bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new class of protein sensor links spirochete pleomorphism, persistence, and chemotaxis
Authors: Muok A.R. , Kurniyati K. , Ortega D.R. , Olsthoorn F.A. , Mabrouk A. Sidi , Li C. , Briegel A.
Published: January 2022

Pathogenic spirochetes can alter their morphologies and behaviors to infect and survive within their hosts. Previous reports demonstrate that the formation of so-called ‘round bodies’ and biofilms, and chemotaxis are involved in spirochete pathogenesis. Here, in the spirocheteTreponema denticola, we report a direct link between these cellular states that involves a new class of protein sensor (CheWS) with hitherto unclear function. Using cryo-EM methods, protein modeling, bioinformatics, genetics methods, and behavioral assays we demonstrate that spirochetes regulate these behaviors in response to the small molecule s-adenosylmethionine (SAM) via a SAM sensor that is anchored to chemotaxis arrays. CheWS influences chemotaxis, biofilm and round body formation under nonstressed conditions by a novel sporulation-like mechanism. Taken together, we establish an improved model for round body formation, we discovered a direct link between this SAM sensor and changes in cellular states, as well as characterized a new sensor class involved in chemotaxis.
In situ structure and priming mechanism of the rhoptry secretion system in Plasmodium revealed by cryo-electron tomography
Authors: Martinez Matthew , Chen William David , Cova Marta Mendonça , Molnár Petra , Mageswaran Shrawan Kumar , Guérin Amandine , Odom John Audrey R. , Lebrun Maryse , Chang Yi-Wei
Published: January 2022

Apicomplexan parasites secrete the contents of rhoptries into host cells to permit their invasion and establishment of an infectious niche. The rhoptry secretory apparatus (RSA), which is critical for rhoptry secretion, was recently discovered in Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium. It is positioned at the cell apex and associates with an enigmatic apical vesicle (AV), which docks one or two rhoptries at the site of exocytosis. The interplay among the rhoptries, the AV, and the parasite plasma membrane for secretion remains unclear. Moreover, it is unknown if a similar machinery exists in the deadly malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. In this study, we use in situ cryo-electron tomography to investigate the rhoptry secretion system in P. falciparum merozoites. We identify the presence of an RSA at the cell apex and a morphologically distinct AV docking the tips of the two rhoptries to the RSA. We also discover two new organizations: one in which the AV is absent with one of the two rhoptry tips docks directly to the RSA, and a second in which the two rhoptries fuse together and the common tip docks directly to the RSA. Interestingly, rhoptries among the three states show no significant difference in luminal volume and density, suggesting that the exocytosis of rhoptry contents has not yet occurred, and that these different organizations likely represent sequential states leading to secretion. Using subtomogram averaging, we reveal different conformations of the RSA structure corresponding to each state, including the opening of a gate-like density in the rhoptry-fused state. These conformational changes of the RSA uncover structural details of a priming process for major rhoptry secretion, which likely occur after initial interaction with a red blood cell. Our results highlight a previously unknown step in the process of rhoptry secretion and indicate a regulatory role for the conserved apical vesicle in host invasion by apicomplexan parasites.
Clinically Relevant Pathogens on Surfaces Display Differences in Survival and Transcriptomic Response in Relation to Probiotic and Traditional Cleaning Strategies
Authors: Hu Jinglin , Shuai Weitao , Sumner Jack T. , Moghadam Anahid A. , Hartmann Erica M.
Published: January 2022

Indoor surfaces are paradoxically presumed to be both colonized by pathogens, necessitating disinfection, and “microbial wastelands.” In these resource-poor, dry environments, competition and decay are thought to be important drivers of microbial community composition. However, the relative contributions of these two processes have not been specifically evaluated. To bridge this knowledge gap, we used microcosms to specifically evaluate whether interspecies interactions occur on surfaces. We combined transcriptomics and traditional microbiology techniques to investigate whether competition occurred between two clinically important pathogens, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and a probiotic cleaner containing a consortium of Bacillus species. Probiotic cleaning seeks to take advantage of ecological principles such as competitive exclusion, thus using benign microorganisms to inhibit viable pathogens, but there is limited evidence that competitive exclusion in fact occurs in environments of interest (i.e., indoor surfaces). Our results indicate that competition in this setting has a negligible impact on community composition but may influence the functions expressed by active organisms. Although Bacillus spp. remained viable on surfaces for an extended period of time after application, viable colony forming units (CFUs) of A. baumannii recovered following exposure to a chemical-based detergent with and without Bacillus spp. showed no statistical difference. Similarly, for K. pneumoniae, there were small statistical differences in CFUs between cleaning scenarios with or without Bacillus spp. in the chemical-based detergent. The transcriptome of A. baumannii with and without Bacillus spp. exposure shared a high degree of similarity in overall gene expression, but the transcriptome of K. pneumoniae differed in overall gene expression, including reduced response in genes related to antimicrobial resistance. Together, these results highlight the need to fully understand the underlying biological and ecological mechanisms for community assembly and function on indoor surfaces, as well as having practical implications for cleaning and disinfection strategies for infection prevention.
The RNA-Binding Protein SAM68 regulates cardiomyocyte differentiation by enhancing Gata4 translation
Authors: Dasti Alessandro , Antonelli Maria Carla , Segura Magdalena Arnal , Armaos Alexandros , Bonnin Sarah , Graf Thomas , Paronetto Maria Paola , Tian Tian V , Bechara Elias , Tartaglia Gian Gaetano
Published: January 2022

