bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrative genetic analysis reveals new relationships between intraocular pressure, glaucoma and ischemic stroke risk: A study based on combined SNP-to-gene, mendelian randomization and pathway investigations
Authors: Zhang Qi , Hu Di , Lin Zenan , Jiang Junhong
Published: August 2024

Background

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a leading cause of death in elderly people. Previous studies on exploring the association between intraocular pressure (IOP), glaucoma and the IS risk provided inconsistent results and unclear elucidations.

Methods

Here, multiple genetic approaches were employed to investigate the possible causality between these traits. First, we performed the traditional bidirectional mendelian randomization (MR) study to explore the causal relationship between IOP, glaucoma and IS. Second, the SNPs selected as instrumental variables for IOP and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) were mapped to relevant genes by the novel combined SNP-to-gene (cS2G) method. The genes with significant causal effects on IS were then introduced to the gene ontology (GO), pathway and colocalization analyses. Third, the partitioned heritability analysis was also performed to evaluate the genome complexity with the Linkage Disequilibrium Score (LDSC) tool. Fourth, we also performed single SNP mendelian randomization (SSMR) study to find the SNPs of IOP and glaucoma, which had significant causal influence on IS risk. Then, they were introduced to the cytogenetic investigation. The multiple variable MR (MVMR) was applied to assess the independence of the causal effect of the exposures.

Results

The MR results supported the view that the elevated IOP and POAG may contribute to the IS risk, but not vice versa. By using the cS2G approach, we identified 31 and 3 genes which may play key roles in the IOP- and POAG-induced IS risk, respectively. The GO and pathway analyses indicated the olfactory pathway to be a crucial pathway in the IOP-associated mechanism. The colocalization study strengthened the causal implications of genesCDKNA2AandCDKN2B-AS1between POAG and IS. The partitioned heritability analysis showed that the most enriched categories for both IOP and POAG were regulatory-associated terms such as the Super-enhancer. The SSMR study demonstrated that the IOP-associated SNPs with causal effects on IS were located majorly in chromosomes 1 and 11, while the POAG-associated ones were mostly found in chromosomes 9 and 4. The MVMR confirmed that the causal effects of IOP and POAG were not independent from each other.

Conclusions

This work provides novel evidences to support the causal implications between IOP, POAG and IS, and offered putative pathway and genes for managing IOP and POAG in IS.
Deciphering plant-beneficial fungal interactions: Unravelling metabolic diversity that underpins communication between Laccaria bicolor and Trichoderma
Authors: Sivaprakasam Padmanaban Prasath Balaji , Stange Pia , Weber Baris , Ghirardo Andrea , Pritsch Karin , Karl Tanja , Benz J. Philipp , Rosenkranz Maaria , Schnitzler Joerg-Peter
Published: August 2024

With over 250 known species, the genus Trichoderma (Ascomycota, Hypocreaceae) is found in various soils, on plant surfaces and as plant endophytes. While Trichoderma species are known as mycoparasites, their antagonistic behaviour can also negatively affect other beneficial fungi, such as mycorrhizal fungi. To gain insight into the metabolic signals involved in the interactions between the ectomycorrhizal fungus (ECM) Laccaria bicolor (Basidomycota, Hydnangiaceae), and different mycoparasitic Trichoderma spp. (T. harzianum strains WM24a1, MS8a1 and ES8g1, and T. atrobrunneum), we performed in vitro dual-confrontation experiments. We studied the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hyphal metabolomes and soluble metabolites released by each of the fungi in various co-cultivation scenarios. The results revealed an altered growth of the mycelia depending on the degree of contact: When Trichoderma spp. and L. bicolor shared only the same headspace, Trichoderma spp. growth was at least partially inhibited, whereas in direct contact the growth of L. bicolor was impaired. Distinct strain- and species-specific changes in hyphal metabolites, in exudates and volatile emission were revealed from each of the studied fungi. We identified both core metabolite profiles and interaction-specific metabolic responses that were related to carbohydrate, lipid, nucleotide, energy and amino acid metabolisms. Volatile and soluble metabolites revealed temporal and spatial adjustments in dual cultures compared to solitary cultures, suggesting rapid contact-dependent adaptations and demonstrating the dynamic communication mechanisms between Trichoderma spp. and the ECM. These results suggest a central role for both emitted and secreted fungal metabolites in the fungal non-self-recognition and in interaction with each other.
Flavonoids and Derived Anthocyanin Pigments in Plants—Structure, Distribution, Function, and Methods for Quantification and Characterization
Authors: Jiang Nan , Grotewold Erich
Published: August 2024

