bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can trust in management help? Job satisfaction, healthy lifestyle, and turnover intentions
Authors: Gopalan Neena , Beutell Nicholas J. , Alstete Jeffrey W.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study assesses the role of trust in management on relationships between predictors (supervisor support, coworker support and meaningful work) and outcomes (job satisfaction, turnover intentions and healthy lifestyle).

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 1,302 working adults from the National Survey of Changing Workforce was used in this study. Structural equation models and mediation analyses are used to analyze the data.

Findings

Findings indicate that trust in management significantly mediates relationships between support (supervisor, coworker) and outcomes and meaningful work and outcomes. Trust in management does not mediate relationships involving turnover intentions. Gender does not have a significant impact on the findings.

Practical implications

This study shows how trust in management is increasingly important during disruptions including high levels of voluntary turnover known as the Great Resignation. Trust in management is a key factor in work involvement and organizational citizenship behaviors.

Originality/value

This novel study tests how trust mediates relationships between both organizational behavior factors and work factors in relation to outcomes. The importance of developing and sustaining trust in management is paramount because it affects work-related outcomes as well as an individual's job satisfaction and healthy lifestyle.
Board of directors’ attributes and capital structure: evidence from Pakistani-listed non-financial firms
Authors: Ur Rahman Shams , Khalil Afef , Cavaliere Luigi Pio Leonardo , Ben Khelifa Soumaya
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to explore the effect of the board of directors on the capital structure of listed non-financial firms on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a panel data set of 208 financial Pakistani enterprises from 2015 to 2020, regression analysis is employed to examine the data utilizing independent variables such as board size, outside directors, directors' remuneration and managerial ownership to evaluate board characteristics and the total debt ratio for capital structure.

Findings

The results show that the board size positively impacts the debt ratio. However, outside directors, directors' remuneration and managerial ownership are negatively connected with the capital structure. The empirical findings indicate that corporate governance mechanisms play an important role in the capital structure decision of Pakistani non-financial companies.

Practical implications

This research contributes to the literature by addressing the function of the board of directors in the governance of Pakistani enterprises.

Originality/value

Few studies in Pakistan focus on board characteristics and those that do utilize different variables. This research aims to fill a critical gap by investigating the effect of the board of directors' attributes and the capital structure of the listed non-financial sector of Pakistan.
Perceived innovation-oriented human resource system and innovative work behavior: the chain mediating role of innovative culture and intrinsic motivation
Authors: Xu Zhihua , Yang Fu , Yuan Yingjie , Jia Dan
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study investigated the effect of individual perceptions of innovation-oriented human resource system (IHRS) on individual innovative work behavior (IWB) and how this effect is realized.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an online questionnaire survey at three time points with 481 employees in three Chinese organizations. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships among the variables.

Findings

Perceived IHRS was found to positively influence IWB, and this effect was sequentially mediated by individual perceptions of innovative culture and intrinsic motivation.

Practical implications

In order to elicit IWB, HR systems should be constructed around the strategic objective of innovation. Moreover, there should be a match between IHRS and innovative culture to trigger intrinsic motivation and ultimately IWB.

Originality/value

This study examines the effect of perceptions of IHRS on individuals' IWBs; Moreover, it integrates organizational culture and individual motivation and finds a chain mediating role of individual perceptions of innovative culture and intrinsic motivation in the relationship between IHRS and IWB.
Richness and dynamics: how to improve virtual reality tourism adoption with virtual social clues
Authors: Zhu Jiaji , Jiang Yushi , Wang Yedi , Yang Qiang , Li Wei
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Tourism via virtual reality (VR) technology has become an interesting option for consumers to “travel.” The best approaches to optimizing the VR tourism environment, improving the interactive experience of tourists and encouraging tourists to adopt VR are not yet fully understood. This study explores the willingness of tourists to adopt VR tourism from the dual aspects, richness and dynamics, of virtual social cues.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the effects of richness (multiple vs. few cues) and dynamic (changeable vs. static cues) on consumers' willingness to adopt VR tourism, three virtual tourism scenes were designed and presented by head-mounted displays. The data were collected for participants in the VR laboratory and tested by ANOVA and partial least squares–structural equation modeling.

Findings

Virtual social cues can generate mental imagery through interactivity, vividness and parasocial interactions, thus increasing the consumer's likelihood of adopting VR tourism. It was also found that imagination moderates mental imagery and adoption intention. When the consumer's imagination is stronger, their mental imagery stimulates a stronger willingness to adopt VR tourism.

