bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the Clostridioides difficile 630Δerm putative Pro-Pro endopeptidase CD1597
Authors: Claushuis Bart , de Ru Arnoud H. , van Veelen Peter A. , Hensbergen Paul J. , Corver Jeroen
Published: October 2024

Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated infections worldwide. Within the host, C. difficile can transition from a sessile to a motile state by secreting PPEP-1, which releases the cells from the intestinal epithelium by cleaving adhesion proteins. PPEP-1 belongs to the group of Pro-Pro endopeptidases (PPEPs), which are characterized by their unique ability to cleave proline–proline bonds. Interestingly, another putative member of this group, CD1597, is present in C. difficile. Although it possesses a domain similar to other PPEPs, CD1597 displays several distinct features that suggest a markedly different role for this protein. We investigated the proteolytic activity of CD1597 by testing various potential substrates. In addition, we investigated the effect of the absence of CD1597 by generating an insertional mutant of the cd1597 gene. Using the cd1597 mutant, we sought to identify phenotypic changes through a series of in vitro experiments and quantitative proteomic analyses. Furthermore, we aimed to study the localization of this protein using a fluorogenic fusion protein. Despite its similarities to PPEP-1, CD1597 did not show proteolytic activity. In addition, the absence of CD1597 caused an increase in various sporulation proteins during the stationary phase, yet we did not observe any alterations in the sporulation frequency of the cd1597 mutant. Furthermore, a promoter activity assay indicated a very low expression level of cd1597 in vegetative cells, which was independent of the culture medium and growth stage. The low expression was corroborated by our comprehensive proteomic analysis of the whole cell cultures, which failed to identify CD1597. However, an analysis of purified C. difficile spores identified CD1597 as part of the spore proteome. Hence, we predict that the protein is involved in sporulation, although we were unable to define a precise role for CD1597 in C. difficile.
MRI-Based Multi-Class Relevance Vector Machine Classification of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Younes Kyan , Cobigo Yann , Wolf Amy , Kornak John , Rankin Katherine P. , Faisal Beg Mirza , Wang Lei , Rosen Howard J.
Published: October 2024

Machine learning algorithms are a promising automated candidate that can help mitigate the growing need for dementia experts. Despite the substantial development in MRI-based machine learning analyses, case misclassification is a universal finding, yet the reasons behind misclassification are poorly understood. We implemented a multi-class classification approach that uses relevance vector machine and logistic classification to classify research participants based on their whole-brain T1-weighted MRI scans. A total of 468 participants from seven diagnostic classes were included: 144 healthy controls, 84 Alzheimer’s disease, 108 behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), 30 semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), 30 non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA), 30 corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and 42 progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome (PSPS). We compared the algorithm‘s diagnostic accuracy against the clinical, pathological, genetic, and quantitative imaging data. The exact neurodegenerative syndrome was predicted in 71% of the cases, the neurodegenerative disease spectrum was predicted in 80% of the cases, and the algorithm distinguished controls from any dementia in 85% of the cases. The algorithm showed high performance in diagnosing healthy controls, moderate performance in diagnosing AD, bvFTD, and svPPA, and low performance in diagnosing CBS, nfvPPA, and PSPS. Based on the quantitative imaging data, most of the misclassified neurodegenerative cases had minimal atrophy and brain volumes comparable to healthy controls. In AD, early-onset AD cases with minimal brain atrophy represented most of the misclassified cases. In bvFTD, FTD genetic mutation carriers (predominantlyC9orf72repeat expansion), FTD phenocopy, patients meeting only possible bvFTD criteria represented most misclassified cases. Case misclassification in machine learning studies in neurodegenerative diseases results from neurodegenerative disease heterogeneity and the limitations of structural MRI’s ability to capture the whole gamut of biological changes. Larger and more inclusive datasets that are representative of population biologic heterogeneity are needed to train better machine learning techniques, and a margin of error is expected and should be acceptable, like the uncertainty of a clinical diagnosis by a dementia expert.
Task relevance selectively modulates sensorimotor adaptation in the presence of multiple prediction errors
Authors: Shingane Somesh N , Rao Nishant , Kumar Neeraj , Mutha Pratik K
Published: October 2024

Adaptation to consistently occurring sensorimotor errors is considered obligatory in nature. We probed the robustness of this finding by asking if humans can selectively attenuate adaptation based on the task-relevance of error signals. Subjects made planar reaches to three different targets: an arc (Experiment 1), a bar (Experiment 2), and a point (Experiment 3). During the reach, perturbations in extent (visuomotor gain), direction (visuomotor rotation) or both simultaneously were employed. In Experiment 1, subjects showed robust adaptation to the rotation when reaching to the arc even though the presence of this perturbation was irrelevant for achievement of the task goal. Interestingly however, rotation adaptation was strongly attenuated when it was presented simultaneously with a task-relevant gain perturbation. In Experiment 2, which involved reaches to the bar, again, subjects successfully adapted to the task-irrelevant gain perturbation when it occurred in isolation. However, adaptation was attenuated when the gain co-occurred with a task-relevant rotation. Experiment 3 revealed that the attenuation observed in the first two experiments was not due to an inability to adapt to co-occurring rotation and gain perturbations. Collectively, our results suggest that the sensorimotor system selectively tunes learning in the presence of multiple error signals, a finding that can potentially be explained by a biased competition mechanism. That is, given limited processing capacity, a salient attribute – the relevance of the error to the task goal in this case – is prioritized for processing and drives subsequent adaptive changes in motor output.

