bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural Characterisation of Nanoparticle-Supported Lipid Bilayers by Grazing Incidence X-ray and Neutron Scattering
Authors: Paracini Nicolò , Gutfreund Philipp , Welbourn Rebecca , Gonzalez Juan Francisco , Zhu Kexin , Miao Yansong , Yepuri Nageshwar , Darwish Tamim A , Garvey Christopher , Waldie Sarah , Larsson Johan , Wolff Max , Cárdenas Marité
Published: July 2022

The structure of supported lipid bilayers formed on a monolayer of nanoparticles was determined using a combination of grazing incidence X-ray and neutron scattering techniques. Ordered nanoparticle arrays assembled on a silicon crystal using a Langmuir-Schaefer deposition were shown to be suitable and stable substrates for the formation of curved and fluid lipid bilayers that retained lateral mobility, as shown by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. A comparison between the structure of the curved bilayer assembled around the nanoparticles with the planar lipid membrane formed on the flat underlying silicon oxide surface revealed a ∼5 Å thinner bilayer on the curved interface, resolving the effects of curvature on the lipid packing and overall bilayer structure. The combination of neutron scattering techniques, which grant access to sub-nanometre scale structural information at buried interfaces, and nanoparticle-supported lipid bilayers, offers a novel approach to investigate the effects of membrane curvature on lipid bilayers.
Pseudouridine-dependent ribosome biogenesis regulates translation of polyglutamine proteins during Drosophila oogenesis
Authors: Breznak Shane , Peng Yingshi , Deng Limin , Kotb Noor M. , Flamholz Zachary , Rapisarda Ian T. , Martin Elliot T. , LaBarge Kara A. , Fabris Dan , Gavis Elizabeth R. , Rangan Prashanth
Published: July 2022

Stem cells in many systems, including Drosophila germline stem cells (GSCs), increase ribosome biogenesis and translation during terminal differentiation. Here, we show that pseudouridylation of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) mediated by the H/ACA box is required for ribosome biogenesis and oocyte specification. Reducing ribosome levels during differentiation decreased the translation of a subset of mRNAs that are enriched for CAG repeats and encode polyglutamine-containing proteins, including differentiation factors such as RNA-binding Fox protein 1. Moreover, ribosomes were enriched at CAG repeats within transcripts during oogenesis. Increasing TOR activity to elevate ribosome levels in H/ACA box-depleted germlines suppressed the GSC differentiation defects, whereas germlines treated with the TOR inhibitor rapamycin had reduced levels of polyglutamine-containing proteins. Thus, ribosome biogenesis and ribosome levels can control stem cell differentiation via selective translation of CAG repeat-containing transcripts.
Meditators probably show increased behaviour-monitoring related neural activity
Authors: Bailey Neil W , Geddes Harry , Zannettino Isabella , Humble Gregory , Payne Jake , Baell Oliver , Emonson Melanie , Chung Sung Wook , Hill Aron T , Rogasch Nigel , Hohwy Jakob , Fitzgerald Paul B
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Mindfulness meditation is associated with better attention function. Performance monitoring and error-processing are important aspects of attention. We investigated whether experienced meditators showed different neural activity related to performance monitoring and error-processing. Previous research has produced inconsistent results. This study used more rigorous analyses and a larger sample to resolve the inconsistencies.

Methods

We used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe) following correct and incorrect responses to a Go/Nogo task from 27 experienced meditators and 27 non-meditators.

Results

No differences were found in the ERN (all p > 0.05). Meditators showed larger global field potentials (GFP) in the Pe after both correct responses and errors, indicating stronger neural responses (p = 0.0190, FDR-p = 0.152, np2 = 0.0951, BFincl = 2.691). This effect did not pass multiple comparison controls. However, single electrode analysis of the Pe did pass multiple comparison controls (p = 0.002, FDR-p = 0.016, np2 = 0.133, BFincl = 220.659). Meditators also showed a significantly larger Pe GFP for errors only, which would have passed multiple comparison controls, but was not a primary analysis (p = 0.0028, np2 = 0.1493, BF10 = 9.999).

Conclusions

Meditation may strengthen neural responses related to performance monitoring (measured by the Pe), but not specifically to error monitoring (although measurements of the Pe after errors may be more sensitive to group differences). However, only the single electrode analysis passed multiple comparison controls, while analysis including all electrodes did not, so this conclusion remains tentative.
Associative nitrogen fixation could be common in South African mesic grassland
Authors: Morris Craig D , Ramesar Danvir R , Burgdorf Richard J
Published: July 2022

