bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preclinical screen for protection efficacy of chlamydial antigens that are immunogenic in humans
Authors: Lu Chunxue , Wang Jie , Zhong Guangming
Published: September 2023

To search for subunit vaccine candidates, immunogenic chlamydial antigens identified in humans were evaluated for protection against both infection and pathology in a mouse genital tract infection model under three different immunization regimens. The intramuscular immunization regimen was first used to evaluate 106 chlamydial antigens, which revealed that two antigens significantly reduced while 11 increased genital chlamydial burden. The two infection-reducing antigens failed to prevent pathology and 23 additional antigens even exacerbated pathology. Thus, intranasal mucosal immunization was tested next since intranasal inoculation with liveC. muridarumprevented both genital infection and pathology. Two of 29 chlamydial antigens evaluated were found to prevent genital infection but not pathology and three exacerbate pathology. To further improve protection efficacy, a combinational regimen (intranasal priming + intramuscular boosting + a 3rdintraperitoneal/subcutaneous boost) was tested. This regimen identified 4 infection-reducing antigens but only one of them prevented pathology. Unfortunately, this protective antigen was not advanced further due to its amino acid sequence homology with several human molecules. Two pathology-exacerbating antigens were also found. Nevertheless, intranasal mucosal priming with viableC. muridarumin control groups consistently prevented both genital infection and pathology regardless of the subsequent boosters. Thus, screening 140 different chlamydial antigens with 21 repeated multiple times in 17 independent experiments failed to identify a subunit vaccine candidate but the efforts have revealed pathogenic antigens and demonstrated the superiority of viable chlamydial organisms in inducing immunity against both genital infection and pathology, laying the foundation for developing an attenuated live Chlamydia vaccine.

Importance

This manuscript describes a systematical effort in searching for a chlamydial subunit vaccine by taking advantage of both the immunogenic chlamydial antigens identified in humans and a robust mouse genital tract infection model for simultaneously evaluating protection against both genital infection and pathology. Screening 140 different chlamydial antigens (21 repeated multiple times) using three different immunization regimens in 17 independent experiments identified no subunit vaccine candidate. Nevertheless, the efforts revealed multiple pathogenic chlamydial antigens and demonstrated the superiority of mucosal inoculation with viable chlamydial organisms for inducing immunity against both genital infection and pathology, suggesting that a live attenuated Chlamydia vaccine strategy should be considered.
Cefiderocol is an effective topical monotherapy for experimental extensively-drug resistantPseudomonas aeruginosakeratitis
Authors: Romanowski Eric G. , Mumper Sonya M. , Shanks Hazel Q. , Yates Kathleen A. , Mandell Jonathan B. , Zegans Michael E. , Shanks Robert M. Q.
Published: September 2023

Purpose

To test cefiderocol, a siderophore-cephalosporin antibiotic for topical monotherapy treatment of experimental extensively drug resistant (XDR)Pseudomonas aeruginosakeratitis.

Design

Preclinical study.

Subjects and Controls

DeidentifiedP. aeruginosakeratitis isolates, XDRP. aeruginosafrom eye drop outbreak, rabbits, saline, cefiderocol 50 mg/ml, ciprofloxacin 0.3%, and tobramycin 14 mg/ml.

Methods, Intervention, or Testing

Cefiderocol antibacterial activity againstP. aeruginosakeratitis isolates (n=135) was evaluated by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing. Ocular toxicity/tolerability and antibacterial efficacy were testedin vivowith experimental rabbit models. Corneal concentrations and stability were assessed using a bioassay.

Main Outcome Measures

MIC analysis for susceptibility, graded tests for ocular toxicity/tolerability, CFU analysis for bacterial burden, corneal cefiderocol concentrations.

Results

100% ofP. aeruginosakeratitis isolates were susceptible to cefiderocol (n=135), the MIC90was 0.125 µg/ml including the XDR isolate (MIC = 0.125 µg/ml). Topical cefiderocol 50 mg/ml was minimally toxic to the ocular surface and was well tolerated. For the XDRP. aeruginosaisolate, topical cefiderocol 50 mg/ml, significantly decreased corneal CFU compared to ciprofloxacin 0.3%, tobramycin 14 mg/ml, and saline. In addition, tobramycin 14 mg/ml was more effective than the saline control. Mean cefiderocol corneal concentrations were 191x greater than the MIC90of theP. aeruginosakeratitis isolates. Refrigerated cefiderocol maintained antimicrobial activity over a one-month period.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that cefiderocol is well tolerated on rabbit corneas and is effective againstP. aeruginosakeratitis isolatesin vitroand was effectivein vivoagainst an XDR isolate in a rabbit keratitis model. Given the recent outbreak of keratitis caused by this XDRP. aeruginosa, cefiderocol is a promising additional antibiotic that should be further evaluated for topical treatment of keratitis caused by antibiotic resistantP. aeruginosa.
Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Co-infection in Patients Attending Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS) Centers in Anambra State, Nigeria
Authors: Okeke Monique , Eze Peter M. , Chukwudebelu Adaeze E. , Nwankwo Chidiebere J. , Eze Nchekwube K. , Okafor Uchenna U. , Abonyi Isaiah C. , Okereke Eric E. , Obasi Kalu O. , Ede Okorie A. , Ejikeugwu Chika P. , Ilo Cajetan I. , Okafor Jerome O.
Published: September 2023

