bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A conserved membrane protein negatively regulates Mce1 complexes in mycobacteria
Authors: Chen Yushu , Wang Yuchun , Chng Shu-Sin
Published: June 2022

Tuberculosis continues to pose a serious threat to global health.Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, is an intracellular pathogen that relies on various mechanisms to survive and persist within the host. Among their many virulence factors, mycobacteria encode Mce systems. Some of these systems are implicated in lipid uptake, but the molecular basis for Mce function(s) is poorly understood. To gain insights into the composition and architecture of Mce systems, we characterized the putative Mce1 complex involved in fatty acid transport. We show that the Mce1 system inMycobacterium smegmatiscomprises a canonical ATP-binding cassette transporter, associated with functionally redundant heterohexameric assemblies of substrate-binding proteins. Furthermore, we establish that the conserved membrane protein Mce1N negatively regulates Mce1 function via a unique mechanism involving blocking transporter assembly. Our work offers molecular understanding of Mce complexes, sheds light on mycobacterial lipid metabolism and its regulation, and informs future anti-mycobacterial strategies.
Molecular mechanism of phospholipid transport at the bacterial outer membrane interface
Authors: Yeow Jiang , Luo Min , Chng Shu-Sin
Published: June 2022

The outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria is an asymmetric lipid bilayer with outer leaflet lipopolysaccharides (LPS) exposed to extracellular milieu and inner leaflet phospholipids (PLs) facing the periplasm. This unique lipid asymmetry is the key to its innate drug resistance, rendering the OM impermeable to external insults, including antibiotics and bile salts. To maintain this OM barrier, the OmpC-Mla system removes mislocalized PLs from the OM outer leaflet, and transports them back to the inner membrane (IM); in the first step, the OM OmpC-MlaA complex transfers PLs to the periplasmic chaperone MlaC. This process likely occurs via a hydrophilic channel in MlaA, yet mechanistic details have remained elusive. Here, we biochemically and structurally characterize the architecture of the MlaA-MlaC transient complex. We map the interaction surfaces between MlaA and MlaC inEscherichia coli, revealing that MlaC binds MlaA at the periplasmic face in a manner that possibly juxtaposes the MlaA channel and the MlaC lipid binding cavity. In addition, we show that electrostatic interactions between the putative C-terminal tail helix of MlaA and a surface patch on MlaC are important for recruitment of the latter to the OM. We further provide biochemical evidence for conformational changes in the MlaA channel that correlate with interactions with MlaC and OM porins, as well as functional states of MlaA. Finally, we solve a 2.9-Å cryo-EM structure of OmpC-MlaA in nanodiscs in a disulfide-trapped complex with MlaC, reinforcing the mechanism of MlaC recruitment, and highlighting membrane thinning as a plausible strategy for directing lipids into the MlaA channel. Our work offers critical insights into how the OmpC-MlaA complex catalyzes retrograde transport of PLs to the IM to maintain OM lipid asymmetry.
Markov State Modelling Reveals Heterogeneous Drug-Inhibition Mechanism of Calmodulin
Authors: Westerlund Annie M. , Sridhar Akshay , Dahl Leo , Andersson Alma , Bodnar Anna-Yaroslava , Delemotte Lucie
Published: June 2022

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium sensor which binds and regulates a wide range of target-proteins. This implicitly enables the concentration of calcium to influence many downstream physiological responses, including muscle contraction, learning and depression. The antipsychotic drug trifluoperazine (TFP) is a known CaM inhibitor. By binding to various sites, TFP prevents CaM from associating to target-proteins. However, the molecular and state-dependent mechanisms behind CaM inhibition by drugs such as TFP are largely unknown. Here, we build a Markov state model (MSM) from adaptively sampled molecular dynamics simulations and reveal the structural and dynamical features behind the inhibitory mechanism of TFP-binding to the C-terminal domain of CaM. We specifically identify three major TFP binding-modes from the MSM macrostates, and distinguish their effect on CaM conformation by using a systematic analysis protocol based on biophysical descriptors and tools from machine learning. The results show that depending on the binding orientation, TFP effectively stabilizes features of the calcium-unbound CaM, either affecting the CaM hydrophobic binding pocket, the calcium binding sites or the secondary structure content in the bound domain. The conclusions drawn from this work may in the future serve to formulate a complete model of pharmacological modulation of CaM, which furthers our understanding of how these drugs affect signaling pathways as well as associated diseases.

