bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CSF complement proteins are elevated in prodromal to moderate AD patients and are not altered by the anti-tau antibody semorinemab
Authors: Sandoval Cosme , Lee Julie , Toth Balazs , Nagaraj Rajini , Schauer Stephen , Hoffman Jennifer , Kollmorgen Gwendlyn , Monteiro Cecilia , Teng Edmond , Hanson Jesse E , Yeh Felix L , Gutierrez Johnny , Biever Anne
Published: April 2024

INTRODUCTION

Growing evidence suggests a role for neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pathogenesis. We investigated the complement system, a component of innate immunity, in AD patient cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and evaluated its modulation by the anti-tau antibody semorinemab.

METHODS

Immunoassays were applied to measure intact (inactive) and cleaved (active) CSF complement proteins C4, Factor B and C3 in AD patients and a separate cognitively normal (CN) cohort.

RESULTS

All measured CSF complement proteins were increased in AD vs CN subjects, with cleaved C4 (C4a) displaying the most robust increase. Finally, semorinemab did not have a significant pharmacodynamic effect on CSF complement proteins.

DISCUSSION

Elevated levels of CSF intact/cleaved C4 and C3 are indicative of classical complement pathway activation in AD. Despite showing a reduction in CSF soluble tau species, semorinemab did not impact complement protein levels or activity. Further studies are needed to determine the value of complement proteins as neuroinflammation biomarkers in AD.
PTSD, Comorbidities, Gender, and Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in a Large Military Cohort
Authors: Krantz David S. , Gabbay Frances H. , Belleau Elizabeth A. , Aliaga Pablo A. , Wynn Gary H. , Stein Murray B. , Ursano Robert J. , Naifeh James A.
Published: April 2024

Importance

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent mental health problem that increases risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is not known whether gender or comorbidities modify associations between PTSD and CVD.

Objective

To assess risk of hypertension and atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) associated with PTSD in a predominantly young military population, and determine if gender or PTSD comorbidities modify these associations.

Design, setting, and participants

Using administrative medical records, this longitudinal, retrospective cohort study assessed relationships of PTSD, gender, comorbidities (metabolic risk factors [MRF], behavioral risk factors [BRF], depression, and sleep disorders) to subsequent hypertension and ASCVD among 863,993 active-duty U.S. Army enlisted soldiers (86.2% male; 93.7% <age 40). Using discrete-time survival analysis, person-months with an initial hypertension diagnosis (n=49,656) were compared to an equal-probability control sample. Separate analyses compared person-months with ASCVD (n=2,427) to an equal-probability control sample.

Main outcomes and measures

ICD-9-CM diagnoses of hypertension, ASCVD (coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure), PTSD, MRF (Type 2 diabetes, obesity), BRF (tobacco/alcohol use disorders), depression, and sleep disorders.

Results

PTSD was associated with subsequent hypertension (OR=3.0 [95% CI=2.9-3.1]), and ASCVD (OR=2.7 [95% CI=2.2-3.3]). These associations remained significant but were attenuated after adjusting for comorbidities and sociodemographic/service-related variables (Hypertension: OR=1.9 [95% CI=1.8-2.0]; ASCVD: OR=1.4 [95% CI=1.2-1.8]). For hypertension, gender and each comorbidity were significant explanatory variables in multivariable models, and there were significant PTSD interactions with gender, MRF, depression, and sleep disorders. Stratifying separately by gender and presence of each comorbidity, PTSD-hypertension associations were stronger among men, those without MRF, without depression, and without sleep disorders. Standardized risk estimates indicated that predicted hypertension rates for those with vs. without PTSD were higher for men, and for those with vs. without MRF, depression, and sleep disorders. For ASCVD, comorbidities, but not gender, were independent predictors, and associations between PTSD and ASCVD were not modified by gender or comorbidities.

Conclusions and relevance

PTSD and comorbidities are independent risk factors for hypertension and ASVD in younger individuals, and gender and comorbid conditions modify PTSD relationships with hypertension. These findings suggest that CVD preventive interventions address PTSD and medical and behavioral comorbidities.
Characterization ofMedusavirusencoded histones reveals nucleosome-like structures and a unique linker histone
Authors: Toner Chelsea Marie , Hoitsma Nicole Marie , Luger Karolin
Published: April 2024

The organization of DNA into nucleosomes is a ubiquitous and ancestral feature that was once thought to be exclusive to the eukaryotic domain of life. Intriguingly, several representatives of the Nucleocytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses (NCLDV) encode histone-like proteins that in Melbournevirus were shown to form nucleosome-like particles.Medusavirus medusae(MM), a distantly related giant virus, encodes all four core histone proteins and, unique amongst most giant viruses, a putative acidic protein with two domains resembling linker histone H1. Here we report the structure of nucleosomes assembled with Medusavirus histones and highlight similarities and differences with eukaryotic and Melbournevirus nucleosomes. Our structure provides insight into how variations in histone tail and loop lengths are accommodated within the context of the nucleosome. We show that Medusavirus histones assemble into tri-nucleosome arrays, and that the putative linker histone H1 does not function in chromatin compaction. These findings expand our understanding of viral histones and suggest that Medusavirus histones represent a snapshot in the evolutionary timeline of nucleosome architecture.

