bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunomodulation of Acellular Dermal Matrix Through Interleukin 4 Enhances Vascular Infiltration
Authors: Cottler Patrick S. , Kang Hannah , Nash Victoria , Salopek Lisa , Bruce Anthony C. , Spiller Kara L. , Campbell Chris A.
Published: May 2022

Background

Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) supported implant-based reconstruction remains the most commonly performed mode of reconstruction after breast cancer. Acellular dermal matrix clinical usage has reported benefits but requires rapid and efficient vascular and cellular incorporation into the recipient to have the best outcomes. Orderly transition from M1 to M2 macrophage phenotypic profile, coordinated in part by interleukin 4 (IL-4), is an important component of vascular stabilization and remodeling. Using the ADM substrate as a delivery device for immunomodulation of macrophage phenotype holds the potential to improve integration.

Methods

Interleukin 4 was adsorbed onto ADM samples and drug elution curves were measured. Next, experimental groups of 8 C57BL/6 mice had 5-mm ADM discs surgically placed in a dorsal window chamber with a vascularized skin flap on one side and a plastic cover slip on the other in a model of implant-based breast reconstruction. Group 1 consisted of IL-4 (5 μg) adsorbed into the ADM preoperatively and group 2 consisted of an untreated ADM control. Serial gross examinations were performed with histology at day 21 for markers of vascularization, mesenchymal cell infiltration, and macrophage lineage.

Results

Drug elution curves showed sustained IL-4 release for 10 days after adsorption. Serial gross examination showed similar rates of superficial vascular investment of the ADM beginning at the periphery by day 14 and increasing through day 21. Interleukin-4 treatment led to significantly increased CD31 staining of vascular endothelial cells within the ADM over the control group (P < 0.05) at 21 days. Although vimentin staining did not indicate a significant increase in fibroblasts overall, IL-4 did result in a significant increase in expression of α-smooth muscle actin. The expression of macrophage phenotype markers Arginase1 and iNOS present within the ADM were not significantly affected by IL-4 treatment at the day 21 time point.

Conclusions

Acellular dermal matrix has the potential to be used for immunomodulatory cytokine delivery during the timeframe of healing. Using implanted ADM as a delivery vehicle to drive IL-4 mediated angiogenesis and vascular remodeling significantly enhanced vascularity within the ADM substrate.
Effects of acute pain medications on posttraumatic stress symptoms in early aftermath of trauma
Authors: Grau Aaron S. , Xie Hong , Redfern Roberta E. , Moussa Mohamad , Wang Xin , Shih Chia-Hao
Published: May 2022

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) develop as sequelae from traumatic injuries. Limited studies suggest that using opioids to reduce acute pain immediately after trauma may also reduce subsequent PTSS, but other pain medications rarely have been examined for preventing acute PTSS. The current study examined the effects of commonly used pain medications, opioid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), on PTSS after acute traumatic injuries. Participants (n = 71) were categorized into opioid or NSAID group according to their medical records and self-reported medication use. Their PTSS were assessed using posttraumatic stress disorder checklist twice within 2 weeks after trauma. Participants’ pain levels reduced from pretreatment to follow-up in both groups, F(1, 55) = 6.696, P = 0.012, partial η2 = 0.109. Interestingly, a significant interaction between time and medication group on PTSS reached statistical significance, F(1, 69) = 6.014, P = 0.017, partial η2 = 0.080. Follow-up analyses revealed that this interaction was driven by a significant PTSS reduction only in opioid but not in NSAID group. These findings suggested that pain reduction alone is not sufficient to reduce acute PTSS in the NSAID group, highlighting the need to continue further investigations into the mechanisms by which opioids reduce PTSS in the early posttrauma period.
TRIM56 overexpression restricts porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus replication in Marc-145 cells by enhancing TLR3-TRAF3-mediated IFN-β antiviral response
Authors: Xu Xingang , Wang Lixiang , Liu Yi , Shi Xiaojie , Yan Yuchao , Zhang Shuxia , Zhang Qi
Published: May 2022

Infection with the porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) causes severe enteric disease in suckling piglets, causing massive economic losses in the swine industry worldwide. Tripartite motif-containing 56 (TRIM56) has been shown to augment type I IFN response, but whether it affects PEDV replication remains uncharacterized. Here we investigated the role of TRIM56 in Marc-145 cells during PEDV infection. We found that TRIM56 expression was upregulated in cells infected with PEDV. Overexpression of TRIM56 effectively reduced PEDV replication, while knockdown of TRIM56 resulted in increased viral replication. TRIM56 overexpression significantly increased the phosphorylation of IRF3 and NF-κB P65, and enhanced the IFN-β antiviral response, while silencing TRIM56 did not affect IRF3 activation. TRIM56 overexpression increased the protein level of TRAF3, the component of the TLR3 pathway, thereby significantly activating downstream IRF3 and NF-κB signalling. We demonstrated that TRIM56 overexpression inhibited PEDV replication and upregulated expression of IFN-β, IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) and chemokines in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, truncations of the RING domain, N-terminal domain or C-terminal portion on TRIM56 were unable to induce IFN-β expression and failed to restrict PEDV replication. Together, our results suggested that TRIM56 was upregulated in Marc-145 cells in response to PEDV infection. Overexpression of TRIM56 inhibited PEDV replication by positively regulating the TLR3-mediated antiviral signalling pathway. These findings provide evidence that TRIM56 plays a positive role in the innate immune response during PEDV infection.
Whokaryote: distinguishing eukaryotic and prokaryotic contigs in metagenomes based on gene structure
Authors: Pronk Lotte J.U. , Medema Marnix H.
Published: May 2022