Author summary

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-sensing protein which makes other proteins dependent on the surrounding calcium concentration by binding to these proteins. Such protein-protein interactions with CaM are vital for calcium to control many physiological pathways within the cell. The antipsychotic drug trifluoperazine (TFP) inhibits CaM’s ability to bind and regulate other proteins. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations together with Markov state modeling and machine learning to understand the structural and dynamical features by which TFP bound to the one domain of CaM prevents association to other proteins. We find that TFP encourages CaM to adopt a conformation that is like the one stabilized in absence of calcium: depending on the binding orientation of TFP, the drug indeed either affects the CaM hydrophobic binding pocket, the calcium binding sites or the secondary structure content in the domain. Understanding TFP binding is a first step towards designing better drugs targeting CaM.
YaHS: yet another Hi-C scaffolding tool
Authors: Zhou Chenxi , McCarthy Shane A. , Durbin Richard
Published: June 2022

We present YaHS, a user-friendly command-line tool for construction of chromosome-scale scaffolds from Hi-C data. It can be run with a single-line command, requires minimal input from users (an assembly file and an alignment file) which is compatible with similar tools, and provides assembly results in multiple formats, thereby enabling rapid, robust and scalable construction of high-quality genome assemblies with high accuracy and contiguity. YaHS is implemented in C and licensed under the MIT License. The source code, documentation and tutorial are available at https://github.com/c-zhou/yahs.
The starring role of crowdfunding in GCC: a structured literature review
Authors: Thottoli Mohammed Muneerali
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand and analyze the key topics on which scholars have engaged in relation to crowdfunding and its starring role in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries from an Islamic perspective. A Structured Literature Review (SLR) is used in this study to assess how scholars carried out their studies in order to better understand future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a SLR methodology and considered 89 peer-reviewed studies published between 1981 and 2021 in GCC countries.

Findings

The study identified the starring role of crowdfunding from the Islamic perspective, its role in economic development and its role as a source of finance for new business startups in GCC countries.

Research limitations/implications

Because the research was conducted by a single person, his subjective interpretation might have an impact on the results. Furthermore, only journal papers limited to GCC and published between 1981 and 2021 were examined.

Practical implications

Countries in GCC might recognize the starring role of crowdfunding for their SMEs and economic development.

Originality/value

The authors draw avenues for future research by considering the starring role of crowdfunding using SLR from the Islamic perspective. This helps future researchers to identify the starring role of crowdfunding to contextualize in GCC countries.
ISM-based analysis of VR-AEC adoption barriers and their inner mechanisms
Authors: Chen Zhengyi , Chen Keyu , Cheng Jack C.P.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

As an emerging visualization technology, virtual reality (VR) falls into the dilemma of having great potential but a low adoption degree in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. However, few studies paid attention to studying barriers affecting VR’s adoption and their inner mechanisms. This makes AEC users hard to catch the key points for VR’s implementations. This study aims to get a clear structure of these barriers and provide insights for the improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

First, 12 major VR-AEC adoption barriers were identified by a systematic literature review and expert interviews (EI). Second, EI and similarity aggregation method were conducted to achieve reliable barrier relationships. Third, interpretive structural modeling was used to establish a multi-level model for barriers. Finally, ten crucial barriers were targeted with a comprehensive strategy framework.

Findings

The findings help AEC stakeholders get a thorough understanding of the VR-AEC adoption barriers. Besides, the inner mechanism among barriers is revealed and analyzed, followed by a systematic strategy framework. It is anticipated that users could conduct more effective VR-AEC promotions in the future.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to propose a comprehensive literature review on the VR-AEC adoption barriers. In addition, this paper is novel in building a hierarchy model that explores barriers’ inner mechanism, where structural strategies are proposed.
Sport fans' nostalgia and revisit intention to stadiums during the Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Takata Kosuke , Hallmann Kirstin
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to examine how sport fans' nostalgia influenced their revisit intention to stadiums. Using data collected during the Covid-19 pandemic, the study further analyzed the moderation effect of sport fans' match attendance on the relationship between nostalgia and revisit intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used an online survey querying baseball and football fans in Japan (n = 863). These leagues completed their 2020 regular season with and without crowds due to the pandemic. Nostalgia was measured using three dimensions: sports team, environment and socialization. The model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). Multigroup SEM also investigated the moderating effect of match attendance in 2020.

Findings

In the proposed model, nostalgia for sport teams significantly influenced sport fans' intention to revisit stadiums. Nostalgia for sport teams encouraged fans who attended live sport matches during the pandemic more than fans who did not attend the live matches. Nostalgia for sport environment and socialization did not significantly affect sport fans' intentional behavior. However, the results revealed that non-attending fans were stimulated to return to stadiums by nostalgia for the environment.

Originality/value

This study examined the individual impacts of the sport fans' nostalgia dimensions. These nostalgia dimensions were omitted in previous studies. Our findings and proposed model may be used by practitioners in sports teams and leagues to deal with fans' perceived loss of the sport during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Respiratory pandemic preparedness learnings from the June 2020 COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin California State Prison
Authors: Kwan Ada , Sklar Rachel , Cameron Drew B. , Schell Robert C. , Bertozzi Stefano M. , McCoy Sandra I. , Williams Brie , Sears David A.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This study aims to characterize the June 2020 COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin California State Prison and to describe what made San Quentin so vulnerable to uncontrolled transmission.

