bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing the germination, establishment and distribution of
Authors: Bangel Tanya , Hewitt Alison , Morris E. Charles , Haigh Anthony M.
Published: February 2023

Context Little is known of the ecology of Micromyrtus minutiflora, a threatened plant species endemic to the Cumberland subregion, New South Wales, Australia. Aims To fill ecological knowledge gaps of M. minutiflora, including habitat preferences, population size and structure, survivorship; and responses to fire and disturbance to inform appropriate management practices. Methods Surveys of distribution and abundance, regeneration mode and response to fire, survivorship, size-class analysis, greenhouse germination experiments using soil blocks; and plant tissue and soil analyses. Key results Micromyrtus minutiflora was estimated to have a population of ~4.3 × 106, an extent of occurrence of ~13 000 ha and ~1.5% area of occupancy within study areas. It is strongly associated with low tree canopy cover (few trees), dispersive clay soils and Castlereagh Scribbly Gum Woodland. In the one area studied, survivorship decreased by ~15% per annum across 14 years. However, total population numbers were stable across 3 years, indicating continuous recruitment. Size distributions were unimodal and continuous from small to large plants, consistent with recruitment matching mortality. Plants lack a lignotuber and have a high shoot:root ratio. Seedling emergence was unaffected by mechanical disturbance, but heat and smoke significantly increased germination. Conclusions This species is abundant on dispersive clays but restricted to the northern Cumberland Plain in open woodland areas. It is an obligate seeder; plants are killed by fire and can flower within 2 years of germination. Implications Understanding its soil seedbank dynamics is pertinent in determining an appropriate fire regime to maintain habitat while not directly threatening populations. Populations require regular monitoring.
The circadian demethylation of a unique intronic deoxymethylCpG-rich island boosts the transcription of its cognate circadian clock output gene
Authors: Misra Nisha , Damara Manohar , Ye Tao , Chambon Pierre
Published: February 2023

We demonstrate that there is a tight functional relationship between two highly evolutionary conserved cell processes, i.e., the circadian clock (CC) and the circadian DNA demethylation–methylation of cognate deoxyCpG-rich islands. We have discovered that every circadian clock-controlled output gene (CCG), but not the core clock nor its immediate-output genes, contains a single cognate intronic deoxyCpG-rich island, the demethylation–methylation of which is controlled by the CC. During the transcriptional activation period, these intronic islands are demethylated and, upon dimerization of two YY1 protein binding sites located upstream to the transcriptional enhancer and downstream from the deoxyCpG-rich island, store activating components initially assembled on a cognate active enhancer (a RORE, a D-box or an E-box), in keeping with the generation of a transcriptionally active condensate that boosts the initiation of transcription of their cognate pre-mRNAs. We report how these single intronic deoxyCpG-rich islands are instrumental in such a circadian activation/repression transcriptional process.
On the gap distribution of prime factors
Authors: de la Bretèche Régis , Tenenbaum Gérald
Published: February 2023

Let{pj(n)}j=1ω(n)\{p_j(n)\}_{j=1}^{\omega (n)}denote the increasing sequence of distinct prime factors of an integer nn. Forz⩾0z\geqslant 0, letG(n;z)G(n;z)denote the number of those indexesjjsuch thatpj+1(n)>pj(n)exp⁡zp_{j+1}(n)>p_j(n)^{\operatorname {exp} z}. We show uniform convergence, with almost optimal effective estimate of the speed, of the distribution ofG(n;z)G(n;z)on{n:1⩽n⩽N}\{n:1\leqslant n\leqslant N\}to a Gaussian limit law with meane−z⁡log2⁡n\operatorname {e}^{-z}\log _2n, variance{e−z−2ze−2z}log2⁡n\{\operatorname {e}^{-z}-2z\operatorname {e}^{-2z}\}\log _2n, and we establish an asymptotic formula with remainder for all centered moments.
Sizing Up the Onychophoran Genome: Repeats, Introns, and Gene Family Expansion Contribute to Genome Gigantism inEpiperipatus broadwayi
Authors: Sato Shoyo , Cunha Tauana J , de Medeiros Bruno A S , Khost Danielle E , Sackton Timothy B , Giribet Gonzalo
Published: February 2023

Genome assemblies are growing at an exponential rate and have proved indispensable for studying evolution but the effort has been biased toward vertebrates and arthropods with a particular focus on insects. Onychophora or velvet worms are an ancient group of cryptic, soil dwelling worms noted for their unique mode of prey capture, biogeographic patterns, and diversity of reproductive strategies. They constitute a poorly understood phylum of exclusively terrestrial animals that is sister group to arthropods. Due to this phylogenetic position, they are crucial in understanding the origin of the largest phylum of animals. Despite their significance, there is a paucity of genomic resources for the phylum with only one highly fragmented and incomplete genome publicly available. Initial attempts at sequencing an onychophoran genome proved difficult due to its large genome size and high repeat content. However, leveraging recent advances in long-read sequencing technology, we present here the first annotated draft genome for the phylum. With a total size of 5.6Gb, the gigantism of the Epiperipatus broadwayi genome arises from having high repeat content, intron size inflation, and extensive gene family expansion. Additionally, we report a previously unknown diversity of onychophoran hemocyanins that suggests the diversification of copper-mediated oxygen carriers occurred independently in Onychophora after its split from Arthropoda, parallel to the independent diversification of hemocyanins in each of the main arthropod lineages.
Involvement of community pharmacy professionals in maternal health service provision in Ethiopia: a multi-centre cross-sectional survey
Authors: Ayele Asnakew Achaw , Islam Md Shahidul , Cosh Suzanne , East Leah
Published: February 2023

