bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thetrans-zeatin-type side-chain modification of cytokinins controls rice growth
Authors: Kiba Takatoshi , Mizutani Kahori , Nakahara Aimi , Takebayashi Yumiko , Kojima Mikiko , Hobo Tokunori , Osakabe Yuriko , Osakabe Keishi , Sakakibara Hitoshi
Published: September 2022

Cytokinins (CKs), a class of phytohormones with vital roles in growth and development, occur naturally with various side-chain structures, includingN6-(Δ2-isopentenyl)adenine-,cis-zeatin- andtrans-zeatin (tZ)-types. Recent studies in a model dicot plantArabidopsisdemonstrated that tZ-type CKs are biosynthesized via cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) CYP735A, and have a specific function in shoot growth promotion. Although the function of some of these CKs has been demonstrated in a few dicotyledonous plant species, the significance of these variations and their biosynthetic mechanism and function in monocots and in plants with distinctive side-chain profiles thanArabidopsis, such asOryza sativa(rice), remain elusive. In this study, we characterizedCYP735A3andCYP735A4to investigate the role of tZ-type CKs in rice. Complementation test of theArabidopsisCYP735A-deficient mutant and CK profiling of loss-of-function rice mutant,cyp735a3 cyp735a4, demonstrated thatCYP735A3andCYP735A4encode P450s required for tZ-type side-chain modification in rice.CYP735Asare expressed in both roots and shoots. Thecyp735a3 cyp735a4mutants exhibited growth retardation concomitant with reduction in CK activity in both roots and shoots, indicating that tZ-type CKs function in growth promotion of both organs. Expression analysis revealed that tZ-type CK biosynthesis is negatively regulated by auxin, abscisic acid, and cytokinin and positively by dual nitrogen nutrient signals, namely glutamine-related and nitrate-specific signals. These results suggest that the physiological role of tZ-type CKs in rice is different from that inArabidopsisand they control growth of both roots and shoots in response to internal and environmental cues in rice.
Supercharged PGR5-dependent cyclic electron transfer compensates for mis-regulated chloroplast ATP synthase
Authors: Degen Gustaf E. , Jackson Philip J. , Proctor Matthew S. , Zoulias Nicholas , Casson Stuart A. , Johnson Matthew P.
Published: September 2022

The light reactions of photosynthesis couple electron and proton transfers across the thylakoid membrane, generating NADPH, and proton motive force (pmf) that powers the endergonic synthesis of ATP by ATP synthase. ATP and NADPH are required for CO2 fixation into carbohydrates by the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle (CBBC). The dominant ΔpH component of the pmf also plays a photoprotective role in regulating photosystem II (PSII) light harvesting efficiency, through non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), and cytochrome b6f (cytb6f) to photosystem I (PSI) electron transfer, via photosynthetic control. ΔpH can be adjusted by increasing the proton influx into the thylakoid lumen via upregulation of cyclic electron transfer (CET) or decreasing proton efflux via downregulation of ATP synthase conductivity (gH+). The interplay and relative contributions of these two elements of ΔpH control to photoprotection are not well understood. Here, we show that an Arabidopsis ATP synthase mutant (hope2) with 40% higher proton efflux, has supercharged CET. Double crosses of hope2 with the CET-deficient pgr5 and ndho lines reveal that PGR5-dependent CET is the major pathway contributing to higher proton influx. PGR5-dependent CET allows hope2 to maintain wild-type levels of ΔpH, CO2 fixation and NPQ, however photosynthetic control remains absent, and PSI is acceptor-side limited. Therefore, high CET in the absence of ATP synthase regulation is insufficient for PSI photoprotection.
Genome-wide investigation of Cytochrome P450 superfamily of Aquilaria agallocha: association with terpenoids and phenylpropanoids biosynthesis
Authors: Das Ankur , Begum Khaleda , Akhtar Suraiya , Ahmed Raja , Tamuli Phatik , Kulkarni Ram , Banu Sofia
Published: September 2022

P450 superfamily (CYPs) has been known as contributors to the metabolites’ diversity and their promiscuous nature has led to the flexibility in substrate specificity and functional diversity. Current study was designed to investigate CYPs in the genome of an agarwood producing plant species named Aquilaria agallocha. Agarwood, the resinous fragrant wood with numerous phytochemicals, produced when an Aquilaria plant respond to wound and microbial infection. These chemicals are of great interest to industries ascribing it a high economic value. However, the pathways for the biosynthesis of these metabolites have not been studied in context of Aquilaria CYPs. We identified 136 A. agallocha CYP proteins from the genome, characterized and classified them into 8 clans and 38 families. Functional analysis unveiled their participation in terpenoids, phenolics, flavonoids and other valuable metabolites biosynthesis. Conserved motifs were detected and evolutionary analysis revealed duplicated and orthologous pairs. Potential members for the biosynthesis of sesquiterpenoids and phenylpropanoids reported in Aquilaria and agarwood were elucidated and validated through expression profiles in stress induced callus tissues and infected Aquilaria tress. This study provides a strong foundation for biochemical characterization of Aquilaria CYPs which will aid heterologous production of valuable phytochemicals and untangle molecular mechanism of agarwood formation.
Personnel brain-drain syndrome and quality healthcare delivery among public healthcare workforce in Nigeria
Authors: Akinwale Olusegun Emmanuel , George Olusoji James
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The mass exodus of the professional healthcare workforce has become a cankerworm for a developing nation like Nigeria, and this worsens the already depleted healthcare systems in underdeveloped nation. This study investigated the rationale behind medical workers' brain-drain syndrome and the quality healthcare delivery in the Nigerian public healthcare sector.

