bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-troposphere microbial communities differ between dry-air and rainfall but do not show strong seasonal patterns in Metro Atlanta, Southeast USA
Authors: Davila-Santiago Lizbeth , Erb Casey , Yang Laura Hyesung , Hall Johanna , Negron Arnaldo , D’amico Isabelle , Hatt Janet K. , Konstantinidis Konstantinos T.
Published: June 2023

The composition and seasonal patterns of airborne bacterial and fungal communities and how these are affected by atmospheric conditions (e.g., dry vs. rain), origin of air masses, and presence of air pollutants remain understudied, despite their obvious importance for public health. To provide insights into these questions, monthly dry air and rain samples were collected at the Environmental Science and Technology building rooftop on Georgia Tech’s campus (Metro Atlanta) between June 2017 and November 2019. The sampling included the remnants of Hurricane Irma and a Saharan dust event in 2020. Amplicon sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and the fungal nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region showed that spore-forming bacteria and widespread fungi were enriched in dry samples, while photosynthetic bacteria and wood-decaying fungi were more abundant in rain samples, demonstrating the effect of sample type on bioaerosol composition. Further, higher relative abundance of fungal human pathogens and allergens were identified in the dry-air and Saharan dust samples, includingAlternaria alternataandCladosporium cladosporioides. Bacterial and fungal species richness and composition appeared to be relatively consistent between seasons for both sample types. Accordingly, sample type and seasonality explained ∼14% and ∼8.5% of the microbial diversity between samples, respectively, while presence of air pollutants and three-day back trajectory data were not significant. Collectively, our data indicates that dry air might represent a higher public health risk and provides a reference point for the long-term monitoring of airborne microbial communities in an urban Southeast US setting.

Importance

In the atmosphere, or in the air we breathe, bioaerosols are always present. Bioaerosols are biological particles (alive or dead) suspended in the air, being bacteria and fungi the most abundant. In addition, bioaerosols can potentially contribute to weather/climate patterns. Although and unfortunately, a clear biodiversity pattern from different atmospheric events (air, rain, snow, etc.) remains to be discovered, especially in urban areas, where bioaerosols can also have implications for public health. The role of airborne microbes and their diversity patterns in the atmosphere constitutes a significant gap in our understanding of their interactions with health, climate, and other ecosystems compared to other environments. Our research provides the first reference point for long-term monitoring of airborne microbial communities in an urban Southeast US setting. This research contributes novel knowledge about public health and insights for integrating biological information into weather and climate prediction models.
A novel platform for metabolomics using barcoded structure-switching aptamers
Authors: Tan June H. , Mercado Maria P. , Fraser Andrew G.
Published: June 2023

Small organic molecules like metabolites and drugs are critical for diagnostics, treatment, and synthetic biology. Measuring them presents two key challenges however: they are biochemically highly diverse and there is no method to amplify them. Mass spectrometry has been the workhorse of metabolomics for decades but is costly and slow and single-cell metabolomics remains very challenging. Here we describe an alternative platform for metabolomics based on structure-switching aptamers (SSAs). SSAs are short nucleic acid molecules that each recognise a specific target ligand and undergo a major conformational change on ligand binding. This conformational change can drive detection such as fluorescence allowing SSAs to be used as sensors. We adapted conventional SSAs to a novel readout: barcode release. Each SSA recognises a unique ligand and each SSA releases a unique barcode allowing many ligands to be detected in parallel. We show that these barcode SSAs (bSSAs) can be multiplexed and act as independent sensors and that barcode release can be massively amplified to allow high sensitivity. Finally, we establish methods for the generation of large collections of bSSAs where barcode-SSA matching is completely directed. We believe that this novel platform which converts metabolite detection into barcode sequencing will allow the deep multiplexed detection of metabolites and drugs down to the scale of single cells.
Structural Characterization of the Full-length Hantaan Virus Polymerase
Authors: Keown Jeremy R. , Carrique Loïc , Nilsson-Payant Benjamin , Fodor Ervin , Grimes Jonathan M.
Published: June 2023

Hantaviridaeare a family of segmented negative-sense RNA viruses that contains important human and animal pathogens including Andes orthohantavirus and Hantaan orthohantavirus.Hantaviridaecontain a viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase that replicates and transcribes the viral genome in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Here we establish the expression and purification of the polymerase from the Old World Hantaan orthohantavirus and characterise the structure using single particle cryo electron microscopy. We determine a series of structures at resolutions between 2.7 and 3.3 Å of RNA free polymerase comprising the core, core and endonuclease, and a full-length polymerase. The full-length polymerase structure depicts the location of the cap binding and C-terminal domains which are arranged in a conformation that is incompatible with transcription and in a novel conformation not observed in previous conformations of cap-snatching viral polymerase. We further describe structures with 5′ vRNA promoter in the presence and absence of a nucleotide triphosphate. The nucleotide bound structure mimics a replication pre-initiation complex and the nucleotide stabilises the motif E in a conformation distinct from those previously observed. We observe motif E in four distinct conformations including β-sheet, two helical arrangements, and an ordered loop. The insights gained here form a starting point for future detailed mechanistic studies of both the transcription and replication activities of the hantavirus polymerase and for the development of therapeutic targets.
Addiction recovery stories: Rebecca Kippax in conversation with Lisa Ogilvie
Authors: Kippax Rebecca , Ogilvie Lisa
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine recovery through lived experience. It is part of a series that explores candid accounts of addiction and recovery to identify the important components in the recovery process.

