is the most efficient way to reduce the agency conflict. Yet, the literature on executive compensation reveals inefficiencies in providing executives with legal ownership. Thus, the authors go beyond legal ownership and posit that executives' psychological ownership further aligns the interests of executives as agents and shareholders as principals.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employ sophisticated methodology, including dynamic panel data regressions, static panel data regressions and propensity score matching. External validity is achieved through the large-scale sample of 22,179 firm-quarters spanning 24 quarters from 2013 to 2018 of the S&P 1500.

Findings

Psychological ownership aligns the interests of executives and shareholders since this mindset makes executives perceive the company as “theirs”. Executives' psychological ownership decreases firms' fraud and financial performance. The decrease in financial performance is related to an observed increase in executives' risk-aversion. Investors recognize this ownership mindset in executives and reward it with a positive market reaction.

Originality/value

The study is the first to consider psychological ownership of executives in relation to firm outcomes such as financial performance or fraud. The findings are of interest to scholars and practitioners, as this study establishes both theoretically and empirically a way to align the interests of principals and agents beyond executive compensation.
Evaluating social drop-in facilities and their impact on social recovery in early intervention in psychosis services
Authors: Lee Jessica , Haskayne Donna , Hussain Madihah , Darukhanawala Abbas , Marriott Charlotte
Published: September 2022

Purpose

“Social recovery” is a long-cited aim within the UK early intervention in psychosis (EIP) services; however, there is a lack of evidence regarding existing social recovery provisions and how these can be improved. This paper aims to evaluate an existing social drop-in facility within an EIP team, ran within the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, and highlight the potential benefits of delivering such services for people diagnosed with first episode psychosis.

Design/methodology/approach

Attendance and basic demographic statistics (age, gender and ethnicity of attendees) were collected over a period of 13 weeks. In addition, two semi-structured focus groups were conducted: one with EIP staff members (community psychiatric nurses and support workers) and the other with current service users, with both groups describing their satisfaction and experience of the drop-in facility and how it can be improved.

Findings

Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse data from both focus groups, with six overarching meta-themes being identified: reflection, environment, emotional experience, recovery, activities and interactions. Service users and staff reflected that the drop-in facility was an asset to the service, although work could be done to improve overall attendance.

Originality/value

This paper explores how a social drop-in facility can provide a supportive, positive environment that aids recovery from psychosis for service users and improves working conditions for the EIP staff.
A note on financial literacy among literate people and their participation in different securities market segments
Authors: Alves Carlos Francisco
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between perceived and actual financial literacy, among generally literate people, pertaining to market participation and market participation intensity. It examines such market participation in both the traditional segments of the financial markets and the new segments [cryptocurrencies, structured retail products (SRPs) and crowdfunding].

Design/methodology/approach

The data are from a survey conducted in 2020 by the Portuguese Securities Commission in cooperation with 12 Portuguese universities. The final sample comprises 2,054 respondents. The basic and advanced financial literacy indexes were calculated following van Rooij et al. (2011). This paper uses probit regressions and ordinary least squares regressions with robust errors.

Findings

This study shows that even highly literate people are influenced by their perceived financial knowledge and its bias toward their actual skills. However, overconfidence has no significant association with securities market participation but rather is marginally correlated with the intensity of such participation. Underconfidence is negatively related to both. Moreover, the relationship between advanced financial literacy and overconfidence pertaining to participation in more complex market segments depends on the product type. Specifically, overconfidence has a positive relationship with participation in cryptocurrencies and SRPs but not with crowdfunding.

Research limitations/implications

The securities market regulators should take note that participation in some complex market segments, even among literate people, is associated with investor overconfidence. Given that effective financial literacy correlates with participation in some more complex financial market segments and not others, the implication for future research is that the performance of individual investors may differ across these different segments. Additionally, this paper argues that the metrics used to assess financial literacy must take cognizance of the topics required to participate in the new market segments of financial markets.

Originality/value

This paper augments this stream of literature in several respects. First, it focuses on highly educated and trained people rather than the general population. Second, while the previous literature measures market participation using a simple dummy to identify respondents who invest in stocks, this paper also measures the intensity of participation. In addition, this study investigates the financial literacy effect from participation in the more complex segments of the securities markets, as in the case of cryptocurrencies and SRPs.
Expanding flexible citizenship: Chinese international school students and global mobilities for higher education
Authors: Ma Ying , Wright Ewan
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study aims to interrogate and expand on the flexible citizenship framework by illuminating students' emergent identities and imagined future mobilities in China's expanding international school sector.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with international school students and their parents in Shenzhen, covering their motivations for overseas higher education, experience with international schooling, self-perceived identities and imagined futures.

Findings

The participants aspired to overseas higher education for both symbolic capital attainment and embodied cultural cultivation to thrive in a globalised world. They expressed confidence that international schooling experiences prepared students for mobility to Western higher education and cultivated globally-oriented identities while not undermining their Chinese roots. They imagined their futures in terms of considerable flexibility, with a rising China viewed as an attractive and feasible option for career development.

