bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The kinetic landscape of human transcription factors
Authors: Mamrak Nicholas E , Alerasool Nader , Griffith Daniel , Holehouse Alex S , Taipale Mikko , Lionnet Timothée
Published: June 2022

Cell-to-cell variability is shaped by transcription dynamics because genes are transcribed in bursts interspersed with inactive periods. The stochasticity of bursting means that genes transcribed in rare bursts exhibit more heterogeneity at the single cell level than genes that burst often 1, 2. Transcription starts with the binding of Transcription Factors (TFs) to specific sequence motifs where they recruit the transcription machinery 3. In some systems, individual TF binding events temporally correlate with the firing of transcriptional bursts, defining the target gene’s frequency and duration 4–6. However, in the absence of methods that assess the impact of different TFs on transcription dynamics at the same genetic loci, it remains unclear whether DNA binding kinetics are the sole determinant of bursting. Here we develop an imaging-based synthetic recruitment assay, CRISPRburst, and measure how 92 human TFs impact bursting kinetics. We show that TFs recruited to chromatin under identical conditions generate diverse bursting signatures, some TFs increasing the probability of the gene turning on while others increase the number of mRNA molecules transcribed per burst. We find that the association of TFs with specific protein partners determines their bursting output, and train a model to predict the kinetic signatures of all human TFs. These kinetic signatures can be used as a TF classification system complementary to existing families based on DNA binding domains. Additionally, kinetic signatures provide a rational framework to design synthetic activators, model transcription regulation, and understand expression heterogeneity.
Effect of channel density, inverse solutions and connectivity measures on EEG resting-state networks: a simulation study
Authors: Allouch Sahar , Kabbara Aya , Duprez Joan , Khalil Mohamad , Modolo Julien , Hassan Mahmoud
Published: June 2022

Along with the study of brain activity evoked by external stimuli, the past two decades witnessed an increased interest in characterizing the spontaneous brain activity occurring during resting conditions. The identification of the connectivity patterns in this so-called “resting-state” has been the subject of a great number of electrophysiology-based studies, using the Electro/Magneto-Encephalography (EEG/MEG) source connectivity method. However, no consensus has been reached yet regarding a unified (if possible) analysis pipeline, and several involved parameters and methods require cautious tuning. This is particularly challenging when different choices induce significant discrepancy in results and drawn conclusions, thereby hindering reproducibility of neuroimaging research. Hence, our objective in this study was to evaluate some of the parameters related to the EEG source connectivity analysis and shed light on their implications on the accuracy of the resulting networks. We simulated, using neural mass models, EEG data corresponding to two of the resting-state networks (RSNs), namely the default mode network (DMN) and the dorsal attentional network (DAN). We investigated the impact of five channel densities (19, 32, 64, 128, 256), three inverse solutions (weighted minimum norm estimate (wMNE), exact low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA), and linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) beamforming) and four functional connectivity measures (phase-locking value (PLV), phase-lag index (PLI), and amplitude envelope correlation (AEC) with and without source leakage correction), on the correspondence between reconstructed and reference networks. We showed that, with different analytical choices, a high variability is present in the results. More specifically, our results show that a higher number of EEG channels significantly increased the accuracy of the reconstructed networks. Additionally, our results showed a significant variability in the performance of the tested inverse solutions and connectivity measures. In our specific simulation context, eLORETA and wMNE combined with AEC computed between orthogonalized time series exhibited the highest performance in terms of similarity between reconstructed and reference connectivity matrices. Results were similar for both DMN and DAN. We believe that this work could be useful for the field of electrophysiology connectomics, by shedding light on the challenge of analytical variability and its consequences on the reproducibility of neuroimaging studies.
Scalable graph analysis tools for the connectomics community
Authors: Matelsky Jordan K. , Johnson Erik C. , Wester Brock , Gray-Roncal William
Published: June 2022