The signal transduction and activation of RNA (STAR) family is composed of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that play a central role in mammalian development. Nonetheless, the functions and modes of action that STAR proteins have in lineage specification are still poorly understood. Here, we characterized the role of STAR proteins SAM68 and QUAKING (QKI) in pluripotency and differentiation by performing their depletion through CRISPR-Cas9 in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Combining RNA-sequencing, ribosome profiling and advanced computational predictions, we found that both SAM68 and QKI regulate the mESCs self-renewal and are indispensable for cardiomyocyte differentiation. At the molecular level, we discovered that SAM68 and QKI antagonistically control the expression of cardiogenic factors. Our calculations indicated that SAM68, unlike QKI, binds the cardiogenic-specific transcription factor Gata4 in a region spanning nucleotides 500 to 1000 of the mRNA corresponding to part of the 5’ untranslated region and the first exon. We validated the predictions by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and RNA immunoprecipitation showing that SAM68 controls the translation of Gata4 during mESCs differentiation towards the cardiomyocyte lineage.
GenomeBits insight into omicron and delta variants of coronavirus pathogen
Authors: Canessa Enrique , Tenze Livio
Published: January 2022

We apply the new GenomeBits method to uncover underlying genomic features of omicron and delta coronavirus variants. This is a statistical algorithm whose salient feature is to map the nucleotide bases into a finite alternating (±) sum series of distributed terms of binary (0,1) indicators. We show how by this method, distinctive signals can be uncovered out of the intrinsic data organization of amino acid progressions along their base positions. Results reveal a sort of ‘ordered’ (or constant) to ‘disordered’ (or peaked) transition around the coronavirus S-spike protein region. Together with our previous results for past variants of coronavirus: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Epsilon and Eta, we conclude that the mapping into GenomeBits strands of omicron and delta variants can help to characterize mutant pathogens.
Shift of lung macrophage composition is associated with COVID-19 disease severity and recovery
Authors: Chen Steven T. , Park Matthew D. , Del Valle Diane Marie , Buckup Mark , Tabachnikova Alexandra , Simons Nicole W. , Mouskas Konstantinos , Lee Brian , Geanon Daniel , D’Souza Darwin , Dawson Travis , Marvin Robert , Nie Kai , Thompson Ryan C. , Zhao Zhen , LeBerichel Jessica , Chang Christie , Jamal Hajra , Chaddha Udit , Mathews Kusum , Acquah Samuel , Brown Stacey-Ann , Reiss Michelle , Harkin Timothy , Feldmann Marc , Powell Charles A. , Hook Jaime L. , Kim-Schulze Seunghee , Rahman Adeeb H. , Brown Brian D. ,   The Mount Sinai COVID-19 Biobank Team, Beckmann Noam D. , Gnjatic Sacha , Kenigsberg Ephraim , Charney Alexander W. , Merad Miriam
Published: January 2022

Though it has been 2 years since the start of the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, COVID-19 continues to be a worldwide health crisis. Despite the development of preventive vaccines, very little progress has been made to identify curative therapies to treat COVID-19 and other inflammatory diseases which remain a major unmet need in medicine. Our study sought to identify drivers of disease severity and death to develop tailored immunotherapy strategies to halt disease progression. Here we assembled the Mount Sinai COVID-19 Biobank which was comprised of ~600 hospitalized patients followed longitudinally during the peak of the pandemic. Moderate disease and survival were associated with a stronger antigen (Ag) presentation and effector T cell signature, while severe disease and death were associated with an altered Ag presentation signature, increased numbers of circulating inflammatory, immature myeloid cells, and extrafollicular activated B cells associated with autoantibody formation. Strikingly, we found that in severe COVID-19 patients, lung tissue resident alveolar macrophages (AM) were not only severely depleted, but also had an altered Ag presentation signature, and were replaced by inflammatory monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMΦ). Notably, the size of the AM pool correlated with recovery or death, while AM loss and functionality were restored in patients that recovered. These data therefore suggest that local and systemic myeloid cell dysregulation is a driver of COVID-19 severity and that modulation of AM numbers and functionality in the lung may be a viable therapeutic strategy for the treatment of critical lung inflammatory illnesses.
Competing interactions give rise to two-state behavior and switch-like transitions in charge-rich intrinsically disordered proteins
Authors: Zeng Xiangze , Ruff Kiersten M. , Pappu Rohit V.
Published: January 2022