Design/methodology/approach

The G-CHIME model comprises six elements important to addiction recovery (Growth, Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning in life and Empowerment). It provides a standard against which to consider addiction recovery, having been used in this series, as well as in the design of interventions that improve well-being and strengthen recovery. In this paper, a first-hand account is presented, followed by a semi-structured e-interview with the author of the account. Narrative analysis is used to explore the account and interview through the G-CHIME model.

Findings

This paper shows that addiction recovery is a remarkable process that can be effectively explained using the G-CHIME model. The significance of each component in the model is apparent from the account and e-interview presented.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, each account of recovery in this series is unique, and as yet, untold.
Decolonizing international business
Authors: Boussebaa Mehdi
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to encourage scholars of international business (IB) to engage with the “decolonizing the university” project and reflect on what decolonizing might mean for IB research and education. The paper also argues that it is particularly important for IB scholars to join the decolonizing project given that the field’s main object of study – the multinational enterprise – has been central to colonialism.

Design/methodology/approach

An essay style is adopted to introduce the decolonizing project to IB and to explain why and how this scholarly field might benefit from engaging with it. As part of that, the paper calls upon IB scholars to work on decolonizing the field and to do so by not only interrogating its knowledge claims but also broadening the scope of its research so it can address the theme of neo-colonialism.

Findings

The paper reveals the conspicuous absence of IB scholars from the decolonizing project and situates such absence within a long-standing indifference within IB to the issue of colonialism.

Social implications

In learning about and engaging with the decolonizing project, IB scholars will be able to not only enrich IB theory and education but also help to tackle one of the grand challenges facing the modern world society, namely, social inequality and injustice rooted in colonialism.

Originality/value

It is hoped that this paper will stimulate reflection on IB’s absence from the decolonizing project and assist scholars in developing an understanding of the project’s rationale and underlying literature. It is also hoped that the paper will open dialogue within IB about how this field might be decolonized and help scholars engage meaningfully with other disciplines as they do so.
What a legacy: a call to action to facilitate entry into the licensed cannabis market in Canada
Authors: Wright-Brown Tanisha , Brennan Sandy , Blackwood Michael , Donnan Jennifer
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Almost five years after legalization, the unlicensed cannabis market is still thriving in Canada, and legacy cannabis retailers continue to face barriers to legal market entry. This study aims to shed light on these challenges and offer policy recommendations supporting legacy retailers and the government’s goals of enhancing public safety and displacing the unlicensed market.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reviewed online sources, including the media, gray literature, government, and other policy and legal websites, to identify legacy retailers’ challenges to entering the Canadian ecosystem since legalization and policy approaches of legalized jurisdictions with similar issues.

Findings

Legacy retailers face financial, legal and social barriers to entering the legal market. The Canadian government should focus on lowering and eliminating these barriers by developing programs that reduce financial risks and required capital, facilitate partnership programs and accelerators, provide innovative options that reduce overhead expenses, encourage pooled ownership to support small businesses, prioritize market entry for equity-deserving individuals and enable automatic expungement. A description of programs that have been implemented in other jurisdictions to address similar barriers is provided.

Practical implications

The policy recommendations in this paper would enable increased entrepreneurship and employment in a growing sector. While the tax revenue earned from the new market entrants may not be enough to support all the recommended policy initiatives, it could be reinvested to fund some of them creating sustainable growth opportunities.

Originality/value

The paper provides practical, timely policy recommendations on expanding the legal cannabis market in Canada and addressing unintended negative consequences of current policies.
The effects of project uncertainty on guanxi governance and contractual governance
Authors: Lin Yi-Hsin , Niu Deshuang , Guo Yanzhe , Zeng Ningshuang
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study examines how project uncertainties (environmental uncertainty and participant uncertainty) affect guanxi and contractual governance and assesses the mediating role of guanxi governance between project uncertainty and contractual governance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected in two stages from Chinese contractors. First, in-depth interviews were conducted with nine construction engineering project practitioners in different contracts as a pilot for questionnaire designing. Second, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with professionals and practitioners of construction enterprises to collect primary data. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test seven hypotheses based on data collected from 198 respondents.