Neuroscientists now have the opportunity to analyze synaptic resolution connectomes that are larger than the memory on single consumer workstations. As dataset size and tissue diversity have grown, there is increasing interest in conducting comparative connectomics research, including rapidly querying and searching for recurring patterns of connectivity across brain regions and species. There is also a demand for algorithm reuse — applying methods developed for one dataset to another volume. A key technological hurdle is enabling researchers to efficiently and effectively query these diverse datasets, especially as the raw image volumes grow beyond terabyte sizes. Existing community tools can perform such queries and analysis on smaller scale datasets, which can fit locally in memory, but the path to scaling remains unclear. Existing solutions such as neuPrint or FlyBrainLab enable these queries for specific datasets, but there remains a need to generalize algorithms and standards across datasets. To overcome this challenge, we present a software framework for comparative connectomics and graph discovery to make connectomes easy to analyze, even when larger-than-RAM, and even when stored in disparate datastores. This software suite includes visualization tools, a web portal, a connectivity and annotation query engine, and the ability to interface with a variety of data sources and community tools from the neuroscience community. These tools include MossDB (an immutable datastore for metadata and rich annotations); Grand (for prototyping larger-than-RAM graphs); GrandIso-Cloud (for querying existing graphs that exceed the capabilities of a single work-station); and Motif Studio (for enabling the public to query across connectomes). These tools interface with existing frameworks such as neuPrint, graph databases such as Neo4j, and standard data analysis tools such as Pandas or NetworkX. Together, these tools enable tool and algorithm reuse, standardization, and neuroscience discovery.
Assessing the influence of the Mediterranean diet on dental calculus microbiome composition: a pilot study
Authors: Innocenti Gabriel , Martino Maria Elena , Stellini Edoardo , di Fiore Adolfo , Quagliariello Andrea
Published: June 2022

Human oral microbiome harbours hundreds of bacterial species, which, during evolution, assembled in different niches, such as the microbiome of saliva, tongue, hard palate, gingiva and dental plaque. Among these, saliva has been the most studied ecological niche of the oral microbiome. In this frame, scientific research has demonstrated that several factors concur to determine the saliva microbial composition, including diet, systemic diseases and drugs. However, the influence of such variables on other oral niches, such as the dental calculus, a calcified derivative of dental plaque, is still unexplored.

During the last decade, dental calculus has become the primary target for evolutionary microbiome studies because of its ability to keep both bacterial DNA and dietary molecules (i.e., proteins and starch). As a consequence, dental calculus is now considered a powerful tool for obtaining information about oral microbiome composition, diet and individual health status in past populations, making it also appealing for clinical research.

Here, we provide the first clinical study, to our knowledge, assessing the inter-variability of dental calculus microbiome in 40 patients. Samples were collected during routine dental inspection and analysed through 16S amplicon sequencing. In addition, we investigated the relationship between oral microbiome and host. Specifically, we tested the influence of Mediterranean diet style on the composition and functional pathways of oral bacteria, with the aim to test the dental calculus as a clinical bio-marker for diet impact and health status.
Normalizing need not be the norm: count-based math for analyzing single-cell data
Authors: Church Samuel H. , Mah Jasmine L. , Wagner Günter , Dunn Casey W.
Published: June 2022

Counting transcripts of mRNA is a key method of observation in modern biology. With advances in counting transcripts in single cells (single-cell RNA sequencing or scRNA-seq), these data are routinely used to identify cells by their transcriptional profile, and to identify genes with differential cellular expression. Because the total number of transcripts counted per cell can vary for technical reasons, the first step of standard scRNA-seq workflows is to normalize by sequencing depth, transforming counts into proportional abundances. The primary objective of this step is to reshape the data such that cells with similar biological proportions of transcripts end up with similar transformed measurements. But there is growing concern that normalization and other transformations result in unintended distortions that hinder both analyses and the interpretation of results. This has led to an intense focus on optimizing methods for normalization and transformation of scRNA-seq data. Here we take an alternative approach, by avoiding normalization altogether. We abandon the use of distances to compare cells, and instead use a restricted algebra, motivated by measurement theory and abstract algebra, that preserves the count nature of the data. We demonstrate that this restricted algebra is sufficient to draw meaningful and practical comparisons of gene expression through the use of the dot product and other elementary operations. This approach sidesteps many of the problems with common transformations, and has the added benefit of being simpler and more intuitive. We implement our approach in the package countland, available in python and R. By explicitly considering counts in terms of their measurement process, we avoid and overcome many challenges in modern RNA-seq and open new avenues for the analysis of these data.
RPTPγ is a redox-regulated suppressor of promigratory EGFR signaling
Authors: Joshi Maitreyi S. , Stanoev Angel , Soetje Birga , Huebinger Jan , Zorina Veronika , Roßmannek Lisaweta , Michel Kirsten , Bastiaens Philippe I. H.
Published: June 2022

