bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep Divergences Among Inconspicuously Colored Clades ofEpipedobatesPoison Frogs
Authors: López-Hervas Karem , Santos Juan C. , Ron Santiago R. , Betancourth-Cundar Mileidy , Cannatella David C. , Tarvin Rebecca D.
Published: July 2023

Poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are famous for their aposematic species, having a combination of diverse color patterns and defensive skin toxins, yet most species in this family are inconspicuously colored and considered non-aposematic.Epipedobatesis among the youngest genus-level clades of Dendrobatidae that includes both aposematic and inconspicuous species. Using Sanger-sequenced mitochondrial and nuclear markers, we demonstrate deep genetic divergences among inconspicuous species ofEpipedobatesbut relatively shallow genetic divergences among conspicuous species. Our phylogenetic analysis includes broad geographic sampling of the inconspicuous lineages typically identified asE. boulengeriandE. espinosai, which reveals two putative new species, one in west-central Colombia (E.sp. 1) and the other in north-central Ecuador (E.aff.espinosai). We conclude thatE. darwinwallaceiis a junior subjective synonym ofE. espinosai. We also clarify the geographic distributions of inconspicuousEpipedobatesspecies including the widespreadE. boulengeri.We provide a qualitative assessment of the phenotypic diversity in each nominal species, with a focus on the color and pattern of inconspicuous species. We conclude thatEpipedobatescontains eight known valid species, six of which are inconspicuous. A relaxed molecular clock analysis suggests that the most recent common ancestor ofEpipedobatesis ∼11.1 million years old, which nearly doubles previous estimates. Last, genetic information points to a center of species diversity in the Chocó at the southwestern border of Colombia with Ecuador. A Spanish translation this text is available in the supplementary materials on the publisher’s website (biorxiv does not allow posting in non-English languages).
Solution structure, dynamics and tetrahedral assembly of Anti-TRAP, a homo-trimeric triskelion-shaped regulator of tryptophan biosynthesis inBacillus subtilis
Authors: McElroy Craig , Ihms Elihu , Yadav Deepak Kumar , Holmquist Melody , Wadwha Vibhuti , Wysocki Vicki , Gollnick Paul , Foster Mark
Published: July 2023

Cellular production of tryptophan is metabolically expensive and tightly regulated. The smallBacillus subtiliszinc binding Anti-TRAP protein (AT), which is the product of theyczA/rtpAgene, is upregulated in response to accumulating levels of uncharged tRNATrpthrough a T-box antitermination mechanism. AT binds to the undecameric ring-shaped protein TRAP (trpRNA Binding Attenuation Protein), thereby preventing it from binding to thetrpleader RNA. This reverses the inhibitory effect of TRAP on transcription and translation of thetrpoperon. AT principally adopts two symmetric oligomeric states, a trimer (AT3) featuring a three-helix bundle, or a dodecamer (AT12) comprising a tetrahedral assembly of trimers, whereas only the trimeric form has been shown to bind and inhibit TRAP. We demonstrate the utility of native mass spectrometry (nMS) and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), together with analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) for monitoring the pH and concentration-dependent equilibrium between the trimeric and dodecameric structural forms of AT. In addition, we report the use of solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the solution structure of AT3, while heteronuclear15N relaxation measurements on both oligomeric forms of AT provide insights into the dynamic properties of binding-active AT3and binding-inactive AT12, with implications for TRAP inhibition.
Multi-omics characterization of partial chemical reprogramming reveals evidence of cell rejuvenation
Authors: Mitchell Wayne , Goeminne Ludger J.E. , Tyshkovskiy Alexander , Zhang Sirui , Chen Julie Y. , Paulo Joao A. , Pierce Kerry A. , Choy Angelina H. , Clish Clary B. , Gygi Steven P. , Gladyshev Vadim N.
Published: July 2023

Partial reprogramming by cyclic short-term expression of Yamanaka factors holds promise for shifting cells to younger states and consequently delaying the onset of many diseases of aging. However, the delivery of transgenes and potential risk of teratoma formation present challenges forin vivoapplications. Recent advances include the use of cocktails of compounds to reprogram somatic cells, but the characteristics and mechanisms of partial cellular reprogramming by chemicals remain unclear. Here, we report a multi-omics characterization of partial chemical reprogramming in fibroblasts from young and aged mice. We measured the effects of partial chemical reprogramming on the epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, phosphoproteome, and metabolome. At the transcriptome, proteome, and phosphoproteome levels, we saw widescale changes induced by this treatment, with the most notable signature being an upregulation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, at the metabolome level, we observed a reduction in the accumulation of aging-related metabolites. Using both transcriptomic and epigenetic clock-based analyses, we show that partial chemical reprogramming reduces the biological age of mouse fibroblasts. We demonstrate that these changes have functional impacts, as evidenced by changes in cellular respiration and mitochondrial membrane potential. Taken together, these results illuminate the potential for chemical reprogramming reagents to rejuvenate aged biological systems and warrant further investigation into adapting these approaches forin vivoage reversal.
FruitFire: a luciferase based on a fruit fly metabolic enzyme
Authors: Adams Spencer T. , Zephyr Jacqueto , Bohn Markus F. , Schiffer Celia A. , Miller Stephen C.
Published: July 2023

