bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blind cavefish retain functional connectivity in the tectum despite loss of retinal input
Authors: Lloyd Evan , McDole Brittnee , Privat Martin , Jaggard James B. , Duboué Erik , Sumbre German , Keene Alex
Published: September 2021

Sensory systems display remarkable plasticity and are under strong evolutionary selection. The Mexican cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus, consists of eyed river-dwelling surface populations, and multiple independent cave populations which have converged on eye loss, providing the opportunity to examine the evolution of sensory circuits in response to environmental perturbation. Functional analysis across multiple transgenic populations expressing GCaMP6s showed that functional connectivity of the optic tectum largely did not differ between populations, except for the selective loss of negatively correlated activity within the cavefish tectum, suggesting positively correlated neural activity is resistant to an evolved loss of input from the retina. Further, analysis of surface-cave hybrid fish reveals that changes in the tectum are genetically distinct from those encoding eye-loss. Together, these findings uncover the independent evolution of multiple components of the visual system and establish the use of functional imaging in A. mexicanus to study neural circuit evolution.
Spatial structure affects evolutionary dynamics and drives genomic diversity in experimental populations of Pseudomonas fluorescens
Authors: Bailey Susan F. , Trudeau Andrew , Tulowiecki Katherine , McGrath Morgan , Belle Aria , Fountain Herbert , Akter Mahfuza
Published: September 2021

Most populations live in spatially structured environments and that structure has the potential to impact the evolutionary dynamics in a number of important ways. Theoretical models tracking evolution in structured environments using a range of different approaches, suggest that local interactions and spatial heterogeneity can increase the adaptive benefits of motility, impact both the rate and extent of adaptation, and increase the probability of parallel evolution. We test these general predictions in a microbial evolution experiment tracking phenotypic and genomic changes in replicate populations of Pseudomonas fluorescens evolved in both well-mixed and spatially-structured environments, where spatial structure was generated through the addition of semi-solid agar. In contrast to the well-mixed environment, populations evolved in the spatially-structured environment adapted more slowly, retained the ability to disperse more rapidly, and had a greater putatively neutral population genomic diversity. The degree of parallel evolution measured at the gene-level, did not differ across these two types of experimental environments, perhaps because the populations had not evolved for long enough to near their fitness optima. These results confirm important general impacts of spatial structure on evolutionary dynamics at both the phenotypic and genomic level.
The helper NLR immune protein NRC3 mediates the hypersensitive cell death caused by the cell-surface receptor Cf-4
Authors: Kourelis Jiorgos , Contreras Mauricio P. , Harant Adeline , Adachi Hiroaki , Derevnina Lida , Wu Chih-Hang , Kamoun Sophien
Published: September 2021

Cell surface pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) activate immune responses that can include the hypersensitive cell death. However, the pathways that link PRRs to the cell death response are poorly understood. Here, we show that the cell surface receptor-like protein Cf-4 requires the intracellular nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat containing receptor (NLR) NRC3 to trigger a confluent cell death response upon detection of the fungal effector Avr4 in leaves ofNicotiana benthamiana. This NRC3 activity requires an intact N-terminal MADA motif, a conserved signature of coiled-coil (CC)-type plant NLRs that is required for resistosome-mediated immune responses. A chimeric protein with the N-terminal α1 helix of Arabidopsis ZAR1 swapped into NRC3 retains the capacity to mediate Cf-4 hypersensitive cell death. Pathogen effectors acting as suppressors of NRC3 can suppress Cf-4-triggered hypersensitive cell-death. Our findings link the NLR resistosome model to the hypersensitive cell death caused by a cell surface PRR.
Nasopharyngeal Microbiota as an early severity biomarker in COVID-19 hospitalised patients: a retrospective cohort study in a Mediterranean area
Authors: Ventero Maria Paz , Moreno-Perez Oscar , Molina-Pardines Carmen , Paytuví-Gallart Andreu , Boix Vicente , Galan Irene , González-delaAleja Pilar , López-Pérez Mario , Sánchez-Martínez Rosario , Merino Esperanza , Rodríguez Juan Carlos
Published: September 2021

Background

There is mounting evidence suggesting that the microbiome composition could be different in COVID-19 patients. However, the relationship between microbiota and COVID-19 severity progression is still being assessed. This study aimed to analyse the diversity and taxonomic composition of the nasopharyngeal microbiota, to determine its association with COVID-19 clinical outcome.

Methods and Findings

Samples came from a retrospective cohort of adult patients with COVID-19, hospitalised in a tertiary centre. To study the nasopharyngeal microbiota, we utilized 16S rRNA sequencing. Raw sequences were processed by QIIME2. The associations between the microbiota, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and all-cause mortality were analysed by multiple logistic regression (OR; 95%CI), adjusted for age, gender, and comorbidity. 177 patients were included: median age 68.0 years, 57.6% males, 59.3% had a Charlson comorbidity index ≥3, and 89.2% with pneumonia. The microbiota α diversity indexes were lower in patients with a fatal outcome, and this association persisted after adjustment for the main confounders; whereas the β diversity analysis showed a significant clustering, grouping the patients with a fatal outcome. After multivariate adjustment, the presence of Selenomonas spp., Filifactor spp., Actinobacillus spp., or Chroococcidiopsis spp., was associated with a reduced risk of IMV (adjusted OR 0.06[95%CI 0.01–0.0.47], p = 0.007).

