bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of Clinically Viable Non-Muscle Myosin II Small Molecule Inhibitors with Broad Therapeutic Potential
Authors: Radnai Laszlo , Young Erica J. , Kikuti Carlos , Hafenbreidel Madalyn , Stremel Rebecca F. , Lin Li , Toth Katalin , Pasetto Paolo , Jin Xiaomin , Patel Aagam , Conlon Michael , Briggs Sherri , Heidsieck Leïla , Sweeney H. Lee , Sellers James , Krieger-Burke Teresa , Martin William H. , Sisco Jay , Young Steven , Pearson Paul , Rumbaugh Gavin , Araldi Gian Luca , Duddy Steven K. , Cameron Michael D. , Surman Matthew , Houdusse Anne , Griffin Patrick R. , Kamenecka Theodore M. , Miller Courtney A.
Published: October 2024

Non-muscle myosin II (NMII), a molecular motor that regulates critical processes such as cytokinesis and neuronal synaptic plasticity, has substantial therapeutic potential. However, translating this potential toin vivouse has been hampered by the lack of selective tools. The most prototypical non-selective inhibitor, blebbistatin inactivates both NMII and cardiac myosin II (CMII), a key regulator of heart function. Using rational drug design, we developed a series of NMII inhibitors that improve tolerability by selectively targeting NMII over CMII, including MT-228, which has excellent properties such as high brain penetration and efficacy in preclinical models of stimulant use disorder, which has no current FDA-approved therapies. The structure of MT-228 bound to myosin II provides insight into its 17-fold selectivity for NMII over CMII. MT-228’s broad therapeutic window opens the door to new disease treatments and provides valuable tools for the scientific community, along with promising leads for future medication development.

Highlights

Research suggests numerous indications, from axon regeneration and cancer, would benefit from a small molecule inhibitor of non-muscle myosin II, a molecular motor that regulates the actin cytoskeleton.

Current chemical probe options are very limited and lack sufficient safety forin vivo

studies, which we show is primarily due to potent inhibition of cardiac myosin II.

Rational design that focused on improving target selectivity over the pan-myosin II inhibitor, blebbistatin, led to the identification of MT-228, a small molecule inhibitor with a wide therapeutic window.

High-resolution structure of MT-228 bound to myosin II reveals that selectivity results from a different positioning compared to blebbistatin and an important sequence difference between cardiac and non-muscle myosin II in the inhibitor binding pocket.

A single administration of MT-228 shows long-lasting efficacy in animal models of stimulant use disorder, a current unmet and rapidly escalating need with no FDA-approved treatments.
Local cortical inhibitory subnetworks are shaped by pyramidal neuron progenitor type
Authors: Gothard Gemma , Mahfooz Kashif , Newey Sarah E. , Tinelli Sasha , Buchan Matthew J. , Burman Richard J. , Akerman Colin J.
Published: October 2024

The degree to which cortical neurons share inhibitory synaptic input determines their co-activity within a network. However, the principles by which inhibition is shared between neurons are not known. Here we combinein uterolabeling within vivotwo-photon targeted patch-clamp recordings in mature cortex to reveal that a layer 2/3 (L2/3) pyramidal neuron’s local inhibitory input reflects the embryonic progenitor type from which the neuron is born. In contrast to neighboring neurons, pyramidal neurons derived from intermediate progenitors receive synaptic inhibition that is weakly coupled to local network activity. The underlying mechanisms do not depend upon the amount of inhibitory input received from different interneuron subclasses. Rather, progenitor type defines how much inhibitory input a neuron shares with its neighbors, which is reflected in how individual interneurons target pyramidal neurons according to progenitor type. These findings reveal new significance for progenitor diversity and identify ontogenetic origins of fine-scale inhibitory cortical subnetworks.
GenomicGapID: Leveraging Spatial Distribution of Conserved Genomic Sites for Broad-Spectrum Microbial Identification
Authors: Asthana Vishwaratn , Bugga Pallavi , Smith Clara Elaine , Wellman Catherine , Dwight Zachary , Ranjan Piyush , Nieves Erika Martínez , Dickson Robert P. , VanEpps J. Scott
Published: October 2024