Originality/value

The authors innovatively utilize concepts of parasocial interaction and mental imagery and discuss the various influences and mediation mechanisms of social cue characteristics on consumers' adoption of VR tourism. The conclusions may provide new insights for VR tourism managers and tourism scholars.
Adoption of professional indemnity insurance among estate surveying and valuation firms in Oyo State, Nigeria
Authors: Ekpo Immaculata Anthony , Oladokun Timothy Tunde
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Errors or negligence are inherent parts of professional services, thus necessitating the adoption of professional indemnity insurance (PII) as a risk management tool to protect professional interest. This paper sought to examine the adoption of PII among Estate Surveying and Valuation firms in Oyo State, Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative research methodology was adopted, and primary data were collected via questionnaires distributed to 84 purposively selected Estate Surveyors and Valuers (ESVs) who are mostly principal partners or branch managers in the study area. Sixty-three questionnaires representing 75.0% were returned and found useable. Data collected were analysed with the aid of descriptive statistics of percentages and relative importance index (RII).

Findings

The study found that the influence of foreign investors as well as the requirements of PII by the professional body as a basis for annual license renewal were responsible for higher level of awareness among the practitioners. However, about average of the firms had adopted PII with few taking professional insurance policy of as low as ₦500,000 per annum. The study recommends that NIESV/ESVARBON should sensitize, monitor and enforce the adoption of PII by ESVs as a means to increase public confidence and credibility of valuers while rendering professional services to clients.

Research limitations/implications

The current study was limited in coverage to Ibadan thus necessitating a study with wider area of coverage of national status.

Practical implications

The study has major implications on real estate education and practice in Nigeria. There is an urgent need for the professional body to devise means of enforcing compliance with the adoption of PII so as to be able to get the confidence of their teeming clients for subsequent patronage.

Originality/value

The paper is one among the scanty studies that provides a useful guide to real estate practitioners in developing countries towards adopting PII to shield the company from unnecessary negative exposure and financial loss.
Sovereignty at what price? Existential displacement at the Lebanese/Syrian border
Authors: Obeid Michelle
Published: August 2023

In 2014, Islamist jihadist groups overran a Lebanese border town and besieged it for four days, spreading terror across the town and the country as a whole. In response, the Lebanese army launched a violent counterattack on these groups with the aid of Hizbullah in what became known as the Battle of Arsal. Declaring the area a security zone, the army restricted mobility and placed Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees under military confinement. While the battle ended with a government‐declared victory that celebrated the ‘reclamation of state sovereignty’, these events disrupted social life in unprecedented ways. This article focuses on the phenomenological experience of sovereignty and the price paid for the desire for this state. I explore the ruptures people experienced in theirexistence(their right to life, subsistence, and movement under indiscriminate shelling) andexistentiality(their reflections on their human existence in time, place, and relationship to others in a social world that is no longer recognizable). I argue for a concept ofexistential displacementthat focuses on the experience of citizens as well as refugees for a broader understanding of the ruptures and dispossessions taking place in conflict.
Where Does I Stand? Reflections on Home and Identity Ensnared in a Cultural Narrative
Authors: de Waal Joanna
Published: August 2023

In this paper the author explores a cultural narrative that she suggests rests on the concepts of the Feminine and Masculine as such, employing both as though they contain an agreed set of universal givens. These givens are extrapolated from an androcentric perspective on female and male bodies, in particular their biological functions regarding reproduction. The metaphors of the baby‐in‐womb, mother’s preoccupation with child and heteronormative sexual relations are the primary cyphers for the narrative. She suggests that remaining unconscious of this narrative, such that it is taken as a universal given, can hamper a person’s relation to themselves, the world and others. The author names two concepts, Home and Identity: Home being an hospitable and accommodating space with Identity denoting the one who inhabits the space. In the narrative these two are unhelpfully categorized as belonging to the Feminine and the Masculine respectively. For ease of understanding the author uses a capital letter to designate an abstract idea, and lower case when referring to the concrete or particular. Clinical examples are given throughout the paper to illustrate how acknowledgement and awareness of this narrative might free the analyst or therapist to think more broadly around issues pertaining to space and identity.
New microbial tools to boost restoration and soil organic matter
Authors: Sáez‐Sandino Tadeo , Delgado‐Baquerizo Manuel , Egidi Eleonora , Singh Brajesh K.
Published: August 2023

Anthropogenic activities are causing unprecedented rates of soil and ecosystem degradation, and the current restoration practices take decades and are prone to high rates of failure. Here we propose, the development and application of emerging microbiome tools that can potentially improve the contents and diversity of soil organic matters, enhancing the efficacy and consistency of restoration outcomes.
Recognising symptoms of congenital myasthenic syndromes in children: A guide for paediatricians
Authors: Orriëns Lynn B. , Eker Dilan , Braakman Hilde M. H. , Merkus Peter J. F. M. , Erasmus Corrie E.
Published: August 2023

Aim

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are a rare and diverse group of treatable neuromuscular transmission disorders. Diagnosis is often substantially delayed. This study aimed to identify common symptoms of CMS in children and their manifestation to aid diagnosis and early intervention.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study, including 18 children (median age 13 years, range 9 years 5 months–18 years 0 month) with CMS. Data on CMS symptoms and their manifestation were extracted from patients' charts and supplemented with parental telephone interviews. Descriptive analyses were used to identify common symptoms.