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY

The fourMedusavirus medusaecore histones form nucleosome-like structures that combine features of eukaryotic and other viral nucleosomes.
Protocol for semantic segmentation of spinal endoscopic instruments and anatomic structures : how far is robotic endoscopy surgery?
Authors: Fan Guoxin , Yue Guanghui , Hu Zhouyang , Xu Zhipeng , Zhang Jianjin , Wang Hong , Liao Xiang
Published: April 2024

Background

Automatic analysis of endoscopic images will played an important role in the future spine robotic surgery. The study is designed as a translational study to develop AI models of semantic segmentation for spinal endoscopic instruments and anatomic structures. The aim is to provide the visual understanding basis of endoscopic images for future intelligent robotic surgery.

Methods

An estimate of 500 cases of endoscopic video will be included in the study. More data may also be included from the internet for external validation. Video clip containing typical spinal endoscopic instruments and distinct anatomic structures will be extracted. Typical spinal endoscopic instruments will include forceps, bipolar electrocoagulation, drill and so on. Endoscopic anatomic structures will include ligament, upper lamina, lower lamina, nerve root, disc, adipofascia, etc. The ratio of training, validation and testing set of included samples is initially set as 8: 1: 1. State-of-art algorithm (namely UNet, Swin-UNet, DeepLab-V3, etc) and self-developed deep learning algorithm will be used to develop the semantic segmentation models. Dice coefficient (DC), Hausdorff distance (HD), and mean surface distance (MSD) will be used to assess the segmentation performance.

Discussions

This protocol firstly proposed the research plans to develop deep learning models to achieve multi-task semantic segmentation of spinal endoscopy images. Automatically recognizing and simultaneously contouring the surgical instruments and anatomic structures will teach the robot understand the surgical procedures of human surgeons. The research results and the annotated data will be disclosed and published in the near future.

Metadata

The authors did not receive any funding for this work yet.

The authors have declared no competing interests.

No data analyzed during the current study. All pertinent data from this study will be disclosed upon study completion.
Causal Relationship between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Atherosclerosis Risk: A Mendelian Randomized Study
Authors: Liu Qi-Pei , Du Hong-Cheng , Xie Ping-Jin , Zhang Lei-Xiao , Gao Hao-Ze , Luo Jie-Hua , Chai Sheng-Ting
Published: April 2024

Objectives

Previous observational studies have revealed an association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and atherosclerosis (AS). However, observational studies are prone to bias due to potential confounding factors and reverse causality. Therefore, this study investigates the causal relationship between RA and AS risk using Mendelian randomization (MR).

Methods

Genetic data related to RA and AS were sourced from the Integrative Epidemiology Unit Open-Genome-Wide Association Studies database and the seventh edition of the FinnGen Biobank gene database, respectively. The initial analysis employed the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method for the MR analysis, with other methods utilized as supplementary methods. To ensure the robustness and reliability of the conclusions, various sensitivity analyses were conducted.

Results

The MR results indicate a positive causal relationship between genetically determined RA and the risk of coronary atherosclerosis(OR = 1.026, 95% CI: 1.004, 1.049, p = 0.179), peripheral atherosclerosis(OR = 1.072, 95% CI: 1.035, 1.111, p < 0.001), and atherosclerosis excluding coronary atherosclerosis, cerebral atherosclerosis, and PAD (ASE) (OR = 1.046, 95% CI: 1.015, 1.079, p = 0.004), while no significant causal relationship with cerebral AS was observed. The MR-Egger regression did not reveal any significant horizontal pleiotropy.

Conclusion

This study elucidates the causal relationship between RA and various AS risks, highlighting the importance of actively detecting and intervening in RA for AS risk.
A novel multi-omics mendelian randomization method for gene set enrichment and its application to psychiatric disorders
Authors: Gedik Huseyin , Peterson Roseann , Chatzinakos Christos , Dozmorov Mikhail G. , Vladimirov Vladimir , Riley Brien P. , Bacanu Silviu-Alin
Published: April 2024

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of psychiatric disorders (PD) yield numerous loci with significant signals, but often do not implicate specific genes. Because GWAS risk loci are enriched in expression/protein/methylation quantitative loci (e/p/mQTL, hereafter xQTL), transcriptome/proteome/methylome-wide association studies (T/P/MWAS, hereafter XWAS) that integrate xQTL and GWAS information, can link GWAS signals to effects on specific genes. To further increase detection power, gene signals are aggregated within relevant gene sets (GS) by performing gene set enrichment (GSE) analyses.

