bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Naming product colors by consumption situations as advertising appeals: effects and the underlying mechanism
Authors: Ku Hsuan-Hsuan , Su Fong-Yi
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Product color names related to a consumption setting are commonly used in advertising to persuade. This study aims to use consumption imagery fluency as an underlying mechanism for assessing how such a naming tactic impacts product evaluation.

Design/methodology/approach

Three between-subjects experiments examine how product evaluation, in response to the use of color names containing consumption situation information, varies as a function of their accessibility (Study 1), and also test the role of a naming explanation (Study 2). How readily a consumer takes in consumption imagery is evaluated as a mediator. The studies further check if color attribute serves as a moderator of such color naming effect and that the naming factor contributes to consumption imagery fluency directly or indirectly alters such through their impact on comprehension fluency (Study 3).

Findings

Marketing products with color names related to the consumption setting is more effective than using generic names. Consumption imagery fluency mediates the results. This positive outcome is reduced when color names are less accessible. Fortunately, including an explanation to facilitate reasoning for product color names is helpful to reverse this disadvantage. The same patterns are not evident for highly accessible names. In addition, the effectiveness of consumption situation-related color names is restricted to the circumstance of color attribute as secondary, as opposed to primary. Furthermore, naming factors influence the ease of consumption of imagery whether or not facilitated by comprehension fluency.

Research limitations/implications

This research provides evidence of consumers’ responses to product color naming that involves consumption situations and identifies consumption imagery fluency as a potential means for mediating the studied effect.

Practical implications

Naming a product color in consumption situation-related terms triggers consumption imagery, driving evaluation when color is the secondary attribute of a product.

Originality/value

This research contributes to understanding the influence of naming a product’s color in promotional communication and correlates to productive tactics for advertising messages.
Co-owned information disclosure and collective privacy calculus on social network platforms: the moderating role of information ownership
Authors: Feng Yafei , Sun Yongqiang , Wang Nan , Shen Xiao-Liang
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Sharing co-owned information on social network platforms has become a common and inevitable phenomenon. However, due to the uniqueness of co-owned information, the privacy calculus theory based on a single information owner cannot explain co-owned information disclosure. Therefore, this study tries to investigate the underlying mechanism of users’ co-owned information disclosure from a collective privacy calculus perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a survey of 740 participants, covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) was used to verify the proposed model and hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that personal benefit, others’ benefit and relationship benefit promote users’ co-owned information disclosure by positively affecting personal distributive fairness and others’ distributive fairness perception. Meanwhile, personal privacy risk and others’ privacy risk prevent users’ co-owned information disclosure by negatively affecting personal distributive fairness and others’ distributive fairness perception. Besides, others’ information ownership perception enhances the positive effect of others’ distributive fairness perception on co-owned information disclosure intention. Furthermore, others’ information ownership strengthens the mediating role of others’ distributive fairness.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study enrich the research scope of information disclosure and privacy calculus theory and help social network platform developers design collective privacy protection functions.

Originality/value

This study develops a collective privacy calculus model to understand users’ co-owned information disclosure on social network platforms, confirming the mediating role of collective distributive fairness and the moderating role of others’ information ownership perception in the process of collective privacy calculus.
The influence of leaders’ motivational language on employee well-being through relatedness in remote work environments
Authors: Lee Eugene , Mitson Renee , Xu Hao
Published: September 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of leaders’ use of motivational language on psychological relatedness and its effect on employee well-being in flexible and remote working conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey among 375 full-time working professionals in the US was conducted with varying frequencies of remote work arrangements. For the analysis, we used a series of PROCESS analyses to examine the moderating effect of leaders’ motivational language use on the relationship between participants’ remote work status and relatedness, with employee well-being as the dependent variable.

Findings

The findings revealed a significant moderating effect of leaders’ perlocutionary (direction-giving) language use on the relationship between employees’ remote work status and relatedness. Specifically, the relationship between remote work status and relatedness was stronger when the use of perlocutionary (direction-giving) language gradually increased. Such enhanced relatedness, in turn, generated higher satisfaction and psychological well-being. The study shows the strategic advantage of direction-giving language in enhancing relatedness, thereby contributing to higher levels of employee satisfaction and psychological well-being in remote work environments.

Originality/value

The originality of this article lies in its integration of motivational language theory and self-determination theory to explore the well-being of employees within flexible and remote work status. Furthermore, we conceptualize remote work as a continuous variable with different degrees of flexibility, ranging from occasional telecommuting to fully remote work, allowing for a nuanced understanding of how leaders’ use of motivational language interacts with varying levels of remote work arrangements to influence employee well-being.
The Accountability System for Material Misstatements and Executive Pay Performance Sensitivity: A Quasi‐natural Experiment
Authors: Liu Wenjun , He Qian , Cao June
Published: September 2024