Bacterial detection and identification methods can be broadly classified as either untargeted with expansive taxonomic coverage or targeted with narrow taxonomic focus. Untargeted approaches, such as culture and sequencing, are often time-consuming and/or costly, whereas targeted methods, such as PCR, can offer faster and more cost-effective results but require a priori knowledge of the likely pathogen to select the appropriate assay. GenomicGapID, a novel approach that leverages the spatial distribution of conserved genetic regions across microbial genomes, represents a significant advancement in the field of microbial identification. This technique has the potential to provide the taxonomic breadth of culture and sequencing, while maintaining the speed, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness of PCR. By leveraging the conservation and relative positioning of highly conserved coding regions across different species, GenomicGapID enables the development of universal primer sets that amplify the non-conserved gaps between these regions. This creates a unique electrophoretic signature that facilitates rapid and accurate target agnostic microbial identification. In this study, we apply the principles of GenomicGapID to the critical task of identifying clinical pathogens. We focus on expanding the coverage of a previously developed universal bacterial identification system, which initially targeted the 16s-23s internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and was capable of discerning 45 pathogens. To enhance this system, we assembled a comprehensive database of 189 clinically relevant bacterial species. We then identified conserved primer binding sites that produce unique amplicon size signatures for each species. While we found that the use of amplicon size signatures alone would require an impractical number of universal primer sets, we demonstrate that this challenge can be effectively mitigated through concurrent melt analysis. Ultimately, we show that just three universal primer sets, guided by the GenomicGapID framework, are sufficient to cover 189 clinical bacterial pathogens, representing a majority of microbes identified in positive cultures in a clinical microbiology setting, with experimental validation of a subset of these pathogens. This study not only enhances the existing universal bacterial identification system but also establishes GenomicGapID as a versatile and powerful tool in microbial diagnostics and beyond with the potential to open new areas of investigation in genomics, with significant implications for molecular biology, clinical practice, and public health.
Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) identified in nodules of tropical woody legumes
Authors: Flynn Cara G. , Fakih Rayan , Gehring Kalle , Soper Fiona M.
Published: October 2024

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a primary input of nitrogen to natural and agricultural systems globally. BNF is a temperature-dependant enzymatic process and can be conducted by microbes (includingRhizobia) hosted symbiotically in root nodules of some plants. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) have been implicated in the process of acquiring thermotolerance or acclimating to elevated temperature, as they play a vital role in maintaining cell integrity and homeostasis during heat stress. Although the BNF response to temperature may crucially impact future ecosystem productivity in the face of global climate change, little is known about Hsp expression in nodules of N-fixing non-agricultural species, such as tropical N-fixing trees in theFabaceaefamily. This project aimed to characterize small (15-20 kDa) Hsp (sHsp) expression in nodule tissue to examine the biochemical mechanisms of heat response in these tissues. To first identify Hsps in nodule tissues,Vachellia farnesianaandAcacia confusanodules were excised, heat shock was induced, and protein content was isolated via chemical treatment before separation of protein species and analysis with SDS-PAGE. Two polyacrylamide gels yielded bands in the 15-20 kDa region that displayed differential Coomassie staining, which were sent for further characterization by HPLC-MS analysis for protein sequencing. Ten rhizobial sHsps were detected in these samples in addition to sevenAcaciasHsps when compared independently to reference rhizobial and plant proteome databases. In an attempt quantify relative expression of Hsps in nodule and root tissue, we performed western blot experiments using Anti-Hsp20 antibodies raised against human and mouse Hsp proteins, with anti-beta actin loading control. While nonuniform beta-actin expression across tissue types (A. confusanodules versus root control) prevented quantitative analysis, the experiments validated that Hsp20s are expressed inAcacianodules as well as in root tissue. These experiments provide a foundation for future studies to determine variation in responses to key stressors predicted to increase with global climate change and help determine the implications of warming across the tropics and beyond. Proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD055599.
Vocal communication is seasonal in social groups of wild, free-living house mice
Authors: Jourjine N , Goedecker C , König B , Lindholm AK
Published: October 2024

House mice (Mus musculus domesticus) are among the most widely studied laboratory models of mammalian social behavior, yet we know relatively little about the ecology of their behaviors in natural environments. Here, we address this gap using radiotelemetry to track social interactions in a population of wild mice over 10 years, from 2013 to 2023, and interpret these interactions in the context of passive acoustic monitoring data collected from August 2022 until November 2023. Using deep convolutional neural networks, we identify 1.3 million individual vocalizations and align them in time with continuously collected telemetry data recording social interactions between individually identifiable mice. We find that vocalization is seasonal and correlated with long-term dynamics in features of social groups. In addition, we find that vocalization is closely associated in time with entrances to and exits from those groups, occurs most often in the presence of pups, and is correlated with how much time pairs of mice spend together. This work identifies seasonal patterns in the vocalizations of wild mice and lays a foundation to investigate the social role of acoustic communication in wild populations of a classic laboratory model organism.
Metastatic organotropism in small cell lung cancer
Authors: Krishnamurthy Manan , Dhall Anjali , Sahoo Sarthak , Schultz Christopher W. , Baird Michelle A. , Desai Parth , Odell Jacob , Takahashi Nobuyuki , Nirula Michael , Zhuang Sophie , Huang Yue , Schroeder Brett , Zhang Yang , Thomas Maria Sebastian , Redon Christophe , Robinson Christina , Thang Lai , Ileva Lilia , Patel Nimit L. , Kalen Joseph D. , Varlet Alice-Anaïs , Zuela-Sopilniak Noam , Jha Ankita , Wangsa Darawalee , Butcher Donna , Morgan Tamara , Afzal Alyah N. , Chari Raj , Baktiar Karim , Kumar Suresh , Pongor Lorinc , Difilippantonio Simone , Aladjem Mirit I. , Pommier Yves , Jolly Mohit Kumar , Lammerding Jan , Sharma Ajit Kumar , Thomas Anish
Published: October 2024

