bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delaware Public Benefit Corporations: Widening the Fiduciary Aperture to Broaden the Corporate Mission
Authors: Alexander Frederick
Published: September 2023

As a past practitioner of corporate law in Delaware for 26 years who remains convinced that the for‐profit corporation remains the best vehicle for raising and allocating private capital, the author nevertheless also believes that the stockholder primacy model that currently animates corporate fiduciary principles is too narrow. In the excerpts from his new book that make up this article, the author describes the “benefit corporation,” which introduces a corporate governance model based on stakeholder principles. This model encompasses a more complete recognition of the complex interdependencies between all aspects of a global society, and of the responsibility of corporations to reflect those interdependencies in their decision‐making. Although initially a skeptic, the author now believes that benefit corporation law offers an important opportunity for companies to align the interests of their investors with those of their stakeholders in a potentially value‐increasing way that is discouraged by traditional corporate law.

State legislatures began authorizing benefit corporations in 2010, and they are now available in 32 U.S. jurisdictions. Over 3,000 benefit corporations have been formed. What's more, they are raising capital from traditional funders, including venture capitalists, and at least one benefit corporation has already gone public. As the author says in closing, “the stakeholder governance model facilitated by benefit corporations provides a clear path to a future of shared value creation, and some investors and corporations have started down that path.”
Which Creditors’ Rights Drive Financial Deepening and Economic Development?
Authors: Calomiris Charles W. , Larrain Mauricio , Liberti José , Sturgess Jason
Published: September 2023

Since the 1990s financial economists have documented the essential role of creditors' rights in encouraging lenders to provide credit. This article demonstrates the central importance of creditors' ability to use movable assets such as inventories and accounts receivable (as distinct from immovable assets like real estate) as collateral when lending to business enterpriseses. Using a unique cross‐country, micro‐level loan data set that contains loan‐to‐value ratios for different assets, the authors found that the loan‐to‐values of loans that are collateralized with movable assets were lower in countries with weak collateral laws for movable assets, and that lending in such countries was biased toward the use of immovable assets. Using sector‐level data, the authors also found that weak movable collateral laws were associated with distortions in the allocation of resources that favored immovable‐based production and investment. The effects of resources that favored immovable‐based production and investment. The effects of the collateral law reform enacted in Slovakia in 2003 were held up as providing support for the authors' findings.

The authors also investigated which aspects of movable assets collateralization regimes are most important for facilitating the use of movable assets as collateral. They concluded that the two critical features of such regimes are the registration of collateral interests—which facilitates monitoring of collateral and avoids double pledging—and the ability of creditors to avoid lengthy court proceedings when taking possession of collateral. These findings suggest that it would be relatively easy for many countries to increase their supply of credit because reforming these aspects of legal regimes is fairly straightforward with few political obstacles.
Don't Waste a Free Lunch: Managing the Advance Refunding Option
Authors: Kalotay Andrew , Raineri Lori
Published: September 2023

A callable municipal bond issue funding a new project is usually eligible for “advance refunding”—that is, refunding between the issue date and the call date. Such refunding is accomplished by issuing new bonds, and investing the proceeds in an escrow portfolio of Treasury securities whose cash flows pay off the outstanding issue until the call date, when the old bonds are retired. Under favorable market conditions, advance refunding enables a municipality to lock in lower interest rates prior to the call date; waiting until that date would expose the issuer to the risk of higher rates.

The right to advance refund is an option whose value depends not only on the issuer's borrowing rate, but also on Treasury rates, which determine the cost of the escrow portfolio. What makes this option (referred to by the authors as the “ARO”) unusual is that it is effectively a free lunch for the issuer. While investors pay a lower price for a callable bond, the price is not affected by the bond's eligibility for advance refunding. The free lunch is demonstrable when the yield of the escrowed Treasuries is higher than the issuer's funding rate to the call date. In such cases, the present value of the cash flows to the call date (which is how the market prices a deep‐in‐the‐money callable bond) exceeds the cost of the escrow. This excess effectively enables the issuer to retire the bonds below their fair market value. Another manifestation of the free lunch offered by advance refunding transaction occurs when the savings exceed the expected value of waiting—that is, when the value of the call option is less than the currently realizable savings.

One important consideration when deciding whether and when to advance refund is that the ARO can be exercised only once in an issue's refunding life‐cycle. If an issue is advance refunded, its replacement cannot be. But if an issue is refunded once it becomes callable, the ARO stays alive in the replacement issue.

In this article, the authors develop an analytical framework to help issuers deal with this problem. First, they explore how the value of the ARO depends on coupon, maturity, time to call, and prevailing Treasury rates. Then they use the results to make a recommendation about the advance refunding decision: act now or wait?