Background and Aim(s)

This study retrospectively assessed the prevalence of TB and HIV/AIDS co-infection among patients that attended the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) centers in Anambra State, Southeast, Nigeria, between 2013 and 2017.

Methods

The study adopted a descriptive and retrospective epidemiological survey design. A total of 1443 case files of patients aged 15 to 60 who were treated in DOTS centers selected from Anambra State’s 21 Local Government Areas between 2013 and 2017 were investigated. The uniform data form, a standardized instrument used in Anambra State’s health facilities for data collection, was used to collect data from case files of all those identified as co-infected with TB and HIV/AIDS.

Results

The mean prevalence rate of TB and HIV/AIDS co-infection in the state during the five-year period (2013–2017) was 20%. The highest annual prevalence of TB and HIV/AIDS co-infection was recorded in 2014 (23.84%). The state’s prevalence of TB and HIV/AIDS co-infection increased dramatically from 13.17% in 2013 to 23.84% in 2014, followed by a slight downward trend to 22.80% in 2015, 20.17% in 2016, and 20.03% in 2017. In terms of gender, age, marital status, and occupation, females (59.5%), those aged 15 to 25 years (30.7%), married people (43.9%), and traders/business owners (50.7%), respectively, had the highest rates of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS co-infection during the study period.

Conclusion

The findings of this study show that young people, females, married people, and traders/business owners appear to be the most vulnerable groups affected by TB and HIV/AIDS co-infection, accounting for the majority of the disease burden in the state. To address the high prevalence of TB and HIV/AIDS co-infection in the Anambra State, novel intervention and control programs should be developed and implemented, and existing intervention frameworks should be strengthened.
Exploring factors for meaningful patient involvement in infectious disease clinical studies: A qualitative pilot study among key stakeholders
Authors: Moggré S. , ten Doesschate T. , Sieswerda E. , Romijnders K.A.G.J.
Published: September 2023

Introduction

The attitude towards patient involvement in clinical research has changed dramatically over the years, from research about patient to research with patients. This qualitative study aimed to explore perceptions, ideas, and opinions of stakeholders about integrating the patient perspective into clinical research in infectious diseases in the Netherlands.

Methods

Stakeholders involved with clinical research in infectious diseases were purposefully sampled between March and June 2023. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured guide based on the Consolidated Framework for Intervention Research and feasibility framework.

Results

Of the thirteen stakeholders, six were (clinical) researchers, two represented pharmaceutical companies, two were involved with policy making, and three were patient representatives. Patient involvement in the design and conduct of clinical research in infectious diseases was seen as crucial, although the mode of involvement could differ between research in acute and chronic infections. Stakeholders observed a gap among patients and clinical researchers, which was believed to lead to a phenomenon described as an ivory tower. Key opinion leaders may potentially bridge these barriers and serve as protagonists for meaningful patient involvement. Stakeholders acknowledged the need of communication and expertise to integrate the patient perspective in clinical research in infectious diseases.

Conclusion

Our qualitative analysis underlines that despite barriers, such as communication and expertise, stakeholders recognize the importance of integrating the patient perspective in clinical research in infectious diseases to improve the quality, relevance, recruitment, and dissemination. Further research is needed to address distinctions between acute and chronic infectious diseases in terms of patient involvement.
Strong paracrine effects of SASP from senescence-induced severe early-onset COPD-derived fibroblasts
Authors: Meuleman R.A. , Timens W. , Kooistra W. , van den Berge M. , Brandsma C-A. , Woldhuis R.R.
Published: September 2023

Background

Lung fibroblasts from Severe Early-Onset (SEO-)COPD patients exhibit increased cellular senescence with higher levels of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) protein secretion. Yet, the impact of senescent fibroblasts, and their SASP, on surrounding fibroblasts in SEO-COPD lungs remains unclear.

Aim

To identify the effect of the SASP secreted by senescent SEO-COPD-derived fibroblasts on surrounding lung fibroblasts.

Methods

Cellular senescence was induced in lung fibroblasts derived from seven SEO-COPD patients (age≤53 years, FEV1<40% predicted), and conditioned medium (CM) containing the SASP, was collected (senescent CM). CM from untreated fibroblasts was used as control. Fibroblasts were stimulated with senescent and control CM, and with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), a previously identified COPD-associated SASP protein. Effects on paracrine senescence, inflammation, and extracellular matrix (ECM) regulation were assessed.