Design/methodology/approach

Since its onset, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the profound health harms of carceral settings, such that nearly half of state prisons reported COVID-19 infection rates that were four or more times (and up to 15 times) the rate found in the state’s general population. Thus, addressing the public health crises and inequities of carceral settings during a respiratory pandemic requires analyzing the myriad factors shaping them. In this study, we reported observations and findings from environmental risk assessments during visits to San Quentin California State Prison. We complemented our assessments with analyses of administrative data.

Findings

For future respiratory pathogens that cannot be prevented with effective vaccines, this study argues that outbreaks will no doubt occur again without robust implementation of additional levels of preparedness – improved ventilation, air filtration, decarceration with emergency evacuation planning – alongside addressing the vulnerabilities of carceral settings themselves.

Originality/value

This study addresses two critical aspects that are insufficiently covered in the literature: how to prepare processes to safely implement emergency epidemic measures when needed, such as potential evacuation, and how to address unique challenges throughout an evolving pandemic for each carceral setting.
Minimum disturbance control based on synchronous and adaptive acceleration planning of dual-arm space robot to capture a rotating target
Authors: Liu Qiang , Shi Shicai , Jin Minghe , Fan Shaowei , Liu Hong
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This study aims to design a controller which can improve the end-effector low-frequency chattering resulting from the measurement noise and the time delay in the on-orbit tasks. The rendezvous point will move along the rendezvous ring owing to the error of the camera, and the manipulators’ collision need be avoided. In addition, owing to the dynamics coupling, the manipulators’ motion will disturb the spacecraft, and the low tracking accuracy of the end-effector needs to be improved.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a minimum disturbance controller based on the synchronous and adaptive acceleration planning to improve the tracking error and the disturbance energy. The synchronous and adaptive acceleration planning method plans the optimal rendezvous point and designs synchronous approaching method and provides an estimation method of the rendezvous point acceleration. A minimum disturbance controller is designed based on the energy conservation to optimize the disturbance resulting from the manipulator’s motion.

Findings

The acceleration planning method avoids the collision of two end-effectors and reduces the error caused by the low-frequency chattering. The minimum disturbance controller minimizes the disturbance energy of the manipulators’ motion transferred to the spacecraft. Experiment results show that the proposed method improves the low-frequency chattering, and the average position tracking error reduces by 30%, and disturbance energy reduces by 30% at least. In addition, it has good performances in the synchronous motion and adaptive tracking.

Originality/value

Given the immeasurability of the target satellite acceleration in space, this paper proposes an estimation method of the acceleration. This paper proposes a synchronous and adaptive acceleration planning method. In addition, the rendezvous points are optimized to avoid the two end-effectors collisions. By the energy conservation, the minimum disturbance controller is designed to ensure a satisfying tracking error and reduce the disturbance energy resulting from the manipulators’ motion.
Are socially responsible firms responsible to accounting? A meta-analysis of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and earnings management
Authors: Shi Hao , Liu Haijian , Wu Yixue
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and quality of accounting report, especially on earnings management (EM). In addition, potential moderators of this relationship are examined.

Design/methodology/approach

After a comprehensive study of potential mechanisms, the authors obtain plenty of empirical results to open the black box of the link between CSR and EM. Meta-analysis is applied on 51 studies from 35 papers. Further analysis is also carried out to determine the moderating effects, such as the cultural and sample selection differences in these papers.

Findings

CSR is negatively associated with EM. In addition, this effect is moderated by cultural difference, CSR measurement, and year of sample selection.

Research limitations/implications

Two patterns of the hypothesis between CSR and EM are confirmed based on agency cost theory, a theoretical shift of corporate ethics based on organizational moral perspective. Several useful suggestions are also provided for future studies on the empirical model and sample selection. Further research is necessary to clarify the agency cost behind the two theoretical patterns.

Practical implications

CSR is not a tool for firms to market but rather a strategy to ensure their consistency with moral principles, indicating that management should pay more attention to the potential damage of the incongruence between CSR and accounting reporting quality. CSR reporting quality remains an important issue for legislature to guarantee continued firm operations.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to analyze the CSR and EM link using a meta-analysis and to consider its underlying mechanism under the global environment. Previous method design and sample selection are reviewed to provide reference for future studies.
CAOS in Italian hospitals during COVID: an analysis of healthcare intangible resources
Authors: Paoloni Mauro , Mattei Giorgia , Paoloni Niccolò , Modaffari Giuseppe
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse the roles of relational capital (RC) and knowledge management (KM) during the COVID-19 in Italian public and private hospitals, considering that intangible elements are essential during periods of uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

Authors used a qualitative design in a case study on two Italian hospitals that have different ownership structures, which are located in the epicentre of the pandemic in Lombardy. The study was carried out using the CAOS (“caratteristiche personali”, “ambiente”, “organizzazione” and “start-up”) model (Paoloni, 2021), which allows for comprehending and commenting on RC because of the connections between typical factors that influence an organisation. The model also allows for discussion of the use of a network and how it supports organisations.