To answer this question, the authors extend the standard measure of refunding efficiency to incorporate the ARO of the replacement issue. Incorporating the ARO of the replacement issue slows down the signal to advance refund, whereas failure to do so could lead to a suboptimal decision. Near the call date, issuers may be better off locking in savings with a hedge rather than sacrificing the eligibility of the replacement issue for advance refunding.
The Economic Impact of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy versus Out‐of‐Court Restructuring
Authors: Markwardt Donald , Lopez Claude , DeVol Ross
Published: September 2023

Companies in financial distress have usually been able to choose between working out an agreement with their creditors (“private restructuring”) or entering into more expensive and lengthier formal Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. But 2015 rulings in two cases by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York may force distressed firms to enter Chapter 11 rather than seek negotiated out‐of‐court settlements.

Using a large sample of U.S. companies that experienced financial difficulty during the period 2006–2014, the authors found that the companies that filed for bankruptcy and went through Chapter 11 proceedings experienced significantly more job losses and reductions of economic output than companies achieving out‐of‐court restructurings, both overall and on a per‐case basis. The authors' estimates of the overall losses in output associated with Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases ranged as high as 2.3% of 2014 GDP, as compared to at most 0.3% of GDP in the case of out‐of‐court negotiations. At the same time, the authors estimate that as many as 2.2 million job losses were attributable to cases involving bankruptcies while the out‐of‐court cases were associated with the loss of at most about 300,000 jobs.

But, as the authors concede, these findings are exaggerated by a clear self‐selection bias—one that stems from the well‐documented tendency of more fundamentally profitable, and hence more solvent, companies to choose private restructuring over bankruptcy. Despite this limitation, the study provides a useful point of departure for future studies that aim to quantify the costs to the U.S. economy of limiting or removing the option of companies with valuable operations but the “wrong” capital structures to work out their financial difficulties outside of the bankruptcy court.
A Primer on the Financial Policies of Chinese Firms: A Multi‐country Comparison
Authors: Zenner Marc , McInnes Peter , Chivukula Ram , Le Phu
Published: September 2023

Chinese companies have grown rapidly over the past few decades, and become increasingly global in the process. In the past five years, the aggregate market capitalization of public companies in China increased more than ten‐fold and their revenue from outside China grew 60%. Nevertheless, Chinese companies have financial policies that are notably different from those of their global counterparts in North America and Europe, and that difference could end up limiting their future profitability and growth.

In this report, J.P. Morgan's Corporate Finance Advisory team compares the capital structures of large Chinese companies to those of the largest companies in the U.S., the U.K. and Germany. Among the most important findings, Chinese companies have materially more leverage, much greater reliance on bank loans than bonds, and maturities that are almost 80% shorter than those of typical U.S. companies. To bring their balance sheets in line with those of their global peers, Chinese companies are likely to have to raise over 5 trillion yuan (over $750 billion) in equity while also issuing roughly the same amount in bonds. At the same time, in order to attract that capital on economic terms, they will likely need to find ways to increase the profitability of their businesses, whose return on equity is well below international standards.

As the authors point out in closing, making such significant changes in financial and operating policies could be challenging for all stakeholders, and cause some potential dislocation in the short run. But however disruptive, such changes are most likely to ensure the ability of Chinese companies to create the most value in the long run.
Water temperature and season length interact to explain a rare non‐linear ecogeographic cline in body size
Authors: Barry Savanna Carlyn , Smith Matthew Denman , Heres Berlynna , Thomas Travis Michael , Hall‐Scharf Brittany J. , Brockmann H. Jane
Published: September 2023

Aim

Adult body size often exhibits patterns across large‐scale environmental gradients, creating ecogeographic clines. However, the form of body size clines varies across taxonomic groups, with linear and non‐linear patterns in body size observed in nature. Non‐linear body size clines have received less study, and questions remain about how environmental gradients interact to produce non‐linear clines. We examined the body size of the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), a widely distributed marine arthropod, and evaluated the hypothesis that temperature and active season length can interact multiplicatively to result in a dome‐shaped distribution.

Location

Fourteen states in the United States of America and three Mexican states, representing the entire geographic range of the species.

Methods

We compiled environmental data and body size measurements from more than 49,000 individual horseshoe crabs. For each location, we extracted from the literature or calculated from raw data the mean male prosoma width and the mean female prosoma width. We applied a general additive modelling (GAM) approach to characterize the body size cline, test a hypothesis regarding temperature and season length, and explore evidence for the influence of additional environmental factors.

Results

Model results indicate temperature and season length could act multiplicatively to produce dome‐shaped clines, and these findings align with and quantify previous anecdotal reports of a strong dome‐shaped body size cline across latitude for horseshoe crabs.

