bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activation of α2A and α2B -adrenergic receptors inhibits tactile stimulation-evoked parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synaptic transmission in mouse cerebellar cortex
Authors: Wang Jun-Ya , Liu Yue , Qiu De-Lai , Chu Chun-Ping
Published: December 2023

The mechanism by which α2-adrenergic receptors (ARs) modulate the cerebellar parallel fiber-Purkinje cell (PF-PC) synaptic transmission is unclear. We investigated this issue using electrophysiological and neuropharmacological methods. Six- to eight-week-old ICR mice were used in the study. Under in vivo conditions, PF-PC synaptic transmission was evoked by facial stimulation of ipsilateral whisker pad, and recorded using cell-attached patch from PCs. Under in-vitro conditions, PF-PC synaptic transmission was evoked by electrical stimulation of the molecular layer in cerebellar slices, and was recorded using whole-cell recording from PCs. SR95531 (20 µM) was added to the ACSF during all recordings to prevent GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition. Air-puff stimulation of the ipsilateral whisker pad in-vivo evoked simple spike (eSS) firing of cerebellar PCs. Microapplication of noradrenaline (15 µM) to the molecular layer significantly decreased the numbers and frequency of eSS, an effect abolished by the α2-AR antagonist. Microapplication of an α2-AR agonist, UK14304 (1 µM), significantly decreased the numbers of eSS in PCs, which was abolished by either α2A- or α2B-AR antagonist, but not by α2C-AR antagonist. Under in-vitro conditions, application of UK 14304 significantly decreased the amplitude of PF-PC EPSCs and increased the paired-pulse ratio, which were abolished by either α2A- or α2B-AR antagonist. The present results indicate that activation of presynaptic α2A- and α2B-AR downregulates PF-PC synaptic transmission in mouse cerebellar cortex.
Ketamine as an Alternative Anesthetic for Augmenting Seizure Durations During Electroconvulsive Therapy
Authors: Mutoh Sarara , Kinoshita Michiko , Maeda Yuki , Tanaka Katsuya
Published: December 2023

Objective

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is highly effective for severe psychiatric disorders; however, short seizure durations may lead to ineffective therapy. This retrospective study aimed to examine the risks and benefits of switching to ketamine anesthesia to augment seizure durations during an acute course of ECT.

Methods

We included 33 patients who underwent ketamine anesthesia due to suboptimal seizures during an acute course of ECT. We assessed seizure duration, stimulus dose, hemodynamic variability, and postseizure complications before and after switching to ketamine.

Results

Age was significantly associated with suboptimal seizures during ECT (P = 0.040). After switching to ketamine, 32 patients (97%) experienced prolonged seizure duration. Ketamine significantly prolonged both electroencephalogram and motor seizure durations with a mean difference of 34.6 seconds (95% confidence interval [CI], 26.4–42.7 seconds; P < 0.001) and 26.6 seconds (95% CI, 19.6–33.6 seconds; P < 0.001), respectively. It also significantly reduced stimulus dose (mean difference, −209.5 mC [95% CI, −244.9 to −174.1 mC]; P < 0.001). In addition, maximum changes in systolic blood pressure and heart rate during ECT sessions significantly increased with ketamine (mean difference, 27.2 mm Hg [95% CI, 12.0–42.4 mm Hg; P = 0.001]; 25.7 beats per minute [95% CI, 14.5–36.8 beats per minute; P < 0.001], respectively). Patients reported more headaches with ketamine (P = 0.041).

Conclusions

Our results provide evidence that ketamine as an alternative anesthetic can augment seizure durations in specific patients experiencing suboptimal seizures during an acute course of ECT. However, its use requires greater attention to circulatory management and postseizure complications.
The aesthetic valve: how aesthetic appreciation may switch emotional states from anxiety to curiosity
Authors: Barbieri Paolo , Sarasso Pietro , Lodico Fabio , Aliverti Alice , Murayama Kou , Sacco Katiuscia , Ronga Irene
Published: December 2023

Pursuing new knowledge in the entropic environment is pivotal for survival. However, dealing with uncertainty is a costly challenge for the agent surrounded by the stochastic sensory world, giving rise to different epistemic emotions, such as curiosity and anxiety. We recently proposed that aesthetic appreciation may have the role of associating pleasant feedback with the update of predictive representations. According to this idea, aesthetic appreciation and its associated rewarding feeling could drive people to seek new knowledge over anxiety. However, the relationship between aesthetic appreciation, curiosity, and anxiety has been still under-examined in the literature. Here, we explore the relationship between these epistemic emotions in a series of three experiments. In study 1, we examined whether music-induced aesthetic appreciation would influence curiosity in a gambling task. In studies 2a and 2b, we explore the relationship between music-induced aesthetic appreciation and anxiety state. Overall, aesthetic appreciation promoted curiosity-driven behaviour while it was negatively associated with anxiety. These results were consistent with the idea that aesthetic appreciation could act as a ‘valve’, prompting the individual to perceive curiosity (i.e. to consider novelty as a valuable opportunity to acquire new knowledge) rather than anxiety (i.e. to consider novelty as a risk to be avoided).

