bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of quality on health-insurance users' satisfaction in Saudi Arabia: the mediating role of brand image and utilitarian value
Authors: Abourokbah Safinaz Hassan , Husain Khalid Sami
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This study assesses the quality of health-insurance services and their impact on customer satisfaction, examining the mediating role of utilitarian value and brand image in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 345 health-insurance companies' customers selected through convenience sampling and were analyzed using SmartPLS.

Findings

Service quality statistically significantly influences customer satisfaction with health insurance in Saudi Arabia, whereas brand image and utilitarian value partially mediate this relationship. The structural path between service quality and brand image was statistically significant and positive. The utilitarian dimension positively affects customer satisfaction and service quality.

Practical implications

This study is significant to the management, as it provides insight into the expectations of health-insurance users. The focus is to gain a competitive advantage by improving customer service and brand image.

Originality/value

This investigation contributes to the field by exploring the mediating role of utilitarian value and brand image in the relationship between health-insurance quality and customer satisfaction based on the information provided by insurance policyholders in Saudi Arabia.
CEO personality and corporate sustainability performance
Authors: Venugopal Ajith , Nerur Sridhar , Yasar Mahmut , Rasheed Abdul A.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine how chief executive officer's (CEO) personality traits influence the corporate sustainability performance (CSP) of firms. The paper also examines the moderating effect of board power on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a linguistic tool (IBM's Watson Personality Insight Service), the authors measured the personality traits of 229 CEOs from 176 firms from 2009 to 2018. Firm-level CSP are obtained from the Sustainalytics database. The hypotheses are tested using multiple regression analysis. The robustness of the results of the study is confirmed by addressing endogeneity concerns and by validating the measurement of CEO personality traits using Personality Recognizer, an alternative linguistic tool.

Findings

The results show that CEO personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism are significant predictors of CSP. The paper also identifies board power as a contingent factor that influences the suggested relationships.

Originality/value

Using upper echelon theory and cybernetic big five theory, this paper identifies CEO personality traits as important antecedents of corporate sustainability performance and adds to the micro-foundations of corporate sustainability literature. To the authors’ understanding, this is the first study that examines the influence of CEO personality on CSP using a comprehensive trait framework. The paper also demonstrates the usefulness of text-analytic tools to measure CEO personality traits, thereby contributing to the progress of upper echelon theory.
Conflicting factors when implementing a statutory quality management system within the public sector: a study in Sweden
Authors: Eriksson Maria , Eriksson Therese , Jonsson Elisabet
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore and develop knowledge about implementing and applying a quality management system (QMS) in the public sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A study was conducted including 16 qualitative in-depth interviews with 18 respondents, all working with QMSs in the Swedish public sector.

Findings

The study identified five main themes that are problematic in relation to the implementation of the statutory QMS in the public sector. The identified themes show that there exists a gap between theory and practice regarding how the statutory QMS needs to be implemented and applied.

Practical implications

Based on the analysis of the findings, the authors propose a model of core values and supporting elements for QMS in the public sector to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Originality/value

The study identified problems when implementing statutory QMSs in the public sector and presents a model of improvement. Further research is needed regarding statutory QMS in the public sector.
Labor markets and incarceration: The China shock to American punishment
Authors: Clegg John , Usmani Adaner
Published: October 2023

Studies have failed to show a positive effect of unemployment on incarceration despite reasons to expect such a relationship. We note that prior estimates have been muddied by the absence of substate data, a focus on prisons rather than on jails, limited measures of unemployment, and the fact that the health of the labor market is endogenous to incarceration. We instrument for local exposure to the rise of Chinese exports (“the China Shock”) to estimate the effect of job loss on American incarceration. Marshaling a new data set of prisoners and jail inmates by race at the commuting zone level, we show that negative shocks to local labor markets led to significant increases in total incarceration rates for both Blacks and Whites. The effect seems to be driven by increased prison rather than jail populations. This estimate is invisible to ordinary least squares, which may help explain null results reported by past work. Counterfactual exercises suggest that the effect of job loss was punitively consequential. Had employment gains from the 1990s been preserved into the 2000s, the U.S. incarceration rate would have grown significantly less than it did.
Near‐infrared spectroscopy to measure brain oxygenation: A comparison of measurements on the skin, skull and dura mater
Authors: Pedersen Sofie S. , Sørensen Martin Kryspin , Olsen Markus Harboe , Stisen Zara R. , Lund Anton , Møller Kirsten , Skjøth‐Rasmussen Jane , Moltke Finn B. , Meyhoff Christian S.
Published: October 2023

Background

The reliability of near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for measuring cerebral oxygenation (ScO2) is controversial due to the possible contamination from extracranial tissues. We compared ScO2 measured with the NIRS optode on the forehead, the skull and the dura mater in anaesthetised patients undergoing craniotomy. We hypothesised that ScO2 measured directly on the skull and the dura mater would differ from ScO2 measured on the skin.