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, yet its regulatory mechanisms are not fully understood. Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most metastatic form of lung cancer, with most patients presenting with widespread disease, making it an ideal model for studying metastasis. However, the lack of suitable preclinical models has limited such studies. We utilized rapid autopsy-derived tumors to develop xenograft models that mimic key features of SCLC, including histopathology, rapid and widespread development of metastasis to the liver, brain, adrenal, bone marrow, and kidneys within weeks, and response to chemotherapy. By integrating in vivo lineage selection with comprehensive bulk and single cell multiomic profiling of transcriptomes and chromatin accessibility, we identified critical cellular programs driving metastatic organotropism to the liver and brain, the most common sites of SCLC metastasis. Our findings reveal the key role of nuclear-cytoskeletal interactions in SCLC liver metastasis. Specifically, the loss of the nuclear envelope protein lamin A/C, encoded by theLMNAgene, increased nuclear deformability and significantly increased the incidence of liver metastasis. Human liver metastases exhibited reducedLMNAexpression compared to other metastatic sites, correlating with poorer patient outcomes and increased mortality. This study introduces novel preclinical models for SCLC metastasis and highlights pathways critical for organ-specific metastasis, offering new avenues for the development of targeted therapies to prevent or treat metastatic disease.
Reduced methane emissions in transgenic rice genotypes are associated with altered rhizosphere microbial hydrogen cycling
Authors: Shi Ling-Dong , Ercoli Maria Florencia , Kim Jack , de Araujo Junior Artur Teixeira , Soni Subah , Weitz Tracy Satomi , Shigenaga Alexandra M. , Dukovski Ilija , Sachdeva Rohan , Turumtay Halbay , Louie Katherine B. , Bowen Benjamin P. , Scheller Henrik V. , Segrè Daniel , Northen Trent R. , Ronald Pamela C. , Banfield Jillian F.
Published: October 2024

Rice paddies contribute substantially to atmospheric methane (CH4) and these emissions are expected to increase as the need to feed the human population grows. Here, we show that two independent rice genotypes overexpressing genes forPLANT PEPTIDES CONTAINING SULFATED TYROSINE(PSY) reduced cumulative CH4emissions by 38% (PSY1) and 58% (PSY2) over the growth period compared with controls. Genome-resolved metatranscriptomic data from rhizosphere soils reveal lower ratios of gene activities for CH4production versus consumption, decrease in activity of H2-producing genes, and increase in bacterial H2oxidation pathways in the PSY genotypes. Metabolic modeling using metagenomic and metabolomic data predicts elevated levels of H2oxidation and suppressed H2production in the PSY rhizosphere. The H2-oxidizing bacteria have more genes for utilization of gluconeogenic acids than H2-producing counterparts, and their activities were likely stimulated by the observed enrichment of gluconeogenic acids (mostly amino acids) in PSY root exudates. Together these results suggest that decreased CH4emission is due to the reduction of H2available for hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. The combination of rice phenotypic characterization, microbiome multi-omic analysis, and metabolic modeling described here provides a powerful strategy to discover the mechanisms by which specific plant genotypes can alter biogeochemical cycles to reduce CH4emissions.
Cytosolic delivery of anionic cyclic dinucleotide STING agonists with locally supercharged viral capsids
Authors: Huang Paul , Pistono Paige E. , Martin Hannah S. , Fetzer Jennifer L. , Francis Matthew B.
Published: October 2024

Cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) STING agonists represent a powerful new immunotherapy treatment modality and are a class of nucleotide-based therapies with broad clinical potential. However, they face practical challenges for administration, largely due to their poor pharmacological properties. We report the development of a drug delivery platform for CDNs and other anionic small-molecule drugs using bacteriophage MS2 viral capsids with engineered cationic residues. Relative to viral capsids lacking locally supercharged regions, these assemblies exhibit substantial increases in mammalian cell uptake while avoiding cell toxicity and hemolysis. CDN drugs were covalently attached to the interior capsid surfaces through reductively cleavable disulfide linkers, which allowed for traceless drug release upon cell entry and exposure to reductive cytosolic environments. MS2-mediated CDN delivery into immune cell populations resulted in an approximately 100-fold increase in delivery efficiency compared to free drugs and showed enhanced STING activation as well as downstream cytokine release.
Spatiotemporal characterisation of information coding and exchange in the multiple demand network
Authors: Karimi-Rouzbahani Hamid , Rich Anina N. , Woolgar Alexandra
Published: October 2024