Findings

Project environmental uncertainty promotes the use of guanxi governance, while project participant uncertainty hinders it; the relationship between both types of uncertainty and contractual governance is the same as with guanxi governance. Furthermore, guanxi governance promotes contractual governance and partially mediates project environmental uncertainty and contractual governance and a complete mediating role between project participant uncertainty and contractual governance.

Research limitations/implications

As the interviewed samples are mainly from China, the study should be replicated using large representative samples from East Asian countries, such as Japan and South Korea, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the influence of guanxi governance. Further, while the internal consistency reliability and convergent validity of the questionnaire data in this study align with the standards, a larger sample size would improve the reliability and validity of the research results and better represent the overall work situation of contractors, owners and public policymakers.

Originality/value

The results provide insights into project governance research and have implications for construction practitioners in deploying governance-related resources.
The sexual identity disclosure dilemma for lesbian, gay, and bisexual employees in the Indian workplace
Authors: Lyndon Shiji , Rawat Preeti S. , Bhardwaj Ketan , Navare Ajinkya
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to extend the theoretical understanding of the disclosure dilemma experienced by lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employees. The study focuses on examining the factors related to self-disclosure such as co-worker support and fear of disclosure. Further, the study also aims at testing the impact of coworker support on the psychological well-being of LGB employees.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a concurrent triangulation research design, which involves a simultaneous collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Using a survey questionnaire, data from 200 LGB employees were collected. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 10 LGB employees. The qualitative findings were treated as complementary to the relationship tested through the quantitative method.

Findings

Quantitative results reveal that co-worker support positively impacts self-disclosure by LGB employees. And the fear of disclosure mediates the relationship between coworker support and self-disclosure. Further, self-disclosure is positively related to psychological well-being. The qualitative study brings insights from the lived experiences around these factors. This research expands knowledge about the factors associated with the disclosure of LGB employees.

Originality/value

The study examines the factors related to the disclosure of sexual identity and the experiences of the dilemma of LGB employees in the workplace. Most of the studies in the context of LGB have adopted a quantitative research design. The current study adopts a mixed methods approach with a concurrent triangulation research design.
Integrating external stakeholders for improvement in green innovation performance: role of green knowledge integration capability and regulatory pressure
Authors: Ullah Sami , Ahmad Tooba , Lyu Bei , Sami Abdul , Kukreti Mohit , Yvaz A.
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Green innovation, particularly in manufacturing firms, is one of the most advocated methods to curb the effects of climate change. This study aims to investigate the impact of the integration of green customers and suppliers on the green innovation performance of food manufacturing firms in Pakistan. The institutional and resource-based view theories determine the moderating role of regulatory pressure and the mediating role of green knowledge integration capability (GKIC).

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected from 511 middle management-level employees of food manufacturing firms in Pakistan. The questionnaire was tested for reliability and validity. Hierarchical regression is used to test the proposed hypothesis.

Findings

A marginal improvement in integration with green customers can increase the green innovation performance (GIP) of a firm by 23.6%. Green supplier integration can improve the GIP by 14.2%, whereas the GKIC mediates the relationship between Green Customers Integration (GCI) and GIP but not for green suppliers integration (GSI). The moderating effect of regulatory pressure was significant for the relationship between GCI and GIP but insignificant for GSI.

Originality/value

Food manufacturing accounts for approximately 16% of global green house gases (GHG) emissions. Sustainable development goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved without a significant decrease in GHG emissions by food manufacturing companies. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate firms' green innovation performance in this sector. The findings of this study can help policymakers develop policies for achieving SDGs.
ESG-CFP relationship: exploring the moderating role of financial slack
Authors: Singh Aanchal , Verma Subir , Shome Samik
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aims at examining the contentions of the agency theory by exploring the direct relationship between environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure score and corporate financial performance (CFP) from the years 2016–2020. It also tests for the adaptability of slack resources theory by testing this relationship in the presence of a moderating variable (financial slack).

Design/methodology/approach

The study relies on the data obtained from Bloomberg database of 112 companies belonging to different sectors. It employs the use of partial least square structure equation modelling (PLS-SEM) for carrying out the empirical analysis.

Findings

The results obtained show that there exists a negative relationship between ESG and CFP of the sample firms. These results lend support to the propositions of both the agency theory. Further, the financial slack in the organizations does not ensure a firm's responsible behavior.

Research limitations/implications

The paper provides important implications both from the perspective of managers as well as policymakers. The results of this study will aid the managers in reducing the instances of information asymmetry in the market, thereby tackling the issue of principle agent problems within an organization. From the policy marking perspective, the results of this study will help the regulatory authorities in implementing the necessary rules, regulations and laws that will ensure increased participation from the corporate sector in disclosing their sustainability-related information.