Often GSE methods test for enrichment of “signal” genes in curated GS while overlooking their linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, allowing for the possibility of increased false positive rates. Moreover, no GSE tool uses xQTL information to perform mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. To make causal inference on association between PD and GS, we develop a novel MR GSE (MR-GSE) procedure. First, we generate a “synthetic” GWAS for each MSigDB GS by aggregating summary statistics for x-level (mRNA, protein or DNA methylation (DNAm) levels) from the largest xQTL studies available) of genes in a GS. Second, we use synthetic GS GWAS as exposure in a generalized summary-data-based-MR analysis of complex trait outcomes.

We applied MR-GSE to GWAS of nine important PD. When applied to the underpowered opioid use disorder GWAS, none of the four analyses yielded any signals, which suggests a good control of false positive rates. For other PD, MR-GSE greatly increased the detection of GO terms signals (2,594) when compared to the commonly used (non-MR) GSE method (286). Some of the findings might be easier to adapt for treatment, e.g., our analyses suggest modest positive effects for supplementation with certain vitamins and/or omega-3 for schizophrenia, bipolar and major depression disorder patients. Similar to other MR methods, when applying MR-GSE researchers should be mindful of the confounding effects of horizontal pleiotropy on statistical inference.
The microtubule regulator EFA-6 forms spatially restricted cortical foci dependent on its intrinsically disordered region and interactions with tubulins
Authors: Sandhu Anjali , Lyu Xiaohui , Wan Xinghaoyun , Meng Xuefeng , Tang Ngang Heok , Gonzalez Gilberto , Syed Ishana N. , Chen Lizhen , Jin Yishi , Chisholm Andrew D.
Published: April 2024

Microtubules (MTs) are dynamic components of the cytoskeleton and play essential roles in morphogenesis and maintenance of tissue and cell integrity. Despite recent advances in understanding MT ultrastructure, organization, and growth control, how cells regulate MT organization at the cell cortex remains poorly understood. The EFA-6/EFA6 proteins are recently identified membrane-associated proteins that inhibit cortical MT dynamics. Here, combining visualization of endogenously taggedC. elegansEFA-6 with genetic screening, we uncovered tubulin-dependent regulation of EFA-6 patterning. In the mature epidermal epithelium, EFA-6 forms punctate foci in specific regions of the apical cortex, dependent on its intrinsically disordered region (IDR). We further show the EFA-6 IDR is sufficient to form biomolecular condensatesin vitro. In screens for mutants with altered GFP::EFA-6 localization, we identified a novel gain-of-function (gf) mutation in an α-tubulintba-1that induces ectopic EFA-6 foci in multiple cell types.tba-1(gf)animals exhibit temperature-sensitive embryonic lethality, which is partially suppressed byefa-6(lf), indicating the interaction between tubulins and EFA-6 is important for normal development. TBA-1(gf) shows reduced incorporation into filamentous MTs but has otherwise mild effects on cellular MT organization. The ability of TBA-1(gf) to trigger ectopic EFA-6 foci formation requires β-tubulin TBB-2 and the chaperon EVL-20/Arl2. Thetba-1(gf)-induced EFA-6 foci display slower turnover, contain the MT-associated protein TAC-1/TACC, and require the EFA-6 MTED. Our results reveal a novel crosstalk between cellular tubulins and cortical MT regulatorsin vivo.

Highlights

The MT regulator EFA-6 forms spatially restricted punctate cortical foci

The EFA-6 N-terminal intrinsically disordered region (IDR) is essential for the formation of cortical fociin vivoand is sufficient for droplet formationin vitro

Tubulins regulate formation of EFA-6 foci via the EFA-6 MT elimination domain

EFA-6 foci induced by altered tubulin heterodimer function display reduced turnover and recruit TAC-1/TACC
Rapid and Sensitive Protein Complex Alignment with Foldseek-Multimer
Authors: Kim Woosub , Mirdita Milot , Karin Eli Levy , Gilchrist Cameron L.M. , Schweke Hugo , Söding Johannes , Levy Emmanuel D. , Steinegger Martin
Published: April 2024

Advances in computational structure prediction will vastly augment the hundreds of thousands of currently-available protein complex structures. Translating these into discoveries requires aligning them, which is computationally prohibitive. Foldseek-Multimer computes complex alignments from compatible chain-to-chain alignments, identified by efficiently clustering their superposition vectors. Foldseek-Multimer is 3-4 orders of magnitudes faster than the gold standard, while producing comparable alignments; allowing it to compare billions of complex-pairs in 11 hours. Foldseek-Multimer is open-source software:github.com/steineggerlab/foldseek, webserver:search.foldseek.comand the BFMD database.
Refined mechanism of promoter Nucleosome-Depleted Regions resetting after replication
Authors: Zencir Sevil , Gill Jatinder Kaur , Stutz Françoise , Soudet Julien
Published: April 2024

Replication disrupts chromatin organization. Thus, the rapid resetting of nucleosome positioning is essential to maintain faithful gene expression. The initial step of this reconfiguration occurs at Nucleosome-Depleted Regions (NDRs). While studies have elucidated the role of Transcription Factors (TFs) and Chromatin Remodelers (CRs)in vitroor in maintaining NDRsin vivo, none has addressed theirin vivofunction shortly after replication. Through purification of nascent chromatin in yeast, we dissected the choreography of events governing the proper positioning of the −1/+1 nucleosomes flanking promoter NDRs. Our findings reveal that CRs are the primary contributors of −1/+1 repositioning post-replication, with RSC acting upstream of INO80. Surprisingly, while Reb1 and Abf1 TFs are not essential for NDR resetting, they are required for NDR maintenanceviathe promotion of H3 acetylations. Altogether, we propose a two-step model for NDR resetting inS. cerevisiae: first, CRs alone reset promoter NDRs after replication, while a combination of TFs and CRs is required for subsequent maintenance.