Methods

This prospective observational study included 17 adult patients scheduled for elective craniotomy. After induction of general anaesthesia, ScO2 was measured on the forehead skin, as well as on the skull and on the dura mater in the surgical field. The primary comparison was the difference in ScO2 measured on the dura mater and on ScO2 measured on the skin; secondary comparisons were the differences in ScO2 on the skull and ScO2 on the skin and the dura mater, respectively. Data were described with median (5%–95% range) and analysed with the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test.

Results

ScO2 values on the dura mater were obtained in 11 patients, and median ScO2 (48%, 29%–95%) did not differ significantly from ScO2 on the skin (73%, 49%–92%; p = .052), median difference −25% (−35.6% to −1.2%). ScO2 on the skull (N = 16) was lower than that on the skin (63% [43%–79%] vs. 75% [61%–94%]; p = .0002), median difference −10% (−20.8 to −3.0).

Conclusion

In adults undergoing craniotomy, NIRS‐based ScO2 measured on the dura mater did not reach statistically significantly lower values than ScO2 measured on the skin, whereas values on the skull were lower than on the skin, indicating a contribution from scalp tissue to the signal.
Importance of antenatal identification of small for gestational age fetuses on perinatal and childhood outcomes: A register‐based cohort study
Authors: Hertting Emma , Herling Lotta , Lindqvist Pelle G. , Wiberg‐Itzel Eva
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with increased risk for stillbirth, perinatal morbidity, cerebral palsy, neurodevelopmental disorders and cardiovascular disease later in life. Identifying small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) fetuses is crucial for the diagnosis of FGR. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between antenatal identification of SGA fetuses and severe adverse perinatal and childhood outcome.

Material and methods

A register‐based cohort study of all newborns delivered in Stockholm in 2014 and 2017. Inclusion criteria: singleton pregnancies without chromosomal aberrations or structural abnormalities, with a gestational age at delivery between 22+0 and 43+0 (n = 48 843). Data from childbirth records were linked to data from nationwide Swedish registers. Pregnancy including offspring data were reviewed. Adverse outcomes for non‐identified and identified SGA newborns were compared using logistic regression models. Primary outcome was a composite outcome called severe adverse outcome, defined as at least one of the following: stillbirth, severe newborn distress (Apgar score <4 at 5 min, pH <7 or resuscitation activities >10 min), severe neonatal outcome (hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy 2–3, necrotizing enterocolitis, neonatal seizures, intraventricular hemorrhage grade 3–4, bronchopulmonary disease or death at <1 year), severe childhood outcome (cognitive impairment or motor impairment or cerebral palsy or hearing impairment or visual impairment or death at 1–3 years old). Secondary outcomes were stillbirth, severe newborn distress, severe neonatal outcome, severe childhood outcome.

Results

No association was found between antenatal identification of SGA fetuses and severe adverse outcome using the complete composite outcome (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93–1.53). In subgroup analyses, non‐identified SGA fetuses had an almost fivefold increased risk for stillbirth (aOR 4.79, 95% CI 2.63–8.72) and an increased risk for severe newborn distress (aOR 1.36, 95% CI 1.02–1.82), but a decreased risk for severe childhood outcome (aOR 0.63, 95% CI 0.40–0.99). No association was found between antenatal identification of SGA and severe neonatal outcome.

Conclusions

Non‐identified SGA fetuses have an increased risk for stillbirth and severe newborn distress. Conversely, identified SGA fetuses have an increased risk for severe childhood outcome.
Macroeconomic effects of discretionary tax changes in Canada: Evidence from a new narrative measure of tax shocks
Authors: Hussain Syed M. , Liu Lin
Published: October 2023

In this paper we study the macroeconomic effects of changes in federal taxes for the Canadian economy for the time period 1961–2014. We document all legislated tax changes and the motivations behind them. We then employ the narrative methodology of Romer and Romer (2010) and Cloyne (2013) to identify exogenous changes in federal taxes. Our main empirical result shows that a tax cut of 1% of GDP leads to an increase in GDP of 2.1% on impact and a peak increase of 2.68% after three quarters of the initial shock. Disaggregated analysis shows that the response of output is driven by consumption and investment. We also find changes in personal income and other (sales and production) taxes to have strong effects on output.
Family‐level responses to the introduction of Tax‐Free Savings Accounts
Authors: Lavecchia Adam M.
Published: October 2023

