bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maternal body condition affects the response of larval spined toads’ faecal microbiome to a widespread contaminant
Authors: Tartu Sabrina , Pollet Nicolas , Clavereau Isabelle , Bouchard Gauthier , Brischoux François
Published: December 2023

Glyphosate’s primary metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), is the most detected pollutant in surface waters. Recent studies have raised concerns about its toxicity, yet underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. A disruption of the gut microbiome, which plays a crucial role in host health, could mediate most of the adverse effects. We investigated the impact of AMPA exposure on the gut microbiome of spined toad tadpoles (Bufo spinosus). We hypothesized that AMPA could alter the gut microbiota composition and that these effects could depend on the microbiota source. We exposed tadpoles to minute concentrations of AMPA and analyzed their faecal microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing as a proxy of the gut microbiota. AMPA exposure decreased the gut bacterial biomass and affected the bacterial community composition of tadpole’s faeces. Furthermore, we observed interactions between AMPA exposure and maternal body condition on the Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota phyla abundances. This suggests a maternal effect on early-life microbial colonizers that could influence the response of the gut microbiome to AMPA. These findings highlight the importance of considering the gut microbiome when studying the effects of environmental contaminants. Further research is needed to elucidate the long-term implications of this microbiome alteration for amphibian health.
Targeting HIV-1 with CRISPR/Cas9 delivered by retargeted adenoviruses effectively suppresses viral replication
Authors: Klinnert Sarah , Freitag Patrick C. , Plückthun Andreas , Metzner Karin J.
Published: December 2023

Integrated, intact, latent HIV-1 viruses in infected cells are the main obstacle to curing HIV-1 infections. Targeted inactivation of HIV-1 proviruses with CRISPR/Cas9 is a promising strategy to eradicate HIV-1. In addition, CRISPR/Cas9 is able to target replicating HIV-1 and could be used as a therapy during productive infection.

Here, we combine the CRISPR/Cas9 system with a novel adenovirus (Ad) targeted delivery technology to test it as a therapeutic approach to inhibit HIV-1. First, we selected six HIV-1-specific gRNAs targeting the HIV-1 LTRs and thegaggene and tested their efficacy in inhibiting HIV-1 virion production in an HEK 293T cell co-transfection screen. The gRNA-TAR showed the most robust and potent inhibition of HIV-1 by >99% alone or in combination with the gRNA-p24, which induced a ∼1 kb deletion between both gRNA target sites in HIV-1 DNA. Delivery of this dual gRNA-TAR/p24 CRISPR/Cas9 system with CD3-CD28-IL2-retargeted Ads was highly effective, transducing 62.3±23.3% of cells and suppressing HIV-1 replication by 88.0±4.5% in primary CD4+T cells from three independent donors.

Our dual gRNA-TAR/p24-CRISPR/Cas9-Ad strategy represents a novel therapeutic approach to effectively inhibit HIV-1 in a highly HIV-1 and T cell-specific manner.
Pathogen-microbiome interactions and the virulence of an entomopathogenic fungus
Authors: Kolp Matthew R. , de Anda Acosta Yazmin , Brewer William , Nichols Holly L. , Goldstein Elliott B. , Tallapragada Keertana , Parker Benjamin J.
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Bacteria shape interactions between hosts and fungal pathogens. In some cases, bacteria associated with fungi are essential for pathogen virulence. In other systems, host associated microbiomes confer resistance against fungal pathogens. We studied an aphid-specific entomopathogenic fungus calledPandora neoaphidisin the context of both host and pathogen microbiomes. Aphids host several species of heritable bacteria, some of which confer resistance againstPandora. We first found that spores that emerged from aphids that harbored protective bacteria were less virulent against subsequent hosts and did not grow on plate media. We then used 16S amplicon sequencing to study the bacterial microbiome of fungal mycelia and spores during plate culturing and host infection. We found that the bacterial community is remarkably stable in culture despite dramatic changes in pathogen virulence. Last, we used an experimentally transformed symbiont of aphids to show thatPandoracan acquire hostassociated bacteria during infection. Our results uncover new roles for bacteria in the dynamics of aphidpathogen interactions and illustrate the importance of the broader microbiological context in studies of fungal pathogenesis.
Initial amino acid:codon assignments and strength of codon:anticodon binding
Authors: Su Meng , Roberts Samuel J. , Sutherland John D.
Published: December 2023

