bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral Cavity Fluid as an Alternative Postmortem Matrix
Authors: Cox Joseph , Morris Kylea , Miller Autumn C. , Champion Jana L. , Reisinger Amy J. , Pandey Maneesha , Kraner James C. , Arroyo-Mora Luis E.
Published: July 2023

In postmortem toxicology analysis, a variety of specimens consisting of fluids and tissues are often collected, each with an intrinsic value. Oral cavity fluid (OCF) is emerging as an alternative matrix in forensic toxicology for contributing to a diagnosis in postmortem cases; especially when blood is limited or not available. The aim of this study was to assess the analytical results obtained from OCF and compare them with blood, urine, and other traditional matrices collected from the same postmortem subjects. Of the 62 decedents studied (including 1 stillborn, 1 charred, and 3 decomposed subjects), 56 had quantifiable drugs and metabolites data in the OCF, blood, and urine. Notable findings were benzoylecgonine (24 cases), ethyl sulfate (23 cases), acetaminophen (21 cases), morphine (21 cases), naloxone (21 cases), gabapentin (20 cases), fentanyl (17 cases), and 6-acetylmorphine (15 cases), which were detected more frequently in OCF than in blood (heart, femoral, or body cavity) or urine. This study suggests that OCF is a suitable matrix for detecting and quantifying analytes in postmortem subjects compared with traditional matrices, particularly when other matrices are limited or difficult to collect because of body condition or putrefaction.
The Role of Autopsy in Quality Assurance
Authors: Miller Catherine R. , Johnston Robert D. , Blake Brooke H. , Aronson Judith F.
Published: July 2023

Hospital autopsies frequently reveal errors in diagnosis that could have affected the patient's clinical outcome. The aims of this study were (1) to investigate the ability of autopsy at our institution to elucidate unrecognized antemortem diagnoses and (2) to pilot a method for tabulating diagnostic discrepancies on a prospective basis. The study sample consisted of 296 cases from our hybrid hospital/forensic autopsy service during the period 2016 to 2018. Discrepancies in autopsy and clinical diagnosis were reported by pathologists at the time of autopsy report generation using a standard form. The rates of major discrepancies between autopsy and clinical diagnoses were 37.5% for in-hospital cases and 25% for patients who died outside our hospital (P < 0.05). The most common discrepant category was infection. The overall rates of discrepant causes of death were 14% (in hospital) and 8% (out of hospital) (ns). Overall percentages of cases with major diagnostic discrepancies were higher in our study than have been previously reported. It is possible that the nature of our patient population plays a role in this result. This study describes an important prospective reporting tool that will allow us to track rates of medical errors and improve diagnosis and treatment of the critically ill.
Biodistribution and Internal Dosimetry of 68Ga-DOTA-IBA PET Imaging for Patients With Bone Metastases
Authors: Yang Jian , Deng Jia , Fan Dongmei , Chen Gefei , Lu Zhonglin , Liu Hanxiang , Mok Greta S.P. , Chen Yue
Published: July 2023

Purpose

We have developed a new pharmaceutical, ibandronic acid (IBA), and preliminarily demonstrated that it is an efficient bisphosphonate for the diagnosis and treatment of bone metastases. This study aims to examine the biodistribution and internal dosimetry of the diagnostic68Ga-DOTA-IBA in patients.

Patients and Methods

68Ga-DOTA-IBA was intravenously injected based on 1.81–2.57 MBq/Kg into 8 patients with bone metastases. Each patient underwent 4 sequential static whole-body PET scans at 0.1, 0.45, 0.8, and 1.8 hours after injection. The acquisition time for each scan was 20 minutes with 10 bed positions. Image registrations and volume of interest delineation were first performed on Hermes, whereas percentage injected activity (%IA), absorbed dose, and effective dose were measured for source organs, using OLINDA/EXM v2.0. Dosimetrics for the bladder was based on a bladder voiding model.

Results

No adverse effects were observed on all patients. After the injection,68Ga-DOTA-IBA rapidly accumulated in bone metastases and cleared from nonbone tissues, as indicated by visual analysis and %IA measured on the sequential scans. High activity uptake was presented in the expected target organs, that is, bone, red marrow, and the drug-excretion organs such as kidneys and bladder. The mean total body effective dose is 0.022 ± 0.002 mSv/MBq.

Conclusions

68Ga-DOTA-IBA has high bone affinity and is promising in the diagnosis of bone metastases. Dosimetric results show that the absorbed doses for critical organs and total body are within the safety limit and with high bone retention. It also has the potential to be used in177Lu-therapy as a theranostic pair.
Mortality, Survival, and Readmissions During a 12-Month Follow-Up After Hip Fracture: Inpatient Rehabilitation Versus Home Rehabilitation
Authors: Ben Natan Merav , Masarwa Rawan , Yonai Yaniv , Finkel Binyamin , Berkovich Yaron
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study compared readmissions, survival, and mortality during a 12-month follow-up period of inpatient rehabilitation and home rehabilitation for older persons who had experienced a hip fracture.

