bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The crystal structure of the human smacovirus 1 Rep domain
Authors: Limón Lidia K. , Shi Ke , Dao Amy , Rugloski Jacob , Tompkins Kassidy J. , Aihara Hideki , Gordon Wendy R. , Evans Robert L.
Published: December 2023

Replication initiator proteins (Reps) from the HUH endonuclease family process specific single-stranded DNA sequences to initiate rolling-circle replication in viruses. Here, the first crystal structure of the apo state of a Rep domain from the smacovirus family is reported. The structure of the human smacovirus 1 Rep domain was obtained at 1.33 Å resolution and represents an expansion of the HUH endonuclease superfamily, allowing greater diversity in bioconjugation-tag applications.
Schematic Software Company: Accelerating Growth
Authors: Jena Sanjay Kumar , Borah Sourav Bikash , Pratheebha G.
Published: December 2023

Sunit Raj was the Vice President, Marketing of Schematic Software Company (SSC), a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company. He was pondering how to preserve the company's growth momentum it had achieved over the last few years. In the third quarter of 2021, the company's valuation reached USD 25 billion, representing a year-over-year gain of 50%. Within 12 years of operation, it had over 50,000 employees worldwide and over 100,000 paying customers in more than 150 countries. Raj had to decide the company's future direction among new territories, buyer segments and product categories that would bring revenue and aid in sustaining its growth.
Deal completion in mergers and acquisitions: past accomplishment and future direction
Authors: Fuad Mohammad , Venugopal Ajith
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are important strategic actions undertaken by firms to access resources and markets. However, firms face substantial challenges in M&As during deal completion. While prior literature reviews synthesize the studies on the post-merger consequences of M&As, the literature on deal completion is largely fragmented. In this paper, the authors synthesize prior literature on deal completion into the antecedents and consequences framework and map various studies across the international business and management, finance and accounting literature at the macro-, meso- and micro-levels.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopt a content analysis-based methodology to conduct the review. First, the authors identify existing literature on deal completion based on keyword searches. Next, the authors propose a framework that integrates the extant literature from a multi-theoretic perspective across four broad themes: concepts, antecedents, implications and moderators. In this study, the authors consider not only empirical but also conceptual papers to strengthen the theoretical foundations of M&A literature. Finally, after synthesizing various studies, the authors highlight a future research agenda on deal completion.

Findings

Based on the review, this study provides important avenues for future research on M&A deal completion.

Originality/value

This study theoretically integrates multi-disciplinary and multi-country research on acquisition completion.
Entrepreneurial coaching for innovation in SMEs: development and validation of a measurement scale
Authors: Azizi Mohammad , Hosseinloo Hamid , Maley Jane F. , Dabić Marina
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Coaching is a widespread form of human development that has grown considerably in recent years. However, it is not well understood in entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and little is known about the success factors for coaching in SMEs. Thus, this article presents a theoretical framework for coaching SMEs. The paper reports on a study carried out to develop and validate a coaching model for entrepreneurship in SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods approach was undertaken in SMEs in the Iranian pharmaceutical industry. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the samples and the model's dimensions.

Findings

The results show five chief constructs of the entrepreneurial coaching model. In particular, the authors determine the importance of early goal setting and identify the essential characteristics of an effective entrepreneurial coach.

Research limitations/implications

Firstly, the data relied solely on the pharmacy industry in Iran, indicating a need for future studies to explore coaching programs across various industries and countries. Additionally, a quantitative aspect of the research involved participants answering questionnaires based on their perceptions. This subjective nature introduces a potential for inaccuracies in participants' perceptions and expectations. Furthermore, the inherent bias of program stakeholders may have led to exaggerated responses. To mitigate these issues, it would be beneficial to conduct experimental and longitudinal research, which could address these concerns more effectively.

Practical implications

By utilizing a theoretical framework, the authors goal is to define the essential features of coaching in SMEs and compare it to other developmental interventions to highlight both commonalities and distinctions. This approach addresses the recent suggestions in coaching literature to distinguish coaching practices tailored for particular groups, specifically entrepreneurs involved in SMEs.

Originality/value

This study contributes to understanding the essential features for successful entrepreneurial coaching in SMEs.
“For students shall not live by Zoom alone”: psychological factors explaining the engagement of students during the COVID-19
Authors: Gazit Tali
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to obtain valuable insights into students’ engagement and experiences within the virtual learning environment, especially in the context of crises. Among the innumerable challenges people throughout the world faced during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, those of students in institutions of higher education needing to engage in online academic studies are of special interest. Using an online survey, this study could predict students’ online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic through three theoretical frameworks: the students’ academic motivation to study, the Big Five personality traits, and loneliness, and with a new tool measuring the participation in the Zoom platform.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the psychological and technological factors predicting the students’ engagement, this study surveyed 547 students from different academic institutions of higher learning.

