bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theory-based determinants of modern contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa: an analysis of demographic and health surveys
Authors: Adu-Gyamfi Raphael , Enos Juliana , Yeboah Dorcas Obiri , Torpey Kwasi
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Despite improved access to modern contraceptives in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the region has the highest fertility rate. Although modern contraceptive usage and its determinants in SSA have been assessed, most authors were not guided by behavioral change theories. This study sought to assess the modern contraceptive coverage in SSA and identify the theory-based determinants that need to be considered in demand creation interventions.

Methods

Data was obtained from the most recent demographic and health surveys conducted across 37 countries in SSA. Estimates of country-specific and pooled Regional modern contraceptive coverage were generated from 501,324 responses. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between modern contraceptive use and determinants selected based on the Health Belief and Social-Ecological behavior change models.

Results

Modern contraceptive coverage in SSA was 22.26% (95% CI: 17.91, 26.60). The health belief model determinants of modern contraceptive use included last birth by caesarian section (AOR=1.44, 95% CI:1.31,1.59), hearing of family planning at the health facility (AOR=1.18, 95% CI:1.12,1.24), or from at least one media source, being able to negotiate condom use (AOR=1.65, 95% CI: 1.55,1.76), and having a previous terminated pregnancy (AOR=0.76, 95%CI: 0.71, 0.81). The social ecological model determinants of modern contraceptive use included being above 24 years, having at least primary education, non-urgent need for a last child, and being involved in decision-making concerning personal health (AOR=1.81,95% CI:1.71,1.92).

Discussion

Modern contraceptive coverage in SSA is low. Age, educational status, past obstetric history, exposure to family planning information, ability to negotiate condom use or make personal health-related decisions, and the need for a child were the determinants for modern contraceptive use in the region. Countries need to develop context-specific interventions considering these determinants to help improve coverage and reduce the poor maternal and child health outcomes and the developmental gaps resulting from unplanned pregnancies.
Promotion and Validation of Flipped Teaching Based on Video Conference in Standardized Training for Internal Medicine Residents
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Yu
Published: July 2022

Objective

I aimed to verify the training effect of Flipped Teaching with Video Conference as carrier in the training of infectious diseases, and promote the application of this teaching mode in the standardized training for resident physicians.

Methods

The vertical management mode was adopted to carry out Flipped Teaching in the training, and the training of infectious diseases was carried out according to the requirements of the standardized training program for internal medicine resident. The residents trained in April were included in the trial group, and those trained in June were included in the validation group. The evaluation indexes of both groups were compared and analyzed.

Results

A total of 43 resident physicians participated in the training of infectious diseases by the Flipped Teaching based on Video Conference, all from tertiary hospitals. There were 19 participants in the trial group and 24 participants in the validation group, who carried out Flip Teaching with Video Conference as carrier for 31 times and 24 times respectively. The implementation rate of teaching plan was above 91% in both groups, and the attendance rate was above 98%; There was no significant difference on the attendance rate between the both groups, P>0.05. 952 effective feedback questionnaires were collected, including 395 in the trial group and 557 in the validation group. In terms of teaching quality, the indicators of “Rigorous teaching attitude” and “Punctual class” in the validation group were lower than those in the trial group, P < 0.05; And the other indicatiors were no significant difference, P>0.05; All feedback of the teaching quality indexes “good and very good” accounted for more than 96%. In the overall evaluation, there was no significant difference between the both groups on the index of “Suggestions for improvement”, P>0.05; And the “Praise highlight” of the validation group was higher than that of the trial group, P<0.05.

Conclusion

The Flipped Teaching based on Video Conference is generally effective for internal medicine residents to carry out training of infectious diseases, with good feedback and strong feasibility. This teaching model can be further promoted and applied in the standardized training for resident physicians.
Rickettsiainfection rate along an altitudinal gradient as influenced by population genetic structure of Ixodid ticks
Authors: Regilme Maria Angenica F. , Sato Megumi , Tamura Tsutomu , Arai Reiko , Sato Marcello Otake , Ikeda Sumire , Watanabe Kozo
Published: July 2022

Ixodid ticks, such asIxodes ovatusandHaemaphysalis flava,are important vectors of tick-borne diseases in Japan, such as Japanese spotted fever caused byRickettsia japonica. This study describes the population genetic structure and gene flow ofI. ovatusandH. flavaand theirRickettsiainfection rates along an altitudinal gradient. A total of 346 adultI. ovatusand 243H. flavawere analyzed for the presence ofRickettsiaby nested PCR targeting the 17kDA,gltA, rOmpA,andrOmpBgenes. Population genetic structure was performed using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (cox1) marker. TheRickettsiainfection rates were 13.26% inI. ovatusand 6.17% inH. flava.ForI. ovatus,the globalFSTvalue revealed significant genetic differentiation among the different populations, whereasH. flavashowed non-significant genetic differentiation. Thecox1 I. ovatuscluster dendrogram showed two cluster groups, while the haplotype network and phylogenetic tree showed three genetic groups. The two cluster groups and the three genetic groups found inI. ovatusshowed a significant difference in theirRickettsiainfection rates and mean altitude per group. No significant differences were found in the mean altitude orRickettsiainfection rates ofH. flava. Our results suggest that low gene flow in theI. ovatuspopulations has caused spatially heterogenousRickettsiainfection rates along the altitudinal gradient. This information can be used in understanding the relationship between the tick vector, its pathogen, and environmental factors, such as altitude, and for the control of tick-borne diseases in Japan.
Single Photon smFRET. I. Theory and Conceptual Basis
Authors: Saurabh Ayush , Fazel Mohamadreza , Safar Matthew , Sgouralis Ioannis , Pressé Steve
Published: July 2022