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

The motor system continuously uses error feedback to recalibrate movements in response to changes in body and environmental conditions. Such error-based adaptation is thought to be obligatory, occurring whenever error signals are present, and even if the learning interferes with achievement of the task goal. Contrary to this classical view, we demonstrate selective modulation of motor adaptation in the presence of multiple error signals based on their task-relevance.
Viral infection to the raphidophycean alga Heterosigma akashiwo affects both intracellular organic matter composition and dynamics of a coastal prokaryotic community
Authors: Takebe Hiroaki , Hiromoto Haruna , Watanabe Tetsuhiro , Yamamoto Keigo , Nagasaki Keizo , Kamikawa Ryoma , Yoshida Takashi
Published: October 2024

Marine microalgae play a crucial role in marine ecosystem by supplying dissolved organic matter to heterotrophic prokaryotes, which mediate the microbial loop. Microalgae are often infected by viruses, and in infected cells (virocells), the viruses modulate and often change the host metabolism for propagation and thereby endo-metabolites. However, the impact of algal virocells on prokaryotic communities is not fully been understood. In this study, we investigated whether lysates from virocell of Heterosigma akashiwo, a globally prevalent bloom-forming raphidophycean alga, causes shifts inn prokaryotic community structure, and which metabolic compounds in the viral lysate might affect the surrounding prokaryotic populations. Using microcosm experiments, we cultured prokaryotic communities with a dissolved fraction derived from the viral lysate (VDF) of H. akashiwo. Results revealed that certain prokaryotic populations assigned as the Vibrio spp. pathogenic against fish and crustaceans grew specifically responding to the VDF. These Vibrio species possessed a gene module for branched-chain amino acids transporters, which were revealed to be enriched in VDF by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Altogether, our findings suggest that viral infection-induced changes in biochemical properties of H. akashiwo cells can promote the growth of taxonomically and metabolically different prokaryotic populations, potentially impacting higher trophic-level consumers in marine ecosystems.
TAOK2 Drives Opposing Cilia Length Deficits in 16p11.2 Deletion and Duplication Carriers
Authors: Ferreccio Amy , Byeon Sujin , Cornell Moira , Oses-Prieto Juan , Deshpande Aditi , Weiss Lauren A , Burlingame Alma , Yadav Smita
Published: October 2024

Copy number variation (CNV) in the 16p11.2 (BP4-BP5) genomic locus is strongly associated with autism. Carriers of 16p11.2 deletion and duplication exhibit several common behavioral and social impairments, yet, show opposing brain structural changes and body mass index. To determine cellular mechanisms that might contribute to these opposing phenotypes, we performed quantitative tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics on human dorsal forebrain neural progenitor cells (NPCs) differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from 16p11.2 CNV carriers. Differentially phosphorylated proteins between unaffected individuals and 16p11.2 CNV carriers were significantly enriched for centrosomal and cilia proteins. Deletion patient-derived NPCs show increased primary cilium length compared to unaffected individuals, while stunted cilium growth was observed in 16p11.2 duplication NPCs. Through cellular shRNA and overexpression screens in human iPSC derived NPCs, we determined the contribution of genes within the 16p11.2 locus to cilium length. TAOK2, a serine threonine protein kinase, and PPP4C, a protein phosphatase, were found to regulate primary cilia length in a gene dosage-dependent manner. We found TAOK2 was localized at centrosomes and the base of the primary cilium, and NPCs differentiated from TAOK2 knockout iPSCs had longer cilia. In absence of TAOK2, there was increased pericentrin at the basal body, and aberrant accumulation of IFT88 at the ciliary distal tip. Further, pharmacological inhibition of TAO kinase activity led to increased ciliary length, indicating that TAOK2 negatively controls primary cilium length through its catalytic activity. These results implicate aberrant cilia length in the pathophysiology of 16p11.2 CNV, and establish the role of TAOK2 kinase as a regulator of primary cilium length.
Behind closed doors: unveiling earnings management in private subsidiaries of public firms
Authors: Priyesh V.P. , Jijo Lukose P.J.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study examines the earnings quality of private-subsidiary firms using a large sample data from India.

Design/methodology/approach

The impact of parent–subsidiary relationship on earnings quality is examined using two common proxies. Findings are robust to alternative research designs, including different earnings quality proxies, endogeneity and matching techniques.

Findings

The study finds that private firms that are subsidiaries of listed firms tend to have lesser (greater) earnings quality (manipulation). Further, the study reports that this relationship is more pronounced when the parent firm is relatively larger than the subsidiaries. The study finds no evidence that Big 4 affiliation of the parent company improves earnings quality among private subsidiaries; instead, it exacerbates earnings manipulation in some cases. Finally, the authors document that subsidiary firms use tax management, as proxied by book tax differences, to engage in income-increasing earnings manipulation.

