bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New groups of highly divergent proteins in families as old as cellular life with important biological functions in the ocean
Authors: Sussfeld Duncan , Lannes Romain , Corel Eduardo , Bernard Guillaume , Martin Pierre , Bapteste Eric , Pelletier Eric , Lopez Philippe
Published: January 2024

Background

Metagenomics has considerably broadened our knowledge of microbial diversity, unravelling fascinating adaptations and characterising multiple novel major taxonomic groups, e.g. CPR bacteria, DPANN and Asgard archaea, and novel viruses. Such findings profoundly reshaped the structure of the known tree of life and emphasised the central role of investigating uncultured organisms. However, despite significant progresses, a large portion of proteins predicted from metagenomes remain today unannotated, both taxonomically and functionally, across many biomes and in particular in oceanic waters, including at relatively lenient clustering thresholds.

Results

Here, we used an iterative, network-based approach for remote homology detection, to probe a dataset of 40 million ORFs predicted in marine environments. We assessed the environmental diversity of 53 gene families as old as cellular life, broadly distributed across the Tree of Life. About half of them harboured clusters of environmental homologues that diverged significantly from the known diversity of published complete genomes, with representatives distributed across all the oceans. In particular, we report the detection of environmental clades with new structural variants of essential genes (SMC), divergent polymerase subunits forming deep-branching clades in the polymerase tree, and variant DNA recombinases of unknown origin in the ultra-small size fraction.

Conclusions

These results indicate that significant environmental diversity may yet be unravelled even in strongly conserved gene families. Protein sequence similarity network approaches, in particular, appear well-suited to highlight potential sources of biological novelty and make better sense of microbial dark matter across taxonomical scales.
Consumption of only wild foods induces large-scale, partially-persistent alterations to the gut microbiome
Authors: Rampelli Simone , Pomstra Diederik , Barone Monica , Fabbrini Marco , Turroni Silvia , Candela Marco , Henry Amanda G.
Published: January 2024

The composition of the gut microbiome (GM) affects human health and varies among lifestyles. Adopting more “traditional” diets could lead to substantive and health-associated changes in the GM. However, research has focused on diets including domesticated foods. For most of our evolutionary history, humans consumed only wild foods. We explored the impact of a wild-food-only (WF) diet on the GM composition. One participant collected daily fecal samples and recorded daily food consumption over an eight-week period, the middle four weeks of which he consumed only wild foods (nuts, fruits and leafy greens, wild deer, and fish). Samples were profiled through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and the species identified by oligotyping. The WF diet altered the GM composition, and the magnitude of the changes is larger than in other diet interventions. However, no new GM taxa, including “old friends” appeared; instead, the relative proportions of already-present taxa shifted. There is a clear successional shift from the pre-, during- and post-WF diet. The GM is very sensitive to the change from a “Western” diet to a WF diet, likely reflecting the different macro- and micronutrient properties of the consumed foods.
E7-mediated repression of miR-203 promotes LASP1-dependent proliferation in HPV-positive cervical cancer
Authors: Patterson Molly R. , Meijers Aniek S. , Ryder Emma L. , Scarth James A. , Evans Debra , Turner Amy L. , Wasson Christopher W. , Darell Janne E. , Theobald Daisy , Cogan Joseph , James Claire D. , Wang Miao , Ladbury John E. , Morgan Iain M. , Samson Adel , Morgan Ethan L. , Macdonald Andrew
Published: January 2024

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a major cause of malignancy, contributing to ∼5% of all human cancers worldwide, including most cervical cancer cases and a growing number of ano-genital and oral cancers. The major HPV viral oncogenes, E6 and E7, manipulate many host cellular pathways that promote cell proliferation and survival, predisposing infected cells to malignant transformation. Despite the availability of highly effective vaccines, there are still no specific anti-viral therapies targeting HPV or treatments for HPV-associated cancers. As such, a better understanding of viral-host interactions may allow the identification of novel therapeutic targets. Here, we demonstrate that the actin-binding protein LASP1 is upregulated in cervical cancer and significantly correlates with a poorer overall survival. In HPV positive cervical cancer, LASP1 depletion significantly inhibited proliferationin vitro, whilst having minimal effects in HPV negative cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, we show that the LASP1 SH3 domain is essential for LASP1-mediated proliferation in these cells. Mechanistically, we show that HPV E7 regulates LASP1 at the post-transcriptional level by repressing the expression of miR-203, which negatively regulatedLASP1mRNA levels by binding to its 3’UTR. Finally, we demonstrated that LASP1 expression is required for the growth of HPV positive cervical cancer cells in anin vivotumourigenicity model. Together, these data demonstrate that HPV induces LASP1 expression to promote proliferation and survival role in cervical cancer, thus identifying a potential therapeutic target in these cancers.
Gravity current escape from a topographic depression
Authors: Skevington Edward W. G. , Hogg Andrew J.
Published: January 2024

