bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machine learning based prediction of prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation incorporating medication data
Authors: Sikora Andrea , Zhao Bokai , Kong Yanlei , Murray Brian , Shen Ye
Published: September 2023

Rationale: Duration of mechanical ventilation is associated with adverse outcomes in critically ill patients and increased use of resources. The increasing complexity of medication regimens has been associated with increased mortality, length of stay, and fluid overload but has never been studied specifically in the setting of mechanical ventilation. Objective: The purpose of this analysis was to develop prediction models for mechanical ventilation duration to test the hypothesis that incorporating medication data may improve model performance. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adults admitted to the ICU and undergoing mechanical ventilation for longer than 24 hours from October 2015 to October 2020. Patients were excluded if it was not their index ICU admission or if the patient was placed on comfort care in the first 24 hours of admission. Relevant patient characteristics including age, sex, body mass index, admission diagnosis, morbidities, vital signs measurements, severity of illness, medication regimen complexity as measured by the MRC-ICU, and medical treatments before intubation were collected. The primary outcome was area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of prediction models for prolonged mechanical ventilation (defined as greater than 5 days). Both logistic regression and supervised learning techniques including XGBoost, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine were used to develop prediction models. Results: The 318 patients [age 59.9 (SD 16.9), female 39.3%, medical 28.6%] had mean 24-hour MRC-ICU score of 21.3 (10.5), mean APACHE II score of 21.0 (5.4), mean SOFA score of 9.9 (3.3), and ICU mortality rate of 22.6% (n=72). The strongest performing logistic model was the base model with MRC-ICU added, with AUROC of 0.72, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.83, and negative prediction value (NPV) of 0.92. The strongest overall model was Random Forest with an AUROC of 0.78, a PPV of 0.53, and NPV of 0.90. Feature importance analysis using support vector machine and Random Forest revealed severity of illness scores and medication related data were the most important predictors. Conclusions: Medication regimen complexity is significantly associated with prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients, and prediction models incorporating medication information showed modest improvement in this prediction.
Measuring the influence of expectations, beliefs, and medication side effects on the risk for drug discontinuation among individuals starting new medications
Authors: Blackburn David F , Yao Shenzhen , Taylor Jeffery G. , Alefan Qais , Lix Lisa M. , Eurich Dean T. , Choudhry Niteesh K.
Published: September 2023

Objectives

To measure the impact of beliefs, expectations, side effects, and their combined effects on the risk for medication non-persistence.

Design

A population-based questionnaire.

Setting and Participants

Individuals from Saskatchewan, Canada who started a new antihypertensive, cholesterol-lowering, or antihyperglycemic medication were surveyed about risk factors for non-persistence including: (a) beliefs measured by a composite score of three questions asking about the threat of the condition, importance of the drug, and harm of the drug; (b) incident side effects attributed to treatment; and (c) expectations for side effects before starting treatment. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used to quantify the influence of these risk factors on the outcome of non-persistence. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated.

Main Outcome Measure

Self-reported medication non-persistence.

Results

Among 3,029 respondents, 5.9% (n=179) reported non-persistence within four months after starting the new drug. After adjustment for numerous covariates representing socio-demographics, healthcare providers, medication experiences and beliefs, both negative beliefs (OR 7.26, 95% CI: 4.98 to 10.59) and incident side effects (OR 8.00, 95% CI 5.49 to 11.68) were associated with the highest odds of non-persistence with no evidence of interaction. In contrast, expectations for side effects before starting treatment exhibited an important interaction with incident side effects following treatment initiation. Among respondents with incident side effects (n=741, 24.5%), the risk for early non-persistence was 11.5% if they indicated an expectation for side effects before starting the medication compared to 23.6% if they did not (adjusted OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.60).

Conclusions

Expectations for side effects may be a previously unrecognized but important marker of the probability to persist with treatment. A high percentage of new medication users appeared unprepared for the possibility of side effects from their new medication making them less resilient if side effects occur.

What is already known on this topic

Prior expectations for side effects are thought to increase the risk for nocebo effects and increase the risk for medication non-persistence.

Medication non-persistence remains a major threat to patient outcomes.

What this study adds

Expectations for side effects from medications may be a previously unrecognizedprotectivefactor against non-persistence.