Research limitations/implications

This study examines how affiliation with a listed entity as a subsidiary impacts the earnings quality of private companies. Future research could investigate the financial reporting practices of both private subsidiary firms and standalone private firms, comparing them in similar or differing regulatory environments across various countries.

Practical implications

The findings of this study will help investors, bankers, creditors and regulators to understand the financial reporting of private firms. The study calls for enhanced audit quality at the subsidiary level by making the auditor of the parent firm responsible for auditing a subsidiary, a practice that is currently absent in India.

Originality/value

The results contribute to the existing debate on how firms manage earnings using data of private firms in a large emerging market setting. Previous research has not paid enough attention to the earnings quality of private subsidiaries. The study also emphasizes the necessity for a more robust system of governance and supervision for private firms, particularly in India and generally in other countries.
A strategic evaluation of BIM-driven information management in the context of ISO 19650-2 standard
Authors: Kaya Uğur , Özener Ozan Önder
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper presents an in-depth evaluation of BIM-driven information management in the context of ISO 19650-2. The study aimed to understand and evaluate the existing mechanisms and the recommended activities and tasks of collaborative information management, particularly as the Turkish AEC organizations are currently implementing ISO 19650-2.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a qualitative research design based on information management stages of ISO 19650-2. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposefully selected professionals. The framework analyses were made with MAXQDA through conceptual coding to identify current drivers, challenges and incentives for BIM-driven information management. The frequencies of common themes, required tasks and semantic relationships were reported systematically and interpreted to provide a conceptual implementation map, practical insights and actionable recommendations.

Findings

The study results encompass strategies for establishing new tasks and implementation procedures to uphold business value by aligning information management standards with evolving project requirements, providing detailed and responsive EIRs, early use of CDEs, compliant production methods, clarity of roles and responsibilities, increased organizational capacity and capabilities, sustained planning and production quality and leveraging lessons learned.

Originality/value

The study provides evidence-based arguments and strategic insights for BIM-driven information management, focusing on the current implementation compatibilities with ISO 19650-2. Findings and discussions highlight the necessity of industry-wide transformations, reengineered activities/tasks and compliant information flows, which are crucial for adopting ISO 19650-2 and the formulation of national annex documents.
Signaling trust during disruptions: perceived gender differences in trustworthy leadership traits
Authors: Belasen Alan T. , Belasen Ariel R.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study aims to examine differences in the self-perception and value of four traits associated with trustworthiness: transparency, credibility, accountability and honesty to find out whether these traits are more likely to be adopted by female leaders during episodes of disruption.

Design/methodology/approach

Regression estimation of perceived trustworthy leadership values using a survey of full-time employed men and women in management working for various organizations.

Findings

Honesty emerged as the highest rated trait overall, both in the respondents’ self-measure and in their reflected level of desirability. However, women described their honesty as higher than how men relayed their honesty score. Both genders rated their own transparency as their lowest scoring trait and treated it as the least important of the desired traits. Relative to men, not only do women espouse to greater levels of honesty and value it more but they also appear to embrace honesty in their desired behaviors more highly.

Research limitations/implications

A natural extension of this study is to design a longitudinal study to show causality or whether socialized gender differences, in fact, play a role in measuring the value of trustworthy leadership during disruptions.

Practical implications

Understanding self-perceptions of leaders’ efficacy and desired expectations helps prepare both current and future leaders to regain followers’ trust, especially during disruptions. Lessons learned to date require investments in building awareness of leaders’ perceptions of trustworthiness and developing relevant skills for dealing with disruptions.

Originality/value

This research adds further insight to leadership studies by establishing a linkage between characteristics of trustworthy leadership and the ability to lead in challenging times. Cultivating traits of transparency, accountability, credibility and honesty enables leaders to develop the skills needed to be viewed as trustworthy and be prepared for the unexpected.
Sustainable entrepreneurship: examining stimulus-organism-response to the nexus of environment, education and motivation
Authors: Chahal Jyoti , Dagar Vishal , Shoukat Muhammad Haroon
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The multidimensional decision-making framework of sustainable entrepreneurship affects student behavior in higher education institutions. Thus, the sustainable entrepreneurship environment has long attracted scholars and policymakers. Based on “Stimulus Organism Response (SOR),” this study examines serial mediation of sustainable entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial motivation to link sustainable entrepreneurial environment and intentions. Further, it also explored the moderating role of a sustainable entrepreneurial environment.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative study was conducted with a sample of 408 students of Indian higher education institutes in NCR using a purposive sampling technique. Smart PLS-SEM was utilized for assessing the structural model, and a goodness-of-fit assessment was done with Amos 22.

Findings

The findings revealed the significant impact of a sustainable entrepreneurial environment on sustainable entrepreneurial education, motivation and sustainable entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, sustained entrepreneurial education has the most important influence on student motivation and considerable serial mediation. Also, the moderating role of a sustainable entrepreneurial environment was found to be significant for linkages of entrepreneurial motivation and sustainable entrepreneurial education with sustainable entrepreneurial intentions.