The multiple-demand network (MDN), a brain-wide system with nodes near sensory and higher-order cognitive regions, has been suggested to integrate and exchange task-related information across the brain, supporting cognitive task performance. However, the profile of information coding and the role of each node within this network in information exchange remain unclear. To address this, we combined fMRI and MEG data in a challenging stimulus-response mapping task. Using multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA), we decoded various forms of task information, including coarse and fine stimulus details, motor responses, and stimulus-response mapping rules, across the MDN and visual regions. Early in the task, visual regions responded to large physical differences in stimuli, while later on, fine stimulus information and rules were encoded across the MDN. To assess information exchange between regions, we developed Fusion-RCA, a novel connectivity analysis method based on fMRI-MEG fusion profiles. Our findings revealed significant transfer of fine stimulus information, rules, and responses, but little evidence for the transfer of coarse stimulus information. These results highlight distinct information encoding patterns within MDN nodes and suggest that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a key role in distributing task-relevant information. This study offers new insights into the dynamic function of the MDN and introduces Fusion-RCA as a powerful tool for exploring brain-wide information transfer.
Metabolomics survey of uropathogenic bacteria in human urine
Authors: Chan Carly C.Y. , Groves Ryan A. , Rydzak Thomas , Lewis Ian A.
Published: October 2024

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most prevalent infections in North America and are caused by a diverse range of bacterial species. Although uropathogenesis has been studied extensively in the context of macromolecular interactions, the degree to which metabolism may contribute to infection is unclear. Currently, most of what is known about the metabolic capacity of uropathogens has been derived from genomics, genetic knockout studies or transcriptomic analyses. However, there are currently very little empirical data on the metabolic activity of uropathogens when grown in urine. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic survey of the metabolic activities of eight of the most common uropathogenic bacterial species that collectively represent 99% of uncomplicated UTIs. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyses of human urine cultures revealed that uropathogens have four distinct metabolic clades. We generalized these clades as serine consumers (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniaeandProteus mirabilis), glutamine consumers (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), amino acid abstainers (Enterococcus faecalisandStreptococcus agalactiae), and amino acid minimalists (Staphylococcus aureusandStaphylococcus saprophyticus). These metabolic classifications can be further subdivided on a species-to-species level. This survey provides a framework to understanding the metabolic activity of the diverse range of uropathogens and how these species use divergent metabolic strategies to occupy the same niche.
Neural mechanisms of the transition from planning to execution in speech production
Authors: Duraivel Suseendrakumar , Rahimpour Shervin , Barth Katrina , Chiang Chia-Han , Wang Charles , Harward Stephen C. , Lad Shivanand P. , Sexton Daniel P. , Friedman Allan H. , Southwell Derek G. , Sinha Saurabh R. , Viventi Jonathan , Cogan Gregory
Published: October 2024

The neural basis of speech production involves the rapid transition from abstract planning of speech units such as syllables and phonemes, to the motor execution of speech sounds. Although a distributed network of brain regions has been implicated in speech production overall, it is unclear how the brain transitions from planning to execution for speech production. Leveraging the high spatio-temporal resolution of intracranial recordings, we find evidence for neural mechanisms that operate in space and time across the prefrontal and premotor cortices to facilitate the transition from planning to execution. During this execution, we show evidence for motor sequencing from neural activity that tracks both phonological units as well as the transition between them, suggesting both discrete elements from planning as well as continuous motor transitions. We demonstrate temporally-resolved neural mechanisms for the transition between planning and execution to facilitate speech production.
New construction of a vacuum doubly rotating black ring by the Ehlers transformation
Authors: Suzuki Ryotaku , Tomizawa Shinya
Published: October 2024

Using the Ehlers transformation, we derive an exact solution for a doubly rotating black ring in five-dimensional vacuum Einstein theory. It is well known that the vacuum Einstein theory with three commuting Killing vector fields can be reduced to a nonlinear sigma model with SL(3,R) target space symmetry. As shown previously by Giusto and Saxena, the SO(2,1) subgroup in the SL(3,R) can generate a rotating solution from a static solution while preserving asymptotic flatness. This so-called Ehlers transformation actually transforms the five-dimensional Schwarzschild black hole into the five-dimensional Myers-Perry black hole. However, unlike the case with the black hole, applying this method directly to the static black ring or the Emparan-Reall black ring, does not yield a regular rotating black ring due to the emergence of a Dirac-Misner string singularity. To solve this undesirable issue, we use a singular vacuum solution of a rotating black ring/lens that already possesses a Dirac-Misner string singularity as the seed solution for the Ehlers transformation. The resulting solution is regular, indicating the absence of curvature singularities, conical singularities, orbifold singularities, Dirac-Misner string singularities, and closed timelike curves both on and outside the horizon. We show that this solution obtained by the Ehlers transformation coincides precisely with the Pomeransky-Sen’kov solution. We expect that applying this method to other theories may lead to the finding of new exact solutions, such as solutions for black lenses and capped black holes, as well as black ring configurations.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Nonrelativistic Holography from
AdS5/CFT4
Authors: Fontanella Andrea , Nieto García Juan Miguel
Published: October 2024