Results

A median diagnostic delay of 4 years and 7 months (interquartile range: 51 months) was observed. Proximal muscle weakness (100%), ptosis (89%), clumsy gait (82%), difficulty eating solid foods (78%) and recurrent respiratory tract infections (72%) were most common in these patients. Symptoms mostly co‐occurred and frequently had a fluctuating character, aggravated by infections or fatigue.

Conclusion

Early referral to diagnose CMS is crucial to enable timely initiation of treatment. Heightened attention to a combination of symptoms related to muscle weakness, rather than individual symptoms, should support paediatricians in flagging these neuromuscular disorders. Medical history taking should be tailored to parents' perceptions, asking questions about recognisable symptoms of muscle weakness.
What is known about midwives' well‐being and resilience? An integrative review of the international literature
Authors: Moran Lynnelle , Foster Kim , Bayes Sara
Published: August 2023

Background

Internationally, the midwifery workforce is facing a professional crisis due to numerous organizational and individual factors that have led to midwives leaving the profession. These factors include high levels of workplace stress, systemic barriers to providing woman and person‐centered care, trauma, and burnout. The COVID‐19 pandemic magnified these pre‐existing stressors and adversities and has further disrupted midwives' ability to practice within their professional norms. In order to understand how midwives can be better supported, there is a need to understand what contributes to and detracts from their well‐being and resilience.

Aim

To investigate and synthesize the extant international knowledge on midwives' well‐being and resilience in the context of workplace stress and adversity.

Method

Integrative review of the literature published in peer‐reviewed journals.

Results

Thematic analysis of the literature resulted in three core themes: (1) risk factors and adversity; (2) protective factors and resilience; and (3) sustaining factors and well‐being in midwifery. Findings from this integrated review highlight that several factors associated with workplace adversity can also be sources of protection depending on their presence or absence. Within the included studies, there exists a broad use of concepts and definitions that are applied to well‐being and resilience, resulting in a lack of uniformity and cohesion.

Conclusions

In this review, we identified a high level of workplace adversity and the subsequent impacts on midwives' well‐being and resilience. A series of protective factors and strategies that can be used to improve the well‐being of midwives and support resilience within the profession were also identified; however, further research of the population is required. In addition, the development of cohesive well‐being and resilience concepts specific to midwifery is recommended, as is the development and application of uniform terminologies and definitions.
Glucose‐lowering drug use in migrants and native Danes with type 2 diabetes: Disparities in combination therapy and drug types
Authors: Isaksen Anders Aasted , Sandbæk Annelli , Skriver Mette Vinther , Bjerg Lasse
Published: August 2023

Aim

To examine disparities in glucose‐lowering drug (GLD) usage between migrants and native Danes with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Materials and Methods

In a nationwide, register‐based cross‐sectional study of 253 364 individuals with prevalent T2D on December 31, 2018, we examined user prevalence during 2019 of (i) GLD combination therapies and (ii) individual GLD types. Migrants were grouped by origin (Middle East, Europe, Turkey, Former Yugoslavia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Vietnam), and relative risk (RR) versus native Danes was computed using robust Poisson regression to adjust for clinical and socioeconomic characteristics.

Results

In 2019, 34.7% of native Danes received combination therapy, and prevalence was lower in most migrant groups (RR from 0.78, 95% confidence interval CI 0.71‐0.85 [Somalia group] to 1.00, 95% CI 0.97‐1.04 [former Yugoslavia group]). Among native Danes, the most widely used oral GLD was metformin (used by 62.1%), followed by dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors (13.3%), sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors (11.9%) and sulphonylureas (5.2%), and user prevalence was higher in most migrant groups (RR for use of any oral GLD: 0.99, 95% CI 0.97‐1.01 [Europe group] to 1.09, 95% CI 1.06‐1.11 [Sri Lanka group]). Furthermore, 18.7% of native Danes used insulins and 13.3% used glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RAs), but use was less prevalent in migrants (RR for insulins: 0.66, 95% CI 0.62‐0.71 [Sri Lanka group] to 0.94, 95% CI 0.89‐0.99 [Europe group]; RR for GLP‐1RAs: 0.29, 95% CI 0.22‐0.39 [Somalia group] to 0.95, 95% CI 0.89‐1.01 [Europe group]).