Originality/value

This study is one of its kind to explore the impact of a moderating variable on the ESG-CFP relationship in the context of an emerging economy. It also contributes to the present stream of literature by providing both a theoretical and empirical support to the propositions under consideration.
User influence and microblog marketing: a case study of Sina Weibo in China
Authors: Wang Xiaoguang , Gao Yijun , Lu Zhuoyao
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Microblogs are communication platforms for companies and consumers that challenge companies' brand marketing strategies. This paper provides a theoretical basis for expanding microblog applications and a practical basis for improving the effectiveness of brand marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use factor analysis to extract the factors of microblog user influence and construct a structural equation model to reveal the interaction mechanism of the influencing factors. Additionally, the authors clarify the promotion and enhancement effects of these factors.

Findings

Microblog user influence can be converted into richness, interaction and value factors. The richness factor significantly affects the latter two, whereas the interaction factor does not affect the value factor.

Research limitations/implications

First, the sample used is limited to media industry practitioners. To increase generalizability, diverse groups should be included in future studies. Second, this model's theoretical explanatory ability can be further developed by adding other meaningful factors beyond the existing ones.

Originality/value

This study analyzes the factors of microblog user influence in China and validates the relevant elements. As a result, it improves the influence research on social media users and benefits the practice of information recommendation and microblog marketing.
Graphene-based resistant sensor decorated with Mn, Co, Cu for nitric oxide detection: Langmuir adsorption & DFT method
Authors: Mollaamin Fatemeh , Monajjemi Majid
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ability of transition metals (TMs) of iron-, nickel- and zinc-doped graphene nanosheet for adsorption of toxic gas of nitric oxide (NO). The results of this paper have provided a favorable understanding of the interaction between TM-doped graphene nanosheet and NO molecule.

Design/methodology/approach

A high performance of TM-doped graphene nanosheet as a gas sensor is demonstrated by modeling the material’s transport characteristics by means of the Langmuir adsorption and three-layered ONIOM/ density functional theory method. The Langmuir adsorption model has been done with a three-layered ONIOM using CAM-B3LYP functional and LANL2DZ and 6–311G (d, p) basis sets by Gaussian 16 revision C.01 program towards the formation of of NO→TM(Mn, Co, Cu)-doped on the Gr nanosheet.

Findings

The changes of charge density for Langmuir adsorption of NO on Mn-, Co- and Cu-doped graphene nanosheet orderly have been achieved as: ΔQCo-doped = +0.309 >> ΔQMn-doped = −0.074 > ΔQCu-doped = −0.051. Therefore, the number of changes of charge density have concluded a more remarkable charge transfer for Mn-doped graphene nanosheet. However, based on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the sharp peaks around Cu doped on the surface of graphene nanosheet and C19 close to junction of N2 and Co17 have been observed. In addition, Cu-doped graphene sheet has a large effect on bond orbitals of C8–Cu 17, C15–Cu 17 and C16–Cu17 in the adsorption of NO on the Cu-doped/Gr which has shown the maximum occupancy. The amounts of

ΔGads,NO→Mn−Co through IR computations based on polarizability have exhibited that

ΔGads,NO→Mn−Co has indicated the most energy gap because of charge density transfer from the nitrogen atom in NO to Mn-doped graphene nanosheet, though

ΔG(NO→Cu−C)0>

ΔG(NO→Co−C)0>ΔG(NO→Mn−C)0.

Originality/value

This research aims to explore the adsorption of hazardous pollutant gas of “NO” by using carbon nanostructure doped by “TM” of iron, nickel and zinc to evaluate the effectiveness of adsorption parameters of various TM-doped graphene nanosheets.
A comparison of deep and shallow models for the detection of induced seismicity
Authors: Goel Akshat , Gorse Denise
Published: June 2023

Can an interpretable logistic regression model perform comparably to a deep learning model in the task of earthquake detection? In spite of the recent focus in academic seismological research on deep learning, we find there is hope that it can. Using data from the Groningen Gas Field in the Netherlands, relating to low‐magnitude induced seismicity, we build on a recently presented four‐input logistic regression model by adding to it four further statistically derived features. We evaluate the performance of our feature‐enhanced model relative to both the original logistic regression model (shallow machine learning model) and a deep learning model proposed by the same research group. We discover that at the signal‐to‐noise ratio of this earlier work, our enhanced logistic regression model in fact overall outperforms the deep learning model and displays no false negative errors. At the lower signal‐to‐noise ratios also considered here, while the number of false positive errors made by the logistic regression model increases, the number of undetected earthquakes remains zero. Though the number of false positives is for the highest imbalance ratios currently prohibitive, the benefit of our four additional features, which increases as the signal‐to‐noise ratio decreases, suggests that an interpretable model might be made to perform comparably to a more complex deep learning model at real‐world class imbalance ratios if further useful inputs could be identified.
Least‐squares reverse time migration using the most energetic source wavefields based on excitation amplitude imaging condition
Authors: Kim Sumin , Kim Young Seo , Chung Wookeen
Published: June 2023