Non-symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterial diazotrophs closely associated with the roots of grasses probably contribute most of the new nitrogen acquired to sustain productive natural grasslands, yet their ecology is poorly understood, especially in southern Africa. We looked for genetic evidence, using qPCR and gel electrophoresis, for the presence of the bacterial nifH gene associated with the roots of four grass species (20 plants each) in a mesic grassland in South Arica, which would indicate the potential for N fixation by diazotrophs. Grasses most tolerant of low N (Aristida junciformis) were predicted to harbour the most diazotrophs, especially compared to those most responsive to fertiliser N (Eragrostis curvula). However, the nifH gene was found in all 80 root samples and did not differ in copy number between species. Sequencing of a representative sample confirmed the identity of the nifH gene. The recently burned half of the grassland had 60% more nifH genes than the area burned 15 months previously, suggesting that grass growth stimulated by fire could recruit diazotrophs. Given their ubiquity and importance in the N economy of grasslands, research is required to characterise root-associated diazotroph communities, quantify their N fixation rates, and understand their environmental controls.
Energy-based Advection Modelling Using Bond Graphs
Authors: Gawthrop Peter J. , Pan Michael
Published: July 2022

Advection, the transport of a substance by the flow of a fluid, is a key process in biological systems. The energy-based bond graph approach to modelling chemical transformation within reaction networks is extended to include transport and thus advection. The approach is illustrated using a simple model of advection via circulating flow and by a simple pharmacokinetic model of anaesthetic gas uptake.

This extension provides a physically-consistent framework for linking advective flows with the fluxes associated with chemical reactions within the context of physiological systems in general and the human physiome in particular.
Impact of AMPK on cervical carcinoma progression and metastasis
Authors: Konieczny Paweł , Adamus Tomasz , Sulkowski Maciej , Majka Marcin
Published: July 2022

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common malignant neoplasm among women. Late diagnosis is directly associated with the incidence of metastatic disease and remarkably limits the effectiveness of conventional anticancer therapies at the advanced tumor stage. In this study, we investigated the role of 5’AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) in the metastatic progression of cervical cancer. Since the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is known as major mechanism enabling cancer cell metastasis, cell lines, which accurately represent this process, have been used as a research model. We used C-4I and HTB-35 cervical cancer cell lines representing distant stages of the disease, in which we genetically modified the expression of the AMPK catalytic subunit α. We have shown that tumor progression leads to metabolic deregulation which results in reduced expression and activity of AMPK. We also demonstrated that AMPK is related to the ability of cells to acquire invasive phenotype and potential for in vivo metastases, and its activity may inhibit these processes. Our findings support the hypothesis that AMPK is a promising therapeutic target and modulation of its expression and activity may improve the efficacy of cervical cancer treatment.
A fully phased interspecific grapevine rootstock genome sequence representingV. ripariaandV. cinereaand allele-aware annotation of the phylloxera resistance locusRdv1
Authors: Frommer Bianca , Hausmann Ludger , Holtgräwe Daniela , Viehöver Prisca , Hüttel Bruno , Reinhardt Richard , Töpfer Reinhard , Weisshaar Bernd
Published: July 2022

The phylloxera resistant rootstock cultivar ‘Börner’ is an interspecific hybrid derived fromVitis ripariaandV. cinereaand a valuable resource forVitisdisease resistances. We created a fully phased, high-quality ‘Börner’ genome sequence named BoeRC using long PacBio reads. Comprehensive gene annotation of both ‘Börner’ haplotypes, designated BoeRip and BoeCin, was applied to describe the phylloxera resistance locusRdv1. Using a mapping population derived from a susceptibleV. viniferabreeding line and ‘Börner’, theRdv1locus was further delimited.Rdv1, which is derived fromV. cinereaand included in the haplotype BoeCin, was compared with sequences of phylloxera-susceptible and phylloxera-tolerant cultivars. Between flanking regions that display high synteny, we detected and precisely characterized a diverse sequence region that covers between 202 to 403 kbp in different haplotypes. In BoeCin, five putative disease resistance genes were identified that represent likely candidates for conferring resistance to phylloxera.
A fitness trade-off explains the early fate of yeast aneuploids with chromosome gains
Authors: Pompei Simone , Lagomarsino Marco Cosentino
Published: July 2022

The early development of aneuploidy from an accidental chromosome missegregation shows contrasting effects. On the one hand, it is associated to significant cellular stress and decreased fitness. On the other hand, it often carries a beneficial effect and provides a quick (but typically transient) solution to external stress. These apparently controversial trends emerge in several experimental contexts, particularly in the presence of duplicated chromosomes. However, we lack a mathematical evolutionary modeling framework that comprehensively captures these trends from the mutational dynamics and the trade-offs involved in the early stages of aneuploidy. Here, focusing on chromosome gains, we address this point by introducing a fitness model where a fitness cost of chromosome duplications is contrasted by a fitness advantage from the dosage of specific genes. The model successfully captures the experimentally measured probability of emergence of extra chromosomes in a laboratory evolution setup. Additionally, using phenotypic data collected in rich media, we explored the fitness landscape, finding evidence supporting the existence of a per-gene cost of extra chromosomes. Finally, we show that the substitution dynamics of our model, evaluated in the empirical fitness landscape, explains the relative abundance of duplicated chromosomes observed in yeast population genomics data. These findings lay a firm framework for the understanding of the establishment of newly duplicated chromosomes, providing testable quantitative predictions for future observations.
Modbamtools: Analysis of single-molecule epigenetic data for long-range profiling, heterogeneity, and clustering
Authors: Razaghi Roham , Hook Paul W. , Ou Shujun , Schatz Michael C. , Hansen Kasper D. , Jain Miten , Timp Winston
Published: July 2022