Spatially-organized interaction dynamics between proto-oncogenic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) determine EGFR’s phosphorylation response to growth factors and thereby cellular behavior within developing tissues. We show here, that and how the coupling between EGFR and RPTPγ activity leads to migratory signaling responses to very low, physiological growth factor stimuli while suppressing aberrant, spontaneous signaling. Single cell imaging of EGFR phosphorylation and PTP oxidation revealed that RPTPγ fully suppresses spontaneous EGFR phosphorylation, while EGF-induced NADPH-oxidase activity enables promigratory signaling responses at the plasma membrane by H2O2-mediated oxidative inhibition of RPTPγ’s phosphatase activity. The EGF-dependent toggle switch dynamics between interacting EGFR monomers and RPTPγ thereby enables autocatalytically amplified phosphorylation responses to very low, physiological, EGF levels even at sparse receptor expression. This signaling mechanism is distinct from the proliferative signaling stemming from liganded endosomal EGFR complexes at high growth factor concentrations. Accordingly, RPTPγ knock-out results in spontaneous promigratory EGFR signaling but loss of proliferative signaling. We thereby provide evidence of RPTPγ’s suppressor function of oncogenic, promigratory EGFR-signaling from the plasma membrane.
Reconstructing human Brown Fat developmental trajectory in vitro
Authors: Rao Jyoti , Chal Jerome , Marchianò Fabio , Wang Chih-Hao , Al Tanoury Ziad , Gapon Svetlana , Djeffal Yannis , Mayeuf-Louchart Alicia , Glass Ian , Sefton Elizabeth M. , Habermann Bianca , Kardon Gabrielle , Watt Fiona M. , Tseng Yu-Hua , Pourquié Olivier
Published: June 2022

Brown adipocytes represent a specialized type of mammalian adipocytes able to uncouple nutrient catabolism from ATP generation to dissipate energy as heat. They play an important role in mammals, allowing non-shivering thermogenesis to regulate body temperature in response to cold exposure. In humans, the brown fat tissue is composed of small discrete depots found mostly throughout the neck and trunk region. Increasing brown fat activity either with drug treatment or cell therapy is considered a potential approach for the treatment of metabolic syndrome and obesity. The recent development of in vitro differentiation strategies relying on human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offers the possibility to produce unlimited amounts of brown adipocytes. A strategy efficiently applied to several tissues is to recapitulate step by step the development of the tissue of interest by exposing hPSCs to the signaling cues used during normal embryonic development. However, this strategy has proven difficult to implement for brown fat as the development of this tissue is poorly understood. Here, we first used single cell RNA sequencing to characterize the development of interscapular brown fat in mouse. Our analysis identified a previously unrecognized population of brown adipocytes precursors characterized by expression of the transcription factor GATA6. We show that this precursor population can be efficiently generated from paraxial mesoderm precursors differentiated in vitro from hPSCs by modulating the signaling pathways identified in our transcriptomic analysis. These precursors can in turn be efficiently converted into functional brown adipocytes which can respond to adrenergic stimuli by increasing their metabolism resulting in heat production.
Prefrontal cortex melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4R) mediate food intake behavior in mice
Authors: Ross Rachel A , Kim Angela , Das Priyanka , Li Yan , Choi Yong Kee , Thompson Andy T , Douglas Ella , Subramanian Siva , Ramos Kat , Callahan Kathryn , Bolshakov Vadim Y , Ressler Kerry J
Published: June 2022

Background

Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) activity in the hypothalamus is crucial for regulation of metabolism and food intake. The peptide ligands for the MC4R are associated with feeding, energy expenditure, and also with complex behaviors that orchestrate energy intake and expenditure, but the downstream neuroanatomical and neurochemical targets associated with these behaviors are elusive. In addition to strong expression in the hypothalamus, the MC4R is highly expressed in the medial prefrontal cortex, a region involved in executive function and decision-making.

Methods

Using viral techniques in genetically modified mice combined with molecular techniques, we identify and describe the neuronal dynamics, and define the effects on feeding behavior of a novel population of MC4R expressing neurons in the infralimbic region of the cortex.

Results

Here, we describe a novel population of MC4R-expressing neurons in the infralimbic (IL) region of the mouse prefrontal cortex that are glutamatergic, receive input from melanocortinergic neurons of the arcuate hypothalamus, and project to multiple regions that coordinate appetitive responses to food-related stimuli. The neurons are depolarized by application of MC4R-specific peptidergic agonist, THIQ. Deletion of MC4R from the IL neurons causes increased food intake and body weight gain and impaired executive function in simple food-related behavior tasks.

Conclusion

Together, these data suggest that MC4R neurons of the IL play a critical role in the regulation of food intake.
Neurocomputational principles underlying the number sense
Authors: Park Joonkoo , Huber David E.
Published: June 2022