Findings

Findings show that the less lonely the students felt, the less neurotic they were, and the higher they scored in levels of extroversion, agreeableness, consciousnesses and openness to experience, the greater their engagement in their academic studies. In addition, students who were older, more educated, with higher intrinsic motivation and lower lack of motivation were more engaged in their online academic studies. Finally, participating in classes through the Zoom platform and experiencing it positively was a significant predictor of higher academic engagement.

Originality/value

Recognizing these factors can enable educators, institutions of higher learning, counselling services and students to obtain tools for higher engagement in online learning.
Revisiting the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and ESG disclosures in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Umar Umar Habibu , Firmansyah Egi Arvian , Danlami Muhammad Rabiu , Al-Faryan Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effects of corporate governance mechanisms (board chairman independence, board independent director meeting attendance, audit committee size and audit committee meetings) on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) and its individual component disclosures of listed firms in Saudi Arabia.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used unbalanced panel data obtained from the Bloomberg data set over 11 years, from 2010 to 2020.

Findings

The findings indicate that board chairman independence (BCI) and audit committee size (AC size) have a significant negative and positive association with ESG disclosure, respectively. However, the results show that board independent director meeting attendance (BIMA) and audit committee meetings (AC meetings) do not significantly influence ESG disclosure. Regarding the individual dimensions (components), the results show that only BIMA has a significant negative association with environmental disclosure. Besides, only BCI and AC meetings have a significant positive association with social disclosure. Also, only BIMA and AC size have a significant positive and negative relationship with governance disclosure, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The study used a sample of 29 listed companies in Saudi Arabia. Each firm has at least four years of ESG disclosures. Besides, the paper considered only four corporate governance attributes, comprising two each for the board and audit committee.

Practical implications

The results provide insights to regulators, boards of directors, managers and investors to enhance ESG and its components’ reporting toward the sustainable operations and better performance of Saudi firms.

Originality/value

This study is among the few that provide empirical evidence on how some essential corporate governance attributes that have not been given adequate attention by prior studies (board chairman independence, board independent directors’ meeting attendance, audit committee size and audit committee meetings) influence not only ESG reporting as a whole but also its individual dimensions (components).
Nexus between foreign direct investment and ecological footprint in BRICS and Next-11: the moderating role of green innovation
Authors: Padhan Lakshmana , Bhat Savita
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The study examines the presence of the pollution haven or pollution halo hypothesis in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) and Next-11 economies. Hence, it empirically tests the direct impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the ecological footprint. Further, it explores the moderating role of green innovation on the nexus between FDI and ecological footprint.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses the Driscoll–Kraay (DK) standard error panel regression technique to examine the long-run elasticities amongst the variables for the group of emerging countries, BRICS and Next-11, during the period of 1992 to 2018. Further, statistical robustness is demonstrated using the fully modified ordinary least squares technique.

Findings

The empirical finding shows that FDI degrades environmental quality by raising the ecological footprint. Thus, it proves that FDI is a source of pollution haven in BRICS and Next-11 countries. However, green innovation negatively moderates the relationship between FDI and ecological footprint. That means the joint impact of green innovation, and FDI proves the presence of the pollution halo hypothesis. Further, renewable energy consumption is reducing the ecological footprint, but economic growth and industrialisation are worsening the environmental quality.

Practical implications

This study offers policy implications for governments and policymakers to promote environmental sustainability by improving green innovation and allowing FDI that encourages clean and advanced technology.

Originality/value

No prior studies examine the moderating role of green innovation on the relationship between FDI and ecological footprint in the context of emerging countries.
Mapping research in marketing: trends, influential papers and agenda for future research
Authors: Ramos Ricardo , Rita Paulo , Vong Celeste
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to map the conceptual structure and evolution of the recent scientific literature published in marketing journals to identify the areas of interest and potential future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

The 100 most influential marketing academic papers published between 2018 and 2022 were identified and scrutinized through a bibliometric analysis.

Findings

The findings further upheld the critical role of emerging technologies such as Blockchain in marketing and identified artificial intelligence and live streaming as emerging trends, reinforcing the importance of data-driven marketing in the discipline.

Research limitations/implications

The data collection included only the 100 most cited documents between 2018 and 2022, and data were limited only to Scopus database and restrained to the Scopus-indexed marketing journals. Moreover, documents were selected based on the number of citations. Nevertheless, the data set may still provide significant insight into the marketing field.