A high percentage of new medication users appear unprepared for the possibility of side effects from their new medication making them less resilient if side effects occur.
Structure of the portal complex fromStaphylococcus aureuspathogenicity island 1 transducing particles in situ and in solution
Authors: Mukherjee Amarshi , Kizziah James L. , Hawkins N’Toia C. , Nasef Mohamed O. , Parker Laura K. , Dokland Terje
Published: September 2023

Staphylococcus aureusis an important human pathogen, and the prevalence of antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern. The evolution of pathogenicity and resistance inS. aureusoften involves acquisition of mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Bacteriophages play an especially important role, since transduction represents the main mechanism for horizontal gene transfer.S. aureuspathogenicity islands (SaPIs), including SaPI1, are MGEs that carry genes encoding virulence factors, and are mobilized at high frequency through interactions with specific “helper” bacteriophages, such as 80α, leading to packaging of the SaPI genomes into virions made from structural proteins supplied by the helper. Among these structural proteins is the portal protein, which forms a ring-like portal at a fivefold vertex of the capsid, through which the DNA is packaged during virion assembly and ejected upon infection of the host. We have used high- resolution cryo-electron microscopy to determine structures of theS. aureusbacteriophage 80α portal in solution and in situ in the empty and full SaPI1 virions, and show how the portal interacts with the capsid. These structures provide a basis for understanding portal and capsid assembly and the conformational changes that occur upon DNA packaging and ejection.
Early morning run-training results in enhanced endurance performance adaptations in mice
Authors: Hesketh Stuart J. , Sexton Casey L. , Wolff Christopher A. , Viggars Mark R. , Esser Karyn A.
Published: September 2023

Time-of-day differences in acute exercise performance in mice are well established with late active phase (afternoon) runners exhibiting significantly greater endurance performance compared to early active phase (morning) runners. In this study, we asked if performance adaptations would be different when training for 6 weeks at two different times of day, and if this corresponds to steady state changes in the phase of peripheral tissue clocks. To address these questions, we endurance trained female PER2::Luciferase mice, at the same relative workload, either in the morning, at ZT13, or in the afternoon, at ZT22. Then, after training, we recorded luminescence from tissues of PER2::Luciferase mice to report timing of tissue clocks in several peripheral tissues. After 6 weeks, we found that both groups exhibited significant improvements in maximal endurance capacity (total treadmill work)(p< 0.0001), but the morning runners exhibited an enhanced rate of adaptation as there was no detectable difference in maximal endurance capacity(p= 0.2182) between the morning and afternoon runners. In addition, morning and afternoon runners exhibited divergent clock phase shifts with a significant 5-hour phase advance in the EDL (p< 0.0001) and soleus (p< 0.0001) of morning runners, but a phase delay in the EDL (p< 0.0001) and Soleus (p< 0.0001) of afternoon runners. Therefore, our data demonstrate that morning training enhances endurance adaptations compared to afternoon training in mice, and we suggest this is due to phase advancement of muscle clocks to better align metabolism with exercise performance.

Key points summary

Time-of-day differences in exercise performance are well established in the literature. We observe that after 6 weeks of endurance exercise training there is no longer a time-of-day specific difference in endurance performance.

Consistent endurance training performed in morning (ZT13) results in a greater performance increase compared to exercise training during the afternoon (ZT22).

Removal of time-of-day differences in performance through exercise training is strongly associated with significant phase shifts (~5 hour advance) of the muscle clock.
Morphological, molecular, and functional characterization of mouse glutamatergic myenteric neurons
Authors: Liu Jia , Zhang Shaopeng , Emadi Sharareh , Guo Tiantian , Chen Longtu , Feng Bin
Published: September 2023

The enteric nervous system (ENS) functions largely independently of the central nervous system (CNS). Correspondingly, glutamate, the dominant neurotransmitter in the CNS and sensory afferents, is not a primary neurotransmitter in the ENS. Only a fraction (approximately 2%) of myenteric neurons in the mouse distal colon and rectum (colorectum) are positive for vesicular glutamate transporter type 2 (VGLUT2), the structure and function of which remain undetermined. Here, we systematically characterized VGLUT2-positive enteric neurons (VGLUT2-ENs) through sparse labeling with adeno-associated virus, single-cell mRNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and GCaMP6f calcium imaging. Our results reveal that the majority of VGLUT2-ENs (29 out of 31, 93.5%) exhibited Dogiel type I morphology with a single aborally projecting axon; most axons (26 out of 29, 89.7%) are between 4 and 10 mm long, each traversing 19 to 34 myenteric ganglia. These anatomical features exclude the VGLUT2-ENs from being intrinsic primary afferent or motor neurons. The scRNA-seq conducted on 52 VGLUT2-ENs suggests different expression profiles from conventional descending interneurons. Ex vivo GCaMP6f recordings from flattened colorectum indicate that almost all VGLUT2-EN (181 out of 215, 84.2%) are indirectly activated by colorectal stretch via nicotinic cholinergic neural transmission. In conclusion, VGLUT2-ENs are a functionally unique group of enteric neurons with single aborally projecting long axons that traverse multiple myenteric ganglia and are activated indirectly by colorectal mechanical stretch. This knowledge will provide a solid foundation for subsequent studies on the potential interactions of VGLUT2-EN with extrinsic colorectal afferents via glutamatergic neurotransmission.

