bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of rectal swabbing for total and aerobic gut microbiota study
Authors: Marin Julie , Bertoye Paul Albin , Birgy Andre , Dziri Samira , Lescat Mathilde
Published: July 2024

In microbiota research, whole stool sampling is the conventional approach but can be problematic or infeasible for certain patients. This study aims to validate the use of rectal swabbing as an alternative method for microbiota analysis and determine optimal storage conditions suitable for various clinical settings, including intensive care units. We evaluated different sampling techniques, conservation media and storage temperatures. Our findings indicated that rectal swabs yield microbiota diversity comparable to whole stool samples. Notably, storage conditions significantly impacted microbiota profiles, with increasedE. coliandEnterococcus sp. quantifications observed at room temperature. Consequently, we recommend immediate refrigeration of rectal swabs to reliably assess aerobic and total microbiota, particularly for patients requiring urgent care such as antibiotic treatment.

Importance

We developed a pragmatic approach to study total and aerobic gut microbiota, applicable in numerous clinical units such as intensive care or emergency units, where whole stool sampling is often impractical. This approach employs ESwab™ devices which are already commonly used in hospital.
Classification of human actin pathological variants usingC. elegansCRISPR-generated models
Authors: Hecquet Théo , Arbogast Nadine , Suhner Delphine , Goetz Anaïs , Amann Grégory , Yürekli Selin , Marangoni Fiona , Greve Johannes N. , Di Donato Nataliya , Reymann Anne-Cécile
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Actin plays a crucial role in diverse physiological processes via the formation of dynamic networks that determine cellular shape and mechanical properties.De novovariants in cytoskeletal β- and γ-actin, encoded by humanACTBandACTG1genes, lead to a wide range of rare diseases, termed Non-Muscle Actinopathies (NMA). Variants include missense, frameshift, truncating variants up to whole gene deletions and induce diverse symptoms. So far, the high clinical variability and genotype-phenotype correlations in NMA remain largely unresolved. To address this question, we used CRISPR to insert in theC. eleganshomologueact-2gene ninede novomutations identified in patients. Using these animal models, we performed a quantitative multiscale characterisation. We uncovered a variety of perturbations: actin network defects at the micro scale, cell scale abnormalities, morphogenesis failure, as well as weaker behavioural phenotypes. Importantly, the range of developmental defects observed correlates with the severity of patients’ symptoms. Thus, we provide evidence that aC. elegans- based approach represents a new way to investigate the mechanisms underlying NMA physiopathology or ultimately screen for therapeutic strategies.
Scalable summary-statistics-based heritability estimation method with individual genotype level accuracy
Authors: Jeong Moonseong , Pazokitoroudi Ali , Liu Zhengtong , Sankararaman Sriram
Published: July 2024

SNP heritability, the proportion of phenotypic variation explained by genotyped SNPs, is an important parameter in understanding the genetic architecture underlying various diseases and traits. Methods that aim to estimate SNP heritability from individual genotype and phenotype data are limited by their ability to scale to Biobank-scale data sets and by the restrictions in access to individual-level data. These limitations have motivated the development of methods that only require summary statistics. Although the availability of publicly accessible summary statistics makes them widely applicable, these methods lack the accuracy of methods that utilize individual genotypes. Here we present a SUMmary-statistics-based Randomized Haseman-Elston regression (SUM-RHE), a method that can estimate the SNP heritability of complex phenotypes with accuracies comparable to approaches that require individual genotypes, while exclusively relying on summary statistics. SUM-RHE employs Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) summary statistics and statistics obtained on a reference population, which can be efficiently estimated and readily shared for public use. Our results demonstrate that SUM-RHE obtains estimates of SNP heritability that are substantially more accurate compared with other summary statistic methods and on par with methods that rely on individual-level data.
Flexible decision-making is related to strategy learning, vicarious trial and error, and medial prefrontal rhythms during spatial set-shifting
Authors: Miles Jesse T. , Mullins Ginger L. , Mizumori Sheri J. Y.
Published: July 2024