Practical implications

Influential authors, papers and journals identified in this study will facilitate future literature searches and scientific dissemination in the field. This study makes an essential contribution to the marketing literature by identifying hot topics and suggesting future research themes. Also, the important role of emerging technologies and the shift of marketing toward a more data-driven approach will have significant practical implications for marketers.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study offering a general overview of the leading trends and researchers in marketing state-of-the-art research.
The impact of pre‐operative depression on pain outcomes after major surgery: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Lee S. , Xue Y. , Petricca J. , Kremic L. , Xiao M. Z. X. , Pivetta B. , Ladha K. S. , Wijeysundera D. N. , Diep C.
Published: December 2023

Symptoms of depression are common among patients before surgery. Depression may be associated with worse postoperative pain and other pain‐related outcomes. This review aimed to characterise the impact of pre‐operative depression on postoperative pain outcomes. We conducted a systematic review of observational studies that reported an association between pre‐operative depression and pain outcomes after major surgery. Multilevel random effects meta‐analyses were conducted to pool standardised mean differences and 95%CI for postoperative pain scores in patients with depression compared with those without depression, at different time intervals. A meta‐analysis was performed for studies reporting change in pain scores from the pre‐operative period to any time‐point after surgery. Sixty studies (n = 501,962) were included in the overall review, of which 18 were eligible for meta‐analysis. Pre‐operative depression was associated with greater pain scores at < 72 h (standardised mean difference 0.97 (95%CI 0.37–1.56), p = 0.009, I2 = 41%; moderate certainty) and > 6 months (standardised mean difference 0.45 (95%CI 0.23–0.68), p < 0.001, I2 = 78%; low certainty) after surgery, but not at 3–6 months after surgery (standardised mean difference 0.54 (95%CI ‐0.06–1.15), p = 0.07, I2 = 83%; very low certainty). The change in pain scores from pre‐operative baseline to 1–2 years after surgery was similar between patients with and without pre‐operative depression (standardised mean difference 0.13 (95%CI ‐0.06–0.32), p = 0.15, I2 = 54%; very low certainty). Overall, pre‐existing depression before surgery was associated with worse pain severity postoperatively. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating psychological care into current postoperative pain management approaches in patients with depression.
Justice perceptions and well‐being: Belief in a just world is a personal resource and a coping resource
Authors: Correia Isabel , Carvalho Helena , Otto Kathleen , Nudelman Gabriel
Published: December 2023

Although the perception of justice is a core need of all individuals, the adaptive value of belief in a just world (BJW)—in everyday life and when facing severe distress—has been typically investigated in separate studies. In this article, we tested, in only one study, the possibility that BJW can be a personal resource and a coping resource. We analysed data from the European Social Survey comprised of random representative samples of 27 European countries (N = 24,776 participants). We considered distressing circumstances both at an individual level (health impairment and financial difficulty) and at a macroeconomic contextual level. The results showed that for people both facing and not facing financial or health‐related distress, BJW was positively associated with well‐being, supporting BJW as a personal resource. Furthermore, we found that the decrease of well‐being of people facing distress, both at an individual level and at a contextual level, compared to people not facing distress, was lower for individuals with higher BJW than for individuals with lower BJW, supporting BJW as a coping resource.
Debate: How far can we modify the expression of autism by modifying the environment?
Authors: Mottron Laurent , Gagnon David
Published: December 2023

Following Green (Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 2023, 28, 438) the emergence of a manifest autistic phenotype, during preschool years, represents a discontinuity from preclinical or subclinical states. We propose that this discontinuity suggests that autistic children experience superior interest for, and processing of non‐social information, whereas children without autism favor social information processing. This is produced by perceptual over‐functioning, still allowing self‐taught non‐social language learning in a substantial fraction of prototypical autistic children. A new set of rigorous intervention studies using Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT), based on the synchrony principle, brought autistic children below the ADOS diagnostic threshold (Whitehouse et al., JAMA Pediatrics, 2021, 175, e213298). We now know that adaptation of the child's social environment can produce changes in the manifestations of autism in the pre‐school period and later. However, the limitation of these changes, combine with evidence of non‐social learning of language suggests that clinicians should combine lateral tutorship (the parallel, unsynchronous exposure of information) with the synchrony (early dyadic communication and engagement) principle to create a new generation of strength‐based interventions.
A review of the directly sampled endometrial cytology on LBC samples: Classification, microscopic criteria and beyond
Authors: Norimatsu Yoshiaki , Maeda Yoshinobu , Malara Natalia , Fulciniti Franco , Kobayashi Tadao K.
Published: December 2023