Findings

Findings of the analysis showed that during the management of the COVID-19 health emergency, ownership structure was not a discriminating factor, the created relationships were similar and they were considered in the same way. The relationships were mainly formal (except for contributions by associations or individuals) and temporary. The RC's reactive role in overcoming crises was confirmed, and the findings indicated that this result was possible also, thanks to the KM's role played within the organisation.

Originality/value

Theoretical implications of the work are that it contributes to the sparse healthcare literature on intellectual capital (IC) and on RC and its relationships with KM. The practical implications are related to the creation of new relationships during the healthcare emergency between hospitals and the central government, which can be considered a useful lesson for the future. The theoretical implications derived from the analysis are generalisable to all organisations regardless of their type and location, as well as the practical implications are applicable to the entire national territory.
Quality of work life of employees working in the Indian garment industry
Authors: Nanjundeswaraswamy T. S. , Beloor Vanishree
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify the level of quality of work life (QWL) of employees working in the Garment industries using a validated scale.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey methods were used for this study. A questionnaire was designed to collect the data and information, and it is validated through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis.

Findings

The majority of employees are not satisfied with the present status of QWL in garment units. Followings are the predominant components, which influence the QWL of employees compensation and rewards; job security; grievance handling; work environment; training and development; job nature; satisfaction in job; facilities and relation and cooperation.

Originality/value

The study was conducted in 133 garment industries where sample responses were obtained from 851 workers working in Indian Garment industries. In the competitive business environment, retaining a talented workforce is one of the big challenges to the organization. An unsatisfied employee is the first enemy of the organization, it is the prime task of the employers to keep the workforce at a satisfying level, otherwise, it will lead to employee turnover, performance and productivity. This paper helps to identify and quantify the components of the quality of work-life of employees if employers address these components job satisfaction level of employees will increase; therefore, our results will help the HR managers and policymakers to take appropriate decisions to enhance QWL.
Eco-innovation and sustainable business performance: perspectives of SMEs in Portugal and the UK
Authors: Almeida Fernando , Wasim Jahangir
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Eco-innovation has been identified as a source of gaining a competitive advantage on a global scale. To build upon that, this study aims to deepen the understanding of eco-innovation in the context of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and investigates the impact of having a clear eco-innovation strategy on a company's sustainability and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 249 SMEs located in Portugal and the UK participated and structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to explore the relationship among the constructs.

Findings

The findings reveal that both internal and external factors influence the design of an eco-innovation strategy. However, the relevance of external factors seemed to be more significant for Portuguese SMEs. This study concludes that product/process eco-innovations and green innovation systems are determinants for sustainable performance in SMEs. In contrast, the environmental technologies and organisational eco-innovation dimensions are not determinants. This is observed both in Portuguese and UK SMEs.

Originality/value

Most studies in the field tend to explore the role of eco-innovation in large organisations. This study takes a different approach by exploring its impacts on the sustainable business performance of SMEs. Furthermore, it combines data from two countries, which constitutes a strength and gives the opportunity to explore this phenomenon empirically.
Impacts of near‐natural management in eucalyptus plantations on soil bacterial community assembly and function related to nitrogen cycling
Authors: Qu Zhao‐lei , Liu Bing , Zhang Yue‐mei , Huang Lin , Ming An‐gang , Sun Hui
Published: June 2022

Eucalyptus trees have been widely planted in China as commercial timber, which has caused severe soil erosion and water deficiency. Near‐natural management by mixing eucalyptus with nitrogen‐fixing tree species has been used in plantations to alleviate these problems. In the present study, we investigated the changes in soil microbial community and function in eucalyptus plantations mixed with nitrogen‐fixing trees and with different rotation histories (first and second generation) using Illumina MiSeq. of 16S rRNA gene, coupled with Functional Annotation of Prokaryotic Taxa (FAPROTAX) and Quantitative Microbial Element Cycling (QMEC) analyses.

Both management systems (mixed with nitrogen‐fixing trees and with different rotating time) increased the soil bacterial α‐diversity.

The plantations with different management histories formed different bacterial communities and potential functional structures. Mixing with nitrogen‐fixing trees increased the abundance of Actinobacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle and the abundance of K‐strategy bacteria (Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Chloroflexi) in both first‐ and second‐generation plantations.

Functionally, the expression of nitrogen‐fixing (nifH) and nitrification genes (amoA1 and hao) increased and that of denitrification genes (nirk2, nirk3, nirS1 and nosZ2) decreased in plantations mixed with nitrogen‐fixing trees. The soil pH, soil water content and bacterial biomass were the key factors driving bacteria community and functional structures. The strategy of mixing eucalyptus with nitrogen‐fixing trees can increase the efficiency of nitrogen cycling by accelerating the nitrogen‐fixing and nitrifying process while inhibiting the denitrifying process.