Flavonoids represent a large class of phenolic specialized metabolites and play crucial roles in plant–environment interactions, including responses to biotic and abiotic factors. While the core flavonoid biosynthesis pathway is well known in several plant species, enzymes involved in modifying core flavonoid structures, furnishing them with distinct biological activities, continue to be identified. Anthocyanins, a specific type of flavonoid pigment, serve various functions, including attracting pollinators and seed-dispersing organisms when accumulated in flowers and seeds. Anthocyanins also accumulate in vegetative tissues of many plants, especially under unfavorable conditions. In this review, we present an overview of the diverse structures, various distributions, and multiple functions of flavonoids in plants.
First-principles characterization of thermal conductivity in
LaPO4
-based alloys
Authors: Pazhedath Anees , Bastonero Lorenzo , Marzari Nicola , Simoncelli Michele
Published: August 2024

Alloys based on lanthanum phosphate (LaPO4) are often employed as thermal barrier coatings, due to their low thermal conductivity and structural stability over a wide temperature range. To enhance the thermal-insulation performance of these alloys, it is essential to comprehensively understand the fundamental physics governing their heat conduction. Here, we employ the Wigner formulation of thermal transport in conjunction with first-principles calculations to elucidate how the interplay between anharmonicity and compositional disorder determines the thermal properties of La1−xGdxPO4 alloys, and discuss the fundamental physics underlying the emergence and coexistence of particlelike and wavelike heat-transport mechanisms. We also show how the Wigner transport equation correctly describes the thermodynamic limit of a compositionally disordered crystal, while the Boltzmann transport equation does not. Our predictions for microscopic vibrational properties (temperature-dependent Raman spectrum) and for macroscopic thermal conductivity are validated against experiments. Finally, we leverage these findings to devise strategies to optimize the performance of thermal barrier coatings.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Emergence of String Monodromy in Effective Field Theory
Authors: Chen Alan Shih-Kuan , Elvang Henriette , Herderschee Aidan
Published: August 2024

We demonstrate that when the field theory Kleiss-Kuijf and Bern-Carrasco-Johansson relations are imposed on one color ordering of general local bi-adjoint scalar effective field theories, the string monodromy relations must be obeyed by the other color ordering. This is a surprising example of an open string world-sheet property appearing in a purely field theoretic context. As part of the derivation, we show that nonlinear relations among the four-point Wilson coefficients arise from imposing linear symmetries on the six-point amplitude via factorization.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Sparsity-Independent Lyapunov Exponent in the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev Model
Authors: García-García Antonio M. , Liu Chang , Verbaarschot Jacobus J. M.
Published: August 2024

The saturation of a recently proposed universal bound on the Lyapunov exponent has been conjectured to signal the existence of a gravity dual. This saturation occurs in the low-temperature limit of the dense Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model, N Majorana fermions with q body (q>2) infinite-range interactions. We calculate certain out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs) for N≤64 fermions for a highly sparse SYK model and find no significant dependence of the Lyapunov exponent on sparsity up to near the percolation limit where the Hamiltonian breaks up into blocks. This provides strong support to the saturation of the Lyapunov exponent in the low-temperature limit of the sparse SYK. A key ingredient to reaching N=64 is the development of a novel quantum spin model simulation library that implements highly optimized matrix-free Krylov subspace methods on graphical processing units. This leads to a significantly lower simulation time as well as vastly reduced memory usage over previous approaches, while using modest computational resources. Strong sparsity-driven statistical fluctuations require both the use of a much larger number of disorder realizations with respect to the dense limit and a careful finite size scaling analysis. The saturation of the bound in the sparse SYK points to the existence of a gravity analog that would enlarge substantially the number of field theories with this feature.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Statistical properties of probabilistic context-sensitive grammars
Authors: Nakaishi Kai , Hukushima Koji
Published: August 2024

Probabilistic context-free grammars (PCFGs), which are commonly used to generate trees randomly, have been well analyzed theoretically, leading to applications in various domains. Despite their utility, the distributions that the grammar can express are limited to those in which the distribution of a subtree depends only on its root and not on its context. This limitation presents a challenge for modeling various real-world phenomena, such as natural languages. To overcome this limitation, a probabilistic context-sensitive grammar (PCSG) is introduced, where the distribution of a subtree depends on its context. Numerical analysis of a PCSG reveals that the distribution of a symbol does not constitute a qualitative difference from that in the context-free case, but mutual information does. Furthermore, a novel metric introduced to directly quantify the breaking of this limitation detects a distinct difference between PCFGs and PCSGs. This metric, applicable to an arbitrary distribution of a tree, allows for further investigation and characterization of various tree structures that PCFGs cannot express.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Decomposing Imaginary-Time Feynman Diagrams Using Separable Basis Functions: Anderson Impurity Model Strong-Coupling Expansion
Authors: Kaye Jason , Huang Zhen , Strand Hugo U. R. , Golež Denis
Published: August 2024

