bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eudicot primary cell wall glucomannan is related in synthesis, structure, and function to xyloglucan
Authors: Yu Li , Yoshimi Yoshihisa , Cresswell Rosalie , Wightman Raymond , Lyczakowski Jan J , Wilson Louis F L , Ishida Konan , Stott Katherine , Yu Xiaolan , Charalambous Stephan , Wurman-Rodrich Joel , Terrett Oliver M , Brown Steven P , Dupree Ray , Temple Henry , Krogh Kristian B R M , Dupree Paul
Published: August 2022

Hemicellulose polysaccharides influence assembly and properties of the plant primary cell wall (PCW), perhaps by interacting with cellulose to affect the deposition and bundling of cellulose fibrils. However, the functional differences between plant cell wall hemicelluloses such as glucomannan, xylan, and xyloglucan (XyG) remain unclear. As the most abundant hemicellulose, XyG is considered important in eudicot PCWs, but plants devoid of XyG show relatively mild phenotypes. We report here that a patterned β-galactoglucomannan (β-GGM) is widespread in eudicot PCWs and shows remarkable similarities to XyG. The sugar linkages forming the backbone and side chains of β-GGM are analogous to those that make up XyG, and moreover, these linkages are formed by glycosyltransferases from the same CAZy families. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that β-GGM shows low mobility in the cell wall, consistent with interaction with cellulose. Although Arabidopsis β-GGM synthesis mutants show no obvious growth defects, genetic crosses between β-GGM and XyG mutants produce exacerbated phenotypes compared with XyG mutants. These findings demonstrate a related role of these two similar but distinct classes of hemicelluloses in PCWs. This work opens avenues to study the roles of β-GGM and XyG in PCWs.
Frozen bean curd-inspired xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix with triple pretreatment approach of freeze–thaw, laser drilling and ADSCs pre-culture for promoting early vascularization and integration
Authors: Huang Xing , Zhu Zhu , Lu Lin , Jin Rui , Sun Di , Luo Xusong
Published: August 2022

Xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix (ADM) is widely used in clinical practice given its good biocompatibility and biomechanical properties. Yet, its dense structure remains a hindrance. Incorporation of laser drilling and pre-culture with Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have been attempted to promote early vascularization and integration, but the results were not ideal. Inspired by the manufacturing procedure of frozen bean curd, we proposed a freeze–thaw treatment to enhance the porosity of ADM. We found that the ADM treated with −80°C 3R+−30°C 3R had the largest disorder of stratified plane arrangement (deviation angle 28.6%) and the largest porosity (96%), making it an optimal approach. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells on freeze–thaw treated ADM demonstrated increased expression in Tie-2 and CD105 genes, proliferation, and tube formation in vitro compared with those on ADM. Combining freeze–thaw with laser drilling and pre-culture with ADSCs, such tri-treatment improved the gene expression of pro-angiogenic factors including IGF-1, EGF and vascular endothelial growth factor, promoted tube formation, increased cell infiltration and accelerated vascularization soon after implantation. Overall, freeze–thaw is an effective method for optimizing the internal structure of ADM, and tri-treatments may yield clinical significance by promoting early cell infiltration, vascularization and integration with surrounding tissues.
Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt
Authors: Tyagi Ravi , Gonzalez Ana , Surabhi Divya Meher , Navuluri Rakesh
Published: August 2022

Chronic liver disease is the 11th leading cause of mortality in the United States.1 Portal hypertension is a common endpoint for progressive liver disease, and can clinically manifest as refractory ascites, splenomegaly, and life-threatening esophageal and gastric variceal bleeding. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is an endovascular procedure that treats portal hypertension by making a connection between the portal and systemic venous systems. By creating a low-resistance outflow tract for portal venous drainage, TIPS decreases portal hypertension and its dangerous sequelae in patients not responding to medical therapy.
MAML2 Gene Rearrangement Occurs in Nearly All Hidradenomas: A Reappraisal in a Series of 20 Cases
Authors: Russell-Goldman Eleanor , Hanna John
Published: August 2022

Hidradenoma is a benign cutaneous adnexal neoplasm that occurs across a wide age range and at a variety of anatomic sites. Its most characteristic morphologic feature is the presence of diverse cell types including squamoid, clear, plasmacytoid, and mucinous cells. Hidradenoma is morphologically and molecularly similar to mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and both tumors are characterized by recurrent CRTC1-MAML2 cytogenetic translocations. Previous studies have suggested that approximately half of hidradenomas possess this translocation. This finding raised the question of whether translocation-negative hidradenomas might have an alternate molecular basis. Here, we sought to reevaluate the frequency of MAML2 translocation in hidradenoma in a series of 20 cases. We find that 90% show evidence of MAML2 translocation, suggesting that this genetic event is a nearly invariant feature of hidradenoma. These results inform our molecular understanding of this tumor and may be useful in challenging cases to distinguish hidradenoma from its histologic mimics.
Mental health considerations in patients undergoing complex head and neck reconstruction
Authors: Philteos Justine , Noel Christopher W. , Hallet Jullie , Eskander Antoine
Published: August 2022

Purpose of review

To summarize recent advances in the psycho-oncology literature, with a focus on findings relevant to the head and neck cancer patient.

