bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One Health Genomic Surveillance and Response to a University-Based Outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta AY.25 Lineage, Arizona, 2021
Authors: Yaglom Hayley D. , Maurer Matthew , Collins Brooke , Hojnacki Jacob , Monroy-Nieto Juan , Bowers Jolene R. , Packard Samuel , Erickson Daryn E. , Barrand Zachary A. , Simmons Kyle M. , Brock Breezy N. , Lim Efrem S. , Smith Sandra , Hepp Crystal M. , Engelthaler David M.
Published: August 2022

Large scale outbreaks of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant have occurred in numerous settings, including universities. An outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta AY.25 lineage associated with a university campus with multiple transmission events was identified; genomic analyses characterized this outbreak and complemented contract tracing and wastewater surveillance strategies that strengthened overall public health response actions.

Epidemiologic and clinical data routinely gathered through contact tracing and public health investigations were matched to genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 positive samples belonging to a suspect cluster identified through ongoing phylogenomic analyses. Continued phylogenetic analyses were conducted to describe the AY.25 outbreak. Wastewater collected twice weekly from sites across campus was tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR, and subsequently sequenced to identify variants.

The AY.25 outbreak was defined by a single mutation (C18804T) and comprised 379 genomes from SARS-CoV-2 positive cases associated with the university and community. Several undergraduate student gatherings and congregate living settings on campus likely contributed to the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the university with secondary transmission into the community. The clade defining mutation was also found in wastewater samples collected from around student dormitories during “move-in”, a week before the semester began, and 9 days before cases were identified.

Genomic, epidemiologic, and wastewater surveillance provided evidence that an AY.25 clone was likely imported into the university setting just prior to the onset of the Fall 2021 semester, rapidly spread through a subset of the student population, and then subsequent spillover occurred in the surrounding community. The university and local public health department worked closely together to facilitate timely reporting of cases, identification of close contacts, and other necessary response and mitigation strategies. The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and potential threat of other infectious disease outbreaks on university campuses presents an opportunity for future comprehensive One Health genomic data driven, targeted interventions.
Structural insights into acetylated histone ligand recognition by the BDP1 bromodomain of Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Singh Ajit Kumar , Phillips Margaret , Alkrimi Saleh , Tonelli Marco , Boyson Samuel P. , Malone Kiera L. , Nix Jay C. , Glass Karen C.
Published: August 2022

Plasmodium falciparum requires a two-host system, moving between Anopheles mosquito and humans, to complete its life cycle. To overcome such dynamic growth conditions its histones undergo various post-translational modifications to up-regulate and down-regulate certain genes required for invasion and replication. The P. falciparum genome encodes six bromodomaincontaining proteins, of which Bromodomain Protein 1 (PfBDP1) has been shown to interact with acetylated lysine modifications on histone H3 to regulate the expression of invasion-related genes. Here, we investigated the ability of the PfBDP1 bromodomain to interact with acetyllsyine modifications on additional core and variant histones. A crystal structure of the PfBDP1 bromodomain (PfBDP1-BRD) reveals it contains the conserved bromodomain fold, but our comparative analysis between the PfBDP1-BRD and the 8 human bromodomain families indicates it has a unique binding mechanism. Solution NMR spectroscopy and ITC binding assays carried out with acetylated histone ligands demonstrate that it preferentially recognizes tetra-acetylated histone H4, and we detected weaker interactions with multi-acetylated H2A.Z in addition to the previously reported interactions with acetylated histone H3. Our findings indicate PfBDP1 may play additional roles in the P. falciparum life cycle, and the distinctive features of its bromodomain binding pocket could be leveraged for the development of new therapeutic agents to help overcome the continuously evolving resistance of P. falciparum against currently available drugs.
Strategy for selective acquisition of transgenic marmosets using the piggyBac transposon system
Authors: Takahashi Tsukasa , Maeda Takuji , Goto Motohito , Yamamoto Masafumi , Kumita Wakako , Ito Ryoji , Eto Tomoo , Inoue Takashi , Okano Hideyuki , Sasaki Erika
Published: August 2022

Transgenic (Tg) nonhuman primates (NHPs) are excellent potential models due to their physiological similarities with humans. In NHPs, the lentiviral vector is the only available transgenesis method, but transgene sizes are limited. The piggyBac (PB) transposon system is a DNA element sandwiched between two terminal inverted repeats (TRs) that allows transposases to introduce larger genes than lentiviral vectors. However, embryos with integrated transgenes are difficult to distinguish using this system. To address this issue, we placed the Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP) gene inside the TRs and the humanized kusabira orange 1 (hKO1) fluorescent protein gene with the proteolysis-promoting sequence d2PEST outside the TRs to create an indicator for gene integration using fluorescent protein expression. In HEK293T cells, hKO1 and EGFP co-expression after transfection gradually changed to decay of hKO1 expression and enhancement of EGFP expression by transposase within five days. In mouse and marmoset embryos, hKO1 expression was attenuated, while only EGFP expression was observed at the blastocyst stage. All offspring obtained through embryo transfer of EGFP-expressing embryos were Tg; thus, we established a new PB system capable of determining Tg embryos and successfully produced Tg marmosets, for the first time, in NHPs.
Direct Speech Reconstruction from Sensorimotor Brain Activity with Optimized Deep Learning Models
Authors: Berezutskaya Julia , Freudenburg Zachary V. , Vansteensel Mariska J. , Aarnoutse Erik J. , Ramsey Nick F. , van Gerven Marcel A.J.
Published: August 2022