Metagenomics has become a prominent technology to study the functional potential of all organisms in a microbial community. Most studies focus on the bacterial content of these communities, while ignoring eukaryotic microbes. Indeed, many metagenomics analysis pipelines silently assume that all contigs in a metagenome are prokaryotic, likely resulting in less accurate annotation of eukaryotes in metagenomes. Early detection of eukaryotic contigs allows for eukaryote-specific gene prediction and functional annotation. Here, we developed a classifier that distinguishes eukaryotic from prokaryotic contigs based on foundational differences between these taxa in terms of gene structure. We first developed Whokaryote, a random forest classifier that uses intergenic distance, gene density and gene length as the most important features. We show that, with an estimated recall, precision and accuracy of 94, 96 and 95 %, respectively, this classifier with features grounded in biology can perform almost as well as the classifiers EukRep and Tiara, which use k-mer frequencies as features. By retraining our classifier with Tiara predictions as an additional feature, the weaknesses of both types of classifiers are compensated; the result is Whokaryote+Tiara, an enhanced classifier that outperforms all individual classifiers, with an F1 score of 0.99 for both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, while still being fast. In a reanalysis of metagenome data from a disease-suppressive plant endospheric microbial community, we show how using Whokaryote+Tiara to select contigs for eukaryotic gene prediction facilitates the discovery of several biosynthetic gene clusters that were missed in the original study. Whokaryote (+Tiara) is wrapped in an easily installable package and is freely available from https://github.com/LottePronk/whokaryote.
Brief: Implementation of a Novel Clinic/Community Partnership Addressing Food Insecurity Among Adults with HIV in the Southern United States
Authors: Turner Wesli H. , Kay Emma Sophia , Raper James L. , Musgrove Karen , Gaddis Kathy , Ferrell Anastasia , Yester Donna , Glenn Joshua , Atwater Meredith , Hutchins Kris , Tamhane Ashutosh , Long Dustin M. , Kellar Polly , Creger Tom , Eaton Ellen , Willig Amanda L.
Published: May 2022

Food insecurity is highly prevalent among people with HIV. Traditional calorie-rich, nutrient poor food assistance programs may improve food security but increase risk for other chronic diseases. This case study describes the process evaluation of a novel clinic/community partnership to provide nutritionally adequate, tailored food assistance to adults with HIV in Alabama. Methods used include semi-structured interviews with program staff at Birmingham AIDS Outreach and the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s 1917 HIV/AIDS Clinic, and analysis of descriptive characteristics of individuals enrolled in the food program for a minimum of one year between 2017-2019. The new program served 1,311 patients and enabled more than 300 previously lost-to-follow-up patients to re-engage in HIV care. The program implementation reviewed here can serve as a roadmap to develop clinic/community partnerships focused on a variety of health outcomes and quality of life among food insecure patients.
Design and validation of HIV peptide pools for detection of HIV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells
Authors: Alkolla Rita , Grifoni Alba , Crotty Shane , Sette Alessandro , Gianella Sara , Dan Jennifer
Published: May 2022

Reagents to monitor T cell responses to the entire HIV genome, based on well characterized epitopes, are missing. Evaluation of HIV-specific T cell responses is of importance to study natural infection, and therapeutic and vaccine interventions. Experimentally derived CD4+ and CD8+ HIV epitopes from the HIV molecular immunology database were developed into Class I and Class II HIV megapools (MPs). We assessed HIV responses in persons with HIV pre combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) (n=17) and post-cART (n=18) and compared these responses to 15 controls without HIV (matched by sex, age, and ethnicity). Using the Activation Induced Marker (AIM) assay, we quantified HIV-specific total CD4+, memory CD4+, circulating T follicular helper, total CD8+ and memory CD8+ T cells. We also compared the Class I and Class II HIV MPs to commercially available HIV gag peptide pools. Overall, HIV Class II MP detected HIV-specific CD4+ T cells in 21/35 (60%) HIV positive samples and 0/15 HIV negative samples. HIV Class I MP detected an HIV-specific CD8+ T cells in 17/35 (48.6%) HIV positive samples and 0/15 HIV negative samples. Our innovative HIV MPs are reflective of the entire HIV genome, and its performance is comparable to other commercially available peptide pools. Here, we detected HIV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in people on and off cART, but not in people without HIV.
Categorical and dimensional brain network-based models of trauma-related dissociative subtypes
Authors: Lebois Lauren A. M. , Kumar Poornima , Palermo Cori A. , Lambros Ashley M. , O’Connor Lauren , Wolff Jonathan D. , Baker Justin T. , Gruber Staci A. , Lewis-Schroeder Nina , Ressler Kerry J. , Robinson Matthew A. , Winternitz Sherry , Nickerson Lisa D. , Kaufman Milissa L.
Published: May 2022

