bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychometric properties of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning with Ethiopian mothers
Authors: Gebeyehu Selamawit , Gizachew Yordanos , Chisa Yilma , Tekabe Beemnt , Trevethan Robert
Published: December 2021

Background

The functional status of mothers after childbirth has implications for maternal, child, and family health. There is a lack of adequate reliable and valid instruments in Ethiopia for assessing women’s postpartum functional status.

Objective

This study was intended to reveal the psychometric properties of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF) for assessing Ethiopian mothers’ functional status.

Method

Structured interviews were used to obtain BIMF data from 202 women who had a child less than 1 year of age. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the BIMF items; internal consistency was assessed with interitem correlations and coefficient alphas; construct validity was examined through exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) after face and content validities had been confirmed; and test–retest reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results

Narrow standard deviations and significant skewness and kurtosis characterized most of the individual BIMF items. Most interitem correlations were < |.15| and 13 of the 20 BIMF items did not load satisfactorily on any factor in exploratory factor analyses. Two factors emerged from the remaining items, one with three items and the other with four. Coefficient alphas were .54 for the first of these factors, .48 for the second, and .58 for all 20 items. The ICCs for test– retest reliability were < .40.

Conclusions

BIMF data from the sample of Ethiopian women in this study exhibited unusually low levels of variability and high levels of skewness and kurtosis. Furthermore, in the context of this study, the BIMF could not be regarded as reliable either in terms of internal (interitem) consistency or temporal (test–retest) consistency. Researchers using the BIMF in Ethiopian contexts are advised to examine the nature of their data carefully, identify the factor structure of their samples’ data, and consider ways in which the index might be improved, or replaced.
Investigating group-based classes (‘weaning workshops’) to support complementary infant feeding in Irish primary care settings: A cross-sectional survey
Authors: Flannery Caragh , Shea Caroline , O’Brien Yvonne , O’Halloran Joanne , Matvienko-Sikar Karen , Kelly Colette , Toomey Elaine
Published: December 2021

Objective

This study aims to 1) investigate current practice regarding ‘weaning workshops’ to support complementary infant feeding delivered within Irish primary care, 2) explore the experiences and opinions of community dietitians regarding optimal content and modes of delivery of weaning workshops, and 3) identify the key factors to be considered in the development and implementation of weaning workshops delivered within primary care.

Design

Cross-sectional survey

Setting

Irish primary care

Participants

47 community-based dietitians

Results

Sixteen dietitians reported that workshops were run in their area with variable frequency, with ten reporting that workshops were never run in their area. Participants reported that mostly mothers of medium socioeconomic status attended weaning workshops when infants were aged between 4-7 months, and that feedback from workshop attendees was predominantly positive. Dietitians identified that key factors to be considered in future development and delivery of weaning workshops are 1) workshop characteristics such as content, timing and venue, 2) organisational characteristics such as availability of resources and multidisciplinary involvement, and 3) attendee characteristics such as socioeconomic status.

Conclusions

This study highlights substantial variability regarding provision of weaning workshops in Ireland, and a lack of standardisation regarding the provider, content, and frequency of workshops where workshops are being delivered. The study also provides unique insights into the experiences and opinions of primary care community dietitians regarding the development and delivery of weaning workshops in terms of optimal content and delivery options. These perspectives will make a valuable contribution given the dearth of evidence in this area internationally.
Changes Over Time in COVID-19 Vaccination Inequalities in Eight Large U.S. Cities
Authors: Gaddis S. Michael , Carey Colleen M. , DiRago Nicholas V.
Published: December 2021

We estimate the associations between community socioeconomic composition and changes in COVID-19 vaccination levels in eight large cities at three time points. Between March and April, low SES communities had significantly lower change in percent vaccinated than high SES communities. Between April and May, this difference was not significant. Thus, the large vaccination gap between communities during restricted vaccine eligibility did not narrow when eligibility opened up. The link between COVID-19 vaccination and community disadvantage may lead to a bifurcated recovery where advantaged communities move on from the pandemic more quickly while disadvantaged communities continue to suffer.
Cellular selectivity of STING stimulation determines priming of tumor-specific T cell responses
Authors: Jneid Bakhos , Bochnakian Aurore , Delisle Fabien , Djacoto Emeline , Denizeau Jordan , Sedlik Christine , Fiore Frederic , Kramer Robert , Walters Ian , Carlioz Sylvain , Malissen Bernard , Piaggio Eliane , Manel Nicolas
Published: December 2021