Design/methodology/approach

To stimulate an understanding of the effect of the phenomenon called brain drain, the study adopted a diagnostic research design to survey the public healthcare personnel in government hospitals. The study administered a battery of adapted research scales of different measures to confirm the variables of interest of this study on a probability sampling strategy. The study surveyed 450 public healthcare sector employees from four government hospitals to gather pertinent data. The study used a structural equation model (SEM) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) to analyse the collected data from the medical personnel of government hospitals.

Findings

The findings of this study are significant as postulated. The study discovered that poor quality worklife experienced by Nigerian medical personnel was attributed to the brain-drain effect and poor healthcare delivery. The study further demonstrated that job dissatisfaction suffered among the public healthcare workforce forced the workforce to migrate to the international labour market, and this same factor is a reason for poor healthcare delivery. Lastly, the study discovered that inadequate remuneration and pay discouraged Nigerian professionals and allied healthcare workers from being productive and ultimately pushed them to the global market.

Originality/value

Practically, this study has shown three major elements that caused the mass movement of Nigerian healthcare personnel to other countries of the world and that seems novel given the peculiarity of the Nigerian labour market. The study is original and novel as much study has not been put forward in the public healthcare sector in Nigeria concerning this phenomenon.
What contributes to locavorism as a consumer ideology?
Authors: Balzano Marco , Vianelli Donata
Published: September 2022

Purpose

In this study the authors aim to explore the factors that contribute to the formation of locavorism as a form of consumer ideology.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the authors adopt an inductive approach by preselecting locavore consumers and conducting 43 semi-structured interviews, following the prescriptions of narrative-enquiry research.

Findings

The authors reveal that individual-level (i.e. values, beliefs and experiences) and social-level (i.e. groups, local communities and society) influences and exogenous factors can affect the formation of locavorism. Furthermore, the authors’ findings corroborate the concept advanced by prior studies that reinforcing loops exist among the three belief dimensions of locavorism.

Practical implications

Food producers can use these findings to shape their marketing strategies more effectively to target locavore consumers and/or stimulate the consumption of local food.

Social implications

Identifying the influences of social- and individual-level factors on the formation of locavorism can contribute to the understanding of demand shifts towards local food consumption. Additionally, by revealing the modes of thought that formulate the ideologies of locavore consumers, the authors offer guidance in the development of policies that can safeguard local economies and traditions and reduce transport pollution and food waste in favour of sustainable local consumption.

Originality/value

In the present article the authors explore the psychological and contextual mechanisms that contribute to the formation of locavorism.
Employee emotional competence and service recovery satisfaction: the mediating role of consumer forgiveness
Authors: Umar Rana Muhammad , Saleem Salman
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Employees' emotional competence (EEC) is gaining increasing attention in service failure and recovery research. This study investigates the mediating role of consumer forgiveness between perceived EEC and recovery satisfaction among casual dining consumers. Additionally, this study examines the effect of perceived EEC on recovery satisfaction across process failure vs outcome failure.

Design/methodology/approach

A critical incident technique (CIT) in conjunction with a self-administered online survey was carried out. Using the snowball sampling technique, a total of 204 useable responses were collected. To test the hypotheses, this study used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The study finds that perceived EEC influences service recovery satisfaction. Additionally, the study identifies the mediating role of consumer forgiveness in the relationship between perceived EEC and recovery satisfaction. Multi-group moderation analysis shows that the relationship between perceived EEC and recovery satisfaction is weaker in process failures as compared to outcome failures.

Practical implications

Based on obtained results, this study recommends that after service failure consumer forgiveness and subsequent recovery satisfaction can be obtained with perceived EEC. To do so, managers need to incorporate emotional competence while recruiting and training the employees. Moreover, managers need to train employees on failure types and respective recovery strategies. Lastly, the study suggests that in emerging markets managers should pay greater emphasis on process failure, because such failure decreases customer satisfaction greatly than outcome failure.