We show that a novel holographic correspondence appears after taking a suitable stringy nonrelativistic limit of the AdS5/CFT4 duality. This correspondence relates string theory in string Newton-Cartan AdS5×S5 with Galilean electrodynamics with five scalars defined on the Penrose conformal boundary. As a first test, we match the Killing vectors on the string theory side with the on-shell symmetries of the dual field theory.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Dualities of Paired Quantum Hall Bilayer States at
νT=12+12
Authors: Rüegg Luca , Chaudhary Gaurav , Slager Robert-Jan
Published: October 2024

Density-balanced, widely separated quantum Hall bilayers at νT=1 can be described as two copies of composite Fermi liquids (CFLs). The two CFLs have interlayer weak-coupling Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer instabilities mediated by gauge fluctuations, the resulting pairing symmetry of which depends on the CFL hypothesis used. If both layers are described by the conventional Halperin-Lee-Read (HLR) theory-based composite electron liquid (CEL), the dominant pairing instability is in the p+ip channel; whereas if one layer is described by CEL and the other by a composite hole liquid (CHL, in the sense of anti-HLR), the dominant pairing instability occurs in the s-wave channel. Using the Dirac composite fermion (CF) picture, we show that these two pairing channels can be mapped onto each other by particle-hole (PH) transformation. Furthermore, we derive the CHL theory as the nonrelativistic limit of the PH-transformed massive Dirac CF theory. Finally, we prove that an effective topological field theory for the paired CEL-CHL in the weak-coupling limit is equivalent to the exciton condensate phase in the strong-coupling limit.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Student attitudes toward quantum information science and technology in a high school outreach program
Authors: Darienzo Michele , Kelly Angela M. , Schneble Dominik , Wei Tzu-Chieh
Published: October 2024

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection in Investigating and Improving Quantum Education through Research.] With the current growth in quantum information science and technology (QIST), there is an increasing need to prepare precollege students for postsecondary QIST study and careers. This mixed methods, explanatory sequential research focused on students’ affective outcomes from a one-week, 25-h summer program for U.S. high school students in grades 10–12. The workshop structure was based upon psychosocial theories of self-determination and planned behavior, where QIST aspirations may be facilitated and viewed as achievable choices if students acquire disciplinary knowledge, self-efficacy, normative expectancy of their capacity in the field, and awareness of vocational roles. The program featured lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on experiences in classical and quantum physics and quantum computing. Students’ attitudes toward QIST (N=77)—including self-efficacy, self-concept, relevance, career aspirations, and perceptions of quantitative fluency—showed improvement with a medium effect size, even though treatment students entered the program with more positive QIST attitudes when compared with a control group of high school physics students (N=65). Postprogram interviews with n=12 participants identified several explanatory themes: (i) Students tended to comprehend classical and quantum topics taught through multiple representations, regardless of whether they had taken physics previously; (ii) students experienced some challenges with mathematics and science concepts that support quantum understanding, yet they revealed a willingness to learn new concepts outside of their comfort zone; (iii) students expressed motivation for pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and/or quantum-related careers in the future, as well as increased QIST self-concept, largely through understanding the relevance of QIST in solving technological problems; and (iv) students reported increased self-efficacy in understanding QIST topics and performing related tasks. This informal summer program showed promise in promoting positive student attitudes toward QIST, a critical emerging field in advancing technological solutions for global challenges.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Strange-metal behavior without fine tuning in
PrV2Al20
Authors: Lenk Marvin , Gao Fei , Kroha Johann , Nevidomskyy Andriy H.
Published: October 2024

Strange-metal behavior observed in the praseodymium-based heavy-fermion material PrV2Al20 has been tentatively interpreted in the framework of proximity to a quantum critical point (QCP) associated with quadrupolar ordering. Here, we demonstrate that an alternative, natural explanation exists without invoking a QCP, in terms of the unconventional nature of the quadrupolar Kondo effect taking place in non-Kramers ions. Using a combination of density-functional theory calculations and analytical arguments, we construct a periodic Anderson model with realistic parameters to describe PrV2Al20. We solve the model using dynamical mean-field theory preserving the model symmetries and demonstrate the non-Fermi liquid strange-metal behavior stemming from the two-channel nature of the quadrupolar Kondo effect. Our calculations provide an explanation for the puzzling temperature dependence in the magnetic susceptibility and provide a basis for analyzing future photoemission experiments.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Phenomenology of a Rydberg impurity in an ideal Bose-Einstein condensate
Authors: Durst Aileen A. T. , Eiles Matthew T.
Published: October 2024

