bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Association Between Self-Reported Hearing Loss and Loss of Usual Source of Health Care Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries: Evidence From the National Health and Aging Trends Study
Authors: Garcia Morales Emmanuel , Assi Lama , Powell Danielle , Luu Kayti , Reed Nicholas
Published: January 2023

Background and Objectives

The purpose of the study is to investigate the association of hearing loss (HL) with maintaining a usual source of care (USOC).

Research Design and Methods

In this study we implemented a time-to-event analysis using data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative study of older Medicare beneficiaries in the United States. The study sample included 2 114 older adults, aged 65+ years, 58.9% female, 20.4% Black, who reported having a USOC during the baseline round of NHATS and who remained community-dwelling during the 2011–2018 study period. Based on self-report measures at baseline, individuals’ hearing status was classified into 3 categories: no HL, treated HL (hearing aids users), and untreated HL (nonhearing aid users who reported having hearing difficulties). Time-to-event was computed as the time elapsed between baseline and the study round in which the respondent first reported no longer having a USOC. Discrete-time proportional hazard models were estimated.

Results

In fully adjusted models, untreated HL at baseline was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) for losing one’s USOC 1.60 (95% confidence interval: 1.01, 2.56) times higher than that of participants with no HL. We found no HR differences between the treated- and no-HL group.

Discussion and Implications

Untreated HL at baseline was associated with a higher probability of losing one’s USOC over time. Noninvasive interventions such as hearing aids may be beneficial for maintaining a USOC.
xAtlas: scalable small variant calling across heterogeneous next-generation sequencing experiments
Authors: Farek Jesse , Hughes Daniel , Salerno William , Zhu Yiming , Pisupati Aishwarya , Mansfield Adam , Krasheninina Olga , English Adam C , Metcalf Ginger , Boerwinkle Eric , Muzny Donna M , Gibbs Richard , Khan Ziad , Sedlazeck Fritz J
Published: January 2023

Background

The growing volume and heterogeneity of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data complicate the further optimization of identifying DNA variation, especially considering that curated high-confidence variant call sets frequently used to validate these methods are generally developed from the analysis of comparatively small and homogeneous sample sets.

Findings

We have developed xAtlas, a single-sample variant caller for single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and small insertions and deletions (indels) in NGS data. xAtlas features rapid runtimes, support for CRAM and gVCF file formats, and retraining capabilities. xAtlas reports SNVs with 99.11% recall and 98.43% precision across a reference HG002 sample at 60× whole-genome coverage in less than 2 CPU hours. Applying xAtlas to 3,202 samples at 30× whole-genome coverage from the 1000 Genomes Project achieves an average runtime of 1.7 hours per sample and a clear separation of the individual populations in principal component analysis across called SNVs.

Conclusions

xAtlas is a fast, lightweight, and accurate SNV and small indel calling method. Source code for xAtlas is available under a BSD 3-clause license at https://github.com/jfarek/xatlas.
Grassmannians over Rings and Subpolygons
Authors: Cuntz Michael
Published: January 2023

We investigate special points on the Grassmannian, which correspond to friezes with coefficients in the case of rank two. Using representations of arithmetic matroids, we obtain a theorem on subpolygons of specializations of the coordinate ring. As a special case, we recover the characterization of subpolygons in classic frieze patterns. Moreover, we observe that specializing clusters of the coordinate ring of the Grassmannian to units yields representations that may be interpreted as arrangements of hyperplanes with notable properties. In particular, we get an interpretation of certain Weyl groups and groupoids as generalized frieze patterns.
Weather Shocks, Birth and Early Life Health: Evidence of Different Gender Impacts
Authors: Abiona Olukorede
Published: January 2023

This paper examines the impact of exposure to weather events during gestation on birth weight and anthropometric health of a cohort of children. We explore birth records for the cohort of children born between 2003 and 2013 in Sierra Leone using Demographic Health Surveys linked to temporal variation of rainfall and temperature patterns. We find that in utero droughts (or abnormally low precipitation levels) increase the prevalence of low birth weight with larger effects among boys. However, the effects of those same in utero shocks on the prevalence of stunting up to 59 months later are smaller for boys than for girls. The gender difference in estimated impacts from birth to anthropometric health is attributed to food consumption patterns that favour boys. Our results have policy implications for tracking health outcomes during early childhood using birth and anthropometric health, especially by gender.
Sahlqvist completeness theory for hybrid logic with downarrow binder
Authors: Zhao Zhiguang
Published: January 2023