Firefly luciferase is homologous to fatty acyl-CoA synthetases from insects that are not bioluminescent. Here, we determined the crystal structure of the fruit fly fatty acyl-CoA synthetase CG6178 to 2.5 Å. Based on this structure, we mutated a steric protrusion in the active site to create the artificial luciferase FruitFire, which prefers the synthetic luciferin CycLuc2 to D-luciferin by >1000-fold. FruitFire enabled in vivo bioluminescence imaging in the brains of mice using the pro-luciferin CycLuc2-amide. The conversion of a fruit fly enzyme into a luciferase capable of in vivo imaging underscores the potential for bioluminescence with a range of adenylating enzymes from nonluminescent organisms, and the possibilities for application-focused design of enzyme-substrate pairs.
Epiboly in zebrafish requires the coordinated activity of NADPH oxidases and dynamin
Authors: Mendez-Cruz Francisco J. , Ramírez-Corona Arlen , Reza-Medina Brenda , Mendieta-Serrano Mario A. , Schnabel Denhi , Lomelí Hilda , Salas-Vidal Enrique
Published: July 2023

Withdrawal statement

The authors have withdrawn their manuscript owing to significant errors in figures 1, 3, 6, and supplementary figure 3. Also, because some of the results were incorrectly reported. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.
Co-translational ribosome pairing enables native assembly of misfolding-prone subunits
Authors: Wruck Florian , Schmitt Jaro , Fenzl Kai , Bertolini Matilde , Katranidis Alexandros , Bukau Bernd , Kramer Günter , Tans Sander
Published: July 2023

Protein complexes are pivotal to most cellular processes. Emerging evidence indicates that pairs of ribosomes ubiquitously drive the synchronized synthesis and assembly of two protein subunits into homodimeric complexes1-5. These observations suggest protein folding mechanisms of general importance enabled by contacts between nascent chains6,7– which have thus far rather been considered detrimental8,9. However, owing to their dynamic and heterogeneous nature, the folding of interacting nascent chains remains unexplored. Here, we show that co-translational ribosome pairing allows their nascent chains to ‘chaperone each other’, thus enabling the formation of coiled-coil homodimers from subunits that misfold individually. We developed an integrated single-molecule fluorescence and force spectroscopy approach to probe the folding and assembly of two nascent chains extending from nearby ribosomes, using the intermediate filament lamin as a model system. Ribosome proximity in early translation stages was found to be critical: when interactions between nascent chains are inhibited or delayed, they become trapped in stable misfolded states that are no longer assembly competent. Conversely, early interactions allow the two nascent chains to nucleate native-like quaternary structures that grow in size and stability as translation advances. We conjecture that protein folding mechanisms enabled by ribosome cooperation are more broadly relevant to intermediate filaments and other protein classes.
Distinct functional constraints driving conservation of the cofilin N-terminal regulatory tail
Authors: Sexton Joel A. , Potchernikov Tony , Bibeau Jeffrey P. , Casanova-Sepúlveda Gabriela , Cao Wenxiang , Lou Hua Jane , Boggon Titus J. , De La Cruz Enrique M. , Turk Benjamin E.
Published: July 2023

Cofilin family proteins have essential roles in remodeling the cytoskeleton through filamentous actin depolymerization and severing. The short unstructured N-terminal region of cofilin is critical for actin binding and harbors the major site of inhibitory phosphorylation. Atypically for a disordered sequence, the N-terminal region is highly conserved, but the aspects of cofilin functionality driving this conservation are not clear. Here, we screened a library of 16,000 human cofilin N-terminal sequence variants for their capacity to support growth inS. cerevisiaein the presence or absence of the upstream regulator LIM kinase. Results from the screen and subsequent biochemical analysis of individual variants revealed distinct sequence requirements for actin binding and regulation by LIM kinase. While the presence of a serine, rather than threonine, phosphoacceptor residue was essential for phosphorylation by LIM kinase, the native cofilin N-terminus was otherwise a suboptimal LIM kinase substrate. This circumstance was not due to sequence requirements for actin binding and severing, but rather appeared primarily to maintain the capacity for phosphorylation to inactivate cofilin. Overall, the individual sequence requirements for cofilin function and regulation were remarkably loose when examined separately, but collectively restricted the N-terminus to sequences found in natural cofilins. Our results illustrate how a regulatory phosphorylation site can balance potentially competing sequence requirements for function and regulation.
Chemogenetic profiling of ubiquitin-like modifier pathways identifies NFATC2IP as a mediator of SUMO-dependent genome integrity
Authors: Cho Tiffany , Zhao Yichao , Olivieri Michele , Hoeg Lisa , Setiaputra Dheva , Durocher Daniel
Published: July 2023