Teaser

RSC acts upstream of INO80 for NDR re-establishment after replication followed by a combined action of CRs and TFs for NDR maintenance.
Tick-borne flavivirus exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs contain a ‘double loop’ structure
Authors: Langeberg Conner J. , Szucs Matthew J. , Sherlock Madeline E. , Vicens Quentin , Kieft Jeffrey S.
Published: April 2024

Flaviviridaeviruses are human pathogens that generate subgenomic noncoding RNAs during infection using structured exoribonuclease resistant RNAs (xrRNAs) that block progression of host cell’s exoribonucleases. The structures of several xrRNAs from mosquito-borne and insect-specific flaviviruses have been solved, revealing a conserved fold in which a ring-like motif encircles the end of the xrRNA. However, the xrRNAs found in tick-borne and no known vector flaviviruses have distinct characteristics and their 3-D fold was unsolved. To address this, we identified subgenomic flaviviral RNA formation in the encephalitis-causing tick-borne Powassan Virus. We characterized their secondary structure using chemical probing and solved the structure of one of its xrRNAs using cryo-EM. This structure reveals a novel double loop ring element leading to a model in which the ring is remodeled upon encountering the exoribonuclease. Using bioinformatic analyses we showed that this structure is representative of a broad class of xrRNAs and defined key structural and sequence determinants of function. These discoveries reveal a conserved strategy of structure-based exoribonuclease resistance achieved through a unique topology across a viral family of key importance to global health.
Properties of theUreaplasma parvumSMC protein related to its interaction with DNA
Authors: Rumyantseva Natalya A. , Shutov Vladimir M. , Belenkaia Dina G. , Alekseev Aleksandr A. , Morozova Natalia E. , Vedyaykin Alexey D.
Published: April 2024

SMC (Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes) ATPase proteins are integral components of complexes bearing the same name, crucial for the spatial organization of DNA across diverse life forms, spanning bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. It is proposed that in bacteria, SMC complexes facilitate DNA compaction through loop extrusion and aid in the segregation of daughter nucleoids. In this paper the properties of the SMC ATPase protein fromUreaplasma parvumwere investigated by using a spectrum of methods, including conventional biochemical methods as well as advanced single-molecule techniques. Our findings reveal distinctive properties of this protein compared to its extensively studied homologue fromBacillus subtilis. Notably, our results suggest thatU. parvumSMC ATPase facilitates DNA compaction even in the absence of ATP.
ARHGEF17/TEM4 regulates the cell cycle through control of G1 progression
Authors: Prifti Diogjena Katerina , Calvo Eva , Lauzier Annie , Garand Chantal , Devillers Romain , Roy Suparba , Santos Alexsandro Dos , Descombes Laurence , Bordeleau François , Elowe Sabine
Published: April 2024

The Ras homolog (Rho) small GTPases, via their role in regulating the actin cytoskeleton, coordinate diverse cellular functions including cell morphology, adhesion and motility, as well as cell cycle progression, survival and apoptosis. The upstream Rho regulators for many of these functions are unknown. ARHGEF17 (also known as TEM4) is a Rho family guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that been implicated in cell migration, cell-cell junction formation and the mitotic checkpoint. In this study we characterize the regulation of the cell cycle by TEM4. We demonstrate that TEM4 depleted cells exhibit multiple defects in mitotic entry and duration, spindle morphology, and spindle orientation. In addition, we find that TEM4 insufficiency leads to excessive cortical actin polymerization and cell rounding defects. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that TEM4 depleted cells delay in G1 as a consequence of elevated levels of the G1/S inhibitor p21waf1/cip1and that TEM4 depleted cells that progress through to mitosis, do so with decreased transcription ofCCNB1and thus attenuated levels of cyclin B. Importantly, cyclin B overexpression in TEM4-depleted cells largely rescues mitotic progression and chromosome segregation defects in anaphase. Our study thus illustrates the consequences of Rho signalling imbalance on cell cycle progression and identifies TEM4 as the first GEF governing Rho GTPase-mediated regulation of G1/S.
Baryon transport in color flux tubes
Authors: Pratt Scott
Published: April 2024