Results

Stimulation with senescent CM increased the percentage of Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase positive fibroblasts and decreased p16, p21 &LMNB1expression (p<0.05). T-PA did not affect these markers. Senescent CM increased IL-8 gene expression, increased IL-6 secretion, and strongly increased IL-8 secretion compared to control CM. T-PA slightly decreased IL-6 and IL-8 secretion. Additionally, senescent CM and t-PA stimulation both reduced decorin secretion. Senescent CM reducedFN1gene expression, whileDCNandMMP2expression remained unaffected. T-PA did not affect ECM gene expression.

Conclusion

The SASP from senescence-induced SEO-COPD-derived fibroblasts has a strong paracrine effect on untreated fibroblasts, suggesting that senescent lung fibroblasts contribute to chronic inflammation and ECM dysregulation. These findings imply involvement of senescent fibroblasts in abnormal lung ageing and possibly disease pathology in COPD.
JAZF1 is transcriptionally regulated by SOX11 and promotes cardiac fibrosis by PI3K-Akt pathway
Authors: Mo Yujing , Wang Rui , Liang Yingcong , Zhou Yingling , Zhang Ying , Xue Ling
Published: September 2023

Background

Cardiac fibrosis is a component of all chronic heart diseases. JAZF1 regulates metabolism through various mechanisms; however, its role in cardiac fibrosis remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of JAZF1 in cardiac fibrosis.

Methods

A rat cardiac fibrosis model was established by administering isoproterenol subcutaneously for 14 days (5 mg/kg/day); an equal volume of saline was administered to the control group. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were treated with TGF-β1 for 48 h to mimic cardiac fibrosis in vitro.

Results

JAZF1 expression at the protein and mRNA levels was enhanced in CFs and cardiac fibrosis tissues. JAZF1 downregulation suppressed CFs’ proliferation and migration. Western blotting showed that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was significantly decreased after JAZF1 knockdown. Further experiments revealed that SOX11 is an important transcription factor whose overexpression and downregulation enhanced and suppressed JAZF1 levels, respectively. Luciferase analysis showed that SOX11 interacted with the JAZF1 promoter. Moreover, SOX11 promoted cardiac fibrosis by regulating JAZF1 expression.

Conclusions

JAZF1 was enhanced in cardiac fibrosis tissue and TGF-β-treated CFs. JAZF1 knockdown decreased CFs’ migration and proliferation, possibly remediated by SOX11 with activation of PI3k/Akt signaling pathways.
Whole-Brain Clearing and Immunofluorescence inNothobranchius furzeri
Authors: Bagnoli Sara , Terzibasi Tozzini Eva , Cellerino Alessandro
Published: September 2023

Tissue clearing techniques for three-dimensional reconstruction and imaging of entire organs and thick samples have become a popular and broadly used methodology, leading to the development of numerous protocols. Due to the complex cellular architecture of the brain and the wide spatial range of the connections that neurons may display, having the possibility to stain, image, and reconstruct neurons and/or neuronal nuclei in their entire extent can be crucial. However, this is hard to accomplish due to the natural opacity of the brain and the general thickness of the sample, posing a barrier to both imaging and antibody penetration.Nothobranchius furzerihas recently become a widely used model to study brain aging thanks to its short life span (3–7 mo), providing new opportunities to study the effects of aging on the brain and the role of aging in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we present a methodology to clarify and stain wholeN. furzeribrains. This protocol is based on the ScaleA2 and ScaleS protocols developed and presented by Hama and colleagues, together with an in-house developed staining procedure for thick slices of tissues. ScaleS is a convenient and easy clearing technique based on sorbitol and urea that does not require particularly complex equipment, but due to the high urea concentration in some of the solutions, not all antigens are preserved. To overcome this issue, we developed a method that allows optimal staining ofNothobranchius furzeribrains before clarification.
Towards the extraction of the crystal cell parameters from pair distribution function profiles
Authors: Guccione Pietro , Diacono Domenico , Toso Stefano , Caliandro Rocco
Published: September 2023

