bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The pioneer transcription factor Zelda facilitates the exit from regeneration and restoration of patterning inDrosophila
Authors: Bose Anish , Schuster Keaton , Kodali Chandril , Sonam Surabhi , Smith-Bolton Rachel
Published: May 2024

For a damaged tissue to regenerate, the injured site must repair the wound, proliferate, and restore the correct patterning and cell types. We found that Zelda, a pioneer transcription factor largely known for its role in embryonic zygotic genome activation, is dispensable for normal wing development but crucial for wing disc patterning during regeneration. Impairing Zelda function during disc regeneration resulted in adult wings with a plethora of cell fate errors, affecting the veins, margins, and posterior compartment identity. Using CUT&RUN, we identified and validated targets of Zelda including the cell fate genescut, Deltaandachaete, which failed to return to their normal expression patterns upon loss of Zelda. In addition, Zelda controls expression of factors previously established to preserve cell fate during regeneration liketaranisandosa,which stabilizesengrailedexpression during regeneration, thereby preserving posterior identity. Finally, Zelda ensures proper expression of the integrins encoded bymultiple edematous wingsandmyospheroidduring regeneration to prevent blisters in the resuting adult wing. Thus, Zelda is crucial for maintaining cell fate and structural architecture of the regenerating tissue.
Large-scale control over collective cell migration using light-controlled epidermal growth factor receptors
Authors: Suh Kevin , Thornton Richard , Farahani Payam E. , Cohen Daniel , Toettcher Jared
Published: May 2024

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are thought to play key roles in coordinating cell movement at single-cell and tissue scales. The recent development of optogenetic tools for controlling RTKs and their downstream signaling pathways suggested these responses may be amenable to engineering-based control for sculpting tissue shape and function. Here, we report that a light-controlled EGF receptor (OptoEGFR) can be deployed in epithelial cell lines for precise, programmable control of long-range tissue movements. We show that in OptoEGFR-expressing tissues, light can drive millimeter-scale cell rearrangements to densify interior regions or produce rapid outgrowth at tissue edges. Light-controlled tissue movements are driven primarily by PI 3-kinase signaling, rather than diffusible signals, tissue contractility, or ERK kinase signaling as seen in other RTK-driven migration contexts. Our study suggests that synthetic, light-controlled RTKs could serve as a powerful platform for controlling cell positions and densities for diverse applications including wound healing and tissue morphogenesis.
Comparing Methods for Deriving the Auditory Brainstem Response to Continuous Speech in Human Listeners
Authors: Shan Tong , Maddox Ross K.
Published: May 2024

Several tools have recently been developed to derive the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) from continuous natural speech, facilitating investigation into subcortical encoding of speech. These tools rely on deconvolution, which models the subcortical auditory pathway as a linear system, where a nonlinearly processed stimulus is taken as the input (i.e., regressor), the electroencephalogram (EEG) data as the output, and the ABR as the impulse response deconvolved from the recorded EEG and the regressor. In this study, we analyzed EEG recordings from subjects listening to both unaltered natural speech and synthesized “peaky speech.” We compared the derived ABRs using three regressors: the half-wave rectified stimulus (HWR) from Maddox and Lee (2018), the glottal pulse train (GP) from Polonenko and Maddox (2021), and the auditory nerve modeled response (ANM) from Shan et al. (2024). Our evaluation focused on the fidelity, efficiency, and practicality of each method in different scenarios. The results indicate that the ANM regressor for both peaky and unaltered speech and the GP regressor for peaky speech provided the best performance, whereas the HWR regressor demonstrated relatively poorer performance. The findings in this study will guide future research in selecting the most appropriate paradigm for ABR derivation from continuous, naturalistic speech.
A novel single-color FRET biosensor for Rho-kinase activity reveals calcium-dependent activation of RhoA and ROCK
Authors: Mancini Allison E , Rizzo Megan A.
Published: May 2024

Ras homolog family member A (RhoA) acts as a signaling hub in many cellular processes, including cytoskeletal dynamics, division, migration, and adhesion. RhoA activity is tightly spatiotemporally controlled, but whether downstream effectors share these activation dynamics is unknown. We developed a novel single-color FRET biosensor to measure Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) activity with high spatiotemporal resolution in live cells. We report the validation of the Rho-Kinase Activity Reporter (RhoKAR) biosensor. RhoKAR activation was specific to ROCK activity and was insensitive to other kinases. We then assessed the mechanisms of ROCK activation in mouse fibroblasts. Increasing intracellular calcium with ionomycin increased RhoKAR activity, and depleting intracellular calcium with EGTA decreased RhoKAR activity. We also investigated the signaling intermediates in this process. Blocking calmodulin or CaMKII prevented calcium-dependent activation of ROCK. These results indicate that ROCK activity is increased by calcium in fibroblasts and that this activation occurs downstream of CaM/CaMKII.
Loss of the MeCP2 gene in parvalbumin interneurons leads to an inhibitory deficit in the amygdala and affects its functional connectivity
Authors: Liiwand Maj , Haikonen Joni , Kokinovic Bojana , Molchanova Svetlana M. , Aitta-aho Teemu , Lauri Sari E. , Ryazantseva Maria
Published: May 2024

Background

MECP2gene is located in the X-chromosome and encodes a methyl-CpG-binding protein involved in transcription regulation. The loss-of-function mutation of theMECP2gene, leads to severe neurodevelopmental syndrome, Rett syndrome. Clinical picture of Rett syndrome includes, among other symptoms, social deficits and heightened anxiety. The amygdala is involved in the regulation of social behavior as well as fear and anxiety. Here, we investigated the effect of theMeCP2gene ablation in the parvalbumin interneurons on the microcircuit and functional connectivity of the amygdala.