Background

Trauma-related pathological dissociation is a multidimensional and disabling phenomenon that involves disruptions or discontinuities in psychological functioning. Despite its prevalence, personal and societal burden, dissociation remains underappreciated in clinical practice, and it lacks a synthesized neurobiological model that could place it in context with other common psychiatric symptoms. To identify a nuanced neurobiological model of pathological dissociation, we examined the functional connectivity of three core neurocognitive networks as related to the dimensional dissociation subtypes of depersonalization/derealization and partially-dissociated intrusions, and the diagnostic category of a complex dissociation disorder, dissociative identity disorder (DID).

Methods

Participants were 91 adult women with and without: a history of childhood trauma, current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and varied levels of pathological dissociation. Participants provided interview and self-report data about pathological dissociation, PTSD symptoms, childhood maltreatment history, and completed a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan.

Results

After controlling for age, childhood maltreatment and PTSD symptom severity, we found that pathological dissociation was associated with hyperconnectivity within central executive, default, and salience networks, and decreased connectivity of central executive and salience networks with other areas. Moreover, we isolated unique connectivity markers linked to depersonalization/derealization, to partially-dissociated intrusions, and to DID.

Conclusions

Our work suggests subtypes of pathological dissociation have robust, discernable, and unique functional connectivity signatures. The neural correlates of dissociation may serve as potential targets for treatment engagement to facilitate recovery from PTSD and pathological dissociation. These results underscore dissociation assessment as crucial in clinical and medical care settings.
Recurrent neural network model of human event-related potentials in response to intensity oddball stimulation
Authors: O’Reilly Jamie A.
Published: May 2022

The mismatch negativity (MMN) component of the human event-related potential (ERP) is frequently interpreted as a sensory prediction-error signal. However, there is ambiguity concerning the neurophysiology underlying hypothetical prediction and prediction-error signalling components, and whether these can be dissociated from overlapping obligatory components of the ERP that are sensitive to physical properties of sounds. In the present study, a hierarchical recurrent neural network (RNN) was fitted to ERP data from 38 subjects. After training the model to reproduce ERP waveforms evoked by 80 dB standard and 70 dB deviant stimuli, it was used to simulate a response to 90 dB deviant stimuli. Internal states of the RNN effectively combine to generate synthetic ERPs, where individual hidden units are loosely analogous to population-level sources. Model behaviour was characterised using principal component analysis of stimulus condition, layer, and individual unit responses. Hidden units were categorised according to their temporal response fields, and statistically significant differences among stimulus conditions were observed for amplitudes of units peaking in the 0 to 75 ms (P50), 75 to 125 ms (N1), and 250 to 400 ms (N3) latency ranges, surprisingly not including the measurement window of MMN. The model demonstrated opposite polarity changes in MMN amplitude produced by falling (70 dB) and rising (90 dB) intensity deviant stimuli, consistent with loudness dependence of sensory ERP components. Although perhaps less parsimoniously, these observations could be interpreted within the context of predictive coding theory, as examples of negative and positive prediction errors, respectively.
Leaf-level metabolic changes in response to drought affect daytime CO2emission and isoprenoid synthesis pathways
Authors: Ladd S. Nemiah , Daber L. Erik , Bamberger Ines , Kübert Angelika , Kreuzwieser Jürgen , Purser Gemma , Ingrisch Johannes , Deleeuw Jason , van Haren Joost , Meredith Laura K. , Werner Christiane
Published: May 2022

In the near future, climate change will cause enhanced frequency and/or severity in terrestrial ecosystems, including tropical forests. Drought responses by tropical trees may affect their carbon use, including production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with unpredictable implications for carbon cycling and atmospheric chemistry. It remains unclear how metabolic adjustments by mature tropical trees in response to drought will affect their carbon fluxes associated with daytime CO2production and VOC emission. To address this gap, we used position-specific13C-pyruvate labeling to investigate leaf CO2and VOC fluxes from four tropical species before and during a controlled drought in the enclosed rainforest of Biosphere 2. Overall, plants that were more sensitive to drought had greater reductions in daytime CO2production. Although daytime CO2production was always dominated by non-mitochondrial processes, the relative contribution of CO2from the tricarboxylic acid cycle tended to increase under drought. A notable exception was the legume treeClitoria fairchildiana, which had less anabolic CO2production than the other species even under pre-drought conditions, perhaps due to more efficient refixation of CO2and anaplerotic use for amino acid synthesis.C. fairchildianawas also the only species to allocate detectable amounts of13C label to VOCs, and was a major source of VOCs in the Biosphere 2 forest. InC. fairchildianaleaves, our data indicate that intermediates from the mevalonic acid pathway are used to produce the volatile monoterpene trans-β-ocimene, but not isoprene. This apparent crosstalk between the mevalonic acid and methylerythritol phosphate pathways for monoterpene synthesis declined with drought. Finally, although trans-β-ocimene emissions increased under drought, it was increasingly sourced from stored intermediates and notde novosynthesis. Unique metabolic responses of legumes may play a disproportionate role in the overall changes in daytime CO2and VOC fluxes in tropical forests experiencing drought.
Characteristics of admissions for Kawasaki Disease from 1997 to 2012: Lessons from a national database
Authors: Raskin Alexander , Loomba Rohit S.
Published: May 2022