The results highlight the importance of mixing eucalyptus with nitrogen‐fixing trees for soil microbes and provide useful information on the management of eucalyptus plantations in the future.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Perception of dead conspecifics increases reproductive investment in fruit flies
Authors: Corbel Quentin , Carazo Pau
Published: June 2022

Adaptive plasticity in life‐history traits is often critical to maximize fitness in the face of environmental heterogeneity. For example, many organisms respond to a threat to their survival (and hence residual reproductive value) by adaptively increasing their investment into current reproduction (i.e. ‘terminal investment’).

A key to successful terminal investment is the use of adequate environmental cues to extrinsic mortality sources. In species that live at high population densities, the presence of dead conspecifics could potentially act as a reliable cue to extrinsic mortality sources (e.g. via pathogens).

We experimentally tested this idea using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, a pest species that experiences marked demographic shifts. We monitored the reproductive output of young mated females during repeated bouts of egg laying in the presence (i.e. dead exposed) or absence (i.e. controls) of dead conspecifics, interspersed by mating periods where dead conspecifics were always absent.

Dead‐exposed females produced more offspring than controls when in the presence of dead conspecifics but fewer offspring than controls when dead conspecifics were subsequently removed (i.e. during mating periods). These changes were repeatable across time, and are thus indicative of high plasticity in reproductive behaviour induced by perception of dead conspecifics.

Flies responded equally to starvation‐induced and flash‐frozen dead conspecifics, indicating that the cause of death is irrelevant to trigger the plastic response observed, and that females respond to the presence of dead conspecifics per se.

Finally, we found that dead‐exposed females produced heavier daughters (but not sons) than controls when in the presence of dead conspecifics, but not during mating periods (when dead conspecifics were absent). In this species, body size correlates more strongly with female (than male) fitness, so higher investment in daughter weight is congruent with terminal investment.

Altogether, these results show that perception of dead conspecifics leads to highly plastic life‐history adjustments in the form of increased investment in both the quantity and the quality of offspring. We discuss these results in the context of terminal investment and other alternative hypotheses.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
The distribution of covert microbial natural enemies of a globally invasive crop pest, fall armyworm, in Africa: Enemy release and spillover events
Authors: Withers Amy J. , Rice Annabel , de Boer Jolanda , Donkersley Philip , Pearson Aislinn J. , Chipabika Gilson , Karangwa Patrick , Uzayisenga Bellancile , Mensah Benjamin A. , Mensah Samuel Adjei , Nkunika Phillip Obed Yobe , Kachigamba Donald , Smith Judith A. , Jones Christopher M. , Wilson Kenneth
Published: June 2022

Invasive species pose a significant threat to biodiversity and agriculture world‐wide. Natural enemies play an important part in controlling pest populations, yet we understand very little about the presence and prevalence of natural enemies during the early invasion stages.

Microbial natural enemies of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda are known in its native region, however, they have not yet been identified in Africa where fall armyworm has been an invasive crop pest since 2016. Larval samples were screened from Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, Sudan and Ghana for the presence of four different microbial natural enemies; two nucleopolyhedroviruses, Spodoptera frugiperda NPV (SfMNPV) and Spodoptera exempta NPV (SpexNPV); the fungal pathogen Metarhizium rileyi; and the bacterium Wolbachia. This study aimed to identify which microbial pathogens are present in invasive fall armyworm, and determine the geographical, meteorological and temporal variables that influence prevalence.

Within 3 years of arrival, fall armyworm was exposed to all four microbial natural enemies. SfMNPV probably arrived with fall armyworm from the Americas, but this is the first putative evidence of host spillover from Spodoptera exempta (African armyworm) to fall armyworm for the endemic pathogen SpexNPV and for Wolbachia. It is also the first confirmed incidence of M. rileyi infecting fall armyworm in Africa.

Natural enemies were localised, with variation being observed both nationally and temporally. The prevalence of SfMNPV (the most common natural enemy) was predominantly explained by variables associated with the weather; declining with increasing rainfall and increasing with temperature. However, virus prevalence also increased as the growing season progressed.