The post-translational modification of proteins by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like polypeptides controls multiple cellular processes including the abundance of a large fraction of the proteome. We applied genome-scale CRISPR/Cas9 screens to elucidate the genetic architecture of the response to inhibition of ubiquitin, NEDD8 and SUMO conjugation pathways as well as inhibition of the p97/VCP segregase. This effort identified 395 genes whose disruption alters the fitness of human cells when faced with perturbations in these pathways. We validated that the TMED2 and TMED10 proteins, which are localized to the secretory pathway, promote resistance to p97/VCP inhibition and also characterized NFATC2IP, an evolutionarily conserved protein harboring SUMO-like domains as a major player in promoting genomic integrity when SUMOylation is inhibited. We propose that NFATC2IP acts in interphase cells to promote the SUMO-dependent E3 ligase activity of the SMC5/SMC6 complex, which is critical for SUMO-dependent genome integrity.
Differential susceptibility of male and female germ cells to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling
Authors: Cincotta Steven A. , Richardson Nainoa , Foecke Mariko H. , Laird Diana J.
Published: July 2023

While physiologic stress has long been known to impair mammalian reproductive capacity through hormonal dysregulation, mounting evidence now suggests that stress experienced prior to or during gestation may also negatively impact the health of future offspring. Rodent models of gestational physiologic stress can induce neurologic and behavioral changes that persist for up to three generations, suggesting that stress signals can induce lasting epigenetic changes in the germline. Treatment with glucocorticoid stress hormones is sufficient to recapitulate the transgenerational changes seen in physiologic stress models. These hormones are known to bind and activate the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ligand-inducible transcription factor, thus implicating GR-mediated signaling as a potential contributor to the transgenerational inheritance of stress-induced phenotypes. Here we demonstrate dynamic spatiotemporal regulation of GR expression in the mouse germline, showing expression in the fetal oocyte as well as the perinatal and adult spermatogonia. Functionally, we find that fetal oocytes are intrinsically buffered against changes in GR signaling, as neither genetic deletion of GR nor GR agonism with dexamethasone altered the transcriptional landscape or the progression of fetal oocytes through meiosis. In contrast, our studies revealed that the male germline is susceptible to glucocorticoid-mediated signaling, specifically by regulating RNA splicing within the spermatogonia, although this does not abrogate fertility. Together, our work suggests a sexually dimorphic function for GR in the germline, and represents an important step towards understanding the mechanisms by which stress can modulate the transmission of genetic information through the germline.
Crystal structure of CmnB involved in the biosynthesis of the nonproteinogenic amino acid L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid
Authors: Toh Shu-Ing , Lo Chieh-Ling , Chang Chin-Yuan
Published: July 2023

L-2,3-Diaminopropionic acid (L-Dap) is a nonproteinogenic amino acid that plays as an important role as a building block in the biosynthesis of several natural products, including capreomycin, viomycin, zwittermicin, staphyloferrin and dapdiamide. A previous study reported that CmnB and CmnK are two enzymes that are involved in the formation of L-Dap in the biosynthesis of capreomycin. CmnB catalyzes the condensation reaction of O-phospho-L-serine and L-glutamic acid to generate N-(1-amino-1-carboxyl-2-ethyl)glutamic acid, which subsequently undergoes oxidative hydrolysis via CmnK to generate the product L-Dap. Here, the crystal structure of CmnB in complex with the reaction intermediate PLP-α-aminoacrylate is reported at 2.2 Å resolution. Notably, CmnB is the second known example of a PLP-dependent enzyme that forms a monomeric structure in crystal packing. The crystal structure of CmnB also provides insights into the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme and supports the biosynthetic pathway of L-Dap reported in previous studies.
Performance predictions for sustainability governance of firms: implications to select Indian firms
Authors: Rajesh R.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The author aims to study and predict the sustainability governance performances of firms using an advanced grey prediction model. The case implication of the prediction model is also studied considering select firms in the Indian context.

Design/methodology/approach

The author has proposed an advanced grey prediction model, the first-entry grey prediction model (FGM (1, 1)) for forecasting the sustainability governance performances of firms. The proposed model is tested using the periodic data of sustainability governance performances of 10 Indian firms.

Findings

The author observes that the majority of firms (6 out of 10) show dipping performances for sustainability governance for the future predicted period. This throws insights into the direction of improving good governance practices for Indian firms.