Conclusions

Disparities in GLD types and combination therapy were evident between migrants and native Danes. Migrants were more likely to use oral GLDs and less likely to use injection‐based GLDs, particularly GLP‐1RAs, which may contribute to complication risk and mortality among this group.
ChatGPT—A double‐edged sword for healthcare education? Implications for assessments of dental students
Authors: Ali Kamran , Barhom Noha , Tamimi Faleh , Duggal Monty
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Open‐source generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications are fast‐transforming access to information and allow students to prepare assignments and offer quite accurate responses to a wide range of exam questions which are routinely used in assessments of students across the board including undergraduate dental students. This study aims to evaluate the performance of Chat Generative Pre‐trained Transformer (ChatGPT), a generative AI‐based application, on a wide range of assessments used in contemporary healthcare education and discusses the implications for undergraduate dental education.

Materials and Methods

This was an exploratory study investigating the accuracy of ChatGPT to attempt a range of recognised assessments in healthcare education curricula. A total of 50 independent items encompassing 50 different learning outcomes (n = 10 per item) were developed by the research team. These included 10 separate items based on each of the five commonly used question formats including multiple‐choice questions (MCQs); short‐answer questions (SAQs); short essay questions (SEQs); single true/false questions; and fill in the blanks items. Chat GPT was used to attempt each of these 50 questions. In addition, ChatGPT was used to generate reflective reports based on multisource feedback; research methodology; and critical appraisal of the literature.

Results

ChatGPT application provided accurate responses to majority of knowledge‐based assessments based on MCQs, SAQs, SEQs, true/false and fill in the blanks items. However, it was only able to answer text‐based questions and did not allow processing of questions based on images. Responses generated to written assignments were also satisfactory apart from those for critical appraisal of literature. Word count was the key limitation observed in outputs generated by the free version of ChatGPT.

Conclusion

Notwithstanding their current limitations, generative AI‐based applications have the potential to revolutionise virtual learning. Instead of treating it as a threat, healthcare educators need to adapt teaching and assessments in medical and dental education to the benefits of the learners while mitigating against dishonest use of AI‐based technology.
Comparison of three common inbred mouse strains reveals substantial differences in hippocampal GABAergic interneuron populations and in vitro network oscillations
Authors: Çalışkan Gürsel , Demiray Yunus E. , Stork Oliver
Published: August 2023

A major challenge in neuroscience is to pinpoint neurobiological correlates of specific cognitive and neuropsychiatric traits. At the mesoscopic level, promising candidates for establishing such connections are brain oscillations that can be robustly recorded as local field potentials with varying frequencies in the hippocampus in vivo and in vitro. Inbred mouse strains show natural variation in hippocampal synaptic plasticity (e.g. long‐term potentiation), a cellular correlate of learning and memory. However, their diversity in expression of different types of hippocampal network oscillations has not been fully explored. Here, we investigated hippocampal network oscillations in three widely used inbred mouse strains: C57BL/6J (B6J), C57BL/6NCrl (B6N) and 129S2/SvPasCrl (129) with the aim to identify common oscillatory characteristics in inbred mouse strains that show aberrant emotional/cognitive behaviour (B6N and 129) and compare them to “control” B6J strain. First, we detected higher gamma oscillation power in the hippocampal CA3 of both B6N and 129 strains. Second, higher incidence of hippocampal sharp wave‐ripple (SPW‐R) transients was evident in these strains. Third, we observed prominent differences in the densities of distinct interneuron types and CA3 associative network activity, which are indispensable for sustainment of mesoscopic network oscillations. Together, these results add further evidence to profound physiological differences among inbred mouse strains commonly used in neuroscience research.
Illegal firm behaviour and environmental hazard: The case of waste disposal
Authors: Troisi Roberta , De Simone Stefania , Franco Massimo
Published: August 2023

This study provides an analysis of illegal waste disposal examining how and why it occurs, with a focus on illegal industrial dumping. Organizational resource dependency theory and the bad barrel theory are used as conceptual frameworks to highlight the reasons leading firms to engage in illegal waste disposal, influenced by the firm's operational environment and characteristics, and how firms make use of it. The effects of environmental resource dependency variables and micro variables in terms of the hazard level associated with illegal waste disposal were tested separately and jointly by means of logistic regressions. Environmental resource dependency is found to be a powerful driver of the behaviour of firms, both independently and combined with certain organizational factors, with an impact on the hazardousness of illegal waste disposal. The policy implications of the findings are discussed, and a number of suggestions for preventing illegal dumping are put forward.
Genome‐wide association studies in the Japanese population identified genetic loci and target gene associated with epidermal turnover
Authors: Okuno Ryosuke , Inoue Yu , Hasebe Yuichi , Igarashi Toshio , Kawagishi‐Hotta Mika , Yamada Takaaki , Hasegawa Seiji
Published: August 2023