An inertial gravity current released within a topographic depression may climb up the incline from a lower to an upper plateau if it is sufficiently energetic and then continue to flow unsteadily away from the step while simultaneously draining back into the depression. This density-driven motion is investigated theoretically using the shallow-water equations to simulate the flow up a smooth step from a lower to an upper horizontal plane and to compute the volume of fluid that escapes from the depression. It is shown that it is possible for all of the fluid to drain back down the step and that the volume of the escaped fluid diminishes with a power-law dependence on time. This phenomenon is explained by analyzing the unsteady flow of a gravity current along a semi-infinite horizontal plane along which the front advances but simultaneously fluid drains from the rear edge of the plane. The dynamics of this motion at early times is calculated both numerically and analytically. The latter exploits the hodograph transformation of the shallow water equation, a technique which allows rapid and precise evaluation of flow features such as reflections and the onset of bores. The flow at later times becomes self-similar, and the self-similarity is of the second kind. It features an anomalous exponent that provides the power-law dependence of the volume of fluid on time, and this exponent is a function of the imposed Froude number at the front of the current. In this way the diminishing volume of fluid that escapes from a topographic depression is explained quantitatively. Eventually the flow may transition to a regime in which drag becomes non-negligible; the model of simultaneous propagation and draining is extended to this regime to show that the escaped volume of fluid also decays temporally and ultimately vanishes.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
High temperature decomposition and age hardening of single-phase wurtzite
Ti1−xAlxN
thin films grown by cathodic arc deposition
Authors: Salamania J. , Bock F. , Johnson L. J. S. , Tasnádi F. , Calamba Kwick K. M. , Farhadizadeh A. F. , Abrikosov I. A. , Rogström L. , Odén M.
Published: January 2024

Wurtzite TmAlN (Tm=transition metal) themselves are of interest as semiconductors with tunable band gap, insulating motifs to superconductors, and piezoelectric crystals. Characterization of wurtzite TmAlN is challenging because of the difficulty to synthesize them as single-phase solid solution and such thermodynamic, elastic properties, and high temperature behavior of wurtzite Ti1−xAlxN is unknown. Here, we investigated the high temperature decomposition behavior of wurtzite Ti1−xAlxN films using experimental methods combined with first-principles calculations. We have developed a method to grow single-phase metastable wurtzite Ti1−xAlxN (x=0.65, 0.75, 085, and 0.95) solid-solution films by cathodic arc deposition using low duty-cycle pulsed substrate-bias voltage. We report the full elasticity tensor for wurtzite Ti1−xAlxN as a function of Al content and predict a phase diagram including a miscibility gap and spinodals for both cubic and wurtzite

Ti

1

−

x

Al

x

N

. Complementary high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and chemical mapping demonstrate decomposition of the films after high temperature annealing (950∘C), which resulted in nanoscale chemical compositional modulations containing Ti-rich and Al-rich regions with coherent or semicoherent interfaces. This spinodal decomposition of the wurtzite film causes age hardening of 1–2 GPa.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Phenotypic Variability Shapes Bacterial Responses to Opposing Gradients
Authors: Li Lusi , Zhang Xuanqi , Sun Yanhong , Ouyang Qi , Tu Yuhai , Luo Chunxiong
Published: January 2024

Although bacterial chemotaxis behavior in a single gradient has been well studied, chemotaxis of bacterial population in complex environments is not well understood. Here, we discovered four distinct behaviors of populations in microfluidic experiments with different opposing gradients of MeAsp and serine. By using a population chemotaxis model based on the dynamics of intracellular signaling pathways, we found that the nongenetic variability of the relevant chemoreceptors (Tar and Tsr) within the population is responsible for the diverse population behaviors. Through analyses combining the phenotype-to-performance mapping and Tar/Tsr ratio distribution, we predicted the phase diagram of population chemotaxis behaviors under varying chemical gradients and the effect of growth period on population behaviors, which were verified by additional experiments. Our study suggests that phenotypic heterogeneity in chemoreceptors enables diverse chemotactic strategies, which cells may adopt to improve their population fitness in complex environments.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Work–life balance: Does leadership matter?
Authors: Sani Kareem Folohunso , Adisa Toyin Ajibade
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The extant literature on work–life balance (WLB) has generally overlooked the interrelationship between leadership and WLB. Does leadership have any impact on employees' use of WLB policies and practices? To answer this question, this article considers the social exchange theory as well as transformational and transactional leadership in an investigation of the impact of leadership on WLB.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs qualitative data from 32 semi-structured interviews to achieve the study’s objectives.