The Yokohama System for Reporting Endometrial Cytology (TYS) has been proposed by an expert meeting under the auspices of the International Academy of Cytology (IAC) in May 2016 at the IAC in Yokohama. Since its introduction, the TYS has been receiving worldwide acceptance, and this review aims to assess its global impact. The adoption of endometrial cytology as a diagnostic procedure has been hampered in the past by difficulties arising in interpreting the cellular findings due to a number of factors (such as excess blood, cellular overlapping and the complex physiology of endometrium). Recently, the use of liquid‐based cytology (LBC), with its ability to remove blood and mucus and to distribute cells uniformly in a thin layer on the slide, has provided an opportunity to re‐evaluate the role of endometrial cytology. LBC is a useful tool in the cytologic diagnosis and follow‐up of endometrial abnormalities, which remains complementary to the emerging molecular diagnostic cytopathology. The study of LBC from endometrial cytology could be challenging since it is affected by numerous look‐alikes and diagnostic pitfalls. This review discusses these various entities and takes into consideration the ancillary techniques that may be useful in the diagnostic procedure. In conclusion, our review of the published data suggests that the TYS is a valid classification scheme that has been widely accepted by cytopathologists globally, is highly reproducible and makes a valuable contribution to clinical therapeutic management. At present, molecular cytopathology is a rapidly evolving field of modern cytopathology, which underlines the effective interplay between genomics and cytology. This review aims to provide a comprehensive review of the drawbacks of endometrial cytopathology, particularly in terms of endometrial cancer diagnosis and molecular testing.
Effect of traditional or heat‐not‐burn cigarette smoking on circulating miRNAs in healthy subjects
Authors: Picchio Vittorio , Ferrero Giulio , Cozzolino Claudia , Pardini Barbara , Floris Erica , Tarallo Sonia , Dhori Xhulio , Nocella Cristina , Loffredo Lorenzo , Biondi‐Zoccai Giuseppe , Carnevale Roberto , Frati Giacomo , Chimenti Isotta , Pagano Francesca
Published: December 2023

Background

Traditional combustion cigarette (TCC) smoking is an established risk factor for several types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) represent key molecules mediating pathogenetic mechanisms, and potential biomarkers for personalized risk assessment. TCC smoking globally changes the profile of circulating miRNAs. The use of heat‐not‐burn cigarettes (HNBCs) as alternative smoking devices is rising exponentially worldwide, and the circulating miRNA profile of chronic HNBC smokers is unknown. We aimed at defining the circulating miRNA profile of chronic exclusive HNBC smokers, and identifying potentially pathogenetic signatures.

Methods

Serum samples were obtained from 60 healthy young subjects, stratified in chronic HNBC smokers, TCC smokers and nonsmokers (20 subjects each). Three pooled samples per group were used for small RNA sequencing, and the fourth subgroup constituted the validation set.

Results

Differential expression analysis revealed 108 differentially expressed miRNAs; 72 exclusively in TCC, 10 exclusively in HNBC and 26 in both smoker groups. KEGG pathway analysis on target genes of the commonly modulated miRNAs returned cancer and cardiovascular disease associated pathways. Stringent abundance and fold‐change criteria nailed down our functional bioinformatic analyses to a network where miR‐25‐3p and miR‐221‐3p are main hubs.

Conclusion

Our results define for the first time the miRNA profile in the serum of exclusive chronic HNBC smokers and suggest a significant impact of HNBCs on circulating miRNAs.
Store‐operated calcium entry inhibits primary ciliogenesis via the activation of Aurora A
Authors: Lai Yi‐Shyun , Chan Ta‐Wei , Nguyen Thi My Hang , Lin Tzu‐Chien , Chao Yu‐Ying , Wang Chia‐Yih , Hung Liang‐Yi , Tsai Shaw‐Jenq , Chiu Wen‐Tai
Published: December 2023

The primary cilium is an antenna‐like organelle protruding from the cell surface that can detect physical and chemical stimuli in the extracellular space to activate specific signaling pathways and downstream gene expressions. Calcium ion (Ca2+) signaling regulates a wide spectrum of cellular processes, including fertilization, proliferation, differentiation, muscle contraction, migration, and death. This study investigated the effects of the regulation of cytosolic Ca2+ levels on ciliogenesis using chemical, genetic, and optogenetic approaches. We found that ionomycin‐induced Ca2+ influx inhibited ciliogenesis and Ca2+ chelator BATPA‐AM‐induced Ca2+ depletion promoted ciliogenesis. In addition, store‐operated Ca2+ entry and the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensor stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) negatively regulated ciliogenesis. Moreover, an optogenetic platform was used to create different Ca2+ oscillation patterns by manipulating lighting parameters, including density, frequency, exposure time, and duration. Light‐activated Ca2+‐translocating channelrhodopsin (CatCh) is activated by 470‐nm blue light to induce Ca2+ influx. Our results show that high‐frequency Ca2+ oscillations decrease ciliogenesis. Furthermore, the inhibition of cilia formation induced by Ca2+ may occur via the activation of Aurora kinase A. Cilia not only induce Ca2+ signaling but also regulate cilia formation by Ca2+ signaling.
Clinimetrics of the Lanarkshire Oximetry Index for patients with leg ulcers: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wynn Matthew , Stephens Melanie , Pradeep Sheba , Clarke‐Cornwell Alexandra M. , Bianchi Janice
Published: December 2023

Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI) measurement has long been considered the gold standard of vascular assessment for people with lower limb ulceration. Despite this, only around 15% of patients in the United Kingdom who require an ABPI measurement undergo the assessment. The Lanarkshire Oximetry Index (LOI) is a cheaper and arguably more accessible approach to vascular assessment and was initially proposed as an alternative to the ABPI in 2000. No synthesis of evidence related to the LOI has been performed since its introduction into the literature. Primary studies were sought to determine the clinimetric properties of the LOI and its level of agreement with ABPI assessments. Systematic searches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, BNI, ProQuest Health and Medicine, Science Direct, Google Scholar and the British Library (online search) were conducted. Reference lists of identified studies were also reviewed to identify additional studies. Three primary studies met the inclusion criteria, reporting data from 307 patients and 584 limbs assessed using both the LOI and ABPI. All three studies reported fair to moderate kappa values for interrater reliability (κ = 0.290–0.747) and statistically significant positive correlation coefficients (r = 0.37, p < 0.001 in two studies) between the LOI and ABPI. The combined data from the three studies indicated a sensitivity of 52% (41.78–62.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]) and specificity of 96.08% (93.4–97.9, 95% CI) for the LOI using the ABPI as a reference. Additional data are required to indicate the safety of the LOI in practice. Data are also required to determine if the LOI is more acceptable to clinicians compared to the ABPI and whether there are any barriers/enablers to its implementation in practice. Given the relatively low specificity of the LOI, it may be beneficial to combine measurement of the LOI with a subjective clinical risk assessment tool to improve the sensitivity of this alternative approach to vascular assessment.
Effect sizes of divergence in urban noise and song minimum frequency of grey‐cheeked fulvettas Alcippe morrisonia morrisonia
Authors: Shieh Bao‐Sen , Liang Shih‐Hsiung , Jen Chia‐Hung
Published: December 2023

Noise pollution, one of the most prominent features of urbanization, is an important factor influencing the vocal behavior of urban wildlife. Studies have reported that many songbirds raise their song minimum frequencies in response to urban noise. It has been proposed that this increased minimum frequency (IMF) of songs is an adaptation that allows urban populations to cope with the masking effect of noise pollution. However, urban populations of some songbirds do not exhibit significant IMF compared with non‐urban populations; thus, the notion that IMF is an adaptation to urban noise has been questioned. Furthermore, the effects of IMF might be influenced by both noise levels and the acoustic structures of songs. Here, we employed dichotomous and gradient effect size approaches to investigate IMF regarding two distinct acoustic structures (whistled and harmonic) in songs of six grey‐cheeked fulvetta Alcippe morrisonia morrisonia populations in Taiwan, three with high noise pollution and three with low noise pollution. We found that when using the dichotomous approach, paired populations with significant divergence in noise levels exhibited weak or insignificant divergence in the minimum frequencies for both whistled and harmonic phrases. In contrast, we found that when using the gradient approach, the effect size of noise‐level divergence was strongly correlated with the effect size of divergence in the minimum frequency of the harmonic phrase and only moderately correlated with the effect size of divergence in the minimum frequency of the whistled phrase. These findings suggest that noise pollution has a more pronounced effect on the divergence in the minimum frequency of harmonic phrases used in short‐range communication, compared to the whistled phrases used in long‐range communication. For population comparisons on the IMF, adopting a gradient approach could provide insights into the impact of noise pollution on the acoustic structures of songs across various communication ranges.
A review of supply chain transparency research: Antecedents, technologies, types, and outcomes
Authors: Budler Marko , Quiroga Bernardo F. , Trkman Peter
Published: December 2023

The growing popularity of “Supply Chain Transparency” (SCT) as an idea has motivated its use as a “buzzword,” leading to a lack of terminological clarity. Terms like visibility, transparency, and traceability are used colloquially or as synonyms for one another, yet often without a proper conceptual basis. We argue that the absence of a clear understanding of SCT limits the ability of scholars and practitioners to fully understand the role played by transparency in supply chains and to study its antecedents, technologies, types, and outcomes. Therefore, transparency research is at the point where a scoping review of literature on SCT is particularly useful. Our review first provides a formal conceptualization of SCT, allowing us to identify how transparency has been understood, the building blocks of SCT, and what distinguishes SCT from other concepts. In the review, we initially identify relevant concepts underlying SCT with a view to establish a unifying and nuanced framework for SCT. Second, using that unified conceptualization as a basis, primary outcomes such as the benefits and risks of SCT are determined. Third, we systematically detect and classify future research opportunities arising from the building blocks of SCT.
Detection of early bruises on apples using near‐infrared camera imaging technology combined with adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm
Authors: Tian Mimi , Zhang Jiachuang , Yang Zengrong , Li Mei , Li Junhui , Zhao Longlian
Published: December 2023