We present a unified conceptual framework and the associated software package for single molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET) analysis from single photon arrivals leveraging Bayesian nonparametrics, BNP-FRET. This unified framework addresses the following key physical complexities of a single photon smFRET experiment, including: 1) fluorophore photophysics; 2) continuous time kinetics of the labeled system with large timescale separations between photophysical phenomena such as excited photophysical state lifetimes and events such as transition between system states; 3) unavoidable detector artefacts; 4) background emissions; 5) unknown number of system states; and 6) both continuous and pulsed illumination. These physical features necessarily demand a novel framework that extends beyond existing tools. In particular, the theory naturally brings us to a hidden Markov model (HMM) with a second order structure and Bayesian nonparametrics (BNP) on account of items 1, 2 and 5 on the list. In the second and third companion manuscripts, we discuss the direct effects of these key complexities on the inference of parameters for continuous and pulsed illumination, respectively.

Why It Matters

smFRET is a widely used technique for studying kinetics of molecular complexes. However, until now, smFRET data analysis methods required specifyinga priorithe dimensionality of the underlying physical model (the exact number of kinetic parameters). Such approaches are inherently limiting given the typically unknown number of physical configurations a molecular complex may assume. The methods presented here eliminate this requirement and allow estimating the physical model itself along with kinetic parameters, while incorporating all sources of noise in the data.
Phenotypic profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific CD4 T cell responses in HIV-positive patients who develop Tuberculosis-associated Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome
Authors: Moseki Raymond M , Barber Daniel L , Bruyn Elsa Du , Shey Muki , Van der Plas Helen , Wilkinson Robert J , Meintjes Graeme , Riou Catherine
Published: July 2022

Background

Tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS) is a frequent complication of co-treatment for TB and HIV-1. We characterized Mtb-specific CD4 T cell phenotype and transcription factor profile associated with the development of TB-IRIS.

Methods

We examined the role of CD4 T-cell transcription factors in a murine model of mycobacterial IRIS. In humans, we compared longitudinally on antiretroviral therapy (ART) the magnitude, activation, transcription factor profile and cytotoxic potential of Mtb-specific CD4 T cells between TB-IRIS (n=25) and appropriate non-IRIS control patients (n=18) using flow cytometry.

Results

In the murine model, CD4 T cell expression of Eomes, but not Tbet, was associated with experimentally induced IRIS. In patients, TB-IRIS onset was associated with the expansion of Mtb-specific IFNγ+CD4 T cells (p=0.039). TB-IRIS patients had higher HLA-DR expression (p=0.016), but no differences in the expression of T-bet or Eomes were observed. At TB-IRIS onset, Eomes+Tbet+Mtb-specific IFNγ+CD4+ T cells showed higher expression of Granzyme B in TB-IRIS patients (p=0.026).

Conclusion

While the murine model of MAC-IRIS suggests that Eomes+CD4 T cells underly IRIS, TB-IRIS was not associated with Eomes expression in patients. Mtb-specific IFNγ+CD4 T cell responses in TB-IRIS patients are differentiated, highly activated and potentially cytotoxic.
The Role of Home Medication Storage Location in Increasing Medication Adherence for Older Adults
Authors: Gualtieri Lisa , Shaveet Eden , Estime Brandon , Patel Avi
Published: July 2022

Background

Over 50% of U.S. adults do not take their prescriptions as prescribed, which is responsible for 33% to 69% of hospital admissions and 125,000 deaths annually. Given the higher prevalence of prescription drug use among older adult populations, increasing medication adherence is of particular importance with this age group. Two speculated facilitators of medication adherence are home medication storage location and the use of digital health devices.

Objective

Our objective was to use survey data to investigate the associations between medication storage location and medication adherence among adults 40 years and older. Additionally, we aimed to report preliminary findings about the associations between use of digital health devices and medication adherence in this same population.

Methods

We conducted primary analysis of data sampled from a home medication management survey deployed in November 2021 (n=580). Exploratory analyses were conducted by way of chi2tests and creation of bivariate logistic regression models.