This paper presents evidence on the effect of the introduction of Canadian Tax‐Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) on the savings of families with children. Contributions to TFSAs are not tax‐deductible but capital income earned in the account accrues tax‐free and withdrawals are not taxed. Using a difference‐in‐differences instrumental variables research design that exploits the sharp change in a family's cumulative TFSA contribution room that arises when a child turns 18 years old, I find that a $1 increase in family‐level TFSA balances lowers taxable financial asset holdings by approximately $0.25 to $0.45 and has no statistically significant effect on holdings in traditional tax‐deferred accounts. My results suggest that having an additional adult family member eligible to open a TFSA increases the TFSA contributions and account balances of both adult children and their parents.
Carrying capacity and cumulative effects management: A case study using bighorn sheep
Authors: Beale Meghan M. , Knopff Kyle H. , Small Christina C. , McLean Danielle C.
Published: October 2023

Successful cumulative effects management is fundamental for conservation policy and practice. We investigated the application of a carrying capacity (CC) model as a cumulative effects management tool for bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) in British Columbia, Canada, where CC is defined as the natural limit of a sustainable population that is set by the availability of resources in the environment. We estimated winter CC using forage availability across winter ranges, weighted by relative selection by sheep and a safe use factor, and divided by overwinter forage requirements to determine how many sheep the landscape can support. We explored application of our model to decision‐making about new industrial projects or conservation activities in a cumulative effects context. Cumulative effects include both positive and negative contributions to animal populations and we simulated the potential positive outcomes of burning to increase bighorn sheep carrying capacity in our study area. Our results show that carefully planned conservation actions could generate a 5% increase in CC (i.e., from 493 to 519 sheep). Robust tools and scientific techniques that are capable of quantifying multiple impacts and conservation actions and that consider spatial processes over long temporal scales, such as the CC model presented, should be applied to help inform decisions about how to better manage cumulative habitat change and achieve conservation objectives.
A rare case of secondary cutaneous lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma clinically presenting as acquired cutis laxa
Authors: Lim Dong Jun , Yang Hee Joo , Lee Mi Young , Lee Woo Jin , Won Chong Hyun , Chang Sung Eun , Lee Mi Woo
Published: October 2023

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) is a rare variant of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma, accounting for <1% of cases. Skin involvement in LPL is quite rare—accounting for approximately 5% of extramedullary disease—and includes a variety of clinical morphologies, such as erythematous‐to‐violaceous plaques, violaceous nodules or tumors, and ulceration at various anatomical sites. Herein, we report the case of a 45‐year‐old Korean woman who presented with generalized erythematous indurated plaques and pendulous skin growths, which were asymptomatic, with marked diffuse infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells in the dermis. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that the lymphoid cells expressed CD3, CD79a, and cytoplasmic IgG, but lacked CD10 and IgM. Moreover, kappa light chain restriction and monoclonal immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement were observed. Upon further workup, lymphoma involvement was reported in multiple lymph nodes, including those in the cervical and axillary regions. This case shows a unique form of cutaneous LPL clinically presenting as acquired cutis laxa, emphasizing the dermatologists' need to be vigilant for variant forms of this disease.
Exploration and practice of data thinking in the application of E‐Commerce art design course under the background of big data
Authors: Zhu Mengrui , Wang Jiankun
Published: October 2023

E‐commerce art design major is a new major that has developed rapidly in recent years. In the era of big data, teaching methods, teaching methods and teaching contents have changed accordingly. At the same time, with the popularization and application of big data, the demand direction of e‐commerce art design professional society for talents has also changed. Therewith, the model of teaching is also undergoing a transformation. The curriculum system of the e‐commerce art design major needs to integrate the thinking in data in response to the social demand. Therefore, starting with the concept and connotation of thinking in data, status analysis of the art design major of application‐oriented universities, and analysis of the application of the thinking in data in the education of the e‐commerce art design major, this paper explores how to apply the thinking in data in the teaching of the e‐commerce art design major of application‐oriented universities and optimize the talent training in this major, so as to provide new ideas for the development in the e‐commerce art design major.
Exo‐glucosidase activity and substrate specificity of the beta‐glycosidase isolated from the extreme thermophile Sulfolobus solfataricus
Authors: Nucci R. , Moracci M. , Vaccaro C. , Vespa N. , Rossi M.
Published: October 2023

The enzyme with beta‐galactosidase activity from Sulfolobus solfataricus strain MT‐4, like other enzymes of this type isolated from thermophilic sources, has broad specificity for beta‐D‐gluco‐, fuco‐ and galacto‐sides. The beta‐galactosidase activity was purified by a new procedure that improved yields (44%) and final specific activity (182 units mg‐1 at 75 degrees C using chromogenic beta‐D‐galactoside as substrate). The enzyme hydrolysed a large number of beta‐linked glycoside dimers and oligomers; chromogenic beta‐glucosides and beta‐fucosides are the preferred substrates, and kinetic analysis indicated that they bind to a common catalytic site. The order of catalytic efficiency was beta 1–3 > beta 1–4 > beta 1–6 and cellotetraose > cellotriose > cellobiose for glucose dimers and oliogomers respectively. The cleavage occurred at the non‐reducing end of the oligosaccharide, and the enzyme showed noticeable specificity also for the aglycone part of substrates. From these results the enzyme from S. solfataricus strain MT‐4 is defined as a true glycosyl hydrolase with remarkable exo‐glucosidase activity and it is designated S beta‐gly.
Characterization of proteinase A glycoforms from recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae.“
Authors: Pedersen J. , Biedermann K.
Published: October 2023

