bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The tyrosine phosphatase PRL regulates attachment of Toxoplasma gondii to host cells and is essential for virulence
Authors: Yang Chunlin , Blakely William J. , Arrizabalaga Gustavo
Published: January 2022

The pathogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii is mainly due to tissue damage caused by the repeating lytic cycles of the parasite. Many proteins localized to the pellicle of the parasite, particularly kinases, have been identified as critical regulators of the Toxoplasma lytic cycle. However, little is known about the associated protein phosphatases. Phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL), a highly conserved tyrosine phosphatase, is an oncogene that plays pivotal roles in mammalian cells and typically associates with membranes via a conserved prenylation site. PRL in Toxoplasma has a predicted prenylation motif in the C-terminus like other homologs. We have determined that TgPRL localizes to the plasma membrane and that disruption of TgPRL results in a defect in the parasite’s ability to attach to host cells. This function is dependent both on TgPRL’s membrane localization and phosphatase activity. Importantly, in vivo experiments have shown that while mice infected with parental strain parasites die within days of infection, those infected with parasites lacking TgPRL not only survive but also develop immunity that confers protection against subsequent infection with wild-type parasites. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that the PRL-CNNM (Cyclin M) complex, which regulates intracellular Mg2+ homeostasis in mammalian cells, is also present in Toxoplasma. Consistent with this interaction, parasites lacking TgPRL had higher intracellular Mg2+ levels than the parental or complemented strains, suggesting TgPRL is involved in regulating intracellular Mg2+ homeostasis. Thus, TgPRL is a vital regulator of the Toxoplasma lytic cycle and virulence, showing its potential as a target of therapeutic intervention.

IMPORTANCE

Infection with Toxoplasma gondii can lead to severe and even life-threatening diseases in people with compromised or suppressed immune systems. Unfortunately, drugs to combat the parasite are limited, highly toxic, and ineffective against the chronic stage of the parasite. Consequently, there is a strong demand for the discovery of new treatments. A comprehensive understanding of how the parasite propagates in the host cells and which proteins contribute to the parasite’s virulence will facilitate the discovery of new drug targets. Our study meets this objective and adds new insights to understanding the lytic cycle regulation and virulence of Toxoplasma by determining that the protein phosphatase TgPRL plays a vital role in the parasite’s ability to attach to host cells and that it is essential for parasite virulence.
Estimating Under-diagnosis of Patients in Chronically-ill Populations
Authors: Stocking Andrew , Duncan Ian , Huynh Nhan
Published: January 2022

Diagnosis coding in administrative data is known to be inconsistent and incomplete, introducing inaccurate assessment of patients’ health outcomes. The under-diagnosis of members with a target chronic condition reduces the correlation of that chronic condition with associated events. Yet, only a few studies have evaluated the extent of under-reporting of chronic conditions in administrative data. In this study, we developed a novel framework to identify latent members, or those who have not yet been identified with a target chronic condition through claims-based diagnosis but are likely to have some degree of the condition. We applied our innovative approach to estimate the prevalence of a chronic-related event, based on the population of observed and latent members. We provided a detailed illustration that treats incontinence as our target chronic condition while examining four types of incontinence-related events: urinary-tract infections (UTIs), slips and falls, dermatitis, and behavioral disruptions. All analysis relied on the 5% Medicare sample for a continuously enrolled cohort between 2014-2018. Using our novel approach, we were able to increase our identification of incontinence from the 11.2% diagnosed in 2018 to an estimated prevalence in 2018 of 34.7% among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries over the age of 65. Similarly, our estimation of UTIs associated with those with incontinence increased from 38% to 68%, from 20% to 41% for IAD, 22% to 54% for slips and falls, and from 26% to 57% for behavior disruptions.
Metabolic strategies shared by basement residents of the Lost City hydrothermal field
Authors: Brazelton William J. , McGonigle Julia M. , Motamedi Shahrzad , Pendleton H. Lizethe , Twing Katrina I. , Miller Briggs C. , Lowe William J. , Hoffman Alessandrina M. , Prator Cecilia A. , Chadwick Grayson L. , Anderson Rika E. , Thomas Elaina , Butterfield David A. , Aquino Karmina A. , Früh-Green Gretchen L. , Schrenk Matthew O. , Lang Susan Q.
Published: January 2022

Alkaline fluids venting from chimneys of the Lost City hydrothermal field flow from a potentially vast microbial habitat within the seafloor where energy and organic molecules are released by chemical reactions within rocks uplifted from Earth’s mantle. In this study, we investigated hydrothermal fluids venting from Lost City chimneys as windows into subseafloor environments where the products of geochemical reactions, such as hydrogen (H2), formate, and methane, may be the only available sources of energy for biological activity. Our deep sequencing of metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from these hydrothermal fluids revealed a few key species of archaea and bacteria that are likely to play critical roles in the subseafloor microbial ecosystem. We identified a population of Thermodesulfovibrionales (belonging to phylum Nitrospirae) as a prevalent sulfate-reducing bacterium that may be responsible for much of the consumption of H2 and sulfate in Lost City fluids. Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) classified as Methanosarcinaceae and Candidatus Bipolaricaulota were also recovered from venting fluids and represent potential methanogenic and acetogenic members of the subseafloor ecosystem. These genomes share novel hydrogenases and formate dehydrogenase-like sequences that may be unique to hydrothermal and subsurface alkaline environments where hydrogen and formate are much more abundant than carbon dioxide. The results of this study include multiple examples of metabolic strategies that appear to be advantageous in hydrothermal and subsurface environments where energy and carbon are provided by geochemical reactions.