This study examines the impact of the accountability system for material misstatements (ASMM) on the sensitivity of executive compensation to accounting earnings in China. Using a difference‐in‐differences model, we find that the ASMM significantly decreases the sensitivity of executive compensation to accounting earnings, which we attribute to the monitoring and unintended effects of the ASMM. As executives’ cost to manage reported earnings for more bonuses is significantly heightened by the ASMM, their high compensation sensitivity to reported earnings, which contain earnings management, reduces. The unintended consequence is that executives’ risk aversion is also incentivized to preserve performance pay while the ASMM restricts earnings management, and boards reduce executives’ compensation sensitivity to accounting earnings to encourage their risk taking. These phenomena are more pronounced in companies with high agency conflict, audited by non‐Big 4 auditors, and less followed by analysts. The results indicate that corporate governance reforms that introduce personal responsibilities in China can improve the accuracy of accounting earnings but decrease the efficiency of assessing executive hard work. The board reacts to this change by increasing the role of stock returns in executive compensation contracts. This is consistent with the view that the principal dynamically adjusts executive compensation contracts to make them incentive compatible (Tirole and Laffont, 1988; Hall and Knox, 2004; He, 2011). Our study provides critical implications for the importance of institutional environments to impact governance reforms in emerging markets and beyond.
Tone Management and Litigation Concerns in CEOs’ Early Years
Authors: Goel Pratik , Madadian Oveis , Torsin Wouter
Published: September 2024

Although over‐optimistic disclosures have been found to increase the likelihood of shareholder litigation, this finding has been largely ignored in the context of newly appointed CEOs’ disclosure choices. Addressing this gap, our study examines the variation in CEOs’ tone management strategies in their early years of tenure, here as stimulated by their ex ante litigation concerns (in addition to the well‐documented career concerns). Based on a textual analysis of the 10‐K filings of US nonfinancial firms during 1993–2022, we use the abnormal tone of earnings‐related disclosures to measure strategic tone—a linguistic tool used by managers to influence the perceptions of capital market participants. We find that high litigation concerns are, on average, associated with a greater downward tone management (or over‐pessimism) in CEOs’ early years, even after controlling for the ‘big bath’ phenomenon, as well as a tendency to manage earnings upward on account of career concerns. Furthermore, this over‐pessimism is found to be uninformative about future earnings or operating cash flow. This suggests that managers employ this over‐pessimistic strategy in response to their high litigation risk exposure rather than to inform market participants about their firms’ prospects. Finally, we document that a rich firm information environment—which renders low information asymmetry between firms and outside stakeholders (thus attenuating CEOs’ information advantage)—dampens new CEOs’ tendency to adopt this particular disclosure strategy.
Heritability and genetic correlations of obesity indices and cardiometabolic traits in the Northern Chinese families
Authors: Lin Binbin , Pan Li , He Huijing , Hu Yaoda , Tu Ji , Zhang Ling , Cui Ze , Ren Xiaolan , Wang Xianghua , Nai Jing , Shan Guangliang
Published: September 2024

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the heritability of various obesity indices and their shared genetic factors with cardiometabolic traits in the Chinese nuclear family.

Methods

A total of 1270 individuals from 538 nuclear families were included in this cross‐sectional study. Different indices were used to quantify fat mass and distribution, including body index mass (BMI), visceral fat index (VFI), and body fat percent (BFP). Heritability and genetic correlations for all quantitative traits were estimated using variance component models. The susceptibility‐threshold model was utilized to estimate the heritability for binary traits.

Results

Heritability estimates for obesity indices were highest for BMI (59%), followed by BFP (49%), and VFI (40%). Heritability estimates for continuous cardiometabolic traits varied from 24% to 50%. All obesity measures exhibited consistently significant positive genetic correlations with blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and uric acid (rG range: 0.26–0.57). However, diverse genetic correlations between various obesity indices and lipid profiles were observed. Significant genetic correlations were limited to specific pairs: BFP and total cholesterol (rG = 0.24), BFP and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (rG = 0.25), and VFI and triglyceride (rG = 0.33).

Conclusion

The genetic overlap between various obesity indices and cardiometabolic traits underscores the importance of pleiotropic genes. Further studies are warranted to investigate specific shared genetic and environmental factors between obesity and cardiometabolic diseases.
Improving hydraulic performance of the left atrial assist device using computational fluid dynamics
Authors: Goodin Mark S. , Miyagi Chihiro , Kuban Barry D. , Flick Christine R. , Polakowski Anthony R. , Karimov Jamshid H. , Fukamachi Kiyotaka
Published: September 2024

Background

The left atrial assist device (LAAD) is a novel continuous‐flow pump designed to treat patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, a growing type of heart failure, but with limited device‐treatment options. The LAAD is implanted in the mitral plane and pumps blood from the left atrium into the left ventricle. The purpose of this study was to refine the initial design of the LAAD, using results from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses to inform changes that could improve hydraulic performance and flow patterns within the LAAD.

Methods

The initial design and three variations were simulated, exploring changes to the primary impeller blades, the housing shape, and the number, size, and curvature of the diffuser vanes. Several pump rotational speeds and flow rates spanning the intended range of use were modeled.

Results

Guided by the insight gained from each design iteration, the final design incorporated impeller blades with improved alignment relative to the incoming flow and wider, more curved diffuser vanes that better aligned with the approaching flow from the volute. These design adjustments reduced flow separation within the impeller and diffuser regions. In vitro testing confirmed the CFD predicted improvement in the hydraulic performance of the revised LAAD flow path design.

