bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic scores and scales for appraising Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and omics perspectives for precision medicine
Authors: Perez-Diaz-del-Campo Nuria , Martínez-Urbistondo Diego , Bugianesi Elisabetta , Martínez J. Alfredo
Published: July 2022

Purpose of review

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a rising epidemic burden affecting around 25% of the global population. Liver biopsy remains the reference for NAFLD. However, the application of several scales and clinical algorithms have been proposed to diagnose NAFLD using prediction questions and blood biomarkers. This review presents a summarized of the currently available and emerging diagnostic biomarkers and scores used to assess NAFLD.

Recent findings

The limitations of liver biopsy have fostered the development of alternative noninvasive strategies, which have been an area of intensive investigation over the past years. Diagnostic scores for NAFLD have shown to be a good alternative for disease diagnosis and prognosis due to a suitable applicability, good inter-laboratory reproducibility and widespread potential availability with reasonable costs.

The growing NAFLD pandemic urges clinicians to seek alternatives for screening, early diagnosis, and follow-up, especially for those with contraindications for liver biopsy. New promising noninvasive biomarkers and techniques have been developed, evaluated and assessed, including diagnostic biomarkers scores. Moreover, multiomics markers panels involving phenotype, genotype, microbiome and clinical characteristics from patients will facilitate the diagnosis, stratification and prognosis of NAFLD patients with precision medicine approaches.
Local and systemic features of ILC immunometabolism
Authors: Surace Laura , Di Santo James P.
Published: July 2022

Purpose of review

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are specialized immune cells that rapidly sense environmental perturbations and regulate immune responses and tissue homeostasis. ILCs are mainly tissue resident and their crosstalk within tissue microenvironments influences both local and systemic metabolism. Reciprocally, metabolic status conditions ILC phenotype and effector function. In this review, we discuss the role of ILCs as metabolic sentinels and describe how ILC subset-specific activities influence homeostasis and disease. Finally, we highlight emerging challenges in the field of ILC immunometabolism.

Recent findings

Accumulating evidence suggests that ILCs metabolism, phenotype, and function are shaped by signals from the tissue microenvironment. Dietary, endogenous, and microbial metabolites are sensed by ILC subsets and can impact on ILC-mediated immune responses. Recent studies have found that mitochondria are central regulators of ILC effector function. Furthermore, ILCs have emerged as crucial sensors of metabolic stress, suggesting they might act as metabolic sentinels, coordinating tissue and host metabolism.

Our understanding how ILCs mechanistically regulate host metabolism and defenses is still incomplete. Unraveling critical metabolic features of ILCs may lead to novel therapeutic strategies that target these cells in the context of disease.
Clinical trials for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy: lessons learned and future directions
Authors: Schroeder Brett A. , Jess Jennifer , Sankaran Hari , Shah Nirali N.
Published: July 2022

Purpose of review

The purpose of this review is to summarize the status and utilization of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy based on the most recent clinical trials in patients with leukemia and lymphoma. Additionally, this review will highlight limitations in current strategies, discuss efforts in toxicity mitigation, and outline future directions for investigation.

Recent findings

CD19 targeted CAR-T-cell therapy (CD19-CAR) is highly effective in patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell hematologic malignancies. However, multiple challenges have arisen, particularly life-threatening adverse events, such as cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome. Despite these challenges, recent CD19-CAR trials, including two randomized studies, have demonstrated both impressive initial results along with durable responses. Combined with results emerging from ‘real-world’ experience, the efficacy of CAR-T-cells is high, propelling CAR-T-cells studies targeting alternate B-cell antigens [e.g. CD20, CD22 and CD269 (BCMA)] and other targets for hematologic malignancies, along with solid and CNS tumors.

Given the benefit for CD19-CAR, determining the appropriate place in utilization for both an individual patient's treatment course and more broadly in the generalized treatment paradigm is critically needed. We discuss the most recent trials exploring this topic and future directions in the field.
Vanishing Bile Duct Syndrome Secondary to Hodgkin Lymphoma in a Child
Authors: Palla Velangini Swetha , Boddu Deepthi , Balakumar Shailaja , Premanand Arul , Kishore Ravi , Mathew Leni G.
Published: July 2022

