bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NMY-2, TOE-2 and PIG-1 RegulateC. elegansAsymmetric Cell Divisions
Authors: Robinson Joseph , Teuliere Jerome , Yoo Shinja , Garriga Gian
Published: November 2022

Asymmetric cell division (ACD) is an important mechanism that generates cellular diversity during development. Not only do asymmetric cell divisions produce daughter cells of different fates, many can produce daughters of different sizes, which we refer to as Daughter Cell Size Asymmetry (DCSA). InC. elegans, apoptotic cells are frequently produced by asymmetric divisions that exhibit DCSA, where the smaller daughter dies. We focus here on the divisions of the Q.a and Q.p neuroblasts, which produce apoptotic cells and divide with opposite polarity using both distinct and overlapping mechanisms. The PIG-1/MELK and TOE-2 proteins both regulate DCSA and specify the apoptotic cell fate in both the Q.a and Q.p divisions. In many asymmetric cell divisions, the non-muscle myosin NMY-2 is involved in properly positioning the cleavage furrow to produce daughters of unequal size. It was previously reported that NMY-2 is asymmetrically distributed and required for the DCSA of Q.a but not Q.p. In this study, we examined endogenously tagged reporters of NMY-2, TOE-2, and PIG-1 and found that all were asymmetric at the cortex during both the Q.a and Q.p divisions. TOE-2 and NMY-2 were biased toward the side of the dividing cell that would produce the smaller daughter, whereas PIG-1 was biased toward the side that would produce the larger daughter. We used temperature-sensitivenmy-2mutants to determine the role ofnmy-2in these divisions and found that these mutants only displayed DCSA defects in the Q.p division. We generated double mutant combinations between thenmy-2mutations and mutations intoe-2andpig-1. Thenmy-2mutations did not significantly alter the DCSA of thetoe-2andpig-1mutants but did alter the fate of the Q.a and Q.p daughters. This finding suggests that NMY-2 functions together with TOE-2 and PIG-1 to regulate DCSA but plays an independent role in specifying the fate of the Q.a and Q.p descendants.
Rapid Single-Shot Synthesis of the 217 Amino Acid-Long N-Terminal Domain of Pyocin S2
Authors: Saebi Azin , Brown Joseph S. , Marando Victoria M. , Hartrampf Nina , Chumbler Nicole M. , Hanna Stephanie , Poskus Mackenzie , Loas Andrei , Kiessling Laura L. , Hung Deborah T. , Pentelute Bradley L.
Published: November 2022

The impermeable outer membrane ofPseudomonas aeruginosais bypassed by antibacterial proteins known as S-type pyocins. Because of their properties, pyocins are investigated as a potential new class of antimicrobials againstPseudomonasinfections. Their production and modification, however, remains challenging. To address this limitation, we employed automated fast-flow peptide synthesis (AFPS) for the rapid production of a pyocin S2 import domain. The N-terminal domain sequence (PyS2NTD) was synthesized in under 10 hours and purified to yield milligrams quantities of the desired product. To our knowledge, the 217 amino acid sequence of PyS2NTDis among the longest peptides produced from a “single-shot” synthesis, i.e., made in a single stepwise route without the use of ligation techniques. Biophysical characterization of the PyS2NTDwith circular dichroism was consistent with the literature reports. Fluorescently labeled PyS2NTDbinds toP. aeruginosaexpressing the cognate ferripyoverdine receptor (FpvA) and is taken up into the periplasm. This selective uptake was validated with confocal and super resolution microscopy, flow cytometry, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). These modified, synthetic S-type pyocins domains can be used to probe import mechanisms ofP. aeruginosaand leveraged to develop selective antimicrobial agents that bypass the outer membrane.
Linking enzyme expression to metabolic flux
Authors: Li Xuhang , Walhout Albertha J.M. , Yilmaz L. Safak
Published: November 2022

Metabolic reaction flux is regulated in response to nutritional, environmental or pathological conditions by changes in either metabolite or metabolic enzyme levels. Previous studies proposed that flux is predominately regulated by metabolite, rather than enzyme, levels. However, the extent to which changes in enzyme levels affect flux throughout the metabolic network remains unclear. Here, we combine available yeast enzyme level, flux data, and metabolic network modeling to demonstrate three paradigms by which enzyme levels are broadly associated with flux: cognate reaction, pathway-level coordination, and flux coupling. We find that the architecture of the metabolic network enables the reach of influence for most enzymes. We implemented enzyme reach as a novel parameter in an enhanced flux potential analysis algorithm, which predicts relative flux levels under different conditions from variations in enzyme expression. This algorithm was tested in yeast and humans. Our study suggests that metabolic network architecture facilitates a broad physiological impact of changes in enzyme levels and may form a foundation for using enzyme expression data for a variety of systems, and eventually, individual cells.
Adult consequences of repeated nicotine vapor inhalation in adolescent rats
Authors: Gutierrez Arnold , Nguyen Jacques D. , Creehan Kevin M. , Grant Yanabel , Taffe Michael A.
Published: November 2022

Introduction

There has been a recent resurgence in nicotine inhalation in adolescents due to the popularity and availability of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). Almost five times as many US high-school seniors inhale nicotine vapor daily compared with those who smoke tobacco. This study was conducted to determine the impact of repeated adolescent vapor inhalation of nicotine on behavior in adulthood.