Results

The most heavily used storage locations were nightstand drawers (27%), kitchen cabinets (25%), and atop bedroom nightstands (23%). Certain medication storage locations were associated with greater medication adherence. Several storage locations were significantly associated with decreased odds of having ever forgotten to take a medication, including kitchen drawers, in refrigerators, atop bedroom nightstands, in nightstand drawers, and backpacks, purses, or bags. Two home medication storage locations were significantly associated with increased odds of having ever forgotten to intake a medication: kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. Further, most (94%) survey respondents indicated they would be receptive to guidance about where to store their medications.

Conclusions

Given that all patients need to select a location to store their prescription medication in their homes and that some storage locations are associated with adherence, we believe that an intervention to optimize storage selection may lead to increased adherence. The impact of digital health device usage paired with optimized home medication storage location on medication adherence in older adult populations remains unknown but is worthy of further investigation. Further, we plan to investigate how new device designs can incorporate specific storage locations and contextual cues related to location to promote adherence more effectively.
A dolabralexin-deficient mutant provides insight into specialized diterpenoid metabolism in maize (Zea mays)
Authors: Murphy Katherine M. , Dowd Tyler , Khalil Ahmed , Char Si Nian , Yang Bing , Endelman Benjamin J. , Shih Patrick M. , Topp Christopher , Schmelz Eric A. , Zerbe Philipp
Published: July 2022

Two major groups of maize (Zea mays) specialized metabolites, termed kauralexins and dolabralexins, serve as known or predicted diterpenoid defenses against pathogens, herbivores, and other environmental stressors. To consider physiological roles of the recently discovered dolabralexin pathway, we examined dolabralexin structural diversity, tissue-specificity, and stress-elicited production in a defined biosynthetic pathway mutant. Metabolomics analyses support a larger number of dolabralexin pathway products than previously known. We identified dolabradienol as a previously undetected pathway metabolite and characterized its enzymatic production. Transcript and metabolite profiling showed that dolabralexin biosynthesis and accumulation predominantly occurs in primary roots and shows quantitative variation across genetically diverse inbred lines. Generation and analysis of CRISPR-Cas9-derived loss-of- function Kaurene Synthase-Like 4 (Zmksl4) mutants demonstrated dolabralexin production deficiency, thus supporting ZmKSL4 as the diterpene synthase responsible for the conversion of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate precursors into dolabradiene and downstream pathway products.Zmksl4mutants further display altered root-to-shoot ratios and root architecture in response to water deficit, consistent with an interactive role of maize dolabralexins in plant vigor during abiotic stress.
Evaluating instruments for assessing healthspan: a multi-center cross-sectional study on health-related quality of life (HRQL) and frailty in the companion dog
Authors: Chen Frances L. , Ullal Tarini V. , Graves Jessica L. , Ratcliff Ellen R. , Naka Alexander , McKenzie Brennen , Carttar Tennery A. , Super Kaitlyn M. , Austriaco Jessica , Weber Sunny Y. , Vaughn Julie , LaCroix-Fralish Michael L.
Published: July 2022

Developing valid tools that assess key determinants of canine healthspan such as frailty and health-related quality of life (HRQL) is essential to characterizing and understanding aging in dogs. Additionally, because the companion dog is an excellent translational model for humans, such tools can be applied to evaluate gerotherapeutics and investigate mechanisms underlying longevity in both dogs and humans. In this multi-center, cross sectional study, we investigated the use of a clinical questionnaire (Canine Frailty Index; CFI; Banzato et al., 2019) to assess frailty and an owner assessment tool (VetMetrica HRQL) to evaluate HRQL in 451 adult companion dogs. Results demonstrated validity of the tools by confirming expectations that frailty and HRQL deteriorate with age. CFI scores were significantly higher (higher frailty) and HRQL scores significantly lower (worse HRQL) in old dogs (≥ 7 years of age) compared to young dogs (≥ 2 and < 6 years of age). Body size (small < 25lbs or large > 50lbs) was not associated with CFI or total HRQL score. However, older, larger dogs showed faster age-related decline in HRQL scores specific to owner-reported activity and comfort. Findings suggest that the clinician-assessed CFI and owner-reported VetMetrica HRQL are useful tools to evaluate two determinants of healthspan in dogs: the accumulation of frailty and the progressive decline in quality of life. Establishing validated tools that operationalize the assessment of canine healthspan is critical for the advancement of geroscience and the development of gerotherapeutics that benefit both human and veterinary medicine.