Methods

Males with conditional knock-out of theMeCP2gene in the parvalbumin interneurons were used as a genetic mouse model of MeCP2 loss in parvalbumin interneurons. Littermates with the intact gene were used as controls. Ex-vivo brain slice electrophysiology, combined with pharmacology and optogenetics, was used to characterize microcircuits within the lateral amygdala. Synaptic currents and excitability of parvalbumin interneurons and principal neurons were analyzed by a whole-cell patch clamp. In-vivo functional ultrasound was used to visualize the connectivity within the amygdala–ventral hippocampus–prefrontal cortex triad.

Results

Loss ofMeCP2in parvalbumin interneurons significantly reduced the GABAergic synaptic input to the principal neurons in the lateral amygdala. The decreased inhibitory drive was accompanied by an increase in the excitability of principal neurons in the lateral amygdala. The in vivo functional connectivity of the amygdala-ventral hippocampus and amygdala-prefrontal cortex was significantly reduced in conditional knock-outs compared to their littermates with the intact gene in the X chromosome.

Conclusions

Our study characterized the consequences ofMeCP2gene loss in the parvalbumin interneurons on the amygdala connectivity and microcircuit and provided evidence supporting the previous findings on the role of interneurons in the functional deficit observed in animal models withMeCP2loss.
Cortical determinants of loudness perception and auditory hypersensitivity
Authors: Clayton Kameron K , McGill Matthew , Awwad Bshara , Stecyk Kamryn S , Kremer Caroline , Skerleva Desislava , Narayanan Divya P , Zhu Jennifer , Hancock Kenneth E , Kujawa Sharon G , Kozin Elliott D , Polley Daniel B
Published: May 2024

Parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons (PVNs) stabilize cortical network activity, generate gamma rhythms, and regulate experience-dependent plasticity. Here, we observed that activation or inactivation of PVNs functioned like a volume knob in the mouse auditory cortex (ACtx), turning neural and behavioral classification of sound level up or down over a 20dB range. PVN loudness adjustments were “sticky”, such that a single bout of 40Hz PVN stimulation sustainably suppressed ACtx sound responsiveness, potentiated feedforward inhibition, and behaviorally desensitized mice to loudness. Sensory sensitivity is a cardinal feature of autism, aging, and peripheral neuropathy, prompting us to ask whether PVN stimulation can persistently desensitize mice with ACtx hyperactivity, PVN hypofunction, and loudness hypersensitivity triggered by cochlear sensorineural damage. We found that a single 16-minute bout of 40Hz PVN stimulation session restored normal loudness perception for one week, showing that perceptual deficits triggered by irreversible peripheral injuries can be reversed through targeted cortical circuit interventions.
Disrupted Hippocampal Theta-Gamma Coupling and Spike-Field Coherence Following Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Adam Christopher D. , Mirzakhalili Ehsan , Gagnon Kimberly G. , Cottone Carlo , Arena John D. , Ulyanova Alexandra V. , Johnson Victoria E. , Wolf John A.
Published: May 2024

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often results in persistent learning and memory deficits, likely due to disrupted hippocampal circuitry underlying these processes. Precise temporal control of hippocampal neuronal activity is important for memory encoding and retrieval and is supported by oscillations that dynamically organize single unit firing. Using high-density laminar electrophysiology, we discovered a loss of oscillatory power across CA1 lamina, with a profound, layer-specific reduction in theta-gamma phase amplitude coupling in injured rats. Interneurons from injured animals were less strongly entrained to theta and gamma oscillations, suggesting a mechanism for the loss of coupling, while pyramidal cells were entrained to a later phase of theta. During quiet immobility, we report decreased ripple amplitudes from injured animals during sharp-wave ripple events. These results reveal deficits in information encoding and retrieval schemes essential to cognition that likely underlie TBI-associated learning and memory impairments, and elucidate potential targets for future neuromodulation therapies.