IMPORTANCE

The Lost City hydrothermal field is an iconic example of a microbial ecosystem fueled by energy and carbon from Earth’s mantle. Uplift of mantle rocks into the seafloor can trigger a process known as serpentinization that releases hydrogen and creates unusual environmental conditions where simple organic carbon molecules are more stable than dissolved inorganic carbon. This study provides an initial glimpse into the kinds of microbes that live deep within the seafloor where serpentinization takes place, by sampling hydrothermal fluids exiting from the Lost City chimneys. The metabolic strategies that these microbes appear to be using are also shared by microbes that inhabit other sites of serpentinization, including continental subsurface environments and natural springs. Therefore, the results of this study contribute to a broader, interdisciplinary effort to understand the general principles and mechanisms by which serpentinization-associated processes can support life on Earth and perhaps other worlds.
The chromosome-scale genome assembly of Jasminum sambac var. unifoliatum provide insights into the formation of floral fragrance
Authors: Zhou Chengzhe , Zhu Chen , Tian Caiyun , Xie Siyi , Xu Kai , Huang Linjie , Wen Shengjing , Zhang Cheng , Lai Zhongxiong , Lin Yuling , Guo Yuqiong
Published: January 2022

The high-quality genome assembly of the JSU-FSP provides valuable information on how jasmine produces the abundant VTs and VPBs that synergistically contribute to the pleasant aroma of jasmine flower.
Norepinephrine and dopamine contribute to distinct repetitive behaviors induced by novel odorant stress in male and female mice
Authors: Lustberg Daniel J. , Liu Joyce Q. , Iannitelli Alexa F. , Vanderhoof Samantha O. , Liles L. Cameron , McCann Katharine E. , Weinshenker David
Published: January 2022

Exposure to unfamiliar odorants induces an array of repetitive defensive and non-defensive behaviors in rodents which likely reflect adaptive stress responses to the uncertain valence of novel stimuli. Mice genetically deficient for dopamine β-hydroxylase (Dbh−/−) lack the enzyme required to convert dopamine (DA) into norepinephrine (NE), resulting in globally undetectable NE and supranormal DA levels. Because catecholamines modulate novelty detection and reactivity, we investigated the effects of novel plant-derived odorants on repetitive behaviors in Dbh−/− mice and Dbh+/− littermate controls, which have catecholamine levels comparable to wild-type mice. Unlike Dbh+/− controls, which exhibited vigorous digging in response to novel odorants, Dbh−/− mice displayed excessive grooming. Drugs that block NE synthesis or neurotransmission suppressed odorant-induced digging in Dbh+/− mice, while a DA receptor antagonist attenuated grooming in Dbh−/− mice. The testing paradigm elicited high circulating levels of corticosterone regardless of Dbh genotype, indicating that NE is dispensable for this systemic stress response. Odorant exposure increased NE and DA abundance in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of Dbh+/− mice, while Dbh−/− animals lacked NE and had elevated PFC DA levels that were unaffected by novel smells. Together, these findings suggest that novel odorant-induced increases in central NE tone contribute to repetitive digging and reflect psychological stress, while central DA signaling contributes to repetitive grooming. Further, we have established a simple method for repeated assessment of stress-induced repetitive behaviors in mice, which may be relevant for modeling neuropsychiatric disorders like Tourette syndrome or obsessive-compulsive disorder that are characterized by stress-induced exacerbation of compulsive symptoms.
Environmental change alters nitrogen fixation rates and microbial parameters in a subarctic biological soil crust
Authors: Salazar Alejandro , Warshan Denis , Vasquez-Mejia Clara , Andrésson Ólafur S.
Published: January 2022

Together, Biological Soil Crust (BSC) and other cryptogamic groundcovers can contribute up to half of the global nitrogen (N) fixation. BSC also stabilizes the soil (reducing erosion and dust emissions), fixes carbon (C), retains moisture, and acts as a hotspot of microbial diversity and activity. Much of the knowledge about how climate change is affecting the composition and functioning of BSC comes from hot arid and semiarid regions. The comparatively smaller body of research on BSC from cold and mesic environments has been primarily observational, for example along chronosequences after a glacier retreat. Few studies have experimentally investigated the effects of the environment on BSC from high latitudes. Such experiments allow unraveling of relationships at a resolution that can only be achieved by controlling for confounding factors. We measured short-term (2-4 days) responses of a liverwort-based (Anthelia juratzkana) BSC from the south of Iceland to a range of temperature, moisture and light conditions. Warming increased N fixation rates, especially when moisture was at a saturation level, and only when light was not limiting. A correlation analysis suggests that increases in N fixation rates were linked to cyanobacterial abundance on the BSC surface and to the rates of their metabolic activity. Warming and moisture changes also induced compositional and structural modification of the bacterial community, with consequences at the functional level. In contrast to many observations on BSC from hot drylands, the BSC from our cold and mesic study site is more limited by low temperature and light than by moisture. Our findings show possible ways in which BSC from cold and mesic ecosystems can respond to short-term manifestations of climate change, such as increasingly frequent heat waves.
ARPC5 Isoforms and Their Regulation by Calcium-Calmodulin-N-WASP Drive Distinct Arp2/3-dependent Actin Remodeling Events in CD4 T Cells
Authors: Sadhu Lopamudra , Tsopoulidis Nikolaos , Laketa Vibor , Way Michael , Fackler Oliver T.
Published: January 2022