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives’.
Designs on consciousness: literature and predictive processing
Authors: Kukkonen Karin
Published: December 2023

Predictive processing is a recent approach in cognitive science that describes the brain as an engine of probabilistic hierarchical inference. Initially proposed as a general theory of brain function, predictive processing has recently been expanding to account for questions of consciousness in philosophy and neuroscience. In my previous work (Kukkonen 2020
Probability designs: literature and predictive processing
. New York, NY: Oxford University Press), I have shown how predictive processing can also be used to model our engagement with literary texts. In this article, I use my account of our engagement with literature in predictive processing terms, as well as recent work on predictive processing and consciousness, to explore how literature can shed light on various aspects of conscious experience, including qualia, counterfactual depth in conscious experience and sense of self. In the final section, I propose a number of theoretical questions that could be addressed by drawing on literature as a source of hypotheses and stimuli for possible experimental designs. The upshot is a picture where literature is not just a source of illustrative examples about conscious experience, but a designer environment through which we can explore and rethink consciousness.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives’.
Surfing uncertainty with screams: predictive processing, error dynamics and horror films
Authors: Miller Mark , White Ben , Scrivner Coltan
Published: December 2023

Despite tremendous efforts in psychology, neuroscience and media and cultural studies, it is still something of a mystery why humans are attracted to fictional content that is horrifying, disgusting or otherwise aversive. While the psychological benefits of horror films, stories, video games, etc. has recently been demonstrated empirically, current theories emphasizing the negative and positive consequences of this engagement often contradict one another. Here, we suggest the predictive processing framework may provide a unifying account of horror content engagement that provides clear and testable hypotheses, and explains why a ‘sweet spot’ of fear and fun exists in horror entertainment.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Art, aesthetics and predictive processing: theoretical and empirical perspectives’.
The Canadian platform for research online to investigate health, quality of life, cognition, behaviour, function, and caregiving in aging (CAN-PROTECT): study protocol, platform description, and preliminary analyses
Authors: Ismail Zahinoor , Guan Dylan , Vellone Daniella , Ballard Clive , Creese Byron , Corbett Anne , Pickering Ellie , Bloomfield Adam , Hampshire Adam , Sekhon Ramnik , Roach Pamela , Smith Eric E.
Published: December 2023

Background

Preventing or reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia is of great public health interest. Longitudinal data from diverse samples are needed to properly inform clinicians, researchers, and policy makers. CAN-PROTECT is a recently launched online observational cohort study that assesses factors contributing to both risk for incident cognitive decline and dementia and resilience against brain aging, in participants across the lifespan.

Methods

Measures of cognition, behaviour, and quality of life administered to both participants and study partners were compared using partial Spearman correlations adjusted for participant and study partner age, sex, and education. In participants, relationships between cognition, behaviour, function, and quality of life were examined using adjusted multivariable linear and negative binomial regression models.

Results

In the first three-month window, 2150 participants spanning all Canadian provinces enrolled; 637 nominated study partners had already completed assessments. Engagement with the study was excellent, with many optional assessments completed. Initial analyses demonstrated relationships between cognition, behaviour, function, and quality of life.

Discussion

These preliminary results speak to the utility and feasibility of CAN-PROTECT to obtain data relevant to brain health, highlighting the public interest in participating in studies on cognition. The online portal facilitated participation of a geographically diverse sample. This group is ideal to study brain aging, dementia prevention, and early detection of neurodegenerative disease. Longitudinal data will provide additional insights. Several features of CAN-PROTECT are important to consider in terms of assessing risk and resilience in Canadians, and for further development and recruitment of a research-ready cohort.

HIGHLIGHTS

CAN-PROTECT is a longitudinal online study of risk and resilience to brain aging

Neuropsychological testing and health– and aging-related outcomes are obtained

Data presented are from the first 2150 participants, mean age 62.9 (77.6% female)

Associations between cognition, behaviour, function, and quality of life were found

CAN-PROTECT is a feasible platform to obtain participant and study partner data
Site Effects in Multisite Fetal Brain MRI: Morphological Insights into Early Brain Development
Authors: Xu Xinyi , Sun Cong , Yu Hong , Yan Guohui , Zhu Qingqing , Kong Xianglei , Pan Yibin , Xu Haoan , Zheng Tianshu , Zhou Chi , Wang Yutian , Xiao Jiaxin , Chen Ruike , Li Mingyang , Zhang Songying , Hu Hongjie , Zou Yu , Wang Jingshi , Wang Guangbin , Wu Dan
Published: December 2023

Background

Multisite MRI studies have become prevalent given their advantage in revealing reliable biological or clinical findings. Adult and adolescent multisite studies have demonstrated inevitable site-related non-biological effects that introduce bias. However, the site effect on fetal brain MRI remains unknown.