Least‐squares reverse time migration, a linearized inversion problem, can provide high‐quality migration image by minimizing the misfit function, which is defined by predicted and observed data. According to the theory of data‐domain least‐squares reverse time migration, a forward source wavefield that is simulated with a fixed background velocity does not change during iterations. However, storing the forward source wavefield directly into computer memory involves substantial memory consumption. Although a source wavefield reconstruction technique can be applied during least‐squares reverse time migration iterations, this approach can increase the computational cost because of the need for additional wavefield simulations. To alleviate this computational issue in storing the forward source wavefield, we propose an efficient least‐squares reverse time migration scheme based on an excitation amplitude method. Unlike conventional excitation amplitude imaging conditions, the proposed least‐squares reverse time migration scheme enables one to reconstruct the forward source wavefield by convolving a source wavelet with the excitation amplitude of Green's function at the excitation time. With this excitation amplitude method, the forward source wavefield can be efficiently stored in the computer memory because the sizes of the excitation amplitude and excitation time maps are equal to the size of one snapshot. To validate the feasibility of our least‐squares reverse time migration scheme, we perform dot‐product tests and compare forward source wavefields, demigrated data and gradient vectors obtained by conventional least‐squares reverse time migration and our proposed least‐squares reverse time migration. Using numerical tests on synthetic data, we confirm that our least‐squares reverse time migration can produce high‐quality migration results with a significant improvement in computational efficiency with respect to performance time and memory consumption.
Novel broad‐spectrum bacteriophages against Xanthomonas oryzae and their biocontrol potential in rice bacterial diseases
Authors: Liu Mengjiao , Hu Ran , Xia Mian , He Xiaoqing , Jin Yi
Published: June 2023

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) and bacterial leaf streak (BLS)—caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), respectively—are two major bacterial diseases that threaten the safe production of rice, one of the most important food crops. Bacteriophages are considered potential biocontrol agents against rice bacterial pathogens, due to their host specificity and environmental safety. It is common for BLB and BLS to occur together in fields, which highlights the need for broad‐spectrum phages capable of infecting both Xoo and Xoc. In this study, two lytic broad‐spectrum phages (pXoo2106 and pXoo2107) that can infect various strains of Xoo and Xoc were assessed. Both phages belong to the class Caudoviricetes and one of them to the family Autographiviridae, while the other belongs to an unclassified family. Two phages alone or combined in a phage cocktail could effectively inhibit Xoo and Xoc growth in vitro. In an in vivo biocontrol experiment, the phage cocktail reduced the total CFU and significantly eased the symptoms caused by Xoo or Xoc. Our results suggest that pXoo2106 and pXoo2107 have a broad‐spectrum host range targeting different X. oryzae strains, and have strong biocontrol potential in field applications against both BLB and BLS.
Belgium: Political Developments and Data in 2022
Authors: BAUDEWYNS PIERRE , VANDELEENE AUDREY , WINTER LIEVEN DE , DERUETTE SERGE
Published: June 2023

The De Croo I Cabinet had to deal in 2022 with major issues related to international (war in Ukraine), European (energy supply) and national (inflation, social crisis and community problems) issues events. Given the coalition of parties that support the government, the policies developed by the government have sometimes taken a long time to be negotiated, decided, and implemented. In addition, the composition of the government had to be changed for various reasons, among others the vigorous opposition of the two main parties in Parliament (VB—Vlaams Belang—and N‐VA—Nieuw‐Vlaamse Alliantie).
Explainable machine learning framework to predict personalized physiological aging
Authors: Bernard David , Doumard Emmanuel , Ader Isabelle , Kemoun Philippe , Pagès Jean‐Christophe , Galinier Anne , Cussat‐Blanc Sylvain , Furger Felix , Ferrucci Luigi , Aligon Julien , Delpierre Cyrille , Pénicaud Luc , Monsarrat Paul , Casteilla Louis
Published: June 2023