We present a deterministic algorithm for the efficient evaluation of imaginary-time diagrams based on the recently introduced discrete Lehmann representation (DLR) of imaginary-time Green’s functions. In addition to the efficient discretization of diagrammatic integrals afforded by its approximation properties, the DLR basis is separable in imaginary-time, allowing us to decompose diagrams into linear combinations of nested sequences of one-dimensional products and convolutions. Focusing on the strong-coupling bold-line expansion of generalized Anderson impurity models, we show that our strategy reduces the computational complexity of evaluating an Mth-order diagram at inverse temperature β and spectral width ωmax from O((βωmax)2M−1) for a direct quadrature to

O

(

M

(

log

(

β

ω

max

)

)

M

+

1

)

, with controllable high-order accuracy. We benchmark our algorithm using third-order expansions for multiband impurity problems with off-diagonal hybridization and spin-orbit coupling, presenting comparisons with exact diagonalization and quantum Monte Carlo approaches. In particular, we perform a self-consistent dynamical mean-field theory calculation for a three-band Hubbard model with strong spin-orbit coupling representing a minimal model of Ca2RuO4, demonstrating the promise of the method for modeling realistic strongly correlated multiband materials. For both strong and weak coupling expansions of low and intermediate order, in which diagrams can be enumerated, our method provides an efficient, straightforward, and robust blackbox evaluation procedure. In this sense, it fills a gap between diagrammatic approximations of the lowest order, which are simple and inexpensive but inaccurate, and those based on Monte Carlo sampling of high-order diagrams.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Reselling or agency selling? The impact of live-streaming on selling formats
Authors: Bicheng Yue , Liu Naimeng , Liu Bin
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Choosing the proper selling format for online retail has long been a critical issue for many platforms to consider, whereas the emergence and popularity of live-streaming have had a massive impact on the platform's business. As a result, selecting the suitable operating strategy for the live channel has become another critical issue for platforms. In such a context, what will be the impact of live-streaming on selling formats?

Design/methodology/approach

In order to explore these issues, we identified two selling formats (wholesale reselling or agency selling) as well as two operating strategies (introduce or discard). Thereby, four channel-structures are constructed, namely the reselling-discard model (WN), the reselling-introduce model (WL), the agency-discard model (AN), and the agency-introduce model (AL). We comprehensively compare how different structures affect stakeholders' interests, consumer surplus, and social welfare through equilibrium analyses.

Findings

These results help clarify the impact of critical factors (e.g. self-effort attribute, cross-effort attribute, and commission ratio) on the choice of models. We find that regardless of the selling agreement between the manufacturer and the platform, the introduction of a live store is necessary; specifically, when the commission ratio is high, the platform's optimal decision is first to sign an agency agreement and then apply live selling (AL); conversely, when the commission ratio is low, the platform's optimal strategy is first to enable the live channel and then to select the reselling format (WL), together, this also reveals, from a theoretical perspective.

Originality/value

Our study includes the dual analysis of selling formats and channel operations, considering the inherent dual attributes of service efforts and the external competitive environment.
Debt maturity, governance and investment efficiency: new evidence from emerging market
Authors: Yadav Akash Singh , Yadav Inder Sekhar
Published: August 2024

Purpose

This study investigates the combined influence of corporate governance (CG) and debt maturity (DM) on the investment inefficiency among non-financial 506 NSE-listed firms in India between 2009 and 2022. Additionally, this study also investigates the moderating effect of short-term debt (STD) maturity concerning the relationship between CG and investment inefficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing the residuals extracted from the Biddle et al. (2009) investment model, three different forms of investment inefficiency (investment inefficiency, overinvestment and underinvestment) were measured. To measure the internal governance of firms, a new corporate governance index (CGI) was developed using 65 new governance stipulations, whereas STD was measured as short-term debt divided by total debt. Interaction effects between CG and DM were also estimated. Employing CGI and STD along with firm-specific control variables, many pooled regression models were estimated. Endogeneity issues were addressed through two-stage least squares. Robustness checks were also conducted using the two-step system GMM, alternative measures of dependent and independent variables.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that higher CG and shortened DM increase investment efficiency. This evidence implies that firm-level governance and short-term debt reduce information asymmetry and increase management oversight. Additionally, the evidence suggested that shortened DM and CG complement one another to increase investment efficiency, suggesting companies that utilize STD to a greater (lesser) extent demonstrate a greater (lesser) impact of CG in reducing investment inefficiency.

Practical implications

This work first advocates the establishment and implementation of robust corporate governance mechanisms to control agency conflicts, moral hazard, adverse selection and limit opportunistic behavior of managers for improving investment efficiency. Second, since interaction effects suggest a complementarity between CG and DM, it is advocated that STDs can be used to achieve optimal investment choices to control moral hazards and adverse selection and discourage suboptimal investment levels.