Vanishing bile duct syndrome (VBDS) is a condition resulting from progressive destruction and loss of intrahepatic bile ducts leading to cholestasis, biliary cirrhosis, and liver failure. It occurs secondary to various pathologic conditions like autoimmune diseases, graft versus host disease, drug reactions, and as a paraneoplastic syndrome in malignancies. We here described a 9-year-old girl who presented with cervical lymphadenopathy and jaundice. This child was diagnosed as a case of Hodgkin lymphoma. All other causes of cholestasis were ruled out by appropriate investigations (particularly autoimmune, metabolic, infections, and drug-induced possibilities). On liver biopsy, her diagnosis was established as VBDS. In view of hepatic dysfunction, alternative chemotherapy with dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine, and cisplatin (DHAP) was given, and she was started on hepatoprotective measures with ursodeoxycholic acid. Hepatic function gradually improved after the initiation of chemotherapy. VBDS is considered a dismal paraneoplastic syndrome with a high-case fatality. This case report highlights the importance of early recognition and initiation of appropriate full-dose chemotherapy as the only way to achieve complete resolution of VBDS.
Application of the Method of Melanin Bleaching After Immunohistochemical Staining of Melanin-containing Tissues
Authors: Huang Jianping , Wu Xuejing , Feng Changyin , Yang Yinghong
Published: July 2022

Objective:

The purpose of this research was to investigate the method of melanin bleaching in immunohistochemical staining of melanin-containing tissues.

Materials and Methods:

Forty melanin-containing tissue samples were selected, including 30 with malignant melanoma and 10 with blue naevi. The samples were divided into the following 3 groups: the prestaining bleaching group, nonbleaching group, and poststaining bleaching group. Each group was subjected to HMB45 and MelanA immunohistochemical staining. The detection system used was Roche ventana ultraview universal alkaline phosphatase red kit.

Results:

In the prestaining bleaching group, melanin pigment was mostly removed. However, antigen expression was also affected, which resulted in significantly weaker positive staining and even represented false-negative expression. In the nonbleaching group, positive staining resulted in a red color that could easily be distinguished from the brown granules of melanin pigment. However, some melanin granules covered the tissue, impacting our observation of tissue structure. In the poststaining bleaching group, the results of positive staining were comparable to those in the nonbleaching group. The melanin pigment in these sections was almost completely removed, resulting in clearer staining and easier observation of tissue and cell structure.

Conclusion:

The method of melanin bleaching after immunohistochemical staining of melanin-containing tissue can almost completely bleach the melanin pigment and do not impact the expression of antigen. In our work, poststaining bleaching allowed for clearer immunohistochemical staining results and more obvious observation of tissue structure. This method also has the advantages of requiring simple reagents, utilizing simple operation procedures, and producing practical staining results, which makes it worthy of promotion!
The First Dorsal Metacarpal Artery Perforator Free Flap: The Comet Flap
Authors: Abu-Ghname Amjed , Lazo Daniel , Chade Salomao , Fioravanti Alex , Colicchio Olimpio , Alvarez Daniel , Junior Ernani , Maricevich Marco
Published: July 2022

Background:

Distal extremity defects pose a particular challenge to the reconstructive surgeon; however, advances in perforator flaps have expanded the potential reconstructive options. In this article, the authors present their experience in reconstructing distal extremity defects using a thin, cutaneous free flap based on the perforator of the first dorsal metacarpal artery: the comet flap.

Methods:

A retrospective review was performed on all patients who presented with a distal extremity defect and underwent reconstruction using a comet flap between 2015 and 2019. Patient demographics, flap anatomy and harvest, and postoperative course were reviewed and analyzed.

Results:

A total of 16 patients were included. The mean patient age was 36.5 years. Trauma was the most common cause. The average defect size was 5.4 × 3.2 cm. The average pedicle length of the comet flap ranged from 3.5 to 30 cm, depending on involvement of the radial vessels. All donor sites underwent uncomplicated closure with local rhomboid flaps. One flap was complicated by an acute venous thrombosis that was successfully treated operatively. The flap survival rate was 95 percent. All patients were able to maintain their preoperative range of motion and were satisfied with their final outcome. Follow-up time ranged from 6 to 50 months.

Conclusions:

Local flaps remain an important reconstructive approach for distal extremity defects; however, in complex soft-tissue injuries, free tissue transfers become necessary. The comet flap is a safe, versatile, and reliable flap for reconstructing upper and lower extremity defects that can be performed in a single procedure under regional anesthesia.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, IV.
Suspensionplasty for Revision Thumb Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis Surgery: Comparing Suture Button Suspensionplasty to Ligament Reconstruction and Tendon Interposition
Authors: Guerrero Evan M. , Ferlauto Harrison R. , Grier A. Jordan , Wahl Elizabeth P. , Richard Marc J. , Ruch David S.
Published: July 2022

