bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What matters, and what matters most? Exploring resident satisfaction in continuing care retirement communities
Authors: Chaulagain Suja , Li Jianwen , Pizam Abraham
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Resident satisfaction is a catalyst for continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) to enhance their competitiveness in the expanding senior living market. CCRC attributes play an imperative role in resident satisfaction when older adults reside in these communities. The purpose of this study was to identify the attributes that affect CCRC resident satisfaction and quantify their relative levels of importance. In addition, the impact of resident satisfaction on word of mouth (WOM) and satisfaction with life was examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed hypotheses were tested by performing structural equation modeling on the data collected from 332 CCRC residents throughout the USA.

Findings

The study results revealed that all 10 of the CCRC attributes identified in this study significantly influenced resident satisfaction. Sociopsychological factors had the strongest influence on resident satisfaction, followed by cost and value, medical services, availability of activities, food and beverage services, design, rooms, management and staff, location, and spiritual environment. The study results further indicated that resident satisfaction had a positive impact on WOM and satisfaction with life.

Practical implications

This study provides significant practical implications for CCRC owners and operators to help them better identify the types of CCRC attributes and their relative levels of importance for resident satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first comprehensive studies to identify CCRC attributes associated with resident satisfaction and examine the impact of resident satisfaction on satisfaction with life within the senior living field.
Electrical wear performance of copper matrix composites reinforced with hybrid CNTs and TiB2 particles
Authors: Yang Yubo , Guo Xiuhua , Song Kexing , Long Fei , Wang Xu , Li Shaolin , Li Zhou
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Copper matrix composites are widely used in high-voltage switches, electrified railways and other electric friction fields. The purpose of this study is to improve its wear resistance and investigate the effect of hybrid carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and titanium diboride (TiB2) particles reinforced copper matrix composites on electrical wear performance.

Design/methodology/approach

CNTs and TiB2 particles were introduced into copper matrix simultaneously by powder metallurgy combined with electroless copper plating. Electrical wear performance of the composites was studied on self-made pin on disk electrical wear tester.

Findings

The results show that the friction coefficient and wear rate of (1CNTs–4TiB2)/Cu composite are respectively reduced by 40% and 25.3%, compared with single TiB2/Cu composites. The micron-sized TiB2 particles can hinder the plastic deformation of composites, and bear part of the load to weaken the wear rate of composites. CNTs with the self-lubricating property can form lubricating layer to reduce the friction coefficient of composites.

Originality/value

This work can provide a design method for further improving the wear properties of TiB2/Cu composites.
Disruptive crisis management: lessons from managing a hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Donelli Chiara Carolina , Fanelli Simone , Zangrandi Antonello , Elefanti Marco
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Healthcare organizations worldwide were badly hit by the “surprise” of the pandemic. Hospitals in particular are trying hard to manage problems it caused, searching for solutions to protect the health of citizens and reorienting operations. The implementation of resilience solutions in the coping phase and the ability to react promptly and redefine activities is essential. Integrating crisis management and resiliency literature, this paper discusses how health organizations were able to cope with adversity during the crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is conducted through a case study of a large Italian hospital, the Gemelli Polyclinic Foundation, which was one of the leading hospitals in the Italian response to the pandemic.

Findings

The case reports actions taken in order to continue functioning and to maintain core activities despite severe adversity. The overall response of the Gemelli was the result of the three types of response: behavioral (effective leadership), cognitive (rapid resource reallocation) and the contextual reinforcement (multiagency network response). The authors highlight how an integrative framework of crisis management and resiliency could be applied to healthcare organizations in the coping phase of the pandemic. The experience of the Gemelli can thus be useful for other hospitals and organizations facing external crises and for overall improvement of crisis management and resilience. Responding to crisis brings the opportunity to make innovations introduced during emergencies structural, and embed them moving forward.

Research limitations/implications

The paper focuses only on the coping phase of the response to the pandemic, whereas building long-term resilience requires understanding how organizations accumulate knowledge from crises and adapt to the “new normal.”

Originality/value

The paper responds to the call for empirical studies to advance knowledge of an integrative framework of crisis management and resiliency theories with reference to complex organizations such as healthcare.
Avaneetha Textiles: empowering women through education
Authors: Arjunan Satya Nandini , Zachariah Minu , Manimala Mathew J.
Published: April 2022

Theoretical basis

Womenomics is the idea that women’s economic development will lead to improving the economy as a whole

Research methodology

The case is a primary case. Gender equity is about treating men and women fairly, data for the case was collected through interviews with the protagonist Ms Kalpana Anand.

Case overview/synopsis

Although women are capable of writing their own destiny regardless of what they are and where they come from, Kalpana Anand, the Executive Director of Avaneetha Textiles, believes that education plays an essential role in empowering women. Accordingly she is determined to offer shop floor jobs to young underprivileged women aspiring dropouts that provides them an opportunity to learn while they earn. Established in the year 2004 in Coimbatore, Avaneetha Textiles is currently being managed by two sisters Uma (Managing Director) and Kalpana. Although this business model supports around 900 young women, not all have made the most of it. Only 25% of their employees benefitted from the “learn-while-you-earn” program promoted by the company. Kalpana realized that such a conduct would hinder the achievement of empowering women. Therefore, the challenge before her was to motivate more women to enroll for different courses and thereby improve the quality of their life.