Objectives

In countries with high maternal mortality and a shortage of healthcare professionals, community pharmacy professionals can provide important maternal healthcare services within their scope of practice. Evidence of community pharmacy professionals’ level of involvement in maternal health service provision in Ethiopia is limited. This study aimed to assess the level of involvement of community pharmacy professionals in providing maternal health services in Ethiopia.

Methods

A multi-centre cross-sectional survey of 238 community pharmacy professionals was conducted from March to July 2020 in 6 cities of Amhara regional state in Ethiopia. Independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to test the mean difference.

Key findings

Most community pharmacy professionals were either ‘involved’ in advising about vitamins (53.4%), provision of contraceptives (52.9%), advising about lifestyle changes (46.2%), responding to minor symptoms (47.5%), nutritional advice during pregnancy (45.0%) and breastfeeding guidance or ‘very involved’ in advising about screening for chronic disease (41.6%). However, the level of involvement of community pharmacy professionals differed according to study participants’ educational qualification/s, years of experience, licensure level, setting type, responsibility in the facility and previous training exposure about maternal health services.

Conclusions

Community pharmacy professionals in Ethiopia are involved in providing various maternal health services highlighting the importance that pharmacists can play in improving access and care within this context. However, government attention is needed to enhance their role through policy support and capacity building to improve the quality of service provided which could contribute to the reduction of maternal mortality.
Complete Genome Sequence of Bacillus velezensis TH-1, a Candidate Biocontrol Bacterium from China
Authors: He Pengjie , Tang Xiaodi , Wei Shenghua , An Jiangyong , Cui Wenyan
Published: February 2023

Bacillus velezensis TH-1 is a plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria with biocontrol potential that was isolated from the rhizosphere of Sophora tonkinensis Radix . Our previous results showed that strain TH-1 demonstrated effective biocontrol activity against root rot of Sophora tonkinensis Radix and bacterial wilt of ginger. Currently, only a few whole-genome sequences of biocontrol strains isolated from the rhizosphere of medicinal plants are available. We report, here, the complete genome sequence of B. velezensis TH-1. The size of TH-1 genome is 3,929,846 bp that consists of 3,900 genes with a total GC content of 46.48%. The strain TH-1 genome has 3,661 coding genes, 86 transfer RNAs, 27 ribosomal RNAs, and 16 small RNAs. Moreover, we identified nine gene clusters coding for the biosynthesis of antimicrobial compounds. The genomic information of TH-1 will provide resources for the study of biological control mechanisms and plant-microbe interactions.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Congenital Synostosis of the Knee: Long-term Outcomes of Limb Reconstruction Surgery
Authors: Belthur Mohan V. , Huser Aaron J. , Nahm Nickolas J. , McClure Philip K. , Burghardt Rolf D. , Segev E. , Wientroub Shlomo , Paley Dror , Herzenberg John E.
Published: February 2023

Background:

Congenital synostosis of the knee is a rare condition with limited data on treatment options and outcomes. This study reports clinical findings, treatment approach, and surgical/clinical outcomes for congenital synostosis of the knee.

Methods:

An institutional review board-approved retrospective review of patients with congenital synostosis of the knee presenting to 2 institutions between 1997 and 2021 was performed.

Results:

Eight patients (13 knees) with a median follow-up of 11.3 years (3.3 to 17 y) were included. Seven patients had associated syndromes. Patients presented with an average knee flexion deformity of 100° (range 60 to 130°) and delayed walking ability. Seven patients had associated upper extremity hypoplasia/phocomelia. The average age at the index surgery was 4.3 years (range 1.2 to 9.2 y). Synostosis resection with gradual deformity correction was performed in most patients. An attempt was made at a mobile knee in some patients, but all went on to knee fusion. Mean flexion deformity at final follow-up was 11.6° (range: 0 to 40°) and 5 limbs were fused in full extension. Mean limb length discrepancy at final follow-up was 6.8 cm (range: 0 to 8 cm). All patients maintained their improved ambulation status at final follow-up. Twenty-two complications were identified.

