bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cross-continental variation of herbivore resistance in a global plant invader
Authors: Cao Peipei , Liao Zhiyong , Zhang Lei , Wang Shengyu , Bi Jingwen , Zhao Yujie , Parepa Madalin , Lin Tiantian , Guo Yaolin , Bossdorf Oliver , Richards Christina L. , Endriss Stacy B. , Wu Jihua , Ju Ruiting , Li Bo
Published: December 2023

Successful plant invasions are often explained with adaptation to novel environments. However, invasive species often occupy broad niches within their native and introduced ranges, and a true understanding of microevolution during invasion therefore requires broad sampling of ranges, ideally with a knowledge of introduction history. We tested for genetic differentiation in herbivore resistance among 128 introduced (Europe, North America) and native (China, Japan) populations of the invasive Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) in two common gardens in the native range. In both common gardens we found that resistance traits of introduced populations differed from most Chinese native populations, but not from populations in Japan, the putative sources of introduction. Compared to Chinese populations, introduced European populations had thicker leaves with a lower C:N ratio but higher flavonoids contents. In the native range, variation in herbivore resistance was much more strongly associated with climate of origin than in introduced populations. Our results support the idea that founder effects played a key role in the invasion of knotweed into Europe and North America, with introduction of particular resistance phenotypes from Japan. Our study also demonstrates how knowledge of introduction history can avoid drawing wrong conclusions from observed biogeographic divergence.
New avenues for potentially seeking microbial responses to climate change beneath Antarctic ice shelves
Authors: Vicedo Aitana Llorenç , Gomez Monica Lluesma , Zeising Ole , Kleiner Thomas , Freitag Johannes , Martínez-Hernández Francisco J. , Wilhelms Frank , Martínez-García Manuel
Published: December 2023

The signs of climate change are undeniable, and the impact of these changes on ecosystem function heavily depends on the response of microbes that underpin the food web. Antarctic ice shelf is a massive mass of floating ice that extends from the continent into the ocean, exerting a profound influence on global carbon cycles. Beneath Antarctic ice shelves, marine ice stores valuable genetic information, where marine microbial communities before the industrial revolution are archived. Here, in this proof-of-concept, by employing a combination of single-cell genomics and metagenomics, we have been able to sequence frozen microbial DNA (≍300 years old) stored in the marine ice core B15 collected from the Filchnner-Ronne Ice Shelf. Metagenomic data indicated thatProteobacteriaandThaumarchaeota(e.g.Nitrosopumilus spp.) followed byActinobacteria(e.g. Actinomarinales) were abundant. Remarkably, our data allow us to ‘travel to the past’ and calibrate genomic and genetic evolutionary changes for ecologically relevant microbes and functions, such asNitrosopumilusspp., preserved in the marine ice (≍300 years old) with those collected recently in seawater under an ice shelf (year 2017). The evolutionary divergence for the ammonia monooxygenase geneamoAinvolved in chemolithoautotrophy was about 0.88 amino acid and 2.8 nucleotide substitution rate per 100 sites in a century, while the accumulated rate of genomic SNPs was 2,467 per 1 Mb of genome and 100 years. Whether these evolutionary changes remained constant over the last 300 years or accelerated during post-industrial periods remains an open question that will be further elucidated.

Importance

Several efforts have been undertaken to predict the response of microbes under climate change, mainly based on short-term microcosm experiments under forced conditions. A common concern is that manipulative experiments cannot properly simulate the response of microbes to climate change, which is a long-term evolutionary process. In this proof-of-concept study with a limited sample size, we demonstrate a novel approach yet to be fully explored in science for accessing genetic information from putative past marine microbes preserved under Antarctic Ice shelves before Industrial revolution. This potentially allow us estimating evolutionary changes as exemplified in our study. We advocate for gathering a more comprehensive Antarctic marine ice core datasets across various periods and sites. Such a dataset would enable the establishment of a robust baseline, facilitating a better assessment of the potential effects of climate change on key genetic signatures of microbes.
Persistence of backtracking by human RNA polymerase II
Authors: Yang Kevin B , Rasouly Aviram , Epshtein Vitaly , Martinez Criseyda , Nguyen Thao , Shamovsky Ilya , Nudler Evgeny
Published: December 2023

RNA polymerase II (pol II) can backtrack during transcription elongation, exposing the 3’ end of nascent RNA. Nascent RNA sequencing can approximate the location of backtracking events that are quickly resolved; however, the extent and genome wide distribution of more persistent backtracking is unknown. Consequently, we developed a novel method to directly sequence the extruded, “backtracked” 3’ RNA. Our data shows that pol II slides backwards more than 20 nucleotides in human cells and can persist in this backtracked state. Persistent backtracking mainly occurs where pol II pauses near promoters and intron-exon junctions, and is enriched in genes involved in translation, replication, and development, where gene expression is decreased if these events are unresolved. Histone genes are highly prone to persistent backtracking, and the resolution of such events is likely required for timely expression during cell division. These results demonstrate that persistent backtracking has the potential to affect diverse gene expression programs.
Structure-Infused Protein Language Models
Authors: Peñaherrera Daniel , Koes David Ryan
Published: December 2023