The approach based on atomic pair distribution function (PDF) has revolutionized structural investigations by X-ray/electron diffraction of nano or quasi-amorphous materials, opening up the possibility of exploring short-range order. However, the ab initio crystal structural solution by the PDF is far from being achieved due to the difficulty in determining the crystallographic properties of the unit cell. A method for estimating the crystal cell parameters directly from a PDF profile is presented, which is composed of two steps: first, the type of crystal cell is inferred using machine-learning approaches applied to the PDF profile; second, the crystal cell parameters are extracted by means of multivariate analysis combined with vector superposition techniques. The procedure has been validated on a large number of PDF profiles calculated from known crystal structures and on a small number of measured PDF profiles. The lattice determination step has been benchmarked by a comprehensive exploration of different classifiers and different input data. The highest performance is obtained using the k-nearest neighbours classifier applied to whole PDF profiles. Descriptors calculated from the PDF profiles by recurrence quantitative analysis produce results that can be interpreted in terms of PDF properties, and the significance of each descriptor in determining the prediction is evaluated. The cell parameter extraction step depends on the cell metric rather than its type. Monometric, dimetric and trimetric cells have top-1 estimates that are correct 40, 20 and 5% of the time, respectively. Promising results were obtained when analysing real nanocrystals, where unit cells close to the true ones are found within the top-1 ranked solution in the case of monometric cells and within the top-6 ranked solutions in the case of dimetric cells, even in the presence of a crystalline impurity with a weight fraction up to 40%.
Applicability of transferable multipole pseudo-atoms for restoring inner-crystal electronic force density fields. Chemical bonding and binding features in the crystal and dimer of 1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-6-methyluracil
Authors: Saifina Alina F. , Kartashov Sergey V. , Saifina Liliya F. , Fayzullin Robert R.
Published: September 2023

We considered it timely to test the applicability of transferable multipole pseudo-atoms for restoring inner-crystal electronic force density fields. The procedure was carried out on the crystal of 1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-6-methyluracil, and some derived properties of the scalar potential and vector force fields were compared with those obtained from the experimental multipole model and from the aspherical pseudo-atom model with parameters fitted to the calculated structure factors. The procedure was shown to accurately replicate the general vector-field behavior, the peculiarities of the quantum potentials and the characteristics of the force-field pseudoatoms, such as charge, shape and volume, as well as to reproduce the relative arrangement of atomic and pseudoatomic zero-flux surfaces along internuclear regions. It was found that, in addition to the quantum-topological atoms, the force-field pseudoatoms are spatially reproduced within a single structural fragment and similar environment. In addition, the classical and nonclassical hydrogen bonds in the uracil derivative crystal, as well as the H...O, N...O and N...C interactions in the free π-stacked dimer of the uracil derivative molecules, were studied using the potential and force fields within the concepts of interatomic charge transfer and electron lone pair donation–acceptance. Remarkably, the nitrogen atoms in the N...O and N...C interactions behave rather like a Lewis base and an electron contributor. At the same time, the hydrogen atom in the H...O interaction, being a Lewis acid, also participates in the interatomic electron transfer by acting as a contributor. Thus, it has been argued that, when describing polar interatomic interactions within orbital-free considerations, it makes more physical sense to identify electronegative (electron occupier) and electropositive (electron contributor) atoms or subatomic fragments rather than nucleophilic and electrophilic sites.
Brand engagement and community user behaviors in online interest communities: exploring a moderated mediation model
Authors: Hao Ruohong , Liang Xiaobei , Meng Hu
Published: September 2023

Purpose

As fertile soil for product promotion, online interest communities have gradually come into brands' view. However, existing research does not clarify whether brand engagement in consumer interaction is beneficial to the development of online interest communities. This study attempts to investigate the effects of brand engagement on the online interest community operation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a model that delineated the influence of brand engagement on consumers' citizenship behavior in the online interest community from the commitment-trust perspective. Scenario-based experiments were conducted and 536 data were collected by simple random sampling.

Findings

Results shows that a stronger perception of brand engagement has a positive influence on the relationship (trust and commitment) between the community and its users, which further influences online community citizenship behavior (feedback, advocacy and tolerance) of both posters and lurkers, especially for the posters. Although relationships are more complex, brand engagement activates the development of online interest communities to some extent.

Originality/value

This original study contributes to the commitment-trust theory by examining the impact of brand engagement on citizenship behavior via community commitment and trust in the online interest community context. In addition, this study compares the moderating effect of posters vs lurkers on the relationship between brand engagement and citizenship behavior in the online interest community.
Greening warehouses through energy efficiency and environmental impact reduction: a conceptual framework based on a systematic literature review
Authors: Perotti Sara , Colicchia Claudia
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework of green strategies as a combination of energy-efficiency measures and solutions towards environmental impact reduction for improving environmental sustainability at logistics sites. Such measures are examined by discussing the related impacts, motivations and barriers that could influence the measures' adoption. Starting from the framework, directions for future research in this field are outlined.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed framework was developed starting from a systematic literature review (SLR) approach on 60 papers published from 2008 to 2022 in international peer-reviewed journals or conference proceedings.

Findings

The framework identifies six main areas of intervention (“green strategies”) towards green warehousing, namely Building, Utilities, Lighting, Material Handling and Automation, Materials and Operational Practices. For each strategy, specific energy-efficiency measures and solutions towards environmental impact reduction are further pinpointed. In most cases, “green-gold” measures emerge as the most appealing, entailing environmental and economic benefits at the same time. Finally, for each measure the relationship with the measures' primary impacts is discussed.