Research limitations/implications

This research provides an enriched understanding of a new generation of globally mobile Chinese students. The participants held distinctively different outlooks, aspirations and attitudes than depicted in the flexible citizenship framework, which emphasised a one-dimensional and instrumentalist portrayal of Chinese international students. This study discusses cross-generational changes in the desire for overseas education and a global-national outlook among young people in the context of significant social transformations in urban China.

Originality/value

The originality of this study is in expanding the flexible citizenship framework with reference to the emergent identities and pathways of students in the international schooling sector in China.
Effect of COVID‐19 stimulus payments on sales of local small businesses: Quasi‐experimental evidence from Korea
Authors: Choi Hoon
Published: September 2022

This paper examines how sales of local small businesses can be promoted through COVID‐19 stimulus payments. In the beginning of April, 2020, The Gyeonggi provincial government in Korea implemented a stimulus payment program worth up to 500 thousand Korean Won (416 US dollars) per person to encourage local consumption. By exploiting unique features of the stimulus payments that restricted the use of the payments in the municipality of residence at establishments accepting the Gyeonggi local currency, the paper identifies the treatment effect of the stimulus payments, taking a difference‐in‐difference‐in‐differences approach. The results suggest that the stimulus payments led to significant increases in card spending in establishments accepting the Gyeonggi local currency, relative to other establishments. The estimated overall spending effect of 4.1% persisted over three weeks, and the effects are heterogeneous across sectors. While the estimated spending effect of the stimulus payments is larger among sectors such as groceries, furniture, and beauty, sectors such as restaurants, leisure, and travel that experienced substantial sales losses did not gain much from the stimulus payments. This suggests that targeting sectors the most severely affected can be a more effective policy measure in terms of alleviating the gaps in COVID‐19 induced economic losses across sectors.
Social Networks Analysis in Accounting and Finance*
Authors: Bianchi Pietro A. , Causholli Monika , Minutti‐Meza Miguel , Sulcaj Valbona
Published: September 2022

Social network analysis (SNA) examines whether interactions between individuals, teams, and organizations result in network structures and patterns that can explain important outcomes, including firm performance, management reporting behaviors, investor beliefs, and audit outcomes. This paper reviews the growing body of work on SNA in accounting and finance research, focusing on 162 articles published between 2000 and 2021, and offers a roadmap that may help move this literature forward. Our survey summarizes the elements of SNA, organizes this literature within a theoretical framework, and provides a thematic discussion of the context and contribution of the selected studies. We also discuss opportunities and challenges for future research. Finally, we include an empirical illustration of the key concepts and tools of SNA. We believe that SNA will continue to offer an interesting avenue for conducting high‐impact and cross‐disciplinary research in accounting and finance.
Can digitally‐enabled financial instruments secure an inclusive agricultural transformation?
Authors: Carter Michael R.
Published: September 2022

Research shows that risk management will be key if an agricultural transformation that includes the smallholder farm sector is to occur in sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia. While the smallholder farm sector has historically had poor access to financial and other risk management tools, digital technologies are rapidly impacting the cost and availability of savings, credit, and insurance services in remote rural regions. While these services are all different ways of moving money through time, and thus would seem to be substitutes for each other, they are characterized by quite different pre‐requisites in terms of trust and understanding, and in terms of required tangible and reputational assets. This observation suggests that resilience and an inclusive agricultural transformation might be best promoted by a flexible system that offers indexed risk management tools that can meet the needs of households that enjoy different assets and beliefs. This article lays out this logic and models the use and impacts of a system of flexible financial tools for risk management and an inclusive agricultural transformation. Key findings include that farmers will optimally combine all three financial instruments. The model also shows that these combined financial risk management tools are by themselves sufficient to induce agricultural intensification for less poor, but not for the deeply poor households who have already been decapitalized by shocks.
Highlights from the Turin international workshop on liver machine perfusion
Authors: Patrono Damiano , De Stefano Nicola , Martins Paulo N. , Romagnoli Renato ,   Meeting Collaborators
Published: September 2022

The 1st Turin international workshop on liver machine perfusion, which was held in Turin (Italy) on June 10th–11th, 2022, gathered more than 50 key opinion leaders and more than 220 delegates from 11 countries. The purpose of the meeting was discussing several aspects of liver machine perfusion in liver transplantation, including the state of the art, real‐world clinical indications, and potential developments of this technology. We herein provide a brief summary of the evidence, perspectives and controversies presented during the meeting.
Outcomes of modular cable exchange in HeartMate 3 patients versus conventional driveline repair in HeartMate II patients
Authors: Merzah Ali Saad , Hanke Jasmin S. , Li Tong , Saad Merzah Fadi A. , Gabriel Maria , Derda Anselm A. , Homann Katharina , Haverich Axel , Schmitto Jan D. , Dogan Günes
Published: September 2022

Background

Driveline (DL) damages are a common difficulty among ventricular assist devices (VAD). Repairing the electrical fibers inside the DL on a running pump is hazardous and requires technical expertise, which is not easily available on site. A new feature of the HeartMate3 (Abbott, U.S.A.) LVAD is a modular driveline that allows an easy exchange of the DL cord. In this report we analyze our experiences with this feature.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of 302 patients who underwent either HeartMate II or HeartMate 3 implantation between February 2004 and September 2021. Patients were screened for driveline faults and need for exchange or repair of driveline or VAD exchange. Documented were baseline characteristics, reasons for DL or VAD exchange, and complications. Follow‐up was three months after the procedure.