Embeddings from protein language models (PLM’s) capture intricate patterns for protein sequences, enabling more accurate and efficient prediction of protein properties. Incorporating protein structure information as direct input into PLMs results in an improvement on the predictive ability of protein embeddings on downstream tasks. In this work we demonstrate that indirectly infusing structure information into PLMs also leads to performance gains on structure related tasks. The key difference between this framework and others is that atinference timethe model does not require access to structure to produce its embeddings.
Host E3 ubiquitin ligase ITCH mediatesToxoplasma gondiieffector GRA35-triggered NLRP1 inflammasome activation and cell-autonomous immunity
Authors: Wang Yifan , Hollingsworth L. Robert , Sangaré Lamba Omar , Paredes-Santos Tatiana C. , Krishnamurthy Shruthi , Penn Bennett H. , Wu Hao , Saeij Jeroen P. J.
Published: December 2023

Toxoplasma gondiiis an intracellular parasite that can activate the NLRP1 inflammasome leading to macrophage pyroptosis in Lewis rats, but the underlying mechanism is not well understood. In this study, we performed a genome-wide CRISPR screen and identified the dense granule proteins GRA35, GRA42, and GRA43 as theToxoplasmaeffectors mediating cell death in Lewis rat macrophages. GRA35 localizes on the parasitophorous vacuole membrane, where it interacts with the host E3 ubiquitin ligase ITCH. Inhibition of proteasome activity or ITCH knockout prevented pyroptosis inToxoplasma-infected Lewis rat macrophages, consistent with the “NLRP1 functional degradation model”. However, there was no evidence that ITCH directly ubiquitinates or interacts with rat NLRP1. We also found that GRA35-ITCH interaction affectedToxoplasmafitness in IFNγ-activated human fibroblasts, likely due to ITCH’s role in recruiting ubiquitin and the parasite-restriction factor RNF213 to the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. These findings identify a new role of host E3 ubiquitin ligase ITCH in mediating effector-triggered immunity, a critical concept that involves recognizing intracellular pathogens and initiating host innate immune responses.

IMPORTANCE

Effector-triggered immunity represents an innate immune defense mechanism that plays a crucial role in sensing and controlling intracellular pathogen infection. The NLRP1 inflammasome in the Lewis rats can detectToxoplasmainfection, which triggers proptosis in infected macrophages and eliminates the parasite’s replication niche. The work reported here revealed that host E3 ubiquitin ligase ITCH is able to recognize and interact withToxoplasmaeffector protein GRA35 localized on the parasite-host interface, leading to NLRP1 inflammasome activation in Lewis rat macrophages. Furthermore, ITCH-GRA35 interaction contributes to the restriction ofToxoplasmain human fibroblasts stimulated by IFNγ. Thus, this research provides valuable insights into understanding pathogen recognition and restriction mediated by host E3 ubiquitin ligase.
Stress-induced c-fos expression in the medial prefrontal cortex of male rats differentially involves the main glial cell phenotypes
Authors: Aguilar-Delgadillo Adriana , Cruz-Mendoza Fernando , Luquin-de Anda Sonia , Ruvalcaba-Delgadillo Yaveth , Jáuregui-Huerta Fernando
Published: December 2023

Stress poses a challenge to the body’s equilibrium and triggers a series of responses that enable organisms to adapt to stressful stimuli. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), particularly in acute stress conditions, undergoes significant physiological changes to cope with the demands associated with cellular activation. The proto-oncogene c-fos and its protein product c-Fos have long been utilized to investigate the effects of external factors on the central nervous system (CNS). While c-Fos expression has traditionally been attributed to neurons, emerging evidence suggests its potential expression in glial cells. In this study, our main objective was to explore the expression of c-Fos in glial cells and examine how acute stress influences these activity patterns. We conducted our experiments on male Wistar rats, subjecting them to acute stress and sacrificing them two hours after the stressor initiation. Using double-labelling fluorescent immunohistochemistry targeting c-Fos, along with markers such as GFAP, Iba-1, Olig2, NG2, and NeuN, we analyzed a series of 35 μm brain slices obtained from the medial PFC. Our findings compellingly demonstrate that c-Fos expression extends beyond neurons and is present in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and NG2 cells—the diverse population of glial cells. Moreover, we observed distinct regulation of c-Fos expression in response to stress across the different phenotypes. These results emphasize the importance of considering glial cells and their perspective in studies investigating brain activity, highlighting c-Fos as a response marker in glial cells. By shedding light on the differential regulation of c-Fos expression in response to stress, our study also contributes to the understanding of glial cell involvement in stress-related processes.
Personalized Pangenome References
Authors: Sirén Jouni , Eskandar Parsa , Ungaro Matteo Tommaso , Hickey Glenn , Eizenga Jordan M. , Novak Adam M. , Chang Xian , Chang Pi-Chuan , Kolmogorov Mikhail , Carroll Andrew , Monlong Jean , Paten Benedict
Published: December 2023