Originality/value

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the impact of perceived EEC on consumer forgiveness which subsequently determines the recovery satisfaction in the emerging markets. It extends the application of the emotional contagion and affect infusion theories by exposing the effect of perceived EEC on recovery satisfaction through consumer forgiveness. In addition, the study provides insights that the influence of perceived ECC on recovery satisfaction significantly varies across service failure types.
A survey on blockchain consensus mechanism: research overview, current advances and future directions
Authors: Xie Mingyue , Liu Jun , Chen Shuyu , Lin Mingwei
Published: September 2022

Purpose

As the core technology of blockchain, various consensus mechanisms have emerged to satisfy the demands of different application scenarios. Since determining the security, scalability and other related performance of the blockchain, how to reach consensus efficiently of consensus mechanism is a critical issue in the blockchain.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper opted for a research overview on the blockchain consensus mechanism, including the consensus mechanisms' consensus progress, classification and comparison, which are complemented by documentary analysis.

Findings

This survey analyzes solutions for the improvement of consensus mechanisms in blockchain that have been proposed during the last few years and suggests future research directions around consensus mechanisms. First, the authors outline the consensus processes, the advantages and disadvantages of the mainstream consensus mechanisms. Additionally, the consensus mechanisms are subdivided into four types according to their characteristics. Then, the consensus mechanisms are compared and analyzed based on four evaluation criteria. Finally, the authors summarize the representative progress of consensus mechanisms and provide some suggestions on the design of consensus mechanisms to make further advances in this field.

Originality/value

This paper summarizes the future research development of the consensus mechanisms.
Novel approach of detecting the black hole attack for vehicular ad-hoc networks based on capability indicators
Authors: El Houssaini Souad , El Houssaini Mohammed-Alamine , El Kafi Jamal
Published: September 2022

Purpose

In vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), the information transmitted is broadcast in a free access environment. Therefore, VANETs are vulnerable against attacks that can directly perturb the performance of the networks and then provoke big fall of capability. Black hole attack is an example such attack, where the attacker node pretends that having the shortest path to the destination node and then drops the packets. This paper aims to present a new method to detect the black hole attack in real-time in a VANET network.

Design/methodology/approach

This method is based on capability indicators that are widely used in industrial production processes. If the different capability indicators are greater than 1.33 and the stability ratio (Sr) is greater than 75%, the network is stable and the vehicles are communicating in an environment without the black hole attack. When the malicious nodes representing the black hole attacks are activated one by one, the fall of capability becomes more visible and the network is unstable, out of control and unmanaged, due to the presence of the attacks. The simulations were conducted using NS-3 for the network simulation and simulation of urban mobility for generating the mobility model.

Findings

The proposed mechanism does not impose significant overheads or extensive modifications in the standard Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11p or in the routing protocols. In addition, it can be implemented at any receiving node which allows identifying malicious nodes in real-time. The simulation results demonstrated the effectiveness of proposed scheme to detect the impact of the attack very early, especially with the use of the short-term capability indicators (Cp, Cpk and Cpm) of each performance metrics (throughput and packet loss ratio), which are more efficient at detecting quickly and very early the small deviations over a very short time. This study also calculated another indicator of network stability which is Sr, which allows to make a final decision if the network is under control and that the vehicles are communicating in an environment without the black hole attack.

Originality/value

According to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the method, using capability indicators for detecting the black hole attack in VANETs, has not been presented previously in the literature.
Supervision or collusion? CEO–CFO social ties and financial reporting quality
Authors: Fang Xingtong , He Kaigang , Meng Yijun , Ye Jianfang
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Social ties may either help chief executive officers (CEOs) supervise chief financial officers' (CFOs) behaviors effectively and improve financial reporting quality or lead to collusion and undermine financial reporting quality. Therefore, this paper examines the impact of social ties between CEOs and CFOs on financial reporting quality.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper constructs the CEO–CFO social ties through their mutual alma mater or birthplace. Based on 6,787 Chinese non-financial firm-year observations from 2003 to 2020, the paper conducts an empirical test using the multiple regression method.

Findings

The main finding is that firms with CEO–CFO social ties are more likely to exhibit higher financial reporting quality. CEOs with social ties to CFOs can obtain a high level of information and exert a better supervisory and monitoring role. Further, CEO–CFO social ties are more effective when the CEO does not have a financial background and when the institutional environment is weak.

Originality/value

This paper mainly contributes to the literature exploring the impact of executive characteristics on financial reporting quality and the literature examining the relation between social ties and corporate behaviors. Meanwhile, the paper emphasizes the important role of social ties as an informal monitoring mechanism in practice.
Real earnings management and idiosyncratic return volatility
Authors: Habib Ahsan , Biswas Pallab Kumar , Ranasinghe Dinithi
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Higher real earnings management (REM) reduces financial reporting quality and increases the uncertainty of future cash flows and profitability among investors. This study asserts that REM-induced noise increases idiosyncratic return volatility (IVOL), aims to examine the association between REM and IVOL and further investigates whether information asymmetry, firm life cycle and economic policy uncertainty (EPU) moderate the association between REM and IVOL.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use 94,445 firm-year observations from the US over 1987 to 2019 and test this study’s hypotheses using ordinary least square regressions with robust standard errors clustered by firm. The authors use change analysis, two-stage models and the impact threshold of the confounding variable analysis to address endogeneity.

