bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optogenetic activation of visual thalamus generates artificial visual percepts
Authors: Wang Jing , Azimi Hamid , Zhao Yilei , Kaeser Melanie , Sánchez Pilar Vaca , Harvey Michael , Rainer Gregor
Published: December 2022

The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), a retinotopic relay center where visual inputs from the retina are processed and relayed to the visual cortex, has been proposed as a potential target for artificial vision. At present, it is unknown whether optogenetic LGN stimulation is sufficient to elicit behaviorally relevant percepts and the properties of LGN neural responses relevant for artificial vision have not been thoroughly characterized. Here, we demonstrate that tree shrews pretrained on a visual detection task can detect optogenetic LGN activation using an AAV2-CamKIIα-ChR2 construct and readily generalize from visual to optogenetic detection. We also characterize how amplitude and frequency of optogenetic stimulation affect behavioral performance. Given the importance of temporal stimulation parameters, we also study tree shrew behavioral ability to discriminate among pairs of visual flicker frequencies and demonstrate performance transfer among related discrimination problems as well as limitations. Neural recordings in LGN and primary visual cortex (V1) examining two flicker discriminations reveal that while LGN neurons multiplex information about temporal stimulation discriminations, V1 neurons explicitly encode information about one or the other discriminations but not both. Our findings confirm the LGN as a potential target for visual prosthetics and introduce a distinction in stimulus encoding between thalamic and cortical representations that could be of fundamental importance in artificial vision.
Senescent Schwann cells induced by aging and chronic denervation impair axonal regeneration after peripheral nerve injury
Authors: Fuentes-Flores Andrés , Geronimo-Olvera Cristian , Ñecuñir David , Patel Sandip Kumar , Bons Joanna , Wright Megan C. , Geschwind Daniel , Hoke Ahmet , Gomez-Sanchez Jose A. , Schilling Birgit , Campisi Judith , Court Felipe A.
Published: December 2022

After peripheral nerve injuries, successful axonal growth and functional recovery requires the reprogramming of Schwann cells into a reparative phenotype, a process dependent on the activation of the transcription factor c-Jun. Nevertheless, axonal regeneration is greatly impaired in aged organisms or after chronic denervation leading to important clinical problems. This regenerative failure has been associated to a diminished c-Jun expression by Schwann cells, but whether the inability of these cells to maintain a repair state is associated to the transition into a phenotype inhibitory for axonal growth, has not been evaluated so far. We find that repair Schwann cells transitions into a senescent phenotype, characterized by diminished c-Jun expression and secretion of factor inhibitory for axonal regeneration in both aging and chronic denervation. In both conditions, elimination of senescent Schwann cells by systemic senolytic drug treatment or genetic targeting improves nerve regeneration and functional recovery in aging and chronic denervation, associated with an upregulation of c-Jun expression and a decrease in nerve inflammation. This work provides the first characterization of senescent Schwann cells and their impact over axonal regeneration in aging and chronic denervation, opening new avenues for enhancing regeneration, and functional recovery after peripheral nerve injuries.
Expanding the HDAC druggable landscape beyond enzymatic activity
Authors: Olivet Julien , Choi Soon Gang , Sierra Salvador , O’Grady Tina M. , de la Fuente Revenga Mario , Laval Florent , Botchkarev Vladimir V. , Gorgulla Christoph , Coote Paul W. , Blavier Jérémy , Geffken Ezekiel A. , Lakhani Jimit , Song Kijun , Yeoh Zoe C. , Hu Bin , Varca Anthony C. , Bruyr Jonathan , Ibrahim Samira , Jivanjee Tasneem , Bromley Joshua D. , Nyquist Sarah K. , Richardson Aaron , Yue Hong , Wang Yang , Calonghi Natalia , Stefan Alessandra , Spirohn Kerstin , Vertommen Didier , Baietti Maria F. , Lemmens Irma , Seo Hyuk-Soo , Dozmorov Mikhail G. , Willems Luc , Tavernier Jan , Das Kalyan , Leucci Eleonora , Hochkoeppler Alejandro , Sun Zhen-Yu Jim , Calderwood Michael A. , Hao Tong , Shalek Alex K. , Hill David E. , Boeszoermenyi Andras , Arthanari Haribabu , Buhrlage Sara J. , Dhe-Paganon Sirano , González-Maeso Javier , Dequiedt Franck , Twizere Jean-Claude , Vidal Marc
Published: December 2022

Enzymatic pockets such as those of histone deacetylases (HDACs) are among the most favored targets for drug development. However, enzymatic inhibitors often exhibit low selectivity and high toxicity due to targeting multiple enzyme paralogs, which are often involved in distinct multisubunit complexes. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of a non-enzymatic small molecule inhibitor of HDAC transcriptional repression functions with comparable anti-tumor activity to the enzymatic HDAC inhibitor Vorinostat, and anti-psychedelic activity of anHDAC2knockoutin vivo. We highlight that these phenotypes are achieved while modulating the expression of 20- and 80-fold fewer genes than enzymatic and genetic inhibition in the respective models. Thus, by achieving the same biological outcomes as established therapeutics while impacting a dramatically smaller number of genes, inhibitors of protein-protein interactions can offer important advantages in improving the selectivity of epigenetic modulators.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Mega-scale movie-fields in the mouse visuo-hippocampal network
Authors: Purandare Chinmay S. , Mehta Mayank R.
Published: December 2022