T cells that recognize tumor antigens are crucial for anti-tumor immune responses. Induction of anti-tumor T cells in immunogenic tumors depends on STING, the intracellular innate immune receptor for cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP) and related cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs). However, the optimal way to leverage STING activation in non-immunogenic tumors is still unclear. Here, we show that cGAMP delivery by intra-tumoral injection of virus-like particles (cGAMP-VLP) leads to differentiation of tumor-specific T cells, decrease in tumor regulatory T cells (Tregs) and anti-tumoral responses that synergize with PD1 blockade. By contrast, intra-tumoral injection of synthetic CDN leads to tumor necrosis and systemic T cell activation but no differentiation of tumor-specific T cells, and a demise of immune cells in injected tumors. Analyses of cytokine responses and genetic models revealed that cGAMP-VLP preferentially targets STING in dendritic cells at a 1000-fold less dose than synthetic CDN. Sub-cutaneous administration of cGAMP-VLP showed synergy when combined with a tumor Treg-depleting antibody to elicit systemic tumor-specific T cells, leading to complete and lasting tumor eradication. These finding show that cell targeting of STING stimulation shapes the anti-tumor T cell response and reveal a therapeutic strategy with T cell modulators.
Unraveling the kinetochore nanostructure in Schizosaccharomyces pombe using multi-color single-molecule localization microscopy
Authors: Virant David , Vojnovic Ilijana , Winkelmeier Jannik , Endesfelder Marc , Turkowyd Bartosz , Lando David , Endesfelder Ulrike
Published: December 2021

The key to ensuring proper chromosome segregation during mitosis is the kinetochore complex. This large and tightly regulated multi-protein complex links the centromeric chromatin to the microtubules attached to the spindle pole body and as such leads the segregation process. Understanding the architecture, function and regulation of this vital complex is therefore essential. However, due to its complexity and dynamics, only its individual subcomplexes could be studied in high-resolution structural detail so far.

In this study we construct a nanometer-precise in situ map of the human-like regional kinetochore of Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe) using multi-color single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM). We measure each kinetochore protein of interest (POI) in conjunction with two reference proteins, cnp1CENP-A at the centromere and sad1 at the spindle pole. This arrangement allows us to determine the cell cycle and in particularly the mitotic plane, and to visualize individual centromere regions separately. From these data, we determine protein distances within the complex using Bayesian inference, establish the stoichiometry of each POI for individual chromosomes and, consequently, build an in situ kinetochore model for S.pombe with so-far unprecedented precision. Being able to quantify the kinetochore proteins within the full in situ kinetochore structure, we provide valuable new insights in the S.pombe kinetochore architecture.
Rapid volumetric brain changes after acute psychosocial stress
Authors: Uhlig Marie , Reinelt Janis D. , Lauckner Mark E. , Kumral Deniz , Schaare H. Lina , Mildner Toralf , Babayan Anahit , Möller Harald E. , Engert Veronika , Villringer Arno , Gaebler Michael
Published: December 2021

Stress is an important trigger for brain plasticity: Acute stress can rapidly affect brain activity and functional connectivity, and chronic or pathological stress has been associated with structural brain changes. Measures of structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be modified by short-term motor learning or visual stimulation, suggesting that they also capture rapid brain changes. Here, we investigated volumetric brain changes (together with changes in T1 relaxation rate and cerebral blood flow) after acute stress in humans as well as their relation to psychophysiological stress measures.

Sixty-seven healthy men (25.8±2.7 years) completed a standardized psychosocial laboratory stressor (Trier Social Stress Test) or a control version while blood, saliva, heart rate, and psychometrics were sampled. Structural MRI (T1 mapping / MP2RAGE sequence) at 3T was acquired 45 min before and 90 min after intervention onset. Grey matter volume (GMV) changes were analysed using voxel-based morphometry. Associations with endocrine, autonomic, and subjective stress measures were tested with linear models.

We found significant group-by-time interactions in several brain clusters including anterior/mid-cingulate cortices and bilateral insula: GMV was increased in the stress group relative to the control group, in which several clusters showed a GMV decrease. We found a significant group-by-time interaction for cerebral blood flow, and a main effect of time for T1 values (longitudinal relaxation time). In addition, GMV changes were significantly associated with state anxiety and heart rate variability changes.

Such rapid GMV changes assessed with VBM may be induced by local tissue adaptations to changes in energy demand following neural activity. Our findings suggest that endogenous brain changes are counteracted by acute psychosocial stress, which emphasizes the importance of considering homeodynamic processes and generally highlights the influence of stress on the brain.