Findings

The research reveals that leadership does matter in WLB. The study findings reveal that both the transactional and transformational leadership styles result in the establishment of strong reciprocal relationships between leaders and employees in terms of using WLB policies and practices. Managers only sanction the use of WLB policies and practices only as a reward for excellent performance or when they are completely sure the outcome will favour the organisation. The study concludes that the desire to achieve WLB has often led many employees to go the extra mile in carrying out their work duties, which is rewarded with an approval to use WLB policies and practices. These non-contractual exchanges emphasise reciprocity and are based on trust.

Research limitations/implications

The extent to which the findings of this research can be generalised is constrained by the size and nature of the research sample.

Practical implications

Many managers are transactional leaders, and they purposefully allow their employees to use WLB policies and practices only as a reward for meeting targets and for excellent performance. This means that employees who fall short of the required targets and expected performance are not permitted to use WLB policies and practices. This finding implies that such employees experience incessant work–family conflict, which may have negative implications for their work engagement, overall well-being and work performance.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates that leadership is relevant to WLB. It shows that transformational leadership is supportive of WLB, as it considers employees' work performance and non-work outcomes. The results and practical implications of this study aids the understanding of the non-contractual exchanges involved in manager–employee relationships, which is crucial for ensuring employees' achievement of WLB and for organisations to achieve their goals.
Visualizing the evolution of touchscreen research by scientometric analysis
Authors: Mathew K. Susan , Joy Jovin K. , N.K. Sheeja
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This study aims to present recent trends in touchscreen research through scientometric analysis. Devices with touchscreen are powerful tools for performing specialized operations. The touch screens of tablets, smartphones, laptops and television play an important role in teaching, learning and research.

Design/methodology/approach

The data was collected from Web of Science database from 2011 to 2021 and analysed using MS-Excel and VOSviewer software. After analysing 389 research papers, the authors identified the high impact journals, collaboration of countries, institutions, authors and growth trend of publications. Analysing the most used keywords, country-wise distribution of publications and research collaboration between institutions will help interpret the research trends in the selected time span.

Findings

The publications show an increase in number over the years from 2011 to 2021. Among the countries, USA has the highest number of 127 articles published, followed by England (61) and Canada (30). The results showed that the multiple authorship pattern in touchscreen publication is high when compared to single authors. The institutional analysis indicated that the organizations publishing more than five documents in the area were mostly from United Kingdom, Australia, USA and Korea. Timeline visualizations identified prominent keywords like touchscreen, performance, operant platform, Alzheimer’s disease, etc. in the subject. Interdisciplinary research is dominant in the subject, as seen from the most preferred journals and keywords.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis does not include a comprehensive coverage of the research output, as only Web of Science database from 2011 to 2021 in a 10-year period is included.

Practical implications

The study would benefit stakeholders, including manufacturers and researchers alike, to know the future of touchscreen research.

Social implications

This study is pertinent to socio-psychological fields because touchscreen technology encourages social connection among older persons and may help foster early literacy skills.

Originality/value

This paper will provide an understanding of the global developments in touchscreen research with recommendations for future research.
Value stream mapping application for construction industry loss and waste reduction: a systematic literature review
Authors: Morato Maria Luiza de Souza , Ferreira Karine Araujo
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The pupose of this study is to systematically review the current literature on the value stream mapping (VSM) application in the construction industry to investigate the evolution observed over time and the results obtained by adopting this tool. In addition, special attention was given to the potential of VSM in identifying loss and waste, as well as their main causes.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyses papers in literature using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses research protocol. As a result, 383 papers were initially identified, and 47 papers were selected.

Findings

It was observed that the number of studies addressing this topic has been increasing over the past decade and findings related to the evolution, application and the benefits obtained from the VSM application in context of construction were presented. Additionally, the authors found that the two most cited lean wastes were waiting and defects in the production chain. The main causes of this waste and loss were also identified in this work.

Practical implications

This paper contributes by presenting the applicability of VSM as a tool in the construction as found in the literature. For academics, it will be possible to clearly observe research gaps and for industry managers, to identify the main sources of waste and assess the performance of the tool’s application.

Originality/value

The study uses a systematic review to analyze the application of the VSM tool in the construction industry and provides guidance for future research by identifying research gaps, in addition to conducting an extensive analysis of the tool’s potential in waste identification in the studied papers and their primary causes.
Call it a customer club! How reward programme’s name impacts programme effectiveness
Authors: Mimouni Chaabane Aïda , Pez Virginie , Butori Raphaëlle
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to identify how a reward programme name (“loyalty programme” (LP) versus “customer club” (CC)) influences the type of central rewards expected and their impact on loyalty to the retailer.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a survey followed by an experiment.

Findings

Central rewards from programmes called LP are equally hard and soft, whereas central rewards from programmes called CC are mainly soft. Providing customers with central rewards increases satisfaction with the programme and loyalty to the retailer, but only for programmes called LP.

