bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-depth investigations of the molecular basis underlying sex differences among middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia populations
Authors: Chen Yatang , Yu Lei , Liu Yilin , Long Qing , You Xu , Liu Jianping , Zeng Yong
Published: September 2022

Sex can influence almost all aspects of schizophrenia. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying sex differences in schizophrenia remain poorly understood. In this project, the dataset GSE107638 containing neuronal RNA-seq data and age/sex information of individuals with or without schizophrenia were retrieved. Schizophrenia samples were divided into young male (M-1), young female (F-1), middle-aged and elderly male (M-2) and middle-aged and elderly female (F-2) groups. Next, green/yellow/turquoise modules related to the M-2 trait and turquoise module correlated with the F-2 trait were identified by weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) analysis (soft thresholding power: 13; min module size: 200). Crucial genes in the M-2 green, M-2 turquoise and F-2 turquoise modules were identified by WGCNA, gene significance/module membership, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis. Moreover, 2067 and 934 differentially expressed genes (|log2 fold-change| ≥0.58 and P-value < 0.05) in M-2 and F-2 schizophrenia subgroups versus same-age and same-sex counterparts were identified, respectively. Additionally, 82 core genes in the M-2 turquoise module and 4 hub genes in the F-2 turquoise module were differentially expressed in M-2 and F-2 schizophrenia subgroups versus their counterparts, respectively. Among the 82 hub genes, 15 genes were found to be correlated with neuronal development by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis. Also, 2 potential PPI networks related to neuronal development were identified. Taken together, multiple potential hub genes and 2 potential neurobiological networks related to schizophrenia sex differences and disease progression were identified among middle-aged and elderly schizophrenia populations.
Laughter and its role in the evolution of human social bonding
Authors: Dunbar R. I. M.
Published: September 2022

In anthropoid primates, social grooming is the principal mechanism (mediated by the central nervous system endorphin system) that underpins social bonding. However, the time available for social grooming is limited, and this imposes an upper limit on the size of group that can be bonded in this way. I suggest that, when hominins needed to increase the size of their groups beyond the limit that could be bonded by grooming, they co-opted laughter (a modified version of the play vocalization found widely among the catarrhine primates) as a form of chorusing to fill the gap. I show, first, that human laughter both upregulates the brain's endorphin system and increases the sense of bonding between those who laugh together. I then use a reverse engineering approach to model group sizes and grooming time requirements for fossil hominin species to search for pinch points where a phase shift in bonding mechanisms might have occurred. The results suggest that the most likely time for the origin of human-like laughter is the appearance of the genus
Homo
ca
2.5 Ma.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience’.
Laughter, play faces and mimicry in animals: evolution and social functions
Authors: Davila-Ross Marina , Palagi Elisabetta
Published: September 2022

Human laughter and laugh faces show similarities in morphology and function with animal playful expressions. To better understand primordial uses and effects of human laughter and laugh faces, it is important to examine these positive expressions in animals from both homologous and analogous systems. Phylogenetic research on hominids provided empirical evidence on shared ancestry across these emotional expressions, including human laughter and laugh faces. In addition, playful expressions of animals, in general, arguably have a key role in the development of social cognitive skills, a role that may help explain their polyphyletic history. The present work examines the evolution and function of playful expressions in primates and other animals. As part of this effort, we also coded for muscle activations of six carnivore taxa with regard to their open-mouth faces of play; our findings provide evidence that these carnivore expressions are homologues of primate open-mouth faces of play. Furthermore, our work discusses how the expressions of animal play may communicate positive emotions to conspecifics and how the motor resonance of these expressions increases affiliation and bonding between the subjects, resembling in a number of ways the important social–emotional effects that laughter and laugh faces have in humans.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience’.
Laughter and culture
Authors: Bryant Gregory A. , Bainbridge Constance M.
Published: September 2022

Like most human non-verbal vocalizations, laughter is produced by speakers of all languages, across all known societies. But despite this obvious fact (or perhaps because of it), there is little comparative research examining the structural and functional similarity of laughter across speakers from different cultures. Here, we describe existing research examining (i) the perception of laughter across disparate cultures, (ii) conversation analysis examining how laughter manifests itself during discourse across different languages, and (iii) computational methods developed for automatically detecting laughter in spoken language databases. Together, these three areas of investigation provide clues regarding universals and cultural variations in laughter production and perception, and offer methodological tools that can be useful for future large-scale cross-cultural studies. We conclude by providing suggestions for areas of research and predictions of what we should expect to discover. Overall, we highlight how important questions regarding human vocal communication across cultures can be addressed through the examination of spontaneous and volitional laughter.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience’.
When laughter arrests speech: fMRI-based evidence
Authors: Westermann B. , Lotze M. , Varra L. , Versteeg N. , Domin M. , Nicolet L. , Obrist M. , Klepzig K. , Marbot L. , Lämmler L. , Fiedler K. , Wattendorf E.
Published: September 2022