Methods

This work was retrospective cohort research. Between January 1 and December 30, 2019, the medical records of 280 elderly patients who were admitted to a hospital with a hip fracture were analyzed. Of these patients, 74.3% received inpatient rehabilitation, whereas 25.7% received home rehabilitation.

Results

In terms of readmissions and death, there were no appreciable differences between the inpatient rehabilitation and home rehabilitation groups. The patients in the inpatient rehabilitation group were older; more likely to need assistance with activities of daily living; and were taking, on average, more prescription drugs on a daily basis than those in the home rehabilitation group.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

In conclusion, as better outcomes were expected for the home rehabilitation group, which on average included less complicated patients, our findings suggest that the home rehabilitation pathway may not be a good alternative to the inpatient rehabilitation pathway.
Supportive care for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell patients
Authors: Springell Deborah , O’Reilly Maeve , Roddie Claire
Published: July 2023

Purpose of review

The purpose of this review is to provide clear guidance to health professionals delivering chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy on the best supportive management throughout the CAR-T pathway, from referral to long-term follow-up, including psychosocial aspects.

Recent findings

CAR-T therapy has changed the treatment landscape for relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell malignancy. Approximately 40% of r/r B-cell leukaemia/lymphoma patients receiving CD19-targeted CAR-T therapy achieve durable remission following a single dose. The field is rapidly expanding to encompass new CAR-T products for indications such as multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma, and the number of patients eligible to receive CAR-T therapy is likely to continue to grow exponentially. CAR-T therapy is logistically challenging to deliver, with involvement of many stakeholders. In many cases, CAR-T therapy requires an extended inpatient hospital admission, particularly in older, comorbid patients, and is associated with potentially severe immune side effects. Further, CAR-T therapy can lead to protracted cytopenias that can last for several months accompanied by a susceptibility to infection.

For the reasons listed above, standardised, comprehensive supportive care is critically important to ensure that CAR-T therapy is delivered as safely as possible and that patients are fully informed of the risks and benefits, as well as the requirement for extended hospital admission and follow-up, to fully realise the potential of this transformative treatment modality.
Usefulness of decentralized sequencing networks on antimicrobial resistance surveillance
Authors: Urrutikoetxea-Gutierrez Mikel , Gual-de-Torrella Ana , Vidal-Garcia Matxalen , Berdonces Gonzalez Pilar , Lopez de Goicoechea San Román Maria José , Díaz de Tuesta del Arco José Luís
Published: July 2023

The rise of bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant challenge to modern medicine, with predictions suggesting it could become the leading cause of death by 2050. The interconnected nature of our world, exemplified by recent pandemics, highlights the potential for the rapid spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). In complex healthcare systems, the introduction of a clonal CPE can lead to multihospital outbreaks, necessitating the characterization of these pathogens to identify regional outbreaks. Traditionally, hierarchical networks with central laboratories have been responsible for molecular characterization and whole genome sequencing (WGS) of CPE. However, the emergence of new sequencing technologies, such as Oxford Nanopore sequencers with flongle flow cells, provides an opportunity to develop decentralized nodal networks. In this study, two carbapenem-resistant Citrobacter freundii isolates were simultaneously identified in different hospitals within a close proximity, raising concerns about potential cross-hospital transmission. The isolates were subjected to WGS and analysed using various databases. The results revealed distinct genetic profiles, ruling out a single interhospital outbreak. The collaboration between nearby centres and incorporation of WGS as a diagnostic tool in clinical microbiology laboratories enable the establishment of decentralized sequencing networks, facilitating swift responses to emerging AMR threats.
Novel diversity of polar Cyanobacteria revealed by genome-resolved metagenomics
Authors: Pessi Igor S. , Popin Rafael V. , Durieu Benoit , Lara Yannick , Tytgat Bjorn , Savaglia Valentina , Roncero-Ramos Beatriz , Hultman Jenni , Verleyen Elie , Vyverman Wim , Wilmotte Annick
Published: July 2023

Benthic microbial mats dominated by Cyanobacteria are important features of polar lakes. Although culture-independent studies have provided important insights into the diversity of polar Cyanobacteria, only a handful of genomes have been sequenced to date. Here, we applied a genome-resolved metagenomics approach to data obtained from Arctic, sub-Antarctic and Antarctic microbial mats. We recovered 37 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of Cyanobacteria representing 17 distinct species, most of which are only distantly related to genomes that have been sequenced so far. These include (i) lineages that are common in polar microbial mats such as the filamentous taxa

