bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship Between Environmental Air Quality and Congenital Heart Defects
Authors: Hall Katie C. , Robinson Jennifer C. , Cooke William H. , Parnell Aimee S. , Zhang Lei , Northington Ladonna
Published: March 2022

Background

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) affect 40,000 U.S. infants annually. One fourth of these infants have a critical CHD, requiring intervention within the first year of life for survival. Over 80% of CHDs have an unknown etiology. Fine particulate matter ≤2.5 (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) may be air pollutants associated with CHD.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between first-trimester maternal exposure to air pollutants PM2.5 and O3 and a critical CHD diagnosis.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study with nested case controls was conducted using data from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016, and consisted of 199 infants with a diagnosed critical CHD and 550 controls. Air pollution data were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air monitors. Geographic information system software was used to geocode monitoring stations and infant residential locations. Data analysis included frequencies, chi-square, independent t-test analysis, and binary logistic regression for two time periods: the entire first trimester (Weeks 1–12) and the critical exposure window (Weeks 3–8 gestation).

Results

Critical CHD odds were not significantly increased by exposure during the first trimester. However, weekly analyses revealed CHD odds were higher in Weeks 5 and 8 as PM2.5 increased and decreased in Week 11 with increased O3 exposure.

Discussion

Our study shows no evidence to support the overall association between air pollutants PM2.5 and O3 and a critical CHD diagnosis. However, analyses by week suggested vulnerability in certain weeks of gestation and warrant additional surveillance and study.
Intractable Vomiting Secondary to Gastric Outlet Obstruction by a Duplication Cyst
Authors: Faiza Javed , Rivera-Penera Teresa , Bhattacharyya Nishith
Published: March 2022

Gastric duplication cysts are a rare finding in the adult population. Duplication cysts comprise 4% of the alimentary tract duplications, and about 67% are usually discovered within the first year of life. They can be located anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, with the majority located in the greater curvature of the stomach. Duplication cysts may be identified on imaging studies in asymptomatic patients or may present with nonspecific symptoms that can include emesis and abdominal pain. We describe a case of a communicating cyst in the antrum of the stomach leading to gastric outlet obstruction in a 19-year-old male.
Prehabilitation for Total Knee or Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review
Authors: Konnyu Kristin J. , Thoma Louise M. , Cao Wangnan , Aaron Roy K. , Panagiotou Orestis A. , Bhuma Monika Reddy , Adam Gaelen P. , Pinto Dan , Balk Ethan M.
Published: March 2022

We sought to systematically review the evidence on the benefits and harms of prehabilitation interventions for patients who are scheduled to undergo elective, unilateral TKA or THA surgery for the treatment of primary osteoarthritis. We searched PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov from January 1, 2005 through May 3, 2021. We selected for inclusion randomized controlled trials and adequately-adjusted nonrandomized comparative studies of prehabilitation programs reporting performance-based, patient-reported, or healthcare utilization outcomes. Three researchers extracted study data and assessed risk of bias, verified by an independent researcher. Experts in rehabilitation content and complex interventions independently coded rehabilitation interventions. The team assessed strength of evidence (SoE). While large heterogeneity across evaluated prehabilitation programs limited strong conclusions, evidence from 13 TKA RCTs suggest prehabilitation may result in increased strength and reduced length of stay and may not lead to increased harms, but may be comparable in terms of pain, range of motion and activities of daily living (all low SoE). There was no evidence or insufficient evidence for all other outcomes following TKA. Although there were 6 THA RCTs, there was no evidence or insufficient evidence for all THA outcomes.
The Influence of Contextual Factors on Maternal Healthcare Utilization in sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review of Multilevel Models
Authors: Simona Simona , Lumamba Casildah , Moyo Felicitas , Ng’andu Emily , Phiri Million
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Sub-Saharan Africa still bears the heaviest burden of maternal mortality among the regions of the world, with an estimated 201,000 (66%) women dying annually due to pregnancy and childbirth related complications. Utilisation of maternal healthcare services including antenatal care, skilled delivery and postnatal care contribute to a reduction of maternal and child mortality and morbidity. Factors influencing use of maternal healthcare occur at both the individual and contextual levels. The objective of this study was to systematically examine the evidence regarding the influence of contextual factors on uptake of maternal health care in sub-Saharan Africa.

Materials and Methods

The process of scoping review involved searching several electronic databases, identifying articles corresponding to the inclusion criteria and selecting them for extraction and analysis. Peer reviewed multilevel studies on maternal healthcare utilisation in sub-Saharan Africa published between 2007 and 2019 were selected. Two reviewers independently evaluated each study for inclusion and conflicts were resolved by consensus.

Results

We synthesised 34 studies that met the criteria of inclusion out of a total of 1,654 initial records. Most of the studies were single-country, cross-sectional in nature and involved two-level multilevel logistic regression models. The findings confirm the important role played by contextual factors in determining use of available maternal health care services in sub-Saharan Africa. The level of educational status, poverty, media exposure, autonomy, empowerment and access to health facilities within communities are some of the major drivers of use of maternal health services.