Conclusions

The CFD results from this study provided insight into the key pump design‐related parameters that can be adjusted to improve the LAAD's hydraulic performance and internal flow patterns. This work also provided a foundation for future studies assessing the LAAD's biocompatibility under clinical conditions.
MASLD in people with HIV exhibits higher fibrosis stage despite lower disease activity than in matched controls
Authors: Allende Daniela S. , Cummings Oscar , Sternberg Alice L. , Behling Cynthia A. , Carpenter Danielle , Gill Ryan M. , Guy Cynthia D. , Yeh Matthew M. , Gawrieh Samer , Sterling Richard K. , Naggie Susanna , Loomba Rohit , Price Jennifer C. , McLaughlin Mary , Hadigan Colleen , Crandall Holly , Belt Patricia , Wilson Laura , Chalasani Naga P. , Kleiner David E. ,   the HIV NASH and NASH Clinical Research Groups
Published: September 2024

Background

Metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is common in people with HIV (PWH). The morphological spectrum of MASLD compared to matched controls and of the correlation between the NAFLD activity score (NAS) and fibrosis stage in PWH remains unknown.

Methods

Overall, 107 liver biopsies from PWH with MASLD (MASLD‐PWH) were matched to 107 biopsies from individuals with MASLD and without HIV (MASLD controls) on age at biopsy, race/ethnicity, sex, type 2 diabetes, body mass index (BMI) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. Biopsies were scored using NAS.

Results

Compared to MASLD‐controls, MASLD‐PWH had lower steatosis grade (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: (0.47–0.90),p = 0.01), lower lobular inflammation grade (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: (0.34–0.89),p = 0.02), less portal inflammation (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: (0.25–0.72),p = 0.002) and less ballooned hepatocytes (OR: 0.60, 95% CI: (0.41–0.88),p = 0.01). Thus, NAS was lower in MASLD‐PWH (OR: 0.69, 95% CI: (0.56–0.85),p < 0.001) than in MASLD controls. There was a trend towards lower prevalence of steatohepatitis in MASLD‐PWH (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: (0.68–1.03),p = 0.09). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that MASLD‐PWH cases had significantly less steatosis (OR: 0.66,p = 0.03), portal inflammation (OR: 0.34,p = 0.001) and ballooned hepatocytes (OR: 0.55,p = 0.01), yet higher stage fibrosis (OR: 1.42,p = 0.03) compared to MASLD controls.

Conclusion

The NAS and histological drivers of fibrosis (e.g. inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning) are less pronounced in MASLD‐PWH, and yet fibrosis stage was generally higher when compared to matched controls with MASLD without HIV. This suggests HIV‐specific factors beyond hepatic necroinflammation may contribute to fibrosis progression in MASLD‐PWH.
The history of the European Neurological Society (1986–2014)—10 years later
Authors: Toyka Klaus V. , Krarup Christian , Steck Andreas , Said Gérard , Argov Zohar , van Gijn Jan , Ferro José , Comi Giancarlo , Bassetti Claudio L. A.
Published: September 2024

Background and Purpose

The European Academy of Neurology (EAN) was a merger from two parent societies: the European Neurological Association (ENS, founded in 1986) and the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS, founded in 1987).

Methods

This article was written by nine former presidents, three of whom were also founders of the ENS, and is based on recollections and documents. It follows up on a review of the ENS history stored in the EAN archive.

Results

The first European society (ENS) was founded by eight individual European academic clinician‐neuroscientists aiming at joining with other qualified European neuroscientists on an individual membership basis. After 1990 members were also invited from behind the former Iron Curtain. A principal goal was holding neurology meetings (700 participants in 1988 and over 3000 in 2010), promoting collaborative research projects with exchange of junior neuroscientists, and providing teaching and education independent from nationality. Health politics were not part of the agenda. The executive boards (4‐year term) were staffed with academic scientists from all subspecialties of neurology. Numerous bursaries and fellowships were established for junior neurologists. The impact of ENS members on research activities of young investigators was appreciated by academia at large. After years of negotiations ENS and EFNS joint efforts resulted in forming the EAN covering all fields of neurology and neuroscience under one roof.

Conclusion

The basic principles of the ENS were successfully integrated into the new EAN in particular documented by the number of individual members rising to over 4000 in 2024.
Comparative Transcriptomic Reveals Greater Similarities in Response to Temperature Than to Invasive Alien Predator in the Damselfly Ischnura elegans Across Different Geographic Scales
Authors: Wos Guillaume , Palomar Gemma , Marszałek Marzena , Sniegula Szymon
Published: September 2024