Practical implications

Loyalty managers are advised to pay particular attention to the consistency between the type of rewards they offer and the reward programme name that carries them. Contrary to the name LP that leads to me-too programmes, the name CC offers more flexibility to choose the rewards, providing opportunities to stand out from competing programmes.

Originality/value

By building on a new and original theoretical approach, this research is the first attempt to investigate the effect of the reward programme naming decisions on customers' evaluations and responses.
Influencer advertising: facilitating poor-fitting influencer posts
Authors: Hawkins Matthew A. , Saleem Fathima Z.
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Recent literature identifies the importance of influencer-brand fit, a congruence between the narrative of the social media influencer (SMI) and the branded product being reviewed, on purchase intentions. In creating brand-related content, SMIs can post content that can be either sponsored by the brand or unsponsored. This research merges these literature streams to examine how influencer-brand fit impacts purchase decisions and whether sponsorship status moderates this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a 2 (poor vs good influencer-brand fit) × 2 (sponsored vs unsponsored post) experimental design (n = 198), the relationship between influencer-brand fit and purchase intention, the mediating role of SMI trust and the moderating role of perceived sponsorship are tested. The PROCESS macro was used to analyze direct and indirect paths.

Findings

The results demonstrate that influencer trust mediates the relationship between influencer-brand fit and purchase intention, highlighting the importance of a congruent influencer and brand image in both increasing influencer trust and purchase intentions. Surprisingly, despite the reductions in purchase intentions from conducting a poor-fitting review, purchase intentions are the same between a poor-fitting unsponsored review and a good fitting sponsored review.

Practical implications

Decision-makers of both corporations and SMI personal brands should consider influencer-brand fit when selecting SMI partners to sponsor and brands to work with, respectively, and should aim for good fit between both parties. SMIs should avoid conducting sponsored, poor-fitting product reviews to limit reductions in trust. Influencers seeking to branch out of their area of expertise can initially consider unsponsored content before venturing into sponsored partnerships. Companies seeking to widen their reach through poor-fitting SMIs should consider alternative strategies to sponsorship.

Originality/value

As sponsored content is common, it is necessary to merge the influencer-brand fit and influencer sponsorship literature. Additionally, this study considers the mediating role of influencer trust, an important variable in predicating purchase intentions as well as helping SMI grow their audience.
Comparison study on measurement of rail weld joint between inertial reference method and multi-point chord reference method
Authors: Shi Yifan , Wang Yuan , Liu Xiaozhou , Wang Ping
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Straightness measurement of rail weld joint is of essential importance to railway maintenance. Due to the lack of efficient measurement equipment, there has been limited in-depth research on rail weld joint with a 5-m wavelength range, leaving a significant knowledge gap in this field.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the authors used the well-established inertial reference method (IR-method), and the state-of-the-art multi-point chord reference method (MCR-method). Two methods have been applied in different types of rail straightness measurement trollies, respectively. These instruments were tested in a high-speed rail section within a certain region of China. The test results were ultimately validated through using traditional straightedge and feeler gauge methods as reference data to evaluate the rail weld joint straightness within the 5-m wavelength range.

Findings

The research reveals that IR-method and MCR-method produce reasonably similar measurement results for wavelengths below 1 m. However, MCR-method outperforms IR-method in terms of accuracy for wavelengths exceeding 3 m. Furthermore, it was observed that IR-method, while operating at a slower speed, carries the risk of derailing and is incapable of detecting rail weld joints and low joints within the track.

Originality/value

The research compare two methods’ measurement effects in a longer wavelength range and demonstrate the superiority of MCR-method.
Tech-driven transformation: management of culturally diverse and physically dispersed tech teams
Authors: Pogosyan Armine
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This paper delves into the complexities of daily dispersed tech team dynamics and aims to understand the underlying reasons for the challenges that such teams face. Through personal observations and analysis, this paper aims to identify communication barriers and propose actionable insights and strategies for improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

By leveraging personal insights and observations from the IT HR field from three different countries, information and data was collected. Such personalized approach allowed for a deeper exploration of real-world scenarios, how physically dispersed teams work and what challenges they struggle with. A comprehensive examination of the issues faced by tech teams operating globally also allowed to observe the noteworthy outcomes that could bring the best benefit for such teams.

Findings

As geographically dispersed tech teams continue to gain popularity, understanding the challenges that the teams might face and the potential ways of solving them become As HR as well as team managers roles now evolve, flexibility becomes paramount for navigating global team dynamics.