Attaining personalized healthy aging requires accurate monitoring of physiological changes and identifying subclinical markers that predict accelerated or delayed aging. Classic biostatistical methods most rely on supervised variables to estimate physiological aging and do not capture the full complexity of inter‐parameter interactions. Machine learning (ML) is promising, but its black box nature eludes direct understanding, substantially limiting physician confidence and clinical usage. Using a broad population dataset from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study including routine biological variables and after selection of XGBoost as the most appropriate algorithm, we created an innovative explainable ML framework to determine a Personalized physiological age (PPA). PPA predicted both chronic disease and mortality independently of chronological age. Twenty‐six variables were sufficient to predict PPA. Using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), we implemented a precise quantitative associated metric for each variable explaining physiological (i.e., accelerated or delayed) deviations from age‐specific normative data. Among the variables, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) displays a major relative weight in the estimation of PPA. Finally, clustering profiles of identical contextualized explanations reveal different aging trajectories opening opportunities to specific clinical follow‐up. These data show that PPA is a robust, quantitative and explainable ML‐based metric that monitors personalized health status. Our approach also provides a complete framework applicable to different datasets or variables, allowing precision physiological age estimation.
Recuperación temprana de la vegetación tras un incendio de mediana a alta severidad en los bosques andino‐patagónicos
Authors: Rago Maria Melisa , Urretavizcaya María Florencia , Morelli Pablo , Mohr Bell Diego , Guzmán Mario
Published: June 2023

En todo el mundo se está produciendo un cambio en los regímenes de incendios que afecta a la sucesión post‐fuego. En este contexto, cada vez es más necesario priorizar las zonas de restauración y centrarse en sus objetivos particulares. Evaluar el sotobosque emergente representa la primera aproximación a una revegetación post‐fuego, necesaria para establecer las directrices de restauración adecuadas. En este estudio, nos propusimos evaluar la respuesta inicial post‐fuego en un incendio de mediana a alta severidad en los bosques Andino‐Patagónicos. Para ello (1) se comparó la estructura de la comunidad vegetal entre las distintas severidades de incendio, (2) se evaluó la respuesta de la estructura de la comunidad vegetal a la interacción entre severidad del incendio y tipo de bosque, (3) se comparó la composición vegetal entre las categorías de severidad del incendio‐tipo de bosque y (4) se evaluó la regeneración de especies leñosas tras el incendio. Encontramos que la cobertura vegetal del estrato inferior comenzó a recuperarse rápidamente tras el incendio y en mayor medida en la severidad media que en la alta, mientras que la cobertura del estrato superior fue incipiente en la severidad media y nula en la alta. Las especies nativas predominaron en las parcelas quemadas y no quemadas, aunque fueron menores en las quemadas. Entre las formas de crecimiento, arbustos y árboles se vieron afectados de forma similar por el fuego, independientemente del tipo de bosque. La composición de la comunidad vegetal varió entre la mayoría de las categorías de severidad del incendio‐tipo de bosque. La frecuencia de especies leñosas que se regeneran por rebrote y por semillas fue menor en las parcelas quemadas que en las no quemadas. Estos resultados sugieren que aunque existe una pronta recuperación de la vegetación, la elevada cobertura de suelo expuesto y la pérdida del estrato superior de vegetación pueden favorecer la erosión y dificultar el establecimiento de árboles. Además, las especies arbóreas que sólo se regeneran a partir de semillas probablemente no se recuperarán de forma natural. Además, la presencia de especies exóticas con alto riesgo de invasión puede requerir control. Por lo tanto, dado que la severidad del incendio y el tipo de bosque pueden conducir a diferentes escenarios de recuperación natural post‐fuego, se deberían tomar diferentes acciones de restauración para promover sistemas resilientes para el futuro.
Abiotic and biotic determinants of West African termite mounds in altered land
Authors: Padonou Elie A. , Avocevou‐Ayisso Carolle M. A. , Akakpo Bokon Alexis , Sinsin Brice
Published: June 2023

Termites contribute to the spatial heterogeneity of the ecological processes of the highly degraded lands called the bowé in West Africa, but the underlying determinants of the distribution of the mounds remain poorly understood. Thus, the study aims to determine the principal abiotic and biotic factors shaping mound densities on bowé in Benin, West Africa. A number of 64 plots were randomly sampled on sites with mounds and adjacent off‐mounds sites on bowé. Data were collected on abiotic (soil variables (pH, bulk density, particle sizes and soil organic carbon) and altitude) and biotic (the number of live termite mounds, plant richness and cover) factors. Correspondence analysis (CA) was applied to assess the pattern of vegetation and termite mounds on bowé; while principal component analysis (PCA) was used to assess the relationship between soil variables (pH, bulk density, particle size and soil organic carbon), altitude, number of mounds, plant richness and cover. Generalised mixed effects and linear mixed effects models with Poisson error distribution were used to analyse the variation in soil variables, number of mounds, species richness and cover between termite species. The findings revealed that the pattern of termite mounds on bowé was driven by altitude (topography) and soil clay content that contribute to termite activities as well as improving soil bulk density, plant species richness and cover. These factors were positively associated with all termite species considered, except for those belonging to the genus of Macrotermes.
Evaluation of a modified emergency surgical acuity score in predicting operative and non‐operative mortality and morbidity in an acute surgical unit
Authors: Wang Hogan , Luu Veronica , Jiang Eric , Kirkland Olivia , Kabir Shahrir , Davis Sean S. , Hugh Thomas J.
Published: June 2023