The infection of an invasive species with a natural enemy from its native range and novel pathogens specific to its new range has important consequences for understanding the population ecology of invasive species and insect–pathogen interactions. Additionally, while it is widely known that temporal and geographic factors affect insect populations, this study reveals that these are important in understanding the distribution of microbial natural enemies associated with invasive pests during the early stages of invasion, and provide baseline data for future studies.
Illustrating Income Mobility and Poverty Persistence
Authors: Creedy John , Gemmell Norman
Published: June 2022

This article introduces several diagrams relating to relative income mobility, positional change within the distribution and poverty persistence. They are easy to produce and, at a glance, provide valuable information about income mobility and poverty dynamics, given information about the incomes of a cohort of individuals in two time periods.
Association between genetic polymorphisms and osteoarthritis development. Overview of systematic reviews
Authors: Brisola Amanda Almeida , Colovati Mileny Esbravatti Stephano , Cernach Mirlene Cecilia Soares Pinho , Riera Rachel , Pacheco Rafael Leite , Crizol Giuliana Raduan , Martimbianco Ana Luiza Cabrera
Published: June 2022

Objective

To identify, critically evaluate and synthesize the evidence obtained from systematic reviews on the association between genetic polymorphisms and osteoarthritis (OA) development.

Methods

Considering gene polymorphisms associated with OA susceptibility (risk or protection), a comprehensive search was conducted in the following databases, without date or language restrictions: MEDLINE, via Pubmed; Embase, via Elsevier; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, via Wiley; Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde. Gray literature was also searched through the OpenGrey database. The AMSTAR‐2 (Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews) was used to assess the methodological quality of the included systematic reviews.

Results

We included 14 systematic reviews of case‐control studies comparing individuals with a radiographic diagnosis of all OA types and healthy controls, all submitted to the genetic examination of different polymorphisms in candidate genes. Meta‐analyses showed a protective effect against knee and hand OA associated with GDF‐5 gene (odds ratio [OR] 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85‐0.95), and knee OA with ESRα gene (OR 0.63, 95% CI 1.26‐1.97). SMAD3 gene was associated with knee and hip OA risk (OR 1.21. 95% CI 1.07‐1.38) and MMP‐1 gene was associated with temporomandibular OA (OR 1.58. 95% CI 1.26‐1.97).

Conclusion

Based on low‐quality to critically‐low‐quality systematic reviews, some gene polymorphisms seem to be associated with risk or protection for OA. Further high‐quality studies are needed to validate these hypotheses, contribute to disease understanding, and possibly help the decision‐making related to early diagnosis and treatment options for OA. PROSPERO register CRD42021234231.
Predators in a mining landscape: Threats to a behaviourally unique, endangered lizard
Authors: Bradley Holly S. , Craig Michael D. , Tomlinson Sean , Cross Adam T. , Bamford Michael J. , Bateman Philip W.
Published: June 2022

Patchy resource distribution can cluster predator activity around areas of the highest productivity in ecosystems. For the endangered Western Spiny‐tailed Skink (Egernia stokesii badia) in Western Australia, the log piles that they permanently inhabit in an otherwise patchy, arid landscape, represent a potentially reliable, high abundance food source for predators. Not only are encounter rates by potential predators of E. s. badia likely to be influenced by vegetation structure at the microhabitat scale but also E. s. badia occurs in a region where mine sites and associated infrastructure, such as landfill sites, likely concentrate generalist predators (e.g. Feral Cats and corvids). We assessed the influence of the presence of coarse woody debris (CWD) and distance to the landfill on predator behaviour towards E. s. badia through plasticine model experiments, unbounded point count bird surveys and camera trapping. We found that CWD inhabited by E. s. badia attracted a greater relative activity of corvids compared with uninhabited CWD, or control sites without CWD. The relative activity of corvids and predatory birds combined increased with decreasing distance from the landfill. Preferential hunting by corvids at CWD inhabited by E. s. badia compared to both uninhabited CWD and open sites suggests that inhabited CWD may be targeted by generalist predators in the region, and that adaptive management may be required for species conservation around active mining areas.
Feeding ecology of the maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus): Understanding diet composition and preferences, and prospects for future studies
Authors: Giné Gastón Andrés Fernandez , Mureb Laila Santim , Cassano Camila Righetto
Published: June 2022

Aspects of the feeding ecology of the threatened maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus Illiger, 1811) are poorly understood. Here, we evaluate the diet composition and the influence of leaf chemical compounds on the consumption of plant species by 10 radio‐tracked individuals in southern Bahia and construct a list of plants consumed by the species based on our data and the available literature. We confirmed that the maned sloth is a strict folivore and consumes predominantly young leaves. We reported the consumption of 39 species, from 32 genera and 20 families of plants in southern Bahia, and provide an updated list of 68 species so far reported as consumed by maned sloths. The most frequently consumed species in southern Bahia belong to the genera Emmotum, Inga, Ficus and Brosimum, totalling almost half of the maned sloth's diet. Nevertheless, only Ficus spp. were widely consumed by maned sloths elsewhere. The low consumption of Cecropia spp. suggests that maned sloth's diet is not strongly linked to these taxa as reported for other Bradypus. None of the evaluated chemical compounds had a significant effect on the choice of plants consumed. Altogether, the available data indicated that the maned sloth is a generalist at the species level. In addition to morphological and physiological adaptations, it deals with the challenges of a foliage‐based diet by selecting young leaves. Our update on maned sloth's diet may be used to overcome the difficulties of keeping and reproducing them in captivity and support actions that aim to recover their habitat.
Modeling transaction costs in household adoption of landscape conservation practices
Authors: Johnston Robert J. , Ndebele Tom , Newburn David A.
Published: June 2022