Conclusions

This review highlights the potential of addressing high-level factors in bolstering maternal health care utilisation in sub-Saharan Africa. Societies that prioritise the betterment of social conditions in communities and deal with the problematic gender norms will have a good chance of improving maternal health care utilisation and reducing maternal and child mortality. Better multilevel explanatory mechanisms that incorporates social theories are recommended in understanding use of maternal health care services in sub-Saharan Africa.
The trichloroethylene metabolite S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-l-cysteine inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation transcriptomic pathways and cytokine secretion in a macrophage cell model
Authors: Harris Sean M. , Bakulski Kelly M. , Dou John , Houskamp Ethan , Scheeres Eleanor C. , Schellenboom Emily , Harlow Olivia , Loch-Caruso Rita , Boldenow Erica
Published: March 2022

Previous studies have shown that the trichloroethylene metabolite S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-l-cysteine (DCVC) inhibits cytokine secretion in pathogen stimulated fetal membrane tissue but little is known about the mechanism for these effects, including which cell types or transcriptomic pathways are impacted. Macrophages play a critical role in the fetal membrane innate immune response during infection. We tested the hypothesis that DCVC inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated inflammation pathways in differentiated (macrophage-like) THP-1 cells. THP-1 cells were differentiated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetone for 24 hours and subsequently treated with 1, 5, or 10 µM DCVC for 24 hours. After an additional 4 hour incubation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we collected RNA and cell media. We performed transcriptomic analysis using RNA sequencing analysis for 5µM DCVC treatments and quantified cytokine release (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) into cell media for 1, 5 and 10 µM DCVC treatments. RNAseq analysis revealed 1,399 differentially expressed genes (FDR<0.05 and log2fold change magnitude>2.5) in the cells co-treated with DCVC and LPS compared to LPS alone. For example, TNF was 9-fold downregulated with the addition of DCVC. Major pathways downregulated (adjusted p-value<0.05) in DCVC+LPS treatments versus LPS-only treatments, included: “acute inflammatory response”, “production of molecular mediator of immune response” and “phagocytosis”. LPS increased IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels in culture media (p<0.001), but this effect which was inhibited by co-treatment with DCVC (p<0.001 for LPS vs. LPS+DCVC treatments). Our results demonstrate that DCVC suppresses inflammatory responses in macrophages.
Genomic analyses identify key molecules and significant signaling pathways in Sorafenib treated hepatocellular cancer cells
Authors: Chang Tingxiang , Wang Mengshan
Published: March 2022

Sorafenib (Sfb) is a multikinase inhibitor that is significantly effective in killing liver cancer. However, the potential signaling pathways and mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we aim to identify the functional molecules and signaling pathways by analyzing the RNA-seq data. The GSE186280 was produced by the Illumina HiSeq 2000 (Homo sapiens). The KEGG and GO analyses indicated the MAPK signaling pathway and transcriptional misregulation in cancer are the major signaling pathways during the treatment of Sfb in liver cancer. Moreover, we identified ten key molecules including TP53, MYC, ACTB, CREBBP, HSP90AA1, JUN, UBB, SIRT1, CCNA2, RBX1. Therefore, this study provides novel knowledge of Sfb treated liver cancer.
A novel anti-PD-L1/IL-15 immunocytokine overcomes resistance to PD-L1 blockade and elicits potent antitumor immunity
Authors: Shi Wenqiang , Lv Liangyin , Liu Nan , Wang Hui , Wang Yang , Zhu Wen , Liu Zexin , Zhu Jianwei , Lu Huili
Published: March 2022

Despite the demonstrated immense potential of immune checkpoint inhibitors in various types of cancers, only a minority of patients respond to these therapies. Immunocytokines designed to deliver an immune-activating cytokine directly to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and block the immune checkpoint simultaneously may provide a strategic advantage over the combination of two single agents. To increase response rate to checkpoint blockade, in this study we developed a novel immunocytokine (LH01) composed of the antibody against programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) fused to IL-15 receptor alpha-sushi domain/IL-15 complex. We demonstrate that LH01 efficiently binds mouse or human PD-L1 and maintains IL-15 stimulatory activity. In syngeneic mouse models, LH01 showed improved antitumor efficacy and safety versus anti-PD-L1 plus LH02 (Fc-Sushi-IL15) combination and overcame resistance to anti-PD-L1 treatment. Mechanistically, the dual anti-immunosuppressive function of LH01 led to activation of both the innate and adaptive immune response and decreased levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) within the TME. Furthermore, combination therapy with LH01 and bevacizumab exerts synergistic antitumor effects in HT29 colorectal xenograft model. Collectively, our results provide supporting evidence that fusion of anti-PD-L1 and IL-15 might be a potent strategy to treat patients with cold tumors or resistance to checkpoint blockade.
How Hippocampus Solves Inverse Problems: A Circuit Hypothesis
Authors: Arathorn David W.
Published: March 2022