Practical implications

The study will assist HEIs and scholars in understanding the role of sustainability in entrepreneurial courses to increase student intentions to start sustainable businesses.

Social implications

This study helps policymakers and HEIs understand what motivates students to pursue sustainable entrepreneurship. This research might improve the well-being of education stakeholders and the community in achieving sustainable development goals.

Originality/value

The study is the first to analyze how sustainable entrepreneurial education and motivation serially mediate the link between a sustainable entrepreneurial environment and aspirations to establish a sustainable business and contribute to the existing literature of SOR from a new perspective.
Toxic marriage – Boeing and McDonnell Douglas
Authors: O’Brien Jamie , Licht John-Gabriel , Pahl Joy M.
Published: October 2024

Research methodology

Public data such as news reports, interviews and memos were used to craft the case. In addition, the technical reports released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), along with secondary data in the form of expert accounts and congressional hearings were used to round out the synopsis of the case study.

Case overview/synopsis

This case explores the Boeing–McDonnell Douglas merger and its impact on Boeing’s corporate culture, ethics and strategic decision-making. After the merger, Boeing shifted from a culture focused on engineering excellence to one emphasizing cost-cutting and shareholder value. This cultural shift contributed to the development failures and ethical lapses that resulted in the 737 MAX crisis, which involved two fatal crashes. The case is designed for courses in Strategic Management or Organizational Behavior.

Complexity academic level

Strategic Management or Organizational Behavior
Efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib vs best available therapy for polycythemia vera: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Roca Mora M. Meritxell , Afzal Farhan , Guimaraes Catharina Ribeiro , Cunha Luisa Marin , Godoi Amanda , Marcolin Patrícia , Valenzuela S Andrés
Published: October 2024

Ruxolitinib, a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, has been shown to have lower thromboembolism rates compared to placebo in polycythemia vera (PV) patients. This meta‐analysis evaluates ruxolitinib's efficacy and safety against best available therapy (BAT) in patients with PV and in hydroxyurea‐resistant/intolerant PV patients. A comprehensive literature search was conducted up to November 2023. We compared ruxolitinib and BAT for efficacy and safety endpoints. Six studies involving 1061 patients were analyzed, with 620 on BAT and 441 on ruxolitinib. Ruxolitinib showed higher hematocrit control (p = 0.015) and treatment response (p = 0.04) compared to BAT. It also significantly improved Myeloproliferative Neoplasms‐Symptom Assessment Form scores (MPN‐SAF) (p < 0.01). Additionally, patients with PV treated with ruxolitinib had higher rates of nonmelanoma skin cancer (p < 0.01). In subgroup analyses focusing on patients resistant or intolerant to hydroxyurea, ruxolitinib maintained its efficacy, significantly improving treatment response (p < 0.01) and significant improvements in MPN‐SAF (p = 0.02) score when compared to BAT. The safety profile was consistent with the overall analyses, showing significantly reduced thromboembolism rates (p = 0.04), increased rates of anemia (p = 0.01), and increased herpes zoster infections (p = 0.02). Ruxolitinib outperforms BAT in PV and patients with PV‐resistant or intolerant to hydroxyurea, offering better hematocrit control and reducing symptomatic burden and thromboembolism risk. Yet, it is associated with higher rates of anemia, herpes infection, and skin cancer.
Comparison of efficiency of PFA catheter designs by computer modeling
Authors: Belalcazar Andres , Heist E. Kevin
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Various catheter designs are appearing for Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA). It is unclear if they differ in terms of safety and efficiency. PFA studies have reported hemolysis, kidney injury, high troponin, among other side effects.

Methods

Using a CT‐derived computer model, we compared catheter designs using two metrics: (1) efficiency: power delivered to an atrial wall target, expressed as a percent of total generator power; and (2) safety: electric current to achieve 90% transmurality (since more energy causes more collateral effects), as well as the corresponding electrode current density (ECD), a heat and bubble metric. The following catheter designs were compared: penta‐spline basket, Nitinol spheres (focal 9 mm and large 1‐shot), circular, balloon, and flex‐circuit. Target was a 6 × 47 mm circumferential segment of atrial wall at LPV antrum. Transmurality was defined as percent of target having >600 volts per centimeter (V/cm) electric field needed for electroporation.

Results

Efficiency was 0.9, 1.4, 2.7, 5.9, 10, and 12% for the large 1‐shot and 9 mm Nitinol spheres, penta‐spline, circular, flex spline, and balloon catheters, respectively. Regarding safety, currents for 90% transmurality were 70, 39,36,12.5, 5.3, and 4 Amps for the same respective catheters, with less being safer. ECD was 124, 25, 74, 83, 41, and 31 A/cm2, respectively.

