bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning resource integration by engaging in value cocreation practices: a study of music actors
Authors: Karlsson Jenny , Skålén Per
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This paper explores how actors engage in the situated learning of resource integration (RI) within value cocreation practices (VCPs). VCPs are collectively shared and organized routine activities that actors perform to cocreate value.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on a qualitative study of how successful music actors engage in VCPs and learn RI. Interviews and observations were used to collect data that were analyzed by drawing on the Gioia methodology.

Findings

The findings illuminate the types of VCPs actors engage in to learn RI, the ways in which actors learn RI by engaging in VCPs, and how social contexts condition actors' learning of RI.

Research limitations/implications

This paper offers a framework for understanding actors' situated learning of RI by engaging in VCPs. It illuminates the VCPs that actors engage in to learn RI, how actors advance from peripheral to core participation through their learning, the ways in which actors learn RI by engaging in VCPs, and how social contexts condition actors' situated learning of RI. Implications for the scarce prior research on how actors learn RI are presented.

Practical implications

To contribute to innovative solutions and sustainable growth, managers and policymakers need to offer actors opportunities to learn and make space for actors with competencies that may be important and needed in future VCPs.

Originality/value

In focusing on how actors learn RI by engaging in VCPs, this study draws on theories of communities of practices and situated learning, as well as practice theoretical service research.
An interdisciplinary approach to examining prejudice at work: a levels of analysis perspective
Authors: LaVan Helen , Lopez Yvette P.
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This paper examines recent research on prejudice in the workplace by comparing the domains of management, psychology and sociology. It seeks to make recommendations regarding future research directions in light of significant social movements that impact on prejudice and discrimination.

Design/methodology/approach

The design is built on an interdisciplinary literature review, drawing from research in management, psychology and sociology. In total, 450 recent articles were examined. These factors related to the individual, group and organizational/societal level of analysis to determine what we know about prejudice and discrimination in the workplace and what we do not know.

Findings

This study’s findings show that each domain of management, psychology and sociology makes distinctive contributions, thus providing scholars with a holistic understanding of prejudice and discrimination in the workplace.

Research limitations/implications

The use of content analysis, using both automated and manual coding and chi-square analysis, allows for a deep understanding of the existing research in all three of the domains. This approach allows for reliability and replicability. Noted are the relative absence of intersectionality, immutability and salience.

Practical implications

Recommendations regarding future research directions in light of significant social movements that impact prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviors at all three levels are provided.

Originality/value

The study utilized a novel approach in examining prejudice in the workplace taking a grounded theory perspective, allowing the existing literature to shape the focus and results of the study. Using NVivo allowed for drilling down into the content of the articles to identify minor and major points of discussion relating to prejudice.
The intersection between ‘The Audit Society’ and public sector corruption and fraud: – a literature review and future research agenda
Authors: D’Andreamatteo Antonio , Grossi Giuseppe , Mattei Giorgia , Sargiacomo Massimo
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how the phenomena of corruption and fraud in the public sector have been portrayed in the literature using the Audit Society Framework (Power, 1997).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a structured literature review (Massaro et al., 2016) to unveil relevant literature in the area of corruption and fraud in the public sector.

Findings

Results highlight that the literature using “The Audit Society” theory is still scant. Notwithstanding the call for a more decisive role of auditors in fighting corruption and fraud, much is still to be discovered about consequences of auditing and what “good quality” is.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation is that only literature in English has been included.

Practical implications

This paper helps practitioners and policymakers to take and implement informed decisions with regards to the fight against fraud and corruption.

Social implications

In calling for more research in the domain of audit, fraud and corruption in the public sector, this paper promotes a higher focus of society on public interest and the common good.

Originality/value

This paper investigates one part of The Audit Society related to corruption and fraud, topics that are still very underdeveloped and unexplored by researchers. From the findings the authors suggest possible new avenues for further research.
What innovations would assist the North American hospitality and tourism industry to recover?
Authors: Willie Paul Alvin , Jayawardena Chandi
Published: August 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify what immediate actions can be taken by the North American hospitality and tourism industry to propel economic recovery in the industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A selected cross-section of relevant and recent publications is reviewed. Current practices that are in use by practitioners in the hospitality and tourism community are examined and shared.

Findings

This paper suggests that domestic tourism should be encouraged and that hospitality managers should: communicate what actions have been taken to mitigate Covid-19 transmission within their operations, understand what consumers want and need in a Covid-19 environment and embrace and leverage technology to its full potential.