The ribosome brings 3′-aminoacyl-tRNA and 3′-peptidyl-tRNAs together to enable peptidyl transfer by binding them in two major ways. Firstly, their anticodon loops are bound to mRNA, itself anchored at the ribosomal subunit interface, by contiguous anticodon:codon pairing augmented by interactions with the decoding centre of the small ribosomal subunit. Secondly, their acceptor stems are bound by the peptidyl transferase centre which aligns the 3′-aminoacyl- and 3′-peptidyl-termini for optimal interaction of the nucleophilic amino group and electrophilic ester carbonyl group. Reasoning that intrinsic codon:anticodon binding might have been a major contributor to bringing tRNA 3′-termini into proximity at an early stage of ribosomal peptide synthesis, we wondered if primordial amino acids might have been assigned to those codons that bind the corresponding anticodon loops most tightly. By measuring the binding of anticodon stem loops to short oligonucleotides, we determined that family box codon:anticodon pairings are typically tighter than split box codon:anticodon pairings. Furthermore, we find that two family box anticodon stem loops can tightly bind a pair of contiguous codons simultaneously whereas two split box anticodon stem loops cannot. The amino acids assigned to family boxes correspond to those accessible by what has been termed cyanosulfidic chemistry, supporting the contention that these limited amino acids might have been the first used in primordial coded peptide synthesis.

Table of Contents (TOC) graphic
Machine Learning and Metabolic Model Guided CRISPRi Reveals a Central Role for Phosphoglycerate Mutase inChlamydia trachomatisPersistence
Authors: Chowdhury Niaz Bahar , Pokorzynski Nick , Rucks Elizabeth A. , Ouellette Scot P. , Carabeo Rey A. , Saha Rajib
Published: December 2023

Upon nutrient starvation,Chlamydia trachomatisserovar L2 (CTL) shifts from its normal growth to a non-replicating form, termed persistence. It is unclear if persistence is an adaptive response or lack of it. To understand that transcriptomics data were collected for nutrient-sufficient and nutrient-starved CTL. Applying machine learning approaches on transcriptomics data revealed a global transcriptomic rewiring of CTL under stress conditions without having any global stress regulator. This indicated that CTL’s stress response is due to lack of an adaptive response mechanism. To investigate the impact of this on CTL metabolism, we reconstructed a genome-scale metabolic model of CTL (iCTL278) and contextualized it with the collected transcriptomics data. Using the metabolic bottleneck analysis on contextualizediCTL278, we observed phosphoglycerate mutase (pgm)regulates the entry of CTL to the persistence. Later,pgmwas found to have the highest thermodynamics driving force and lowest enzymatic cost. Furthermore, CRISPRi-driven knockdown ofpgmand tryptophan starvation experiments revealed the importance of this gene in inducing persistence. Hence, this work, for the first time, introduced thermodynamics and enzyme-cost as tools to gain deeper understanding on CTL persistence.
Nitrogen signaling factor triggers a respiration-like gene expression program
Authors: Ohsawa Shin , Schwaiger Michaela , Iesmantavicius Vytautas , Hashimoto Rio , Moriyama Hiromitsu , Matoba Hiroaki , Hirai Go , Sodeoka Mikiko , Hashimoto Atsushi , Matsuyama Akihisa , Yoshida Minoru , Yashiroda Yoko , Bühler Marc
Published: December 2023

Microbes have evolved intricate communication systems that enable individual cells of a population to send and receive signals in response to changes in their immediate environment. In the fission yeastSchizosaccharomyces pombe, the oxylipin Nitrogen Signaling Factor (NSF) is part of such communication system, which functions to regulate the usage of different nitrogen sources. Yet, the pathways and mechanisms by which NSF acts are poorly understood. Here, we show that NSF physically interacts with the mitochondrial sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase Hmt2 and that it prompts a change from a fermentation- to a respiration-like gene expression program independently of the carbon source. Our results suggest that NSF activity is not restricted to nitrogen metabolism alone and that it could function as a rheostat to prepare a population ofS. pombecells for an imminent shortage of their preferred nutrients.
Effects of fructooligosaccharides andSaccharomyces boulardiion the compositional structure and metabolism of gut microbiota in students
Authors: Fu Hao , Chen Zhixian , Teng Weilin , Du Zhi , Zhang Yan , Ye Xiaoli , Yu Zaichun , Zhang Yinjun , Pi Xionge
Published: December 2023

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are a common prebiotic widely used in functional foods. Meanwhile,Saccharomyces boulardiiis a fungal probiotic frequenly used in the clinical treatment of diarrhea. Compared with single use, the combination of prebiotics and probiotics may be more effective in regulating gut microbiota. Hence, the combined use of prebiotics and probiotics has become a hot spot in synbiotics research in recent years. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of FOS andS. boulardii— alone or in combination—on the structure and metabolism of the gut microbiota in healthy primary and secondary school students using anin vitrofermentation model. The results indicated thatS. boulardiialone could not effectively regulate the community structure and metabolism of the microbiota. However, both FOS and the combination of FOS andS. boulardiicould effectively regulate the microbiota, significantly inhibiting the growth ofEscherichia-ShigellaandBacteroides, and controlling the production of the gases including H2S and NH3. In addition, both FOS and the combination could significantly promote the growth ofBifidobacteriaandLactobacillus, lower environmental pH, and enhance several physiological functions related to synthesis and metabolism. Nevertheless, the combination had more unique benefits as it promoted the growth ofLactobacillus, significantly increased CO2production and enhanced the functional pathways of carbon metabolism and pyruvic acid metabolism. These findings provide guidance for clinical application and a theoretical basis for the development of synbiotic preparations.
Impact of the clinically approved BTK inhibitors on the conformation of full-length BTK and analysis of the development of BTK resistance mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Joseph Raji E. , Wales Thomas E. , Jayne Sandrine , Britton Robert G. , Fulton D. Bruce , Engen John R. , Dyer Martin J. S. , Andreotti Amy H.
Published: December 2023