New & Noteworthy

We reveal that VGLUT2-positive enteric neurons (EN), although constituting a small fraction of total EN, are homogeneously expressed in the myenteric ganglia, with a slight concentration at the intermediate region between the colon and rectum. This concentration coincides with the entry zone of extrinsic afferents into the colorectum. Given that VGLUT2-ENs are indirectly activated by colorectal mechanical stretch, they are likely to participate in visceral nociception through glutamatergic neural transmission with extrinsic afferents.
Sweetwater: an underrated crude glycerol for sustainable lipid production in non-conventional yeasts
Authors: Keita Valériane Malika , Lee Yi Qing , Lakshmanan Meiyappan , Ow Dave Siak-Wei , Staniland Paul , Staniland Jessica , Savill Ian , Tee Kang Lan , Wong Tuck Seng , Lee Dong-Yup
Published: September 2023

Sweetwater, a methanol-free by-product of the fat splitting process, is an emerging alternative feedstock for microbial utilization of crude glycerol. Yeasts are promising candidates in this context due to their versatility in delivering a wide range of value-added products including lipids. To enhance sweetwater utilization, we investigated the growth and lipid production of 21 oleaginous yeast strains in sweetwater and found that nutrient limitation and the unique carbon composition of sweetwater boosted significant lipid accumulation in several strains, in particularRhodosporidium toruloidesNRRL Y-6987. To decipher the underlying mechanism, the transcriptomic changes ofR. toluroidesNRRL Y-6987 were further analyzed, indicating potential sugars and oligopeptides in sweetwater supporting growth and lipid accumulation as well as exogenous fatty acid uptake leading to the enhanced lipid accumulation. Our comparative study successfully demonstrated sweetwater as a cost-effective feedstock and suggested potential sweetwater type and strain engineering targets for increasing microbial lipid production.
Robust of AMBER force field parameters for glutathionylated cysteines
Authors: Elftmaoui Zineb , Bignon Emmanuelle
Published: September 2023

S-glutathionylation is an oxidative post-translational modification which is involved in the regulation of many cell signaling pathways. Increasing amounts of studies show that it is crucial in cell homeostasis and deregulated in several pathologies. However, the effect of S-glutathionylation on proteins structure and activity is poorly understood, and a drastic lack of structural information at the atomic scale remains. Studies based on the use of molecular dynamics simulations, which can provide important information about modification-induced modulation of proteins structure and function, are also sparse and there is no benchmarked force field parameters for this modified cysteine. In this contribution, we provide robust AMBER parameters for S-glutathionylation, that we tested extensively against experimental data through a total of 33μs molecular dynamics simulations. We show that our parameters set efficiently describe the global and local structural properties of S-glutathionylated proteins. These data provide the community with an important tool to stimulate investigations about the effect of S-glutathionylation on protein dynamics and function, in a common effort to unravel the structural mechanisms underlying its critical role in cellular processes.
Model selection reveals selective regulation of blood amino acid and lipid metabolism by insulin in humans
Authors: Fujita Suguru , Hironaka Ken-ichi , Karasawa Yasuaki , Kuroda Shinya
Published: September 2023

Insulin plays a crucial role in regulating the metabolism of blood glucose, amino acids, and lipids in humans. However, the mechanisms by which insulin selectively controls these different metabolites are not yet fully understood. To address this question, we used mathematical modeling to identify the selective regulatory mechanisms of insulin on blood amino acids and lipids. Our study revealed that insulin negatively regulates the influx and positively regulates the efflux of lipids, which is consistent with previous findings. In contrast, we did not observe the previously reported negative regulation of BCAA influx by insulin; instead, we found that insulin positively regulates BCAA efflux. We also observed that the earlier peak time of lipids compared to BCAAs is dependent on insulin’s negative regulation of their influx. Overall, our findings shed new light on how insulin selectively regulates the levels of different metabolites in human blood, providing valuable insights into the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders and potential therapeutic interventions.
Engineered transcription-associated Cas9 targeting in eukaryotic cells
Authors: Goldberg Gregory W. , Kogenaru Manjunatha , Keegan Sarah , Haase Max A. B. , Kagermazova Larisa , Arias Mauricio A. , Onyebeke Kenenna , Adams Samantha , Beyer Daniel K. , Fenyo David , Noyes Marcus B. , Boeke Jef D
Published: September 2023