Originality/value

This paper should be of interest as it is speaks to today's challenges that confront the North American hospitality and tourism industry in the Covid-19 operating environment.
Where specialist and mainstream service systems collide: The National Disability Insurance Scheme in prisons
Authors: Yates Sophie , Dodd Shannon , Doyle Caroline , Buick Fiona , Dickinson Helen
Published: August 2022

The coordination of specialist with mainstream service systems is prone to role delineation and implementation difficulties worldwide. In the case of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), this specialist/mainstream interface is complicated by federalism and funding responsibilities held by different levels of government. People with disability, especially cognitive or intellectual disability, are over‐represented in Australia's prisons. Through semi‐structured interviews with professionals working at the interface of disability and criminal justice, we explore some of these interface issues with regard to NDIS services (specialist) in prisons (mainstream). We find that policy permits some NDIS‐funded services to be delivered inside prisons, such as transition services related to a person's disability, but in practice there is significant variation in how policy is understood and implemented, leading to exclusion and service gaps. This case study shines light on longstanding debates about service coordination across organisational and jurisdictional boundaries.
Future prospects and development strategies of insect industry for food and feed in Korea
Authors: Kwon Ohseok
Published: August 2022

In the last two decades, there was a sharp increase of utilizing insects as a biological resource. In Korea especially, the insect industrialization developed rapidly in relation to the governmental legislation on the utilization of insect resources. This review provides the future prospects and development strategies of the insect industry for food and feed in Korea.
Analgesic effects of alcohol in adults with chronic jaw pain
Authors: Vitus Darya , Williams Michelle K. , Rizk Mehdi , Neubert John K. , Robinson Michael , Boissoneault Jeff
Published: August 2022

Background

Although recent literature provides promising support for the analgesic properties of alcohol, potential differences in alcohol analgesia as a function of chronic pain status are not well understood. Thus, this study examined chronic pain status as a potential moderator of alcohol analgesia and distinguished between multiple aspects of pain experience and sensitivity: pain threshold, pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, and perceived relief.

Methods

Social drinkers with (N = 19) and without (N = 29) chronic jaw pain completed two testing sessions in a counterbalanced order: alcohol (target BrAC = 0.08 g/dl) and placebo. In each, pressure algometry was performed at the insertion of the masseter. Alcohol analgesia was assessed by examining the main and interactive effects of beverage condition, pressure level (4, 5, or 6 pound‐feet [lbf]), and chronic jaw pain status (chronic pain vs. pain‐free control) on quantitative sensory testing measures and pain relief ratings following noxious stimuli.

Results

Analyses indicated significant increases in pain threshold and pain relief and reductions in pain unpleasantness and pain intensity, under the alcohol condition. Chronic pain participants demonstrated lower pain thresholds and greater pain intensity and pain unpleasantness ratings than controls. There were no interactive effects of alcohol and pain conditions on any pain measure.

Conclusions

Findings provide experimental evidence of alcohol's analgesic and pain‐relieving effects and suggest that these effects do not significantly differ by chronic pain status. Individuals, who self‐medicate pain via alcohol consumption, irrespective of pain status, may be at increased risk to engage in hazardous drinking patterns and thus experience adverse alcohol‐related consequences.
Transformation of identity in substance use as a pathway to recovery and the potential of treatment for hepatitis C: a systematic review
Authors: Donaldson Sarah R. , Radley Andrew , Dillon John F.
Published: August 2022

Background and aim

People who inject drugs are at high risk of contracting hepatitis C (HCV). The introduction of direct acting antiviral (DAA) drugs to treat HCV has the potential to transform care; however, uptake of DAAs has been slower than anticipated. The strong link between HCV and injecting drug use frames HCV as a shameful, stigmatising disease, reinforcing an ‘addict’ identity. Linking HCV care to a recovery journey, ‘clean’ identity and social redemption may provide compelling encouragement for people to engage with treatment and re‐evaluate risk and behaviours, reducing the incidence of HCV re‐infection. The aim of this review was to identify actions, interventions and treatments that provide an opportunity for a change in identity and support a recovery journey and the implications for HCV care.

Methods

Databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ProQuest Public Health, ProQuest Sociological Abstracts, CINAHL and Web of Science) were searched following our published strategy and a grey literature search conducted. A narrative synthesis was undertaken to collate themes and identify common threads and provide an explanation of the findings.

Results

Thirty‐two studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The narrative synthesis of the studies identified five over‐arching analytical themes: social factors in substance use and recovery, therapeutic communities, community treatment, online communities, and finally women and youth subsets. The change from an ‘addict’ identity to a ‘recovery’ identity is described as a key aspect of a recovery journey, and this process can be supported through social support and turning point opportunities.

Conclusions

Recovery from addiction is a socially mediated process. Actions, interventions and treatments that support a recovery journey provide social connections, a recovery identity and citizenship (reclaiming a place in society). There is a gap in current literature describing how pathways of care with direct acting antivirals can be designed to promote recovery, as part of hepatitis C care.
Using the alcohol use disorders identification test to predict hospital admission for alcohol‐related conditions in the Danish general population: a record‐linkage study
Authors: Brummer Julie , Bloomfield Kim , Karriker‐Jaffe Katherine J. , Pedersen Michael Mulbjerg , Hesse Morten
Published: August 2022

Background and Aims

Most studies validating the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) have either assessed its factor structure and/or test–retest reliability or used diagnostic interviews as validators of current alcohol use disorders. The aim of the present study was to determine whether AUDIT and AUDIT‐Consumption (AUDIT‐C) scores are associated with subsequent risk of hospital admission for alcohol‐related disorders and diseases (ARDDs).