Graphical abstract

Graphical summary of the design, results, and conclusions of the study.
GPC3-Unc5D complex structure and role in cell migration
Authors: Akkermans O , Delloye-Bourgeois C , Peregrina C , Carrasquero-Ordaz M , Kokolaki M , Berbeira-Santana M , Chavent M , Reynaud F , Raj Ritu , Agirre J , Aksu M , White E , Lowe E , Ben Amar D , Zaballa S , Huo J , McCubbin P.T.N. , Comoletti D , Owens R , Robinson C.V. , Castellani V , del Toro D , Seiradake E
Published: July 2022

Neural migration is a critical step during brain development that requires the interactions of cell-surface guidance receptors. Cancer cells often hijack these mechanisms to disseminate. Here we reveal crystal structures of Uncoordinated-5 receptor D (Unc5D) in complex with morphogen receptor glypican-3 (GPC3), forming an octameric glycoprotein complex. In the complex, four Unc5D molecules pack into an antiparallel bundle, flanked by four GPC3 molecules. Central glycan-glycan interactions are formed by N-linked glycans emanating from GPC3 (N241 in human) and C-mannosylated tryptophans of the Unc5D thrombospondin-like domains. MD simulations, mass-spectrometry and structure-based mutants validate the crystallographic data. Anti-GPC3 nanobodies enhance or weaken Unc5-GPC3 binding. Using these tools in vivo, we show that Unc5/GPC3 guide migrating pyramidal neurons in the mouse cortex, and cancer cells in an embryonic xenograft neuroblastoma model. The results demonstrate a conserved structural mechanism of cell-guidance, with the potential for wide- ranging biomedical implications in development and cancer biology.
Intrinsic and Rho-dependent termination cooperate for efficient transcription termination at 3’ untranslated regions
Authors: Ahmad Ezaz , Mahapatra Varsha , V M Vanishree , Nagaraja Valakunja
Published: July 2022

The intrinsic, and the Rho-dependent mechanisms of transcription termination are conserved in bacteria. Generally, the two mechanisms have been illustrated as two independent pathways occurring in the 3’ ends of different genes with contrasting requirements to halt RNA synthesis. However, a majority of the intrinsic terminators terminate transcription inefficiently leading to transcriptional read-through. The unwanted transcription in the downstream region beyond the terminator would have undesired consequences. To prevent such transcriptional read-through, bacteria must have evolved ways to terminate transcription more efficiently at or near the termination sites. We describe the participation of both the mechanisms, where intrinsic terminator and Rho factor contribute to prevent transcriptional read-through. Contribution from both the termination processes is demonstrated at the downstream regions of the genes both in vitro and in vivo in mycobacteria. Distinct patterns of cooperation between the two modes of termination were observed at the 3’ untranslated regions of the genes to ensure efficient termination. We demonstrate similar mode of operation between the two termination processes in Escherichia coli suggesting a likely prevalence of this cooperation across bacteria. The reporter system developed to assess the Rho – intrinsic termination collaboration in vivo for mycobacteria and E. coli can readily be applied to other bacteria.
Computing the mechanism of α-helix to β-sheet transition in proteins using the finite temperature string method
Authors: Kulshrestha Avijeet , Punnathanam Sudeep N , Ayappa K Ganapathy
Published: July 2022

The transition of an α-helix to a β-sheet in proteins is among the most complex conformational changes seen in bio-molecular systems. Currently, it is difficult to study such protein conformational changes in a direct molecular dynamics simulation. This limitation is typically overcome using an indirect approach wherein one computes the free energy landscape associated with the transition. Computation of free energy landscapes, however, requires a suitable set of collective variables that describe the transition. In this work we demonstrate the use of path collective variables [J. Chem. Phys. 126, 054103 (2007)] and combine it with the finite temperature string (FTS) method [J. Phys. Chem. B109, 6688-6693 (2005)] to determine the molecular mechanisms involved during the structural transition of the mini G-protein from an α-helix to a β-hairpin. The transition from the α-helix proceeds via unfolding of the terminal residues, giving rise to a β-turn unfolded intermediate to eventually form the β-hairpin. Our proposed algorithm uses umbrella sampling simulations to simulate images along the string and the weighted histogram analysis to compute the free energy along the computed transition path. This work demonstrates that the string method in combination with path collective variables can be exploited to study complex protein conformational changes such as a complete change in the secondary structure.
Omnicrobe, an open-access database of microbial habitats and phenotypes using a comprehensive text mining and data fusion approach
Authors: Dérozier Sandra , Bossy Robert , Deléger Louise , Ba Mouhamadou , Chaix Estelle , Harlé Olivier , Loux Valentin , Falentin Hélène , Nédellec Claire
Published: July 2022

The dramatic increase in the amount of microbe descriptions in databases, reports and papers presents a two-fold challenge for accessing the information: integration of heterogeneous data in a standard ontology-based representation and normalization of the textual descriptions by semantic analysis. Recent text mining methods offer powerful ways to extract textual information and generate ontology-based representation.