Development of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is key for enabling communication in individuals who have lost the faculty of speech due to severe motor paralysis. A BCI control strategy that is gaining attention employs speech decoding from neural data. Recent studies have shown that a combination of direct neural recordings and advanced computational models can provide promising results. Understanding which decoding strategies deliver best and directly applicable results is crucial for advancing the field. In this paper, we optimized and validated a decoding approach based on speech reconstruction directly from high-density electrocorticography recordings from sensorimotor cortex during a speech production task. We show that 1) dedicated machine learning optimization of reconstruction models is key for achieving the best reconstruction performance; 2) individual word decoding in reconstructed speech achieves 92-100% accuracy (chance level is 8%); 3) direct reconstruction from sensorimotor brain activity produces intelligible speech. These results underline the need for model optimization in achieving best speech decoding results and highlight the potential that reconstruction-based speech decoding from sensorimotor cortex can offer for development of next-generation BCI technology for communication.
Selective cholinergic stimulation of the medial septum-diagonal band of Broca via DREADDs improves spatial learning in healthy rats
Authors: Missault Stephan , De Waegenaere Sam , Kosten Lauren , Van der Linden Annemie , Verhoye Marleen , Keliris Georgios A.
Published: August 2022

The septohippocampal pathway plays an important role in learning and memory. It projects from the medial septum-vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca (MSDB) to the hippocampus and provides the latter with its main cholinergic innervation. To assess the importance of cholinergic selectivity and timing of MSDB stimulation in modulating learning and memory, we directly compared the effects of several MSDB stimulation strategies in healthy rats. We evaluated the effects of DREADD-mediated selective cholinergic neuronal MSDB stimulation and nonselective neuronal MSDB stimulation on spatial learning and memory in the appetitive radial arm maze and on resting-state brain networks using resting-state functional MRI. DREADDs were activated with the novel DREADD agonist J60. Selective cholinergic MSDB stimulation during – but not after – radial arm maze training improved spatial learning compared with J60-treated sham rats and had no effect on working memory or reversal learning. J60-treated sham rats had a worse working memory than saline-treated sham rats during the reversal phase of the radial arm maze task, suggesting an adverse effect of chronic use of J60. Nonselective MSDB stimulation during training resulted in a loss of appetite and exclusion from the radial arm maze training. Acute selective cholinergic and nonselective MSDB stimulation induced decreased functional connectivity (FC) in the default mode-like network. In addition, acute nonselective MSDB stimulation resulted in increased intrahippocampal FC, while selective cholinergic MSDB stimulation led to globally increased FC with the nucleus accumbens. While the combined effect of radial arm maze learning and the necessary chronic food restriction with or without chronic MSDB stimulation had no observable effect on resting-state networks, chronic food restriction alone globally increased FC in the brain.
Untethered Muscle Tracking Using Magnetomicrometry
Authors: Taylor Cameron R. , Yeon Seong Ho , Clark William H. , Clarrissimeaux Ellen G. , O’Donnell Mary Kate , Roberts Thomas J. , Herr Hugh M.
Published: August 2022

Muscle tissue drives nearly all movement in the animal kingdom, providing power, mobility, and dexterity. Technologies for measuring muscle tissue motion, such as sonomicrometry, fluoromicrometry, and ultrasound, have significantly advanced our understanding of biomechanics. Yet, the field lacks the ability to monitor muscle tissue motion for animal behavior outside the lab. Towards addressing this issue, we previously introduced magnetomicrometry, a method that uses magnetic beads to wirelessly monitor muscle tissue length changes, and we validated magnetomicrometry via tightly-controlled in situ testing. In this study we validate the accuracy of magnetomicrometry against fluoromicrometry during untethered running in an in vivo turkey model. We demonstrate real-time muscle tissue length tracking of the freely-moving turkeys executing various motor activities, including ramp ascent and descent, vertical ascent and descent, and free roaming movement. Given the demonstrated capacity of magnetomicrometry to track muscle movement in untethered animals, we feel that this technique will enable new scientific explorations and an improved understanding of muscle function.
A novel beta-adrenergic like octopamine receptor modulates the audition of malaria mosquitoes and serves as insecticide target
Authors: Georgiades Marcos , Alampounti Chantif Alexandros , Somers Jason , Su Matthew , Ellis David , Bagi Judit , Ntabaliba Watson , Moore Sarah J , Albert Joerg T , Andres Marta
Published: August 2022