The advent of long-read sequencing methods provides new opportunities for profiling the epigenome - especially as the methylation signature comes for “free” when native DNA is sequenced on either Oxford Nanopore or Pacific Biosciences instruments. However, we lack tools to visualize and analyze data generated from these new sources. Recent efforts from the GA4GH consortium have standardized methods to encode modification location and probabilities in the BAM format. Leveraging this standard format, we developed a technology-agnostic tool, modbamtools to visualize, manipulate and compare base modification/methylation data in a fast and robust way. modbamtools can produce high quality, interactive, and publication-ready visualizations as well as provide modules for downstream analysis of base modifications. Modbamtools comprehensive manual and tutorial can be found at https://rrazaghi.github.io/modbamtools/.
Synthetic analysis of chromatin tracing and live-cell imaging indicates pervasive spatial coupling between genes
Authors: Bohrer Christopher H. , Larson Daniel R.
Published: July 2022

The role of the spatial organization of chromosomes in directing transcription remains an outstanding question in gene regulation. Here, we analyze two recent single-cell imaging methodologies applied across hundreds of genes to systematically analyze the contribution of chromosome conformation to transcriptional regulation. Those methodologies are: 1) single-cell chromatin tracing with super-resolution imaging in fixed cells; 2) high throughput labeling and imaging of nascent RNA in living cells. Specifically, we determine the contribution of physical distance to the coordination of transcriptional bursts. We find that individual genes adopt a constrained conformation and reposition toward the centroid of the surrounding chromatin upon activation. Leveraging the variability in distance inherent in single-cell imaging, we show that physical distance – but not genomic distance – between genes on individual chromosomes is the major factor driving co-bursting. By combining this analysis with live-cell imaging, we arrive at a corrected transcriptional correlation of ϕ ≈ 0.3 for genes separated by < 400 nm. We propose that this surprisingly large correlation represents a physical property of human chromosomes and establishes a benchmark for future experimental studies.
Correlation of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Levels and Exosome Associated Neutrophil Elastase Endothelial Injury in Subjects with SARS-CoV2 Infection
Authors: Lascano Jorge , Oshins Regina , Eagan Christina , Wadood Zerka , Qiang Xiao , Flagg Tammy , Scindia Yogesh , Mehrad Borna , Brantly Mark , Khodayari Nazli
Published: July 2022

Background

Severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by a novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected more than 18 million people worldwide. The activation of endothelial cells is a hallmark of signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection that includes altered integrity of vessel barrier and endothelial inflammation.

Objectives

Pulmonary endothelial activation is suggested to be related to the profound neutrophil elastase (NE) activity, which is necessary for sterilization of phagocytosed bacterial pathogens. However, unopposed activity of NE increases alveolocapillary permeability and extracellular matrix degradation. The uncontrolled protease activity of NE during the inflammatory phase of lung diseases might be due to the resistance of exosome associated NE to inhibition by alpha-1 antitrypsin.

Method

31 subjects with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV2 infection were recruited in the disease group and samples from 30 voluntaries matched for age and sex were also collected for control.

Results

We measured the plasma levels of exosome-associated NE in SARS-CoV-2 patients which, was positively correlated with the endothelial damage in those patients. Notably, we also found strong correlation with plasma levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin and exosome-associated NE in SARS-CoV-2 patients. Using macrovascular endothelial cells, we also observed that purified NE activity is inhibited by purified alpha-1 antitrypsin while, NE associated with exosomes are resistant to inhibition and show less sensitivity to alpha-1 antitrypsin inhibitory activity, in vitro.

Conclusions

Our results point out the role of exosome-associated NE in exacerbation of endothelial injury in SARS-CoV-2 infection. We have demonstrated that exosome-associated NE could be served as a new potential therapeutic target of severe systemic manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Cigarette smoke exposed airway epithelial cell-derived EVs promote pro-inflammatory macrophage activation in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
Authors: Khodayari Nazli , Oshins Regina , Mehrad Borna , Lascano Jorge E. , Qiang Xiao , West Jesse R. , Holliday L. Shannon , Lee Jungnam , Wiesemann Gayle , Eydgahi Soroush , Brantly Mark
Published: July 2022

Background

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a genetic disorder most commonly secondary to a single mutation in the SERPINA1 gene (PI*Z) that causes misfolding and accumulation of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) in hepatocytes and mononuclear phagocytes which reduces plasma AAT and creates a toxic gain of function. This toxic gain of function promotes a pro-inflammatory phenotype in macrophages that contributes to lung inflammation and early-onset COPD, especially in individuals who smoke cigarettes. The aim of this study is to determine the role of cigarette exposed AATD macrophages and bronchial epithelial cells in AATD-mediated lung inflammation.