Inhibition of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) has proven to be highly effective in the treatment of B-cell malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), autoimmune disorders and multiple sclerosis. Since the approval of the first BTK inhibitor (BTKi), Ibrutinib, several other inhibitors including Acalabrutinib, Zanubrutinib, Tirabrutinib and Pirtobrutinib have been clinically approved. All are covalent active site inhibitors, with the exception of the reversible active site inhibitor Pirtobrutinib. The large number of available inhibitors for the BTK target creates challenges in choosing the most appropriate BTKi for treatment. Side-by-side comparisons in CLL have shown that different inhibitors may differ in their treatment efficacy. Moreover, the nature of the resistance mutations that arise in patients appears to depend on the specific BTKi administered. We have previously shown that Ibrutinib binding to the kinase active site causes unanticipated long-range effects on the global conformation of BTK (Joseph, R.E., et al., 2020,https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.60470). Here we show that binding of each of the five approved BTKi to the kinase active site brings about distinct allosteric changes that alter the conformational equilibrium of full-length BTK. Additionally, we provide an explanation for the resistance mutation bias observed in CLL patients treated with different BTKi and characterize the mechanism of action of two common resistance mutations: BTK T474I and L528W.
Branched-chain keto acids promote an immune-suppressive and neurodegenerative microenvironment in leptomeningeal disease
Authors: Khaled Mariam Lotfy , Ren Yuan , Kundalia Ronak , Alhaddad Hasan , Chen Zhihua , Wallace Gerald C. , Evernden Brittany , Ospina Oscar E. , Hall MacLean , Liu Min , Darville Lancia N.F. , Izumi Victoria , Chen Y. Ann , Pilon-Thomas Shari , Stewart Paul A. , Koomen John M. , Corallo Salvatore A. , Jain Michael D. , Robinson Timothy J. , Locke Fredrick L. , Forsyth Peter A. , Smalley Inna
Published: December 2023

Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) occurs when tumors seed into the leptomeningeal space and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), leading to severe neurological deterioration and poor survival outcomes. We utilized comprehensive multi-omics analyses of CSF from patients with lymphoma LMD to demonstrate an immunosuppressive cellular microenvironment and identified dysregulations in proteins and lipids indicating neurodegenerative processes. Strikingly, we found a significant accumulation of toxic branched-chain keto acids (BCKA) in the CSF of patients with LMD. The BCKA accumulation was found to be a pan-cancer occurrence, evident in lymphoma, breast cancer, and melanoma LMD patients. Functionally, BCKA disrupted the viability and function of endogenous T lymphocytes, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, neurons, and meningeal cells. Treatment of LMD mice with BCKA-reducing sodium phenylbutyrate significantly improved neurological function, survival outcomes, and efficacy of anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy. This is the first report of BCKA accumulation in LMD and provides preclinical evidence that targeting these toxic metabolites improves outcomes.
scResolve: Recovering single cell expression profiles from multi-cellular spatial transcriptomics
Authors: Chen Hao , Lee Young Je , Ovando Jose A. , Rosas Lorena , Rojas Mauricio , Mora Ana L. , Bar-Joseph Ziv , Lugo-Martinez Jose
Published: December 2023

Many popular spatial transcriptomics techniques lack single-cell resolution. Instead, these methods measure the collective gene expression for each location from a mixture of cells, potentially containing multiple cell types. Here, we developed scResolve, a method for recovering single-cell expression profiles from spatial transcriptomics measurements at multi-cellular resolution. scResolve accurately restores expression profiles of individual cells at their locations, which is unattainable from cell type deconvolution. Applications of scResolve on human breast cancer data and human lung disease data demonstrate that scResolve enables cell type-specific differential gene expression analysis between different tissue contexts and accurate identification of rare cell populations. The spatially resolved cellular-level expression profiles obtained through scResolve facilitate more flexible and precise spatial analysis that complements raw multi-cellular level analysis.
Regional response to light illuminance across the human hypothalamus
Authors: Campbell Islay , Sharifpour Roya , Balda Fermin , Beckers Elise , Paparella Ilenia , Berger Alexandre , Koshmanova Ekaterina , Mortazavi Nasrin , Read John , Zubkov Mikhail , Talwar Puneet , Collette Fabienne , Sherif Siya , Phillips Christophe , Lamalle Laurent , Vandewalle Gilles
Published: December 2023