The most commonly occurring intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are polyampholytes, which are defined by the duality of low net charge per residue and high fractions of charged residues. Recent experiments have uncovered nuances regarding sequence-ensemble relationships of model polyampholytic IDPs. These include differences in conformational preferences for sequences with lysine vs. arginine, and the suggestion that well-mixed sequences form a range of conformations, including globules, conformations with ensemble averages that are reminiscent of ideal chains, or self-avoiding walks. Here, we explain these observations by analyzing results from atomistic simulations. We find that polyampholytic IDPs generally sample two distinct stable states, namely globules and self-avoiding walks. Globules are favored by electrostatic attractions between oppositely charged residues, whereas self-avoiding walks are favored by favorable free energies of hydration of charged residues. We find sequence-specific temperatures of bistability at which globules and self-avoiding walks can coexist. At these temperatures, ensemble averages over coexisting states give rise to statistics that resemble ideal chains without there being an actual counterbalancing of intra-chain and chain-solvent interactions. At equivalent temperatures, arginine-rich sequences tilt the preference toward globular conformations whereas lysine-rich sequences tilt the preference toward self-avoiding walks. We also identify differences between aspartate and glutamate containing sequences, whereby the shorter aspartate sidechain engenders preferences for metastable, necklace-like conformations. Finally, although segregation of oppositely charged residues within the linear sequence maintains the overall two-state behavior, compact states are highly favored by such systems.

Significance Statement

Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of proteins, when tethered to folded domains, function either as flexible tails or as linkers between domains. Most IDRs are polyampholytes that comprise a mixture of oppositely charged residues. Recent measurements of tethered polyampholytes showed that tendency of arginine- and lysine-rich sequences to behave very differently from one another. Using computer simulations, we show that these differences are determined by differences in free energies of hydration, steric volumes, and other considerations. Further, the interplay between electrostatic attractions and favorable free energies of hydration creates distinct stable states for polyampholytic IDRs. These findings have implications for switch-like transitions and the regulation of effective concentrations of interaction motifs by IDRs.
Abscisic Acid Increases Hydrogen Peroxide in Mitochondria to Facilitate Stomatal Closure
Authors: Postiglione Anthony E. , Muday Gloria K.
Published: January 2022

Abscisic acid (ABA) drives stomatal closure to minimize water loss due to transpiration in response to drought. We examined the subcellular location of ABA increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in guard cells that drive stomatal closure. ABA-dependent increases in fluorescence of the generic ROS sensor, dichlorofluorescein (DCF), were observed in mitochondria, chloroplasts, cytosol, and nuclei. The ABA response in all these locations were lost in an ABA-insensitive quintuple receptor mutant. The ABA-increased fluorescence in mitochondria of both DCF and an H2O2-selective probe, Peroxy Orange 1 (PO1), colocalized with Mitotracker Red. ABA treatment of guard cells transformed with the genetically-encoded H2O2reporter targeted to the cytoplasm (roGFP2-Orp1), or mitochondria (mt-roGFP2-Orp1), revealed H2O2increases. Consistent with mitochondrial ROS changes functioning in stomatal closure, we found that guard cells of a mutant with mitochondrial defects,abo6, have elevated ABA-induced ROS in mitochondria and enhanced stomatal closure. These effects were phenocopied with rotenone, which increased mitochondrial ROS. In contrast, the mitochondrially targeted antioxidant, MitoQ, dampened ABA effects on mitochondrial ROS accumulation and stomatal closure in Col-0 and reversed the guard cell closure phenotype of theabo6mutant. ABA-induced ROS accumulation in guard cell mitochondria was lost in mutants in genes encoding Respiratory Burst Oxidase Homolog (RBOH) enzymes and reduced by treatment with the RBOH inhibitor VAS2870, consistent with RBOH machinery acting in ABA-increased ROS in guard cell mitochondria. These results demonstrate that ABA elevates H2O2accumulation in guard cell mitochondria to promote stomatal closure.

One sentence summary

Genetically encoded biosensors and chemical probes revealed ABA-dependent increases in hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species with signaling activity, in guard cell cytoplasm and mitochondria.
The Current Understanding of Precision Medicine and Personalised Medicine in Selected Research Disciplines: Study Protocol of a Systematic Concept Analysis
Authors: Brew-Sam Nicola , Parkinson Anne , Lueck Christian , Brown Ellen , Brown Karen , Bruestle Anne , Chisholm Katrina , Collins Simone , Cook Matthew , Daskalaki Eleni , Drew Janet , Ebbeck Harry , Elisha Mark , Fanning Vanessa , Henschke Adam , Herron Jessica , Matthews Emma , Murugappan Krishnan , Neshev Dragomir , Nolan Christopher J. , Pedley Lachlan , Phillips Christine , Suominen Hanna , Tricoli Antonio , Wright Christine , Desborough Jane
Published: January 2022