Main Conclusions

Active season length appears to become relatively more influential on horseshoe crab body size in the northern part of their range, while temperature effects per se appear to dominate in southern latitudes. For horseshoe crabs, the pattern of size variation is consistent with the predictions of Optimal Resource Allocation models, but more study is needed to elucidate mechanistic underpinnings. Considering climate change projections, results from our study suggest future shifts in horseshoe crab body sizes.
Candidate gene polymorphisms are linked to dispersive and migratory behaviour: Searching for a mechanism behind the “paradox of the great speciators”
Authors: Estandía Andrea , Sendell-Price Ashley T. , Oatley Graeme , Robertson Fiona , Potvin Dominique , Massaro Melanie , Robertson Bruce C. , Clegg Sonya M.
Published: September 2023

The “paradox of the great speciators” has puzzled evolutionary biologists for over half a century. A great speciator requires excellent dispersal propensity to explain its occurrence on multiple islands, but reduced dispersal ability to explain its high number of subspecies. A rapid reduction in dispersal ability is often invoked to solve this apparent paradox, but a proximate mechanism has not been identified yet. Here, we explored the role of six genes linked to migration and animal personality differences (CREB1, CLOCK, ADCYAP1, NPAS2, DRD4, and SERT) in 20 South Pacific populations of silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) that range from highly sedentary to partially migratory, to determine if genetic variation is associated with dispersal propensity and migration. We detected genetic associations in three of the six genes: (i) in a partial migrant population, migrant individuals had longer microsatellite alleles at the CLOCK gene compared to resident individuals from the same population; (ii) CREB1 displayed longer average microsatellite allele lengths in recently colonized island populations (<200 years), compared to evolutionarily older populations. Bayesian broken stick regression models supported a reduction in CREB1 length with time since colonization; and (iii) like CREB1, DRD4 showed differences in polymorphisms between recent and old colonizations but a larger sample is needed to confirm. ADCYAP1, SERT, and NPAS2 were variable but that variation was not associated with dispersal propensity. The association of genetic variants at three genes with migration and dispersal ability in silvereyes provides the impetus for further exploration of genetic mechanisms underlying dispersal shifts, and the prospect of resolving a long-running evolutionary paradox through a genetic lens.

Abstract

Great speciators are species present on multiple islands that have many subspecies, many of which are single island endemics. This pattern is paradoxical because to colonize islands a good overwater dispersal ability is required, but divergence often requires limited gene flow, suggesting limits to dispersal. To resolve the ‘paradox of the great speciators’, many authors suggest that strong selection against dispersal ability after island colonization may shift populations to become less dispersive. We tested whether candidate genes for personality traits and migration were associated with population age and dispersal ability in the silvereye, a great speciator from the South Pacific. We found that old populations where individuals have lower dispersal ability had shorter microsatellite alleles at the CREB1 gene. We also found that, in a partial migrant population, migrant individuals had more repeats at CLOCK compared to resident individuals from the same population.
Using focus groups and consumer perceptions to generate important features of hotel shampoos and lotions
Authors: Payne Jessie , Talavera Martin J. , Koppel Kadri
Published: September 2023

Hotel toiletries are standard complementary items found in hotel bathrooms. These commodities are important to consumers, yet minimum research has been conducted on consumers' perception of these hotel toiletries, nor the variables that can influence their preferences. Four focus group sessions were conducted with frequent hotel guests. These groups were separated based on the type of hotel toiletry (shampoo or lotion) and the category of hotel the consumers most regularly visited (i.e., luxury or economy). By the end of all four sessions, a list of 34 attributes for hotel shampoos and 29 attributes for hotel lotions was generated. Perceived differences were discovered such as economy guests testing the products before use, while luxury hotel guests had a “trust” factor in which testing was unnecessary. Additionally, relaxing “spa” like scents for shampoos and thick textures for lotions were important features. Follow‐up research has been published to validate the information quantitatively.

Practical Applications

Articles publicly accessible on hotel toiletries are narrow. The investigation provides the groundwork for additional research to be conducted on the hotel toiletry category. The research resulted in various attributes to describe hotel shampoos and lotions, and how economy and luxury hotel guests use hotel toiletries. From the study, hotel owners and managers can explore the various opinions and perceptions of luxury and economy hotel guests regarding hotel shampoos and lotions.
Discursive pluralism: Inferentialist expressivism and the integration challenge
Authors: Salis Pietro
Published: September 2023

Discursive pluralism, recently fostered by anti‐representationalist views, by stating that not all assertions conform to a descriptive model of language, poses an interesting challenge to representationalism. Although in recent years alethic pluralism has become more and more popular as an interesting way out for this issue, the discussion also hosts other interesting minority approaches in the anti‐representationalist camp. In particular, the late stage of contemporary expressivism offers a few relevant insights, going from Price's denunciation of “placement problems” to Brandom's inferentialism. This paper attempts to show how these expressivist ideas combine well together, composing a unitary and metaphysically sober metaphilosophical framework.
Two algorithms for reconstructing vertical alignments exploring the neural dynamics model of Adeli and Park
Authors: Song Zhanfeng , Chen Jinye , Schonfeld Paul M. , Li Jun
Published: September 2023