Flexible decision-making requires a balance between exploring features of an environment and exploiting prior knowledge. Behavioral flexibility is typically measured by how long it takes subjects to consistently make accurate choices after reward contingencies switch or task rules change. This measure, however, only allows for tracking flexibility across multiple trials, and does not assess the degree of flexibility. Plus, although increases in decision-making accuracy are strong indicators of learning, other decision-making behaviors have also been suggested as markers of flexibility, such as the on-the-fly decision reversals known as vicarious trial and error (VTE) or switches to a different, but incorrect, strategy. We sought to relate flexibility, learning, and neural activity by comparing choice history-derived evaluation of strategy use with changes in decision-making accuracy and VTE behavior while recording from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in rats. Using a set-shifting task that required rats to repeatedly switch between spatial decision-making strategies, we show that a previously developed strategy likelihood estimation procedure could identify putative learning points based on decision history. We confirm the efficacy of learning point estimation by showing increases in decision-making accuracy aligned to the learning point. Additionally, we show increases in the rate of VTE behavior surrounding identified learning points. By calculating changes in strategy likelihoods across trials, we tracked flexibility on a trial-by-trial basis and show that flexibility scores also increased around learning points. Further, we demonstrate that VTE behaviors could be separated into indecisive and deliberative subtypes depending on whether they occurred during periods of high or low flexibility and whether they led to correct or incorrect choice outcomes. Field potential recordings from the mPFC during decisions exhibited increased beta band activity on trials with VTE compared to non-VTE trials, as well as increased gamma during periods when learned strategies could be exploited compared to prelearning, exploratory periods. This study demonstrates that increased behavioral flexibility and VTE rates are often aligned to task learning. These relationships can break down, however, suggesting that VTE is not always an indicator of deliberative decision-making. Additionally, we further implicate the mPFC in decision-making and learning by showing increased beta-based activity on VTE trials and increased gamma after learning.
Mitigation of the microbunching instability through transverse Landau damping
Authors: Brynes A. D. , Perosa G. , Tsai C.-Y. , Allaria E. , Badano L. , De Ninno G. , Ferrari E. , Garzella D. , Giannessi L. , Penco G. , Ribič P. Rebernik , Roussel E. , Spampinati S. , Spezzani C. , Trovò M. , Veronese M. , Di Mitri S.
Published: July 2024

The microbunching instability has been a long-standing issue for high-brightness free-electron lasers (FELs) and is a significant showstopper to achieve full longitudinal coherence in the x-ray regime. This paper reports the first experimental demonstration of microbunching instability mitigation through transverse Landau damping, based on linear optics control in a dispersive region. Analytical predictions for the microbunching content are supported by numerical calculations of the instability gain. The effect is confirmed through the experimental characterization of the spectral brightness of the FERMI FEL under different transverse optics configurations of the transfer line between the linear accelerator and the FEL.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Electroweak scattering at the muon shot
Authors: Han Tao , Liu Da , Low Ian , Wang Xing
Published: July 2024

It has long been recognized that the scattering of electroweak particles at very high energies is dominated by vector boson fusion, which probes the origin of electroweak symmetry breaking and offers a unique window into the ultraviolet regime of the Standard Model (SM). Previous studies assume SM-like couplings and rely on the effective W approximation (or electroweak parton distribution), whose validity is well established within the SM but not yet studied in the presence of anomalous Higgs couplings. In this work, we critically examine the electroweak production of two Higgs bosons in the presence of anomalous VVh and VVhh couplings. We compute the corresponding helicity amplitudes and compare the cross section results in the effective W approximation with the full fixed-order calculation. In particular, we identify two distinct classes of anomalous Higgs couplings, whose effects are not captured by vector boson fusion and effective W approximation. Such very-high-energy electroweak scatterings can be probed at the muon shot, a multi-TeV muon collider upon which we base our study, although similar considerations apply to other high-energy colliders.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Categorical structure of the set of all CFTs
Authors: Ben Zeev Rotem , Ergun Behzat , Milan Elisa , Razamat Shlomo S.
Published: July 2024

We identify a categorical structure of the set of all conformal field theories (CFTs). In particular, we show that the set of all CFTs has a natural monoidal strict 2-category structure with the 1-morphisms being sequences of deformations and 2-morphisms determined by 0-form symmetries of the CFTs.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Experimental study of particle impact on cohesive granular packing
Authors: Selmani H. , Besnard J. B. , Ould El Moctar A. , Dupont P. , Valance A.
Published: July 2024

We investigate experimentally the impact process of sand particles onto a cohesive granular packing made of similar particles. We use a sand-oil mixture with varying liquid content to tune the cohesive strength of the packing. The outcome of the impact is analyzed in terms of the production of ejected particles from the packing. We quantify this production as a function of the impact velocity of the particles for increasing cohesion strength. We identified three different regimes depending on the cohesion number Co, defined as the ratio of the interparticle cohesive force to the particle weight. For small cohesion (i.e., Co⪅1), the ejection process is not modified by the cohesion. For intermediate cohesion (i.e., 1⪅Co⪅20), the ejection process becomes less efficient: the number of ejected particles per impact for a given impact velocity is decreased but the critical impact velocity to trigger the ejection process remains unchanged. Finally, for strong cohesion (i.e., Co⪆20), we observed a progressive increase of the critical impact velocity. These experimental results confirm spectacularly the outcomes of recent numerical simulations on the collision process of a particle onto a cohesive packing and open avenues to model the aeolian transport of moist sand.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
New Regime of Inertial Alfvén Wave Turbulence in the Auroral Ionosphere
Authors: Di Mare Francesca , Howes Gregory G.
Published: July 2024