Many species of animals exhibit an intuitive sense of number, suggesting a fundamental neural mechanism for representing numerosity in a visual scene. Recent empirical studies demonstrate that early feedforward visual responses are sensitive to numerosity of a dot array but not to continuous dimensions orthogonal to numerosity, such as size and spacing of the dots. However, the mechanisms that extract numerosity are unknown. Here we identified the core neurocomputational principles underlying these effects: (1) center-surround contrast filters; (2) at different spatial scales; with (3) divisive normalization across network units. In an untrained computational model, these principles eliminated sensitivity to size and spacing, making numerosity the main determinant of the neuronal response magnitude. Moreover, a model implementation of these principles explained both well-known and relatively novel illusions of numerosity perception across space and time. This supports the conclusion that the neural structures and feedforward processes that encode numerosity naturally produce visual illusions of numerosity. Together, these results identify a set of neurocomputational properties that gives rise to the ubiquity of the number sense in the animal kingdom.
A novel robotic 6DOF pose measurement strategy for large-size casts based on stereo vision
Authors: Wan Guoyang , Li Fudong , Liu Bingyou , Bai Shoujun , Wang Guofeng , Xing Kaisheng
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to study six degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) pose measurement of reflective metal casts by machine vision, analyze the problems existing in the positioning of metal casts by stereo vision sensor in unstructured environment and put forward the visual positioning and grasping strategy that can be used in industrial robot cell.

Design/methodology/approach

A multikeypoints detection network Binocular Attention Hourglass Net is constructed, which can complete the two-dimensional positioning of the left and right cameras of the stereo vision system at the same time and provide reconstruction information for three-dimensional pose measurement. Generate adversarial networks is introduced to enhance the image of local feature area of object surface, and the three-dimensional pose measurement of object is completed by combining RANSAC ellipse fitting algorithm and triangulation method.

Findings

The proposed method realizes the high-precision 6DOF positioning and grasping of reflective metal casts by industrial robots; it has been applied in many fields and solves the problem of difficult visual measurement of reflective casts. The experimental results show that the system exhibits superior recognition performance, which meets the requirements of the grasping task.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. The proposed method is more suitable for objects with plane positioning features.

Originality/value

This paper realizes the 6DOF pose measurement of reflective casts by vision system, and solves the problem of positioning and grasping such objects by industrial robot.
Evaluating e-commerce website qualities: personality traits as triggers
Authors: Tseng Fan-Chen , Huang Tzu-Ling , Cheng T. C. E. , Teng Ching-I
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The five-factor model (FFM), a popular personality typology that identifies five key personality traits, has been used to predict use intention in various e-commerce applications, but the role of FFM in triggering certain evaluations of the various quality dimensions of e-commerce websites has not been examined, revealing a gap, i.e. the authors do not know how the five personality traits impact evaluations of the quality dimensions of e-commerce websites. The 3Q model—which comprises system quality (SysQ), information quality (IQ), and service quality (SQ), spanning 13 quality dimensions—is helpful for evaluating website quality, but the model neglects user characteristics and their impacts on quality evaluation, posing another gap, i.e. the authors do not know how user characteristics impact the user's evaluation of quality dimensions. Thus, the authors used the FFM to extend the 3Q model to explain how user personality predicts the evaluation of websites in the 13 quality dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used an online survey to collect responses from 392 online shoppers. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The authors found that openness in a shopper predicts their favorable evaluation of a website in the quality dimensions of format and flexibility; conscientiousness predicts favorable evaluation in terms of completeness, accuracy, currency, timeliness, and service reliability; neuroticism predicts unfavorable evaluation in terms of reliability, accessibility, and assurance; and extraversion predicts favorable evaluation in terms of responsiveness; while agreeableness did not predict empathy.

Originality/value

In sum, the authors successfully used the FFM to theoretically extend the 3Q model, which clarifies the usefulness and pathways of personality in formulating strategies for e-commerce success.
The growing importance of lidar technology
Authors: Bogue Robert
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an insight into light detection and ranging (lidar) technology and its growing applications in robotics.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a short introduction, this paper first describes the main lidar techniques and then provides details of a selection of recent academic and corporate research and development activities. This is followed by a discussion of existing and emerging applications. Finally, conclusions are drawn.

Findings

Lidar technology has been the topic of extensive development activity and several principles which differ from the original concept have been commercialised. Lidars are used in all manner of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) across a broad sector of industries for navigation and have recently started to penetrate the domestic robot market. They have the potential to play a central role in the emerging families of driverless passenger cars and commercial vehicles. In the future, the markets for lidar are expected to expand dramatically as the technology continues to evolve and improve and autonomous vehicles, AMRs and drones become ever-more commonplace.

Originality/value

This paper illustrates the growing importance of lidar to robotics by providing details of the technology, developments and applications.
Workplace ostracism and organizational change cynicism: moderating role of emotional intelligence
Authors: Sahoo Bharat Chandra , Sia Surendra Kumar , Mishra Lalit Kumar , Wilson M.J. Antony
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The current work explores the relationship between workplace ostracism, emotional intelligence (EI) and organizational change cynicism. This paper also aims to examine how dimensions of EI moderate the relationship between workplace ostracism and organizational change cynicism.