Several surgical procedures have been described to treat thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis, including suture button suspensionplasty and ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition. To date, no single procedure has demonstrated clinical superiority. Suture button suspensionplasty has achieved favorable outcomes at 5 years in primary cases, but has not been validated in revision surgery. In this study, it was evaluated for revision of failed thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis surgery, and outcomes were compared to ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition outcomes. A retrospective chart review identified patients who underwent suture button suspensionplasty or ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition after failure of previous thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis surgery since 2010. Eighteen patients were included, with nine patients in each group. Eighteen patients had mean final follow-up of 35 months. There were two complications in the ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition group and none in the suture button suspensionplasty group. No patients required additional surgery. The suture button suspensionplasty group had an average visual analogue scale pain score improvement of 2.9, compared to 2.4 in the ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition group. Average final Quick Disabilities of the Arms, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire score was 15.1 in the suture button suspensionplasty group, compared to 22.6 in the ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition group. Mean operative time of 86.3 minutes in the suture button suspensionplasty group was significantly shorter than the 121-minute mean in the ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition group. Suture button suspensionplasty is an effective treatment option for revision of previous thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis surgery, with outcomes comparable to revision using ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition, and the added benefit of shorter operative times and early mobilization.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Island perforator muscle flaps for chronic osteomyelitis of the lower extremities: a retrospective analysis of 21 consecutive cases
Authors: Zhao Xiaozhuo , Shen Yuming
Published: July 2022

Background:

One of the procedures for treating chronic osteomyelitis is the management of dead space resulting from aggressive debridement of the marrow cavity. To fill the void created by debridement, various muscle flaps have been recommended by many surgeons for their convenience and anti-infective properties. The objective of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of island perforator muscle flaps for the reconstruction of chronic osteomyelitis debridement defects of the lower extremities and provide indications for the selection of the muscle flap.

Methods:

A retrospective review of consecutive patients with chronic osteomyelitis of the lower extremities who underwent reconstruction using the island perforator muscle flap procedure from 2015 through 2018 was conducted. Data were collected on characteristics of the patients, wound site, wound size, surgical procedure, muscle choice, and wound healing.

Results:

For the 21 patients included in the study, all muscle flaps survived. Wounds healed completely within 4 weeks. No infection relapses were identified during the follow-up period of at least 12 months. Simple primary closure, with no additional incision in the donor site, was achieved in five patients. In eight patients, an additional incision was made to harvest a muscle flap, but both the wound and donor site were closed primarily.

Conclusions:

The results showed that the island perforator muscle flap is less invasive, easy to harvest, and effective, which can be a good choice for the management of dead space resulting from debridement for chronic osteomyelitis in the lower extremity.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia and intubation location in adults with traumatic injuries: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Baumann Laura , Harper Kelsey , Riblet Natalie , Hatton Colman , Atchinson Patricia Ruth , Roginski Matthew
Published: July 2022

BACKGROUND

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among critically ill patients, particularly those who present with traumatic injuries. This review aims to determine whether patients with traumatic injuries who are intubated in the prehospital setting are at higher risk of developing VAP compared with those intubated in the hospital.

METHODS

A systematic review of Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane electronic databases was conducted from inception to January 2021. Inclusion criteria were patients with traumatic injuries who were intubated in the prehospital or hospital settings with VAP as an outcome. Using a random-effects model, the risk of VAP across study arms was compared by calculating a summary relative risk with 95% confidence intervals. The results of individual studies were also summarized qualitatively.

RESULTS

The search identified 754 articles of which 6 studies (N = 2,990) met the inclusion criteria. All studies were good quality based on assessment with the Newcastle Ottawa scale. Prehospital intubation demonstrated an increased risk of VAP development in two of the six studies. Among the six studies, the overall quality weighted risk ratio was 1.09 (95% confidence interval, 0.90–1.31).

CONCLUSION

Traumatically injured patients who are intubated in the prehospital setting have a similar risk of developing VAP compared with those that are intubated in the hospital setting.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Systematic review and meta-analysis; Level IV.
Imaging of sleep disorders in pre-Parkinsonian syndromes
Authors: Ota Yoshiaki , Kanel Prabesh , Bohnen Nicolaas
Published: July 2022

Purpose of review

Neuroimaging has been advanced in the last years and enabled clinicians to evaluate sleep disorders, especially isolated rapid eye movement sleep disorder (iRBD), which can be seen in alpha-synucleinopathies. iRBD is the best prodromal clinical marker for phenoconversion to these neurodegenerative diseases. This review aims to provide an update on advanced neuroimaging biomarkers in iRBD.

Recent findings

Advanced structural MRI techniques, such as diffusion tensor imaging and functional MRI, neuromelanin-sensitive MRI, and scintigraphic neuroimaging such as cholinergic PET, dopamine transporter imaging – single-photon emission computerized tomography, perfusional single-photon emission computerized tomography, and cardiac metaiodobenzylguanidine can provide diagnostic and prognostic imaging biomarkers for iRBD, in isolation and more robustly when combined.