We investigate a new regime of inertial Alfvén wave turbulence observed in the very low beta plasma of the auroral ionosphere using electric and magnetic field measurements by the TRICE-2 sounding rocket. Combining the observed features of the electric and magnetic field frequency spectra with the linear properties of inertial Alfvén waves, we deduce the path of the anisotropic turbulent cascade through wave vector space. We find a critically balanced cascade through the magnetohydrodynamic scales of the inertial range down to the perpendicular scale of the plasma skin depth, followed by a parallel cascade to the ion inertial length. We infer damping of the cascade by a combination of proton cyclotron damping and electron Landau damping.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Speeding up squeezing with a periodically driven Dicke model
Authors: Reilly Jarrod T. , Jäger Simon B. , Wilson John Drew , Cooper John , Eggert Sebastian , Holland Murray J.
Published: July 2024

We present a simple and effective method to create highly entangled spin states on a faster timescale than that of the commonly employed one-axis twisting (OAT) model. We demonstrate that by periodically driving the Dicke Hamiltonian at a resonance frequency, the system effectively becomes a two-axis countertwisting Hamiltonian, which is known to quickly create Heisenberg limit scaled entangled states. For these states we show that simple quadrature measurements can saturate the ultimate precision limit for parameter estimation determined by the quantum Cramér-Rao bound. An example experimental realization of the periodically driven scheme is discussed with the potential to quickly generate momentum entanglement in a recently described experimental vertical cavity system. We analyze effects of collective dissipation in this vertical cavity system and find that our squeezing protocol can be more robust than the previous realization of OAT.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Intertwined charge and spin density waves in a topological kagome material
Authors: Chen Y. , Gaudet J. , Marcus G. G. , Nomoto T. , Chen T. , Tomita T. , Ikhlas M. , Suzuki H. S. , Zhao Y. , Chen W. C. , Strempfer J. , Arita R. , Nakatsuji S. , Broholm C.
Published: July 2024

Using neutrons and x rays we show the topological kagome antiferromagnet Mn3Sn for T<285K forms a homogeneous spin and charge ordered state comprising a longitudinally polarized spin density wave with wave vector kβ=kβĉ, a helical modulated version of the room temperature antichiral magnetic order with kχ=kχĉ, and charge density waves with wave vectors 2kβ,2kχ, and

k

β

+

k

χ

. Though kχ and kβ coincide for 200K<T<230K, they exhibit distinct continuous Tdependencies before locking to commensurate values of kβ=112c* and kχ=548c* at lowT. Density functional theory indicates this complex modulated state may be associated with the nesting of Fermi surfaces from correlated flat kagome bands, which host Weyl nodes that are annihilated as it forms.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Quantum Lego Expansion Pack: Enumerators from Tensor Networks
Authors: Cao ChunJun , Gullans Michael J. , Lackey Brad , Wang Zitao
Published: July 2024

We provide the first tensor-network method for computing quantum weight enumerator polynomials in the most general form. If a quantum code has a known tensor-network construction of its encoding map, our method is far more efficient, and in some cases exponentially faster than the existing approach. As a corollary, it produces decoders and an algorithm that computes the code distance. For non-(Pauli)-stabilizer codes, this constitutes the current best algorithm for computing the code distance. For degenerate stabilizer codes, it can be substantially faster compared to the current methods. We also introduce novel weight enumerators and their applications. In particular, we show that these enumerators can be used to compute logical error rates exactly and thus construct (optimal) decoders for any independent and identically distributed single qubit or qudit error channels. The enumerators also provide a more efficient method for computing nonstabilizerness in quantum many-body states. As the power for these speedups rely on a quantum Lego decomposition of quantum codes, we further provide systematic methods for decomposing quantum codes and graph states into a modular construction for which our technique applies. As a proof of principle, we perform exact analyses of the deformed surface codes, the holographic pentagon code, and the two-dimensional Bacon-Shor code under (biased) Pauli noise and limited instances of coherent error at sizes that are inaccessible by brute force.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
The employee-related antecedents of work performance: exploring a three-sided model for Human Resources Management
Authors: Ferrari Filippo
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This research paper aims to integrate the employee-related factors that empirical literature considers antecedents of performance (skills, work motivation, personal characteristics) into a multiple linear regression model, and to test such a model in order to measure the level of each individual factor on the performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative, multisource research approach. After testing the validity of the model with a Confirmatory Factor Analysis, this research applies the multiple linear regression model Work performance = a(Skills) + b(Work Motivation) + c(Personal Characteristics) + e(constant) to two different samples of workers: chemical technicians (N = 63) and salespeople (N = 61).