Originality/value

From an academic viewpoint, the framework fills a major gap in the scientific literature since, for the first time, this study elaborates the concept of green warehousing as a result of energy-efficiency measures and solutions towards environmental impact reduction. A classification of the main areas of intervention (“green strategies”) is proposed by adopting a holistic approach. From a managerial perspective, the paper addresses a compelling need of practitioners – e.g. logistics service providers (LSPs), manufacturers and retailers – for practices and solutions towards greener warehousing processes to increase energy efficiency and decrease the environmental impact of the practitioners' logistics facilities. In this sense, the proposed framework can provide valuable support for logistics managers that are about to approach the challenge of turning the managers' warehouses into greener nodes of the managers' supply chains.
Dynamic capabilities for supply chain resilience: a meta-review
Authors: Stadtfeld Gernot M. , Gruchmann Tim
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The research on supply chain resilience (SCRES) has gained momentum after organizations have experienced more frequent and severe disruptions, especially with COVID-19 and the Russia/Ukraine conflict. Due to its potential for new practices and capability building, SCRES requires dynamic capabilities (DC) to enable an organization to prepare for, counter, and recuperate from disruptions leading to performance improvements and competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

The present literature study seeks to enrich the theoretical debate on DC in SCRES, contributing to an advanced understanding of SCRES. Therefore, a meta-review of 83 peer-reviewed literature reviews has been conducted. Based on qualitative content analysis and abductive reasoning, relevant constructs are synthesized to facilitate theory-building for SCRES DC into a comprehensive framework.

Findings

The analysis reveals that SCRES has developed into an independent research area. Thus, resilience capabilities must be considered bundles of practices, evolving from different areas beyond supply chain risk management (SCRM). Most recent literature reviews on SCRES address more than one practice bundle applying SCRES DC as antecedents of new DC when organizational structures become more mature, leading to path dependencies when building business capabilities.

Originality/value

Aggregating extant literature on SCRES into a theoretical framework, the study contributes to a better understanding of the relationships between DC and SCRES practices while offering potential avenues for future research. It enriches DC theory by extending its microfoundations towards a holding/buffering dimension, which particularly accounts for the stability-based view of SCRES.
Material matters: concrete support and adaptability to work-related change during COVID-19
Authors: Cooper Brian , Shea Tracey , Cox Julie W. , Stead Naomi , Robberts Jonathan
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate which resources and sources of support are related to employee adaptability to work-related change during the COVID-19 pandemic, with implications for human resource management (HRM).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analysed a survey of 1,619 employees working in architectural practice and allied fields in Australia in 2020.

Findings

Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, the authors asked whether workers would be more adaptable to change during COVID-19 if they were able to draw on a combination or bundle of supports, known as resource caravans. Hierarchical multiple regression and relative importance analysis showed that confidence in personal support networks during the pandemic was the most important predictor assisting workers to adapt to change, followed by concrete (practical, technical) organizational support for remote work. No evidence was found to corroborate this study's hypotheses that these resources provide support in bundles, challenging the notion of resource caravans in this research context.

Originality/value

The authors argue that COR theory has been too broadly applied to the workplace and that boundary conditions should apply to its emphasis on resource caravans. In practical terms, HRM supports to promote employee adaptability should be carefully targeted in extreme circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Does inflation affect asymmetrically to financial development in India? Fresh insights based on NARDL approach
Authors: Dar Muzffar Hussain , Nain Md. Zulquar
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study examines the possibility of asymmetric impact of inflation on the financial development (FD) in the case of Indian economy from 1980 to 2020. Moreover, the finance–growth hypothesis is also tested.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors incorporated the “Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag” (NARDL) model due to Shin et al. (2014) to investigate the asymmetric impact of inflation on financial development. Asymmetric cumulative dynamic multipliers are also used to track the traverse of any short-run distortion towards the long-run cointegration.

Findings

The results revealed that inflation impacts the financial development negatively whereas the economic growth (EG) and trade openness have a positive effect. However, the effect of inflation on financial development is not symmetric. Moreover, the findings support the demand-led growth hypothesis.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study examining the asymmetric effects of inflation on financial development in the Indian context. In addition, instead of using a single proxy to measure financial development, an index for financial development encompassing different aspects of the financial system has been incorporated.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-02-2023-0094
Exploring the association between the Proteus effect and intention to play massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs)
Authors: Sun Seungjong , Kim Jang Hyun , Lee Kwan Min , Nan Dongyan
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are representative metaverse games that are thriving in academia and the industry. This study aims to develop an integrated model based on Yee's motivations and the Proteus effect to explore individuals' intentions of playing MMORPGs.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were gathered by conducting an online survey (n = 441) for the players of World of Warcraft, an MMORPG. The collected data were analyzed with a structural equation model.