Pangenomes, by including genetic diversity, should reduce reference bias by better representing new samples compared to them. Yet when comparing a new sample to a pangenome, variants in the pangenome that are not part of the sample can be misleading, for example, causing false read mappings. These irrelevant variants are generally rarer in terms of allele frequency, and have previously been dealt with using allele frequency filters. However, this is a blunt heuristic that both fails to remove some irrelevant variants and removes many relevant variants. We propose a new approach, inspired by local ancestry inference methods, that imputes a personalized pangenome subgraph based on sampling local haplotypes according tok-mer counts in the reads. Our approach is tailored for the Giraffe short read aligner, as the indexes it needs for read mapping can be built quickly. We compare the accuracy of our approach to state-of-the-art methods using graphs from the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium. The resulting personalized pangenome pipelines provide faster pangenome read mapping than comparable pipelines that use a linear reference, reduce small variant genotyping errors by 4x relative to the Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK) best-practice pipeline, and for the first time make short-read structural variant genotyping competitive with long-read discovery methods.
Phylogenomic Insights into the Evolution and Origin of Nematoda
Authors: Qing Xue , Zhang Y. Miles , Sun Sidi , Ahmed Mohammed , Lo Wen-Sui , Bert Wim , Holovachov Oleksandr , Li Hongmei
Published: December 2023

The phylum Nematoda represents one of the most cosmopolitan and abundant metazoan groups on Earth. In this study, we reconstructed the phylogenomic tree for phylum Nematoda. A total of 60 genomes, belonging to eight nematode orders, were newly sequenced, providing the first low-coverage genomes for the orders Dorylaimida, Mononchida, Monhysterida, Chromadorida, Triplonchida, and Enoplida. The resulting phylogeny is well-resolved across most clades, with topologies remaining consistent across various reconstruction parameters. The subclass Enoplia is placed as a sister group to the rest of Nematoda, agrees with previous published phylogenies. While the order Triplonchida is monophyletic, it is not well-supported, and the order Enoplida is paraphyletic. Taxa possessing a stomatostylet form a monophyletic group; however, the superfamily Aphelenchoidea does not constitute a monophyletic clade. The generaTrichinellaandTrichurisare inferred to have shared a common ancestor approximately 202 mya, a considerably later period than previously suggested. All stomatostylet-bearing nematodes are proposed to have originated ∼305 mya, corresponding to the transition from the Devonian to the Permian period. The genusThorniais placed outside of Dorylaimina and Nygolaimina, disagreeing with its position in previous studies. Additionally, we tested the whole genome amplification method and demonstrated that it is a promising strategy for obtaining sufficient DNA for phylogenomic studies of microscopic eukaryotes. This study significantly expanded the current nematode genome dataset, and the well-resolved phylogeny enhances our understanding of the evolution of Nematoda.
Cholesterol modulates the human FPN1 iron export function in plasma membrane liquid-ordered microdomains
Authors: Debbiche Rim , Ka Chandran , Gourlaouen Isabelle , Maestri Sandrine , Uguen Kévin , Jaffrès Paul-Alain , Callebaut Isabelle , Le Gac Gérald
Published: December 2023

Ferroportin 1 (FPN1) is the only known mammalian iron efflux transporter. This multi-pass membrane protein, which adopts the Major Facilitator Superfamily fold, is tightly controlled by serum hepcidin to assure maintenance of adequate cellular and systemic iron levels. Earlier studies have shown that cholesterol-lowering drugs can reduce FPN1 expression in liquid-ordered plasma membrane microdomains and its sensitivity to hepcidin. However, the molecular mechanism by which cholesterol depletion regulates the localization of FPN1 at the cell surface remains unknown. In biochemical experiments, we show that cholesterol depletion reduces the iron export function of FPN1. Repletion with cholesterol restores FPN1 activity. This is not observed with the diastereoisomer epicholesterol, suggesting a direct interaction between cholesterol and FPN1. Consistent with this, we demonstrate that mutants affecting the key tyrosine residues of three cholesterol-recognition amino acid consensus (CRAC/CARC) motifs have a negative impact on FPN1 activity, in manner that also decreases its abundance in ordered plasma membrane microdomains. A complementary structural analysis allows us to focus on a conserved CARC motif (CARC-1) located in a deep hydrophobic groove between transmembrane helices 1 and 5. Molecular docking suggests that this groove is well suited to cholesterol binding. All these findings indicate that the interaction between FPN1 and cholesterol is of major importance for the localization of FPN1 in ordered microdomains of the plasma membrane, which is necessary for its optimal activity, and so its responsiveness to hepcidin.
Treatment of multiple-beam X-ray diffraction in energy-dependent measurements
Authors: Nentwich Melanie , Zschornak Matthias , Weigel Tina , Köhler Thomas , Novikov Dmitri , Meyer Dirk C. , Richter Carsten
Published: December 2023