Highlights

We investigated rapid brain changes using MRI in a stress and a control group

VBM-derived GMV showed a significant group-by-time interaction in several clusters

Main pattern: GMV in the stress group increased relative to the control group, in which GMV decreased

GMV changes across groups were associated with state anxiety and heart rate variability

Neither cerebral blood flow, nor T1 values fully account for the VBM results
High Efficiency Recombinant Protein Purification Using mCherry and YFP Nanobody Affinity Matrices
Authors: Cong Anh T.Q. , Witter Taylor L. , Schellenberg Matthew J.
Published: December 2021

Mammalian cell lines are important expression systems for large proteins and protein complexes, particularly when the acquisition of post-translational modifications in the protein’s native environment is desired. However, low or variable transfection efficiencies are challenges that must be overcome to use such an expression system. Expression of recombinant proteins as a fluorescent protein fusion enables real-time monitoring of protein expression, and also provides an affinity handle for one-step protein purification using a suitable affinity reagent. Here we describe a panel of anti-GFP and anti-mCherry nanobody affinity matrices and their efficacy for purification of GFP/YFP or mCherry fusion proteins. We define the molecular basis by which they bind their target protein using X-ray crystallography. From these analyses we define an optimal pair of nanobodies for purification of recombinant protein tagged with GFP/YFP or mCherry, and demonstrate these nanobody-sepharose supports are stable to many rounds of cleaning and extended incubation in denaturing conditions. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of the mCherry-tag system by using it to purify recombinant human Topoisomerase 2α expressed in HEK293F cells. The mCherry-tag and GFP/YFP-tag expression systems can be utilized for recombinant protein expression individually or in tandem for mammalian protein expression systems where real-time monitoring of protein expression levels and a high-efficiency purification step is needed.
Barcode aware adaptive sampling for GridION and PromethION Oxford Nanopore sequencers
Authors: Payne Alexander , Munro Rory , Holmes Nadine , Moore Christopher , Carlile Matt , Loose Matthew
Published: December 2021

Adaptive sampling enables selection of individual DNA molecules from sequencing libraries, a unique property of nanopore sequencing. Here we develop our adaptive sampling tool readfish to become “barcode-aware” enabling selection of different targets within barcoded samples or filtering out individual barcodes. We show that multiple human genomes can be assessed for copy number and structural variation on a single sequencing flow cell using sample specific customised target panels on both GridION and PromethION devices.
Molecular chaperone ability to inhibit amyloid-derived neurotoxicity, but not amorphous protein aggregation, depends on a conserved pH-sensitive Asp residue
Authors: Chen Gefei , Andrade-Talavera Yuniesky , Zhong Xueying , Hassan Sameer , Biverstal Henrik , Poska Helen , Abelein Axel , Leppert Axel , Kronqvist Nina , Rising Anna , Hebert Hans , Koeck Philip J.B. , Fisahn André , Johansson Jan
Published: December 2021

Proteins can self-assemble into amyloid fibrils or amorphous aggregates and thereby cause disease. Molecular chaperones can prevent both these types of protein aggregation, but the respective mechanisms are not fully understood. The BRICHOS domain constitutes a disease-associated small heat shock protein-like chaperone family, with activities against both amyloid toxicity and amorphous protein aggregation. Here, we show that the activity of two BRICHOS domain families against Alzheimer’s disease associated amyloid-β neurotoxicity to mouse hippocampi in vitro depends on a conserved aspartate residue, while the ability to suppress amorphous protein aggregation is unchanged by Asp to Asn mutations. The conserved Asp in its ionized state promotes structural flexibility of the BRICHOS domain and has a pKa value between pH 6.0–7.0, suggesting that chaperone effects against amyloid toxicity can be affected by physiological pH variations. Finally, the Asp is evolutionarily highly conserved in >3000 analysed BRICHOS domains but is replaced by Asn in some BRICHOS families and animal species, indicating independent evolution of molecular chaperone activities against amyloid fibril formation and non-fibrillar amorphous protein aggregation.
Pupillometry and the vigilance decrement: Task-evoked but not baseline pupil measures reflect declining performance in visual vigilance tasks
Authors: Martin Joel T. , Whittaker Annalise H. , Johnston Stephen J.
Published: December 2021

Baseline and task-evoked pupil measures are known to reflect the activity of the nervous system’s central arousal mechanisms. With the increasing availability, affordability and flexibility of video-based eye tracking hardware, these measures may one day find practical application in real-time biobehavioral monitoring systems to assess performance or fitness for duty in tasks requiring vigilant attention. But real-world vigilance tasks are predominantly visual in their nature and most research in this area has taken place in the auditory domain. Here we explore the relationship between pupil size—both baseline and task-evoked—and behavioral performance measures in two novel vigilance tasks requiring visual target detection: 1) a traditional vigilance task involving prolonged, continuous, and uninterrupted performance (n = 28), and 2) a psychomotor vigilance task (n = 25). In both tasks, behavioral performance and task- evoked pupil responses declined as time spent on task increased, corroborating previous reports in the literature of a vigilance decrement with a corresponding reduction in task-evoked pupil measures. Also in line with previous findings, baseline pupil size did not show a consistent relationship with performance measures. We discuss our findings considering the adaptive gain theory of locus coeruleus function and question the validity of the assumption that baseline (prestimulus) pupil size and task-evoked (poststimulus) pupil measures correspond to the tonic and phasic firing modes of the LC.
Transplantable human thyroid organoids generated from embryonic stem cells to rescue hypothyroidism
Authors: Romitti Mírian , Tourneur Adrien , de Faria da Fonseca Barbara , Doumont Gilles , Gillotay Pierre , Liao Xiao-Hui , Eski Sema Elif , Van Simaeys Gaetan , Chomette Laura , Lasolle Helene , Monestier Olivier , Kasprzyk Dominika Figini , Detours Vincent , Singh Sumeet Pal , Goldman Serge , Refetoff Samuel , Costagliola Sabine
Published: December 2021