Results

We present a cohort of 302 patients who underwent either HMII (n = 107;35.4%) or HM 3 (n = 195; 64.5%) implantation. Out of those, 40 patients (40/302; 13.2%) required driveline repair (DLRe) or exchange (DLEx). Out of 107 HMII patients, 9 showed severe DL damages (9/107; 8.4%). Six patients (6/9; 66.6%) underwent DLRe, two patients (2/6; 33.3%) required VAD exchange after DLRe, one patient (1/2;50%) experienced emergency VAD exchange after pump stop. The DLRe procedure in the other four patients (4/6; 66.6%) was successful. Due to damage to the internal driveline two patients (2/9; 22.2%) underwent emergency device exchange and one patient (1/9;11.1%) was listed for transplantation. 31 out 195 HM3 patients underwent exchange of the modular DL. In none of the cases, damages of the internal fibers were the reasons for the exchange. In 100% of the cases, damages of the external coating were the reason for DL exchange. In none of the cases, complications occurred after the exchange procedure.

Conclusions

Driveline damages are a habitual, recurrent complication in VAD patients. The exchange of the modular driveline cable of the HM3 is feasible and safe compared to the conventional DL repair in HMII patients. Risky repair attempts and surgical LVAD exchange due to major damages of the electrical fibers can be avoided successfully by the new feature of HM3 driveline.
Burning the seed bank: Seed response of eight species to different fire intensities in Patagonian steppe
Authors: Gonzalez Sofía , Salazar César Vallejos , Ghermandi Luciana
Published: September 2022

Questions

Fire intensity influences the soil seed bank in fire‐prone environments. The aim of this investigation was to study the effects of fire intensity on seed germination and seedling growth of native species which belong to three functional groups (grasses, shrubs, and fire ephemerals). We addressed the following questions: (1) How does fire intensity affect the seed germination and seedling growth of the functional groups? Are there differences among species within each functional group? (2) How do seed traits (shape, size, protection structures of seeds, and embryo position) influence the resistance to high temperatures? (3) What conclusions at the community level can we infer from our results?

Location

Northwestern Patagonian grasslands, Argentina.

Methods

We performed two experimental burns using different amounts of grassland biomass to simulate low and high fire intensities on sowed seeds of eight native species (four grasses, two shrubs, and two fire ephemerals). We calculated the frequency of seed germination, mean germination time, and estimated seedling growth by weighing the dry biomass (roots and leaves). We examined the relationship of seed mass, length, and shape to the percentage of seed germination in low‐ and high‐temperature treatments.

Results

Both temperature treatments negatively affected the seed germination of all functional groups and species, except for the fire ephemeral Boopis gracilis with protected linear embryos. Among grasses, the presence of protective structures in Pappostipa speciosa seeds and of hairs in Poa lanuginosa seeds probably provides resistance to high temperatures. Root growth of seedlings of the grasses Pappostipa speciosa and Festuca pallescens was stimulated by high‐temperature treatment ensuring post‐fire establishment.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that fire intensity influences the post‐fire seed germination and seedling growth of the three dominant functional groups of northwestern Patagonian grasslands. In addition, we can affirm that the species of these functional groups have adaptations to resist wildfires and are capable of exploiting post‐fire resources.
Irresponsible contagions: Propagating harmful behavior through imitation
Authors: Bryant Andrew , Griffin Jennifer J. , Perry Vanessa G.
Published: September 2022

‘Monkey see, monkey do’ is an old saying referring to imitating another's actions without necessarily understanding the underlying motivations or being concerned about consequences, such as propagating harmful behaviors. This study examines the likelihood of firms imitating and proliferating others’ unethical, irresponsible practices thereby exacerbating harmful effects among even more firms; in doing so, irresponsible contagions can rapidly spread more broadly, negatively affecting even more consumers. Building upon rivalry‐ and information‐based imitation theories, we examine if harmful behaviors of others, in combination with misbehavior of referent firms, influences the likelihood of a firm to engage in irresponsible consumer‐related practices. After examining 25,824 firm‐year observations over 12 years, our findings suggest that imitation of harmful product‐related behavior occurs; with size an important factor related to proliferation of harmful behaviors. Testing the model against a holdout sample finds 94% accuracy. Implications for scholars, managers, and policy makers are explored.
Imaginaries of the Pandemic in Chile: A Conceptual‐Empirical Discussion
Authors: Vergara Jorge Iván , Leyton Legües Daniela , Sepúlveda Galeas Mauricio , Lagos Sepúlveda Germán , Peixoto Carolina Tavares , Vergara Del Solar Ana
Published: September 2022