New advanced neuroimaging can provide imaging biomarkers and aid in the appropriate clinical assessment and future therapeutic trials.
Developing immortal cell lines from
Xenopus
embryos
,
four novel cell lines derived from
Xenopus tropicalis
Authors: Gorbsky Gary J. , Daum John R. , Sapkota Hem , Summala Katja , Yoshida Hitoshi , Georgescu Constantin , Wren Jonathan D. , Peshkin Leonid , Horb Marko E.
Published: July 2022

The diploid anuran
Xenopus tropicalis
has emerged as a key research model in cell and developmental biology. To enhance the usefulness of this species, we developed methods for generating immortal cell lines from Nigerian strain (NXR_1018, RRID:SCR_013731)
X. tropicalis
embryos. We generated 14 cell lines that were propagated for several months. We selected four morphologically distinct lines, XTN-6, XTN-8, XTN-10 and XTN-12 for further characterization. Karyotype analysis revealed that three of the lines, XTN-8, XTN-10 and XTN-12 were primarily diploid. XTN-6 cultures showed a consistent mixed population of diploid cells, cells with chromosome 8 trisomy, and cells containing a tetraploid content of chromosomes. The lines were propagated using conventional culture methods as adherent cultures at 30°C in a simple, diluted L-15 medium containing fetal bovine serum without use of a high CO
2
incubator. Transcriptome analysis indicated that the four lines were distinct lineages. These methods will be useful in the generation of cell lines from normal and mutant strains of
X. tropicalis
as well as other species of
Xenopus
.
Cryo-EM structure of a eukaryotic zinc transporter at a low pH suggests its Zn2+-releasing mechanism
Authors: Zhang Senfeng , Fu Chunting , Luo Yongbo , Xie Qingrong , Xu Tong , Sun Ziyi , Su Zhaoming , Zhou Xiaoming
Published: July 2022

Zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8) is mainly expressed in pancreatic islet β cells and is responsible for H+-coupled uptake (antiport) of Zn2+ into the lumen of insulin secretory granules. Structures of human ZnT8 and its prokaryotic homolog YiiP have provided structural basis for constructing a plausible transport cycle for Zn2+. However, the mechanistic role that protons play in the transport process remains unclear. Here we present a lumen-facing cryo-EM structure of ZnT8 from Xenopus tropicalis (xtZnT8) in the presence of Zn2+ at a luminal pH (5.5). Compared to a Zn2+-bound xtZnT8 structure at a cytosolic pH (7.5), the low-pH structure displays an empty transmembrane Zn2+-binding site with a disrupted coordination geometry. Combined with a Zn2+-binding assay our data suggest that protons may disrupt Zn2+ coordination at the transmembrane Zn2+-binding site in the lumen-facing state, thus facilitating Zn2+ release from ZnT8 into the lumen.
Structural analysis of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae reveals conformational changes upon cofactor binding
Authors: Hamid Rawia , Adam Sebastian , Lacour Antoine , Gomez Leticia Monjas , Hirsch Anna K. H.
Published: July 2022

Isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis is an essential part of primary metabolism in all living organisms. While eukaryotes utilize the mevalonate (MEV) pathway for isoprenoid-precursor biosynthesis, the most important bacterial pathogens rely on the methylerythritol-phosphate (MEP) pathway. Therefore, enzymes involved in the MEP pathway are potentially valuable targets for the development of novel antibacterials to tackle the current antimicrobial resistance crisis. Within the MEP pathway, the enzyme 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXPS) represents a crucial, rate-limiting first step and a branch point in the biosynthesis of the vitamins B1 and B6. Herein, we present two novel, high-resolution DXPS crystal structures of the important ESKAPE pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae in both the co-factor-bound and apo forms. We demonstrate that the absence of the cofactor ThDP leads to a disordered loop close to the active site and may be important for the design of potent DXPS inhibitors, albeit being different in both structures. In addition, we report the complex structure of paDXPS with a fluoropyruvate adduct, shedding more light on the structural basis of DXPS catalysis. Lastly, we have determined a complex structure of paDXPS with a thiamine analogue, opening up a route for structure-based drug design of this essential enzyme of the MEP pathway.
Impact of storage on starch digestibility and texture of a high-amylose wheat bread
Authors: Corrado M. , Zafeiriou P. , Ahn-Jarvis J.H. , Savva G.M. , Edwards C.H. , Hazard B.A.
Published: July 2022

Staling is a complex process that determines the shelf-life of baked products like bread. Breads made using high-amylose flour may elicit a lower glycaemic response, with benefits for health, however the impact of storage on novel high-amylose wheat foods structure are not known.

