bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of acupuncture for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndromes on quality of life: study protocol for a randomized, sham acupuncture-controlled trial
Authors: Ding Yu-Long , Wang Huai-Yu , Ji Yuan , Zhang Shuo , Yuan Peng-Fei , Zhao Hong-Chao , Guo Yan , Xie Xiao-Di
Published: December 2022

Background

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndromes (CP/CPPS) is a common heterogeneous disease that seriously impacts patients’ quality of life (QoL). Acupuncture therapy has been widely used in China for various urinary diseases and symptoms, including chronic prostatitis. The results of several randomized controlled studies from different countries support that acupuncture can relieve the symptoms of CP/CPPS. Still, most randomized controlled trial (RCT) trials focus on symptom relief in patients, and the evidence on improving the QoL is insufficient. This study aims to assess the near-term and long-term efficacy of acupuncture in improving QoL in patients with CP/CPPS.

Methods/Design

This is a double-arm, parallel, participant-blinded RCT. 70 male CP/CPPS subjects aged 18-50 will be randomly allocated to either the acupuncture group or the sham acupuncture group. Participants will receive acupuncture or sham acupuncture treatment thrice a week over eight weeks for 24 sessions. The primary outcome will be the change in the total score of QoL compared with the baseline after eight weeks of treatment and 24 weeks of follow-up. The expectancy of acupuncture, blinding, and safety will also be assessed. A two-sided test will perform all statistical analyses, and ap-value of less than 0.05 will be considered statically significant.

Discussion

This study aims to provide quantitative clinical evidence of acupuncture effectiveness and safety in improving the QoL in patients with CP/CPPS.

Clinical Trial Registration

This trial is registered atchictr.org.cn(Identifier: ChiCTR2100051115)
Literature analysis of the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations
Authors: Hulsen Tim
Published: December 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic is the largest epidemic of the 21stcentury so far. Over 650 million people have already been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One of the ways to stop this pandemic, is to vaccinate the population and gain herd immunity. Many different vaccines are being used around the world, with differing efficacy. This review summarizes the 79 publications on the efficacy of the currently existing COVID-19 vaccines. It shows that there are eleven vaccines that have efficacy data published in a PubMed-indexed scientific journal. Most research has been done on the Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162B2 vaccine, and the eleven vaccines generally have a high efficacy in preventing illness. The Pfizer (86%-100%), Moderna (93.2%-94.1%), Sputnik-V (91.6%) and Novavax (∼90%) vaccines show the highest efficacy, followed by the Sinovac (83.5%), QazCovid-in 82%) and Covaxin (77.8%) vaccines. The Oxford/AstraZeneca (69% - 81.5%) and Johnson & Johnson (66%) vaccines have lower efficacy in preventing illness. This overview also shows efficacies other than in preventing illness (e.g. asymptomatic, severe illness, hospitalization, death) in some cases. The results also show that the vaccines have specific effects on specific age groups (e.g. adolescents, adults, elderly) and people with diseases (e.g. leukemia, other cancers, HIV). Future research in this area will mostly focus on vaccine efficacy on specific strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (such as the Omicron variant) as well as the efficacy of booster vaccinations.
Omnibus proteome-wide association study (PWAS-O) identified 43 risk genes for Alzheimer’s disease dementia
Authors: Hu Tingyang , Parrish Randy L. , Dai Qile , Buchman Aron S. , Tasaki Shinya , Bennett David A. , Seyfried Nicholas T. , Epstein Michael P. , Yang Jingjing
Published: December 2022

Proteome-wide association study (PWAS) integrating proteomics data with GWAS data is a powerful tool to identify risk genes for complex diseases, which can inform disease mechanisms with genetic effects mediated through protein abundance. We propose a novel omnibus method to improve PWAS power by modeling unknown genetic architectures with multiple statistical models. We applied TIGAR, PrediXcan, and FUSION to train protein abundance imputation models for 8,430 proteins from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with whole genome sequencing data (n=355). Next, the trained models were integrated with GWAS summary data of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia (n=762,917) to conduct PWAS. Last, we employed the Aggregated Cauchy Association Test to obtain omnibus PWAS (PWAS-O) p-values from these three models. PWAS-O identified 43 risk genes of AD dementia including 5 novel risk genes that were interconnected through a protein-protein interaction network includingTOMM40,APOC1, andAPOC2. PWAS-O can be easily applied to study complex diseases.
Clinical Virology and Effect of Vaccination and Monoclonal Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Sub Variant BF.7 (BA.5.2.1.7): A systematic review
Authors: Chenchula Santenna , Amerneni Krishna Chaitanya , Ghanta Mohan Krishna , Padmavathi R , Chandra Madhu Bhargavi , Adusumilli Madhu Babu , Mudda Sofia , Chavan Madhavrao , Gupta Rupesh , Lakhawat Bhawna
Published: December 2022