Conclusions

The microbiota diversity and taxonomic composition are related to COVID-19 severity. Higher diversity and the presence of certain genera in the nasopharyngeal microbiota seem to be early biomarkers of a favourable clinical evolution in hospitalised patients with moderate to severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.
A microfluidic platform for sequential assembly and separation of synthetic cell models
Authors: Tivony Ran , Fletcher Marcus , Nahas Kareem Al , Keyser Ulrich F
Published: September 2021

Cell-sized vesicles like giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are established as a promising biomimetic model for studying cellular phenomena in isolation. However, the presence of residual components and by-products, generated during vesicles preparation and manipulation, severely limits the utility of GUVs in applications like synthetic cells. Therefore, with the rapidly growing field of synthetic biology, there is an emergent demand for techniques that can continuously purify cell-like vesicles from diverse residues, while GUVs are being simultaneously synthesized and manipulated. We developed a microfluidic platform capable of purifying GUVs through stream bifurcation, where a stream of vesicles suspension is partitioned into three fractions - purified GUVs, residual components, and a washing solution. Using our purification approach, we showed that giant vesicles can be separated from various residues – that range in size and chemical composition – with a very high efficiency (e = 0.99), based on size and deformability of the filtered objects. In addition, by incorporating the purification module with a microfluidic-based GUV-formation method, octanol-assisted liposome assembly (OLA), we established an integrated production-purification microfluidic unit that sequentially produces, manipulates, and purifies GUVs. We demonstrate the applicability of the integrated device to synthetic biology through sequentially fusing SUVs with freshly prepared GUVs and separating the fused GUVs from extraneous SUVs and oil droplets at the same time.
Ovipin: a new antimicrobial peptide from chicken eggsGallus gallus
Authors: dos Santos Sandra Regina , Miranda Antonio , da Silva Junior Pedro Ismael
Published: September 2021

The intensive and indiscriminate use of antibiotic has increased cases of microorganisms resistance and becoming a worldwide public health problem. In the last years, from natural sources such as hen’s egg, have received special attention in the discovery of new bioactive compounds. This study aims to identify and characterize a new peptide from chicken egg ofGallus gallus domesticus. The chicken egg was subjected the extraction acid, the supernatant was prefractionated in Sep- Pak column and fractionated peptide by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The antimicrobial activity of the fractions were evaluated through liquid growth inhibition assays. The molecular weight and amino acid sequence was determined by mass spectrometry (MS/MS), the characaterization performed by bioinformatics analysis with Peaks® tool and comparision with the NCBI and UniProt-SwisProt database. The physicochemical parameters of the samples were evaluated with online programs. One fraction named Ovipin peptide, showed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Micrococcus luteus– MIC 1.94 µM) and Filamentous fungus (Aspergillus niger- MIC 31.01 µM). The minimum inhibitory concentration againstCryptococcus neoformansVNI (WM 148) Yeast was 15.51 µM, this microorganism an opportunistic yeast and mainly binds in immunosuppressed or immunocompromissed people. Ovipin is a hydrophoic peptide and not cause significant hemolytic effect against human erythrocytes. Ovipin primary sequence is YVSPVAIVKGLNIPL and a molecular weight of 1,581.94 Da. Ovipin shows 100% and 93.3%, respectively, sequence similarity with the fragments Apolipoprotein B ofGallus gallusand Apolipoprotein B of five others species of Aves. Our data suggest that Ovipin peptide could be a potential therapeutic candidate to be used an alternative against infections developed by resistant microorganisms, mainly in the fight againstCryptococcus neoformansopportunistic yeast.
Effectiveness of the protected areas on the Mornington Peninsula for the common resident shorebird species using citizen science data
Authors: Wijewardhana Udani A. , Apputhurai Pragalathan , Jayawardana Madawa , Meyer Denny
Published: September 2021

In the absence of comprehensive survey data this study used citizen science bird counts, extracted from the Atlas of Living Australia, to assess which species benefit most from protected areas. This was done by fitting temporal models using the Integrated Laplace Approximation (INLA) method.

The trends for five resident shorebird species were compared to the Australian Pied Oystercatcher, with significantly steeper upward trends identified for the Black-fronted Dotterel, Red-capped Dotterel and Red-kneed Dotterel. Steeper upward trends were observed in protected than unprotected areas for the Black-fronted Dotterel, Masked Lapwing and Red-kneed Dotterel.