Methods

Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 30-minute sessions of ENDS vapor inhalation, twice daily, from Post-Natal Day (PND) 31 to PND 40. Conditions included vapor from the propylene glycol (PG) vehicle or nicotine (30 mg/mL in the PG). Animals were assessed for effects of nicotine on open field (PND 74-105) and wheel activity (PND 126-180) and for the self-administration of nicotine vapor (PND 285-395). Plasma levels of nicotine and cotinine were assessed in separate groups of male and female Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats after a single nicotine inhalation session.

Results

Group mean plasma nicotine ranged from 39 to 59 ng/mL post-session with minimal strain differences detected. Adolescent nicotine exposure modestly enhanced sensitivity to the locomotor stimulating effects of nicotine (0.1-0.8 mg/kg, s.c.) in an open field in female rats, but didn’t change effects of nicotine on wheel activity. Female rats exposed to nicotine (30 mg/mL) vapor as adolescents responded more vigorously than PG exposed females for nicotine vapor in a FR5 challenge.

Conclusions

Repeated adolescent nicotine vapor inhalation leads to enhanced liability for nicotine self-administration in adulthood in female rats, but minimal change in spontaneous locomotor behavior.
Collective gradient sensing by dilute swimming bacteria without clustering
Authors: Kai Tatsuro , Abe Takahiro , Yoshinaga Natsuhiko , Nakamura Shuichi , Kudo Seishi , Toyabe Shoichi
Published: November 2022

We characterize the taxis enhancement of swimming bacteria by collective migration without apparent clustering. We confine diluteSalmonellasuspension in a shallow channel and evaluate the thermotaxis response to local heating and diffusion. By combining cell tracking analysis and numerical simulation based on simple modeling, we show that the alignment interaction suppresses orientation fluctuation, strengthens migration bias, and also prevents the dispersion of accumulated population. The results show a prominent example of how a collective motion of active matter implements a biological function.
Digital health technologies and machine learning augment patient reported outcomes to remotely characterise rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Creagh Andrew P. , Hamy Valentin , Yuan Hang , Mertes Gert , Tomlinson Ryan , Chen Wen-Hung , Williams Rachel , Llop Christopher , Yee Christopher , Duh Mei Sheng , Doherty Aiden , Garcia-Gancedo Luis , Clifton David A.
Published: November 2022

Digital measures of health status captured during daily life could greatly augment current in-clinic assessments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to enable better assessment of disease progression and impact. This work presents results from weaRAble-PRO, a 14-day observational study, which aimed to investigate how digital health technologies (DHT), such as smartphones and wearables, could augment patient reported outcomes (PRO) to determine RA status and severity in a study of 30 moderate-to-severe RA patients, compared to 30 matched healthy controls (HC). Sensor-based measures of health status, mobility, dexterity, fatigue, and other RA specific symptoms were extracted from daily iPhone guided tests (GT), as well as actigraphy and heart rate sensor data, which was passively recorded from patients’ Apple smartwatch continuously over the study duration. We subsequently developed a machine learning (ML) framework to distinguish RA status and to estimate RA severity. It was found that daily wearable sensor-outcomes robustly distinguished RA from HC participants (F1, 0.807). Furthermore, by day 7 of the study (half-way), a sufficient volume of data had been collected to reliably capture the characteristics of RA participants. In addition, we observed that the detection of RA severity levels could be improved by augmenting standard patient reported outcomes with sensor-based features (F1, 0.833) in comparison to using PRO assessments alone (F1, 0.759), and that the combination of modalities could reliability measure continuous RA severity, as determined by the clinician-assessed RAPID-3 score at baseline (r2, 0.692; RMSE, 1.33). The ability to measure the impact of disease during daily life—through objective and remote digital outcomes—paves the way forward to enable the development of more patient-centric and personalised measurements for use in RA clinical trials.
Effect of a new graphically modified Nutri-Score on the objective understanding of foods’ nutrient profile and ultra-processing – a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Srour Bernard , Hercberg Serge , Galan Pilar , Monteiro Carlos , de Edelenyi Fabien Szabo , Bourhis Laurent , Fialon Morgane , Sarda Barthélémy , Druesne-Pecollo Nathalie , Esseddik Younes , Deschasaux-Tanguy Mélanie , Julia Chantal , Touvier Mathilde
Published: November 2022