Practical implications

The idea and motivation for sustainability-focussed governance need a bi-directional focus from the side of managers that act as the agents and from the side of shareholders that act as the principals, as seen from an agency theory perspective for sustainability governance.

Social implications

Sustainability governance culture can be inculcated to a firm at the strategic level by having a bi-directional focus from managers and shareholders, so as to enhance the social and environmental sustainability performances.

Originality/value

The governance performance evaluations for firms particularly in developing countries were not dated back more than a decade or two. Hence, the author implements a prediction model that can be best suited, when there are small periodic data sets available for prediction.
The impact of social media marketing on new venture performance
Authors: Venciute Dominyka , Auruskeviciene Vilte , Reardon James
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of social media marketing on new venture performance utilizing Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey approach was employed, and questionnaires were sent out to the representatives of new ventures established in the previous six years at the time of data collection. Measures were adapted from SCP theory and the measurement model examined. A total of 248 responses were analyzed using structural equation modelling (LISREL 11).

Findings

The results indicate that social media marketing capabilities have a positive impact on the marketing performance of new ventures through a mediating effect of social media marketing performance. Thus, social media marketing performance affects new venture performance through marketing performance.

Research limitations/implications

This research supports the vitality of social media in the lives of new firms and the importance of social media when executing marketing activities. The perceptive measurement of social media marketing capabilities on the firm level can be useful for new ventures to evaluate their competencies related to social media, and thus help firms improve those capabilities over time.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the existing knowledge on linkages between social media marketing capabilities and new venture performance acknowledging the role of a turbulent market environment. Therefore, the recognition of industry structure articulated by a turbulent market environment, social media marketing capabilities and social media support for competitive marketing strategy answers the question of how social media marketing capabilities drive competitive marketing strategy and subsequently influence performance.
The mentoring needs of recently appointed female middle leaders: an Australian case study
Authors: Blake Caroline , Fielding Mark
Published: July 2023

Purpose

There is a significant volume of literature relating to the mentoring needs of new principals and vice/deputy principals, but little is known about the mentoring needs of recently appointed middle leaders in an educational setting. This study explored the mentoring needs of five female middle leaders at a K–12 case study school of 550 students in Perth, Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

Each participant had three mentoring sessions, followed by a semi-structured interview using open-ended questions to provide data on the participants' mentoring needs. The research was framed within an interpretive phenomenology paradigm that focussed on the participants' perceived experiences and how they then interpreted these experiences. One of the researchers was active in this research, acting as the mentor (Neubauer et al., 2019; Smith and Osborn, 2021).

Findings

The findings of this study revealed the importance of the mentor being a “critical friend”. In addition, the participants referred to leadership identity, leadership from the middle, managing relationships and gender as other important mentoring needs.

Originality/value

This empirical study contributes original findings on the mentoring needs of a previously neglected group of educational leaders who provide an essential bridge between classroom practitioners and senior leadership in Australian schools. This study is unique because it links these mentoring needs to the practice architectures, factors at the case study school that either constrained or enabled middle leading (Kemmis et al., 2014).
Increasing mobile health application usage among Generation Z members: evidence from the UTAUT model
Authors: Aydin Gokhan
Published: July 2023

Purpose

The acceptance of mobile health (m-health) applications, especially those of a preventive nature, by individuals, is not well understood. Despite the benefits offered by m-health applications in improving and sustaining health and well-being through various avenues, widespread adoption is yet to be seen. Within this context, this study aims to reveal the enabling factors and barriers that influence the use of m-health applications among Generation Z (Gen-Z).

Design/methodology/approach

The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was extended with e-health literacy, trust and enjoyment constructs. Data from a survey study on 312 Gen-Z members were analysed via structural equation modelling, shedding light on the reasons why new generations adopt m-health apps.

Findings

The findings indicate that social influence and enjoyment are the most significant factors influencing the use of m-health apps. The significant impact of performance and effort expectancy on intentions was also confirmed by the results. Moreover, privacy risk was identified as a barrier to adoption. The results also indicated that the strong influence of trust on privacy risk can be used to offset those privacy concerns.

Practical implications

The findings highlight that hedonic motivation, which is commonly overlooked in health settings, plays an important role in m-health app use. Thus, promoting mobile app features that provide enjoyment will be influential in attracting the younger generation.

Originality/value

The context of the study differs from the norm and focuses on a regional health tourism hub, Turkey, situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. UTAUT model is modified with relevant constructs, namely, enjoyment, e-health literacy and privacy risk, to better fit the m-health context.
A convolutional neural network to identify the change point of a multistage process profile with cascade property
Authors: Atashgar Karim , Boush Mahnaz
Published: July 2023

Purpose

When a process experiences an out-of-control condition, identification of the change point is capable of leading practitioners to an effective root cause analysis. The change point addresses the time when a special cause(s) manifests itself into the process. In the statistical process monitoring when the chart signals an out-of-control condition, the change point analysis is an important step for the root cause analysis of the process. This paper attempts to propose a model approaching the artificial neural network to identify the change point of a multistage process with cascade property in the case that the process is modeled properly by a simple linear profile.