Complexity and academic level

Graduate or post-graduate level of courses in management, commerce, sociology, social work and related subjects.
Robust local slope estimation by deep learning
Authors: Zu Shaohuan , Cao Junxing , Fomel Sergey , Yang Liuqing , Saad Omar M. , Chen Yangkang
Published: April 2022

In the seismic community, the local slope is essential for various applications, including structure prediction, seislet transform, trace interpolation and denoising. The most popular method to calculate slope is the plane‐wave destruction, which assumes that the seismic data can be represented by local plane waves. However, the plane‐wave destruction method fails when the seismic data become very noisy. Taking random noise into consideration, we adopt the deep learning method to calculate the local slope. In the deep learning architecture, the input is noisy data and the target is an accurate slope estimated from the clean data using plane‐wave destruction. The deep learning architecture includes a convolutional layer, deconvolutional layer, normalization layer and activation layer which are suitable to suppress noise and learn the nonlinear relationship between the input and the target. After training, the network is applied to other test examples to calculate local slopes. In addition, we implement the seislet transform and structure prediction applications based on the estimated slope. Both the estimated slope and the related applications indicate that the proposed method can robustly obtain the local slope from noisy seismic data, compared with the plane‐wave destruction method.
Changes in temperature alter competitive interactions and overall structure of fig wasp communities
Authors: Aung Khin Me Me , Chen Huan‐Huan , Segar Simon T. , Miao Bai‐Ge , Peng Yan‐Qiong , Liu Cong
Published: April 2022

Organisms exist within ecological networks, connected through interactions such as parasitism, predation and mutualism which can modify their abundance and distribution within habitat patches. Differential species responses make it hard to predict the influence of climate change at the community scale. Understanding the interplay between climate and biotic interactions can improve our predictions of how ecosystems will respond to current global warming.

We aim to understand how climate affects the multitrophic biotic interactions as well as the community structure using the enclosed communities of wasps associated with figs as study system.

To examine the presence and strength of multitrophic species interactions, we first characterized the multitrophic community of fig wasps associated with Ficus racemosa and then applied hierarchical joint species distribution models, fitted to community monitoring data. We further evaluated the effect of climate on individual species trends as well as interspecific interactions.

We found that the competitive balance shifted to favour non‐pollinating galling wasps and disadvantage the dominant pollinator in suboptimal conditions. Furthermore, suboptimal conditions for galling wasps facilitated the occurrence of their specialized parasitoid, as changes cascaded across trophic levels and led to alternative community structures. Our results highlight the role of how species interactions can be modified across multiple trophic levels in a fig wasp community according to climate.
Novel protein carrier system based on cyanobacterial nano‐sized extracellular vesicles for application in fish
Authors: Matinha‐Cardoso Jorge , Coutinho Filipe , Lima Steeve , Eufrásio Ana , Carvalho António Paulo , Oliva‐Teles Aires , Bessa José , Tamagnini Paula , Serra Cláudia R. , Oliveira Paulo
Published: April 2022

Aquaculture has been one of the fastest‐growing food industry sectors, expanding at the pace of consumers' demands. To promote safe and effective fish growth performance strategies, and to stimulate environmentally friendly solutions to protect fish against disease outbreaks, new approaches are needed to safeguard fish welfare, as well as farmers and consumers interests. Here, we tested the use of cyanobacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a novel nanocarrier system of heterologous proteins for applications in fish. We started by incubating zebrafish larvae with Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 EVs, isolated from selected mutant strains with different cell envelope characteristics. Results show that Synechocystis EVs are biocompatible with fish larvae, regardless of their structural composition, as EVs neither induced fish mortality nor triggered significant inflammatory responses. We establish also that cyanobacteria are amenable to engineering heterologous protein expression and loading into EVs, for which we used the reporter sfGFP. Moreover, upon immersion treatment, we successfully demonstrate that sfGFP‐loaded Synechocystis EVs accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract of zebrafish larvae. This work opens the possibility of using cyanobacterial EVs as a novel biotechnological tool in fish, with prospective applications in carrying proteins/enzymes, for example for modulating their nutritional status or stimulating specific adaptive immune responses.
Impact of losing adipose tissue on outcomes from PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitor monotherapy in non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Nishioka Naoya , Naito Tateaki , Miyawaki Taichi , Yabe Michitoshi , Doshita Kosei , Kodama Hiroaki , Miyawaki Eriko , Iida Yuko , Mamesaya Nobuaki , Kobayashi Haruki , Omori Shota , Ko Ryo , Wakuda Kazushige , Ono Akira , Kenmotsu Hirotsugu , Murakami Haruyasu , Takayama Koichi , Takahashi Toshiaki
Published: April 2022

Background

Adipose tissue induces inflammation, which desensitizes the efficacy of immunotherapy. However, several reports show that the therapeutic effect of programed cell death 1 (PD‐1)/programed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) inhibitor(s) monotherapy is significantly better in obese patients. Therefore, the effect of adipose tissue on immunotherapy is unclear.