Methods

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from AATD and healthy individuals were differentiated into alveolar-like macrophages and exposed to air or cigarette smoke while in culture. Macrophage endoplasmic reticulum stress was quantified and secreted cytokines were measured using qPCR and cytokine ELISAs. To determine whether there is “cross talk” between epithelial cells and macrophages, macrophages were exposed to extracellular vesicles released by airway epithelial cells exposed to cigarette smoke and their inflammatory response was determined.

Results

AATD macrophages spontaneously produce several-fold more pro-inflammatory cytokines as compared to normal macrophages. AATD macrophages have an enhanced inflammatory response when exposed to cigarette smoke-induced extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from airway epithelial cells. Cigarette smoke-induced EVs induce expression of GM-CSF and IL-8 in AATD macrophages but have no effect on normal macrophages. Release of AAT polymers, potent neutrophil chemo attractants, were also increased from AATD macrophages after exposure to cigarette smoke-induced EVs.

Conclusions

The expression of mutated AAT confers an inflammatory phenotype in AATD macrophages which disposes them to an exaggerated inflammatory response to cigarette smoke-induced EVs, and thus could contribute to progressive lung inflammation and damage in AATD individuals.
Synaptotagmin 7 outperforms synaptotagmin 1 to promote the formation of large, stable fusion pores via robust membrane penetration
Authors: Courtney Kevin C. , Mandal Taraknath , Mehta Nikunj , Wu Lanxi , Li Yueqi , Das Debasis , Cui Qiang , Chapman Edwin R.
Published: July 2022

Synaptotagmin-1 and synaptotagmin-7 are two prominent Ca2+sensors that regulate exocytosis in neuronal and neuroendocrine cells. Upon binding Ca2+, both proteins partially penetrate lipid bilayers that bear anionic phospholipids, but the specific underlying mechanisms that enable them to trigger exocytosis remain controversial. Here, we examined the biophysical properties of these two synaptotagmin isoforms and compared their interactions with phospholipid membranes. We discovered that synaptotagmin-1•membrane interactions are greatly influenced by membrane order; tight packing of phosphatidylserine inhibits binding due to impaired membrane penetration. In contrast, synaptotagmin-7 exhibits robust membrane binding and penetration activity regardless of phospholipid acyl chain structure. Thus, synaptotagmin-7 is a “super-penetrator”. We exploited these observations to specifically isolate and examine the role of membrane penetration in synaptotagmin function. Using nanodisc-black lipid membrane electrophysiology, we demonstrate that membrane penetration is a critical component that underlies how synaptotagmin proteins regulate reconstituted, exocytic fusion pores in response to Ca2+.
Comparisons between the Hydro Distillation and the Steam Distillation in the Extraction of Volatile Compounds from and the Anti-oxidative Activity of Prunella Vulgaris
Authors: Keung Mak William Chi
Published: July 2022

Objective

In this article, the aim is to verify a suggestion in our earlier study to explain the extraction dynamics of volatile compounds, being extracted from the herb Prunella vulgaris (PV) using the method of steam distillation. Then, the antioxidative property of PV is explored.

Methods

Because our earlier study suggested that the inefficient extraction using steam distillation was due to the mass of herb in the path of steam flow acting as an obstacle, we used hydro distillation which tried to eliminate this obstacle. We used gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to characterize the volatile compounds extracted during the distillation process. Then, by treating the cancer cells from the cell line SCC154 with the distillate, the cancer cell cytotoxicity was assessed using the tetrazolium salt-based colorimetric test reagent, the Cell Counting Kit-8. The results provided the bases for comparisons. To assess the anti-oxidative activity of the PV distillate, Folin-Ciocalteu reagent was used.

Results

We successfully showed that the removal of the obstacle, formed by the mass of herb in the flow path of the uprising steam, enhanced the efficiency of volatile compound extraction and more volatile compounds could be extracted. Also, it was shown that the PV distillate did not exhibit anti-oxidative activity.

Conclusions

Hydro distillation is a more efficient method than steam distillation to extract volatile compounds from the PV herb. However, mild heating, which did not provide sufficient energy to the convection of the boiling water, did not move the floating herb on top of the boiling water; so, the obstacle still existed and limited the efficiency of extraction. For another issue of the antioxidant effect of the volatile compounds from PV, it was studied using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. It showed that the PV volatile compounds did not possess antioxidant property.
Early Life Exposure to Queen Mandibular Pheromone Mediates Persistent Transcriptional Changes in the Brain of Honey bee Foragers
Authors: Peng Tianfei , Kennedy Anissa , Wu Yongqiang , Foitzik Susanne , Grüter Christoph
Published: July 2022