Design

We used a historical cohort study. Using national registers, survey respondents were tracked from 1 September 2011 to hospitalization for an ARDD, emigration, death, or 31 December 2018, whichever occurred first.

Setting

Denmark.

Participants

Respondents (n = 4522) from a Danish national survey conducted in autumn 2011.

Measurements

Outcome was incident ARDD admission recorded in the National Patient Register. Predictors were AUDIT and AUDIT‐C scores, and covariates were age, gender, highest level of education and previous psychiatric disorder.

Findings

During the study period, 56 respondents had a first‐time ARDD admission. Respondents who scored above the 8‐point AUDIT cut‐off and respondents who scored above the 5‐point AUDIT‐C cut‐off had a significantly increased risk of being admitted for an ARDD compared with respondents who scored below the cut‐offs, (AUDIT: hazard ratio (HR), 4.72; 95% CI, 2.59–8.60; AUDIT‐C: HR, 7.97; 95% CI, 3.66–17.31).

Conclusions

Scores above alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) and AUDIT‐Consumption (AUDIT‐C) cut‐offs are associated with an increased risk of long‐term alcohol‐related hospital admissions. At widely used cut‐offs, the AUDIT‐C is a better predictor of alcohol‐related hospitalizations among members of the general population than the full AUDIT.
The relationship between alcohol use and dementia in adults aged more than 60 years: a combined analysis of prospective, individual‐participant data from 15 international studies
Authors: Mewton Louise , Visontay Rachel , Hoy Nicholas , Lipnicki Darren M. , Sunderland Matthew , Lipton Richard B. , Guerchet Maëlenn , Ritchie Karen , Najar Jenna , Scarmeas Nikolaos , Kim Ki‐Woong , Riedel Heller Steffi , van Boxtel Martin , Jacobsen Erin , Brodaty Henry , Anstey Kaarin J. , Haan Mary , Scazufca Marcia , Lobo Elena , Sachdev Perminder S. ,   Collaborators from the Cohort Studies of Memory in an International Consortium (COSMIC)
Published: August 2022

Aim

To synthesize international findings on the alcohol–dementia relationship, including representation from low‐ and middle‐income countries.

Methods

Individual participant data meta‐analysis of 15 prospective epidemiological cohort studies from countries situated in six continents. Cox regression investigated the dementia risk associated with alcohol use in older adults aged over 60 years. Additional analyses assessed the alcohol–dementia relationship in the sample stratified by sex and by continent. Participants included 24 478 community dwelling individuals without a history of dementia at baseline and at least one follow‐up dementia assessment. The main outcome measure was all‐cause dementia as determined by clinical interview.

Results

At baseline, the mean age across studies was 71.8 (standard deviation = 7.5, range = 60–102 years), 14 260 (58.3%) were female and 13 269 (54.2%) were current drinkers. During 151 636 person‐years of follow‐up, there were 2124 incident cases of dementia (14.0 per 1000 person‐years). When compared with abstainers, the risk for dementia was lower in occasional [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.68–0.89], light–moderate (HR = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.70–0.87) and moderate–heavy drinkers (HR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.51–0.77). There was no evidence of differences between life‐time abstainers and former drinkers in terms of dementia risk (HR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.81–1.18). In dose–response analyses, moderate drinking up to 40 g/day was associated with a lower risk of dementia when compared with lif‐time abstaining. Among current drinkers, there was no consistent evidence for differences in terms of dementia risk. Results were similar when the sample was stratified by sex. When analysed at the continent level, there was considerable heterogeneity in the alcohol–dementia relationship.

Conclusions

Abstinence from alcohol appears to be associated with an increased risk for all‐cause dementia. Among current drinkers, there appears to be no consistent evidence to suggest that the amount of alcohol consumed in later life is associated with dementia risk.
Genome‐wide association study for carcass traits in Hanwoo cattle using additional relatives' information of non‐genotyped animals
Authors: Kim Hyoun Ju , de las Heras‐Saldana Sara , Moghaddar Nasir , Lee Seung‐Hwan , Lim Dajeong , van der Werf Julius H. J.
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study was to find significant genomic regions associated with carcass traits in Hanwoo cattle and to compare the benefit of using additional information from non‐genotyped animals. Imputed whole‐genome sequence data were used along with phenotypic data on 13 715 genotyped animals as well as phenotypes of 440 284 non‐genotyped animals that were offspring of 454 genotyped sires. For carcass weight, 15 083 SNPs in 33 QTL regions and 313 candidate genes were identified. We found 410 SNPs in 17 QTL regions containing 122 candidate genes for back fat thickness. In total, 656 SNPs in 19 QTLs with 137 candidate genes for eye muscle area and 79 SNPs in 12 QTL regions with 77 candidate genes were identified for marbling score. The most important candidate genes included ZFAT, TG, PLAG1, CHCHD7, and TOX for carcass weight and eye muscle area, NOG for back fat thickness, and EVOVL5 for marbling score. This study showed that the use of phenotypic records on non‐genotyped progeny along with imputed whole‐genome sequence data increased the power of detecting new significant genomic regions.
Dark Side of the Shroom: Erasing Indigenous and Counterculture Wisdoms with Psychedelic Capitalism, and the Open Source Alternative
Authors: Devenot Neşe , Conner Trey , Doyle Richard
Published: August 2022