Pseudanabaena

,

Leptolyngbya

,

Microcoleus

/

Tychonema

and Phormidium; (ii) the less common taxa

Crinalium

and

Chamaesiphon

; (iii) an enigmatic

Chroococcales

lineage only distantly related to

Microcystis

; and (iv) an early branching lineage in the order

Gloeobacterales

that is distributed across the cold biosphere, for which we propose the name Candidatus Sivonenia alaskensis. Our results show that genome-resolved metagenomics is a powerful tool for expanding our understanding of the diversity of Cyanobacteria, especially in understudied remote and extreme environments.
Neural subspaces of imagined movements in parietal cortex remain stable over several years in humans
Authors: Bashford L , Rosenthal I , Kellis S , Bjånes D , Pejsa K , Brunton BW , Andersen RA
Published: July 2023

A crucial goal in brain-machine interfacing is long-term stability of neural decoding performance, ideally without regular retraining. Here we demonstrate stable neural decoding over several years in two human participants, achieved by latent subspace alignment of multi-unit intracortical recordings in posterior parietal cortex. These results can be practically applied to significantly expand the longevity and generalizability of future movement decoding devices.
Antibacterial mechanism of inosine againstAlicyclobacillus acidoterrestris
Authors: Liu Xiaoxue , Wu Youzhi , Ran Junjian , Jiao Lingxia , Sun Linjun , Ye Fuzhou
Published: July 2023

Inosine could potentially become a novel antibacterial agent againstA. acidoterrestrisas low-dose of inosine can preventA. acidoterrestriscontamination. However, until now the antibacterial mechanism of inosine targetingA. acidoterrestrisis still unknown. In this study, to unravel the mechanism of inosine againstA. acidoterrestrispuzzle, the effects of inosine on bacterial surface hydrophobicity, intracellular protein content, cell membrane damage extent and permeability of theA. acidoterrestriswere investigated. The results showed that inosine can effectively inhibit the growth and reproduction ofA. acidoterrestrisby destroying the integrity of cell membrane and increasing its permeability, causing the leakage of intracellular nutrients. Furthermore, the interaction networks of inosine target proteins were analyzed. The interaction networks further revealed that damage of bacterial cell membrane might be relevant to inosine’s effect on bacterial DNA replication and cell energy metabolism through regulating nucleotide synthesis and metabolism and the activity of translation initiation factors. Finally, the antibacterial mechanism of inosine againstA. acidoterrestriswas proposed.
Barley cultivars shape the abundance, phenotype, genotype and gene expression of their associated microbiota by differential root exudate secretion
Authors: Pacheco-Moreno Alba , Bollmann-Giolai Anita , Chandra Govind , Brett Paul , Davies Jack , Thornton Owen , Poole Philip , Ramachandran Vinoy , Brown James K.M. , Nicholson Paul , Ridout Chris , DeVos Sarah , Malone Jacob G.
Published: July 2023

Plant associated microbes play vital roles in promoting plant growth and health, with plants secreting root exudates into the rhizosphere to attract beneficial microbes. Exudate composition defines the nature of microbial recruitment, with different plant species attracting distinct microbiota to enable optimal adaptation to the soil environment. To more closely examine the relationship between plant genotype and microbial recruitment, we analysed the rhizosphere microbiomes of landrace (Chevallier) and modern (NFC Tipple) barley cultivars. Distinct differences were observed between the plant-associated microbiomes of the two cultivars, with the plant-growth promoting rhizobacterial genusPseudomonassubstantially more abundant in the Tipple rhizosphere. Striking differences were also observed between the phenotypes of recruitedPseudomonaspopulations, alongside distinct genotypic clustering by cultivar. Cultivar-drivenPseudomonasselection was driven by root exudate composition, with the greater abundance of hexose sugars secreted from Tipple roots attracting microbes better adapted to growth on these metabolites, and vice versa. Cultivar-driven selection also operates at the molecular level, with both gene expression and the abundance of ecologically relevant loci differing between Tipple and ChevallierPseudomonasisolates. Finally, cultivar-driven selection is important for plant health, with both cultivars showing a distinct preference for microbes selected by their genetic siblings in rhizosphere transplantation assays.
SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 regulates translation start site fidelity to promote infection
Authors: Aviner Ranen , Lidsky Peter V , Xiao Yinghong , Tasseto Michel , Zhang Lichao , McAlpine Patrick L , Elias Joshua , Frydman Judith , Andino Raul
Published: July 2023