Arp2/3-dependent formation of nuclear F-actin networks of different morphology and stability is observed in an increasing number of biological processes. In CD4 T cells, T cell receptor (TCR) signaling induces cytoplasmic and nuclear F-actin assembly via Arp2/3 to strengthen contacts to antigen presenting cells and to regulate gene expression, respectively. How Arp2/3 complex is regulated to mediate these distinct actin polymerization events in response to a common stimulus is unknown. Arp2/3-complex consists of 7 subunits where ARP3, ARPC1 and ARPC5 exist as two different isoforms in humans that can assemble in complexes with different properties. Examining whether specific Arp2/3 subunit isoforms govern distinct actin remodeling events in CD4 T cells, we find that the ARPC5L isoform drives nuclear actin polymerization, while cytoplasmic actin dynamics and TCR proximal signalling selectively relies on ARPC5. In contrast, formation of stable nuclear F-actin networks triggered by DNA replication stress in CD4 T cells requires ARPC5 and is independent of ARPC5L. Moreover, nuclear actin polymerization induced by TCR signaling but not by DNA replication stress is controlled by nuclear calcium-calmodulin signalling and N-WASP. Specific ARPC5 isoforms thus govern Arp2/3 complex activity in distinct actin polymerization events. ARPC5 isoform diversity thus emerges as a mechanism to tailor Arp2/3 activity to different physiological stimuli.
Visual uncertainty unveils the distinct role of haptic cues in multisensory grasping
Authors: Camponogara Ivan , Volcic Robert
Published: January 2022

Multisensory grasping movements (i.e., seeing and feeling a handheld object while grasping it with the contralateral hand) are superior to movements guided by each separate modality. This multisensory advantage might be driven by the integration of vision with either the haptic position only or with both position and size cues. To contrast these two hypotheses, we manipulated visual uncertainty (central vs. peripheral vision) and the availability of haptic cues during multisensory grasping. We showed a multisensory benefit irrespective of the degree of visual uncertainty suggesting that the integration process involved in multisensory grasping can be flexibly modulated by the contribution of each modality. Increasing visual uncertainty revealed the role of the distinct haptic cues. The haptic position cue was sufficient to promote multisensory benefits evidenced by faster actions with smaller grip apertures, whereas the haptic size was fundamental in fine-tuning the grip aperture scaling. These results support the hypothesis that, in multisensory grasping, vision is integrated with all haptic cues, with the haptic position cue playing the key part. Our findings highlight the important role of non-visual sensory inputs in sensorimotor control and hint at the potential contributions of the haptic modality in developing and maintaining visuomotor functions.
The rates of adult neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis are linked to cell cycle regulation through p27-dependent gene repression of SOX2
Authors: Domingo-Muelas Ana , Morante-Redolat Jose Manuel , Moncho-Amor Verónica , Jordán-Pla Antonio , Pérez-Villalba Ana , Carrillo-Barberà Pau , Belenguer Germán , Porlan Eva , Kirstein Martina , Bachs Oriol , Ferrón Sacri R. , Lovell-Badge Robin , Fariñas Isabel
Published: January 2022

Cell differentiation involves profound changes in global gene expression that often have to occur in coordination with cell cycle exit. Because cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 reportedly regulates proliferation of neural progenitor cells in the subependymal neurogenic niche of the adult mouse brain, but can also have effects on gene expression, we decided to molecularly analyze its role in adult neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis. At the cell level, we show that p27 restricts residual cyclin-dependent kinase activity after mitogen withdrawal to antagonize cycling, but it is not essential for cell cycle exit. Contrasting gene expression with chromatin accessibility, we find that p27 is coincidentally necessary to globally repress many genes involved in the transit from multipotentiality to differentiation, including those coding for neural progenitor transcription factors SOX2, OLIG2, and ASCL1. Our data reveal both direct association of p27 with regulatory sequences in the three genes and an additional hierarchical relationship where p27 repression of the Sox2 gene leads to reduced levels of SOX2-downstream targets Olig2 and Ascl1. In vivo, p27 is also required for the regulation of the proper level of SOX2 necessary for neuroblasts and oligodendroglial progenitor cells to timely exit cell cycle in a lineage-dependent manner.
SNTA1 Gene Rescues Ion Channel Function in Cardiomyocytes Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reprogrammed from Muscular Dystrophy Patients with Arrhythmias
Authors: Jimenez-Vazquez Eric N , Arad Michael , Macías Álvaro , Vera-Pedrosa Maria Linarejos , Cruz-Uréndez Francisco M. , Cuttitta Ashley J , Da Rocha André Monteiro , Herron Todd J , Ponce-Balbuena Daniela , Guerrero-Serna Guadalupe , Binah Ofer , Michele Daniel E , Jalife José
Published: January 2022