Since its identification, the novel coronavirus “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 “(SARS-CoV-2) In in late 2019 AT Wuhan, China, by the World Health Organization (WHO), which cause the coronavirus disease 2019, is rapidly spreading, resulting in the global pandemic. As of 19 December 2022, more than 64 million confirmed cases and 6,645,812 deaths have been reported across the world. Over time, the SARS-CoV-2 acquired genetic mutations resulting in multiple types of SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants that have been confirmed. The Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant was identified later in November 2021, with enhanced immune escape and was followed with various sublineages due to mutations in the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2. However, rapid resurge in COVID-19 reports by Omicron subvariant BF.7(BA.2.75.2) in China and other countries, alarming global threat. The present systematic review was conducted using the MeSH terms and keywords “Omicron” AND “BA.5.2.1.7” OR “BF.7” in Pub Med, Google Scholar and MedRXiv database and grey literature from the authentic database and websites. We identified a total of 14 eligible studies. We have reviewed all the eligible available studies to understand the viral mutations, and factors associated with the increase in the reports of COVID-19 cases in China and across the world and to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccination and monoclonal antibodies against the BF.7 variant.
Revisiting chromatin packaging in mouse sperm
Authors: Yin Qiangzong , Yang Chih-Hsiang , Strelkova Olga S. , Wu Jingyi , Sun Yu , Gopalan Sneha , Yang Liyan , Dekker Job , Fazzio Thomas G. , Li Xin Zhiguo , Gibcus Johan , Rando Oliver J.
Published: December 2022

Mammalian sperm exhibit an unusual and heavily-compacted genomic packaging state. In addition to its role in organizing the compact and hydrodynamic sperm head, it has been proposed that sperm chromatin architecture helps to program gene expression in the early embryo. Scores of genome-wide surveys in sperm have reported patterns of chromatin accessibility, histone localization, histone modification, and chromosome folding. Here, we revisit these studies in light of recent reports that sperm obtained from the mouse epididymis are contaminated with low levels of cell-free chromatin. In the absence of proper sperm lysis we readily recapitulate multiple prominent genome-wide surveys of sperm chromatin, suggesting that these profiles primarily reflect contaminating cell-free chromatin. Removal of cell-free DNA, along with appropriate lysis conditions, are required to reveal a sperm chromatin state distinct from most previous reports. Using ATAC-Seq to explore relatively accessible genomic loci, we identify a landscape of open loci associated with early development and transcriptional control. Histone modification and chromosome folding studies also strongly support the hypothesis that prior studies suffer from contamination, but technical challenges associated with reliably preserving the architecture of the compacted sperm head prevent us from confidently assaying true localization patterns for these epigenetic marks. Together, our studies strongly argue that our knowledge of mammalian chromosome packaging remains largely incomplete, and motivate future efforts to more accurately characterize genome organization in mature sperm.
RecQ1 helicase unwinds G-Quadruplexes at oriLyt to facilitate KSHV Lytic DNA Replication
Authors: Dabral Prerna , Uppal Timsy , Verma Subhash C.
Published: December 2022

KSHV utilizes distinct origins of DNA replication (origin of replications) during the latent and lytic phases of its life cycle. Lytic DNA replication requires the participation of cellular and viral proteins to initiate replication at a specific region in the KSHV genome, oriLyt. These regions contain multiple secondary structures and binding sites for the viral and cellular proteins. We discovered the presence of G-quadruplex (G4s) sites in the oriLyt region. G-quadruplexes are secondary structures in nucleic acid sequences that are considered regulators of multiple biological processes, such as transcription, translation, and replication initiation. Importantly, herpesviruses have a high density of PQS (putative quadruplex formation sites) in their genome, including in the regulatory regions, which control replication and transcription. The binding of RecQ1 to the oriLyt region of KSHV and its ability to unwind the G4 structures led us to speculate that G-quadruplex sites play an important role in lytic DNA replication. In this study, we confirmed the formation of stable G-quadruplexes through biochemical and biophysical assays. We further demonstrated that RecQ1 associates with the G4 sites of the oriLyt. The functional significance of RecQ1-mediated unwinding of G4 sites was confirmed by the inhibition and depletion of RecQ1 activity and protein levels through a pharmacologic inhibitor and short-hairpin, respectively. Furthermore, the detection of replication initiation through single-molecule analysis of the replicated DNA (SMARD) approach demonstrated that G4 stabilization leads to a subdued initiation of replication at the oriLyt. This confirmed the role of the G-quadruplex in regulating viral DNA replication, which can be used for controlling virus growth.