Apples are highly susceptible to bruising during picking, packing, and transportation, and early detection of apple bruises allows timely screening and treatment to reduce food safety risks. However, early bruises on apples, especially bruises of 30 min or less, with similar appearance to sound tissue, making manual sorting difficult. To address this problem, a near‐infrared (NIR) camera imaging technology combined with adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm for early apple bruise detection is proposed in this article. First, a NIR camera imaging system is built to acquire full‐band images of fruit face, fruit stem face and calyx face of sound apples and apples with single bruise and multiple bruises at 30 min of occurrence. Then, an adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm is proposed and an image processing algorithm, which includes high‐pass filtering, feature extraction, adaptive threshold segmentation and Hough circle detection, is developed and applied to full‐band images in response to the interference of apple stem and calyx on early bruising detection in this article. The results show that the proposed algorithm has an accuracy of 95.56% for the detection of sound apple samples and an F1‐score of 94.70% for the detection of early bruised samples, which is better than the commonly used image segmentation algorithms such as Otsu and fixed thresholding. This study shows that the combination of NIR camera imaging and the adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm proposed in this article can effectively detect early bruises on apples, providing a new idea for rapid and nondestructive detection of agricultural product quality.

Practical applications

Detecting early bruises on apples can achieve effective monitoring and control of apple supply chain, and guarantee the quality and safety of agricultural products. Most studies are based on conventional machine vision with RGB camera or hyperspectral imaging technology, while conventional machine vision based on RGB camera is difficult to detect apple early bruises that are not visible to the naked eye, and hyperspectral imaging has a large amount of data and redundant image data among wavelengths. Compared with previous studies, apple early bruise detection method proposed in this article combining NIR camera imaging technology and adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm can avoid the interference of bright spots, fruit stem and calyx on bruise segmentation while capturing a single channel image, providing a new method for accurate and rapid detection of early bruises on apples.
Discrimination of artificial strawberry aroma by electronic nose based on nanocomposites
Authors: Feltes Giovana , Ballen Sandra C. , Soares Andrey Coatrini , Soares Juliana Coatrini , Paroul Natalia , Steffens Juliana , Steffens Clarice
Published: December 2023

An electronic nose containing an array of gas sensors with interdigitated electrodes coated with nanocomposites based on polyaniline (Pani) combined with carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes doped with different acids was used to discriminate artificial strawberry aromas. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were used to investigate if the electronic nose was able to distinguish between different strawberry aromas. In addition, a nonlinear projection of the interactive document map technique (IDMAP) was applied to evaluate the distinction ability of the gas sensor array. The sensing layers showed tubular characteristics for Pani/MWCNT_COOH morphology and the group's representative doped state. The main and most common compound identified by gas chromatography in strawberry aromas was ethyl butyrate. The gas sensors showed high sensitivity (>6.55 mV/ppm), low limit of detection (LD <0.31 ppm), limit of quantification (LQ <5.43 ppm), short response time (<63 s) and recovery time (<10.15 s) for different artificial strawberry aromas. The results demonstrate that the electronic nose could differentiate among the artificial strawberry aromas. The volatile profile of strawberry aromas was distinguished into distinct groups using both LDA and PCA analysis. The use of IDMAP permitted the identification of the major contributors to the distinguishing ability of gas sensors with a high silhouette coefficient (0.91). The sensor array was efficient at aroma discrimination, demonstrating excellent potential for food analysis in industrial applications.

Practical applications

The distinction between natural and artificial flavors has significantly shrunk as volatile chemical technology has advanced. Historically, it was difficult to industrially replicate natural aromas. Identification and analysis of aromas are challenging tasks. Targeted aroma compounds are frequently present in low concentrations (parts per million), which makes it very challenging to identify them. The electronic nose system is a promising new analytical method that can quickly and accurately, without pre‐treating the sample, detect and identify the full information of aroma compounds in real time. It is generally accepted as a nondestructive, affordable, and portable method with high feasibility, speed, and ease of use. For qualitative differentiation and distinguishing, PCA, LDA, and IDMAP methods were also used.
Chromosomal‐level genome and metabolome analyses of highly heterozygous allohexaploid Dendrocalamus brandisii elucidate shoot quality and developmental characteristics
Authors: Jiang Jutang , Zhang Zeyu , Bai Yucong , Wang Xiaojing , Dou Yuping , Geng Ruiman , Wu Chongyang , Zhang Hangxiao , Lu Cunfu , Gu Lianfeng , Gao Jian
Published: December 2023