Hearing is an essential sense in the life cycle of malaria mosquitoes. Within large swarms formed transiently at dusk, mosquitoes acoustically recognize their mating partners by their wingbeats. Indeed, malaria mosquitoes only respond to the flight tones of mating partners during swarm time. This phenomenon implies a sophisticated context- and time-dependent modulation of mosquito audition, the mechanisms of which are still largely unknown. Using transcriptomics, we identify a complex network of candidate neuromodulators regulating mosquito hearing. Among them, octopamine stands out as regulator of the auditory performance during swarm time. To explore octopamine roles in mosquito hearing, we carried out an in-depth analysis of octopamine-mediated effects on auditory function. We found that octopamine affects the properties of the mosquito ear on multiple levels: it modulates the tuning and stiffness of the flagellar sound receiver and it controls the erection of antennal fibrillae in males. We found that two different receptors are driving octopamine auditory roles, including a novel beta octopamine receptor. We also demonstrate that the octopaminergic auditory control system can be targeted by insecticides. Our findings identify octopamine signalling as a key component of hearing and mating partner detection in malaria mosquitoes, and as a potential novel target for mosquito control.
Epigenetic profiling and incidence of disrupted development point to gastrulation as aging ground zero in Xenopus laevis
Authors: Zhang Bohan , Tarkhov Andrei E. , Ratzan Wil , Ying Kejun , Moqri Mahdi , Poganik Jesse R. , Barre Benjamin , Trapp Alexandre , Zoller Joseph A. , Haghani Amin , Horvath Steve , Peshkin Leonid , Gladyshev Vadim N.
Published: August 2022

Recent studies suggest the existence of a natural rejuvenation event during early embryonic development of mice, followed by epigenetic aging. Here, by profiling embryonic DNA methylation in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, we found that the epigenetic entropy basepoint maps to the gastrulation stage of embryogenesis and corresponds to a rapid increase in embryo transcript abundance. We further developed a frog aging clock, revealing that this species epigenetically ages. Application of this clock to developmental stages identified a decrease in epigenetic age during early embryogenesis, with the minimal age reached around gastrulation. By examining individual developmental trajectories of 6,457 embryos, we found that this stage is also accompanied by a higher incidence of disrupted development. Taken together, our data point to gastrulation as a critical stage for aging and natural rejuvenation, characterized by the lowest epigenetic age, increased mortality, nadir of DNA methylation entropy and rapid increase in embryo transcript abundance, defining aging ground zero as the basepoint where rejuvenation ends and the aging process begins.
Single cell, whole embryo phenotyping of pleiotropic disorders of mammalian development
Authors: Huang Xingfan , Henck Jana , Qiu Chengxiang , Sreenivasan Varun K. A. , Balachandran Saranya , Behncke Rose , Chan Wing-Lee , Despang Alexandra , Dickel Diane E. , Haag Natja , Hägerling Rene , Hansmeier Nils , Hennig Friederike , Marshall Cooper , Rajderkar Sudha , Ringel Alessa , Robson Michael , Saunders Lauren , Srivatsan Sanjay R. , Ulferts Sascha , Wittler Lars , Zhu Yiwen , Kalscheuer Vera M. , Ibrahim Daniel , Kurth Ingo , Kornak Uwe , Beier David R. , Visel Axel , Pennacchio Len A. , Trapnell Cole , Cao Junyue , Shendure Jay , Spielmann Malte
Published: August 2022

Mouse models are a critical tool for studying human diseases, particularly developmental disorders, as well as for advancing our general understanding of mammalian biology. However, it has long been suspected that conventional approaches for phenotyping are insufficiently sensitive to detect subtle defects throughout the developing mouse. Here we set out to establish single cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNA-seq) of the whole embryo as a scalable platform for the systematic molecular and cellular phenotyping of mouse genetic models. We applied combinatorial indexing-based sc-RNA-seq to profile 101 embryos of 26 genotypes at embryonic stage E13.5, altogether profiling gene expression in over 1.6M nuclei. The 26 genotypes include 22 mouse mutants representing a range of anticipated severities, from established multisystem disorders to deletions of individual enhancers, as well as the 4 wildtype backgrounds on which these mutants reside. We developed and applied several analytical frameworks for detecting differences in composition and/or gene expression across 52 cell types or trajectories. Some mutants exhibited changes in dozens of trajectories (e.g., the pleiotropic consequences of altering the Sox9 regulatory landscape) whereas others showed phenotypes affecting specific subsets of cells. We also identify differences between widely used wildtype strains, compare phenotyping of gain vs. loss of function mutants, and characterise deletions of topological associating domain (TAD) boundaries. Intriguingly, even among these 22 mutants, some changes are shared by heretofore unrelated models, suggesting that developmental pleiotropy might be “decomposable” through further scaling of this approach. Overall, our findings show how single cell profiling of whole embryos can enable the systematic molecular and cellular phenotypic characterization of mouse mutants with unprecedented breadth and resolution.
Phenotype-driven identification of drug targets for post-COVID-19 anosmia
Authors: Catterson Victoria M. , Sanchez Yolanda , Musso Gabriel
Published: August 2022