We investigated the staling behaviour of high-amylose bread made from a starch branching enzyme II (sbeII) wheat mutant compared to a wild-type (WT) control, by measuring starch digestibility (susceptibility to amylolysis) and bread texture over time in different storage conditions. Breads prepared from sbeII and WT control wheat flours were subjected to fresh, refrigerated and frozen storage, and starch digestibility and crumb texture were measured up to three days. Starch from sbeII flour was characterised by a larger proportion of long chains resulting in increased amylose content, typical of sbeII mutant wheat. Starch in sbeII bread was less susceptible to amylolysis when freshly baked (~17% difference of starch digested at 90 min, C90) and after storage (26%-28% C90 difference, depending on the storage condition), compared to the WT control. Texture of freshly baked sbeII bread was similar to the WT control; storage conditions affected the progression of crumb firming and resilience to touch for both breads, but changes in crumb texture were less pronounced in sbeII bread. Overall, sbeII bread was less prone to staling than conventional WT bread during the first three days of storage, particularly when stored in the fridge or at room temperature.
The integrated stress response induces a common cell-autonomous death receptor 5-dependent apoptosis switch
Authors: Muniozguren Nerea L. , Zappa Francesca , Acosta-Alvear Diego
Published: July 2022

The integrated stress response (ISR) is a fundamental signaling network that reprograms the transcriptome and proteome to leverage the cell’s biosynthetic capacity against different stresses. Signaling plasticity is enabled by distinct ISR sensor kinases that detect specific perturbations. The ISR is dichotomous, with tailored homeostatic outputs and a terminal one engaged upon overwhelming stress. Through a chemical-genetics approach that uncouples natural stress inputs from ISR actuation, we show that the ISR engages an input-agnostic, cell-autonomous apoptosis mechanism that requires unconventional signaling by death receptor 5. Our results indicate that a common ISR mechanism eliminates terminally injured cells.
Locomotor-related propriospinal V3 neurons produce primary afferent depolarization and modulate sensory transmission to motoneurons
Authors: Lin Shihao , Hari Krishnapriya , Lucas-Osma Ana M. , Black Sophie , Khatmi Aysan , Fouad Karim , Gorassini Monica A. , Li Yaqing , Fenrich Keith K. , Bennett David J.
Published: July 2022

When a muscle is stretched it not only responds with a reflex, but the sensory afferent feedback also depolarizes many afferents throughout the spinal cord (termed primary afferent depolarization, PAD), readying the whole limb for further disturbances. This sensory-evoked PAD is thought to be caused by a trisynaptic circuit, where sensory input activates first order excitatory neurons that activate GABAergic neurons that in turn activate GABAA receptors on afferents to cause PAD, though the identity of these first order neurons is unclear. Here we show that these first order neurons are propriospinal V3 neurons, since they receive extensive sensory input and in turn innervate GABAergic neurons that cause PAD, because optogenetic activation or inhibition of V3 neurons in mice mimics or inhibits sensory-evoked PAD, respectively. Furthermore, persistent inward sodium currents (Na PICs) intrinsic to V3 neurons enable them to respond to transient inputs with long-lasting responses, explaining the long time-course of PAD. Also, local optogenetic activation of V3 neurons at one segment causes PAD in other segments, due to the long propriospinal tracts of these neurons, explaining the widespread radiation of PAD across the spinal cord. This in turn facilitates monosynaptic reflex transmission to motoneurons across the spinal cord. Additionally, we find that V3 neurons directly innervate proprioceptive afferents, causing a glutamate receptor mediated PAD (glutamate PAD). Finally, we show that increasing the spinal cord excitability with either GABAA receptor blockers or chronic spinal cord injury causes an increase in the glutamate PAD, perhaps contributing to spasms after SCI. Overall, we show the V3 neuron has a prominent role in modulating sensory transmission, in addition to its previously described role in locomotion.
Generation of a transparent killifish line through multiplex CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene inactivation
Authors: Krug Johannes , Albertz Carolin , Hopfenmüller Vera L. , Englert Christoph
Published: July 2022