Abstract Figure
Red light responsive Cre recombinase for bacterial optogenetics
Authors: Jafarbeglou Fereshteh , Dunlop Mary J.
Published: May 2024

Optogenetic tools have been used in a wide range of microbial engineering applications that benefit from the tunable, spatiotemporal control that light affords. However, the majority of current optogenetic constructs for bacteria respond to blue light, limiting the potential for multichromatic control. In addition, other wavelengths offer potential benefits over blue light, including improved penetration of dense cultures and reduced potential for toxicity. In this study, we introduce OptoCre-REDMAP, a red light inducible Cre recombinase system inEscherichia coli. This system harnesses the plant photoreceptors PhyA and FHY1 and a split version of Cre recombinase to achieve precise control over gene expression and DNA excision. We optimized the design by modifying the start codon of Cre and characterized the impact of different levels of induction to find conditions that produced minimal basal expression in the dark and induced full activation within four hours of red light exposure. We characterized the system’s sensitivity to ambient light, red light intensity, and exposure time, finding OptoCre-REDMAP to be reliable and flexible across a range of conditions. In co-culture experiments with OptoCre-REDMAP and the blue light responsive OptoCre-VVD, we found that the systems responded orthogonally to red and blue light inputs. Direct comparisons between red and blue light induction with OptoCre-REDMAP and OptoCre-VVD demonstrated the superior penetration properties of red light. OptoCre-REDMAP’s robust and selective response to red light makes it suitable for advanced synthetic biology applications, particularly those requiring precise multichromatic control.
TheIroquois(Iro/Irx) homeobox genes are conserved Hox targets involved in motor neuron development
Authors: Catela Catarina , Assimacopoulos Stavroula , Chen Yihan , Tsioras Konstantinos , Feng Weidong , Kratsios Paschalis
Published: May 2024

TheIroquois (Iro/Irx)homeobox genes encode transcription factors with fundamental roles in animal development. Despite their link to various congenital conditions in humans, our understanding ofIro/Irxgene expression, function, and regulation remains incomplete. Here, we conducted a systematic expression analysis of all six mouseIrxgenes in the embryonic spinal cord. We found fiveIrxgenes (Irx1, Irx2, Irx3, Irx5,andIrx6) to be confined mostly to ventral spinal domains, offering new molecular markers for specific groups of post-mitotic motor neurons (MNs). Further, we engineeredIrx2, Irx5,andIrx6mouse mutants and uncovered essential but distinct roles forIrx2andIrx6in MN development. Last, we found that the highly conserved regulators of MN development across species, the HOX proteins, directly controlIrxgene expression both in mouse andC. elegansMNs, critically expanding the repertoire of HOX target genes in the developing nervous system. Altogether, our study provides important insights intoIro/Irxexpression and function in the developing spinal cord, and uncovers an ancient gene regulatory relationship between HOX andIro/Irxgenes.
Working memory enhancement using real-time phase-tuned transcranial alternating current stimulation
Authors: Haslacher David , Cavallo Alessia , Reber Philipp , Kattein Anna , Thiele Moritz , Nasr Khaled , Hashemi Kimia , Sokoliuk Rodika , Thut Gregor , Soekadar Surjo R.
Published: May 2024

Background

Prior work has shown that transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) of parietooccipital alpha oscillations (8 – 14 Hz) can modulate working memory (WM) performance as a function of the phase lag to endogenous oscillations. However, leveraging this effect using real-time phase-tuned tACS was not feasible so far due to stimulation artifacts.

Objectives/Hypothesis

We aimed to develop a system that tracks and adapts the phase lag between tACS and ongoing parietooccipital alpha oscillations in real-time. We hypothesized that such real-time phase-tuned tACS enhances working memory performance, depending on the phase lag.

Methods

We developed real-time phase-tuned closed-loop amplitude-modulated tACS (CLAM-tACS) targeting parietooccipital alpha oscillations. CLAM-tACS was applied at six different phase lags relative to ongoing alpha oscillations while participants (N = 21) performed a working memory task. To exclude that behavioral effects of CLAM-tACS were mediated by other factors such as sensory co-stimulation, a second group of participants (N = 25) received equivalent stimulation of the forehead.

Results

WM accuracy improved in a phase lag dependent manner (p < 0.05) in the group receiving parietooccipital stimulation, with the strongest enhancement observed at 330° phase lag between tACS and ongoing alpha oscillations (p < 0.01, d = 0.976). Moreover, across participants, modulation of frontoparietal alpha oscillations correlated both in amplitude (p < 0.05) and phase (p < 0.05) with the modulation of WM accuracy. No such effects were observed in the control group receiving frontal stimulation.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of real-time phase-tuned CLAM-tACS in modulating both brain activity and behavior, thereby paving the way for further investigation into brain-behavior relationships and the exploration of innovative therapeutic applications.
Majorana fermions and quantum information with fractional topology and disorder
Authors: Bernhardt Ephraim , Cheung Brian Chung Hang , Le Hur Karyn
Published: May 2024

The quest to identify and observe Majorana fermions in physics and condensed-matter systems remains an important challenge. Here, we introduce a qubit (spin-1/2) from the occurrence of two delocalized zero-energy Majorana fermions in a model of two spins-1/2 on the Bloch sphere within the fractional one-half topological state. We address specific protocols in time with circularly polarized light and the protection of this delocalized spin-1/2 state related to quantum information protocols. We also show how disorder can play a positive and important role allowing singlet-triplet transitions and resulting in an additional elongated region for the fractional phase, demonstrating the potential of this platform related to applications in topologically protected quantum information. We generalize our approach with an array and Majorana fermions at the edges in a ring geometry.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Tripartite quantum Rabi model with trapped Rydberg ions
Authors: Hamlyn Thomas J. , Zhang Chi , Lesanovsky Igor , Li Weibin
Published: May 2024