The impact of global changes on populations may not be necessarily uniform across a species' range. Here, we aim at comparing the phenotypic and transcriptomic response to warming and an invasive predator cue in populations across different geographic scales in the damselfly Ischnura elegans. We collected adult females in two ponds in southern Poland (central latitude) and two ponds in southern Sweden (high latitude). We raised their larvae in growth chambers and exposed them to combination of temperature and a predator cue released by the crayfish Orconectes limosus. When larvae reached the prefinal larval stage, they were phenotyped for traits related to growth and size and collected for a gene expression analysis. High‐latitude populations exhibited greater phenotypic and transcriptomic variation than central‐latitude populations. Across latitudes and ponds, temperature generally increased growth rate and the predator cue decreased mass, but the effects of temperature were also pond‐specific. Comparison of the transcriptomic profiles revealed a greater overlap in the response to temperature across latitudes and ponds, especially for pathway‐related oxidative stress and sugar and lipid metabolism. The transcriptomic response to a predator cue and to the interaction temperature × predator cue was more pond‐specific and overlapped only for few genes and pathways related to cuticle, development and signal transduction. We demonstrated that central‐ and high‐latitude populations may partially respond through similar mechanisms to warming and, to a lower extent to a predator cue and to the interaction temperature × predator cue. For the predator cue and the interaction, the large fraction of ponds‐specific genes suggests local adaptation. We show that high‐latitude populations were generally more plastic at the phenotypic and transcriptomic level and may be more capable to cope with environmental changes than their central‐latitude counterparts.
TensorCRO: A TensorFlow‐based implementation of a multi‐method ensemble for optimization
Authors: Palomo‐Alonso A. , Costa V. G. , Moreno‐Saavedra L. M. , Lorente‐Ramos E. , Pérez‐Aracil J. , Pedreira C. E. , Salcedo‐Sanz S.
Published: September 2024

This paper presents a novel implementation of the Coral Reef Optimization with Substrate Layers (CRO‐SL) algorithm. Our approach, which we call TensorCRO, takes advantage of the TensorFlow framework to represent CRO‐SL as a series of tensor operations, allowing it to run on GPU and search for solutions in a faster and more efficient way. We evaluate the performance of the proposed implementation across a wide range of benchmark functions commonly used in optimization research (such as the Rastrigin, Rosenbrock, Ackley, and Griewank functions), and we show that GPU execution leads to considerable speedups when compared to its CPU counterpart. Then, when comparing TensorCRO to other state‐of‐the‐art optimization algorithms (such as the Genetic Algorithm, Simulated Annealing, and Particle Swarm Optimization), the results show that TensorCRO can achieve better convergence rates and solutions than other algorithms within a fixed execution time, given that the fitness functions are also implemented on TensorFlow. Furthermore, we also evaluate the proposed approach in a real‐world problem of optimizing power production in wind farms by selecting the locations of turbines; in every evaluated scenario, TensorCRO outperformed the other meta‐heuristics and achieved solutions close to the best known in the literature. Overall, our implementation of the CRO‐SL algorithm in TensorFlow GPU provides a new, fast, and efficient approach to solving optimization problems, and we believe that the proposed implementation has significant potential to be applied in various domains, such as engineering, finance, and machine learning, where optimization is often used to solve complex problems. Furthermore, we propose that this implementation can be used to optimize models that cannot propagate an error gradient, which is an excellent choice for non‐gradient‐based optimizers.
SMAR1 and p53‐regulated lncRNA RP11‐431M3.1 enhances HIF1A translation via miR‐138 in colorectal cancer cells under oxidative stress
Authors: Bose Ganesh Suraj , Jindal Shruti , Landage Kiran Gautam , Jindal Aarzoo , Mahale Monali Prakash , Kulkarni Abhijeet P. , Mittal Smriti
Published: September 2024

Eukaryotic cells respond to stress by altering coding and non‐coding gene expression programs. Alongside many approaches and regulatory mechanisms, long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNA) are finding a significant place in gene regulation, suggesting an involvement in various cellular processes and pathophysiology. LncRNAs are regulated by many transcription factors, including SMAR1 and p53, which are tumor suppressor genes. SMAR1 inhibits cancer cell metastasis and invasion and is also known to inhibit apoptosis during low‐dose stress in coordination with p53. Data mining analysis suggested that these tumor suppressor genes might coregulate the lncRNA RP11‐431M3.1 in colon cancer cells. Importantly, RP11‐431M3.1 expression was found to be negatively correlated with patient survival rates in a number of cancers. Oxidative stress occurs when an imbalance in the body is caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). This imbalance is known to be important in the development/pathogenesis of colon cancer. We are researching the role and control of this lncRNA in HCT116 cells under conditions of oxidative stress. We observed a dose‐dependent differential expression of lncRNA upon H2O2 treatment and found that p53 and SMAR1 bind differentially to the promoter in response to the dose of stress inducer used. RP11‐431M3.1 was observed to sponge miR‐138 which has an important target gene, hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF1A). miR‐138 was observed to bind differentially to RP11‐431M3.1 and HIF1A RNA depending on the dose of oxidative stress. Furthermore, the knockdown of RP11‐431M3.1 decreased the migration and proliferation of colon cancer cells. Our results suggest a previously undescribed regulatory mechanism through which RP11‐431M3.1 is transcriptionally regulated by SMAR1 and p53, target HIF1A through miR‐138, and highlight its potential as a therapeutic and diagnostic marker for cancer.
USP19 exerts a tumor‐promoting role in diffuse large B cell lymphoma through stabilizing PARK7
Authors: Li Yaqing , Liu Xiyang , Li Yulai , Wang Jieting , Zhang Mengqian , Xue Weili , Zhang Mingzhi
Published: September 2024

Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma and is associated with a poor prognosis. Data from the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database revealed dysregulated expression of several ubiquitin‐specific proteases (USPs) in DLBCL tissues (DLBCL vs. non‐DLBCL = 47 vs. 337), including USP19 (log2fold change = 1.17, P < 0.05). USP19 is closely linked to tumorigenesis, but its role in DLBCL progression remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of USP19 in DLBCL development. Genetic manipulation of USP19 using adenovirus‐based vectors was performed in two DLBCL cell lines, SUDHL4 and DB cells. The results showed that USP19 knockdown suppressed the proliferation, anchorage‐independent growth and xenograft tumor formation of DLBCL cells and arrested the cell cycle at the G1 stage. In parallel, DLBCL cells overexpressing USP19 acquired a more malignant phenotype. Next, to explore USP19 interactors, we performed co‐immunoprecipitation/liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and identified potential interacting proteins. Among them, Parkinson disease protein 7 (PARK7), a member of the peptidase C56 family known to be involved in carcinogenesis, was further validated to bind with and be stabilized by USP19. Additionally, we found that USP19 induced PARK7 deubiquitylation in both DLBCL cell lines, and PARK7 acted as a downstream effector of USP19 in regulating the growth of DLBCL cells. Collectively, USP19 exerts a tumor‐promoting role in DLBCL through interacting with and stabilizing PARK7.
Digital platforms in the Italian domestic care sector: The emergence of an unprecedented corporate logic and its implications for workers' social protection
Authors: PAIS Ivana , MARCOLIN Arianna
Published: September 2024

This article explores the heterogeneity of care platforms using the case studies of two platforms in the Italian domestic work sector: one that carries out matching between supply and demand (Helpling), reinforcing informality in the sector, and one that acts as an employer (Batmaid). The analysis shows that digital platforms can introduce a corporate logic into a sector where it was previously absent. This creates a potential for company‐level bargaining for both platforms and related models – something that trade unions have, so far, not considered owing to a lack of recognition of the needs of platform domestic workers.
Plataformas digitales de servicio doméstico y de cuidados en Italia. Nueva lógica empresarial y protección social de los trabajadores
Authors: PAIS Ivana , MARCOLIN Arianna
Published: September 2024

En este artículo se investiga la heterogeneidad de las plataformas de servicio doméstico y de cuidados en Italia a partir del análisis de dos casos concretos: una plataforma que conecta la oferta y la demanda (Helpling), reforzando la informalidad del sector, y otra que actúa como empleadora (Batmaid). Se constata que las plataformas digitales pueden introducir una lógica empresarial en un sector poco organizado. Surge así un potencial de negociación colectiva de ámbito empresarial respecto de las plataformas y los modelos conexos, algo que los sindicatos no han tenido en cuenta hasta la fecha al no reconocer las necesidades de los trabajadores domésticos de plataformas.
Reimagining stagnant perspectives of family structure: Advancing a critical theoretical research agenda
Authors: Sanner Caroline , Williams Deadric T. , Mitchell Sarah , Jensen Todd M. , Russell Luke T. , Garnett‐Deakin Aran
Published: September 2024

Many Americans believe that a breakdown in the “traditional” two‐married‐parent family and the rise in single‐parent families are responsible for persistent family inequality. The general argument is that children do best when they are raised by both biological parents. Evidence increasingly calls into question conventional wisdom about the universal benefits of the two‐parent family, yet mainstream approaches to studying family structure continue to reinforce oversimplistic interpretations of the impact of family structure on well‐being. In this article, we reconsider long‐standing assumptions about the superiority of the heteropatriarchal two‐married‐parent family using historical and contemporary evidence to offset the stagnant theorizing in the study of family structure. We argue that, in pursuit of better science, family researchers must commit to theoretical approaches that move us beyond conventional perspectives of families toward critical perspectives that guide more nuanced, holistic, and contextualized analyses of how family structure actually operates in people's lives.
How does plant chemodiversity evolve? Testing five hypotheses in one population genetic model
Authors: Wittmann Meike J. , Bräutigam Andrea
Published: September 2024

Plant chemodiversity, the diversity of plant‐specialized metabolites, is an important dimension of biodiversity. However, there are so far few mathematical models to test verbal hypotheses on how chemodiversity evolved. Here, we develop such a model to test predictions of five hypotheses: the ‘fluctuating selection hypothesis’, the ‘dominance reversal hypothesis’, the interaction diversity hypothesis, the synergy hypothesis, and the screening hypothesis.

We build a population genetic model of a plant population attacked by herbivore species whose occurrence fluctuates over time. We study the model using mathematical analysis and individual‐based simulations.