Originality/value

This paper is a contemporary call for action to stimulate management, enlightening them on the requisites for establishing and cultivating high-performing teams that work across geographical boundaries. There is a lack of understanding of what challenges physically dispersed teams face and to what degree those challenges impact the teams. This paper addresses this deficiency.
Aedes aegypti gut transcriptomes respond differently to microbiome transplants from field‐caught or laboratory‐reared mosquitoes
Authors: Hegde Shivanand , Brettell Laura E. , Quek Shannon , Etebari Kayvan , Saldaña Miguel A. , Asgari Sassan , Coon Kerri L. , Heinz Eva , Hughes Grant L.
Published: January 2024

The mosquito microbiome is critical for host development and plays a major role in many aspects of mosquito biology. While the microbiome is commonly dominated by a small number of genera, there is considerable variation in composition among mosquito species, life stages, and geography. How the host controls and is affected by this variation is unclear. Using microbiome transplant experiments, we asked whether there were differences in transcriptional responses when mosquitoes of different species were used as microbiome donors. We used microbiomes from four different donor species spanning the phylogenetic breadth of the Culicidae, collected either from the laboratory or the field. We found that when recipients received a microbiome from a donor reared in the laboratory, the response was remarkably similar regardless of donor species. However, when the donor had been collected from the field, many more genes were differentially expressed. We also found that while the transplant procedure did have some effect on the host transcriptome, this is likely to have had a limited effect on mosquito fitness. Overall, our results highlight the possibility that variation in mosquito microbiome communities is associated with variability in host–microbiome interactions and further demonstrate the utility of the microbiome transplantation technique for investigating host–microbe interactions in mosquitoes.
Mental health and diet quality after primary treatment for ovarian cancer
Authors: Johnston Elizabeth A. , Veenhuizen Stefanie G. A. , Ibiebele Torukiri I. , Webb Penelope M. , van der Pols Jolieke C. ,   the OPAL Study Group
Published: January 2024

Aims

To investigate anxiety and depression after primary treatment for ovarian cancer in relation to diet quality and intake.

Methods

In a cohort of women with ovarian cancer in Australia, levels of anxiety and depression (normal, subclinical, and clinical) were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at 9 months post‐diagnosis. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire at 12 months post‐diagnosis and scored using the Healthy Eating Index 2015. Multinomial logistic regression and bivariate analyses were used to investigate relationships between levels of anxiety and depression and subsequent diet quality and intake of food groups.

Results

Of 595 women, anxiety and depression were identified among 128 (21%) and 80 (13%) women, respectively. Compared to women without anxiety or depression, women with subclinical anxiety (odds ratio = 0.49, 95% confidence interval: 0.25–0.98) and those with clinical depression (odds ratio = 0.25, 95% confidence interval: 0.07–0.93) were less likely to score in the highest quartile for diet quality. Separate adjustment for age, education, employment, disease stage, body mass index, and smoking status did not attenuate these associations. In bivariate analyses, women with subclinical anxiety were more likely to report higher intakes of sweet foods. Those with clinical depression were more likely to report lower intakes of orange vegetables and wholegrains, higher intakes of sweetened beverages, and not consume alcohol or soya foods.

Conclusions

Anxiety or depression after primary treatment for ovarian cancer may be associated with poorer diet quality. Efforts to improve diet quality post‐treatment should consider support for mental health.
Evaluation of air impingement for dry‐cleaning nonfat dry milk residues on a stainless‐steel surface
Authors: Karuppuchamy Veeramani , Heldman Dennis R.
Published: January 2024

The use of air jet impingement to remove residues from surfaces in food manufacturing operations offers an alternative to the use of water and liquid cleaning agents. During this investigation, air impingement was used to remove nonfat dry milk (NFDM) residues from a stainless‐steel surface. The influence of the water activity (aw) of the residue, the time after the residue reached an equilibrium water activity, and the thickness of residue at the time of removal from the surface have been investigated. All three factors had a significant effect on the time for removal. An increase in the water activity, the time at equilibrium, the sample thickness, or a combination of all three resulted in an increase in the time required to remove the deposits. Visible changes in the structure of deposits were observed as NFDM samples equilibrated to water activities above 0.43. NFDM residues with water activities less than 0.33 were removed within 1 s of using air impingement regardless of wall shear stress. When the water activities were greater than 0.50, the thickness of deposit was greater than 1 mm, and the time after reaching an equilibrium water activity was over 7 days, more than 5 min of air impingement with wall shear stress over 9.48 Pa was required to remove the residue. The results from these experiments indicated that air impingement has the potential to provide effective cleaning in manufacturing facilities for low‐moisture foods.