Who has not experienced that sensation of losing the power of speech owing to an involuntary bout of laughter? An investigation of this phenomenon affords an insight into the neuronal processes that underlie laughter. In our functional magnetic resonance imaging study, participants were made to laugh by tickling in a first condition; in a second one they were requested to produce vocal utterances under the provocation of laughter by tickling. This investigation reveals increased neuronal activity in the sensorimotor cortex, the anterior cingulate gyrus, the insula, the nucleus accumbens, the hypothalamus and the periaqueductal grey for both conditions, thereby replicating the results of previous studies on ticklish laughter. However, further analysis indicates the activity in the emotion-associated regions to be lower when tickling is accompanied by voluntary vocalization. Here, a typical pattern of activation is identified, including the primary sensory cortex, a ventral area of the anterior insula and the ventral tegmental field, to which belongs to the nucleus ambiguus, namely, the common effector organ for voluntary and involuntary vocalizations. During the conflictual voluntary-vocalization versus laughter experience, the laughter-triggering network appears to rely heavily on a sensory and a deep interoceptive analysis, as well as on motor effectors in the brainstem.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience’.
Who's laughing? Play, tickling and ultrasonic vocalizations in rats
Authors: Burke C. J. , Pellis S. M. , Achterberg E. J. M.
Published: September 2022

Social play in rats is a highly rewarding, energetic form of social interaction and important for development of the brain and social skills. The 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) emitted during social play are thought to be an expression of a positive affective state (laughter), which in some situations may also function as communication signals. Heterospecific play, ‘tickling’ by an experimenter, is thought to simulate conspecific play, and has been used to improve welfare and to study the neurobiology of positive affect. Given that tickling evokes substantial amounts of USV, we investigated whether heterospecific play is simulating conspecific play by comparing USV-behaviour associations in both contexts. If the 50 kHz calls are merely an expression of ‘laughter’ then the pattern and type of emission in both contexts should be similar. By contrast, as playing with a conspecific involves a two-way exchange of signalling, the additional demands on communication should lead to a different pattern of calling. While calling was prevalent in both types of play, how the different types of 50 kHz calls are used in the two contexts differed markedly. The findings suggest that while conspecific and heterospecific play are positive experiences, tickling is not the equivalent of conspecific play.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience’.
The human tickle response and mechanisms of self-tickle suppression
Authors: Proelss Sandra , Ishiyama Shimpei , Maier Eduard , Schultze-Kraft Matthias , Brecht Michael
Published: September 2022

A tickle is a complex sensation: it occurs in response to touch but not unequivocally so, and makes us laugh albeit not when we self-tickle. We quantified human ticklishness by means of physiological, visual and acoustic measures alongside subjective reports, and assessed mechanisms of self-tickle suppression. Tickle responses arose faster than previously reported as changes in thoracic circumference and joyous facial expressions co-emerge approximately 300 ms after tickle onset and are followed by vocalizations starting after an additional 200 ms. The timing and acoustic properties of vocalizations tightly correlated with subjective reports: the faster, louder and higher-pitched participants laughed, the stronger they rated the experienced ticklishness. Externally evoked ticklishness is reduced by simultaneous self-tickling, whereby self-touch evokes stronger suppression than sole self-tickle movement without touch. We suggest that self-tickle suppression can be understood as broad attenuation of sensory temporally coincident inputs. Our study provides new insight on the nature of human ticklishness and the attenuating effects of self-tickling.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience’.
The different shades of laughter: when do we laugh and when do we mimic other's laughter?
Authors: Mauersberger Heidi , Kastendieck Till , Hetmann Annika , Schöll Anja , Hess Ursula
Published: September 2022

Laughter is an ambiguous phenomenon in response to both positive and negative events and a social signal that coordinates social interactions. We assessed (i) who laughs and why, and (ii) if the type of laughter and whether the observer approves of it impact on facial mimicry as a proxy for shared laughter. For this, 329 participants watched funny, schadenfreude and disgusting scenes and then saw individuals who purportedly reacted to each scene while participants' facial expressions were recorded and analysed. Participants laughed more in response to funny than in response to schadenfreude scenes and least in response to disgust scenes, and laughter within each scene could be explained both by situational perceptions of the scenes as well as by individual differences. Furthermore, others’ laughter in response to funny scenes was perceived as more appropriate, elicited more closeness and more laughter mimicry than others' laughter in response to schadenfreude and especially in response to disgust scenes. Appropriateness and closeness as well as individual differences could explain laughter mimicry within each scene. This is in line with the notion that laughter is not
per se
an affiliative signal and that different types of laughter have distinct social implications.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cracking the laugh code: laughter through the lens of biology, psychology and neuroscience’.
The cingulo-opercular network is composed of two distinct sub-systems
Authors: Gratton Caterina , Dworetsky Ally , Adeyemo Babatunde , Seitzman Benjamin A. , Smith Derek M. , Petersen Steven E. , Neta Maital
Published: September 2022