Context and objective

When considering the health-related impact of foods, nutrient profile (content in salt, sugar, fibre, etc.) and (ultra-)processing are two complementary dimensions. The Nutri-Score, a summary graded front-of-pack label, already used in seven European countries, informs on the nutrient profile dimension, i.e. the one with the strongest evidence. Recently, mounting evidence linked ultra-processed food consumption to various adverse health outcomes, independently of their nutrient profile. To inform consumers about each of these two health-related dimensions of food (i.e., nutrient profile and ultra-processing), we aimed to test, in a randomised controlled trial, if a graphically modified version “Nutri-Score 2.0”, including a black “ultra-processed” banner, would improve the capacity of consumers to rank products according to their nutrient profile but also to detect those ultra-processed, compared to a no-label situation.

Methods

A total of 21,159 participants included in the NutriNet-Santé web-cohort were randomly assigned to a control arm (no front-of-pack label) or an experimental arm (Nutri-Score 2.0), and were presented an online interactive questionnaire with 3 sets of food products (8 cookies, 7 breakfast cereals, and 7 ready-to-eat meals) to rank according to their nutrient profile, and to identify ultra-processed foods. The primary outcome was the objective understanding of nutrient profile and ultra-processing, represented by a score of correct answers. Secondary outcomes were purchasing intentions and the healthiest-perceived product. Multinomial logistic regressions were performed.

Results

The Nutri-Score 2.0 increased significantly the objective understanding of both the nutrient profile dimension of food products from 0.9% to 24.2% (OR = 29.0 (23.4 – 35.9), p<0.001), and the ultra-processing dimension from 4.4% to 77.7% (OR = 174.3 (151.4 – 200.5), p<0.001), compared with no front-of-pack label. The results followed similar trends for cookies, breakfast cereals, and ready-to-eat meals. The Nutri-Score 2.0 also had a positive impact on purchasing intentions and on the products perceived as the healthiest, guiding consumers towards a better nutrient profile and non-ultra-processed products.

Conclusion

This randomised controlled trial demonstrates the interest of a front-of-pack label combining the Nutri-Score (informing on the nutrient profile dimension) with an additional graphic mention indicating when the food is ultra-processed, compared to a no-label situation. Our results show that participants were able to independently identify and understand these two complementary dimensions of foods.

Trial registration number

NCT05610930
3D reconstruction of ultra-high resolution neurotransmitter receptor atlases in human and non-human primate brains
Authors: Funck Thomas , Wagstyl Konrad , Lepage Claude , Omidyeganeh Mona , Toussaint Paule-Joanne , Amunts Katrin , Thiel Alexander , Palomero-Gallagher Nicola , Evans Alan C.
Published: November 2022

Quantitative maps of neurotransmitter receptor densities are important tools for characterising the molecular organisation of the brain and key for understanding normal and pathologic brain function and behaviour. We describe a novel method for reconstructing 3-dimensional cortical maps for data sets consisting of multiple different types of 2-dimensional post-mortem histological sections, including autoradiographs acquired with different ligands, cell body and myelin stained sections, and which can be applied to data originating from different species. The accuracy of the reconstruction was quantified by calculating the Dice score between the reconstructed volumes versus their reference anatomic volume. The average Dice score was 0.91. We were therefore able to create atlases with multiple accurately reconstructed receptor maps for human and macaque brains as a proof-of-principle. Future application of our pipeline will allow for the creation of the first ever set of ultra-high resolution 3D atlases composed of 20 different maps of neurotransmitter binding sites in 3 complete human brains and in 4 hemispheres of 3 different macaque brains.
An integrated model of consumers' decision-making process in social commerce: a cross-cultural study of the United States and China
Authors: Chiu Weisheng , Oh Ga-Eun (Grace) , Cho Heetae
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to understand consumers' continuance intention to purchase in social commerce from an integrated perspective of the expectation confirmation model (ECM) and information adoption model (IAM). Moreover, the cultural difference between the United States and China was explored in the integrated model.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 1,589 responses were collected from American (n = 725) and Chinese consumers (n = 864). The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to perform measurement assessment, structural model and multiple group analysis.

Findings

Results showed that consumers' continuance intention to purchase in social commerce was significantly predicted by the integrated model. Within the ECM, confirmation of expectations positively affected information usefulness and satisfaction, and information usefulness positively influenced satisfaction, which further led to continuance intention. Moreover, within the IAM, both argument quality and source credibility positively affect information usefulness, which leads to information adoption and continuance intention to purchase in social commerce. In addition, the influences of information usefulness on information adoption and continuance intention to purchase in social commerce were stronger for American consumers.

Originality/value

The findings of this study gain a better understanding of consumers' decision-making process and cultural differences between American and Chinese consumers.
Bridging the research-practice gap in supply chain risks induced by the COVID-19
Authors: Wang Qiang , Zhang Min , Li Rongrong
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore the gap between research and practice on supply chain risks due to COVID-19 by exploring the changes in global emphasis on supply chain risk research.