Purpose

To identify crucial acquisition factors affecting fetal brain structural measurements and developmental patterns, while assessing the effectiveness of existing harmonization methods in mitigating site effects.

Materials and Methods

Between May 2017 and March 2022, T2-weighted fast spin-echo sequences in-utero MRI were performed in healthy fetuses from prospectively recruited pregnant volunteers on four different scanners at four sites. A generalized additive model (GAM) was used to quantitatively assess site effects, including field strength (FS), manufacture (M), in-plane resolution (R), and slice thickness (ST), on subcortical volume and cortical morphological measurements, including cortical thickness, curvature, and sulcal depth. Growth models were selected to elucidate developmental trajectories of these morphological measurements. Welch’s test was performed to evaluate the influence of site effects on developmental trajectories. ComBat-GAM harmonization method was applied to mitigate site-related biases.

Results

The final analytic sample consisted of 340 MRI scans from 218 fetuses (mean gestational age, 30.1 weeks ± 4.4 [range, 21.7–40 weeks]). GAM results showed that low FS and low spatial resolution led to overestimations in selected brain regions of subcortical volumes and cortical morphological measurements, and cortical measurements were more susceptible to site effects than subcortical volumes. Only the peak cortical thickness in developmental trajectories was significantly influenced by the effects of FS and R. Notably, ComBat-GAM harmonization effectively removed site effects while preserving developmental patterns.

Conclusion

Our findings pinpointed the key acquisition factors in in-utero fetal brain MRI and underscored the necessity of data harmonization when pooling multisite data for fetal brain morphology investigations.
Fast and accurate estimation of selection coefficients and allele histories from ancient and modern DNA
Authors: Vaughn Andrew H. , Nielsen Rasmus
Published: December 2023

We here present CLUES2, a full-likelihood method to infer natural selection from sequence data that is an extension of the method CLUES. We make several substantial improvements to the CLUES method that greatly increases both its applicability and its speed. We add the ability to use ARGs on ancient data as emissions to the underlying HMM, which enables CLUES2 to use both temporal and linkage information to make estimates of selection coefficients. We also fully implement the ability to estimate distinct selection coefficients in different epochs, which allows for the analysis of changes in selective pressures through time. In addition, we greatly increase the computational efficiency of CLUES2 over CLUES using several approximations to the forward-backward algorithms and develop a new way to reconstruct historic allele frequencies by integrating over the uncertainty in the estimation of the selection coefficients. We illustrate the accuracy of CLUES2 through extensive simulations and validate the importance sampling framework for integrating over the uncertainty in the inference of gene trees. We also show that CLUES2 is well-calibrated by showing that under the null hypothesis, the distribution of log-likelihood ratios follows a chi-squared distribution with the appropriate degrees of freedom. We run CLUES2 on a set of recently published ancient human data from Western Eurasia and test for evidence of changing selection coefficients through time. We find significant evidence of changing selective pressures in several genes correlated with the introduction of agriculture to Europe and the ensuing dietary and demographic shifts of that time. In particular, our analysis supports previous hypotheses of strong selection on lactase persistence during periods of ancient famines and attenuated selection in more modern periods.
Ketamine potentiates a central glutamatergic presynapse
Authors: Eshra Abdelmoneim , Lipstein Noa , Hallermann Stefan
Published: December 2023

Ketamine produces rapid and sustained antidepressant effects after brief exposure to a single dose. Counterintuitively, while ketamine acts primarily as a blocker of postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), increased signalling at glutamatergic synapses has been reported. Due to technical limitations, however, it remains unclear whether ketamine directly increases presynaptic glutamate release or acts via postsynaptic or network-level mechanisms. To address this knowledge gap, we used presynaptic capacitance measurements to directly monitor glutamate release in a cerebellar synapse. Ketamine increased glutamate release within minutes and this effect persisted >30 minutes after washout. MK-801, another NMDAR blocker, had no effect on glutamate release. Mechanistically, we show that the ketamine-mediated enhancement of presynaptic release results from an increase in both calcium influx and the number of release-ready vesicles. Our data uncover a rapid effect of ketamine on key presynaptic properties of central glutamatergic synapses, which has important implications for the development of antidepressant drugs.
Homeostatic mitophagy scales mitochondrial networks
Authors: Thomas R.L. , Bishop B.C. , Andre L.M. , Nolte H. , Graef M.
Published: December 2023

Cells scale organelle sizes to ensure physiological function. Here, we uncover a dual role for autophagy in controlling mitochondrial network size with a key function for homeostatic mitophagy. During starvation, non-selective autophagy sustains mitochondrial biogenesis in non-dividing yeast cells resulting in mitochondrial network expansion. Strikingly, Atg32/Bcl2L13-mediated mitophagy scales mitochondria back to pre-starvation size. Without mitophagy, mitochondria size increases two-fold while retaining wildtype-like structural, compositional, and metabolic features. In turn, synthetically elevated mitophagy only mildly reduces mitochondria size, suggesting cells maintain a minimal network size by compensatory biogenesis. Single-cell analysis predicts two metabolically tunable setpoints, mitochondria-to-cell and mitochondria-to-cytosol volume ratios, for mitochondria scaling by autophagy-driven biogenesis and degradation, respectively. Our work reveals how cells use autophagy to scale mitochondria to metabolic and cellular size parameters.