During X-ray diffraction experiments on single crystals, the diffracted beam intensities may be affected by multiple-beam X-ray diffraction (MBD). This effect is particularly frequent at higher X-ray energies and for larger unit cells. The appearance of this so-called Renninger effect often impairs the interpretation of diffracted intensities. This applies in particular to energy spectra analysed in resonant experiments, since during scans of the incident photon energy these conditions are necessarily met for specific X-ray energies. This effect can be addressed by carefully avoiding multiple-beam reflection conditions at a given X-ray energy and a given position in reciprocal space. However, areas which are (nearly) free of MBD are not always available. This article presents a universal concept of data acquisition and post-processing for resonant X-ray diffraction experiments. Our concept facilitates the reliable determination of kinematic (MBD-free) resonant diffraction intensities even at relatively high energies which, in turn, enables the study of higher absorption edges. This way, the applicability of resonant diffraction, e.g. to reveal the local atomic and electronic structure or chemical environment, is extended for a vast majority of crystalline materials. The potential of this approach compared with conventional data reduction is demonstrated by the measurements of the Ta L
3 edge of well studied lithium tantalate LiTaO3.
Refining short-range order parameters from the three-dimensional diffuse scattering in single-crystal electron diffraction data
Authors: Poppe Romy , Roth Nikolaj , Neder Reinhard B. , Palatinus Lukas , Iversen Bo Brummerstedt , Hadermann Joke
Published: December 2023

Our study compares short-range order parameters refined from the diffuse scattering in single-crystal X-ray and single-crystal electron diffraction data. Nb0.84CoSb was chosen as a reference material. The correlations between neighbouring vacancies and the displacements of Sb and Co atoms were refined from the diffuse scattering using a Monte Carlo refinement in DISCUS. The difference between the Sb and Co displacements refined from the diffuse scattering and the Sb and Co displacements refined from the Bragg reflections in single-crystal X-ray diffraction data is 0.012 (7) Å for the refinement on diffuse scattering in single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and 0.03 (2) Å for the refinement on the diffuse scattering in single-crystal electron diffraction data. As electron diffraction requires much smaller crystals than X-ray diffraction, this opens up the possibility of refining short-range order parameters in many technologically relevant materials for which no crystals large enough for single-crystal X-ray diffraction are available.
Performance analysis of electrical environmental control and ice protection systems in a commercial transport aircraft
Authors: Ercan Hamdi , Öztürk Cüneyt , Akın Mustafa
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the impact of electrifying the environmental control system (ECS) and ice protection system (IPS), the primary pneumatic system consumers in a conventional commercial transport aircraft, on aircraft weight, range, and fuel consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study was carried out on Airbus A321-200 aircraft. Design, modelling and analysis processes were carried out on Pacelab SysArc software. Conventional and electrical ECS and IPS architectures were modelled and analysed considering different temperature profiles.

Findings

The simulation results have shown that the aircraft model with ±270 VDC ECS and IPS architecture is lighter, has a more extended range and has less relative fuel consumption. In addition, the simulation results showed that the maximum range and relative fuel economy of all three aircraft models increased slightly as the temperature increased.

Practical implications

Considering the findings in this paper, it is seen that the electrification of the conventional pneumatic system in aircraft has positive contributions in terms of weight, power consumption and fuel consumption.

Social implications

The positive contributions in terms of weight, power consumption and fuel consumption in aircraft will be direct environmental and economic contributions.

Originality/value

Apart from the conventional ECS and IPS of the aircraft, two electrical architectures, 230 VAC and ±270 VDC, were modelled and analysed. To see the effects of the three models created in different temperature profiles, analyses were done for cold day, ISA standard day and hot day temperature profiles.
Hybrid business offerings in small internationalisers: a mixed-method analysis of internal capabilities through hesitant fuzzy information
Authors: Amoozad Mahdiraji Hannan , Abbasi Kamardi Aliasghar , Jafari-Sadeghi Vahid , Razavi Hajiagha Seyed Hossein , Castellano Sylvaine
Published: December 2023

Purpose

In this research, the initial list of internal capabilities in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) leading to success in international markets has been extracted. Then, the most relevant capabilities to international SMEs under servitisation and hybrid offerings have been screened. Next, the selected capabilities have been classified, and ultimately the relationship amongst the capabilities has been analysed. The conceptual model for SMEs participating in international markets with hybrid offerings has been illustrated.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review has been employed to extract the initial list of internal capabilities to address the research objectives. Then, a novel hesitant fuzzy Delphi (HFD) method has been developed to select the most relevant capabilities for SMEs for hybrid offerings in international markets by using the experts opinions. Subsequently, a novel hesitant fuzzy interpretive structural modelling (HFISM) has been developed to classify the capabilities, design a level-based conceptual model and present the relationship amongst the prominent capabilities.

Findings

After the literature review, sixteen internal capabilities leading to success in the international market via hybrid offerings have been extracted. Then, eight selected capabilities were chosen for further investigation by applying 15 expert opinions and via the HFD approach. According to HFISM results, a level-based conceptual model was emanated, and “ability to take advantage of international opportunities”, “financial strength”, “technology level” and “efficient innovation management” were considered as the most fundamental capabilities resulting in successful hybrid offerings in international markets.