This article aims to reconstruct the social imaginaries of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in Chile. We seek to understand how families interpret their experience confronting the pandemic by identifying four main aspects: (a) the COVID‐19 pandemic, (b) working and learning, (c) health and (d) family life. Following Habermas' distinction between lifeworld and social systems, we consider these issues as constituting the social imaginary of lifeworld, different but related to the imaginaries of social systems. The qualitative empirical data was gathered through a sample of 38 families interviewed online between September 2020 and January 2021 in four Chilean cities: Iquique, Valparaíso, Santiago and Concepción. Other complementary sources of information are multimodal ethnography (digital diaries), press articles and state reports.
Novel rare mutation in a conserved site of PTPRB causes human hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Authors: Jia Yangying , Chen Jianhai , Zhong Jie , He Xuefei , Zeng Li , Wang Yanmin , Li Jiakun , Xia Shengqian , Ye Erdengqieqieke , Zhao Jing , Ke Bin , Li Chunyu
Published: September 2022

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare but fatal birth defect in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. HLHS accounts for 2% to 4% of congenital heart anomalies. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was conducted for a family trio consisting of a proband and his parents. A homozygous rare variant was detected in the PTPRB (Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Type B) gene of the proband by functional annotation and co‐segregation analysis. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm genotypes of the variant. The in silico prediction tools, including Mutation Taster, SpliceAI, and CADD, were used to predict the impact of the mutation. The allele frequencies across populations were compared based on multiple databases, including “1000 genomes” and “gnomAD”. We used two vectors (pcMINI and pcDNA3.1) to generate a minigene construct to validate the mutational effect at the transcriptional level. Family‐based WGS analyses showed that only a homozygous splice acceptor variant (NC_000012.12: g.70636068T>G, NM_001109754.4: c.56‐2A>C, NG_029940.2: g.6373A>C) at the exon‐intron border of PTPRB gene associates with HLHS. This variant is also within the region with the enhancer activity based on UCSC genome annotation. Genotyping and Sanger sequencing revealed that the proband's parents are heterozygous for this variant. Evolutionary conservation analysis revealed that the site (NC_000012.12: g.70636068) is extremely conserved across species, supporting the evolutionary functional constraints of the ancestral wild type (T). In silico tools universally predicted a deleterious or disease‐causing impact of the mutation from T to G. The mutation was not found in the 1000 genomes and gnomAD databases, which indicates that this mutation is very rare in most human populations. A splicing assay indicated that the mutated minigene caused aberrant splicing of mRNA, in which a 3 bp missing in the second exon resulted in the deletion of one amino acid (NP_001103224.1:p.Glu19del) compared to the normal protein of PRPTB (also the VE‐PTP). Structure prediction revealed that the deletion occurred within the C‐region of the signal peptide of VE‐PTP, suggesting signal peptide‐related defects as a potential mechanism for the HLHS cellular pathogeny. We report a rare homozygous variant with splicing error in PTPRB associated with HLHS. Previous model species studies revealed conserved functions of PTPRB in cardiovascular and heart development in mice and zebrafish. Our study is the first report to show the association between PTPRB and HLHS in humans.
Anthropogenic dark earth: Evolution, distribution, physical, and chemical properties
Authors: Asare Michael O.
Published: September 2022

Anthropogenic dark earth (ADE) is a category of Anthrosols (anthropogenic soils) characterised by dark colour from homogeneous charcoal inclusion and extraordinary fertility compared with non‐anthropogenic soils. The study aims to provide a detailed overview of the origin and distributions of ADEs, together with their physical and chemical characteristics, to reveal their fertility status for arable land use. According to this study, most studied ADEs are well distributed in tropical (Amazonian and African dark earth) and temperate (European dark earth) climatic regions. Middens are localised, with large‐sized ones well preserved in the Arctic region due to the wet and cold weather conditions. The formation of ADE is mainly associated with deliberate and unintentional ancient human activities: deposition of domestic and occupational wastes, charred residues, biomass ashes, burning, and fertilisation of fields. The characteristic dark colour of ADE resulted mainly from charcoal and the decomposition of organic wastes. The material composition of ADEs (including charcoal, organic matter, and clay) contributes to the formation of sizable pores for the retention of water and elements and aeration. ADE exhibits a C:N ratio for good mineralization, stable organic matter stock, and higher cation exchange capacity. Additionally, ADEs are characterised by circum‐neutral reactions and enriched by nutrients (C, N, P, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Fe) and other elements (Sr, Rb, and Ba) compared with surrounding non‐anthropogenic soils. Although generally highly productive, a comparison of herbage production and crop yields between ADEs and natural soils is not well studied. The persistence of anthropogenic activities that lead to the formation of ADE indicates that these soils are still subject to continuous development, especially in rural settings. Adopting the process of ADE development in recent arable land can represent a promising future for sustainable agriculture.