The thyroid gland captures iodide in order to synthesize hormones that act on almost all tissues and are essential for normal growth and metabolism. Low plasma levels of thyroid hormones lead to hypothyroidism, which is one of the most common disorder in humans and is not always satisfactorily treated by lifelong hormone replacement. Therefore, in addition to the lack of in vitro tractable models to study human thyroid development, differentiation and maturation, functional human thyroid organoids could pave the way to explore new therapeutic approaches. Here we report the first transplantable thyroid organoids derived from human embryonic stem cells capable of restoring plasma thyroid hormone to athyreotic mice as a proof of concept for future therapeutic development.
A Nascent Peptide Code for Translational Control of mRNA Stability in Human Cells
Authors: Burke Phillip C. , Park Heungwon , Subramaniam Arvind Rasi
Published: December 2021

Stability of eukaryotic mRNAs is associated with their codon, amino acid, and GC content. Yet, coding sequence motifs that predictably alter mRNA stability in human cells remain poorly defined. Here, we develop a massively parallel assay to measure mRNA effects of thousands of synthetic and endogenous coding sequence motifs in human cells. We identify several families of simple dipeptide repeats whose translation triggers acute mRNA instability. Rather than individual amino acids, specific combinations of bulky and positively charged amino acids are critical for the destabilizing effects of dipeptide repeats. Remarkably, dipeptide sequences that form extended β strands in silico and in vitro drive ribosome stalling and mRNA instability in vivo. The resulting nascent peptide code underlies ribosome stalling and mRNA-destabilizing effects of hundreds of endogenous peptide sequences in the human proteome. Our work reveals an intrinsic role for the ribosome as a selectivity filter against the synthesis of bulky and aggregation-prone peptides.
Genomic architecture drives population structuring in Amazonian birds
Authors: Thom Gregory , Moreira Lucas Rocha , Batista Romina , Gehara Marcelo , Aleixo Alexandre , Smith Brian Tilston
Published: December 2021

Large rivers are ubiquitously invoked to explain the distributional limits and speciation of the Amazon Basin’s mega-diversity. However, inferences on the spatial and temporal origins of Amazonian species have narrowly focused on evolutionary neutral models, ignoring the potential role of natural selection and intrinsic genomic processes known to produce heterogeneity in differentiation across the genome. To test how genomic architecture impacts our ability to reconstruct patterns of spatial diversification across multiple taxa, we sequenced whole genomes for populations of bird species that co-occur in southeastern Amazonian. We found that phylogenetic relationships within species and demographic parameters varied across the genome in predictable ways. Genetic diversity was positively associated with recombination rate and negatively associated with the species tree topology weight. Gene flow was less pervasive in regions of low recombination, making these windows more likely to retain patterns of population structuring that matched the species tree. We further found that approximately a third of the genome showed evidence of selective sweeps and linked selection skewing genome-wide estimates of effective population sizes and gene flow between populations towards lower values. In sum, we showed that the effects of intrinsic genomic characteristics and selection can be disentangled from the neutral processes to elucidate how speciation hypotheses and biogeographic patterns are sensitive to genomic architecture.
Chromosome-level reference genomes for two strains of Caenorhabditis briggsae: an improved platform for comparative genomics
Authors: Stevens Lewis , Moya Nicolas D. , Tanny Robyn E. , Gibson Sophia B. , Tracey Alan , Na Huimin , Zhan Ye , Chitrakar Rojin , Dekker Job , Walhout Albertha J.M. , Baugh L. Ryan , Andersen Erik C.
Published: December 2021

The publication of the Caenorhabditis briggsae reference genome in 2003 enabled the first comparative genomics studies between C. elegans and C. briggsae, shedding light on the evolution of genome content and structure in the Caenorhabditis genus. However, despite being widely used, the currently available C. briggsae reference genome is substantially less complete and structurally accurate than the C. elegans reference genome. Here, we used high-coverage Oxford Nanopore long-read and chromosome conformation capture data to generate chromosomally resolved reference genomes for two C. briggsae strains: QX1410, a new reference strain closely related to the laboratory AF16 strain, and VX34, a highly divergent strain isolated in China. We also sequenced 99 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) generated from reciprocal crosses between QX1410 and VX34 to create a recombination map and identify chromosomal domains. Additionally, we used both short- and long-read RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data to generate high-quality gene annotations. By comparing these new reference genomes to the current reference, we reveal that hyper-divergent haplotypes cover large portions of the C. briggsae genome, similar to recent reports in C. elegans and C. tropicalis. We also show that the genomes of selfing Caenorhabditis species have undergone more rearrangement than their outcrossing relatives, which has biased previous estimates of rearrangement rate in Caenorhabditis. These new genomes provide a substantially improved platform for comparative genomics in Caenorhabditis and narrow the gap between the quality of genomic resources available for C. elegans and C. briggsae.
Intron dynamics reveal principles of gene regulation during the maternal-to-zygotic transition
Authors: Riemondy Kent , Henriksen Jesslyn C. , Rissland Olivia S.
Published: December 2021

The maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) is a conserved embryonic process in animals where developmental control shifts from the maternal to zygotic genome. A key step in this transition is zygotic transcription, and deciphering the MZT requires classifying newly transcribed genes. However, due to current technological limitations, this starting point remains a challenge for studying many species. Here we present an alternative approach that characterizes transcriptome changes based solely on RNA-seq data. By combining intron-mapping reads and transcript-level quantification, we characterized transcriptome dynamics during the Drosophila melanogaster MZT. Our approach provides an accessible platform to investigate transcriptome dynamics that can be applied to the MZT in non-model organisms. In addition to classifying zygotically transcribed genes, our analysis revealed that over 300 genes express different maternal and zygotic transcript isoforms due to alternative splicing, polyadenylation, and promoter usage. The vast majority of these zygotic isoforms have the potential to be subject to different regulatory control, and over two-thirds encode different proteins. Thus, our analysis reveals an additional layer of regulation during the MZT, where new zygotic transcripts can generate additional proteome diversity.
Tajima D test accurately forecasts Omicron / COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Yeh Ting-Yu , Contreras Gregory P.
Published: December 2021

On 26 November 2021, the World Health Organization designated the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.529, Omicron, a variant of concern. However, the phylogenetic and evolutionary dynamics of this variant remain unclear. An analysis of the 131 Omicron variant sequences from November 9 to November 28, 2021 reveals that variants have diverged into at least 6 major subgroups. 86.3% of the cases have an insertion at amino acid 214 (INS214EPE) of the spike protein. Neutrality analysis of DH (−2.814, p<0.001) and Zeng’s E (0.0583, p=1.0) tests suggested that directional selection was the major driving force of Omicron variant evolution. The synonymous (Dsyn) and nonsynonymous (Dnonsyn) polymorphisms of the Omicron variant spike gene were estimated with Tajima’s D statistic to eliminate homogenous effects. Both D ratio (Dnonsyn/Dsyn, 1.57) and ΔD (Dsyn-Dnonsyn, 0.63) indicate that purifying selection operates at present. The low nucleotide diversity (0.00008) and Tajima D value (−2.709, p<0.001) also confirms that Omicron variants had already spread in human population for more than the 6 weeks than has been reported. These results, along with our previous analysis of Delta and Lambda variants, also supports the validity of the Tajima’s D test score, with a threshold value as −2.50, as an accurate predictor of new COVID-19 outbreaks.
Extreme Sampling for Genetic Rare Variant Association Analysis of Dichotomous Traits with Focus on Infectious Disease Susceptibility
Authors: Emond MJ. , West T. Eoin
Published: December 2021

As genomic sequencing becomes more accurate and less costly, large cohorts and consortiums of cohorts are providing high power for rare variant association studies for many conditions. When large sample sizes are not attainable and the phenotype under study is continuous, an extreme phenotypes design can provide high statistical power with a small to moderate sample size. We extend the extreme phenotypes design to the dichotomous infectious disease outcome by sampling on extremes of the pathogenic exposure instead of sampling on extremes of phenotype. We use a likelihood ratio test (LRT) to test the significance of association between infection status and presence of susceptibility rare variants. More than 10 billion simulations are studied to assess the method. The method results in high sample enrichment for rare variants affecting susceptibility. Greater than 90% power to detect rare variant associations is attained in reasonable scenarios. The ordinary case-control design requires orders of magnitude more samples to achieve the same power. The Type I error rate of the LRT is accurate even for p-values < 10-7. We find that erroroneous exposure assessment can lead to power loss more severe than excluding the observations with errors. Nevertheless, careful sampling on exposure extremes can make a study feasible by providing adequate statistical power. Limitations of this method are not unique to this design, and the power is never less than that of the ordinary case-control design. The method applies without modification to other dichotomous outcomes that have strong association with a continuous covariate.
FIRST REPORT OF HALOBACTERIA DOMINANCE IN A TROPICAL CAVE MICROBIOME
Authors: Paula Caio César Pires de , Sirová Dagmara , Sarmento Hugo , Fernandes Camila Cesario , Kishi Luciano Takeshi , Bichuette Maria Elina , Seleghim Mirna Helena Regali
Published: December 2021