This paper proposes an explicit computational process which reproduces what are considered to be two essential experimentally observed hippocampus capabilities. These are path planning and determining the chain of ordered relationships which bind two concepts. These are both inverse problems. The paper presents algorithmic simulations of the process and a neuronal circuit (and variants) with the same dataflow, both consistent with the known neuroanatomy of the hippocampus. The process described here is purpose-built for hippocampus
GIP receptor agonism improves dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis independently of body weight in obese mice
Authors: Sachs Stephan , Götz Anna , Finan Brian , DiMarchi Richard D. , Döring Yvonne , Weber Christian , Tschöp Matthias H. , Müller Timo D. , Hofmann Susanna M.
Published: March 2022

Agonism at the receptors for the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIPR) is a key component of the novel unimolecular co-agonists which are among the most promising drugs in clinical development for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. The therapeutic effect of chronic GIPR agonism to treat dyslipidemia, and thus to reduce the cardiovascular disease risk, has not been explored yet. Herein we found that treatment with a long-acting acylated GIP analog (Acyl-GIP) reduced dyslipidemia and atherogenesis in male LDL receptor knockout mice. Acyl-GIP administration resulted in smaller adipocytes within the inguinal fat depot and RNAseq analysis of the latter revealed that Acyl-GIP may improve dyslipidemia by directly modulating lipid metabolism in this fat depot. This study identified an unanticipated efficacy of chronic GIPR agonist administration to improve dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease.
Patch2Self denoising of Diffusion MRI with Self-Supervision and Matrix Sketching
Authors: Fadnavis Shreyas , Chowdhury Agniva , Batson Joshua , Drineas Petros , Garyfallidis Eleftherios
Published: March 2022

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) is the only noninvasive method for quantifying microstructure and reconstructing white-matter pathways in the living human brain. Fluctuations from multiple sources create significant additive noise in DWI data which must be suppressed before subsequent microstructure analysis. We introduce a self-supervised learning method for denoising DWI data, Patch2Self (P2S), which uses the entire volume to learn a full-rank locally linear denoiser for that volume. By taking advantage of the oversampled q-space of DWI data, P2S can separate structure from noise without requiring an explicit model for either. The setup of P2S however can be resource intensive, both in terms of running time and memory usage, as it uses all voxels (n) from all-but-one held-in volumes (d − 1) to learn a linear mapping Φ : ℝn×(d−1) ↦ ℝn for denoising the held-out volume. We exploit the redundancy imposed by P2S to alleviate its performance issues and inspect regions that influence the noise disproportionately. Specifically we introduce P2S-sketch, which makes a two-fold contribution: (1) P2S-sketch uses matrix sketching to perform self-supervised denoising. By solving a sub-problem on a smaller sub-space, so called, coreset, we show how P2S can yield a significant speedup in training time while using less memory. (2) We show how the so-called statistical leverage scores can be used to interpret the denoising of dMRI data, a process that was traditionally treated as a black-box. Our experiments conducted on simulated and real data clearly demonstrate that P2S via matrix sketching (P2S-sketch) does not lead to any loss in denoising quality, while yielding significant speedup and improved memory usage by training on a smaller fraction of the data. With thorough comparisons on real and simulated data, we show that Patch2Self outperforms the current state-of-the-art methods for DWI denoising both in terms of visual conspicuity and downstream modeling tasks. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach via multiple quantitative metrics such as fiber bundle coherence, R2 via cross-validation on model fitting, mean absolute error of DTI residuals across a cohort of sixty subjects.
Serological Responses to the First Three Doses of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Quan Joshua , Ma Christopher , Panaccione Remo , Hracs Lindsay , Sharifi Nastaran , Herauf Michelle , Markovinović Ante , Coward Stephanie , Windsor Joseph W. , Caplan Léa , Ingram Richard J. M. , Kanji Jamil N. , Tipples Graham , Holodinsky Jessalyn K. , Bernstein Charles N. , Mahoney Douglas J. , Bernatsky Sasha , Benchimol Eric I. , Kaplan Gilaad G.
Published: March 2022

Background

Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are immunocompromised may have a reduced serological response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. We investigated serological responses following 1st, 2nd, and 3rddoses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in those with IBD.

Methods

A prospective cohort study of persons with IBD (n= 496) assessed serological response 1–8 weeks after 1stdose vaccination, 1–8 weeks after 2nddose, 8 or more weeks after 2nddose, and at least 1 week after 3rddose. Seroconversion and geometric mean titer (GMT) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were assessed for antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Multivariable linear regression models assessed the adjusted fold change (FC) in antibody levels.