A better mechanistic understanding of virus-host interactions can help reveal vulnerabilities and identify opportunities for therapeutic interventions. Of particular interest are essential interactions that enable production of viral proteins, as those could target an early step in the virus lifecycle. Here, we use subcellular proteomics, ribosome profiling analyses and reporter assays to detect changes in polysome composition and protein synthesis during SARS-CoV-2 (CoV2) infection. We identify specific translation factors and molecular chaperones whose inhibition impairs infectious particle production without major toxicity to the host. We find that CoV2 non-structural protein Nsp1 selectively enhances virus translation through functional interactions with initiation factor EIF1A. When EIF1A is depleted, more ribosomes initiate translation from an upstream CUG start codon, inhibiting translation of non-structural genes and reducing viral titers. Together, our work describes multiple dependencies of CoV2 on host biosynthetic networks and identifies druggable targets for potential antiviral development.
Validation of Dried Blood Spots for Capturing Hepatitis C Virus Diversity for Genomic Surveillance
Authors: Tully Damien C. , Power Karen A. , Sarette Jacklyn , Stopka Thomas J. , Friedmann Peter D. , Korthuis P. Todd , Cooper Hannah , Young April M. , Seal David W. , Westergaard Ryan P. , Allen Todd M.
Published: July 2023

Dried blood spots (DBS) have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional venous blood for HCV testing. However, their capacity to accurately reflect the genetic diversity of HCV remains poorly understood. We employed deep sequencing and advanced phylogenetic analyses on paired plasma and DBS samples to evaluate the suitability of DBS for genomic surveillance. Results demonstrated that DBS captured equivalent viral diversity compared to plasma with no phylogenetic discordance observed. The ability of DBS to accurately reflect the profile of viral genetic diversity suggests it may be a promising avenue for future surveillance efforts to curb HCV outbreaks.
The efficacy of CB-103, a first-in-class transcriptional Notch inhibitor, in preclinical models of breast cancer
Authors: Vigolo Michele , Urech Charlotte , Lamy Sebastien , Monticone Giulia , Zabaleta Jovanny , Hossain Fokhrul , Wyczechowska Dorota , Valle Luis Del , O’Regan Ruth , Miele Lucio , Lehal Rajwinder , Majumder Samarpan
Published: July 2023

Background

Notch signaling has been shown to mediate treatment resistance and support cancer stem cells (CSCs) in endocrine-resistant estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs). The clinical development of GSIs, first generation Notch inhibitors, has been hindered by lack of Notch specificity and dose-limiting toxicity. Here we describe the safety and efficacy of a first-in-class, clinical stage, orally available small molecule pan-Notch inhibitor, CB-103. Due to its unique mode of action, CB-103 doesn’t induce GI toxicities noted with GSIs. There is a critical need for effective, safe, targeted therapies for patients with endocrine-refractory metastatic breast cancer. Recently approved targeted therapies for TNBC are only effective for a subset of patients. Moreover, GSI-resistant, constitutively activating Notch1 or Notch2 mutations are observed in ∼10% of TNBC. Our study elucidating the synergy of CB-103 with fulvestrant and paclitaxel in preclinical models of both hormone-refractory ER+ BC and TNBC respectively provides a novel and unique opportunity to address major unmet therapeutic needs.

Methods

CB-103 was screened in combination with a panel of anti-neoplastic drugs. We evaluated the anti-tumor activity of CB-103 with fulvestrant in ESR1-mutant (Y537S), endocrine-resistant BC xenografts. In the same model, we examined anti-CSC activity in mammosphere formation assays for CB-103 alone or in combination with fulvestrant or palbociclib. We also evaluated the effect of CB-103 plus paclitaxel on primary tumors and CSC in GSI-resistant TNBC model HCC1187. Comparisons between groups were performed with two-sided unpaired Student’st-test. One-way or two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post analysis was performed to analyze in vivo efficacy study results.

Results

CB-103 showed synergism with fulvestrant in ER+ cells and with paclitaxel in TNBC cells. CB-103 combined with fulvestrant or paclitaxel potently inhibited mammosphere formation in both models. Combination of CB-103 and fulvestrant significantly reduced tumor volume in an ESR1-mutant, endocrine-resistant BC model. In a GSI-resistant TNBC model, CB-103 plus paclitaxel significantly delayed tumor growth compared to paclitaxel alone.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that CB-103 is an attractive candidate for clinical investigation in endocrine resistant, recurrent breast cancers with biomarker-confirmed Notch activity in combination with SERDs and/or CDKis and in TNBCs with biomarker-confirmed Notch activity in combination with taxane-containing chemotherapy regimens.
Pseudospatial transcriptional gradient analysis of hypothalamic ependymal cells: towards a new tanycyte classification
Authors: Brunner M. , Lopez-Rodriguez D. , Messina A. , Thorens B. , Santoni F , Langlet F.
Published: July 2023

The ependyma lining the third ventricle (3V) in the mediobasal hypothalamus is recognized as a critical player in controlling energy balance and glucose homeostasis. Its molecularly distinct cell types, including diverse tanycyte subpopulations and typical ependymal cells, confer a high functional heterogeneity. The study of gene expression profiles and dynamics of ependymal cells has the potential to uncover fundamental mechanisms and pathways involved in metabolic regulation.