How behavior in insect societies is regulated remains a fundamental question in sociobiology. In hymenopteran societies, the queen plays a crucial role in regulating group behavior by affecting individual behavior, physiology, and lifespan through worker gene expression. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens signal their presence via the queen mandibular pheromone (QMP). While QMP has been shown to influence the behavior of young workers, we know little about its long-term molecular impacts on workers and whether these pheromone effects depend on an early sensitive period in the life of a worker. Here we demonstrate that QMP treatment strongly impacts long-term forager gene expression in the mushroom bodies, antennal lobes, and antennae, but only if bees were treated early in life (1-2 days of age). Contrary to our expectation, foraging activity was not impacted by QMP treatment in the long-term, but genes important for division of labor, learning, chemosensory perception and aging were differentially expressed in the antennae and brain tissues, suggesting that QMP influences diverse physiological and behavioral processes in workers. Overall, our study suggests a sensitive period early in the life of workers, where the queens’ presence or absence has strong and potentially livelong effects on transcriptional activity in the central and peripheral nervous system.

Significance statement

Despite our increasing understanding of how social cues affect gene expression and behavior in social animals, we still know little about the importance of sensitive periods in cue perception for the long-term regulation of gene expression. Honey bees live in complex societies and queen pheromones play a central role in the regulation of worker behavior and division of labor. We tested the exposure to queen pheromone presence and found that there is a sensitive period in the early adult life of workers. Understanding and identifying sensitive periods and their effect on long-term gene transcription in workers in response to changes in the environment will lay an important foundation for a better understanding of how queens shape colony life.
Axial encoding schematics of neural representations of 3D space in freely navigating goldfish
Authors: Cohen Lear , Vinepinsky Ehud , Donchin Opher , Segev Ronen
Published: July 2022

Navigation is one of the most fundamental cognitive skills for the survival of fish, the largest vertebrate class, and almost all other animal classes. A critical component of the neural basis of navigation is the encoding of space in the activity of single neurons. To study this basic cognitive component in fish, we recorded the activity of single neurons in the central area of the goldfish telencephalon while the fish were freely navigating in a 3D water tank. We found neurons with firing patterns that gradually increased or decreased along spatial axes distributed in all directions. Some of these cells exhibited beta rhythm oscillations. This type of axial coding for spatial representation in the brains of fish is unique among space encoding cells in vertebrates and provides insights into spatial cognition in this lineage.
Sensory adaptation in the barrel cortex during active sensation in the awake, behaving mouse
Authors: Colins Rodriguez Andrea , Loft Michaela S. E. , Schiessl Ingo , Maravall Miguel , Petersen Rasmus
Published: July 2022

Sensory adaptation (SA) is a prominent aspect of how neurons in anaesthetised animals respond to sensory signals, ubiquitous across species and modalities. However, SA depends on the activation state of the brain and it has been doubted whether SA is expressed in behaving animals. Here, we addressed this question by training mice to detect an object using their whiskers and recording neuronal activity from barrel cortex whilst simultaneously imaging the whiskers in 3D. We found that neuronal responses decreased during the course of whisker-object touch sequences but that this was due to two factors. First, a motor effect, whereby, during a sequence of touches, later touches were mechanically weaker than early ones. Second, a sensory encoding effect, whereby neuronal tuning to touch became progressively less sensitive during the course of a touch sequence. The sensory encoding effect was whisker-specific. These results show that SA does occur during active whisker sensing and suggest that SA is fundamental to sensation during natural behaviour.
A finite difference scheme for integrating the Takagi–Taupin equations on an arbitrary orthogonal grid
Authors: Carlsen Mads , Simons Hugh
Published: July 2022

Calculating dynamical diffraction patterns for X-ray diffraction imaging techniques requires numerical integration of the Takagi–Taupin equations. This is usually performed with a simple, second-order finite difference scheme on a sheared computational grid in which two of the axes are aligned with the wavevectors of the incident and scattered beams. This dictates, especially at low scattering angles, an oblique grid of uneven step sizes. Here a finite difference scheme is presented that carries out this integration in slab-shaped samples on an arbitrary orthogonal grid by implicitly utilizing Fourier interpolation. The scheme achieves the expected second-order convergence and a similar error to the traditional approach for similarly dense grids.
Environmental and enviroeconomic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on commercial flights
Authors: Akyüz Mehmet Kadri
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine and compare the total and per passenger HC, CO, NOxand CO2emissions from aircraft landing and takeoff (LTO) cycle before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, it is aimed to determine the global warming potential (GWP), environmental impacts (EIs) and enviroeconomic cost (eco-cost) of these emissions in total and per passenger.

Design/methodology/approach

Analyses were carried out with the help of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Engine Emission Databank, using real flight data recorded by the airport authority.