We investigate a tripartite quantum Rabi model (TQRM) wherein a bosonic mode concurrently couples to two spin-1/2 particles through a spin-spin interaction, resulting in a spin-spin-boson coupling—a departure from conventional quantum Rabi models featuring bipartite spin-boson couplings. The symmetries of the TQRM depend on the detuning parameter, representing the energy difference between the spin states. At zero detuning a parity symmetry renders the TQRM reducible to a quantum Rabi model. A subradiant-to-superradiant transition in the ground state is predicted as the tripartite coupling strength increases. For nonzero detuning the total spin emerges as the sole conserved quantity in the TQRM. It is found that superradiance prevails in the ground state as long as the tripartite coupling remains nonzero. We derive the Braak G function of the TQRM analytically, with which the eigenspectra are obtained. The TQRM can be realized in a viable trapped Rydberg ion quantum simulator, where the required tripartite couplings and single-body interactions in the TQRM are naturally present. Our study opens opportunities to explore and create correlations and entanglement in the spin and motional degrees of freedoms with the TQRM.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
(S)-2-Carboxyethyl L-cysteinyl sulfone
Authors: Waters James K. , Kelley Steven P. , Mossine Valeri V. , Mawhinney Thomas P.
Published: May 2024

The title compound {systematic name: (2S)-2-azaniumyl-3-[(2-carboxyethane)sulfonyl]propanoate}, C6H11NO6S, forms enantiopure crystals in the monoclinic space group P21 and exists as a zwitterion, with a protonated α-amino group and a deprotonated α-carboxyl group. Both the carboxyl groups and the amino group are involved in an extensive multicentered intermolecular hydrogen-bonding scheme. In the crystal, the diperiodic network of hydrogen bonds propagates parallel to (101) and involves interconnected heterodromic R
4
3(10) rings. Electrostatic forces are major contributors to the structure energy, which was estimated by DFT calculations as E
total = −333.5 kJ mol−1.
Revolutionizing supply chain management: a critical meta-analysis of empowerment and constraint factors in blockchain technology adoption
Authors: Younis Hassan , Bwaliez Omar M. , Al-Okaily Manaf , Tanveer Muhammad Imran
Published: May 2024

Purpose

This study conducts a thorough literature review and meta-analysis to explore the adoption of blockchain technology (BCT) in supply chain management (SCM). It aims to identify the potential benefits, challenges, and critical factors influencing the implementation of this technology in supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic analysis of 157 highly cited publications is performed, offering insights into research trends, citations, industries, research methods, and contextual aspects. Thematic analysis is employed to uncover key findings regarding enablers, barriers, drivers, challenges, benefits, and drawbacks associated with BCT adoption in supply chains.

Findings

The analysis highlights the complexities and opportunities involved in adopting BCT in SCM. A proposed model aligns with five dimensions, including inter-organizational, intra-organizational, technological, legal, and to assist businesses in harnessing the potential of BCT, overcoming obstacles, and managing challenges. This model provides practical recommendations for navigating the intricacies of BCT implementation while balancing associated challenges and risks.

Practical implications

Organizations operating in supply chains can leverage the insights gained from this investigation to position themselves at the forefront of BCT adoption. By implementing the proposed model, they can unlock benefits such as increased transparency, efficiency, trust, and cost reduction.

Originality/value

The novelty of this paper lies in its extensive review of publications on Blockchain Technology adoption in supply chains. It offers insights into various aspects such as enablers, barriers, drivers, challenges, benefits, and drawbacks. Additionally, the paper presents a comprehensive model specifically designed for successful adoption of Blockchain Technology in supply chains. This model addresses multiple dimensions including inter-organizational, intra-organizational, technological, legal, and financial.
The where and the who of HRM decision-making: HRM decentralization and devolution
Authors: Hassan Nadima , Trullen Jordi , Valverde Mireia
Published: May 2024

Purpose

HRM decentralization and devolution have been highlighted as key HRM processes in organizations’ quest for increased flexibility. Although they have been extensively studied in the MNC and International HRM literature, they have mainly been examined on a separate basis, and their definition and operationalization have often been confused. Thus, we first clarify the difference between the two concepts by refining the definitions by Hoogendoorn and Brewster (1992), and then empirically examine how they are related.

Design/methodology/approach

The relationship between HRM decentralization and devolution is examined by means of a survey in a large multi-country sample of multi-unit organizations.

Findings

Regarding our clarification objective, we contend that devolution has to do with who takes responsibilities for HRM (i.e. line managers or HRM professionals) while decentralization refers to where HRM responsibilities are allocated (i.e. headquarters or increasingly local units). Regarding the relationship between the two concepts, the results show that higher levels of HRM decentralization are related to higher levels of devolution, but this association is attenuated in organizations with more powerful HRM departments.