Design/methodology/approach

This work designed a research framework to compare the research of supply chain risks before and during the COVID-19 pandemic based on machining learning and text clustering and using the relevant publications of the web of science database.

Findings

The results show that scholars' attention to supply chain crisis has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, but there are differences among countries. The United Kingdom, India, Australia, the USA and Italy have greatly increased their emphasis on risk research, while the supply chain risk research growth rate in other countries, including China, has been lower than the global level. Compared with the pre-pandemic period, the research of business finance, telecommunications, agricultural economics policy, business and public environmental occupational health increased significantly during the pandemic. The hotspots of supply chain risk research have changed significantly during the pandemic, focusing on routing problem, organizational performance, food supply chain, dual-channel supply chain, resilient supplier selection, medical service and machine learning.

Research limitations/implications

This study has limitations in using a single database.

Social implications

This work compared the changes in global and various countries' supply chain risk research before and during the pandemic. On the one hand, it helps to judge the degree of response of scholars to the global supply chain risk brought about by COVID-19. On the other hand, it is beneficial for supply chain practitioners and policymakers to gain an in-depth understanding of the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain risk, which might provide insights into not only addressing the supply chain risk but also the recovery of the supply chain.

Originality/value

The initial exploration of the changing extent of supply chain risk research in the context of COVID-19 provided in this paper is a unique and earlier attempt that extends the findings of the existing literature. Secondly, this research provides a feasible analysis strategy for supply chain risk research, which provides a direction and paradigm for exploring more effective supply chain research to meet the challenges of COVID-19.
Consumer skepticism towards Corporate-NGO partnerships: the impact of CSR motives, message frame and fit
Authors: Schade Jasmin , Wang Yijing , van Prooijen Anne-Marie
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Corporate-NGO partnerships are gaining increasing importance as part of a company's CSR effort. This study aims to understand which communication tactics (CSR motive, CSR message frame, CSR fit) lead to more positive consumer outcomes in the context of corporate-NGO partnerships, and whether consumer skepticism and consumer trust mediate the proposed relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

An online experiment was conducted (N = 298) to examine the theoretical predictions, involving a 2 (CSR motive: firm-serving/public-serving) x 2 (CSR message frame: narrative/expositive) x 2 (CSR fit: high/low) between-subjects design.

Findings

The results confirmed that consumer attitudes and electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) can be affected by CSR motives and CSR fit. Also, CSR skepticism and consumer trust both mediate the relationship of CSR motives and consumer outcomes.

Practical implications

The results of this study make a strong case for expressing public-serving CSR motives and refraining from firm-serving CSR motives when communicating about a corporate-NGO partnership to consumers.

Originality/value

Focusing on the communication tactics of corporate-NGO partnerships extends existing literature by uncovering whether and how the factors driving effective communication in other CSR activities can be applied to the context of corporate-NGO partnerships.
Relationship between social support and repatriation intention of expatriates in international construction projects
Authors: Gao Lili , Luo Xiaowei , Yang Weimin , Zhang Na , Deng Xiaopeng
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the influence of social support and the repatriation intention of expatriates in international constructions in the postpandemic era of COVID-19. Furthermore, test the mediation effect of team climate and individual resilience in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 347 expatriates in international construction projects was conducted. A cross-level chain mediation model was employed to test the moderating effect of social support and repatriation intention. Then, statistical analysis with a bootstrap sample was used to test the mediation effect of the model.

Findings

The empirical results support that team climate, individual resilience and the chain mediating effect of team climate to individual resilience is significant among the influences of social support on repatriation intention. Social support can enhance the team climate of construction expatriates, promoting their resilience to reduce the repatriation intention further.

Practical implications

This study provides guidelines for international construction enterprises and managers to decide when and which expatriates should return home and formulate a series of policies to support expatriates and maintain a good team climate.

Originality/value

This study contributes to expatriate management literature by establishing the relationship between social support and repatriation intention. It provides a better understanding of how team-level factors impact individual thought. It takes team climate as one of the protective factors affecting individual psychological resilience. Also it takes social support as the antecedents of team atmosphere in case of emergencies.
Professional social media-enabled productivity: a five-wave longitudinal study on the role of professional social media invasion, work engagement and work exhaustion
Authors: Oksa Reetta , Pirkkalainen Henri , Salo Markus , Savela Nina , Oksanen Atte
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Social media platforms are increasingly used at work to facilitate work-related activities and can either challenge or make people feel more productive at jobs. This study drew from technostress and employee well-being literature and analyzed longitudinal effects of professional social media (PSM) invasion, work engagement and work exhaustion on PSM-enabled productivity.