A majority of large epidemiologic studies on Kawasaki Disease have come from Asia. There is paucity of data assessing Kawasaki Disease on a national level in the U.S., particularly in terms of hospitalization co-morbidities and cost. This study set forth to analyze data from the Kids’ Inpatient Database from 1997 to 2012. Data were analyzed for age, race, cardiogenic shock, acute kidney injury, liver failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, arrhythmia, and congenital heart disease. Additionally, multivariate regression analysis was performed to assess the impact of Kawasaki Disease on coronary artery aneurysms, ECMO, length of stay, cost of stay, and mortality. Asian and Pacific Islander children were disproportionally affected by Kawasaki Disease in the U.S (20.8% of Kawasaki Disease admissions vs 3.3% of all other pediatric hospital admissions, p<0.01). Patients hospitalized for Kawasaki Disease had an increased risk of developing coronary artery aneurysms (OR 2,839, 95%CI 2,2985-3,527) and cardiogenic shock (OR 3.42, 95% CI 2.18-5.37). Patients with Kawasaki disease were less likely to have congenital heart disease (OR 0.62, 95%CI 0.55-0.69), arrhythmia (OR 0.31, 95%CI 0.11-0.84), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (OR 0.29, 95%CI 0.19-0.43). Kawasaki disease patients had shorter hospitalization length of stay by 2.59 days (p <0.01) and decreased cost of stay by $5,513 (p <0.01). Kawasaki Disease had lower mortality when compared to all other admissions (OR 0.03, 95%CI 0.01-0.09). No significant differences were found for ECMO, acute kidney injury, or liver failure.
Transcriptome analysis reveals hepatotoxicity in zebrafish induced by cyhalofop-butyl
Authors: Zhou Tao , Yang Yang , Liu Tingting
Published: May 2022

bioRxiv has withdrawn this preprint because we no longer have confidence on the validity of the manuscript and the identity of the authors. Therefore, this work should not be cited as a reference for this project.
Immunogenicity and reactogenicity of a third dose of BNT162b2 vaccine for COVID-19 after a primary regimen with BBIBP-CorV or BNT162b2 vaccines in Lima, Peru
Authors: Vargas-Herrera Natalia , Fernández-Navarro Manuel , Cabezudo Nestor E , Soto-Becerra Percy , Solís-Sánchez Gilmer , Escobar-Agreda Stefan , Silva-Valencia Javier , Pampa-Espinoza Luis , Bado-Pérez Ricardo , Solari Lely , Araujo-Castillo Roger V
Published: May 2022

Background

The administration of a third (booster) dose of COVID-19 vaccines in Peru initially employed the BNT162b2 (Pfizer) mRNA vaccine. The national vaccination program started with healthcare workers (HCW) who received BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) vaccine as primary regimen and elderly people previously immunized with BNT162b2. This study evaluated the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of the “booster” dose in these two groups in Lima, Peru.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study, recruiting participants from November to December of 2021 in Lima, Peru. We evaluated immunogenicity and reactogenicity in HCW and elderly patients previously vaccinated with either two doses of BBIBP-CorV (heterologous regimen) or BTN162b2 (homologous regimen). Immunogenicity was measured by anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels immediately before boosting dose and 14 days later. IgG geometric means (GM) and medians were obtained, and modeled using ANCOVA and quantile regressions.

Results

The GM of IgG levels increased significantly after boosting: from 28.5±5.0 AU/mL up to 486.6±1.2 AU/mL (p<0.001) which corresponds to a 17-fold increase. The heterologous vaccine regimen produced higher GM of post-booster anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels, eliciting a 13% fold increase in the geometric mean ratio (95%CI: 1.02-1.27) and a median difference of 92.3 AU/ml (95%CI: 24.9-159.7). Both were safe and well tolerated. Previous COVID-19 infection was also associated with higher pre and post-booster IgG GM levels.

Conclusion

Although both boosting regimens were highly immunogenic, two doses of BBIBP-CorV boosted with BTN162b2 produced a stronger IgG antibody response than the homologous BNT162b2 regimen in the Peruvian population. Additionally, both regimens were mildly reactogenic and well-tolerated.
Describing COVID-19 Patients During The First Two Months of Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir) Initiation in a Large HMO in Israel
Authors: Tene Lilac , Chodick Gabriel , Fallach Noga , Ansari Wajeeha , Distelman-Menachem Tal , Maor Yasmin
Published: May 2022

Title

Describing COVID-19 Patients During The First Two Months of Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir) Initiation in a Large HMO in Israel

Objective

The objective of this feasibility study was to assess the number of patients that could be included in a future Real World Evidence study, which would be designed to explore the impact of Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) on patient outcomes and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU). We also intend to assess the comparability of the patients who were treated with Paxlovid versus patients who did not receive the treatment, either because they declined any COVID-19 treatment or were diagnosed with COVID-19 prior to Paxlovid availability.