Here, we cataloged 5481 hypothalamic ependymocytes using FACS-assisted single-cell RNA sequencing from fed, 12h-fasted, and 24h-fasted adult male mice. First, standard clustering analysis revealed the limitation of the current characterization regarding the different ependymal cell subpopulations along the 3V. Indeed, while typical ependymal cells and β2-tanycytes are sharply defined at the molecular level, other subpopulations (i.e., β1-, α2-, and α1 tanycytes) display fuzzy boundaries and very few specific markers. Moreover, we observed that 12h- and 24h-fasting dynamically modulate gene expression, increasing tanycyte subgroup heterogeneity. Secondly, pseudospatial trajectory analysis based on peculiar UMAP neuroanatomical distribution improved the identification of tanycyte markers, distinguishing specificversusoverlapping features and better segregating tanycyte specificversusstandard functions. Intriguingly, we discovered numerous functions related to tanycyte-neuron and tanycyte-synapse interactions with modulation by energy balance. Finally, combining pseudospatial analysis and gene regulatory network inference, we observed that fasting dynamically shifts patterns in gene expression and transcription activity along the 3V, creating a metabolic and functional switch for some subpopulations.

Altogether, this data provides a mechanism through which energy status leads to distinct cell type-specific responses along the 3V and gives new insights into molecular diversity underlying tanycyte classification.
Accelerated matrix-vector multiplications for matrices involving genotype covariates with applications in genomic prediction
Authors: Freudenberg Alexander , Vandenplas Jeremie , Schlather Martin , Pook Torsten , Evans Ross , ten Napel Jan
Published: July 2023

In the last decade, a number of methods have been suggested to deal with large amounts of genetic data in genomic predictions. Yet, steadily growing population sizes and the suboptimal use of computational resources are pushing the practical application of these approaches to their limits. As an extension to the C/CUDA librarymiraculix, we have developed tailored solutions for the computation of genotype matrix multiplications which is a critical bottleneck in the empirical evaluation of many statistical models. We demonstrate the benefits of our solutions at the example of single-step models which make repeated use of this kind of multiplication. Targeting modern Nvidia®GPUs as well as a broad range of CPU architectures, our implementation significantly reduces the time required for the estimation of breeding values in large population sizes.miraculixis released under the Apache 2.0 license and is freely available athttps://github.com/alexfreudenberg/miraculix.
Codon usage bias study of the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene of Multiple Sclerosis and Diabetes-1 patients
Authors: Barik Sushanta Kumar , Turuk Jyotirmayee , Giri Sidhartha , Pati Sanghamitra
Published: July 2023

Objective

The codon bias usage study of the 33 Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) genes of the Multiple sclerosis and Diabetes-1 patients were characterized.

Methods

Various computational tools such as clustal-W, Codon adaptation index calculation (CAI cal), Effective number of codons (ENC), Relative Synonymous Codon Usage, Codon usage frequency, Nucleotide substation rate calculation, Relative codon deoptimization index, Grand average hydropathicity, Sequence Manipulation Suite software’s were used to find out the codon usage pattern of the VDR genes in both group of patients.

Results

The base compositions, nucleotide substation rates, codon adaptation index, hydrophobic nature of the amino acids of VDR gene of both group of patients were analysed.

Conclusion

The analysis of the synonymous codon usage pattern of the genes would helpful in the heterologous expression of the VDR genes leads to codon optimizations in Multiple Sclerosis and Diabetes-1 patients. The codon usage bias analysis of the VDR gene of the Multiple sclerosis and Diabetes-1 patients through computational approach determined the pattern of VDR gene expression and evolution during the acquiring of the disease in the patients.
SpaceANOVA: Spatial co-occurrence analysis of cell types in multiplex imaging data using point process and functional ANOVA
Authors: Seal Souvik , Neelon Brian , Angel Peggi , O’Quinn Elizabeth C. , Hill Elizabeth , Vu Thao , Ghosh Debashis , Mehta Anand , Wallace Kristin , Alekseyenko Alexander V.
Published: July 2023

Motivation

Multiplex imaging platforms have enabled the identification of the spatial organization of different types of cells in complex tissue or tumor microenvironment (TME). Exploring the potential variations in the spatial co-occurrence or co-localization of different cell types across distinct tissue or disease classes can provide significant pathological insights, paving the way for intervention strategies. However, the existing methods in this context either rely on stringent statistical assumptions or suffer from a lack of generalizability.

Results

We present a highly powerful method to study differential spatial co-occurrence of cell types across multiple tissue or disease groups, based on the theories of the Poisson point process (PPP) and functional analysis of variance (FANOVA). Notably, the method accommodates multiple images per subject and addresses the problem of missing tissue regions, commonly encountered in such a context due to the complex nature of the data-collection procedure. We demonstrate the superior statistical power and robustness of the method in comparison to existing approaches through realistic simulation studies. Furthermore, we apply the method to three real datasets on different diseases collected using different imaging platforms. In particular, one of these datasets reveals novel insights into the spatial characteristics of various types of precursor lesions associated with colorectal cancer.