Originality/value

Alongside the multi-layer decision-making approach developed in this manuscript to analyse the internal capabilities roles in hybrid offering success towards international markets, to the best knowledge of the authors, the hesitant fuzzy approaches developed in this article have not been previously presented by any other scholar. A novel HFD approach has been designed for consensus amongst the experts under uncertain circumstances. Furthermore, a novel HFISM has been suggested and employed in this research to comprehend the relationship amongst the internal capabilities.
Sustainable development goals in the hospitality industry: a dream or reality?
Authors: Ferrero-Ferrero Idoya , Muñoz-Torres María Jesús , Rivera-Lirio Juana María , Escrig-Olmedo Elena , Fernández-Izquierdo María Ángeles
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how effectively leading sustainable hotels have integrated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their reporting. The main aim is to pinpoint areas for improvement concerning SDG reporting which can help the hospitality industry to achieve a transformation in a more SDG-aligned global tourism system.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, a content analysis technique was used to extract the information regarding strategic consistency of SDG reporting. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were applied to the analysis of this information. This paper seeks to assess the extent to which the materiality analysis, corporate targets and performance indicators defined by the world’s top sustainable hotels in their sustainability reports are consistent with those SDGs linked to the business. To that end, the authors have selected the most sustainable hotels according to the SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment in 2020.

Findings

The results of this study show that the most sustainable hotel companies did not take a strategic consistency approach when reporting the SDGs. These findings identify four areas for improvement concerning reporting, which may promote the adoption of a strategic and consistent approach in SDG reporting.

Practical implications

This study includes a set of recommendations to provide the market with complete, coherent and comparable information on their contribution to the SDGs and, therefore, foster collective learning to bring about sustainable tourism transformation.

Originality/value

This paper represents a contribution to the discussion on the strategic or symbolic implementation of SDGs at a corporate level. In addition, this paper reflects a deeper understanding of how hotel companies could improve their reporting and management system to contribute to SDGs.
Analysis of trends that turn an entrepreneurship idea into a family business: an article in perspective
Authors: Areiza-Padilla Jose Andres , Galindo-Becerra Tatiana , Veas-González Iván , Barajas-Portas Karla
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This article examines some of the trends that allow to understand and analyze the evolution of the idea of entrepreneurship to become a family business.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on systematic research.

Findings

Around four current trends and four future trends are presented, which allow the authors to understand how the family of an entrepreneur influences in a direct and indirect way in their business, until even managing to transform that business into a family business through planning, organization, management and control exercised by several members of the family of the initial entrepreneur and his future generations in that company.

Originality/value

This research makes it possible to identify some challenges and opportunities that family businesses must face, which arise from an enterprise and which can help them to have business success, covering part of the past, present and future of such organizations. In this way, this article synthesizes how family dynamics and business dynamics are intertwined through the influence of the family on an entrepreneur’s business model.
Contemporaneous causality among office property prices of major Chinese cities with vector error correction modeling and directed acyclic graphs
Authors: Xu Xiaojie , Zhang Yun
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate dynamic relations among office property price indices of 10 major cities in China for the years 2005–2021.

Design/methodology/approach

Using monthly data, the authors adopt vector error correction modeling and the directed acyclic graph for the characterization of contemporaneous causality among the 10 indices.

Findings

The PC algorithm identifies the causal pattern, and the linear non-Gaussian acyclic model algorithm further determines the causal path from which we perform innovation accounting analysis. Sophisticated price dynamics are found in price adjustment processes following price shocks, which are generally dominated by the top tier of cities.

Originality/value

This suggests that policies on office property prices, in the long run, might need to be planned with particular attention paid to the top tier of cities.
Rules or capacity for the EU’s fiscal future? From Werner and McDougall to the present
Authors: Georgiou Christakis
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The COVID19 crisis has thrown wide open the debate on Europe’s Economic and Monetary Union’s (EMU) future. Next Generation EU (NGEU) has broken the stalemate over a central fiscal capacity. The open question is whether NGEU is a one-off or a first step. The suspension of the Stability and Growth Pact has given new urgency to the debate on reforming EMU’s fiscal rules.

Design/methodology/approach

There is no debate as yet about how these two prospects relate to each other. This paper argues that a permanent fiscal capacity and revised rules should be seen as alternatives.

Findings

This study makes two claims: first, a fiscal capacity renders a reformed pact unnecessary and second, that is an optimal solution politically. A fiscal capacity would provide an efficient asymmetric shock absorber and therefore reduce the need for pre-emptive action against negative cross-border externalities. It would also provide an abundant supply of an EU-wide safe asset around which to structure the EU’s financial system, thus rendering unnecessary the backstopping of member states' debts.

Originality/value

This would restore democratic accountability while eliminating moral hazard and enforcement problems.
Optimization of the printability envelope of low-viscosity powder-binder feedstocks used in material extrusion 3D printing
Authors: Omrane Mohamed Ahmed , Côté Raphaël , Demers Vincent
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the material extrusion (MEX) printability envelope of a new kind of low-viscosity powder-binder feedstocks using rheological properties.