We investigate the absorption spectrum of a Rydberg impurity immersed in and interacting with an ideal Bose-Einstein condensate. Here, the impurity-bath interaction range can greatly exceed the mean interparticle distance; this discrepancy in length scales challenges the assumptions underlying the universal aspects of impurity atoms in dilute bosonic environments. Our analysis finds three distinct parameter regimes, each characterized by a unique spectral response. In the low-density regime, we find that the Rydberg impurity is dressed by the surrounding bath similarly to the known Bose polaron. Transitioning to intermediate densities, the impurity response, given by sharp quasiparticle peaks, fragments into an intricate pattern bearing the hallmarks of a diverse molecular structure. Finally, at high density, a universal Gaussian response emerges as the statistical nature of the bath dominates its quantum dynamics. We complement this analysis with a study of an ionic impurity, which behaves equivalently. Our exploration offers insights into the interplay between interaction range, density, and many-body behavior in impurity systems.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Tensor-Network Decoding Beyond 2D
Authors: Piveteau Christophe , Chubb Christopher T. , Renes Joseph M.
Published: October 2024

Decoding algorithms based on approximate tensor-network (TN) contraction have proven tremendously successful in decoding two-dimensional (2D) local quantum codes such as toric or surface codes and color codes, effectively achieving optimal decoding accuracy. In this work, we introduce several techniques to generalize TN decoding to higher dimensions so that it can be applied to three-dimensional (3D) codes as well as 2D codes with noisy syndrome measurements (phenomenological noise or circuit-level noise). The 3D case is significantly more challenging than 2D, as the involved approximate tensor contraction is dramatically less well behaved than its 2D counterpart. Nonetheless, we numerically demonstrate that the decoding accuracy of our approach outperforms state-of-the-art decoders on the 3D surface code, both in the point and loop sectors, as well as for depolarizing noise. Our techniques could prove useful in near-term experimental demonstrations of quantum error correction, when decoding is to be performed off line and accuracy is of the utmost importance. To this end, we show how TN decoding can be applied to circuit-level noise and demonstrate that it outperforms the matching decoder on the rotated surface code.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Synthesis and crystal structure of sodium (ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[(3-methoxypropyl)phosphinodithiolate] octahydrate
Authors: Nell Bryan P. , Tyler David R. , Zakharov Lev N. , Johnston Dean H.
Published: October 2024

The title compound, catena-poly[[triaquasodium]-di-μ-aqua-[triaquasodium]-μ-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[(3-methoxypropyl)phosphinodithiolato]], [Na2(C10H22O2P2S4)(H2O)8]
n
, crystallizes in the triclinic space group P
1. The dianionic [CH3O(CH2)3P(=S)(S—)CH2CH2P(=S)(S—)(CH2)3OCH3]2− ligand fragments are joined by a dicationic [Na2(H2O)8]2+ cluster that includes the oxygen of the methoxypropyl unit of the ligand to form infinite chains.
Methyl 2-[(Z)-5-methyl-2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene]hydrazinecarbodithioate
Authors: Abdul Manan Mohd Abdul Fatah , Cordes David B. , McKay Aidan P.
Published: October 2024

The title dithiocarbazate imine, C11H11N3OS2, was obtained from the condensation reaction of S-methyldithiocarbazate (SMDTC) and 5-methylisatin. It shows a Z configuration about the imine C=N bond, which is associated with an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond that closes an S(6) ring. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairwise N—H...O hydrogen bonds generate R
2
2(8) loops. The extended structure features C—H...S contacts as well as reciprocal carbonyl–carbonyl (C=O...C=O) interactions.
The “locus continuum” of price increase perception – Is communicating a good cause for price increases always beneficial?
Authors: Pick Doreén , Zielke Stephan
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Governmental regulations aiming to protect environmental goals often require firms to increase sales prices with negative consequences on price fairness perception. Companies might therefore either justify the price increase by highlighting the good cause (environmental framing) or they could blame the government for the regulation (governmental framing). Firms might also communicate their investments in the relationship to motivate customers to stay. This paper aims to examine the impact of such communication content on price increase fairness perception and switching intention in a contractual service setting.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper first examines the content of 119 price increase letters from electricity suppliers in a qualitative pilot study. The main study then tests our research framework with 552 respondents using a 2 x 2 x 2 between-subjects experimental scenario design (manipulating framing, effort and regret communication).

Findings

Customers perceive governmental framing as fairer than environmental framing. Effort and regret communication by firms weaken or reverse this effect. They reduce customers’ fairness perception for the governmental framing, while regret communication increases it for the environmental framing. However, regret communication also increases switching intention in both framings through a strong direct effect.

Research limitations/implications

Cost-induced price increases are perceived on a “locus continuum” on which reason-framing and relationship investments can shift the consumer perception. Future studies may apply our framework in different industries and contexts.

Practical implications

The results provide guidelines for communicating price increases. Firms should prefer a governmental framing and they should also hesitate to communicate relationship investments, which signal internal locus of the firm, such as effort or regret.