Originality/value

The study contributes to theory and practice by disentangling, at the conceptual, operational, empirical and practical levels, two different but related HRM decisions (how much to devolve and how much to decentralize HRM) that organizations must make to efficiently cope with the characteristics of their own structure and competitive environment. It highlights the role of the relative power of HRM departments in how HRM responsibilities are ultimately distributed across the organization.
Impact of mobile learning technologies for interactive learning and wellbeing of construction management trainees in Pakistan: challenges and opportunities in post-pandemic paradigm
Authors: Asad Muhammad Mujtaba , Shah Sayeda Sapna , Churi Prathamesh
Published: May 2024

Purpose

This study aims to determine the influence of Mobile learning (M-learning) technologies based on the gender orientation of vocational education construction trade trainees in Pakistan. Additionally, it explores the challenges associated with integrating M-learning technologies in vocational institutions of civil engineering. Further, this study will focus on the solutions to improve the accessibility of M-learning technologies after the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative method with a survey research design has been adopted in this study. In contrast, the target population was the trainees of vocational education institutions of civil engineering in Pakistan. Further, the data was collected using an adapted survey tool with a five-point Likert scale. Similarly, the data were analyzed through SPSS 27 software tool by using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings

The study's findings highlighted a positive influence of M-learning technologies based on the gender orientation of construction trade trainees from vocational institutions. Similarly, it is also specified that the challenges vocational trainees of the construction trade have faced while utilizing M-learning technologies were related. Hence, it is evident that the potential challenges of M-learning technologies integration and utilization are related to both gender orientations during a postpandemic situation in Pakistan.

Practical implications

In the Pakistani context, the M-learning technologies approach is recently introduced in the vocational education sector. Therefore, the utilization and integration of M-learning technologies are considered challenging tasks in the context. In this regard, this study helps to understand the acceptance, challenges and impact of M-learning technologies based on gender orientation among vocational institutions trainees of construction trade in Pakistan.

Originality/value

This study not only refers to the impact of M-learning technologies and their challenges but also highlights the current situation of M-learning in Pakistan, particularly construction engineering trainees in vocational education institutes.
From order-qualifier to order-winner? Mapping the e-retailing competitive priorities
Authors: Zighan Saad , Abuhussein Tala , Alkalha Ziad , Omar Firas Yousef
Published: May 2024

Purpose

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the strategic transition undertaken by e-retailers as they progress from meeting order-qualifier requirements to establishing order-winner elements within their operational frameworks. The overarching objective is to uncover how e-retailers can attain and sustain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a focus group strategy, which involved collecting qualitative data. Evidence was collected from 41 customers and 16 business managers. The template analysis method was employed to code and organise themes identified during these discussions systematically.

Findings

The study identified 34 operational dimensions. 19 dimensions are related to e-retailing platforms and transaction processes, and 15 measurements are related to product or service characteristics. These dimensions were grouped into threshold resources, distinctive resources, threshold competencies and distinctive competencies. Distinctive resources and distinctive competencies are the most critical dimensions of e-retailing. These dimensions are subject to the “more is better” rule. Nevertheless, threshold resources are essential for e-retailing to be considered in the marketplace. It represents the “Must-be quality element.”

Originality/value

This study introduces the concept of a “cumulative model” in e-retailing. It offers strategic guidance for e-retailers seeking to navigate the complex landscape of competitive priorities. Companies can enhance their differentiation edge by identifying and emphasising distinctive resources and competencies. The study offers a nuanced understanding of the interplay between order-qualifier and order-winner elements in the pursuit of sustained competitiveness within the dynamic e-retail industry.
Social infrastructuring in public libraries: librarians' continuous care in everyday library practice
Authors: Rivano Eckerdal Johanna , Engström Lisa , Färber Alexa , Hamm Marion , Kofi Jamea , Landau-Donnelly Friederike , van Melik Rianne
Published: May 2024

Purpose

As social infrastructures, public libraries are increasingly recognised as providing more than access to books and information; librarians’ work is importantly centred around practices of care. However, the ways in which they provide care is poorly researched, let alone conceptualised. This paper explores how this important part of librarians’ daily work is practiced through the lens of infrastructuring.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper first theoretically discusses the concepts of social infrastructuring, care and tinkering. Then, it turns to ethnographic research conducted in the public library networks of three European cities: Vienna (Austria), Rotterdam (the Netherlands) and Malmö (Sweden). The paper comprises empirical materials from all three countries and unpacks 16 librarians’ daily working routines of care through participant observations.

Findings

The empirical analysis resulted in three modes of social infrastructuring in public libraries: (1) maintaining, (2) building connections and (3) drawing boundaries. Practices of care are prominent in each of these infrastructuring modes: librarians infrastructure the library with and via their care practices. Whilst care practices are difficult to quantify and verbalise, they are valuable for library patrons. By using the concept of tinkering, the article conceptualises librarians’ infrastructuring enactments as crucial community-building aspects of libraries.