Vertical alignment reconstruction obtains alignment parameters by fitting geometric components to a set of measured points representing the profile of an existing road or railroad, which is essential in alignment consistency analysis and maintenance to ensure safety and comfort. The neural dynamics model of Adeli and Park is explored and improved for reconstructing vertical alignments with constraints. The structure of the dynamics model is modified to include three layers: parameter layer, intermediate layer, and energy layer. The number of nodes in the parameter or intermediate layers corresponds to the number of independent parameters defining a vertical alignment. The number of nodes in the energy layer is the sum of the number of deviations and the number of constraints in the alignment reconstruction problem. The coefficients connecting nodes between the parameter layer and the intermediate layer determine the integral operations, which define the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm of the dynamics model (LMADM) and the steepest descent algorithm of the dynamics model (SDADM). Both the LMADM and SDADM methods satisfy the Lyapunov stability theorem, but the LMADM method outperforms the SDADM method in its objective function value and computation time. Experiment results demonstrate that there are multiple local optima for a vertical alignment reconstruction, and the solutions obtained by the LMADM method are the best obtained so far, compared with those reported in the literature, with 57.1% and 23.4% decreases of the mean squared error for the highway and the railroad examples, respectively.
A deep‐learning framework for classifying the type, location, and severity of bridge damage using drive‐by measurements
Authors: Corbally Robert , Malekjafarian Abdollah
Published: September 2023

This paper proposes a new deep‐learning framework for drive‐by bridge condition monitoring. The proposed approach represents a bridge monitoring regime that enables the presence, type, location, and severity of bridge damage to be identified purely from measurements taken on a passing vehicle, without needing any pre‐measured training data. The computational framework adopts a numerical vehicle–bridge interaction (VBI) model, which is automatically calibrated using only the vehicle vibration measurements. The calibrated model is used to generate labeled training data, eliminating the practical difficulties associated with collecting training data for damaged bridge scenarios. The numerically simulated data are used to train a convolutional neural network that can then classify the actual damage characteristics of a bridge. The method is tested using a laboratory‐scale VBI model, and results show that the algorithm can accurately identify the presence of seized bearings and cracking in the bridge beams. The algorithm shows good accuracy when identifying the type and extent of damage. The location of bearing damage can generally be identified; however, the location of cracking is less accurate at lower damage levels. The proposed framework represents a significant improvement on existing techniques for indirect bridge monitoring.
Influence of Learner Beliefs and Gender on the Motivating Power of L2 Selves
Authors: YASHIMA TOMOKO , NISHIDA RIEKO , MIZUMOTO ATSUSHI
Published: September 2023

This study investigates 3 unexplored issues regarding Second Language (L2) Motivational Self System theory. It further validates the theory using multiple structural equation modeling (SEM) along with a procedure comparing the strength of corresponding paths. Japanese university freshmen (N = 2,631) responded to a questionnaire and took the TOEFL‐ITP test. Results showed the following: (a) Stronger Ideal and Ought‐to L2 self visions led to intended effort, accounting in turn for higher levels of objectively measured proficiency. (b) Two types of learner beliefs reflecting L2 learning experience—Communication Orientation (the tendency to value extensive use of language) and Grammar–Translation Orientation (the tendency to value learning grammar explicitly)—influenced the 2 future selves differently. The former affected Ideal self more than Ought‐to self, while the reverse was true of the latter. (c) Women's greater tendency to value communication activities influenced their stronger vision of Ideal L2 self. A stronger link between Grammar–Translation Orientation and Ought‐to self in male students than in female students was found. Finally, the etic approach using SEM allowed for a comparison of studies conducted in different sociocultural contexts, showing stronger motivating power for Ought‐to self in Japan along with gender differences, a finding with context‐specific explanations.
SlERF.G3‐Like mediates a hierarchical transcriptional cascade to regulate ripening and metabolic changes in tomato fruit
Authors: You Shengjie , Wu Yu , Li Wen , Liu Xiaofeng , Tang Qinlan , Huang Fengkun , Li Yan , Wang Hsihua , Liu Mingchun , Zhang Yang
Published: September 2023

The tomato ripening process contains complex changes, including ethylene signalling, cell wall softening and numerous metabolic changes. So far, much is still unknown about how tomato plants precisely coordinate fruit maturation and metabolic regulation. In this paper, the ERF family transcription factor SlERF.G3‐Like in tomato was found to be involved in the regulation of ethylene synthesis, cell wall degradation and the flavonoid pathway. We show that the master ripening regulator SlRIN was found to directly bind to the promoter region of SlERF.G3‐Like to activate its expression. In addition, we managed to increase the production of resveratrol derivatives from ~1.44 mg/g DW in E8:VvStSy line to ~2.43 mg/g DW by crossing p35S: SlERF.G3‐Like with the E8:VvStSy line. Our data provide direct evidence that SlERF.G3‐Like, a hierarchical transcriptional factor, can directly manipulate pathways in which tomatoes can coordinate fruit maturation and metabolic changes. We also attest that SlERF.G3‐Like can be used as an effective tool for phenylpropanoid metabolic engineering.
Healthcare professionals’ experiences of targeted health dialogues in primary health care
Authors: Johansson Lisbeth M. , Eriksson Marit , Dahlin Sofia , Lingfors Hans , Golsäter Marie
Published: September 2023

Background

In Sweden, population‐based targeted health dialogues are an important part of health promotion and disease prevention in primary health care. Targeted health dialogues are performed with a pedagogical approach to allow individuals to reflect over their resources, situation and motivation to change lifestyle habits together with a healthcare professional.