The epidermis is an essential organ for life by retaining water and as a protective barrier. The epidermis is maintained through metabolism, in which basal cells produced from epidermal stem cells differentiate into spinous cells, granular cells and corneocytes, and are finally shed from the epidermal surface. This is epidermal turnover, and with aging, there is a decline in epidermis function. Other factors that may affect epidermal turnover include ultraviolet damage and genetic factors. These genetic factors are of particular interest as little is known. Although recent skin‐focused genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have been conducted, the genetic regions associated with epidermal turnover are almost uninvestigated. Therefore, we conducted a GWAS on epidermal turnover in the Japanese population, using the corneocyte area, which correlates to the rate of epidermal turnover, as an indicator. As a result, rs2278431 (p = 1.29 × 10−7) in 19q13.2 was associated with corneocyte size. Furthermore, eQTL analysis suggested that rs2278431 was related to the SPINT2 gene. In addition, SPINT2 knockdown studies using epidermal keratinocytes revealed that SPINT2 is involved in keratinocyte proliferation and in corneocyte size regulation in reconstructed epidermis. These results suggest that rs2278431 is involved in the expression of SPINT2 and affects epidermal turnover.
Amplifying “eat me signal” by immunogenic cell death for potentiating cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Xi Yong , Chen Lijie , Tang Jian , Yu Bentong , Shen Weiyu , Niu Xing
Published: August 2023

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a unique mode of cell death, which can release immunogenic damage‐associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and tumor‐associated antigens to trigger long‐term protective antitumor immune responses. Thus, amplifying “eat me signal” during tumor ICD cascade is critical for cancer immunotherapy. Some therapies (radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), etc.) and inducers (chemotherapeutic agents, etc.) have enabled to initiate and/or facilitate ICD and activate antitumor immune responses. Recently, nanostructure‐based drug delivery systems have been synthesized for inducing ICD through combining treatment of chemotherapeutic agents, photosensitizers for PDT, photothermal transformation agents for PTT, radiosensitizers for radiotherapy, etc., which can release loaded agents at an appropriate dosage in the designated place at the appropriate time, contributing to higher efficiency and lower toxicity. Also, immunotherapeutic agents in combination with nanostructure‐based drug delivery systems can produce synergetic antitumor effects, thus potentiating immunotherapy. Overall, our review outlines the emerging ICD inducers, and nanostructure drug delivery systems loading diverse agents to evoke ICD through chemoradiotherapy, PDT, and PTT or combining immunotherapeutic agents. Moreover, we discuss the prospects and challenges of harnessing ICD induction‐based immunotherapy, and highlight the significance of multidisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration to promote the optimal translation of this treatment strategy.
Do academic directors matter? Evidence from Taiwan equity market
Authors: Wu Tai‐Hsi , Lin Mei‐Chen , Ting Pei‐Ju Lucy , Huang Jyun Yan
Published: August 2023

In this study, we investigate the impact of academic directors on a firm's performance and decisions in the Taiwan equity market. We find that firms with more independent directors and board size are more likely to appoint academic directors, and academic directors can improve firm performance. The presence of academic directors positively affects firm performance through channels like more capital expenditure and larger R&D expenses. Academic directors with finance and technology backgrounds positively correlate with both Tobin's Q and ROA. Moreover, the appropriate match of expertise between firms and their academic directors contributes to a better performance. However, corporations with academic directors have a higher compensation gap between top managers and employees.
Depressive symptoms and loneliness among early adolescents: a psychometric network analysis approach
Authors: Grygiel Paweł , Dolata Roman , Humenny Grzegorz , Muszyński Marek
Published: August 2023

Background

Previous studies demonstrate a high prevalence of depression and loneliness among adolescents. Although they often co‐occur, the relationship between symptoms of depression and loneliness remains poorly understood. This study investigates: (a) the symptoms of depression that are connected to loneliness; (b) the role played by loneliness in the network of depression symptoms; and (c) whether the method used to measure loneliness (single‐item direct or multi‐item indirect) affects the relationship of loneliness with depressive symptoms.

Methods

Participants were 496 Polish adolescents (50.8% girls) aged 11 to 13, who completed: (a) the 10‐item Major Depressive Disorder subscale of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale; (b) the 11‐item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (indirect loneliness), and (c) a single direct question evaluating loneliness: ‘I'm lonely’. Networks were estimated using a Gaussian Graphical Model.