The cingulo-opercular (CO) network and its two best studied regions – the dorsal anterior cingulate and anterior insula – have been linked to task control, but also implicated in many additional processes across cognitive, social, and emotional domains. However, most prior work investigating the CO network has used a group-average approach, which may mix signals across nearby regions that vary across individuals. Here, we reevaluate the CO network’s role in task control with both task and rest fMRI, using regions with a high probability of CO network agreement across individuals. Hierarchical clustering analyses suggest heterogeneity in the CO network’s task response properties, with one sub-system (CO1) showing consistency with prior task control characterizations while another sub-system (CO2) has weak task control responses, but preserved ties to pain and motor functions. Resting-state connectivity confirms subtle differences in the architecture of these two sub-systems. This evidence suggests that, when individual variation in network locations is addressed, the CO network includes (at least) two linked sub-systems with differential roles in task control and other cognitive/motor/interoceptive responses, which may help explain varied accounts of its functions. We propose that this fractionation may reflect expansion of primary CO body-oriented control functions to broader domain-general contexts.
A Logistic Curve in the SEIR Model and the Basic Reproduction Number of COVID-19 in Japan
Authors: Saito Takesi , Shigemoto Kazuyasu
Published: September 2022

The SEIR model is one of modified models of SIR, especially taken into account of exposed people. SEIR equations can be solved numerically, but it is hard to obtain analytically. Here, we propose some approximate solutions of SEIR equations, one of which is related with the logistic formula in Biology. As the second aim, the SEIR model is applied to the 7th-wave of COVID-19 in Japan. The basic reproduction number (α) in the SEIR model is estimated for the Omicron wave. We make use of data of the removed number R(t) rather than that of the infective number, because the latter seems to be ambiguous. This analysis gives α = 10 with γ = 1 and σ = 0.5.
Sociodemographic factors associated with knowledge of common eye diseases: a cross-sectional study in Afghanistan
Authors: Hosaini Farooq , Padhi Bijaya Kumar , Mohanty Parimala , Razaqi Nosaibah , Neyazi Mehrab , Noorzad Elhama , Rahmani Adina , Yousufi Marjan , Afzali Habibah , Bhattacharyya Aritro , Neyazi Ahmad
Published: September 2022

Background

Eye diseases are a major global health concern but are often neglected. This study aims to assess the sociodemographic determinants of knowledge on common eye diseases among the adult population in Afghanistan.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was designed and conducted between August and October, 2021, including 509 adult population in the Herat province of Afghanistan. Participants’ sociodemographics and knowledge of common eye diseases were recorded through an in-person interview. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to investigate factors associated with understanding common eye diseases among study participants.

Result

The mean age of the study participant was 34.96 years, with males making up nearly 53.4% of the total sample. Of the 509 respondents, 76.8% of them did not have enough information on common eye diseases; 79% of the participants did not know the definition of glaucoma disease. Only 47.3% of the participants of this study knew the meaning of cataract disease. The adjusted odds ratios (AOR) revealed that participants over 35 years of age had significantly higher odds of knowledge of eye disease [AOR: 3.629; 95%CI:1.770, 7.442] compared to the relatively younger age group of 18-34 years. A significant association was found between awareness about eye diseases and higher levels of education. Participants receiving higher education were found to have higher odds of being aware of the knowledge of eye disease.

Conclusions

Results showed low awareness about common eye disease among the younger adult population. The study, therefore, consolidates the need for promoting health literacy regarding common eye diseases in Herat province of Afghanistan.
The impact of prior COVID-19 on vaccine response and the resultant hybrid immunity are age-dependent
Authors: Nakagama Sachie , Nakagama Yu , Komase Yuko , Kudo Masaharu , Imai Takumi , Nitahara Yuko , Kaku Natsuko , Tshibangu-Kabamba Evariste , Kido Yasutoshi
Published: September 2022

Background

More people with a history of prior infection are receiving SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Understanding the magnitude of protectivity granted by ‘hybrid immunity’, the combined response of infection- and vaccine-induced immunity, may impact vaccination strategies.

Methods

A total of 36 synchronously infected (‘prior infection’) and, 33 SARS-CoV-2 naïve (‘naïve’) individuals participated. Participants provided sera six months after completing a round of BNT162b2 vaccination, to be processed for anti-spike antibody measurements and neutralization assays. The relationships between antibody titer, groups and age were explored.

Results

Anti-spike antibody titers at 6 months post-vaccination were significantly higher, reaching 13- to 17-fold, in the ‘prior infection’ group. Linear regression models showed that the enhancement in antibody titer attributable to positive infection history increased from 8.9- to 9.4- fold at age 30 to 19- to 32-fold at age 60. Sera from the ‘prior infection’ group showed higher neutralizing capacity against all six analyzed strains, including the Omicron variant.