Findings

The authors find that REM increases IVOL. This positive association is more pronounced for firms with more information asymmetry, for firms in the mature stage of the life cycle, compared with their growth-stage counterparts; and during periods of high EPU.

Originality/value

Extant research suggests that accrual manipulation increases IVOL. However, the shift from accrual manipulation to REM and the managerial preference towards REM suggests that it is important to explore the impact of REM on IVOL. Thus, the authors enhance the understanding of the impact of earnings management on IVOL by documenting that REM-induced noise increases IVOL. The authors further extend the limited research on the consequences of REM and report an adverse consequence.
Artificial intelligence and entrepreneurial ecosystems: understanding the implications of algorithmic decision-making for startup communities
Authors: Roundy Philip T.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Entrepreneurs are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in creating and scaling new ventures. Research on entrepreneurs’ use of AI algorithms (machine learning, natural language processing, artificial neural networks) has focused on the intra-organizational implications of AI. The purpose of this paper is to explore how entrepreneurs’ adoption of AI influences their inter- and meta-organizational relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the limited understanding of the consequences of AI for communities of entrepreneurs, this paper develops a theory to explain how AI algorithms influence the micro (entrepreneur) and macro (system) dynamics of entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Findings

The theory’s main insight is that substituting AI for entrepreneurial ecosystem interactions influences not only entrepreneurs’ pursuit of opportunities but also the coordination of their local entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Originality/value

The theory contributes by drawing attention to the inter-organizational implications of AI, explaining how the decision to substitute AI for human interactions is a micro-foundation of ecosystems, and motivating a research agenda at the intersection of AI and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Parental influence, financial literacy and investment behaviour of young adults
Authors: Chawla Deepak , Bhatia Shikha , Singh Sonali
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Parents are the first and leading socialization agents for young adults. It is vital to recognize the influence of perceived parental financial behaviour in shaping the financial literacy and investment behaviour of their children. In this context, this paper aims to test the perceived parental influence on financial literacy. Additionally, the direct and indirect influence of financial literacy on investment behaviour of young adults is examined.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses survey-based cross-sectional data. The partial least squares-structure equation model has been used to estimate and test the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

Perceived parental financial behaviour has been found to significantly impact the level of financial literacy. In turn, financial literacy positively influences the investment behaviour of young adults. Moreover, the young adults’ perception of confidence over ability to take right financial decisions drives their decision to invest.

Social implications

The results of this study imply that there is a need to have planned interventions from policymakers to ensure that young adults are financially literate. This may require introduction of planned programmes or workshops at middle or senior school levels. These programmes should help young adults understand the need for focused and long-term investing in the absence of social benefits.

Originality/value

This study is one of the preliminary works to examine the perceived parental influence on young adults’ financial literacy and further linking these with actual investment behaviour.
Seismic performance of continuous curved girder bridge with high pier in Maduo earthquake and characteristic analysis
Authors: Huang Yong , Song Guangyou , Li Guochang
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the seismic damage mechanism of the Dayemaling Bridge during the Maduo earthquake and discuss the seismic damage characteristics of the high-pier curved girder bridge.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the numerical simulation method is used to analyze the seismic response using synthetic near-field ground motion records.

Findings

The near-field ground motion of the Maduo earthquake has an obvious directional effect, it is more likely to cause bridge seismic damage. Considering the longitudinal slope of the bridge and adopting the continuous girder bridge form, the beam end displacement of the curved bridge can be effectively reduced, and the collision force of the block and the bending moment of the pier bottom are reduced, so the curved bridge with longitudinal slope is adopted.

Originality/value

Combined with the seismic damage phenomenon of bridges in real earthquakes, the seismic damage mechanism and vulnerability characteristics of high-pier curved girder bridges are discussed by the numerical simulation method, which provides technical support for the application of such bridges in high seismic intensity areas.
Evaluation of the efficiency of polyacrylamide and poly(MMA-HEMA) for the consolidation of vegetable-tanned leather artifacts
Authors: Abdel-Maksoud Gomaa , Abdallah Aya , Youssef Rana , Elsayed Doha , Labib Nesreen , Mohamed Wael S. , Ibrahim Medhat
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of using some polymers at different concentrations in the consolidation of vegetable-tanned leather artifacts.

Design/methodology/approach

New vegetable-tanned leather samples were prepared. The consolidants used were polyacrylamide (PAM) and polymethyl methacrylate/hydroxyethyl methacrylate (MMA-HEMA). Accelerated heat aging was applied to the untreated and treated samples. Analytical techniques used were Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), digital microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), change of color and mechanical properties.