This paper describes the design of the Omnicrobe application that gathers comprehensive information on habitats, phenotypes and usages of microbes from scientific sources of high interest to the microbiology community. The Omnicrobe database contains around 1 million descriptions of microbe properties that are created by analyzing and combining six information sources of various kinds, i.e. biological resource catalogues, sequence database and scientific literature. The microbe properties are indexed by the Ontobiotope ontology and their taxa are indexed by an extended version of the taxonomy maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

The Omnicrobe application covers all domains of microbiology. It provides an easy-to-use support in the resolution of scientific questions related to the habitats, phenotypes and uses of microbes through simple and complex ontology-based queries. We illustrate the potential of Omnicrobe with a use case from the food innovation domain.
Multi-Domain Characterization and Rapid Detection Technology for Cocaine and Methamphetamine Acute Abuse based on EEG
Authors: Xia Jie , Wu Jintao , Pan Jiadong , Zhang Fan , Jin Hao , Dong Shurong , Wang Yueming , Luo Jikui , Si Ke
Published: July 2022

Multi-domain characterization and a new fast detection method for acute illegal psychostimulants abuse detection based on waking-state EEG of mice is proposed in this paper. To get corftical electroencephalogram (EEG), three groups of mice were injected with cocaine (Coca), methamphetamine (Meth), and saline (Sali) respectively following the experimental paradigm of drug abuse. The EEG features were extracted out by multi-domain views, including time, frequency, complexity, dynamics, and independent domains to obtain acute drug abuse effects on the brain. New strategy combing time domain with frequency domain is developed as multi-domain input and by means of dimension transformation approach preserving temporal information, the performance of drug abuse detection is greatly improved with deep learning models of ResNet50. Results show that comparing to support vector machine (SVM), k nearest neighbor (kNN), random forest (RF), and long short-term memory fully convolutional networks (LSTM-FCN), ResNet50 based on our proposed multi-domain features has best F1-score of 95.10%. This promising method provides a low-cost, fast, and widely assisted technology for psychostimulants abuse identification.
Exploring Stop Signal Reaction Time Over Two Sessions of the Anticipatory Response Inhibition Task
Authors: Hall Alison , Jenkinson Ned , MacDonald Hayley J.
Published: July 2022

Various behavioural tasks can measure the motor component of impulse control, response inhibition. Response inhibition encompasses the ability to cancel unwanted actions and is evaluated via stop signal reaction time (SSRT). The current study explored the effect of two sessions on SSRT within the anticipatory response inhibition task (ARIT) and how this compared to the stop signal task (SST). Forty-four participants completed two sessions of the ARIT and SST, 24 hours apart. SSRT and its constituent measures (Go trial reaction time, stop signal delay) were calculated. SSRT reflecting non-selective inhibition was consistent between sessions in both tasks (both p > .293). Reaction time and stop signal delay also remained stable across sessions in the ARIT (all p > .063), whereas in the SST, both reaction time (p = .013) and stop signal delay (p = .009) increased. Across the two sessions, SSRT reflecting partial inhibition improved (p < .001), which was underpinned by changes to reaction time (p < .001) and stop signal delay (p < .001). The maximal efficiency of non-selective inhibition remained stable across two sessions in the ARIT. Results of the SST confirmed that non-selective inhibition can however be affected by more than inhibitory network integrity when Go trial reaction times are not constrained in task design. Partial response inhibition measures changed across sessions, suggesting the sequential process captured by the SSRT occurred more quickly in session two. These findings highlight the absence/extent of inherent SSRT changes possible during multiple-session study designs e.g., pre/post, or active/sham comparisons.
Temporal profiling of CD4 T-cell activation and differentiation upon SARS-CoV-2 spike protein immunisation
Authors: Almeida-Santos José , Berkachy Rita , Tye Chanidapa Adele , Hassan Jehanne , Kalfaoglu Bahire , Selkirk Murray E. , Ono Masahiro
Published: July 2022

CD4 T-cells require T-cell receptor (TCR) signalling for their activation and differentiation. Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells (Treg) are dependent on TCR signals for their differentiation and suppressive function. However, it is not fully known how TCR signalling controls the differentiation of polyclonal CD4 T-cells upon antigen recognition at the single-cell level in vivo. In this study, using Nr4a3-Tocky (Timer-of-cell-kinetics-and-activity), which analyses temporal changes of antigen-reactive T-cells following TCR signalling, we investigated T-cell response to Spike protein fragments (S1a, S1b, S2a, and S2b) upon immunisation. We show that S1a and S2a induced the differentiation of PD1hiCXCR5+ T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, which is related to CD4 T-cell immunogenicity. In contrast, S1b induced CD25hiGITRhiPD-1int Treg, which intermittently received TCR signalling. Using Foxp3-Tocky, which analyses Foxp3 transcriptional dynamics, the S1b-reactive Treg sustained Foxp3 transcription over time, which is a hallmark of activated Treg. Foxp3 fate-mapping showed that the S1b-reactive Treg were derived not from pre-existing thymic Treg, suggesting Foxp3 induction in non-Treg cells. Thus, the current study reveals temporally dynamic differentiation of CD4 T-cells and Treg upon immunisation in the polyclonal TCR repertoire.
Investigation of the genetic architecture of cam morphology, and its relationship with hip osteoarthritis, using alpha angle as a proxy measure
Authors: Faber Benjamin G. , Frysz Monika , Hartley April E. , Ebsim Raja , Boer Cindy G. , Saunders Fiona R. , Gregory Jennifer S. , Aspden Richard M , Harvey Nicholas C. , Southam Lorraine , Giles William , Maitre Christine Le , Wilkinson J. Mark , van Meurs Joyce B.J. , Zeggini Eleftheria , Cootes Timothy , Lindner Claudia , Kemp John P. , Smith George Davey , Tobias Jonathan H.
Published: July 2022

Objectives

To examine the genetic architecture of cam morphology, using alpha angle (AA) as a proxy measure, we conducted an AA genome wide association study (GWAS), followed by Mendelian randomisation (MR) to evaluate its causal relationship with hip osteoarthritis (HOA).