Recent findings

Patients with cancer are at an increased risk of suicide and self-harm. Head and neck cancer patients are among the highest risk compared with other cancer patients. Unique challenges pertaining to disfigurement and voicelessness may, in part, explain these observations. Patient-reported outcome measures can be used to help identify high-risk patients.

Psychosocial support needs are highest for head and neck cancer patients. Patient-reported outcome measures should be integrated within clinical workflows to identify high-risk patients.
18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT
Authors: Marcus Charles , Schuster David M. , Tajmir Shahein Holmes
Published: August 2022

Incidental concomitant second primary malignancy may be detected on PET/CT imaging. We present an 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT of a patient undergoing evaluation of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer with incidental radiotracer uptake within lytic osseous lesions confirmed to be multiple myeloma. We present the 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT images of an 83-year-old man with prostate cancer treated in 2005 who presented with back pain and a CT scan revealing multiple lytic osseous lesions concerning for metastases versus a plasma cell neoplasm. Prostate-specific antigen at the time of evaluation was 0.1 ng/mL.
Using the Endsley Model to Evaluate Simulation-Based Situation Awareness Training for Medical and Nursing Students in India
Authors: Bhatia Manini R. , Malhotra Atul , Bansal Utkarsh , Singh Jai Vir , Kumar Arunaz
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Situation awareness (SA) training is a vital part of healthcare training, and opportunities to provide SA training to healthcare workers are limited in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to analyze undergraduate medical and nursing students' perception of their understanding of SA through an interprofessional obstetric neonatal emergency simulation workshop (ONE-Sim) and subsequently evaluate their perceived changes in SA understanding using the Endsley model (Hum Factors 1995;37(1):32–64).

Methods

Feedback on SA before and after the workshop was collected through questionnaire-based surveys. Thematic analysis was performed, with themes emerging from an inductive analysis followed by a deductive analysis using the Endsley model.

Results

The themes emerging from the inductive analysis included environmental awareness, evolving knowledge, skill development, and applicability to practice. These aligned with the 3 levels of SA in the Endsley model in the deductive analysis suggesting that participants transformed their perception, comprehension, and projection of SA after the workshop.

Conclusion

Simulation-based education enhanced SA perception in obstetric and neonatal emergencies for medical and nursing students in a low- and middle-income country, and the Endsley model is a feasible framework to measure learner perceived changes in SA understanding through simulation-based education.
“Failure to Rescue” following Colorectal Cancer Resection
Authors: Wells Cameron I. , Varghese Chris , Boyle Luke J. , McGuinness Matthew J. , Keane Celia , O’Grady Greg , Gurney Jason , Koea Jonathan , Harmston Chris , Bissett Ian P.
Published: August 2022

Objective:

To examine variation in “failure to rescue” (FTR) as a driver of differences in mortality between centres and over time for patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery.

Background:

Wide variation exists in postoperative mortality following colorectal cancer surgery. FTR has been identified as an important determinant of variation in postoperative outcomes. We hypothesized that differences in mortality both between hospitals and over time are driven by variation in FTR.

Methods:

A national population-based study of patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection from 2010 to 2019 in Aotearoa New Zealand was conducted. Rates of 90-day FTR, mortality, and complications were calculated overall, and for surgical and nonoperative complications. Twenty District Health Boards (DHBs) were ranked into quartiles using risk- and reliability-adjusted 90-day mortality rates. Variation between DHBs and trends over the 10-year period were examined.

Results:

Overall, 15,686 patients undergoing resection for colorectal adenocarcinoma were included. Increased postoperative mortality at high-mortality centers (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.8–3.3) was driven by higher rates of FTR (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.5–2.8), and postoperative complications (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.3–1.6). These trends were consistent across operative and nonoperative complications. Over the 2010 to 2019 period, postoperative mortality halved (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4–0.6), associated with a greater improvement in FTR (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4–0.7) than complications (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.8–0.9). Differences between centers and over time remained when only analyzing patients undergoing elective surgery.

Conclusion:

Mortality following colorectal cancer resection has halved over the past decade, predominantly driven by improvements in “rescue” from complications. Differences in FTR also drive hospital-level variation in mortality, highlighting the central importance of “rescue” as a target for surgical quality improvement.
Trends in Surgical Technique and Outcomes of Ventral Hernia Repair in The United States
Authors: Howard Ryan , Thumma Jyothi , Ehlers Anne , Englesbe Michael , Dimick Justin , Telem Dana
Published: August 2022

Objective:

To describe national trends in surgical technique and rates of reoperation for recurrence for patients undergoing ventral hernia repair (VHR) in the United States.