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore healthcare professionals' experiences of targeted health dialogues in primary health care.

Methods

Three focus group interviews were conducted with 20 healthcare professionals. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

The main category A possibility to promote healthy behaviours and prevent disease describes how the targeted health dialogues were experienced as a valuable opportunity to promote health among inhabitants. The significance of the primary healthcare centre's health promotion and prevention strategies was emphasised to enable the targeted health dialogues as a part of the assignment to promote health. These strategies were expressed as shared focus and organisational space and support making it possible for example to reach all socioeconomic groups. The work with targeted health dialogue was described as a complex task requiring extensive competence. Furthermore, the pedagogical tool including the visual health profile was experienced to have an important impact on the dialogue offering direction for actions to promote health and prevent disease.

Conclusions

Targeted health dialogues can be a valuable opportunity for healthcare professionals in primary health care to promote a healthy lifestyle among inhabitants. Certain preconditions at both the meso‐ and the micro level is however required for this to come about.
Migrant Worker's Social Networks and Collective Behavioral Willingness—A Whole Network Analysis
Authors: Cai Meng , Li Suxia , Zhang Nan , Du Haifeng , Wang Wei
Published: September 2023

Migrant workers' social networks are an important source of social support in their collective behavior. This study adopts the whole network method and proposes a measure of accumulated social capital in social networks, which makes up for the insufficiency of direct social capital. It compares the heterogeneous effects of formal and informal networks and accumulated and direct social capital on migrant workers' collective behavioral willingness and dissects their interaction mechanism. The results indicate that informal networks are more conducive to collective behavioral willingness. The formal network is the regulator of the informal network, which can strengthen the effect of the informal network on migrant workers' collective behavioral willingness. Accumulated social capital more robustly affects collective behavioral willingness than direct social capital. Therefore, optimizing the measurement of social capital can help to grasp the social effects of social capital more comprehensively. To sum up, fully stimulating the role of informal network center members as a communication bridge between factory and ordinary migrant workers is conducive to promoting the positive coupling of formal and informal networks and improving governance efficiency.
In vitro efficacy of a topical antimicrobial mousse and shampoo at proximal and distal hair locations against Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi
Authors: Taketa Tia T. , Rosenkrantz Wayne S. , Griffin Craig E. , Bidot Willie A.
Published: September 2023

Background

Topical therapy is essential in assisting with the resolution of pyoderma.

Objectives

(i) Evaluate the in vitro efficacy and residual activity of two different hair segments treated with shampoo and mousse against meticillin‐sensitive and meticillin‐resistant staphylococci; (ii) compare proximal and distal hair portions treated with the products and (iii) describe a new disc diffusion method for assessing residual efficacy.

Animals

Eleven privately owned, medium‐haired dogs.

Materials and Methods

In this randomised, blinded and negatively controlled study, dogs were treated once with a 3% chlorhexidine digluconate‐0.5% ophytrium shampoo on the lateral thorax, and the corresponding mousse on the opposite side. Hairs were plucked before treatment, two hours post‐treatment, and day (D)2, D4, D7, D10 and D14. Hairs were weighed (0.01 g) and cut (1.0 cm) from the proximal portion, moistened with saline and placed on a sterile diffusion disc to absorb the solution. Proximal and distal hair bundles and diffusion discs were placed onto agar inoculated with an isolate of meticillin‐sensitive or meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius or Staphylococcus schleiferi. Inhibition zones were measured following incubation.