Findings

This study confirms the factorial structure of the antecedents of work performance, showing that skills, motivation, and personal characteristics are three general employee-related factors underlying work performance. The statistical analysis highlights a variance in performance between 40 and 65% explained by employee-related factors, hence leaving 35–60% as due to factors outside the model (firm/environment-related and/or job-related factors, or other skills and personal characteristics not considered in the model). The study also highlights that employee-related factors sometimes affect performance differently than job designers' expectations, and sometimes even negatively.

Research limitations/implications

The equation was tested on two case studies, so further explorations are needed. Furthermore, the approach adopted is inductive thus describing performance as it is, not as it should be. Therefore, it explains the best actual performance of workers, not the ideal performance.

Practical implications

The equation tested here represents a simple and valid tool to guide many Human Resource Management practices, such as; selection, training, development, and career orientation.

Social implications

Findings provide a valid indication for designing and managing human resource management systems more even-handedly, from an organizational and employee point of view. In doing so, it drives organizations towards a better Person/Job fit.

Originality/value

The study represents one of the first attempts to take into consideration multiple factors simultaneously in explaining work performance.
Not for us? Vocational training in the social and policy space in Sierra Leone
Authors: Harris Jamelia
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper explores the attractiveness of TVET in Sierra Leone, a post-conflict West African country. It aims to unpack structural factors which contribute to the low repute of TVET.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses qualitative interviews with employers, government and third sector organisations, focus group discussions with young Sierra Leoneans and analysis of key government policy documents. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, and the empirical analysis is grounded in Social Learning Theory of Career Decision Making and Social Cognitive Career Theory. The paper is interdisciplinary, drawing on literature from economics, psychology, political science and development studies.

Findings

The paper argues that TVET is in low repute in Sierra Leone owing to low prioritisation by the national government in terms of policy focus, budgetary allocations and provision of training facilities; the proliferation and continuation of a post-war style of TVET programmes by development partners which initially targeted ex-combatants and thus carry reputational baggage; and colonial legacies of preferences for university education and white-collar jobs.

Originality/value

The research contributes to the academic and policy discourse by providing new empirical insights from an under-studied country (and region), and arguably one where evidence-based policy is much needed.
Expressing opinions about information security in an organization: the spiral of silence theory perspective
Authors: Petrič Gregor , Orehek Špela
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Expressing views on organizational information security (IS) by employees is vital for improving security processes, policies and trainings, while non-communication may conceal the true state of the human factor of IS and lead to security breaches. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of opinion expressing about organizational IS, provide an explanatory model based on the theory of spiral of silence and offer its empirical validation.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from a web-based survey among the employees of one the universities in the European Union (n = 504) was analyzed with regression analysis to investigate the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The study reveals that employees with positive opinions about IS will be more willing to share their opinions with coworkers and management. However, when employees perceive that their pro-IS opinions are not shared by other coworkers, they will remain silent, which increases the risk of problematic opinions spreading throughout the organization.

Research limitations/implications

The study highlights the need to focus on the communication perspectives of organizational information security, an area often overlooked in the human factor of information security research.

Practical implications

The results highlight the need to examine the gap between the dominant climate of opinion about IS in the organization and the display of compliant IS behaviors in order to strengthen IS endeavors. Organizations are encouraged to facilitate open dialogue about IS processes, policies and training and implement mechanisms for considering employees’ feedback in order to improve the organization’s IS.

Originality/value

The study contributes to a growing body of research that moves beyond viewing employees merely as subjects of compliance, recognizing instead their agency in IS issues that can enhance organizational resilience. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to apply the spiral of silence theory in the IS field, thereby helping to overcome the lack of communication science perspectives in organizational IS research.
Exploring the nexus of industry dynamism, climate risk exposure and mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized suppliers: implications for sustainable supply chain management
Authors: Bag Surajit , Sarkar Abhigyan , Sarkar Juhi Gahlot , Rogers Helen , Srivastava Gautam
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Although climate change-related risks affect all stakeholders along the supply chain, the potential impact on small and micro-sized suppliers is incredibly excessive. The corresponding toll of these climate risk threats on the mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized suppliers can adversely affect their participation in sustainability efforts, ultimately impacting the firm's performance. This often-overlooked dynamic forms the core of our research. We probe into two pivotal aspects: how industry dynamism and climate risk affect the mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized suppliers and how, in turn, dictate involvement and, consequently, supply chain sustainability performance. This is further nuanced by the moderating role of the abusive behavior of buyers.