Introduction. The terms "precision medicine" and "personalised medicine" have become key terms in health-related research, and in science-related public communication. However, the application of these two concepts and their interpretation in various disciplines are heterogeneous, which also affects research translation and public awareness. This leads to confusion regarding the use and distinction of the two concepts.
Methods and analysis. Our study aims at using Rodger's concept analysis method to systematically examine and distinguish the current understanding of the concepts "precision medicine" and "personalised medicine" in clinical medicine, biomedicine (incorporating genomics and bioinformatics), health services research; physics, chemistry, engineering; machine learning, and artificial intelligence, and to identify their respective attributes (clusters of characteristics) and surrogate and related terms. We will analyse similarities and differences in definitions in the respective disciplines and across different (sub)disciplines. The analysis procedure will include (1) a concept identification, (2) a setting, sample, and data source selection, (3) data collection, (4) data analysis and data summary, (5) identification of examples, and (6) identification of implications for further concept development.
Ethics and dissemination. Following ethical and research standards, we will comprehensively report the methodology for a systematic analysis following Roger's[1] concept analysis method. Our systematic concept analysis will contribute to the clarification of the two concepts and distinction in their application in given settings and circumstances. Such a broader concept analysis will contribute to non-systematic syntheses of the concepts, or occasional systematic reviews on one of the concepts that have been published in specific disciplines, in order to facilitate interdisciplinary communication, translational medical research, and implementation science.
An LDLR missense variant poses high risk of familial hypercholesterolemia in 30% of Greenlanders and offers potential for early cardiovascular disease intervention
Authors: Jørsboe Emil , Andersen Mette Korre , Skotte Line , Stæger Frederik Filip , Færgeman Nils Joakim Kaas , Hanghøj Kristian , Santander Cindy Gilda , Senftleber Ninna Karsbæk , Diaz Lars Jorge , Overvard Maria , Waples Ryan Kele , Geller Frank , Bjerregaard Peter , Melbye Mads , Larsen Christina Viskum Lytken , Feenstra Bjarke , Koch Anders , Jørgensen Marit Erika , Grarup Niels , Moltke Ida , Albrechtsen Anders , Hansen Torben
Published: January 2022

Background:
The common Arctic specific LDLR p.G137S variant was recently shown to be associated with elevated lipid levels. Motivated by this we aimed to investigate the effect of p.G137S on metabolic health, and cardiovascular disease risk among Greenlanders to quantify its impact on the population.

Methods:
In a population based Greenlandic cohort (n=5063), we tested for associations between the p.G137S variant and metabolic health traits as well as cardiovascular disease risk based on registry data. Additionally, we explored the variant's impact on plasma NMR measured lipoprotein concentration and composition in another Greenlandic cohort (n=1629).

Results:
29.5% of the individuals in the cohort carried at least one copy of the p.G137S risk allele. Furthermore, 25.4% of the heterozygous and 54.7% of the homozygous carriers had high levels (>4.9 mmol/L) of LDL cholesterol, which is above the diagnostic level for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Moreover, p.G137S was associated with an overall atherosclerotic lipid profile, and increased risk of ischaemic heart disease (HR (95% CI), 1.51 (1.18-1.92), P=0.00096), peripheral artery disease (1.69 (1.01-2.82), P=0.046), and coronary operations (1.78 (1.21-2.62), P=0.0035).

Conclusions:
Due to its high frequency and large effect sizes, p.G137S has a marked population-level impact, increasing the risk of FH and cardiovascular disease for up to 30% of the Greenlandic population. Thus, p.G137S is a potential marker for early intervention in Arctic populations.
Change in profile of COVID-19 deaths in the Western Cape during the fourth wave
Authors: Paleker Masudah , Davies Mary-Ann , Raubenheimer Peter , Naude Jonathan , Boulle Andrew , Hussey Hannah
Published: January 2022

Fewer COVID-19 deaths have been reported in this fourth wave, with clinicians reporting less admissions due to severe COVID-19 pneumonia when compared to previous waves. We therefore aimed to rapidly compare the profile of deaths in wave 4 with wave 3 using routinely collected data on admissions to public sector hospitals in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Findings show that there have been fewer COVID-19 pneumonia deaths in the Omicron-driven fourth wave compared to the third wave, which confirms anecdotal reports and lower bulk oxygen consumption by hospitals in the province.
An analysis of LysM domain function in LytE when fulfilling the D,L-endopeptidase requirement for viability in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Uelze Laura
Published: January 2022

The D,L-endopeptidase requirement states that Bacillus subtilis requires either the activity of the LytE or the CwlO enzyme for viability, therefore proving that these two enzymes can complement for each other despite their very different N-terminal domains. Here, we show that another D,L-endopeptidase, LytF, can also fulfill the D,L-endopeptidase requirement for viability, when expressed from the cwlO promoter. Both LytE and LytF contain N-terminally located LysM domains, three and five respectively. However, cells expressing another very similar D,L-endopeptidase CwlS, with four LysM domains were not viable. This led us to investigate whether a LytE protein with any one of its three LysM domains permuted can fulfill the D,L-endopeptidase requirement for viability. We found that the three LysM domains are not functionally equivalent and that the N-terminally located LysM domain plays a greater role for functioning of the LytE enzyme than the subsequent domains. Based on an investigation of orthologous enzymes in 19 B. subtilis species we propose an evolutionary model describing the development of the LytE-, CwlS- and LytF-type D,L-endopeptidases and their LysM domain repeats. In summary, these results show that the LytE enzyme has been optimized to fulfill the D,L-endopeptidase requirement for cell viability of B. subtilis with regard to the number and properties of LysM domains that mediate peptidoglycan-binding.
The impact of market orientation on small firm performance: a configurational approach
Authors: Chaudhary Sanjay , Sangroya Deepak , Arrigo Elisa , Cappiello Giuseppe
Published: January 2022

Purpose

In this study, the authors examine the influence of market orientation on small firms' performance. The authors theorize that the association between market orientation and small firm performance provides an incomplete picture in a competitive environment. The application of configuration approach which involves simultaneous consideration of market orientation, strategic flexibility and competition intensity is crucial to examine driver of firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample of the research study consists of 272 small firms from an emerging economy, India. Ordinary least squares regression has been used to investigate the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

The authors noted that the three-way interaction between market orientation, strategic flexibility and competition intensity elucidates variance in small firm performance over and above a contingency model and a direct relationship.