As predicted by the ‘dominance reversal hypothesis’, chemodiversity can be maintained if alleles conferring a defense metabolite are dominant with respect to the benefits, but recessive with respect to costs. However, even smaller changes in dominance can maintain polymorphism. Moreover, our results underpin and elaborate predictions of the synergy and interaction diversity hypotheses, and, to the extent that our model can address it, the screening hypotheses. By contrast, we found only partial support for the ‘fluctuating selection hypothesis’.

In summary, we have developed a flexible model and tested various verbal models for the evolution of chemodiversity. Next, more mechanistic models are needed that explicitly consider the organization of metabolic pathways.
Shorting the metaphorical circuit: vascular partitioning and stomatal patchiness can create apparent unsaturation and CO2 gradient inversion in the Ohmic analogy for leaf gas exchange
Authors: Rockwell Fulton E.
Published: September 2024

Analyses of leaf gas exchange rely on an Ohmic analogy that arrays single stomatal, internal air space, and mesophyll conductances in series. Such models underlie inferences of mesophyll conductance and the relative humidity of leaf airspaces, reported to fall as low as 80%. An unresolved question is whether such series models are biased with respect to real leaves, whose internal air spaces are chambered at various scales by vasculature.

To test whether unsaturation could emerge from modeling artifacts, we compared series model estimates with true parameter values for a chambered leaf with varying distributions and magnitudes of leaf surface conductance (‘patchiness’).

Distributions of surface conductance can create large biases in gas exchange calculations. Both apparent unsaturation and internal CO2 gradient inversion can be produced by the evolution of broader distributions of stomatal apertures consistent with a decrease in surface conductance, as might occur under increasing vapor pressure deficit.

In gas exchange experiments, the behaviors of derived quantities defined by simple series models are highly sensitive to the true partitioning of flux and stomatal apertures across leaf surfaces. New methods are needed to disentangle model artifacts from real biological responses.
Self‐concept clarity and the evaluation and selection of incompatible dating partners
Authors: Kredl Katya F. , Kubin Dita , Lydon John E.
Published: September 2024

Romantic compatibility is theorized to play a crucial role in the success and stability of romantic relationships, although evidence to date has been somewhat indirect. Previous experimental findings suggest that those lower, relative to higher, in self‐concept clarity find it more challenging to evaluate similarity (i.e., a contributor to compatibility) in prospective romantic partners. The current research extends these findings by directly examining self‐concept clarity and romantic partner (in)compatibility in real‐world experiences. Across two retrospective studies (N = 340), we found that those lower, relative to higher, in self‐concept clarity dated incompatible others more frequently, experienced greater difficulty judging compatibility, and were less decisive in their dating decisions. They also experienced greater dating‐related negative affect but did not report lower satisfaction in past dating. Exploratory mediation analyses further suggest that such individuals experienced greater dating‐related negative affect through dating incompatible others more often. Specifically, they were more likely to date incompatible others if they found it harder to judge compatibility and were less decisive in dating. These results suggest that individuals with a confused personal identity (i.e., low in self‐concept clarity) may find it more challenging to evaluate potential dating partners, leading them to rule out incompatible ones less often.
Smallholders' perspectives, motivations, and incentives for restoring the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: Tavares Mayra F. , Gallo Patrícia , Nascimento Nathália , Bauhus Jürgen , Brancalion Pedro H. S. , Feurer Mélanie
Published: September 2024

Ecosystem restoration, recognized as a critical strategy for climate change adaptation and mitigation, faces significant challenges in achieving widespread implementation. A particular facet of this challenge lies in the active involvement of rural landowners. Our study aimed to understand rural landowners' perspectives, motivations, and characteristics that influence their participation in restoration projects in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on 68 semi‐structured interviews with two groups of landowners: 36 who received support and 32 who did not receive project support from a local non‐governmental organization to restore native forests on their landholdings. Approximately three‐quarters of the sample are classified as smallholders (<80 ha). The main difference between the two groups is the dependence on agricultural production as the main source of income, with 22% of farmers in the supported group and 72% in the unsupported group. This socio‐economic characteristic appeared to influence the decision to restore native forest. Farmers' focus tends to be linked to rural production, and the main obstacle to restoration was the loss of productive land. They usually allow natural forest regeneration to establish on slopes. The other type of landowner (lifestylers) mainly restored land through planting of seedlings, with the main barrier being the cost of restoration. Both groups had water conservation as their main motivation for restoration. Our study shows that understanding the perspectives and motivations of the diversity of rural landowners is crucial to effectively engage them and address the socio‐economic feasibility of different restoration approaches.
Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer Due to Differentially Heated Walls of Horizontal Channel Filled With Porous Medium
Authors: Chandra Harish
Published: September 2024