Psychedelic or ecodelic medicines (e.g., psilocybin, ayahuasca, iboga) for the care and treatment of addiction, post‐traumatic stress disorder, cancer, cluster headaches, anxiety, and depression have surged to the forefront of discussions about mental health in the US, leading to the emergence of well‐capitalized biotech companies offering multimillion‐dollar IPOs. Venture capital website Pitchbook reports “continuing investor interest and growing acceptance of what until recently was seen as a fringe area of medicine.” As scholars, activists, and practitioners who have been healed by these medicines and applaud the recent wave of decriminalization after a long, strange trip of mass incarceration and widespread dangerous misinformation, we look forward to a culture that makes these medicines available in a safe and affordable way that respects the lineages of the knowledges that are essentially and not accidentally bundled with these plants—Indigenous and counterculture wisdoms for whom these medicines were never “fringe,” but always foundational. In place of corporadelia's pursuit of standardization, we emphasize the care and wisdom of the Indigenous and countercultural teachings—traditions that have made psychedelics available to the emerging corporate/research partnership in the first place. These knowledge traditions offer foils to the ongoing translation of university peer‐reviewed research into market copy, technical articles, and IPOs, and the concomitant emergence of psychedelic pundits. In particular, we examine instances where prominent researchers have overstated the findings of existing clinical trials in public‐facing representations of the field. We argue that these corporate priorities and tactics are being aided by a new wave of psychedelic “thought leaders” who seek to delegitimize non‐hierarchical approaches to knowledge production and community support within a psychedelic commons. While prominent psychedelic psychiatrists and behaviorists are focused on rooting out and transforming individual habits of mind, we argue that there is another, latent potential for psychedelics to draw attention to—and transform—the invisible, hegemonic infrastructures and ideologies that subtly naturalize and perpetuate deeply unequal societies.
Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: a systematic review of treatment and mortality in more than 1000 cases
Authors: Harley Frances , Wei Gavin , O'Callaghan Michael , Wong Lih‐Ming , Hennessey Derek , Kinnear Ned
Published: August 2022

Objectives

To systematically review the current demographics, treatment and mortality rate associated with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) and to test the hypothesis that the weighted pooled peri‐operative mortality rate will be <10%.

Methods

Searches were performed of the Cochrane, Embase and Medline databases and the grey literature for studies published during the period 1 January 2000 to 30 August 2021. Eligible studies reported cohorts of ≥10 predominantly adult patients with XGP and described either average patient age or mortality rate.

Results

In total, 40 eligible studies were identified, representing 1139 patients with XGP. There were 18 deaths, with a weighted pooled peri‐operative mortality rate of 1436 per 100 000 patients. The mean age was 49 years, 70% of patients were female and 28% had diabetes mellitus. The left kidney was more commonly affected (60%). Four patients had bilateral XGP, and all of whom survived. Renal or ureteric stones were present in 69% of patients, including 48% with staghorn calculi. Urine culture was positive in 59% of cases. Fistulae were present in 8%. Correct preoperative diagnosis occurred in only 45% of patients. Standard treatment continues to comprise a short cause of antibiotics and open radical (total) nephrectomy. Preoperative decompression occurred in 56% of patients. When considered at all, laparoscopic nephrectomy was performed in 34% of patients. Partial nephrectomy was conducted in 2% of patients.

Conclusions

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis has a lower mortality rate than historically reported. A typical patient is a woman in her fifth or sixth decade of life with urolithiasis. While open radical nephrectomy remains the most common treatment method, laparoscopic, and to a lesser degree partial nephrectomy, are feasible in well selected patients.
Pre‐transplant cognitive screening is a poor predictor of post‐transplant cognitive status
Authors: Gupta Aditi , Montgomery Robert N. , Young Kate , Mukherjee Rishav , Chakraborty Shweta , Thomas Tashra S. , Cibrik Diane M. , Drew David , Sarnak Mark
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Transplant centers hesitate to transplant patients with cognitive impairment. It is unclear if pre‐kidney transplant (KT) cognitive screening can predict post‐KT cognitive function.