Research limitations/implications

The findings contribute to the existing literature by exhibiting the effect of market orientation on firm performance. The configuration model suggests that small firms can outperform competitors in a lower competitive environment if they have high market orientation and high strategic flexibility investment. To leverage market opportunities and achieve better firm performance, small firms’ owners should analyze the usefulness of current capabilities in a changing competitive environment concurrently and align market orientation to those conditions.

Originality/value

The strategic management and marketing literature suggests that relationship between market orientation and performance is ambiguous. The findings offer insights to managers regarding the appropriate use of strategic flexibility in leveraging the benefits of market orientation in a highly competitive environment. Furthermore, by collecting data from the context of an emerging economy, India, the authors attempt to strengthen the applicability of market orientation in different contexts.
Can trust moderate the relationship between supplier–buyer relationship and supply chain sustainability?
Authors: Mallet Mary-Ann , Owusu Kwateng Kwame , Nuertey Dorcas
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This study aims to assess the effect of supplier–buyer association on supply chain sustainability using the pharmaceutical industry in Ghana as a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a quantitative research approach. The study design was a cross-sectional survey design. The unit of analysis for the study was top-level managers of pharmaceutical companies in Ghana. By the use of the purposive and convenience sampling techniques, 90 respondents from pharmaceutical firms in Ghana were included. The study used descriptive statistics, t-test and regression tools in the data analysis.

Findings

It was discovered that trust mediates positively the relationship between supplier–buyer relationship and supply chain sustainability. Moreover, the study found that supplier–buyer relationship (SBR) has a significant and positive impact on supply chain sustainability.

Practical implications

The study concluded that SBR is the foundation upon which effective supply chain and supply chain sustainability are established.

Originality/value

This paper provides researchers with a contemporary perspective toward understanding the relationship between SBR and supply chain sustainability and the mediating role of trust.
Impact of cryptos on the inflation volatility in India: an application of bivariate BEKK-GARCH models
Authors: Rastogi Shailesh , Kanoujiya Jagjeevan
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The main aim of the study is to explore the volatility spillover effect of cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin) on inflation volatility in India.

Design/methodology/approach

A popular tool, the Bivariate GARCH model (BEKK-GARCH), to study the volatility spillover effect, is applied in the study. Monthly data of cryptocurrencies and inflation (WPI and CPI indices) are gathered from 2015 to 2021.

Findings

Significant short-term responsiveness of volatility of cryptocurrencies on the inflation volatility is found. In addition to this, the significant volatility spillover effect from the cryptocurrencies to the inflation volatility is found.

Practical implications

The findings of the current paper can be of use for inflation management, target inflation policies and policies to contain the volatility of cryptocurrencies. The significance of the current paper is relevant as governments worldwide are officially recognizing cryptocurrencies and starting the process of launching their official virtual currency.

Originality/value

No other study is observed on the topic. Hence, the contribution and novelty of the findings of the current paper are very high and add value to the nonexistent literature on the topic. Lack of the number of inflation observations (data of CPI and WPI are available only in monthly frequency) crimps the model estimation. As the cryptocurrencies become old, more data points will be available by design, and such problems can be resolved, and better model estimation may be possible.
The status of electronic teaching within South African LIS Education
Authors: Majanja Mabel K.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

To determine the perceived self-efficacy of South African LIS academics in e-teaching as a co-requisite to imparting relevant ICT knowledge and skills to LIS students.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was underpinned by the pragmatic world view, which allows a researcher to choose a combination of methods, techniques and procedures that best meets the needs and purposes of the study. Based on the purpose and objectives of the study, and the type of data needed, a quantitative approach, employing the descriptive survey design was used. An online questionnaire with both structured and unstructured questions was distributed to 79 LIS academics in 8 universities and attracted a 68.4% response rate. Structured responses were computed directly as quantitative data, while the unstructured answers were aggregated under themes and analysed quantitatively.

Findings

The findings show that LIS academics in South Africa have not been left behind in the trends regarding e-teaching, and most of them feel quite confident about their self-efficacy in e-teaching. A variety of Learning Management Systems and e-tools are in use and relevant policies and technical support available. Most LIS academics, to re-/up-skill themselves, employ diverse heutagogical strategies. However, the e-teaching support in terms of resources and technical support are inadequate because some universities are deficient in their provision of ICTs and e-learning guidelines.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the study is that this was a time-bound study that focused merely on the basic level investigation A further in-depth probing of the real (as opposed to self) levels of e-teaching efficacy and how heutagogy can be explored or advocated is necessary.