Design/methodology/approach

Formulation of 13 feedstocks (variation of solid loading 60–67 Vol.% and thickening agent proportion 3–15 Vol.%) that were characterized and printed at different temperatures.

Findings

Three rheological models were successfully used to define the viscosity envelope, producing stable and defect-free printing. At a shear deformation rate experienced by the feedstock in the nozzle ranging from 100 to 300 s–1, it was confirmed that metal injection molding (MIM) feedstocks exhibiting a low viscosity between 100 and 150 Pa s could be printed using an extrusion temperature as low as 85 °C.

Practical implications

MEX can be used in synergy with MIM to accelerate mold development for a new injected part or simply as a replacement for MIM when the cost of the mold becomes too high for very small production volumes.

Originality/value

Correlation between the rheological properties of this new generation of low-viscosity feedstocks and MEX printability has been demonstrated for the first time.
Going green and staying loyal: how different are generation Z travellers towards green brand loyalty of hotels
Authors: Rasheed A.K. Fazeen , Balakrishnan Janarthanan
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine the influence of collectivism, brand prestige and brand identification on green brand loyalty among Generation Z and older generation travellers in India. Loyal consumers are essential for the long-term success of hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

A single cross-sectional design is used in the study, with a total of 277 Generation Z and 299 Older generation travellers surveyed directly at three different tourist destinations in India. The PLS-SEM approach is used to analyse the data.

Findings

The study’s findings showed that among Generation Z travellers, factors such as collectivism, brand identification and brand prestige play a significant role in shaping green brand loyalty towards hotels. Furthermore, we noted that collectivism directly influences brand prestige and identification. Conversely, for the older generation, the study did not substantiate the impacts of collectivism on green brand loyalty nor the relationship between brand identification and green brand loyalty.

Originality/value

This study uniquely contributes to the literature by revealing generational differences in the influence of collectivism and brand factors on green brand loyalty within the Indian hotel industry.
Applying genomic approaches to identify historic population declines in European forest bats
Authors: Razgour Orly , Montauban Cecilia , Festa Francesca , Whitby Daniel , Juste Javier , Ibáñez Carlos , Rebelo Hugo , Afonso Sandra , Bekaert Michael , Jones Gareth , Williams Carol , Boughey Katherine
Published: December 2023

Anthropogenically driven environmental changes over recent centuries have led to severe declines of wildlife populations. Better tools are needed to assess the magnitude and consequences of these declines. Anecdotal evidence suggests European bat populations have suffered substantial declines in the past centuries. However, there is little empirical evidence of these declines that can be used to put more recent population trends into historic context.

This study is a collaboration between academics and conservation practitioners to develop molecular approaches capable of providing evidence of historic population changes that can inform conservation status assessments and management. We generated a genomic dataset of 46,872 SNPs for the Western barbastelle, Barbastella barbastellus, a regionally Vulnerable bat species, including colonies from across the species' British and Iberian ranges. We used a combination of landscape genetics and model‐based inference of demographic history to identify both evidence of population size changes and possible drivers of these changes.

Levels of genetic diversity increased and inbreeding decreased with increasing broadleaf woodland cover around the colony. Genetic connectivity was impeded by artificial lights and facilitated by rivers and broadleaf woodland cover.

The demographic history analysis showed that both the northern and southern British barbastelle populations have declined by 99% over the past 330–548 years. These declines may be linked to the loss of large oak trees and native woodlands due to shipbuilding during the early colonial period.

Synthesis and applications. Genomic approaches can provide a better understanding of the conservation status of threatened species, within historic and contemporary contexts, and inform their conservation management. Our findings of will directly influence the definition of the Favourable Conservation Status of the barbastelle, in turn influencing considerations of the conservation of the species in development plans. Knowledge gained will also help set species recovery targets. Policymakers are interested in using our approach for other species. This study shows how we can bridge the implementation gap between genomic research and direct conservation applications. There is an urgent need to carry out such collaborative studies for other priority species to enable informed species recovery interventions via policy mechanisms and project delivery.
Decoupling of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon release from fine and coarse roots during 7 years of decomposition
Authors: Pan Jun , See Craig R. , Wang Rui , Luan Junwei , Wang Jing , Liu Fan , Quan Xiankui , Chen Hongyang , Wang Xingchang , Wang Chuankuan
Published: December 2023

Below‐ground litter decomposition represents an important source of the limiting nutrients nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to forest soils, but roots also immobilize these nutrients during the decomposition process.

Despite clear implications for soil fertility, the rates and drivers of nutrient immobilization and release (as the percent of increase and decrease of the initial pool) from root litter remain poorly understood, especially in coarse roots (>2 mm diameter).

To address this gap, we conducted a 7‐year field decomposition experiment using roots from three species, across five diameter classes (<1, 1–2, 2–5, 5–10 and 10–20 mm) in a temperate forest.