This work suggests that, with some limitations, statistical models can be used with citizen science data for monitoring the persistence of resident shorebirds and for investigating factors that are impacting these data. The results for the Dotterel species in protected areas are particularly encouraging.
Locally-correlated kinetics of post-replication DNA methylation reveals processivity and region-specificity in DNA methylation maintenance
Authors: Ren Honglei , Taylor Robert B. , Downing Timothy L. , Read Elizabeth L.
Published: September 2021

DNA methylation occurs predominantly on cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) dinucleotides in the mammalian genome, and the methylation landscape is maintained over mitotic cell division. It has been posited that coupling of maintenance methylation activity among neighboring CpGs is critical to collective stability over cellular generations, however the mechanism of this coupling is unclear. We used mathematical models and stochastic simulation to analyze data from experiments that probe genome-wide methylation of nascent DNA postreplication in cells. We find that DNA methylation maintenance rates on individual CpGs are locally correlated, and the degree of this correlation varies by genomic regional context. Applying theory of one-dimensional diffusion of proteins along DNA, we show that exponential decay of methylation rate correlation with genomic distance is consistent with enzyme processivity. Our results provide quantitative evidence of genome-wide methyltransferase processivity in vivo. From the experiment-derived correlations, we estimate that an individual methyl-transferase methylates neighbor CpGs in sequence if they are 36 basepairs apart, on average. But other mechanisms of coupling dominate for inter-CpG distances past ~ 100 basepairs. Our study demonstrates that quantitative insights into enzymatic mechanisms can be obtained from replication-associated, cell-based genome-wide measurements, by combining data-driven statistical analyses with hypothesis-driven mathematical modeling.
Structural insights of a highly potent pan-neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 human monoclonal antibody
Authors: Torres Jonathan L. , Ozorowski Gabriel , Andreano Emanuele , Liu Hejun , Copps Jeffrey , Piccini Giulia , Donnici Lorena , Conti Matteo , Planchais Cyril , Planas Delphine , Manganaro Noemi , Pantano Elisa , Paciello Ida , Pileri Piero , Bruel Timothée , Montomoli Emanuele , Mouquet Hugo , Schwartz Olivier , Sala Claudia , De Francesco Raffaele , Wilson Ian A. , Rappuoli Rino , Ward Andrew B.
Published: September 2021

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues, there is a strong need for highly potent monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that are resistant against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VoCs). Here, we evaluate the potency of a previously described mAb J08 against these variants using cell-based assays and delve into the molecular details of the binding interaction using cryo-EM. We show that mAb J08 has low nanomolar affinity against VoCs, binds high on the receptor binding domain (RBD) ridge and is therefore unaffected by most mutations, and can bind in the RBD-up and -down conformations. These findings further validate the phase II/III human clinical trial underway using mAb J08 as a monoclonal therapy.

One Sentence Summary

Potent neutralizing monoclonal antibody J08 binds SARS-CoV-2 spike independent of known escape mutations.
The evolution of splicing: transcriptome complexity and transcript distances implemented inTranD
Authors: Nanni Adalena , Titus-McQuillan James , Moskalenko Oleksandr , Pardo-Palacios Francisco , Liu Zihao , Conesa Ana , Rogers Rebekah L. , McIntyre Lauren M
Published: September 2021

Alternative splicing contributes to organismal complexity. Comparing transcripts between and within species is an important first step toward understanding questions about how evolution of transcript structure changes between species and contributes to sub-functionalization. These questions are confounded with issues of data quality and availability. The recent explosion of affordable long read sequencing of mRNA has considerably widened the ability to study transcriptional variation in non-model species. In this work, we develop a computational framework that uses nucleotide resolution distance metrics to compare transcript models for structural phenotypes: total transcript length, intron retention, donor/acceptor site variation, alternative exon cassettes, alternative 5’/3’ UTRs are each scored qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of number of nucleotides. For a single annotation file, all differences among transcripts within a gene are summarized and transcriptome-level complexity metrics: number of variable nucleotides, unique exons per gene, exons per transcript, and transcripts per gene are calculated. To compare two transcriptomes on the same co-ordinates, a weighted total distance between pairs of transcripts for the same gene is calculated. The weight function proposed has larger penalties for intron retention and exon skipping than alternative donor/acceptor sites. Minimum distances can be used to identify both transcript pairs and transcripts missing structural elements in either of the two annotations. This enables a broad range of functionality from comparing sister species to comparing different methods of building and summarizing transcriptomes. Importantly, the philosophy here is to output metrics, enabling others to explore the nucleotide-level distance metrics. Single transcriptome annotation summaries and pairwise comparisons are implemented in a new tool,TranD,distributed as aPyPipackage and in the open-source web-based Galaxy (www.galaxyproject.org) platform.
Data-driven approaches for genetic characterization of SARS-CoV-2 lineages
Authors: Mostefai Fatima , Gamache Isabel , Huang Jessie , N’Guessan Arnaud , Pelletier Justin , Pesaranghader Ahmad , Hamelin David , Murall Carmen Lia , Poujol Raphaël , Grenier Jean-Christophe , Smith Martin , Caron Etienne , Craig Morgan , Shapiro Jesse , Wolf Guy , Krishnaswamy Smita , Hussin Julie G.
Published: September 2021