Originality/value

This work provides new evidence concerning the effects of CG and DM on various forms of corporate investment efficiency (investment inefficiency, overinvestment and underinvestment, using alternate measures) in an emerging economy like India having a unique institutional framework and macroeconomic environment using a newly developed firm-specific CG index for a large sample of companies using recent data.
The eye movement behavior induced by the design of a Japanese garden and its correlation with relaxation effects
Authors: Liang Tiankai , Goto Seiko , Sun Minkai
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The design of Japanese gardens is a naturalistic style, and previous studies have shown the relaxation effects by viewing a Japanese garden. The purpose of this study is to find a trend of eye movement in viewing a Japanese garden and elucidate the relationship between eye movements and relaxation effects compared to a geometric garden.

Design/methodology/approach

A Japanese-style garden and a geometrically designed herbal garden were selected for the experiment. Participants' eye movement and heart rate were measured during their 5-min observation of the garden to assess their physiological responses. Additionally, POMS-SF was used to assess their psychological responses.

Findings

Pearson correlation analysis revealed a stronger significant correlation between eye movement data and relaxation mechanisms in the Japanese garden. Compared to the herbal garden, the Japanese garden had more fixations and faster eye movement speed, and better relaxation effects.

Practical implications

This study suggests that exploring the relationship between design, eye movement, and relaxation mechanisms from different perspectives of landscape design is feasible. For example, our results demonstrate that the layout of landscape elements, texture, details, and maintenance in the Japanese garden hold participants' longer attention, resulting in a better relaxation effect.

Originality/value

This study clarified how a garden design can manipulate eye movements to induce relaxing effects.
Health or environment? How do motivations affect consumers' organic food purchasing behaviour in China?
Authors: Xing Yunfeng , Liao Yuanhong
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Environmental and health concerns are considered the most significant motivations for organic food purchasing behaviour (OFP). This study focuses on the roles of health and environmental concerns in OFP in China, aiming to explore whether there are differences in the effects and mechanisms of these two concerns.

Design/methodology/approach

We use the PLS-SEM to conduct empirical tests, drawing from survey data collected from 628 Chinese consumers.

Findings

The results showed that the OFP was influenced differently by health and environmental concerns. Specifically, the total effect of environmental concern on OFP outweighs that of health concern, whereas the opposite is true for direct impacts. Additionally, environmental and health concerns can influence OFP through attitude and subjective norms, although the specific mechanisms vary. Environmental concern affects OFP more through subjective norms, whereas health concern affects OFP mainly through attitude. Meanwhile, functional value quality was a significant moderator that enhanced the indirect effect of motivation on OFP.

Originality/value

A theoretical framework is constructed to explore the role of two types of motivations in OFP within emerging economies like China, revealing their mechanism and interaction effect with functional values.
The role of female managers in enhancing employee well-being: a path through workplace resources
Authors: Xie Jun , Piao Xiangdan , Managi Shunsuke
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Following the job demands-resources theory, this study aims to investigate the role of female managers in enhancing employee well-being in terms of psychological health via workplace resources.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a large-scale job stress survey of approximately 96,000 employee-year observations ranging from 2017 to 2019, this study applies structural equation modeling to construct latent workplace resources at the task, group and worksite levels and then examines the impact of female managers on employee well-being, including occupational stress, job satisfaction, work engagement and workplace cohesiveness.

Findings

The findings provide supporting evidence for the transformational leadership behaviors of female managers. The presence of women in management is associated with improved workplace resources and employee well-being, particularly workplace cohesiveness, work engagement and reduced occupational stress. These relationships are significantly mediated by workplace resources, which elucidates the underlying mechanisms involved. Notably, the positive indirect effects via workplace resources could counteract the negative direct effects of female managers. Compared with top managers, female middle managers have more substantial impacts.

Practical implications

In practice, it is recommended to promote female representation at the management level and strengthen policies that support female middle managers to ensure favorable effects on workplace resources. In a gender-diverse management team, it is important to share female managers’ experiences in improving employee psychological well-being.

Originality/value

This study provides new empirical evidence to support the transformational leadership behaviors of female managers and elucidates the mechanism of female managers’ influence on employee well-being by introducing workplace resources as mediators.
“Oh no! all my money is gone”: the detrimental consequences of participating in stokvels among women entrepreneurs within the South African township economy
Authors: Maziriri Eugine Tafadzwa , Nyagadza Brighton , Maramura Tafadzwa Clementine
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the detrimental consequences of participating in stokvels among women entrepreneurs within the South African township economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The research used the Gioia methodology, involving the implementation of a qualitative inquiry with an inductive approach. Semi-structured interviews served as the primary method for data collection. The study had a sample comprising 20 women entrepreneurs located in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Findings

Narratives on the detrimental consequences of participating in stokvels among women entrepreneurs within the South African township economy included fraudsters, misunderstanding and dishonesty among stokvel partners, year-end robbery and theft, stokvels being dominated by men, operating outside of formal regulatory frameworks, exclusion and limited funding.