Conclusions

Prior COVID-19 led to establishing enhanced humoral immunity at 6 months after vaccination. Antibody fold-difference attributed to positive COVID-19 history increased with age, possibly because older individuals are prone to symptomatic infection accompanied by potentiated immune responses. Durable protection of hybrid immunity deserves reflection in vaccination campaigns.
Wastewater based epidemiology beyond SARS-CoV-2: Spanish wastewater reveals the current spread of Monkeypox virus
Authors: Girón-Guzmán Inés , Díaz-Reolid Azahara , Truchado Pilar , Carcereny Albert , Garcia-Pedemonte David , Hernaez Bruno , Bosch Albert , María Pintó Rosa , Guix Susana , Allende Ana , Alcamí Antonio , Pérez-Cataluña Alba , Sánchez Gloria
Published: September 2022

Besides nasopharyngeal swabs, monkeypox virus (MPXV) DNA has been detected in a variety of samples such as saliva, semen, urine and fecal samples. Using the environmental surveillance network previously developed in Spain for the routine wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 (VATar COVID-19), we have analyzed the presence of MPXV DNA in wastewater from different areas of Spain. Samples (n=312) from 24 different wastewater treatment plants were obtained between May 9 (week 22_19) and August 4 (week 22_31), 2022. Following concentration of viral particles by flocculation, a qPCR procedure allowed us to detect MPXV DNA in 63 wastewater samples collected from May 16 to August 4, 2022, with values ranging between 2.2 × 103 to 8.7 × 104 genome copies (gc)/L. This study shows that MPXV DNA can be reproducibly detected by qPCR in longitudinal samples collected from different Spanish wastewater treatment plants. According to data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE) in Spain a total of 6,119 cases have been confirmed as of August 19, 2022. However, and based on the wastewater data, the reported clinical cases seem to be underestimated and asymptomatic infections may be more frequent than expected.
Evaluating the accuracy of self-collected swabs for the diagnosis of monkeypox
Authors: Ubals Maria , Tarín-Vicente Eloy José , Oller Xènia , Mendoza Adrià , Alemany Andrea , Hernández-Rodríguez Águeda , Casañ Cristina , Rivero Ángel , Coll Pep , Cabrera José Miguel , Vall Martí , Agud-Dios Manuel , Gil-Cruz Elena , de Leon Alexia Paris , Ramírez Aída , Folgueira María Dolores , Melendez María Angeles , Buhiichyk Vira , Galván-Casas Cristina , Paredes Roger , Prat Nuria , Farre Maria-Rosa Sala , Bonet-Simó Josep Maria , Ortiz-Romero Pablo L , Clotet Bonaventura , Cardona Pere-Joan , Blanco Ignacio , Marks Michael , Suñer Clara , Mitjà Oriol
Published: September 2022

We evaluated the accuracy of patient-collected skin lesions, pharyngeal, and rectal swabs amongst 50 individuals enrolled in a study of monkeypox viral dynamics. We found that the performance of self-collected samples was similar to that of physician-collected samples, suggesting that self-sampling is a reliable strategy for diagnosing monkeypox.
Knowledge and attitudes towards thalassemia among university students in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Jubayer , Towhid Syeda Tasneem , Sultana Sabia , Mukta Sumaiya Akter , Gulshan Rubaiya , Miah Sharif
Published: September 2022

Background

Thalassemia is the most common congenital single-gene condition. It is marked by a lack of or reduced synthesis of either the alpha- or beta-globin chains and passed down from parents to offspring. This study aimed to determine how healthy students in Bangladeshi public universities were aware of thalassemia and how they felt about it.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive online survey was conducted on public university students in Bangladesh using a structured questionnaire between June and November 2020. Students completed structured questionnaires consisting of three sections: demographic information, ten multiple-choice knowledge questions rated on a scale of 0 to 10, and ten attitude questions. The data were analyzed using Python. Descriptive statistics methods such as frequencies and percentages were used to present data.

Results

A total of 681 students participated in the online survey. The average age of the respondents in this study was 21.97 years, with a standard deviation of 2.9. Most of the students, 611(89.72%), had heard about thalassemia. Only 248 (36.42%) of the students had a fair understanding of thalassemia, with 138 (22.62%) being male and 110 (18.03%) being female (P-value = 0.0819). Students’ knowledge level did not differ significantly by gender (P-value = 0.0819), marital status (P-value = 0.2281), or academic year (P-value = 0.4619), but there was a substantial variation by field of study (0.0042). However, 478 (78.36%) participants showed a positive attitude toward “Premarital Screening” to prevent thalassemia.