Color flux tubes are a standard perspective from which to understand stopping in high-energy collisions. Mechanisms for baryon transport and polarization within a tube are considered here, both in regards to the transport of baryons from the target and projectile toward midrapidity and in regards to the correlations of baryon-antibaryon pairs created in the tube. The roles of tube merging and gluon radiation within a tube are emphasized.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Parametrized uncertainties in the spectral function model of neutrino charged-current quasielastic interactions for oscillation analyses
Authors: Chakrani J. , Dolan S. , Avanzini M. Buizza , Ershova A. , Koch L. , McFarland K. , Megias G. D. , Munteanu L. , Pickering L. , Skwarczynski K. , Nguyen V. Q. , Wret C.
Published: April 2024

A substantial fraction of systematic uncertainties in neutrino oscillation experiments stem from the lack of precision in modeling the nuclear target in neutrino-nucleus interactions. Whilst this has driven significant progress in the development of improved nuclear models for neutrino scattering, it is crucial that the models used in neutrino data analyses be accompanied by parameters and associated uncertainties that allow the coverage of plausible nuclear physics. Based on constraints from electron scattering data, we propose such a set of parameters, which can be applied to nuclear shell models, and test their application to the Benhar [] spectral function model. The parametrization is validated through a series of maximum likelihood fits to cross section measurements made by the T2K and MINERvA experiments, which also permit an exploration of the power of near-detector data to provide constraints on the parameters in neutrino oscillation analyses.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Semi-inclusive production of spin-
3/2
hadrons in deep inelastic scattering
Authors: Zhao Jing , Zhang Zhe , Liang Zuo-tang , Liu Tianbo , Zhou Ya-jin
Published: April 2024

We investigate the production of spin-3/2 hadrons in semi-inclusive deep inelastic lepton-nucleon scatterings. The complete differential cross section is derived through the kinematic analysis and expressed in terms of 288 structure functions, corresponding to all polarization configurations and azimuthal modulations. For an unpolarized lepton beam, half of the 192 structure functions have nonzero leading order contributions in the parton model, among which 42 are from rank-3 tensor polarized fragmentation functions of the hadron. For a polarized lepton beam, one third of the 96 structure functions contribute at the leading order and 14 of them are from rank-3 tensor polarized fragmentation functions. In addition to the formalism, we perform a model estimation of the spin transfer to a ShLLL polarized hadron and sizable asymmetry is expected. Therefore, these newly defined observables for the production of a spin-3/2 hadron in a deep inelastic scattering process can be explored in future experiments to understand nucleon spin structures and spin-dependent fragmentation functions.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Electromagnetic properties of the
Tcc+
molecular states
Authors: Lei Ya-Ding , Li Hao-Song
Published: April 2024

In this work, we discuss the electromagnetic properties of the S-wave and D-wave Tcc+ molecular states, which include the magnetic moments, transition magnetic moments, and radiative decay widths. According to our results, the magnetic moment of Tcc+ state observed experimentally is −0.09μN. Meanwhile, we also discuss the relations between the transition magnetic moments of the S-wave Tcc+ molecular states and the radiative decay widths, and we analyze the proportionality between the magnetic moments of the Tcc+ molecular states. These results provide further information on the inner structure of Tcc+ molecular states and deepen the understanding of electromagnetic properties of doubly charmed tetraquarks.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Gravitational wave asteroseismology of dark matter hadronic stars
Authors: Flores César V. , Lenzi C. H. , Dutra M. , Lourenço O. , Arbañil José D. V.
Published: April 2024

The influence of the dark matter mass (Mχ) and the Fermi momentum (kFDM) on the f0-mode oscillation frequency, damping time parameter, and tidal deformability of hadronic stars are studied by employing a numerical integration of hydrostatic equilibrium, nonradial oscillation, and tidal deformability equations. The matter inside the hadronic stars follows the NL3* equation of state. We obtain that the influence of Mχ and kFDM is observed in the f0-mode, damping tome parameter, and tidal deformability. Finally, the correlation between the tidal deformability of the GW170817 event with Mχ and kFDM are also investigated.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Minimal production of prompt gravitational waves during reheating
Authors: Choi Gongjun , Ke Wenqi , Olive Keith A.
Published: April 2024

The inflationary reheating phase begins when accelerated expansion ends. As all Standard Model particles are coupled to gravity, gravitational interactions will lead to particle production. This includes the thermal bath, dark matter, and gravitational radiation. Here, we compute the spectrum of gravitational waves from the inflaton condensate during the initial phase of reheating. As particular examples of inflation, we consider the Starobinsky model and T models, all of which are in good phenomenological agreement with cosmic microwave background anisotropy measurements. The T models are distinguished by the shape of the potential about its minimum and can be approximated by V∼ϕk, where ϕ is the inflaton. Interestingly, the shape of the gravitational wave spectrum (when observed) can be used to distinguish among the models considered. As we show, the Starobinsky model and T models with k=2, provide very different spectra when compared to models with k=4 or k>4. Observation of multiple harmonics in the spectrum can be interpreted as a direct measurement of the inflaton mass. Furthermore, the cutoff in frequency can be used to determine the reheating temperature.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Covariant actions and propagators for all spins, masses, and dimensions
Authors: Lindwasser Lukas W.
Published: April 2024