Practical Application

The introduction of water in low‐moisture food environments is often undesirable due to the possibility of pathogenic microorganism growth. The normal cleaning operations in the food industry use water as a cleaning agent. This study evaluates the application of air impingement technology as a dry‐cleaning method.
Predicted metabolic roles and stress responses provide insights into candidate phyla Hydrogenedentota and Sumerlaeota as members of the rare biosphere in biofilms from various environments
Authors: Skoog Emilie J. , Bosak Tanja
Published: January 2024

Pustular mats from Shark Bay, Western Australia, host complex microbial communities bound within an organic matrix. These mats harbour many poorly characterized organisms with low relative abundances (<1%), such as candidate phyla Hydrogenedentota and Sumerlaeota. Here, we aim to constrain the metabolism and physiology of these candidate phyla by analyzing two representative metagenome‐assembled genomes (MAGs) from a pustular mat. Metabolic reconstructions of these MAGs suggest facultatively anaerobic, chemoorganotrophic lifestyles of both organisms and predict that both MAGs can metabolize a diversity of carbohydrate substrates. Ca. Sumerlaeota possesses genes involved in degrading chitin, cellulose and other polysaccharides, while Ca. Hydrogenedentota can metabolize cellulose derivatives in addition to glycerol, fatty acids and phosphonates. Both Ca. phyla can respond to nitrosative stress and participate in nitrogen metabolism. Metabolic comparisons of MAGs from Shark Bay and those from various polyextreme environments (i.e., hot springs, hydrothermal vents, subsurface waters, anaerobic digesters, etc.) reveal similar metabolic capabilities and adaptations to hypersalinity, oxidative stress, antibiotics, UV radiation, nitrosative stress, heavy metal toxicity and life in surface‐attached communities. These adaptations and capabilities may account for the widespread nature of these organisms and their contributions to biofilm communities in a range of extreme surface and subsurface environments.
How effective and cost‐effective is water fluoridation for adults and adolescents? The LOTUS 10‐year retrospective cohort study
Authors: Moore Deborah , Nyakutsikwa Blessing , Allen Thomas , Lam Emily , Birch Stephen , Tickle Martin , Pretty Iain A. , Walsh Tanya
Published: January 2024

Objective

To pragmatically assess the clinical and cost‐effectiveness of water fluoridation for preventing dental treatment and improving oral health in a contemporary population of adults and adolescents, using a natural experiment design.

Methods

A 10‐year retrospective cohort study (2010–2020) using routinely collected NHS dental treatment claims data. Participants were patients aged 12 years and over, attending NHS primary dental care services in England (17.8 million patients). Using recorded residential locations, individuals exposed to drinking water with an optimal fluoride concentration (≥0.7 mg F/L) were matched to non‐exposed individuals using propensity scores. Number of NHS invasive dental treatments, DMFT and missing teeth were compared between groups using negative binomial regression. Total NHS dental treatment costs and cost per invasive dental treatment avoided were calculated.

Results

Matching resulted in an analytical sample of 6.4 million patients. Predicted mean number of invasive NHS dental treatments (restorations ‘fillings’/extractions) was 3% lower in the optimally fluoridated group (5.4) than the non‐optimally fluoridated group (5.6) (IRR 0.969, 95% CI 0.967, 0.971). Predicted mean DMFT was 2% lower in the optimally fluoridated group (IRR 0.984, 95% CI 0.983, 0.985). There was no difference in the predicted mean number of missing teeth per person (IRR 1.001, 95% CI 0.999, 1.003) and no compelling evidence that water fluoridation reduced social inequalities in dental health. Optimal water fluoridation in England 2010–2020 was estimated to cost £10.30 per person (excludes initial set‐up costs). NHS dental treatment costs for optimally fluoridated patients 2010–2020 were 5.5% lower, by £22.26 per person (95% CI ‐£21.43, −£23.09).

Conclusions

Receipt of optimal water fluoridation 2010–2020 resulted in very small positive health effects which may not be meaningful for individuals. Existing fluoridation programmes in England produced a positive return on investment between 2010 and 2020 due to slightly lower NHS dental care utilization. This return should be evaluated against the projected costs and lifespan of any proposed capital investment in water fluoridation, including new programmes.
‘Am I supposed to be in a prison or a mental hospital?’ The nature and purpose of secure children's homes
Authors: Andow Caroline
Published: January 2024

Secure children's homes are locked institutions that deprive children of their liberty. The government are investing significantly in these homes, yet there remains a lack of clarity about their nature and purpose. Drawing on data generated through a substantial ethnography in one secure children's home in England, this paper uses Goffman's (1961) theorising as a conceptual lens to view the institution. It concludes that ambiguity and confusion about what these institutions are, and what they seek to achieve, impacts negatively on the experience of everyday life within. Clarity is needed urgently to improve experiences and to enable the assessment of outcomes.
Does membership of the EMU matter for economic and financial outcomes?
Authors: Ardakani Omid M. , Kishor N. Kundan , Song Suyong
Published: January 2024