Design/methodology/approach

This study intends to examine the contribution of independent variable as well as moderating variable towards the outcome. Therefore, Pearson product–moment correlation and moderated regression analyses have been carried out to verify the hypotheses. To validate the tools upon the employees of India, authors have carried out measurement model analyses through AMOS and checked their composite reliability, convergent validity (average variance extraction [AVE]) and discriminant validity (square root of AVE). This study followed a simple random sampling technique with 276 employees (Male: N = 150, Mage = 34.34, female: N = 126, Mage = 31.57) from three manufacturing units of Odisha, an Eastern part of India.

Findings

Results showed that workplace ostracism was positively related to organizational change cynicism. However, only two dimensions of EI, namely, appraisal and regulation of self-emotion (ARSE) and other’s emotional appraisal were negatively related to organizational change cynicism. Moderated regression analysis indicates that positive relationship between workplace ostracism and organizational change cynicism is stronger for employees with low ARSE and other emotional appraisals than those with higher scores.

Practical/implications

The researchers conclude this paper with inputs for developing a suitable training module on EI, specifically focusing on various emotional management skills.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is first of its kind on workplace ostracism and organizational change cynicism among Indian employees in the manufacturing sector. This study also examines the moderating role of EI on workplace ostracism and organizational change cynicism, which has been somehow inadequate in the present epoch.
Awareness on agricultural entrepreneurship among youth farmers: an empirical study from Western Nepal
Authors: Devkota Niranjan , Joshi Ashok , Khanal Ghanashyam , Mahapatra Sushanta Kumar , Gautam Nabaraj , Paudel Udaya Raj , Bhandari Udbodh
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Agriculture, since time immemorial, has been a major sector in reducing poverty, accelerating economic activities and source of sustainability of a nation. As most of the youth in the 21st century are targeting the youth's career in the non-agricultural sector, attracting and involving the youths in agribusinesses is the need of the hour. In this regard, the research tries to understand the awareness and involvement of youth farmers in agripreneurship in Western Nepal.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. On the basis of descriptive and inferential analysis, the ordered logit model is employed in the study. The research is based on explanatory research design through identifying farmers' awareness of agriculture entrepreneurship from 324 farmers of Bedkot Municipality, Kanchanpur, Nepal.

Findings

Study findings have shown that agricultural knowledge with overall awareness is statistically significant. Ordered logistic regression indicated that sex has somehow influenced technical and entrepreneur skills while agriculture information highly influenced education and training. The result shows that agricultural training is still the requirement of one-fourth of the farmers, whereas another quarter of farmers need subsidies.

Research limitations/implications

The study suggests that in order to enhance awareness, training, subsidy, market management and development program are widely needed. In the backdrop of declining agro-products and food security challenges, the study targets to offer an understanding to policymakers and stakeholders on addressing the dire need of agripreneurship among the youths around the world.

Originality/value

The study summarizes the state of knowledge of agripreneurship of Nepalese farmers, identifies emerging issues and policy implications and priorities for future applied research.
“What’s it really worth?” A meta-analysis of customer-perceived relationship value in B2B markets
Authors: Geiger Ingmar , Naacke David
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Research on customer-perceived relationship value (CPRV) in business-to-business (B2B) markets has flourished over the past two decades. This paper aims to meta-analytically take stock of this research stream. It creates a comprehensive overview of the theoretical bases of CPRV research and establishes CPRV in its nomological network. The latter includes relationship benefits and sacrifices, offer quality, trust, switching costs, satisfaction, commitment, loyalty and salience of alternatives. Meaningful boundary conditions of the links to and from CPRV emerge from this research.

Design/methodology/approach

To locate suitable primary studies for inclusion in this meta-analysis, a comprehensive literature search was performed. Selection criteria ensured that only suitable B2B samples were included. Meta-analytical random and mixed-effects models were performed on a sample of k = 83 independent data sets from 94 primary publications, with a total n = 22,305.

Findings

All constructs are strongly related to CPRV in the expected direction, except for switching costs and salience of alternatives with a moderate relationship and relationship sacrifices with a non-significant mean association. Firm type (manufacturing, non-manufacturing), key informant role (purchaser, non-purchaser), supplier offering type (goods, services) and measurement approach (reflective, formative) function as boundary conditions in the moderation analysis.