Methods

In this study, we retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitor monotherapy between May 2016 and December 2018. We classified patients into total adipose tissue maintenance or loss groups according to adipose tissue change during the 6 months before treatment and compared the therapeutic effect of PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors between these groups along with the presence or absence of cachexia, a poor prognostic factor.

Results

Of the 74 patients, 40 (54.1%) were cachexic. Among cachexic patients, we found no clear difference in the overall response rate (ORR) and progression‐free survival (PFS) between the total adipose tissue maintenance and loss group. However, among noncachexic patients, the total adipose tissue loss group had a higher ORR (64.7% vs. 23.5%, p < 0.05) and longer PFS (18.5 months vs. 2.86 months, p = 0.037) than the maintenance group.

Conclusions

This study showed that decreasing adipose tissue without cachexia might favor the therapeutic effects of immunotherapy.
Density and domination
Authors: OLIPHANT ELAYNE
Published: April 2022

The question whether Europe's Christian churches and monasteries are “religious” or “secular” distracts us from something far more significant: Europe's historical participation in systems of enslavement and expropriation. While these solid buildings seem to demand that we pay attention to them in their “density,” such a focus overlooks their role in reaffirming the boundaries and morality of the dominant group, which, in France, is formed through a convergence of Whiteness and Catholicism. Following a model laid out by Michel‐Rolph Trouillot, I analyze how Paris's Roman Catholic churches participate in the workings of history as sources, archives, narratives, and history. At each stage in their production, these churches have helped silence violent aspects of French history, including slavery and colonialism, while affirming the superiority of White Christian man. [heritage, density, workings of history, silences, Catholicism, Catholic materiality, Paris, France, Europe]
Productivity and payout policy
Authors: Kulchania Manoj
Published: April 2022

I investigate how a firm's total factor productivity (TFP) is related to its payout policy. I find that firms with higher TFP are more likely to pay dividends and repurchase shares. Such firms also pay higher dividends and repurchase more shares, even after controlling for income and other factors known to affect payout policy. Results are robust to propensity score matching and other analyses, including adoption of productivity‐enhancing technology. I find that firms with higher TFP earn higher future operating income; productive firms with higher agency concerns pay back more, thus draining resources that could potentially be misused.
Lessons from the Field. Community‐based participatory research: The important role of university–community partnerships to support grandfamilies
Authors: Fruhauf Christine A. , Yancura Loriena A. , Greenwood‐Junkermeier Heather , Riggs Nathaniel R. , Fox Aimee L. , Mendoza A. Nancy , Ooki Nancy
Published: April 2022

Objective

This article describes the development and implementation of a tripartite educational intervention to support custodial grandparents, grandchildren, and service providers who work with grandfamilies.

Background

Grounded in theory and practice of working with both grandparents and their grandchildren, this article provides an overview of strategies and approaches for recruitment and retention of grandfamilies in educational intervention programming and a discussion of our approach to bridging science into practice and the important role of university–community partnerships using community‐based participatory research principles.

Implications

Although we provide specific examples from the development and implementation of the multistate GRANDcares program, these methods and the lessons from the field may be broadly applied to many aspects of working with skipped‐generation and multigenerational families.
Quantitative study of food integrity climate in Belgian and Saudi Arabian food businesses in view of their organisational characteristics
Authors: Alrobaish Waeel Salih , Jacxsens Liesbeth , Vlerick Peter
Published: April 2022

Managing food integrity within a food business represents a novel dimension in food safety management. In this study, the prevailing food integrity climate of different food companies was analysed and compared across two distinct countries (Belgium and Saudi Arabia), and its relation with various organisational characteristics was examined. A quantitative questionnaire was filled up by the principal quality manager of forty‐three food companies. Results show that the overall food integrity climate in the participating Saudi Arabian (n = 15) and Belgian food companies (n = 28) was estimated as medium–high. Scores varied substantially across the different participating food organisations, but only slightly between the two countries. The companies’ certification status was found statistically significantly related to a higher perceived food integrity climate, in particular for ISO 9000 as well as FSSC 22000 in both countries and IFS only in the Saudi Arabian sample. It was also demonstrated that the prevailing food integrity climate is associated with the company’s product type or sector, but only in the Belgian participating food companies, since Belgian quality managers employed in plant‐based food companies estimated their food integrity climate higher than their counterparts in animal‐based food companies. This horizontal comparative study, based on an intercontinental quantitative assessment of food integrity performance in food companies, contributes to enhance the understanding of food integrity in relation to specific organisational characteristics of food businesses, offering both theoretical and practical implications.
Haematology laboratory parameters to assess efficacy of CD19‐, CD22‐, CD33‐, and CD123‐directed chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell therapy in haematological malignancies
Authors: Drumheller Bradley , Gebre Kirubel , Lockhart Brian , Margolskee Elizabeth , Obstfeld Amrom , Paessler Michele , Pillai Vinodh
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell products are available to treat relapsed/refractory B‐lymphoblastic leukaemia/lymphoma (B‐ALL), diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma, mantle‐cell lymphoma, and myeloma. CAR products vary by their target epitope and constituent molecules. Hence, there are no common laboratory assays to assess CAR T cell expansion in the clinical setting. We investigated the utility of common haematology laboratory parameters to measure CAR T cell expansion and response.