Patients with cardiomyopathy of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) are at risk of developing life-threatening arrhythmias, but the mechanisms are unknown. We aimed to determine the role of cardiac ion channels controlling cardiac excitability in the mechanisms of arrhythmias in DMD patients. To test whether cardiac dystrophin mutations lead to defective NaV1.5–Kir2.1 channelosomes and arrhythmias, we generated iPSC-CMs from two hemizygous DMD males, a heterozygous female, and two unrelated controls. Two Patients had abnormal ECGs with frequent runs of ventricular tachycardia. iPSC-CMs from all DMD patients showed abnormal action potential profiles, slowed conduction velocities, and reduced sodium (INa) and inward rectifier potassium (IK1) currents. Membrane NaV1.5 and Kir2.1 protein levels were reduced in hemizygous DMD iPSC-CMs but not in heterozygous iPSC-CMs. Remarkably, transfecting just one component of the dystrophin protein complex (α1-syntrophin) in hemizygous iPSC-CMs restored channelosome function, INa and IK1 densities and action potential profile. We provide the first demonstration that iPSC-CMs reprogrammed from skin fibroblasts of DMD patients with cardiomyopathy have a dysfunction of the NaV1.5-Kir2.1 channelosome, with consequent reduction of cardiac excitability and conduction. Altogether, iPSC-CMs from patients with DMD cardiomyopathy have a NaV1.5-Kir2.1 channelosome dysfunction, which can be rescued by the scaffolding protein α1-syntrophin to restore excitability.
Functional and structural deficiencies of Gemin5 variants associated with neurological disease
Authors: Francisco-Velilla Rosario , Embarc-Buh Azman , Caño-Ochoa Francisco del , Abellan Salvador , Vilar Marçal , Alvarez Sara , Fernandez-Jaen Alberto , Kour Sukhleen , Rajan Deepa , Pandey Udai Bhan , Ramón-Maiques Santiago , Martinez-Salas Encarnacion
Published: January 2022

Dysfunction of RNA-binding proteins are often linked to a wide range of human disease in general, and particularly with neurological conditions. Gemin5 is a member of the survival of motor neuron (SMN) complex, a ribosome-binding protein and a translation reprogramming factor. Recently, pathogenic mutations in Gemin5 protein have been reported but the functional consequences of these variants remain elusive. Here we report functional and structural deficiencies associated with compound heterozygosity variants within theGemin5gene found in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. These clinical variants are located in key domains of Gemin5, the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR)-like dimerization module and the non-canonical RNA-binding site 1 (RBS1). We show that the TPR-like variants disrupt protein dimerization while the RBS1 variant confers protein instability. All mutants are defective in the interaction with protein networks involved in translation and RNA-driven pathways. Importantly, the TPR-like variants fail to associate with native ribosomes, abolishing the cap-dependent and selective translation control of Gemin5, and establishing a functional difference with the wild type protein. Our study provides a molecular basis of disease associated with malfunction of Gemin5 protein.
The role of the orbitofrontal cortex in creating cognitive maps
Authors: Costa Kauê Machado , Scholz Robert , Lloyd Kevin , Moreno-Castilla Perla , Gardner Matthew P. H. , Dayan Peter , Schoenbaum Geoffrey
Published: January 2022

We use internal models of the external world to guide behavior, but little is known about how these cognitive maps are created. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is typically thought to access these maps to support model-based decision-making, but it has recently been proposed that its critical contribution may be instead to integrate information into existing and new models. We tested between these alternatives using an outcome-specific devaluation task and a high-potency chemogenetic approach. We found that selectively inactivating OFC principal neurons when rats learned distinct cue-outcome associations, but prior to outcome devaluation, disrupted subsequent model-based inference, confirming that the OFC is critical for creating new cognitive maps. However, OFC inactivation surprisingly led to generalized devaluation. Using a novel reinforcement learning framework, we demonstrate that this effect is best explained not by a switch to a model-free system, as would be traditionally assumed, but rather by a circumscribed deficit in defining credit assignment precision during model construction. We conclude that the critical contribution of the OFC to learning is regulating the specificity of associations that comprise cognitive maps.