Significance

Biological processes originating from the DNA and RNA can be regulated by the secondary structures present in the stretch of nucleic acids, and the G-quadruplexes are shown to regulate transcription, translation, and replication. In this study, we identified the presence of multiple G-quadruplex sites in the region (oriLyt) of KSHV DNA, which is essential for the replication of DNA during the lytic cycle. We demonstrated the roles of these G-quadruplexes through multiple biochemical and biophysical assays in controlling replication and efficient virus production. We demonstrated that KSHV achieves this by recruiting RecQ1 (helicase) at these G-quadruplex sites for efficient viral DNA replication. Analysis of the replicated DNA through nucleoside labeling and immunostaining showed a reduced initiation of DNA replication in cells with a pharmacologic stabilizer of G-quadruplexes. Overall, this study confirmed the role of the G-quadruplex in regulating viral DNA replication, which can be exploited for controlling viral DNA replication.
Neurotensin receptor allosterism revealed in complex with a biased allosteric modulator
Authors: Krumm Brian E. , DiBerto Jeffrey F. , Olsen Reid H. J. , Kang Hye Jin , Slocum Samuel T. , Zhang Shicheng , Strachan Ryan T. , Slosky Lauren M. , Pinkerton Anthony B. , Barak Lawrence S. , Caron Marc G. , Kenakin Terry , Fay Jonathan F. , Roth Bryan L.
Published: December 2022

The NTSR1 neurotensin receptor (NTSR1) is a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) found in the brain and peripheral tissues with neurotensin (NTS) being its endogenous peptide ligand. In the brain, NTS modulates dopamine neuronal activity, induces opioid-independent analgesia, and regulates food intake. Recent studies indicate that biasing NTSR1 toward β-Arrestin signaling can attenuate the actions of psychostimulants and other drugs of abuse. Here we provide the cryoEM structures of NTSR1 ternary complexes with heterotrimeric Gq and Go with and without the brain penetrant small molecule SBI-553. In functional studies, we discovered that SBI-553 displays complex allosteric actions exemplified by negative allosteric modulation for G proteins that are Gαsubunit selective and positive allosteric modulation and agonism for β-Arrestin translocation at NTSR1. Detailed structural analysis of the allosteric binding site illuminated the structural determinants for biased allosteric modulation of SBI-553 on NTSR1. These insights promise to both accelerate the structure-guided design of more effective NTSR1 therapeutics and provide insights into the complexities of GPCR allosteric modulation.
pomBseen: An Automated Pipeline for Analysis of Fission Yeast Images
Authors: Ohira Makoto , Rhind Nicholas
Published: December 2022

pomBseen is a image analysis pipeline for the quantitation of fission yeast micrographs containing a brightfield channel and up to two fluorescent channels. It accepts a wide range of image formats and produces a table with the number, size and total and nuclear fluorescent intensities of the cells in the image. Written in MATLAB, pomBseen is also available as a standalone application.
PAXIP1 and STAG2 converge to maintain 3D genome architecture and facilitate promoter/enhancer contacts to enable stress hormone-dependent transcription
Authors: Mayayo-Peralta Isabel , Gregoricchio Sebastian , Schuurman Karianne , Yavuz Selçuk , Zaalberg Anniek , Kojic Aleksander , Abbott Nina , Geverts Bart , Beerthuijzen Suzanne , Siefert Joseph , Severson Tesa M. , van Baalen Martijn , Hoekman Liesbeth , Lieftink Cor , Altelaar Maarten , Beijersbergen Roderick L. , Houtsmuller Adriaan B. , Prekovic Stefan , Zwart Wilbert
Published: December 2022

How steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) orchestrate transcriptional activity remains only partly understood. Upon activation, SHRs bind the genome and recruit their co-regulators, crucial to induce gene expression. However, it remains unknown which components of the SHR-recruited co-regulator complex are essential to drive transcription following hormonal stimuli. Through a FACS-based genome-wide CRISPR screen, we comprehensively dissected the Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) co-regulatory complex involved in gene-target regulation. We describe a novel functional cross-talk between PAXIP1 and the cohesin subunit STAG2 that is critical for regulation of gene expression by GR. Without altering the GR cistrome, PAXIP1 and STAG2 depletion alter the GR transcriptome, by impairing the recruitment of 3D-genome organization proteins to the GR complex. Importantly, we demonstrate that PAXIP1 is required for stability of cohesin on the genome, its localization to GR-occupied sites, and maintenance of enhancer-promoter interactions. Moreover, in lung cancer, where GR acts as tumor suppressor, PAXIP1/STAG2 loss enhances GR-mediated tumor suppressor activity by modifying local chromatin interactions. All together, we introduce PAXIP1 and STAG2 as novel co-regulators of GR, required to maintain 3D-genome architecture and drive the GR transcriptional programme following hormonal stimuli.
Cross-link scrambling in peptide pairs
Authors: de Jong Luitzen , Roseboom Winfried , Kramer Gertjan
Published: December 2022