Design/methodology/approach

Nationally representative five-wave survey data of Finnish employees were analyzed with hybrid multilevel linear regression analysis. Outcome measure was PSM-enabled productivity and the predictors included PSM invasion, work exhaustion and work engagement. Age, gender, education, occupational sector, managerial position, remote work and personality traits were used as control variables.

Findings

PSM invasion and work engagement had both within-person and between-person effects on PSM-enabled productivity. Higher educated and individuals with open personality reported higher PSM-enabled productivity. No association between work exhaustion and PSM-enabled productivity was found.

Originality/value

The findings are central considering the increasing use of social media and other technologies for work purposes. The authors challenge the dominant view in the literature that has often seen PSM invasion as a negative factor. Instead, PSM invasion's positive association with PSM-enabled productivity and the association of work engagement and PSM-enabled productivity should be recognized in work life.
Towards dissemination, detection and combating misinformation on social media: a literature review
Authors: Kaur Kulvinder , Gupta Samrat
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Social media is becoming a hub of fake content, be it political news, product reviews, business promotion or any other sociocultural event. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the emerging literature to advance an understanding of misinformation on social media platforms, which is a growing concern these days.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors curate and synthesize the dispersed knowledge about misinformation on social media by conducting a systematic literature review based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses framework. The search strategy resulted in 446 research articles, out of which 33 relevant articles were identified for this research.

Findings

Misinformation on social media spreads swiftly and may result in negative consequences. This review identifies 13 intrinsic predictors of the dissemination, 11 detection approaches and 10 ways to combat misinformation on social media.

Originality/value

The study adds to the present knowledge of spread and detection of misinformation on social media. The results of this study will be beneficial for researchers and practitioners and help them in mitigating the harmful consequences of the spread of misinformation.
Adapt or die: a competitive digital supply chain quality management strategy
Authors: Lim Ai-Fen , Ooi Keng-Boon , Tan Garry Wei-Han , Cham Tat-Huei , Alryalat Mohammad A.A. , Dwivedi Yogesh K.
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The evolution of modern digitalization technologies necessitates the development of a competitive digital supply chain quality management (SCQM) strategy by manufacturers. Using the new institutions and institutional theory (IIT), the study research first aims to identify the most important SCQM practices that can influence competitive performance (CP). Second, the authors intend to investigate the role of digital strategy alignment (DSA) in moderating the relationship between the multidimensionality of SCQM practices and CP among manufacturers.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employ the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique to examine 225 valid samples from Malaysian manufacturers who use SCQM practices.

Findings

The study findings indicate that five of the twelve hypotheses developed were accepted. This suggests that supplier focus, strategic collaboration, information sharing and customer focus are positively and significantly correlated with CP. Unexpectedly, DSA moderates the relationship between leadership and CP.

Originality/value

This study extended the new IIT by empirically testing the six SCQM practices for CP in a DSA context, which can serve as a model for future research in the SCQM, CP and DS fields.
Tacrolimus inhibits stress responses and hyphal formation via the calcineurin signaling pathway in Trichosporon asahii
Authors: Kurakado Sanae , Matsumoto Yasuhiko , Yamada Tsuyoshi , Shimizu Kiminori , Wakasa Shogo , Sugita Takashi
Published: November 2022

The pathogenic fungus Trichosporon asahii causes fatal deep‐seated mycosis in immunocompromised patients. Calcineurin, which is widely conserved in eukaryotes, regulates cell growth and various stress responses in fungi. Tacrolimus (FK506), a calcineurin inhibitor, induces sensitivity to compounds that cause stress on the cell membrane and cell wall integrity. In this study, we demonstrated that FK506 affects stress responses and hyphal formation in T. asahii. In silico structural analysis revealed that amino acid residues in the binding site of the calcineurin–FKBP12 complex that interact with FK506 are conserved in T. asahii. The growth of T. asahii was delayed by FK506 in the presence of SDS or Congo red but not in the presence of calcium chloride. FK506 also inhibited hyphal formation in T. asahii. A mutant deficient of the cnb gene, which encodes the regulatory subunit B of calcineurin, exhibited stress sensitivities on exposure to SDS and Congo red and reduced the hyphal forming ability of T. asahii. In the cnb‐deficient mutant, FK506 did not increase the stress sensitivity or reduce hyphal forming ability. These results suggest that FK506 affects stress responses and hyphal formation in T. asahii via the calcineurin signaling pathway.
Barriers and enablers to the delivery and implementation of the tailored activity programme in Australia: Perspectives of occupational therapists and their managers
Authors: Bennett Sally , Travers Catherine , Liddle Jacki , O'Connor Claire , Low Lee‐Fay , Laver Kate , Clemson Lindy , O'Reilly Maria , Beattie Elizabeth , Smith Sandra , Gitlin Laura
Published: November 2022

Background

Prior to implementing new programmes or practices, it is essential to understand the context, barriers and enablers to support successful use. The tailored activity programme (TAP) is an evidence‐based intervention provided by occupational therapists to support community‐dwelling people living with dementia and their carers. The programme was developed in the United States, and although it is not currently available for routine use in Australia, its implementation would address the needs of many Australians with dementia and their carers.