Conclusions:

Reliable correction of the deformity associated with congenital knee synostosis was achieved at a median follow-up of 11 years. Importantly, all patients maintained their improved ambulation at final follow-up. This is the largest study on patients with congenital knee synostosis and outlines a reconstructive approach to improve ambulatory status.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV
Scoliosis and Kyphosis Prevalence in Turner Syndrome: A Retrospective Review at a Pediatric Tertiary Care Medical Center
Authors: Marx Jeremy S. , Pagadala Manasa , Carney John , Gerlach Erik , Swiatek Peter , Zabinsky Jennifer A. , Sarwark John , Brickman Wendy J. , Habiby Reema L.
Published: February 2023

Background:

The prevalence of major coronal and sagittal spinal curves (scoliosis and kyphosis) in Turner syndrome (TS) is not well established due to limited reporting. The relationship between growth hormone (GH) therapy and its effect on TS spinal curve incidence is also not well established.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review of 306 TS patients from 2007 to 2021 evaluated major coronal and sagittal spinal curves, progression of the curve, and treatment with GH. Statistical significance (defined as P <0.05) between curvature rates and curve progression was compared between GH-treated patients and non–GH-treated patients using a χ2 or Fisher exact test when appropriate.

Results:

Thirty-seven of 306 (12%) TS patients had a radiographically relevant spinal deformity. Twenty-seven of 37 (73%) had mild; 4 of 37 (11%) had moderate, and 6 of 37 (16%) had severe curves. Of those with severe, 4 underwent spinal fusion, 1 was treated with bracing, and 1 was braced before a cardiovascular-related death. Regarding GH use among TS patients, 190 of 306 (62%) used GH versus 116 of 306 (38%) who did not. Of those with a spinal curve, 24 of 37 (65%) used GH compared with 13 of 37 (35%) who did not. On univariate analysis, GH therapy was not a risk factor for the diagnosis of a major spinal curve, a more severe degree of the curve at the time of diagnosis, or spinal curve progression (P >0.05 for all).

Conclusions:

This is the largest single institution retrospective review of a TS cohort known to the authors assessing spinal curve prevalence and relation to GH treatment and demonstrates a TS spinal curve rate of 12% (37/306). Four of six (11%) TS patients with a severe curve underwent corrective spine fusion. There was no relationship between the use of GH and the presence of a spinal curve or curve progression. Further study is warranted to determine risk factors for curve progression.

Level of Evidence:

Level III.

Clinical Relevance:

This retrospective case series serves to review and address the prevalence of spinal deformity in TS patients and whether GH impacts worsening deformity.
Applying principal component pursuit to investigate the association between source-specific fine particulate matter and myocardial infarction hospitalizations in New York City
Authors: Tao Rachel H. , Chillrud Lawrence G. , Nunez Yanelli , Rowland Sebastian T. , Boehme Amelia K. , Yan Jingkai , Goldsmith Jeff , Wright John , Kioumourtzoglou Marianthi-Anna
Published: February 2023

Background:

The association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and cardiovascular outcomes is well established. To evaluate whether source-specific PM2.5 is differentially associated with cardiovascular disease in New York City (NYC), we identified PM2.5 sources and examined the association between source-specific PM2.5 exposure and risk of hospitalization for myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods:

We adapted principal component pursuit (PCP), a dimensionality-reduction technique previously used in computer vision, as a novel pattern recognition method for environmental mixtures to apportion speciated PM2.5 to its sources. We used data from the NY Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System of daily city-wide counts of MI admissions (2007–2015). We examined associations between same-day, lag 1, and lag 2 source-specific PM2.5 exposure and MI admissions in a time-series analysis, using a quasi-Poisson regression model adjusting for potential confounders.

Results:

We identified four sources of PM2.5 pollution: crustal, salt, traffic, and regional and detected three single-species factors: cadmium, chromium, and barium. In adjusted models, we observed a 0.40% (95% confidence interval [CI]: –0.21, 1.01%) increase in MI admission rates per 1 μg/m3 increase in traffic PM2.5, a 0.44% (95% CI: –0.04, 0.93%) increase per 1 μg/m3 increase in crustal PM2.5, and a 1.34% (95% CI: –0.46, 3.17%) increase per 1 μg/m3 increase in chromium-related PM2.5, on average.

Conclusions:

In our NYC study, we identified traffic, crustal dust, and chromium PM2.5 as potentially relevant sources for cardiovascular disease. We also demonstrated the potential utility of PCP as a pattern recognition method for environmental mixtures.
Are serum uric acid levels predictors of cardiovascular risk? An update
Authors: Georgoulis Michael , Mikhailidis Dimitri P. , Panagiotakos Demosthenes B.
Published: February 2023

Purpose of review

The aim of this review was to update the evidence regarding the link between serum uric acid and cardiovascular risk, as well as the role of nutrition in the prevention and management of hyperuricaemia.

Recent findings

The review focuses on recent epidemiological evidence concerning the role of elevated serum uric acid levels in cardiovascular risk prediction. The dietary prevention and management of hyperuricaemia is also discussed with an emphasis on the adoption of prudent dietary patterns.