Conclusion

Computer models demonstrated a remarkable range in efficiency among catheters studied. Those having less atrial blood exposure had the highest efficiencies, with factors of up to 13X more efficiency compared to exposed ones. Higher efficiency designs have less collateral current and are safer. Confirmatory in‐vivo studies are required.
Patient's Perspective on Miniscrews During Orthodontic Treatment—A Systematic Review With Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Vale Francisco , Travassos Raquel , Couto Isabela , Ribeiro Madalena , Marques Filipa , Caramelo Francisco , Marto Carlos Miguel , Spagnuolo Gianrico , Paula Anabela Baptista , Nunes Catarina , Francisco Inês
Published: October 2024

During orthodontic treatment, undesirable reciprocal forces are generated during tooth movement, which explains the use of anchorage strategies to minimise their harmful effects through intra and/or extraoral appliances. Miniscrews are intraoral devices used for temporary skeletal anchorage. Miniscrews are small‐sized intraoral devices used for temporary skeletal anchorage and are easy to place and remove. However, some studies refer to adverse effects such as inflammation, pain, and discomfort. This systematic review aims to synthesise the available evidence on the use of miniscrews during orthodontic treatment from the patient's perspective. The literature search was conducted using various databases MedLine through PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, and EMBASE. A search was also carried out in the grey literature. The search terms used were “Orthodontic Anchorage Procedures,” “mini‐implant,” “Mini Dental Implant,” “Miniscrew,” and “microimplant.” Cochrane risk of bias tools was used to assess the quality of included studies. Patients tend to overestimate the pain inherent in this procedure. The insertion of micro implants is more accepted than the tooth extraction procedure, with less postoperative pain reported. The location, surgical technique, and type of anaesthesia used in the placement of miniscrews influence levels of discomfort. Additionally, the execution of a good surgical technique and the clinician's communication skills are factors that influence patient satisfaction and positive perception. The most frequent outcome reported is pain and discomfort, which varies depending on its location (less with mini interradicular screws than with extra‐alveolar screws). Most patients are satisfied or very satisfied with this application.
Oral/Perioral Reactions to Injectable Soft Tissue Fillers: A Clinicopathological Multicentric Study
Authors: Pires Fábio Ramoa , Said Aurélio Marcos Tsutyia , Netto Juliana de Noronha Santos , da Cruz Perez Danyel Elias , Bonan Paulo Rogério Ferreti , Martins Helder Domiciano Dantas , Kaminagakura Estela , Alves Fábio de Abreu , Martelli Júnior Hercílio , Machado Renato Assis , Lopes Márcio Ajudarte , Santos‐Silva Alan Roger , Vargas Pablo Agustin , Louredo Brendo Vinicius Rodrigues , Vega‐Memije María Elisa , Cano‐Aguilar Luis Enrique , Toussaint‐Caire Sonia , Monteiro Mariene da Silva , Fonseca Thamyres Campos , Romañach Mário José , Abrahão Aline Correa , Aguirre‐Urizar José Manuel , Lafuente Ibáñez‐de‐Mendoza Irene , Olmedo‐Campos Mireya , Mosqueda‐Taylor Adalberto
Published: October 2024

Objective

To analyze the characteristics of a series of oral reactions to injectable soft tissue fillers.

Materials and Methods

Cases diagnosed as oral reactions to injectable soft tissue fillers were selected from eight Pathology laboratories. Information was retrieved from the laboratory charts and from the review of the hematoxylin and eosin‐stained histological slides.

Results

The 151 patients showed a mean age of 54.9 years, and 136 (90.1%) were females. Mean time of onset was 20.4 months, and the lips were the most frequent location (72.8%). Most cases presented as asymptomatic isolated nodules, with a mean size of 17.4 mm. Silicone (38.5%), polymethylmetacrylate (33%), and hyaluronic acid (11.9%) were the three most common fillers. Granulomas, foamy macrophages, and multinucleated giant cells were observed in 44%, 51.5%, and 65.3% of the cases, respectively. Time of onset was shorter for males (p = 0.033), and symptoms were common in the upper lip, buccal mucosa, and lower vestibule (p = 0.010). Foamy macrophages were more common in association with silicone and collagen (p < 0.001), whereas multinucleated giant cells were more common in association with polymethylmetacrylate, hydroxiapatite, and polylactic acid (p = 0.012).

Conclusion

Clinicians should consider reactions to injectable soft tissue fillers when evaluating asymptomatic submucosal nodules affecting the lips of adult/older females.
Social mobility beliefs and attitudes toward redistribution: Potential explanatory mechanisms
Authors: Matamoros‐Lima Juan , Galdi Silvia , Moya Miguel , Willis Guillermo B.
Published: October 2024

Economic inequality is a significant problem of modern society, and redistributive policies are one of the most effective tools for reducing it. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of social mobility to understand attitudes toward redistribution. Across three preregistered studies (N = 2475; one cross‐sectional and two experimental) in different countries (Italy and Spain), we investigated the relationship between upward and downward societal mobility beliefs and attitudes toward redistribution, as well as potential explanatory mechanisms. Results showed that when people believe that it is easy to improve the socioeconomic status in their society, they oppose redistributive policies; conversely, when people believe that is difficult, they support redistributive policies. Importantly, meritocratic beliefs explained the upward mobility effect on redistribution, and perceived personal economic risks accounted for the downward mobility effect. Implications of these results for the design of policies to reduce economic inequality are discussed.
Fabrication of thick Cr masks for reactive ion substrate etching by electron beam lithography and lift-off techniques
Authors: Wang Deyong , Kristensen Peter Kjær , Chirumamilla Manohar , Pedersen Kjeld
Published: October 2024