Aim

The aim of the study is to understand the perspectives of occupational therapists and their managers regarding barriers and enablers to the delivery and implementation of the TAP in Queensland, Australia.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive methodology was employed. Semistructured interviews were undertaken with occupational therapists (n = 18) who work with community‐dwelling people with dementia and their carers, and their managers (n = 10). Participants were recruited from a range of organisations across Queensland, and they were asked about potential barriers and enablers to implementing TAP. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were mapped using framework analysis whilst remaining open to other themes.

Findings

Themes were identified, and facilitating factors included the close alignment of TAP with occupational therapists' scope of practice; their acceptance of, and optimism about the programme and its perceived benefits including improved client outcomes; and an opportunity for occupational therapists to further develop their skills. Managerial support and carers' readiness and willingness to participate were also identified as important factors for success, whereas barriers were cost to clients and the capacity of the occupational therapy workforce to provide TAP.

Conclusion

Occupational therapists and their managers expressed enthusiasm for TAP and awareness of its likely benefits, while also identifying barriers that will need to be addressed if implementation of the programme is to be successful in Australia.
CEO Marital Status and Insider Trading
Authors: Hegde Prasad , Liao Shushu , Ma Rui , Nguyen Nhut H.
Published: November 2022

We investigate the association between chief executive officers’ (CEOs’) marital status and their tendency to profit from insider trading. We argue that marriage can constrain CEOs’ opportunistic behaviour, which could increase litigation risk, and show that married CEOs earn lower insider trading returns compared to unmarried CEOs. Insider trades can be identified as either routine or opportunistic. We also find that married CEOs are less likely to engage in opportunistic trades, and they earn lower insider trading returns in firms with weaker corporate governance and higher information asymmetry. Our empirical results remain robust after accounting for several endogeneity tests.
New Product Development Process Execution, Integration Mechanisms, Capabilities and Outcomes: Evidence from Chinese High‐Technology Ventures
Authors: Robson Matthew J. , Chuang Fu‐Mei , Morgan Robert E. , Bıçakcıoğlu‐Peynirci Nilay , Di Benedetto C. Anthony
Published: November 2022

This study examines new product development (NPD) processes in high‐technology new product ventures in the emerging market context. Drawing upon the knowledge‐based view and the capability‐based view, we propose a model that characterizes relationships between NPD process execution stages and product competitive advantage, and accounts for the moderating effects of NPD integration mechanisms on these relationships. Our model also explains how pricing capabilities can become a liability that undermines how product advantage impacts new product performance. We test this framework within an emerging market context that has been notably absent from the literature. Our data are generated from 187 new product projects and a follow‐up of 83 projects, from Chinese high‐technology ventures. We identify important theoretical interdependencies within our structural model results. Specifically, marketing–technical integration positively moderates the relationship between product development and testing capability and commercialization capability, while new product implementation capability positively moderates the relationship of commercialization capability and product competitive advantage. Yet, penetration pricing capability negatively moderates the link between product competitive advantage and new product performance.
Differences in population size structures characterize grass response to long‐term livestock removal
Authors: Nota Ginevra , Anselmetto Nicolò , Gorlier Alessandra , McClaran Mitchel P.
Published: November 2022

Questions

How does desert grassland vegetation respond to long‐term grazing removal? Is grass response the result of differences in the number or the size of plants? Does the response differ over time and in relation to precipitation patterns?

Location

Santa Rita Experimental Range, southwestern United States.

Methods

Four times between 2011 and 2020, we measured the cover of woody plants and native and non‐native perennial grasses, and the density, size, and biomass of individual perennial grasses on 40 permanent transects inside and outside 10 long‐term (88–104 years old) livestock exclosures (0.1–4.0 ha) occurring on the same ecological site. We used linear mixed models to compare vegetation variables in grazed vs ungrazed transects through time and calculated the cumulative frequency distributions of grass plant diameters.

Results

The cover of woody plants did not differ by grazing treatment. Instead, the exclosures had a greater cover, density, and biomass of native grasses and cover and biomass of the most abundant native grass Arizona cottontop (Digitaria californica). Moreover, ungrazed populations of natives and Arizona cottontop showed a plant size structure skewed to larger sizes. Non‐native grasses showed no differences between grazing treatments. Patterns of inter‐annual precipitation influenced woody and grass plant abundance, but not their response to livestock removal.