Proteinase A produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae carrying the gene PEP4 (which encodes the prepro‐proteinase A on multicopy plasmids) was isolated and characterized by means of SDS/PAGE, laser desorption m.s. (l.d.m.s.) and high‐performance capillary electrophoresis. Although proteinase A is normally located in the yeast vacuole, overexpression resulted in it being secreted. SDS/PAGE revealed that the product isolated from the culture medium comprised an approx, 7:3 mixture of two different forms of proteinase A, the apparent molecular masses of which were 42 and 40 kDa respectively. The exact mass of each form, measured by l.d.m.s., was 40,755 and 38,132 Da respectively. Further analysis employing N‐glycosidase F digestion and CNBr cleavage revealed that the larger molecule was native proteinase A bearing carbohydrate moieties at Asn68 and Asn269, whereas the smaller molecule was a proteinase A variant glycoform lacking the carbohydrate moiety at Asn269. Capillary electrophoresis of both the normal and underglycosylated proteinase A glycoforms revealed charge heterogeneities attributable to differences in the phosphorylation level of the carbohydrate moiety at Asn68.
Characterization of natural and recombinant nuclease isoforms by electrospray mass spectrometry
Authors: Pedersen J. , Andersen J. , Roepstorff P. , Filimonova M. , Biedermann K.
Published: October 2023

Isoforms of natural and recombinant nuclease have been characterized on the basis of their M(r) as determined by electrospray m.sn The natural nuclease was isolated and purified from Serratia marcescens B10M1 and the recombinant nuclease from Escherichia coli MT102 carrying the plasmid p403‐SD2. The primary structure of each of the isoforms isolated from the nuclease preparations was established by comparing their mass with the known amino acid sequence derived from the nucleotide sequence of the nuc gene. All the preparations were found to be contaminated with the same N‐terminal split variants of native nuclease, although the natural nuclease contained much larger amounts of these isoforms than did the recombinant nuclease. The structure of some of the isoforms could be verified by N‐terminal sequencing, and nearly all of them by isoelectric focusing.
Comparative studies on thermophilicity and thermostability of aspartate aminotransferases
Authors: Cubellis MV , Arnone MI , Birolo L. , Sannia G. , Marino G.
Published: October 2023

Aspartate aminotransferase from Sulfolobus solfataricus (AspATSs) is an extremely thermophilic and thermostable enzyme. In order to investigate the structural features which underlie thermophilicity and thermostability, two isoforms of AspATSs differing by a single amino acid residue were compared. The first isoform is the naturally occurring enzyme, whereas the second is a genetically engineered mutant. Thermophilicity, short‐term and long‐term thermostability of the isoenzymes were independently evaluated and the influence of a cysteine residue on the three properties was assessed.
Work Emails at the Breakfast Table: Proximity of Labour and Capital as an Unexamined Difficulty for the (Just) Distribution of Discretionary Time
Authors: James Alastair
Published: October 2023

This article examines an omission in the study of discretionary time that bears on proposals currently being evaluated in this part of political philosophy. Specifically, this is the tendency in many jobs for work time to bleed into what is meant to be protected or discretionary time. I refer to this phenomenon as the relative proximity of labour and capital, which has become more prevalent in the labour market due to increased use of mobile communications technology. Ignored by the literature is the fact that whether a job exhibits a high degree of proximity of labour and capital will influence workers' access to their discretionary time entitlements, including policies such as workplace flexibility and the four‐day week. To account for this, I provide a descriptive and normative account of the proximity of labour and capital, in response to which I propose a remedial policy that provides workers with greater autonomy over how and when they take up their discretionary time entitlements.
Cardiovascular dysautonomia in postacute sequelae of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection
Authors: Ståhlberg Marcus , Mahdi Ali , Johansson Madeleine , Fedorowski Artur , Olshansky Brian
Published: October 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has led to a worldwide pandemic that continues to transform but will not go away. Cardiovascular dysautonomia in postacute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection has led to persistent symptoms in a large number of patients. Here, we define the condition and its associated symptoms as well as potential mechanisms responsible. We provide a careful and complete overview of the topic addressing novel studies and a generalized approach to the management of individuals with this complex and potentially debilitating problem. We also discuss future research directions and the important knowledge gaps to be addressed in ongoing and planned studies.
A decision‐led evaluation approach for flood forecasting system developments: An application to the Global Flood Awareness System in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Sazzad , Cloke Hannah L. , Ficchì Andrea , Gupta Harshita , Speight Linda , Hassan Ahmadul , Stephens Elisabeth M.
Published: October 2023