In the present paper, we continue the research in Zhao (2021, Logic J. IGPL) to develop the Sahlqvist completeness theory for hybrid logic with satisfaction operators and downarrow binders $\mathcal {L}( @, {\downarrow })$. We define the class of restricted Sahlqvist formulas for $\mathcal {L}( @, {\downarrow })$ following the ideas in Conradie and Robinson (2017, J. Logic Comput., 27, 867–900), but we follow a different proof strategy which is purely proof-theoretic, namely showing that for every restricted Sahlqvist formula $\varphi $ and its hybrid pure correspondence $\pi $, $\textbf {K}_{\mathcal {H}( @, {\downarrow })}+\varphi $ proves $\pi $; therefore, $\textbf {K}_{\mathcal {H}( @, {\downarrow })}+\varphi $ is complete with respect to the class of frames defined by $\pi $, using a modified version $\textsf {ALBA}^{{\downarrow }}_{\textsf {Modified}}$ of the algorithm $\textsf {ALBA}^{{\downarrow }}$ defined in Zhao (2021, Logic J. IGPL).
Vertebral Osteomyelitis Caused by Mycobacterium arupense Mimicking Tuberculous Spondylitis: First Reported Case and Literature Review
Authors: Kasamatsu Ayu , Fukushima Kazuaki , Igarashi Yuriko , Mitarai Satoshi , Nagata Yuka , Horiuchi Masao , Sekiya Noritaka
Published: January 2023

Mycobacterium arupense is a slow-growing, nontuberculous mycobacterium widely found in the environment and is known to cause tenosynovitis and osteomyelitis, mainly in the hands and wrists. We present the first case of vertebral osteomyelitis caused by M arupense in a 78-year-old man with renal cell carcinoma. The patient had a history of tuberculous pleuritis in childhood. Although the nucleic acid amplification test of the vertebral tissue for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was negative, we initiated tuberculosis treatment based on the history and pathological findings of auramine-rhodamine-positive organisms and epithelioid cell granulomas. Subsequently, the isolated mycobacterium was identified as M arupense by genome sequencing. Accordingly, the treatment regimen was changed to a combination of clarithromycin, ethambutol, and rifabutin. Owing to a subsequent adverse event, rifabutin was switched to faropenem, and the patient was treated for a total of 1 year. In previous literature, we found 15 reported cases of bone and soft tissue infections caused by M arupense, but none of them had vertebral lesions. Physicians should be aware that M arupense can cause vertebral osteomyelitis mimicking tuberculous spondylitis. In addition, molecular testing of isolated mycobacteria is essential for diagnosis, even if tuberculous spondylitis is suspected.
Cerebral cortical thickness and cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Pletcher Colleen , Dabbs Kevin , Barzgari Amy , Pozorski Vincent , Haebig Maureen , Wey Sasha , Krislov Stephanie , Theisen Frances , Okonkwo Ozioma , Cary Paul , Oh Jennifer , Illingworth Chuck , Wakely Michael , Law Lena , Gallagher Catherine L
Published: January 2023

In Parkinson’s disease (PD), reduced cerebral cortical thickness may reflect network-based degeneration. This study performed cognitive assessment and brain MRI in 30 PD participants and 41 controls at baseline and 18 months later. We hypothesized that cerebral cortical thickness and volume, as well as change in these metrics, would differ between PD participants who remained cognitively stable and those who experienced cognitive decline. Dividing the participant sample into PD-stable, PD-decline, and control-stable groups, we compared mean cortical thickness and volume within segments that comprise the prefrontal cognitive-control, memory, dorsal spatial, and ventral object-based networks at baseline. We then compared the rate of change in cortical thickness and volume between the same groups using a vertex-wise approach. We found that the PD-decline group had lower cortical thickness within all 4 cognitive networks in comparison with controls, as well as lower cortical thickness within the prefrontal and medial temporal networks in comparison with the PD-stable group. The PD-decline group also experienced a greater rate of volume loss in the lateral temporal cortices in comparison with the control group. This study suggests that lower thickness and volume in prefrontal, medial, and lateral temporal regions may portend cognitive decline in PD.
Virus-induced interference as a means for accelerating fitness-based selection of cyprinid herpesvirus 3 single-nucleotide variantsin vitroandin vivo
Authors: Gao Yuan , Sridhar Arun , Bernard Noah , He Bo , Zhang Haiyan , Pirotte Sébastien , Desmecht Salomé , Vancsok Catherine , Boutier Maxime , Suárez Nicolás M , Davison Andrew J , Donohoe Owen , Vanderplasschen Alain F C
Published: January 2023

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) is the archetype of fish alloherpesviruses and is advantageous to research because, unlike many herpesviruses, it can be studied in the laboratory by infection of the natural host (common and koi carp). Previous studies have reported a negative correlation among CyHV-3 strains between viral growth in vitro (in cell culture) and virulence in vivo (in fish). This suggests the existence of genovariants conferring enhanced fitness in vitro but reduced fitness in vivo and vice versa. Here, we identified the syncytial plaque formation in vitro as a common trait of CyHV-3 strains adapted to cell culture. A comparison of the sequences of virion transmembrane protein genes in CyHV-3 strains, and the use of various recombinant viruses, demonstrated that this trait is linked to a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the open reading frame (ORF) 131 coding sequence (C225791T mutation) that results in codon 183 encoding either an alanine (183A) or a threonine (183T) residue. In experiments involving infections with recombinant viruses differing only by this SNP, the 183A genovariant associated with syncytial plaque formation was the more fit in vitro but the less fit in vivo. In experiments involving coinfection with both viruses, the more fit genovariant contributed to the purifying selection of the less fit genovariant by outcompeting it. In addition, this process appeared to be accelerated by viral stimulation of interference at a cellular level and stimulation of resistance to superinfection at a host level. Collectively, this study illustrates how the fundamental biological properties of some viruses and their hosts may have a profound impact on the degree of diversity that arises within viral populations.
Populism and public procurement: an EU response to increased corruption and collusion risks in Hungary and Poland
Authors: Bernatt Maciej , Jones Alison
Published: January 2023