One Sentence Summary

OFC inactivation impairs learning of new specific cue-outcome associations without disrupting model-based learning in general.
Two AGO proteins with transposon-derived sRNA cargo mark the germline in Arabidopsis
Authors: Bradamante Gabriele , Nguyen Vu Hoang , Incarbone Marco , Meir Zohar , Bente Heinrich , Donà Mattia , Lettner Nicole , Scheid Ortrun Mittelsten , Gutzat Ruben
Published: January 2022

Summary paragraph

In sexually propagating organisms, genetic and epigenetic mutations are evolutionarily relevant only if they occur in the germline and provide inherited information to the next generation. In contrast to most animals, plants are thought to lack an early segregating germline, implying that somatic cells can contribute genetic information to the progeny. Here we demonstrate that two ARGONAUTE proteins, AGO5 and AGO9, mark an early-segregating germline. Both AGOs are loaded with dynamically changing populations of small RNAs derived from highly methylated, pericentromeric, long transposons. Sequencing single nuclei revealed that many of these transposons are co-expressed within an AGO5/9 expression domain of the shoot apical meristem (SAM). This indicates a host-parasite tug of war and specific silencing pathways along the plant germline throughout development. Our results open the path to investigate transposon biology and epigenome dynamics at cellular resolution in the SAM stem cell niche.
Board composition and firm performance: empirical evidence from Indian companies
Authors: Goel Archana , Dhiman Rahul , Rana Sudhir , Srivastava Vimal
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study aims to know whether board composition is effective in improving firm performance and particularly to determine whether this relationship varies across different levels of performance, that is, companies with very low performance, low performance, moderate performance, high performance and very high performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a data set covering 213 Indian companies registered on S&P Bombay Stock Exchange 500 Index over the period 2001 to 2019 by using Tobin'sQas a performance parameter. The study applies the quantile regression technique and compares the results with fixed effect generalized least squares (GLS) regression.

Findings

The findings reveal that board size positively affects the company's performance across all quantiles. Independent directors negatively impact the performance of companies across all quantiles. However, the strength of these relationships increases with increase in performance, thereby supporting agency theory and stewardship theory, respectively. The effect of executive directors on the performance of the companies varies across quantiles. The effect is adverse at moderate and high quantiles only.

Practical implications

The findings provide some grounds for regulators to exercise caution while designing board composition guidelines, keeping in mind the unique internal environment of each company which ultimately affects their performance levels. Similarly, Indian companies are also suggested to compose their boards keeping in mind their performance levels.

Originality/value

The study contributes towards the debate on the board composition and firm performance relationship by adding to the agency theory and stewardship theory that all the companies cannot have the similar board composition. Rather its composition depends upon the performance levels of the companies.
How CSR and well-being affect work-related outcomes: a hospitality industry perspective
Authors: Guzzo Renata F. , Abbott JéAnna , Lee Minwoo
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze how hospitality industry employees’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and participation in CSR activities influence their well-being and loyalty boosterism.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the positive psychology approach of well-being (hedonic and eudaimonic dimensions) and the affect theory of social exchange, a survey of hospitality employees was conducted to test the theoretical model.

Findings

Employees’ perceptions of CSR significantly influenced their participation in CSR activities. CSR participation positively influenced employees’ hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, which in turn influenced their loyalty boosterism. The mediation effects of well-being and the sequential mediation effects of CSR activity participation and well-being were also significant in the relationships mentioned above.

Research limitations/implications

While panel data offer many advantages, they also have limitations. The authors, therefore, suggest future studies replicate their conceptual model and empirically test it through firms well known for their CSR. In addition, future studies may cover the whole hospitality industry to enhance generalizability.

Practical implications

By exploring the connection between employees’ CSR perceptions and participation, this research can help hospitality practitioners develop more engaging CSR strategies and activities, which in turn can foster employees’ well-being and enhance their loyalty boosterism.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to empirically demonstrate the effect of CSR in both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being and to explore the connection between employee perceptions of CSR and participation in CSR activities.
Youth labor market vulnerabilities: evidence from Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia
Authors: Alazzawi Shireen , Hlasny Vladimir
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the prevalence and drivers of employment vulnerability among youth in Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia, and their propensity to transition to better jobs over time.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is based on longitudinal data from Labor Market Panel Surveys spanning 6–20 years. The authors use transition matrices to examine the prevalence of transitions between labor market statuses for the same individuals over time, distinguishing between youth and non-youth, and men and women, as well as multinomial logistic regressions that control for individual and family background, including previous labor market status, family wealth and parental education.

Findings

The paper finds that youth in all three countries were disadvantaged in terms of labor market outcomes with most young men in particular ending up in vulnerable jobs while women of all ages were most likely to exit the labor market all together, unless they had formal jobs. Moreover, youth who started out in the labor market in a vulnerable job were unlikely to move to a better-quality job over time. Family wealth, parental education and father's occupation were found to be important determinants of labor market outcomes and vulnerability, even after a long period of work experience.

Social implications

The paper finds that wealth effects, parental education and occupation effects follow workers throughout their careers, implying low equality of opportunity and inter-generational and lifetime mobility.

Originality/value

The findings indicate worsening labor market outcomes over time, heavily influenced by family background. High levels of vulnerable employment persistence, regardless of skill and experience, reinforce the importance of initial labor market outcome on the quality of lifetime employment prospects.
Tradition-driven business models at luxury companies: revealing value-creation and value-capture activities
Authors: Franco Stefano , Presenza Angelo , Messeni Petruzzelli Antonio , Peruffo Enzo
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore how luxury companies can use knowledge embedded in tradition to set up effective business models.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the limited coverage in previous literature regarding the manner in which tradition can be leveraged by companies to create and capture value, this paper adopts a qualitative approach, i.e. the exploratory analysis of a single case study, namely, that of the high-end Italian hotel Borgo Egnazia.