Methods

This retrospective observational secondary data study used data from the Maccabi Healthcare Services database during the identification period of June 1, 2021, to February 28, 2022. The study population included patients with at least one positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test, or a formal rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2, during the identification period, the date of which also served as the COVID-19 diagnosis date. We then divided the study population into the following cohorts: Pre-Paxlovid Time Period and Paxlovid Time Period, which was further split into Paxlovid Treated and Paxlovid Untreated.

Results

Application of inclusion and exclusion criteria to the study population rendered 20,284 patients in the Pre-Paxlovid Time Period cohort and 5,542 in the Paxlovid Time Period cohort that were eligible to receive Paxlovid. This resulted in 3,714 in the Paxlovid Treated and 1,810 in the Paxlovid Untreated cohorts.

Conclusions

This RWE feasibility study of patients with a positive test for COVID-19 between June 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022 illustrates potential comparability between cohorts, as described by their demographics and characteristics.
Puberty contributes to adolescent development of fronto-striatal functional connectivity supporting inhibitory control
Authors: Ojha Amar , Parr Ashley C. , Foran Will , Calabro Finnegan J. , Luna Beatriz
Published: May 2022

Adolescence is defined by puberty and represents a period characterized by neural circuitry maturation (e.g., fronto-striatal systems) facilitating cognitive improvements. Though studies have characterized age-related changes, the extent to which puberty influences maturation of fronto-striatal networks is less known. Here, we combine two longitudinal datasets to characterize the role of puberty in the development of fronto-striatal resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and its relationship to inhibitory control in 106 10-18-year-olds. Beyond age effects, we found that puberty was related to decreases in rsFC between the caudate and the anterior vmPFC, rostral and ventral ACC, and v/dlPFC, as well as with rsFC increases between the dlPFC and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) across males and females. Stronger caudate rsFC with the dlPFC and vlPFC during early puberty was associated with worse inhibitory control and slower correct responses, respectively, whereas by late puberty, stronger vlPFC rsFC with the dorsal striatum was associated with faster correct responses. Taken together, our findings suggest that certain fronto-striatal connections are associated with pubertal maturation beyond age effects, which, in turn are related to inhibitory control. We discuss implications of puberty-related fronto-striatal maturation to further our understanding of pubertal effects related to adolescent cognitive and affective neurodevelopment.
Modeling the kinetics of amyloid beta pores and long-term evolution of their Ca2+ toxicity
Authors: Shah Syed Islamuddin , Demuro Angelo , Ullah Ghanim
Published: May 2022

The formation of cation-permeable pores due to amyloid beta (Aβ) in the plasma membrane (PM) and membranes of intracellular organelles has been shown to cause disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis in Alzheimer’s disease, leading to neuronal malfunction and degeneration. However, detailed information about the formation, function, and time-evolution of Aβ pores are still lacking. Here we present a comprehensive analysis to show that the Ca2+ toxicity of PM pores formed by Aβ42 progressively increases over the duration of the experiments that last for more than an hour. This mainly results from a progressively increasing number of pores and activity of individual pores having higher open probability (Po) and Ca2+ conductance. To gain deeper insight into the function and evolution of Aβ42 pores and establish their role in Ca2+ toxicity beyond experimental times scales, we developed a data-driven computational model that not only mimics the kinetics of these pores at a given time but also tracks their time-evolution over many hours. Our model suggests that the rising toxicity of Aβ42 pores over time is a combined result of the large number of short-lived pores with low Ca2+ conductance and long-lived higher-conductance pores but fewer in number. Analysis and modeling of the voltage-dependent data show that Aβ42 pores are most active when the cell’s membrane potential is near resting values, making the cell at rest especially more prone to Ca2+ disruptions.
The changing epidemiology of shigellosis in Australia, 2001-2019
Authors: Ibrahim Aaliya , Glass Kathryn , Williamson Deborah A , Polkinghorne Ben , Ingle Danielle J , Wright Rose , Kirk Martyn D
Published: May 2022

Shigellosis is an increasing cause of gastroenteritis in Australia, including prolonged outbreaks in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter “First Nations”) communities and among men who have sex with men (MSM) in major cities. To determine associations between Shigella species and demographic and geographic factors we used negative binomial regression to analyse national case notifications of shigellosis from 2001 to 2019.