Background:

Surgical options for VHR, including minimally invasive approaches, mesh implantation, and myofascial release, have expanded considerably over the past 2 decades. Their dissemination and impact on population-level outcomes is not well characterized.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries undergoing elective, inpatient umbilical, ventral, or incisional hernia repair between 2007 and 2015. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the adjusted proportion of patients who remained free from reoperation for hernia recurrence up to 5 years after surgery.

Results:

One hundred fort-one thousand two hundred sixty-one patients underwent VHR during the study period. Between 2007 and 2018, the use of minimally invasive surgery increased from 2.1% to 22.2%, mesh use increased from 63.2% to 72.5%, and myofascial release increased from 1.8% to 16.3%. Overall, the 5-year incidence of reoperation for recurrence was 14.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 14.0%–14.1%]. Over time, patients were more likely to remain free from reoperation for hernia recurrence 5 years after surgery [2007–2009 reoperation-free survival: 84.9% (95% CI 84.8%–84.9%); 2010–2012 reoperation-free survival: 85.7% (95% CI 85.6%–85.7%); 2013–2015 reoperation-free survival: 87.8% (95% CI 87.7%–87.9%)].

Conclusions:

The surgical treatment of ventral and incisional hernias has evolved in recent decades, with more patients undergoing minimally invasive repair, receiving mesh, and undergoing myofascial release. Although our analysis does not address causality, rates of reoperation for hernia recurrence improved slightly contemporaneous with changes in surgical technique.
Pedomonas mirosovicensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from soil with the aid of Micrococcus luteus culture supernatant containing resuscitation-promoting factor
Authors: Lopez Marin Marco A. , Suman Jachym , Jani Kunal , Ulbrich Pavel , Cajthaml Tomas , Pajer Petr , Wolf Jacqueline , Neumann-Schaal Meina , Strejcek Michal , Uhlik Ondrej
Published: August 2022

An orange-golden iridescent culture, designated A1X5R2T, was isolated from a compost soil suspension which was amended with

Micrococcus luteus

NCTC 2665T culture supernatant. The cells were non-motile, Gram-stain-negative, 0.4–0.5 µm wide and 0.7–1.4 µm long. The 16S rRNA-based phylogenetic and whole-genome analyses revealed that strain A1X5R2T forms a distinct lineage within the family

Sphingosinicellaceae

and is closely related to members of the genus

Sphingoaurantiacus

(

S. capsulatus

, 93.04 % similarity, and

S. polygranulatus

, 92.77 %). The organism grew at 22–47 °C (optimal at 37 °C), salinity <3 % (optimal at 1.5 %) and at pH 7. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10, but a small quantity of ubiquinone-9 was also detected The major polyamine was homospermidine, but a small quantity of putrescine was also detected. The strain contained C18  :  1ω7c, C16 : 0, C16 : 1 ω7c and C18 : 0 as the major fatty acids. The main polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, sphingoglycolipid, diphosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified phospholipids and three unidentified amino lipids. The DNA G+C content was 64.9 mol%. According to the results of phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses, as well as its physiological characteristics, strain A2X5R2T represents the type species of a novel genus within the family

Sphingosinicellaceae

. The name Pedomonas mirosovicensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain being A1X5R2T (=NCCB 100839T=DSM 112829T).
Pitfalls and opportunities for applying PEER factors in single-cell eQTL analyses
Authors: Xue Angli , Yazar Seyhan , Neavin Drew , Powell Joseph E.
Published: August 2022

Using latent variables in gene expression data can help correct spurious correlations due to unobserved confounders and increase statistical power for expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTL) detection. Probabilistic Estimation of Expression Residuals (PEER) is a widely used statistical method that has been developed to remove unwanted variation and improve eQTL discovery power in bulk RNA-seq analysis. However, its performance has not been largely evaluated in single-cell eQTL data analysis, where it is becoming a commonly used technique. Potential challenges arise due to the structure of single-cell data, including sparsity, skewness, and mean-variance relationship. Here, we show by a series of analyses that this method requires additional quality control and data transformation steps on the pseudo-bulk matrix to obtain valid PEER factors. By using a population-scale single-cell cohort (OneK1K, N = 982), we found that generating PEER factors without further QC or transformation on the pseudo-bulk matrix could result in inferred factors that are highly correlated (Pearson’s correlation r = 0.626∼0.997). Similar spurious correlations were also found in PEER factors inferred from an independent dataset (induced pluripotent stem cells, N = 31). Optimization of the strategy for generating PEER factors and incorporating the improved PEER factors in the eQTL association model can identify 9.0∼23.1% more eQTLs or 1.7%∼13.3% more eGenes. Sensitivity analysis showed that the pattern of change between the number of eGenes detected and PEER factors fitted varied significantly for different cell types. In addition, using highly variable genes (e.g., top 2000) to generate PEER factors could achieve similar eGenes discovery power as using all genes but save considerable computational resources (∼6.2-fold faster). We provide diagnostic guidelines to improve the robustness and avoid potential pitfalls when generating PEER factors for single-cell eQTL association analyses.
Profiling genome-wide methylation in two maples: fine-scale approaches to detection with nanopore technology
Authors: McEvoy Susan L. , Grady Patrick G. S. , Pauloski Nicole , O’Neill Rachel J. , Wegrzyn Jill L.
Published: August 2022