Methods

Observational analyses examined associations between AA derived from hip DXA scans in UK Biobank (UKB), and radiographic HOA (rHOA) and subsequent total hip replacement (THR). Afterwards, an AA GWAS meta-analysis was performed (n=44,214), using AA previously derived in the Rotterdam Study (RS). Linkage disequilibrium score regression assessed the genetic correlation between AA and HOA. Genetic associations with P<5×10−8instrumented AA for two-sample MR.

Results

DXA-derived AA showed expected associations between AA and rHOA (OR 1.63 [95% CI 1.58-1.67]) and THR (HR 1.45 [1.33-1.59]) in UKB. The heritability of AA was 10% and AA had a moderate genetic correlation with HOA (rg=0.26 [0.10-0.43]). Eight independent genetic signals were associated with AA. Two-sample MR provided weak evidence of causal effects of AA on HOA risk (inverse variance weighted (IVW): OR=1.84 [1.14-2.96], P 0.01). In contrast, genetic predisposition for HOA had stronger evidence of a causal effect on increased AA (IVW: β=0.09 [0.04-0.13], P 4.58 × 10−05).

Conclusions

Expected observational associations between AA and related clinical outcomes provided face-validity for the DXA-derived AA measures. Evidence of bidirectional associations between AA and HOA, particularly in the reverse direction, suggest that hip shape remodelling secondary to a genetic predisposition to HOA contribute to the well-established relationship between HOA and cam morphology in older adults.
The longitudinal relation between executive functioning and multilayer network topology in glioma patients
Authors: van Lingen Marike R. , Breedt Lucas C. , Geurts Jeroen J.G. , Hillebrand Arjan , Klein Martin , Kouwenhoven Mathilde C.M. , Kulik Shanna D. , Reijneveld Jaap C. , Stam Cornelis J. , De Witt Hamer Philip C. , Zimmermann Mona L.M. , Santos Fernando A.N. , Douw Linda
Published: July 2022

Many patients with glioma, primary brain tumors, suffer from poorly understood executive functioning deficits before and/or after tumor resection. We aimed to test whether frontoparietal network centrality of multilayer networks, which allow for integration across multiple frequencies, relates to and predicts executive functioning in glioma patients before and after tumor resection. Patients with glioma (n = 37) underwent neuropsychological tests assessing word fluency, inhibition, and set shifting, and resting-state magnetoencephalography before tumor resection (T1) and one year after resection (T2). We constructed binary multilayer networks comprising six layers, with each layer representing frequency-specific functional connectivity (phase lag index) between source-localized time series of 78 cortical regions. Average frontoparietal network multilayer eigenvector centrality, a measure for network integration, was calculated at both time points. Regression analyses were used to investigate its associations with executive functioning.

At T1, lower multilayer integration (p = 0.017) and having epilepsy (p = 0.006) associated with poorer set shifting (adj. R2 = 0.269). Decreasing multilayer integration (p = 0.022) and not undergoing chemotherapy at T2 (p = 0.004) related to deteriorating set shifting (adj. R2 = 0.283). No significant associations were found for word fluency or inhibition, nor did T1 multilayer integration predict changes in executive functioning. As expected, our results establish multilayer integration of the frontoparietal network as a cross-sectional and longitudinal correlate of executive functioning in glioma patients. However, multilayer integration did not significantly predict postoperative changes in executive functioning, limiting its direct clinical relevance.
Impact of native-like lipid membranes on the architecture and contractility of actomyosin networks
Authors: Liebe Nils L. , Mey Ingo , Vuong Loan , Geil Burkhard , Janshoff Andreas , Steinem Claudia
Published: July 2022