This article examines how illiberal changes, both in the political system and the economy, by populist governments in Hungary and Poland are increasing the risk of corruption and collusion in public procurement processes in those countries. It notes that these developments have significant consequences not only for Hungary and Poland, but also for the EU both generally, in terms of their impact on EU law and fundamental values, and specifically in relation to its finances. It thus considers what role EU law can play in reducing, mitigating, or reversing these risks. It offers several recommendations of a legal-systemic and more practical nature. The article recognises that although many steps taken by the EU to date have failed to deliver meaningful change, the EU does possess a powerful toolkit which, if fully utilised, provide the means to challenge individual cases of suspected corruption and collusion in Hungary and Poland (and other Member States), and systematic and serious violations of EU law through legal actions and financial mechanisms. It also makes proposals designed to protect EU funds better from misuse in national public procurement processes, including through closer cooperation between EU and national agencies, more proactive, real-time monitoring of processes, the use of integrity pacts, and the development of the EU’s early detection and exclusion and remedies systems.
A deep learning-based stripe self-correction method for stitched microscopic images
Authors: Wang Shu , Liu Xiaoxiang , Li Yueying , Sun Xinquan , Li Qi , She Yinhua , Xu Yixuan , Huang Xingxin , Lin Ruolan , Kang Deyong , Wang Xingfu , Tu Haohua , Liu Wenxi , Huang Feng , Chen Jianxin
Published: January 2023

The stitched fluorescence microscope images inevitably exist in various types of stripes or artifacts caused by uncertain factors such as optical devices or specimens, which severely affects the image quality and downstream quantitative analysis. In this paper, we present a deep learning-based Stripe Self-Correction method, so-called SSCOR. Specifically, we propose a proximity sampling scheme and adversarial reciprocal self-training paradigm that enable SSCOR to utilize stripe-free patches sampled from the stitched microscope image itself to correct their adjacent stripe patches. Comparing to off-the-shelf approaches, SSCOR can not only adaptively correct non-uniform, oblique, and grid stripes, but also remove scanning, bubble, and out-of-focus artifacts, achieving the state-of-the-art performance across different imaging conditions and modalities. Moreover, SSCOR does not require any physical parameter estimation, patch-wise manual annotation, and raw stitched information in the correction process, which provides an intelligent image quality optimization solution for microscopist or even microscope company, and facilitates more precise biomedical applications for researchers.
PhyloCoalSimulations: A simulator for network multispecies coalescent models, including a new extension for the inheritance of gene flow
Authors: Fogg John , Allman Elizabeth S. , Ané Cécile
Published: January 2023

Abstract

We consider the evolution of phylogenetic gene trees along phylogenetic species networks, according to the network multispecies coalescent process, and introduce a new network coalescent model with correlated inheritance of gene flow. This model generalizes two traditional versions of the network coalescent: with independent or common inheritance. At each reticulation, multiple lineages of a given locus are inherited from parental populations chosen at random, either independently across lineages, or with positive correlation according to a Dirichlet process. This process may account for locus-specific probabilities of inheritance, for example. We implemented the simulation of gene trees under these network coalescent models in the Julia packagePhyloCoalSimulations, which depends onPhyloNetworksand its powerful network manipulation tools. Input species phylogenies can be read in extended Newick format, either in numbers of generations or in coalescent units. Simulated gene trees can be written in Newick format, and in a way that preserves information about their embedding within the species network. This embedding can be used for downstream purposes, such as to simulate species-specific processes like rate variation across species, or for other scenarios as illustrated in this note. This package should be useful for simulation studies and simulation-based inference methods. The software is available open source with documentation and a tutorial athttps://github.com/cecileane/PhyloCoalSimulations.jl.
Simulated-to-real Benchmarking of Acquisition Methods in Metabolomics
Authors: Wandy Joe , McBride Ross , Rogers Simon , Terzis Nikolaos , Weidt Stefan , van der Hooft Justin J.J. , Bryson Kevin , Daly Rónán , Davies Vinny
Published: January 2023