Light exerts multiple non-image-forming biological effects on physiology including the stimulation of alertness and cognition. However, the subcortical circuitry underlying the stimulating impact of light is not established in humans. We used 7 Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the impact of variations in light illuminance on the regional activity of the hypothalamus while healthy young adults (N=26; 16 women; 24.3 +- 2.9y) were completing two auditory cognitive tasks. We find that, during both the executive and emotional tasks, higher illuminance triggered an activity increase over the posterior part of the hypothalamus, which includes part of the tuberomamillary nucleus and the posterior part of the lateral hypothalamus. In contrast, increasing illuminance evoked a decrease in activity over the anterior and ventral parts of the hypothalamus, encompassing notably the suprachiasmatic nucleus and another part of the tuberomammillary nucleus. Critically, performance of the executive task was improved under higher illuminance and was negatively correlated with the activity of the posterior hypothalamus area. These findings reveal the distinct local dynamics of different hypothalamus regions that underlie the impact of light on cognition.
Complete persistence of the primary somatosensory system in zebrafish
Authors: Acedo Joaquín Navajas
Published: December 2023

The somatosensory system detects peripheral stimuli that are translated into behaviors necessary for survival. Fishes and amphibians possess two somatosensory systems in the trunk: the primary somatosensory system, formed by the Rohon-Beard neurons, and the secondary somatosensory system, formed by the neural crest cell-derived neurons of the Dorsal Root Ganglia. Rohon-Beard neurons have been characterized as a transient population that mostly disappears during the first days of life and is functionally replaced by the Dorsal Root Ganglia. Here, I comprehensively follow Rohon-Beard neuronsin vivoand show that the entire repertoire remains present in zebrafish from 1-day post-fertilization until the juvenile stage, 15-days post-fertilization. These data indicate that zebrafish retain two complete somatosensory systems until at least up to a developmental stage when the animals display complex behavioral repertoires.
The effect of perceived corporate social responsibility on purchase intention in mobile commerce: mediating roles of trusting beliefs and satisfaction
Authors: Urinbaeva Gulrukhsor , Khasanova Dilfuzakhon , Clugston Christopher John
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of companies have been reported to generate favorable consumer attitudes towards the business, which in turn, encourages positive consumer behavior. But the application of this conclusion in the mobile commerce domain remains limited. Drawing on social exchange theory, the authors examined the mediating role of trusting beliefs and satisfaction in the relationship between CSR and purchase intention in mobile commerce.

Design/methodology/approach

Using nonprobability convenience sampling, the authors administered a cross-sectional survey with 314 students from Keimyung University in Korea. Initially, SPSS-Amos was utilized to run confirmatory factor analysis. The proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

This study showed that two components of trusting beliefs, namely benevolence and competence, had a positive effect on the association between CSR and the purchase intention on mobile shopping applications. This relationship was partially mediated by trusting beliefs. Further findings demonstrated that the impact of CSR on purchase intention was also partially mediated by satisfaction.

Originality/value

The authors' contribution includes extending the social exchange theory to the mobile commerce setting by establishing mechanisms that explain the ways CSR influences purchase intention in the mobile commerce framework. The authors integrated trusting beliefs and satisfaction in the CRS chain link with purchase intention. Additionally, the authors examined the individual effects of three trusting beliefs components. Based on the results, the authors proposed suggestions for the mobile shopping application business on the methods they can implement to boost the outcomes of their CSR activities.
Evaluation of predicted fault tolerance based on C5.0 decision tree algorithm in irrigation system of paddy fields
Authors: Rahi Majid , Ebrahimnejad Ali , Motameni Homayun
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Taking into consideration the current human need for agricultural produce such as rice that requires water for growth, the optimal consumption of this valuable liquid is important. Unfortunately, the traditional use of water by humans for agricultural purposes contradicts the concept of optimal consumption. Therefore, designing and implementing a mechanized irrigation system is of the highest importance. This system includes hardware equipment such as liquid altimeter sensors, valves and pumps which have a failure phenomenon as an integral part, causing faults in the system. Naturally, these faults occur at probable time intervals, and the probability function with exponential distribution is used to simulate this interval. Thus, before the implementation of such high-cost systems, its evaluation is essential during the design phase.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed approach included two main steps: offline and online. The offline phase included the simulation of the studied system (i.e. the irrigation system of paddy fields) and the acquisition of a data set for training machine learning algorithms such as decision trees to detect, locate (classification) and evaluate faults. In the online phase, C5.0 decision trees trained in the offline phase were used on a stream of data generated by the system.

Findings

The proposed approach is a comprehensive online component-oriented method, which is a combination of supervised machine learning methods to investigate system faults. Each of these methods is considered a component determined by the dimensions and complexity of the case study (to discover, classify and evaluate fault tolerance). These components are placed together in the form of a process framework so that the appropriate method for each component is obtained based on comparison with other machine learning methods. As a result, depending on the conditions under study, the most efficient method is selected in the components. Before the system implementation phase, its reliability is checked by evaluating the predicted faults (in the system design phase). Therefore, this approach avoids the construction of a high-risk system. Compared to existing methods, the proposed approach is more comprehensive and has greater flexibility.