Results

Distal hairs had larger (p < 0.001) inhibition zones compared to proximal hairs. Mousse had significant differences (p < 0.05) between time points and locations for both the hair bundles and discs, while shampoo only had a significant difference (p < 0.001) between time points for the hairs.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Mousse was effective, and shampoo was only minimally effective in inhibiting bacterial growth in vitro, with the greatest effect occurring at the two hours time point. The distal hair shafts had greater inhibition.
Creating an Institutional Environment That Leads to an Inclusive Culture of Belonging: Kinesiology’s “Impoverishing Errand”
Authors: Armstrong Ketra L.
Published: September 2023

People have an innate and fundamental need to belong (i.e., to establish and maintain high-quality and enriching relationships with others). Belonging is important to our personal and professional lives, and culture is often the conduit filtering our sense of belonging. Some organizations are culturally inclusive wherein a culturally diverse array of individuals feel connected and have a sense of belonging. In contrast, others are marred by cultural exclusion, leaving some individuals culturally disconnected, culturally disengaged, and lacking a sense of belonging. This article posits cultural belonging as the “impoverishing errand” that kinesiology must accomplish. It discusses personal and positional culture, organizational culture, and the leadership needed in kinesiology to create institutional environments that support and sustain inclusive cultures of belonging for faculty, staff, and students. In so doing, it illustrates the need for the philosophical/ideological and managerial focus on people-centered leadership that normalizes cultural inclusion.
Navigating a Professional Minefield: Service Workload, Identity Taxation, and Department Culture
Authors: Rowley K. Michael , O M.P. Jenny , Wright E. Missy
Published: September 2023

Faculty with personal and professional identities that are marginalized in higher education experience identity taxation, which is the experience of greater physical, mental, emotional, or psychological labor beyond what is experienced by faculty members with dominant-group identities. Inequities in service work contribute substantially to this taxation. Here, we describe persistent inequities in service work in academia, the impacts and consequences of those inequities, and strategies from the literature and our own experiences to make service work more equitable. We then detail two case examples for how we implemented some of these strategies in our kinesiology department, including (a) adopting an equity-based model of service work for required department and college service committees and (b) applying an equity lens to a faculty search committee. Finally, we reflect on our successes and areas for improvement.
Palmitoylethanolamide shows limited efficacy in controlling cerebral cryptococcosis
in vivo
Authors: Munzen Melissa E. , Reguera Gomez Marta , Hamed Mohamed F. , Enriquez Vanessa , Charles-Niño Claudia L. , Dores Michael R. , Alviña Karina , Martinez Luis R.
Published: September 2023

Cryptococcus neoformans
(
Cn
) is an encapsulated neurotropic fungal pathogen and the causative agent of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CME) in humans. Recommended treatment for CME is Amphotericin B (AmpB) and 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC). Though effective, AmpB has displayed numerous adverse side effects due to its potency and nephrotoxicity, prompting investigation into alternative treatments. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an immunomodulatory compound capable of promoting neuroprotection and reducing inflammation. To investigate the efficacy of PEA as a therapeutic alternative for CME, we intracerebrally infected mice with
Cn
and treated them with PEA or AmpB alone or in combination. Our results demonstrate that PEA alone does not significantly prolong survival nor reduce fungal burden, but when combined with AmpB, PEA exerts an additive effect and promotes both survivability and fungal clearance. However, we compared this combination to traditional AmpB and 5-FC treatment in a survivability study and observed lower efficacy. Overall, our study revealed that PEA alone is not effective as an antifungal agent in the treatment of CME. Importantly, we describe the therapeutic capability of PEA in the context of
Cn
infection and show that its immunomodulatory properties may confer limited protection when combined with an effective fungicidal agent.
Electron microscopy mapping of the DNA-binding sites of monomeric, dimeric, and multimeric KSHV RTA protein
Authors: Calhoun Jayla C. , Damania Blossom , Griffith Jack D. , Costantini Lindsey M.
Published: September 2023

Molecular interactions between viral DNA and viral-encoded protein are a prerequisite for successful herpesvirus replication and production of new infectious virions. Here, we examined how the essential Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) protein, RTA (replication and transcription activator), binds to viral DNA using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Previous studies using gel-based approaches to characterize RTA binding are important for studying the predominant form(s) of RTA within a population and identifying the DNA sequences that RTA binds with high affinity. However, using TEM, we were able to examine individual protein-DNA complexes and capture the various oligomeric states of RTA when bound to DNA. Hundreds of images of individual DNA and protein molecules were collected and then quantified to map the DNA-binding positions of RTA bound to the two KSHV lytic origins of replication encoded within the KSHV genome. The relative size of RTA or RTA bound to DNA was then compared to protein standards to determine whether RTA complexed with DNA was monomeric, dimeric, or formed larger oligomeric structures. We successfully analyzed a highly heterogeneous data set and identified new DNA-binding sites for RTA that included both high- and low-frequency-binding sites. TEM micrographs provide evidence that the majority of RTA analyzed forms dimers and high order multimers when bound to KSHV origin of replication DNA sequences. Broadly, our findings expand upon our understanding of the degree to which DNA-binding locations and protein conformation are heterogeneous and how protein monomers and dimers function differently with respect to DNA-binding location specificity.