Data-Dependent and Data-Independent Acquisition modes (DDA and DIA, respectively) are both widely used to acquire MS2 spectra in untargeted liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) metabolomics analyses. Despite their wide use, little work has been attempted to systematically compare their performance due to the difficulty and cost of performing comparisons with real experimental data due to the lack of ground truth and the costs involved in running large number of acquisitions. Here, we present a systematicin-silicocomparison of these two acquisition methods. To do so, we extended our Virtual Metabolomics Mass Spectrometer (ViMMS) framework with a DIA module. Our results show that the performance of these methods varies with the average number of co-eluting ions as the most important factor. At low numbers, DIA outperforms DDA, but at higher numbers, DDA has an advantage as DIA can no longer deal with the large amount of overlapping ion chromatograms. Results from simulation were further validated on an actual mass spectrometer, demonstrating that using ViMMS we can draw conclusions from simulation that translate well into the real world. Embedding this work within ViMMS also allows for researchers to easily simulate DDA and DIA LC-MS/MS runs, validate them on actual instrument, and potentially prototype novel methods that best combine the characteristics of both approaches. We believe that this work provides a useful guide to the choice of DIA or DDA for scientists involved in metabolomics data acquisition.
Mechanistic insights into robust cardiac IKspotassium channel activation by aromatic polyunsaturated fatty acid analogues
Authors: Bohannon Briana M. , Jowais Jessica J. , Nyberg Leif , Liin Sara I. , Larsson H. Peter
Published: January 2023

Voltage-gated potassium (KV) channels are important regulators of cellular excitability and control action potential repolarization in the heart and brain. KVchannel mutations lead to disordered cellular excitability. Loss-of-function mutations, for example, result in membrane hyperexcitability, a characteristic of epilepsy and cardiac arrhythmias. Interventions intended to restore KVchannel function have strong therapeutic potential in such disorders. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and PUFA analogues comprise a class of KVchannel activators with potential applications in the treatment of arrhythmogenic disorders such as Long QT Syndrome (LQTS). LQTS is caused by a loss-of-function of the cardiac IKschannel - a tetrameric potassium channel complex formed by KV7.1 and associated KCNE1 protein subunits. We have discovered a set of aromatic PUFA analogues that produce robust activation of the cardiac IKschannel and a unique feature of these PUFA analogues is an aromatic, tyrosine head group. We determine the mechanisms through which tyrosine PUFA analogues exert strong activating effects on the IKschannel by generating modified aromatic head groups designed to probe cation-pi interactions, hydrogen bonding, and ionic interactions. We found that tyrosine PUFA analogues do not activate the IKschannel through cation-pi interactions, but instead do so through a combination of hydrogen bonding and ionic interactions.
Low concentrations of selenium nanoparticles enhance the performance of a generalist parasitoid and its host, with no net effect on host suppression
Authors: Miksanek James Rudolph , Adarkwah Charles , Tuda Midori
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND

The environmental and economic costs of conventional insecticides have stirred an interest in alternative management tactics, including the use of nanotechnologies. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have many applications in agriculture but may not be compatible with biological control; however, low concentrations of SeNPs may benefit natural enemies via hormesis. This study investigates the concentration-dependent effects of SeNPs (0–1000 mg L−1) onAnisopteromalus calandrae(Howard) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), a generalist parasitoid of stored product pests.

RESULTS

The LC50of SeNPs was 1540 mg L−1for female parasitoids and 1164 mg L−1for males. SeNPs had a significant hormetic effect; average lifespan increased by 10% at a concentration of 4.03 mg L−1for females and by 35% at 13.83 mg L−1for males. In a bioassay including hosts (the azuki bean beetle,Callosobruchus chinensis(L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)), a low concentration of SeNPs (25 mg L−1) enhanced the performance of female parasitoids; lifespan increased by 23% and the number of offspring increased by 88%. However, the number of emerging hosts did not significantly decrease; in the absence of parasitism, SeNPs actually improved host emergence by 17%.

CONCLUSION

Because higher concentrations of SeNPs reduced parasitoid lifespan, whereas low concentrations enhanced not only parasitoid performance but also host emergence, practitioners should exercise caution when considering SeNPs for use in integrated pest management.
Learning functional conservation between pig and human to decipher evolutionary mechanisms underlying gene expression and complex trait
Authors: Li Jinghui , Zhao Tianjing , Guan Dailu , Pan Zhangyuan , Bai Zhonghao , Teng Jinyan , Zhang Zhe , Zheng Zhili , Zeng Jian , Zhou Huaijun , Fang Lingzhao , Cheng Hao
Published: January 2023

The assessment of genomic conservation between human and pig at the functional level can help understand and improve the potential of pig as a human biomedical model. To address this, we developed aDeeplearning-based approach to learn theGenomicConservation at theFunctional level (DeepGCF) between species by integrating 386 and 374 epigenome and transcriptome profiles from human and pig, respectively. DeepGCF demonstrated a better prediction performance compared to the previous functional conservation prediction method. In addition, we showed that the resulting DeepGCF score captures the functional conservation by examining DeepGCF on chromatin states, sequence ontologies, and regulatory variants. Regions with higher DeepGCF score play a more important role in regulatory activities and show heritability enrichment in human complex traits and diseases. Our DeepGCF approach shows a promising application on the comparison of cross-species functional conservation, and the model framework can be easily adapted to other species. By expanding the model to integrate the functional profiles of multiple species, including human, mouse, pig, cattle, and other livestock animals in the future, the functional conservation information will provide additional insight into the genetic and evolutionary mechanisms behind complex traits and diseases.
Keratinocyte-derived paracrine factors regulate stress response of melanocytes to UVB
Authors: Jeayeng Saowanee , Saelim Malinee , Muanjumpon Phetthinee , Buraphat Pongsakorn , Kanchanapiboon Potjanee , Sampattavanich Somponnat , Panich Uraiwan
Published: January 2023