Research limitations/implications

Sample size challenges feature as a notable limitation, including the research being conducted in only one province of South Africa. Caution should be exercised when seeking to generalize the findings in other contexts.

Originality/value

While there is an array of literature on the impact of stokvels on entrepreneurship, there are deficiencies in studies that have looked at the detrimental consequences of stokvels on women entrepreneurs. As a result, the goal of this research is to add to the present corpus of African entrepreneurship literature, specifically in the context of South Africa.
Numerical investigation of magnetized bioconvection and heat transfer in a cross-ternary hybrid nanofluid over a stretching cylinder
Authors: Farooq Umar , Liu Tao , Jan Ahmed , Farooq Umer , Majeed Samina
Published: August 2024

Purpose

In this study, we investigate the effects of an extended ternary hybrid Tiwari and Das nanofluid model on ethylene glycol flow, with a focus on heat transfer. Using the Cross non-Newtonian fluid model, we explore the heat transfer characteristics of this unique fluid in various applications such as pharmaceutical solvents, vaccine preservatives, and medical imaging techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

Our investigation reveals that the flow of this ternary hybrid nanofluid follows a laminar Cross model flow pattern, influenced by heat radiation and occurring around a stretched cylinder in a porous medium. We apply a non-similarity transformation to the nonlinear partial differential equations, converting them into non-dimensional PDEs. These equations are subsequently solved as ordinary differential equations (ODEs) using MATLAB’s bvp4c tools. In addition, the magnetic number in this study spans from 0 to 5, volume fraction of nanoparticles varies from 5% to 10%, and Prandtl number for EG as 204. This approach allows us to examine the impact of temperature on heat transfer and distribution within the fluid.

Findings

Graphical depictions illustrate the effects of parameters such as the Weissenberg number, porous parameter, Schmidt number, thermal conductivity parameter, Soret number, magnetic parameter, Eckert number, Lewis number, and Peclet number on velocity, temperature, concentration, and microorganism profiles. Our results highlight the significant influence of thermal radiation and ohmic heating on heat transmission, particularly in relation to magnetic and Darcy parameters. A higher Lewis number corresponds to faster heat diffusion compared to mass diffusion, while increases in the Soret number are associated with higher concentration profiles. Additionally, rapid temperature dissipation inhibits microbial development, reducing the microbial profile.

Originality/value

The numerical analysis of skin friction coefficients and Nusselt numbers in tabular form further validates our approach. Overall, our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of our numerical technique in providing a comprehensive understanding of flow and heat transfer processes in ternary hybrid nanofluids, offering valuable insights for various practical applications.
Impacts and ethics of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) by the Indian Police
Authors: Rani Meena
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The paper aims to examine the impacts and ethics of utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Indian policing. It explores both the positive and negative consequences of using AI, as well as the ethical considerations that have be taken into account.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on secondary sources of information, such as national and international reports, journal articles, and institutional websites that discuss the use of AI technology by the police in India.

Findings

AI has proven to be effective in policing, from preventing crime to identifying criminals, by detecting potential crimes in advance with fewer resources and in more areas. In India, the police use AI technology not only for facial recognition but also for crime mapping, analysis, and building blocks. However, factors such as caste, religion, language, and gender continue to cause conflict. India has shown a strong interest in using AI technology for policing, and wishes to accelerate its implementation in various policing contexts, including law and order. This paper calls for an assessment of the complexities and uncertainties brought about by new technologies in policing with ethical considerations.

Originality/value

This paper can provide valuable insights for policy-makers, academics, and practitioners engaged in discussions and debates concerning the ethical considerations associated with the adoption of AI tools in policing practices.
Energy poverty and environmental sustainability in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Evidence from method of moments quantile regression
Authors: Alnour Mohammed , Bilgili Faik , Khan Kamran
Published: August 2024

The enormous ensembles of energy resources have elevated Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) to a prominent position in the world energy scene as a leading region in forming a sustainable energy future. However, over half of the population in the region lives without electricity and less than 20% of the population has access to clean fuels. The excessive reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, kerosene, and solid biomass has implications for environmental outcomes in SSA. Nevertheless, the environmental impact of energy poverty from the SSA perspective remains an under‐explored terrain in the research landscape. In this context, to address the pressing challenges of energy poverty and environmental sustainability, this study aims to explore the threat energy poverty poses on the ecological footprints, focusing on “land‐use, carbon footprint, forestry resources, and fishing ground” across 35 SSA countries using disaggregated data covering the period 2000 and 2021. This study employs the novel Method of the Moments Quantile Regression following the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology model as the reference theoretical and analytical framework. The findings disclose heterogeneous effects of rural and urban energy poverty on ecological footprint items. When comparing the magnitudes, we found that rural energy poverty has a more detrimental impact on land‐use than urban energy poverty. Energy poverty is found to have no reliable power to explain the variation in carbon footprint and fishing ground. In the meantime, urban energy poverty exerts a positive effect on forestry resource sustainability. Surprisingly, population density is found to have a significant and desirable impact on land‐use. Based on the obtained results, numerous policy suggestions have been discussed along with some prospects for future research.
Athletic enhancement and human nature
Authors: Wygoda Cohen Shlomit
Published: August 2024