There is evidence supporting that elevated serum uric acid levels are positively associated with cardiovascular disease risk and might represent a useful additional marker for risk stratification. The association of serum uric acid with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality seems to be U-shaped, suggesting that both very low and very high serum uric acid levels might be detrimental for survival, the former being mediated by malnutrition. Apart from medication, the dietary management of hyperuricaemia should focus on the adoption of a prudent dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet, which can both prevent gout and mitigate cardiometabolic risk.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Virtual Biopsy of Common Solid Renal Masses—A Pictorial Review
Authors: Kumar Sindhu , Virarkar Mayur , Vulasala Sai Swarupa R. , Daoud Taher , Ozdemir Savas , Wieseler Carissa , Vincety-Latorre Fiorella , Gopireddy Dheeraj R. , Bhosale Priya , Lall Chandana
Published: February 2023

The expanded application of radiologic imaging resulted in an increased incidence of renal masses in the recent decade. Clinically, it is difficult to determine the malignant potential of the renal masses, thus resulting in complex management. Image-guided biopsies are the ongoing standard of care to identify molecular variance but are limited by tumor accessibility and heterogeneity. With the evolving importance of individualized cancer therapies, radiomics has displayed promising results in the identification of tumoral mutation status on routine imaging. This article discusses how magnetic resonance imaging features can guide a radiologist toward identifying renal mass characteristics.
The Outcome of Transplanting Kidneys From Very Small Pediatric Deceased Donors
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Su Xiaojun , Liu Longshan , Huang Mingchuan , Wu Wenrui , Zhang Huanxi , Wu Chenglin , Fu Qian , Gao Pengfei , Ling Liuting , Chen Wenting , Xu Bowen , Liao Yuan , Li Jun , Wang Changxi
Published: February 2023

Background.

Kidneys from very small pediatric donors (VSPDs, aged <2 y) are underutilized. Concerns regarding potentially inferior outcomes hinder the use in pediatric recipients.

Methods.

All pediatric kidney-only transplants from <18-year-old donors between January 2012 and May 2021 in our center were included in this study. Outcomes were compared between VSPD and normal pediatric donor (NPD, aged 2–18 y) groups, and 3-y death-censored graft survival was assessed by the multivariable Cox proportional hazard model.

Results.

Of all 252 enrolled patients, 149 (59.1%) received kidneys from NPDs and 103 (40.9%) from VSPDs. The 3-y graft survival rates of the NPD and VSPD groups were 91.2% and 88.6%, respectively (P= 0.385). The adjusted hazard ratio of 3-y graft loss was 1.2 (95% confidence interval, 0.6-2.5;P= 0.659) for the VSPD group compared with the NPD group. There was no significant difference in estimated glomerular filtration rate at 3 y posttransplant observed between NPD and VSPD groups (86.9 ± 26.8 versus 87 ± 27.9 mL/min/1.73 m2;P= 0.991). Patients (n = 12, 4.8%) who received kidneys from donors <5 kg contributed 5 (5/39, 12.8%) with delayed graft function and the sole primary nonfunction in our cohort.

Conclusions.

Although attention to preventing complications is necessary, especially for kidneys from donors <5 kg, kidneys from VSPDs did not appear to impart added risk for 3-y graft loss and renal function.
Functional connectivity of sub-cortical brain regions: disparities and similarities
Authors: Alahmadi Adnan A.S.
Published: February 2023

Sub-cortical grey matter structures, such as the putamen, pallidum, caudate, thalamus, amygdala and hippocampus, play substantial roles in both simple and complex brain functions, including regulation of pleasure and emotions; control of movements; learning; decision-making; language development; and sensory, cognitive, social and other higher-order functions. Most of these regions act as information hubs for the nervous system, relaying and controlling the flow of information to various portions of the brain. To further understand the complex neurophysiological characteristics of sub-cortical areas, the aim of this study was to investigate the functional integrations of six sub-cortical areas to different major functional brain networks. One hundred ninety-eight healthy individuals were examined using resting-state functional MRI. The seeds identified in this study were six sub-cortical deep grey matter regions, namely putamen, pallidum, caudate, thalamus, amygdala and hippocampus. The analysis indicated that the link between the sub-cortical regions and some functional brain networks was similar in some aspects, but there were disparities in the mechanism underlying such a link and in the existence of functional connections between these regions and networks. Despite the substantial functional connectivity linkages between the sub-cortical regions, discrepancies were still noted. On the basis of the connections to the majority of the major brain networks, this study demonstrated the essential functional roles and involvements of the sub-cortical regions. This finding is consistent with an earlier report that revealed a substantial role of the sub-cortical regions in several brain functions.
Abyssibius alkaniclasticus gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel member of the family Rhodobacteraceae, isolated from the Mariana Trench
Authors: Wei Ting-Ting , Fan Xi-Bei , Quan Zhe-Xue
Published: February 2023

A Gram-stain-negative bacterium with rod-shaped or irregular cells approximately 0.5–0.9×2.0–3.8 µm in size, designated as 960558T, was isolated from sediment sampled in the Mariana Trench. Strain 960558T grows at 4–37 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 6–7 (optimum, pH 7) and in the presence of 1–5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3 %). Strain 960558T utilizes tetradecane or hexadecane as a sole carbon and energy source, respectively. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and phylogenomic reconstruction revealed a close phylogenetic relationship between strain 960558T and members of the family

Rhodobacteraceae

by forming a separate branch within the type species of closely related genera. The validly published species that is most closely related to strain 960558T is