DNA methylation is critical to the regulation of transposable elements and gene expression, and can play an important role in the adaptation of stress response mechanisms in plants. Traditional methods of methylation quantification rely on bisulfite conversion that can compromise accuracy. Recent advances in long-read sequencing technologies allow for methylation detection in real time. The associated algorithms that interpret these modifications have evolved from strictly statistical approaches to Hidden Markov Models and, recently, deep learning approaches. Much of the existing software focuses on methylation in the CG context, but methylation in other contexts is important to quantify, as it is extensively leveraged in plants. Here, we present methylation profiles for two maple species across the full range of 5mC sequence contexts using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-reads. Hybrid and reference-guided assemblies were generated for two newAceraccessions:Acer negundo(65x ONT and 111X Illumina) andAcer saccharum(93x ONT and 148X Illumina). The ONT reads generated for these assemblies were re-basecalled, and methylation detection was conducted in a custom pipeline with the publishedAcerreferences (PacBio assemblies) and hybrid assemblies reported herein to generate four epigenomes. Examination of the transposable element landscape revealed the dominance ofLTR Copiaelements and patterns of methylation associated with different classes of TEs. Methylation distributions were examined at high resolution across gene and repeat density and described within the broader angiosperm context, and more narrowly in the context of gene family dynamics and candidate nutrient stress genes.
Talin regulates steady-state tensional homeostasis to drive vascular morphodynamics and cancer
Authors: Nikolopoulou Pinelopi , Arapatzi Christina , Rouni Georgia , Mitrossilis Demosthenis , Gaitanis Anastasios , Anagnostopoulos Constantinos D. , Grammenoudi Sofia , Kostourou Vassiliki
Published: August 2022

The mechanical properties of the extracellular environment emerge as critical regulators of cellular functions. Cell mechanotransduction is mainly studied in vitro at initial stages of cell adhesion and very little is known about the mechanoresponses of cells with established tensional dynamics, resembling cells embedded in tissues. Here, we provide in vivo evidence that talin-dependent cell-matrix adhesions are global regulators of vascular mechanics and establish talin as an essential and required mechanosensor in neovessels and already developed tumours. At the molecular level, we demonstrate that talin exploits alternative mechanisms to dynamically-adjust the mechanical integrity of endothelial cells. Our mutational studies indicate a previously unknown role for the requirement of the talin-head in mechanosensing and demonstrate that the talin-head and the talin-rod alone are sufficient to maintain mechanical stability of endothelial cells. Overall, our results underpin the significance of mechanical signals in regulating vascular morphology in steady-state conditions and ultimately modulate cancer progression.

Talin mechanosensing is required to maintain cell morphology and control developmental and tumour angiogenesis.
Ataxin-7 promotes Drosophila posterior follicle cell maturation by suppressing yorkie function
Authors: Badmos Hammed , Bennett Daimark
Published: August 2022

Ataxin-7 is a key component of the Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase (SAGA) chromatin-modifying complex that anchors Non-stop/USP22, a deubiquitinase, to the complex, thereby helping to coordinate SAGA’s different activities. Recently, we found that non-stop is required in the Drosophila ovary for expression of Hippo signalling pathway components ex and mer, and polarisation of the actin cytoskeleton during collective epithelial cell migration. Here we show that in addition to being required for collective migration, Ataxin-7 plays an essential role in posterior follicle cells (PFCs) to control epithelial maturation and architecture, as well as body axis specification which depends on correct PFC differentiation. Loss of both the deubiquitinase and acetyltransferase modules of SAGA phenocopy loss of Ataxin-7 in PFCs, demonstrating a redundant requirement for SAGA’s enzymatic modules. Strikingly, loss of yorkie completely suppressed effects of Ataxin-7 loss-of-function in PFCs, indicating that the only essential function of Ataxin-7 in PFCs is to suppress yorkie function. This may have broad relevance to the roles of SAGA and Ataxin-7 in development and disease.
Anin cellsite-specific labeling methodology reveals conformational changes of proteins in bacteria
Authors: Shenberger Yulia , Gevorkyan-Airapetov Lada , Hirsch Melanie , Hofmann Lukas , Ruthstein Sharon
Published: August 2022