Body pigmentation is a major limitation for in vivo imaging and thus for the performance of longitudinal studies in biomedicine. A possibility to circumvent this obstacle is the employment of pigmentation mutants, which are used in fish species like zebrafish and medaka. To address the molecular basis of aging, the short-lived African killifish Nothobranchius furzeri has recently been established as a model organism. Despite its short lifespan, N. furzeri shows typical signs of mammalian aging including telomere shortening, accumulation of senescent cells and loss of regenerative capacity. Here, we report the generation of a transparent N. furzeri line by simultaneous inactivation of three key loci responsible for pigmentation. We demonstrate that this stable line, named klara, can serve as a tool for different in vivo applications including behavioral experiments addressing mate choice and the establishment of a senescence reporter by homology-directed repair-mediated integration of a fluorophore into the cdkn1a (p21) locus.
Complex Traits and Candidate Genes: Estimation of Genetic Variance Components Across Modes of Inheritance
Authors: Feldmann Mitchell J. , Covarrubias-Pazaran Giovanny , Piepho Hans-Peter
Published: July 2022

Large-effect loci—those discovered by genome-wide association studies or linkage mapping—associated with key traits segregate amidst a background of minor, often undetectable genetic effects in both wild and domesticated plants and animals. Accurately attributing mean differences and variance explained to the correct components in the linear mixed model (LMM) analysis is important for both selecting superior progeny and parents in plant and animal breeding, but also for gene therapy and medical genetics in humans. Marker-assisted prediction (MAP) and its successor, genomic prediction (GP), have many advantages for selecting superior individuals and understanding disease risk. However, these two approaches are less often integrated to simultaneously study the modes of inheritance of complex traits. This simulation study demonstrates that the average semivariance can be applied to models incorporating Mendelian, oligogenic, and polygenic terms, simultaneously, and yields accurate estimates of the variance explained for all relevant terms. Our previous research focused on large-effect loci and polygenic variance exclusively, and in this work we want to synthesize and expand the average semivariance framework to a multitude of different genetic architectures and the corresponding mixed models. This framework independently accounts for the effects of large-effect loci and the polygenic genetic background and is universally applicable to genetics studies in humans, plants, animals, and microbes.
From behaviour to complex communities: Resilience to anthropogenic noise in a fish-induced trophic cascade
Authors: Rojas Emilie , Gouret Mélanie , Agostini Simon , Fiorini Sarah , Fonseca Paulo , Lacroix Gérard , Médoc Vincent
Published: July 2022

Sound emissions from human activities represent a pervasive environmental stressor. Individual responses in terms of behaviour, physiology or anatomy are well documented but whether they propagate through nested ecological interactions to alter complex communities needs to be better understood. This is even more relevant for freshwater ecosystems that harbour a disproportionate fraction of biodiversity but receive less attention than marine and terrestrial systems. We conducted a mesocosm investigation to study the effect of chronic exposure to motorboat noise on the dynamics of a freshwater community including phytoplankton, zooplankton, and roach as a planktivorous fish. As expected under the trophic cascade hypothesis, roach predation induced structural changes in the planktonic communities. Surprisingly, although roach changed their feeding behaviour in response to noise, the dynamics of the roach-dominated planktonic communities did not differ between noisy and noiseless mesocosms. This suggests that the top-down structuring influence of roach on planktonic communities might be resilient to noise and reveals the difficulties on extrapolating impacts form individual responses to complex communities.
Public procurement of engineering services: the influence of task characteristics on organisational control
Authors: Granheimer Klara , Karrbom Gustavsson Tina , Eriksson Per Erik
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Prior research has emphasised the importance of the early phases of construction projects, as well as the difficulties of procuring engineering services – especially due to the uncertainties. Despite that, studies on the public procurement of engineering services are scarce. Although scholars have shown that uncertainty may affect the choice of control modes, the level of uncertainty that characterises services is not addressed by the two task characteristics: knowledge of the transformation process and output measurability. The purpose is to investigate organisational control in public procurement of engineering services.

Design/methodology/approach

The existing control model was adjusted in this study by conceptually adding uncertainty as a third aspect to the two task characteristics. A single case study of the Swedish Transport Administration was used. The empirical data, comprising 14 interviews with managers from the client and engineering consulting companies, were analysed using flexible pattern matching and visual mapping approaches and then illustrated using the model.

Findings

The public client did not base its choice of control modes on uncertainty, but rather on the other two task characteristics. Consequently, the service providers argued that the chosen control modes reduced their creativity, increased their financial risks and caused unclear responsibilities. This study therefore shows that uncertainty is an important factor to consider in the choice of control modes, both from a theoretical perspective and from the service providers' point of view. The developed model may therefore be useful for researchers as well as practitioners.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to add uncertainty as a task characteristic when choosing control modes. The results contribute to the scarce control literature regarding the procurement of engineering services for construction projects and the procurement of other services with high uncertainty.
Factors determining housing prices: empirical evidence from a developing country’s Pakistan
Authors: Azam Khan Muhammad , Ali Niaz , Khan Himayatullah , Yien Lim Chia
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore empirically the impact of various factors/determinants on housing prices at the country level as well as in Lahore, the most populous metropolitan city of the most populous province Punjab, Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses monthly data ranging from 2013M1 to 2020M1 on variables used in the study. Based on the stationarity results, the method of robust least square is used as an estimation technique. The validity of initial results is also authenticated by canonical cointegration regression.