Methods

We evaluated pre‐ to post‐KT cognitive function with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in a cohort of 108 patients. We used an adjusted logistic regression model to assess pre‐ to post‐KT changes in cognitive status (continuous variable) and a linear mixed model to assess changes in MoCA scores (categorical variable) pre‐ to post‐ KT.

Results

The average pre‐ and post‐KT MoCA scores were 25.3 ± 3.0 and 26.4 ± 2.8, respectively. Final pre‐KT score did not predict post‐KT cognitive status (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: .92–1.26; P = .35). 32% of the patients with a final pre‐KT score ≥26 had at least one post‐KT score < 26. Conversely, 61% of the patients with a final pre‐KT score < 26 had at least one post KT score ≥26. In the linear mixed model analysis, the final pre‐KT score was associated with a small, clinically insignificant (β = .34; 95% CI: .19–.49; P < .001) effect on the post‐KT score.

Conclusion

A low pre‐KT MoCA score is not a strong independent predictor of post‐KT cognitive function and should not preclude patients from receiving a KT.
I want a quiet life! On productivity and competition in the Central European energy sector
Authors: Steinbrunner Philipp
Published: August 2022

An important proposition in Economics claims that competition spurs technical efficiency, as it forces firms to raise competitiveness to survive market pressure. This study examines the effects of firm‐level Lerner indexes on productivity, using a dataset on energy firms from Central European postcommunist countries during 2009–2017. The energy sector is of particular interest, as markets are still concentrated, although governments have liberalized them considerably. To contribute to the literature, I derive Lerner indexes from the production function next to involving the return on sales. Supporting the literature, the overall results highlight that market power significantly decreases productivity.
Consumers' relationship with mass prestige brands and happiness
Authors: Nobre Helena , Kumar Ajay , Kastanakis Minas N. , Paul Justin
Published: August 2022

This study investigates how the relationships consumers establish with prestigious brands can lead to brand happiness. A study of 545 responses covering 19 global brands assessed consumers' perceptions of their relationship with prestigious brands—in both functional and symbolic categories—and brand happiness. Using structural equation modeling and moderation analysis, we show that (1) the prestige associated with brands induces consumers to formulate relationships with those brands and (2) brands' mass prestige (masstige) helps them achieve brand happiness. We show that consumers' attitudes toward luxury brands moderate the masstige–brand happiness relationship. In addition, brand classification (functional vs. symbolic) is an important moderator, with consumers perceiving symbolic brands as more intimate and, thus, as exhibiting more prestige and contributing more to brand happiness than functional brands. The more passionate consumers' relationship with a masstige brand, the happier they are with the brand.
I didn't promise, I said inshallah1: Saudi Arabian employees' perceptions of the importance of implicit promises within the psychological contract
Authors: Aldossari Maryam , Robertson Maxine , Chaudhry Sara
Published: August 2022

The psychological contract was both conceptualised and has been investigated primarily in Western contexts. While research has demonstrated its utility for exploring the nature of the individual employment relationship in other cultures, the fundamental tenets of the psychological contract have never been challenged. In particular, there is an absence of empirical research on how the notion of implicit promises might be viewed in Eastern contexts, in spite of promises constituting a significant plank of employee interpretation of the psychological contract. Using two case studies in Saudi Arabia, this research investigates how different sources of information influence the construction of implicit promises in a culturally unique employment context. We propose a theoretical model that outlines key factors that shape employee beliefs of implicit promises in order to guide future research in the field of psychological contracts.
Hidden but revealed: After years of genetic studies behavioural monitoring combined with genomics uncover new insight into the population dynamics of Atlantic cod in Icelandic waters
Authors: Pampoulie Christophe , Berg Paul Ragnar , Jentoft Sissel
Published: August 2022

Stock structure is of paramount importance for sustainable management of exploited resources. In that context, genetic markers have been used for more than two decades to resolve spatial structure of marine exploited resources and to fully fathom stock dynamics and interactions. While genetic markers such as allozymes and RFLP dominated the debate in the early era of genetics, technology advances have provided scientists with new tools every decade to better assess stock discrimination and interactions (i.e. gene flow). Here, we provide a review of genetic studies performed to understand stock structure of Atlantic cod in Icelandic waters, from the early allozyme approaches to the genomic work currently carried out. We further highlight the importance of the generation of a chromosome‐anchored genome assembly together with whole‐genome population data, which drastically changed our perception of the possible management units to consider. After nearly 60 years of genetic investigation of Atlantic cod structure in Icelandic waters, genetic (and later genomic) data combined with behavioural monitoring using Data Storage Tags shifted the attention from geographical population structures to behavioural ecotypes. This review also demonstrates the need for future research to further disentangle the impact of these ecotypes (and gene flow among them) on the population structure of Atlantic cod in Icelandic waters. It also highlights the importance of whole‐genome data to unravel unexpected within‐species diversity related to chromosomal inversions and associated supergenes, which are important to consider for future development of sustainable management programmes of the species within the North Atlantic.
Regulation of the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway by lysine acetylation of E. coliOPRTase
Authors: Lozano‐Terol Gema , Gallego‐Jara Julia , Sola‐Martínez Rosa Alba , Ortega Álvaro , Martínez Vivancos Adrián , Cánovas Díaz Manuel , de Diego Puente Teresa
Published: August 2022