Design/methodology/approach

Our study is built on resource dependency theory and the supporting empirical evidence is fortified by a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. This study comprises three phases. In the first phase, our experiment examines the effect of industry dynamism and climate risk exposure on sustainable supply chain management performance. Hypotheses H1a and H1b are tested in the first phase. The second phase involves using a survey and structural equation modeling to test the comprehensiveness of the model. Here, the relationship between industry dynamism, climate risk exposure, mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized supplier firms, supplier involvement and sustainable supply chain management (H2–H7) is tested in the second phase. In the third phase, we adopt a qualitative approach to verify and provide descriptive explanations of phase two findings.

Findings

Our findings underscore the significance of small and micro-sized suppliers in sustainability, offering invaluable insights for both theoretical understanding and practical implementation. Our study highlights that buyers must allocate sufficient resources to support small and micro-sized supplier firms and collaborate closely to address climate change and its impacts.

Practical implications

The key takeaway from this study is that buyer firms should consider SDG 3, which focuses on the good health and well-being of their employees and the mental health and well-being of owners of small and micro-sized suppliers in their upstream supply chain. This approach enhances sustainability performance in supply chains.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies that shows that industry dynamism and climate risk exposure can negatively impact small and micro-sized suppliers in the presence of a contextual element, i.e. abusive behavior of buyers, and ultimately, it negatively impacts sustainable supply chain performance dimensions.
Project success factors for leadership practices and communication: challenges in the construction sector
Authors: Rehan Ashok , Thorpe David , Heravi Amirhossein
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The study examines the project success factors for leadership behavioural practices and communication impacting project success, providing empirical evidence to address the challenges in the digitalized environment in the Australian construction sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach was employed to collect survey data from 109 project managers and followers (project engineers, supervisors, team members, and senior managers) with diverse project management experience in the construction sector. An exploratory factors analysis/multivariate regression/relative importance index/t-test was used to identify the key project success factors and validate the study's results.

Findings

Data analysis identified four key project success factors: (1) Relationship Management, (2) Leading by Example, (3) Self-Management, and (4) Effective Communication, along with seventeen “behavioural practices attributes” impacting project success positively and significantly and emphasizing inclusiveness, relationship building, self-feedback objectivity, sharing information, collaboratively resolving disputes, and controlling emotions that significantly impact project success.

Practical implications

The study's results will address the industry's challenges in the complex digitalized environment and specific issues experienced in the construction industry: delays and inefficiencies, supply chain management, communication barriers with multicultural workforce and safety protocols implementation, regulatory and safety compliance, infrastructure demands, skills shortages, sustainability, and new technology adoption to achieve project success.

Originality/value

The quantification of research findings, employing an innovative approach, underscores the distinctive nature of this study. The key success factors will help formulate innovative practices using stakeholder analysis, communication plans, conflict resolution strategies, promoting collaboration, safety leadership, providing cultural awareness, and enhancing the decision-making process to face challenges in the construction sector.
Study on university students’ intention to choose reusable takeaway food containers: evidence from China
Authors: Li Ruijuan , Zhou Yuanchun , Wang Hua , Wang Qi
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Reusable takeaway food containers (RTFCs) are a newly emerging green packaging choice for the takeaway industry that can effectively reduce campus solid waste but are not yet well accepted. Therefore, this study aims to identify the key factors influencing university students’ intention to choose RTFCs, seeking to enhance RTFC project management practices and contribute to developing a sustainable “green university.”

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 316 valid respondents from a Chinese university were surveyed for data collection. A multivariate ordered logistic regression model was used to conduct empirical analysis.

Findings

The results of this study underscore the crucial role of perceived value in the relationship between perceived green attributes and students’ intention to choose RTFCs. The positive impacts of perceived green attributes on intention are direct and indirect, through the lens of perceived value. When the value is substantial, it significantly boosts the student’s intention to choose RTFCs. Conversely, the perception of lower hygienic quality or higher returning time cost dampens this intention, with a more pronounced effect than perceived green attributes. Notably, perceived publicity activities have the most significant impact on student’s intention to choose RTFCs.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding of promoting RTFCs, a key strategy for reducing plastic waste on campuses. The findings provide actionable recommendations for the project company and the university, offering practical ways to encourage students to use RTFCs and contribute to plastic waste reduction.
Pricing risk contribution of general Takaful by spatial generalized linear mixed models at the level of tariff cells
Authors: Hajipour Farsangi Reza , Mahdavi Ghadir , Jafari Khaledi Majid , Büyükyazıcı Murat , Ghanbarzadeh Mitra
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to price the risk contribution of general Takaful at the level of tariff cells, considering a spatial dependency framework.

Design/methodology/approach

Three different models, including a generalized linear model, a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) and a spatial generalized linear mixed model (SGLMM), according to the actuarial modeling of general Takaful, are used to price pure risk contribution (PRC).