The explicit covariant actions and propagators are given for fields describing particles of all spins and masses, in any spacetime dimension. Massive particles are realized as “dimensionally reduced” massless particles. To obtain compact expressions for the propagators, it was useful to introduce an auxiliary vector coordinate sμ and consider “hyperfields” that are functions of space Xμ and sμ. The actions and propagators serve as a basic starting point for concrete high spin computations amenable to dimensional regularization, provided that gauge invariant interactions are introduced.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Energy dependent nuclear suppression from gluon saturation in exclusive vector meson production
Authors: Mäntysaari Heikki , Salazar Farid , Schenke Björn
Published: April 2024

We calculate exclusive J/ψ photoproduction at high energies in the color glass condensate approach. The results are compared to the center-of-mass energy dependent γ+A→J/ψ+A cross sections extracted from measurements in ultraperipheral heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC. We predict strong saturation-driven nuclear suppression at high energies, while LHC data prefer even stronger suppression. We explore effects of nucleon shaped fluctuations and show that the most recent measurement of the |t|-differential incoherent J/ψ cross section prefers large event-by-event fluctuations of the nucleon substructure in heavy nuclei, comparable to that found for a free proton.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Massive Strings from a Field Theory with Ghosts
Authors: Carabine Nicholas , Lipinski Jusinskas Renann
Published: April 2024

In this Letter, we present the α′-exact background equations of motion of the bosonic chiral string (also known as Hohm-Siegel-Zwiebach model), with the spin-two ghost fields integrated out. This is the first instance of a world sheet model in which all corrections are fully determined in a generic curved spacetime. As a concrete cross-check, we find complete agreement between all three-point and a sample of four-point tree-level scattering amplitudes computed using field theory methods and the chiral string prescription. These equations of motion provide a field theoretical shortcut to compute world sheet correlators in conventional bosonic strings (with an arbitrary number of massless and mass-level-one states) and outline a new perspective on massive resonances in string theory.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Evidence for nonzero electron velocity at the tunnel exit in strong-field atomic ionization
Authors: Ivanov I. A. , Kheifets A. S. , Schimmoller A. , Landsman A. S. , Kim Kyung Taec
Published: April 2024

We provide some evidence for nonzero electron velocity at the tunnel exit in strong-field atomic ionization. Our investigation is based on the analysis of a suitably chosen correlation function which describes correlations between the two observables: the longitudinal electron velocity and the appearance of the photoelectron in the continuum at the end of the laser pulse. The results of the correlation function analysis that we perform are confirmed by the calculations using the quantum orbits method.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Generation of scalable many-body Bell correlations in spin chains with short-range two-body interactions
Authors: Płodzień Marcin , Wasak Tomasz , Witkowska Emilia , Lewenstein Maciej , Chwedeńczuk Jan
Published: April 2024

Dynamical generation of strong and scalable quantum resources, like many-body entanglement and Bell correlations, in spin-1/2 chains is possible with all-to-all interactions, either for constant interaction strength realizing one-axis twisting protocol or for power-law decaying potentials. We show, however, that such quantum resources can also be dynamically generated with a finite range of interactions. We identify a threshold range and indicate a threshold time when scalable quantum correlations appear. Finally, we show that the certification of generated states is accessible in modern quantum simulator platforms.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Diffusion of light in structurally anisotropic media with uniaxial symmetry
Authors: Pini Ernesto , Martelli Fabrizio , Gatto Alexander , Schäfer Henrik , Wiersma Diederik S. , Pattelli Lorenzo
Published: April 2024

Anisotropic light transport is extremely common among scattering materials, yet a comprehensive picture of how macroscopic diffusion is determined by microscopic tensor scattering coefficients is not fully established yet. In this work, we present a theoretical and experimental study of diffusion in structurally anisotropic media with uniaxially symmetric scattering coefficients. Exact analytical relations are derived in the case of index-matched turbid media, unveiling the general relation between microscopic scattering coefficients and the resulting macroscopic diffusion tensor along different directions. Excellent agreement is found against anisotropic Monte Carlo simulations up to high degrees of anisotropy, in contrast with previously proposed approaches. The obtained solutions are used to analyze experimental measurements of anisotropic light transport in polystyrene foam samples under different degrees of uniaxial compression, providing a practical example of their applicability.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Boson peak in the vibrational spectra of glasses
Authors: Moriel Avraham , Lerner Edan , Bouchbinder Eran
Published: April 2024

A hallmark of glasses is an excess of low-frequency, nonphononic vibrations. It is manifested as a terahertz peak—the boson peak—in the ratio of the vibrational density of state (VDoS) and Debye's VDoS of phonons. Here, using experimental data, extensive computer simulations, and a mean-field model, we show that the nonphononic part of the VDoS itself features both a universal power-law tail and a peak at higher frequencies, entirely accounted for by quasilocalized nonphononic vibrations, whose existence and spectra power-law tail were recently established in computer glasses. We rationalize the variation of the peak's frequency and magnitude with glasses' thermal history, which is much weaker than the variation of the tail and may follow an opposite trend, and show that the peak's modes are composed of many spatially coupled quasilocalized nonphononic vibrations. Our results shed light on the origin, nature, and properties of the boson peak in glasses.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
No “cookie cutter rules”: best practice for social care staff in supporting autistic adults with relationships and sexuality
Authors: Bates Claire , Matthews Rose
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the support needs surrounding intimate relationships and sexuality of autistic adults accessing funded social care in England.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews with 15 autistic adults who were accessing funded social care examined their support needs surrounding intimate relationships and sexuality, with subsequent data analysis using reflexive thematic analysis.