Fabrication of tall Cr nanostructures of different shapes by lithography and lift-off processes is demonstrated. By varying resist thickness, metal layer thickness, and diameter of holes in the resist mask, it is demonstrated that metal structures with shapes ranging from sharp-tipped conical over flat-top cones to nearly cylindrical can be fabricated. A comparison of resist layer dissolution in acetone, covered by Ag and Cr films, reveals that Cr films grow with an open structure of particles that allow rapid solvent diffusion through Cr layers that are several hundred nanometers thick. On the other hand, the 2D growth of Ag on the resist forms a barrier against acetone diffusion. The open structure of Cr enables the lift-off process to fabricate several-μm-high nanostructures using a single resist layer. As an example, high-aspect-ratio Si structures are demonstrated by reactive ion etching using thick Cr layers as a mask, fabricating nanopillars with 3 μm height at room temperature.
Characterization of neurologic disease-associated
Streptococcus suis
strains within the United States swine herd and use of diagnostic tools
Authors: Santos Streauslin Jessica , Nielsen Daniel W. , Schwartz Kent J. , Derscheid Rachel J. , Magstadt Drew R. , Burrough Eric R. , Gauger Phillip C. , Schumacher Loni L. , Rahe Michael C. , Michael Alyona , Sitthicharoenchai Panchan , Siepker Christopher L. , Matias Ferreyra Franco , Nunes de Almeida Marcelo , Main Rodger , Bradner Laura K. , Hu Xiao , Li Ganwu , Poeta Silva Ana Paula S. , Sahin Orhan , Arruda Bailey L.
Published: October 2024

Streptococcus suis
negatively impacts swine health, posing diagnostic and preventative challenges.
S. suis
can induce disease and also quietly reside on mucosal surfaces. The limited use of diagnostic tools to identify disease-associated strains and rule out differential diagnoses, alongside the complex ecology of
S. suis
, poses significant challenges in comprehending this important pathogen and defining pathotypes. This study evaluated 2,379
S
.
suis
central nervous system (CNS) isolates from diagnostic submissions between 2015 and 2019. Isolates originating from submissions with histologic evidence of CNS infection (
n
= 1,032) were further characterized by standard and advanced diagnostic techniques. We identified 29
S
.
suis
serotypes and 4 reclassified serotypes as putative causes of CNS disease. Among these, serotypes 1 and 7 emerged as the predominant putative causes of CNS infection (32% of submissions). Furthermore, 51 sequence types (STs), of which 15 were novel, were detected with ST1 predominating. Through whole-genome sequencing of 145 isolates, we observed that five commonly used virulence-associated genes (VAGs;
epf
,
mrp
,
sly
,
ofs
, and
srtF
) were not present in most disease-associated isolates, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) yielded false-positive results in 7% of isolates. These data indicate that (i) clinical signs and site of isolation alone are insufficient for defining a pathotype, (ii)
S. suis
serotypes and STs associated with CNS infection are more diverse than previously reported, (iii) MALDI-TOF MS may need to be supplemented with additional diagnostic tools for precise
S. suis
identification, and (iv) VAGs remain an unreliable means for identifying isolates associated with CNS disease.

IMPORTANCE

Streptococcus suis
is an important and complex systemic bacterial pathogen of swine. Characterization of
S. suis
strains originating from pigs with histologic confirmation of neurologic disease is limited. Review of swine diagnostic submissions revealed that fewer than half of cases from which
S. suis
was isolated from the brain had histologic evidence of neurologic disease. This finding demonstrates that clinical signs and site of isolation alone are not sufficient for identifying a neurologic disease-associated strain. Characterization of strains originating from cases with evidence of disease using classic and advanced diagnostic techniques revealed that neurologic disease-associated strains are diverse and commonly lack genes previously associated with virulence.
Supplemental Material: Strength of viscous subduction interfaces: A global compilation
Authors: Abila Ana Lorena , al. et
Published: October 2024

 Input parameters, source material, and implemented viscous rheologies for modeled shear zones.  
Recurrence and resistance risk factors in low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia
Authors: Branco-Silva Mariza , Maestá Izildinha , Horowitz Neil , Elias Kevin , Seckl Michael , Berkowitz Ross
Published: October 2024

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is a group of rare but highly curable pregnancy‐related tumors, especially in low-risk cases. However, around 25% of patients with GTN develop either resistant or recurrent disease after initial chemotherapy. To enhance the understanding of the mechanisms driving treatment failures and to develop more personalized and effective therapeutic strategies, this review explored diverse factors influencing low-risk GTN prognosis. These factors include FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) risk score, histology, patient age, pregnancy type, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels, disease duration, tumor characteristics, metastasis, Doppler ultrasonography, and consolidation chemotherapy. Additionally, the review examined independent risk determinants for disease recurrence and resistance to single-agent chemotherapy in patients with low-risk GTN. In most previous studies on the risk factors related to low-risk GTN, resistance and recurrence have typically been examined independently, despite their overlapping and interrelated nature. Furthermore, they often involve small sample sizes, suffer from methodological shortcomings, and exhibit limited statistical power.