Nitrogen dynamics were largely decoupled with P and carbon (C) over the course of the experiment, and both varied by species and root diameter. Roots released P to the surrounding soil within the first year of decomposition. In contrast, roots immobilized N for much longer, with the coarsest roots remaining a net N sink after 7 years. Long‐term N release was jointly controlled by initial nutrient and C quality, whereas P release and decomposition rate were better predicted by initial C quality. Initial root nutrients well predicted the difference between long‐term N versus P release.

Synthesis. Our results highlight the fact that N and P dynamics should be considered separately when modelling nutrient release during root decomposition, and suggest that the functional diversity of below‐ground biomass may have considerable afterlife effects on the relative availability of N and P in soil. We conclude that root litter, especially coarse root litter, represents an underappreciated N sink in forest soils.
Production of DPP‐IV inhibitory peptides‐rich beta casein hydrolysates from milk of Gir (Bos indicus) cow and their evaluation for potential antidiabetic effect through in vitro assay
Authors: Sonarthi Harshita , Kumar M H Sathish , Rajani Champalli S , Sharma Ankur , Kumaresan Arumugam , Sabikhi Latha
Published: December 2023

An attempt was made to produce hydrolysates from β‐casein isolated from milk of Gir cow (Bos indicus species) using pepsin, trypsin, protease from Aspergillus oryzae (AOP) and proteinase‐K. The AOP‐treated hydrolysates exhibited highest DPP‐IV inhibition (50.41 ± 1.44%) after 10 h hydrolysis at 4% E:S ratio. The resultant hydrolysates were characterised using RP‐HPLC and LC–MS/MS and their peptides sequences identified. The efficacy of the low molecular weight hydrolysates (3 kDa permeate) was assessed through MIN6 cell line model at different doses. The dose of 30 mg/mL enhanced insulin production by ~51% and reduced the apoptosis by ~84%. The developed β‐casein hydrolysates could be used as a dietary supplement to manage diabetes effectively.
Is the metabarcoding ripe enough to be applied to the authentication of foodstuff of animal origin? A systematic review
Authors: Giusti Alice , Malloggi Chiara , Magagna Giulia , Filipello Virginia , Armani Andrea
Published: December 2023

Food authentication using molecular techniques is of great importance to fight food fraud. Metabarcoding, based on the next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, allowing large‐scale taxonomic identification of complex samples via massive parallel sequencing of fragments (called DNA barcodes) simultaneously, has become increasingly popular in many scientific fields. A systematic review to answer the question “Is the metabarcoding ripe enough to be applied to the authentication of foodstuff of animal origin?” is presented. The inclusion criteria were focused on the selection of scientific papers (SPs) only applying metabarcoding to foodstuff of animal origin collected on the market. The 23 included SPs were first analyzed with respect to the metabarcoding phases: library preparation (target genes, primer pairs, and fragment length), sequencing (NGS platforms), and final data analysis (bioinformatic pipelines). Given the importance of primer selection, the taxonomic coverage of the used primers was also evaluated. In addition, the SPs were scored based on the use of quality control measures (procedural blanks, positive controls, replicates, curated databases, and thresholds to filter the data). A lack of standardized protocols, especially with respect to the target barcode/s and the universal primer/s, and the infrequent application of the quality control measures, leads to answer that metabarcoding is not ripe enough for authenticating foodstuff of animal origin. However, the observed trend of the SP quality improvement over the years is encouraging. Concluding, a proper protocol standardization would allow a wider use of metabarcoding by both official and private laboratories, enabling this method to become the primary for the authentication of foodstuffs of animal origin.
One Health approach for prioritization of potential foodborne pathogens: Risk‐ranking, Delphi survey, and criteria evaluation pre‐ and post‐COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Park Sun Min , Choi Changsun , Rhee Min Suk
Published: December 2023

Frequent foodborne illnesses with unknown causative agents highlight the need to explore zoonotic potential foodborne pathogens (PFPs). An effective PFP prioritization tool is indispensable, especially after experiencing the recent pandemic caused by zoonotic SARS‐CoV‐2. Risk information on pathogens (excluding 30 known foodborne pathogens) provided by governmental and international organizations was reviewed to generate a list of PFPs. Risk‐ranking of PFPs was conducted based on a literature review of food poisoning or detection cases, and the ranks were determined with a decision tree. PFPs were prioritized by infectious disease (ID), veterinary medicine (VET), and food safety (FS) experts through a pre‐ and postpandemic Delphi survey, and key criteria in their decisions were illuminated. Among 339 PFPs, 32 rank‐1 PFPs were involved in the foodborne outbreak(s). Discrepancies in opinions on prioritization between experts in different fields deepened after the pandemic. Only VET and FS experts valued the plausibility of foodborne transmission in evaluating bacteria and viruses, and a significant correlation between their selection of PFPs was found (p < .05). The impact of the pandemic induced all fields to focus more on human transmission and severity/fatality in prioritizing viruses, and only FS experts emphasized the plausibility of foodborne transmission after the pandemic. In contrast to prioritizing bacteria or viruses, ID and VET experts are unusually focused on foodborne transmission when prioritizing parasites. Criteria of consensus deduced by interdisciplinary experts with different interests and the criteria directly related to foodborne transmission should be acknowledged for adequate PFP prioritization.
Replacing animal proteins with plant proteins: Is this a way to improve quality and functional properties of hybrid cheeses and cheese analogs?
Authors: Zhang Deju , Jiang Kai , Luo Hui , Zhao Xiaorui , Yu Peng , Gan Yiming
Published: December 2023