Findings

The results reveal that the SGLMM yields more accurate predictions of the PRC compared to the other models, emphasizing the significance of spatial modeling in this context. Following the estimation of the PRC, the gross contribution according to the mechanism of Takaful models is calculated considering the spatial model.

Practical implications

Considering the similarities between Takaful and insurance, this study addresses the pricing of general Takaful within different Takaful models through a spatial dependency framework, such that the practical implications of the study are applicable for running Takaful's business in both Islamic and non-Islamic countries.

Originality/value

Most studies consider only the social or practical view of Takaful. This study contributes to the broader knowledge and understanding of Takaful by presenting a conceptual understanding of Takaful and then investigates the practical application of pricing risk contribution using innovative modeling of claim frequency and severity at the level of tariff cells.
How do intervals between fires influence canopy seed production and viability?
Authors: Plumanns‐Pouton Ella , Swan Matthew , Penman Trent , Kelly Luke T.
Published: July 2024

Canopy storage of seed (serotiny) is an important persistence strategy in fire‐prone environments. Serotinous populations can be threatened when fire intervals are shorter than the time needed to accumulate seed, or when longer than plant lifespans.

Understanding how fire regimes influence canopy seedbanks requires study of the timing of plant maturity, seed output and germination traits. Research that spans plant functional types, such as resprouters or obligate seeders, helps to understand the mechanisms through which fire has influence.

Using field data collected at 57 sites in a Mediterranean shrubland of southeastern Australia, we modelled how time since fire and mean fire interval influenced infructescence (hereby cone) production. Additionally, seed output, viability and germination speed were assessed in the laboratory.

Reproductively mature resprouters were first observed 2 to 4 years post‐fire in the field, and reproductively mature obligate seeders 6 years post‐fire, depending on the species. Reproductively mature plants were not observed at short mean fire intervals: until 3 and 9 years for resprouters and nine and 18 years for obligate seeders, again, varying by species. When resprouter species reached maturity, we observed a decline in cone production as time since fire increased. This decline was not observed for obligate seeder species.

Fire influenced the number of viable seeds produced within cones for one resprouter species, Allocasuarina paludosa, but we did not detect a relationship for other species.

Germination speed was faster for species that produce few seeds per cone, and slower for species that produce many seeds, indicating a trade‐off between fire‐related seed traits. For example, Hakea rostrata, which holds two seeds per cone, germinated mostly within the first few weeks, while Callitris rhomboidea, which holds many seeds per cone, germinated asynchronously over 9 months.

Short intervals between fires reduce canopy seed production for the serotinous species studied. Obligate seeders were more sensitive to frequent fire than resprouters. In the context of expected increases in wildfire frequency and droughts in Mediterranean ecosystems, our findings suggest that serotinous species' reproduction and recruitment will be differentially impacted depending on a suite of functional traits.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Enhancing magnetic source edges using the tilt angle of the analytic‐signal amplitudes of the horizontal gradient
Authors: Pham Luan Thanh , Smith Richard S. , Oliveira Saulo P. , Jorge Vinicius Theobaldo
Published: July 2024

Enhancing magnetic data is often complicated due to the non‐vertical orientation of the geomagnetic field and the orientation of remanent source magnetization. The complication can be reduced by reducing the data to the pole (mathematically making the geomagnetic field vertical), but this reduction process is problematic. The analytic‐signal amplitude can be used to enhance the edges of two‐dimensional sources without a reduction to the pole. However, the shape of the analytic‐signal amplitude is weakly dependent on the magnetization direction for grid data. This study presents an improved technique, namely the tilt angle of the analytic‐signal amplitudes of the horizontal gradient of the vertical integral. This quantity is also only weakly dependent on the magnetization direction and outlines the edges as well or somewhat better than other methods. It also implicitly involves second derivatives of the magnetic field, and we use synthetic data to demonstrate that noise is not amplified as much as it is when using other edge enhancement techniques that implicitly use second derivatives. A dataset of the Apiaí Terrane, Brazil, shows good lateral continuity of features compared with other edge‐enhancement methods, and subtle features like faults are easier to identify in the images generated by our new method. Upward continuation of the field, which is normally required, was not necessary to reduce the impact of noise on this field example.
Two‐dimensional controlled source electromagnetic inversion algorithm based on a space domain forward modeling approach
Authors: Chauhan Iktesh , Dehiya Rahul
Published: July 2024