Studies utilizing multivariate analysis have shown that independent risk determinants for resistance to first-line treatment include FIGO score, metastatic disease, pre-treatment hCG level, interval between antecedent pregnancy and GTN diagnosis, tumor size, uterine artery pulsatility index (UAPI), choriocarcinoma, lung metastases, lung nodule size, and clearance hCG quartile. The independent predictive factors associated with recurrence include lung metastases, lung nodule size, interval between antecedent pregnancy and chemotherapy, interval from first chemotherapy to hCG normalization, post-delivery low-risk GTN, number of chemotherapy courses to achieve hCG normalization, and number of consolidation chemotherapy cycles. However, while these identified predictive factors offer valuable guidance, the variability in definitions and populations across studies may have implications for the generalizability of their findings. A comprehensive approach using clear definitions and taking into account multiple predictive factors may be necessary for accurately assessing the risk of resistance and recurrence in patients with low-risk GTN.
Double-mixing CP violation in B decays
Authors: Song Wen-Jie , Shen Yin-Fa , Qin Qin
Published: October 2024

We study a long-overlooked CP violation observable, termed double-mixing CP violation, which arises from the interference between two neutral meson oscillating paths involved in a decay chain. The double-mixing CP violation is beneficial for the precise test of the Standard Model CKM mechanism, as it offers the potential to extract weak phases without pollution from strong dynamics. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the double-mixing CP violation, we perform phenomenological analyses on the cascade decays of the $$B^0_d$$

B
d
0

and $$B^0_s$$

B
s
0

mesons. Our results show that the double-mixing CP violation can be very significant in certain decay channels, such as $$B^0_d \rightarrow J/\psi K \rightarrow J/\psi (\pi ^+\ell ^-{\bar{\nu }}_\ell )$$

B
d
0

→
J
/
ψ
K
→
J
/
ψ

(

π
+

ℓ
-

ν

¯

ℓ

)

, where the total CP violation arises almost entirely from the double-mixing CP violation. In addition, we employ the decay process $$B^0_d \rightarrow D^0 K \rightarrow (K^-\pi ^+)(\pi \ell \nu )$$

B
d
0

→

D
0

K
→

(

K
-

π
+

)

(
π
ℓ
ν
)

to demonstrate that the involved strong and weak phases can be directly determined from the experimental data without any theoretical inputs. Specifically, the overall weak phase of this process is $$2\beta +\gamma $$

2
β
+
γ

, which is of significant importance for extracting the CKM phase angles. We also use $$B^0_s \rightarrow \rho ^0 K \rightarrow \rho ^0(\pi ^-\ell ^+\nu _\ell )$$

B
s
0

→

ρ
0

K
→

ρ
0

(

π
-

ℓ
+

ν
ℓ

)

to illustrate and discuss the significant importance of $$K^0_S - K^0_L$$

K
S
0

-

K
L
0

interference.
Disentangling the development of collective flow in high energy proton proton collisions with a multiphase transport model
Authors: Zheng Liang , Liu Lian , Lin Zi-Wei , Shou Qi-Ye , Yin Zhong-Bao
Published: October 2024

In this work, we investigate the collective flow development in high energy proton proton (pp) collisions with a multiphase transport model (AMPT) based on PYTHIA8 initial conditions with a sub-nucleon structure. It is found that the PYTHIA8 based AMPT model can reasonably describe both the charged hadron productions and elliptic flow experimental data measured in pp collisions at $$\sqrt{s}=13$$

s

=
13

TeV. By turning on the parton and hadron rescatterings in AMPT separately, we find that the observed collective flow in pp collisions is largely developed during the parton evolution, while no significant flow effect can be generated with the pure hadronic rescatterings. It is also shown that the parton escape mechanism is important for describing both the magnitude of the two-particle cumulant and the sign of the four-particle cumulants. We emphasize that the strong mass ordering of the elliptic flow results from the coalescence process in the transport model and can thus be regarded as unique evidence related to the creation of deconfined parton matter in high energy pp collisions.
Time delay of light in the gravitational lensing of supermassive black holes in dark matter halos
Authors: Qiao Chen-Kai , Su Ping
Published: October 2024

The dark matter halo has non-negligible effects on the gravitational lensing of supermassive black hole in the galaxy center. Our work presents a study on the time-delay of light in gravitational lensing of black holes enclosed by dark matter halos. To provide a precise description on the distribution of dark matter in galaxies, we choose several famous phenomenological dark matter halo models in astrophysics, including the NFW, Beta, Burkert and Moore models, to carry out the present study. Through numerically calculating the time-delay of light in gravitational lensing, a comparative analysis of the dark matter effects within different halo models has been performed. Assuming typical length scales associated with the galactic gravitational lensing, numerical results indicate that the NFW, Beta, Burkert and Moore dark matter halos can significantly enhance the time delay of light in gravitational lenisng of central supermassive black holes. The enhancing effect becomes more pronounced with a small dark matter halo scale and an increasing dark matter halo mass.
On the stability of electrovacuum space-times in scalar–tensor gravity
Authors: Bronnikov Kirill A. , Bolokhov Sergei V. , Skvortsova Milena V. , Ibadov Rustam , Shaymanova Feruza Y.
Published: October 2024