Research limitations/implications

By expanding the dimensions of the problem, the model verification space grows exponentially using automata.

Originality/value

Unlike the existing methods that only examine one or two aspects of fault analysis such as fault detection, classification and fault-tolerance evaluation, this paper proposes a comprehensive process-oriented approach that investigates all three aspects of fault analysis concurrently.
How effective are digital/e-health interventions for supporting prisoners with mental ill-health? An integrative review
Authors: Bright Ann-Marie , Higgins Agnes , Grealish Annmarie
Published: December 2023

Purpose

There has been a move towards the implementation of digital/e-health interventions for some time. Digital/e-health interventions have demonstrable efficacy in increasing individual empowerment, providing timely access to psychological interventions for those experiencing mental ill-health and improving outcomes for those using them. This study aims to determine the efficacy of digital/e-health interventions for individuals detained in prison who experience mental ill-health.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic search of five academic databases – CINAHL, ASSIA, PsycINFO, Embase and Medline – was completed in December 2020 and updated in February 2022. The review was guided by the Whittemore and Knafl (2005) framework for integrative reviews. A total of 6,255 studies were returned and screened by title and abstract. A full-text screening of nine (n = 9) studies was conducted.

Findings

No study met the inclusion criteria for the clinical efficacy of digital/e-health interventions in a prison setting. Subsequently, a review of the literature that made it to the full-text review stage was conducted, and gaps in the literature were identified to inform policy, practice and future research.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first integrative review conducted on the efficacy of digital/e-health interventions for mental ill-health in prison settings.
Drivers and outcomes of online customer engagement – evidence from Balkan countries
Authors: Jashari-Mani Fitore , Zeqiri Jusuf
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Due to the worldwide internet usage and online presence of businesses, digital marketing is an integrated part of the overall marketing strategy. One of the main investments in this field is the investment on more creative content that engages more potential customers. Online brand communities (OBCs) are used by businesses as a tool to have higher rates of engagement. Many researchers have developed customer engagement (CE) models to better understand it, but the transition economies like the countries of the Balkan are somehow left aside. Due to this identified gap in the literature, this paper aims to provide a model explaining the drivers and outcomes of CE, specifically on OBCs.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on primary data collected with an online questionnaire. Sample consisted of 764 respondents from four Balkan countries (Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro). Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics and IBM AMOS 26. To test the research model and hypotheses, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used.

Findings

First, the study found a positive impact of entertainment and customer satisfaction, and celebrities’ endorsement in CE. Furthermore, the results revealed a positive impact of CE on customer purchase intention and customer loyalty.

Practical implications

The research findings aim to help businesses of Balkan countries to better understand the importance and operation of CE in OBC.

Originality/value

This paper enriches the existing digital marketing literature of transition economies with a model of online CE.
Observation of post-yield supply chain impediments for spoilage mitigation and revenue generation opportunities at countryside
Authors: Priyadarshi Rahul
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The countryside population has always been depended on the revenues earned from agricultural yields. These yields often suffer losses in the absence of coordination guidelines in the post-yield supply chains (PYSC). This study aims to identify, address and mitigate the post-yield supply chain impediments (PYSCIs) that lead to enormous amounts of waste and revenue losses. These are the parameters that require government and stakeholders’ attention for alleviation from losses.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed to categorise the identified PYSCIs as “standard measures”. The motive for SEM results is to attract the stakeholders’ attention toward PYSCIs for business sustainability. The PYSCIs were clustered into three “standard measures” (i.e. strategic, tactical and operational measures) for revenue generation and reduced fresh produce spoilage in the countryside.

Findings

The SEM results suggest that the focus should be on revising minimum support prices and government support for initiatives, subsidy schemes and incentives at the strategic level. Tactical initiatives focus on linking markets including exports, research and development, attitude towards certification, value addition process adoption and reduced number of stages in the supply chain. The operational initiatives are attitudes towards agriculture and entrepreneurship, transportation infrastructure, supply chain coordination, information visibility, scientific design for packaging and handling and storage space availability for both long and short term at the village level.

Research limitations/implications

This study was performed in India; thus, the research outcomes of this study are restricted to adaption into the developing sub-continents with sub-tropical climates.

Practical implications

The existing level of losses in the PYSC demands introspection and policy changes at the farm level. In the era of cold chains, the Internet of Things, and other advanced mechanisms, a few elementary parameters must be worked upon to reduce PYSC losses. These parameters were identified as impediments to PYSC, requiring public, government and stakeholders’ attention. There is an urgent need for guidelines to be issued to mitigate losses. SEM was performed to attract the public, government and stakeholders’ attention toward impediments to fresh produce spoilage, opportunity generation and business sustainability.