Results

Seroconversion and GMT increased from post-1stdose to 1–8 weeks post-2nddose (81.6%, 1814 AU/mL vs. 98.7%, 9229 AU/mL,p<0.001), decreased after 8 weeks post-2nddose (94.9%, 3002 AU/mL,p<0.001), and rebounded post-3rddose (99.6%, 14639 AU/mL,p<0.001). Prednisone was the only IBD-related medication associated with diminished antibody response after 3rd-dose vaccination (FC: 0.07 [95% CI: 0.02, 0.20]). Antibody levels steadily decline following the 2nd(FC: 0.92 [95% CI: 0.90, 0.94] per week) and 3rddose (FC: 0.88 [95% CI: 0.84, 0.92] per week) of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Conclusion

A three-dose regimen of vaccination to SARS-CoV-2 yields a robust antibody response for those with IBD across all classes of IBD therapies except for prednisone. The decaying antibody levels following the 3rddose of the vaccine should be monitored in future studies.
Socioeconomic, demographic and environmental factors inform intervention prioritization in urban Nigeria
Authors: Chiziba Chilochibi , Diallo Ousmane , Bertozzi-Villa Amelia , Weiss Dan , Mercer Laina , Gerardin Jaline , Ozodiegwu Ifeoma D.
Published: March 2022

Nigeria is one of three countries projected to have the largest absolute increase in the size of its urban population and this could intensify malaria transmission in cities. Accelerated urban population growth is out-pacing the availability of affordable housing and basic services and resulting in living conditions that foster vector breeding and heterogeneous malaria transmission. Understanding community determinants of malaria transmission in urban areas informs the targeting of interventions to populations at greatest risk. In this study, we analyzed cluster-level data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and the Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) as well as geospatial covariates to describe malaria burden and its determinants in areas administratively defined as urban in Nigeria. Overall, we found low malaria test positivity across urban areas,. We observed declines in test positivity rate over time and identified the percentage of individuals with post-primary education, the percentage of individuals in the rich wealth quintiles, the percentage of individuals living in improved housing in 2015, all age population density, median age, the percentage of children under the age of five that sought medical treatment for fever, total precipitation and enhanced vegetation index as key community predictors of malaria transmission intensity. The unrepresentativeness of the DHS and MIS in urban settings at the state and geopolitical zonal level, regional differences in malaria seasonality across Nigeria, and information detection bias were among likely factors that limited our ability to compare malaria burden across geographic space and ultimately drove model uncertainty. Nevertheless, study findings provide a starting point for informing decisions on intervention prioritization within urban spaces and underscore the need for improved regionally-focused surveillance systems in Nigeria.
Pride and adversity among nurses and physicians during the pandemic in two US healthcare systems: a mixed methods analysis
Authors: Burstyn Igor , Holt Karyn
Published: March 2022

Our aims were to examine themes of the most difficult or distressing events reported by healthcare workers during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in two US health care systems in order to identify common themes and to relate them to both behavioral theory and measures of anxiety and depression.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey during the early phases of the COIVD-19 pandemic in the US. We measured symptoms of anxiety and depression separately, captured demographics, and asked two open-ended questions regarding events that were the most difficult or stressful, and reinforced pride. The open-end questions were independently coded into themes developed by the authors and mapped to factors related to fostering well-being according to the Self-Determination Theory.

We recruited 874 nurses and 248 physicians. About a half shared their most distressing experiences as well as those experiences they were most proud of related to their professions. Themes that emerged from these narratives were congruent with prediction of Self-Determination theory that autonomy-supportive experiences will foster pride, while autonomy-thwarting experiences will cause distress. Those who reported distressful events were more anxious and depressed compared to those who did not. Among those who reported incidences that reinforced pride in the profession, depression was rarer compared to those who did not. These trends were evident after allowing for medical history and other covariates in logistic regressions.

Causal claims from our analysis should be made with caution due to the research design, a cross-sectional study design. Understanding of perceptions of the pandemic by nurses and physicians may help identify sources of distress and means of reinforcing pride in the professions, thereby helping nurses and physicians cope with disasters, and shape workplace policies during disasters that foster well-being among first responders.

No Patient or Public Contribution: We studied physicians and nurses themselves.
Performance of VIDAS® Diagnostic Tests for the Automated Detection of Dengue Virus NS1 Antigen and of Anti-Dengue Virus IgM and IgG Antibodies: a Multicentre, International Study
Authors: Versiani Alice F. , Kaboré Antoinette , Brossault Ludovic , Dromenq Loïc , dos Santos Thayza M.I.L. , Milhim Bruno H.G.A. , Estofolete Cássia F. , Cissé Assana , Sorgho Abel C. , Senot Florence , Tessonneau Marie , Diagbouga Serge , Nogueira Mauricio L.
Published: March 2022