Availability

The associatedRpackage can be found here,https://github.com/sealx017/SpaceANOVA.

Contact

sealso@musc.edu

Supplementary information

The supplementary material is attached.
Improving fMRI-based prediction of individual pain ratings by accounting for interindividual variance
Authors: Goltermann Ole , Büchel Christian
Published: July 2023

We challenge the pessimistic conclusion of a recently published paper by Hoeppli et al that fMRI-BOLD measures are useless in predicting interindividual differences in pain perception. By conducting a re-analysis of publicly available data of their study, we propose an alternative analysis approach that addresses the issue of interindividual variance differences in BOLD readouts, aiming to enhance the predictive power of fMRI-based measures. Instead of using absolute values of both, pain ratings and BOLD measures, we make use of robust intraindividual differences between the two experimental conditions in their study. Our findings demonstrate a statistically significant positive linear relationship between the neurologic pain signature (NPS) score, a multivariate pain classifier based on BOLD fMRI, and individual differences in perceived pain ratings. This relationship is driven by individuals that report pain sensitivity to both experimental conditions and can clearly distinguish between the two. Our results provide evidence for the potential of fMRI-BOLD measures in predicting interindividual differences in pain perception and allow for a more optimistic conclusion regarding the ongoing debate whether fMRI can be used as an objective measure for pain perception.

ARISING FROM

Hoeppli, M.E., Nahman-Averbuch, H., Hinkle, W.A. et al. Dissociation between individual differences in self-reported pain intensity and underlying fMRI brain activation. Nat Commun 13, 3569 (2022).https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31039-3
Low- and high-grade glioma endothelial cells differentially regulate tumor growth
Authors: Muthukrishnan Sree Deepthi , Qi Haocheng , Wang David , Elahi Lubayna , Pham Amy , Alvarado Alvaro G. , Li Tie , Gao Fuying , Kawaguchi Riki , Lai Albert , Kornblum Harley I.
Published: July 2023

Background

A key feature distinguishing high-grade glioma (HGG) from low-grade glioma (LGG) is the extensive neovascularization and endothelial hyperproliferation. Prior work has shown that tumor endothelial cells (TEC) from HGG are molecularly and functionally distinct from normal brain EC and secrete higher levels of pro-tumorigenic factors that promote glioma growth and progression. However, it remains unclear whether TEC from LGG also express pro-tumorigenic factors, and to what extent they functionally contribute to glioma growth.

Methods

Transcriptomic profiling was conducted on tumor endothelial cells (TEC) from grade II/III (LGG, IDH-mutant) and grade IV HGG (IDH-wildtype). Functional differences between LGG- and HGG-TEC were evaluated using growth assays, resistance to anti-angiogenic drugs and radiation therapy. Conditioned media and specific factors from LGG- and HGG-TEC were tested on patient-derived gliomasphere lines using growth assaysin vitroand in co-transplantation studiesin vivoin orthotopic xenograft models.

Results

LGG-TEC showed enrichment of extracellular matrix and cell cycle-related gene sets and sensitivity to anti-angiogenic therapy whereas HGG-TEC displayed an increase in immune response-related gene sets and anti-angiogenic resistance. LGG- and HGG-TEC displayed opposing effects on growth and proliferation of IDH-wildtype and mutant tumor cells. Asporin (ASPN), a small leucine rich proteoglycan enriched in LGG-TEC was identified as a growth suppressor of IDH-wildtype GBM by modulating TGFΒ1-GPM6A signaling.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that TEC from LGG and HGG are molecularly and functionally heterogeneous and differentially regulate the growth of IDH-wildtype and mutant tumors.
Bee pollen usage as carrier material in the drying of honey and some properties of honey-bee pollen powders
Authors: Mutlu Ceren
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study was to produce an enriched honey powder with active compounds coming from bee pollen and investigate the effects of bee pollen addition as a carrier material on honey powder.

Design/methodology/approach

The effects of bee pollen addition as carrier material in corporation with gum arabic at different ratios (25, 50 and 75% of total carrier material amount) on vacuum-dried honey-bee pollen powder were investigated.

Findings

The bee pollen concentration raise in the mixture increased the particle size, total phenolic, flavonoid and sugar contents and antioxidant activity, whereas decreased the Hauser ratio and Carr index values, hygroscopicity and solubility of enriched honey powder samples. The honey powder samples had passable and poor flow properties and very hygroscopic (>20%) structure because of the high sugar content. The phenolic and flavonoid contents of honey powder samples with bee pollen changed between 1531.59 and 3796.00 mg GAE/kg and 424.05–1203.10 mg QE/kg, respectively, and these values were much higher than the control sample. On the basis of linear correlation analysis, there was a very high positive correlation between total phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant activity, while there was a very high negative correlation between these parameters and solubility.