Findings

The empirical result reveals that all included variables significantly affect housing prices both at country level as well as in Lahore. This study found negative impact of regressor age, real exchange rate and urbanization on housing prices, whereas the positive impact of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, foreign remittances, broad money and real interest rate on housing prices in the case of Pakistan was found. On the other hand, results unveiled the negative impact of regressor age (proportion of population aged between 15 and 64), real exchange rate and urbanization on housing prices, whereas the positive impact of GDP per capita, foreign remittances, broad money and real interest rate on housing prices in Lahore metropolitan city was unveiled.

Originality/value

Based on the extant literature survey, this is a more holistic study of its kind that uncovers the macroeconomic determinants by considering the demand side, supply side and demographic factors of escalated housing prices in Pakistan, so that proper policies can be adopted to keep the housing sector stable. Empirical findings are helpful to acquire an enhanced understanding of how the housing price is determined and form a base for government to tackle the housing affordability problem.
Framing digital competence in media work – The case of Finland
Authors: Parkatti Anne , Saari Tiina , Tammelin Mia , Villi Mikko
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This article aims to study digital competence (DC) in media work.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors utilize frame analysis to investigate how DC is framed in media work using 30 semi-structured interviews as data with journalists in Finland.

Findings

The authors identify three main frames of DC in the context of media work. The individual attitude frame emphasizes employees' attitudes toward DC, the team-level support frame underlines the need for support in the work community and the organizational-level practice frame highlights enablers of and organizations' requirements for digital competence.

Practical implications

First, media workers' DC is necessary to enhance work efficiency and accomplish tasks and may be supported with supportive management practices. Second, the findings suggest that DC should be understood and analyzed as a multi-level issue. Third, the findings suggest that appropriate continuing education and study opportunities were needed. Besides formal arrangements for learning, informal contexts of learning are important.

Originality/value

The article contributes to media studies and studies on the digitalization of work by taking account of the organizational, team and individual levels in discussing digital competence in the news media sector.
Exploring digital natives' mobile addiction syndrome in Taiwan: psychological issues and beyond
Authors: Chen Wenshin
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study seeks to explore digital natives' mobile usage behaviors and, in turn, develop an analytic framework that helps articulate the underlying components of mobile addiction syndrome (MAS), its severity levels and mobile usage purposes.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigation adopts a survey method and a case study. The results of the former are based on 411 random classroom observations and 205 questionnaire responses, and the insights of the latter are derived from 24 interviews and daily observations.

Findings

The findings validate five distinctive signs that constitute MAS and their significant correlations with each of the Big Five personality traits. Classroom observations confirm the prevalence of addiction tendency among digital natives in the research context. Seven levels of MAS and six different mobile usage purposes further manifest themselves from case analysis. There appears to be a sharp contrast between the addicted and non-addicted groups in their mobile purposes and behavioral patterns. Additionally, family relationships seem influential in shaping non-addictive mobile usage behaviors.

Research limitations/implications

Psychological perspectives on MAS may be important but insufficient. Empirical investigation on a global scale, especially with distinctive cross-cultural comparisons, will be highly encouraged. How MAS evolves over time should also serve as future research interests.

Practical implications

Teaching pedagogy of college education might need certain adjustments to intrigue digital natives' learning interests. Future managers might also need to adopt better performance measurements for digital natives who barely separate work from personal matters in their mobile devices.

Social implications

Parents and healthcare institutions may need to develop response mechanism to tackle this global issue at home and in society. The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on MAS might also deserve global attention.

Originality/value

The analytic framework developed provides an original mechanism that can be valuable in identifying MAS severity and associated behavioral patterns.
What property attributes are important to UK university students in their online accommodation search?
Authors: Oladiran Olayiwola , Sunmoni Adesola , Ajayi Saheed , Guo Jiarong , Abbas Muhammad Azeem
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This paper examines the categories of property attributes that are important to UK university students in their online accommodation search. It also analyses the volume of information displayed regarding the property attributes and explores the influence of some of the information provided on the attractiveness and by extension, the booking potential of the property.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use data from an online student accommodation listing platform – student.com – which contain tangible and non-tangible property attributes, and the data are analysed using a hedonic regression model.

Findings

The results show that purpose-built student accommodation's (PBSA) tangible and intangible attributes are important to students in their online accommodation search, although, these attributes vary in impact. The study also reveals that failure to display key information of a PBSA may reduce the attractiveness of the property.