One Sentence Summary

A homeostatic form of mitophagy controls the network size of mitochondria during starvation.
STIE: Single-cell level deconvolution, convolution, and clustering in spatial transcriptomics by aligning spot level transcriptome to nuclear morphology
Authors: Zhu Shijia , Kubota Naoto , Wang Shidan , Wang Tao , Xiao Guanghua , Hoshida Yujin
Published: December 2023

In spot-based spatial transcriptomics, spots that are of the same size and printed at the fixed location cannot precisely capture the actual randomly located single cells, therefore failing to profile the transcriptome at the single-cell level. The current studies primarily focused on enhancing the spot resolution in size via computational imputation or technical improvement, however, they largely overlooked that single-cell resolution, i.e., resolution in cellular or even smaller size, does not equal single-cell level. Using both real and simulated spatial transcriptomics data, we demonstrated that even the high-resolution spatial transcriptomics still has a large number of spots partially covering multiple cells simultaneously, revealing the intrinsic non-single-cell level of spot-based spatial transcriptomics regardless of spot size. To this end, we present STIE, an EM algorithm that aligns the spatial transcriptome to its matched histology image-based nuclear morphology and recovers missing cells from up to ∼70% gap area between spots via the nuclear morphological similarity and neighborhood information, thereby achieving the real single-cell level and whole-slide scale deconvolution/convolution and clustering for both low- and high-resolution spots. On both real and simulation spatial transcriptomics data, STIE characterizes the cell-type specific gene expression variation and demonstrates the outperforming concordance with the single-cell RNAseq-derived cell type transcriptomic signatures compared to the other spot- and subspot-level methods. Furthermore, STIE enabled us to gain novel insights that failed to be revealed by the existing methods due to the lack of single-cell level, for instance, lower actual spot resolution than its reported spot size, the additional contribution of cellular morphology to cell typing beyond transcriptome, unbiased evaluation of cell type colocalization, superior power of high-resolution spot in distinguishing nuanced cell types, and spatially resolved cell-cell interactions at the single-cell level other than spot level. The STIE code is publicly available as an R package athttps://github.com/zhushijia/STIE.
Antibiotics at Clinical Concentrations Show Limited Effectivity Against Acute and Chronic IntracellularS. aureusInfections in Osteocytes
Authors: Zelmer Anja R. , Yang Dongqing , Gunn Nicholas J. , Solomon L. Bogdan , Nelson Renjy , Kidd Stephen P. , Richter Katharina , Atkins Gerald J.
Published: December 2023

Objectives

Case numbers of osteomyelitis are rising and chronic infections remain difficult to cure. While it is known that the major pathogenStaphylococcus aureuscan persist intracellularly in osteocytes, the effectivity of antibiotics against this condition remains largely unknown. We sought to determine if current clinically utilised antibiotics were capable of clearing an intracellular osteocyteS. aureusinfection.

Methods

Rifampicin, vancomycin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, amoxicillin, oxacillin, doxycycline, linezolid, gentamicin and tigecycline were assessed for their MIC and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) against 11S. aureusclinical isolates and the reference strain ATCC 25923, at pH 5.0 and 7.2 to mimic lysosomal and cytoplasmic environments, respectively. Those antibiotics whose bone achievable concentration was commonly above their respective MICs for the strains tested were further assayed in a human osteocyte infection model under either acute or chronic conditions. Osteocyte-like cells were treated at 1, 4 and 10x the MIC for 1 and 7 days following infection (acute model), or after 14 days of infection (chronic model). The intracellular effectivity of each antibiotic was measured in terms of colony forming unit (CFU) reduction, small colony variant (SCV) formation and bacterial mRNA expression change.

Results

Only rifampicin, levofloxacin and linezolid reduced intracellular CFU numbers significantly in the acute model. The effect was larger after 7 days compared to 1 day of treatment. However, no treatment reduced the quantity of bacterial mRNA, nor prevented non-culturable bacteria from returning to a culturable state.