Originality/value

The study evaluated that enriching of honey powders with pollen, which is a product of both plant and bee origin, rather than enriching with different plant and animal sources has an innovative approach. Additionally, the usage of bee pollen as a carrier agent in food drying has not been previously reported in any study.
A model for visualizing cost shifts when introducing construction logistics setups
Authors: Thunberg Micael , Fredriksson Anna
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify how the responsibilities and costs of planning, controlling and executing the material, resource and waste flows are shifted between actors when introducing a construction logistics setup (CLS) as a product innovation in a construction project, compared to the traditional way of organizing these activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is an analytical conceptual research study which aims to bring new insights into a problem through logical relationship building. Empirical data are gathered in two cases where CLSs are used, through observations and interviews regarding how the activities within the order-to-delivery process are performed. The results have been discussed at workshops with suppliers, installation companies, contractor firms and trade unions.

Findings

The outcome of this study is a model for illustrating how costs and responsibilities are shifted in the construction project and supply chain when a CLS is introduced. The cost shift is dependent on the activity shift that accompanies the services included in the setup.

Practical implications

The practical contribution of this work is twofold. First, this study provides a methodology of how to evaluate the impact of logistics services on the actors in the construction project. Second, this study shows shifts in costs and responsibilities in logistics activities with the introduction of construction logistics services.

Originality/value

The theoretical contributions of the model and this study lie in the inclusion of a multi-actor perspective in total cost modelling in supply chains.
Exploring the use of gender-fair language by influencers
Authors: Nicolas Carolina , Urrutia Angelica , González Gonzalo
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Explore the use of Gender-Fair Language (GFL) by influencers on Instagram.

Design/methodology/approach

The clustering methodology. A digital Bag-of-Words (BoW) Method called GFL Clustering BoW Methodology to identify whether an inclusive marketing (IM) strategy can be used. Thus, this research has a methodological and practical contribution to increasing the number of marketing technology tools.

Findings

This study is original as it proposes an inclusive digital marketing strategy and contributes with methods associated with digital transfers in order to improve marketing strategies, tactics and operations for inclusive content with a data integrity approach.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the limitations of the application programming interface (API) of the social network Instagram, a limited number of text data were used, which allowed for retrieving the last 12 publications of each studied profile. In addition, it should be considered that this study only includes the Spanish language and is applied to a sample of influencers from Chile.

Practical implications

The practical contribution of this study will lead to a key finding for the definition of communication strategies in both public and private organizations.

Originality/value

The originality of this work lies in its attractive implications for nonprofit and for-profit organizations, government bodies and private enterprises in the measurement of the success of campaigns with an IM communicational strategy and to incorporate inclusive and non-sexist content for their consumers so as to contribute to society.
A symplectic approach for the fractional heat transfer and thermal damage in 2D biological tissues
Authors: Xu Chenghui , Leng Sen , Li Deen , Yu Yajun
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on the accurate analysis of the fractional heat transfer in a two-dimensional (2D) rectangular monolayer tissue with three different kinds of lateral boundary conditions and the quantitative evaluation of the degree of thermal damage and burn depth.

Design/methodology/approach

A symplectic method is used to analytically solve the fractional heat transfer dual equation in the frequency domain (s-domain). Explicit expressions of the dual vector can be constructed by superposing the symplectic eigensolutions. The solution procedure is rigorously rational without any trial functions. And the accurate predictions of temperature and heat flux in the time domain (t-domain) are derived through numerical inverse Laplace transform.

Findings

Comparison study shows that the maximum relative error is less than 0.16%, which verifies the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method. The results indicate that the model and heat source parameters have a significant effect on temperature and thermal damage. The pulse duration (Δt) of the laser heat source can effectively control the time to reach the peak temperature and the peak slope of the thermal damage curve. The burn depth is closely correlated with exposure temperature and duration. And there exists the delayed effect of fractional order on burn depth.

Originality/value

A symplectic approach is presented for the thermal analysis of 2D fractional heat transfer. A unified time-fractional heat transfer model is proposed to describe the anomalous thermal behavior of biological tissue. New findings might provide guidance for temperature prediction and thermal damage assessment of biological tissues during hyperthermia.
Understanding the world heritage sites’ brand diffusion and formation via social media: a mixed-method study
Authors: Wang Zongshui , Liu Wei , Sun Zhuo , Zhao Hong
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Building on social media and destination brand-related literature, this study aims to explore World Heritage Sites’ (WHSs) brand diffusion and formation process from long-term and short-term perspectives, which includes brand diffusion, user-generated content (UGC), opinion leaders and brand events’ impact.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a mixed-method including text mining, keyword analysis and social network analysis to explore the brand formation process of four popular WHSs in Beijing, namely, the Palace Museum, Great Wall, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven and more than 10,000,000 users’ data on Sina Weibo has been implemented to uncover the underlying social media branding mechanism.