S. sonnei and S. flexneri accounted for 42% and 29% of cases, respectively. Nationally, notification rates increased from 2001 to 2019 with yearly incidence rate ratios of 1.04 (95% CI 1.02-1.07) for S. boydii, 1.05 (95% CI 1.04-1.06) for S. sonnei and 1.04 (95% CI 1.04-1.06) for S. flexneri. Children aged 0-4 years had the highest burden of infection for S. flexneri, S. sonnei and S. boydii; and males had a higher notification rate for S. sonnei (incidence rate ratio 1.24, 95% CI 1.15-1.33), reflecting transmission among MSM. First Nations Australians were disproportionately affected by shigellosis, with the notification rate in this population peaking in 2018 at 92.1 cases per 100,000. The findings of this study provide important insights into the epidemiological characteristics of shigellosis in Australia, and can be used to inform targeted public health prevention and control strategies.
Cyberloafing at the workplace: effect of Zhong-Yong thinking on mental health and mindfulness as a moderating role
Authors: Liu Liping , Zhang Chunyu
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study aims to integrate conservation of resources theory discus the antecedents and consequences of cyberloafing as well as the boundary effect between cyberloafing and mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected 431 valid questionnaires in four months. Each questionnaire was divided into two parts that had to be distributed. The interval between the first distribution and the second distribution was 15 days.

Findings

The research study revealed that employees’ Zhong-Yong thinking and cyberloafing promote mental health, and cyberloafing has a mediating effect. Mindfulness weakens the positive impact of cyberloafing on mental health.

Originality/value

The research study’s results break the stereotype that cyberloafing is not good for organizations. When managers allow employees to engage in cyberloafing at work, this is conducive to employees’ mental health, which can ensure the company’s sustainable development.
Exploring the influence of dimensions of workplace spirituality on innovative work behaviour: role of sense of God
Authors: Saxena Anubhuti , Prasad Asha
Published: May 2022

Purpose

This study aims to identify the various dimensions of workplace spirituality (WPS) and determine whether these dimensions act as predictors of innovative work behaviour (IWB) among bank employees. This study also aims at studying the moderating role played by sense of God (SOG) between WPS and IWB.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology involved both qualitative and quantitative approaches. This study was carried out in two phases. Item generation, questionnaire development and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were conducted in phase 1. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted in phase 2. Seven WPS dimensions originated through EFA, which got validated through CFA later. Structural equation modelling was used for hypotheses testing. To explore the proposed relationships, cross-sectional survey was done on a sample of bank employees from public, private and foreign banks.

Findings

The findings reveal that WPS is a seven-factor construct and affects the IWB of bank employees. The results indicated that four dimensions of WPS significantly increase IWB, and that SOG moderates the relationship between WPS and IWB.

Research limitations/implications

With increasing globalization, there is a growing concern as to whether Indian employers would be able to meet employees’ spiritual needs. Indians tend to have high inclination towards God; through their religious associations, they try to develop a sense of spiritualism. Awareness about the effect of SOG and also the dimensions of WPS on IWB will help organizations in designing effective interventions for making employees more innovative.

Originality/value

The authors believe that the empirical studies testing the consequences of WPS on IWB in the banking industry are limited; also, SOG’s role as a moderator remains unexplored; thus, this study is an attempt to fill the gaps.
Testing the stress‐strain‐outcome model in Philippines‐based call centers
Authors: Jabutay Felicito Angeles , Suwandee Sasithorn , Jabutay Jerwin Angeles
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between perceived customer unfriendliness, emotional exhaustion, emotional dissonance and turnover intent using the stress–strain–outcome model in the call center industry in the Philippines. In addition, this paper also investigates the mediating effects of leader–member exchange (LMX) and emotional exhaustion.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposed a theoretical model hypothesizing the linkages between the abovementioned variables. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses using a data set from a sample of 605 Filipino call service representatives.

Findings

The results indicate that perceived customer unfriendliness as a stressor is a positive predictor of emotional exhaustion and emotional dissonance as strains. In turn, emotional exhaustion and emotional dissonance positively influence turnover intent. The results also reveal that LMX mediates the impact of perceived customer unfriendliness on emotional exhaustion. Further, the exhaustion variable mediates the effect of emotional dissonance on turnover intent.

Practical implications

The results suggest that contact with unfriendly customers has negative emotional implications and highlight the need for training or intervention programs to help service agents develop coping mechanisms. The results also imply that leader-initiated high-quality LMX could help attenuate perceived customer unfriendliness's impact on emotional exhaustion.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge,this paper is the first to examine and confirm the causal relationships of the proposed model’s variables using the stress–strain–outcome model.
Perceived personality traits and presumptions of vulnerability to victimization in women
Authors: Stewart Jayme , Smodis Audrey , Forth Adelle
Published: May 2022

Purpose

In women, having a history of sexual victimization has been linked to certain personality traits (e.g. low levels of assertiveness) and nonverbal behaviors (e.g. fewer head movements). The majority of research in this area, however, has considered how self-reported personality traits and gait relate to victimization. As such, the present study aims to examine how observers’ perceptions of personality impact judgments of targets’ vulnerability to sexual and violent victimization, and how the nonverbal behaviors used when making these judgments may vary depending on perceived personality traits.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 309 participants watched eight audio-less videos of a woman speaking. Following each video, participants rated each woman on varying personality and emotionality traits, as well as their perception of how vulnerable the woman was to future victimization, and how they came to their decision according to a number of predetermined nonverbal cues.