Identification of peptides and their linked amino acids from chemically cross-linked protein complexes with bifunctional N-hydroxysuccinimidyl (NHS) esters can reveal interacting proteins and their spatial arrangements. With NHS esters both amide- and ester cross-links can be formed. Retention time prediction for strong cation exchange chromatography (SCXC) of cross-linked peptides at pH 3 can distinguish between ester and amide cross-links based on their charge differences. By this approach we show that about 98 % of cross-links are formed by two amide bonds. However MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of an ester linkage in more than 5% of peptide pairs predicted by SCXC to be linked by amide bonds. This discrepancy can be explained by intra-peptide amide-ester rearrangement in the gas phase during MS/MS analysis. So, SCXC retention time prediction can be used to distinguish amide-amide, amide-ester and ester-ester linkages actually formed in the cross-linking reaction and to detect scrambling of cross-linked sites. This information is important for studies aimed to understand the spatial arrangement of protein complexes by cross-linking at the highest possible resolution.
ONC201/TIC10 enhances durability of mTOR inhibitor everolimus in metastatic ER+ breast cancer
Authors: Farmaki Elena , Nath Aritro , Emond Rena , Karimi Kimya L , Grolmusz Vince K , Cosgrove Patrick A , Bild Andrea H
Published: December 2022

The mTOR inhibitor, everolimus, is an important clinical management component of metastatic ER+ breast cancer. However, most patients develop resistance and progress on therapy, highlighting the need to discover strategies that increase mTOR inhibitor effectiveness. We developed ER+ breast cancer cell lines, sensitive or resistant to everolimus, and discovered that combination treatment of ONC201/TIC10 with everolimus inhibited cell growth in 2D/3Din vitrostudies. We confirmed increased therapeutic response in primary patient cells progressing on everolimus, supporting clinical relevance. We show ONC201/TIC10, in metastatic ER+ breast cancer cells, mechanistically involves oxidative phosphorylation inhibition and stress response activation. Transcriptomic analysis in everolimus resistant breast patient tumors and mitochondrial functional assays in resistant cell lines demonstrated increased mitochondrial respiration dependency, contributing to ONC201/TIC10 sensitivity. We propose that ONC201/TIC10 and modulation of mitochondrial function may provide an effective add-on therapy strategy for patients with metastatic ER+ breast cancers resistant to mTOR inhibitors.
Spatial and functional arrangement of Ebola virus polymerase inside phase-separated viral factories
Authors: Fang Jingru , Castillon Guillaume , Phan Sebastien , McArdle Sara , Hariharan Chitra , Adams Aiyana , Ellisman Mark H. , Deniz Ashok A. , Saphire Erica Ollmann
Published: December 2022

Ebola virus (EBOV) infection induces the formation of membrane-less, cytoplasmic compartments termed viral factories, in which multiple viral proteins gather and coordinate viral transcription, replication and assembly. Key to viral factory function is the recruitment of EBOV polymerase, a multifunctional machine that mediates transcription and replication of the viral RNA genome. We show that intracellularly reconstituted EBOV viral factories are biomolecular condensates, with composition-dependent internal exchange dynamics that likely facilitates viral replication. Within the viral factory, we found the EBOV polymerase clusters into foci. The distance between these foci increases when viral replication is enabled. In addition to the typical droplet-like viral factories, we report the formation of network-like viral factories during EBOV infection. Unlike droplet-like viral factories, network-like factories are inactive for EBOV nucleocapsid assembly. This unique view of EBOV propagation suggests a form-to-function relationship that describes how physical properties and internal structures of biomolecular condensates influence viral biogenesis.
Development and evaluation of a formulation of probiontPhaeobacter inhibensS4 for the management of vibriosis in bivalve hatcheries
Authors: Takyi Evelyn , LaPorte Jason , Sohn Saebom , Stevick Rebecca J. , Witkop Erin M. , Gregg Lauren , Chesler-Poole Amanda , Small Jessica , White Meredith M. , Giray Cem , Rowley David C. , Nelson David R. , Gomez-Chiarri Marta
Published: December 2022

Larval eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) grown in shellfish hatcheries are susceptible to bacterial diseases, particularly vibriosis. Probiotics are microbes that confer health benefits to the host and have been identified as promising tools to manage diseases in aquaculture. The marine bacteriumPhaeobacter inhibensS4 (S4) protects larval eastern oysters against challenge with the bacterial pathogenVibrio coralliilyticusRE22 (RE22). A concentrated liquid formulation of probiont S4 that maintained high cell viability after long-term storage was developed for commercial use in shellfish hatcheries. The safety and efficacy of the formulation was tested in six different trials in two hatcheries. The S4 formulation was added toC. virginicalarvae culture tanks daily at 104colony forming units (CFU)/mL from day 1 post fertilization until day 6, 12, or 14, depending on the trial. Treatment of larvae in the hatchery with the S4 formulation did not significantly affect the survival and growth of the larvae. Formulated probiont S4 treatment in the hatchery led to a significant increase in Relative Percent Survival (RPS) when larvae were subsequently challenged with the pathogen RE22 (105CFU/mL) for 24 hours in a laboratory challenge, as compared to probiotic-untreated RE22-challenged larvae (Relative Percent Survival increase of 46 - 74%,p< 0.05). These results suggest that this novel S4 formulation is a safe, easy to use, and effective tool in preventing larval losses due to vibriosis in hatcheries.
Dynamic regulation of gonadal transposon control across the lifespan of the naturally short-lived African turquoise killifish
Authors: Teefy Bryan B. , Adler Ari , Xu Alan , Hsu Katelyn , Singh Param Priya , Benayoun Bérénice A.
Published: December 2022