Findings

Four themes were generated: Help at hand, but not too close for comfort, No “cookie-cutter rules”: personalised, inclusive approaches, Playing it safe, not leaving it too late, and Autism-informed education and support.

Practical implications

The authors produced an online learning module for social care staff in England on best practice in supporting autistic adults without learning disabilities with relationships and sexuality.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, there has been no other UK-based research published to date on the social care support needs of autistic adults without learning disabilities surrounding relationships, gender and sexuality.
Human capital and financial performance of Islamic banks: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zafar Muhammad Bilal
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to meta-analyze the results of the prior studies related to the relationship of human capital and financial performance in Islamic banking.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the relationship between human capital and financial of Islamic banks, 23 empirical studies having sample of 15,607 are considered for the meta-analysis. Moreover, different measures related to financial performance including return on assets (ROA), return of equity (ROE) and Tobin’s Q have been taken as moderating for further subgroup analysis.

Findings

The results of meta-analysis reveal a positive correlation between human capital and financial performance with an effect size of 0.268. The subgroup analyses showed significant positive associations of human capital with ROA and ROE, insignificant with Tobin’s Q.

Originality/value

This study suggests Islamic banking should prioritize human capital development, maintain consistency and adopt a long-term perspective. Future research should consider context-specific factors and harmonize human capital and financial performance measurements for consensus.
Research needs for enhancing pre-occupancy evaluation of buildings
Authors: Nazeer Fathima Sabrina , Kamardeen Imriyas , Hasan Abid
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Many buildings fail to meet user expectations, causing a performance gap. Pre-occupancy evaluation (PrOE) is believed to have the potential to close the gap. It enables designers to obtain end-user feedback in the design phase and improve the design for better performance. However, PrOE implementation faces challenges due to still maturing knowledgebase. This study aims to understand the state-of-the-art knowledge of PrOE, thereby identifying future research needs to advance the domain.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) framework was conducted. A thorough search in five databases and Google Scholar retrieved 90 articles, with 30 selected for systematic review after eliminating duplicates and irrelevant articles. Bibliometric analyses were performed using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny on the article metadata, and thematic analyses were conducted on their contents.

Findings

PrOE is a vehicle for engaging building end-users in the design phase to address the credibility gap caused by the discrepancies between the expected and actual performance of buildings. PrOE has gained limited applications in healthcare, residential, office and educational building design for two broad purposes: design management and marketing. Using virtual reality technologies for PrOE has demonstrated significant benefits. Yet, the PrOE domain needs to mature in multiple perspectives to serve its intended purpose effectively.

Originality/value

This study identifies four knowledge gaps for future research to advance the PrOE domain: (1) developing a holistic PrOE framework, integrating comprehensive performance evaluation criteria, useable at different stages of the design phase and multi-criteria decision algorithms, (2) developing a mixed reality tool, embodying the holistic PrOE framework, (3) formulating a PrOE framework for adaptive reuse of buildings and (4) managing uncertainties in user requirements during the lifecycle in PrOE decisions.
Breaking with the seductive promises of internal social media: a critical appraisal
Authors: Høvring Christiane Marie , Ballantyne Anne Gammelgaard
Published: April 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to critically analyze the existing literature on internal social media (ISM) within the context of internal communication, aiming to provide a more nuanced understanding of the roles of ISM and its potential implications for communicative practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a problematizing review methodology, the article conducts a critical analysis of a selected body of literature with the aim of problematizing assumptions that form the foundation of existing theories and constructs in the literature on ISM communication.

Findings

The article points out two interrelated critical issues that might constrain our understanding, scholarly conversation and theoretical development of the roles of ISM communication in organizations: (1) Philosophical inexplicitness; (2) Ontological inconsistency.

Originality/value

Assuming a communication perspective, the article contributes suggestions for future research on ISM in the context of internal communication, calling for research to: (1) explicitly consider the epistemological implications of philosophical positions, including the view of technology; and (2) foreground meaning creation processes as the analytical point of interest.
Deliberative ideals and hegemonic practices – political CSR in extractive industries
Authors: Persson Sara
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Political Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), based on ideas about deliberative democracy, have been criticised for increasing corporate power and democratic deficits. Yet, deliberative ideals are flourishing in the corporate world in the form of dialogues with a broad set of stakeholders and engagement in wider societal issues. Extractive industry areas, with extensive corporate interventions in weak regulatory environments, are particularly vulnerable to asymmetrical power relations when businesses engage with society. This paper aims to illustrate in what way deliberative CSR practices in such contexts risk enhancing corporate power at the expense of community interests.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a retrospective qualitative study of a Canadian oil company, operating in an Albanian oilfield between 2009 and 2016. Through a study of three different deliberative CSR practices – market-based land acquisition, a grievance redress mechanism and dialogue groups – it highlights how these practices in various ways enforced corporate interests and prevented further community mobilisation.