This study examines the effects of joining the European Monetary Union (EMU) using propensity score matching to address self‐selection bias. Findings indicate that EMU membership leads to reduced volatility in inflation, output growth, and bond yields. However, it also reveals fiscal deterioration in member states during the pre‐financial crisis period, even excluding Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. These countries experienced favorable bond market conditions pre‐crisis. The study underscores varying EMU effectiveness across different periods and countries, emphasizing the importance for policymakers to consider these variations when adopting EMU strategies.
Independent mesenchymal progenitor pools respectively produce and maintain osteogenic and chondrogenic cells in zebrafish
Authors: Komiya Hiroaki , Sato Yuko , Kimura Hiroshi , Kawakami Atsushi
Published: January 2024

Skeletal tissues including cartilage and bones are characteristic features of vertebrates that are crucial for supporting body morphology and locomotion. Studies mainly in mice have shown that osteoblasts and chondroblasts are supplied from several progenitors like the sclerotome cells in the embryonic stage, osteo‐chondroprogenitors in growing long bones, and skeletal stem cells of bone marrow in the postnatal period. However, the exact origins of progenitor cells, their lineage relationships, and their potential to differentiate into osteoblasts and chondroblasts from embryos to adult tissues are not well understood. In this study, we conducted clonal cell tracking in zebrafish and showed that sox9a+ cells are already committed to either chondrogenic or osteogenic fates during embryonic stages and that respective progenies are independently maintained as mesenchymal progenitor pools. Once committed, they never change their lineage identities throughout animal life, even through regeneration. In addition, we further revealed that only osteogenic mesenchymal cells replenish the osteoblast progenitor cells (OPCs), a population of reserved tissue stem cells found to be involved in the de novo production of osteoblasts during regeneration and homeostasis in zebrafish. Thus, our clonal cell tracking study in zebrafish firstly revealed that the mesenchymal progenitor cells that are fated to develop into either chondroblasts or osteoblasts serve as respective tissue stem cells to maintain skeletal tissue homeostasis. Such mesenchymal progenitors dedicated to producing either chondroblasts or osteoblasts would be important targets for skeletal tissue regeneration.
Reciprocal inhibition and competitive hierarchy cause negative biodiversity‐ecosystem function relationships
Authors: D'Andrea Rafael , Khattar Gabriel , Koffel Thomas , Frans Veronica F. , Bittleston Leonora S. , Cuellar‐Gempeler Catalina
Published: January 2024

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF) captivates ecologists, but the factors responsible for the direction of this relationship remain unclear. While higher ecosystem functioning at higher biodiversity levels (‘positive BEF’) is not universal in nature, negative BEF relationships seem puzzlingly rare. Here, we develop a dynamical consumer‐resource model inspired by microbial decomposer communities in pitcher plant leaves to investigate BEF. We manipulate microbial diversity via controlled colonization and measure their function as total ammonia production. We test how niche partitioning among bacteria and other ecological processes influence BEF in the leaves. We find that a negative BEF can emerge from reciprocal interspecific inhibition in ammonia production causing a negative complementarity effect, or from competitive hierarchies causing a negative selection effect. Absent these factors, a positive BEF was the typical outcome. Our findings provide a potential explanation for the rarity of negative BEF in empirical data.
Molecular mechanisms of saliva secretion and hyposecretion
Authors: Song Eun‐Ah Christine , Chung Sul‐Hee , Kim Jeong Hee
Published: January 2024

The exocrine salivary gland secretes saliva, a fundamental body component to maintain oral homeostasis. Saliva is composed of water, ions, and proteins such as amylase, mucins, and immunoglobulins that play essential roles in the digestion of food, lubrication, and prevention of dental caries and periodontitis. An increasing number of people experience saliva hyposecretion due to aging, medications, Sjögren's syndrome, and radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. However, current treatments are mostly limited to temporary symptomatic relief. This review explores the molecular mechanisms underlying saliva secretion and hyposecretion to provide insight into putative therapeutic targets for treatment. Proteins implicated in saliva secretion pathways, including Ca2+‐signaling proteins, aquaporins, soluble N‐ethylmaleimide‐sensitive factor attachment protein receptors, and tight junctions, are aberrantly expressed and localized in patients with saliva hyposecretion, such as Sjögren's syndrome. Analysis of studies on the mechanisms of saliva secretion and hyposecretion suggests that crosstalk between fluid and protein secretory pathways via Ca2+/protein kinase C and cAMP/protein kinase A regulates saliva secretion. Impaired crosstalk between the two secretory pathways may contribute to saliva hyposecretion. Future research into the detailed regulatory mechanisms of saliva secretion and hyposecretion may provide information to define novel targets and generate therapeutic strategies for saliva hyposecretion.
Accelerated prediction of shear fatigue life of soft adhesive based on the time–temperature superposition principle
Authors: Xia Yan , Yao Chengbin , Zhu Zhongmeng , Yang Zhuoran , Jiang Han
Published: January 2024