Anosmia (loss of sense of smell) is one symptom of COVID-19 which can linger long after acute infection has passed, with major impact on quality of life. Given the number of people impacted by COVID-19-related anosmia, there is an urgent need to identify effective therapeutics in a faster fashion than using traditional drug discovery and development methods. We used our knowledge graph, the Phenograph, to navigate from phenotypes to genes to drug targets, to rapidly find druggable targets associated with anosmia. This process shortlisted six targets: NRP1, SCN9A, EGR1, VEGFB, PRKCE, and FGFR1. Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) is under active study for its involvement in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Importantly, there is no direct link between anosmia and NRP1 in our knowledge graph; the relationship was inferred through the graph structure. Based on this external validation, we derived hypotheses for the involvement of the remaining five targets in COVID-19-related anosmia, and the mechanism of action desired in a drug candidate to correct the hypothesized dysregulation.
Does a corporation’s food recall strategy affect its brand image and consumers’ intention to purchase? A study in the context of cereal recall in China
Authors: Yu Weiping , Cui Fasheng , Han Xiaoyun , Lv Mengjiao
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Food recalls are more potentially harmful than other product recalls. This research aimed to investigate the effect of the recall strategies of food corporations on their brand image and consumers’ purchase intention.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a between-subjects experiment of 2 (corporate recall strategy: voluntary recall, mandatory recall) *3 (food recall level (severity): high, medium, low), and recruits 224 consumers involved in cereal product recall in China. The authors inductively examine the effects of voluntary and mandatory recall on consumer perception and behavior intentions in the recall process.

Findings

Voluntary recall (vs. mandatory recall) will improve corporate brand responsibility image (vs. brand ability image) and consumers’ purchase intention to focal brand (vs. competitive brand and organic brand). Perceived corporate legitimacy and food safety play a mediating role. The former has a greater positive impact on brand image, and the latter has a more significant favorable influence on purchase intention. Furthermore, recall level has a moderating effect on the association between corporate recall strategy and perceived food safety, but is not significant in the effect of corporate recall strategy on perceived corporate legitimacy.

Originality/value

Previous inconsistent conclusions cannot effectively guide food corporations to manage recall strategies. This paper demonstrates the response mechanism of the recall strategy from the perspective of corporate social responsibility, which is beneficial to food safety crisis management and research.
An inquiry on organic food confusion in the consumer perception: a qualitative perspective
Authors: Dinçer Mustafa Abdül Metin , Arslan Yusuf , Okutan Semih , Dil Esra
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study aims to reveal consumer perceptions towards organic food, particularly emphasizing the confusion and vagueness in the public eye.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 21 well-educated and relatively high-income consumers were selected as cases of the study. The knowledge about the organic food concept and organic food preferences were analyzed through the grounded theory analysis. In this analysis, ten categories which are shopping from the close circle, the product information attitude, do it yourself (DIY), true and false facts and dilemmas, information sources, the most preferred organic products, perception of organic food indicator, market place trends, organic food orientation reasons, and attitude toward the organic products/producers were detected as the main issues.

Findings

The authors chose the cases from well-educated people who have a relatively high income, and it is seen that the knowledge levels of consumers are low regarding organic foods. This low-level knowledge becomes apparent in confused and erroneous answers and actions. The confusion over the organic food concept and the institutional image appear as two main findings of the study. The authors named this false fact as organic confusion and dilemmas in this analysis. According to the study’s results, there is a considerable amount of confusion over healthy and natural food contexts.

Originality/value

This study aims to bring a comprehensive delineation to the general perception of the organic food concept in society. And it reveals a detailed feedback for the institutions and companies on how to solve organic food problems such as confusion, institutional image problem, and false facts. Although organic product knowledge is shown as a critical factor in many studies in the literature, the number of studies that examine this situation in depth is insufficient.
Intergovernmental transfers to the Brazilian unified health system and party alignment
Authors: Orellano Veronica Ines Fernandez , Tellini Taís Cardoso
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study investigates the impact of political alignment on intergovernmental transfers to the Brazilian unified health system (SUS). The authors analyzed both automatic transfers based on pre-established rules and discretionary transfers, using two criteria of political alignment between mayors and the central government.