Findings

By applying Laclau and Mouffe’s theory of hegemony, the analysis highlights how deliberative CSR activities isolated and silenced community demands, moved some community members into the corporate alliance and prevented alternative visions of the area to be articulated. In particular, the close connection between deliberative practices and monetary compensation flows is underlined in this dynamic.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to critical scholarship on political CSR by highlighting in what way deliberative practices, linked to monetary compensation schemes, enforce corporate hegemony by moving community members over to the corporate alliance.
BIM for maintenance planning of façades in precast concrete buildings
Authors: Ismail Zul-Atfi
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the different system approach using Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology that is equipped with decision making processes. Maintenance planning and management are integral components of the construction sector, serving the broader purpose of post-construction activities and processes. However, as Precast Concrete (PC) construction projects increase in scale and complexity, the interconnections among these activities and processes become apparent, leading to planning and performance management challenges. These challenges specifically affect the monitoring of façade components for corrective and preventive maintenance actions.

Design/methodology/approach

The concept of maintenance planning for façades, along with the main features of information and communication technology tools and techniques using building information modeling technology, is grounded in the analysis of numerous literature reviews in PC building scenarios.

Findings

This research focuses on an integrated system designed to analyze information and support decision-making in maintenance planning for PC buildings. It is based on robust data collection regarding concrete façades' failures and causes. The system aims to provide appropriate planning decisions and minimize the risk of façade failures throughout the building's lifetime.

Originality/value

The study concludes that implementing a research framework to develop such a system can significantly enhance the effectiveness of maintenance planning for façade design, construction and maintenance operations.
Dominant risk factors (DRFs) in construction-specific supply chains: a systematic review
Authors: Kadan Richard , Wium Jan Andries
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Due to the uniqueness of individual construction projects, identifying the dominant risk factors is needed for risk mitigation in ongoing and future projects. This study aims to identify the dominant construction supply chain risk (CSCR) factors, based on studies conducted between 2002 and 2022.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) procedure to identify, screen and select relevant articles in order to provide a bibliography and annotation of the prevalent risks in the supply chains. A descriptive analysis of the findings then follows.

Findings

The study’s findings have highlighted the three most prevalent risks in the construction supply chain (poor communication across project teams, changes in foreign currency rate, unfavorable climate conditions) as reported in literature, that project teams need to pay closer attention to and take proactive steps to mitigate.

Research limitations/implications

Due to limitations imposed by the chosen research methodology, tools, time frame and article availability, the study was unable to examine all CSCR-related papers.

Practical implications

The results will serve as a useful roadmap for risk/supply chain managers in the construction industry to take strategically proactive steps towards allocating resources for CSCR mitigation efforts.

Social implications

Context-specific research on the impact of social and cultural risks on the construction supply chain would be beneficial, due to emerging social network risk factors and the complex socio-cultural settings.

Originality/value

There is presently no study that has reviewed extant studies to identify and compile the dominant risk factors (DRFs) associated with the supply chain of construction projects for ranking in the supply chain risk management process.
Qualitative content analysis of actionable advice in information security policies – introducing the keyword loss of specificity metric
Authors: Rostami Elham , Karlsson Fredrik
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how congruent keywords are used in information security policies (ISPs) to pinpoint and guide clear actionable advice and suggest a metric for measuring the quality of keyword use in ISPs.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative content analysis of 15 ISPs from public agencies in Sweden was conducted with the aid of Orange Data Mining Software. The authors extracted 890 sentences from these ISPs that included one or more of the analyzed keywords. These sentences were analyzed using the new metric – keyword loss of specificity – to assess to what extent the selected keywords were used for pinpointing and guiding actionable advice. Thus, the authors classified the extracted sentences as either actionable advice or other information, depending on the type of information conveyed.

Findings

The results show a significant keyword loss of specificity in relation to pieces of actionable advice in ISPs provided by Swedish public agencies. About two-thirds of the sentences in which the analyzed keywords were used focused on information other than actionable advice. Such dual use of keywords reduces the possibility of pinpointing and communicating clear, actionable advice.

Research limitations/implications

The suggested metric provides a means to assess the quality of how keywords are used in ISPs for different purposes. The results show that more research is needed on how keywords are used in ISPs.

Practical implications

The authors recommended that ISP designers exercise caution when using keywords in ISPs and maintain coherency in their use of keywords. ISP designers can use the suggested metrics to assess the quality of actionable advice in their ISPs.

Originality/value

The keyword loss of specificity metric adds to the few quantitative metrics available to assess ISP quality. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, applying this metric is a first attempt to measure the quality of actionable advice in ISPs.