Practical implications

The implications of the results are that (1) South African LIS academics are well fairly well prepares to face the impact of COVID-19, which has forced universities to turn to virtual/online education (2) Heutagogical approach should be explored as a method of further improving the capabilities of e-teachers, in order to (3) pass forward a positive impact on LIS graduates by preparing them to be agile for a modern work environment. (4) universities have to provide sufficient resources to support academics in their endeavour to continually improve their teaching.

Social implications

Topical in the face of the novel coronavirus.

Originality/value

Optimal
Earnings management and investor protection during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from G-12 countries
Authors: Ali Heba , Amin Hala M.G. , Mostafa Diana , Mohamed Ehab K.A.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the inter-relations among the strength of investor protection institutions, earnings management (EM) and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

As a proxy for EM, the authors use discretionary accruals measure, estimated using the modified Jones model (1991). As a proxy for the strength of investor protection institutions, the study uses the Investor Protection Index, extracted from the Global Competitiveness Reports. The sample consists of 5,519 firms listed in the Group of Twelve countries during 2015–2020.

Findings

The study shows that firms tend to engage less in EM during the pandemic period. The authors also find a significantly negative relation between the strength of investor protection institutions and EM practices, and interestingly, this negative relation was found to be more pronounced during the pandemic period.

Research limitations/implications

For investors and practitioners, the findings help get insights into the behavior of firms in response of the pandemic shock in countries with solid institutional and legal protection. For policymakers, the findings reaffirm the critical role that institutional incentives and reforms can play, in influencing firms to exert more efforts to promote their financial reporting quality.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, the study is one of the first attempts to examine the link between EM practices and investor protection during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings extend both the literature on the role of institutional factors in promoting the earnings quality and the literature on COVID-19’s effect on firm performance and practices.
Developing a robust measurement instrument for the influence of national culture on lean production systems
Authors: Macias de Anda Enrique , Sawhney Rupy , Tortorella Guilherme Luz
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide a robust model to bridge the influence of national culture (NC) on lean production (LP), identifying relationships among their elements and investigating the degree of influence.

Design/methodology/approach

The culturally sensitive lean production model (CSLPM) is used as a framework to develop a survey questionnaire that captures the information to analyze using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). A case study to validate the model is presented from a subsidiary with operations in Mexico (MX) and the USA.

Findings

The CSLPM provides a robust framework for the measurement of the interaction between LP and NC. Multi-group analysis facilitated the comparison among the different groups (MX and USA), highlighting the differences of culture and the corresponding LP implementation within the same company.

Research limitations/implications

The instrument was validated only within two countries and one organization. A higher sample of respondents, countries and organizations could validate the relationships established and the replication of the model.

Practical implications

The CSLPM can be used for assessment of the evolution of organizations, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of a particular culture when implementing LP, providing focal points for research and training efforts.

Originality/value

The CSLPM is a robust instrument to measure expectations for LP practices according to their company’s geographical context. The incorporation of higher order variables and mixed directionality within the variables presented a novel approach to PLS-SEM.
Posthuman co-production: becoming response-able with what matters
Authors: Renold EJ , Ivinson Gabrielle
Published: January 2022

Purpose

This paper introduces the concept of posthuman co-production. It explores how processual and relational onto-epistemologies inform an artful, response-able (Barad 2007) feminist new materialist praxis that decentres the human and re-centres matter.

Design/methodology/approach

Posthuman co-production gives prominence to crafting “dartaphacts” (Renold, 2018); creative research artefacts, carrying “what matters” and enacting change that can be mapped across time and multiple “problem spaces” (Lury, 2020), as an expansive, post-qualitative praxis of slow, co-production.

Findings

The paper stories this praxis across three “fugal figurations” providing glimpses into the post-qualitative journeys of assembled dartaphacts in the policy and practice field of relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in Wales. Each fugue hints at the polytical, resourceful and living potential of dartaphacts in the making and their mattering over a period of six years. Collectively, they chart a rhizomatic journey that re-configures co-production as a response-able, becoming-with what matters.

Originality/value

As more-than-human forces for change, dartaphacts continue to surface “the cries of what matters” (Stengers 2019) for children and young people well beyond the periods of funded research and engagement, giving new meaning to the sustainability and material legacies of research impact.
The survival contest of endozoochory: Conflicting interests in a frugivorous avian–plant mutualism
Authors: Trabelcy Beny , Izhaki Ido , Gerchman Yoram
Published: January 2022

The nutritious pulp of fleshy fruits facilitates seed dispersal via endozoochory. Frugivores are considered legitimate seed dispersers when they digest only the pulp but do not damage the seeds. Nevertheless, fruit pulp, in contrast to seeds, is low in nitrogen, thus potentially stimulating seed digestion in the fruit consumers, therefore raising a potential conflict of interest between the plant and the fruit consumer.

Pycnonotus xanthopygos is an important distributor of seeds of the desert shrub, Ochradenus baccatus. Our study demonstrated that P. xanthopygos consumed fewer O. baccatus fruits compared with Musa acuminata, due to the presence of bioactive substances O. baccatus pulp juice.