The de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway is an important route due to the relevance of its products, its implications in health and its conservation among organisms. Here, we investigated the regulation by lysine acetylation of this pathway. To this aim, intracellular and extracellular metabolites of the route were quantified, revealing a possible blockage of the pathway by acetylation of the OPRTase enzyme (orotate phosphoribosyltransferase). Chemical acetylation of OPRTase by acetyl‐P involved a decrease in enzymatic activity. To test the effect of acetylation in this enzyme, K26 and K103 residues were selected to generate site‐specific acetylated proteins. Several differences were observed in kinetic parameters, emphasizing that the kcat of these mutants showed a strong decrease of 300 and 150‐fold for OPRTase‐103AcK and 19 and 6.3‐fold for OPRTase‐26AcK, for forward and reverse reactions. In vivo studies suggested acetylation of this enzyme by a nonenzymatic acetyl‐P‐dependent mechanism and a reversion of this process by the CobB deacetylase. A complementation assay of a deficient strain in the pyrE gene with OPRTase‐26AcK and OPRTase‐103AcK was performed, and curli formation, stoichiometric parameters and orotate excretion were measured. Complementation with acetylated enzymes entailed a profile very similar to that of the ∆pyrE strain, especially in the case of complementation with OPRTase‐103AcK. These results suggest regulation of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway by lysine acetylation of OPRTase in Escherichia coli. This finding is of great relevance due to the essential role of this route and the OPRTase enzyme as a target for antimicrobial, antiviral and cancer treatments.
Endospores associated with deep seabed geofluid features in the eastern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Rattray Jayne E. , Chakraborty Anirban , Elizondo Gretta , Ellefson Emily , Bernard Bernie , Brooks James , Hubert Casey R. J.
Published: August 2022

Recent studies have reported up to 1.9 × 1029 bacterial endospores in the upper kilometre of deep subseafloor marine sediments, however, little is understood about their origin and dispersal. In cold ocean environments, the presence of thermospores (endospores produced by thermophilic bacteria) suggests that distribution is governed by passive migration from warm anoxic sources possibly facilitated by geofluid flow, such as advective hydrocarbon seepage sourced from petroleum deposits deeper in the subsurface. This study assesses this hypothesis by measuring endospore abundance and distribution across 60 sites in Eastern Gulf of Mexico (EGM) sediments using a combination of the endospore biomarker 2,6‐pyridine dicarboxylic acid or ‘dipicolinic acid’ (DPA), sequencing 16S rRNA genes of thermospores germinated in 50°C sediment incubations, petroleum geochemistry in the sediments and acoustic seabed data from sub‐bottom profiling. High endospore abundance is associated with geologically active conduit features (mud volcanoes, pockmarks, escarpments and fault systems), consistent with subsurface fluid flow dispersing endospores from deep warm sources up into the cold ocean. Thermospores identified at conduit sites were most closely related to bacteria associated with the deep biosphere habitats including hydrocarbon systems. The high endospore abundance at geological seep features demonstrated here suggests that recalcitrant endospores and their chemical components (such as DPA) can be used in concert with geochemical and geophysical analyses to locate discharging seafloor features. This multiproxy approach can be used to better understand patterns of advective fluid flow in regions with complex geology like the EGM basin.
Local Indicator of Spatial Agglomeration between Newly Opened Outlets and Existing Competitors on a Street Network
Authors: Morioka Wataru , Kwan Mei‐Po , Okabe Atsuyuki , McLafferty Sara L.
Published: August 2022

Distance from competitors is a key factor in retail site selection and profitability. To understand the locational tendency that each newly opened outlet locates close to or far from existing competitors in a target area, a specific method is needed. Hence, this study aims first to develop a statistical method to discover the local spatial associations between newly opened and existing point‐like outlets on a street network. We achieve this objective by extending the network local cross K function. The second objective is to evaluate the practicality of the proposed method by applying it to restaurants in a trendy district in Tokyo. Specifically, this study focuses on answering two questions: first, whether each newly opened restaurant is closely located to existing ones or not and, second, whether each existing restaurant attracts newly opened restaurants or not. The results show that the method is useful for revealing the location tendencies of retail outlets toward competitors.
High interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility among pathologists assessing PD‐L1 CPS across multiple indications
Authors: Nuti Shanthy , Zhang Yiwei , Zerrouki Nabila , Roach Charlotte , Bänfer Gudrun , Kumar George L , Manna Edward , Diezko Rolf , Kersch Kristopher , Rüschoff Josef , Jasani Bharat
Published: August 2022

Aims

A common concern among pathologists scoring PD‐L1 immunohistochemical staining is interobserver and intraobserver variability. We assessed the interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility of PD‐L1 scoring among trained pathologists using a combined positive score (CPS; tumour cell and tumour‐associated immune cell staining).