Findings

The outcomes of this research reveal that the Proteus effect positively influenced the intentions of the players to play the game via mediations of social, immersion, achievement motivations and enjoyment. Furthermore, the players influenced by the Proteus effect, which enables avatar embodiment and identification, exhibited a stronger intention to play MMORPGs.

Originality/value

This research is one of the first attempts to establish a theoretical framework involving the Proteus effect and Yee's motivations. In addition, the findings of this study imply that the Proteus effect should be considered when investigating the individual experience of metaverse games.
Impact of access to agricultural extension on the adoption of technology and farm income of smallholder farmers in Banten, Indonesia
Authors: Amrullah Eka Rastiyanto , Takeshita Hironobu , Tokuda Hiromi
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The agricultural extension system in Indonesia has experienced its ups and downs in line with the sociopolitical dynamics of the country. This study examines the impact of access to agricultural extension on the adoption of technology and farm income of smallholder farmers in Banten, Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a quasi-experimental research design to estimate the impact outcomes at the farm level, with methods that form part of the counterfactual framework.

Findings

Estimation results show that farming experience, off-farm income, irrigation, group membership, mobile phones and livestock ownership significantly affect extension access. The results of this main study show the important role of extension access to technology adoption and agricultural income. These studies found consistently positive and statistically significant effects of access to extension services on technology adoption and farm income.

Research limitations/implications

The consistent positive and significant effect of extension access implies that public investment by the government in agricultural extension can optimize the potential impact on technology adoption and agricultural income, which also affects the distribution of the welfare of rural smallholder farmers.

Originality/value

Agricultural extension as a key to increasing technology adoption. However, the impact of access to agricultural extension in Indonesia has received less attention in terms of adoption and farm income.
Influence of integration of multimodal writing portfolios into academic writing courses on novice researchers' academic writing
Authors: Chien Chin-Wen
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Multimodal writing portfolios were introduced and integrated into an undergraduate course and a graduate course in a research-oriented university in northwest Taiwan. This study aims to examine the influence of multimodal writing portfolios of novice researchers' academic writing.

Design/methodology/approach

Comparative case studies involve collecting data from several cases and analyzing the similarities, differences and patterns across cases (Merriam, 2009). To address this underdeveloped area of research, a comparative case study method was employed to understand undergraduate and graduate students' multimodal writing portfolios in academic writing in two courses in Taiwan.

Findings

First, multimodal writing portfolios enabled novice researchers to be more familiar with the structure of academic paper and they had better performance in intrapersonal and linguistic aspects. Second, novice researchers held positive attitude toward multimodal writing portfolios because they regarded process of making multimodal writing portfolios as preparation for their future academic writing. Finally, participants highly valued the class PowerPoint slides, weekly writing tasks and the instructor's modeling as effective facilitation for making multimodal writing portfolios.

Research limitations/implications

Limited studies focus on multimodal writing portfolios (e.g. Silver, 2019). The present case study explores the integration of a multimodal writing portfolio into one undergraduate and one graduate course to explore learners' attitude and performance in academic writing.

Practical implications

Novice researchers can learn to compose multimodal academic texts for the academic writing community.

Social implications

Suggestions on effective integration of multimodal writing portfolios into academic writing instruction were provided based on the research findings.

Originality/value

The findings of the study provide the field of L2 writing with insights into the pedagogical development of multilingual writing portfolios and help educators to be better prepared for teaching novice researchers to comprehend and compose multimodal texts and enter the academic writing community. The framework in Figure 1 and suggestions on course designs for academic writing can inform educators on the integration of multimodality in academic discourse. Moreover, this study moves beyond general writing courses at the tertiary level and could contribute to L2 writers' deeper understanding of how multimodal writing portfolios can be constructed.
The social side of innovation: peer influence in online brand communities
Authors: Wang Nan , Lv Tian , Wang Liya , Guo Aifang , Ma Zhenzhong
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Online brand communities (OBCs) are important platforms to obtain consumers' ideas. The purpose of this study is to examine how peer influence and consumer contribution behavior simulate innovative behaviors in OBCs to increase idea quality.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a firm-hosted popular online brand community – Xiaomi Community (MIUI), the authors collected a set of data from 6567 consumers and then used structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to empirically test the impact of peer influence and consumer contribution behaviors on idea quality in OBCs.

Findings

The results of this study show that both peer influence breadth and depth have a positive effect on idea adoption and peer recognition, wherein proactive contribution behavior positively mediates these relationships, and responsive contribution behavior negatively mediates the impact of peer influence breadth and peer influence depth on peer recognition. A more detailed analysis using the fsQCA method further identifies four types of antecedent configurations for better idea quality.