Design/methodology/approach

For the empirical analysis the authors used regression-discontinuity design (RDD) and the outcomes of close elections between 2001 and 2017.

Findings

The results indicate positive and statistically significant effects of party alignment on the two transfer categories, especially discretionary transfers, but also on transfers based on pre-established rules. The effect of direct party alignment, when mayors and the president are from the same party, is greater than that resulting from coalitions established in municipal and federal elections.

Research limitations/implications

The positive effect of party alignment was found both in discretionary transfers (those that do not have previously established rules) and some non-discretionary transfers (although they have previously defined regulations). A part of these regulations depends on production capacity and on taking part in programs promoted by the central government, which may produce entropy in the financing system, and a margin to benefit political allies. In the case of the SUS system, it is possible that this entropy is greater in the basic health care category than in the moderate and high complexity one, allowing a higher margin for discretion in transfers allocated to the former. Stricter rules associated to basic health care transfers would be desirable.

Practical implications

In Brazil, stricter rules and monitoring associated to basic healthcare intergovernmental transfers would be desirable.

Social implications

The results may inspire some improvement in the mechanisms that govern the distribution of resources to basic healthcare in Brazil, improving social welfare by improving social justice in the distribution of resources to basic healthcare.

Originality/value

The authors does not know any other study about the impact of party alignment on the distribution of intergovernmental transfers to the Brazilian unified health system.
Visualization and mapping of global eHealth research based on keywords
Authors: Nwagwu Williams E. , Onyancha Omwoyo Bosire
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the global pattern of growth and development of eHealth research based on publication headcount, and analysis of the characteristics, of the keywords used by authors and indexers to represent their research content during 1945–2019.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a bibliometric research design and a quantitative approach. The source of the data was Elsevier’s Scopus database. The search query involved multiple search terms because researchers’ choice of keywords varies very significantly. The search for eHealth research publications was limited to conference papers and research articles published before 2020.

Findings

eHealth originated in the late 1990s, but it has become an envelope term for describing much older terms such as telemedicine, and its variants that originated much earlier. The keywords were spread through the 27 Scopus Subject Areas, with medicine (44.04%), engineering (12.84%) and computer science (11.47%) leading, while by Scopus All Science Journal Classification Health Sciences accounted for 55.83% of the keywords. Physical sciences followed with 30.62%. The classifications social sciences and life sciences made only single-digit contributions. eHealth is about meeting health needs, but the work of engineers and computer scientists is very outstanding in achieving this goal.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates that eHealth is an unexplored aspect of health literature and highlights the nature of the accumulated literature in the area. It further demonstrates that eHealth is a multidisciplinary area that is attractive to researchers from all disciplines because of its sensitive focus on health, and therefore requires pooling and integration of human resources and expertise, methods and approaches.
Designing obstacle’s map of an unknown place using autonomous drone navigation and web services
Authors: Tanwar Jitender , Sharma Sanjay Kumar , Mittal Mandeep
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Drones are used in several purposes including examining areas, mapping surroundings and rescue mission operations. During these tasks, they could encounter compound surroundings having multiple obstacles, acute edges and deadlocks. The purpose of this paper is to propose an obstacle dodging technique required to move the drones autonomously and generate the obstacle's map of an unknown place dynamically.

Design/methodology/approach

Therefore, an obstacle dodging technique is essentially required to move autonomously. The automaton of drones requires complicated vision sensors and a high computing force. During this research, a methodology that uses two basic ultrasonic-oriented proximity sensors placed at the center of the drone and applies neural control using synaptic plasticity for dynamic obstacle avoidance is proposed. The two-neuron intermittent system has been established by neural control. The synaptic plasticity is used to find turning angles from different viewpoints with immediate remembrance, so it helps in decision-making for a drone. Hence, the automaton will be able to travel around and modify its angle of turning for escaping objects during the route in unknown surroundings with narrow junctions and dead ends. Furthermore, wherever an obstacle is detected during the route, the coordinate information is communicated using RESTful Web service to an android app and an obstacle map is generated according to the information sent by the drone. In this research, the drone is successfully designed and automated and an obstacle map using the V-REP simulation environment is generated.

Findings

Simulation results show that the drone effectively moves and turns around the obstacles and the experiment of using web services with the drone is also successful in generating the obstacle's map dynamically.

Originality/value

The obstacle map generated by autonomous drone is useful in many applications such as examining fields, mapping surroundings and rescue mission operations.
Human resource management for the resilience of public organizations: a model based on macro-competences
Authors: Macchi Silva Vítor Vasata , Ribeiro Jose Luis Duarte
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This paper proposes a model composed by macro-competences developed to contribute for the resilience of public organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

To propose the model, a literature review in the area of organizations resilience was carried out, and the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used. The setting used to validate the proposed model was the Brazilian Federal Institutions of Higher Education.