The connection between the actomyosin cortex and the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells is investigated by creating a versatile, near-native model system that allows studying the architecture and contractility of the cortex as a function of lipid composition. We found that the concentration of phosphatidylserine, a characteristic lipid of the inner leaflet of mammalian plasma membranes, plays a pivotal role in the binding of the membrane-cytoskeleton linker protein ezrin and the resulting contractile behavior of an adjacent actin network. In addition to the specific receptor lipid for ezrin, i.e., PtdIns[4,5]P2 cross-linking the network to the inner leaflet, the presence of phosphatidylserine in the membrane is critical to enhancing the binding of ezrin to PtdIns[4,5]P2 and allows rapid local actin contraction at physiologically relevant concentrations in the regime of 1-3 mol% PtdIns[4,5]P2. In the presence of phosphatidylserine, the additional negative charges in the membrane may induce enhanced sliding of the filaments on the membrane surface due to repulsive interactions between F-actin and the bilayer readily leading to the emergence of contraction foci. Conversely, if phosphatidylserine is replaced by an increased PtdIns[4,5]P2 concentration of 5 or 8 mol%, a highly connected but non-contracting actin network is observed.
Gene expression profiles of chemosensory genes of termite soldier and worker antennae
Authors: Suzuki Ryohei H. , Hanada Takumi , Hayashi Yoshinobu , Shigenobu Shuji , Maekawa Kiyoto , Hojo Masaru K.
Published: July 2022

Termite caste differentiation and social behavior are appropriately regulated by the chemical signals among individuals in each colony. Signal transduction is well known to be triggered by the reception of odorant molecules by some binding proteins in the antennae, after which, a signal is transmitted to chemosensory receptors. However, there is insufficient information on the role of chemosensory genes involved in signal transduction in termites. Here, we identified the genes involved in chemosensory reception in the rhinotermitid termite Reticulitermes speratus, and performed a genome-wide comparative transcriptome analysis of worker and soldier antennae. First, we identified 31 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), and three chemosensory protein A (CheA) from the available genome sequence data. Thereafter, we performed RNA sequencing to compare the expression levels of OBPs, CheAs, and previously identified chemosensory receptor genes between workers and soldiers antennae. Of note, there were no receptor genes with significant differences in expression between castes. However, the expression levels of three non-receptor genes (OBP, CheA, and Sensory neuron membrane protein) were significantly different between castes. Quantiative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis using antennae and other head parts confirmed that these genes were highly expressed in soldier antennae. Finally, independent qPCR analysis showed that the expression patterns of these genes were altered in soldiers from different social contexts. The present results suggest that some non-receptor protein genes are involved in the social behaviors of termites.
Perception of innovation in Spain
Authors: Gijón Covadonga , Albarrán Lozano Irene , Molina José M.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the innovation perception, in its different aspects, of the Spanish people. To this end, several ordered logit models have been developed to determine the extent to which socio-demographic characteristics and other aspects of innovation affect the perception of innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyses the perception of individuals about innovation in Spain and the related factors. It uses 2015 and 2018 data on individuals from Spanish surveys. The data include various measures of innovation perception, age, gender, educational level and other socio-economic variables.

Findings

The results indicate that people have a better perception of innovation if they are being trained in innovation or have good information and communication technologies skills. Among the main results, there is a gender gap in the perception of innovation, as well as differences in terms of digital skills.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first time of this kind of analysis in this country. The results are linked to the literature, but should nevertheless be taken into account, which is why some policy recommendations are presented below.
Evaluation and decision-making framework for concrete surface quality based on computer vision and ontology
Authors: Chai Ying Tao , Wang Ting-Kwei
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Defects in concrete surfaces are inevitably recurring during construction, which needs to be checked and accepted during construction and completion. Traditional manual inspection of surface defects requires inspectors to judge, evaluate and make decisions, which requires sufficient experience and is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the expertise cannot be effectively preserved and transferred. In addition, the evaluation standards of different inspectors are not identical, which may lead to cause discrepancies in inspection results. Although computer vision can achieve defect recognition, there is a gap between the low-level semantics acquired by computer vision and the high-level semantics that humans understand from images. Therefore, computer vision and ontology are combined to achieve intelligent evaluation and decision-making and to bridge the above gap.

Design/methodology/approach

Combining ontology and computer vision, this paper establishes an evaluation and decision-making framework for concrete surface quality. By establishing concrete surface quality ontology model and defect identification quantification model, ontology reasoning technology is used to realize concrete surface quality evaluation and decision-making.

Findings

Computer vision can identify and quantify defects, obtain low-level image semantics, and ontology can structurally express expert knowledge in the field of defects. This proposed framework can automatically identify and quantify defects, and infer the causes, responsibility, severity and repair methods of defects. Through case analysis of various scenarios, the proposed evaluation and decision-making framework is feasible.

Originality/value

This paper establishes an evaluation and decision-making framework for concrete surface quality, so as to improve the standardization and intelligence of surface defect inspection and potentially provide reusable knowledge for inspecting concrete surface quality. The research results in this paper can be used to detect the concrete surface quality, reduce the subjectivity of evaluation and improve the inspection efficiency. In addition, the proposed framework enriches the application scenarios of ontology and computer vision, and to a certain extent bridges the gap between the image features extracted by computer vision and the information that people obtain from images.
Beyond competing for talent: an integrative framework for coopetition in talent management in SMEs
Authors: Jooss Stefan , Lenz Julia , Burbach Ralf
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to unpack how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can operationalise coopetition in talent management, addressing ongoing talent shortages in the hospitality industry which were intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper draws from literature on coopetition and talent management in SMEs. Specifically, the authors take an interorganisational talent pool lens and develop a framework following the principles of open-systems theory.