Conclusions

Long‐term grazing removal in desert grasslands affected native grass abundance, but not that of non‐native grasses and woody plants. Response of native grasses to livestock removal was characterized more by plant size rather than the number of plants, and, importantly, the population size structure skewed to smaller plants in grazed areas suggests that grazing limits plant vigor and longevity. Absence of a non‐native grass response likely reflects lower palatability and greater grazing resistance of non‐natives. Absence of woody plant response is due to their low palatability and the permeability of exclosures to seed dispersal.
Interactive technology use and child development: A systematic review
Authors: Arabiat Diana , Al Jabery Mohammad , Robinson Sue , Whitehead Lisa , Mörelius Evalotte
Published: November 2022

Background

There is mixed evidence regarding the impact of interactive digital devices on child development. Tentatively some studies suggested that the use of digital devices may correlate negatively with language, executive function, and motor skills. However, attempts to amalgamate this evidence has been limited related to the available number of experimental and cohort studies that have evaluated the impact of digital technology use on child development. We conducted this review to determine the impact of interactive digital devices on child development among children aged 7 years or younger. Interactive technology has been defined as methods, tools, or devices that users interact with in order to achieve specific tasks.

Data source

To carry out this systematic review, databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched for relevant studies.

Study selection

We used the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for systematic reviews.

Data extraction

Data extraction and synthesis was carried out by two reviewers and checked by a third reviewer. Studies were stratified into tiers depending on the level of evidence provided and the domain of development assessed.

Results

Fifty‐three studies were eligible for inclusion in the review, 39 Tier 1 (randomized controlled trials and quasi‐experimental studies) and 16 Tier 2 (descriptive studies). Children's use of interactive digital technology was positively associated with receptive language and executive function and negatively associated or unrelated to motor proficiency. Other critical aspects informing the evidence, such as dose of exposure, intensity, or duration, were inconsistently reported, making estimates of exposure tentative and imprecise.

Conclusion

The studies included in this review were predominantly correlational or comparative in nature and focuses on cognitive domains of learning rather than a specific developmental outcome. It is difficult to generalize our findings beyond the digital devices or applications that have been evaluated by earlier studies. The contextual factors that may moderate the relationship require elaboration in future studies.
The impact of genetic variability in urate transporters on oxypurinol pharmacokinetics
Authors: Hishe Hailemichael Z. , Stocker Sophie L. , Stamp Lisa K. , Dalbeth Nicola , Merriman Tony R. , Phipps‐Green Amanda , Wright Daniel F. B.
Published: November 2022

The genetic determinants of the allopurinol dose‐concentration relationship have not been extensively studied. We aimed to clarify what factors, including genetic variation in urate transporters, influence oxypurinol pharmacokinetics (PKs). A population PK model for oxypurinol was developed with NONMEM (version 7.3). The influence of urate transporter genetic variants for ABCG2 (rs2231142 and rs10011796), SLC2A9/GLUT9 (rs11942223), SLC17A1/NPT1 (rs1183201), SLC22A12/URAT1 (rs3825018), SLC22A11/OAT4 (rs17300741), and ABCC4/MRP4 (rs4148500), as well as other participant factors on oxypurinol PKs was assessed. Data from 325 people with gout were available. The presence of the T allele for ABCG2 (rs2231142) and SLC17A1/NPT1 (rs1183201) was associated with a 24% and 22% increase in oxypurinol clearance, respectively, in univariate analysis. This effect was not significant in the multivariate analysis. In the final model, oxypurinol PKs were predicted by creatinine clearance, diuretic use, ethnicity, and body weight. We have found that genetic variability in the transporters examined does not appear to influence oxypurinol PKs.
Organ‐specific effects on target binding due to knockout of thyroid hormone receptor α during Xenopus metamorphosis
Authors: Tanizaki Yuta , Zhang Hongen , Shibata Yuki , Shi Yun‐Bo
Published: November 2022

Thyroid hormone (T3) is essential for normal development and metabolism, especially during postembryonic development, a period around birth in mammals when plasma T3 levels reach their peak. T3 functions through two T3 receptors, TRα and TRβ. However, little is known about the tissue‐specific functions of TRs during postembryonic development because of maternal influence and difficulty in manipulation of mammalian models. We have studied Xenopus tropicalis metamorphosis as a model for human postembryonic development. By using TRα knockout (Xtr·thratmshi) tadpoles, we have previously shown that TRα is important for T3‐dependent intestinal remodeling and hindlimb development but not tail resorption during metamorphosis. Here, we have identified genes bound by TR in premetamorphic wild‐type and Xtr·thratmshi tails with or without T3 treatment by using chromatin immunoprecipitation–sequencing and compared them with those in the intestine and hindlimb. Compared to other organs, the tail has much fewer genes bound by TR or affected by TRα knockout. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that among the genes bound by TR in wild‐type but not Xtr·thratmshi organs, fewer gene ontology (GO) terms or biological pathways related to metamorphosis were enriched in the tail compared to those in the intestine and hindlimb. This difference likely underlies the drastic effects of TRα knockout on the metamorphosis of the intestine and hindlimb but not the tail. Thus, TRα has tissue‐specific roles in regulating T3‐dependent anuran metamorphosis by directly targeting the pathways and GO terms important for metamorphosis.
Family's roles as a welfare pillar: The case of older persons living in extreme poverty in Bangladesh
Authors: Akram Owasim , Maîtrot Mathilde
Published: November 2022

Motivation

Many mainstream welfare theories developed by social scientists and applied by economists and policy‐makers underestimate families' roles in providing welfare to citizens. This is surprising given that the family constitutes one of the main welfare pillars across typologies of the welfare state.