Dengue is a serious mosquito-transmitted disease caused by the dengue virus (DENV). Rapid and reliable diagnosis of DENV infection is urgently needed in dengue-endemic regions. We describe here the performance evaluation of the CE-marked VIDAS®dengue immunoassays developed for the automated detection of DENV NS1 antigen, and anti-DENV IgM and IgG anti-bodies. A multicenter concordance study was conducted in 1296 patients from dengue-endemic regions in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. VIDAS®dengue results were compared to those of competitor enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The VIDAS®dengue assays showed high precision (CV ≤ 10.7%) and limited cross-reactivity (≤ 15.4%) with other infections. VIDAS®DENGUE NS1 Ag showed high positive and negative percent agreement (92.8% PPA, 91.7% NPA) in acute patients within 0–5 days of symptom onset. VIDAS®Anti-DENGUE IgM and IgG showed a moderate to high concordance with ELISA (74.8% to 90.6%) in post-acute and recovery patients. PPA was further improved in combined VIDAS®NS1/IgM (96.4% in 0–5 days acute patients) and IgM/IgG (91.9% in post-acute patients) tests. Altogether, the VIDAS®dengue NS1, IgM and IgG assays performed well, either alone or in combination, and should be suitable for the accurate diagnosis of DENV infection in dengue-endemic regions.
Comparison of co-immunoprecipitation techniques for effective identification of SNTA1 interacting proteins in breast cancer cells
Authors: Sajood Saima , Prasad T. S. Keshava , Bhat Basharat , Bhat Zuhiab F. , Shah Riaz A , Bhat Hina F
Published: March 2022

Diverse signal transduction pathways involve thousands of proteins acting in concert that contribute to breast cancer pathology. SNTA1 has emerged as a common link that functions to wire various complex signaling circuits within the cell. In our study we used endogenous SNTA1 protein as bait in pull-down assays to identify SNTA1 interactome from breast cancer cell extract. We compared the utility of two co-immunoprecipitation techniques conventional co-IP and cross-linking co-IP coupled to mass spectrometry (IP–MS) that intriguingly generated valuable inventory of SNTA1 associated proteins in breast cancer cells that may or may not interact physically but contribute to shared functions in breast cancer pathology. We observed that Pierce cross-link IP kit enhanced sensivity of the analysis as it decreased the number of background proteins with a remarkable increase in identified list of proteins. We have also observed that different approaches are able to consistently detect the same signaling outcome as observed by Gene Ontology. Identification of interacting partners of SNTA1 in breast cancer cell lines may depict the possible signaling mechanism of this protein in molecular pathogenesis of breast cancer and its possible use as a therapeutic target.
clampFISH 2.0 enables rapid, scalable amplified RNA detection in situ
Authors: Dardani Ian , Emert Benjamin L. , Goyal Yogesh , Jiang Connie L. , Kaur Amanpreet , Lee Jasmine , Rouhanifard Sara H. , Alicea Gretchen M. , Fane Mitchell E. , Xiao Min , Herlyn Meenhard , Weeraratna Ashani T. , Raj Arjun
Published: March 2022

RNA labeling in situ has enormous potential to visualize transcripts and quantify their levels in single cells, but it remains challenging to produce high levels of signal while also enabling multiplexed detection of multiple RNA species simultaneously. Here, we describe clampFISH 2.0, a method that uses an inverted padlock design to efficiently detect and exponentially amplify signals from many RNA species at once, while also reducing time and cost compared to the prior clampFISH method. We leverage the increased throughput afforded by multiplexed signal amplification and sequential detection by demonstrating the ability to detect 10 different RNA species in over 1 million cells. We also show that clampFISH 2.0 works in tissue sections. We expect the advantages offered by clampFISH 2.0 will enable many applications in spatial transcriptomics.
Identification of Aspergillus niger aquaporins involved in hydrogen peroxide signaling
Authors: Laothanachareon Thanaporn , Asin-Garcia Enrique , Volkers Rita J.M. , Tamayo-Ramos Juan Antonio , Schaap Peter J.
Published: March 2022

Aspergillus niger is a robust microbial cell factory for organic acids production. However, the regulation of many industrially important pathways is still poorly understood. Recently the regulation of glucose oxidase (GOx) expression system involved in the biosynthesis of gluconic acid has been uncovered. Hydrogen peroxide, a by-product of the enzymatic conversion of glucose to gluconate, has a pivotal role as a signaling molecule in the induction of this system. In this study, facilitated diffusion of hydrogen peroxide via aquaporin water channels (AQPs) was studied. AQPs are transmembrane proteins of the major intrinsic proteins (MIPs) superfamily. In addition to water and glycerol, they may also transport small solutes such as hydrogen peroxide. Accordingly, the genome sequence of A. niger N402 was screened for putative AQPs. Seven were found which could be classified in three main groups. Their ability to facilitate diffusion of hydrogen peroxide was identified using yeast phenotypic growth assays and by studying AQP gene knock-outs in A. niger. Complementing from both yeast and A. niger experiments, the X-intrinsic protein AQPF plays apparent roles in facilitating hydrogen peroxide transport across cellular membrane.