The skin microenvironment created by keratinocytes (KC) influences stress responses of melanocytes (MC) to UVB insult. Here, we investigated paracrine factors involved in the regulatory role of microenvironment created by KC in UVB-mediated MC responses using RNA sequencing analysis as well asin vitroandin vivomodels. RNA-Seq showed that G-CSF and CCL20 genes were highly upregulated in UVB-irradiated KC and their levels best correlated with paracrine protective effects of KC on stress responses of MC to UVB. Recombinant G-CSF and CCL20 treatment revealed the strongest modulatory effects on UVB-induced MC responses by mitigating apoptosis and ROS formation and upregulating tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1) involved in the melanogenic pathway. A similar correlation between G-CSF and CCL20 expression in KC and the tyrosinase level in MC was also observed in the UVB-irradiated mouse skin. Our study reports for the first time that G-CSF and CCL20 might play a regulatory role in the KC’s paracrine effects on UVB-mediated MC damage and also provides translational insights for the development of biomarkers for predicting susceptibility to photodamage.

Graphical abstract
Next-generation interaction proteomics for quantitative Jumbophage-bacteria interaction mapping
Authors: Fossati Andrea , Mozumdar Deepto , Kokontis Claire , Mèndez-Moran Melissa , Nieweglowska Eliza , Pelin Adrian , Li Yuping , Guo Baron , Krogan Nevan J. , Agard David A. , Bondy-Denomy Joseph , Swaney Danielle L.
Published: January 2023

Host-pathogen interactions (HPIs) are pivotal in regulating establishment, progression, and outcome of an infection. Affinity-purification mass spectrometry has become instrumental for the characterization of HPIs, however the targeted nature of exogenously expressing individual viral proteins has limited its utility to the analysis of relatively small pathogens. Here we present the use of co-fractionation mass spectrometry (SEC-MS) for the high-throughput analysis of HPIs from native viral infections of two jumbophages (ϕKZ andϕPA3) inPseudomonas aeruginosa. This enabled the detection>6000 unique host-pathogen and>200 pathogen-pathogen interactions for each phage, encompassing>50% of the phage proteome. Interactome-wide comparison across phages showed similar perturbed protein interactions suggesting fundamentally conserved mechanisms of phage predation within the KZ-like phage family. Prediction of novel ORFs revealed aϕPA3 complex showing strong structural and sequence similarity toϕKZ nvRNAp, suggestingϕPA3 also possesses two RNA polymerases acting at different stages of the infection cycle. We further expanded our understanding on the molecular organization of the virion packaged and injected proteome by identifying 23 novel virion components and 5 novel injected proteins, as well as providing the first evidence for interactions between KZ-like phage proteins and the host ribosome. To enable accessibility to this data, we developed PhageMAP, an online resource for network query, visualization, and interaction prediction (https://phagemap.ucsf.edu/). We anticipate this study will lay the foundation for the application of co-fractionation mass spectrometry for the scalable profiling of hostpathogen interactomes and protein complex dynamics upon infection.
Rescue of neurogenesis and age-associated cognitive decline in SAMP8 mouse: role of transforming growth factor alpha
Authors: Gómez-Oliva Ricardo , Martínez-Ortega Sergio , Atienza-Navarro Isabel , Domínguez-García Samuel , Bernal Carlos , Geribaldi-Doldán Noelia , Verástegui Cristina , Ezzanad Abdellah , Hernández-Galán Rosario , Núnez-Abades Pedro , Garcia-Alloza Monica , Castro Carmen
Published: January 2023

Neuropathological aging is associated with memory impairment and cognitive decline, and affects several brain areas including the neurogenic niche of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG). In the healthy brain homeostatic mechanisms regulate neurogenesis in the DG to facilitate the continuous generation of neurons from neural stem cells (NSC). Nevertheless, aging reduces the number of activated neural stem cells, and diminishes the number of newly generated neurons. Strategies that promote neurogenesis in the DG may improve cognitive performance in the elderly resulting in the development of treatments to prevent the progression of neurological disorders in the aged population.

Our work is aimed to discover targeting molecules to be used in the design of pharmacological agents to prevent the neurological effects of pathological aging. We study the effect of age on hippocampal neurogenesis using the SAMP8 mouse as a model of pathological aging. Thus, we show that in six-month-old SAMP8 mice, episodic and spatial memory are impaired, concomitantly the generation of neuroblasts and neurons is reduced and the generation of astrocytes is increased in this model. The novelty of our work resides in the fact that treatment of SAMP8 mice with a TGF-alpha targeting molecule, prevents the observed defects, positively regulating neurogenesis and improving cognitive performance. This compound facilitates the release of TGF-alpha in vitro and in vivo and activates signaling pathways initiated by this growth factor. We conclude that targeting the release of TGF-alpha may be the basis of pharmacological drugs to counteract the neurological effects of pathological aging.
HAT: a high-energy surface X-ray diffraction analysis toolkit
Authors: Harlow Gary S. , Pfaff Sebastian , Abbondanza Giuseppe , Hegedüs Zoltan , Lienert Ulrich , Lundgren Edvin
Published: January 2023