IMPORTANCE

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human herpesvirus associated with several human cancers, typically in patients with compromised immune systems. Herpesviruses establish lifelong infections in hosts in part due to the two phases of infection: the dormant and active phases. Effective antiviral treatments to prevent the production of new viruses are needed to treat KSHV. A detailed microscopy-based investigation of the molecular interactions between viral protein and viral DNA revealed how protein-protein interactions play a role in DNA-binding specificity. This analysis will lead to a more in-depth understanding of KSHV DNA replication and serve as the basis for anti-viral therapies that disrupt and prevent the protein-DNA interactions, thereby decreasing spread to new hosts.
Complete sequence of the closed circular extrachromosomal element (CERE) of
Naegleria australiensis
De Jonckheere (strain PP 397)
Authors: Nguyen Brian T. , Chapman Nora M. , Johnson Niklas , Stessman Holly A. F. , Tracy Steven , Drescher Kristen M.
Published: September 2023

Ribosomal RNA is not encoded in chromosomal DNA in amoebae of the Naegleria genus but the rRNA genes are located on closed circular extrachromosomal ribosomal DNA (rDNA)-containing elements (CERE). In this report, we describe the sequence of the CERE of
Naegleria australiensis
De Jonckheere (strain PP397).
Annotation of Secretariat and Hydrus, two DJ cluster phages isolated on
Gordonia rubripertincta
Authors: Bland Jackson , Miller Sydney , Algarin-Martinez Elijah D. , Biggs Abbigail M. , Cavasini Maria E. D. , Chase Michael A. , Coleman Caitlyn , Correa Victoria , Danielson Don F. , Dean Wynter R. , French Joseph L. , Horne Mae E. , Macumber Breanna M. , Martini Francesca Kristal , Mazzei Sydney G. , McGarrah Coen E. E. , Odegaard Oslow , Parameswaran Indu S. , Quarterman Corrisa , Rand Taylor M. , Ruiz-Houston Kira M. , Sciacchitano Ava R. , Seidensticker Nina S. , Soltys Anna , Terron-Osorio Adrian E. , Todd Allyson L. , Wood Audrey R. , Ungrey Maxwell D. , Pollenz Richard S.
Published: September 2023

Secretariat and Hydrus are phages grouped into the DJ cluster that were isolated on
Gordonia rubripertincta
NRRL B-16540. The phages have 75% nucleotide identity and share 73% gene content. Secretariat has a genome with 84 predicted genes, while Hydrus has 91 predicted genes and can also infect
Gordonia terrae
3612.
The origin and evolution of IncF33 plasmids based on large-scale data sets
Authors: Gao Guolong , He Wanyun , Jiao Yanxiang , Cai Zhongpeng , Lv Luchao , Liu Jian-Hua
Published: September 2023

To comprehensively understand the formation and evolution of IncF33 plasmids, a global collection of whole-genome sequences of 863 strains positive for IncF33 plasmid replicons was analyzed. The results showed that the IncF33 plasmids were mainly identified in
Enterobacterales
, of which
Escherichia coli
(86.44%) was the dominant host, followed by
Salmonella
(8.57%) and
Klebsiella pneumoniae
(3.48%).
Salmonella
ST11 and
K. pneumoniae
ST11 were common and mostly from humans. IncF33 plasmids were found worldwide but prevalent in Chinese farm animals, predominantly carrying antibiotic resistance genes such as
bla
CTX-M-55
,
fosA3
,
bla
TEM-1B
,
rmtB
, and
floR
. Comparative genomics analysis of 103 complete IncF33 plasmid sequences showed highly similar backbones except for 16 lacking partial backbone fragments. Variable regions were diverse, containing various antibiotic resistance genes, insertion sequences, or other plasmid fragments. They can be roughly divided into two sublines based on the production of different CTX-M enzymes. Similar IncF33 plasmids from different countries were identified. Some early IncF33 plasmids lacked part of their leader regions, which showed over 99% homology with early F2:A-:B- plasmids, indicating that leader regions of IncF33 likely came from F2:A-:B- plasmids. In addition, IncF33 plasmids cointegrating with other types of plasmids to form new cointegrate plasmids are increasing, making them more efficient in their dissemination and persistence in
Enterobacterales
, which could pose a significant threat to global public health.

IMPORTANCE

Plasmids that capture multiple antibiotic resistance genes are spreading widely, leading to the emergence and prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. IncF33 plasmids are a newly emerged plasmid type highly prevalent in animal-source
Enterobacterales
in China, and they are important vectors for transmitting several clinically important antibiotic resistance genes. The study revealed that the IncF33 plasmid is mainly prevalent in China animal-derived
Escherichia coli
and has the potential for cointegration and intercontinental dissemination. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance surveillance and control measures to limit the spread of IncF33 plasmids and their associated antibiotic resistance genes.
Gut microbiota of Pacific white shrimp (
Litopenaeus vannamei
) exhibits distinct responses to pathogenic and non-pathogenic
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Authors: Chang Yi-Ting , Ko Hao-Ting , Wu Ping-Lun , Kumar Ramya , Wang Han-Ching , Lu Hsiao-Pei
Published: September 2023