Scientific and technical changes to flood forecasting models are implemented to improve forecasts. However, responses to such changes are complex, particularly in global models, and evaluation of improvements remains focussed on generalised skill assessments and not on the most relevant outcomes for those taking decisions. Recently, the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) flood forecasting model has been upgraded from version 2.1 to 3.1 with a significant change to its hydrological model structure. In the updated version 3.1, a single fully configured hydrological model (LISFLOOD) has been adopted, including ground water and river routing processes, instead of two coupled models, a land surface and a simplified hydrological model, of the previous version 2.1. This study aims to evaluate changes in the simulated behaviour of floods and the forecast skill of the two GloFAS versions based on different decision criteria for early action. We evaluate GloFAS reforecasts for the Brahmaputra and the Ganges Rivers in Bangladesh for the period 1999–2018. For the Brahmaputra River, the old GloFAS 2.1 version performs better than the 3.1 version, especially in predicting low‐ (90th percentile) and medium‐level (95th percentile) floods. For the Ganges, GloFAS 3.1 shows improved probability of detection of low‐ to medium‐level floods compared to version 2.1, especially for lead times longer than 10 days. Both versions show limited skill for more extreme floods (99th percentile) but results are less robust for these less frequent floods given the lower number of events. Using lead‐time dependent thresholds improves the false alarm ratio while reducing the probability of detection. The changes in model structures influence the model performance in a complex and varied way and forecast skill needs further investigation across regions and decision‐making criteria. Understanding the skill changes between different model versions is important for decision‐makers; however, focused case studies such as this should also be used by model developers to guide future changes to the system to ensure that they lead to improvements in decision‐making ability.
The impact of recentralization reform on corruption: evidence from a quasi‐natural experiment
Authors: Luu Hiep Ngoc , Nguyen Tram Anh , Nguyen Ngoc Minh , Le Dam Duc , Dao Khoi Trong
Published: October 2023

How does government recentralization reform affect corruption? We utilize the pilot recentralization reform that transforms the legislative function, power, and responsibility of the district‐level authorities to the higher level of the government organ in Vietnam as a quasi‐natural experiment to address the aforementioned question. We find strong evidence that recentralization reform leads to lower corruption. The result illustrates that, among the firms which have the highest probability of making a bribe payment, those incorporated in jurisdictions experiencing the recentralization reform are 4.3% less likely to pay a bribe. In addition, the perception that bribery is a common and necessary practice is also significantly lowered in the post‐recentralization period. We further show that the impact of recentralization is stronger for firms which lack a political connection. Overall, these results shed light on the real impact of the government recentralization reform and also the determinants of corruption, thereby providing important policy implications for policymakers to create a more conducive business environment.
A large‐scale dataset of buildings and construction sites
Authors: Cheng Xuanhao , Jia Mingming , He Jian
Published: October 2023

With the rapid development of deep learning and machine automation technology, as well as workforce aging, increasing labor costs, and other issues, an increasing number of scholars have paid attention to the use of these techniques to solve problems in civil engineering. Although progress has been made in applying deep learning to damage detection, many subfields in civil engineering are still in the initial stage, and a large amount of data has not been used. Moreover, the rapid development of a field cannot be separated from large open‐source datasets and many researchers. Therefore, this study attempts to construct a dataset named the BCS dataset of nearly 212,000 photos of buildings and construction sites using multi‐threaded parallel crawler technology and offline collection. The dataset will be expanded regularly. As a practical demonstration, the StyleGAN3 and StyleGAN2 generative adversarial networks were utilized on the dataset to create faked safety hat images and high‐resolution architectural images. Subsequently, four classic classification models were employed to validate the dataset, achieving a Top‐1 accuracy of up to 0.947. These results underscore the dataset's excellent potential for practical applications.
Periodontitis and NAFLD‐related diseases: A bidirectional two‐sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Qiao Feng , Li Xiaoyan , Liu Yuchang , Zhang Shunming , Liu Dayong , Li Changyi
Published: October 2023

Background

Epidemiological studies have shown an association between periodontitis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)‐related diseases. However, a causal relationship between these two diseases remains unclear. To examine the causal relationship between these two diseases, we conducted a bidirectional two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using genetic markers as proxies.

Methods

Statistical summary was obtained from a large genome‐wide association study (GWAS) on NAFLD (N = 342,499), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, N = 342,499), fibrosis (N = 339,081), cirrhosis (N = 342,499), fibrosis/cirrhosis (N = 334,553), and periodontitis (N = 34,615) in the European ancestry. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main method to estimate the bidirectional association. Sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the rigidity of the results.

Results

Limited evidence indicated positive causal associations between genetically predicted NAFLD and periodontitis (IVW odds ratio [OR], 1.094; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.006–1.189; p = 0.036) and between cirrhosis and periodontitis (IVW OR, 1.138; 95% CI, 1.001–1.294; p = 0.048). However, the opposite trend did not indicate a causative effect of periodontitis on NAFLD‐related diseases. The sensitivity analysis revealed no obvious pleiotropy or heterogeneity.