There is a well‐established asymmetry in our judgments of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sports and in other competitive activities. When an athlete is found using such drugs, it is a scandal that prompts public outrage, fan disappointment, and even loss of title. It seems that we judge enhanced results cannot be genuinely attributed to athletes. There is no similar reaction to use of PEDs in art, science, music, literature, business, and other human endeavors. The question I tackle in this paper is whether this disanalogy is justified: Is there some underlying difference in virtue of which PEDs should be thus stigmatized in sports but not elsewhere? I survey a couple of potential justifications that I find lacking. I then consider the difference in our judgments of the participation of superman‐like characters in sports (which we censure) and in other activities (which we endorse). I argue that the fact that the athlete is human is relevant to the value of sports—and by extension, the status of the effort involved—while this fact plays no significant role with regard to the value of other activities and that this difference in the value of activities ultimately justifies our differing judgments here. I then return to my initial question and examine whether similar appeal to what is human can justify the varying judgments of the use of PEDs. I argue that it can but only under certain assumptions. I conclude by discussing wider implication of my suggestion.
Quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control
Authors: Bletz Molly C. , Grant Evan H. Campbell , DiRenzo Graziella
Published: August 2024

Finding effective pathogen mitigation strategies is one of the biggest challenges humans face today. In the context of wildlife, emerging infectious diseases have repeatedly caused widespread host morbidity and population declines of numerous taxa. In areas yet unaffected by a pathogen, a proactive management approach has the potential to minimize or prevent host mortality. However, typically critical information on disease dynamics in a novel host system is lacking, empirical evidence on efficacy of management interventions is limited, and there is a lack of validated predictive models. As such, quantitative support for identifying effective management interventions is largely absent, and the opportunity for proactive management is often missed. We considered the potential invasion of the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), whose expected emergence in North America poses a severe threat to hundreds of salamander species in this global salamander biodiversity hotspot. We developed and parameterized a dynamic multistate occupancy model to forecast host and pathogen occurrence, following expected emergence of the pathogen, and evaluated the response of salamander populations to different management scenarios. Our model forecasted that taking no action is expected to be catastrophic to salamander populations. Proactive action was predicted to maximize host occupancy outcomes relative to wait‐and‐see reactive management, thus providing quantitative support for proactive management opportunities. The eradication of Bsal was unlikely under all the evaluated management options. Contrary to our expectations, even early pathogen detection had little effect on Bsal or host occupancy outcomes. Our results provide quantitative support that proactive management is the optimal strategy for promoting persistence of disease‐threatened salamander populations. Our approach fills a critical gap by defining a framework for evaluating management options prior to pathogen invasion and can thus serve as a template for addressing novel disease threats that jeopardize wildlife and human health.
Tomato seed fractions enriched muffins: functional, textural, and qualitative characterisation
Authors: Thakur Kamini , Kapoor Swati , Gupta Muskaan , Khatkar Sunil Kumar , Bala Manju , Mahajan Bal Vipin Chandra
Published: August 2024

The current study was undertaken to investigate the use of tomato seed oil (TSO) and defatted tomato seed meal (DTSM) individually and in combination for muffin preparation in an effort to utilise the fruit waste generated during food processing and harness its nutritional potential. The incorporation of DTSM and TSO at 0–25% led to a significant increase in the baking yield and weight of muffins, with a more pronounced effect in the case of DTSM‐incorporated muffins. Based on organoleptic evaluation, muffins with incorporation of DTSM and TSO at 20% and 15%, respectively, were most acceptable. Therefore, muffins (DTSM 20 + TSO 15) were prepared with DTSM and TSO replacement at 20% and 15%, respectively. The combined effect of DTSM and TSO resulted in a dietary fibre increase of 61.57% as compared to the control (wheat flour and margarine‐based muffins). As per texture profile analysis, the addition of DTSM led to a significant decrease in hardness, whereas a rise was noted for TSO‐incorporated muffins. Storage studies of muffins for 7 days in low‐density polyethylene pouches indicated no significant degradation in quality parameters. The results obtained in the study confirmed the efficient utilisation of tomato seed fractions for the preparation of nutritionally enriched muffins.
Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of maltodextrin products in the industry using near‐infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Sringarm Chayanid , Numthuam Sonthaya , Jiamyangyuen Sudarat , Kittiwachana Sila , Kielar Filip , Wongsaipun Sakunna , Rungchang Saowaluk
Published: August 2024