Gaining new structural information on proteins in their native cellular environments will shed light on many enzymatic reaction mechanisms and encourage the development of new therapeutic approaches. During the last decade,in cellelectron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy experiments have provided high-resolution data on conformational changes of proteins within the cell. However, one of the major obstacles of EPR spectroscopy is the spin-labeling process, which until now was performed only outside the cellular environment (i.e., exogenously). The spin-labeled protein is then injected into the cell, which limits the protein size and the cellular system that can be used. Here, we describe a new spin-labeling approach that can be applied to over-expressed proteins inEscherichia coli(i.e., endogenously). This approach uses a Cu(II) ion bound to a ligand, which has high affinity to a dHis site in the protein of interest. The presence of a nearby19F-phenylalanine residue can be exploited to verify that the Cu(II)-ligand indeed bound to the protein target. This new methodology allows for the study of any protein, regardless of size or the cellular system used.
Evaluation of resistance of human head lice to pyrethroid insecticides: a meta-analysis study
Authors: Abbasi Ebrahim , Daliri Salman , Yazdani Zahra , Mohseni Shokrollah , Mohammadyan Ghulamraza , Seyed Hosseini Seyedeh Niloofar , Haghighi Reza Nasiri
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Pediculosis is one of the most common annoying infections caused by insects in humans. Pyrethroids are one of the main insecticides used to treat this infection. But recently, due to the resistance of lice to this group of insecticides, its therapeutic effects have been affected. Based on this, the present study was conducted to investigating the prevalence of resistance to treatment against these insecticides in the world in the form of a meta-analysis.

Methods

This study was conducted as a meta-analysis on the prevalence of treatment resistance in human head lice against pyrethroid insecticides in the world. Based on this, all articles published without a time limit until the end of June 2022 in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science (ISI), Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were extracted and using random effects model statistical methods in the meta-analysis, Cochrane, Index I2 and funnel plot were analyzed by STATA software.

Results

Twenty studies were included in the meta-analysis process. According to this the prevalence of resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in human head lice was estimated at 59% (CI95%: 50% to 68%). Among pyrethroid insecticides, the highest prevalence of resistance to treatment against permethrin insecticide was 65%. Regarding the prevalence of resistance by year, the prevalence before 2004 was estimated at 33%, but after 2015, this rate reached 82%. Also, the prevalence of resistance to treatment was estimated at 68% using genetic diagnosis methods and 43% using clinical diagnosis methods.

Conclusion

More than half of human head lice are resistant to pyrethroid insecticides. Based on this, it is recommended that before using this treatment method to treat human head lice infestation, the prevalence of resistance to treatment in that area should be investigated and if the prevalence of resistance is high, alternative or combined treatment methods should be used.
Use of Systems Thinking and Group Model Building Methods to Understand Patterns of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Use Among Older Adults with Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Kahkoska Anna R. , Smith Cambray , Young Laura A. , Lich Kristen Hassmiller
Published: August 2022

A growing number of older adults (ages 65+ years) live with Type 1 diabetes, yet little is known about the complex dynamics that promote use of diabetes technology, such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), in this age group. We used systems thinking and methods from group model building (GMB), a participatory approach to system dynamics modeling, to collect data from older adults with Type 1 diabetes and their caregivers through group workshops and individual validation interviews. Data were integrated into a causal loop diagram of the “system” of factors associated with CGM uptake and use, including the clinical and psychosocial outcomes of use and interactions with caregiver and healthcare system factors. We describe the study design, recruitment, GMB and interview procedures, participant feedback, and lessons learned. The study demonstrates feasibility, acceptability, and the value of GMB to engage older adult stakeholders in sophisticated and rigorous research about key determinants of complex health outcomes over time.
Decomposing neural circuit function into information processing primitives
Authors: Voges Nicole , Hausmann Johannes , Brovelli Andrea , Battaglia Demian
Published: August 2022

Cognitive functions arise from the coordinated activity of neural populations distributed over large-scale brain networks. However, it is challenging to understand and measure how specific aspects of neural dynamics translate into operations of information processing, and, ultimately, cognitive functions. An obstacle is that simple circuit mechanisms–such as self-sustained or propagating activity and nonlinear summation of inputs–do not directly give rise to high-level functions. Nevertheless, they already implement simple transformations of the information carried by neural activity.

Here, we propose that distinct neural circuit functions, such as stimulus representation, working memory, or selective attention stem from different combinations and types of low-level manipulations of information, or information processing primitives. To test this hypothesis, we combine approaches from information theory with computational simulations of canonical neural circuits involving one or more interacting brain regions that emulate well-defined cognitive functions. More specifically, we track the dynamics of information emergent from dynamic patterns of neural activity, using suitable quantitative metrics to detect where and when information is actively buffered (“active information storage”), transferred (“information transfer”) or non-linearly merged (“information modification”), as possible modes of low-level processing. We find that neuronal subsets maintaining representations in working memory or performing attention-related gain modulation are signaled by their boosted involvement in operations of active information storage or information modification, respectively.