Originality/value

This study uses a novel SEM approach where the PYSCIs were identified and empirically validated in an Indian context. The SEM approach will help in effective decision-making. Similar studies to manage the PYSCIs to reduce fresh produce spoilage with standard measures have not been reported in the literature.
The nexus of knowledge management processes and innovation performance: the moderates of big data analytical
Authors: Abualoush Shadi
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to identify how knowledge management processes impact innovation performance in the Jordanian medical sector (private hospitals) as well as identify how big data analytics moderates this performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Two hundred ninety-one questionnaires were analyzed for the purpose of this study. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to test convergence validity, discriminant validity and reliability. In order to analyze the data, bootstrapping was used.

Findings

The empirical results showed that all knowledge management processes are statistically significant in influencing innovation performance. Furthermore, big data analytics moderates the relationship between knowledge management processes and innovation performance.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this cross-sectional study are limited to one country and one industry due to methodological limitations, and the results represent a snapshot at a particular point in time.

Originality/value

Jordan's medical leaders will benefit from this study, since it emphasizes the importance of knowledge management processes to enhance innovation performance, especially given the importance of big data analytics in the field, increasing innovation capabilities in the medical field, thereby increasing innovation levels.
A 3D coaxial transition with continuous ground wall fabricated by a 12-inch wafer-level packaging method for radio frequency applications
Authors: Zhao Xinran , Pang Yingying , Wang Gang , Xia Chenhui , Yuan Yuan , Wang Chengqian
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to realize the vertical interconnection in 3D radio frequency (RF) circuit by coaxial transitions with broad working bandwidth and small signal loss.

Design/methodology/approach

An advanced packaging method, 12-inch wafer-level through-mold-via (TMV) additive manufacturing, is used to fabricate a 3D resin-based coaxial transition with a continuous ground wall (named resin-coaxial transition). Designation and simulation are implemented to ensure the application universality and fabrication feasibility. The outer radius R of coaxial transition is optimized by designing and fabricating three samples.

Findings

The fabricated coaxial transition possesses an inner radius of 40 µm and a length of 200 µm. The optimized sample with an outer radius R of 155 µm exhibits S11 < –10 dB and S21 > –1.3 dB at 10–110 GHz and the smallest insertion loss (S21 = 0.83 dB at 77 GHz) among the samples. Moreover, the S21 of the samples increases at 58.4–90.1 GHz, indicating a broad and suitable working bandwidth.

Originality/value

The wafer-level TMV additive manufacturing method is applied to fabricate coaxial transitions for the first time. The fabricated resin-coaxial transitions show good performance up to the W-band. It may provide new strategies for novel designing and fabricating methods of RF transitions.
DiGeorge syndrome presenting with palmoplantar pustules: Comparative analysis of serum IL‐22, NETs and IL‐8 with usual palmoplantar pustulosis
Authors: Ogura Yasuaki , Kondo Shumpei , Suzuki Tsuyoshi , Otsuka Masaki , Inuzuka Manabu , Honda Tetsuya , Tokura Yoshiki
Published: December 2023

DiGeorge syndrome, also known as 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, shows cellular immunodeficiency due to by thymic hypoplasia and hypocalcemia caused by hypoparathyroidism. It was reported that erythrodermic psoriasis occurred in a patient with 22q11 deletion syndrome. Here, we report the first case of DiGeorge syndrome presenting with a severe palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP)‐like eruption with extra‐palmoplantar lesions on the distal limbs. Given that PPP is a subtype of pustular psoriasis, the pustular eruption may be associated with DiGeorge syndrome. We measured serum levels of citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3), a representative marker of neutrophil extracellular traps, interleukin (IL)‐8, and IL‐22 and compared them with nine cases of typical PPP. In the PPP patients, the three markers were higher than in healthy subjects with significant correlations between CitH3 and IL‐8/IL‐22. In our patient, CitH3, IL‐8, and IL‐22 were also high, and IL‐22 was remarkably elevated compared with the PPP patients. Our case suggests that a certain T cell abnormality associated with DiGeorge syndrome induces IL‐22 overproduction, leading to the PPP‐like eruption with extra‐ palmoplantar lesions.
Nitrogen redistribution and seasonal trait fluctuation facilitate plant N conservation and ecosystem N retention
Authors: Zhao Qingzhou , Wang Peng , Smith Gabriel Reuben , Hu Lingyan , Liu Xupeng , Tao Tingting , Ma Miaojun , Averill Colin , Freschet Grégoire T. , Crowther Thomas W. , Hu Shuijin
Published: December 2023

Low available soil nitrogen (N) limits plant productivity in alpine regions, and alpine plants thus resorb and reallocate N from senescing tissues to conserve this limited N during the non‐growing season. However, the destination and extent of N redistribution during plant senescence among above‐ and below‐ground organs, let alone other processes of translocation outside of plants and into the soil components, remain poorly understood.