Conclusions

In Bangladesh, where the rate of family marriage is high, it is recommended that university students and the general public engage in long-term, goal-oriented prevention measures. These initiatives would provide crucial information and increase people’s awareness of thalassemia when married and after becoming parents, reducing the impacts of illnesses.
Genetic incompatibilities in reciprocal hybrids between populations ofTigriopus californicuswith low to moderate mitochondrial sequence divergence
Authors: Healy Timothy M. , Burton Ronald S.
Published: September 2022

All mitochondrial-encoded proteins and RNAs function through interactions with nuclear-encoded proteins. These interactions are critical for mitochondrial function and eukaryotic fitness, and coevolution maintains inter-genomic (i.e., mitonuclear) compatibility within taxa. Hybridization can disrupt coevolved interactions, resulting in hybrid breakdown, and mitonuclear incompatibilities may be important mechanisms underlying reproductive isolation and, potentially, speciation. Recently, signatures of strong selection to maintain compatible mitonuclear genotypes in hybrids have been detected in at least some inter-population crosses. However, this work has only been conducted in crosses between populations with extremely high levels of genetic divergence in both their mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, leaving the generality of strong selection for mitonuclear compatibility unclear. Here we address this limitation with reciprocal inter-population F2hybrids between relatively low-divergence populations of the intertidal copepodTigriopus californicus. Our results show that the dominance of mitonuclear effects consistent with coevolved mitonuclear genotypes in fast-developing (i.e., high-fitness) hybrids is reduced in low-divergence crosses, but that selection to maintain mitonuclear compatibility is still observed on some nuclear chromosomes. Consequently, we demonstrate that, even at low levels of genetic divergence between taxa, mitonuclear incompatibilities may play a key role in the early stages of reproductive isolation.
Structural equation models suggest that on-farm non-crop vegetation removal is not associated with improved food safety outcomes but is linked to impaired water quality
Authors: Weller Daniel L. , Love Tanzy M.T. , Weller Donald E. , Murphy Claire M. , Rahm Brian G. , Wiedmann Martin
Published: September 2022

While growers have reported pressures to minimize wildlife intrusion into produce fields through non-crop vegetation (NCV) removal, NCV provides key ecosystem services. To model food safety and environmental tradeoffs associated with NCV removal, published and publicly available food safety and water quality data from the Northeastern USA were obtained. Because data on NCV removal are not widely available, forest-wetland cover was used as a proxy, consistent with previous studies. Structural equation models (SEMs) were used to quantify the effect of forest-wetland cover on (i) food safety outcomes (e.g., detecting pathogens in soil) and (ii) water quality (e.g., nutrient levels). Based on the SEMs, NCV was not associated with or had a protective effect on food safety outcomes (more NCV was associated with a reduced likelihood of pathogen detection). The probabilities of detectingListeriaspp. in soil (Effect Estimate [EE]=-0.17;P=0.005) and enterohemorrhagicEscherichia coliin stream samples (EE=-0.27;P<0.001) were negatively associated with the amount of NCV surrounding the sampling site. Higher amounts of NCV were also associated with lower nutrient, salinity, and sediment levels and higher dissolved oxygen levels. Total phosphorous levels were negatively associated with the amount of NCV in the upstream watershed (EE=-0.27;P<0.001). Similar negative associations (P<0.05) were observed for other physicochemical parameters, such as nitrate (EE=-0.38). Our findings suggest that NCV should not be considered an inherent produce safety risk or result in farm audit demerits. This study also provides a framework for evaluating environmental trade-offs associated with using specific preharvest food safety strategies.

Importance

Currently, on-farm food safety decisions are typically made independently of conservation considerations, often with detrimental impacts on agroecosystems. Co-managing agricultural environments to simultaneously meet conservation and food safety aims is complicated because farms are closely linked to surrounding environments, and management decisions can have unexpected environmental, economic, and food safety consequences. Thus, there is a need for research on the conservation and food safety trade-offs associated with implementing specific preharvest food safety practices. Understanding these trade-offs is critical for developing adaptive co-management strategies and ensuring the short and long-term safety, sustainability, and profitability of agricultural systems. This study quantifies tradeoffs and synergies between food safety and environmental aims, and outlines a framework for modeling trade-offs and synergies between management aims that can be used to support future co-management research.
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and co-occurrence/co-infection with malaria during the first wave of the pandemic (the Burkina Faso case)
Authors: López-Farfán Diana , Yerbanga R. Serge , Parres-Mercader Marina , Torres-Puente Manuela , Gómez-Navarro Inmaculada , Soufiane Sanou Do Malick , Yao Adama Franck , Ouédraogo Jean Bosco , Comas Iñaki , Irigoyen Nerea , Gómez-Díaz Elena
Published: September 2022