Findings

The results show that the number of postings keeps in a stable range in most months, but, in general, there are no common rules for changing trends among the four WHSs; long-term high-frequency keywords related to history and culture account for a higher percentage; different kinds of accounts have varying impacts on information diffusion, in which media accounts lead to a bigger influence. However, more followers do not necessarily mean more interactions and most of the interaction ratio is much lower than 0.01000; brand events facilitate brand dissemination and have an impact on the creation of UGC.

Practical implications

This study is valuable for destination marketers to deeper understand brand diffusion and formation and provides valuable insights for developing effective destination marketing strategies.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies that only concern a few parts of destination brand formation via social media (e.g. brand diffusion, brand events or opinion leaders’ impact), this study takes a more comprehensive perspective by systematically analyzing the brand formation process of WHSs on social media. By considering both long-term diffusion and short-term representative events, this study provides a more holistic understanding of the branding mechanism.
Whiteness as credential: exploring the lived experiences of ethnically diverse UK event professionals through the theory of racialised organisations
Authors: Fletcher Thomas , Dashper Katherine , Albert Bernadette
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The events sector is an innovative and dynamic working environment that requires a creative and diverse workforce to help it thrive. However, in the main, the events workforce is not diverse, with evidence suggesting that most leaders continue to be White and male. There has been no previous research exploring the experiences of ethnically diverse professionals in this environment. This paper aims to draw on the theory of racialised organisations to begin to address this gap and amplify the voices of ethnically diverse events professionals.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 ethnically diverse event managers working in the UK events industry.

Findings

Covert and overt forms of racism and discrimination remain ubiquitous within the culture of event organisations, and in a number of guises, ranging from regular racialised microaggressions to more subtle forms of exclusion. The events industry needs to do more than pay lip service to neoliberal notions of diversity and acknowledge the ways in which racial relations of power shape the industry and the experiences of individuals within it, and design interventions to address these issues.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to apply the theory of racialised organisations to the events industry, recognising the centrality of race and racism to events organisations and careers. In so doing, it offers essential insight into race and ethnicity in this sector and contributes to ongoing efforts to integrate race and racism within theorising in management and organisation studies.
Customer acceptance of humanoid service robots in hotels: moderating effects of service voluntariness and culture
Authors: Said Narjess , Ben Mansour Kaouther , Bahri-Ammari Nedra , Yousaf Anish , Mishra Abhishek
Published: July 2023

Purpose

This study aims to propose a research model integrating technology acceptance model 3 (TAM3) constructs and human aspects of humanoid service robots (HSRs), measured by the Godspeed questionnaire series and tested across two hotel properties in Japan and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Potential participants were approached randomly by email invitation. A final sample size of 395 across two hotels, one in Japan and the other in the USA, was obtained, and the data were analysed using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results confirm that perceived usefulness, driven by subjective norms and output quality, and perceived ease of use, driven by perceived enjoyment and absence of anxiety, are the immediate direct determinants of users’ re-patronage intentions for HSRs. Results also showed that users prefer anthropomorphism, perceived intelligence and the safety of an HSR for reusing it.

Practical implications

The findings have practical implications for the hospitality industry, suggesting multiple attributes of an HSRs that managers need to consider before deploying them in their properties.

Originality/value

The current study proposes an integrated model determining factors that affect the re-patronage of HSRs in hotels.
Future educational environment – Identification of smart campus topic trends using text mining
Authors: Joshy K.X. , Thakurta Rahul , Sekh Arif Ahmed
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Recent attention to the developments focusing on the educational services has been noteworthy, with the educational environment specifically the smart campus emerging both as a domain and as an opportunity. As a domain worthy of exploration, a number of research efforts are being conceptualized around smart campus initiatives. The existing bouquet of research publications on smart campus provides a testimony of the enthusiasm and also exposes the heterogeneous attempts the domain has witnessed to date. The available evidence is still inadequate to provide clarity on the thrust areas of research around smart campus.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the understanding, this study intends to decode the domain to get an early impression of the focus of the research concentration around smart campus. Thereby the study resorts to an automated text-mining approach using Python on contents shortlisted systematically, and published between the period 2010 and May 2022, from select databases.

Findings

Based on the analysis it was possible to identify eight themes (i.e. smart campus characteristics, smart campus stakeholders, smart campus frameworks, smart campus technologies, smart campus infrastructure, smart campus evaluation, smart learning environment and smart campus applications) characterizing research efforts within the smart campus literature.

Originality/value

The themes around the smart campus showcase the thrust areas receiving attention. These characterize extant research endeavours in the smart campus domain and can offer useful pointers to researchers going forward. This awareness can also be beneficial to institutional leadership and technology providers intending to implement smart campus initiatives, contributing to the development of the educational environment.