Findings

Within a focus on luxury firms, this paper conceptualizes the tradition-driven business model highlighting activities aimed at creating and capturing value by using knowledge embedded in tradition. Combining value creation and value capture with tacit and codified knowledge, the authors are able to highlight the components of a business model that uses tradition as its main distinctive resource.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore how companies use tradition to create and capture value.
Dominant marine heterotrophic flagellates are adapted to natural planktonic bacterial abundances
Authors: Rodríguez‐Martínez Raquel , Vaqué Dolors , Forn Irene , Massana Ramon
Published: January 2022

Grazing controls bacterial abundances and composition in many ecosystems. In marine systems, heterotrophic flagellates (HFs) are important predators. Assemblages of HFs are primarily formed by species still uncultured; therefore, many aspects of their trophic behaviour are poorly known. Here, we assessed the functional response of the whole assemblage and of four taxa grown in an unamended seawater incubation. We used fluorescently labelled bacteria to create a prey gradient of two orders of magnitude in abundance and estimated ingestion rates. Natural HFs had a half‐saturation constant of 6.7 × 105 prey ml−1, a value lower than that of cultured flagellates and within the range of marine planktonic bacterial abundances. Minorisa minuta was well adapted to low prey abundances and very efficient in ingesting bacteria. MAST‐4 and MAST‐7 were also well adapted to the typical marine abundances but less voracious. In contrast, Paraphysomonas imperforata, a typical cultured species, did not achieve ingestion rate saturation even at the highest prey concentration assayed. Our study, beside to set the basis for the fundamental differences between cultured and uncultured bacterial grazers, indicate that the examined predator taxa have different functional responses, suggesting that they occupy distinct ecological niches according to their grazing strategies and prey preferences.
‘I'll put up with things for a long time before I need to call anybody’: Face work, the Total Institution and the perpetuation of care inequalities
Authors: Hope Jo , Schoonhoven Lisette , Griffiths Peter , Gould Lisa , Bridges Jackie
Published: January 2022

Failures in fundamental care (e.g. nutrition or pain‐relief) for hospitalised patients can have serious consequences, including avoidable deaths. Policy rhetoric of ‘shared decision‐making’ fails to consider how structural constraints and power dynamics limit patient agency in nursing staff‐patient interactions. Goffman's concepts of face work, the presentation of self and the Total Institution shaped our analysis of interview and focus group data from hospital patients. Patients avoided threatening ‘good’ patient and staff face by only requesting missed care when staff face was convincing as ‘caring’ and ‘available’ (‘engaged’). Patients did not request care from ‘distracted’ staff (‘caring’ but not ‘available’), whilst patient requests were ignored in Total Institution‐like ‘dismissive’ interactions. This meant patients experienced missed care with both ‘distracted’ and ‘dismissive’ staff. Patients with higher support needs were less able to carry out their own missed care to protect staff face, so experienced more serious care omissions. These findings show that many elements of the Total Institution survive in modern healthcare settings despite attempts to support individualised care. Unless nursing staff can maintain face as ‘engaged’ (despite organisational constraints that can reduce their capacity to do so) patient participation in care decisions will remain at the level of rhetoric.
Lipid oxidation and antioxidant delivery systems in muscle food
Authors: Wu Haizhou , Richards Mark P. , Undeland Ingrid
Published: January 2022

Lipid oxidation accelerates quality deterioration in muscle‐based foods (fish, red meat, and poultry), resulting in off‐odors/flavors, color problems, texture defects, and safety concerns. Adding antioxidants is one approach to control lipid oxidation, and several delivery strategies have been applied, such as supplementing antioxidants to the feed, direct mixing into minces, or, for whole muscle pieces; spraying, glazing, and injection. However, some issues linked to these technologies hinder their wide utilization, such as low effectiveness, noncompatibility with clean label, and off‐flavor. These shortcomings have promoted the development of new antioxidant delivery technologies. In this review, the main focus is on the principles, characteristics, and implementation of five novel antioxidant delivery methods in different types of muscle food products. Their advantages and drawbacks are also summarized, plus comments about future trends in this area. Among novel routes to deliver antioxidants to muscle foods are, for whole tissues, recyclable dipping solutions; for minces, encapsulation; and, for both minces and whole tissues, cross‐processing with nonmuscle antioxidant‐containing raw materials as well as applications of edible films/coatings and active packaging. Advantages of these technologies comprise, for example, low price, the possibility to control the antioxidant release rate, overcoming strong aromas from natural antioxidants, and allowing antioxidant‐containing raw materials from the food industry to be valorized, providing an opportunity for more circular food production.
COVID‐19 and the animals
Authors: Gibbs Leah
Published: January 2022