Findings

The characteristic FTIR bands showed the effect of accelerated heat aging on the molecular structure of the studied samples, but treated and aged treated samples used were better than aged untreated samples. Microscopic investigations (digital and SEM), and mechanical properties proved that 2% was the best concentration for polymers used. The change in the total color difference of the treated and aged treated samples was limited.

Originality/value

This study presents the important results obtained from PAM and poly(MMA-HEMA) used for the consolidation of vegetable-tanned leather artifacts. The best results of the studied polymers can be applied directly to protect historical vegetable-tanned leathers.
“Life is based on reciprocity, so be generous”: ethical work in doctoral acknowledgements
Authors: Grant Barbara M. , Sato Machi , Skelling Jules
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore doctoral candidates’ ethical work in writing the acknowledgements section of their theses. With interest in the formation of academic identities/subjectivities, the authors explore acknowledgements writing as always potentially a form of parrhesia or risky truth-telling, through which the candidate places themselves in their relations to others rather than in their claims to knowledge (Luxon, 2008).

Design/methodology/approach

Doctoral candidates from all faculties in one Japanese and one Aotearoa New Zealand university participated in focus groups where they discussed the genre of thesis acknowledgements, drafted their own version and wrote a reflective commentary/backstory.

Findings

Viewing the backstories through the lens of parrhesia (with its entangled matters of frankness, truth, risk, criticism and duty) showed candidates engaged in complex ethical decision-making processes with, at best, “ambiguous ethical resources” (Luxon, 2008, p. 381) arising from their academic and personal lives. Candidates used these resources to try and position themselves as both properly academic and more than academic – as knowing selves and relational selves.

Originality/value

This study bares the ethical riskiness of writing doctoral acknowledgements, as doctoral candidates navigate the tensions between situating themselves “truthfully” in their relations with others while striking the necessary pose of intellectual independence (originality). In a context where there is evidence that examiners not only read acknowledgements to ascertain independence, student and/or supervisor quality and the “human being behind the thesis” (Kumar and Sanderson, 2020, p. 285) but also show bias in those readings, this study advises reader caution about drawing inferences from acknowledgements texts. They are not simply transparent. As examiners and other readers make sense, judgments even, of these tiny, often fascinating, glimpses into a candidate’s doctoral experience, they need to understand that a host of unpredictable tensions with myriad ambiguous effects are present on the page.
Epidemiological survey of patients with pustular psoriasis in the Japanese Society for Psoriasis Research from 2017 to 2020
Authors: Kamiya Koji , Ohtsuki Mamitaro
Published: September 2022

The Japanese Society for Psoriasis Research (JSPR) has been conducting annual epidemiological surveys of patients with pustular psoriasis in Japan since 2017. This study aimed to conduct a recent epidemiological analysis of patients with pustular psoriasis who were enrolled in the JSPR from 2017 to 2020. A total of 291 patients from 131 medical institutions were enrolled, of which 47.4% (138 cases) were males and 52.6% (153 cases) were females. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of the patients was 57.4 ± 20.3 years (males, 61.2 ± 17.3 years; females, 54.1 ± 22.1 years). The mean ± SD age of the patients at disease onset was 48.5 ± 22.5 years (males, 50.8 ± 20.6 years; females, 46.4 ± 24.0 years). The types of pustular psoriasis observed included the von Zumbusch type (59.8%), annular pustular psoriasis (8.2%), impetigo herpetiformis (6.5%), and acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau (4.8%), of which, the majority of the patients with impetigo herpetiformis were female. Among the patients, 58.4% were treated with oral medications and 44.0% were treated with biologics. The most common oral medication prescribed was etretinate (52.4%), followed by corticosteroids (24.7%) and cyclosporin (22.9%). The most common biologics used were IL‐17 inhibitors (ixekizumab [28.1%] and secukinumab [22.7%]), followed by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors (infliximab [15.6%]) and IL‐23 inhibitors (guselkumab [14.8%] and risankizumab [10.2%]). This survey thus provides new and significant information regarding the recent perspective of pustular psoriasis, such as patient characteristics and treatment trends, in Japan.
Functional response traits and altered ecological niches drive the disassembly of cloud forest bird communities in tropical montane countrysides
Authors: Ausprey Ian J. , Newell Felicity L. , Robinson Scott K.
Published: September 2022

Anthropogenic disturbance contributes to global change by reshaping the ecological niche space available to biological communities. Quantifying the range of functional response traits required for species persistence is central towards understanding the mechanisms underlying community disassembly in disturbed landscapes.

We used intensive field surveys of cloud forest bird communities across seven replicate landscapes undergoing agricultural conversion in the Peruvian Andes to examine how a suite of 16 functional response traits related to morphology, diet, foraging behaviour and environmental niche breadth predict (1) species‐specific abundance changes in countryside habitats compared to forest and (2) differential changes to the ecological niche space occupied by communities.