Dendrocalamus brandisii (Munro) Kurz is a sympodial bamboo species with inimitable taste and flavorful shoots. Its rapid growth and use as high‐quality material make this bamboo species highly valued for both food processing and wood applications. However, genome information for D. brandisii is lacking, primarily due to its polyploidy and large genome size. Here, we assembled a high‐quality genome for hexaploid D. brandisii, which comprises 70 chromosomes with a total size of 2,756 Mb, using long‐read HiFi sequencing. Furthermore, we accurately separated the genome into its three constituent subgenomes. We used Oxford Nanopore Technologies long reads to construct a transcriptomic dataset covering 15 tissues for gene annotation to complement our genome assembly, revealing differential gene expression and post‐transcriptional regulation. By integrating metabolome analysis, we unveiled that well‐balanced lignin formation, as well as abundant flavonoid and fructose contents, contribute to the superior quality of D. brandisii shoots. Integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic datasets provided a solid foundation for enhancing bamboo shoot quality and developing efficient gene‐editing techniques. This study should facilitate research on D. brandisii and enhance its use as a food source and wood material by providing crucial genomic resources.
“Thin markets”: Recruitment and retention of disability staff to support effective post‐parental care planning in rural Australia
Authors: Wark Stuart , Bryant Lia , Morales‐Boyce Tyson
Published: December 2023

The life expectancy of persons with intellectual disability is increasing, and this is often occurring concurrently with the aging of their long‐term parental carers. Research in both Australia and around the world indicates that proactive post‐parental care planning is not widely implemented, and transitions primarily happen suddenly following a personal crisis for the primary caregiver. Little focus in Australia has been placed on identifying the barriers that inhibit post‐parental care planning in rural areas, specifically in the context of the newly implemented National Disability Insurance Scheme. This paper examines the factors that limit disability services and their staff in supporting successful post‐parental care planning for individuals with intellectual disability and their aging carers in rural South Australia. Small focus groups were conducted with three groups of rural disability support workers using online technologies to assist with the participants' geographic disparity. A semi‐structured interview guide was developed prior to commencement and was used to initiate discussions on key points. A thematic analysis methodological approach was used for data analysis. There were three themes identified through the analysis; Recruitment; Provision of Care; and Retention. The key findings relating to these themes are presented and supported with exemplar quotes. This research proposes three recommendations for policy or practice change: developing a national advertising campaign for new disability staff that positively emphasizes the high‐level skillset need for proactive planning; supporting rural disability providers to collaborate to establish shared teams of staff with expertise in post‐parental care planning; and, using incentive payments to retain staff with these invaluable skillsets in the disability sector.
Application of preputial tube‐flap urethroplasty to establish a neourethra in a male dog with complications after preputial urethrostomy
Authors: Satanyasuwan T. , See‐ngam S. , Kosathong W. , Yippaditr W.
Published: December 2023

A 14‐year‐old male poodle weighing 7.5 kg presented due to complications after preputial urethrostomy for management of preprostatic urethral rupture. Revision surgery was performed with preputial tube‐flap urethroplasty via preputiotomy. A longitudinal flap was raised from the prepuce and anastomosed to the end of the previously cut urethra to create a neourethra and reduce tension at the urethrostomy site. Follow‐up retrograde positive contrast urethrography performed 10 days and 6 months postoperatively showed no contrast leakage from either the neourethra tube flap or new preputial urethrostomy. A follow‐up email questionnaire, based on the American Urological Association Symptom Index, was completed by the owner 6 months after surgery. The dog had excellent symptom scores, and urinated from the prepuce without difficulty in a manner resembling physiological urination.
A quantitative information measure applied to texture perception attributes during mastication
Authors: Sturtewagen Luka , van Mil Harald , de Lavergne Marine Devezeaux , Stieger Markus , van der Linden Erik , Odijk Theo
Published: December 2023

We have calculated an entropy or information measure of previously reported experimentally determined temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) data of texture attributes for two sets of emulsion filled gels throughout the mastication cycle. The samples were emulsion filled gels and two‐layered emulsion filled gels. We find that the entropy measure follows an average curve, which is different for each set. The specifics of the entropy curve may serve as a fingerprint for the perception of a specific food sample.
Clinical and genomic features of Listeria monocytogenes‐associated mesenteric lymphadenitis in a cat
Authors: Garcia‐de la Virgen Miguel , López‐Almela Inmaculada , Moura Alexandra , Vázquez Sergio , Perez‐Montagud Sara , Leclercq Alexandre , Lecuit Marc , Quereda Juan J
Published: December 2023

Background

Listeriosis is a severe foodborne infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes, an important foodborne pathogen of animals and humans. Listeriosis is a rare disease in cats.

Objective

To describe the clinical, diagnostic imaging, histological, and microbiological features of L. monocytogenes‐associated mesenteric lymphadenitis in a cat.

Animals

Listeria monocytogenes‐associated mesenteric lymphadenitis was confirmed in a cat by histology and microbiology.

Results

Two distinct isolates of L. monocytogenes were cultured from the affected mesenteric lymph node and whole genome sequencing was performed.