COVID‐19 has brought the human world to crisis. This work examines how nonhuman animals are also connected to the pandemic in three ways that emerged early in the crisis. First, COVID‐19 is a zoonotic disease that reached humans via nonhuman animal hosts. Animal geographers and others cast light on the spread and control of animal diseases and on the “almost animal,” including the microorganism. Second, the outbreak is understood to have transferred to humans in a market selling live animals in Wuhan, China. Disputes over the source of the outbreak signal the complexity that characterises the commodification of animals. Third, social restrictions have seen city streets empty of people. In the ensuing quiet, unexpected animals have entered cities or begun to behave differently. The arrivals, and the wonder they have sparked among people, raise questions about who and what is deemed to belong in the city. This commentary aims to unpack how geographers and those in related fields might turn to the animals to analyse and respond to the pandemic and other disasters. Through these three case studies, I find that the lives of human and nonhuman animals are deeply connected, and yet relations are characterised by separation and objectification. I argue for further relational and political work to more deeply understand connections and their implications.
The value of SPARCC sacroiliac MRI scoring in axial psoriatic arthritis and its association with other disease parameters
Authors: Gezer Halise Hande , Duruöz Mehmet Tuncay
Published: January 2022

Objectives

This study aimed to assess patients with axial psoriatic arthritis (AxPsA) using the Canadian Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium (SPARCC) sacroiliac joint (SIJ) scores and to seek correlations between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scores and disease characteristics.

Methods

Forty PsA patients (32 females, mean age 46.4 years) who had been documented to have active or structural lesions on SIJ MRI were retrospectively evaluated. Disease duration, medications, and disease activity, including Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), minimal disease activity (MDA), and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) were recorded. On sacroiliac MRI scans, the SPARCC scores of sacroiliac joint inflammation (SIS) and sacroiliac joint structural damage (SSS) were evaluated.

Results

The mean disease duration was 51.4 ± 70.4 months. MRI showed active inflammation in 30 patients (75%) and at least 1 structural lesion in 32 patients (92.5%). The most prevalent structural lesion was erosion (82.5%), followed by fat metaplasia (65%), backfill (12.5%), and ankylosis (2.5%). Only fat metaplasia scores were significantly higher in men than in women (P = .007). Of clinical and laboratory parameters, only C‐reactive protein (CRP) was significantly higher in the presence of active inflammation (P = .01). The SIS score was significantly correlated with disease duration (r = −.35) and CRP levels (r = .42,). The SSS score was inversely correlated with BASDAI (r = −.37), ASDAS‐CRP (r = −.39), and ASDAS – erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = −.32). The overall SPARCC scores did not differ between patients in DAPSA remission and non‐remission and between those in MDA and non‐MDA.

Conclusion

Although radiologic involvement is generally not severe in AxPsA, MRI still provides additional information about inflammatory activity and structural lesions. CRP may be helpful in monitoring the radiologic disease activity in AxPsA.
Within‐ and between‐person effects of naltrexone on the subjective response to alcohol and craving: A daily diary investigation
Authors: Waddell Jack T. , Corbin William R. , MacKinnon David P. , Leeman Robert F. , DeMartini Kelly S. , Fucito Lisa M. , Kranzler Henry R. , O’Malley Stephanie S.
Published: January 2022

Objective

Naltrexone is an effective treatment for heavy drinking among young adults. Laboratory‐based studies have shown that naltrexone dampens the subjective response to alcohol and craving. However, few studies have tested naltrexone's dynamic, within‐person effects on subjective response and craving among young adults in natural drinking environments.

Methods

Using daily diary data from a randomized, placebo‐controlled study of naltrexone's efficacy in young adults, we examined the between‐person effects of treatment condition (i.e., naltrexone vs. placebo) and medication dosage (i.e., daily, targeted, and daily + targeted) on the subjective response to alcohol and craving on drinking days. Multilevel mediation models predicted subjective response and craving from treatment condition (between‐person) and medication dosage (within‐person), accounting for drinking levels. All effects were disaggregated within and between persons.

Results

At the between‐person level, naltrexone directly blunted intense subjective effects (i.e., “impaired”, “drunk”) and indirectly blunted subjective effects through reduced drinking. Naltrexone was not associated with craving. Between‐person effects were not significant after alpha correction, but their effect sizes (bs = 0.14 to 0.17) exceeded the smallest effect size of interest. At the within‐person level, taking two (vs. 1) pills was associated with heavier drinking, and taking one (vs. 0) pill was associated with lighter drinking, and lighter drinking was associated with a lower subjective response and craving. Treatment condition did not moderate the within‐person effects of dosing on outcomes.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the direct between‐person effect of naltrexone was largest on intense subjective responses, blunting feelings of being “drunk” and “impaired”. Future research using momentary (rather than daily) assessments could confirm and extend these findings.
Evaluation and modification of French screening guidelines for retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Barjol Amandine , Lux Anne Laure , Dureau Pascal , Chapron Thibaut , Metge Florence , Abdelmassih Youssef , Caputo Georges
Published: January 2022

Purpose

To evaluate the current French screening guidelines for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and to suggest modifications to it.

Methods

In this multicentric retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series we included infants with a gestational age (GA) ≤32 weeks who were screened for ROP by fundus examination between 2011 and 2018. Main Outcome Measures were the presence of ROP and the need for treatment.