Originality/value

By focusing on the enactment of social infrastructuring, the paper goes beyond a descriptive approach to understanding public libraries as important social infrastructures. Rather, the paper unpacks how libraries come into being as infrastructuring agencies by highlighting what librarians do and say. Our international study articulates the importance of care practices in public libraries across different national contexts.
Enhancing transparency and accountability in public procurement: exploring blockchain technology to mitigate records fraud
Authors: Alves Batista Danielle
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Fraud within the procurement process remains a persistent challenge, resulting in substantial financial losses and lack of social justice. This paper underscores the significance of records for the integrity of the procurement practices and proposes using blockchain technology to mitigate records fraud. Analyzing international regulations this paper highlights their emphasis on proper records management for promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity of procurement procedures. This paper aims to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between records management and procurement accountability while addressing blockchain technology's innovative use in mitigating records forgery and omission.

Design/methodology/approach

This research involves a comparative analysis of international regulations investigating their directives on the relevance of records in public procurement and a survey of records fraud cases in the Brazilian context to illustrate the significance of the problem and to indicate how blockchain technology can be applied as a solution to ensure accountability and prevent records forgery and omission.

Findings

The findings highlight the explicit importance ascribed to proper records management by international regulations, and indicates how blockchain technology can serve as a valuable resource to reduce the records fraud opportunity in public procurement.

Research limitations/implications

The research does not consider context-specific regulations. The survey of frauds is limited to the Brazilian context.

Originality/value

This research introduces a pioneering approach by investigating the use of blockchain technology to combat records forgery or omission in public procurement procedures.
Virtual Influencers in Consumer Behaviour: A Social Influence Theory Perspective
Authors: Davlembayeva Dinara , Chari Simos , Papagiannidis Savvas
Published: May 2024

Although virtual influencers, that is, computer‐generated personas, have been a growing trend in marketing, we still know very little about their impact on consumers’ attitudes and behaviour. To bridge this gap, this study: (a) explores individuals’ acceptance of influences induced by virtual influencers and (b) investigates how influence acceptance translates into behaviour. Drawing on Social Influence Theory, we first conducted a comprehensive literature review to extract the key attributes of virtual influencers (i.e. warmth, relatedness, interactivity, competence, empathy, uniqueness, fairness and credibility) as enablers of engagement that can determine influence acceptance. Then, based on 601 survey responses and using a fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis, we analysed the associations between the enablers of engagement, influence acceptance processes (i.e. compliance, identification and internalization) and behavioural responses (purchase intention and behaviour adoption). Our findings highlight various sets of virtual influencer attributes that lead to high degrees of compliance, identification and internalization, and behavioural responses. We contribute to the influencer literature by explaining the causes of the persuasiveness of virtual influencers and their effectiveness in stimulating behaviour. Our study also offers practical insights into how brand managers can leverage virtual influencers in online marketing strategies.
On the Impossibility of Neoliberal Success: A Response to Michael Jacobs
Authors: Innes Abby
Published: May 2024

In After Neoliberalism Michael Jacobs makes a compelling case for the systematic failures of neoliberal economic policies and in the neoclassical theories that justified them. He calls for an economics rooted in ontological institutionalism and for the (re)development of varied institutions charged with diverse social purposes. This response takes Jacobs’ critique further and states that neoliberalism fails because the neoclassical economics that underpins it is fundamentally utopian; and it is doomed to fail for the same ontological and epistemological reasons that condemned Soviet socialism. What these politically opposed doctrines hold in common is closed‐system economic reasoning from axiomatic deduction presented as ‘a governing science’. It follows that both must tend to fail on contact with a three‐dimensional reality in an always evolving, open‐system world, subject to Knightian uncertainty. The dark historical joke is that a machine models of the economy, both Soviet and neoclassical neoliberal economics, converge on the same statecraft of quantification, output‐planning, target‐setting, forecasting and the presumption of only ‘rational’—socially productive—firms. The result in both systems is state and economic failure and the creation of production regimes that are a grotesque caricature of those promised, only now in the midst of an ecological emergency. It follows that we need an urgent revival of analytical pluralism in government and a non‐utopian scientific realism about the true scope of the ecological crisis, so that Jacobs’ rich institutional ecosystem will have resilient foundations.
Early patient‐reported outcomes after robotic‐assisted versus video‐assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy
Authors: Lan Zihua , Zeng Cheng , Li Zijie , Xia Xin , Mo Aotian , Li Xianglin , Ben Xiaosong , Zhou Haiyu , Deng Cheng , Chen   Rixin   , Shi Qiuling   , Tang Yong , Qiao Guibin
Published: May 2024

Background

Robotic‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) can achieve traditional clinical outcomes comparable to those of video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). However, patient‐reported outcomes (PROs) during the early period after RATS and VATS remain unclear. This study aimed to utilize longitudinal electronic PRO (ePRO) assessments to evaluate symptom burden and functional status between these approaches from patients' perspective.

Methods

This study comprised patients who underwent lobectomy via RATS or VATS for non‐small cell lung cancer. We collected multiple‐time‐point PROs data from the prospective longitudinal study via an ePRO system. Symptom severity and function status were assessed using the perioperative symptom assessment for patients undergoing lung surgery and were analyzed between groups using linear mixed‐effects models.