This paper reports the fully developed flow and heat transfer in the horizontal channel filled with fluid saturated porous medium. The flow is derived from the combined impact of external pressure gradient and thermal diffusion buoyancy force. The Brinkmann-extended Darcy model describes the behavior of the two-dimensional flow governing equations. The coupled governing equations are solved numerically using the alternate direction implicit (ADI) method. The influence of physical parameters, Reynolds number (Re), Darcy number (Da), and Grashof number (Gr), on the dynamics of flow and heat transfer mechanism is investigated. From our numerical investigation, it is found that the flow structure is either uniform or recirculation and depends on Da, Gr, as well as Re. For Re = 10, the flow structure is multicellular and flow oscillation, whereas for Re = 100 the flow structure is unicellular. The size and position of flow circulation are changed significantly for relatively large media permeability. For Ri≥10, the linear contours in the profile of temperature distribution are found via convection as well as conduction mode, whereas curvature contours in the same are found via convection mode only which is the consequence of natural convection dominant. For Ri = 1, the curvature contour in the profile of temperature distribution is found by mixed convection only.
Is It Possible to Improve Performance in Competition After an Adductor Longus Injury in Professional Football Players?
Authors: Estévez-Rodríguez José Luis , Rivilla-García Jesús , Jiménez-Rubio Sergio
Published: September 2024

Context: Adductor longus muscle strains are one of the most common injuries occurring in intermittent sports such as soccer. Objective: The purpose of this study was to know the effect of a specific rehabilitation and reconditioning program, which was previously validated, after adductor longus injury in professional soccer players. Methods: A specific rehabilitation and reconditioning program was applied to 11 injured male professional soccer players. Participants: Eleven male professional soccer players (age = 29.18 [4.45] y; height = 179.64 [4.97] cm; mass = 75.33 [3.84] kg). Interventions: In the first place, the days taken to return to full team training and to return to competition (RTP) was analyzed; second, the most important performance parameters were analyzed and compared in the preinjury match (PRE) and after the return to competition at 2 different points in time (RTP1–RTP2). Results: The return to full team training recorded was 11.91 (1.92) days and the RTP was 15.36 (3.04) days. Match performance parameters showed significant improvements after injury. Significant improvements were observed during RTP2, in the variables of high-speed running (P = .002), very high-speed running (P = .006), acceleration (>3 m/s2; P = .048), and high metabolic load distance (P = .009). Conclusion: The results allow us to conclude that this program was very effective, as it allowed the players to obtain similar and/or higher performance values in a reduced period of time after the injury.
Ultralow voltage–driven efficient and stable perovskite light-emitting diodes
Authors: Zheng Song , Wang Zhibin , Jiang Naizhong , Huang Hailiang , Wu Ximing , Li Dan , Teng Qian , Li Jinyang , Li Chenhao , Li Jinsui , Pang Tao , Zeng Lingwei , Zhang Ruidan , Huang Feng , Lei Lei , Wu Tianmin , Yuan Fanglong , Chen Daqin
Published: September 2024

The poor operational stability of perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) remains a major obstacle to their commercial application. Achieving high brightness and quantum efficiency at low driving voltages, thus effectively reducing heat accumulation, is key to enhancing the operational lifetime of PeLEDs. Here, we present a breakthrough, attaining a record-low driving voltage while maintaining high brightness and efficiency. By thoroughly suppressing interface recombination and ensuring excellent charge transport, our PeLEDs, with an emission peak at 515 nanometers, achieve a maximum brightness of 90,295 candelas per square meter and a peak external quantum efficiency of 27.8% with an ultralow turn-on voltage of 1.7 volts (~70% bandgap voltage). Notably, Joule heat is nearly negligible at these low driving voltages, substantially extending the operational lifetime to 7691.1 hours. Our optimized strategies effectively tackle stability issue through thermal management, paving the way for highly stable PeLEDs.
Pre-vax metabolic clues: Cracking the code to a better dengue vaccine
Authors: Akther Fahima , Martinez David R.
Published: September 2024

Multi-omic analysis deciphers the impact of cell-intrinsic and systemic metabolomes on dengue vaccination immunogenicity.
Bystander monocytic cells drive infection-independent NLRP3 inflammasome response to SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Hsieh Leon L. , Looney Monika , Figueroa Alexis , Massaccesi Guido , Stavrakis Georgia , Anaya Eduardo U. , D'Alessio Franco R. , Ordonez Alvaro A. , Pekosz Andrew S. , DeFilippis Victor R. , Karakousis Petros C. , Karaba Andrew H. , Cox Andrea L.
Published: September 2024

The pathogenesis of COVID-19 is associated with a hyperinflammatory immune response. Monocytes and macrophages play a central role in this hyperinflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2. NLRP3 inflammasome activation has been observed in monocytes of patients with COVID-19, but the mechanism and consequences of inflammasome activation require further investigation. In this study, we inoculated a macrophage-like THP-1 cell line, primary differentiated human nasal epithelial cell (hNEC) cultures, and primary monocytes with SARS-CoV-2. We found that the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages does not rely on viral replication, receptor-mediated entry, or actin-dependent entry. SARS-CoV-2 productively infected hNEC cultures without triggering the production of inflammasome cytokines IL-18 and IL-1β. Importantly, these cytokines did not inhibit viral replication in hNEC cultures. SARS-CoV-2 inoculation of primary monocytes led to inflammasome activation and induced a macrophage phenotype in these cells. Monocytic cells from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, but not from peripheral blood, of patients with COVID-19, showed evidence of inflammasome activation, expressed the proinflammatory marker CD11b, and displayed oxidative burst. These findings highlight the central role of activated macrophages, as a result of direct viral sensing, in COVID-19 and support the inhibition of IL-1β and IL-18 as potential therapeutic strategies to reduce immunopathology without increasing viral replication.