Thus, information dynamics metrics, beyond detectingwhichnetwork units participate in cognitive processing, also promise to specifyhow and whenthey do it, i.e., through which type of primitive computation, a capability that may be exploited for the parsing of actual experimental recordings.
Race to survival during antibiotic breakdown determines the minimal surviving population size
Authors: Geyrhofer Lukas , Ruelens Philip , Farr Andrew D. , Pesce Diego , de Visser J. Arjan G.M. , Brenner Naama
Published: August 2022

A common strategy used by bacteria to resist antibiotics is enzymatic degradation or modification. Such a collective mechanism also enhances the survival of nearby cells, an effect that increases with the number of bacteria that are present. Collective resistance is of clinical significance, yet a quantitative understanding at the population level is lacking. Here we develop a general theoretical framework of collective resistance under antibiotic degradation. Our modeling reveals that population survival crucially depends on the ratio of timescales of two processes: the rates of population death and antibiotic removal. However, it is insensitive to molecular, biological and kinetic details of the underlying processes that give rise to these timescales. Another important aspect for this ‘race to survival’ is the degree of ‘cooperativity’, which is related to the permeability of the cell wall for antibiotics and enzymes. These observations motivate a coarse-grained, phenomenological model and simple experimental assay to measure the dose-dependent minimal surviving population size. From this model, two dimensionless parameters can be estimated, representing the population’s race to survival and single-cell resistance. Our simple model may serve as reference for more complex situations, such as heterogeneous bacterial communities.
Torsion angles to map and visualize the conformational space of a protein
Authors: Ginn Helen Mary
Published: August 2022

1

Present understanding of protein structure dynamics trails behind that of static structures. A torsionangle based approach, called representation of protein entities (RoPE), derives an interpretable conformational space which correlates with data collection temperature, resolution and reaction coordinate. For more complex systems, atomic coordinates fail to separate functional conformational states, which are still preserved by torsion angle-derived space. This indicates that torsion angles are often a more sensitive and biologically relevant descriptor for protein conformational dynamics than atomic coordinates.
Regioselective control of biocatalytic C–H activation and halogenation
Authors: Kissman Elijah N. , Neugebauer Monica E. , Sumida Kiera H. , Swenson Cameron V. , Sambold Nicholas A. , Marchand Jorge A. , Millar Douglas C. , Chang Michelle C.Y.
Published: August 2022

Biocatalytic C–H activation has the potential to merge enzymatic and synthetic strategies for bond formation. FeII/αKG-dependent halogenases are particularly distinguished for their ability both to control selective C-H activation as well as to direct group transfer of a bound anion along a reaction axis separate from oxygen rebound, enabling the development of new transformations. In this context, we elucidate the basis for selectivity of enzymes that perform selective halogenation to yield 4-Cl-lysine (BesD), 5-Cl-lysine (HalB), and 4-Cl-ornithine (HalD), allowing us to probe how regioselectivity and chain length selectivity are achieved. We now report the crystal structure of the HalB and HalD, revealing the key role of the substrate-lid in positioning the substrate for C4 vs C5 chlorination and recognition of lysine vs ornithine. Targeted engineering of the substrate-binding lid further demonstrates that these selectivities can be altered or switched, showcasing the potential to develop halogenases for biocatalytic applications.
Rhometa: Population recombination rate estimation from metagenomic read datasets
Authors: Krishnan Sidaswar , DeMaere Matthew Z. , Beck Dominik , Ostrowski Martin , Seymour Justin R. , Darling Aaron E.
Published: August 2022

Bacterial evolution is influenced by the exchange of genetic information between species through a process referred to as recombination. The rate of recombination is a useful measure for the adaptive capacity of a bacterial population. We introduce Rhometa (https://github.com/sid-krish/Rhometa), a new software package to determine recombination rates from shotgun sequencing reads of metagenomes.It extends the composite likelihood approach for population recombination rate estimation and enables the analysis of modern short-read datasets. We evaluated Rhometa over a broad range of sequencing depths and complexities, using simulated and real experimental short-read data aligned to external reference genomes. In simulated datasets, the deviation from the expected value decreased as the number of genomes increased and we show that 80 genomes are sufficient to reduce these variations below 30%. Testing on an S. pneumoniae transformation experiment dataset we show that Rhometa accurately estimate the expected levels of recombination in a real world dataset.
Testing the nexus between reward system, job condition and employee retention through intervening role of employee engagement among nursing staff
Authors: Kamselem Kaltume Mohammed , Nuhu Muhammad Shaheer , Lawal Kamaldeen A.A , Liman Amina Muhammad , Abdullahi Mohammed Sani
Published: August 2022

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigated the effects of reward system (RS) and job conditions (JC) on employee retention (ER). In particular, this study addressed the mediating effect of employee engagement (EE) on the relationship between RS, JC and ER.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employed descriptive survey approach and the unit of analysis consisted of public hospital nursing staff. Data were collected using questionnaires with a sample of 370 nurse respondents. Structural equation modelling with Smart-Partial Least Squares (PLS) 3.3.8 was used in a statistical analysis.