DNA targeting Class 2 CRISPR-Cas effector nucleases, including the well-studied Cas9 proteins, evolved protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) and guide RNA interactions that sequentially license their binding and cleavage activities at protospacer target sites. Both interactions are nucleic acid sequence specific but function constitutively; thus, they provide intrinsic spatial control over DNA targeting activities but naturally lack temporal control. Here we show that engineered Cas9 fusion proteins which bind to nascent RNAs near a protospacer can facilitate spatiotemporal coupling between transcription and DNA targeting at that protospacer:Transcription-associatedCas9Targeting (TraCT). Engineered TraCT is enabled in eukaryotic yeast or human cells when suboptimal PAM interactions limit basal activity and when one or more nascent RNA substrates are still tethered to the actively transcribed target DNA incis. Using yeast, we further show that this phenomenon can be applied for selective editing at one of two identical targets in distinct gene loci, or, in diploid allelic loci that are differentially transcribed. Our work demonstrates that temporal control over Cas9's targeting activity at specific DNA sites may be engineered without modifying Cas9's core domains and guide RNA components or their expression levels. More broadly, it establishes co-transcriptional RNA binding as acis-acting mechanism that can conditionally stimulate CRISPR-Cas DNA targeting in eukaryotic cells.
Exploring the Role of YAP1 and TAZ in Pancreatic Acinar Cells and the Therapeutic Potential of VT-104 in Pancreatic Inflammation
Authors: Lopez Kevin , Deng Janice J , Xu Yi , Sharkey Francis E. , Wang Pei , Liu Jun
Published: September 2023

Increasing evidences have linked the hippo pathway with the fibroinflammatory diseases. We generated a series of genetic knockout mice for targeting the key components of Hippo pathway to examine the individual effects of YAP1 and TAZ on pancreatic inflammation and evaluated the therapeutic potential of the YAP1/TAZ inhibitor VT-104. Mice with acinar-specific knockout of YAP1/TAZ did not exhibit any histological abnormalities in the pancreas. LATS1/2 deficiency induced acinar-to-ductal metaplasia, immune cell infiltration and fibroblast activation, which were rescued by the homozygous knockout YAP1, but not TAZ. Additionally, treatment with VT-104 also decreased pathological alterations induced by deletions of LATS1 and LATS2 in acinar cells. Our findings highlight the critical role of YAP1 in modulating pancreatic inflammation and demonstrate that VT-104 holds therapeutic potential to mitigate pancreatitis-associated pathological manifestations. Further exploration is necessary to unravel the underlying mechanisms and translate these insights into clinical applications.
Pathological beige remodeling induced by cancer cachexia depends on the disease severity and involves mainly the trans-differentiation of mature white adipocytes
Authors: Santos Kaltinaitis B N H , Knobl Pamela , Henriques Felipe , Lopes Magno A. , Franco Felipe O. , Bueno Luana L. , Farmer Stephen R. , Batista Miguel L.
Published: September 2023

In cancer associated cachexia (CAC), white adipose tissue undergoes morphofunctional and inflammatory changes that lead to tissue dysfunction and remodeling. In addition to metabolic changes in white adipose tissues (WAT), adipose tissue atrophy has been implicated in several clinical complications and poor prognoses associated with cachexia. Adipocyte atrophy may be associated with increased beige remodeling in human CAC as evidenced by the “beige remodeling” observed in preclinical models of CAC. Even though beige remodeling is associated with CAC-induced WAT dysfunction, there are still some open questions regarding their cellular origins. In this study, we investigated the development of beige remodeling in CAC from a broader perspective. In addition, we used a grading system to identify the scAT as being affected by mice weight loss early and intensely. Using different in vitro and ex-vivo techniques, we demonstrated that Lewis LLC1 cells can induce a switch from white to beige adipocytes, which is specific to this type of tumor cell. During the more advanced stages of CAC, beige adipocytes are mainly formed from the transdifferentiation of cells. According to our results, humanizing the CAC classification system is an efficient approach to defining the onset of the syndrome in a more homogeneous manner. Pathological beige remodeling occurred early in the disease course and exhibited phenotypic characteristics specific to LLC cells’ secretomes. Developing therapeutic strategies that recruit beige adipocytes in vivo may be better guided by an understanding of the cellular origins of beige adipocytes emitted by CAC.
Shared and divergent transcriptomic regulation in nucleus accumbens D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons by cocaine and morphine
Authors: Browne Caleb J , Mews Philipp , Zhou Xianxiao , Holt Leanne M , Estill Molly , Futamura Rita , Schaefer Anne , Kenny Paul J , Hurd Yasmin L , Shen Li , Zhang Bin , Nestler Eric J
Published: September 2023

Substance use disorders (SUDs) induce widespread molecular dysregulation in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain region pivotal for coordinating motivation and reward. These molecular changes are thought to support lasting neural and behavioral disturbances that promote drug-seeking in addiction. However, different drug classes exert unique influences on neural circuits, cell types, physiology, and gene expression despite the overlapping symptomatology of SUDs. To better understand common and divergent molecular mechanisms governing SUD pathology, our goal was to survey cell-type-specific restructuring of the NAc transcriptional landscape in after psychostimulant or opioid exposure. We combined fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting and RNA sequencing to profile NAc D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) across cocaine and morphine exposure paradigms, including initial exposure, prolonged withdrawal after repeated exposure, and re-exposure post-withdrawal. Our analyses reveal that D1 MSNs display many convergent transcriptional responses across drug classes during exposure, whereas D2 MSNs manifest mostly divergent responses between cocaine and morphine, with morphine causing more adaptations in this cell type. Utilizing multiscale embedded gene co-expression network analysis (MEGENA), we discerned transcriptional regulatory networks subserving biological functions shared between cocaine and morphine. We observed largely integrative engagement of overlapping gene networks across drug classes in D1 MSNs, but opposite regulation of key D2 networks, highlighting potential therapeutic gene network targets within MSNs. These studies establish a landmark, cell-type-specific atlas of transcriptional regulation induced by cocaine and by morphine that can serve as a foundation for future studies towards mechanistic understanding of SUDs. Our findings, and future work leveraging this dataset, will pave the way for the development of targeted therapeutic interventions, addressing the urgent need for more effective treatments for cocaine use disorder and enhancing the existing strategies for opioid use disorder.
Sleep consolidates stimulus–response learning
Authors: Miao Xiu , Müller Carolin , Lutz Nicolas D. , Yang Qing , Waszak Florian , Born Jan , Rauss Karsten
Published: September 2023