Originality/value

Based on the attention-based view and the theory of learning by feedback, this study explores the factors that affect idea quality in the context of social networks and extends the research of peer influence in the digital age. The paper helps improve our understanding of how to promote customer idea quality in OBCs.
A steep hill to climb: lessons from professional development on inquiry creation
Authors: Kaka Sarah Jane , Colley Lauren M. , Suskey Ryan
Published: September 2023

Purpose

In the Fall of 2020, three teacher educators in Ohio collaborated on a three-month long online professional development series on how to write Focused Inquiries, a la the Inquiry Design Model (IDM).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors detail the contents of the six group professional development (PD) sessions and share the lessons that the authors learned as a result of leading this training.

Findings

Given this study’s mixed results, the authors often came back to the questions of “maybe it was us? Maybe it was the pandemic? Maybe there wasn’t enough training? Or maybe IDM creation isn’t a skill that all teachers possess and maybe that’s ok?” The authors share the struggles with these questions and situate all of this within the current culture wars raging around schools today.

Originality/value

Finally, the authors offer the current approach to inquiry training for teachers that situates inquiry creation later in the process after significant structured introductory work.
Verification of the efficacy of topical sirolimus gel for systemic rare vascular malformations: a pilot study
Authors: Wataya‐Kaneda Mari , Maeda Shinichirou , Nakamura Ayumi , Hayashi Misa , Fujimoto Manabu
Published: August 2023

Numerous clinical trials of sirolimus, an inhibitor of mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1, for the treatment of vascular malformations have been conducted. However, aside from lymphatic malformations, the efficacy of sirolimus for venous and capillary malformations has not been established. Moreover, no generalized venous or capillary malformations have been treated with topical sirolimus. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical sirolimus for venous and capillary malformations and to compare the efficacy of topical and systemic sirolimus therapy, an open‐label single‐arm pilot study with 0.2% sirolimus gel was conducted from July 19, 2019, to January 30, 2020, in four patients diagnosed with different vascular malformations (blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome, common venous malformation, phakomatosis pigmentovascularis type IVb, and angiokeratoma in Fabry disease). The primary endpoint was the safety evaluation of sirolimus gel. The main secondary endpoint was the improvement rate evaluated by the Central Judgment Committee at 12 weeks using photographs. No adverse events were observed. Blood sirolimus was not detected in any patient. Two patients (50%) had mild improvement, and the remaining two patients (50%) showed no change after 12 weeks of treatment. Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome, a generalized venous malformation, showed the greatest response. In conclusion, 0.2% sirolimus gel was found to be as clinically effective as systemic sirolimus treatment in patients with venous and capillary malformations and more effective for early active lesions, even systemic venous malformations.
Steerable isobutyric and butyric acid production from CO2 and H2 by Clostridium luticellarii
Authors: Mariën Quinten , Regueira Alberte , Ganigué Ramon
Published: August 2023

Clostridium luticellarii is a recently discovered acetogen that is uniquely capable of producing butyric and isobutyric acid from various substrates (e.g. methanol), but it is unclear which factors influence its (iso)butyric acid production from H2 and CO2. We aimed to investigate the autotrophic metabolism of C. luticellarii by identifying the necessary growth conditions and examining the effects of pH and metabolite levels on product titers and selectivity. Results show that autotrophic growth of C. luticellarii requires the addition of complex nutrient sources and the absence of shaking conditions. Further experiments combined with thermodynamic calculations identified pH as a key parameter governing the direction of metabolic fluxes. At circumneutral pH (~6.5), acetic acid is the sole metabolic end product but C. luticellarii possesses the unique ability to co‐oxidize organic acids such as valeric acid under high H2 partial pressures (>1 bar). Conversely, mildly acidic pH (≤5.5) stimulates the production of butyric and isobutyric acid while partly halting the oxidation of organic acids. Additionally, elevated acetic acid concentrations stimulated butyric and isobutyric acid production up to a combined selectivity of 53 ± 3%. Finally, our results suggest that isobutyric acid is produced by a reversible isomerization of butyric acid, but valeric and caproic acid are not isomerized. These combined insights can inform future efforts to optimize and scale‐up the production of valuable chemicals from CO2 using C. luticellarii.
Real‐world causal evidence for planned predictive enrichment in critical care trials: A scoping review
Authors: Kaas‐Hansen Benjamin Skov , Granholm Anders , Sivapalan Praleene , Anthon Carl Thomas , Schjørring Olav Lilleholt , Maagaard Mathias , Kjær Maj‐Brit Nørregaard , Mølgaard Jesper , Ellekjær Karen Louise , Fagerberg Steen Kåre , Lange Theis , Møller Morten Hylander , Perner Anders
Published: August 2023

Background

Randomised clinical trials in critical care are prone to inconclusiveness due, in part, to undue optimism about effect sizes and suboptimal accounting for heterogeneous treatment effects. Although causal evidence from rich real‐world critical care can help overcome these challenges by informing predictive enrichment, no overview exists.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review, systematically searching 10 general and speciality journals for reports published on or after 1 January 2018, of randomised clinical trials enrolling adult critically ill patients. We collected trial metadata on 22 variables including recruitment period, intervention type and early stopping (including reasons) as well as data on the use of causal evidence from secondary data for planned predictive enrichment.