Maltodextrin is a crucial ingredient in food and pharmaceutical sectors. Traditional quality assessment methods for maltodextrin are destructive and time consuming. This study aimed to employ near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and chemometrics to differentiate maltodextrin variants and measure their quality parameters efficiently. NIR spectra were recorded in the range of 12 000–4000 cm−1 using the transflectance mode. The classification model effectively distinguished maltodextrin types based on their dextrose equivalent (DE) values using techniques such as partial least squares‐discriminant analysis and supervised self‐organising map (SSOM). Moreover, quality parameters including moisture content, DE value, maltose, maltotriose, pH, and SO2 were quantitatively assessed using partial least squares regression (PLSR) and SSOM models. Particularly, PLSR provided better results, with residual predictive deviation values exceeding 2.5 for moisture content, DE values, maltose, and maltotriose. These models can be applied for use in both laboratory settings and industrial monitoring.
New ophthalmic lasers for the evaluation and treatment of retinal disease
Authors: Freeman William R , Bartsch Dirk‐Uwe
Published: August 2024

Ophthalmic lasers are used as diagnostic as well as therapeutic modalities in patients with retinal diseases. Recent advances in laser technology have allowed more convenient selection of wavelength and a wide variety of delivery systems is available to deliver the laser energy to the retina. In addition, newer lasers that disrupt and cut tissue will become available for use in patients with retinal diseases. The use of imaging lasers and lasers in combination with dyes selectively to enhance their effects have become useful in diagnosis and understanding of pathophysiology of diseases. These lasers will also be therapeutically useful. This manuscript delineates the new types of diagnostic and therapeutic lasers, new imaging dyes and techniques as they apply to retinal diseases as well as the principles of laser‐tissue interaction as applied to the retina. This should allow the ophthalmologist who treats patients with retinal diseases to make more intelligent decisions regarding the use and acquisition of laser systems.
Paraquat causes chronic ocular surface toxicity
Authors: Vlahos Kerry , Goggin Michael , Coster Douglas
Published: August 2024

We describe a case of topical exposure to a commercial solution of paraquat. Chronic, severe ocular surface destruction resulted, probably due to absorption of the herbicide into the surface tissues, facilitated by a surfactant present in the preparation, and to intracellular redox cycling of the paraquat cation. Ocular paraquat toxicity is described and explained in the context of the toxicity of systemic absorption.
The End of America: The Beginning of Canada
Authors: McGreevy Patrick
Published: August 2024

For two centuries visitors to Niagara Falls have described the landscape of the Canadian side as orderly and pleasing, the American side as messy and polluted. This contrast is partly the result of divergent local economies and different levels of government involved in the structuring of the landscape. The War of 1812 created a firm and visible border along the Niagara River. This Paper examines the sharply contrasting meanings of the Niagara region in relation to the ideologies of Canadian and American nationalism. There are obvious reasons for the region's special importance to Canada, but American neglect of it may have a more sinister explanation.
Increased mRNA expression for serotonin receptor 1B (HTR1B) is associated with thrombosis in BCR::ABL1‐negative myeloproliferative neoplasms
Authors: Gurban Petruta , Mambet Cristina , Botezatu Anca , Necula Laura G. , Matei Lilia , Neagu Ana Iulia , Pitica Ioana Madalina , Dragu Laura Denisa , Nastasie Schulman Alina , Ataman Marius , Nedeianu Saviana , Chivu‐Economescu Mihaela , Bleotu Coralia , Anton Gabriela , Diaconu Carmen Cristina
Published: August 2024

BCR::ABL1‐negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal haematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by specific driver mutations and an increased risk of both macrothrombosis and microthrombosis. Serotonin receptor type 1B (HTR1B) was found to be expressed by various solid tumours, and also primary bone marrow mononuclear cells from myelodysplastic neoplasm and acute myeloid leukaemia patients, representing a potential therapeutic target. In this study we assessed for the first time the expression levels of HTR1B mRNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 85 newly diagnosed MPN patients, consisting of 28 polycythemia vera, 25 essential thrombocythemia and 32 primary myelofibrosis cases. Levels of HTR1B expression between MPN subtypes and control group were not significantly different. However, at clinical data examination, it was observed that MPN patients with a recent history of major thrombosis and/or signs of impaired microcirculation exhibited significantly higher HTR1B expression levels compared to non‐thrombotic MPNs and control group. Moreover, thrombotic MPN patients had significantly higher HTR1B expression than patients with recent thrombosis and absence of MPN diagnostic criteria. These findings suggest that increased levels of HTR1B expression in PBMC might be associated with thrombosis in MPN patients, but larger studies are needed for confirmation, including testing of the receptor protein expression level.
Recognising floods, recognising people? Flood risk management in riverfront urban kampongs of Indonesia
Authors: Wiering Mark , MacAfee Elizabeth , Saharan Tara , Damm Muhammad , Irvan Muhammad , Priadi Cindy Rianti , Kaufmann Maria , Rakhmani Inaya , de Jong Edwin
Published: August 2024