Long‐term service lifetime estimation of soft adhesives is critical for their reliability and durability but is often expensive and time‐consuming. The applicability of the time–temperature superposition principle (TTSP) to predict the shear fatigue life of the soft adhesive was investigated by systematic experiments. Through the analysis of energy dissipation mechanism, it was found that the viscoelastic dissipation stage played a dominant role in the shear fatigue process of the soft adhesive in the lap shear configuration. The master curve of the shear fatigue life at reference temperature could be successfully constructed by using the shift factor obtained from the rheological test. The shear fatigue life at low temperatures could be equivalently predicted based on short‐term testing at relatively high temperatures. The TTSP method is effective in predicting the shear fatigue life of the soft adhesive under wide lifetime ranges and temperatures, which could save testing time and cost greatly.
Ontogenetic growth responses to the environmental changes of the swordtip squid (Uroteuthis edulis) spring stock in the East China Sea
Authors: Li Nan , Han Peiwu , Chen Xinjun , Fang Zhou
Published: January 2024

Swordtip squid (Uroteuthis edulis) is characterized by a complex population structure and rapid generation renewal and sensitive to habitat changes. Its population growth response to environmental variations implies its flexible life history traits. In this study, with the samples collected in the north‐central waters of the East China Sea from 2017 to 2021, the daily growth of the spring stock was analyzed based on the age and increment width of statolith. The gradient forest method (GFM) and generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) were used to explore the changes in the weights of environmental variables and the relationships between daily growth and environmental variables in various growth stages. The age of the samples collected from 2017 to 2021 mainly ranged from 180 to 240 days, and the spring stock was the dominant stock. According to the distance from daily increment to core in the statolith, the life history of the spring stock was divided into four growth stages (S1 embryo–larval stage, S2 juvenile stage, S3 subadult stage, and S4 adult stage). For the spring stock, the cumulative weight of temperature and salinity in the population growth was the largest in S1 stage; the cumulative weight of temperature and velocity was the largest in S2 stage; the cumulative weight of temperature was the largest in S3 stage; and the cumulative weight of mixed layer depth (MLD), temperature, and salinity was the largest in S4 stage. The relationship between temperature at the depth of 25 m (T25) and daily growth of the spring stock was first positively correlated (S1–S2), then negatively correlated (S3), and finally positively correlated (S4). The relationship between environment variable and growth of the spring stock gradually decreased with the increase in MLD (30 to 50 m) and SSS (S3–S4, 32.2‰ to 33.2‰) and gradually increased with the increase in the velocity of currents (S1, .1 to .2 m/s). The differences in the responses of the spring stock to environmental variations in different growth stages may lead to the changes in the growth traits for the spring stock. This study provides a scientific basis for a comprehensive understanding of the life history traits of U. edulis.
Pyrogeography in flux: Reorganization of Australian fire regimes in a hotter world
Authors: Cunningham Calum X. , Williamson Grant J. , Nolan Rachael H. , Teckentrup Lina , Boer Matthias M. , Bowman David M. J. S.
Published: January 2024

Changes to the spatiotemporal patterns of wildfire are having profound implications for ecosystems and society globally, but we have limited understanding of the extent to which fire regimes will reorganize in a warming world. While predicting regime shifts remains challenging because of complex climate–vegetation–fire feedbacks, understanding the climate niches of fire regimes provides a simple way to identify locations most at risk of regime change. Using globally available satellite datasets, we constructed 14 metrics describing the spatiotemporal dimensions of fire and then delineated Australia's pyroregions—the geographic area encapsulating a broad fire regime. Cluster analysis revealed 18 pyroregions, notably including the (1) high‐intensity, infrequent fires of the temperate forests, (2) high‐frequency, smaller fires of the tropical savanna, and (3) low‐intensity, diurnal, human‐engineered fires of the agricultural zones. To inform the risk of regime shifts, we identified locations where the climate under three CMIP6 scenarios is projected to shift (i) beyond each pyroregion's historical climate niche, and (ii) into climate space that is novel to the Australian continent. Under middle‐of‐the‐road climate projections (SSP2‐4.5), an average of 65% of the extent of the pyroregions occurred beyond their historical climate niches by 2081–2100. Further, 52% of pyroregion extents, on average, were projected to occur in climate space without present‐day analogues on the Australian continent, implying high risk of shifting to states that also lack present‐day counterparts. Pyroregions in tropical and hot‐arid climates were most at risk of shifting into both locally and continentally novel climate space because (i) their niches are narrower than southern temperate pyroregions, and (ii) their already‐hot climates lead to earlier departure from present‐day climate space. Such a shift implies widespread risk of regime shifts and the emergence of no‐analogue fire regimes. Our approach can be applied to other regions to assess vulnerability to rapid fire regime change.