Methods

Archived CellaVision images, absolute lymphocyte counts, and Sysmex CPD parameters spanning 1 month after CD19‐CAR, UCAR19, CD22‐CAR, CD33‐CAR, and UCAR123 therapy were compared against donor lymphocyte infused control patients. Additionally, CellaVision images gathered during acute EBV infection were analysed.

Results

CellaVision images revealed a distinct sequence of three lymphocyte morphologies, common among CD19‐CAR, CD22‐CAR and UCAR19. This lymphocyte sequence was notably absent in CAR T cell non‐responders and stem‐cell transplantation controls, but shared some features seen during acute EBV infection. CD19‐CAR engraftment kinetics monitored by quantitative PCR show an expansion and persistence phase and mirror CD19‐CAR ALC kinetics. We show other novel CAR T cell therapies (UCAR19, CD22‐CAR, CD33‐CAR and UCAR123) display similar ALC expansion in responders and diminished ALC expansion in non‐responders. Furthermore, the CPD parameter LY_WY fluorescence increased within the first week after CD19‐CAR infusion, preceding the peak absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) by 3.7 days.

Conclusion

Autologous and allogeneic CAR T cell therapy produce unique changes in common haematology laboratory parameters and could be a useful surrogate to follow CAR T‐cell expansion after infusion.
Portfolio returns and consumption growth covariation in the frequency domain, real economic activity, and expected returns
Authors: Piccotti Louis R.
Published: April 2022

The slope of the portfolio return and consumption growth cospectrum contains predictive information about future real economic activity, future recession probabilities, the risk aversion coefficient, and future expected returns. Commonly used economic variables do not subsume the predictive power of the cospectrum slope and although the interest rate term spread largely fails to predict the financial crisis, the set of cospectrum slopes predicts the crisis with a 75% probability. The cospectrum slope significantly improves the fit of long‐horizon expected return models and contains more significant predictive information than the current dividend yield.
Complications Associated with Metal Resin Fixed Complete Dentures Based on Implant Distribution
Authors: Karre Shivani , Kattadiyil Mathew T. , Lozada Jaime L. , AlHelal Abdulaziz
Published: April 2022

Purpose

To compare prevalence and type of complications associated with metal resin fixed complete dentures based on implant distribution.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study included data collected for a period of 12 years for patients treated with maxillary and mandibular implant‐supported fixed complete dentures at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. In total, 223 patient's charts were reviewed which included 100 maxillary and 123 mandibular fixed complete dentures. Implant distribution and prevalence of complications associated with each implant‐supported fixed complete denture were documented. Tooth delamination, the most common complication associated with fixed complete dentures, was compared between 2 implant distribution groups in each arch. Covariates including age, sex, opposing arch, cantilever occluding units, and number of implants were evaluated to determine their association with tooth delamination. Data and hypotheses were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics along with logistic regression model. All tests of hypotheses were considered statistically significant at an alpha level of 0.05.

Results

In the maxillary arch, some effect of the prevalence of tooth delamination was seen for the group that had implants placed posterior to canine eminence but it was not statistically significant. Denture tooth delamination had the highest prevalence among complications irrespective of implant distribution. Significant denture tooth delamination was seen for patients with opposing fixed complete dentures in comparison to patients with removable opposing arch prostheses.

Conclusions

Implant distribution is not a significant factor related to metal resin fixed complete dentures. Opposing fixed complete dentures have a significantly higher association with denture tooth delamination.
Tunneling nanotubes and mesenchymal stem cells: New insights into the role of melatonin in neuronal recovery
Authors: Luchetti Francesca , Carloni Silvia , Nasoni Maria G. , Reiter Russel J. , Balduini Walter
Published: April 2022

Efficient cell‐to‐cell communication is essential for tissue development, homeostasis, and the maintenance of cellular functions after injury. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) have emerged as a new important method of cell‐to‐cell communication. TNTs are primarily established between stressed and unstressed cells and can transport a variety of cellular components. Mitochondria are important trafficked entities through TNTs. Transcellular mitochondria transfer permits the incorporation of healthy mitochondria into the endogenous network of recipient cells, changing the bioenergetic profile and other functional properties of the recipient and may allow the recipient cells to recuperate from apoptotic processes and return to a normal operating state. Mesenchymal cells (MSCs) can form TNTs and transfer mitochondria and other constituents to target cells. This occurs under both physiological and pathological conditions, leading to changes in cellular energy metabolism and functions. This review summarizes the newly described capacity of melatonin to improve mitochondrial fusion/fission dynamics and promote TNT formation. This new evidence suggests that melatonin's protective effects could be attributed to its ability to prevent mitochondrial damage in injured cells, reduce senescence, and promote anastasis, a natural cell recovery phenomenon that rescues cells from the brink of death. The modulation of these new routes of intercellular communication by melatonin could play a key role in increasing the therapeutic potential of MSCs.
Exploring the association between oral tactile sensitivity measures and phenotypic markers of oral responsiveness
Authors: Mani Elisa , Ford Rebecca , Pierguidi Lapo , Spinelli Sara , Ramsey Imogen , Monteleone Erminio , Dinnella Caterina
Published: April 2022