This work introduces the high-energy surface X-ray diffraction analysis toolkit (HAT), an open-source cross-platform software package written in Python to allow the extraction and processing of high-energy surface X-ray diffraction (HESXRD) data sets. Thousands of large-area detector images are collected in a single HESXRD scan, corresponding to billions of pixels and hence reciprocal space positions. HAT is an optimized reciprocal space binner that implements a graphical user interface to allow the easy and interactive exploration of HESXRD data sets. Regions of reciprocal space can be selected with movable and resizable masks in multiple views and are projected onto different axes to allow the creation of reciprocal space maps and the extraction of crystal truncation rods. Current and future versions of HAT can be downloaded and used free of charge.
Comparison of the structure and activity of thioredoxin 2 and thioredoxin 1 from Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Chang Ye Ji , Sung Ji Hye , Lee Chang Sup , Lee Jun Hyuck , Park Hyun Ho
Published: January 2023

Thioredoxin (Trx) is essential in a redox-control system, with many bacteria containing two Trxs: Trx1 and Trx2. Due to a Trx system's critical function, Trxs are targets for novel antibiotics. Here, a 1.20 Å high-resolution structure of Trx2 from Acinetobacter baumannii (abTrx2), an antibiotic resistant pathogenic superbug, is elucidated. By comparing Trx1 and Trx2, it is revealed that the two Trxs possess similar activity, although Trx2 contains an additional N-terminal zinc-finger domain and exhibits more flexible properties in solution. Finally, it is shown that the Trx2 zinc-finger domain might be rotatable and that proper zinc coordination at the zinc-finger domain is critical to abTrx2 activity. This study enhances understanding of the Trx system and will facilitate the design of novel antibiotics.
Corporate communication on social media: a case study before and during pandemic COVID-19
Authors: Mušanović Jelena , Dorčić Jelena , Gregorić Maja
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how hotel brands communicate on social media before and during the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in relation to the tourism season.

Design/methodology/approach

To gain insights into the communication of Italian hotel brands on social media, this study applies a qualitative methodology. Using the text mining technique, topic modelling was conducted on a sample of 5,032 posts from Italian 5-star hotel brands shared on the hotels' official Facebook pages.

Findings

The results show that hotel brands used essentially the same communication strategy in the tourism seasons before and after the pandemic outbreak, but with a particular focus on trust, safety and cordiality during the pandemic. Hotel brands focussed intensively on brand awareness, customer engagement and special activities that promote memorable and authentic experiences as well as luxury service quality.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the theoretical and empirical sense by bridging the concepts of tourism and hospitality, social media and corporate communication.
Field experiments in marketing research: a systematic methodological review
Authors: Malodia Suresh , Dhir Amandeep , Hasni Muhammad Junaid Shahid , Srivastava Shalini
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to present a systematic methodological review of the application of field experiments in the domain of marketing research. By performing this study, the authors seek to offer necessary advice and suggestions to marketing scholars interested in the application of field experiments and to promote the adoption of field experiments as a preferred methodological choice among scholars in this domain.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 315 field experiments published in the ten leading marketing journals in the past five decades were analyzed in this systematic methodological review. This study examines various aspects of field experiments, including the research profile of existing research, different trends and topics related to field experiments, choice of research questions, methods of observations, unobtrusive data collection, types of interventions and outcome variables.

Findings

This study identified various trends and topics, categories of manipulations, types of limitations and important considerations in designing field experiments and offered necessary advice on the future of field experiments in marketing research.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides a complete roadmap for future marketing scholars to adopt field studies in their research plans. The systematic summary of limitations and the checklist will be helpful for the researchers to design and execute field studies more effectively and efficiently.

Practical implications

This review study offers a complete roadmap for marketing scholars who are interested in adopting field experiments in their research projects. The discussion of trends and topics, manipulations, limitations, design considerations and checklist items for field experiments offers relevant insights to marketing scholars and may help them design and execute field experiments more effectively and efficiently.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to provide a comprehensive methodological review of field experiments published in leading marketing journals throughout the past five decades. This study makes novel and unique contributions to both theory and literature on field experiments in the marketing discipline.
Changes in sick leave utilization at an academic medical center during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Lancaster Kelly , Tumin Dmitry , Campbell Kendall M.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic drastically changed work arrangements, but COVID-19's impact on employee leave utilization is unclear. The authors sought to understand how sick leave and vacation leave utilization changed during the pandemic among clinical and non-clinical departments at an academic medical center (AMC).

Design/methodology/approach

Clinical departments were defined as work units with a primary mission of providing direct patient care. Per-person, per-month leave utilization data were obtained from the AMC's time-keeping system for 3 clinical departments and 4 non-clinical departments in the first 12 months of the pandemic and the preceding 12 months. Monthly data for each department were analyzed with mixed-effects regression.