Results

Loneliness shows a direct relationship with three affective symptoms of depression: sadness, worthlessness, and anhedonia, which mediate relationships with somatic symptoms. In contrast to previous studies, loneliness has the lowest level of centrality among all elements of the network. The method used to assess loneliness did not significantly affect the connections between loneliness and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Loneliness and depression overlap since they are formed by the same cognitive biases and deficits in emotion regulation but differ in the level of generality. In loneliness, they have an interpersonal context, while symptoms of depression can be intrapersonal. This helps us to understand why cognitive interventions, as compared to those which are social, are more effective in reducing loneliness.
Weak seed banks influence the signature and detectability of selective sweeps
Authors: Korfmann Kevin , Abu Awad Diala , Tellier Aurélien
Published: August 2023

Seed banking (or dormancy) is a widespread bet-hedging strategy, generating a form of population overlap, which decreases the magnitude of genetic drift. The methodological complexity of integrating this trait implies it is ignored when developing tools to detect selective sweeps. But, as dormancy lengthens the ancestral recombination graph (ARG), increasing times to fixation, it can change the genomic signatures of selection. To detect genes under positive selection in seed banking species it is important to (1) determine whether the efficacy of selection is affected, and (2) predict the patterns of nucleotide diversity at and around positively selected alleles. We present the first tree sequence-based simulation program integrating a weak seed bank to examine the dynamics and genomic footprints of beneficial alleles in a finite population. We find that seed banking does not affect the probability of fixation and confirm expectations of increased times to fixation. We also confirm earlier findings that, for strong selection, the times to fixation are not scaled by the inbreeding effective population size in the presence of seed banks, but are shorter than would be expected. As seed banking increases the effective recombination rate, footprints of sweeps appear narrower around the selected sites and due to the scaling of the ARG are detectable for longer periods of time. The developed simulation tool can be used to predict the footprints of selection and draw statistical inference of past evolutionary events in plants, invertebrates, or fungi with seed banks.

Abstract

Dormancy and seed banking are ubiquitous life history traits in plants, invertebrates, and microbes. We develop a simulation tool to generate polymorphism data over full chromosomes for species undergoing weak dormancy under neutral (mutation, recombination) and selective processes. We demonstrate that seed banks affect the signatures of selection in the polymorphism data, and enhance the detectability of selective sweeps.
Behavioral genetics of temporal framing: Heritability of time perspective and its common genetic bases with major personality traits
Authors: Stolarski Maciej , Zawadzki Bogdan , Matthews Gerald , Pruszczak Dominika , Wojciechowski Jerzy
Published: August 2023

Objective

The present study aimed to provide a seminal behavioral genetic analysis of time perspectives (TPs). Moreover, we intended to investigate the magnitude of genetic vs. environmental components of the well‐established assocations between TPs and personality features.

Background

Individual differences in temporal framing processes, referred to as TPs, are vital psychological and behavioral outcomes. Although proponents of TP theory emphasize mainly environmental origins of the tendencies to adopt certain TPs, research provides evidence for marked associations between the temporal dimensions and major personality traits that are known to be heritable. Hence, it was essential to empirically verify these claims.

Method

The article reports an analysis of genetic and environmental components of variance in TPs based on a study adopting a twin design, conducted on a sample of 393 pairs of twins (135 monozygotic and 258 dizygotic).

Results

Multivariate Cholesky decomposition supported an EA model assuming impacts of both unshared environmental factors (E) and additive genetic factors (A) across all TP dimensions, suggesting that the effects of shared environment on TPs are plausibly negligible. Heritability indices of TPs ranged between 0.51 for Present‐Fatalistic and 0.62 for Present‐Hedonistic, suggesting that the majority of the variance in TPs stems from genetic influences. Substantial genetic correlations were found between TPs and the Big Five personality traits.

Conclusions

The findings provide further evidence for conceptualizing TPs as biologically based personality traits and challenge the claims that TP is mainly a product of culture, education, and personal experiences.
Molnupiravir treatment of 18 cats with feline infectious peritonitis: A case series
Authors: Sase Okihiro
Published: August 2023

Background

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease in cats, caused by certain strains of coronavirus and has a high case fatality rate.

Objective

This case series reports the outcomes of treatment of cats with FIP using molnupiravir.

Animals

Eighteen cats diagnosed with FIP at the You‐Me Animal Clinic, Sakura‐shi, Japan between January and August 2022, and whose owners gave informed consent to this experimental treatment.

Methods

For this prospective observational study, molnupiravir tablets were compounded in‐house at the You‐Me Animal Clinic. Owners administered 10‐20 mg/kg PO twice daily. Standard treatment duration was 84 days.