Planktotalea lamellibrachiae

JAM 119T, which has the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (93.47 %). Ubiquinone 10 is the predominant ubiquinone, while C16 : 0, 11-methyl C18 : 1
 ω7c and C18 : 1
 ω7c and/or C18 : 1
 ω6c are the predominant fatty acids (>10 %). Additionally, phosphatidylglycerol, glycolipids, diphosphatidylglycerol, unidentified polar lipids and unidentified aminolipids are the major polar lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain 960558T is 61 %. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization results of strain 960558T with other type strains are <70.2 and 22.1 %, respectively. Based on its phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and other phenotypic properties, strain 960558T is considered to represent a novel genus and species within the family

Rhodobacteraceae

, for which the name Abyssibius alkaniclasticus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Abyssibius alkaniclasticus is 960558T (=KCTC 82619T=MCCC 1K04727T).
Corticolimbic connectivity mediates the relationship between pubertal timing and mental health problems
Authors: Vijayakumar Nandita , Whittle Sarah , Silk Timothy J.
Published: February 2023

Background

Undergoing puberty ahead of peers (“earlier pubertal timing”) is an important risk factor for mental health problems during early adolescence. The current study examined pathways between pubertal timing and mental health via connectivity of neural systems implicated in emotional reactivity and regulation (specifically corticolimbic connections) in 9- to 14-year-olds.

Method

Research questions were examined in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, a large population representative sample in the United States. Linear mixed models examined associations between pubertal timing and resting-state corticolimbic connectivity. Significant connections were examined as potential mediators of the relationship between pubertal timing and mental health (withdrawn depressed and rule-breaking delinquency) problems. Exploratory analyses interrogated whether the family environment moderated neural risk patterns in those undergoing puberty earlier than their peers.

Results

Earlier pubertal timing was related to decreased connectivity between limbic structures (bilateral amygdala and right hippocampus) and the cingulo-opercular network (CON), as well as between the left hippocampus and ventral attention network (VAN). Corticolimbic connections also mediated the relationship between earlier pubertal timing and increased withdrawn depressed problems (but not rule-breaking delinquency). Finally, parental acceptance buffered against limbic-CON connectivity patterns that were implicated in withdrawn depressed problems in those undergoing puberty earlier than their peers.

Conclusion

Findings highlight the role of decreased corticolimbic connectivity in mediating pathways between earlier pubertal timing and withdrawn depressed problems, and we present preliminary evidence that the family environment may buffer against these neural risk patterns during early adolescence.
Distinctivein vitrophenotypes in iPSC-derived neurons from patients with gain- and loss-of-functionSCN2Adevelopmental and epileptic encephalopathy
Authors: Mao Miaomiao , Mattei Cristiana , Rollo Ben , Byars Sean , Cuddy Claire , Berecki Geza , Heighway Jacqueline , Pachernegg Svenja , Menheniott Trevelyan , Apted Danielle , Jia Linghan , Dalby Kelley , Nemiroff Alex , Mullen Saul , Reid Christopher A. , Maljevic Snezana , Petrou Steven
Published: February 2023

SCN2Aencodes NaV1.2, an excitatory neuron voltage-gated sodium channel and major monogenic cause of neurodevelopmental disorders, including developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE) and autism. Clinical presentation and pharmocosensitivity vary with nature ofSCN2Avariant dysfunction with gain-of-function (GoF) cases presenting with pre- or peri-natal seizures and loss-of-function (LoF) patients typically having infantile spasms after 6 months of age. Here, we established and assessed patient induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) - derived neuronal models for two recurrentSCN2ADEE variants with GoF R1882Q and LoF R853Q associated with early- and late-onset DEE, respectively.

Patient-derived iPSC lines were differentiated using a Neurogenin-2 overexpression yielding populations of cortical-like glutamatergic neurons. Electrophysiological and transcriptomic profiles were assessed after 2-4 weeks in culture. Increased neuronal activity at both cellular and network level was observed for R1882Q iPSC-derived neurons at three weeks of differentiation. In contrast, R853Q neurons showed only subtle changes in excitability after four weeksin vitro. In alignment with the reported efficacy in some GoFSCN2Apatients, phenytoin (sodium channel blocker) reduced excitability of neurons to the control levels in R1882Q neuronal cultures. Transcriptomic alterations in neurons were detected for each variant and convergent pathways pointed at the shared mechanisms underlyingSCN2ADEE.
Taxonomic and diet-based functional structure of carabid communities varies seasonally in cultivated fields
Authors: Gaël Caro , Ronan Marrec , Cyril Auguste , Aude Barbottin
Published: February 2023

Agricultural intensification has altered the provision of natural bioregulation. We assessed the effects of five different crops under non-inversion tillage on the temporal dynamics of carabid assemblages. We evaluated how the taxonomic diversity, the composition, and the diet-based functional structure of communities varied over the spring period.