This study investigated the individual variability in oral tactile sensitivity considering touch, by means of Von Frey Hair monofilaments (VFH) and spatial resolution, using the grating orientation test (GOT). The relationships of the two measures with 6‐n‐propylthiouracil (PROP) responsiveness and fungiform papillae density and size were investigated. One hundred and forty‐four subjects (48.6% women, aged 18–30) participated in the study. VFH and GOT thresholds were assessed by three‐down/one‐up staircase method. Responsiveness to 3.2 mM PROP was assessed on the general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Fungiform papillae density (FPD) and size were determined from automated counting. VFH thresholds appeared unsuitable to reveal individual variation in responsiveness to point‐pressure on the tongue. The frequency of GOT thresholds approximated a normal distribution and covered the whole range of variation, thus indicating an ability to measure individual variation in oral tactile sensitivity. No significant linear correlations were found between any of the oral tactile sensitivity measures and PROP responsiveness, FPD total and size class. VFH and GOT thresholds were not significantly associated. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering was used to classify participants for their PROP responsiveness, total FPD and GOT threshold. Three clusters were identified, C1 (n = 67), Cl2 (n = 42), and Cl3 (n = 35), differing for PROP responsiveness and FPD only. Results encourage future studies to explore association between GOT and both perception and preference for different food texture. Furthermore, deeper investigation of individual variability in sensitivity to different types of oral tactile stimuli would be helpful to capture differences in tactile sensitivity among the most sensitive individuals.
Exometabolomic analysis of susceptible and multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Koçak E. , Nigiz Ş. , Özkan E. , Erdoğan Kablan S. , Hazirolan G. , Nemutlu E. , Kır S. , Sağıroğlu M. , Özkul C.
Published: April 2022

Multidrug resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains have recently become one of the major public health concerns worldwide leading to difficulties in selecting appropriate antibiotic treatment. Thus, it is important to elucidate the characteristics of MDR isolates. Herein, we aimed to determine the unique exometabolome profile of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates in monocultures that comprise high resistance to multiple antibiotics, and compare the differential metabolite profiles obtained from susceptible isolates by using GC/MS. Our results showed that partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) score plot clearly discriminated the MDR and susceptible isolates indicating the altered exometabolite profiles, and highlighted the significantly enriched levels of trehalose and glutamic acid in MDR isolates. Expression of trehalose synthase (treS) was also 1·5-fold higher in MDR isolates, relatively to susceptible isolates. Overall, our study provides insights into the distinct footprints of MDR P. aeruginosa isolates in mono-culture.
Rhizobial HmuSpSym as a heme‐binding factor is required for optimal symbiosis between Mesorhizobium amorphae CCNWGS0123 and Robinia pseudoacacia
Authors: Huo Haibo , Zong Le , Liu Yao , Chen Wenfeng , Chen Juan , Wei Gehong
Published: April 2022

Nitrogen‐fixing root nodules are formed by symbiotic association of legume hosts with rhizobia in nitrogen‐deprived soils. Successful symbiosis is regulated by signals from both legume hosts and their rhizobial partners. HmuS is a heme degrading factor widely distributed in bacteria, but little is known about the role of rhizobial hmuS in symbiosis with legumes. Here, we found that inactivation of hmuSpSym in the symbiotic plasmid of Mesorhizobium amorphae CCNWGS0123 disrupted rhizobial infection, primordium formation, and nitrogen fixation in symbiosis with Robinia pseudoacacia. Although there was no difference in bacteroids differentiation, infected plant cells were shrunken and bacteroids were disintegrated in nodules of plants infected by the ΔhmuSpSym mutant strain. The balance of defence reaction was also impaired in ΔhmuSpSym strain‐infected root nodules. hmuSpSym was strongly expressed in the nitrogen‐fixation zone of mature nodules. Furthermore, the HmuSpSym protein could bind to heme but not degrade it. Inactivation of hmuSpSym led to significantly decreased expression levels of oxygen‐sensing related genes in nodules. In summary, hmuSpSym of M. amorphae CCNWGS0123 plays an essential role in nodule development and maintenance of bacteroid survival within R. pseudoacacia cells, possibly through heme‐binding in symbiosis.
A meta‐analysis of the effects of electronic performance monitoring on work outcomes
Authors: Ravid Daniel M. , White Jerod C. , Tomczak David L. , Miles Ahleah F. , Behrend Tara S.
Published: April 2022

Electronic performance monitoring (EPM), or the use of technological means to observe, record, and analyze information that directly or indirectly relates to employee job performance, is a now‐ubiquitous work practice. We conducted a comprehensive meta‐analysis of the effects of EPM on workers (K = 94 independent samples, N = 23,461). Results provide no evidence that EPM improves worker performance. Moreover, findings indicate that the presence of EPM is associated with increased worker stress, regardless of the characteristics of monitoring. Findings also demonstrate that organizations that monitor more transparently and less invasively can expect more positive attitudes from workers. Overall, results highlight that even as advances in technology make possible a variety of ways to monitor workers, organizations must continue to consider the psychological component of work.
On the Hypothetical Source of Fake News: Apagogical Reasoning in the Interpretation of Q. CORNIFICIUS’ RHETORICA AD HERENNIUM
Authors: Lichański Jakub Z.
Published: April 2022