The genome of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been sequenced at an unprecedented scale, leading to a tremendous amount of viral genome sequencing data. To understand the evolution of this virus in humans, and to assist in tracing infection pathways and designing preventive strategies, we present a set of computational tools that span phylogenomics, population genetics and machine learning approaches. To illustrate the utility of this toolbox, we detail an in depth analysis of the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, using 329,854 high-quality consensus sequences published in the GISAID database during the pre-vaccination phase. We demonstrate that, compared to standard phylogenetic approaches, haplotype networks can be computed efficiently on much larger datasets, enabling real-time analyses. Furthermore, time series change of Tajima’s D provides a powerful metric of population expansion. Unsupervised learning techniques further highlight key steps in variant detection and facilitate the study of the role of this genomic variation in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with Multiscale PHATE methodology identifying fine-scale structure in the SARS-CoV-2 genetic data that underlies the emergence of key lineages. The computational framework presented here is useful for real-time genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and could be applied to any pathogen that threatens the health of worldwide populations of humans and other organisms.
Stroke recovery phenotyping through network trajectory approaches and graph neural networks
Authors: Krishnagopal Sanjukta , Lohse Keith , Braun Robynne
Published: September 2021

Stroke is a leading cause of neurological injury characterized by impairments in multiple neurological domains including cognition, language, sensory and motor functions. Clinical recovery in these domains is tracked using a wide range of measures that may be continuous, ordinal, interval or categorical in nature, which presents challenges for standard multivariate regression approaches. This has hindered stroke researchers’ ability to achieve an integrated picture of the complex time-evolving interactions amongst symptoms. Here we use tools from network science and machine learning that are particularly well-suited to extracting underlying patterns in such data, and may assist in prediction of recovery patterns. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we analyzed data from the NINDS tPA trial using the Trajectory Profile Clustering (TPC) method to identify distinct stroke recovery patterns for 11 different neurological domains at 5 discrete time points. Our analysis identified 3 distinct stroke trajectory profiles that align with clinically relevant stroke syndromes, characterized both by distinct clusters of symptoms, as well as differing degrees of symptom severity. We then validated our approach using graph neural networks to determine how well our model performed predictively for stratifying patients into these trajectory profiles at early vs. later time points post-stroke. We demonstrate that trajectory profile clustering is an effective method for identifying clinically relevant recovery subtypes in multidimensional longitudinal datasets, and for early prediction of symptom progression subtypes in individual patients. This paper is the first work introducing network trajectory approaches for stroke recovery phenotyping, and is aimed at enhancing the translation of such novel computational approaches for practical clinical application.
Coarse snapshots of oxygen-dissociation intermediates of a giant hemoglobin elucidated by determining the oxygen saturation in individual subunits in the crystalline state
Authors: Numoto Nobutaka , Kawano Yoshiaki , Okumura Hideo , Baba Seiki , Fukumori Yoshihiro , Miki Kunio , Ito Nobutoshi
Published: September 2021

Cooperative oxygen binding of hemoglobin (Hb) has been studied for over half a century as a representative example of the allostericity of proteins. The most important problem remaining to be solved is the lack of structural information on the intermediates between the oxygenated and deoxygenated forms. In order to characterize the intermediate structures, it is necessary to obtain intermediate-state crystals, determine their oxygen saturations and then determine the oxygen saturations of each of their constituent subunits, all of which are challenging issues even now. Here, intermediate forms of the 400 kDa giant Hb from the tubeworm Oligobrachia mashikoi are reported. To overcome the above problems without any artificial modifications to the protein or prosthetic groups, intermediate crystals of the giant Hb were prepared from fully oxygenated crystals by a soaking method. The oxygen saturation of the crystals was measured by in situ observation with a microspectrophotometer using thin plate crystals processed by an ultraviolet laser to avoid saturation of absorption. The oxygen saturation of each subunit was determined by occupancy refinement of the bound oxygen based on ambient temperature factors. The obtained structures reveal the detailed relationship between the structural transition and oxygen dissociation. The dimer subassembly of the giant Hb shows strong correlation with the local structural changes at the heme pockets. Although some local ternary-structural changes occur in the early stages of the structural transition, the associated global ternary-structural and quaternary-structural changes might arise at about 50% oxygen saturation. The models based on coarse snapshots of the allosteric transition support the conventional two-state model of Hbs and provide the missing pieces of the intermediate structures that are required for full understanding of the allosteric nature of Hbs in detail.
Methyl β-lactoside [methyl β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranoside] monohydrate: a solvomorphism study
Authors: Lin Jieye , Oliver Allen G. , Serianni Anthony S.
Published: September 2021