Originality/value

This study is one of the very rare meta-analyses that draws exclusively from B2B marketing primary studies. It summarizes and solidifies the current theoretical and empirical knowledge on CPRV in business markets. The novel inclusion of boundary conditions offers additional insight over primary studies and makes for interesting new research directions.
Miniaturized bandwidth reconfigurable microwave bandpass filter
Authors: P. Ponnammal , J. Manjula
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Modern wireless communications need novel microwave components that can be effectively used for high data rate and low-power applications. The operating environment decides the severity of the noise coupled to the transceiver system from the ambient environment. In a deep fading environment, narrowband systems fail where the wideband systems come for rescue. Thus, the microwave components are ought to switch between the narrowband and wideband states. This paper aims to study the design of a bandpass filter to meet the requirements by appropriately switching between the dual narrowband frequencies and single ultra-wideband frequency band.

Design/methodology/approach

The design and implementation of a compact microwave filter with reconfigurable bandwidth characteristics are presented in this paper. The proposed filter is constructed using a hexagonal ring with shorted perturbation along one corner. The filter is capacitively coupled to the external excitation source. External stubs are connected to the corners of the hexagonal resonator to obtain dual passband characteristics centred at 2.1 and 4.5 GHz. The external stubs are configured to achieve bandwidth reconfigurable characteristics. PIN diodes are used with a suitable biasing network to obtain reconfiguration. In the reconfigured state, the proposed two-port filter offers a continuous bandwidth from 2.1 to 5.9 GHz. The roll-off rate along the band edges is improved by increasing the order of the filter.

Findings

The proposed filter operates in two states. In state 1, the filter operates with dual frequencies centred around 2 and 4.5 GHz with insertion loss less than <1 dB and return loss greater than 13 dB with a peak return loss of 21 and 31 dB at 2.1 and 2.15 GHz, respectively. In state 2, the filter operates from 2.1 to 5.9 GHz with insertion loss less than 1 dB and return loss greater than 12 dB. The filter exhibits four-pole characteristics with a peak return loss greater than 22 dB. Thus, the fractional bandwidth of the proposed filter is 17% and 16% in state 1, whereas the fractional bandwidth is 95% in state 2.

Originality/value

The proposed filter is the first of its kind to simultaneously offer miniaturization and bandwidth reconfiguration. The proposed second-order filter has two-pole characteristics in the narrowband state, whereas four-pole characteristics are realized in the wideband state. The growing interest in 4G and 5G wireless communications makes the proposed filter a suitable candidate for operation in the rich scattering environment.
The impact of abusive supervision differentiation on team performance in team competitive climates
Authors: Wang Yating , Zhou Mingjian , Zhu Hong , Wu Xuehua
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the mechanism underlying the relationship between abusive supervision differentiation (ASD) and team performance. The moderating roles of inter-team and intra-team competitive climate are also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

This research collects data from 419 employees and 71 supervisors from hospitals and financial companies in China. Techniques include descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression are applied to analyze the data.

Findings

This research finds that (1) team relationship conflict mediated the relationship between ASD and team performance and (2) intra-team competitive climate strengthened the indirect relationship between ASD and team performance through team relationship conflict.

Practical implications

The results indicate that organizations should take measures to minimize the occurrence of abusive supervision. Team leaders should increase self-control and avoid abusing employees. Furthermore, organizations should establish an open and fair reward and punishment system to avoid cutthroat competition.

Originality/value

This study advances our knowledge of how ASD results in poor team effectiveness. This contributes to the literature by identifying team relationship conflict as a mediating mechanism linking the negative association of ASD with team performance. Additionally, competitive climate enriches the individual-focused team-level model of abusive supervision.
Increased precipitation attenuates shrub encroachment by facilitating herbaceous growth in a Mongolian grassland
Authors: Zhu Yankun , Shen Haihua , Akinyemi Damilare Stephen , Zhang Pujin , Feng Yinping , Zhao Mengying , Kang Jie , Zhao Xia , Hu Huifeng , Fang Jingyun
Published: June 2022

Widespread shrub encroachment is profoundly impacting the structures and functions of global drylands, and precipitation change is assumed to be one of the most critical factors affecting this phenomenon. However, there is little evidence to show how precipitation changes will affect the process.

In this study, we conducted a 6‐year precipitation manipulation experiment (−30%, ambient, +30% and +50%) to investigate the effects of precipitation changes on the growth of shrubs and herbaceous plants in a shrub‐encroached grassland in Inner Mongolia.

We found that the increasing precipitation significantly increased the mean height, coverage and above‐ground biomass of herbaceous species, while the growth of shrub species did not exhibit a significant response to precipitation changes. With increasing precipitation, the relative coverage of shrubs decreased, while that of herbs increased. The native dominant herbaceous plant (Leymus chinensis), with more sensitive maximum photosynthetic rate to the precipitation change, showed higher photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency and water use efficiency than those of the encroached shrub species (Caragana microphylla) at high soil moisture contents, reflecting that the ecophysiological characteristics of L. chinensis might provide it a competitive advantage under increased precipitation.