Q. Cornificius’ Rhetorica ad Herennium (CORN., II.25.39) sets forth arguments that are considered to be flawed by the Roman rhetorician, although theyresemble apagogical arguments. The article is devoted to the analysis of this passage from Rhetorica ad Herennium. The author shows that they can be considered either quasi-enthymematic reasoning or an imperfect form of apagogical reasoning, and maybe also abductive reasoning.This type of reasoning, according to the researcher, is one of the sources of fake news and an example of the so-called “bullshit”.
Order Reduction of Nonlinear Quasi-Periodic Systems Using Lyapunov–Perron Transformation
Authors: Subramanian Susheelkumar C. , Redkar Sangram
Published: April 2022

In this paper, multiple order reduction techniques for parametrically excited nonlinear quasi-periodic systems are presented. The linear time-varying part of the quasi-periodic system is transformed into a linear time-invariant form via the Lyapunov–Perron (L–P) transformation. The analytical computation of such a transformation is performed using an intuitive state augmentation and the normal forms technique. This L–P transformation is further utilized in analyzing the nonlinear part of the original quasi-periodic system. Using the L–P transformation, three-order reduction techniques are detailed in this work. First, a Guyan linear reduction method is applied to reduce the order. The second method is to determine a nonlinear projection based on the singular perturbation method. In the third technique, the method of Invariant Manifold is applied to identify a relationship between the dominant and nondominant system states. Furthermore, in this work, all three order reduction techniques are demonstrated on the class of commutative and noncommutative/Hills-type nonlinear quasi-periodic systems. The behavior of the reduced system states of the resulting solution is compared with the numerical integration results and their performance is studied using the error plots for each technique.
Volumetric additive manufacturing of silica glass with microscale computed axial lithography
Authors: Toombs Joseph T. , Luitz Manuel , Cook Caitlyn C. , Jenne Sophie , Li Chi Chung , Rapp Bastian E. , Kotz-Helmer Frederik , Taylor Hayden K.
Published: April 2022

Glass is increasingly desired as a material for manufacturing complex microscopic geometries, from the micro-optics in compact consumer products to microfluidic systems for chemical synthesis and biological analyses. As the size, geometric, surface roughness, and mechanical strength requirements of glass evolve, conventional processing methods are challenged. We introduce microscale computed axial lithography (micro-CAL) of fused silica components, by tomographically illuminating a photopolymer-silica nanocomposite that is then sintered. We fabricated three-dimensional microfluidics with internal diameters of 150 micrometers, free-form micro-optical elements with a surface roughness of 6 nanometers, and complex high-strength trusses and lattice structures with minimum feature sizes of 50 micrometers. As a high-speed, layer-free digital light manufacturing process, micro-CAL can process nanocomposites with high solids content and high geometric freedom, enabling new device structures and applications.
Regulatory CD8
+
T cells suppress disease
Authors: Levescot Anaïs , Cerf-Bensussan Nadine
Published: April 2022

A subset of CD8
+
T cells regulate chronic inflammation by killing pathogenic CD4
+
T cells
Will ARPA-H work?
Authors: Thorp H. Holden
Published: April 2022

A new federal agency—approved last month by the United States Congress—is already off to a rocky start. The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), proposed by President Biden in 2021, aims to tackle the most intractable biomedical problems by funding innovative, high-risk, high-reward research and swiftly turning discoveries into treatments and cures. But Congress gave the agency a much smaller budget than sought by the administration—$ 1 billion over 3 years, a fraction of the $6.5 billion requested. And as happens whenever there is new money and a new federal agency, a political scrum has erupted over who should control ARPA-H. It is now expected to answer to both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). If it is to deliver on its mission, ARPA-H needs to be an autonomous entity that approaches biomedical research in a way never done before by the federal government. The stakes are high: If ARPA-H fails to produce new clinical advances relatively quickly, it will erode trust in US science. It’s time for clear thinking and action about what it will take to make ARPA-H successful.
Oral Microbiome Transmission and Infant Feeding Habits
Authors: Kaan A. M. , Zaura E.
Published: April 2022

Transmission of oral microbiota from mother to infant is a highly relevant and, so far, understudied topic due to lack of mainstream high-throughput methods for the assessment of bacterial diversity at a strain level. In their recent article in
mBio
, S.
The Caspofungin Paradoxical Effect is a Tolerant “Eagle Effect” in the Filamentous Fungal Pathogen
Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Valero Clara , Colabardini Ana Cristina , de Castro Patrícia Alves , Amich Jorge , Bromley Michael J. , Goldman Gustavo H.
Published: April 2022

The “Eagle effect,” initially described for bacterial species, which reflects the capacity of some strains to growth above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of specific antimicrobial agents, has been known for more than 70 years. However, its underlying mechanism of action in fungi is not fully understood and its connection with other phenomena such as tolerance or persistence is not clear yet.
Involvement of the DNA Phosphorothioation System in TorR Binding and Anaerobic TMAO Respiration in Salmonella enterica
Authors: Tang You , Hong Yue , Liu Li , Du Xuan , Ren Yaqi , Jiang Susu , Liu Wanjing , Chao Chen , Deng Zixin , Wang Lianrong , Chen Shi
Published: April 2022