Originality/value

Our results question the naive assumption of general positive effects of environmental framings and relationship investments on customer responses. Based on a new view on attributions of cost-caused price increases, we suggest and find several counterintuitive results. We argue that the framing and relationship investments shift the cause perception of an external cost increase on the attributional locus continuum.
Online business: ambitious daughters and their suspicious career in China?
Authors: Tang Lin , Song Jing
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Online business can be an attractive career choice but bears gendered implications under China’s market economy. This study aims to examine how highly educated young women negotiate their career choice of online business, given their enhanced career ambitions and the persisting conservative views of their parents. It is to be examined how these factors interact in shaping women’s strategies and commitment to their nonconventional careers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study draws on 23 interviews with 18 women involved in online business. The interviews were coded by themes about how women perceive and make career choices to enter online business, the influence of various motivations (e.g., economic security, decency, autonomy and earning potential) and women’s interactions with their parents under gendered social expectations. The study analyzes and categorizes women’s varied strategies and levels of commitment in taking up online business, an attractive but suspicious career for highly educated young women.

Findings

The study finds that some women chose to conduct online business as a secondary job behind their stable and formal primary job; their compromise under parents’ preferences and social expectations as “compliant daughters,” willingly or forced, coexisted with their persisting interest in online entrepreneurship. Other women, or “self-determined daughters,” embraced online business as their primary job; some benefited from parents’ tolerant views, but others needed to handle the pressure of parental disapproval by hiding or proving their nonconventional career choices worthwhile.

Originality/value

This study speaks to the gendered opportunity-necessity framework of entrepreneurship by illustrating women’s multiple motivations in China’s market reforms and the rising online entrepreneurship dynamics. The findings contextualize women’s career choices in different family dynamics and suggest how social expectations and gender norms are imposed and transformed, with a focus on the shifting gendered concerns of opportunity, security and decency in an era of digital economy.
Dual characteristics of mixed convection flow of three-particle aqueous nanofluid upon a shrinking porous plate
Authors: Roy Nepal Chandra , Hassan Md. Mahmudul , Dinarvand Saeed
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the thermo-hydrodynamic characteristics for the mixed convection boundary layer flow of three-particle aqueous nanofluid on a shrinking porous plate with the influences of thermal radiation and magnetic field.

Design/methodology/approach

The basic equations have been normalized with the help of similarity transformations. The obtained equations have been solved numerically using the shooting method in conjunction with the sixth-order Runge–Kutta technique. Numerical results for the velocity and temperature are illustrated with varying relevant parameters.

Findings

The results reveal that the local drag coefficient increases with higher values of the magnetic field parameter, nanoparticle volume fraction and suction parameter. On the other hand, boosting the radiation parameter and nanoparticle concentration notably enhances heat transfer. Furthermore, it is noted that the suction parameter and magnetic field parameter both lead to an increase in velocity and promote the occurrence of dual solutions within the problem conditions.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations are that the model is appropriate for thermal equilibrium of base fluid and nanoparticles, and constant thermo-physical properties.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, no study has taken an attempt to predict the flow and heat transfer characteristics of unsteady mixed convection ternary hybrid nanofluid flow over a shrinking sheet, particularly under the influence of magnetic field and radiation. The findings obtained here may hold particular significance for those interested in the underlying theoretical and practical implications.
Environmental impacts and BIM: a Portuguese heritage case study
Authors: Sugiyama Gabriel Tomasetto , Rodrigues Maria Fernanda , Rodrigues Hugo
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to compare the possible environmental impacts of different rehabilitation solutions proposed to a case study of a Portuguese vernacular building, bearing in mind the need to search for less impactful practices in accordance with global agendas and, simultaneously, the importance of preserving heritage assets.

Design/methodology/approach

The two proposed solutions differ from each other in the selection of materials, varying from the exclusive use of conventional contemporary materials to the use of locally sourced and natural-based materials, considering the Portuguese and local scenario. Results obtained from Life Cycle Assessment procedures are the basis of comparison, which were developed using a Building Information Model (BIM)-integrated analytical plugin.

Findings

Producing Heritage Building Information Model (HBIM) models was essential to the analysis, and therefore is a vital part of the used methodology; nevertheless, the modelling of heritage buildings itself plays an important part in preserving heritage assets once it provides precise documenting and managing tools. The results depict variation in values for different indicators in both cases, whose interpretation might need further development to get to deeper conclusions. It has been found that the software tools are still not well adapted to analyse heritage or historic buildings, and therefore adaptations had to take place to overcome these limitations.

Originality/value

The study distinguishes itself by involving the production of HBIM models and the use of BIM-integrated Life Cycle Assessment plugins as well as its analyses, to validate this approach.
Factors affecting coaching in higher education: a meta-synthesis approach
Authors: Dolatkhah Laein Dorry , Andam Reza
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify and investigate which factors affect coaching in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a qualitative meta-synthesis method. Based on the seven-step method (Sandelowski and Barroso, 2006), articles related to coaching in higher education were searched in five databases between 2012 and 2022. After step-by-step reviews and implementation of the critical evaluation skills program, 34 articles were selected from 1,711 sources.