Performing a motor response to a sensory stimulus creates a memory trace whose behavioral correlates are classically investigated in terms of repetition priming effects. Such stimulus–response learning entails two types of associations that are partly independent: (1) an association between the stimulus and the motor response and (2) an association between the stimulus and the classification task in which it is encountered. Here, we tested whether sleep supports long-lasting stimulus–response learning on a task requiring participants (1) for establishing stimulus–classification associations to classify presented objects along two different dimensions (“size” and “mechanical”) and (2) as motor response (action) to respond with either the left or right index finger. Moreover, we examined whether strengthening of stimulus–classification associations is preferentially linked to nonrapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep and strengthening of stimulus–action associations to REM sleep. We tested 48 healthy volunteers in a between-subjects design comparing postlearning retention periods of nighttime sleep versus daytime wakefulness. At postretention testing, we found that sleep supports consolidation of both stimulus–action and stimulus–classification associations, as indicated by increased reaction times in “switch conditions”; that is, when, at test, the acutely instructed classification task and/or correct motor response for a given stimulus differed from that during original learning. Polysomnographic recordings revealed that both kinds of associations were correlated with non-REM spindle activity. Our results do not support the view of differential roles for non-REM and REM sleep in the consolidation of stimulus–classification and stimulus–action associations, respectively.
Simultaneous SANS/FTIR measurement system incorporating the ATR sampling method
Authors: Kaneko Fumitoshi , Radulescu Aurel , Nakagawa Hiroshi
Published: September 2023

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is widely used as a powerful technique to study the higher-order structure of soft matter. To increase the reliability of SANS profile analysis for complex multi-component systems, combining different types of structural information obtained by other methods is desirable. A simultaneous measurement system combining SANS and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy meets this objective. It is beneficial for targets where matching the timing of structural changes between experiments is difficult, but the issue is that samples suitable for SANS are too thick for the typical transmission FTIR method. To overcome this problem, a new simultaneous measurement system that employs the attenuated total reflectance (ART) sampling method for FTIR spectroscopy has been developed.
Synthesis, structures and properties of two donor–acceptor acridone-based compounds
Authors: Chen Ziqiang , Xin Gaojie , Gao Penglian , Jin Yingying
Published: September 2023

Two donor–acceptor acridone-based compounds, namely, 2-{10-[4-(diphenylamino)phenyl]acridin-9-ylidene}malononitrile (TPA-AD-DCN), C34H22N4, and 2-{10-[4-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)phenyl]acridin-9-ylidene}malononitrile (CzPh-AD-DCN), C34H20N4, have been synthesized in high yield and their structures determined. TPA-AD-DCN and CzPh-AD-DCN crystallized in the centrosymmetric space groups P-1 and P21/c, respectively. Both molecules adopt a `butterfly-like' configuration of the common part of the structure and differences occur within the substituents on the acridine N atom. A Hirshfeld surface analysis showed that the H...H and C...H/H...C contacts constitute a high percentage of the intermolecular interactions. The optical and electrochemical properties, as well as theoretical calculations, of TPA-AD-DCN and CzPh-AD-DCN support the structural characterization of these materials. As crystallization-induced emission materials, TPA-AD-DCN and CzPh-AD-DCN are anticipated to be of potential use in the construction of promising optoelectronic materials.
Poly[[[μ-1,4-bis(pyridin-4-ylcarbonyl)piperazine-κ2
N:N′][μ-2-(2-carboxylatoeth-1-en-1-yl)benzoato-κ2
O:O
2]zinc(II)] 2.5 hydrate]: a tri-periodic coordination polymer with a dimer-based six-connected pcu topology
Authors: Glatz Erika J. , LaDuca Robert L.
Published: September 2023