Purpose

This article seeks to explore the role of the family as a welfare pillar with an ageing perspective. We aimed to test whether the family serves as a space for negotiations to improve wellbeing and achieve security in the absence of effective formal mechanisms

Methods and approach

Applying the framework of “informal security regimes,” this article draws on 37 life‐history interviews collected from older persons living in extreme poverty in Bangladesh. Recurring themes are identified and analysed to explore the relationship between family and wellbeing/security.

Findings

We find that family relationships are often central in the pursuit of security. This shows how welfare delivery in low and middle‐income countries (LMICs), in this case Bangladesh, is deeply rooted in reciprocal family systems where all members actively fulfil moral and material expectations. Pursuing this collective goal can take different forms relative to each member's physical and mental capacity, position, gender, and age. Building on the empirical evidence, we propose the concept of “relational security” as a crucial marker and shaper of wellbeing.

Policy implications

To be effective, welfare policies need to better consider how the conception and experiences of wellbeing and security, especially for the older persons living in extreme poverty, are deeply embedded within the complex functioning of the relationships that can shape welfare outcomes in different directions.
Residual effects of intra‐articular betamethasone and triamcinolone acetonide in an equine acute synovitis model
Authors: Partridge Emma , Adam Emma , Wood Courtney , Parker Jordan , Johnson Mackenzie , Horohov David , Page Allen
Published: November 2022

Background

Intra‐articular (IA) corticosteroids are regularly used in equine athletes for the control of joint inflammation.

Objectives

The goal of this study was to use an acute synovitis inflammation model to determine the residual effects of IA betamethasone and triamcinolone acetonide on various inflammatory parameters and lameness.

Study design

Crossover randomised trial.

Methods

Five mixed‐breed, 2‐year‐old horses were randomly allocated to an IA treatment of the radiocarpal joint with 9 mg of either betamethasone or triamcinolone acetonide. Two weeks following treatment, horses were injected with 1 μg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) diluted in 1 ml of saline. Following LPS injection, horses were crossed‐over and both sets of injections were repeated after a washout period. Blood samples were collected at multiple time points for mRNA analysis, as well as serum amyloid A (SAA) and cortisol determination. At each time point, lameness was also subjectively scored. Additional injections with saline‐only or LPS‐only (twice) were conducted as negative and positive controls, respectively. Two‐way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyse all data.

Results

Corticosteroid‐only treatments result in significant mRNA expression differences, as well as significant and prolonged cortisol suppression. Following LPS injection, there was a residual treatment effect with triamcinolone evidenced by a significant treatment effect on IL‐6 and PTGS1 (cyclooxygenase‐1), lameness, SAA and cortisol concentrations, while only IL‐6 expression was affected by betamethasone.

Main limitations

The acute synovitis model used here results in significant inflammation and is not representative of the low‐grade inflammation seen with typical joint disease and residual anti‐inflammatory effects may be more profound in naturally occurring joint disease.

Conclusions

Current regulatory guidelines may be insufficient if the concern is residual anti‐inflammatory effects. Additionally, intra‐articular corticosteroid administration is not without risk, as evidenced by a significant suppression of serum cortisol concentration and, as such, the benefits of their administration should be weighed against those risks.
Experimental study of fatigue load effect on the hydraulic fracturing behavior of granite
Authors: Su Xiaoli , Li Diyuan , Zhu Quanqi , Ma Jinyin
Published: November 2022

Rock masses around fluid injection projects are usually subject to complex stress states, including hydraulic pressure, in situ stresses, and fatigue loads. Thus, a series of hydraulic fracturing experiments were performed on granite to simulate such stress states using the true triaxial dynamic testing system. Computed tomographic (CT) imaging was performed to identify the fatigue effects on hydraulic fractures. The results indicate that the increasing amplitudes of cyclic load applied on the minimum principal stress direction will change fracture initiation pressure and generate nonplanar and narrow fractures. When the disturbance direction was changed to the intermediate principal stress, the higher amplitude corresponds to the lower breakdown pressure and the shorter pressurize duration and leads to wider fractures. With the increasing disturbance frequency, complex fatigue cracks were generated, which might weaken the rock strength. The present experiments can enhance the understanding of the hazard of fatigue loads on hydraulic fracturing.