Discussion

These findings indicate thatS. aureusadapts phenotypically during intracellular infection of osteocytes, adopting a reversible quiescent state which is protected against antibiotics, even at 10x their MIC. Thus, new therapeutic approaches are necessary to cureS. aureusintracellular infections in osteocytes.
Within-Individual Organization of the Human Cognitive Cerebellum: Evidence for Closely Juxtaposed, Functionally Specialized Regions
Authors: Saadon-Grosman Noam , Du Jingnan , Kosakowski Heather L. , Angeli Peter A. , DiNicola Lauren M. , Eldaief Mark C. , Buckner Randy L.
Published: December 2023

The human cerebellum possesses multiple regions linked to cerebral association cortex. Here we mapped the cerebellum using precision functional MRI within individual participants (N=15), first estimating regions using connectivity and then prospectively testing functional properties using independent task data. Network estimates in all participants revealed a Crus I / II cerebellar megacluster of five higher-order association networks often with multiple, discontinuous regions for the same network. Seed regions placed within the megaclusters, including the disjointed regions, yielded spatially selective networks in the cerebral cortex. Compelling evidence for functional specialization within the cerebellar megaclusters emerged from the task responses. Reflecting functional distinctions found in the cerebrum, domain-flexible cerebellar regions involved in cognitive control dissociated from distinct domain-specialized regions with differential responses to language, social, and spatial / episodic task demands. These findings provide a clear demonstration that the cerebellum encompasses multiple zones dedicated to cognition, featuring juxtaposed regions specialized for distinct processing domains.
Coevolution of age-structured tolerance and virulence
Authors: Buckingham Lydia J. , Ashby Ben
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Hosts can evolve a variety of defences against parasitism, including resistance (which prevents or reduces the spread of infection) and tolerance (which protects against virulence). Some organisms have evolved different levels of tolerance at different life-stages, which is likely to be the result of coevolution with pathogens, and yet it is currently unclear how coevolution drives patterns of age-specific tolerance. Here, we use a model of tolerance-virulence coevolution to investigate how age structure influences coevolutionary dynamics. Specifically, we explore how coevolution unfolds when tolerance and virulence (disease-induced mortality) are age-specific compared to when these traits are uniform across the host lifespan. We find that coevolutionary cycling is relatively common when host tolerance is age-specific, but cycling does not occur when tolerance is the same across all ages. We also find that age-structured tolerance can lead to selection for higher virulence in shorter-lived than in longer-lived hosts, whereas non-age-structured tolerance always leads virulence to increase with host lifespan. Our findings therefore suggest that age structure can have substantial qualitative impacts on host-pathogen coevolution.
Cryptosporidium Life Cycle Small Molecule Probing Implicates Translational Repression And An Apetala 2 Transcription Factor In Sexual Differentiation
Authors: Hasan Muhammad M. , Mattice Ethan B. , Teixeira José E. , Jumani Rajiv S. , Stebbins Erin E. , Klopfer Connor , Franco Sebastian , Love Melissa S. , McNamara Case W. , Huston Christopher D.
Published: December 2023

The apicomplexan parasiteCryptosporidiumis a leading cause of childhood diarrhea in developing countries. Current treatment options are inadequate and multiple preclinical compounds are being actively pursued as potential drugs for cryptosporidiosis. Unlike most apicomplexans,Cryptosporidiumspp. sequentially replicate asexually and then sexually within a single host to complete their lifecycles. Anti-cryptosporidial compounds are generally identified or tested through in vitro phenotypic assays that only assess the asexual stages. Therefore, compounds that specifically target the sexual stages remain unexplored. In this study, we leveraged the ReFRAME drug repurposing library against a newly devised multi-readout imaging assay to identify small-molecule compounds that modulate sexual differentiation and maturation. mRNA-seq studies confirmed selective modulation of sexual differentiation for 10 hit compounds (9 inhibitors and 1 accelerator). The collective transcriptomic profiles of these compounds indicates that translational repression accompaniesCryptosporidiumsexual differentiation, which we validated experimentally. Additionally, cross comparison of the RNA-seq data with promoter sequence analysis for stage-specific genes converged on a key role for an Apetala 2 (AP2) transcription factor (cgd2_3490) in sexual differentiation. Finally, drug annotation for the ReFRAME hits indicates that an elevated supply of energy equivalence in the host cell is critical for gamont formation.
Camel milk affects serum metabolites by modulating the intestinal microflora
Authors: Yue Haitao , Zhang Jiaxue , Wang Ruiqi , Zhao Luyu , Kou Yuxuan , Li Runye , Yang Zhengyang , Qian Yurong , Li Xinhui , Wang Xiao , Yasheng Pazilaiti , Wu Jieyi , Xing Xiangxiang , Xie Lei , Niu Hao , Chen Gangliang , Yang Jie , Liu Ying , Shi Tian , Gao Feng
Published: December 2023