Scarce studies on microbial diversity in tropical caves have been published, a subterranean system still neglected from a microbiological point of view. Although most published studies are about temperate caves, usually archaeas and fungi have less attention than bacterial communities. Here, the microbiome structure and composition in a tropical cave system, as well the main environmental drivers, were studied during the wet and dry season. Soil and sediments from three different habitats at the cave (surface, entrance cave and dark zone) were sampled. Samples were characterized (temperature, air and substrate humidity, salinity, pH, nitrogen and organic carbon content, and chemical composition) and the microbiome was assessed by high-throughput sequencing, using amplicon sequencing (16S and ITS). Prokaryotic communities were dominated byHalobacteria, ActinobacteriaandBacilli, while fungal communities showed high abundance ofSordariomycetes. Microbiomes from the cave entrance, where a significantly elevated salinity levels were found, supported up to 63% ofHaloarchaeacompared to the other habitats studied. Differences in community structure were significant between habitats, but no influence of the season was observed. Main environmental drivers of community assembly included nitrogen and organic carbon content, temperature, and salinity. This is the first report ofHalobacteriadominance in cave habitats, where they likely play important roles in nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. The cave entrance had lower diversity, but higher degree of microbial endemism, which characterize it as an important cave ecotone. The prevalence of heterotrophic microbial groups implies trophic structure based on detritivores, particularly in the dark zones. Our study brings new insights on microbiome composition in the underexplored tropical cave habitats.
Dichlorido(η6-p-cymene)[tris(4-methoxyphenyl)phosphane]ruthenium(II)
Authors: Davis Wade L. , Muller Alfred
Published: December 2021

The title compound, [RuCl2(C10H14)(C21H21O3P)], crystallizes with two complex molecules in the asymmetric unit. The RuII atom has a classical three-legged piano-stool environment being coordinated by a cymene ligand [Ru—centroid = 1.707 (2)/1.704 (2) Å], a tris(4-methoxyphenyl)phosphane ligand [Ru—P = 2.3629 (15)/2.3665 (15) Å] and two chloride atoms with the Ru—Cl bonds adopting two distinct values of 2.4068 (16)/2.4167 (16) and 2.4016 (15)/2.4244 (16) Å. The effective cone and solid angles for the phosphane ligands were calculated to be 149.5/150.2° and 25.3/25.6°, respectively. In the crystal, weak C—H...Cl/O/π interactions are observed. The crystal was refined as a two-component twin.
Investigating the experience of individuals with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and substance misuse attending a Seeking Safety group
Authors: Airdrie Jac Neirin , Lievesley Alexandra , Griffith Emma
Published: December 2021

Purpose

There is no specific recommended treatment for the co-morbid presentation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder in the United Kingdom (UK). Seeking Safety (SS), a group-based treatment that targets symptoms of both disorder, has emerging evidence in the USA but lacks evidence from UK-based samples. The purpose of this study was to explore UK service users’ experience of attending SS and evaluate its impact on mental health symptomology and substance misuse.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed method approach was used to evaluate the acceptability of SS for a small sample (n = 7) of adult users of a substance misuse service in the UK. Thematic analysis was used to explore their experiences, derived from individual semi-structured interviews. The authors also calculated the number of participants who achieved reliable and/or clinically significant change in mental health symptomology and substance misuse from data routinely collected by the service.

Findings

Seven overarching themes emerged: strengthening the foundations of the self, the evocation and management of emotions, safety and validation provided relationally, readiness and commitment, content and delivery, Seeking Safety is Not an Island and ending. Most participants with data available both before and after the group made reliable (three out of four) and clinically significant (two out of three) change for depression and anxiety symptomology; however, this was less evident for PTSD symptomology with two out of three making reliable change and one out of three making clinically significant change.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was the first study exploring the experiences of UK attendees of a SS group as an approach to treating comorbid PTSD and substance misuse.
The consumers' (mis)perceptions of ecolabels' regulatory schemes for food products: insights from Canada
Authors: Guntzburger Yoann , Peignier Ingrid , de Marcellis-Warin Nathalie
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Ecolabels will undoubtedly play a central role in promoting more sustainable production methods and consumption behaviors. Although numerous recent studies have explored consumer awareness, interpretation and preferences toward ecolabels and certifications, little is yet known about how they perceive the regulatory schemes that underpin them.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using a survey answered by a representative random sample of 1,032 Canadian consumers. Unconstrained partial-proportional odds models were used to perform statistical analyses.

Findings

The results suggest that consumers generally do not differentiate between regulatory schemes for organic, local and non-GMO products. The level of perceived control and strictness appears to be influenced by multiple variables involving risk perception, trust and motivations, although this influence varies across labels.

Research limitations/implications

In addition to geographical specificities, this survey includes self-reported variables that might be subject to desirability biases and intention variables which do not necessarily predict behavior. Finally, this study does not consider interaction effects, since claims and ecolabels have not been studied in relation to specific products.