Methods and results

Data were collected for 2 years (2017–2019) from 456 pathologists worldwide. Digital training encompassed unique, tumour‐specific training, and test sets. Samples were stained using PD‐L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx and evaluated at specific CPS cutoffs for gastric cancer (GC), cervical cancer (CC), urothelial cancer (UC), oesophageal cancer (OC), and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Pathologists underwent expert‐to‐peer training and scored 20 blinded samples on day 1 and 25 blinded samples on day 2 (including 15 of the day 1 samples). Interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility were assessed. For GC (120 observers) and CC (32 observers) samples assessed at CPS ≥1, average interobserver agreement was 91.5% and 91.0%, respectively, and average intraobserver agreement was 90.2% and 96.6%, respectively. For UC (139 observers) and OC (52 observers) samples measured at CPS ≥10, average interobserver agreement was 93.4% and 93.7%, respectively, and average intraobserver agreement was 92.0% and 92.5%, respectively. For HNSCC samples (113 observers), average interobserver agreement was 94.1% at CPS ≥1 and 86.5% at CPS ≥20; intraobserver agreement was 94.7% at CPS ≥1 and 90.5% at CPS ≥20.

Conclusion

The consistently high interobserver and intraobserver concordance rates support the effectiveness of face‐to‐face training of many global pathologists for scoring PD‐L1 CPS across multiple indications at several specific cutoffs.
Consumer financial information processing: An integrated approach to examine individual differences
Authors: Fan Lu
Published: August 2022

This study applied an integrated approach to construct a hierarchical framework for consumer financial information processing. Individual differences in customers' psychological, cognitive and motivational characteristics were examined as antecedents. Using data collected from a sample of 613 U.S. adults, this study used the structural equation modeling method to identify significant direct and indirect relationships amongst personality traits, financial self‐efficacy, financial information‐gathering ability, search motivation, financial information sufficiency and the utilization of heuristics and systematic financial information‐processing modes. The results showed that consumers' information sufficiency (+) directly explained the application of the heuristic mode, whereas consumers' information gathering ability (+), motivation to search (+) and information sufficiency (+) directly explained the use of the systematic mode. Financial self‐efficacy demonstrated positive indirect associations with both heuristic and systematic modes. The results also revealed that personality traits including agreeableness, emotional stability and extraversion indirectly explained the use of information‐processing modes. Agreeableness (−) and emotional stability (+) were indirectly associated with both heuristic and systematic information processing modes, whilst extraversion (+) was only indirectly associated with the heuristic mode. Openness (+) was the only trait that was directly associated with the systematic mode. This study contributes to the literature on consumer financial information processing by connecting individuals' psychological, cognitive and motivational characteristics. The findings of this study provide valuable insights and policy and practical implications within the industry.
Texture properties of parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.) for the elderly base on the enzyme treatment
Authors: Kim Dah‐Sol , Iida Fumiko , Joo Nami
Published: August 2022

Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.) is nutritionally suitable for the elderly, but it is generally rejected because they have a relatively firm texture and is difficult to eat and can irritate the stomach. Therefore, strategies are being developed to produce soft root vegetable products to meet balanced nutrient intake and healthy nutritional status in the body, taking into account the reduced digestive effects and chewing ability in the elderly. Among them, the effect of enzymes on the qualitative texture properties of parsnips was studied in this study because enzymes cause changes in fibre and have an advantageous effect on the softness of root vegetables. Here, three treatment groups, cellulase, polygalacturonase and α‐amylase, and one untreated parsnip were compared and analysed, and the effect on texture parameters was confirmed. In particular, all enzyme management has significantly reduced hardness, and these results provide an opportunity to produce antioxidant‐enhanced parsnips with a smooth texture and satisfactory technical properties. In addition, easy consumption of antioxidant‐rich parsnips suggests that it can help older people get demand for antioxidants.
Differences in the expression of soluble proteins in freshwater and brackish‐water ecotypes of the snail Theodoxus fluviatilis
Authors: Wiesenthal Amanda Alice , Müller Christian , Albrecht Dirk , Hildebrandt Jan‐Peter
Published: August 2022