Results

Among 18 cats, 13 cats had effusive FIP and 5 had noneffusive FIP. Three cats had neurological or ocular signs of FIP before treatment. Four cats, all with effusive FIP, died or were euthanized within 7 days of starting treatment. The remaining 14 cats completed treatment and remained in remission at the time of writing (139‐206 days after starting treatment). Elevated serum alanine transaminase (ALT) activity was found in 3 cats, all at Days 7‐9, and all recovered without management. Two cats with jaundice were hospitalized, 1 during treatment (Day 37) and 1 with severe anemia at the start of treatment.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

This case series suggests that molnupiravir might be an effective and safe treatment for domestic cats with FIP at a dose of 10‐20 mg/kg twice daily.
Detection of words versus good old counting: A note on Mizrahi and Dickinson, “The analytic‐continental divide in philosophical practice”
Authors: Hogenbirk Hugo Dirk
Published: August 2023

In a recent Metaphilosophy article, Moti Mizrahi and Michael Dickinson argue against characterizing the divide between analytical and continental philosophy as a divide in the use of arguments. This hypothesis is rejected on the basis of a text‐mining approach. The present paper argues that the results they extracted do not answer the questions they set out to answer as well as would have been possible. This is due to Mizrahi and Dickinson's choice to disregard duplicate occurrences of argument word pairs, their main indicator for the occurrence of arguments in articles. This paper reconstructs their method by now also counting duplicates. A small corpus (n = 436) of recent (2015–2021) analytical and continental articles is used to rerun the experiment; the results oppose Mizrahi and Dickinson's and suggest that arguments (as operationalized by Mizrahi and Dickinson) occur more in analytical articles. The paper argues that part of the discrepancy derives from the specific methodological choices they made.
Invasive mucorales sinusitis in a young patient with Emberger syndrome and newly diagnosedAML: A case report and literature review of invasive fungal infections inGATA2deficiency
Authors: Chiu Chia‐Yu , Matsuo Takahiro , Wurster Sebastian , Gerstein Yoheved , Hammond Danielle E. , Chien Kelly S. , DiNardo Courtney , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios P.
Published: August 2023

Germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in the gene encoding the GATA2 transcription factor can result in profound reductions of monocytes, dendritic cells, natural killer cells and B cells.GATA2PVs are associated with an increased risk of myeloid malignancies and a predisposition to nontuberculous mycobacterial and human papillomavirus infections. Additionally, invasive fungal infections (IFIs) have been reported in individuals withGATA2PVs, even in the absence of myeloid malignancies. In this report, we present the case of a 40‐year‐old man with Emberger syndrome (GATA2mutation, recently diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia [AML] and history of lymphedema with hearing loss) who developed Mucorales sinusitis while receiving his first course of remission induction chemotherapy. Additionally, we review the literature on all published cases of proven IFIs in patients withGATA2PVs. Clinicians should be aware that patients withGATA2PVs could be vulnerable to opportunistic IFIs, even in the absence of AML and antineoplastic therapy. Furthermore, the distinctly unusual occurrence of mucormycosis during the first course of induction chemotherapy for AML in our patient indicates that patients with germlineGATA2PVs receiving induction chemotherapy for AML might be at high risk for early onset of IFIs due to aggressive, opportunistic moulds.
A chitosan‐coated lentinan‐loaded calcium alginate hydrogel induces broad‐spectrum resistance to plant viruses by activating Nicotiana benthamiana calmodulin‐like (CML) protein 3
Authors: Xiang Shunyu , Wang Jing , Wang Xiaoyan , Ma Xiaozhou , Peng Haoran , Zhu Xin , Huang Jin , Ran Mao , Ma Lisong , Sun Xianchao
Published: August 2023

Control of plant virus diseases largely depends on the induced plant defence achieved by the external application of synthetic chemical inducers with the ability to modify defence‐signalling pathways. However, most of the molecular mechanisms underlying these chemical inducers remain unknown. Here, we developed a chitosan‐coated lentinan‐loaded hydrogel and discovered how it protects plants from different virus infections. The hydrogel was synthesized by coating chitosan on the surface of the calcium alginate‐lentinan (LNT) hydrogel (SL‐gel) to form a CSL‐gel. CSL‐gels exhibit the capacity to prolong the stable release of lentinan and promote Ca2+ release. Application of CSL‐gels on the root of plants induces broad‐spectrum resistance against plant viruses (TMV, TRV, PVX and TuMV). RNA‐seq analysis identified that Nicotiana benthamiana calmodulin‐like protein gene 3 (NbCML3) is upregulated by the sustained release of Ca2+ from the CSL‐gel, and silencing and overexpression of NbCML alter the susceptibility and resistance of tobacco to TMV. Our findings provide evidence that this novel and synthetic CSL‐gel strongly inhibits the infection of plant viruses by the sustainable release of LNT and Ca2+. This study uncovers a novel mode of action by which CSL‐gels trigger NbCML3 expression through the stable and sustained release of Ca2+.
Hepatic artery thrombosis and use of anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents in pediatric liver transplantation
Authors: Feldman Keith , Heble Daniel E. , Hendrickson Richard J. , Fischer Ryan T.
Published: August 2023

Background

Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) is a reported complication of 5%–10% of pediatric liver transplantations, rates 3–4 times that seen in adults. Early HAT (seen within 14 days after transplant) can lead to severe allograft damage and possible urgent re‐transplantation. In this report, we present our analysis of HAT in pediatric liver transplant from a national clinical database and examine the association of HAT with anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication administered in the post‐operative period.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Pediatric Health Information System database maintained by the Children's Hospital Association. For each liver transplant recipient identified in a 10‐year period, diagnosis, demographic, and medication data were collected and analyzed.