Since the initial discovery of DNA phosphorothioate (PT) modification systems in
Streptomyces lividans
in the 1980s, explorations of the biological functions of DNA PT systems have advanced and yielded a number of important findings. However, the functions of PT systems, especially in genetic regulation, remain largely unknown.
The Fused Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase MsrAB Promotes Oxidative Stress Defense and Bacterial Virulence in Fusobacterium nucleatum
Authors: Scheible Matthew , Nguyen Cuong T. , Luong Truc Thanh , Lee Ju Huck , Chen Yi-Wei , Chang Chungyu , Wittchen Manuel , Camacho Martha I. , Tiner Bethany L. , Wu Chenggang , Tauch Andreas , Das Asis , Ton-That Hung
Published: April 2022

F. nucleatum
colonizes various human tissues, including oral cavity, placenta, and colon. How this obligate anaerobe withstands oxidative stress in host immune cells has not been described.
Coding-Complete Sequence of a SARS-CoV-2 Strain from an Omicron (B.1.1.529+BA.1) Variant Detected in Morocco
Authors: Chouati Taha , Hemlali Mouhssine , Melloul Marouane , Alaoui-Amine Sanaa , Rhoulam Safae , Ghamaz Hamza , Ouarab Maha , Askander Omar , Belayachi Lamiae , Touil Nadia , El Mchichi Bouchra , Elannaz Hicham , Laraqui Abdelillah , Elouennass Mostafa , Ennibi Khalid , El Fahime Elmostafa
Published: April 2022

Here, we describe the coding-complete sequence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain HM36, identified as a strain of concern of B.1.1.529+BA (Omicron).
Sea Cucumber Body Vesicular Syndrome Is Driven by the Pond Water Microbiome via an Altered Gut Microbiota
Authors: Zhao Zelong , Jiang Jingwei , Pan Yongjia , Dong Ying , Wang Bai , Gao Shan , Chen Zhong , Guan Xiaoyan , Wang Xuda , Zhou Zunchun
Published: April 2022

Body vesicular syndrome (BVS) is a novel disease in sea cucumber aquaculture. As no phenotypic features are visible, BVS is difficult to confirm during aquaculture and postharvest activities, until animals are boiled.
Cenozoic sediment bypass versus Laramide exhumation and erosion of the Eagle Ford Group: Perspective from modelling of organic and inorganic proxy data (Maverick Basin, Texas, USA)
Authors: Robinson Alexandra S. , Dale Annabel , Adatte Thierry , John Cédric M.
Published: April 2022

The Cenozoic unconformity above the Late Cretaceous carbonates within the Maverick Basin is a unique feature of Texas (USA). Hypotheses accounting for the unconformity include (1) Cenozoic sediment bypass, and (2) ~6400 m of erosion during the Laramide orogeny. Both hypotheses have different implications for the burial history of the Eagle Ford Group (EFG) and for our understanding of the Laramide orogeny. We generated clumped isotope data and organic maturation proxies from the same location. Carbonate clumped isotope temperatures obtained (113 ± 9 °C) represent recrystallization during burial and a minimum estimate of the maximum burial temperature. This constraint is significantly warmer than apparent organic temperatures derived using an Arrhenius equation (40–55 °C). Organic matter transformation and carbonate recrystallization respond to temperature over different time scales and therefore capture snapshots of the thermal history particular to the chemical reactions that control the respective processes. Using numerical forward modeling on the combination of two different temperature proxies, we derived a new hypothesis: ~2800 m of Cenozoic sediments were accumulated and then eroded during late Laramide compression. This is significantly less erosion than previous estimates, indicating the impact of the Laramide orogeny in the basin may have been less severe than previously thought.
Oceanic isostasy as a trigger for the rift-to-drift transition
Authors: Conder James A.
Published: April 2022

A long-standing missing link in our understanding of the Wilson cycle is how a continental rift transitions to seafloor spreading. The variety of rift structures and transition timings at rift margins do not easily lend themselves to some specific degree of strain and/or magmatism as the tipping point. Invariably ignored in the process, but a potential key to the conundrum, is the isostatic response that comes with ocean loading during and after inundation. Ocean mass redistribution on variably subsiding crust drives flow in the asthenosphere in much the same way a growing icecap drives a corresponding outward mantle flow. This flow alters mantle tractions of the rift system, with disappearance of basal resistance, and even adds a push to the rifting process. Evidence for ocean inundation facilitating self-sustained seafloor spreading is observed in the Atlantic, around the Afar triple junction, and elsewhere, indicating that the ocean should not be considered simply incidental to the creation of oceanic basins.
Relationship between glacial CO2 drawdown and mercury cycling in the western South Atlantic: An isotopic insight
Authors: Figueiredo Thiago S. , Bergquist Bridget A. , Santos Thiago P. , Albuquerque Ana Luiza S. , Silva-Filho Emmanoel Vieira
Published: April 2022