Design/methodology/approach

In practice, many processes can be modeled by a functional relationship rather than a single random variable or a random vector. This approach of modeling is referred to as the profile in the statistical process control literature. In this paper, two models based on multilayer perceptron (MLP) and convolutional neural network (CNN) approaches are proposed for identifying the change point of the profile of a multistage process.

Findings

The capability of the proposed models are evaluated and compared using several numerical scenarios. The numerical analysis of the proposed neural networks indicates that the two proposed models are capable of identifying the change point in different scenarios effectively. The comparative sensitivity analysis shows that the capability of the proposed convolutional network is superior compared to MLP network.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time that: (1) A model is proposed to identify the change point of the profile of a multistage process. (2) A convolutional neural network is modeled for identifying the change point of an out-of-control condition.
Management's internal governance policies on flexible work practices and the mediating lens of work life enrichment – Outcome for employee work engagement and organizational attractiveness
Authors: Khan Asif , Khan Ashfaq , Shah Tazeem Ali , Nisar Khattak Mohammad , Abukhait Rawan
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Using Pakistan's public sector higher education institutions as the study site, this study aims to empirically substantiate, under the theoretical underpinnings of job enrichment theory (Hackman and Oldham, 1976) and Maslow's (1943) theory of the hierarchy of needs, the impact of flexible work practices (FWPs), on employee work engagement and organizational attractiveness, with the mediating lens of work life enrichment.

Design/methodology/approach

Field data were collected at five higher education institutions located in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) of Pakistan, using the convenience sampling technique and analyzed under the quantitative research paradigm.

Findings

This study substantiates with an empirical evidence that flexible work practices (FWPs) have a significant positive impact on both employee work engagement and organizational attractiveness. Markedly, the study findings reveal that the said impact is significantly stronger than that of sabbaticals. Furthermore, the study reveals that the positive relationship is mediated by work life enrichment, signaling its significance in understanding FWP's such impact on employee work engagement and organizational attractiveness.

Practical implications

The study findings provide significant implications for academia, practitioners, and policymakers, in evidence-based recommendations for higher education institutions to design and implement FWPs that are effective in enhancing employee work engagement and organizational attractiveness, and, in turn, leading to improved organizational performance.

Originality/value

This research study provides a novel contribution to the existing literature by exploring the combined impact of flexible work practices on employee work engagement and organizational attractiveness in the peculiar context of Pakistan's public sector higher education institutions. Additionally, the study's focus on the mediating role of work life enrichment further adds to its novelty.
Developing a robust case study protocol
Authors: Burnard Kevin John
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Case study research has been applied across numerous fields and provides an established methodology for exploring and understanding various research contexts. This paper aims to aid in developing methodological rigor by investigating the approaches of establishing validity and reliability.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a systematic review of relevant literature, this paper catalogs the use of validity and reliability measures within academic publications between 2008 and 2018. The review analyzes case study research across 15 peer-reviewed journals (total of 1,372 articles) and highlights the application of validity and reliability measures.

Findings

The evidence of the systematic literature review suggests that validity measures appear well established and widely reported within case study–based research articles. However, measures and test procedures related to research reliability appear underrepresented within analyzed articles.

Originality/value

As shown by the presented results, there is a need for more significant reporting of the procedures used related to research reliability. Toward this, the features of a robust case study protocol are defined and discussed.
Evaluating the importance of individual heterogeneity in reproduction to Weddell seal population dynamics using integral projection models
Authors: Macdonald Kaitlin R. , Rotella Jay J. , Paterson J. Terrill
Published: July 2023

Identifying and accounting for unobserved individual heterogeneity in vital rates in demographic models is important for estimating population‐level vital rates and identifying diverse life‐history strategies, but much less is known about how this individual heterogeneity influences population dynamics.

We aimed to understand how the distribution of individual heterogeneity in reproductive and survival rates influenced population dynamics using vital rates from a Weddell seal population by altering the distribution of individual heterogeneity in reproduction, which also altered the distribution of individual survival rates through the incorporation of our estimate of the correlation between the two rates and assessing resulting changes in population growth.

We constructed an integral projection model (IPM) structured by age and reproductive state using estimates of vital rates for a long‐lived mammal that has recently been shown to exhibit large individual heterogeneity in reproduction. Using output from the IPM, we evaluated how population dynamics changed with different underlying distributions of unobserved individual heterogeneity in reproduction.

Results indicate that the changes to the underlying distribution of individual heterogeneity in reproduction cause very small changes in the population growth rate and other population metrics. The largest difference in the estimated population growth rate resulting from changes to the underlying distribution of individual heterogeneity was less than 1%.