Originality/value

The empirical evidence on student accommodation ex ante preferences and choices is limited, particularly as it relates to online accommodation search in a UK context. The authors' approach to identify the application of the search theory to the student accommodation search process is particularly unique.
Family businesses navigating the COVID-19 pandemic through a gender perspective: the role of external and internal factors in stimulating dynamic capability development
Authors: Kariv Dafna , Cisneros Luis , Guiliani Florence , Chouchane Rahma
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The paper aims to decipher, through intertwined external and internal perspectives, how female and male owners of family businesses (FB) that have been affected by the pandemic develop new capabilities to respond to the market's crisis-related needs. Specifically, this study seeks to decipher the role of external support, mediated by the owner's psychological capital (i.e. internal perspective) and moderated by gender, on the development of capabilities related to the market's changing needs, drawing on the dynamic capabilities conceptualization.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of responses from 261 Canadian FB owners was generated during the pandemic, and online questionnaires were distributed.

Findings

Regression analyses and Hayes' PROCESS tool revealed that while external support directly invigorates capability development, external support is also mediated by psychological capital and moderated by gender, so that female owners were found less likely to use external support for capability development than men. These findings are explained by women's traditional responsibility in FB of protecting the family from external circumstances. Nevertheless, both women and men orchestrated external support, due to the higher psychological capital of FB, to develop capabilities that respond to pandemic-related market needs.

Originality/value

This study explores and demonstrates the unique navigation of FB owners during crises, and the role of the owner's gender in pursuing capability development. The study's value is in interconnecting external and internal perspectives while probing FB during crises. Implications for the ecosystem's conduct toward FB are discussed.
Clinical characteristics of peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum: A Single Center Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Honma Masaru , Sugawara Motoshi , Ueno Naomi , Honma Miho , Hinooka Ranko , Tani Chikayoshi
Published: July 2022

Peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum (PPG), a variant of pyoderma gangrenosum, occurs adjacent to intestinal or urinary stomas and are typically seen in patients with active inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The present study evaluated 14 cases of PPG among 537 patients that had undergone ostomy surgery at Asahikawa Medical University Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021. The incidence of PPG among ostomy cases was calculated as 1.01 per 100‐person‐years. The median period from ostomy surgery to PPG onset was 192.5 days (36–1224 days). Significant differences in gender and ostomy subtype were observed in patients with PPG compared to all patients that had undergone ostomy surgery. IBD prevalence was comparable between groups. Topical corticosteroids or tacrolimus were sufficient for controlling PPG lesions in all cases other than one case controlled with oral prednisolone administered for a separate condition. Clinicians should be aware of recent developments in IBD therapies that may modify the risk of developing PPG. The present study results add to current knowledge of the pathogenesis of PPG.
Light condition experienced by parent plants influences the response of offspring to light via both parental effects and soil legacy effects
Authors: Xue Wei , Huang Lin , Yu Fei‐Hai , Bezemer T. Martijn
Published: July 2022

Environmental conditions experienced by parent plants can influence offspring performance through parental effects induced by DNA methylation. The offspring can also be influenced by environmental conditions experienced by their parents via soil legacy effects due to plant‐mediated changes in the composition of soil microbes. These two effects are likely to act simultaneously, but empirical evidence for combined effects is limited.

We conducted a two‐phase experiment with five genotypes of a clonal plant Hydrocotyle vulgaris. In the first phase, we grew parent plants of each genotype under two light conditions (ambient vs. shade) and two DNA demethylation treatments [treated with water vs. 5‐azacytidine (5‐azaC)]. We then collected soils and clonal offspring for each genotype from each of these four treatments and measured soil (a)biotic properties. In the second phase, we grew the offspring from each of the four treatments in the four different soils, under the two light conditions.

When grown under ambient light condition and in soil from ambient parents, offspring produced by ambient parents grew larger than offspring produced by shaded parents when the parents were treated with water. This difference was smaller when the parents were treated with 5‐azaC, and disappeared when the offspring were grown in soil from shaded parents. The growth difference was also observed when the offspring were grown under shaded condition and in soil from shaded parents. However, this difference was greater when the parents were treated with 5‐azaC, and disappeared when the offspring were grown in soil from ambient parents. Moreover, offspring growth was associated with fungal composition and total phosphorus of the soil in which the parents had grown.

Our results show, for the first time, that light condition experienced by parents can influence offspring responses to light through both parental effects and soil legacies. The parental effects were mediated by changes in DNA methylation and the soil legacies were due to plant‐mediated changes in a combination of soil biotic and abiotic properties. These impacts may eventually influence the ecological and evolutionary trajectories of clonal plant populations.

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