Methyl β-lactoside [methyl β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranoside] monohydrate, C13H24O11·H2O, (I), was obtained via spontaneous transformation of methyl β-lactoside methanol solvate, (II), during air-drying. Cremer–Pople puckering parameters indicate that the β-D-Galp (β-D-galactopyranosyl) and β-D-Glcp (β-D-glucopyranosyl) rings in (I) adopt slightly distorted 4
C
1 chair conformations, with the former distorted towards a boat form (B
C1,C4) and the latter towards a twist-boat form (O5
S
C2). Puckering parameters for (I) and (II) indicate that the conformation of the βGalp ring is slightly more affected than the βGlcp ring by the solvomorphism. Conformations of the terminal O-glycosidic linkages in (I) and (II) are virtually identical, whereas those of the internal O-glycosidic linkage show torsion-angle changes of 6° in both C—O bonds. The exocyclic hydroxymethyl group in the βGalp residue adopts a gt conformation (C4′ anti to O6′) in both (I) and (II), whereas that in the βGlcp residue adopts a gg (gauche–gauche) conformation (H5 anti to O6) in (II) and a gt (gauche–trans) conformation (C4 anti to O6) in (I). The latter conformational change is critical to the solvomorphism in that it allows water to participate in three hydrogen bonds in (I) as opposed to only two hydrogen bonds in (II), potentially producing a more energetically stable structure for (I) than for (II). Visual inspection of the crystalline lattice of (II) reveals channels in which methanol solvent resides and through which solvent might exchange during solvomorphism. These channels are less apparent in the crystalline lattice of (I).
Crystal structures of a dodecameric multicopper oxidase from Marinithermus hydrothermalis
Authors: Paavola Joseph L. , Battistin Umberto , Ogata Craig M. , Georgiadis Millie M.
Published: September 2021

Multicopper oxidases (MCOs) represent a diverse family of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of either an organic or a metal substrate with concomitant reduction of dioxygen to water. These enzymes contain variable numbers of cupredoxin domains, two, three or six per subunit, and rely on four copper ions, a single type I copper and three additional copper ions organized in a trinuclear cluster (TNC), with one type II and two type III copper ions, to catalyze the reaction. Here, two crystal structures and the enzymatic characterization of Marinithermus hydrothermalis MCO, a two-domain enzyme, are reported. This enzyme decolorizes Congo Red dye at 70°C in the presence of high halide concentrations and may therefore be useful in the detoxification of industrial waste that contains dyes. In two distinct crystal structures, MhMCO forms the trimers seen in other two-domain MCOs, but differs from these enzymes in that four trimers interact to create a dodecamer. This dodecamer of MhMCO forms a closed ball-like structure and has implications for the sequestration of bound divalent metal ions as well as substrate accessibility. In each subunit of the dodecameric structures, a Trp residue, Trp351, located between the type I and TNC sites exists in two distinct conformations, consistent with a potential role in facilitating electron transfer in the enzyme.
Cryo-EM single-particle structure refinement and map calculation usingServalcat
Authors: Yamashita Keitaro , Palmer Colin M. , Burnley Tom , Murshudov Garib N.
Published: September 2021

In 2020, cryo-EM single-particle analysis achieved true atomic resolution thanks to technological developments in hardware and software. The number of high-resolution reconstructions continues to grow, increasing the importance of the accurate determination of atomic coordinates. Here, a new Python package and program calledServalcatis presented that is designed to facilitate atomic model refinement.Servalcatimplements a refinement pipeline using the programREFMAC5 from theCCP4 package. After the refinement,Servalcatcalculates a weightedFo−Fcdifference map, which is derived from Bayesian statistics. This map helps manual and automatic model building in real space, as is common practice in crystallography. TheFo−Fcmap helps in the visualization of weak features including hydrogen densities. Although hydrogen densities are weak, they are stronger than in the electron-density maps produced by X-ray crystallography, and some H atoms are even visible at ∼1.8 Å resolution.Servalcatalso facilitates atomic model refinement under symmetry constraints. If point-group symmetry has been applied to the map during reconstruction, the asymmetric unit model is refined with the appropriate symmetry constraints.
The perspective of artisan vendors' resilience, dedication to product authenticity, and the role of marketing and community: 21st century
Authors: Sams Doreen E. , Rickard Mary Kay , Sadasivan Aruna
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This study creates new knowledge that addresses issues significant enough to warrant intellectual engagement. It fills a gap in the academic and practitioner literature by examining a profitable yet understudied cottage industry (artisan vendors). It examines marketing concepts that influence dedication to authentic craftsmanship and artisans' willingness to continue in the industry.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examines historical evidence and connects it with subjective and interpretive analyses from 29 in-depth interviews of today's US artisan vendors to identify sustainable marketing best practices for the industry.

Findings

Researchers uncovered factors behind artisan vendors' willingness to stay committed to their craft and remain in the industry. From the findings of this study, marketing best practices (branding, brand communities and product adaptation while remaining authentic to their craft) were identified as tools for resilience and remaining a viable competitor in the marketplace.