Findings

During the COVID-19 pandemic, total pollutant emissions (HC, CO, NOxand CO2) decreased between 23.7% and 30.8% compared with the pre-pandemic period. In addition, per passenger pollutant emissions increased during the pandemic. Compared with the pre-pandemic period, GWP, EI and eco-cost values decreased by 24.1%, 23.89% and 23.93%, respectively, in the pandemic. However, the per passenger GWP, EI and eco-cost values increased by about 10% compared with the pre-pandemic period.

Practical implications

This study reveals the effects of COVID-19 in terms of EIs and environmental costs caused by aircraft in the LTO cycle.

Originality/value

The originality of this study is to calculate the pollutant emissions caused by aircraft in the LTO cycle with real flight data and to reveal the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The novelty of this study is the determination and comparison of total and per passenger pollutant emissions, GWP, EI and eco-cost before and during the pandemic.
Do industry specialist auditors enhance accounting quality in the EU? Evidence from the pre-IFRS and mandatory post-IFRS periods
Authors: Lopez Dennis M. , Schuldt Michael A. , Vega Jose G.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between auditor industry specialization and accounting quality in the European Union (EU).

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs a difference-in-differences design and explores audit quality from different industry specialist perspectives and different accounting standard regimes. Specifically, this study examines accounting quality among audits performed by non-industry specialists, EU member country-level industry specialists (EUM-level), EU community-level industry specialists (EUC-level), as well as joint industry specialists.

Findings

This study finds evidence of an improvement in accounting quality among audits performed by non-industry specialists post-IFRS. There is also evidence of an improvement in accounting quality among audits performed by EUC-level industry specialists post-IFRS. In addition, accounting quality among audits performed by EUM-level industry specialists seems to be greater than that of audits performed by non-industry specialists in either the pre-IFRS period or the post-IFRS period. Overall, the mandatory adoption of IFRS in the EU appears to be associated with an improvement in accounting quality among some auditor groups.

Research limitations/implications

Industry specialization and accounting quality are not directly observable constructs; this study inevitably employs proxy measures for both. The findings of this study are location-specific and apply to mandatory IFRS adopters only.

Practical implications

This study informs regulators with respect to the importance of industry specialist auditors and financial reporting quality, particularly within the context of the EU. The findings suggest that industry specialists were a significant accounting quality determinant during the mandatory adoption of IFRS. The findings have implications for regulators in the EU and beyond.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to investigate the impact of auditor specialization on accounting quality in the EU, particularly in connection with the adoption of IFRS.
Innovation strategies and organisational performance: the moderating role of company size among small- and medium-sized companies
Authors: Cheah Jeffrey , Leong Sweet Ying , Fernando Yudi
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Not all innovative ideas or approaches commonly implemented by larger companies apply to smaller firms in all regions. Innovation that does not imply company achievements might exhaust their limited resources and cause the market to be uncompetitive. This paper aims to answer two research questions: (1) Do innovation strategies, such as process, marketing and social innovation, affect the performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)? (2) Does company size moderate the relationship between social and marketing innovations with SMEs' performance?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposed three innovation strategies (i.e. social, marketing and process innovations) influencing Malaysian SMEs' performance. There were 123 valid respondents from SMEs, and the data were analysed using a structural equation modelling partial least square (SEM-PLS) technique.

Findings

The research findings advocate that process innovation directly impacts SMEs' performance, not marketing innovation. Interestingly, the influence of social innovation on organisation performance is only significant when the company size becomes more prominent. Companies can provide consistent and continuous social enhancement that arouses public trust and reputation with more resources and capabilities. Also, smaller companies might concentrate their scarce resources on process innovation with instant beneficial potential instead of a sophisticated marketing strategy.

Originality/value

There is limited empirical research examining how different innovation strategies, especially social innovation, affect SMEs' performance in developing countries. Furthermore, the second-generation analysis (PLS-SEM) technique provides more systematic and comprehensive results.
Do trade flows interact in space? Spatial origin-destination modeling of gravity
Authors: Luo Shali , Choi Seung-Whan
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study proposes spatial origin-destination threshold Tobit to address spatial interdependence among bilateral trade flows while accounting for zero trade volumes.

Design/methodology/approach

This model is designed to capture multiple forms of spatial autocorrelation embedded in “directional” trade flows. The authors apply this improved model to export flows among 32 Asian countries in 1990.

Findings

The empirical results indicate the presence of all three types of spatial dependence: exporter-based, importer-based and exporter-to-importer-based. After further considering multifaceted spatial correlation in bilateral trade flows, the authors find that the effect of conventional trade variables changes in a noticeable way.

Research limitations/implications

This finding implies that the standard gravity model may produce biased estimates if it does not take spatial dependence into account.