Many conservation programs provide economic incentives for landscape best management practices adopted by households. These programs typically include multiple administrative procedures that impose transaction costs, such as requirements for project design and inspections. The literature provides little insight on the relative influence of common transaction costs such as these on best management practice adoption. This paper develops a model to estimate the simultaneous effects of multiple transaction costs linked to common administrative requirements within residential cost‐share incentive programs. The model decomposes the magnitudes and effects of different transaction costs that vary across agents and programs, as a function of requirements for project design, contracting, inspections, and payments. It further identifies the types of program changes that would cause the greatest increases in efficiency due to transaction cost attenuation, measured as reductions in agents’ willingness to accept to adopt best management practices. The model is implemented using a discrete choice experiment on cost‐share programs that incentivize urban stormwater best management practices in the Baltimore metropolitan region, focusing on landscape conservation practices that reduce nonpoint source pollution. Results find large and heterogeneous transaction costs that are sufficient to eliminate much of the incentive provided by typical cost‐share payments. These findings suggest mechanisms whereby cost‐share programs can be designed to optimize enrollment when multiple transaction costs are relevant.
The curious case of “trust” in the light of changing doctor–patient relationships
Authors: Segers Seppe , Mertes Heidi
Published: June 2022

The centrality of trust in traditional doctor–patient relationships has been criticized as inordinately paternalistic, yet in today's discussions about medical ethics—mostly in response to disruptive innovation in healthcare—trust reappears as an asset to enable empowerment. To turn away from paternalistic trust‐based doctor–patient relationships and to arrive at an empowerment‐based medical model, increasing reference is made to the importance of nurturing trust in technologies that are supposed to bring that empowerment. In this article we stimulate discussion about why the move towards patient empowerment may not be able to keep clear of the criticism of trust in traditional patient–doctor relationships. First, we explore how such a shift in trust dynamics might corrode patient empowerment in the name of patient empowerment. Second, we examine how a translocation of trust may at best push the “trust issue” elsewhere and at worst make it harder to evaluate trustworthiness.
A randomized, placebo‐controlled study to evaluate safety and pharmacokinetics of inhaled ribavirin
Authors: Couroux Peter , Brkovic Alexandre , Vittitow Jason L. , Israel Robert J. , Pamidi Chinna , Patel Jignesh , Barakat Maxime
Published: June 2022

Ribavirin is an inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase inhibitor. Studies suggest ribavirin aerosol could be a safe and efficacious treatment option in the fight against coronaviruses. However, current treatment is long (12–18 h per day, 3–7 days), limiting clinical utility. A reduction in treatment time would reduce treatment burden. We aimed to evaluate safety and pharmacokinetics (PK) of four, single‐dose regimens of ribavirin aerosol in healthy volunteers. Thirty‐two subjects were randomized, to four cohorts of aerosolized ribavirin (active) or placebo. Cohort 1 received 50 mg/ml ribavirin/placebo (10 ml total volume); cohort 2, 50 mg/ml ribavirin/placebo (20 ml total volume); cohort 3, 100 mg/ml ribavirin/placebo (10 ml total volume); and cohort 4, 100 mg/ml ribavirin/placebo (20 ml total volume). Intense safety monitoring and PK sampling took place on days 1, 2, 3, and 40. Subjects were (mean ± SD, active vs. placebo) aged 57 ± 4.5 vs. 60 ± 2.5 years; 83% vs. 88% were female; and 75% vs. 50% were Caucasian. Some 12.5% (3/24) and 25% (2/8) experienced at least one treatment‐emergent adverse event (TEAE) (two moderate; five mild) in the active and placebo groups, respectively. No clinically significant safety concerns were reported. Mean maximum observed concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC) values were higher in cohort 4, whereas cohorts 2 and 3 showed similar PK values. Ribavirin absorption reached Cmax within 2 h across cohorts. Four single‐dose regimens of ribavirin aerosol demonstrated systemic exposure with minimal systemic effects. Results support continued clinical development of ribavirin aerosol as a treatment option in patients with coronaviruses.
C‐peptide determination in the diagnosis of type of diabetes and its management: A clinical perspective
Authors: Maddaloni Ernesto , Bolli Geremia B. , Frier Brian M. , Little Randie R. , Leslie Richard D. , Pozzilli Paolo , Buzzetti Raffaela
Published: June 2022