Our work highlights the differing importance of individual heterogeneity at the population level compared to the individual level. Although individual heterogeneity in reproduction may result in large differences in the lifetime fitness of individuals, changing the proportion of above‐ or below‐average breeders in the population results in much smaller differences in annual population growth rate. For a long‐lived mammal with stable and high adult‐survival that gives birth to a single offspring, individual heterogeneity in reproduction has a limited effect on population dynamics. We posit that the limited effect of individual heterogeneity on population dynamics may be due to canalization of life‐history traits.
Mechanistic approaches to investigate soil microbe‐mediated plant competition
Authors: Chung Y. Anny , Ke Po‐Ju , Adler Peter B.
Published: July 2023

Interactions between plants and soil microbes can influence plant population dynamics and diversity in plant communities. Traditional theoretical paradigms view the microbial community as a black box with net effects described by phenomenological models.

This approach struggles to quantify the importance of plant–microbe interactions relative to other competition and coexistence mechanisms and to explain context dependence in microbe effects.

We argue that a mechanistic framework focused on microbial functional groups will lead to conceptual and empirical advances, as demonstrated by extending resource ratio theory to plant–microbe interactions. We review the diverse pathways by which different microbial functional groups can influence plant resource competition. Finally, we suggest approaches to link theory with observations to measure the key parameters of our framework.

Synthesis: Our review highlights recent experimental advancements for uncovering microbial mechanisms that alter plant host resource competition and coexistence. We synthesize these mechanisms into a conceptual model that provides a framework for future experiments to investigate the importance of plant–microbe interactions in structuring plant populations and communities.
A qualitative study on parents of autistic adolescents' experience of OT‐ParentShip: A family‐centred intervention
Authors: Kahlon Einav , Wachspress Batel , Berger Itai , Maeir Adina , Mazor‐Karsenty Tal
Published: July 2023

Background

OT‐ParentShip intervention addresses the needs of autistic adolescents and the physical and emotional burden associated with parental caregiving.

Aim

This article describes the qualitative findings of a mixed‐method, single‐group, pre‐test–post‐test pilot study to determine whether this intervention has adequate potential for further, large‐scale testing.

Method

The qualitative study sought to understand 14 parents' (N = 4 couples, N = 6 mothers) experiences in the intervention, examine their satisfaction, and receive their suggestions for improvement, using a grounded approach, with the aim of conceptualising a theoretical understanding of the data gathered.

Results

A total of five key themes and 14 sub‐themes describe parents' experiences. The key themes that were identified were parent–therapist relationship, parent–adolescent relationship, reframing, benefit for family, and parental resilience. Emerging themes shed light on the therapeutic components and change mechanisms of the intervention.

Conclusion

Self‐determination theory was found to be an adequate theoretical framework to map these components and help in understanding their contribution to treatment outcomes. OT‐Parentship directly enforces parents' basic psychological needs, who, in turn, support their adolescent child's need for relatedness, competence, and autonomy. An occupational therapy intervention that satisfies these basic needs has the potential to lead to therapeutic alliance and internalisation of goals, thus increasing therapy engagement and outcomes.
The colour of seawater: colour perception and environmental change in Dominican seascapes★
Authors: Mallon Andrews Kyrstin
Published: July 2023

The colour of seawater is a topic of daily discussion among diver fishermen in the Dominican Republic, who navigate shifting ocean environments alongside conservation politics. While conservation policies often target fishing as the main cause of declines in the health of marine ecologies, fishermen use colour to create alternative narratives about changing climates. Describing the sea as blue, black, brown, green, whitewash, purple, and chocolate, divers point to the broader causes of shifting seascapes while chronicling their affective and embodied consequences. Based on ethnographic fieldwork among Dominican diver fishermen, this article explores the colour of seawater as a lens for understanding the physical, affective, social, and political consequences of changing climates for communities who are deeply entangled in shifting sea ecologies. For diver fishermen, whose engagements with the sea depend on visibility, colours provide ways of interpreting fishing possibilities, navigating ocean spaces, and measuring the effects of changing environments. Given the centrality of colour perception in fishermen's lives, this article argues that colours provide an alternative narrative about changing climates, linking shifting marine conditions to global systemic problems, rather than blaming changes in environmental conditions on supposedly irresponsible practices of local people.
Explaining the ‘democratic malaise’ in unequal societies: Inequality, external efficacy and political trust
Authors: BIENSTMAN SIMON , HENSE SVENJA , GANGL MARKUS
Published: July 2023