Findings

Available data represented 402 employees from 3 clinical departments and 73 employees from 4 non-clinical departments. The authors found no statistically significant change in sick leave utilization among either clinical or non-clinical departments. Vacation leave utilization decreased during the pandemic by 5.9 h per person per month in non-clinical departments (95% confidence interval [CI]: −8.1, −3.8;p < 0.001) and by 3.0 h per person per month in clinical departments (95% CI: −4.3, −1.7;p < 0.001).

Originality/value

Among employees in clinical departments, the authors found no increase in sick leave utilization and a decrease in vacation utilization. These findings are concerning for presenteeism, risk of burnout or understaffing resulting in workers' inability to take time away from work in clinical departments.
Can AI chatbots help retain customers? Impact of AI service quality on customer loyalty
Authors: Chen Qian , Lu Yaobin , Gong Yeming , Xiong Jie
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study investigates whether and how the service quality of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots affects customer loyalty to an organization.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the sequential chain model of service quality loyalty, this study first classifies AI chatbot service quality into nine attributes and then develops a research model to explore the internal mechanism of how AI chatbot service quality affects customer loyalty. The analysis of survey data from 459 respondents provided insights into the interrelationships among AI chatbot service quality attributes, perceived value, cognitive and affective trust, satisfaction and customer loyalty.

Findings

The results show that AI chatbot service quality positively affects customer loyalty through perceived value, cognitive trust, affective trust and satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study captures the attributes of the service quality of AI chatbots and reveals the significant influence of service quality on customer loyalty. This study develops research on service quality in the information system (IS) field and extends the sequential chain model of quality loyalty to the context of AI services. The findings not only help an organization find a way to improve customers' perceived value, trust, satisfaction and loyalty but also provide guidance in the development, adoption, and post-adoption stages of AI chatbots.
Ethics‐Related Mentoring: A Scale Development and Test of its Role in Promoting Protégé Ethical Behaviour
Authors: Busch Corinna , Crawshaw Jonathan , Guillaume Yves , Legood Alison
Published: January 2023

Our research examines the importance of ethics‐related mentoring, its measurement and potential role in promoting protégé ethical behaviours. In Study 1, 25 interviews with mentoring experts generated 40 items for a new measure of ethics‐related mentoring. Across studies 2 and 3, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, using data collected from 114 and 152 protégés, respectively, reduced these to 15 items and supported its confirmatory and discriminant validity. Study 4, a scenario‐based experiment, confirmed that protégé perceptions of their ethics‐related mentoring increases their organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) whilst reducing their counterproductive work behaviour (CWB). Drawing on social learning theory and moral identity theory, we demonstrate that both moral identity and moral self‐efficacy mediate the relationship with CWB, but only moral identity mediates the relationship with OCB. We found limited support for a moderating role of mentor prototypicality. Overall, we present strong evidence for the reliability and validity of our new ethics‐related mentoring measure and a new theoretical framework explaining its potential role in promoting protégé ethical behaviours.
Mitochondrial stress and mitokines in aging
Authors: Burtscher Johannes , Soltany Afsaneh , Visavadiya Nishant P. , Burtscher Martin , Millet Grégoire P. , Khoramipour Kayvan , Khamoui Andy V.
Published: January 2023

Mitokines are signaling molecules that enable communication of local mitochondrial stress to other mitochondria in distant cells and tissues. Among those molecules are FGF21, GDF15 (both expressed in the nucleus) and several mitochondrial‐derived peptides, including humanin. Their responsiveness to mitochondrial stress induces mitokine‐signaling in response for example to exercise, following mitochondrial challenges in skeletal muscle. Such signaling is emerging as an important mediator of exercise‐derived and dietary strategy‐related molecular and systemic health benefits, including healthy aging. A compensatory increase in mitokine synthesis and secretion could preserve mitochondrial function and overall cellular vitality. Conversely, resistance against mitokine actions may also develop. Alterations of mitokine‐levels, and therefore of mitokine‐related inter‐tissue cross talk, are associated with general aging processes and could influence the development of age‐related chronic metabolic, cardiovascular and neurological diseases; whether these changes contribute to aging or represent “rescue factors” remains to be conclusively shown. The aim of the present review is to summarize the expanding knowledge on mitokines, the potential to modulate them by lifestyle and their involvement in aging and age‐related diseases. We highlight the importance of well‐balanced mitokine‐levels, the preventive and therapeutic properties of maintaining mitokine homeostasis and sensitivity of mitokine signaling but also the risks arising from the dysregulation of mitokines. While reduced mitokine levels may impair inter‐organ crosstalk, also excessive mitokine concentrations can have deleterious consequences and are associated with conditions such as cancer and heart failure. Preservation of healthy mitokine signaling levels can be achieved by regular exercise and is associated with an increased lifespan.
Financial Inclusion or Subordination? The Monetary Politics of Debt in Cambodia
Authors: Green W. Nathan
Published: January 2023