Africa accounts for 1.5% of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 2.7% of deaths, but this low incidence has been partly attributed to the limited testing capacity in most countries. In addition, the population in many African countries is at high risk of infection with endemic infectious diseases such as malaria. Our aim is to determine the prevalence and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and the frequency of co-infection with the malaria parasite. We conducted serological tests and microscopy examinations on 998 volunteers of different ages and sexes in a random and stratified population sample in Burkina-Faso. In addition, nasopharyngeal samples were taken for RT-qPCR of SARS-COV-2 and for whole viral genome sequencing. Our results show a 3.2% and a 2.5% of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and PCR positivity; and 22% of malaria incidence, over the sampling period, with marked differences linked to age. Importantly, we found 2 cases of confirmed co-infection and 8 cases of suspected co-infection mostly in children. Finally, we report the genome sequences of 13 SARS-CoV-2 isolates circulating in Burkina Faso at the time of analysis, assigned to lineages A.19, A.21, B.1.1.404, B.1.1.118, B.1 and grouped into clades; 19B, 20A and 20B. This is the first population-based study about SARS-CoV-2 and malaria in Burkina Faso during the first wave of the pandemic, providing a relevant estimation of the real prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and variants circulating in this Sub-Saharan African country. Besides, it highlights the low frequency of co-infection with malaria in African communities.
Rad51 inhibition sensitizes non-replicating quiescent cells to UVB radiation and transcription stress
Authors: Khan Saman , Carpenter M. Alexandra , Kemp Michael G.
Published: September 2022

DNA damage induced by environmental, occupational, and chemotherapeutic compounds lead to a variety of cellular responses that are potentially impacted by the proliferation status of the cell. Using small molecule inhibitors of various DNA doublestrand break (DSB) repair pathways in non-replicating, quiescent human cells exposed to UVB radiation, we unexpectedly observed a major role for the recombination protein Rad51 in promoting cell survival. In contrast to a previous report indicating a requirement for nucleotide excision repair (NER) in DSB formation after UV exposure in quiescent cells, we observed DSB formation and Rad51 function to be independent of NER. Moreover, our analyses of DNA damage response kinase signaling in quiescent cells identified protein substrates that were either dependent or independent of both NER and apoptotic signaling. Finally, we observed that Rad51 inhibition sensitized nonreplicating quiescent cells to diverse genotoxic stressors, including those inducing DNA- RNA hybrids and inhibiting transcription. Thus, these findings clarify the mechanisms by which DSBs arise in non-replicating cells and highlight the important role of Rad51 in promoting quiescent cell survival in response to general genotoxic stress.

Summary statement

DNA double strand breaks are generated independent of nucleotide excision repair in UV-irradiated quiescent cells and require the recombination protein Rad51 to promote cell survival.
The impact of co-creation and co-invention in supply chains: a bibliometric review
Authors: Sarkar Abhrajit , Routroy Srikanta , Sultan Farook Abdullah
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Co-creation and co-invention are two diverse spheres in modern-day supply chains. Despite literature suggesting the existence of similar coherence between these concepts, the availability of published theory favoring these ideal lacks justification. This research aims to investigate the correlation and convergence of these well-known concepts to support a combined impact on research.

Design/methodology/approach

Comprehensive review of published literature using mathematical and statistical tools to measure inherent interrelationships and publication impacts in literature handling co-creation and co-invention.

Findings

An exploratory quantitative and qualitative analysis reveals the conundrums existing in distribution, keyword and adoption of research in the global and scientific community. The research favors a positive correlation existing between concepts such as co-ordination, collaboration, open-innovation, value creation with supply chain management and its development with rising importance of big data and block-chain technologies. Analysis reveals knowledge development with increased user-based interaction, better utilization of resources and enhanced productivity to support the mutual adaptation of co-creation and co-invention.

Research limitations/implications

Outcomes will be a beacon for researchers to develop models and frameworks. Results derived will aid in improving customer participation, enhance decision making in product development, augment value creation and knowledge and resource sharing leading toward innovation.

Originality/value

Results will provide a detailed outline of the development and implementation of concepts in both developed and developing countries. Outcomes will also serve as a framework for marketing heads, graphic designers, website designers, supplier management and customer management in the service industry, production supervisors and customer management personnel in manufacturing industries.
The impact of leadership competences, organizational learning and organizational innovation on business performance
Authors: Mai Ngoc Khuong , Do Thanh Tung , Ho Nguyen Dieu Trang
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effects of leadership competences (cognitive, interpersonal, and results-oriented competences) on organizational learning, organizational innovation, and business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from owners, chief executive officers, top and middle management teams, and other managers of tourism and hospitality firms in Vietnam. A total of 638 valid responses was collected and processed using PLS-SEM technique.