Findings

The results present five dimensions of action seen as macro-competences that contribute for organizations’ resilience: human resource management, development of individual competencies, risk management, preparedness for response, and responsiveness. The results also point at competences that can be developed in each of those dimensions with a view toward resilience.

Practical implications

Competences of strategically planning the workforces, of testing the risk hypotheses continuously, and applying the action plans proposed by risk management in response to crises can improve individual and organizational resiliencies.

Originality/value

Guided by the proposed model, public organizations will be better prepared to withstand adversities, such as resources cutbacks and staff shortages.
Internal and external networking behaviors and employee outcomes: a test of gender moderating effect
Authors: Wanigasekara Saroja , Ali Muhammad , French Erica Lynn , Baker Marzena
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Research suggests that engaging in networking behaviors can affect individual work outcomes. However, relatively less is known about how internal versus external networking behaviors influence work outcomes, and whether gender moderates these relationships. Drawing on social capital theory and social role theory, the authors propose a positive relationship between employees' internal and external networking behaviors and their work outcomes (job commitment and career success), and the moderating effect of gender. The authors also explore employee preference in networking.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a sequential mixed-method research design with a four-month time lag, Study 1 data on networking behaviors and employee outcomes were collected via a survey of middle managers and their supervisors from 10 private sector organizations in Sri Lanka. Study 2 data were collected via interviews from a sample of those middle managers and their supervisors.

Findings

Study 1 findings indicate a positive relationship between internal networking behaviors and job commitment, and external networking behaviors and career success. The authors also found that internal networking behaviors enhance job commitment. Study 2 findings indicate men and women network differently and benefit differently from that networking but achieve equitable workplace benefits.

Originality/value

This study provides pioneering evidence that internal networking behaviors enhance job commitment among women. It appears that past research did not test the moderating effect of gender for internal versus external networking behaviors separately. Moreover, this study refines the evidence that internal and external networking behaviors differentially impact employee outcomes and explains the processes through a qualitative inquiry.
Experimental atmospherics: a multi-sensory perspective
Authors: Spence Charles
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Atmospherics is undoubtedly a multi-sensory concept, despite mostly being studied on a sense-by-sense basis by architects, sensory marketers and urban designers alike. That is, our experience is nearly always the result of cross-modal/multi-sensory interactions between what we see, hear, smell and feel in a given space. As such, it is critical that researchers study the senses in concert. That said, the few empirical studies that have attempted to assess the impact of deliberately combining the senses in a retail/health-care environment have typically failed to deliver the multi-sensory boost to experience (or sales) that the multi-sensory science predicts ought to be observed. Invoking notions of processing fluency, sensory overload and sensory (in-) congruency in the field of multi-sensory atmospherics may help to explain what happened (or went wrong) in such cases.

Design/methodology/approach

Critical review of literature on atmospherics and sensory marketing, highlighting various difficulties of interpretation and challenges to accepted conclusions.

Findings

Atmospherics is a fundamentally multi-sensory concept, and cross-modal interactions are the rule, not the exception. As such, researchers need to study atmospherics in a multi-sensory context.

Originality/value

This critical commentary highlights the need for researchers to consider atmospherics from a multi-sensory, rather than sense-by-sense perspective.
Inferring plant–plant interactions using remote sensing
Authors: Chen Bin J. W. , Teng Shuqing N. , Zheng Guang , Cui Lijuan , Li Shao‐peng , Staal Arie , Eitel Jan U. H. , Crowther Thomas W. , Berdugo Miguel , Mo Lidong , Ma Haozhi , Bialic‐Murphy Lalasia , Zohner Constantin M. , Maynard Daniel S. , Averill Colin , Zhang Jian , He Qiang , Evers Jochem B. , Anten Niels P. R. , Yizhaq Hezi , Stavi Ilan , Argaman Eli , Basson Uri , Xu Zhiwei , Zhang Ming‐Juan , Niu Kechang , Liu Quan‐Xing , Xu Chi
Published: August 2022

Rapid technological advancements and increasing data availability have improved the capacity to monitor and evaluate Earth's ecology via remote sensing. However, remote sensing is notoriously ‘blind’ to fine‐scale ecological processes such as interactions among plants, which encompass a central topic in ecology.

Here, we discuss how remote sensing technologies can help infer plant–plant interactions and their roles in shaping plant‐based systems at individual, community and landscape levels. At each of these levels, we outline the key attributes of ecosystems that emerge as a product of plant–plant interactions and could possibly be detected by remote sensing data. We review the theoretical bases, approaches and prospects of how inference of plant–plant interactions can be assessed remotely.

At the individual level, we illustrate how close‐range remote sensing tools can help to infer plant–plant interactions, especially in experimental settings. At the community level, we use forests to illustrate how remotely sensed community structure can be used to infer dominant interactions as a fundamental force in shaping plant communities. At the landscape level, we highlight how remotely sensed attributes of vegetation states and spatial vegetation patterns can be used to assess the role of local plant–plant interactions in shaping landscape ecological systems.