We develop a two‐dimensional controlled‐source electromagnetic inversion algorithm employing a space domain forward modelling algorithm. The space domain forward modelling algorithm is devised by imposing boundary conditions on the plane perpendicular to the strike direction that passes through the source position. The boundary conditions for various source types are derived using the symmetric/antisymmetric character of the electric and magnetic fields. The benchmarking analysis reveals that roughly eight grids are sufficient for discretizing space in the strike directions for accurate forward response computations. For inverse modelling, the inexact Gauss–Newton optimization technique is utilized. Numerical inversion experiments of synthetic and real‐field data clearly demonstrate the versatility and robustness of the developed algorithm. The inversion experimentations also concur with the forward response benchmarking analysis and suggest that only a few grids (around eight) are adequate to discretize space in the strike direction. The developed algorithm is more than one order efficient compared to a wavenumber domain code.
Ungulate herbivores promote beta diversity and drive stochastic plant community assembly by selective defoliation and trampling: From a four‐year simulation experiment
Authors: Guo Tongtian , Guo Meiqi , Pang Yue , Sun Xiangyun , Ryo Masahiro , Liu Nan , Zhang Yingjun
Published: July 2024

Ungulate herbivores shape grassland plant communities at multiple scales, ultimately affecting ecosystem function. However, ungulates have complex effects on grasslands, including defoliation, trampling, excreta return and their interactions. Moreover, the effects of ungulate density on grasslands are regulated by these three mechanisms. Nevertheless, how these three mechanisms affect biodiversity at multiple scales and community assembly remains poorly understood.

Here, we conducted a 4‐year novel field experiment to disentangle the effects of defoliation, trampling, and excreta return by ungulates on plant community assembly in a temperate grassland in Inner Mongolia, China. This experiment set two different scenarios: moderate ungulate density (Moderate, characterised by selective defoliation and moderate trampling) and high ungulate density (Intense, characterised by non‐selective defoliation and heavy trampling), including different combinations of defoliation, trampling and excreta return in each scenario.

We found that defoliation and trampling increased stochasticity in community assembly and promoted alpha and beta diversity under both scenarios. Specifically, defoliation promoted the coexistence of species with multiple resource acquisition strategies (higher functional trait diversity) by reducing interspecific competition; trampling tended to facilitate random species colonisation. Conversely, excreta return favoured grasses, promoting deterministic assembly and impacting species coexistence. Notably, selective defoliation in the Moderate scenario led to a dominance of stochastic processes during community assembly, whereas non‐selective defoliation still did not change the dominance of deterministic processes. Further, communities subject to selective defoliation were insensitive to changes in soil properties caused by trampling and excreta return, maintaining a high‐level beta diversity and the stochastic of community assembly.

Synthesis: Our study provides important insights into the mechanisms by which ungulate herbivores influence plant community assembly, suggesting that defoliation and trampling have the potential to drive stochastic processes, while excreta return plays the opposite role. Our study also suggests that selective foraging by ungulates acts as stronger stochastic forces during community assembly compared to non‐selective defoliation. These results imply that considering ungulate feeding preferences and foraging behaviour in grassland management will help prevent biodiversity loss and biotic homogenisation.
From Estimating to Explaining and Eliminating Ethnic Disproportionality in Stop and Search
Authors: Quinton Paul
Published: July 2024

This article revisits aspects of the current debate that surrounds the annual stop and search statistics, which has become polarised and narrowly focussed on measurement. It aims to broaden the focus of the debate and encourage more comprehensive understandings of the multiple causes of disproportionality in support of more effective policy intervention. The evidence for disproportionality is presented and an argument made for the experience of stop and search, and its effects, to be considered alongside relative stop and search rates. Traditional and alternative methods of estimating disproportionality are discussed, concluding that census‐based measures of the resident population remain the best denominator at the national level. The article closes by drawing out the explanations for disproportionality that are implied by the different estimation methods and proposing a social‐ecological model that captures micro‐ and macro‐level influences on racialised patterns of policing.
State of the Field: The History of African Political Thought
Authors: PATTENDEN HUGH
Published: July 2024

This article surveys the scholarship surrounding the history of African political thought, which is a growing interdisciplinary area of study. The study of the history of political thought has a long tradition but has tended to be Eurocentric, with limited reference to the Global South. Recent decades have seen moves to correct this, with more research being given over to African political thought, both ancient and modern. This article explores the plethora of discussions, which are happening in the field, including how the subject is defined, the impact of theories of decolonisation and the relationship between African thought and ideas from elsewhere in the world. In doing this it, also notes where there is scope for further research to be done.
Extended longevity of termite kings and queens is accompanied by extranuclear localization of telomerase in somatic organs and caste‐specific expression of its isoforms
Authors: Pangrácová Marie , Křivánek Jan , Vrchotová Markéta , Sehadová Hana , Hadravová Romana , Hanus Robert , Lukšan Ondřej
Published: July 2024