Conclusions

Our MR analysis provides new evidence in favor of the moderate causal impact of NAFLD on periodontitis. The causal effects of periodontitis on NAFLD‐related diseases warrant further investigation.
From the “Republic of Cousins” to foreign spouses: Transnational marriages in Türkiye
Authors: Deniz Ayla
Published: October 2023

Marriage in Türkiye, as in many societies, is of great importance in the reproduction of life, and the choice of a spouse often involves the intervention of families and society. Within this structure, it is seen that marriages usually occur between extended family members or the same ethnic/sectarian groups. Nevertheless, mixed marriages between migrants with different ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural identities and settled people have increased in the last 30 years. The fluidity of the transnational social space created by marriages is effective in this increase. This paper reviews the current studies on mixed marriages in Türkiye from the perspective of transnational social spaces, which express a way of life somewhere between two communities and provides a link between them. It reflects the ways in which this fluidity affects the political and social positioning of mixed marriages and the agency of marriage migrants.
Convergence in segmental reflex pathways from nociceptive and non‐nociceptive afferents to alpha‐motoneurones in the cat.
Authors: Steffens H , Schomburg E D
Published: October 2023

1. Reflex interaction between nociceptive and non‐nociceptive segmental afferents was investigated by testing for spatial facilitation of postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) in alpha‐motoneurones recorded in anaemically decapitated, high spinal cats. Nociceptive segmental afferents were activated by applying noxious radiant heat to the skin. Non‐nociceptive skin mechanoreceptors were activated by puffs of air. Non‐nociceptive skin, joint and group I‐III muscle afferents were stimulated by electrical pulses delivered to various nerves. 2. Conditioning by stimulation of nociceptive afferents facilitated transmission in various ipsilateral segmental pathways. Such spatial facilitation occurred in both excitatory and inhibitory pathways. Pathways that were facilitated included those activated by low to medium threshold cutaneous afferents, joint afferents, and group Ib and II muscle afferents. 3. In contrast, monosynaptic EPSPs evoked by stimulating ipsilateral group Ia muscle afferents did not show spatial facilitation but rather inhibition during conditioning stimulation of nociceptive afferents. Spatial facilitation of reciprocal group Ia IPSPs was rare and small if it occurred. 4. Pathways activated by cutaneous and group II muscle afferents were depressed by contralateral stimulation of nociceptive afferents. 5. We conclude that spatial facilitation observed between nociceptive and non‐nociceptive afferents results from a convergence of inputs on common interneurones in the reflex pathways to alpha‐motoneurones. Therefore nociceptive afferents have to be regarded as constituents of flexor reflex afferents (FRAs) and may add a specific nocifensive function to the FRA system.
Ultrathin VO2 grown with oxygen plasma molecular beam epitaxy on TiO2 (001) and Al2O3 (0001)
Authors: Spitzig Alyson , Hoffman Jennifer E. , Hoffman Jason D.
Published: October 2023

Bulk VO2 undergoes an insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) with up to five orders of magnitude change in the resistance at 340 K. However, when VO2 is deposited as a film on a substrate, the strain from the substrate can alter the IMT temperature, resistivity ratio of IMT, and hysteresis. Here, we present single-phase VO2 ultrathin films (thickness less than 20 nm) grown using oxygen plasma molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on TiO2 (001) and Al2O3 (0001) substrates. First, we modify existing recipes employing ozone MBE and reproduce the best films from literature on TiO2 (001), maintaining an almost three orders of magnitude transition in a 12 nm thick film with TIMT of 308 K (296 K) upon warming (cooling). We then extend our recipe to Al2O3 (0001) substrates where we stabilize a 12 nm thin single-phase VO2 film and observe two orders of magnitude transition at 337 K (329 K) upon warming (cooling), expanding the possible growth methods for ultrathin VO2 films on Al2O3 (0001).
Vowel perception under prominence: Examining the roles of F0, duration, and distributional information
Authors: Steffman Jeremy , Zhang Wei
Published: October 2023

This study investigates how prosodic prominence mediates the perception of American English vowels, testing the effects of F0 and duration. In Experiment 1, the perception of four vowel continua varying in duration and formants (high: /i-ɪ/, /u-ʊ/, non-high: /ɛ-ae/, /ʌ-ɑ/), was examined under changes in F0-based prominence. Experiment 2 tested if cue usage varies as the distributional informativity of duration as a cue to prominence is manipulated. Both experiments show that duration is a consistent vowel-intrinsic cue. F0-based prominence affected perception of vowels via compensation for peripheralization of prominent vowels in the vowel space. Longer duration and F0-based prominence further enhanced the perception of formant cues. The distributional manipulation in Experiment 2 exerted a minimal impact. Findings suggest that vowel perception is mediated by prominence in a height-dependent manner which reflects patterns in the speech production literature. Further, duration simultaneously serves as an intrinsic cue and serves a prominence-related function in enhancing perception of formant cues.
Preliminary examination of sounds produced by Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) during their fall spawning migration
Authors: Murchy K. A. , Rountree R. A. , Mouy X. , Juanes F.
Published: October 2023