Gut microbes play a vital role in human health and are influenced by numerous factors including diet, genetics, and environment. (Fermented) Camel milk, which is abundant in nutrients and lacks allergenic proteins, has been consumed for its edible and medicinal properties for centuries. Research on camel milk’s impact on gut microbiota and host metabolism is still limited. The results found that sour camel milk contained various beneficial bacteria such asLactobacillus helveticus, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Eubacterium coprostanoligenesgroup, Lachnospiraceae, which could be transported to the recipient’s intestines by diet. This study specified that the transportation of microbiome happened both intra- and inter-species and played a principal role in the formation of progeny gut microflora. An investigation on type 2 diabetic rats revealed that the composition of gut microflora and serum metabolites of those fed with high-dose camel whey was closer to that of the normal.Eubacterium limnetica, which can reduce the risk of diseases by producing MtcB protein, was found in the gut microflora of the ones taking camel milk. These results evidenced the high potential of camel milk as a functional food.
Hubble tension and fifth forces
Authors: Högås Marcus , Mörtsell Edvard
Published: December 2023

Fifth forces are ubiquitous in modified theories of gravity. In this paper, we analyze their effect on the Cepheid-calibrated cosmic distance ladder, specifically with respect to the inferred value of the Hubble constant (H0). We consider a variety of effective models where the strength, or amount of screening, of the fifth force is estimated using proxy fields related to the large-scale structure of the Universe. To quantify the level of tension between the local distance ladder and the value for H0, we calculate the probability of obtaining a test result at least as extreme as the observed one, assuming that the model is correct (the p-value). For all models considered, the level of agreement is ≳20%, relieving the tension compared to the concordance model, exhibiting an agreement of only 1%. The alleviated discrepancy comes partially at the cost of an increased tension between distance estimates from Cepheids and the tip of the red-giant branch (TRGB). Demanding also that the consistency between Cepheid and TRGB distance estimates is not impaired, some fifth force models can still accommodate the data with a probability ≳20%. This provides incentive for more detailed investigations of fundamental theories on which the effective models are based and their effect on the Hubble tension.

Published by the American Physical Society
2023
Experimental and theoretical investigation of two thioether-based Schiff bases as anti-corrosion agents for carbon steel in HCl electrolyte
Authors: Morovati Halime , Noorbala Mohammad Reza , Namazian Mansoor , Zare Hamid R. , Dehghani-Firouzabadi Ahmad Ali
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The main purpose of the present work is to introduce two new Schiff bases as corrosion inhibitors (CIs) for carbon steel (CS). The anti-corrosion performance of these Schiff bases having N and S heteroatoms in their structures was investigated and compared in 2 M HCl electrolyte. The inhibitory activity of these Schiff bases was also assessed.

Design/methodology/approach

Common electrochemical assays like potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance measurements were used to evaluate the ability of compounds in reduction of the rate of corrosion. Quantum chemical calculations (QCCs) were also used to examine the corrosion inhibitive and the process related to the electrical and structural characteristics of the molecules acting as CIs.

Findings

The electrochemical measurements indicate that both Schiff bases acted as the efficient CIs of CS in 2 M HCl electrolyte. The adsorption of the Schiff base on the surface of the CS caused the corrosion to be inhibited. The change of Gibbs energies indicated that both physical and chemical interactions are involved in the adsorption of NNS and SNS on CS surfaces. The predicted QCCs of the CIs neutral and positively charged versions were well-aligned with those obtained by electrochemical experiments.

Originality/value

Using electrochemical experiments and quantum chemical modelings, two new Schiff bases, N-2-((2-nitrophenyl)thio)phenyl)-1-(pyrrole-2-yl)methanimine (NNS) and N-2-((2-nitrophenyl)thio)phenyl)-1-(thiophen-2-yl)methanimine (SNS), were evaluated as anti-corrosion agents for CS in 2 M HCl electrolyte. The DFT calculations were considered to compute the quantum chemical parameters of the inhibitors.
Understanding leader–member exchange on job satisfaction: while work interfaces between home and life?
Authors: Goswami Munmun , Jena Lalatendu Kesari
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study is aimed at decoding the impact of supportive leadership behavior (leader–member exchange [LMX]) on job satisfaction (JS) through the mediating role of the work–nonwork interface (work-to-nonwork conflict [WNC] and work-to-nonwork enrichment [WNE]), within the work-from-home context in India.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiphased data collected from 232 full-time working Indian dual-working parents (with one or more children) were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Overall, the hypothesized model receives empirical support from the data. LMX positively influenced WNE and simultaneously negatively influenced WNC. WNE, in turn, positively impacted JS, and WNC negatively influenced JS. Results supported only the mediating role of WNE between LMX and JS but not WNC. Women reported greater JS than men, and respondents staying in a joint family reported decreased WNC.

Research limitations/implications

The current study takes a multiphased, multidomain approach to understand the underlying mechanisms of leadership’s impact while working from home.

Practical implications

By adopting a tailored approach, organizations can ensure better alignment between employee goals and the desired outcomes of the organization. This entails considering extended family requirements and designing HR interventions and strategies that accommodate the specific challenges faced by dual-working parents.