Pronounced changes in the deep Atlantic circulation occurred during glacial stages, which affected the global carbon distribution and the biogeochemical cycles of other elements. Previous studies demonstrated that oceanic mercury is sensitive to the same kind of processes that affect the carbon cycle in glacial–interglacial time scales. We used Hg isotopes to elucidate Hg cycling during the last two glacial–interglacial transitions in the subtropical western South Atlantic. Mass-dependent fractionation (MDF, δ202Hg) and mass-independent fractionation (MIF, Δ199Hg) show significant variations and shift toward higher and lower values during the penultimate and Last Glacial Maximum periods, respectively. δ202Hg variability is in-phase with periods of lower atmospheric CO2 and benthic δ13C, suggesting that MDF is affected by the same mechanisms that led to atmospheric CO2 drawdown during glacial stages. In contrast, terrestrial Hg input to our site, boosted by lower sea level and exposure of the continental shelf, dominates the Δ199Hg variability.
Supplemental Material: Diapirism of carbonate platforms subducted into the upper mantle
Authors: Ducea Mihai N. , al. et
Published: April 2022

Methods, physical properties and melting calculations, and geologic background. 
Physical Basis of Functioning of Antifreeze Protein
Authors: Melnik B. S. , Finkelstein A. V.
Published: April 2022

Antifreeze proteins, expressed in cold-blooded organisms, prevent ice formation in their bodies, and thus help them to survive in extremely cold winter temperatures. However, the mechanism of action of these proteins is still not clear. In any case, it is not simply a decrease in the temperature of normal ice formation. In this work, investigating the ice-binding protein (a mutant form of the antifreeze protein cfAFP from the spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana, which overwinters in needles), we showed that this antifreeze protein does not at all lower the freezing point of water and, paradoxically, increases the melting point of ice. On the other hand, calculations based on the theory of crystallization show that at temperatures of 0 ° to –30°C ice can only appear on surfaces that contact water, but not in the body of water. These facts suggest a new perspective on the role of antifreeze proteins: their task is not (as it is commonly believed) to bind with nascent ice crystals already formed in the organism and stop their growth, but to bind to those surfaces, on which ice nuclei can appear, and thus completely inhibit the ice formation in supercooled water or biological fluid.
$$b\rightarrow s\ell ^+\ell ^-$$ global fits after $$R_{K_S}$$ and $$R_{K^{*+}}$$
Authors: Algueró Marcel , Capdevila Bernat , Descotes-Genon Sébastien , Matias Joaquim , Novoa-Brunet Martín
Published: April 2022

We present an up-to-date complete model-independent global fit to $$b\rightarrow s\ell \ell $$

b
→
s
ℓ
ℓ

observables that confirms patterns of New Physics able to explain the data. We include the recent LHCb measurements of $$R_K$$

R
K

, $$R_{K_S}$$

R

K
S

, $$R_{K^{*+}}$$

R

K

∗
+

, $$B_s \rightarrow \phi \mu ^+\mu ^-$$

B
s

→
ϕ

μ
+

μ
-

and $$B_s\rightarrow \mu ^+\mu ^-$$

B
s

→

μ
+

μ
-

in our analysis, which now includes 254 observables. This updates our previous analyses and strengthens their two main outcomes. First, the presence of right-handed couplings encoded in the Wilson coefficients $${{\mathcal {C}}}_{9'\mu }$$

C

9
′

μ

and $${{\mathcal {C}}}_{10'\mu }$$

C

10
′

μ

remains a viable possibility. Second, a lepton flavour universality violating (LFUV) left-handed lepton coupling ($${{\mathcal {C}}}_{9\mu }^{\mathrm{V}}=-{{\mathcal {C}}}_{10\mu }^{\mathrm{V}}$$

C

9
μ

V

=
-

C

10
μ

V

), often preferred from the model building point of view, accommodates the data better if lepton-flavour universal New Physics is allowed, in particular in $${{\mathcal {C}}}_{9}^{\mathrm{U}}$$

C

9

U

. We observe that the LFUV observable $$Q_5$$

Q
5

offers a very interesting possibility to separate both types of scenarios.
0.4-V Bulk Driven Logarithmic Amplifier for Ultra-Low-Power Biomedical Applications
Authors: Panchal Dipesh , Naik Amisha
Published: April 2022

This paper presents a design and simulation of a low-noise, low-voltage, and low-power complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logarithmic amplifier for biomedical applications like digital hearing aid applications. The amplifier block of analog front end is used as a logarithmic amplifier, based on the progressive-compression parallel-summation architecture with DC offset cancelation by adding an off-chip coupling capacitor at each stage. A fully nontailed differential limiting amplifier with bulk-driven input pair is used to achieve larger voltage gain and low voltage operation. The proposed logarithmic amplifier was designed and simulated with process parameters variation in standard 0.18-[Formula: see text]m CMOS technology. The circuit operates with a single 0.4-V power supply voltage and dissipates 0.832[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]W. The simulated input dynamic range is about 60[Formula: see text]dB, which covers the input amplitudes ranging from 1[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V to 10[Formula: see text]mV, and the [Formula: see text]3-dB bandwidth of the amplifier is from 400[Formula: see text]Hz to 8.27[Formula: see text]kHz with simulated total input-referred noise is 0.731[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V@8 kHz.