The growing emphasis on dietary health has facilitated the development of plant‐based foods. Plant proteins have excellent functional attributes and health‐enhancing effects and are also environmentally conscientious and animal‐friendly protein sources on a global scale. The addition of plant proteins (including soy protein, pea protein, zein, nut protein, and gluten protein) to diverse cheese varieties and cheese analogs holds the promise of manufacturing symbiotic products that not only have reduced fat content but also exhibit improved protein diversity and overall quality. In this review, we summarized the utilization and importance of various plant proteins in the production of hybrid cheeses and cheese analogs. Meanwhile, classification and processing methods related to these cheese products were reviewed. Furthermore, the impact of different plant proteins on the microstructure, textural properties, physicochemical attributes, rheological behavior, functional aspects, microbiological aspects, and sensory characteristics of both hybrid cheeses and cheese analogs were discussed and compared. Our study explores the potential for the development of cheeses made from full/semi‐plant protein ingredients with greater sustainability and health benefits. Additionally, it further emphasizes the substantial chances for scholars and developers to investigate the optimal processing methods and applications of plant proteins in cheeses, thereby improving the market penetration of plant protein hybrid cheeses and cheese analogs.
Comprehensive review of clean‐label antimicrobials used in dairy products
Authors: Choi Dasol , Bedale Wendy , Chetty Suraj , Yu Jae‐Hyuk
Published: December 2023

Consumers expect safe, healthy, natural, and sustainable food. Within the food industry, ingredient use is changing due to these consumer demands. While no single agreed‐upon definition of clean label exists, a “clean label” in the context of food refers to a product that has a simplified and transparent ingredient list, with easily recognizable and commonly understood components to the general public. Clean‐label products necessitate and foster a heightened level of transparency between companies and consumers. Dairy products are vulnerable to being contaminated by both pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. These microorganisms can be effectively controlled by replacing conventional antimicrobials with clean‐label ingredients such as protective cultures or bacterial/fungal fermentates. This review summarizes the perspectives of consumers and the food industry regarding the definition of “clean label,” and the current and potential future use of clean‐label antimicrobials in dairy products. A key goal of this review is to make the concept of clean‐label antimicrobial agents better understood by both manufacturers and researchers.
New materials used for the synthesis of 2‐chlorophenyl cyclopentyl ketone seized from an illicit ketamine manufacturing unit
Authors: Yen Yao‐Te , Liu Hung‐Fan , Wang Chung‐Feng , Wang Yu‐Ti , Chyueh San‐Chong
Published: December 2023

Ketamine deemed as a psychoactive substance has gained popularity for recreational use owing to its hallucinogenic and dissociative effects. Understanding the synthetic processes of ketamine can provide essential clues for law enforcement officers against illicit ketamine manufacturing. In this case report, a chemical company was being monitored by law enforcement officers due to its importation of precursors and materials that could be used for the synthesis of illicit drugs. After materials and products seized from this chemical company were employed for analyses using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography–high‐resolution mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses, ketamine, hydroxylamine, 2‐chlorophenyl cyclopentyl ketone, and cyclopentanone p‐toluenesulfonylhydrazone were identified. In addition, a novel process for the synthesis of ketamine precursor 2‐chlorophenyl cyclopentyl ketone from cyclopentanone p‐toluenesulfonylhydrazone and 2‐chlorobenzaldehyde was validated. This is the first report to uncover this novel process for the synthesis of 2‐chlorophenyl cyclopentyl ketone and can be used to increase awareness among law enforcement officers and forensic practitioners about these novel starting materials for the synthesis of ketamine.
Therapeutic plasma exchange for refractory Kawasaki disease in children weighing less than 10 kg
Authors: Sawada Mariko , Ogino Kayo , Hayashi Tomohiro , Waki Kenji
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is used for treating refractory Kawasaki disease (KD); however, there are few reports on its use in small children.

Methods

Nine children with refractory KD who underwent TPE between January 2010 and December 2022 were retrospectively investigated. Data on patient demographics, inflammatory markers, coronary artery lesions (CALs), TPE settings and complications, and outcomes were examined.

Results

A total of 37 TPE sessions were performed on nine patients, with 3–6 sessions per patient. The median body weight was 8.9 kg. C‐reactive protein, white blood cell (WBC), and interleukin‐6 levels significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Of the 33 coronary arteries with CALs before TPE, 44% and 3% had CALs at 1 month and 1 year after TPE, respectively. Minor complications, such as mild hypocalcemia and naturally recovering coagulopathy, occurred without serious complications.

Conclusions

TPE for refractory KD may be safe and effective in preventing CALs.