Originality/value

This study helps to shed light on the sparsely researched arena of the role of leadership in the work-from-home context, more so for Indian dual-working households. Hence, it makes significant contributions to theory and practice.
The internal and external effect of environmental complexity on business responses: a PLS-SEM and artificial neural network approach
Authors: Bui My-Trinh , Tran Thi-Thanh-Huyen
Published: December 2023

Purpose

In the wake of severe socio-economic damage, many firms have made creative and technological progress in their responses to the COVID-19 crisis. This paper examines internal and external environmental complexity elements as antecedents of business responses and builds a framework for tourism firms to respond to the pandemic crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

This study obtained survey data from 395 respondents in the Vietnamese tourism and hospitality industry. A partial least squares structural equation modeling–artificial neural network approach was used to examine various combinations of internal and external environmental complexity elements that have different impacts on business responses and firms' performance.

Findings

The knowledge and practice created by the firm's employees (individual creativity), obtained from traditional contexts (traditionality) were identified as internal environmental complexity factors while practice learned from other firms (mimetic pressure), information processing (status certainty) and digital transformation (digital technology speed) were treated as external environmental complexity factors. Internal and external environmental complexity factors influence business responses and firms' performance positively but differently.

Practical implications

This study demonstrates that firms should integrate their internal environment of creativity and traditionality with external environmental factors of mimetic pressure, status certainty and digital technology speed to create better business responses, and thus firm performance in the COVID-19 era.

Originality/value

This investigation contributes to environmental research and narrows the existing research gap relating to the association between types of environmental complexity and firms' responsive action, which then influence firms' performance in terms of sustainable competitiveness.
The influence of brand-related social media content on customer extra-role behavior: a moderated moderation model
Authors: Guttena Revanth Kumar , Wu Cedric Hsi-Jui , Atmaja Ferry Tema
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how the gratifications obtained through brand-related social media content affect brand intimacy and thereby influence customer extra-role behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the uses and gratification theory, this study proposes information, entertainment and remuneration content that motivates customers to develop brand intimacy and thereby perform customer extra-role behavior. The study also tests the moderated moderation effect of self-congruence and customer experience using 704 observations from South India in the food industry context.

Findings

The study’s results reveal the influence of entertainment and remuneration content on brand intimacy, which further influences customer extra-role behavior (civic virtue, cocreation, sportsmanship and helping behaviors). The study confirms a moderated moderation effect in the relationship between brand intimacy and civic virtue and brand intimacy and sportsmanship behaviors.

Practical implications

The study suggests that brands may include entertainment and remuneration elements in their social media content to build intimate customer relationships, further influencing customers’ extra-role behaviors. Besides, brands should focus on customers’ self-concepts and experiences to encourage them to act voluntarily.

Originality/value

This study makes a unique contribution by investigating the influence of brand-related social media content on customer extra-role behavior through brand intimacy. It uses self-congruence and customer experience to test their moderated moderation effect in the relationship between brand intimacy and customer extra-role behavior.
Business model innovation through the adoption of service logic: evolving to servification
Authors: Grönroos Christian
Published: December 2023

Purpose

In servitization research, there has been a call to move further toward the development of business models based on a service approach. This article aims to answer this call by adopting service logic (SL) and developing strategies and organizational resources and processes to create a service-centric business model called servification, defined as the process of identifying and developing strategies and organizational resources and processes to create a business model based on SL.

Design/methodology/approach

This article is conceptual and extends servitization in the direction of service-centric business model innovation by drawing on and extending SL.

Findings

The article defines service as a higher-order concept according to SL and develops the concept of a helping strategy as the foundation for a service-based business model. Further, it develops a typology of organizational resources and processes that must be developed for the emergence of such a business model.

Research limitations/implications

Since this article is the first to conceptually develop servification, more both theoretical and empirical research is naturally required. The development of servification takes servitization in the direction of service-based business model innovation and also contributes to the research on SL.

Practical implications

Servification enables the development of service-centric strategies and organizational resources and processes and service-based business models.

Originality/value

This article is the first to adopt SL in studies of business model innovation.
Managerial conception of integrating sustainability into management control systems: evidence from Sri Lankan manufacturing companies
Authors: Edirisinghe Udani Chathurika , Hossain Md Moazzem , Alam Manzurul
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to explore the managerial conception of the determinants and barriers of sustainability integration into management control systems (MCS) of manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka. Although existing literature has explored the factors that influence the adoption of specific management controls to handle environmental and social issues, the role of management conception has been underrepresented. Specifically, literature is scarce in identifying contextual and organisational factors that influence corporates beyond mere adoption of controls but to integrate with regular controls, especially in developing countries such as Sri Lanka.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple case study approach has been used to identify the management conception of barriers and enablers for sustainability control integration. The analysis is conducted based on a theoretical framework extending the work of Gond et al. (2012) and George et al. (2016). To obtain an in-depth and multifaceted view, semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers in charge of different functional departments of five manufacturing companies.