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND), a high-mortality-rate shrimp disease, is caused by specific
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
(Vp) strains with a plasmid encoding the PirAB
Vp
toxins. As a bacterial pathogen, the invasion of AHPND-causing Vp might impose pressure on commensal microbiota in the shrimp gut, while the relationship between the pathogenesis of AHPND and the dysbiosis of gut bacterial communities remains unclear. Here we explored the temporal changes of shrimp gut microbiota in response to AHPND-causing and non-AHPND-causing Vp strains, with the non-infected controls as a baseline of the shrimp gut microbiota. The diversity and composition of bacterial communities from 168 gut samples (covering three treatments at seven time points with eight individuals per set) were investigated using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding with high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that (i) species diversity of gut bacterial communities declined in Vp-infected shrimp, independent of the strain pathogenicity; (ii) taxonomic compositions of gut bacterial communities were significantly different between shrimp infected by AHPND-causing and non-AHPND-causing Vp strains; (iii) short-term (within 6 hours) compositional shifts in the gut microbiota were found only in AHPND-causing Vp-infected shrimp; (iv) the gut microbiota of AHPND-causing Vp-infected shrimp was enriched with genera
Photobacterium
and
Vibrio
, with a decline in
Candidatus
Bacilliplasma; and (v) functional predictions suggested the loss of normal metabolism due to compositional shifts in the gut microbiota. Our work reveals distinct features of community dynamics in shrimp gut microbiota, associated with pathogenic versus non-pathogenic
Vibrio
infections, providing a new perspective of the pathogenesis of AHPND.

IMPORTANCE

Shrimp production is continually threatened by newly emerging diseases, such as AHPND, which is caused by specific Vp strains. Previous studies on the pathogenesis of AHPND have mainly focused on the histopathology and immune responses of the host. However, more attention needs to be paid to the gut microbiota, which acts as the first barrier to pathogen colonization. In this study, we revealed that shrimp gut microbiota responded differently to pathogenic and non-pathogenic Vp strains, with bacterial genera
Photobacterium
and
Vibrio
enriched in pathogenic Vp-infected shrimp, and
Candidatus
Bacilliplasma enriched in non-pathogenic Vp-infected shrimp. Moreover, functional predictions suggested that changes in taxonomic compositions would further affect normal metabolic functions, emphasizing the importance of sustaining an equilibrium in the gut microbiota. Several biomarkers associated with specific microbial taxa and functional pathways were identified in our data sets, which help predict the incidence of disease outcomes.
Effects of pruning on tea tree growth, tea quality, and rhizosphere soil microbial community
Authors: Zhang Qi , Zhang Ying , Wang Yuhua , Lin Shaoxiong , Chen Meihui , Cheng Pengyuan , Ye Jianghua , Miao Pengyao , Jia Xiaoli , Wang Haibin
Published: September 2023

Pruning is an important agronomic measure in tea plantation management. This study analyzed the effects of pruning on tea tree growth, tea quality, rhizosphere soil physicochemical indexes, microbial communities, and metabolic pathways. The results showed that pruning was beneficial for promoting tea tree growth and increasing tea yield, but not for the synthesis and accumulation of quality-related compounds in tea leaves. After pruning, organic matter, available phosphorus content and catalase, acid phosphatase, and sucrase activities in rhizosphere soil were significantly higher than those in unpruned tea trees, while total phosphorus, total potassium, and available nitrogen content were significantly lower than those in unpruned tea trees. The results of microbial community analysis of tea rhizosphere soil showed that the key changed characteristic microorganisms after pruning were
Haliangium
,
Acidicaldus
,
Reyranella
,
Acidobacterium
,
Aquicella
, and
Granulicella
, and the key changed characteristic microbial metabolic pathways were ko00072, ko00473, ko00750, ko01055, ko00521, and ko02040. Furthermore, the results found that pruning promoted
Haliangium, Acidicaldus
, and
Reyranella
abundances, ko00072, ko00473, and ko00750, respectively, microbial metabolic pathways in tea trees rhizosphere soil, and reduced
Acidobacterium
,
Granulicella,
and
Aquicella
abundance
,
ko01055, ko00521, and ko02040, respectively, microbial metabolic pathways, thereby increasing the activities of soil catalase, acid phosphatase, and sucrase, improving soil organic matter decomposition efficiency and available phosphorus content, and promoting tea yield, but not synthesis and accumulation of quality-related compounds in tea leaves. This study provides an important theoretical reference for the management of agronomic measures in tea plantations.

IMPORTANCE

Pruning is an important agronomic measure in tea cultivation and management. We found that pruning was beneficial to increase tea yield, but it would reduce tea quality, especially the content of polyphenols, theanine, flavonoids, and free amino acids in tea leaves was reduced. The reason for this phenomenon was that pruning promotes the enrichment of special functional microorganisms and the enhancement of special metabolic pathways in the soil, leading to changes in the nutrient cycle in the soil.