Findings

The authors find that the traditional use of talent pools is often impractical for SMEs because of a lack of resources and capabilities. Instead, interorganisational talent pools, through coopetition in talent management, can aid these firms to address talent shortages. The authors identify potential for SME coopetition at various stages, including attraction, development and retention of talent.

Practical implications

Coopetition in talent management can aid industries in establishing market-thickening pipelines. Through co-attracting, co-developing and co-retaining talent, SMEs can create interorganisational talent pools. To develop talent management coopetition, a set of prerequisites, catalysts and potential inhibitors must be analysed and managed.

Originality/value

This paper moves the talent management debate beyond competition for talent, introducing coopetition as a viable alternative. Taking an open-systems perspective, the authors develop an integrative framework for coopetition in talent management in SMEs encompassing input, process and output components. The authors reveal the dynamic and complex nature of this coopetition process, highlighting the essential role of coopetition context and illustrating open-system principles.
Institutional leadership competencies and job performance: the moderating role of proactive personality
Authors: Johari Johanim , Shamsudin Faridahwati Mohd , Zainun Nor Farah Hanis , Yean Tan Fee , Yahya Khulida Kirana
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The present study investigates the predicting role of institutional leadership competencies (namely, achieving goals and outcomes, leadership and leading change, and integrity and justice) in influencing job performance. It also seeks to examine whether proactive personality moderates the purported relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 103 institutional leaders in various higher education institutions in Malaysia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique via Smart PLS 2.0 was used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses.

Findings

The findings indicate that competencies of leadership and leading change and integrity and justice significantly and positively influenced job performance. Proactive personality was found to significantly moderate the relationship between leadership and leading change dimension and job performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the literature by assessing leadership competencies as the predictors of job performance. The moderating role of proactive personality is also substantiated in the leadership and leading change dimension and job performance linkage.

Practical implications

The significant and positive impact of leadership and leading change as well as integrity and justice on job performance suggests the importance of these leadership competencies in promoting high level of job performance among institutional leaders. Furthermore, in ensuring high job performance among institutional leaders, proactive personality is a crucial attribute that is worth to be given attention by higher education institution (HEI) administrators.

Originality/value

This study aims to provide additional empirical evidence in the leadership competencies domain. The research framework of this study managed to substantiate empirical evidence in partial support on the importance of leadership competencies and proactive personality in predicting job performance.
Fatigue damage indicator of different types of reinforcing bars
Authors: Koulouris Konstantinos F. , Apostolopoulos Charis
Published: July 2022

Purpose

As it is widely known, corrosion constitutes a major deterioration factor for reinforced concrete (RC) structures which are located on coastal areas. This phenomenon combined with repeated loads, as earthquake events, negatively affects their service life. Moreover, microstructure of steel reinforcing bars has significant impact either on their corrosion resistance or on their fatigue life.

Design/methodology/approach

In the present manuscript an effort has been made to investigate the effect of corrosive factor on fatigue response for two types of steel reinforcement; Tempcore steel reinforcing bars and a new generation dual phase (DP) steel reinforcement.

Findings

The findings of this experimental study showed that DP steel reinforcement led to better results regarding its capacity to bear repeated loads to satisfactory degree after corrosion, although this type of steel has less stringent mechanical properties.

Originality/value

Additionally, a fatigue damage material indicator is proposed as a parameter that could rank material quality and its suitability for a certain application. The results of this investigation showed that the fatigue damage indicator can be used as an appropriate index in order to evaluate the overall performance of materials, in terms of strength and ductility capacity.
The technical matters: young children debugging (with) tangible coding toys
Authors: Silvis Deborah , Lee Victor R. , Clarke-Midura Jody , Shumway Jessica F.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Much remains unknown about how young children orient to computational objects and how we as learning scientists can orient to young children as computational thinkers. While some research exists on how children learn programming, very little has been written about how they learn the technical skills needed to operate technologies or to fix breakdowns that occur in the code or the machine. The purpose of this study is to explore how children perform technical knowledge in tangible programming environments.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study examines the organization of young children’s technical knowledge in the context of a design-based study of Kindergarteners learning to code using robot coding toys, where groups of children collaboratively debugged programs. The authors conducted iterative rounds of qualitative coding of video recordings in kindergarten classrooms and interaction analysis of children using coding robots.

Findings

The authors found that as children repaired bugs at the level of the program and at the level of the physical apparatus, they were performing essential technical knowledge; the authors focus on how demonstrating technical knowledge was organized pedagogically and collectively achieved.

Originality/value

Drawing broadly from studies of the social organization of technical work in professional settings, we argue that technical knowledge is easy to overlook but essential for learning to repair programs. The authors suggest how tangible programming environments represent pedagogically important contexts for dis-embedding young children’s essential technical knowledge from the more abstract knowledge of programming.