Although germline cells are considered to be functionally “immortal,” both the germline and supporting somatic cells in the gonad within an organism experience aging. With increased age at parenthood, the age-related decline in reproductive success has become an important biological issue for an aging population. However, molecular mechanisms underlying reproductive aging across sexes in vertebrates remain poorly understood. To decipher molecular drivers of vertebrate gonadal aging across sexes, we perform longitudinal characterization of the gonadal transcriptome throughout the lifespan in the naturally short-lived African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri). By combining mRNA-seq and small RNA-seq from 26 individuals, we characterize the aging gonads of young-adult, middle-aged, and old female and male fish. We analyze changes in transcriptional patterns of genes, transposable elements (TEs), and piRNAs. We find that testes seem to undergo only marginal changes during aging. In contrast, in middle-aged ovaries, the time point associated with peak female fertility in this strain, PIWI pathway components are transiently down-regulated, TE transcription is elevated, and piRNA levels generally decrease, suggesting that egg quality may already be declining at middle-age. Furthermore, we show that piRNA ping-pong biogenesis declines steadily with age in ovaries, whereas it is maintained in aging testes. To our knowledge, this data set represents the most comprehensive transcriptomic data set for vertebrate gonadal aging. This resource also highlights important pathways that are regulated during reproductive aging in either ovaries or testes, which could ultimately be leveraged to help restore aspects of youthful reproductive function.
Scientific collaboration and thematic analysis of the tourism industry in the context of COVID-19: a bibliometric approach
Authors: Yang Luqi , Li Xiaoni , Hernández-Lara Ana-Beatriz
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The main purpose of this research paper is to generate a holistic bibliometric study of the tourism industry and COVID-19 fields, to further investigate the current interests and trends emerging from scientific collaboration and thematic analysis and to identify research gaps that indicate future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducts several analyses, which include the co-authorship and social network analysis, co-citation and keyword co-occurrence knowledge structures. The authors generate a knowledge map of the leading articles and link them with previous literature to elucidate the debates and consensus in research on COVID-19 and tourism.

Findings

Research interests concentrate in the USA, China, Europe and the Oceania areas, so more cross-continental collaborations are expected among them and with other regions. Popular topics are tourism sustainable transformation, crisis management and multidisciplinary fields like tourism, hospitality, information technology and environmental sciences. This paper also identifies underexplored topics for future investigation on the social, environmental, cultural and governance dimensions of sustainable tourism.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes to guiding tourism researchers in identifying and finding publication references and future collaborations. Moreover, the investigation of knowledge structures could be beneficial for scholars hoping to broaden the current understanding of this field and discover potential for future tourism research, especially in the global pandemic and other severe health crises.

Originality/value

This study enriches the existing literature in the fields of tourism and the pandemic and highlights current interests and research trends exploring scientific collaboration, thematic analysis and knowledge mapping.
Firm-specific political risk: a systematic investigation of its antecedents and implications for vertical integration and diversification strategies
Authors: Fan Di , Xiao Chengyong
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Uncertainties caused by political risks can drastically affect global supply chains. However, the supply chain management literature has thus far developed rather limited knowledge on firms' perception of and reactions to increased political risks. This study has two main purposes: to explore the relationship between extant risk exposure and perceived firm-specific political risk and to understand the impact of firm-specific political risk on firms' vertical integration and diversification strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed a unique dataset for testing our hypotheses. Specifically, the authors sampled manufacturers (SIC20-39) listed in the United States from 2002 to 2019. The authors collected financial and diversification data from Compustat, vertical integration data from the Frésard-Hoberg-Phillips Vertical Relatedness Data Library and political risk data from the Economic Policy Uncertainty database. This data collection process yielded 1,287 firms (8,329 observations) with available data for analysis.

Findings

A two-way fixed-effect regression analysis of panel data revealed that firms tend to be more sensitive to political risk when faced with income stream uncertainty or strategic risk. By contrast, exposure to stock returns uncertainty does not significantly influence firms' sensitivity toward political risk. Moreover, firm-specific political risk is positively associated with vertical integration and product diversification. However, firm-specific political risk does not result in higher levels of geographical diversification.

Originality/value

This study joins the literature that systematically explores the antecedents and implications of firm-specific political risk, thus broadening the scope of supply chain risk management.
Assessing retailer readiness to use blockchain technology to improve supply chain performance
Authors: Behl Abhishek , Jayawardena Nirma Sadamali , Pereira Vijay , Sampat Brinda
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the readiness of retail workers to use blockchain technology (BCT) to improve supply chain performance. The assessment was made via a quantitative approach taken using a theoretical framework based on Keller’s motivation model and self-determination theory in the BCT context.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected data from 567 retail workers from an emerging country through a structured survey questionnaire. The authors tested the hypotheses of the proposed model using Warp PLS 7.0 and controlled firm age, industry type and technological intensity.