Originality/value

This paper attempts to offer an improved model of the standard gravity model by taking spatial dependence into account.
The dynamic relationship of cryptocurrencies with supply chain and logistics stocks – the impact of COVID-19
Authors: Daglis Theodoros
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic is known to have affected the logistics and supply chains; however, there is no adequate empirical evidence to prove in which way it has affected the relationship between the stocks related to this field with the corresponding cryptocurrencies. This paper aims to test the dynamic relationship of cryptocurrencies with supply chain and logistics stocks.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the author tests the causal and long-run relationship between logistics and supply chain stocks with the corresponding cryptocurrencies related to these fields, or those that are known to exhibit characteristics that can be utilized by these fields, testing also whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected this relationship. To do so, the author performs the variable-lag causality to test the causal relationship, and examines if this relationship changed due to COVID-19. The author then implements the multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis to investigate the characteristics of a possible long-run relationship, testing also whether they changed due to COVID-19.

Findings

The results indicate that there is a positive long-run relationship between each logistics and supply chain stocks and the corresponding cryptocurrencies, before and also during COVID-19, but during COVID-19 this relationship becomes weaker, in most cases. Moreover, before COVID-19, the majority of the cases indicate a causal direction from cryptocurrencies to the stocks, while during COVID-19, the causal relationships decrease in multitude, and most cases unveil a causal direction from the stocks to cryptocurrencies.

Originality/value

The causal pattern changed during COVID-19, and the long-run relationship became weaker, showing a change in the dynamics in the relationship between logistics and supply chain stocks with cryptocurrencies.
Watershed‐scale liming reveals the short‐ and long‐term effects ofpHon the forest soil microbiome and carbon cycling
Authors: Sridhar Bhavya , Lawrence Gregory B. , Debenport Spencer J. , Fahey Timothy J. , Buckley Daniel H. , Wilhelm Roland C. , Goodale Christine L.
Published: July 2022

Soil microbial community composition routinely correlates with pH, reflecting both direct pH effects on microbial physiology and long‐term biogeochemical feedbacks. We used two watershed‐scale liming experiments to identify short‐ (2 years) and long‐term (25 years) changes in the structure and function of bacterial and fungal communities in organic horizons (Oeand Oa) of acid forest soils. Liming increased soil pH, extractable calcium, and soil carbon stocks, reduced biomass‐specific respiration, and caused major changes in the soil microbiome in the short and long term. More taxa responded to liming in the short term (70%) than in the long term (30%), with most showing consistent directional responses at both sites. The ratio of change in relative abundance between limed and reference sites was twofold higher at the long than the short‐term site, indicating that the effects of liming grew over time. Liming impacts were most pronounced in fungi, as steep declines of dominant ectomycorrhizal fungi (CenococcumandRussula) occurred at both sites. Liming favoured neutrophilic bacteria over acidophilic populations according to estimated environmental pH optima. Collectively, these results demonstrate that a liming‐induced change of one pH unit has an immediate and persistent effect on the structure and function of microbial communities in acid forest soils. The corresponding suppression of respiration indicates that anthropogenic alterations of soil pH, as driven by acid deposition or liming, can affect forest floor C stocks due to pH‐driven shifts in community structure.
Assessing public debt sustainability under COVID‐19 uncertainty: Evidence from Côte d'Ivoire
Authors: Napo Sassire
Published: July 2022

This article investigates public debt sustainability, in the context of a novel exogenous shock, by proposing a realistic forecasting procedure. The procedure implies the combination of a Bayesian VAR model and a nonlinear fiscal reaction model to derive a large number of simulated public debt paths and construct a probabilistic debt sustainability indicator. Annual data covering the period from 1970 to 2019 are used in the African context, with Côte d'Ivoire as a case study. Forecasts suggest low probabilities of non‐increasing trend and well‐contained upside risks (16%–27%) in Côte d'Ivoire for the forecasting period 2021–2024, regardless of the scenario underlying the evolution of COVID‐19 and suggesting that the country remains vulnerable to debt distress risks. Government should promote a sound and reliable debt management system to mitigate such risks. Results also highlight the importance of domestic resources mobilization in reducing the country's fiscal vulnerability and building a sustainable post‐COVID recovery.
De‐prosecution and death: A synthetic control analysis of the impact of de‐prosecution on homicides
Authors: Hogan Thomas P.
Published: July 2022

Research Summary

De‐prosecution is a policy not to prosecute certain criminal offenses, regardless of whether the crimes were committed. The research question here is whether the application of a de‐prosecution policy has an effect on the number of homicides for large cities in the United States. Philadelphia presents a natural experiment to examine this question. During 2010–2014, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office maintained a consistent and robust number of prosecutions and sentencings. During 2015–2019, the office engaged in a systematic policy of de‐prosecution for both felony and misdemeanor cases. The city recorded the fewest number of criminal prosecutions in modern history, with a 70% reduction in the number of criminal sentencings. Philadelphia experienced a concurrent and historically large increase in homicides. This article employs a difference‐in‐differences analysis using a synthetic control method to estimate the effects of de‐prosecution on the number of homicides in Philadelphia. The potential donor pool is composed of the prosecutors’ offices for the 100 largest cities in the United States over a 10‐year period, with a quantitative categorization of the prosecutors’ offices used both as a variable and to exclude cities that may have been subject to a similar de‐prosecution treatment. The synthetic control model estimates that de‐prosecution has been associated with a statistically significant increase of 74.79 homicides per year in Philadelphia during 2015–2019.