IMPORTANCE

Aquaporins (AQP) are integral membrane proteins that facilitate transfer of water, small solutes and hydrogen peroxide across the plasma membrane. As they have conserved structural features, it is not difficult to detect their presence in fungal genomes. Their specific roles in fungi are however less understood. Previously we have elucidated the role of the hydrogen peroxide as a second messenger in the induction and regulation of the expression of glucose oxidase involved in the extracellular conversion of glucose in gluconate (1). Here we identified the involvement of AQPF, a member of the X-intrinsic protein class in facilitating transport of the hydrogen peroxide signal across the cell membrane.
Instance segmentation of mitochondria in electron microscopy images with a generalist deep learning model
Authors: Conrad Ryan , Narayan Kedar
Published: March 2022

Mitochondria are extremely pleomorphic organelles. Automatically annotating each one accurately and precisely in any 2D or volume electron microscopy (EM) image is an unsolved computational challenge. Current deep learning-based approaches train models on images that provide limited cellular contexts, precluding generality. To address this, we amassed a highly heterogeneous ∼1.5 x 106 image 2D unlabeled cellular EM dataset, and segmented ∼135,000 mitochondrial instances therein. MitoNet, a model trained on these resources, performs well on challenging benchmarks and on previously unseen volume EM datasets containing tens of thousands of mitochondria. We release a new Python package and napari plugin, empanada, to rapidly run inference, visualize, and proofread instance segmentations.
Does office aesthetics drive job choice? Boosting employee experience and well-being perception through workplace design
Authors: Ronda Lorena , de Gracia Elena
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Drawing from experiential theory and decision-making theory, this article aims to posit that workplace aesthetics acts as a driver for job choice when included with an employment offer. Whilst organisational literature has recognised that office experiential cues in general, and aesthetics in particular, affect employee performance and well-being, employer attractiveness scales have not yet incorporated office aesthetics as a component of job-offer choice.

Design/methodology/approach

A choice-based conjoint (CBC) experiment was conducted to estimate the weighted utilities of three aesthetic and three non-aesthetic employer attributes. Subsequently, the attributes' importance in the job choice decision was estimated.

Findings

The results indicate that aesthetic attributes in the workplace can be equally important in the decision-making process as non-aesthetic attributes and that aesthetic attributes deliver as much utility as non-aesthetic attributes in driving job choice.

Practical implications

These conclusions are relevant for Human Resource (HR) managers engaged in crafting job offers, who should consider that employees may improve their assessment of a job offer as a result of superior organisational aesthetics demonstrated during the recruitment process as well as in contexts where employees would be expected to combine remote and office-based work.

Originality/value

The present study represents a novel approach to understanding job applicants' preferences for aesthetic elements in the workplace. The results suggest that the workplace experience is relativistic and that considering applicants' latent preferences is crucial when designing efficient job offers.
Digitalization, innovation capabilities and absorptive capacity in the Swedish real estate ecosystem
Authors: Vigren Olli , Kadefors Anna , Eriksson Kent
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to increase the knowledge of real estate firms’ capabilities to innovate and, consequently, their capacity to absorb new innovations and benefit from digital technologies in an ecosystem context.

Design/methodology/approach

The results are based on 32 interviews with representatives of Swedish real estate owners, real estate owner industry associations and suppliers of digital technology to real estate owners. The data are interpreted using theories on absorptive capacity (i.e. the capacity to absorb new innovations), innovation capabilities and innovation ecosystems.

Findings

The real estate owners, technology suppliers and real estate owner industry associations have expanded their innovation capabilities and reshaped their innovation ecosystem by initiating a number of different digitalization activities; for example, the development of new IT systems, digital platforms, services and business models. The absorptive capacity has been improved as the organizations have changed routines and structures related to innovation, and they have taken on new roles related to digitalization and innovation, making them better able to absorb new innovations. Also, this paper identifies several drivers and obstacles to digitalization in the real estate sector.

Research limitations/implications

The increased capabilities related to digitalization can lead to better absorptive capacity on an individual firm level, which can contribute to the overall development of these firms in a longer-term. Also, new capabilities may lead to better absorptive capacity in the real estate sector at large, as firms may benefit from each other’s capabilities through collaboration. The limitations are that this study does not interview tenants or facility management firms and that the findings represent the context of the Swedish real estate market.

Originality/value

This paper investigates innovation capabilities, absorptive capacity and innovation ecosystems of real estate owners, their technology suppliers and real estate owner industry associations on the organizational level and on the sector level, into which there is little previous research. Also, this paper highlights the novelty of digitalization as a phenomenon in the sector.
A qualitative study proposing service quality dimensions for video-on-demand services through over-the-top medium
Authors: Datta Satyaki , Utkarsh Utkarsh
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The behaviour of audience, consuming video entertainment, has changed intensely over the years. Lately, the consumers have increasingly preferred to watch video programs, through video-on-demand services through over-the-top medium. The service is novel and the consumer’s perception of the service quality is not well explored. As extant literature considers service quality as the construct to determine the sustained growth of a service, the present study has attempted to explore the dimensions to measure service quality of video-on-demand services.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions amongst the user of the video-on-demand service. The qualitative data was content analysed to furnish thematic dimensions.