Previous scholarship suggests that rising inequality in democracies suppresses trust in institutions. However, the mechanism behind this has not clearly been identified. This paper investigates the proposition that income inequality leads to increased democratic distrust by depressing perceptions of external efficacy. Based on time‐series cross‐sectional survey data from the European Social Survey, we find that changes in income inequality have a negative effect on changes in political trust and external efficacy. Causal mediation analysis confirms that inequality affects trust through lower efficacy. Further analyses show that this efficacy‐based mechanism does not depend on political orientation. As a direct effect remains among left‐wing respondents, our empirical results indicate that inequality affects trust via both a mechanism of substantive output evaluation and a process‐based evaluation that measures of external efficacy can capture. These findings highlight the empirical and theoretical relevance of this so far neglected mechanism and provide a potential solution for the puzzle that inequality depresses trust also among those for whom inequality is not politically salient.
Association between visual impairment and suicide: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Palbo Amanda , Roed Rasmussen Marie Louise , Hansen Michael Stormly , Subhi Yousif
Published: July 2023

Visual impairment severely impacts the life of the patients. In this study, we systematically reviewed studies on the potential relationship between visual impairment and suicidal behaviour, and conducted meta‐analyses on the risk estimates. We searched 11 literature databases on 20 October 2022 and identified a total of 10 eligible studies with 5.8 million participants. Suicide behaviour was investigated according to three domains: suicide ideation, suicide attempt and suicide death. In the 10 eligible studies, seven reported data on suicide ideation, five reported data on suicide attempt, and three reported data on suicide death. All summary estimates extracted for use in the meta‐analyses were adjusted estimates of association since we acknowledged that depression as well as other confounding factors may play an important role. We found that visual impairment was a significant risk factor of suicide ideation (OR 1.83; 95% CI: 1.40–2.40; p = 0.000012), suicide attempt (OR 2.62; 95% CI: 1.29–5.31; p = 0.0077) and suicide death (OR 7.00; 95% CI: 2.30–21.4; p = 0.000063). These high increases in risk of suicide from visual impairment underscore the importance of eye health on the overall mental health, and the potential devastating consequences of insufficient access to eye care, lack of treatment possibilities for any reason or low political priority of eye care.
Physical and chemical characterization of the femur during and after the body development period in male and female guinea pigs
Authors: Yılmaz Yücehan , Aslan Kanmaz Yeşim , Baygeldi Saime Betül , Güzel Barış Can , Karan Meryem , Güzel Fuat , Yılmaz Sadık
Published: July 2023

In this study, it was aimed to reveal the physical and chemical characterization of the bone structures during body development periods (prepubertal period, period between adolescence and adulthood) and after (young adult period and old adult period) in male and female guinea pigs. In this study, 40 guinea pigs (20 male, 20 female) were used. Morphometric measurements, X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis for mineral levels, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis for surface area, and porosity analysis were applied to the bones. The male guinea pigs had greater values than females in the other three categories, with the exception of the second group, when the females have higher values in morphometric measurements. Ca levels rose up to the third group, as did P levels in the males, peaking in the third group and declining in the fourth. As with phosphorus, there was a progressive rise in females from the first to the fourth group. Fe, Zn, and Sr elements had the greatest values in both genders in the first group. In all four groups, the females had greater Zn levels than males. The highest Ca/P ratio was found in the third male group and the fourth female group. This study revealed that adolescence, adulthood, and gender are effective in the physical and chemical characterization of bone structure in guinea pigs.
Hazards of swine slurry: Heavy metals, bacteriology, and overdosing—Physicochemical models to predict the nutrient value
Authors: Fernández‐Labrada Miguel , López‐Mosquera María Elvira , García Lucio , Barrio José Carlos , López‐Fabal Adolfo
Published: July 2023

In this work, 124 samples of slurry from 32 commercial farms of three animal categories (lactating sows, nursery piglets, and growing pigs) were studied. The samples were collected in summer and winter over two consecutive years and analyzed for physicochemical properties, macronutrient and micronutrient, heavy metals, and major microbiological indicators. The results were found to be influenced by farm type and to deviate especially markedly in nursery piglets, probably as a consequence of differences in pig age, diet, and management. The main potential hazards of the slurries can be expected to arise from their high contents in heavy metals (Cu and Zn), especially in the nursery piglet group, and from the high proportion of samples testing positive for Salmonella spp. (66%). Linear and nonlinear predictive equations were developed for each animal category and the three as a whole. Dry matter, which was highly correlated with N, CaO, and MgO contents, proved the best predictor of fertilizer value. Using an additional predictor failed to improve the results but nonlinear and farm‐specific equations did. Rapid on‐site measurements can improve the accuracy of fertilizer value estimates and help optimize the use of swine slurry as a result.
Do geopolitical risks increase corporate risk‐taking?—Based on the perspective of diversification expansion
Authors: Li Li , Cheng Xiang
Published: July 2023

Research Question/Issue

Does geopolitical risk increase a firm's risk‐taking, and will diversification expansion smooth out or exacerbate this effect?