Background

Emergency general surgery (EGS) patients have an increased risk of mortality and morbidity compared to other surgical patients. Limited risk assessment tools exist for use in both operative and non‐operative EGS patients. We assessed the accuracy of a modified Emergency Surgical Acuity Score (mESAS) in EGS patients at our institution.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study from an acute surgical unit at a tertiary referral hospital was performed. Primary endpoints assessed included death before discharge, length of stay (LOS) >5 days and unplanned readmission within 28 days. Operative and non‐operative patients were analysed separately. Validation was performed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC), Brier score and Hosmer‐Lemeshow test.

Results

A total of 1763 admissions between March 2018 and June 2021 were included for analysis. The mESAS was an accurate predictor of both death before discharge (AUROC 0.979, Brier score 0.007, Hosmer–Lemeshow P = 0.981) and LOS >5 days (0.787, 0.104, and 0.253, respectively). The mESAS was less accurate in predicting readmission within 28 days (0.639, 0.040, and 0.887, respectively). The mESAS retained its predictive ability for death before discharge and LOS >5 days in the split cohort analysis.

Conclusion

This study is the first to validate a modified ESAS in a non‐operatively managed EGS population internationally and the first to validate the mESAS in Australia. The mESAS accurately predicts death before discharge and prolonged LOS for all EGS patients, providing a highly useful tool for surgeons and EGS units worldwide.
The macular retinal ganglion cell layer as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in multiple sclerosis: A deep learning approach
Authors: Montolío Alberto , Cegoñino José , Garcia‐Martin Elena , Pérez del Palomar Amaya
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The macular ganglion cell layer (mGCL) is a strong potential biomarker of axonal degeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). For this reason, this study aims to develop a computer‐aided method to facilitate diagnosis and prognosis in MS.

Methods

This paper combines a cross‐sectional study of 72 MS patients and 30 healthy control subjects for diagnosis and a 10‐year longitudinal study of the same MS patients for the prediction of disability progression, during which the mGCL was measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Deep neural networks were used as an automatic classifier.

Results

For MS diagnosis, greatest accuracy (90.3%) was achieved using 17 features as inputs. The neural network architecture comprised the input layer, two hidden layers and the output layer with softmax activation. For the prediction of disability progression 8 years later, accuracy of 81.9% was achieved with a neural network comprising two hidden layers and 400 epochs.

Conclusion

We present evidence that by applying deep learning techniques to clinical and mGCL thickness data it is possible to identify MS and predict the course of the disease. This approach potentially constitutes a non‐invasive, low‐cost, easy‐to‐implement and effective method.
Comparison of multiple sclerosis patients with or without rebound activity after fingolimod cessation: Five‐year clinical outcomes
Authors: Gulec Bade , Everest Elif , Gorkey Ogeday Derin , Koc Metehan , Tutuncu Melih , Saip Sabahattin , Siva Aksel , Uygunoglu Ugur
Published: June 2023

Background

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who discontinue fingolimod might present with rebound activity. The reasons for the development of rebound have been identified, but there are limited data on the long‐term clinical outcomes of these patients. This study aimed to compare the long‐term outcomes of patients with MS with and without rebound activity after fingolimod discontinuation.

Methods

A total of 31 patients who discontinued fingolimod for various reasons with a minimum follow‐up of 5 years were included in the study. Of these, 10 were assigned to the rebound group and 21 to the non‐rebound group. Clinical and demographic data and 5‐year clinical outcomes of both groups were prospectively examined.

Results

At fingolimod initiation, there were no significant differences in age, disease duration, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. The annualized relapse rate (ARR) was significantly higher in the rebound group than in the non‐rebound group before the fingolimod treatment (p = 0.005). In the rebound group, EDSS scores 2 months after rebound treatment and at the 5‐year follow‐up were not significantly different than before fingolimod initiation (p = 0.14 and p = 0.46, respectively). The last recorded EDSS was significantly higher in the non‐rebound group than in the rebound group (3.6 ± 2.3 vs. 2.15 ± 1.4, p = 0.045). At the last follow‐up, one patient was diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis in the rebound group (10%), and 11 patients were in the non‐rebound group (52.4%, p = 0.05).