Originality/value

Historically, artisan vendors have been engaging in marketing practices before terms defined their activities. Thus, this study is original in that it contributes to the academic literature by first conducting an analysis of the history of an understudied cottage industry (artisan vendors) starting in the Mesopotamian Era. The key marketing factors discovered in the historical study contributing to the resilience of this industry were then used to conceptualize a qualitative study of the highly profitable US artisan vendor industry.
The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on tourists’ personal prestige – an experimental study
Authors: Kuhn Friedericke , Kock Florian , Lohmann Martin
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has drastically affected the public discourse on tourism in news reporting and on social media, potentially changing social perceptions of travel and its utility for conspicuous consumption. Prestige enhancement is a common tourist motivation, yet, as tourists have been portrayed as irresponsible and even dangerous during the pandemic, the benefits of travel for personal prestige may have been affected. The purpose of this study is to monitor changes in tourists’ personal prestige during the early pandemic in 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed an innovative study design implicitly measuring the personal prestige of tourists shown on experimentally manipulated social media posts. Three measurement waves were issued to compare the personal prestige of tourists just before, during and after the first lockdown situation in Germany.

Findings

Differences regarding evaluations of tourists’ prestige were found for prestige dimensions of hedonism, achievements, wealth and power, suggesting that prestige ascription to tourists has been affected by the changing discourse on leisure travel.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the discussion of the socio-psychological effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on customer benefits of leisure travel. It exposes possible impacts of the pandemic on tourisms’ value for conspicuous consumption and prestige enhancement.
Pedagogical mentoring in Chilean schools: an innovative approach to teachers' professional learning
Authors: Sablo Sutton Soraya , Cuéllar Carolina , González María Paz , Espinosa María Jesús
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the conditions and challenges that facilitate teacher professional learning through the implementation of pedagogical mentoring (PM) within the Chilean school context.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a qualitative methods approach, utilizing an instrumental case study. As the primary data source, researchers conducted 14 individual, semistructured interviews. Participants included two comentors, six mentor teachers and six mentee teachers from two K-8 focal school sites. Data were examined using the content analysis method.

Findings

Results revealed five aspects that contributed to PM's execution: the voluntary participation model, the reflective emphasis, the focus on teaching and learning, the facilitating role of the principal and comentor support. At the same time, the findings indicated three factors that hindered PM's success: interruptions due to schedule conflicts, limited dissemination throughout the school community and assimilation of the values embedded in the Chilean teacher evaluation system.

Practical implications

PM holds great potential for collaborative professional development and continuous improvement of teachers' instructional practices, drawing on their experiences and resources and leading to the strengthening sense of professionalism in teaching and in teachers' social esteem.

Originality/value

This is the first research to address a formal PM project in Chile aimed specifically at in-service teachers. Previous projects in the country have focused on novice teachers. Unlike other initiatives in the region, this project does not focus on teacher induction but on capacity building within schools through collaborative work. This research also adopts an approach based on support for teachers' professional development, while in Chile the main policies currently focus on teacher evaluation.
Flexural performance of reinforced concrete beam made with waste foundry sand as fine aggregate
Authors: Mahadevappa Manjunatha , Krupa Rakshith Shri Guru , Ahmed Shaik Kabeer , Shetty Rakshith Kumar
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The structural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams made with waste foundry sand (WFS) was examined in this study by using investigational data. Five RC beams were tested in this present work, four beams with varying WFS content and one beam with natural aggregates. The factors considered for studying the flexural performance of RC beams were WFS content (10%, 20%, 30% and 40%), 15% Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) is used as supplementary cementitious (SCM) content for all beams and tension reinforcement ratio (0.95%). The crack pattern of the RC beams with WFS (RCB1, RCB2, RCB3 and RCB4) was similar to that of referral beam–RCB0. The RC beams made with WFS (RCB1, RCB2, RCB3 and RCB4) show lesser number of cracks than referral beam–RCB0. It is observed that RCB1 beam shows higher ultimate moment carrying capacity than other RC beams. A detailed assessment of the investigational results and calculations based on IS: 456-2000 code for flexural strength exhibited that the present provisions conservatively predicts the flexural strength and crack width of RC beams with WFS and 15% GGBS. It is suggested that 10% WFS can be used to make RC beam.

Design/methodology/approach

In this present work, four RC beams made WFS and one RC beam made with natural aggregates. 15% GGBS is used as SCM for all RC beams. After casting of RC beams, the specimens were cured with wetted gunny bags for 28 days. After curing, RC beams like RCB0, RCB1, RCB2, RCB3 and RCB4 were tested under a four-point loading simply supported condition. An assessment of investigational results and calculations as per IS: 456-2000 code provisions has been made for flexural strength and crack width of RC beams with WFS and 15% GGBS. The crack pattern is also studied.

Findings

From this experimental results, it is found that 10% WFS can be used for making RC beam. The RCB1 with 10% WFS shows better flexural performance than other RC beams. RC beams made with WFS show lesser number of cracks than referral beam–RCB0. IS: 456-2000 code provisions can be safely used to predict the moment capacity and crack width of RC beams with WFS and 15% GGBS.