Results

Of the 164 patients, 42 underwent RATS and 122 underwent VATS. After propensity score matching (PSM), 42 RATS and 84 VATS exhibited similar baseline characteristics. During the 7‐day postoperative period, participants underwent RATS reported milder pain (p = 0.014), coughing (p < 0.001), drowsiness (p = 0.001), and distress (p = 0.045) compared with those underwent VATS. Moreover, participants in RATS group showed less functional interference with walking (p < 0.001) and general activity (p < 0.001). RATS exhibited a shorter postoperative hospitalization (p = 0.021) but higher hospital cost (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, short‐term clinical outcomes of operative time, dissected lymph node stations, chest tube drainage, and postoperative complication rates were comparable.

Conclusion

PROs are important metrics for assessing patients' recovery after lobectomy. Compared with VATS, RATS may induce less symptom burden and better functional status for patients in the early postoperative period.
Dietitians' perceptions of employment models used in Australian residential aged care facilities
Authors: Bartrim Karly , Wright Olivia R. L. , Moyle Wendy , Ball Lauren
Published: May 2024

Objectives

The qualitative study aimed to explore dietitians' perceptions of employment status and engagement models with residential aged care facilities (RACF) and the impact on work activities and resident care.

Methods

Dietitians currently working in RACF were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling, including contacting a list of dietitians who had previously consented to be contacted for research. A semi‐structured interview guide was developed by the research team, pilot‐tested and then used in each individual interview. Data were analysed using constant comparison and reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Thirty‐one dietitians (n = 29 female; median age, 39 years) with a range of experience working in different employment status and engagement models in RACF participated in an interview. Five themes were identified: (1) Being an employee allows for better integration and utilisation in the RACF, (2) Contract work creates a scarcity of time, (3) Ad hoc work does not meaningfully address nutrition challenges and may not be good for resident care, (4) Regularly scheduled visits support positive outcomes for residents and (5) Acknowledging many different employment models.

Conclusion

Characteristics of engagement models likely affect dietitian work job satisfaction, individual resident care and food service in RACF. Regular dietetic engagement in RACFs is required to support resident‐centred evidence‐based dietetic practice and to improve residents' nutrition care. There is an opportunity for policy mandates to assist RACFs in regularly engaging a dietitian to ensure all residents have access to timely, high‐quality nutrition care.
Land use legacies affect early tropical forest succession in Mexico
Authors: Hordijk Iris , Poorter Lourens , Martínez‐Ramos Miguel , Bongers Frans , Mendoza Rey David López , Romero Pascual Jamangapé , van der Sande Masha , Muñoz Rodrigo , Jansma Robyn , Fujisawa Natsuho , Meave Jorge A.
Published: May 2024

Questions

Agricultural expansion is one of the dominant drivers of forest and biodiversity loss, and shifting cultivation is the most widely used form of agriculture in many tropical forest regions. Where forests have been cleared, they have the potential to recover once the land is abandoned. However, legacies of land use are often overlooked in successional studies, and a deeper understanding of this legacy effect is needed to define efficient restoration practices using natural or assisted regeneration. Here, we analysed how land‐use history affects soil properties and early succession on abandoned agricultural fields in two contrasting Mexican socio‐ecological systems.

Location

Mexico, Oaxaca and Chiapas.

Methods

We sampled soil and monitored vegetation for 2 years after agricultural abandonment, and interviewed landowners about their land‐use practices.

Results

Land‐use practices were clearly influenced by landowners’ social context (residence time, rural or urban origin), and topography and soil type also constrained or facilitated land‐use practices. Soil characteristics were strongly affected by three land‐use practices: mechanical tillage decreased soil N and K; frequent herbicide and pesticide use increased N and K; and for pasture systems, stocking density increased soil bulk density and decreased pH and N. High‐intensity land management practices, specifically use of machinery, had the highest impact on early forest succession. When machinery was not used, the frequency of land‐use practices, particularly weeding frequency, is the main factor influencing tree cover and sapling diversity.

Conclusions

To facilitate post‐agricultural forest recovery, we recommend restoration efforts using natural regeneration in areas with low previous land‐use intensity and frequency.
A retrospective analysis of perioperative medications for opioid‐use disorder and tapering additional postsurgical opioids via a transitional pain service
Authors: Liu Olivia , Leon David , Gough Ethan , Speed Traci , Hanna Marie , Jaremko Kellie
Published: May 2024

Aims

To investigate perioperative opioid requirements in patients on methadone or buprenorphine as medication for opioid‐use disorder (MOUD) who attended a transitional pain clinic (Personalized Pain Program, PPP).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study assessed adults on MOUD with surgery and attendance at the Johns Hopkins PPP between 2017 and 2022. Daily non‐MOUD opioid use over 6 time‐points was evaluated with regression models controlling for days since surgery. The time to complete non‐MOUD opioid taper was analysed by accelerated failure time and Kaplan–Meier models.