Practical implications

These misperceptions about ecolabels' regulatory schemes could be addressed through better communication about schemes and certifications, although the authors agree that information alone would not be enough to deal with the trust issue suggested by the results. Deliberative and behavioral approaches might be more efficient to embed consumers' values, perceptions and concerns related to food labeling and certifications into the policymaking process.

Originality/value

This work explores the role played by risk perceptions, trust, egoistic and altruistic motives, and the importance of third-party certifications in the consumer's understanding of ecolabels' regulatory schemes.
Inclusive leadership and employee work engagement: a moderated mediation model
Authors: Bao Ping , Xiao Zengrui , Bao Gongmin , Noorderhaven Niels
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between inclusive leadership and employee work engagement by identifying person-job fit as a mediator, and employee felt responsibility as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a two-wave survey from 261 employees across various industries in China, the study tests hypotheses using hierarchical regression analysis with the PROCESS procedure developed by Hayes.

Findings

The results show that inclusive leadership is positively related to employee work engagement through person-job fit. The results further demonstrate that employees’ felt responsibility moderates the positive direct relationship between inclusive leadership and person-job fit as well as the indirect relationship between inclusive leadership and work engagement via person-job fit.

Research limitations/implications

Although two-wave data were used to test the model, issues of common method bias cannot be excluded because the data were collected from a single source (the employee).

Practical implications

Organizations should promote and develop inclusive leaders in the workplace to enhance employee work engagement, and pay attention to employees' felt responsibility for their work to ensure effectiveness of inclusive leadership.

Originality/value

Integrating social information processing theory and person-environment fit theory, this study enriches the theoretical foundation of inclusive leadership scholarship. This study deepens the understanding of the mechanism underlying the link between inclusive leadership and work engagement, as well as an important boundary condition of this relationship, by examining the mediating role of person-job fit and the moderating role of felt responsibility.
Publishing quantitative careers research: challenges and recommendations
Authors: Schreurs Bert , Duff Angus , Le Blanc Pascale M. , Stone Thomas H.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This article aims to provide prospective authors guidelines that will hopefully enable them to submit more competitive manuscripts to journals publishing careers research.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on their experience as an author, reviewer and editorial team member, the authors identify the main criteria that a quantitative study must meet to be considered for publication in international peer-reviewed journals covering career-related topics. They emphasize the importance of contributing to the careers literature and of designing the study in accordance with the research question.

Findings

Manuscripts are rejected because they are insufficiently innovative, and/or because sample, instruments and design are not appropriate to answer the research question at hand. Cross-sectional designs cannot be used to answer questions of mediation but should not be discarded automatically since they can be used to address other types of questions, including questions about nesting, clustering of individuals into subgroups, and to some extent, even causality.

Originality/value

The manuscript provides an insight into the decision-making process of reviewers and editorial board members and includes recommendations on the use of cross-sectional data.
External whistleblowing intentions of auditors: a perspective based on stimulus–organism–response theory
Authors: Tuan Mansor Tuan Mastiniwati , Mohamad Ariff Akmalia , Hashim Hafiza Aishah , Ngah Abdul Hafaz
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the roles of perceived organisational support (POS), attitude and self-efficacy in understanding the external whistleblowing intentions among senior auditors through the lens of stimulus–organism–response theory.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses data from 119 senior auditors in audit firms in Malaysia. POS is predicted to be a stimulus factor from the external environment that affects the attitude and self-efficacy (organism) of the auditors and reassures them to act to whistleblow (response).

Findings

POS has a significant impact on self-efficacy and on attitude. Self-efficacy is shown as a significant mediator between POS and external whistleblowing intentions, but there is no statistical support for self-efficacy having a mediating effect on the relationship between the attitude of senior auditors and external whistleblowing intentions.

Practical implications

The findings can assist accounting professional bodies in understanding the psychological behaviours of auditors that contribute to their intention to shine a light on wrongdoing in audit firms and in providing a better insight into the critical factors that could influence auditors to whistleblow.

Originality/value

This study is among the earliest to investigate the application of stimulus–organism–response theory in whistleblowing, and hence it illustrates how the theory can be applied in studies on the ethical behaviours of actors in professional careers. The findings shed light on the role of self-efficacy as a significant mediator between POS and external whistleblowing intentions.
Novel tilt integral sliding mode controller and observer design for sensorless speed control of a permanent magnet synchronous motor
Authors: Calgan Haris
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to design and implement a novel tilt integral sliding mode controller and observer for sensorless speed control of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM).