The passage of the O. baccatus seeds through the digestive system of P. xanthopygos resulted in damage of up to 80% of the seeds and 20% decrease in the weight of the defecated seeds.

Despite the damage to the seeds, passage through the digestive system of P. xanthopygos significantly increased the germination of the surviving seeds. Pulp juice and/or drying of the fruits (on the shrub or in the laboratory) reduced seed germination, and separation of seeds from the pulp (manually or by the bird's digestive system) significantly increased germination.

Our study demonstrated variable reduced digestibility of seeds and pulp when P. xanthopygos consumed O. baccatus fruits compared with M. acuminata. This effect was correlated with inhibition of digestive enzymes in O. baccatus fruits.

Synthesis. Our results show that there is a complex interaction between Ochradenus baccatus and Pycnonotus xanthopygos where consumption of the fruits is both beneficial and harmful to the plant, due to seed damage on the one hand, yet promotion of seed germination on the other. This suggests that frugivory in general may benefit seed distributors and seed predators simultaneously, yet also highlights a potential conflict of interest inherent in endozoochory.
“The Greatest Since the Days of the Apostles”: Hyperbole, Exaggeration, and Embellishment in the American Revivalist Tradition
Authors: Todd Obbie Tyler
Published: January 2022

American revivalists have long taken seriously the ninth commandment not to bear false witness. For centuries, however, preachers and parishioners have found various ways to stretch the truth about the outpourings of the Holy Spirit in order to convey their exhilarating experiences and to boast in the mighty works of God. In the American revivalist tradition, the rhetorical devices of hyperbole, exaggeration, and embellishment have served as oratorical and literary tools by which to communicate the peaks and valleys of spiritual awakenings when ordinary language proved insufficient. These figures of speech were not simply aberrations in the interpretation of revivals but were acceptable and even essential pieces in the vernacular of revival, helping to process and promote spiritual experience. By examining the origins and development of these rhetorical devices, revival accounts and revivalist culture may be better understood and contextualized within the history of American evangelicalism.
About Three Clerics and towards a “history from the middle” for Medieval Castile: Miguel de San Nicolás of Toledo, Gíl of Cuenca, and Lanfranc di Palacio of Palencia
Authors: C. Lincoln Kyle
Published: January 2022

This article investigates the careers of three lesser‐known clerics from medieval Castile during the reign of Alfonso VIII of Castile (r. 1158–1214). In doing so, it reveals that, while the sources from Castilian archives are too poor to support a more traditional “history from below,” they can support a more modest via media between that approach and paleotradtionalist homo magnus historiography. Drawing on recent work by scholars in queenship and corporate monarchies in the medieval period, the article suggests that using sources concerning clerics of sub‐episcopal station, Castilian historians might fill in much of the more local detail that is often missing — and therefore goes undiscussed — from broader surveys of religious and social histories. As case studies, the three clerics studied here show that multicultural, economic, legal, and cultural historical data are recoverable from the sources that mention them and that this data helps fill in many of the lacunae in the medieval history of the Iberian Peninsula by using religious histories as an entry point.
Neonatal emergency transport teams and general emergency departments: Who will intubate the neonate?
Authors: Cunningham Katie M , Walsh Jennifer M , Beattie Thomas F , Midgley Paula
Published: January 2022

Objective

Confidence treating critically ill infants presenting to general ED may be limited by inexperience, with procedures deferred until specialised transport teams arrive.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study analysed critical procedures performed by referring ED physicians, compared with a neonatal emergency transport service, on infants transferred over a 12‐month period.

Results

All 150 eligible infants were included, with median (interquartile range) age 28 (16–43) days. Forty critical procedures were performed in this cohort. Of 26 intubations, 17 (65%) were performed by local ED physicians.

Conclusion

Referring ED physicians perform the majority of critical procedures where infants require inter‐hospital transfer by neonatal emergency transport service.
Detrital Zircon Records of the Banxi Group in the Western Jiangnan Orogen: Implications for Crustal Evolution of the South China Craton
Authors: ZHOU Weijian , HUANG Dezhi , YU Zhiqiang , SANTOSH M. , CAO Yusen , ZHANG Jiandong , LIU Lei , CUI Jianjun , LI Jianyuan
Published: January 2022