Our analyses relied on (1) hierarchical distance sampling models to examine the functional predictors of abundance change across the agricultural land use gradient while accounting for imperfect detection and (2) n‐dimensional hypervolumes to quantify the expansion and contraction of ecological niche space in countryside habitats.

Key traits related to increased abundance in early successional and mixed‐intensity agricultural areas included (1) morphological adaptations to dense understorey habitats, (2) plant‐based diets (flowers, fruit and seeds) and (3) broad elevational range limits and habitat breadth. Species occupying mixed and high‐intensity agricultural land use regimes had mean elevational range limits 20%–60% wider than species found within forests. Collectively, ecological niche space expanded within agricultural habitats for traits related to diet and environmental niche breadth, while contracting for foraging and dispersal traits. Such changes were driven by species with unique functional trait combinations.

Our results reveal the dynamic changes to ecological niche space that underly community structure in disturbed landscapes and highlight how increased niche breadth can ameliorate disturbance sensitivity for generalist species. We emphasize that functional traits can be used to predict changes in community structure across disturbance gradients, allowing insights into specific mechanisms underlying community disassembly beyond emergent patterns of functional diversity. By identifying key functional trait groups that align with different countryside habitats, we demonstrate how conservation practitioners can contribute to the retention of avian functional diversity in agricultural landscapes throughout the world.
The effects of cheatgrass invasion on US Great Basin carbon storage depend on interactions between plant community composition, precipitation seasonality, and soil climate regime
Authors: Maxwell Toby M. , Germino Matthew J.
Published: September 2022

Annual‐grass invasions are transforming desert ecosystems in ways that affect ecosystem carbon (C) balance, but previous studies do not agree on the pattern, magnitude and direction of changes. A recent meta‐analysis of 41 articles and 386 sites concludes that invasion by annual grasses such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L) reduces C in biomass across the Great Basin (Nagy et al., 2021). Reanalysis reveals that whether cheatgrass affects biomass C stocks is not generalizable, but rather depends on the considerable variation in climate across the subject sites. Our analysis suggests that accurate Great Basin‐scale estimates of cheatgrass effects on C balance are not yet possible.

Addition of climate variables to the meta‐analysis reveals that cheatgrass invasion (a) reduced C in above‐ground biomass in relatively summer‐wet sites but not in summer‐dry sites, (b) increased surface soil C in sites with intermediate resistance and resilience classifications (R&R) but not in low R&R sites—that is, mesic/aridic soil climates and (c) did not affect deep soil C.

Considering that cheatgrass has expanded most in relatively summer‐dry sites and mesic/aridic sites, omission of climate factors leads to model overestimates of cheatgrass effects on C when extrapolating to larger areas. Estimates of cheatgrass effects on C would also be improved if the analysis considered that (a) perennial grasslands are a common community state in the Great Basin that have intermediary C relative to annual grasslands and sagebrush stands, that is the omission of perennial grasslands from analysis inflates the baseline C storage of uninvaded Great Basin ecosystems, and( b) cheatgrass does not often exist in stable monocultures and soil carbon can reflect current or recent presence of other species.

Synthesis and applications. Invasions often reveal heterogeneity in ecosystem structure and function that is not otherwise evident, and the heterogeneity can influence estimation of the net impacts of the invaders. For cheatgrass and other invaders, we propose that formally accounting for the spatial variability of invasion on ecosystem functions will improve the estimation of their net effect on ecosystem C, and thus improve prospects for adjusting management practices to optimize C sequestration.
Vegetation change on mountaintops in northern Sweden: Stable vascular‐plant but reordering of lichen and bryophyte communities
Authors: Hagenberg Liyenne Wu Chen , Vanneste Thomas , Opedal Øystein H. , Petlund Hanne Torsdatter , Björkman Mats P. , Björk Robert G. , Holien Håkon , Limpens Juul , Molau Ulf , Graae Bente Jessen , De Frenne Pieter
Published: September 2022

Alpine ecosystems harbor remarkably diverse and distinct plant communities that are characteristically limited to harsh, and cold climatic conditions. As a result of thermal limitation to species occurrence, mountainous ecosystems are considered to be particularly sensitive to climate change. Our understanding of the impact of climate change is mainly based on vascular plants however, whereas cryptogams (i.e., lichens and bryophytes) are generally neglected or simply considered as one functional group. Here we aimed to improve our understanding of the drivers underlying temporal changes in vegetation of alpine ecosystems. To this end, we repeatedly surveyed the vegetation on four mountain summits along an elevational gradient in northern Sweden spanning a 19‐year period. Our results show that the vascular plant communities remained relatively stable throughout the study period, despite fluctuations in terms of ground cover and species richness of shrubs and graminoids. In contrast, both lichens and bryophytes substantially decreased in cover and diversity, leading to alterations in community composition that were unrelated to vascular plant cover. Thermophilization of the vascular plant community was found only on the two intermediate summits. Our findings are only partially consistent with (long‐term) climate‐change impacts, and we argue that local non‐climatic drivers such as herbivory might offset vegetation responses to warming. Hence, we underline the importance of considering local non‐climatic drivers when evaluating temporal vegetation change in biologically complex systems.
Seasonal variation significantly influenced the stochasticity of community assembly of amphibian symbiotic bacteria
Authors: Xu Liangliang , Zhou Jin , Zheng Puyang , Wan Xia , Zhu Lifeng , Huang Jin , Jiang Jianping , Chen Youhua , Song Zhaobin
Published: September 2022