Findings

Consistent with previous research, observers’ perceptions of sexual vulnerability were negatively related to perceptions of targets’ self-esteem and confidence, and positively related to anxiety. While violent vulnerability displayed a similar pattern of results, the nonverbal behaviors cited during the vulnerability appraisal process varied between personality traits. Though few results emerged within the latter query, anxiety exhibited the majority of all significant relationships, including being positively associated with facial expressions and upper and lower body movements.

Originality/value

Results suggest that different behavioral and personality interventions (e.g. increasing self-esteem) may serve to increase self-efficacy, autonomy and confidence, as well as help women feel more in control of their destiny and interpersonal communications.
Impact evaluation of the “ABCs of Mental Health” in Denmark and the role of mental health-promoting beliefs and actions
Authors: Santini Ziggi Ivan , Nelausen Malene Kubstrup , Kusier Amalie Oxholm , Hinrichsen Carsten , Schou-Juul Frederik , Madsen Katrine Rich , Meilstrup Charlotte , Donovan Robert J. , Koushede Vibeke , Nielsen Line
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the overall campaign reach and impact of the ABCs of Mental Health in Denmark; a secondary objective is to investigate how mental health-promoting beliefs and actions are associated with good mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was administered to two representative cross-sectional samples of the Danish population (1,508 respondents in 2019; 1,507 respondents in 2021) via an online survey. The data were subsequently pooled together into one sample consisting of 3,015 respondents. In addition to questions pertaining to campaign reach and impact, the questionnaire also included a validated scale for mental well-being and questions about beliefs and actions in regard to enhancing mental health.

Findings

About 7.6% had been reached by the campaign (familiar with ABC name or messages), or 11.9% when also counting familiarity with campaign slogans. Among these, respondents reported (proportions in parentheses) that the campaign had 1) made them reflect on their mental health (74.2%), talk to friends and family about mental health (35.5%), given them new knowledge about what they can do to enhance mental health (78.4%), or take action to enhance their own mental health (16.2%). An internal well-being locus of control and proactive behaviours towards enhancing mental health are shown to be associated with higher mean scores on mental well-being, lower odds of low mental well-being and higher odds of higher mental well-being.

Originality/value

An internal well-being locus of control and proactive behaviours towards enhancing mental health are suggested to both prevent low levels of mental well-being and promoting high levels of mental well-being. The results indicate that the ABCs of Mental Health campaign may be implemented to promote such beliefs and actions universally throughout the population.
City climate and landscape structure shape pollinators, nectar and transported pollen along a gradient of urbanization
Authors: Biella Paolo , Tommasi Nicola , Guzzetti Lorenzo , Pioltelli Emiliano , Labra Massimo , Galimberti Andrea
Published: May 2022

Urbanization gradients influence both landscape and climate and provide opportunity for understanding how plants and pollinators respond to artificially driven environmental transitions, a relevant aspect for the ecosystem service of pollination.

Here, we investigated several aspects of pollination along an urbanization gradient in landscape and climate. We quantified wild hoverfly and bee abundances with trapping, standing crop of nectar with spectrophotometer, and the pollen transported by flower visitors with DNA metabarcoding, in 40 independent sites from semi‐natural to built‐up areas in Northern Italy. Direct and indirect effects were fitted considering landscape and climate variables.

Linear and nonlinear relationships were detected along the urbanization gradient. Pollinator abundances increased quadratically and peaked at 22% of impervious cover with an 81% growth, and they decreased with green‐patch distance by 37% and urban park largeness by 60%. This indicates that pollinators are more abundant at intermediate levels of urbanization. Climatically, pollinators diminished by up to 46% in areas with low spring–summer temperature seasonality: urban areas likely posing thermic stress. Furthermore, the sugar mass available in nectar increased by 61% with impervious cover and by 79% with precipitations, indicating that city nectars were less consumed or flowers more productive. Furthermore, the species richness of pollen decreased by 32% in highly urbanized areas, and contained a high incidence of exotic plants, hinting for anthropized, simplified plant communities.

Synthesis and applications. Urbanization influences pollinator abundances, nectar resources and transported pollen in direct and indirect ways. Pollinators are negatively affected by a thermally harsh climate in highly urbanized areas with isolated green areas and large parks. Suburban landscapes demonstrated the highest pollinator presence. In the city core, flowers contained more nectary sugar in association with more precipitations, while pollinators collected pollen from a small number of plants, mainly exotic. These findings highlight the strong influence of urban landscape and climate on pollinators and plants, showing that cities are heterogenous realities. Patterns from this study will serve as basis for pollinator‐friendly planning, mitigation and management of urban landscapes.
Civil war and the non‐linearity of time: approaching a Mozambican politics of irreconciliation
Authors: Bertelsen Bjørn Enge
Published: May 2022