Findings

Following the analysis of 58 obtained codes, seven sub-themes and three themes were extracted. The results showed that the key factors affecting coaching in higher education include individual (personal skills, personal attitudes, personal behaviors), structural (environmental contexts, organizational contexts), and managerial factors (planning actions, supporting actions).

Practical implications

The present study provides a framework for policy-making, implementation, evaluation and development of coaching programs in universities and provides a great help and support for planners and administrators of higher education institutions who want to design and implement coaching for the first time.

Originality/value

The presented factors provide effective information to higher education institutions so that they can offer coaching intervention more efficiently and help them allocate resources in a more efficient and strategic manner.
Encountering risk with resilience for experiences: a case study on tourism in a conflicted tourist destination
Authors: Sufi Tahir , Ranga Bindu , Ranga Indu
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to unravel how tourists balance their novel experiences with risk perceptions, psychological resilience and behavioral intentions. Additionally, it explores how tourists' personalities moderate the relationship between experiences and travel intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 234 self-administered questionnaires were distributed to a diverse group of tourists who recently explored the Srinagar region to capture their perspectives. The data obtained was analyzed using Smart PLS-SEM.

Findings

This study revealed that the impact of perceived terror risk on behavioral intentions is not statistically significant. Instead, tourists' experiences significantly influence psychological resilience and behavioral intentions. Tourists with higher resilience are inclined to perceive these experiences as aiding in managing negative feelings.

Research limitations/implications

The study's focus is confined to one conflict zone within the country due to research constraints, excluding other areas.

Practical implications

This research provides practical insights for destination management authorities and highlights areas for improvement for tourism service providers and the government in the Srinagar region, as well as other conflict regions. Emphasizing mutual respect between locals and tourists can foster community-based tourism, enhancing the region's appeal and promoting positive intentions for all involved parties.

Social implications

This study examines how local communities in conflict-affected areas adjust to and manage the presence of tourists, with an emphasis on building resilience and support systems. Additionally, it explores how travel decisions and behaviors are influenced by tourists' perceptions of safety and how these perceptions can influence broader societal attitudes toward areas affected by conflict. Evaluating the local population's economic reliance on tourism may result in changed social dynamics, as well as possible exploitation or over-reliance on industry. Promoting mutual understanding and cultural interchange between locals and visitors may have a positive impact on efforts to promote social cohesion and peacebuilding.

Originality/value

This study broadens the scope of the existing literature on destination attributes in conflict zones, offering a unique perspective on the intrinsic features of this issue. The solutions proposed in this study contribute a novel dimension to the current literature.
Better safe than sorry? The effect of asymmetric cost management on firm resilience in manufacturing firms
Authors: Du Ke , Jia Fu , Chen Lujie
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Global business practices show that during periods of demand volatility, manufacturing firms often engage in asymmetric cost management (ACM), a behavior in which costs increase faster than they decrease when demand decreases by the same amount. However, whether managing asymmetric costs will enhance or impede firm resilience remains an open question. We aim to investigate the impact of ACM on firm resilience and its boundary conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Using unbalanced panel data of 2,273 Chinese manufacturing listed companies from 2002 to 2021, we conduct an empirical analysis using a double fixed effects model.

Findings

Our findings reveal that ACM has a negative effect on firm resilience. This suggests that in coping with external environmental fluctuations, ACM fails to fulfill its expected role effectively. Instead, it manifests as a severe agency problem affecting firm resilience. Further, we find that managerial myopia and digitalization diminish the negative effect, while customer instability exacerbates it.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on the organizational resilience of manufacturing firms by providing an in-depth understanding of cost management and emphasizing the need to consider agency issues carefully when managing asymmetric costs.
Co-movements and spillovers in GCC financial and commodity markets during turbulent periods: a quantile VAR connectedness approach
Authors: Alnafisah Hind , Loukil Sahar , Bejaoui Azza , Jeribi Ahmed
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the connectedness between the natural gas, wheat, gold, Bitcoin and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stock indices with the advent of exogenous and unexpected shocks related to the health and political crises.

Design/methodology/approach

For this end, a quantile-based connectedness method is applied on returns of different assets during the period 01/01/2016–05/01/2024.

Findings

The empirical findings display that the existence of time-varying connectedness between markets is well-documented and seems to be stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war. The connectedness is fostered with extreme events, showing that shocks propagate increasingly during turbulent periods compared with calm ones. The connectedness is event-dependent.

Practical implications

The empirical results offer insightful information for policymakers and investors about the contagion effect and volatility spillover among GCC stock markets and other asset classes during different crises.

Originality/value

This study examines different asset classes’ dynamism connection with sock prices in the GCC countries to better apprehend the (dis)similarities between different asset classes in terms of information transmission. It also investigates the connectedness structure among different asset classes under extreme market conditions and how spillover effects across GCC markets and other ones can be time- and event-dependent.