Utilizing 15N stable isotope as a tracer, we quantified N redistribution among above‐ and below‐ground plant organs and different soil components during senescence in an alpine meadow ecosystem, and explored the relationship between 15N partitioning among plant–soil N pools with seasonal fluctuations of plant functional traits.

We found a substantial depletion of 15N in fine roots (−40% ± 2.8%) and above‐ground tissues (−51% ± 5.1%), and an enhanced 15N retention primarily in coarse roots (+79% ± 27%) and soil organic matter (+37% ± 10%) during plant senescence, indicating a dual role of roots with coarse roots acting as an N sink and fine roots as a source of N recycling during senescence. In parallel, we observed a temporal variation in plant functional traits, representing a shift from more acquisitive to more conservative strategies as the growing season ends, such as higher coarse root N and coarse root to fine root ratio. The seasonal trait variations were highly correlated with the 15N retention in coarse roots and soil organic matter. Particularly, 15N retention in particulate and mineral‐associated organic matter increased by 30% ± 12% and 24% ± 9%, respectively, suggesting a potential pathway through which fine root and microbial mortality contribute to 15N redistribution into soil N pools during senescence.

Synthesis. N redistribution and seasonal plant trait fluctuation facilitate plant N conservation and ecosystem N retention in the alpine system. This study suggests a coupled above‐ground‐below‐ground N conservation strategy that may optimize the temporal coupling between plant N demand and ecosystem N supply in N‐limited alpine ecosystems.
Harnessing the power of microbes for sustainable development: Climate change mitigation and sustainable food security
Authors: Ahmed Abeer Ahmed Qaed , McKay Tracey Jill Morton
Published: December 2023

The effects of releasing carbon from the terrestrial pool into the atmosphere have significant long‐term and short‐term implications that affect many parts of our globe. Agricultural fields might help to address these concerns and provide cost‐effective solutions, such as lowering carbon dioxide levels (CO2) in the atmosphere while raising carbon levels in the soil. In order to increase agricultural land's potential to absorb and store carbon, the proper selection of suitable microbial inoculants with the capability to sequester carbon into soils is critical. Soil quality and characteristics would improve as a result, and atmospheric carbon would therefore be reduced. Soil microbes have the potential to influence the level of organic matter, which has an impact on the soil's ecological system and characteristics. Soil microbes play a role in carbon sequestration in soils by regulating multiple and distinct pathways for CO2 inputs and losses, such as biochemical processes that could sequester CO2, the capacity to sediment carbonates, the rigid nature of their components and vegetative tissues, or the composition of complex substances that preserve carbon in the soil. Further research is needed to investigate if particular microbial strains that can sequester carbon will help enhance soil quality and prevent climate change.
Dual functional roles of nutritional additives in nutritional fortification and safety of thermally processed food: Potential, limitations, and perspectives
Authors: Shi Baoping , Wang Huaixu , Nawaz Asad , Khan Iftikhar Ali , Wang Qi , Zhao Danyue , Cheng Ka‐Wing
Published: December 2023

The Maillard reaction (MR) has been established to be a paramount contributor to the characteristic sensory property of thermally processed food products. Meanwhile, MR also gives rise to myriads of harmful byproducts (HMPs) (e.g., advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and acrylamide). Nutritional additives have attracted increasing attention in recent years owing to their potential to simultaneously improve nutritional quality and attenuate HMP formation. In this manuscript, a brief overview of various nutritional additives (vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, dietary fibers, and miscellaneous micronutrients) in heat‐processed food is provided, followed by a summary of the formation mechanisms of AGEs and acrylamide highlighting the potential crosstalk between them. The main body of the manuscript is on the capability of nutritional additives to modulate AGE and acrylamide formation besides their traditional roles as nutritional enhancers. Finally, limitations/concerns associated with their use to attenuate dietary exposure to HMPs and future perspectives are discussed. Literature data support that through careful control of the addition levels, certain nutritional additives possess promising potential for simultaneous improvement of nutritional value and reduction of AGE and acrylamide content via multiple action mechanisms. Nonetheless, there are some major concerns that may limit their wide applications for achieving such dual functions, including influence on sensory properties of food products, potential overestimation of nutrition enhancement, and introduction of hazardous alternative reaction products or derivatives. These could be overcome through comprehensive assay of dose–response relationships and systematic evaluation of the diverse combinations from the same and/or different categories of nutritional additives to establish synergistic mixtures.
Analysis of environmental factors in sediment based on benthic macroinvertebrates in streams, Korea
Authors: Kim Myoung Chul , Kim Ji Won , Lee Taek Guen , Kim Jung Woo , Cheon Seung‐Phil , Kim Hong Geun , Yu Tae Sik , Kwak Ihn Sil
Published: December 2023