Conclusion and Clinical Importance

This report should alert veterinary clinicians and microbiologists to the syndrome, which may have implications for health and food safety in animals and humans.
Studies of Asian ‘Calliandra' lead to expansion ofSanjappa(Fabaceae‐Caesalpinioideae)
Authors: Thulin Mats
Published: December 2023

The genusSanjappa, previously with the single speciesS. cynometroidesin southern India, is expanded to includeS. umbrosa, comb. nov., in northeastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China (Yunnan) andS. vietnamica, sp. nov., in southern Vietnam.Sanjappadiffers fromThailentadopsis, its sister genus in theZapotecaclade, by having leaves with extrafloral nectaries in the form of sessile (versus stipitate) glands and elastically dehiscent, not moniliform pods (versus pods not elastically dehiscent and submoniliform).SanjappaumbrosaandS. vietnamicadiffer fromS. cynometroidesby having bipinnate leaves with one pair of pinnae (versus simply pinnate leaves with two leaflets only) and a four‐lobed (versus three‐lobed) corolla. InS. umbrosaeach pinna is 2–3‐foliolate and paired stipular spines are mainly present on younger growth, whereas inS. vietnamicaeach pinna is (3–)4–5‐foliolate and branches, including major ones, are armed with numerous paired spines with thickened bases. Synonymies, images and notes on distribution, habitat, taxonomy and conservation for the three species ofSanjappaare provided, and all names are typified. With the taxonomic changes proposed here, all Asian species previously treated as members ofCalliandrahave been accommodated outside this genus.
Cell‐type proteomic and metabolomic resolution of early and late grain filling stages of wheat endosperm
Authors: Zhang Shuang , Ghatak Arindam , Mohammadi Bazargani Mitra , Kramml Hannes , Zang Fujuan , Gao Shuang , Ramšak Živa , Gruden Kristina , Varshney Rajeev K. , Jiang Dong , Chaturvedi Palak , Weckwerth Wolfram
Published: December 2023

The nutritional value of wheat grains, particularly their protein and metabolite composition, is a result of the grain‐filling process, especially in the endosperm. Here, we employ laser microdissection (LMD) combined with shotgun proteomics and metabolomics to generate a cell type‐specific proteome and metabolome inventory of developing wheat endosperm at the early (15 DAA) and late (26 DAA) grain‐filling stages. We identified 1803 proteins and 41 metabolites from four different cell types (aleurone (AL), sub‐aleurone (SA), starchy endosperm (SE) and endosperm transfer cells (ETCs). Differentially expressed proteins were detected, 67 in the AL, 31 in the SA, 27 in the SE and 50 in the ETCs between these two‐time points. Cell‐type accumulation of specific SUT and GLUT transporters, sucrose converting and starch biosynthesis enzymes correlate well with the respective sugar metabolites, suggesting sugar upload and starch accumulation via nucellar projection and ETC at 15 DAA in contrast to the later stage at 26 DAA. Changes in various protein levels between AL, SA and ETC support this metabolic switch from 15 to 26 DAA. The distinct spatial and temporal abundances of proteins and metabolites revealed a contrasting activity of nitrogen assimilation pathways, e.g. for GOGAT, GDH and glutamic acid, in the different cell types from 15 to 26 DAA, which can be correlated with specific protein accumulation in the endosperm. The integration of cell‐type specific proteome and metabolome data revealed a complex metabolic interplay of the different cell types and a functional switch during grain development and grain‐filling processes.
An integrated strategy involving high‐throughput sequencing to characterize an unknown GM wheat event in Canada
Authors: Gagnon Marie‐Claude , Duceppe Marc‐Olivier , Colville Adam , Pope Louise , Côté Marie‐José , Ogunremi Dele
Published: December 2023

Glyphosate‐resistant wheat plants were discovered in southern Alberta in 2017, representing an unauthorized GM release in Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency undertook a series of experiments to characterize and identify this unknown GM wheat, as well as to develop and validate construct‐specific and event‐specific qPCR assays. Results of PCR‐based assays and Sanger sequencing indicated the presence of CaMV 35S promoter (p35S), Rice Actin 1 intron (RactInt1), CP4‐EPSPS gene and nopaline synthase terminator (tNOS) elements in the unknown GM wheat. Genome walking and bead capture strategies, combined with high‐throughput sequencing, were used to identify the 5′ and 3′ wheat junctions and the subsequent mapping of the insert to chromosome 3B of the wheat genome. A probable transformation vector, pMON25497, was recognized, and further testing identified the unknown GM wheat as MON71200 event, one of two events obtained with the pMON25497 vector. The two construct‐specific assays targeted the junctions of the RactInt1 and the CP4‐EPSPS elements and the CP4‐EPSPS and tNOS elements, while the event‐specific assay was located at the 3′ junction into the wheat genome. Both construct‐specific and event‐specific assays had limits of detection of 0.10% of MON71200 in a seed pool. As expected, the two construct‐specific assays cross‐reacted with other wheat and corn events containing the same elements in the same order. No cross‐reactivity was observed for the event‐specific assay. The integrated strategy employed in this study can serve as a model for other cases when facing similar challenges involving unknown GM events.