Findings

The results revealed that RS and JC significantly related to ER. The study also showed the direct effect of RS and JC on EE. These findings indicate that (EE) has a partial mediating role in the relationship between RS, JC and ER.

Practical implications

The study offers important policy insights for public nursing stakeholders who seek to increase retention of skills among their nursing staff. The findings are also crucial because they may help the health sector improve their ER strategies, especially in dynamic and competitive business situations where organisations are challenged to retain personnel from a limited skilled workforce.

Originality/value

The findings of this study contribute to the literature on retention of nursing employees by enhancing the understanding of the influences of EE, RS and JC on ER among public hospitals.
Family- and non-family-related reasons for entrepreneurial exits
Authors: Koładkiewicz Izabela Anna , Kaciak Eugene , Wojtyra-Perlejewska Marta
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study examines the family- and non-family-related reasons that may determine the choice of the anticipated entrepreneurial exit strategy (exit intention).

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a survey of 267 owner-managers of micro-and small-sized firms in Poland and focuses on their exit intentions (rather than actual actions) as precursors to entrepreneurial exit. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that family-related reasons may encourage entrepreneurs to choose the stewardship strategy over the financial harvest or voluntary cessation strategies, while non-family-related reasons such as maintaining financial independence and health may encourage the choice of the financial harvest or the voluntary cessation strategy.

Originality/value

This research contributes to both the entrepreneurial exit literature and psychological ownership theory by demonstrating the potential relevance of psychological ownership in the selection of exit strategies.
Cluster dynamics and firms’ strategies – an integrative framework
Authors: Ostapenko Svitlana , Africano Ana Paula , Meneses Raquel
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study aims to systematise the links between firms’ strategies (corporate and business) and the cluster dynamics (through the cluster life cycle [CLC] perspective) and propose an integrative framework bridging firms’ strategic behaviour and cluster dynamics (CLC).

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used is an integrative literature review, which provides a distinctive form of research.

Findings

The study identifies several links between firms’ strategies (corporate and business) and the cluster dynamics (CLC), namely: (1) firms’ strategies as a triggering factor of cluster evolution; (2) firms’ strategies and path's decline; (3) firms’ strategies and cluster’s renewal; (4) resilience strategies and the cluster life cycle; and (5) cluster’s features and firms’ strategies.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to developing strategic management theory and cluster theory by bridging firms' strategies and cluster dynamics (CLC). It proposes a new conceptualisation of the impact of cluster dynamics on firms' strategic choices – firstly, it proposes a specific approach to identify the CLC; and secondly, it develops an integrative framework model that relates firms' strategies and each stage of the CLC. These are theoretical tools relevant for further advancements in this area of research, as they can be applied in studies of different clusters for validation, something that was not done.

Practical implications

The integrative framework is expected to be helpful to company managers, allowing them to design better strategies that account for dynamic cluster environments.

Originality/value

This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by systematising the links between firms' strategies (corporate and business) and the cluster dynamics (CLC).
An online teacher professional development programme as a boundary artefact for new school-based mentors
Authors: Dille Karen Birgitte
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The study aims to explore the experiences of new school-based mentors in Norway of an online teacher professional development (OTPD) programme in mentoring. The focus was on how the OTPD programme worked out as a boundary artefact to strengthen the coherence between a university and partner schools.

Design/methodology/approach

Constant comparative analysis was used to examine 21 school-based mentors' experiences and how the programme worked out as an artefact to strengthen the coherence between the teacher and education arenas. The findings were interpreted considering the literature and OTPD and boundary-crossing theories.

Findings

The findings revealed that the OTPD programme served as a boundary artefact. By participating, the new school-based mentors felt part of a community, identifying as teacher educators. Thus, the programme mediated their understanding of their new role as a teacher educator. Two main tensions were found: first, resistance towards online collaboration with school-based mentors across schools and participants that preferred to work locally with their own colleagues and, second, different technologies at the schools and the university disrupting the participants' experiences. Overall, this study emphasised the value of a facilitator from the university supporting the participants' development in the OTPD programme.