Financial inclusion is a leading driver of household debt across the global South. Although critical geographers have analysed this debt through the lens of financialisation, few have examined it in terms of monetary politics. This is a salient issue, because poorer nations often have limited control over their monetary policy due to their dependence on foreign currencies, which can adversely affect the structure of their financial markets. Building on the concept of monetary dependency from scholarship on financial subordination, I analyse the monetary politics of debt in Cambodia. Drawing on elite interviews and ethnographic research, I argue that Cambodia's extreme monetary dependence on the US dollar has shaped monetary and fiscal policies that compel poorer households to take on private debt to pay for their basic needs. This paper advances critical geographies of debt and development by studying financial subordination and its impact on financial inclusion in the global South.
Efficacy of 1‐kestose supplementation in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis: A randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled pilot study
Authors: Ikegami Shuji , Nakamura Masanao , Honda Takashi , Yamamura Takeshi , Maeda Keiko , Sawada Tsunaki , Ishikawa Eri , Yamamoto Kenta , Furune Satoshi , Ishikawa Takuya , Furukawa Kazuhiro , Ohno Eizaburo , Ishigami Masatoshi , Kinoshita Fumie , Kadota Yoshihiro , Tochio Takumi , Shimomura Yoshiharu , Hirooka Yoshiki , Kawashima Hiroki
Published: January 2023

Background

Ulcerative colitis involves an excessive immune response to intestinal bacteria. Whether administering prebiotic 1‐kestose is effective for active ulcerative colitis remains controversial.

Aims

This randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled pilot trial investigated the efficacy of 1‐kestose against active ulcerative colitis.

Methods

Forty patients with mild to moderate active ulcerative colitis were randomly treated with 1‐kestose (N = 20) or placebo (maltose, N = 20) orally for 8 weeks in addition to the standard treatment. The Lichtiger clinical activity index and Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity were determined. Faecal samples were analysed to evaluate the gut microbiome and metabolites.

Results

The clinical activity index at week 8 was significantly lower in the 1‐kestose group than in the placebo group (3.8 ± 2.7 vs. 5.6 ± 2.1, p = 0.026). Clinical remission and response rates were higher in the 1‐kestose group than in the placebo group (remission: 55% vs. 20%, p = 0.048; response: 60% vs. 25%, p = 0.054). The Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity at week 8 was not significantly different (2.8 ± 1.6 vs. 3.5 ± 1.6, p = 0.145). Faecal analysis showed significantly reduced alpha‐diversity in the 1‐kestose group, with a decreased relative abundance of several bacteria, including Ruminococcus gnavus group. The short‐chain fatty acid levels were not significantly different between the groups. The incidence of adverse events was comparable between the groups.

Discussion

Oral 1‐kestose is well tolerated and provides clinical improvement for patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis through modulation of the gut microbiome.
Antioxidants, minerals and vitamins in relation to Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Chen Jie , Ruan Xixian , Yuan Shuai , Deng Minzi , Zhang Han , Sun Jing , Yu Lili , Satsangi Jack , Larsson Susanna C. , Therdoratou Evropi , Wang Xiaoyan , Li Xue
Published: January 2023

Background

Evidence for antioxidants, minerals and vitamins in relation to the risk of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) is limited and inconsistent. This mendelian randomization (MR) study aimed to examine the causal associations of circulating levels of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins with CD and UC.

Methods

Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms associated with antioxidants (beta‐carotene, lycopene and uric acid), minerals (copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium), and vitamins (folate, vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E and K1) were employed as instrumental variables. Genetic associations with CD and UC were extracted from the UK Biobank, the FinnGen study and the International Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium. The inverse variance weighted method and sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results

Genetically predicted higher lycopene (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.91–0.97), vitamins D (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.54–0.79) and K1 (OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.90–0.97) levels were inversely associated with CD risk, whereas genetically predicted higher magnesium (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.23–1.90) levels were positively associated with CD risk. Higher levels of genetically predicted lycopene (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.88–0.95), phosphorus (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.58–0.82), selenium (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85–0.97), zinc (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.89–0.94), folate (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.56–0.92) and vitamin E (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.69–0.88) were associated with reduced UC risk, whereas genetically predicted high levels of calcium (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.22–1.76) and magnesium (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.03–1.49) were associated with increased risk of UC.

Conclusions

Our study provided evidence that circulating levels of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins might be causally linked to the development of IBD.
Correcting for transitory effects in RCTs: Evidence from the RAND Health Insurance Experiment
Authors: Balesh Abadi Mona , Devereux Kevin , Omran Farah
Published: January 2023

Temporary randomized controlled trials are susceptible to transitory effects that would not result from a permanent treatment. We find a large and statistically significant “deadline effect”—a surge in spending in the final treatment year—in the RAND Health Insurance Experiment, identified by random allocation to three‐ or five‐year enrolment terms. Participants facing lower coinsurance rates show larger spending surges. Partialing out the price–deadline interaction reduces in magnitude estimates of the permanent price elasticity of drug spending (and in some specifications of outpatient and supplies spending). This implies higher optimal coinsurance rates and illustrates the importance of experimental design to identifying parameters of interest in randomized controlled trials.