Carabid assemblages were monitored over 4 years (from 2009 to 2012), in a total of 67 fields (each field followed one year) cropped with either winter oilseed rape, winter wheat, sugar beet, spring barley, or spring pea. We assigned a relative diet profile to each species accounting for more than 0.5 % of the total mean abundance-activity: granivorous, phytophagous, and zoophagous.

The seasonal changes in species richness, abundance-activity, and evenness had the same dynamic in all crops. Despite differences in species identities between crops, the zoophagous and phytophagous diet profiles showed similar temporal dynamics in all crop types, suggesting a high functional equivalence among species present in cultivated fields. Zoophagous species were progressively replaced by primarily phytophagous species in all crops, while the increase in granivorous species was only observed in oilseed rape.

Our results suggest that potential bioregulation do not significantly differ among crop types but vary along the spring season.

Highlights

We monitored carabid communities in five crop types under non-inversion tillage

We observed similar seasonal increases in carabid abundance-activity and species richness in all crops during the spring period

We observed similar trends in temporal changes in carnivorous and phytophagous diet profiles in all crops

With seasonal changes, zoophagous species are progressively replaced by more phytophagous species

Crop type is not the main factor driving temporal changes in diet-based structure of carabid assemblages
The genetic equidistance and maximum genetic diversity hypothesis: Smoke and mirrors?
Authors: Zhang Yixi
Published: February 2023

As a novel molecular evolution model that was claimed to have an advantage over the molecular clock hypothesis1–3, the maximum genetic diversity (MGD) hypothesis was utilized to study the modern human origins4. Nevertheless, there are serious problems with this hypothesis and both it and its derivative studies should be treated with caution.
Shoot maturation strengthens FLS2-mediated resistance toPseudomonas syringae
Authors: Hu Lanxi , Kvitko Brian , Yang Li
Published: February 2023

A temporal-spatial regulation of immunity components is essential for properly activating plant defense response. Flagellin-sensing 2 (FLS2) is a surface-localized receptor that recognizes bacterial flagellin. The immune function of FLS2 is compromised in early stages of shoot development. However, the underlying mechanism for the age-dependent FLS2 signaling is not clear. Here, we show that the reduced basal immunity of juvenile leaves againstPseudomonas syringaepv. tomato DC3000 is independent of FLS2. The flg22-induced marker gene expression and ROS activation were comparable in juvenile and adult stage, but callose deposition was more evident in the adult stage than that of juvenile stage. We further demonstrated that microRNA156, a master regulator of plant aging, suppressed callose deposition in juvenile leaves in response to flg22 but not the expression ofFLS2andFRK1 (Flg22-induced receptor-like kinase 1). Altogether, we revealed an intrinsic mechanism that regulates the amplitude of FLS2-mediated resistance during aging.
Inositol Pyrophosphate Dynamics Reveals Control of the Yeast Phosphate Starvation Program Through 1,5-IP8and the SPX Domain of Pho81
Authors: Chabert Valentin , Kim Geun-Don , Qiu Danye , Liu Guizhen , Mayer Lydie Michaillat , Muhammed Jamsheer K. , Jessen Henning Jacob , Mayer Andreas
Published: February 2023

Eukaryotic cells control inorganic phosphate to balance its role as essential macronutrient with its negative bioenergetic impact on reactions liberating phosphate. Phosphate homeostasis depends on the conserved INPHORS signaling pathway that utilizes inositol pyrophosphates (IPPs) and SPX receptor domains. Since cells synthesize various IPPs and SPX domains bind them promiscuously, it is unclear whether a specific IPP regulates SPX domains in vivo, or whether multiple IPPs act as a pool. In contrast to previous models, which postulated that phosphate starvation is signaled by increased production of the IPP 1-IP7, we now show that the levels of all detectable IPPs of yeast, 1-IP7, 5-IP7and 1,5-IP8, strongly decline upon phosphate starvation. Among these, specifically the decline of 1,5-IP8triggers the transcriptional phosphate starvation response, the PHO pathway. 1,5-IP8inactivates the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor Pho81 through its SPX domain. This stimulates the cyclin-dependent kinase Pho85-Pho80 to phosphorylate the transcription factor Pho4 and repress the PHO pathway. Combining our results with observations from other systems we propose a unified model where 1,5-IP8signals cytosolic phosphate abundance to SPX proteins in fungi, plants, and mammals. Its absence triggers starvation responses.

Significance statement

Cytosolic Piis of prime importance for cellular bioenergetics because Piinfluences free energy of nucleotide hydrolysis and the metabolite fluxes through glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Eukaryotic cells use the INPHORS pathway to signal Pivia SPX domains and their ligands, inositol pyrophosphates (IP7, IP8), which control Pihomeostasis through a network of target proteins that import, export, store or detoxify Pi. Studies with different systems failed to yield a coherent model on this regulation.