Results

A total of 2246 children with a mean GA of 28.9 ± 2.0 weeks and mean birth weight (BW) of 1141.1 ± 332.0 g were screened. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) was found in 683 infants (30.4%), of whom 145 (6.5%) had type 2 ROP and 58 (2.6%) had type 1 ROP. Mean GA of infants with type 1 ROP needing treatment was 25.9 + 1.5 weeks (range: 23.6–30) and mean BW was 774.1 ± 173.7 g (range: 540–1400). Both GA and BW had an impact on the development of type 1 and 2 ROP. None of the infants needing treatment had a GA of 31 weeks or more. None of the children needed treatment before 33 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA) or 6 weeks of postnatal age (PNA).

Conclusion

It seems possible to decrease the screening of premature infants to < 31 weeks of GA and to start screening at 31 weeks PMA for infants having a GA < 26 weeks and at 6 weeks PNA for more mature children.
Dissecting aneurysm of the proper hepatic artery after laparoscopic hepatectomy possibly related to the Pringle maneuver: A case report
Authors: Kurimoto Makoto , Seo Satoru , Yoh Tomoaki , Shimizu Hironori , Masano Yuki , Ogiso Satoshi , Anazawa Takayuki , Ishii Takamichi , Hata Koichiro , Masui Toshihiko , Taura Kojiro , Hatano Etsuro
Published: January 2022

In hepatectomy, the Pringle maneuver is commonly used, but its association with iatrogenic injury is not yet well understood. This report presents a case of dissecting aneurysm of the proper hepatic artery (PHA) possibly associated with the Pringle maneuver during laparoscopic hepatectomy, that was successfully treated by transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). The patient was a woman in her 70s, and repeat hepatectomy for liver metastasis of rectal neuroendocrine neoplasm was planned. She underwent hand‐assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy with the Pringle maneuver. On postoperative day (POD) 7, enhanced computed tomography showed a dissecting aneurysm of the PHA. TAE of the PHA to prevent hemorrhage was performed on POD 9 with no complications. Even after TAE, intrahepatic arterial flow was provided by the peribiliary arteries. This case suggests the possibility that the Pringle maneuver can cause a dissecting aneurysm of the hepatic artery.
Nutrient intake, digestibility, growth performance, and carcass of sheep fed urea‐based diet supplemented with natural clinoptilolite
Authors: Sallam Sobhy M. A. , Abo‐Zeid Hassan M. , Abaza Mohamed A. , El‐Zaiat Hani M.
Published: January 2022

Forty‐five male Barki lambs (30.62 ± 4.54 kg BW) were allocated into three treatments designed to evaluate the effect of replacing soybean meal nitrogen with urea supplemented with natural clinoptilolite on performance and carcass characteristics. Lambs were randomly assigned to nine pens blocked according to age and initial BW into three blocks of three pens each assigned to one of three treatments: Control diet: animals received only a basal diet ad libitum, UR diet: urea replaced 68% of SBM nitrogen in the control diet or UR‐Z diet: UR diet supplemented with 20‐g zeolite for 141 days. Lambs fed on UR‐Z diet increased (p < 0.05) total intakes of DM, crude protein digestibility, ADG, FCR, blood glucose and cholesterol concentration. Lambs fed on UR‐Z diet decreased (p < 0.05) ruminal NH3‐N concentration compared to the UR diet. Carcasses from lambs fed on UR diet had greater (p < 0.05) ether extract content, fat thickness, meat yellowness and saturation attributes than those fed on UR‐Z and control diets. Sheep fed on UR‐Z diet made higher economic profit than UR and control diets. Partial replacement of soybean meal with urea supplemented with zeolite seemed to be economically efficient, with comparable performance and carcass attributes in growing lambs diet.
Emerging leptospirosis in urban Sydney dogs: a case series (2017–2020)
Authors: Griebsch C , Kirkwood N , Ward MP , So W , Weerakoon L , Donahoe S , Norris JM
Published: January 2022

Canine leptospirosis has not been reported in the Sydney dog population since 1976. However, between 2017 and 2020, leptospirosis was confirmed in 17 dogs, five of which were known to hunt rodents. Dogs infected between 2017 and 2019 lived within a 3 km radius in the Inner City of Sydney (n = 11). In 2020, cases emerged across a broader area of Sydney; Inner City (n = 1), Inner West (n = 3), Lower North Shore (n = 1) and Upper North Shore (n = 1). The disease was characterised by severe hepatorenal involvement resulting in an unusually high case fatality rate (88%). In conjunction with supportive clinical signs, diagnosis was confirmed by real‐time PCR on whole blood (n = 1), kidney (n = 1), urine (n = 4), whole blood and urine (n = 9) or by seroconversion (n = 3). Antibody titres determined by Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) to Leptospira serovars were measured in 12 dogs: seven were positive for serovar Copenhageni, one was positive for serovar Hardjo, three were negative for all serovars, likely due to insufficient time for seroconversion before death and one had a low positive titre (1/50) for serovars Australis and Robinsoni. This sudden emergence of a highly fatal disease in pet dogs in Sydney has led to the introduction of Leptospira vaccination protocols for dogs living in inner Sydney using a monovalent vaccine containing serovar Copenhageni. The success of this vaccination program will require ongoing research to understand the emergence of leptospirosis in this region and the serovars involved.