Our findings suggest that increasing precipitation may slow down shrub encroachment by facilitating herbaceous growth in Mongolian grasslands, and consequently affect the forage value and carbon budget in these ecosystems.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Effects of enemy exclusion on biodiversity–productivity relationships in a subtropical forest experiment
Authors: Huang Yuanyuan , Schuldt Andreas , Hönig Lydia , Yang Bo , Liu Xiaojuan , Bruelheide Helge , Ma Keping , Schmid Bernhard , Niklaus Pascal A.
Published: June 2022

Interspecific niche complementarity is a key mechanism posited to explain positive species richness–productivity relationships in plant communities. However, the exact nature of the niche dimensions that plant species partition remains poorly known.

Species may partition abiotic resources that limit their growth, but species may also be specialized with respect to their set of biotic interactions with other trophic levels, in particular with enemies including pathogens and consumers. The lower host densities present in more species‐diverse plant communities may therefore result in smaller populations of specialized enemies, and in a smaller associated negative feedback these enemies exert on plant productivity.

To test whether such host density‐dependent effects of enemies drive diversity–productivity relationships in young forest stands, we experimentally manipulated leaf fungal pathogens and insect herbivores in a large subtropical forest biodiversity–ecosystem functioning experiment in China (BEF‐China).

We found that fungicide spraying of tree canopies removed the positive tree‐species richness–productivity relationship present in untreated control plots. The tree species that contributed the most to this effect were the ones with the highest fungicide‐induced growth increase in monoculture. Insecticide application did not cause comparable effects.

Synthesis. Our findings suggest that tree species diversity may not only promote productivity by interspecific resource‐niche partitioning but also by trophic niche partitioning. Most likely, partitioning occurred with respect to enemies such as pathogenic fungi. Alternatively, similar effects on tree growth would have occurred if fungicide had eliminated positive effects of a higher diversity of beneficial fungi (e.g. mycorrhizal symbionts) that may have occurred in mixed tree species communities.
Affect, dis/ability and the pandemic
Authors: Goodley Dan , Lawthom Rebecca , Liddiard Kirsty , Runswick‐Cole Katherine
Published: June 2022

The pandemic has heightened anxieties, impacted mental health and threatened to create an overwhelming sense of existential dread. We recognise the material ways in which disabled people have been differentially impacted by Covid‐19 and make a case for understanding the affective dimensions of the pandemic. We develop a theoretical approach ‐ cutting across medical sociology and critical disability studies ‐ that understands affect as a social, cultural, relational and psychopolitical phenomenon. We introduce a public engagement project that took place in March and April of 2020 that garnered blogspots from around the world to capture the pandemic's impact on the lives of disabled people. Our data analysis reveals three key affective themes: fragility, anxiety and affirmation. To understand the emotional impacts of Covid‐19 upon the lives of disabled people we embed critical analyses of affect in the dual processes of disablism and ableism: the dis/ability complex. We conclude by considering how we might conceive of a post‐pandemic recovery that places the health and well‐being of disabled people at the centre of proceedings.
Who you know: The classed structure of social capital
Authors: Alecu Andreea , Helland Håvard , Hjellbrekke Johs. , Jarness Vegard
Published: June 2022

This article focuses on the social structuring of social capital, understood as resources embedded in social networks. The analysis integrates key theoretical–methodological insights from two distinct approaches concerned with social capital and inequality: the position‐generator approach associated with Nan Lin and the spatial approach associated with Pierre Bourdieu. Empirically, we exploit the possibilities of survey data containing detailed information about the social ties of a representative sample of the Norwegian adult population (N = 4007). By means of Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), we construct a space of social ties, a spatial representation of systematic similarities and differences between individuals' social ties to a set of 33 occupational positions. In this space, social capital is structured according to two primary dimensions: (i) the level of social ties, in terms of individuals' number of contacts; and (ii), the quality of social ties, in terms of a division between being connected to others in high‐status positions and others in low‐status positions. By means of Ascending Hierarchical Cluster analysis, five clusters are identified within the space of social ties: a homogenous working‐class cluster, a well‐connected working‐class cluster, a cluster of high‐status ties, a homogenous high‐status cluster and a low‐volume cluster. Moreover, the analysis clearly indicates that the structure of social capital is connected to respondents' class positions, their volumes of cultural and economic capital and their class origin. The analysis thus draws attention to the role of social capital in processes of social closure, regarding both resource monopolization and class formation.
A court ruled case on therapy‐induced false memories
Authors: Otgaar Henry , Curci Antonietta , Mangiulli Ivan , Battista Fabiana , Rizzotti Elisa , Sartori Giuseppe
Published: June 2022