Highlights

Anthropogenic dark earths (ADEs) are characterized by their physical and chemical signatures.

Characteristic high pore size of ADEs due to charcoal inclusion support the retention of nutrients.

ADEs are often have reduced acidity and high C, N, P, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Fe contents.

ADEs represent an archive of fertile soils suitable for sustainable agriculture.
Electroencephalography functional connectivity—A biomarker for painful polyneuropathy
Authors: Topaz Leah Shafran , Frid Alex , Granovsky Yelena , Zubidat Rabab , Crystal Shoshana , Buxbaum Chen , Bosak Noam , Hadad Rafi , Domany Erel , Alon Tayir , Meir Yalon Lian , Shor Merav , Khamaisi Mogher , Hochberg Irit , Yarovinsky Nataliya , Volkovich Zeev , Bennett David L. , Yarnitsky David
Published: September 2022

Background and purpose

Advanced analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) data has become an essential tool in brain research. Based solely on resting state EEG signals, a data‐driven, predictive and explanatory approach is presented to discriminate painful from non‐painful diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) patients.

Methods

Three minutes long, 64 electrode resting‐state recordings were obtained from 180 DPN patients. The analysis consisted of a mixture of traditional, explanatory and machine learning analyses. First, the 10 functional bivariate connections best differentiating between painful and non‐painful patients in each EEG band were identified and the relevant receiver operating characteristic was calculated. Later, those connections were correlated with selected clinical parameters.

Results

Predictive analysis indicated that theta and beta bands contain most of the information required for discrimination between painful and non‐painful polyneuropathy patients, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.93 for theta and 0.89 for beta bands. Assessing statistical differences between the average magnitude of functional connectivity values and clinical pain parameters revealed that painful DPN patients had significantly higher cortical functional connectivity than non‐painful ones (p = 0.008 for theta and p = 0.001 for alpha bands). Moreover, intra‐band analysis of individual significant functional connections revealed a positive correlation with average reported pain in the previous 3 months in all frequency bands.

Conclusions

Resting state EEG functional connectivity can serve as a highly accurate biomarker for the presence or absence of pain in DPN patients. This highlights the importance of the brain, in addition to the peripheral lesions, in generating the clinical pain picture. This tool can probably be extended to other pain syndromes.
Seizure count forecasting to aid diagnostic testing in epilepsy
Authors: Wang Emily T. , Chiang Sharon , Cleboski Stephen , Rao Vikram R. , Vannucci Marina , Haneef Zulfi
Published: September 2022

Objective

Epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) admissions are critical for presurgical evaluation of drug‐resistant epilepsy but may be nondiagnostic if an insufficient number of seizures are recorded. Seizure forecasting algorithms have shown promise for estimating the likelihood of seizures as a binary event in individual patients, but methods to predict how many seizures will occur remain elusive. Such methods could increase the diagnostic yield of EMU admissions and help patients mitigate seizure‐related morbidity. Here, we evaluated the performance of a state‐space method that uses prior seizure count data to predict future counts.

Methods

A Bayesian negative‐binomial dynamic linear model (DLM) was developed to forecast daily electrographic seizure counts in 19 patients implanted with a responsive neurostimulation (RNS) device. Holdout validation was used to evaluate performance in predicting the number of electrographic seizures for forecast horizons ranging 1–7 days ahead.

Results

One‐day‐ahead prediction of the number of electrographic seizures using a negative‐binomial DLM resulted in improvement over chance in 73.1% of time segments compared to a random chance forecaster and remained >50% for forecast horizons of up to 7 days. Superior performance (mean error = .99) was obtained in predicting the number of electrographic seizures in the next day compared to three traditional methods for count forecasting (integer‐valued generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity model or INGARCH, 1.10; Croston, 1.06; generalized linear autoregressive moving average model or GLARMA, 2.00). Number of electrographic seizures in the preceding day and laterality of electrographic pattern detections had highest predictive value, with greater number of electrographic seizures and RNS magnet swipes in the preceding day associated with a higher number of electrographic seizures the next day.