We performed the first time-resolved profiling of the full isomer spectrum of inositol pyrophosphates in yeast and dissected the isomer that is relevant to intracellular Pisignaling. Our results can be combined with existing observations from plants, mammals, and other fungi to support a unified model of Pisignaling across all eukaryotic kingdoms, which is in accord with the fundamental importance of Pimanagement for metabolism.
Decolonising the design curriculum: making “sustainability” accessible, understandable and practicable to second-year undergraduate architecture students
Authors: Datey Aparna
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper describes the curriculum design of an architectural studio course aimed at making concepts of sustainability accessible, understandable and practicable to second-year undergraduate students. Architectural education and design pedagogy is shaped and interrogated in the Global North or Western Europe and North America and influences various pedagogical approaches in the Global South. By including exemplars, voices and practices from global, historical, vernacular and contemporary contexts, understanding of sustainability is enriched.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach to course design included decolonising the curriculum and making it relevant for globally diverse future professionals. The studio theme of “memory and history” was framed as responsiveness to context and experiencing the site. Students were required to define place, and articulate form and space with sensitivity towards social, cultural, environmental and ecological aspects. The lectures, exercises and interactive activities emphasised design process, in-progress work, and experimentation through sketching, diagramming, drawing, and making study models which scaffolded student learning under the guidance of tutors.

Findings

The findings show that to make the process of learning to design in an environmentally responsive manner explicit for students, approaches to curriculum design must have a global and inclusive curriculum, engage students in experiential learning through doing/making to develop critical thinking skills, encourage students to synthesise and transfer learning to and from other settings and contexts, and interpret knowledge-power relationships and co-construction processes embedded in studio-based teaching and learning.

Originality/value

The original contribution of the course is that it creates an inclusive, experimental and decolonised space for co-construction of knowledge about designing sustainable environments.
The positioning of CEOs as advocates and activists for societal change: reflecting media, receptive and strategic cornerstones
Authors: Bojanic Vanja
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to take stock of current knowledge on chief executive officers (CEOs) speaking out on societal issues and to position the phenomenon with and against the relevant literature on CEO communication. Ultimately, the paper seeks to arrive at a better conceptual understanding of CEO advocates and activists from a communication science perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is conceptual and considers findings from the literature on personalization, reputation, issues and topic management.

Findings

The paper reflects media, receptive and strategic implications for CEO advocates and activists and derives four workable propositions. It lays the foundation for treating CEO advocacy and activism as a form of strategic topic management that harnesses personalization to address a new set of stakeholder demands.

Practical implications

The insights gained from this paper may help researchers and practitioners understand when CEOs should speak up, what to communicate and how. The human element behind this kind of communication echoes new expectations, demands and values from stakeholders, shareholders and society at large.

Social implications

Understanding the specific interdependencies between personalization, reputation, issues and topic management underlying CEO advocacy and activism can help to improve a CEO's relationship with stakeholders and guide the public discourse to actively bring about positive societal change.

Originality/value

The paper fills a gap by providing an understanding of advocate and activist CEOs from a communication science perspective. The insights from this paper can be used as a starting point for further research on this subject.
Does crowdsourcing necessarily lead to brand engagement? The role of crowdsourcing cues and relationship norms on customer-brand relationships
Authors: Herter Márcia Maurer , Shuqair Saleh , Pinto Diego Costa , Mattila Anna S. , Zandonai Pontin Paola
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how the relationship norms established between customers and brands influence customer perceptions of crowdsourcing (vs firm-generated) cues.

Design/methodology/approach

Four studies (N = 851) examine the moderating role of relationship norms on product labeling cues (crowdsourcing vs firm-generated) effects on brand engagement, and the underlying mechanism of self-brand connection.

Findings

The findings suggest that crowdsourcing (vs firm-generated) cues lead to higher brand engagement (Studies 1A–1B), mediated by self-brand connection (Studies 2–3). In addition, relationship norms moderate the effects (Study 3), such that under exchange brand relationships crowdsourcing (vs firm-generated) cues yield higher brand engagement, whereas communal brand relationships reverse such effects.

Practical implications

The findings provide valuable managerial implications by highlighting the importance of using relationship norms as diagnostic cues to successfully implement crowdsourcing initiatives.

Originality/value

This research adds to the customer-brand relationship literature by revealing an accessibility-diagnosticity perspective of consumers’ reactions to crowdsourcing (vs firm-generated) cues.
Gauging the impact of negative media publicity on career decisions: exploring police recruit motivations during a recruitment crisis
Authors: Wojslawowicz Ashleigh N. , Doan Robert J. , Fish Jacqueline T. , Spencer James A.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to provide greater understanding of the policing recruitment crisis by exploring if and how recruit decisions to become an officer were influenced by negative media publicity, As police recruits are a viable source for recruitment data.

Design/methodology/approach

Basic law enforcement (BLE) candidates attending a southeastern state police academy were surveyed (N = 395) on perceptions of danger and current officer motivation (i.e. the “Ferguson Effect”), as well as motivation variables for entering police work.

Findings

Results found little to no influence of negative media on decisions and career motivations, despite respondents acknowledging agreement to Ferguson Effect variables.

Research limitations/implications

Findings suggest negative media publicity was not a contributing factor for the studied sample; however, further recruit-based research is advocated to understand contemporary law enforcement recruitment strategies.

Practical implications

As police organizations continue to face difficulty in hiring and retaining qualified candidates, understanding the next generation of officers has never been more crucial. This study provides a model for police organizations to incorporate recruit data into evidence-based procedures.