Findings

Our findings may help firms in making the process of digital transformation inclusive. The authors found that supplier-based attention and motivation through BCT lead to supply chain performance, and that supplier-based satisfaction and trust achieved through BCT positively impact supply chain performance. Further, supplier-based relevance on raw material selection with the higher trust and motivation levels achieved through BCT was found to have a positive impact on supply chain performance.

Research limitations/implications

IT supply chain applications are referred to as “lean” rather than “rich” because they still rely mainly on written and numerical means to present data. When the environment is less ambiguous, then less rich media can be used to facilitate communication. IT supply chain applications allow suppliers to spend time building relationships with other suppliers instead of focusing on administrative tasks, thus enhancing such relationships.

Originality/value

This study can be considered the first to assess retailer readiness to use BCT to improve supply chain performance through the theoretical lens of Keller’s motivation model and self-determination theory.
Teachers' pedagogical implementation of the National Large-Scale Assessment (NLSA): improving and advancing teaching-learning processes
Authors: Arviv Elyashiv Rinat , Avidov-Ungar Orit
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Large-scale assessment has been used in many education systems as an instrument to evaluate educational performance nationally. This practice is based on the concept of epistemic governance which encourages school accountability. This study aims to explore teachers' perspectives regarding the value and uses of national large-scale assessment (NLSA), highlighting its relevance across contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

Using qualitative data, this paper presents the case of the Israeli NLSA tests – the Meitzav, while examining the perceptions and actions in which teachers engage to follow-up on the test results, and the extent to which they implement pedagogical change in light of the test results.

Findings

The findings showed that teachers tend to use the NLSA test results as a pedagogical tool to improve learning processes to a limited extent. They concede that most activity involving the tests at the school and class levels is dedicated to preparation and not to pedagogical change. Some explanations are suggested.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the NLSA testing regime for the school, curriculum and pedagogy.
FDI, digitalization and employment: empirical evidence from developing economies
Authors: Sinha Madhabendra , Tirtosuharto Darius , Ray Chaudhury Anjan , Basu Partha
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The paper aims to empirically examine the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and digitalization on employment opportunities in selected 70 developing economies across the world over the period of 2001–2019. The same empirical investigations are also carried out on two groups of these developing countries created on the basis of the levels of FDI inflows and digitalization.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses various panel unit root tests followed by the estimations of the generalized method of moments in the dynamic panel framework, using secondary data collected from the World Bank (2020), International Labour Organization (2020) and International Telecommunication Union (2020).

Findings

Empirical findings reveal that both FDI inflows and digitalization have positive effects on employment; however, the extent of the impact of digitalization is greater than that of FDI inflows in developing economies, mostly in countries with relatively low FDI inflows and low digitalization.

Originality/value

Conventionally, FDI inflows accelerate economic growth and thus improve the labour market in host countries. However, FDI inflows into developing countries with low-skilled labours may limit job creation, particularly during the process of digitalization. This study shows that despite a much moderate impact of FDI inflows, digital transformation supports a higher employment in developing economies with low level of FDI inflows and digitalization.
The resentful undergrowth of nostalgia: Ontological insecurity, relative deprivation and powerlessness
Authors: Rogenhofer Julius Maximilian , Abts Koen , Klein Oliver , Bertin Paul
Published: December 2022

This article untangles competing conceptualisations of nostalgia and identifies a specific form of collective‐restorative nostalgia as politically significant. We argue that the link between resentment and this type of nostalgia emerges from their joint critique of the socio‐political realities of the present. Nostalgia provides spatial and temporal orientations for a group's experiences of resentment through highly selective recollections of the heartland and an idealised golden age. We hypothesize that nostalgia leverages the heartland and the golden age to formulate claims for recognition and restored status on behalf of those who feel left behind by late modernity. Next, the article uses structural equation modelling and the 2019 Belgian National Election Study to reveal how resentment (consisting of ontological insecurity, group relative deprivation, and powerlessness) mediates between structural characteristics and nostalgia. Our findings suggest that each component of resentment individually contributes to explaining the nostalgia of less educated and economically deprived individuals.
Infant feeding in an emergency: An oversight in United Kingdom emergency planning
Authors: Wise Patricia A.
Published: December 2022

Following the finding of the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative 2016 assessment that infant feeding is not mentioned in United Kingdom emergency planning guidance, in 2017 information was sought about Local Resilience Forum (LRF) planning. This research covered both guidance for parents on LRF websites and local planning. Considerable variation between areas and a dependence on the existing knowledge and experience of frontline staff was found. In 2020−2022 LRF websites in England and Wales were revisited and information requested about rest centre facilities, procurement of items needed by evacuated parents, provision of skilled support and staff training. Twenty‐nine of the 42 LRFs replied, partially or fully, directly or through their local authorities. The variation between areas found in 2017 was confirmed. Areas endeavour to provide for the needs of families but specific training in infant feeding was lacking, although several requested relevant resources or responded that the lack of training would now be reviewed. A short leaflet was produced and circulated to LRFs that had responded to aid training. Using established international guidance to include infant feeding in United Kingdom emergency planning guidance, implemented by national coordinators, would improve consistency between LRFs and better protect infant, child and maternal health and well‐being.
Market potential and value‐added opportunities of cold‐hardy berries and small fruits in the Intermountain West, USA
Authors: Garg Sumedha , Leisso Rachel , Kim Sun‐Hwa , Mayhew Emily , Song Mei , Jarrett Bridgid , Kuo Wan‐Yuan
Published: December 2022