Seasonal variation has been shown to influence symbiotic bacterial community composition and structure in amphibians. It is still unknown how the symbiotic bacterial community assembly changes during different seasons, especially for amphibians who are particularly sensitive to environmental change. We found significant differences in the composition and diversity (alpha and beta diversity) of amphibian skin and gut bacteria. Co‐occurrences network analysis showed that seasonal variation reduced the microbial network complexity of amphibians from summer to autumn. The normalized stochastic ratio (NST) and phylogenetic bin‐based null model analysis (iCAMP) models showed that the same result that stochastic processes was the major factor regulating the symbiotic bacterial community assembly mechanisms of amphibians. From summer to autumn, the symbiotic bacterial community assembly mechanisms declined in the contribution of stochastic processes, while increasing in the contribution of deterministic processes. Dispersal limitation was the dominant microbial assembly mechanism, followed by homogeneous selection, and then heterogeneous selection in the symbiotic bacterial community communities of amphibians between summer and autumn. Furthermore, higher niche width of the symbiotic bacterial community of amphibians was found in summer than autumn. Overall, these results demonstrated that seasonal variation influenced amphibian symbiotic bacterial community between summer and autumn.
Glass transitions in frozen systems as influenced by molecular weight of food components
Authors: Zhao Jin‐Hong , Kumar Pavitra Krishna , Sablani Shyam S.
Published: September 2022

Freezing is a frequently used way to expand the storage life of foods with high water content. Under suitable cooling rates, frozen systems attain a condition of maximum freeze concentration, which is characterized by the glass transition temperature (Tg′), end point of freezing or onset of melting (Tm′), and concentration of solids (Xs′) in the maximum‐freeze‐concentrated matrix. The value of Tg′, Tm′, and Xs′ depends on the chemical composition of frozen system. Below Tg′, the rates of deteriorative reactions are significantly reduced. In this article, the data for Tg′, Tm′, and Xs′ of different frozen systems including sugars, starches, proteins, and food are collected and compiled. The trends in Tg′ and Tm′ data of food are investigated using molecular weight (MW) of food components. The Tg′ and Tm′ of most starches (increased by 2.46% to 87.3% and 10.8% to 85.0%) and some protein‐rich foods (increased by 5.00% to 53.4% and 25.0% to 52.9%) were higher than the maximum values of sugar‐rich foods. Both Tg′ and Tm′ values increased with increasing MW of solids in frozen food, reaching an asymptotic value. Moreover, there were exponential relationships between Tg′ or Tm′ values and MW for sugar and starch‐rich foods taken together. Some studies found that frozen storage below Tg′ maintains the higher quality of food that was achieved by fast freezing. However, other studies found that there was no significant difference in the quality of frozen foods between storage temperature below and above Tg′. Therefore, storage below Tg′ is not the only factor for predicting the stability of frozen foods.
Age prediction by methylation analysis of small amounts of DNA using locked nucleic acids
Authors: Takahashi Yuta , Asari Masaru , Isozaki Shotaro , Hoshina Chisato , Okuda Katsuhiro , Mori Kanae , Namba Ryo , Ochiai Wataru , Shimizu Keiko
Published: September 2022

Age prediction based on methylation analysis has been reported in many populations, with 10 ng or more of DNA usually required for each determination. In this study, we designed thermostable locked nucleic acid (LNA) primers by replacing a small number of DNA bases in standard DNA primers with LNAs. We evaluated these primer sets by single‐base extension analysis using 10, 5, or 2 ng of DNA that would be less than template DNA used in standard methylation testing, and determined sensitivity and accuracy. We analyzed EDARADD, SST, and KLF14 genes, targeting one CpG site in each gene. Melting temperature values of most LNA primers were 4°C higher than those of DNA primers. The intensities of signals from the EDARADD and SST genes were significantly improved by the LNA primers, by 3.3 times and 1.4 times, respectively, compared with the DNA primers using 2 ng of DNA. Coefficient of variation (CV) analysis was used to assess the accuracy of the determined methylation levels. CVs were increased using small amounts of DNA, but lower CVs were detected using LNA primers. We also showed high accuracy of age prediction for 51 individuals using LNA primers. The lowest mean absolute deviation was obtained using 10 ng of DNA and was 3.88 years with the LNA primers. Thermostable PCR primers were simply designed, and the LNAs improved the sensitivity and accuracy of methylation analysis for 10 ng or less of DNA.
Systemic antibiotics in endodontics—International questionnaire study: Choice of types, dosage, loading and duration
Authors: Solomonov Michael , Batashvili Gabriel , Shuster Amir , Slutzky Hagay , Moshonov Joshua , Buchkovskii Oleg , Lvovsky Alex , Azizi Hadas , Levin Avi , Ben Itzhak Joe , Shemesh Avi
Published: September 2022