Flood risks can stem from various causes and exhibit distinct characteristics that shape the way they are governed. Depending on flood risk characteristics, specific policies are designed and organisations are involved. In Indonesia, like in other regions, organisational divisions are made for coastal floods, fluvial floods and pluvial floods (resulting from tides, rivers and rain, respectively). The Indonesian cities of Manado and Pontianak both face recurring floods. However, the characteristics of and responses to these floods are different, with consequences for distributive, procedural as well as recognition justice in those cities. In line with Fraser, we define recognition justice in relation to three forms of misrecognition: cultural domination, disrespect, and non‐recognition, with examples from Manado and Pontianak. We show that the misrecognition of certain types of floods overlaps and interacts with the non‐recognition of low‐income informal settlements, disrespect and stereotyping of residents of these areas, and a lack of attentiveness to the culture, livelihoods and practices of people who live alongside rivers. In this way, we examine the landscape of recognition justice in the event of flooding in an urban context, drawing on qualitative interview data gathered from the cities of Manado and Pontianak. The following questions are considered: Who experiences misrecognition? By whom is this misrecognition perpetrated? At which level (institutional frameworks or laws, implementation or social practices) and what are the resulting consequences of this misrecognition? Finally, we explore the interactions between different forms of misrecognition, which create a foundation for further distributional and procedural injustices.
Function of a complex of p‐Y42 RhoA GTPase and pyruvate kinase M2 in EGF signaling pathway in glioma cells
Authors: Lee Yoon‐Beom , Park Yohan , Hamza Amir , Min Jung Ki , Dogsom Oyungerel , Kim Sung‐Chan , Park Jae‐Bong
Published: August 2024

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is known to be a critical stimulant for inducing the proliferation of glioma cancer cells. In our study, we observed that GST‐RhoA binds to pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in vitro. While EGF reduced the levels of RhoA protein, it significantly increased p‐Y42 RhoA, as well as PKM1 and PKM2 in LN18 glioma cell line. We determined that RhoA undergoes degradation through ubiquitination involving SCF1 and Smurf1. Interestingly, we observed that p‐Y42 RhoA binds to PKM2, while the dephosphomimetic form, RhoA Y42F, did not. Additionally, our observation revealed that PKM2 stabilized both RhoA and p‐Y42 RhoA. Importantly, RhoA, p‐Y42 RhoA, and PKM2, but not RhoA‐GTP, were localized in the nucleus upon EGF stimulation. Knockdown of RhoA with siRNA resulted in the reduced levels of phosphoglycerate kinase1 (PGK1) and microtubule affinity‐regulating kinase 4 (MARK). Furthermore, we found that the promoter of PGK1 was associated with β‐catenin and YAP. Notably, p‐Y42 RhoA and PKM2 co‐immunoprecipitated with β‐catenin and YAP. Based on these findings, we proposed a novel mechanism by which p‐Y42 RhoA and PKM2, in conjunction with β‐catenin and YAP, regulate PGK1 expression, contributing to the progression of glioma upon EGF.

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‘From the Ivory Tower’? Memory Workers and Mnemonic Practices in Communities
Authors: Sadeghi Yasaman
Published: August 2024

Memory work involves mnemonic practices such as remembering, forgetting, and enactment of the past to address past wrongdoing, foster future action, and contribute to a sense of belonging. Working with diversity and plurality of memories, however, necessitates confronting the underlying politico‐ethical considerations and struggles when memory work transcends organizational bounds. This study focuses on the viewpoints of memory workers in communities in order to theorize the various possibilities and limitations of memory work as such. In this work, the politico‐ethical tensions are evident between the requirements of practicing an occupation and those of the communities, who in turn exhibit hierarchies, conflicts, and diversity within and between themselves. I suggest that taking a community‐centric approach to memory work can serve the dynamic integrity of memories, and foster community engagement and empowerment. Memory workers, then, can account for the politico‐ethical struggles over memories by orchestrating interpretive, open, and embodied mnemonic practices to remain in tune with the diverse, disputed, polyvocal, and ever‐unfolding memories. The contributions of this paper carry implications for a more pluralistic and dynamic approach to memory work, suited to our times marked by increased historical consciousness, rival memories, and fierce debates over what and how must be remembered.
Mixed‐Effects Modeling with a Multinomial Dependent Variable
Authors: Gudmestad Aarnes , Metzger Thomas A.
Published: August 2024

In this Methods Showcase Article, we illustrate mixed‐effects modeling with a multinomial dependent variable as a means of explaining complexities in language. We model data on future‐time reference in second language Spanish, which consists of a nominal dependent variable that has three levels, measured over 73 participants. We offer step‐by‐step procedures for multinomial logistic regression with fixed and random effects, and we discuss the interpretation of the model and its advantages and limitations.