Findings

The findings identified managers’ perceived factors, such as environmental impact, stakeholder pressure (customer, competitor and regulatory authorities) and top management commitment, showing a clear difference between strongly and weakly integrated companies. Contrary to the literature, domestic regulatory pressure and multinational ownership do not sufficiently drive MCS sustainability integration.

Practical implications

The findings have implications for managers and practitioners to anticipate the potential barriers and determinants of sustainability integration and provide guidance to take proper measures to deal with them when designing and implementing their MCS.

Originality/value

The study adds value to the literature by presenting a theoretical framework based on the triangulation of different theories to recognise the significance of management idea in sustainable integration. Furthermore, because sustainable integration of MCS is a novel idea, this research is one of the earlier attempts to highlight problems from the perspective of developing countries.
Accuracy of a multipath ultrasonic flowmeter with deep learning based on the velocity profile
Authors: Xu Zhijia , Li Minghai
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The asymmetry of the velocity profile caused by geometric deformation, complex turbulent motion and other factors must be considered to effectively use the flowmeter on any section. This study aims to better capture the flow field information and establish a model to predict the profile velocity, we take the classical double elbow as the research object and propose to divide the flow field into three categories with certain common characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

The deep learning method is used to establish the model of multipath linear velocity fitting profile average velocity. A total of 480 groups of data are taken for training and validation, with ten integer velocity flow fields from 1 m/s to 10 m/s. Finally, accuracy research with relative error as standard is carried out.

Findings

The numerical experiment yielded the following promising results: the maximum relative error is approximately 1%, and in the majority of cases, the relative error is significantly lower than 1%. These results demonstrate that it surpasses the classical optimization algorithm Equal Tab (5%) and the traditional artificial neural network (3%) in the same scenario. In contrast with the previous research on a fixed profile, we focus on all the velocity profiles of a certain length for the first time, which can expand the application scope of a multipath ultrasonic flowmeter and promote the research on flow measurement in any section.

Originality/value

This work proposes to divide the flow field of double elbow into three categories with certain common characteristics to better capture the flow field information and establish a model to predict the profile velocity.
Mothering occupations: A review identifying mothering occupations
Authors: Odgers Sorcha , Thomas Yvonne , Tokolahi Ema
Published: December 2023

Introduction

This review aimed to retrieve and collate a list of culturally relevant mothering occupations in the New Zealand context with mothers positioned as experts of their experience. Mothering occupations influence wellbeing and this study aimed to better inform on the daily occupations mothers participate in that contribute to feelings of maternal confidence.

Methods

Two main sources were used to identify mothering occupations: A systematic search of mothering literature, and participant additions. The first step involved mothering literature being searched, collated and condensed. The second step involved presenting the compiled list of mothering occupations to a panel of mothers for review and to invite additions. Mothers were asked to consider the occupations they participate in that evoke feelings of confidence and mastery in their mothering. Fifteen mothers with infants 12 to 18 months old were recruited, eight contributed to the mothering occupations list.

Results

A list of 203 items was collated then condensed based on the inclusion criteria for the participant group, and was tracked in a table. The list was reduced to 36 items. Eight participants added to the mothering occupations list, bringing the total number of items to 47. Mothers indicated through their contributions to the list that some types of mothering occupations are more relevant to them when considering feelings of maternal confidence and mastery. The mothers of this study indicated that connecting with their infant, their culture and nature are of high value to them.

Conclusion

Developing a list of culturally relevant and relatable mothering occupations is a significant undertaking, highlighting the subjective experiences of mothers. Mothering occupations are vast and influenced by context. Mothers valuing some types of occupation more in relation to maternal confidence indicates a role for occupational therapy with this population to support with engagement and participation in occupations that promote wellbeing.
Calamitous weather, yield risk and mitigation effect of harvest mechanisation: Evidence from China's winter wheat
Authors: Wang Teng , Yi Fujin , Wu Ximing , Liu Huilin , Zhang Yu Yvette
Published: December 2023

Stable agricultural production has been substantially challenged by increasingly frequent calamitous weather conditions. For winter wheat, continuous precipitation during the harvest season is particularly detrimental. This study utilises a county‐level panel dataset of agricultural production in China for the period of 1998–2016 to evaluate the impact of continuous precipitation on the downside risk of winter wheat yield. Results show that continuous precipitation during the harvest season remarkably increases the downside risk of winter wheat yield. At the same time, the progressive adoption of harvest machinery in recent decades has effectively mitigated the downside risk of winter wheat yield driven by continuous precipitation. The mitigation effects of harvest mechanisation are more pronounced for plain areas with better‐developed transportation infrastructure.