Research Findings/Insights

Based on microdata of Chinese A‐share listed companies, we find that (1) geopolitical risk significantly increases corporate risk‐taking at both micro and macro levels; (2) horizontal diversification can significantly smooth out the impact of geopolitical risk on a firm's risk‐taking, while vertical diversification will exacerbate the effect; (3) geopolitical risk and diversification do not significantly impact all firms, and their effect are limited to non‐state‐owned enterprises and firms in manufacturing industries.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

First, compared with the previous studies, this paper identifies the geopolitical risk faced by each sample firm separately, thus providing a more accurate analysis of the impact of the specific geopolitical risk faced by the firm on its risk‐taking. Second, we expand the connotation of diversification and analyze its moderating effect on corporate risk‐taking from the perspective of horizontal and vertical diversification. Third, considering that the degree of political affiliation and capital intensity may affect a firm's sensitivity to geopolitical risk, this paper examines the relationship between geopolitical risk, diversification, and a firm's risk‐taking regarding property rights and industry type.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

On the one hand, export‐oriented firms should pay close attention to the geopolitical risk situation in exporting countries to reduce the adverse impact of sudden geopolitical risks. On the other hand, diversification expansion is a double‐edged sword for firms. Although vertical diversification increases the risk‐taking of a firm, it also increases its specialization. Therefore, it is necessary to make a comprehensive judgment on whether and what kind of diversification an enterprise should undertake according to its business development status.
How the websites of high‐volume US centers address the risks of living kidney donation
Authors: Steiner Robert W. , Glannon Walter
Published: July 2023

Background

The websites of US transplant centers may be a source of information about the renal risks of potential living kidney donors.

Methods

To include only likely best practices, we surveyed websites of centers that performed at least 50 living donor kidney transplants per year. We tabulated how risks were conveyed regarding loss of eGFR at donation, the adequacy of long‐term ESRD risk data, long‐term donor mortality, minority donor ESRD risk, concerns about hyperfiltration injury versus the risk of end‐stage kidney diseases, comparisons of ESRD risks in donors to population risks, the increased risks of younger donors, an effect of the donation itself to increase risk, quantifying risks over specific intervals, and a lengthening list of small post‐donation medical risks and metabolic changes of uncertain significance.

Results

While websites had no formal obligation to address donor risks, many offered abundant information. Some conveyed OPTN‐mandated requirements for counseling individual donor candidates. While actual wording often varied, there was general agreement on many issues. We occasionally noted clear‐cut differences among websites in risk characterization and other outliers.

Conclusions

The websites of the most active US centers offer insights into how transplant professionals view living kidney donor risk. Website content may merit further study.
Impact of weight and creatinine adjustments on the accuracy of Cockcroft‐gault equation in hematopoietic cell transplant patients
Authors: Emanuel Natasha A. , Price Samantha , Hansen Doris K. , Whiting Junmin , Kim Jongphil , Gaskill Eric
Published: July 2023

Background

Hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients undergo pre‐ transplant renal function evaluation to confirm transplant eligibility and tailor pharmacotherapy. There is limited evidence regarding the most accurate method of estimating creatinine clearance (CrCl) within this patient population and no studies exist that evaluate the weight utilized within the Cockcroft‐Gault (CG) equation in HCT patients. This study evaluates different weight and serum creatinine (SCr) adjustments utilized within the CG equation estimating for renal clearance in patients undergoing HCT.

Objective

This is a retrospective, single center analysis of adult HCT patients who underwent pre‐transplant evaluation with a measured CrCl using a 24‐h urine creatinine collection. The primary outcome was to evaluate the correlation of various weights used in estimation of CrCl compared to measured CrCl. Key secondary outcomes include evaluation of the impact of various weights on estimated CrCl in subpopulations, evaluation of adjusting SCr to pre‐determined limits, and determination of an appropriate obesity threshold to utilize body weight adjustments.

Results

Seven‐hundred and forty‐two patients were included in the study. In the primary analysis, CG utilizing adjusted body weight (ADjBW0.4) had a greater correlation (r = .812) to measured CrCl when compared to total or ideal body weight (r = .801 and r = .790 respectively). The threshold of 120% of ideal body weight (IBW) produced less bias and greater accuracy in comparison to the threshold of 140% IBW. In patients 60 years or older, rounding low SCr values up .8 or 1 mg/dL resulted in decreased correlation and a greater mean difference in comparison to not rounding SCr.

Conclusion

In HCT patients who are overweight or obese, ADjBW .4 is the most accurate weight for the CG equation. In HCT patients who have a total body weight < 120% IBW, total body weight is the most accurate weight to utilize. Rounding up low SCr to .8 or 1 mg/dL does not improve the accuracy or led to less bias of the CG equation.