Findings

The findings revealed that only results-oriented competence exerted significant influences on business performance. Organizational learning was affected by all three leadership competences, while only cognitive and interpersonal competences positively affected organizational innovation. The relationships among organizational learning, organizational innovation, and business performance were also confirmed. Moreover, the findings emphasized the mediating roles of organizational learning and organizational innovation in the relationship between leadership competences and business performance. Organizational learning and organizational innovation also acted as a mediator in the relationship between cognitive competence and business performance.

Practical implications

This study provided some suggestions for tourism and hospitality leaders in exhibiting appropriate leadership competences, strengthening organizational learning, and fostering organization innovation to enhance business performance.

Originality/value

Although the topics of leadership competences, organizational learning, organization innovation, and business performance have received a great concern among worldwide academia, there is scarce research examining the relationships among these four phenomena together. This paper is among the first study that offers a comprehensive model of the relationships among these domains.
A bibliometric analysis of six decades of academic research on housing prices
Authors: Li Na , Li Rita Yi Man
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric study of housing prices according to the articles collected by the Web of Science (WOS).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper studies 4,125 research papers on housing prices in the core collection database of WOS. Using VOSviewer, this paper makes a bibliometric and visual analysis of the housing prices research from 1960 to 2020 and probes into the housing prices research from five aspects: time, international cooperation, institutions author cooperation and research focuses.

Findings

Keywords such as influencing factors of housing prices, analysis of supply and demand, policy and housing prices and regional cities appear frequently, which indicates the main direction of housing price research literature. Recent common keywords include regression analysis and house price forecast. Countries, like the USA started early in the study of housing prices, and the means and methods in the field of housing price research are mature, leading the forefront of housing price research. Compared with the USA and other Western developed countries, the housing price research in developing countries needs to use innovative research methods and put more effort on sustainability. Research shows that housing price is closely related to economy, and keyword cluster analysis shows that gross domestic product, interest rate, currency and other keywords related to economy are of high-frequency.

Research limitations/implications

This paper only uses articles from one database (WOS), which does not represent all research papers published worldwide. Some studies have been published for a long time, and the reference value to the research focuses and future research might be limited. There are many kinds of journals included in the study with different publishing frequencies, time ranges and numbers of papers. These may have some influence on the research results.

Originality/value

The main theoretical contribution of this paper is to supplement the current academic research on housing prices. This paper reveals the key points of housing prices research and possible research problems that need attention. We can know from the future research direction and practice which can offer insights for future innovative direction.
The impact of oil price on housing prices: an empirical analysis of Pakistan
Authors: Ahmed Rafiq , Visas Hubert , Ul-haq Jabbar
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore the impact of oil prices on housing prices using Pakistani annual data from 1973 to 2021.

Design/methodology/approach

The Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) and Phillips–Perron (PP) tests were used for unit-root testing, whereas the johansen-juselius test was used for cointegration. For the short-run, the error correction model is used and the robustness of the model is checked using the dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) and fully modified OLS (FMOLS). The cumulative sum (CUSUM) and CUSUM of Squares tests were used to check the stability of the model, while parameter instability was confirmed by the Chow breakpoint test. Finally, the impulse response function was used for causality.

Findings

According to the findings, rising oil prices, among other things, have an impact on housing prices. Inflation is the single most important factor affecting not only the housing sector but also the entire economy. Lending and exchange rates have a significant impact on housing prices as well. The FMOLS and DOLS results suggest that the OLS results are robust. According to the variance decomposition model, housing prices and oil prices are bidirectionally related. The Government of Pakistan must develop a housing policy on a regular basis to develop the country’s urban housing supply and demand.

Practical implications

It is suggested that in Pakistan, the rising oil prices is a problem for the housing prices as well as many other sectors. The government needs to explore alternative ways of energy generation rather than the heavy reliance on imported oil.

Originality/value

Pakistan has been experiencing rising oil prices and housing prices with the rapid urbanisation and rural–urban migration. The contribution to the literature is that neither attempt (as to the best of the authors’ knowledge) has been made to check the impact of rising oil prices on housing sector development in Pakistan.
Role of word-of-mouth communication in consumer brand relationship initiation and maintenance: insights from the bottom of pyramid markets
Authors: Banerjee Shubhomoy , Sreejesh S.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The study's primary purpose is to establish the direct and indirect roles of word-of-mouth communication (WOM) in initiating and maintaining consumer loyalty in the bottom of pyramid (BOP) markets in the Indian context. In addition, the study seeks to evaluate the conditions (viz. extent of media usage, brand distribution intensity and brand social connections) under which WOM leads to the initiation and maintenance of consumer brand loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

The study hypotheses were formulated following the social identity theory. Later, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 898 rural BOP consumers. Structural equation modelling technique was applied to test the study hypotheses.

Findings

Results suggested a positive effect of WOM on brand credibility and self-brand connections-indicative of the initiation of strong cognitive and affective relationships respectively. Brand credibility and self-brand connections also mediated the paths between WOM and brand loyalty-indicative of the maintenance and continuation of strong affect-laden relationships. These indirect relationships were moderated by the extent of media usage, brand distribution intensity and brand social connections.