Novel cold‐hardy berries and small fruits represent an opportunity for growers in the Intermountain West, USA, as the harsh environment is not suited for other common berries and small fruits. This study analyzed the fresh market and value‐added potential of haskap berries (Lonicera caerulea), saskatoon berries (Amelenchier alnifolia), and dwarf sour cherry (DSC) fruit (Prunus x kerrasis) by instrumental and consumer studies. Fresh and 2‐week stored haskap (cv. Aurora), saskatoon (Lee 3), and DSC (Romeo) were measured for fruit weight, flesh firmness, bulk titratable acidity, pH, and soluble solid content. Participants (n = 115) in at‐home sensory tests scored these fruits for overall liking (OL, 9‐point hedonic scale), purchase intent (PI, 5‐point scale), and willingness‐to‐pay (WTP, 5‐point scale). Ten participants further shared insight on these fruits in focus groups. Instrumental testing found a significant decrease in flesh firmness for 2‐week stored haskap, but the consumers’ OL was still comparable to fresh haskap. The fresh and 2‐week stored haskap received significantly higher OL, PI, and WTP scores (7.7 ± 1.0, 3.8 ± 1.0, and $3.7 ± 1.0; 7.7 ± 1.2, 3.8 ± 1.1, and $3.7 ± 1.0, respectively) compared to saskatoon (6.1 ± 1.8, 2.8 ± 1.1, and $3.0 ± 0.9, respectively) and DSC (5.6 ± 2.2, 2.5 ± 1.2, and $3.1 ± 1.0, respectively) (α = 0.05). The focus groups indicated that participants want to support local produce. The participants expressed interest in fresh unprocessed haskap berries, but preferred saskatoon and DSC in different value‐added formats. Hence, this study concluded that there is an untapped fresh‐market potential for haskap berries and there are value‐added opportunities to extend the sale season and improve the palatability of saskatoon and DSC.

Practical Application

This research has examined consumer perception of three species of novel small fruits by determining fresh‐market potential and linking this to the opportunity for value‐added product development. For haskap berries, the study not only indicated fresh market potential, but for the cultivar Aurora, consumer liking was not meaningfully altered by 2 weeks of cold storage. These results are meaningful because they will assist growers in the Intermountain West with market planning, including the possibility of formulating products that utilize these novel crops. This study provides growers the opportunity to diversify their income stream by utilizing local produce.
Biocatalyst collection and heterologous expression of sesquiterpene synthases from basidiomycetous fungi: Discovery of a novel sesquiterpene hydrocarbon
Authors: Masunaga Natsuki , Kitaoka Takuya , Ichinose Hirofumi
Published: December 2022

Basidiomycetes produce a wide variety of sesquiterpenoids, which attract significant interest in pharmaceutical and industrial applications. Structural diversification of sesquiterpenoids is performed by sesquiterpene synthases (STSs), which produce a wide array of backbone structures; therefore, functional characterization and increased biocatalyst collection of STSs are important for expanding scientific knowledge and meeting the needs of advanced biotechnology. Gene identification and functional annotation of STSs from the basidiomycetous fungi Agaricus bisporus, Auriscalpium vulgare, Lepista nuda, Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes versicolor were conducted. Through these investigations, the catalytic functions of 30 STSs were revealed using recombinant enzymes heterologously expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, the unique function of an STS from P. ostreatus, PoSTS‐06, was revealed to be the production of a novel sesquiterpene hydrocarbon that we named pleostene. The absolute structure of pleostene was determined by NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography using the crystalline sponge method.
High diagnostic yield of targeted next‐generation sequencing panel as a first‐tier molecular test for the patients with myopathy or muscular dystrophy
Authors: Çavdarlı Büşranur , Köken Özlem Yayici , Satılmış Saide Betül Arslan , Bilen Şule , Ardıçlı Didem , Ceylan Ahmet Cevdet , Gündüz Cavidan Nur Semerci , Topaloğlu Haluk
Published: December 2022