A preliminary description of sounds produced by three species of Pacific salmon was conducted to address the lack of quantified call characteristics in previous studies. Wild Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), pink salmon (O. gorbuscha), and coho salmon (O. kisutch) were diverted from a natural spawning migration in the Big Qualicum River located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada and held in the adjacent hatchery during the 2017 fall migration. Underwater sounds were opportunistically recorded continuously over four week in holding raceways containing Chinook only, coho only, or mixed pink and Chinook salmon, and examined for sounds. All groups produced sounds in three categories based on mechanism: hydrodynamic (surface splash), air movement (miscellaneous and 7 named types), and unknown mechanism (pulse). Pulse, gill-bubble fast repetitive tick air movement sounds, and miscellaneous air movement sounds occurred in all groups and differences in some characteristics of sounds were found between the species groups. Additionally, even though pink salmon were not recorded separately, data suggest they produce a very fast repetitive tick air movement sound more often compared to Chinook salmon. Our results represent the first detailed description of the types and characteristics of sounds produced by wild Pacific salmon.
Innovation and elaboration on the avian tree of life
Authors: Guillerme Thomas , Bright Jen A. , Cooney Christopher R. , Hughes Emma C. , Varley Zoë K. , Cooper Natalie , Beckerman Andrew P. , Thomas Gavin H.
Published: October 2023

Widely documented, megaevolutionary jumps in phenotypic diversity continue to perplex researchers because it remains unclear whether these marked changes can emerge from microevolutionary processes. Here, we tackle this question using new approaches for modeling multivariate traits to evaluate the magnitude and distribution of elaboration and innovation in the evolution of bird beaks. We find that elaboration, evolution along the major axis of phenotypic change, is common at both macro- and megaevolutionary scales, whereas innovation, evolution away from the major axis of phenotypic change, is more prominent at megaevolutionary scales. The major axis of phenotypic change among species beak shapes at megaevolutionary scales is an emergent property of innovation across clades. Our analyses suggest that the reorientation of phenotypes via innovation is a ubiquitous route for divergence that can arise through gradual change alone, opening up further avenues for evolution to explore.
Calponin homology domain containing kinesin, KIS1, regulates chloroplast stromule formation and immunity
Authors: Meier Nathan D. , Seward Kody , Caplan Jeffrey L. , Dinesh-Kumar Savithramma P.
Published: October 2023

Chloroplast morphology changes during immunity, giving rise to tubule-like structures known as stromules. Stromules extend along microtubules and anchor to actin filaments along nuclei to promote perinuclear chloroplast clustering. This facilitates the transport of defense molecules/proteins from chloroplasts to the nucleus. Evidence for a direct role for stromules in immunity is lacking since, currently, there are no known genes that regulate stromule biogenesis. We show that a calponin homology (CH) domain containing kinesin, KIS1 (kinesin required for inducing stromules 1), is required for stromule formation during TNL [TIR (Toll/Interleukin-1 receptor)-type nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat]-immune receptor-mediated immunity. Furthermore, KIS1 is required for TNL-mediated immunity to bacterial and viral pathogens. The microtubule-binding motor domain of KIS1 is required for stromule formation while the actin-binding, CH domain is required for perinuclear chloroplast clustering. We show that KIS1 functions through early immune signaling components, EDS1 and PAD4, with salicylic acid–induced stromules requiring KIS1. Thus, KIS1 represents a player in stromule biogenesis.
Light-stimulated micromotor swarms in an electric field with accurate spatial, temporal, and mode control
Authors: Liang Zexi , Joh Hyungmok , Lian Bin , Fan Donglei Emma
Published: October 2023

Swarming, a phenomenon widely present in nature, is a hallmark of nonequilibrium living systems that harness external energy into collective locomotion. The creation and study of manmade swarms may provide insights into their biological counterparts and shed light to the rules of life. Here, we propose an innovative mechanism for rationally creating multimodal swarms with unprecedented spatial, temporal, and mode control. The research is realized in a system made of optoelectric semiconductor nanorods that can rapidly morph into three distinct modes, i.e., network formation, collectively enhanced rotation, and droplet-like clustering, pattern, and switch in-between under light stimulation in an electric field. Theoretical analysis and semiquantitative modeling well explain the observation by understanding the competition between two countering effects: the electrostatic assembly for orderliness and electrospinning-induced disassembly for disorderliness. This work could inspire the rational creation of new classes of reconfigurable swarms for both fundamental research and emerging applications.
Antitoxin MqsA decreases antibiotic susceptibility through the global regulator AgtR in
Pseudomonas fluorescens
Authors: Zhang Si-Ping , Ye Yi-Ping , Hou Jun , Ye Zi-Rui , Wang Zhi-Song , Yu Xiao-Quan , Guo Ding-Ding , Wang Yong , He Yong-Xing
Published: October 2023