The neritid snail Theodoxus fluviatilis has formed regional subgroups in northern Europe, where it appears in both freshwater (FW) and brackish water (BW) in coastal areas of the Baltic Sea. These ecotypes show clear differences in osmotolerance and in the modes of accumulating organic osmolytes under hyperosmotic stress. We reasoned that the expression patterns of soluble proteins in the two ecotypes may differ as well. BW snails have to deal with a higher salinity (up to 20‰) than FW snails (0.5‰) and also cope with frequent fluctuations in environmental salinity that occur after heavy rains or evaporation caused by extended periods of intense sunshine. Therefore, the protein expression patterns of specimens collected at five different FW and BW sites were analyzed using 2D SDS‐PAGE, mass spectrometry, and sequence comparisons based on a transcriptome database for Theodoxus fluviatilis. We identified 89 differentially expressed proteins. The differences in the expression between FW and BW snails may be due to phenotypic plasticity, but may also be determined by local genetic adaptations. Among the differentially expressed proteins, 19 proteins seem to be of special interest as they may be involved in mediating the higher tolerance of BW animals towards environmental change compared with FW animals.
Two Concepts of Meaningful Work
Authors: van der Deijl Willem
Published: August 2022

The concept of meaningful work is used to evaluate the quality of work. Typical cases of meaningless work that have been used to clarify this concept are assembly line work, and work involving other types of mindless tasks, but also David Graeber's ‘bullshit jobs’. I argue that there are at least two fundamental reasons to care about meaningful work: reasons from the wellbeing of the worker and reasons pertaining to meaningfulness of the worker's life. I first argue that a concept of meaningful work needs to reflect these two values, but that these two values may come apart. Because of this, accounts that provide a single answer to the question to what extent a particular work context is meaningful work for a particular worker are unable to reflect these two values. I then survey three promising accounts of meaningful work: perfectionism, which captures the self‐interested aspect of meaningful work well but fails to capture the meaningfulness aspect appropriately; consequentialism, which captures the meaningfulness aspect well but fails to capture the self‐interested aspect; and Wolf's Fitting Fulfilment View of meaningful projects, which can be read as addressing both concerns but leads to implausible judgments about meaningful work. I then argue that we should conceive of the concerns that fall under the notion of meaningful work as two separate concepts and values. The best work incorporates both these dimensions but falling short on either dimension is problematic for different reasons.
A systematic review of the use of 3D printing in left atrial appendage occlusion procedures
Authors: Tarabanis Constantine , Klapholz Jonah , Zahid Sohail , Jankelson Lior
Published: August 2022

The placement of a left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) device can be a technically challenging transcatheter‐based procedure. Key challenges include accurate pre‐procedural device sizing and proper device positioning at the LAA ostium to ensure sufficient device anchoring and avoid peri‐device leaks. To address these challenges, 3D printing (3DP) of LAA models has recently emerged in the literature, first being described in 2015. We present a review of the benefits and drawbacks of employing this technology for LAAO procedures. Pre‐procedurally the use of 3DP can consistently and accurately determine LAAO device size over standard of care approaches. Intra‐procedurally 3DP's impact entailed a statistically significant decrease in the number of devices used per procedure, as well as in the fluoroscopic time and dose. Post‐procedurally, there is some evidence that 3DP could reduce the rate of peri‐device leaks, with limited data on its effect on complication rates. Based on existing evidence, we recommend the focused application of 3DP to cases of complex LAA anatomy and for the training of proceduralists. Lastly, we address the emergence of next generation LAAO devices and AR/VR systems that could limit even this narrow window of clinical benefit afforded by 3DP.
Systematic pan‐cancer analysis identifies RBM39 as an immunological and prognostic biomarker
Authors: Zhang Rui , Wang Wei , Zhang Nie , Chen Xueting , Liu Wanming , Zhang Longzhen , Liu Nianli
Published: August 2022

RNA‐binding Motif Protein39 (RBM39) is identified as a splicing factor and transcription coactivator. Despite mounting evidence that RBM39 plays a critical role in the development of specific malignancies, no systematic pan‐cancer investigation of RBM39 has been conducted. As a result, we set out to investigate RBM39’s prognostic significance and putative immunological activities in 33 different cancers. Based on TCGA and CCLE, GTEx, cBioportal and HPA, we used a series of bioinformatics approaches to explore the potential oncogenic role of RBM39, including analysis of the expression of the pan‐cancer species RBM39, the prognostic relationship between RBM39 expression and overall survival (OS), disease‐specific survival (DSS) and progression‐free interval (PFI), the relationship between RBM39 expression and clinical phenotype, analysis of the relationship between RBM39 expression and tumour mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), DNA methylation and immune cell infiltration. Our results showed that RBM39 is overexpressed in most cancers. RBM39 was positively or negatively correlated with the prognosis of different tumours. RBM39 expression was associated with TMB and MSI in 9 and 12 cancer types. In addition, RBM39 expression was associated with DNA methylation in almost all tumours. There are eight tumours were screened for further study, including BRCA, COAD, HNSC, LIHC, LUSC, SKCM, STAD, UCEC. In the screed tumours, RBM39 was found to be negatively correlated with the infiltration of most immune cells. In addition, the correlation with RBM39 expression varied by immune cell subtype. Based on RBM39’s role in tumorigenesis and tumour immunity, we suggest it can serve as a surrogate prognostic marker.