Synthesis. Remote sensing extends the domain of plant ecology to broader and finer spatial scales, assisting to scale ecological patterns and search for generic rules. Robust remote sensing approaches are likely to extend our understanding of how plant–plant interactions shape ecological processes across scales—from individuals to landscapes. Combining these approaches with theories, models, experiments, data‐driven approaches and data analysis algorithms will firmly embed remote sensing techniques into ecological context and open new pathways to better understand biotic interactions.
Divergence for nutritional traits in cultivated and wild pigeonpea genotypes from India and Africa
Authors: Mishra Sweta , Kumar Shailesh , Acharya Suresh
Published: August 2022

The untapped divergence of pigeonpea has remained unutilized for ages. Pigeonpea is an important natural resource with a great divergence that can be explored in the field of sustainable agricultural development. This study was undertaken to assess the nutritional divergence available in 104 cultivated and wild pigeonpea genotypes from India and Africa. Pigeonpea is studied to identify suitable genotypic groups to enhance nutritional traits for future breeding programs. Genotypes of pigeonpea exhibited highly significant differences in terms of seed iron and, zinc concentrations, protein content, phytic acid levels, lipid content, moisture content, fiber content and seed weight. Our D2 analysis grouped 104 different pigeonpea accessions into eleven clusters. Five of the eight characters including seed phytic acid levels, iron, fiber, lipid and protein contents were the predominant characters that contributed towards the pigeonpea's total divergence. Cluster II exhibited the maximum seed iron concentration. Cluster IV exhibited the maximum seed zinc concentration, lipid and moisture content; it exhibited the least phytic acid and fiber content which is desirable with regards to the bioavailability of iron and zinc. The accessions in clusters II, III, IV, V and XI are diverse and have desirable content levels of traits found beneficial for enhancing seed iron and zinc concentrations in pigeonpea. A D2 analysis revealed that Indo‐African C. cajan, C. platycarpus and R. rothii had the maximum mean seed iron concentration and R. bracteata had the maximum mean seed zinc concentration. The promising genotypes identified in the present study can contribute towards selecting suitable starting material for biofortification in pigeonpea improvement programmes.
The root‐associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal assemblages of exotic alien plants are simplified in invaded distribution ranges, but dominant species are retained: A trans‐continental perspective
Authors: Řezáčová Veronika , Michalová Tereza , Řezáč Milan , Gryndler Milan , Duell Eric B. , Wilson Gail W. T. , Heneberg Petr
Published: August 2022

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provide crucial support for the establishment of plants in novel environments. We hypothesized that the OTU/genus richness and diversity of soil‐ and root‐associated AMF associated with alien plant species in their exotic ranges are lower than those in their native ranges. We examined the root‐associated and soil‐dwelling AMF of 11 invasive plant species in their native and exotic ranges in the United States and Europe by DNA sequencing of the ITS2 locus. Examined root‐associated AMF assemblages were simplified, which manifested as the loss of several AMF genera in the exotic ranges of the plants. These fungal assemblages were also characterized by greater dominance and simplification of the fungal assemblages. The dominant fungal genera were present regardless of whether their host plants were in their native or exotic ranges. Interestingly, both the native and invaded soils hosted diverse local AMF assemblages. Therefore, alien plant invasions were not limited to soils with low AMF diversity. Some AMF taxa could be context‐dependent passengers rather than drivers of alien plant invasions. Further studies should identify functions of AMF missing or less abundant in roots of plants growing in exotic ranges.
Using deep convolutional neural networks to forecast spatial patterns of Amazonian deforestation
Authors: Ball James G. C. , Petrova Katerina , Coomes David A. , Flaxman Seth
Published: August 2022

Tropical forests are subject to diverse deforestation pressures while their conservation is essential to achieve global climate goals. Predicting the location of deforestation is challenging due to the complexity of the natural and human systems involved but accurate and timely forecasts could enable effective planning and on‐the‐ground enforcement practices to curb deforestation rates. New computer vision technologies based on deep learning can be applied to the increasing volume of Earth observation data to generate novel insights and make predictions with unprecedented accuracy.

Here, we demonstrate the ability of deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to learn spatiotemporal patterns of deforestation from a limited set of freely available global data layers, including multispectral satellite imagery, the Hansen maps of annual forest change (2001–2020) and the ALOS PALSAR digital surface model, to forecast deforestation (2021). We designed four model architectures, based on 2D CNNs, 3D CNNs, and Convolutional Long Short‐Term Memory (ConvLSTM) Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), to produce spatial maps that indicate the risk to each forested pixel (~30 m) in the landscape of becoming deforested within the next year. They were trained and tested on data from two ~80,000 km2 tropical forest regions in the Southern Peruvian Amazon.