This research summarizes the data on benthic macroinvertebrates collected in the 15 streams during spring (June) and fall (September–October) of 2022. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the quality of surface waters, sediments, and benthic macroinvertebrates; and (ii) to compare the relationship with the environmental variables in water, sediments and benthic macroinvertebrates that inhabit 15 streams. A total of 114 taxa were collected. The assemblages from the 15 sites were dominated by Chironomidae and Tubificidae, especially Chironomidae constituted 45.0% density occurrence. The low grades of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index (BMI) were calculated in 10 sites with disturbed (“poor” or “very poor”). Low BMI sites mostly showed Tubificidae or Chironomidae dominant characteristics. The biological indices, BMI, % Tubificidae, and % Chironomidae, were significantly correlated with DO and conductivity. DO was also significantly correlated with all the benthic macroinvertebrate factors and diversity except percent Tubificidae. The heavy metal parameters were correlated mostly with species number, BMI, and diversity index. The objectives of this study examine the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate in the 15 streams and investigate the relative importance of environmental quality for benthic macroinvertebrate distribution.
The impact of a diabetes diagnosis on health and well‐being: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Authors: Kristensen Camilla Böhme , Chilcot Joseph , Jackson Sarah E. , Steptoe Andrew , Hackett Ruth A.
Published: December 2023

Background

Poorer health and well‐being are associated with diabetes risk. However, little is known about the trajectory of health and well‐being from before to after diabetes diagnosis. We compared depressive symptoms, quality of life, self‐rated health, and loneliness at three time points (prediagnosis, diagnosis, 2–4 years post diagnosis) in individuals who developed diabetes and a comparison group.

Methods

Health and well‐being measures were self‐reported by 3474 participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Repeated measures analysis of variance and generalized estimating equations were used to investigate differences by group, time, and group‐by‐time interactions.

Results

A total of 473 (13.6%) participants developed diabetes. The diabetes group reported greater depressive symptoms (W2(1) = 20.67, p < .001) and lower quality of life (F = 1, 2535 = 10.30, p = .001) and were more likely to rate their health as fair/poor (W2(1) = 67.11, p < .001) across time points, adjusting for age, sex, and wealth. They also reported greater loneliness (F = 1, 2693 = 9.70, p = .002) in unadjusted analyses. However, this was attenuated to the null in adjusted analyses. The group‐by‐time interaction was significant for quality of life (F = 1.97, 5003.58 = 5.60, p = .004) and self‐rated health (W2(2) = 11.69, p = .003), with a greater decline in these measures over time in the diabetes group in adjusted analyses.

Conclusion

People who received a diabetes diagnosis had greater depressive symptoms, lower quality of life, and poorer self‐rated health than those who did not develop diabetes. Quality of life and self‐rated health deteriorated more rapidly following a diagnosis. Screening for these factors around the time of diagnosis could allow for interventions to improve the health and well‐being of those with diabetes.

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The synchronization between Korea's and Japan's business cycles
Authors: Lee Keun Yeong
Published: December 2023

This article analyzes the evolution of the dynamic interactions between Korea's and Japan's business cycles. The logarithmic industrial production is first decomposed into trends and cycles using bounceback models. The estimation results of the two‐state Markov switching model show that the synchronization coefficient of Korea–Japan is positive and time‐varying. However, according to the estimation results of the heteroscedasticity‐based VAR model, the Japanese business cycle shock has a positive effect on the contemporaneous Korean business cycle, but not vice versa. Based on these results, I estimate a TVP‐VAR model assuming Cholesky decomposition and find that Japanese upward shocks do not have positive impacts on the Korean business cycle in the period before the global financial crisis or the period after the global financial crisis and before the COVID‐19 outbreak. The response of Korea to the Japanese shock is smaller in the three‐variable TVP‐VAR compared to the two‐variable TVP‐VAR without the United States. The Korean business cycle upward shock also has a similar effect on the Japanese business cycle, albeit smaller, depending on the period. Overall, the size of the response seems to be closely related to global events as well as changes in trade, FDI, and political conditions between two countries.
Opposite effects of RWA and SDO on war support: Chinese public opinion toward Russia's war in Ukraine
Authors: Hsu Han‐Yu , Wang Tao
Published: December 2023

Previous research has identified the combined effects of Right‐Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) on individuals' militant attitudes. Much of the existing studies have been conducted in the United States and Europe, where political cleavage is drawn between liberalism and conservatism and where RWA and SDO are aligned with conservatism. In this article, we argue that in a different ideological backdrop where RWA and SDO are not bound by conservative ideology, their influence on war support varies. We use the case study of China, in which socialist ideology upholds authoritarianism but opposes social dominance. We hypothesize that in a war in which the state acquiesces, regime loyalists high on RWA and low on SDO tend to back the war, while regime critics low on RWA and high on SDO are less supportive. Using longitudinal data with a nationwide online sample (Time 1: N = 1000, Time 2: N = 500) collected during the war in Ukraine, we confirmed the opposite effects of RWA (measured by the traditionalism subscale) and SDO (measured by the dominance subscale) on war support. The findings extend our understanding of the impacts of authoritarianism and social dominance in a context beyond the United States and Europe.