The aim of the study was to investigate the systematic antibiotics (SAs) prescribing practices in the endodontic practice worldwide. 7500 general practitioners, postgraduate students and endodontists from Israel and the former Soviet Union (FSU) states were invited to fill in an online questionnaire. The first‐choice SA was amoxicillin (80.12%) among the Israeli (p < 0.05) and amoxicillin + clavulanic acid (88.92%) among the FSU respondents (p < 0.05). The first‐choice SA for patients with penicillin allergy was clindamycin (78.2%) among Israeli and azithromycin (35.96%) among the FSU respondents (p < 0.05). Most of the respondents from Israel as well as from the FSU reported prescribing SA for 5–7 days. Only 6.24% of the former and 2.59% of the latter reported prescribing SA until the symptoms disappeared (p > 0.05). The usage of SAs is often not in accordance with existing international guidelines and differs among different dentist's populations.
An unusual case of early small bowel obstruction after Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass by the free end of a V‐loc™ suture
Authors: Sarhan Mohamed D. , Fathy Ehab , Newira Mohamed Abdelsalam
Published: September 2022

Weight recurrence and gastro‐esophageal reflux disease are the most common causes for re‐operation after sleeve gastrectomy (SG); Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass is the recommended procedure to correct both problems. The V‐loc™ (Covidien, Dublin, Ireland) enables faster suturing and less operative time compared to non‐barbed sutures. We report an unusual case of early obstruction at the jejunojejunostomy by the tail of V‐loc™ suture which grasped surrounding tissue causing adhesions and subsequent obstruction. When reviewing the literature for complications of V‐loc™, we found three cases of bowel obstruction caused by the leftover free segment of V‐loc™. So, V‐loc™ thread can cause small bowel obstruction; therefore, we recommend not leaving an extra length at its free end and keep it to a minimum length possible.
Long‐term impact of a mental health literacy resource applied by regular classroom teachers in a Canadian school cohort
Authors: Wei Yifeng , Church Jeremy , Kutcher Stan
Published: September 2022

Application of evidence‐based mental health literacy (MHL) curriculum resources by classroom teachers has been demonstrated to significantly improve knowledge and decrease stigma in the short term.

Aims

To report results that extend these positive findings for a period of one year.

Method

In a naturalistic cohort study, 332 grade 9 students (ages 14–15) in a Canadian school district learned from an evidence‐based curriculum resource (the Guide) applied by classroom teachers who trained in its use. Evaluations of knowledge and stigma were conducted before the Guide, immediately following the Guide delivery and at one‐year follow‐up.

Results

Students showed significant (p < .001) and substantial (d = 0.68 and 0.67) short‐term and significant (p < .001) and substantial (d = 0.44 and 0.58) long‐term improvements in knowledge and reductions in stigma. Significant stigma reduction was found among female students than male students, but no gender differences on knowledge were found at long‐term follow‐up. Educators showed significant and substantial short‐term improvements in knowledge (p < .001;d = 1.03) and reductions in stigma (p < .05;d = 0.35).

Conclusions

The Guide resource delivered by trained classroom teachers may have value in enhancing MHL outcomes for young people.
Higher fasting blood glucose was associated with worse in‐hospital clinical outcomes in patients with primary intracerebral hemorrhage: From a large‐scale nationwide longitudinal registry
Authors: Li Guangshuo , Wang Shang , Xiong Yunyun , Gu Hongqiu , Jiang Yingyu , Yang Xin , Wang Chunjuan , Wang Chuanying , Li Zixiao , Zhao Xingquan
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Studies that investigated the relationship between fasting blood glucose (FBG) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) outcomes were insufficient.

Aim

We aimed to investigate the association between FBG level and in‐hospital clinical outcomes in patients with primary ICH.

Results

A total of 34,507 patients were enrolled in the final study. Compared with the reference group, the ≥6.1 and <7 mmol/L group showed nonsignificant higher in‐hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69–2.11, p = 0.52), and a significant higher proportion of intracranial hematoma evacuation (adjusted OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.26–1.92, p < 0.001). The ≥7 mmol/L group showed both significant higher in‐hospital mortality (adjusted OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.42–3.04, p = 0.52) and a significant higher proportion of intracranial hematoma evacuation (adjusted OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.78–2.47, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Higher FBG level was correlated with both higher mortality and proportion of evacuation of intracranial hematoma.