The title compound, {[Zn(C10H6O4)(C16H16N4O2]·2.5H2O}
n
, contains five-coordinate ZnII ions intermediate between square-pyramidal and trigonal–bipyramidal coordination environments. The ZnII ions are connected by 2-carboxycinnamate (cca) ligands and N,N′-bis-(pyridine-4-carboxamido)piperazine (4-pcap) ligands to construct a non-interpenetrated, tri-periodic coordination polymer with embedded [Zn2(OCO)2] dimeric units. Treating these as six-connected nodes reveals an overall (41263) pcu topology. One of the 4-pcap piperazinyl rings is disordered equally over two sets of crystallographic positions.
4-Amino-3,5-dichloropyridinium 3-hydroxypicolinate monohydrate
Authors: Ashokan Agalya , Nehru Jayasudha , Chakkarapani Nandhini , Khamrang Themmila , Kavitha Savaridasan Jose , Rajakannan Venkatachalam , Hemamalini Madhukar
Published: September 2023

In the title hydrated salt, C5H5Cl2N2
+·C6H4NO3
−·H2O, the pyridine N atom of the cation is protonated and an intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bond is observed in the anion, which generates an S(6) ring. The crystal packing features N—H...N, O—H...O, N—H...O, C—H...Cl and C—H...O hydrogen bonds, which generate a three-dimensional network.
The effect of sustainable manufacturing on environmental performance through government regulation and eco-innovation
Authors: Hermawan Aris Nur , Masudin Ilyas , Zulfikarijah Fien , Restuputri Dian Palupi , Shariff S. Sarifah Radiah
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The study aims to determine the impact of sustainable manufacturing on environmental performance through government regulation and eco-innovation in Indonesian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Findings

The results indicate sustainable manufacturing plays a significant role in SMEs' environmental performance and regulations, and eco-innovation can moderate it. It also reveals that government regulation has a positive and significant effect on environmental performance. Moreover, eco-innovation has a positive and significant effect on environmental performance.

Practical implications

The findings of this study indicate that SMEs can embrace sustainable manufacturing practices and achieve their long-term sustainability goals by adhering to regulations, collaborating with stakeholders and implementing eco-friendly innovations.

Originality/value

This research uncovers ground-breaking perspectives on the evolution of scientific knowledge about the impact of eco-innovation, regulatory measures and sustainable manufacturing practices on the environmental performance of SMEs.
Crisis management in family firms: do religion and secularization of family decision-makers’ matter?
Authors: Thaller Johannes , Mayr Stefan , Feldbauer-Durstmüller Birgit
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The unique dynamics of family firms (FFs) shape the management of financial crises. Religious and secular reasons, as a defining characteristic of this type of firm, provide a reference system for key management decisions. This paper aims to explore the under-researched topic of differences in FFs' crisis management between religious and secular family decision-makers (FDMs), considering secularization in developed countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on a qualitative-empirical study of 14 large FFs from the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), through both a media analysis and semi-structured interviews with FDMs who have significant influence on key management decisions.

Findings

Despite secularization, religion continues to influence managerial decisions such as crisis management in the DACH region. The findings show that crisis management differs across religious and secular FDMs, demonstrating the substantial impact of religious and secular reasons on operational and financial measures. Thus, religious and secular reasons may partially explain the complex and ambivalent crisis management of FFs. This indicates that religion shapes FF's key management decisions in the increasingly secularized DACH region. Religious FDMs are accountable to both the firm and to God, which fosters their own personal and financial resources during crisis management.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the existing literature by exploring the impact of religion and secularization within developed countries. Further, it offers deeper insights into FF's crisis management and is one of the first studies to assess the impact of religion and secularization on operational and financial measures. This research derives five propositions for further research and discusses a broad range of original implications for theory and practice.
Effects of lean manufacturing on sustainable performance: results from two conceptual approaches
Authors: Henao Rafael , Sarache William
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Sustainability has become a priority for companies due to pressure from multiple stakeholders. In an overly competitive market, shareholders push for economic results, allowing lean manufacturing to establish itself as dominant paradigm in manufacturing. However, concerns grow regarding how lean implementation can allow companies to achieve sustainable development goals, or, if the resources required for a successful lean implementation can result in a detriment of environmental and social performance. This paper intends to help close the knowledge gap regarding the effects of lean manufacturing on sustainable performance from a triple bottom line perspective, and how operational, environmental and social outcomes interact between themselves.

Design/methodology/approach

Two models for the interaction between lean and sustainability were proposed. The first is called the “sand-cone” model, which poses that performance improvements derived from lean are cumulative on each one of the sustainability dimensions. The second is called the “trade-offs” approach. In this case, the resources required to improve one dimension of sustainability clash with those required by the others. Data were gathered from a sample of 133 Colombian metalworking companies and processed using structural equations models.

Findings

The results support the cumulative “sand-cone”, which follows a sequence of operational-environmental-social improvement in the presence of lean. For the “trade-offs” model, partial evidence suggests that they can occur in detriment of social performance.