Significance

This study demonstrates that DLMs can predict the number of electrographic seizures a patient will experience days in advance with above chance accuracy. This study represents an important step toward the translation of seizure forecasting methods into the optimization of EMU admissions.
A novel gyrase inhibitor from toxin–antitoxin system expressed by Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Kato Fuminori , Yamaguchi Yoshihiro , Inouye Keiko , Matsuo Koichi , Ishida Yojiro , Inouye Masayori
Published: September 2022

Toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems consist of a toxin inhibiting essential cellular functions (such as DNA, RNA and protein synthesis), and its cognate antitoxin neutralizing the toxicity. Recently, we identified a TA system termed TsbA/TsbT in the Staphylococcus aureus genome. The induction of the tsbT gene in Escherichia coli halted both DNA and RNA synthesis, reduced supercoiled plasmid and resulted in increasingly relaxed DNA. These results suggested that DNA gyrase was the target of TsbT. In addition, TsbT inhibited both E. coli and S. aureus DNA gyrase activity and induced linearization of plasmid DNA in vitro. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the TsbT toxin targets DNA gyrase in vivo. Site‐directed mutagenesis experiments showed that the E27 and D37 residues in TsbT are critical for toxicity. Secondary structure prediction combining the analysis of vacuum‐ultraviolet circular‐dichroism spectroscopy and neural network method demonstrated that the 22nd–32nd residues of TsbT form an α‐helix structure, and that the E27 residue is located around the centre of the α‐helix segment. These findings give new insights not only into S. aureus TA systems, but also into bacterial toxins targeting DNA topoisomerases.
Impact of warming and deoxygenation on the habitat distribution of Pacific halibut in the Northeast Pacific
Authors: Franco Ana C. , Kim Hongsik , Frenzel Hartmut , Deutsch Curtis , Ianson Debby , Sumaila U. Rashid , Tortell Philippe D.
Published: September 2022

Ocean warming and deoxygenation are already modifying the habitats of many aerobic organisms. Benthic habitat in the Northeast Pacific is sensitive to deoxygenation, as low oxygen concentrations occur naturally in continental shelf bottom waters. Here, we examine the potential impacts of deoxygenation and ocean warming on the habitat distribution of Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis), one of the most commercially important groundfish in North America. We combine fisheries‐independent Pacific halibut survey data (1998–2020) with oceanographic measurements and a regional ocean circulation model to investigate current and future (end of 21st century) influences of deoxygenation and warming on optimal Pacific halibut habitat. We use the observations and model output to derive a metabolic index of Pacific halibut‐specific suitable habitat. Our results show high Pacific halibut counts in regions where the metabolic index is greatest and demonstrate that interannual variability in Pacific halibut abundance is coherent with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Working with model projections, we examine potential future changes in suitable Pacific halibut habitat by the end of the century under a high carbon dioxide emissions scenario. These projections indicate that suitable Pacific halibut habitat may largely disappear off the coast of Washington state, retreating approximately 5° latitude northward. In bottom waters along coastal British Columbia and Alaska continental shelf, Pacific halibut habitat is projected to decrease by about 50%. Such habitat changes may potentially drive a northward shift in Pacific halibut, with significant implications for commercial fisheries.
Production of diverse brGDGTs by Acidobacterium Solibacter usitatus in response to temperature, pH, and O2 provides a culturing perspective on brGDGT proxies and biosynthesis
Authors: Halamka Toby A. , Raberg Jonathan H. , McFarlin Jamie M. , Younkin Adam D. , Mulligan Christopher , Liu Xiao‐Lei , Kopf Sebastian H.
Published: September 2022

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) are bacterial membrane lipids that are frequently employed as paleoenvironmental proxies because of the strong empirical correlations between their relative abundances and environmental temperature and pH. Despite the ubiquity of brGDGTs in modern and paleoenvironments, the source organisms of these enigmatic compounds have remained elusive, requiring paleoenvironmental applications to rely solely on observed environmental correlations. Previous laboratory and environmental studies have suggested that the globally abundant bacterial phylum of the Acidobacteria may be an important brGDGT producer in nature. Here, we report on experiments with a cultured Acidobacterium, Solibacter usitatus, that makes a large portion of its cellular membrane (24 ± 9% across all experiments) out of a structurally diverse set of tetraethers including the common brGDGTs Ia, IIa, IIIa, Ib, and IIb. Solibacter usitatus was grown across a range of conditions including temperatures from 15 to 30°C, pH from 5.0 to 6.5, and O2 from 1% to 21%, and demonstrated pronounced shifts in the degree of brGDGT methylation across these growth conditions. The temperature response in culture was in close agreement with trends observed in published environmental datasets, supporting a physiological basis for the empirical relationship between brGDGT methylation number and temperature. However, brGDGT methylation at lower temperatures (15 and 20°C) was modulated by culture pH with higher pH systematically increasing the degree of methylation. In contrast, pH had little effect on brGDGT cyclization, supporting the hypothesis that changes in bacterial community composition may underlie the link between cyclization number and pH observed in environmental samples. Oxygen concentration likewise affected brGDGT methylation highlighting the potential for this environmental parameter to impact paleotemperature reconstruction. Low O2 culture conditions further resulted in the production of uncommon brGDGT isomers that could be indicators of O2 limitation. Finally, the production of brGTGTs (trialkyl tetraethers) in addition to the previously discovered iso‐C15‐based mono‐ and diethers in S. usitatus suggests a potential biosynthetic pathway for brGDGTs that uses homologs of the archaeal tetraether synthase (Tes) enzyme for tetraether synthesis from diethers.
Comprehensive review of advances in the field of chalcogenide glass microresonators
Authors: Suresh Soumya , Thomas Sheenu
Published: September 2022

Chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) are technologically superior materials, and their properties underpin the demands of whispering gallery mode–based integrated photonic devices. The prime focus of this review is to showcase the recent advances in the field of ChG highQcavities. The review also covers the theoretical research aspects and brief on the research challenges and limitations involved in the topic.
Patient satisfaction with telehealth versus in‐person visits during COVID‐19 at a large, public healthcare system
Authors: Chen Kevin , Lodaria Komal , Jackson Hannah B.
Published: September 2022

Rationale

During the coronavirus disease pandemic, audio‐only and video telehealth visits became more widely available, but the relative patient satisfaction between telehealth and in‐person modalities is not well‐described.

Aims and Objectives

Our objective was to compare patient satisfaction with audio‐only, video, and in‐person adult primary care visits at a large, urban public healthcare system.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, we used aggregated data from Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys at 17 primary care facilities at New York City Health + Hospitals for visits between 1 June 2021 to 30 November 2021. We compared mean scores for questions common to surveys for each modality in domains of Access, Care Provider, and Overall Assessment using pairwise comparisons with two‐tailed t‐tests.

Results

There were 7,183/79,562 (9.0%) respondents for in‐person visits and 1,009/15,092 (6.7%) respondents for telehealth visits. Compared to respondents for in‐person visits, respondents for telehealth visits were more likely to be aged 35–64 years, Asian, and speak English as their primary language, and less likely to be ≥65 years old, Black or other race, and speak Spanish or another language as their primary language (p < 0.001). Patients reported higher mean satisfaction for Access measures for telehealth visits than in‐person visits (p < 0.001). For Care Provider satisfaction questions, video visits generally had higher mean scores than in‐person and, in turn, audio‐only visits. For Overall Assessment questions, video visits had higher mean scores than in‐person and, subsequently, audio‐only visits.

Conclusion

Of the visit modalities, video visits had the highest mean satisfaction scores across all domains. Telehealth may improve experiences with access, but audio‐only visits may provide poorer visit experiences.
Interpopulation trophic niches and ontogenetic shifts of a mangrove fish predator
Authors: Qin Jiao , Liu Fengming , Schmidt Bjorn Victor , Sun Zhuoxin , Kong Lingwei , Yan Yunrong
Published: September 2022

Fish trophic niches reflect important ecological interactions and provide insight into the structure of mangrove food webs. Few studies have been conducted in mangrove fish predators to investigate interpopulation trophic niches and ontogenetic shifts. Using stable isotope analysis and two complementary approaches, the authors investigated trophic niche patterns within and between two ontogenetic groups (juveniles and sub‐adults) of a generalist predator (Acentrogobius viridipunctatus) in four mangroves with heterogeneous environmental conditions (e.g., tidal regimes, salinity fluctuations and mangrove tree community). The authors hypothesized that the trophic niche between populations would vary regionally and trophic position would increase consistently from juvenile to sub‐adult stages. The results revealed that both δ13C and δ15N values varied greatly across populations and between ontogenetic groups, and complex spatio‐ontogenetic variations were expressed by Layman's metrics. They also found some niche separation in space, which is most likely related to resource availability in spatially diverse ecosystems. In addition, trophic niche position increased consistently from juveniles to sub‐adults, indicating ontogenetic feeding shifts. The isotopic plasticity index and Fulton's condition index also showed significant spatial‐ontogenetic variation, which is consistent with optimal foraging theory. The findings highlight that trophic plasticity has a high adaptive value for mangrove fish predators in dynamic ecosystems.
Foam mat dried tamarillo powder: Effect of foaming agents on drying kinetics, physicochemical and phytochemical properties
Authors: Rohilla Shubham , Mahanta Charu Lata
Published: September 2022

Egg albumin (ALB), whey protein concentrate (WPC), soy protein concentrate (SPC), and gelatin (GEL) at 5% and 10% levels were used to develop foam mat dried tamarillo powder. The logarithmic model gave the best fit for drying of the foams. Powder samples with SPC and WPC as the foaming agents at 10% level possessed better powder quality, and least effective was gelatin. Increase in concentration of the four foaming agents to 10% improved the retention of phytochemical components in the powder, especially WPC. Highest concentration of gallic acid (890 μg/g), chlorogenic acid (403 μg/g), caffeic acid (85 μg/g) and p‐coumaric acid (297 μg/g) among the phenolic acids, and β‐cryptoxathin (27.47 μg/g) and β‐carotene (19.47 μg/g) were determined in WPC‐10P. Foam stability and powder properties of WPC were the best. This study will be directly helpful in the development and commercialization of novel food products using tamarillo fruit powder.