At least 1 million people died during the Mozambican civil war (1976/7‐92). Unfolding after gaining independence from Portugal (1975) and alongside experiments with Afro‐socialism in the 1980s, the war, despite its brutality, has not been subjected to global templates of reconciliation processes. Thus it comprises a unique case to probe what irreconciliation might mean – both as a political horizon and as an analytical concept. This text juxtaposes ethnographic material from rural, central Mozambique from the late 1990s and early 2000s emphasizing reconciliation with material from the same spaces from the 2010s onwards, where I identify what I term a ‘politics of irreconciliation’. I will make three arguments. First, informed by Hannah Arendt, I approach irreconciliation as fundamentally about the rejection of a world of violence in search of a world shared in common. Second, drawing on recent anthropological theorizing about temporal regimes and chronopolitics, I argue for the salience of a non‐linear understanding of the politics of irreconciliation to grapple with the fact that civil war violence is understood as dangerously uncontained rather than nominally past. Third, within the context of Mozambique, forgiveness and its other, irreconciliation, are not only intimately tied to the temporally past or present; they are also, as I show, produced by a tangible and intense absence of a productive future.
‘I was celebrating the justice that the victims got’: exploring irreconciliation among Bangladeshi human rights activists in London
Authors: Visser Jacco
Published: May 2022

This essay investigates transnational human rights activist networks seeking justice for war crimes committed during the Bangladesh War of 1971, especially in light of the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Focusing on activists in London, it demonstrates the need to engage with transitional justice initiatives discursively and ethnographically in order to avoid losing sight of the ways in which uses of human rights concepts can veil power dimensions through universalist legalistic abstractions. The essay explores engagements with atrocities of the war by mapping the travel and uses of human rights tropes to articulate claims of justice. It showcases how in addressing the violence of the Bangladesh War, victor justice and punishment are emphasized while futures are imagined in which enemies no longer exist. In the examples, a language of justice is employed to call for prosecution, but justice is reframed so that it is equated with the impossibility of reconciling people on opposing sides during the war.
Effects of oxidative stability variation on lamb meat quality and flavor during postmortem aging
Authors: Dou Lu , Liu Chang , Yang Zhihao , Su Rina , Chen Xiaoyu , Hou Yanru , Hu Guanhua , Yao Duo , Zhao Lihua , Su Lin , Jin Ye
Published: May 2022

This study evaluated the effects of oxidative stability variation on meat quality and flavor in biceps femoris (BF) and longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles of lambs during postmortem aging. The samples were stored at 4±1℃; the meat quality, flavor and muscle oxidative stability were measured on day 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 of postmortem aging. The results showed that malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased in both muscle types; superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activities decreased, as did total antioxidative capacity (T‐AOC). LD muscle showed lower MDA content and antioxidative activity than BF muscle. Meat quality analyses indicated that aging increased the lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) values of meat while improving its tenderness. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry results showed that volatile flavor compounds were more abundant in LD muscle than in BF muscle. As the aging time extended, relative contents of aldehyde and alcohol increased in both muscles. The key flavor compounds during postmortem aging including heptanal, octanal, nonanal, and decanal were screened by relative odor activity value (ROAV), and the content of key flavor compounds showed the trend of increasing, which were usually associated with fresh green grass, nutty, and fat descriptors. In conclusion, the oxidative muscles displayed better antioxidative capacity, and postmortem aging altered the oxidative stability of lamb muscle, which affected the meat quality and flavor.

Practical Application

Meat aging is an important strategy to improve the quality of various meat traits (including flavor). The results of this work could be of interest to meat professionals who will be able to apply in actual production by choosing the best aging time based on flavor and meat quality for different muscle parts.
Rotation aiding technique for endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration biopsy of intrathoracic lymph nodes: A complementary approach to the conventional jabbing method
Authors: Ra Seung Won , Lee Taehoon , Cha Hee Jeong , Park Chang‐Ryul , Baek Jiyeon , Chee Youngjoon , Kwon Woon Jung
Published: May 2022

Background

This study aimed to compare the lymph node core tissue lengths obtained via mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy using the complementary “rotation aiding” and conventional Jab technique.

Methods

We prospectively measured the lymph node core tissue length in patients who sequentially underwent the Jab and rotation aiding (RA) techniques between October 2012 and December 2014. Wilcoxon signed‐rank test was used to compare the core tissue length and grade of diagnostic cells obtained by each technique. McNemar's test was used to compare the proportion of adequate cellularity (≥grade 2) between the aspiration techniques.

Results

The core tissue length of 61 lymph nodes from 43 patients (mean age: 63 years, range: 16–86 years) was analyzed. Pathological findings were consistent with malignant lesions in 25 (41%) patients and benign lesions in 36 (59%). The most common diagnosis in benign lymph nodes was reactive, followed by tuberculosis and sarcoidosis. We obtained longer core tissue with RA technique than with the Jab technique (83.2 ± 12.7 vs. 60.1 ± 10.1 mm; p = 0.02). There was a significant increase in cellularity grade and proportion of ≥grade 2 cells with the RA technique than with the Jab technique (2.39 ± 1.08 vs. 1.84 ± 1.14; p < 0.001, 78.7% vs. 52.5%; p = 0.002), regardless of the pathological diagnosis.

Conclusions

RA technique facilitated more lymph node samples in terms of core tissue length and cellularity than the Jab technique.