The networks could predict the location of future forest loss to a high degree of accuracy (F1 = 0.58–0.71). Our best performing model (3D CNN) had the highest pixel‐wise accuracy (F1 = 0.71) when validated on 2020 forest loss (2014–2019 training). Visual interpretation of the mapped forecasts indicated that the network could automatically discern the drivers of forest loss from the input data. For example, pixels around new access routes (e.g. roads) were assigned high risk, whereas this was not the case for recent, concentrated natural loss events (e.g. remote landslides).

Convolutional neural networks can harness limited time‐series data to predict near‐future deforestation patterns, an important step in harnessing the growing volume of satellite remote sensing data to curb global deforestation. The modelling framework can be readily applied to any tropical forest location and used by governments and conservation organisations to prevent deforestation and plan protected areas.
Histological and histochemical characteristics of the oral, pharyngeal and accessory digestive organs in the water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) from Thailand
Authors: Srichairat Nattawut , Taksintum Wut , Chumnanpuen Pramote
Published: August 2022

Srichairat, N., Taksintum, W., & Chumnanpuen, P. (2022). Histological and histochemical characteristics of the oral, pharyngeal and accessory digestive organs in the water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) from Thailand. Anatomia Histologia Embryologia, 51, https://doi.org/10.1111/ahe.12846. The water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) is largely distributed in Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, which the microanatomical structure studies on this particular species have been limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine and describe the oral, pharyngeal and accessory digestive organs' histological and histochemical characteristics. Histological and histochemical examinations were performed on the two specimens (male and female). The majority of V. salvator oral, pharyngeal and accessory digestive organs are similar to those of other vertebrates, according to the results of the histological investigation. However, several unique characteristics have been observed, such as the dentine lamella (plicidentine fold) at the tooth root structure was discovered to be attached to the jaw bone, the absence of lingual papillae and taste buds on the tongue, and the absence of inner surface folding structures in the gallbladder. Regarding mucin histochemical investigation, acid and neutral mucins were discovered in the pharyngeal glands of V. salvator, whereas only acid mucin was found in the mandibular salivary glands. This study reveals the histological and histochemical characteristics of V. salvator oral, pharyngeal and accessory digestive organs, which could be employed to improve digestive tract function, as well as the necessity of understanding animal digestive processes.
Delivery mode and risk of gastrointestinal disease in the offspring
Authors: Hellsing Christine , Örtqvist Anne K. , Hagel Eva , Mesas‐Burgos Carmen , Gustafsson Ulf O. , Granström Anna Löf
Published: August 2022

Introduction

The global increase of individuals born by cesarean section with reported levels up to 20% of all deliveries, makes it important to study cesarean section and possible associations that can increase risk of subsequent diseases in children. The aim of the study was to evaluate if cesarean section is associated with increased risk of gastrointestinal disease later in life in a large population‐based cohort.

Material and methods

In this national population‐based cohort study including all full‐term individuals registered in the Medical Birth Register in Sweden between 1990 and 2000, type of delivery (exposure) was collected from the Medical Birth Register. The study population was followed until 2017 with regards to the outcomes: inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), appendicitis, cholecystitis, or diverticulitis registered in the Swedish National Patient Register. Cox proportional‐hazards models compared disease‐free survival time between exposed and unexposed.

Results

The final study population consisted of 1 102 468 individuals of whom 11.6% were delivered by cesarean section and 88.4% were vaginally delivered. In univariate analysis, cesarean section was associated with Crohn's disease (hazard ratio [HR] 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.25), diverticulosis (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.13–2.18), and cholecystitis (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05–1.28). However, the increased risk only remained for Crohn's disease after adjustment for confounders (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02–1.27). No associations between delivery mode and appendicitis, ulcerative colitis, cholecystitis, or diverticulosis were found in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Cesarean section is associated with Crohn's disease later in life, but no other association between delivery mode and gastrointestinal disorders later in life could be found.
Children's developing ability to adjust their beliefs reasonably in light of disagreement
Authors: Langenhoff Antonia F. , Engelmann Jan M. , Srinivasan Mahesh
Published: August 2022

Two preregistered experiments (N = 218) investigated children's developing ability to respond reasonably to disagreement. U.S. children aged 4–9, and adults (50% female, mostly white) formed an initial belief, and were confronted with the belief of a disagreeing other, whose evidence was weaker, stronger than, or equal to participants' evidence. With age, participants were increasingly likely to maintain their initial belief when their own evidence was stronger, adopt the other's belief when their evidence was weaker, and suspend judgment when both had equally strong evidence. Interestingly, 4‐ to 6‐year‐olds only suspended judgment reliably when this was assessed via the search for additional information (Experiment 2). Together, our experiments suggest that the ability to respond reasonably to disagreement develops over the preschool years.