Novelty impact statement

Tamarillo fruit is seasonal in nature and foam mat drying, which is a very economical and convenient way for processing of the pulp and puree into powder, can be used to process the fruit. The findings of this study revealed that foam mat dried powder of tamarillo made with 10% WPC maintains more phytochemicals and has good physicochemical properties. Tamarillo powder has high potential to be used as a reconstituted drink in instant soup or as a food additive in novel foods.
Physico‐chemical, structural, and functional properties of protein concentrate from selected pulses: A comparative study
Authors: Ruckmangathan Sivasankari , Ganapathyswamy Hemalatha , Sundararajan Amutha , Thiyagamoorthy Umamaheswari , Green Rick , Subramani Thirukkumar
Published: September 2022

The selected pulses viz., chickpea, faba bean, red lentil, and red gram were used for the extraction of protein concentrates using alkaline extraction followed by the isoelectric precipitation. The effect of processing on moisture, protein, lipid, ash, and carbohydrate content of pulse flours and respective protein concentrates (PC) ranged between 5.05% and 13.40%; 17.10% and 84.80%; 1.09% and 5.30%; 2.24% and 3.27%; 3.37 and 60.90%, respectively. The amino acid profile of the pulse protein concentrates (PPC) was on par with that of soybean PC and meets the amino acid requirements of children and adults as per the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) specifications. The PC had a smaller particle size (126.70–192.70 nm) than pulse flours (251.90–301.90 nm). Water holding capacity (WHC) and oil holding capacity (OHC) of PC were higher than pulse flours. The solubility of protein concentrates was high at acidic and alkaline pH and low at pH 4.5 (isoelectric pH). The significant reduction in anti‐nutritional factors and better protein digestibility resulted from processing of pulse flours. The processing of pulses into PC will serve as a potential functional food ingredient in various food formulations.

Novelty impact statement

Pulses are processed for the extraction of their fractions and utilized for better food product development. In this research, pulse protein concentrate was extracted from easily available pulses for better utilization and the properties were studied for the development of PPC‐incorporated food products similar to soy protein. In the future, all pulse proteins can be used as alternative proteins for soybean to meet our nutritional requirements in a cheaper manner.
Gel formation of scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) male gonad hydrolysates combined with κ‐carrageenan and locust bean gum
Authors: Wang Xue‐Chen , Cui Xiao‐Fan , Du Yi‐Nan , Xu Shi‐Qi , Wang Yu‐Qiao , Wu Hai‐Tao
Published: September 2022

The gel properties and microstructure of scallop male gonad hydrolysates (SMGHs) were investigated by combing with κ‐carrageenan (κ‐C) and locust bean gum (LBG). It was shown that the initial elastic module of SMGHs/κ‐C 0.1 Hz got marked improvement from 202.3 Pa to 326.7 Pa and the melting temperature also increased 6°C with the addition of LBG. According to the data of low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance, the relaxation time T23 markedly reduced in SMGHs/κ‐C/LBG, representing the migration of water might result in a strong bind among SMGHs, κ‐C, and LBG. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the existence of hydrogen bonding between LBG and SMGHs/κ‐C. Low‐temperature scanning electron microscopy showed that the SMGHs/κ‐C/LBG ternary complexes possessed smaller voids and more dense network structures. These results could provide more possibilities for the application of SMGHs and polysaccharide complexes in functional hydrogel development.

Novelty impact statement

We evaluated the gel and microstructure properties of ternary composite gel consisted of protein hydrolysates from male gonad of scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) (SMGHs), κ‐carrageenan (κ‐C), and locust bean gum (LBG). The results showed that the addition of κ‐C and LBG significantly improved the gel properties of SMGHs.
Volatile compounds profile and quality of “Cripps pink” apple: Impact of dynamic controlled atmosphere combined to delayed storage and 1‐MCP treatment
Authors: Ludwig Vagner , Thewes Fabio R. , Brackmann Auri , Both Vanderlei , Wagner Roger , Wendt Lucas M. , Berghetti Magno R. P. , dos Santos Ingrid D. , Thewes Flavio R. , Soldateli Francis J.
Published: September 2022

This study evaluated the effects of delayed storage followed by storage under static controlled atmosphere (CA) and dynamic controlled atmosphere established by respiratory quotient (DCA‐RQ) with and without 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) application on quality and volatile profile of “Cripps Pink” apple. A fruit batch was immediately stored at 1.5 ± 0.1°C, and another remained for 7 days at 20°C (delay) until storage. The storage conditions were: (1) CA (1.0 kPa O2 + 1.0 kPa CO2); (2) DCA‐RQ 1.3; (3) DCA‐RQ 1.5. Additionally, for each storage condition and delay strategy, a batch of fruit was treated with 1‐MCP, and another batch was left untreated.

Practical applications

DCA‐RQ 1.3 maintened flesh firmness even without 1‐MCP and with delayed storage. 1‐MCP application reduced all esters. Delayed storage increased the esters concentration and when associated with DCA‐RQ 1.3 and 1.5 should be recommended to reduce decay, increase the healthy fruit amount, and improve the aroma emission of “Cripps Pink” apple.