Originality/value

This is among the first studies that holistically evaluate the role of WOM in developing customer loyalty to rural BOP consumers against the backdrop of the systemic deficiencies in these markets.
Poverty status of rural households in Nigeria: a gendered perspective
Authors: Oyewunmi Oyetola Folake , Obayelu Oluwakemi Adeola
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Poverty is endemic in rural Nigeria and gender disparity in access to productive resources is a major cause of poverty in the area. Poverty status of rural households along gender line was, therefore, investigated in this study.

Design/methodology/approach

Panel data from 2010/2011 (wave 1) and 2015/2016 (wave 3) of the Living Standard Measurement Survey (LSMS) for Nigeria were used for the study. Data were analysed using Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) poverty indices and binomial panel logistic model.

Findings

Poverty measures for women-led households in farming activities were 58.5, 27.8 and 17.1%; men-led farming households had 59.8, 27.4 and 16.3% gender-neutral had 56.8%, 27 and 16.9% in the first panel. Poverty indices increased in the women-led and men-led farming households in the second panel. Poverty incidence was higher amongst farming households than the non-farming counterparts. Correlates of poverty status differ amongst the gender-groups were household size, farming, tertiary education, access to credit and geographical locations.

Originality/value

Gender disparity is perceived in this study along the line of differences in gender composition of rural households. A gender-blind approach to poverty alleviation programmes likely will not enhance reduced poverty in rural Nigeria. Closing the gender poverty gap will ensure achievement of the first sustainable development goal of poverty eradication.
Internet of Things (IoT) in smart tourism: a literature review
Authors: Novera Chowdhury Noushin , Ahmed Zobayer , Kushol Rafsanjany , Wanke Peter , Azad Md. Abul Kalam
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Although there has been a significant amount of research on Smart Tourism, the articles have not yet been combined into a thorough literature review that can examine research streams and the scope of future research. The purpose of this study is to examine the literature on the impact of deploying the Internet of Things (IoT) in tourism sector development to attract more visitors using a text mining technique and citation based bibliometric analysis for the first time.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses R programming to do a full-text analysis of 36 publications on IoT in tourism and visualization of similarities viewer software to conduct a bibliometric citation analysis of 469 papers from the Scopus database. Aside from that, the documents were subjected to a longitudinal study using Excel and word frequency using a trending topic using the R-tool.

Findings

Results from the bibliometric study revealed the networks that exist in the literature of Tourism Management. With the use of log-likelihood, the findings from text mining identified nine theme models on the basis of relevancy, which is presented alongside an overview of the existing papers and a list of the primary authors with posterior probability using latent Dirichlet allocation.

Originality/value

This study examines tourism literature in which IoT plays a significant role. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to combine text mining with a bibliometric review. It significantly analyzes and discusses the impact of technology in the tourism sector development on attracting tourists while presenting the most important and frequently discussed topics and research in these writings. These findings provide researchers, tourism managers and technology professionals with a complete understanding of e-tourism and to provide smart devices to attract tourists.
Designation of optimal reference strains representing the infant gut bifidobacterial species through a comprehensive multi‐omics approach
Authors: Fontana Federico , Alessandri Giulia , Tarracchini Chiara , Bianchi Massimiliano Giovanni , Rizzo Sonia Mirjam , Mancabelli Leonardo , Lugli Gabriele Andrea , Argentini Chiara , Vergna Laura Maria , Anzalone Rosaria , Longhi Giulia , Viappiani Alice , Taurino Giuseppe , Chiu Martina , Turroni Francesca , Bussolati Ovidio , van Sinderen Douwe , Milani Christian , Ventura Marco
Published: September 2022

The genomic era has resulted in the generation of a massive amount of genetic data concerning the genomic diversity of bacterial taxa. As a result, the microbiological community is increasingly looking for ways to define reference bacterial strains to perform experiments that are representative of the entire bacterial species. Despite this, there is currently no established approach allowing a reliable identification of reference strains based on a comprehensive genomic, ecological, and functional context. In the current study, we developed a comprehensive multi‐omics approach that will allow the identification of the optimal reference strains using the Bifidobacterium genus as test case. Strain tracking analysis based on 1664 shotgun metagenomics datasets of healthy infant faecal samples were employed to identify bifidobacterial strains suitable for in silico and in vitro analyses. Subsequently, an ad hoc bioinformatic tool was developed to screen local strain collections for the most suitable species‐representative strain alternative. The here presented approach was validated using in vitro trials followed by metagenomics and metatranscriptomics analyses. Altogether, these results demonstrated the validity of the proposed model for reference strain selection, thus allowing improved in silico and in vitro investigations both in terms of cross‐laboratory reproducibility and relevance of research findings.