We study the behavior of static, spherically symmetric solutions to the field equations of scalar–tensor theories (STT) of gravity belonging to the Bergmann–Wagoner–Nordtvedt class, in the presence of an electric and/or magnetic charge. This class of theories includes the Brans–Dicke, Barker and Schwinger STT as well as nonminimally coupled scalar fields with an arbitrary parameter $$\xi $$
ξ
. The study is restricted to canonical (nonphantom) versions of the theories and scalar fields without a self-interaction potential. Only radial (monopole) perturbations are considered as the most likely ones to cause an instability. The static background solutions contain naked singularities, but we formulate the boundary conditions in such a way that would preserve their meaning if a singularity is smoothed, for example, due to quantum gravity effects. These boundary conditions look more physical than those used by other authors. Since the solutions of all STT under study are related by conformal transformations, the stability problem for all of them reduces to the same wave equation, but the boundary conditions for perturbations (and sometimes the boundaries themselves) are different in different STT, which affects the stability results. The stability or instability conclusions are obtained for different branches of solutions in the theories under consideration and are presented in a table form.
Letter from SIGecom Executive Committee
Authors: Immorlica Nicole , Kominers Scott Duke , Ligett Katrina
Published: October 2024

Part-way through the first year of our tenure as the SIGecom executive board, the pandemic turned everything upside-down. The SIG faced enormous challenges and uncertainty as a result. But as the past year especially demonstrates, our conference series have emerged changed but vibrant---and our community remains strong and growing.
Research Challenges in Internet Ad Markets: Vignettes on Complex Environments
Authors: Bhawalkar Kshipra , Guruganesh Guru , Lahaie Sébastien , Perlroth Andres , Sivan Balasubramanian
Published: October 2024

Internet ad markets have been a great source of motivation and challenging problems for the Economics and Computation community. The practical design of these ad markets has also greatly benefited from advances in the Economics and Computation community. Through a series of vignettes, we aim to highlight interesting challenges in modern internet ad markets, born out of a Google perspective. In this first article, we focus on a few particular auction design and optimization questions motivated by the Sponsored Search and Display Ads markets. We hope these articles spur further progress in the research community and in industry.
Settling the Efficiency of the First-Price Auction
Authors: Jin Yaonan , Lu Pinyan
Published: October 2024

We survey the main result from [Jin and Lu 2022]: For the first-price auction, the tight Price of Anarchy is 1 - 1/e
2
≈ 0.8647, which closes the gap between the best known bounds [0.7430, 0.8689].
How Differential Privacy Impacts Data Elicitation
Authors: Ziani Juba
Published: October 2024

Many studies and online platforms rely on data from individuals to learn properties of a population or train data-driven services and recommendation systems. However, this data is often sensitive or private, and individuals may be unwilling to share personal information. At the same time, the introduction of
Differential Privacy
has given us a formal and principled way to protect the privacy of individuals. Differential Privacy adds noise to the data or the learner's computation to "hide" the data of any specific individual, while still permitting to learn properties at the level of a population.

In this letter, we discuss our recent work on how one may use differential privacy to increase individuals' willingness to share their personal information. We are particularly interested in understanding the following trade-off: on the one hand, providing more privacy requires adding more noise, which leads to less accurate models; on the other hand, providing more privacy allows more individuals to share their personal data, leading to better models. The main challenges are two-fold: i) we may need to provide different levels of privacy protections to individuals with differing privacy preferences and ii) we aim to incentivize individuals to share their data without payments, but instead through the utility they obtain from the data-driven service offered by the learner.
Interview with Juba Ziani
Authors: Bechavod Yahav
Published: October 2024

In his winter meeting tutorial, Juba Ziani presented an overview of recent advancements in the rapidly evolving field of algorithmic fairness. Dr. Ziani is an assistant professor at the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the design of markets for data, data privacy, fairness in machine learning and decision-making, and strategic considerations in machine learning. Dr. Ziani's recent work explores the effects that opacity of algorithmic decision-making policies may have on the ability of individuals from different sub-populations to improve. In particular, it introduces a framework which is based on individuals learning about the policy from their peer networks, and demonstrates how information gaps between different sub-populations may result in an increased level of disparity. In an interview after the winter meeting, Dr. Ziani shared some of his thoughts on research on algorithmic fairness.
Tractable Choice
Authors: Camara Modibo K.
Published: October 2024

Models in economics and game theory often assume that people behave as if they can solve very complex problems, which can lead to misleading conclusions. To address this, I propose that we supplement the theory of rational choice with a theory of
tractable choice.
Tractable choice asks what an individual can accomplish using resources like time, memory, or data, which are often in short supply. The field of economics has been disciplined when it comes to insisting that choices in models be rational, but is less diligent in requiring that choices be tractable under reasonable assumptions about what resources are available. Fortunately, theoretical computer science has developed deep insights and powerful frameworks for understanding tractability. Using a recent paper as a case study, I argue that tractability is a first-order concern when studying behavior.