The Neoproterozoic evolution of the Jiangnan Orogen is important for understanding the tectonic history of South China. As a volcanic‐sedimentary sequence developed in the Nanhua rift, the Banxi Group preserves the records of important magmatic and tectonic events linked to the assembly and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent. In this study, we report the results from whole‐rock major‐ and trace‐element concentrations, with zircon LA‐(MC)‐ICP‐MS U‐Pb ages, trace elements and Lu‐Hf isotopic compositions of sandstones from the Banxi Group. The rocks are characterized by high SiO2 (65.88%–82.76%, with an average of 75.50%) contents, moderate (Fe2O3T + MgO) (1.81%–7.78%, mean: 3.79%) and TiO2 (0.39%–0.54%, mean: 0.48%), low K2O/Na2O (0.03–0.40, mean: 0.10) ratios and low Al2O3/SiO2 (0.11–0.24, mean: 0.15) ratios. The sandstones have high ΣREE contents (mean: 179.1 ppm), with chondrite‐normalized REE patterns similar to the upper crust and PAAS, showing enriched LREE ((La/Yb)N mean: 14.85), sub‐horizontal HREE curves and mild Eu (Eu/Eu*: 0.75–0.89, mean: 0.81) negative anomalies. Their geochemical characteristics resemble those of passive continental margin sandstones. Most of the zircons are magmatic in origin and yield a U‐Pb age distribution with three peaks: a major age peak at 805 Ma and two subordinate age peaks at 1990 Ma and 2470 Ma, implying three major magmatic sources. The Neoproterozoic zircons have ɛHf(t) values ranging from –47.4 to 12.4 (mostly –20 to 0), suggesting a mixture of some juvenile arc‐derived material and middle Paleoproterozoic heterogeneous crustal sources. The Hf model ages of middle Paleoproterozoic zircons (∼1990 Ma) with negative ɛHf(t) values (–12.65 to –6.21, Ave. = –9.8) concentrated around the Meso‐Paleoarchean (mean TDMC = 3.3–3.1 Ga). For late Neoarchean detrital zircons (∼2470 Ma), ɛHf(t) values are divided into two groups, one with negative values (–9.16 to –0.6) with model ages of 3.5–2.9 Ga, the other featuring positive values (1.0 to 3.9) with model ages of 2.9–2.7 Ga, recording a crustal growth event at ∼2.5 Ga. Neoproterozoic zircons show volcanic arc affinities with partly intraplate magmatic features. We propose that the Banxi Group formed in a rift basin within a passive continental margin setting, which derived detritus from felsic to intermediate rocks from the Yangtze Block and a small amount of arc volcanic rocks. The middle Paleoproterozoic detrital zircon data suggest Columbia‐aged basement lies beneath the western Jiangnan orogen.
Miocene Crustal Anatexis of Paleozoic Orthogneiss in the Zhada Area, Western Himalaya
Authors: CHEN Han , HU Guyue , ZENG Lingsen , YU Xuhui , LI Yike
Published: January 2022

Granitic gneiss (orthogneiss) and Himalayan leucogranite are widely distributed in the Himalayan orogen, but whether or not the granitic gneiss made a contribution to the Himalayan leucogranite remains unclear. In this study, we present the petrological, geochronological and geochemical results for orthogneisses and leucogranites from the Zhada area, Western Himalayas. Zhada orthogneiss is composed mainly of quartz, plagioclase, K‐feldspar, biotite and muscovite, with accessory zircon and apatite. Orthogneiss zircon cathodoluminescence (CL) images show that most grains contain a core with oscillatory zoning, which indicates an igneous origin. Sensitive high‐resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U‐Pb dating of the zircon cores in the orthogneiss shows a weighted 206Pb/238U age of 515 ± 4 Ma (early Paleozoic), with spongelike zircon rims of 17.9 ± 0.5 Ma (Miocene). Zhada leucogranite shows 206Pb/238U ages ranging from 19.0 ± 0.4 Ma to 12.4 ± 0.2 Ma, the weighted average age being 16.2 ± 0.4 Ma. The leucogranites have a low Ca content (<1 wt%), FeOt content (<1 wt%), Rb content (67.0–402 ppm), Sr content (<56.6 ppm), Ba content (3.35–238 ppm) and Rb/Sr ratio (0.5–14.7), which are similar to the geochemical characteristics of the Himalayan leucogranite derived from muscovite dehydration partial melting of metasediments and representative of most Himalayan leucogranites. The highly variable Na2O + K2O (4.33 wt%–9.13 wt%), Al2O3 (8.44 wt%–13.51 wt%), ∑REE (40.2–191.0 ppm), Rb (67.0–402 ppm) and Nb (8.23–26.4 ppm) contents, 87Sr/86Sr(t) ratios (0.7445–0.8605) and εNd(t) values (–3.6 to –8.2) indicate that the leucogranite is derived from a heterogenetic source. The nonradiogenic Nd isotope values of the studied Zhada leucogranite and orthogneiss range from –8.2 to –3.6 and from –8.7 to –4.1, respectively. Therefore, the general mixing equation was used to perform the Sr and Nd isotope mixing calculations. The results indicate that the heterogenetic source was the Tethyan Himalayan Sequence (THS)/Higher Himalayan Crystalline (HHC) metasediments and Zhada orthogneiss. The Zhada area experienced crustal anatexis during the Miocene and the heterogenetic source of the orthogneiss and metasediment may have experienced crustal anatexis controlled by muscovite dehydration. The Zhada leucogranite inherited not only the geochemical characteristics of the Himalayan metasediment (muscovite dehydration melting), but also the trace elements and Sr‐Nd isotopic characteristics of the Zhada orthogneiss. These results indicate that the Paleozoic Zhada orthogneiss was involved in crustal anatexis at 17.9 ± 0.5 Ma (Miocene) and that the muscovite dehydration of the metasediments in the heterogenetic source produced fluid, which may have caused the orthogneiss solidus lines to decline, triggering a partial melting of the Zhada orthogneiss. It is therefore proposed that Himalayan leucogranite is a crust‐derived granite rather than a S‐type granite, as previously hypothesized.