Type II toxin-antitoxin systems are highly prevalent in bacterial genomes and play crucial roles in the general stress response. Previously, we demonstrated that the type II antitoxin PfMqsA regulates biofilm formation through the global regulator AgtR in
Pseudomonas fluorescens
. Here, we found that both the C-terminal DNA-binding domain of PfMqsA and AgtR are involved in bacterial antibiotic susceptibility. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) analyses revealed that AgtR, rather than PfMqsA, binds to the intergenic region of
emhABC-emhR
, in which
emhABC
encodes an resistance-nodulation-cell division efflux pump and
emhR
encodes a repressor. Through quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR and EMSA analysis, we showed that AgtR directly activates the expression of the
emhR
by binding to the DNA motif [5´-
CTAAGAAATATACTTAC
-3´], leading to repression of the
emhABC
. Furthermore, we demonstrated that PfMqsA modulates the expression of EmhABC and EmhR. These findings enhance our understanding of the mechanism by which antitoxin PfMqsA contributes to antibiotic susceptibility.
Autogenous reproduction by
Ornithodoros turicata
(Ixodida: Argasidae) females and vertical transmission of the tick-borne pathogen
Borrelia turicatae
(Spirochaetales:
Borreliaceae
)
Authors: Filatov Serhii , Krishnavajhala Aparna , Lopez Job E.
Published: October 2023

Ornithodoros turicata
is a vector of relapsing fever spirochetes in North America and transmits
Borrelia turicatae
to a variety of vertebrate hosts. The remarkably long lifespan of
O. turicata
and its ability to maintain spirochetes horizontally (between life stages) and vertically (to progeny) promote the perpetuation of
B. turicatae
in nature. Nevertheless, the reproductive biology of
O. turicata
is poorly understood. In this report, we collected ticks from a park within a neighborhood of Austin, TX. They were reared to adulthood, and male ticks were individually housed with females. We observed autogenous reproduction, which is the ability to produce eggs without the need for a blood meal, and further investigated vertical transmission of
B. turicatae
by quantifying filial infection rates in a cohort of progeny ticks. These results indicate that
O. turicata
transovarially transmits
B. turicatae
during autogenous reproduction and further signify the tick as a natural reservoir of the spirochetes.

IMPORTANCE

Previous research has implicated
Ornithodoros
ticks, including
Ornithodoros turicata
, as long-term reservoirs of relapsing fever (RF) spirochetes. Considering the tick’s long lifespan and their efficiency in maintaining and transferring spirochetes within the population, the infection could persist in a given enzootic focus for decades. However, little is known about the relative importance of horizontal and vertical transmission routes in the persistence and evolution of RF
Borrelia
. Our observations on the reproductive biology of
O. turicata
in the absence of vertebrate hosts indicate an additional mechanism by which
Borrelia turicatae
can be maintained in the environment. This work establishes the foundation for studying
O. turicata
reproduction and spirochete-vector interactions, which will aid in devising control measures for
Ornithodoros
ticks and RF spirochetes.
Reduction is sufficient for the disassembly of ricin and Shiga toxin 1 but not
Escherichia coli
heat-labile enterotoxin
Authors: Guyette Jessica L. , Serrano Albert , Huhn III G. Robb , Taylor Michael , Malkòm Pat , Curtis David , Teter Ken
Published: October 2023

Many AB toxins contain an enzymatic A moiety that is anchored to a cell-binding B moiety by a disulfide bridge. After receptor-mediated endocytosis, some AB toxins undergo retrograde transport to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where reduction of the disulfide bond occurs. The reduced A subunit then dissociates from the holotoxin and enters the cytosol to alter its cellular target. Intoxication requires A chain separation from the holotoxin, but, for many toxins, it is unclear if reduction alone is sufficient for toxin disassembly. Here, we examined the link between reduction and disassembly for several ER-translocating toxins. We found disassembly of the reduced
Escherichia coli
heat-labile enterotoxin (Ltx) required an interaction with one specific ER-localized oxidoreductase: protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). In contrast, the reduction and disassembly of ricin toxin (Rtx) and Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1) were coupled events that did not require PDI and could be triggered by reductant alone. PDI-deficient cells accordingly exhibited high resistance to Ltx with continued sensitivity to Rtx and Stx1. The distinct structural organization of each AB toxin thus appears to determine whether holotoxin disassembly occurs spontaneously upon disulfide reduction or requires the additional input of PDI.