Originality/value

By utilization of WFS, the dumping of waste and environmental pollution can be reduced. By experimental investigation, it is suggested that 10% WFS can be used to make RC structural members for low cost housing projects.
Direct and indirect effects of landscape and field management intensity on carabids through trophic resources and weeds
Authors: Carbonne Benjamin , Bohan David A. , Foffová Hana , Daouti Eirini , Frei Britta , Neidel Veronika , Saska Pavel , Skuhrovec Jiří , Petit Sandrine
Published: September 2021

Carabids are important biological control agents of weeds and other pests in agricultural fields. The carabid community is built upon direct and indirect ecological effects of landscape complexity, field management intensity and biotic components that in interaction make any prediction of community size and composition challenging.

We analyse a large‐scale sample of 60 European cereal fields using structural equation modelling to quantify the direct effects of field management intensity and the surrounding landscape, and their indirect effect via biotic components, on carabid diversity.

Our results highlight that direct and indirect effects of increasing landscape complexity, mediated by trophic resources, mainly affect carabids positively. Field management intensity only ever affects carabids through indirect effects that are generally negative, by suppressing standing weeds and weed seeds.

Indirect effects on granivore carabid species depended on weed seed availability, whereas omnivores depended on the availability of both weed seeds and animal prey.

Synthesis and applications. A consideration of both the direct and indirect effects of landscape and field management is necessary for predicting carabid communities. These indirect effects, mediated via trophic resources, supports the diversity and abundance of carabid communities and their provision of ecosystem services. Our results show that promoting crop diversity and connectivity to semi‐natural habitats will directly enhance carabid communities in farmland by manipulating their migration from source habitats and indirectly by promoting the presence and diversity of their trophic resources. A reduction in field management intensity will preserve local standing weeds and weed seeds, and indirectly support carabid communities. These local and landscape modifications could contribute to improve the natural regulation of pests and weeds by carabids.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way? Strategies to reduce or abstain from alcohol use developed by Northern Plains American Indian women participating in a brief, alcohol‐exposed pregnancy preconceptual intervention
Authors: Deutsch Arielle R. , Lustfield Rebecca , Hanson Jessica D.
Published: September 2021

Background

Alcohol‐exposed pregnancy (AEP) is an ongoing concern, especially within low‐resource, high‐risk areas such as rural American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) communities. Brief, preconceptual AEP‐reduction interventions are popular in such areas but have a small impact on alcohol use. Developing a strategic alcohol change plan is a key program component; however, there is little research on strategy selection, especially within contexts that positively or negatively impact selection (e.g., cultural strengths, trauma, collective efficacy within AIAN communities). This study qualitatively analyzed strategies chosen to reduce alcohol use by AIAN women participating in a culturally tailored, brief, preconceptual AEP‐reduction intervention.

Methods

One hundred‐sixty Northern Plains AIAN women who were participating in a brief AEP‐reduction program developed a plan to accomplish an alcohol reduction/abstention goal at the first and last program sessions. The plan included choosing 1 or more strategies to (1) achieve the goal, (2) mitigate barriers, and (3) use cultural strengths. Qualitative analysis of the data involved thematic open and structured coding of all 3 strategies separately. We also examined how many different themes (different individual strategies) participants reported for each strategy component.

Results

Most participants reported only 1 strategy (theme) for each of the 3 components. Common goal‐achieving and barrier‐mitigation strategies included positive social supports and avoiding negative or alcohol‐involved social environments. Other strategies involved circular logic (e.g., the strategy to reduce drinking was to drink less). Both traditional and western cultural strengths were reported as important resources, although many participants had no cultural resource strategy.

Conclusion

Programs aimed at reducing AEPs may need to provide participants more support to develop strong strategies to reduce alcohol use when implemented within areas with high levels of trauma and contextual barriers that can impact strategy selection. Such support could include ways to improve health on both interpersonal and community levels.
Morphological and morphometric features of knee joint in wild boar (Sus scrofa)
Authors: Doğan İshak , Ateş Sevinç , Erdem Baran , Takci Lutfi
Published: September 2021

In the study, it was aimed to reveal the structure of the knee joint anatomically and morphometrically in the wild pig known as the ancestor of the domestic pig. In the study, the left and right knee joints of mature 10 wild boars were used as material. For this purpose, the materials were fixed with 10% formaldehyde solution. Macroanatomical and morphometrical examinations of bones, menisci and ligaments involved in joint formation were performed after fixation. Trochlea and condyles of femur were examined, and various measurements were made. Trochlear labia were found to be the same size, and the condyles did not show a significant difference in size. The shape of lateral condyle of the tibia was trapezoid, and the shape of medial condyle was triangular. Moreover, the lateral intercondylar tubercule was higher according to the medial one. The presence of a shallow groove on the tibial tuberosity was detected. It was found that the width difference between apex and base was more pronounced on the anterior and lateral surface of the patella. Joint surface of the fibula was found to be flat in all materials. The menisci were ‘C’ shape, but the medial meniscus is more convex than the lateral one. It was observed that the outer edges were thick, while the inner edges were thin. Ligaments of the knee joint were well developed. When the findings of the study were compared with the literature, domestication seemed to have no significant effect in terms of the morphologic properties of the knee joint of wild boar.
Hypersensitivity reactions to chemotherapy: an EAACI Position Paper
Authors: Pagani Mauro , Bavbek Sevim , Alvarez‐Cuesta Emilio , Berna Dursun Adile , Bonadonna Patrizia , Castells Mariana , Cernadas Josefina , Chiriac Anca , Sahar Hamadi , Madrigal‐Burgaleta Ricardo , Sanchez Sanchez Soledad
Published: September 2021