Kings and queens of termites are endowed with an extraordinary longevity coupled with lifelong fecundity. We recently reported that termite kings and queens display a dramatically increased enzymatic activity and abundance of telomerase in their somatic organs when compared to short‐lived workers and soldiers. We hypothesized that this telomerase activation may represent a noncanonical pro‐longevity function, independent of its canonical role in telomere maintenance. Here, we explore this avenue and investigate whether the presumed noncanonical role of telomerase may be due to alternative splicing of the catalytic telomerase subunit TERT and whether the subcellular localization of TERT isoforms differs among organs and castes in the termiteProrhinotermes simplex. We empirically confirm the expression of four in silico predicted splice variants (psTERT1‐A,psTERT1‐B,psTERT2‐A,psTERT2‐B), defined by N‐terminal splicing implicating differential localizations, and C‐terminal splicing giving rise to full‐length and truncated isoforms. We show that the transcript proportions of thepsTERTare caste‐ and tissue‐specific and that the extranuclear full‐length isoformTERT1‐Ais relatively enriched in the soma of neotenic kings and queens compared to their gonads and to the soma of workers. We also show that extranuclear TERT protein quantities are significantly higher in the soma of kings and queens compared to workers, namely due to the cytosolic TERT. Independently, we confirm by microscopy the extranuclear TERT localization in somatic organs. We conclude that the presumed pleiotropic action of telomerase combining the canonical nuclear role in telomere maintenance with extranuclear functions is driven by complex TERT splicing.
Assessment of comprehensive PAH index in roasted Tan lamb by two‐dimensional correlation spectroscopy combined with hyperspectral imaging
Authors: Chen Sichun , Wang Songlei
Published: July 2024

Thermally processed meat may contain harmful compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This study constructed, for the first time, the comprehensive PAH index (CPI) concentration (phenanthrene [26.47%], acenaphthene [21.83%], pyrene [18.64%], fluoranthene [17.11%], fluorene [8.49%], and anthracene [7.46%]). A visible near‐infrared (Vis–NIR) hyperspectral image (HSI) system was employed to detect CPI in 150 roasted Tan lamb samples. Furthermore, two‐dimensional correlation spectra were used to identify spectral features and reveal the order of chemical bond changes under the characteristic peaks at 579–737–631–449 nm. The results indicated that competitive adaptive reweighted sampling–multiple linear regression quantitative prediction model worked the best with calibration set coefficient of determination of 0.9161, calibration set coefficient of root mean square error of 2.3426 µg/kg, R‐squared prediction of 0.8469, and root mean square error of prediction of 2.4119 µg/kg. Finally, PAH content distributions were visualized using the best prediction model. This study aimed to propose a feasible method for CPI in roasted Tan lamb detection based on Vis–NIR HSI coupled with multivariate analysis methods.
Long‐term clinical outcomes of male breast cancer patients treated with curative intent by trimodality therapy at an academic university hospital in India
Authors: Chakrabarti Deep , Ghosh Arunima , Qayoom Sumaira , Manjunath Shreyamsa , Khalid Bushra , Rajan Shiv , Akhtar Naseem , Ramakant Pooja , Verma Mranalini , Srivastava Kirti , Kumar Vijay , Gupta Rajeev , Mishra Anand Kumar , Bhatt Madan Lal Brahma
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Male breast cancer is rare and accounts for less than 1% of all breast cancer cases worldwide.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included all patients of invasive male breast cancer treated with curative intent by a trimodality approach via a multidisciplinary team at an academic university hospital in India between 2009 and 2023. Records were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Clinicopathological parameters, treatment details and survival were recorded and analysed.

Results

Thirty‐four patients were included. The median (IQR) age was 55(44–63) years. Most patients were overall stage III (74%) and node positive (79%) with Scarff‐Bloom‐Richardson grade II (50%). Twenty‐five patients (73%) were oestrogen receptor (ER) positive. Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) and perineural invasion (PNI) were present in 62% and 21% of patients, respectively. The most common chemotherapy timing was adjuvant (53%) followed by neoadjuvant (41%), and the most commonly used regimen consisted of a combination of doxorubicin‐cyclophosphamide followed by a taxane (53%). Most (85%) patients underwent a mastectomy, five patients underwent breast conservation. All patients received radiotherapy to a dose of 42.6 Gy in 16 fractions, followed by a tumour bed boost for those undergoing breast conservation. At a median follow‐up of 70 months (range 10–159 months), the five and ten‐year overall survival was 91% and 58%, and the five‐year disease‐free survival (DFS) was 67%. The median DFS was 72 months. On univariate analysis, the tumour sub‐type (Luminal versus TNBC) significantly predicted DFS (P = 0.03 log‐rank).

Conclusion

Breast cancer in males has a high incidence of node positivity, ER positivity and LVSI. Even with advanced stages at presentation, trimodality therapy in a multidisciplinary setting offers good long‐term outcomes.