We report on a unique Italian criminal case in which a court ruled that a therapist implanted false memories of abuse in a young girl. Using therapeutic excerpts, we show that the therapist used a multitude of problematic interventions that are all linked to false memory creation. Specifically, an analysis of the therapeutic excerpts showed that across many sessions, the therapist asked highly suggestive questions to the girl, implying that she was abused by her father. In addition, the girl underwent EMDR techniques that have been associated with memory undermining effects. Our analyses showed that although before treatment the girl did not have any recollection of being abused by her father, she gradually started to remember the abuse and identified the father as her abuser during the therapeutic sessions. Our case report clearly shows the danger of suggestive pressure in a therapeutic context causing patients to form false memories of abuse and supports the need to prevent the therapeutic practice of suggestive techniques.
Cardinium infection alters cotton defense and detoxification metabolism of its whitefly host
Authors: Liu Ying , Yang Kun , Wang Jicheng , Chu Dong
Published: June 2022

Field monitoring revealed that the infection ratio of the bacterial symbiont Cardinium in the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci MED) was relatively low in northern China. However, the role of this symbiont and the symbiont–whitefly–host plant interaction mechanism are poorly understood. We investigated the influence of Cardinium on the competitiveness of the host whitefly and the physiological interaction between the host plants and host whiteflies. Cardinium‐infected whiteflies were displaced by uninfected whiteflies after 5 generations, which showed that Cardinium infection reduced whitefly competitiveness. The defense response genes of cotton significantly decreased under infestation by infected whiteflies compared to uninfected whiteflies. The expression of detoxification metabolism genes, especially the uridine 5ʹ‐diphospho‐glucuronyltransferase and P450 genes, in infected whiteflies significantly decreased. These results demonstrated that Cardinium could inhibit the defense response of the host plant and decrease the detoxification metabolism ability of the host whitefly. The reduced competitiveness of infected whiteflies may be associated with the inhibition of the whitefly detoxification metabolism by Cardinium, resulting in the reduced performance of infected whiteflies. However, Cardinium infection can suppress plant defenses, which may benefit both infected and uninfected whiteflies when they coexist. This research illustrates the symbiont–whitefly–host plant interaction mechanism and the population dynamics of the whitefly.
Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation in the WTO: The Case of Russia
Authors: Biryukova Olga
Published: June 2022

In the World Trade Organization (WTO), the co‐sponsors of the Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation signed the Declaration at the conclusion of the negotiations. Incorporating disciplines developed by a group of members into the WTO rulebook is fraught with certain difficulties because of the plurilateral nature of the outcome and possible resistance from non‐participating WTO members. Russia is a member of this initiative, which aims to reduce regulatory barriers to trade in services and does not address market access issues. Despite the significant role of the service sector in the economy, Russia faces systemic restrictions on increasing services trade, although the need to change the structure of foreign trade and diversify the economy has long been overdue. The paper argues that the implementation of disciplines in line with the common intention to improve domestic regulation will help improve Russia's trade in services performance and the business environment.
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus: A pathogen that is changing the tomato production worldwide
Authors: Caruso Andrea Giovanni , Bertacca Sofia , Parrella Giuseppe , Rizzo Roberto , Davino Salvatore , Panno Stefano
Published: June 2022

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L., family Solanaceae) represents one of the most cultivated horticultural crops worldwide, with over 5 million hectares of cultivated area and more than 182 million tons of tomato produced globally. Nevertheless, monoculture conditions, intensive selection, domestication throughout the last decades, international trade of infected propagating material and climate changes intensely favoured the establishment of many pathogens and the rapid spread of new diseases, allowing organisms to establish in new and unfavourable environments. Among different biotic agents, viruses are the most dangerous, because of their rapid diffusion and production losses. Here, we review an emerging viral threat to tomato production, tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), a new highly infectious tobamovirus that is currently causing great concern to tomato global production, especially in those areas where mitigation measures are absent or inadequate and which, in recent years, it has considerably increased its diffusion in new tomato cultivation areas. Through a review of all the existing literature, this article highlights the following aspects: (a) main characteristic of tomato species (origin, taxonomy and genome); (b) main diseases that undermine the tomato production, focusing on viral pathogens; (c) ToBRFV main characteristics (origin and spatiotemporal dispersal, taxonomy, genome organisation, host range and symptoms, transmission, spread and epidemiology, and genetic diversity); (d) detection methods developed and disease management; (e) breeding as a new weapon to control the ToBRFV diffusion. Moreover, future perspectives are highlighted, to understand the epidemiology key factors and the ToBRFV‐tomato pathosystem management, in order to develop effective and appropriate control strategies.