Originality/value

The “sand-cone” and “trade-offs” are empirically tested for the first time in the context of sustainability, providing further knowledge into its interaction with lean manufacturing. The models’ results contribute to practitioners by providing a tested path for companies to improve their performance in a cumulative sequence that will provide better long-term results.
The impact of the industrial robots on the employment rate and wages: prospects of circular economy and sustainable development
Authors: Zhu Hongfei , Zhang Xiekui , Yu Baocheng
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate whether the increasing robot adoption will affect employment rate and wages to contribute to the economic cycle and sustainable development in the world.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors introduce a two-way fixed effect model and ordinary least-squares (OLS) model to evaluate the influence based on relevant data of the eighteen countries with the largest robot stocks and robot densities in the world from 2006 to 2019 to test the influences and do the robustness test and endogeneity test by using empirical models.

Findings

The authors’ research findings suggest that increasing robot adoption can cause strong negative impacts on employment for both males and females in these economies. Second, the effect of robots on reducing job opportunities has penetrated different industries. It means that this negative impact of robots is comprehensive for the industry. Third, robot adoption can have a strong positive influence on wages and increase workers' incomes.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the study are that the influence of industrial intelligence technologies on the circular economy is diversities in different countries. Thus, this study should consider the development levels of different economies to do additional confirmatory studies.

Practical implications

This study makes out the correlations between industrial robots and the employment market from the circular economy perspective. The result proves the existence of this influence relationship, and the authors propose some suggestions to promote sustainable economic development.

Social implications

This paper addresses the activity of industrial intelligence technologies in the labor market. The employment market is an important part of the circular economy, and it will benefit social development if the government provides appropriate guidance for social investment and industrial layout.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few studies which considered the impact of industrial robots on employment and wages from the perspective of different industries, and this is very important for the circular economy in the world. The results of this paper provide an instructive reference for government policymakers and other countries to stabilize the labor market and optimize human resources for sustainable economic development.
Statistical and experimental study on microcrack of mortar by a self-healing agent of bacteria adsorbed by expanded perlite
Authors: Li Hong-Feng , Sun Jun , Wang Xiao-Yong , Xing Lei-Lei , Zhang Guang-Zhu
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to add expanded perlite (EP) immobilized microorganisms that replace part of the standard sand in mortar to improve the self-healing ability of mortar cracks and reduce the water absorption of mortar after healing.

Design/methodology/approach

Bacillus pseudofirmus spores were immobilized with EP particles as self-healing agents. The effects of adding self-healing agents on the compressive strength of mortar specimens were observed. The ability of mortar specimens to heal cracks was evaluated using crack microscopic observation and water absorption experiments. The filler at the cracks was microscopically analyzed by scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction experiments.

Findings

First, the internal curing effect of EP promotes the hydration of cement in mortar, which generates more amount and denser crystal structure of Ca(OH)2 at mortar cracks and improves the self-healing ability of mortar. Second, the self-healing ability of mortar improves with the increase of self-healing agent admixture. Adding a self-healing agent of high admixture makes the planar undulation of calcite crystal accumulation at mortar cracks more significant. Finally, the initial crack widths that can be completely healed by adding EP and self-healing agents to the mortar are 200 µm and 600 µm, respectively.

Originality/value

The innovation points of this study are as follows. (1) The mechanism of the internal curing effect of EP particles on the self-healing ability of mortar cracks was revealed by crack microscopic observation tests and microscopic experiments. (2) The effect of different self-healing agent amounts on the self-healing ability of mortar cracks has been studied. (3) The effects of EP particles and self-healing agents on healing different initial widths were elucidated by crack microscopic observation tests.

Graphical abstract
AFTER POLITICAL ECOLOGY
Authors: Karlsson Bengt G.
Published: September 2023

This book review article probes present anthropological engagement with the environment through the prism of political ecology, placing political ecology in conversation with newer work in environmnetal anthropology. In situating this conversation, the reviewer draws on four recent anthropological monographs that, in one way or another, deal with aspects of ‘nature’. The four monographs are Tania Murray Li's (2014)Land's end: Capitalist relations on an indigenous frontier; Marianne Elisabeth Lien's (2015)Becoming salmon: Aquaculture and the domestication of fish; Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing's (2015)The mushroom at the end of the world: On the possibility of life in capitalist ruin; and, lastly, Marisol de la Cadena's (2015)Earth beings: Ecologies of practice across Andean worlds. As I suggest, political ecology requires a radical remake, perhaps a political ecology 2.0, which brings in nature in a new way and makes the category of the political more inclusive.
The effect of ultrasound process on lactic acid bacteria, physicochemical and sensory properties of yoghurt, before and after inoculation of starter cultures into milk
Authors: Tavşanlı Hakan , Güner Tevhide Elif , Altundal Berfin , Ektik Nisanur , İlhak Osman İrfan
Published: September 2023