Impaired beta‐cell function is a recognized cornerstone of diabetes pathophysiology. Estimates of insulin secretory capacity are useful to inform clinical practice, helping to classify types of diabetes, complication risk stratification and to guide treatment decisions. Because C‐peptide secretion mirrors beta‐cell function, it has emerged as a valuable clinical biomarker, mainly in autoimmune diabetes and especially in adult‐onset diabetes. Nonetheless, the lack of robust evidence about the clinical utility of C‐peptide measurement in type 2 diabetes, where insulin resistance is a major confounder, limits its use in such cases. Furthermore, problems remain in the standardization of the assay for C‐peptide, raising concerns about comparability of measurements between different laboratories. To approach the heterogeneity and complexity of diabetes, reliable, simple and inexpensive clinical markers are required that can inform clinicians about probable pathophysiology and disease progression, and so enable personalization of management and therapy. This review summarizes the current evidence base about the potential value of C‐peptide in the management of the two most prevalent forms of diabetes (type 2 diabetes and autoimmune diabetes) to address how its measurement may assist daily clinical practice and to highlight current limitations and areas of uncertainties to be covered by future research.
Acute effects on glucose tolerance by neprilysin inhibition in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Wewer Albrechtsen Nicolai J. , Møller Andreas , Martinussen Christoffer , Gluud Lise L. , Rashu Elias B. , Richter Michael M. , Plomgaard Peter , Goetze Jens P. , Kjeldsen Sasha , Hansen Lasse Holst , Gustafsson Finn , Deacon Carolyn F. , Holst Jens J. , Madsbad Sten , Bojsen‐Møller Kirstine N.
Published: June 2022

Aims

Sacubitril/valsartan is a neprilysin‐inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker used for the treatment of heart failure. Recently, a post‐hoc analysis of a 3‐year randomized controlled trial showed improved glycaemic control with sacubitril/valsartan in patients with heart failure and type 2 diabetes. We previously reported that sacubitril/valsartan combined with a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor increases active glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) in healthy individuals. We now hypothesized that administration of sacubitril/valsartan with or without a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor would lower postprandial glucose concentrations (primary outcome) in patients with type 2 diabetes via increased active GLP‐1.

Methods

We performed a crossover trial in 12 patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. A mixed meal was ingested following five respective interventions: (a) a single dose of sacubitril/valsartan; (b) sitagliptin; (c) sacubitril/valsartan + sitagliptin; (d) control (no treatment); and (e) valsartan alone. Glucose, gut and pancreatic hormone responses were measured.

Results

Postprandial plasma glucose increased by 57% (incremental area under the curve 0‐240 min) (p = .0003) and increased peak plasma glucose by 1.7 mM (95% CI: 0.6‐2.9) (p = .003) after sacubitril/valsartan compared with control, whereas postprandial glucose levels did not change significantly after sacubitril/valsartan + sitagliptin. Glucagon, GLP‐1 and C‐peptide concentrations increased after sacubitril/valsartan, but insulin and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide did not change.

Conclusions

The glucose‐lowering effects of long‐term sacubitril/valsartan treatment reported in patients with heart failure and type 2 diabetes may not depend on changes in entero‐pancreatic hormones. Neprilysin inhibition results in hyperglucagonaemia and this may explain the worsen glucose tolerance observed in this study.

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03893526).
The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine has direct effects on beta cells, promoting insulin secretion and increasing beta‐cell mass
Authors: Liu Bo , Ruz‐Maldonado Inmaculada , Toczyska Klaudia , Olaniru Oladapo E. , Zariwala Mohammed Gulrez , Hopkins David , Zhao Min , Persaud Shanta J.
Published: June 2022

Aim

This study investigated whether therapeutically relevant concentrations of fluoxetine, which have been shown to reduce plasma glucose and glycated haemoglobin independent of changes in food intake and body weight, regulate beta‐cell function and improve glucose homeostasis.

Methods

Cell viability, insulin secretion, beta‐cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed after exposure of MIN6 beta cells or isolated mouse and human islets to 0.1, 1 or 10 μmol/L fluoxetine. The effect of fluoxetine (10 mg/kg body weight) administration on glucose homeostasis and islet function was also examined in ob/ob mice.

Results

Exposure of MIN6 cells and mouse islets to 0.1 and 1 μmol/L fluoxetine for 72 hours did not compromise cell viability but 10 μmol/L fluoxetine significantly increased Trypan blue uptake. The dose of 1 μmol/L fluoxetine significantly increased beta‐cell proliferation and protected islet cells from cytokine‐induced apoptosis. In addition, 1 μmol/L fluoxetine induced rapid and reversible potentiation of glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion from islets isolated from mice, and from lean and obese human donors. Finally, intraperitoneal administration of fluoxetine to ob/ob mice over 14 days improved glucose tolerance and resulted in significant increases in beta‐cell proliferation and enhanced insulin secretory capacity.

Conclusions

These data are consistent with a role for fluoxetine in regulating glucose homeostasis through direct effects on beta cells. Fluoxetine thus demonstrates promise as a preferential antidepressant for patients with concomitant occurrence of depression and diabetes.