Findings

The study reveals thematic attributes perceived as dimensions to measure service quality of video-on-demand services.

Research limitations/implications

Considering the exploratory nature of the study, the themes proposed might seem nascent. Hence, it was the authors’ discretion to stop expanding the respondent sample to avoid data saturation. A quantitative establishment of the service quality dimensions was beyond the scope of the current research and would follow in a different study.

Originality/value

The objective of the study is to qualitatively explore service quality dimensions of video-on-demand services. In pursuit of that, the current study explored the consumers’ excerpts, content analysed the data and furnished several themes perceived as service quality dimensions in this context. Such a detailed approach is uncommon in this context.
Wines from the hinterland: comparing availability of local wines on wine lists in two New Zealand tourism destinations
Authors: Hill Rory , Fountain Joanna
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to situate restaurant experiences and in particular the wines available on wine lists, within the wider context of wine tourism. This is done by examining the wine lists of restaurants in two New Zealand destinations, focusing in particular on the showcasing of “local wines” and the factors behind these offerings, and outlines the potential implications for hospitality managers and a wider academic audience.

Design/methodology/approach

The population of restaurants in each destination was identified using online directories, from which a sample of wine lists, comprising 84 in Christchurch and 43 in Queenstown, was systematically analysed to identify number of wines, regional origin, price and other information. Following this, key informant interviews in restaurants in each destination explored decision-making factors in stocking local wines, including consumer base, existing networks and reputation and additional challenges and opportunities.

Findings

Restaurants in each destination offered more New Zealand than foreign wines on their lists, though significant regional differences are apparent. Queenstown restaurants offered slightly fewer imported wines and significantly more local (Central Otago) wines than Christchurch restaurants. The global awareness of Central Otago pinot noir is a factor in this wine list representation, but there are also other influences, including the greater concentration of overseas visitors (pre-pandemic) and more significant visibility and greater opportunities for wine tourism experiences within the destination.

Originality/value

This paper represents an important addition to academic research on wine marketing in the on-premise sector of emerging wine regions. This paper also highlights the potential significance of restaurant meals – including wine choices – in overall wine destination experiences and demonstrates differences in approach between restaurants in wine regions of similar size but with different reputations, international visitation and wine tourism infrastructure.
Hijacking the auction – seller's or buyer's curse?
Authors: Flått Marte , Olaussen Jon Olaf , Oust Are , Sønstebø Ole Jakob
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the likelihood and price effects of auction hijacking – transactions conducted before a planned auction – in the residential real estate market.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 84,203 residential properties in Oslo, Norway for the period 2007–2017, the authors employ a probit sales choice model to study the likelihood of auction hijacking and hedonic models, fixed effects models and propensity score matching to investigate the price effects.

Findings

The authors find that auction hijacking is more likely to occur in periods of higher market activity and that hijacked auction properties sell at a premium of approximately 4% compared with properties sold at regularly conducted auctions. One possible explanation for the premium could be that risk aversion among buyers leads to a higher likelihood of hijacking offers and higher prices due to the risk reduction premium that sellers can extract.

Originality/value

For most households, buying a home is an investment of great economic significance, and understanding the different aspects of the auction is paramount for both buyers and sellers. Policymakers need to be aware of the market effects from auction hijacking and determine whether restrictions should be introduced.
Tension stiffening model for the finite element analysis of composite floor systems exposed to fire
Authors: Martinez Jason , Jeffers Ann
Published: March 2022

Purpose

A methodology for producing an elevated-temperature tension stiffening model is presented.

Design/methodology/approach

The energy-based stress–strain model of plain concrete developed by Bažant and Oh (1983) was extended to the elevated-temperature domain by developing an analytical formulation for the temperature-dependence of the fracture energy Gf. Then, an elevated-temperature tension stiffening model was developed based on the modification of the proposed elevated-temperature tension softening model.

Findings

The proposed tension stiffening model can be used to predict the response of composite floor slabs exposed to fire with great accuracy, provided that the global parameters TS and Kres are adequately calibrated against global structural response data.

Originality/value

In a finite element analysis of reinforced concrete, a tension stiffening model is required as input for concrete to account for actions such as bond slip and tension stiffening. However, an elevated-temperature tension stiffening model does not exist in the research literature. An approach for developing an elevated-temperature tension stiffening model is presented.
The impact of respectful and compassionate bereavement care following stillbirth
Authors: Patel Mehali
Published: March 2022

Linked article: This is a mini commentary on Bethany Atkins et al., pp. 1731–1739 in this issue. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/1471‐0528.17138
Molecular insights into human taste perception and umami tastants: A review
Authors: Diepeveen Johan , Moerdijk‐Poortvliet Tanja C. W. , van der Leij Feike R.
Published: March 2022