Muscular dystrophies are a heterogeneous group of neuromuscular disorders with a wide range of the clinical and genetic spectrum. Whole‐exome sequencing (WES) has been on the rise to become the usual method of choice for molecular diagnosis in patients presenting with muscular dystrophy or congenital or metabolic myopathy phenotype. Here, we used a panel with 47 genes including not only muscular dystrophy but also myopathy‐associated genes that had been used as a first‐tier approach. A total of 146 patients who were referred to our clinic with the prediagnosis of muscular dystrophy and/or myopathy were included in the study. Dystrophin gene deletion/duplication was ruled out on the patients with a preliminary diagnosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In this study, the molecular etiology of 67 patients was proved with the gene panel with a diagnostic yield of 46%. Causal variants were identified in 23 genes including CAPN3(11), DYSF(9), DMD(8), SGCA(5), TTN(4), LAMA2(3), LMNA(3), SGCB(3), COL6A1(3), DES (2), CAV3(2), FKRP(2), FKTN(2), ANO5, COL6A2, CLCN1, GNE, POMGNT1, POMGNT2, POMT2, SYNE1, TCAP, and FLNC with 16 novel variants. There were 27 patients with uncertain molecular results including the ones who had a variant of uncertain significance, who had only one heterozygous variant for an autosomal recessive disease, and the ones who had two variants in different genes. Molecular diagnosis in muscular dystrophy is essential to plan clinical management and choosing treatment options. Also, the results will affect the reproduction options. Targeted next‐generation sequencing is a cost‐effective method that reduces the WES requirements with a significant diagnostic rate.
The land use consequences of rural to urban migration*
Authors: Brewer Julia , Larsen Ashley , Noack Frederik
Published: December 2022

Rural to urban migration (RUM) is a key component of economic development, but its environmental consequences are not well understood. Here, we study the impacts of RUM on agriculture and land use using household panel data in combination with tree cover data from Uganda. Our results show that the labor loss and the inflow of remittances from RUM lead to a reduction in crop diversity but no shift toward less labor‐intensive crops or crops with a high up‐front investment. In addition to those results at the intensive margin, we find a reduction of cultivated area at the household level, which translates into reduced tree cover loss at the district level. These results suggest an important but nuanced role of RUM for land use change.
Factors associated with access to dental care among refugees: A systematic review of quantitative studies
Authors: Veginadu Prabhakar , Gussy Mark , Calache Hanny , Masood Mohd
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To identify, appraise and synthesize the published evidence from quantitative studies on the individual and contextual‐level factors determining access to dental care among refugees worldwide.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted until the last week of February 2022 in four electronic databases – MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science (all databases) and APA PsycINFO – without any restrictions. Quantitative studies published in English language and meeting the a priori eligibility criteria were reviewed and data extracted. Quality assessment was conducted using the National Institutes of Health tool. The identified factors were stratified according to the framework of the Behavioural Model of Health Services Use, and the evidence related to each of these factors was summarized in tables. Narrative synthesis of the findings was conducted.

Results

The search retrieved 6776 unique records, of which 69 were deemed eligible for full‐text screening and nine studies were included in the final data analysis and synthesis. The studies were rated to be of ‘fair’ quality at best. Self‐reported previous dental visits was the most commonly used measure of access. Associations between individual‐level factors and dental care access were most frequently examined (predisposing [n = 6], need [n = 2] and enabling [n = 1]), while the contextual‐level factors were rarely examined (predisposing and enabling [n = 1, each]).

Conclusions

Individual‐level predisposing factors, such as English language proficiency, education, health and dental literacy and acculturation and integration, were shown to be significantly associated with refugees' access. There is limited evidence to determine the effect of individual enabling and need and contextual factors.
Morphology, nuclearSNPsand mate selection reveal thatCOIbarcoding overestimates species diversity in a Mediterranean freshwater amphipod by an order of magnitude
Authors: Hupało Kamil , Copilaș‐Ciocianu Denis , Leese Florian , Weiss Martina
Published: December 2022

DNA sequence information has revealed many morphologically cryptic species worldwide. For animals, DNA‐based assessments of species diversity usually rely on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. However, a growing amount of evidence indicate that mitochondrial markers alone can lead to misleading species diversity estimates due to mito‐nuclear discordance. Therefore, reports of putative species based solely on mitochondrial DNA should be verified by other methods, especially in cases where COI sequences are identical for different morphospecies or where divergence within the same morphospecies is high. Freshwater amphipods are particularly interesting in this context because numerous putative cryptic species have been reported. Here, we investigated the species status of the numerous mitochondrial molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) found withinEchinogammarus sicilianus. We used an integrative approach combining DNA barcoding with mate selection observations, detailed morphometrics and genome‐wide double digest restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD‐seq). Within a relatively small sampling area, we detected twelve COI MOTUs (divergence = 1.8–20.3%), co‐occurring in syntopy at two‐thirds of the investigated sites. We found that pair formation was random and there was extensive nuclear gene flow among the ten MOTUs co‐occurring within the same river stretch. The four most common MOTUs were also indistinguishable with respect to functional morphology. Therefore, the evidence best fits the hypothesis of a single, yet genetically diverse, species within the main river system. The only two MOTUs sampled outside the focal area were genetically distinct at the nuclear level and may represent distinct species. Our study reveals that COI‐based species delimitation can significantly overestimate species diversity, highlighting the importance of integrative taxonomy for species validation, especially in hyperdiverse complexes with syntopically occurring mitochondrial MOTUs.