IMPORTANCE

Inflammasome activation is associated with severe COVID-19. The impact of inflammasome activation on viral replication and mechanistic details of this activation are not clarified. This study advances our understanding of the role of inflammasome activation in macrophages by identifying TLR2, NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 as dependent factors in this activation. Further, it highlights that SARS-CoV-2 inflammasome activation is not a feature of nasal epithelial cells but rather activation of bystander macrophages in the airway. Finally, we demonstrate that two pro inflammatory cytokines produced by inflammasome activation, IL-18 and IL-1β, do not restrict viral replication and are potential targets to ameliorate pathological inflammation in severe COVID-19.
Structural analysis of S-ring composed of FliFG fusion proteins in marine
Vibrio
polar flagellar motor
Authors: Takekawa Norihiro , Nishikino Tatsuro , Kishikawa Jun-ichi , Hirose Mika , Kinoshita Miki , Kojima Seiji , Minamino Tohru , Uchihashi Takayuki , Kato Takayuki , Imada Katsumi , Homma Michio
Published: September 2024

The marine bacterium
Vibrio alginolyticus
possesses a polar flagellum driven by a sodium ion flow. The main components of the flagellar motor are the stator and rotor. The C-ring and MS-ring, which are composed of FliG and FliF, respectively, are parts of the rotor. Here, we purified an MS-ring composed of FliF–FliG fusion proteins and solved the near-atomic resolution structure of the S-ring—the upper part of the MS-ring—using cryo-electron microscopy. This is the first report of an S-ring structure from
Vibrio
, whereas, previously, only those from
Salmonella
have been reported. The
Vibrio
S-ring structure reveals novel features compared with that of
Salmonella
, such as tilt angle differences of the RBM3 domain and the β-collar region, which contribute to the vertical arrangement of the upper part of the β-collar region despite the diversity in the RBM3 domain angles. Additionally, there is a decrease of the inter-subunit interaction between RBM3 domains, which influences the efficiency of the MS-ring formation in different bacterial species. Furthermore, although the inner-surface electrostatic properties of
Vibrio
and
Salmonella
S-rings are altered, the residues potentially interacting with other flagellar components, such as FliE and FlgB, are well structurally conserved in the
Vibrio
S-ring. These comparisons clarified the conserved and non-conserved structural features of the MS-ring across different species.

IMPORTANCE

Understanding the structure and function of the flagellar motor in bacterial species is essential for uncovering the mechanisms underlying bacterial motility and pathogenesis. Our study revealed the structure of the
Vibrio
S-ring, a part of its polar flagellar motor, and highlighted its unique features compared with the well-studied
Salmonella
S-ring. The observed differences in the inter-subunit interactions and in the tilt angles between the
Vibrio
and
Salmonella
S-rings highlighted the species-specific variations and the mechanism for the optimization of MS-ring formation in the flagellar assembly. By concentrating on the region where the S-ring and the rod proteins interact, we uncovered conserved residues essential for the interaction. Our research contributes to the advancement of bacterial flagellar biology.
Rare presentation of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zanib Alvina , Ahmed Ahmed Abdelaziz , Salvia Milos Antonella , Musavi Syed Shabbar
Published: September 2024

A complex liver lesion presents a significant challenge in terms of diagnosis and management. This case is an illustrative example, highlighting the steps involved in managing such complex scenarios. This patient, in her early 20s, presented with a fever associated with worsening abdominal pain, as well as a background history of chronic abdominal pain, anorexia, vomiting, constipation and weight loss. The radiology revealed an irregular complex cyst in the liver with biliary and vascular invasion, raising concerns about hepatocellular carcinoma. The diagnosis was changed toalveolar echinococcosisafter the infectious diseases consultant gave helpful advice, andechinococcosisantibodies were found. We subsequently started the patient on albendazole therapy. Following prudent advice from hepatobiliary surgeons and given the complexity of the hepatic lesion, a liver transplant was considered the best management option due to the extensive involvement of the biliary and venous systems. The combined approach of albendazole and a liver transplant marked a transformative phase for this patient, putting an end to her prolonged suffering.
Unusual presentation of Wilson’s disease as proximal renal tubular acidosis with isolated phosphaturia
Authors: Matti Mahantesh Rajashashidhar , Mohan Aditi , Maralihalli Mahesh , Kulkarni Vijay
Published: September 2024

An adolescent girl presented with recurrent lower limb fractures and was managed as osteogenesis imperfecta. Low phosphate levels noted on routine investigation were the clue for the phosphaturia and subsequent diagnosis of proximal renal tubular acidosis (RTA). Further, with a history of jaundice, she was diagnosed with Wilson’s disease, which was the underlying cause of proximal RTA with isolated phosphaturia and consequent fractures. Standard treatment for Wilson’s disease along with supplementation of oral phosphate and bicarbonate led to complete recovery of fragile bones.