Understanding taste is key for optimizing the palatability of seaweeds and other non‐animal‐based foods rich in protein. The lingual papillae in the mouth hold taste buds with taste receptors for the five gustatory taste qualities. Each taste bud contains three distinct cell types, of which Type II cells carry various G protein‐coupled receptors that can detect sweet, bitter, or umami tastants, while type III cells detect sour, and likely salty stimuli. Upon ligand binding, receptor‐linked intracellular heterotrimeric G proteins initiate a cascade of downstream events which activate the afferent nerve fibers for taste perception in the brain. The taste of amino acids depends on the hydrophobicity, size, charge, isoelectric point, chirality of the alpha carbon, and the functional groups on their side chains. The principal umami ingredient monosodium l‐glutamate, broadly known as MSG, loses umami taste upon acetylation, esterification, or methylation, but is able to form flat configurations that bind well to the umami taste receptor. Ribonucleotides such as guanosine monophosphate and inosine monophosphate strongly enhance umami taste when l‐glutamate is present. Ribonucleotides bind to the outer section of the venus flytrap domain of the receptor dimer and stabilize the closed conformation. Concentrations of glutamate, aspartate, arginate, and other compounds in food products may enhance saltiness and overall flavor. Umami ingredients may help to reduce the consumption of salts and fats in the general population and increase food consumption in the elderly.
Preoperative risk score to predict subtotal cholecystectomy after gallbladder drainage for acute cholecystitis: Secondary analysis of data from a multi‐institutional retrospective study (CSGO‐HBP‐017B)
Authors: Tomihara Hideo , Tomimaru Yoshito , Hashimoto Kazuhiko , Fukuchi Nariaki , Yokoyama Shigekazu , Mori Takuji , Tanemura Masahiro , Sakai Kenji , Takeda Yutaka , Tsujie Masanori , Yamada Terumasa , Miyamoto Atsushi , Hashimoto Yasuji , Hatano Hisanori , Shimizu Junzo , Sugimoto Keishi , Kashiwazaki Masaki , Matsumoto Kenichi , Kobayashi Shogo , Doki Yuichiro , Eguchi Hidetoshi
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Subtotal cholecystectomy (STC) has become recognized as a “bailout procedure” to prevent bile duct injury in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Predictors of conversion to STC have not been identified because LC difficulty varies based on pericholecystic inflammation. We analyzed data from patients enrolled in a previously performed multi‐institutional retrospective study of the optimal timing of LC after gallbladder drainage for acute cholecystitis (AC). These patients presumably had a considerable degree of pericholecystic inflammation.

Methods

In total, 347 patients who underwent LC after gallbladder drainage for AC were analyzed to examine preoperative and perioperative factors predicting conversion to STC.

Results

Three hundred patients underwent total cholecystectomy (TC) and 47 underwent conversion to STC. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) (P < .01), severity of cholecystitis (P = .04), previous history of treatment for common bile duct stones (CBDS) (P < .01), and surgeon experience (P = .03) were significantly associated with conversion to STC. Logistic regression analyses showed that ECOG PS (odds ratio 0.2; P < .0001) and previous history of treatment for CBDS (odds ratio 0.37; P = .0073) were independent predictors of conversion to STC. Our predictive risk score using these two variables suggested that a score ≥2 could discriminate between TC and STC (P < .0001).

Conclusion

Poor ECOG PS and previous history of treatment for CBDS were significantly associated with conversion to STC after gallbladder drainage for AC.
5‐α reductase inhibitors and the risk of anaemia among men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: A population‐based cohort study
Authors: Ayele Henok Tadesse , Douros Antonios , Filion Kristian B.
Published: March 2022

5‐α reductase inhibitors (5αRIs) are effective for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, 5αRIs could lower levels of haemoglobin, increasing the risk of anaemia. The objective of this study was to compare the rate of anaemia between new users of 5αRIs and α‐blockers in the UK.

Methods

We conducted a matched, active comparator, new‐user cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. The study population consisted of men aged ≥40 years with incident BPH who initiated 5αRIs between 1998 and 2019 and were matched 1:1 on propensity score to new users of α‐blockers. Anaemia was defined by a measured haemoglobin <130 g/L. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for anaemia.

Results

Our study cohort included 9429 new users of 5αRIs and 9429 matched new users of α‐blockers. Their median durations of follow‐up were 136 days (interquartile range: 54–336 d) and 77 days (interquartile range: 58–236 d), respectively. A total of 2865 5αRIs users and 2407 α‐blocker users developed incident anaemia, representing rates of 37.3 (95% CI: 33.6–41.3) and 42.0 (95% CI: 38.1–46.2) per 100 person‐years, respectively. The use of 5αRIs was not associated with an increased risk of anaemia compared to the use of α‐blockers (HR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.90–1.00). Similarly, we did not observe an increased risk of mild, moderate, or severe anaemia.

Conclusion

The use of 5αRIs was not associated with an increased risk of anaemia compared to the use of α‐blockers among men with BPH.