Chemotherapeutic drugs have been widely used in the treatment of cancer disease for about 70 years. The development of new treatments has not hindered their use, and oncologists still prescribe them routinely, alone or in combination with other antineoplastic agents. However, all chemotherapeutic agents can induce hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs), with different incidences depending on the culprit drug. These reactions are the third leading cause of fatal drug‐induced anaphylaxis in the United States. In Europe, deaths related to chemotherapy have also been reported. In particular, most reactions are caused by platinum compounds, taxanes, epipodophyllotoxins and asparaginase. Despite their prevalence and relevance, the ideal pathways for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of these reactions are still unclear, and practice remains considerably heterogeneous with vast differences from center to center. Thus, the European Network on Drug Allergy and Drug Allergy Interest Group of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology organized a task force to provide data and recommendations regarding the allergological work‐up in this field of drug hypersensitivity reactions. This position paper aims to provide consensus on the investigation of HSRs to chemotherapeutic drugs and give practical recommendations for clinicians that treat these patients, such as oncologists, allergologists and internists. Key sections cover risk factors, pathogenesis, symptoms, the role of skin tests, in vitro tests, indications and contraindications of drug provocation tests and desensitization of neoplastic patients with allergic reactions to chemotherapeutic drugs. Statements, recommendations and unmet needs were discussed and proposed at the end of each section.
Surgical management of the acute paediatric scrotum: a three‐year single centre experience
Authors: Muraliharan Janarthan Sainath , Jacob Tarun John K. , Bollu Bapesh Krishna , Graf Nicole , Sebastian Tunny , Thomas Gordon
Published: September 2021

Background

Acute scrotal pain is a common emergency presentation in paediatric surgery. Torsion of the testicular appendage (TTA) is the most common cause for pain, with testicular torsion (TT) being the sinister pathology to exclude. Outcomes are time dependent, and a delayed scrotal exploration could result in testicular loss.

Methods

We performed a review on a large retrospective cohort of 449 surgical scrotal explorations at a large referral paediatric surgical centre over three years.

Results

Only about a quarter of children with testicular pain presented within 4 h. TT is commonly associated with nausea and an abnormal lie. Two children with a classical ‘blue dot’ sign were later found to have a testicular torsion. 19% of all children with a TTA were also seen to have Bell clapper anomaly (BCA). Recurrent testicular pain was associated with 84.7% (p < 0.001) of BCA. Intra‐operative diagnosis of TTA correlated with histopathology in 84.6% (p=0.021). The sensitivity of intraoperative diagnosis was 90.9% with a specificity of 75.3%.

Conclusion

Routine histopathology for a classic TTA may not be required especially in resource poor situations. All children presenting with recurrent episodes of testicular pain must be considered for surgical scrotal exploration. And in view of the incidence of BCA in this cohort, all scrotal explorations for acute scrotal pain should include an assessment for BCA.
Allergic sensitisation did not affect bronchial hyper‐responsiveness in children without respiratory tract symptoms
Authors: Burman Janne I. , Remes Sami T. , Mäkelä Mika J.
Published: September 2021

Aim

The potential for immunotherapy to prevent asthma development has become a hot topic. This prompted us to revisit data from an early study that examined allergic sensitisation on bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in children with and without respiratory symptoms. Unlike previous studies, it used both indirect and direct test methods.

Methods

The study was conducted in Kuopio, Finland, in 1994 and 247 children (55.1% boys) with a mean age 10.5 ± 1.7 years were recruited using a school survey: 165 with lower respiratory symptoms and 82 healthy controls. Each child underwent a 6‐min free‐running test and a methacholine test with a cumulative dose of 4900 µg. All participants underwent skin‐prick tests: 127were sensitised and 120 were non‐sensitised.

Results

There were no significant differences in lung function between the sensitised and non‐sensitised children. However, sensitisation was associated with BHR which was measured by both the methacholine test (2400 µg versus >4900 µg, p < 0.001) and the free‐running test (−3.5% versus −2.6%, p = 0.042). No such differences were observed among the healthy controls. Sensitisation was a predictor of allergic diseases, and only multisensitisation to a minimum of four allergens increased the incidence of asthma.

Conclusion

Allergic sensitisation did not affect BHR in children without respiratory symptoms.