Policy Implications

As various prosecution policies such as de‐prosecution are being implemented across the United States, such policies should be tested for downstream results. The broadscale de‐prosecution policy of Philadelphia—particularly for firearm and drug trafficking offenses—appears to have a causal association with a large increase in homicides. The public in Philadelphia will have to make a normative choice between a reduction in the number of prosecutions and an increase in homicides. The government of Philadelphia may consider whether significantly decreased prosecutions by the district attorney's office should result in a decrease in the budget for those services. The overall relationship between de‐prosecution and homicides should be reviewed by prosecutors across the nation for consideration in exercising their prosecutorial discretion, given unique local considerations in each jurisdiction.
Role of dietary fiber in promoting immune health—An EAACI position paper
Authors: Venter Carina , Meyer Rosan W. , Greenhawt Matthew , Pali‐Schöll Isabella , Nwaru Bright , Roduit Caroline , Untersmayr Eva , Adel‐Patient Karine , Agache Ioana , Agostoni Carlo , Akdis Cezmi A. , Feeney Mary , Hoffmann‐Sommergruber Karin , Lunjani Nonhlanhla , Grimshaw Kate , Reese Imke , Smith Peter K. , Sokolowska Milena , Vassilopoulou Emilia , Vlieg‐Boerstra Berber , Amara Shriya , Walter Jens , O'Mahony Liam
Published: July 2022

Microbial metabolism of specific dietary components, such as fiber, contributes to the sophisticated inter‐kingdom dialogue in the gut that maintains a stable environment with important beneficial physiological, metabolic, and immunological effects on the host. Historical changes in fiber intake may be contributing to the increase of allergic and hypersensitivity disorders as fiber‐derived metabolites are evolutionarily hardwired into the molecular circuitry governing immune cell decision‐making processes. In this review, we highlight the importance of fiber as a dietary ingredient, its effects on the microbiome, its effects on immune regulation, the importance of appropriate timing of intervention to target any potential window of opportunity, and potential mechanisms for dietary fibers in the prevention and management of allergic diseases. In addition, we review the human studies examining fiber or prebiotic interventions on asthma and respiratory outcomes, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and overall risk of atopic disorders. While exposures, interventions, and outcomes were too heterogeneous for meta‐analysis, there is significant potential for using fiber in targeted manipulations of the gut microbiome and its metabolic functions in promoting immune health.
Incidence of left atrial appendage thrombus despite 3 weeks of anticoagulation and the need for precardioversion echocardiography
Authors: Erickson Marc , Yadav Harika , Sneij Eliea , Austin Jordan , Manyam Harish
Published: July 2022

Background

One of the most catastrophic complications of Atrial fibrillation (AF) is thromboembolic stroke. Current guidelines recommend that 3 weeks of anticoagulation is adequate prior to direct current cardioversion (DCCV) to prevent thromboembolism. Here we present data regarding, which anticoagulant is most likely to show a presence of an Left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) on trans esophageal echocardiogram (TEE) for DCCV despite 3 weeks of anticoagulation.

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness of both vitamin k antagonist (VKA) and direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) in patients with AF as an anticoagulant for LAAT after 3 weeks of medication.

Methods

This is a single‐high volume tertiary center, where TEE precardioversion is the standard practice. We reviewed data over 10 months where DCCV was intended on individuals with AF who were fully anticoagulated for at least 3 weeks with either a VKA or taking a DOAC.

Results

The data showed a statistical difference between patients who were fully anticoagulated for at least 3 weeks with VKA in comparison to DOACs. Patients on DOACs are significantly less likely to have an LAAT after at least 3 weeks of anticoagulation. OR = 0.04 (CI 95% 0.005–0.42; p‐value < .05). Despite anticoagulation for at least 3 weeks, 40% of our patients still had a LAAT.

Conclusion

Our data indicates that all patients should be required to undergo a TEE prior to DCCV. This data also adds to the current evidence and supports the use of DOAC in AF to prevent LAAT.
How they walk the talk: Responsible management education in Finnish business schools
Authors: Aaltonen Valtteri , Siltaoja Marjo
Published: July 2022

Responsible management education (RME) has become a common initiative in the educational discourse of business schools worldwide. However, little is known about how (non‐)engagement with RME in the past influenced the way RME is organised today. We examine this in one of the pioneering countries of RME, Finland, using extensive qualitative research materials. Our results suggest that RME has been embedded with authenticity‐driven change (local context and research) since the 1990s. In the late 2000s after the legal educational reforms implemented in Finland, the prestige‐driven change (accreditations) began to shape the embedding of RME. In the 2020s, both the authenticity‐ and prestige‐driven changes with vertical and horizontal RME, respectively, often appear as hybrids. This article discusses both the weaknesses and strengths of these approaches in embedding RME.