Originality/value

This study provides an understanding of teachers' OTPD when at the boundary of becoming school-based mentors and may contribute to enhancing universities' quality of teacher education. This study also highlights the importance of stronger connections between school-based mentors and their university campuses.
Analyzing technological competencies in the patent-based supplier portfolio: introducing an approach for supplier evaluation using semantic anchor points and similarity measurements
Authors: Kronemeyer Lena L. , Kotzab Herbert , Moehrle Martin G.
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is the development of a patent-based supplier portfolio that can be used to evaluate and select suppliers on account of their technological competencies.

Design/methodology/approach

In addition to traditional approaches, the authors develop a supplier portfolio that characterizes suppliers according to the similarity between supplier's and OEM's technological competencies as well as their technological broadness. These variables are measured on the basis of patents, which constitute a valuable source of information in technology-driven industries. Contrary to existing binary measurement approaches, the authors’ portfolio uses semantic analyses to make use of the specific information provided in the patents' texts. The authors test this method in the field of gearings, which is a key driver for the automotive industry.

Findings

The authors identify six generic positions, characterizing specific risks for an OEM to become either technologically dependent or dependent on suppliers' production capacities. For each position the authors develop specific management strategies in face of the aforementioned risks. The approach helps OEMs navigate in the competitive landscape based on the most recent and publicly available information medium.

Originality/value

This work explicitly applies the construct of technological competencies to supplier evaluation and selection on the basis of portfolio approaches. Furthermore, the authors improve the use of patents for supplier evaluation in two respects: First, the authors analyze OEMs and upstream suppliers on an organizational level. Second, the authors utilize advanced semantic analysis to generate variables for the measurement of the criteria mentioned above.
An empirical analysis of impact of banking sector on Indian stock market
Authors: Pradhan Kailash , Kumar Vinay
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study attempts to examine the relationship between the banking sector and stock market development in India.

Design/methodology/approach

To analyze the relationship between banks and stock market development, the ratio of stock market capitalization to GDP is proxied by stock market development. The determinants of the stock market development are used for analysis namely domestic credit to the private sector as a ratio of GDP is used as a proxy for the development of banks, saving rate, per capita real GDP, and inflation. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL)-Bounds testing approach is used for the analysis. The paper also used the unrestricted error correction model and CUSUM and CUSUM square test to check the stability of the model.

Findings

The ARDL bounds test found that there is a long-run relationship between stock market development and bank-centered financial development. The results also revealed that the stock market is positively influenced by the development of banks, savings, and per capita real GDP in the short-run as well as long-run.

Research limitations/implications

This paper suggests that improvement of banking sector plays an important role to increase liquidity of the capital market development in India. This paper also suggests that the economic growth and savings rate have positive impact to induce the capital market growth in both short run and long run.

Originality/value

The study has investigated the empirical relationship between the banking sector and the stock market development in a different methodological approach by using an ARDL model which is appropriate for a small sample size. There are few studies related to bank-centered financial development and stock market development in the context of India.
CSR drivers of fashion SMEs and performance: the role of internationalization
Authors: Rienda Laura , Ruiz-Fernández Lorena , Poveda-Pareja Esther , Andreu-Guerrero Rosario
Published: August 2022

Purpose

In recent years, consumers have been demanding for sustainable practices, even more so after COVID-19, so fashion companies need to intensify their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. However, although the sector is characterized by a strong brand–customer orientation and high online activity, little attention has been paid to the role of brand image and the management of social media (SM) strategies. The purpose of this study was to develop an integrative model that includes the drivers of CSR in fashion small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their relationship with business performance. The researchers also analyzed the country and level of internationalization effects of these companies.

Design/methodology/approach

With a sample of 212 fashion SMEs from Spain and the UK, two of the biggest European fashion producers and consumers, a variance-based structural equation modeling (partial least squares structural equation modeling) technique was carried out to test the model proposed.

Findings

This study demonstrated that branding and SM strategies are drivers of CSR practices in fashion SMEs. It also confirmed the positive CSR–performance relationship, the moderating country effect and the mediating role of internationalization in this relationship.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature on CSR drivers in SMEs and their relationship with performance by combining different perspectives. The results can be used to encourage fashion SMEs' commitment to environmental sustainability practices and internationalization, as this can contribute to improving their performance.
Can artificial intelligence beat the stock market?
Authors: Song Garrison Hongyu , Jain Ajeet
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Academia and financial practitioners have mixed opinions about whether artificial intelligence (AI) can beat the stock market. The purpose of this paper is to investigate theoretically what would happen if AI has further evolved into a superior ability to predict the future more accurately than average investors.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical model in an endowment economy with two types of representative investors (traditional investors and AI investors) is proposed, and based on the model, a long-run survival analysis for both types of investors is implemented.

Findings

The model presented in this paper indicates that being equipped with a superior ability to predict the future more accurately than traditional investors cannot guarantee AI investors to always beat the stock market in the long run. Those investors may be extinct, all depending on the structure/parameters of the stock market.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, they are the first to set up a representative agent equilibrium model to explore the above question seriously.