Design/methodology/approach

A control strategy combining the tilt integral derivative (TID) with sliding mode control (SMC) is proposed to determine the tilt integral sliding mode manifold. Using this manifold, tilt integral sliding mode controller (TISMC) and observer (TISMO) are designed. The stabilities are verified by using Lyapunov method. To prove the effectiveness and robustness of proposed methods, sensorless speed control of PMSM is performed for various operating conditions such as constant and variable speed references, load disturbance injection, parameter perturbation, whereas sensor noises are not taken into account. The performance of proposed method is compared with TID controller, proportional integral derivative controller and conventional SMO.

Findings

Simulation results demonstrate that TISMC and TISMO have better performance in all operating conditions. They are robust against parameter uncertainties and disturbances. TISM based sensorless control of PMSM is well guaranteed with superior performance.

Originality/value

The proposed method has not been tackled in the literature. By combining TID and SMC, novel tilt integral sliding manifold is presented and used in designing of the controller and observer. It is proven by Lyapunov method that errors converge to zero.
Pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics in 60° Chevron plate heat exchanger using Al2O3, GNP and MWCNT nanofluids
Authors: Singh Shiva , Ghosh Subrata Kumar
Published: December 2021

Purpose

The study aims to use nanofluids as coolants for improving heat transfer peculiarities of plate heat exchangers (PHE). The experimental and numerical investigations are thoroughly performed using distilled water-based Al2O3, graphene nanoplatelet (GnP) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) nanofluids.

Design/methodology/approach

The numerical simulation based on Single Phase Model (SPM) was performed on a realistic 3 D model of PHE having similar dimensions as of the actual plate. The standard k-epsilon turbulent model was used to solve the problem. The concentration and flow rate of nanofluids were ranging from 0.1 to 1 Vol.% and 1 to 5 lpm, respectively, at 30°C. Whereas, hot side fluid is distilled water at 2 lpm and 80°C. The heat transfer characteristics such as bulk cold outlet temperature, heat transfer rate (HTR), heat transfer coefficient (HTC), Nusselt number (Nu), pressure drop, pumping power, effectiveness and exergy loss were experimentally evaluated using nanofluids in a PHE.

Findings

The experimental results were then compared with the numerical model. The experimental results revealed maximum enhancement in an average heat transfer rate of 9.86, 14.86 and 17.27% using Al2O3, GnP and MWCNT nanofluids, respectively, at 1 Vol.%. The present computational fluid dynamics model accurately predicts HTR, and the results deviate <1.1% with experiments for all the cases. The temperature and flow distribution show promising results using nanofluids.

Originality/value

The study helps to visualise heat transfer and flow distribution in PHE using different nanofluids under different operating conditions.
Tolerable range of abdomen and waist skin temperature for heating-capable smart garments
Authors: Kim Soyoung , Hong Kyunghi , Lee Heeran
Published: December 2021

Purpose

This study aims to provide information on how to monitor the temperature setting of a heating device in order to implement a heating unit successfully in the smart clothing by observing voluntary heating behavior of wearers.

Design/methodology/approach

Subjects wearing base layers and additional clothing were asked to turn on and off the switch when wanted in the cold environmental chamber. Tolerable range of skin temperature (TST) depending on the location of body was obtained by observing the temperature at the time when the heating device was turned on and off during a rest–running–rest protocol.

Findings

The TST was 32.8–49.4 °C and decreased to 31.3–37.6 °C around abdomen and back waist, respectively. Changes in the wearers' voluntary control behavior were observed depending on the individual's level of cold-sensitivity and activity level of rest and running. TST was 35.8–49.4 °C (Rest 1: rest before exercise), 40.0–42.0 °C (Running) and 35.3–43.2 °C (Rest 2: rest after exercise) for cold-sensitive group, whereas it was 32.8–36.2 °C (Running) and 34.4–45.7 °C (Rest 2: rest after exercise) for cold-insensitive group.

Originality/value

In this study, results with detailed body locations and wearer's thermal sensitivity provide practical references for the implementation of a heating device to the comfortable multilayered smart clothing.
Motivations for participation in active sports tourism: a cross-national study
Authors: Mishra Sita , Malhotra Gunjan , Johann Maria , Tiwari Shalini Rahul
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Sports tourism has gained much attention in recent decades due to its socio-economic and environmental impact on destinations. This study at first examines travel motives that might trigger participation in active sports tourism (AST). Further, it compares these travel motives and their impact on participation intention in AST (between India and Poland).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected online through a self-administered questionnaire in both countries (N = 273 in India and N = 255 in Poland). Descriptive data were analyzed using SPSS statistics 24, and SPSS AMOS 25 was used for testing the measurement model and multi-group analysis.

Findings

The results show that in both countries, participants are motivated mainly by travel exploration, social bonding, and stress relief, which are the primary travel motives commonly associated with tourism. However, the significance of these motives varies across both nations. Interestingly, active sports tourists are not motivated by physical strength, self-enhancement, and social recognition.

Originality/value

The study presents a framework to discuss travel motives in Active Sports Tourism (AST). It also describes the motives that influence Indians and Polish citizens' participation in active sports tourism.