Conclusion

When rebound activity is well‐monitored and treated after fingolimod discontinuation, no overall EDSS change is expected in the long‐term follow‐up.
Genetic structure and first genome‐wide insights into the adaptation of a wild relative of grapevine, Vitis berlandieri
Authors: Blois Louis , de Miguel Marina , Bert Pierre‐François , Girollet Nabil , Ollat Nathalie , Rubio Bernadette , Segura Vincent , Voss‐Fels Kai P. , Schmid Joachim , Marguerit Elisa
Published: June 2023

In grafted plants, such as grapevine, increasing the diversity of rootstocks available to growers is an ideal strategy for helping plants to adapt to climate change. The rootstocks used for grapevine are hybrids of various American Vitis, including V. berlandieri. The rootstocks currently use in vineyards are derived from breeding programs involving very small numbers of parental individuals. We investigated the structure of a natural population of V. berlandieri and the association of genetic diversity with environmental variables. In this study, we collected seeds from 78 wild V. berlandieri plants in Texas after open fertilization. We genotyped 286 individuals to describe the structure of the population, and environmental information collected at the sampling site made it possible to perform genome–environment association analysis (GEA). De novo long‐read whole‐genome sequencing was performed on V. berlandieri and a STRUCTURE analysis was performed. We identified and filtered 104,378 SNPs. We found that there were two subpopulations associated with differences in elevation, temperature, and rainfall between sampling sites. GEA identified three QTL for elevation and 15 QTL for PCA coordinates based on environmental parameter variability. This original study is the first GEA study to be performed on a population of grapevines sampled in natural conditions. Our results shed new light on rootstock genetics and could open up possibilities for introducing greater diversity into genetic improvement programs for grapevine rootstocks.
Interleukin‐1 family cytokines at the crossroads of microbiome regulation in barrier health and disease
Authors: Narros‐Fernández Paloma , Chomanahalli Basavarajappa Shrikanth , Walsh Patrick T.
Published: June 2023

Recent advances in understanding how the microbiome can influence both the physiology and the pathogenesis of disease in humans have highlighted the importance of gaining a deeper insight into the complexities of the host‐microbial dialogue. In tandem with this progress, has been a greater understanding of the biological pathways which regulate both homeostasis and inflammation at barrier tissue sites, such as the skin and the gut. In this regard, the Interleukin‐1 family of cytokines, which can be segregated into IL‐1, IL‐18 and IL‐36 subfamilies, have emerged as important custodians of barrier health and immunity. With established roles as orchestrators of various inflammatory diseases in both the skin and intestine, it is now becoming clear that IL‐1 family cytokine activity is not only directly influenced by external microbes, but can also play important roles in shaping the composition of the microbiome at barrier sites. This review explores the current knowledge surrounding the evidence that places these cytokines as key mediators at the interface between the microbiome and human health and disease at the skin and intestinal barrier tissues.
Human land use is comparable to climate as a driver of global plant occurrence and abundance across life forms
Authors: McKeon Caroline M. , Kelly Ruth , Börger Luca , De Palma Adriana , Buckley Yvonne M.
Published: June 2023

Aim

Historically, climate has been a dominant driver of global vegetation patterns. Recently, ecological understanding has been updated to acknowledge the influence of human land use (the dominant driver of biodiversity change) in shaping global vegetation patterns. We test whether Raunkiær's life form, a plant classification system designed to reflect climatic drivers, affects how plants respond to both land use and climate.

Location

Forty‐one countries across six continents.

Time period

1990 to 2013.

Major taxa studied

Terrestrial plants.

Methods

Combining data from the biodiversity and land use database PREDICTS, and plant trait databases TRY and BIEN, we use generalized linear mixed models with weighted effects coding to test whether Raunkiær's life form affects plant response to land use and climate in over 4800 species at over 300 sites globally.

Results

We provide evidence that human land use is comparable to climate in influencing life form occurrence and that land use produces divergent outcomes across life forms.

Main conclusions

Combined with climatic suitability, land use acts as a filter contracting the realized niche of trees and expanding the realized niche of disturbance‐tolerant species. Our results highlight the fundamental role of human activity in shaping species' distribution.
All inside our heads? A critical discursive review of unconscious bias training in the sciences
Authors: Möller Christian , Passam Saffron , Riley Sarah , Robson Martine
Published: June 2023

In response to persistent systemic gendered and racial exclusions in the sciences, unconscious or implicit bias training is now widely established as an organizational intervention in Higher Education (HE). Recent systematic reviews have considered the efficacy of unconscious bias training (UBT) but not the wider characteristics and effects of the interventions themselves. Guided by feminist scholarship in critical psychology and post‐structuralist discourse theory, this article critically examines UBT across STEMM and in HE institutions with a discursive analysis of published studies. Drawn from systematic searches in 4 databases, we identify three types of UBT reported in 22 studies with considerable variation in intervention types, target groups, and evaluation methods. Guided by limited cognitive problematizations of unconscious bias as a problem located inside individual minds, interventions follow established patterns in neoliberal governmentality and make available specific feeling rules and subject positions. These current Equality, Diversity & Inclusion practices present a new technology of power through which organizations may regulate affect and behavior but leave structural inequalities and barriers to inclusion intact.