Social implications

As findings suggest the acknowledgment of Ferguson Effect variables to be present, social implications include the possible long-term impacts of these perceptions on officer career progression and the police culture.

Originality/value

At the time of this study, no known work has examined police recruit motivations against the backdrop of negative media. This study is the first known research to explore the potential impact of Ferguson Effect variables on police academy recruits in the United States.
Discourse and the creation of French green bond legitimacy
Authors: Riaz Umair , Al Mahameed Muhammad , Gentemann Lisa , Dunne Theresa
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to explore how organisations use institutional language in Green Bond reports to explain and justify their activities using language that describes and reflects narratives while simultaneously constructing and shaping ideology. The paper mobilises Wodak and Meyer’s critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine reports and related documentation relating to Green Bonds issued in France.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses three legitimating discourses: technocratic, environmental and social and business performance to develop a linguistic perspective that permits contributions to existing knowledge in the area.

Findings

The analysis attempts to identify the discursive strategies used to legitimise Green Bond issuance via claims linked to environmental management improvements and business activities’ social impact.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the critical literature on organisational legitimation and responsibility, investigations of Green Bond narratives and an understanding of broader environmental reporting in the financial sector.
How crop insurance influences agrochemical input use: Evidence from cotton farmers in China
Authors: Mao Hui , Chen Shaojian , Ying RuiYao , Fu Yong
Published: February 2023

Crop insurance is critical in risk management in global agricultural production (e.g. by helping stabilise farmers' incomes in the long term and reducing risk‐bearing costs). In this paper, using field survey data on cotton farmers in Xinjiang, China, we examine the influence of crop insurance on farmers' behaviours regarding agrochemical inputs and aim to investigate the synergy between crop insurance and reductions in fertiliser and pesticide usage. We find evidence that crop insurance significantly negatively affects farmers' use of fertilisers and pesticides, as well as significantly positively affects their adoption of green agricultural technologies (GAT) that can replace or complement traditional fertilisers and pesticides. Moreover, our results reveal that compared with small‐scale farmers, crop insurance has a stronger effect on large‐scale farmers' use of agrochemicals. Finally, when the insured amount is higher or the relative deductible is lower, farmers are more likely to reduce fertiliser and pesticide usage and adopt GAT. Overall, this paper scientifically identifies crop insurance can improve farmers' agrochemical input behaviour, by reducing farmers' use of traditional agrochemical inputs and increasing their adoption of GAT, which is of great significance for ensuring the safety of the agricultural ecological environment.
On the double social life of failure
Authors: Reeves Madeleine
Published: February 2023

What might it mean to follow failure ‘out into the world’ (Alexander, introduction to this volume) in a way that is attentive both to its contingent and diffuse effects, and to the work involved in making it socially legible? This essay follows a moment of social breakdown, its reverberations in social life, and the forms of diagnosis it elicited as a way of exploring the double social life of failure. Focusing on the aftermath of Kyrgyzstan's 2010 ‘Osh events’ (Oshskie sobytiia) as they took hold in a multi‐tenant and ethnically mixed dormitory apartment for migrant workers in Moscow, I follow failure forwards, exploring how a period of intercommunal violence reverberated in a context of protracted work migration, legal non‐recognition, and the digital circulation of blame. I also track it backwards, attending to my interlocutors’ practices of diagnosis and excavation. Among Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Moscow, the Osh events figured as indexical of different kinds of failure – whether of protection, recognition, or proper state care. I take vernacular diagnoses of bardak – normative breakdown – as an ethnographic entry point for thinking about the spatial and temporal afterlives of violence, their articulation in an age of digital mediation, and the ethics of naming and diagnosing failure.
A review of the structure, function, and application of plant‐based protein–phenolic conjugates and complexes
Authors: Yan Xianghui , Zeng Zheling , McClements David Julian , Gong Xiaofeng , Yu Ping , Xia Jiaheng , Gong Deming
Published: February 2023

Interactions between plant‐based proteins (PP) and phenolic compounds (PC) occur naturally in many food products. Recently, special attention has been paid to the fabrication of PP–PC conjugates or complexes in model systems with a focus on their effects on their structure, functionality, and health benefits. Conjugates are held together by covalent bonds, whereas complexes are held together by noncovalent ones. This review highlights the nature of protein–phenolic interactions involving PP. The interactions of these PC with the PP in model systems are discussed, as well as their impact on the structural, functional, and health‐promoting properties of PP. The PP in conjugates and complexes tend to be more unfolded than in their native state, which often improves their functional attributes. PP–PC conjugates and complexes often exhibit improved in vitro digestibility, antioxidant activity, and potential allergy‐reducing activities. Consequently, they may be used as antioxidant emulsifiers, edible film additives, nanoparticles, and hydrogels in the food industry. However, studies focusing on the application of PP–PC conjugates and complexes in real foods are still scarce. Further research is therefore required to determine the structure–function relationships of PP–PC conjugates and complexes that may influence their application as functional ingredients in the food industry.