Results

Fifty patients (28 on methadone, 22 on buprenorphine) were included with a median age of 44.3 years, 54% male, 62% Caucasian and 54% unemployed. MOUD inpatient administration occurred in 92.8% of patients on preoperative methadone but only in 36.3% of patients on preoperative buprenorphine. Non‐MOUD opioid use decreased over time postoperatively (β = −0.54, P < .001) with a median decrease of 90 mg morphine equivalents (MME) between the first and last PPP visit, resulting in 46% tapered off by PPP completion. Older age and duration in PPP were associated with lower MME, while mental health conditions, longer hospital stays and higher discharge opioid prescriptions were associated with higher MME. The average time to non‐MOUD opioid taper was 1.79× longer in patients on buprenorphine (P = .026), 2.75× in males (P = .023), 4.66× with mental health conditions (P < .001), 2.37× with chronic pain (P = .031) and 3.51× if on preoperative non‐MOUD opioids; however, higher initial MOUD level decreased time to taper (P = .001).

Conclusions

Postoperative opioid tapering utilizing a transitional pain service is possible in patients on MOUD.
Primary stability and osseointegration comparing a novel tapered design tissue‐level implant with a parallel design tissue‐level implant. An experimental in vivo study
Authors: Gill Thomas , Kühl Sebastian , Rawlinson Simon , Pippenger Benjamin , Bellon Benjamin , Shahdad Shakeel
Published: May 2024

Objectives

The aim of the present study was to compare a novel tapered, double‐threaded self‐tapping tissue‐Level design implant (TLC) to a well‐established parallel walled tissue‐level (TL) implant in terms of primary and secondary stability over time.

Materials and Methods

Test TLC (n = 10/per timepoint) and control TL (n = 10/per timepoint) implants were placed in the mandible of minipigs and left for submerged healing for 3, 6, and 12 weeks. Maximum insertion torque and implant stability quotient (ISQ) were measured for each implant at placement. Osseointegration and cortical bone maintenance were histologically evaluated by measuring total bone‐to‐implant contact (BIC) and first bone‐to‐implant contact (fBIC).

Results

A significantly higher maximum insertion torque was measured for the test implant TLC compared to the control TL implant (57.83 ± 24.73 Ncm and 22.62 ± 23.16 Ncm, respectively; p < .001). The mean ISQ values were comparable between the two implant types (75.00 ± 6.70 for TL compared to 75.40 ± 3.20 for TLC, p = .988). BIC was comparable between both implant types at each of the evaluated time points. The fBIC was found to be significantly more coronal at 12 weeks for the TLC implant compared to the TL implant (0.31 ± 0.83 mm for TLC compared to −0.22 ± 0.85 for TL, p = .027).

Conclusion

The novel tapered tissue level design implant showed improved primary stability and an overall improved crestal bone height maintenance compared to the parallel walled design at 12 weeks.
The Hammersmith Infant Neurological Exam Scoring Aid supports early detection for infants with high probability of cerebral palsy
Authors: Fehlings Darcy , Makino Amber , Church Paige , Banihani Rudaina , Thomas Karen , Luther Maureen , Lam‐Damji Sophie , Vollmer Brigitte , Haataja Leena , Cowan Frances , Romeo Domenico M. , George Joanne , Kumar Swetlana
Published: May 2024

This letter to the editor is in response to the original articles by Romeo et al. and Tian et al. on pages 1173–1180 and 1181–1189 of this issue.
Association between continued metformin use during hospital admission and hospital‐acquired complications
Authors: Depczynski Barbara , Kamalakkannan Abbish , Siklosi Bence , Lau Sue Mei
Published: May 2024

Aims

The safety of continuing metformin during a hospital admission has not been robustly demonstrated. We evaluated the association of continuing metformin in hospital with the risk for a hospital‐acquired complication (HAC).

Methods

This is a retrospective observational study of patients admitted to a medical or surgical ward. We considered those with diabetes who continued metformin (DM/MET group), those who discontinued metformin upon admission (DM/MET‐STOP), and those with diabetes not on metformin just prior to and during admission (DM/NoMET). We prepared propensity score‐matched (PSM) control groups from admitted patients without diabetes. The likelihood of a HAC was determined using a Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. A Cox proportional hazards model was employed to calculate the hazard ratio, adjusted for covariates.

Results

Of the 4446 (14%) patients with diabetes, 3331 (10%) were prescribed metformin on admission, and it was continued in 2557 patients. HAC occurred in 5.5% of DM/MET group and 6.4% of the PSM control group. Continuation of metformin was associated with a lower likelihood of HAC, adjusted hazard ratio 0.85 (95% CI 0.69, 1.04), p = 0.117 compared to a PSM‐matched control group without diabetes. The DM/NoMET and DM/MET‐STOP groups had an increased risk for HAC, adjusted HR 1.77 (1.44, 2.18), p < 0.001 and 2.57 (2.10, 3.13), p < 0.001, as compared to their respective PSM control groups.

Conclusion

An individualized assessment to continue metformin during hospital admission was associated with a reduced likelihood of HAC, with the caveat that there was limited matching to non‐diabetes controls. This finding warrants further exploration.