Results

Our findings showed an average rate of HAT of 6.3% across 31 centers. Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medication strategies varied distinctly among and even within centers, likely due to the fact there are no consensus guidelines. Notably, in centers with similar medication usage, HAT rates continue to vary. At the patient level, use of aspirin within the first 72 h of transplantation was associated with a decreased risk of HAT, consistent with other reports in the literature.

Conclusion

We suggest that concerted efforts to standardize anticoagulation approaches in pediatric liver transplant may be of benefit in the prevention of HAT. A prospective multi‐institutional study of regimen—possibly including aspirin—following transplantation could have significant value.
Safety and efficacy of bronchial thermoplasty in Australia 5 years post‐procedure
Authors: Hatch Monica , Lilburn Paul , Scott Caroline , Ing Alvin , Langton David
Published: August 2023

Background and Objective

Outside clinical trials, there is limited long‐term data following bronchial thermoplasty (BT). In a cohort of real‐world severe asthmatics in an era of biological therapy, we sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of BT 5 years post‐treatment.

Methods

Every patient treated with BT at two Australian tertiary centres were recalled at 5 years, and evaluated by interview and record review, Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), spirometry and high‐resolution CT Chest. CT scans were interpreted using the modified Reiff and BRICS CT scoring systems for bronchiectasis.

Results

Fifty‐one patients were evaluated. At baseline, this cohort had a mean age of 59.0 ± 11.8 years, mean ACQ of 3.0 ± 1.0, mean FEV1 of 55.5 ± 18.8% predicted, and 53% were receiving maintenance oral steroids in addition to triple inhaler therapy. At 5 years, there was a sustained improvement in ACQ scores to 1.8 ± 1.0 (p < 0.001). Steroid requiring exacerbation frequency was reduced from 3.8 ± 3.6 to 1.0 ± 1.6 exacerbations per annum (p < 0.001). 44% of patients had been weaned off oral steroids. No change in spirometry was observed.

CT scanning identified minor degrees of localized radiological bronchiectasis in 23/47 patients with the modified Reiff score increasing from 0.6 ± 2.6 at baseline to 1.3 ± 2.5 (p < 0.001). However, no patients exhibited clinical features of bronchiectasis, such as recurrent bacterial infection.

Conclusion

Sustained clinical benefit from BT at 5 years was demonstrated in this cohort of very severe asthmatics. Mild, localized radiological bronchiectasis was identified in a portion of patients without clinical features of bronchiectasis.
Monitoring lower limb biomechanical asymmetry and psychological measures in athletic populations—A scoping review
Authors: Keogh Joshua A. J. , Waddington Emma E. , Masood Zaryan , Mahmood Sobia , Palanisamy Anil C. , Ruder Matthew C. , Karsan Sameena , Bishop Chris , Jordan Matthew J. , Heisz Jennifer J. , Kobsar Dylan
Published: August 2023

Background

Lower limb biomechanics, including asymmetry, are frequently monitored to determine sport performance level and injury risk. However, contributing factors extend beyond biomechanical and asymmetry measures to include psychological, sociological, and environmental factors. Unfortunately, inadequate research has been conducted using holistic biopsychosocial models to characterize sport performance and injury risk. Therefore, this scoping review summarized the research landscape of studies concurrently assessing measures of lower limb biomechanics, asymmetry, and introspective psychological state (e.g., pain, fatigue, perceived exertion, stress, etc.) in healthy, competitive athletes.

Methods

A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science Core Collections was designed and conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Fifty‐one articles were included in this review.

Results

Significant relationships between biomechanics (k = 22 studies) or asymmetry (k = 20 studies) and introspective state were found. Increased self‐reported pain was associated with decreased range of motion, strength, and increased lower limb asymmetry. Higher ratings of perceived exertion were related to increased lower limb asymmetry, self‐reported muscle soreness, and worse jump performance. Few studies (k = 4) monitored athletes longitudinally throughout one or more competitive season(s).

Conclusion

This review highlights the need for concurrent analysis of introspective, psychological state, and biomechanical asymmetry measures along with longitudinal research to understand the contributing factors to sport performance and injury risk from biopsychosocial modeling. In doing so, this framework of biopsychosocial preventive and prognostic patient‐centered practices may provide an actionable means of optimizing health, well‐being, and sport performance in competitive athletes.