Results

We screened 9020 records and included 316 unique RCTs with a total of 268,563 randomised participants. One hundred seventy‐three (55%) trials tested drug interventions, 101 (32%) management strategies and 42 (13%) devices. The median duration of enrolment was 2.2 (IQR: 1.3–3.4) years, and 83% of trials randomised less than 1000 participants. Thirty‐six trials (11%) were restricted to COVID‐19 patients. Of the 55 (17%) trials that stopped early, 23 (42%) used predefined rules; futility, slow enrolment and safety concerns were the commonest stopping reasons. None of the included RCTs had used causal evidence from secondary data for planned predictive enrichment.

Conclusion

Work is needed to harness the rich multiverse of critical care data and establish its utility in critical care RCTs. Such work will likely need to leverage methodology from interventional and analytical epidemiology as well as data science.
The awakening of dormant neuronal precursors in the adult and aged brain
Authors: Benedetti Bruno , Reisinger Maximilian , Hochwartner Marie , Gabriele Gabriele , Jakubecova Dominika , Benedetti Ariane , Bonfanti Luca , Couillard‐Despres Sebastien
Published: August 2023

Beyond the canonical neurogenic niches, there are dormant neuronal precursors in several regions of the adult mammalian brain. Dormant precursors maintain persisting post‐mitotic immaturity from birth to adulthood, followed by staggered awakening, in a process that is still largely unresolved. Strikingly, due to the slow rate of awakening, some precursors remain immature until old age, which led us to question whether their awakening and maturation are affected by aging. To this end, we studied the maturation of dormant precursors in transgenic mice (DCX‐CreERT2/flox‐EGFP) in which immature precursors were labelled permanently in vivo at different ages. We found that dormant precursors are capable of awakening at young age, becoming adult‐matured neurons (AM), as well as of awakening at old age, becoming late AM. Thus, protracted immaturity does not prevent late awakening and maturation. However, late AM diverged morphologically and functionally from AM. Moreover, AM were functionally most similar to neonatal‐matured neurons (NM). Conversely, late AM were endowed with high intrinsic excitability and high input resistance, and received a smaller amount of spontaneous synaptic input, implying their relative immaturity. Thus, late AM awakening still occurs at advanced age, but the maturation process is slow.
Effectiveness of contingency management using transdermal alcohol monitoring to reduce heavy drinking among driving while intoxicated (DWI) arrestees: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Dougherty Donald M. , Moon Tae‐Joon , Liang Yuanyuan , Roache John D. , Lamb Richard J. , Mathias Charles W. , Wasserman Alexander M. , Wood Erin E. , Hill‐Kapturczak Nathalie
Published: September 2023

Background

Driving while intoxicated (DWI) is a serious public health problem. However, treatment for DWI arrestees is not readily available. This study examines the effectiveness of a contingency management (CM) procedure using transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) monitoring to reduce drinking among DWI arrestees.

Method

The study participants were 216 DWI arrestees under pretrial and included both Mandated participants undergoing court‐ordered TAC monitoring and Non‐Mandated participants wearing a study‐provided TAC monitor. Participants were randomly assigned to either a CM (Mandated = 35; Non‐Mandated = 74) or a Control condition (Mandated = 37; Non‐Mandated = 70) and completed the 8‐week intervention. CM participants received $50/week for not exceeding a TAC of 0.02 g/dL during the previous week. Payments to Controls were yoked to the CM group.

Results

Among Non‐Mandated participants, the probability of meeting the contingency was higher and remained stable (about 65%) over time in the CM group, whereas the probability was lower and declined in the Control group, widening the gaps in the probability between the study conditions (16.7%–24.1% greater in the CM group from visit 4 to 8, all p < 0.05). Among Mandated participants, the probability was not significantly different between conditions (p = 0.06–0.95). Furthermore, among Non‐Mandated participants, the percentage of heavy drinking days remained low (9.16%–11.37%) in the CM group, whereas it was greater and increased over time (17.43%–26.59%) in the Control group. In Mandated participants, no significant differences in percent heavy drinking days were observed between conditions (p = 0.07–0.10).

Conclusion

We found that contingency effects on alcohol use are more pronounced among frequent and heavy alcohol users, i.e., Non‐Mandated DWI arrestees. However, for individuals whose drinking was already suppressed by existing contingencies (i.e., court‐mandated TAC monitoring), our CM procedure did not produce additional reductions in drinking.