The effect of ultrasound (US) applied before (US + i) and after (i + US) inoculation of yoghurt starter into cows' milk on some parameters of yoghurt was investigated. Lightness (L*) values, amounts of acetaldehyde, diacetyl, acetoin, ethanol, lactic, pyruvic, and acetic acid were higher in the US‐treated groups compared with control (P < 0.05). In the US + i group, the total amount of ketones increased. Lactobacillus and Streptococcus spp. numbers reached log ≥7.0 cfu/g in all groups (P > 0.05). It can be concluded that low‐intensity ultrasound applied to cows' milk before or after inoculation of yoghurt starters increases the aroma components and organic acid content of yoghurt.
Body color plasticity of Diaphorina citri reflects a response to environmental stress
Authors: Fan Jiayao , Shang Feng , Pan Huimin , Yuan Chenyang , Liu Tianyuan , Yi Long , Wang Jinjun , Dou Wei
Published: September 2023

Body color polyphenism is common in Diaphorina citri. Previous studies compared physiological characteristics in D. citri, but the ecological and biological significance of its body color polyphenism remains poorly understood. We studied the ecological and molecular effects of stressors related to body color in D. citri. Crowding or low temperature induced a high proportion of gray morphs, which had smaller bodies, lower body weight, and greater susceptibility to the insecticide dinotefuran. We performed transcriptomic and metabolomics analysiis of 2 color morphs in D. citri. Gene expression dynamics revealed that the differentially expressed genes were predominantly involved in energy metabolism, including fatty acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism. Among these genes, plexin, glycosidase, phospholipase, take out, trypsin, and triacylglycerol lipase were differentially expressed in 2 color morphs, and 6 hsps (3 hsp70, hsp83, hsp90, hsp68) were upregulated in gray morphs. The metabolome data showed that blue morphs exhibited a higher abundance of fatty acid and amino acid, whereas the content of carbohydrates was elevated in gray morphs. This study partly explains the body color polyphenism of D. citri and provides insights into the molecular changes of stress response of D. citri.
Tailoring CONSORT‐SPI to improve the reporting of smoking cessation intervention trials: An expert consensus study
Authors: Swithenbank Zoe , Bricca Alessio , Black Nicola , Hartmann Boyce Jamie , Johnston Marie , Scott Neil , West Robert , Courtney Ryan J. , Treweek Shaun , Michie Susan , de Bruin Marijn
Published: September 2023

Background and Aims

Inadequate reporting of smoking cessation intervention trials is common and leads to significant challenges for researchers. The aim of this study was to tailor CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials)‐SPI (Social and Psychological Interventions) guidelines to improve reporting of trials of behavioural interventions to promote smoking cessation.

Method

Informed by missing data from the IC‐SMOKE (Intervention and Comparison group support provided in SMOKing cEssation) systematic review project, this study used a multi‐stage Delphi process to examine which items could be added or modified to improve the reporting of smoking cessation trials. The first stage involved an on‐line survey of 17 international experts in smoking cessation and trial methodology voting on the importance of items for inclusion in the updated guidelines. This was followed by a face‐to‐face expert consensus meeting attended by 15 of these experts, where the final inclusion and exclusion of new items and modifications were agreed upon. A nine‐point Likert scale was used to establish consensus, with suggested modifications requiring agreement of 75% or more. Disagreements in the first stage were presented again at the second stage for discussion and a second round of voting. Only items which reached the threshold for agreement were included.

Results

The experts agreed on the inclusion of 10 new items and the specification of 12 existing items. This included modifications that could apply to trials more widely (e.g. the rationale for the comparator), but also modifications that were very specific to smoking cessation trials (e.g. the reporting of smoking cessation outcomes).

Conclusions

A Delphi study has developed a modified CONSORT‐SPI guideline (CONSORT‐SPI‐SMOKE) to improve the reporting of trials of behavioural interventions to promote smoking cessation.
Regular use of acupressure mats reduces perceived stress at subjective but not psychophysiological levels: Insights from a three‐week relaxation training
Authors: Kisker Joanna , Schöne Benjamin
Published: September 2023

Acupressure mats are promoted as stress management tools for easy and effective self‐application, promising reduced stress and increased well‐being. However, the scientific evidence for these effects is based on few experimental studies and lacks the examination of acupressure mats as a solitary relaxation tool. Our study aimed to examine which changes in stress and well‐being can be expected from the use of acupressure mats by healthy young people on the subjective and psychophysiological level. Unexperienced participants practiced relaxation for three weeks either with an acupressure mat or without any tools (active control group [CG]). As a results, subjective well‐being and stress decreased, while sleep quality and concentration endurance increased across groups. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), pain threshold and pain tolerance did not change significantly from pre‐ to post‐training measurements. Most importantly, no significant differences were found between groups, indicating that training with an acupressure mat yielded no superior effects compared with an active control condition in healthy young students. As a conclusion, taking time to relax has some but limited beneficial effects on the subjective levels independent of the specific method for healthy students. Potential beneficial effects of acupressure mats might be bound to specific impairments, such as tension pain.