Natural experience often involves a continuous series of related images while the subject is immobile. How does the cortico-hippocampal circuit process this information? The hippocampus is crucial for episodic memory1–3, but most rodent single unit studies require spatial exploration4–6or active engagement7. Hence, we investigated neural responses to a silent, isoluminant, black and white movie in head-fixed mice without any task or locomotion demands, or rewards, from the Allen Brain Observatory. The activity of most neurons (97%, 6554/6785) in the thalamo-cortical visual areas was significantly modulated by the 30s long movie clip. Surprisingly, a third (33%, 3379/10263) of hippocampal –dentate gyrus, CA1 and subiculum– neurons showed movie-selectivity, with elevated firing in specific movie sub-segments, termed movie-fields. Movie-tuning remained intact when mice were immobile or ran spontaneously. On average, a tuned cell had more than 5 movie-fields in visual areas, but only 2 in hippocampal areas. The movie-field durations in all brain regions spanned an unprecedented 1000-fold range: from 0.02s to 20s, termed mega-scale coding. Yet, the total duration of all the movie-fields of a cell was comparable across neurons and brain regions. We hypothesize that hippocampal responses show greater continuous-sequence encoding than visual areas, as evidenced by fewer and broader movie-fields than in visual areas. Consistent with this hypothesis, repeated presentation of the movie images in a fixed, scrambled sequence virtually abolished hippocampal but not visual-cortical selectivity. The enhancement of continuous movie tuning compared to the scrambled sequence was eight-fold greater in hippocampal than visual areas, further supporting episodic-sequence encoding. Thus, all mouse-brain areas investigated encoded segments of the movie. Similar results are likely to hold in primates and humans. Hence, movies could provide a unified way to probe neural mechanisms of episodic information processing and memory, even in immobile subjects, across brain regions, and species.
βII-spectrin is required for synaptic positioning during retinal development
Authors: Goswami-Sewell Debalina , Bagnetto Caitlin , Anderson Joseph T , Maheshwari Akash , Zuniga-Sanchez Elizabeth
Published: December 2022

Neural circuit assembly is a multi-step process where synaptic partners are often born at distinct developmental stages, and yet they must find each other and form precise synaptic connections with one another. This developmental process often relies on late-born neurons extending their processes to the appropriate layer to find and make synaptic connections to their early-born targets. The molecular mechanism responsible for the integration of late-born neurons into an emerging neural circuit remains unclear. Here we uncovered a new role for the cytoskeletal protein βII-spectrin in properly positioning pre- and post-synaptic neurons to the developing synaptic layer. Loss of βII-spectrin disrupts retinal lamination, leads to synaptic connectivity defects, and results in impaired visual function. Together, these findings highlight a new function of βII-spectrin in assembling neural circuits in the mouse outer retina.

Highlights

Established a new role for βII-spectrin in assembling retinal circuits

βII-spectrin positions pre- and post-synaptic neurons to the developing synaptic layer

Early positioning of processes to the OPL is required for synaptogenesis

Loss of βII-spectrin disrupts synaptic connectivity and impairs visual function
Reduced SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine immunogenicity and protection in mice with diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance
Authors: O’Meara Timothy R. , Nanishi Etsuro , McGrath Marisa E. , Barman Soumik , Dong Danica , Dillen Carly , Menon Manisha , Seo Hyuk-Soo , Dhe-Paganon Sirano , Ernst Robert K. , Levy Ofer , Frieman Matthew B. , Dowling David J.
Published: December 2022

Background

Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are associated with an increased risk of severe outcomes from infectious diseases, including COVID-19. These conditions are also associated with distinct responses to immunization, including an impaired response to widely used SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines.

Objective

To establish a connection between reduced immunization efficacy via modeling the effects of metabolic diseases on vaccine immunogenicity that is essential for the development of more effective vaccines for this distinct vulnerable population.

Methods

We utilized a murine model of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance to model the effects of comorbid T2DM and obesity on vaccine immunogenicity and protection.

Results

Mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) developed obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and glucose intolerance. Relative to mice fed a normal diet (ND), HFD mice vaccinated with a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine exhibited significantly lower anti-spike IgG titers, predominantly in the IgG2c subclass, associated with a lower type 1 response, along with a 3.83-fold decrease in neutralizing titers. Furthermore, enhanced vaccine-induced spike-specific CD8+T cell activation and protection from lung infection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge were seen only in ND mice but not in HFD mice.

Conclusion

We demonstrate impaired immunity following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA immunization in a murine model of comorbid T2DM and obesity, supporting the need for further research into the basis for impaired anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity in T2DM and investigation of novel approaches to enhance vaccine immunogenicity among those with metabolic diseases.

Capsule summary

Obesity and type 2 diabetes impair SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine efficacy in a murine model.
Meta-omics profiling of full-scale groundwater rapid sand filters explains stratification of iron, ammonium and manganese removals
Authors: Corbera-Rubio Francesc , Laureni Michele , Koudijs Nienke , Müller Simon , van Alen Theo , Schoonenberg Frank , Lücker Sebastian , Pabst Martin , van Loosdrecht Mark C.M. , van Halem Doris
Published: December 2022

Rapid sand filters (RSF) are an established and widely applied technology for groundwater treatment. Yet, the underlying interwoven biological and physical-chemical reactions controlling the sequential removal of iron, ammonia and manganese remain poorly understood. To resolve the contribution and interactions between the individual reactions, we studied two full-scale drinking water treatment plant configurations, namely (i) one dual-media (anthracite and quartz sand) filter and (ii) two single-media (quartz sand) filters in series.In situandex situactivity tests were combined with mineral coating characterization and metagenome-guided metaproteomics along the depth of each filter. Both plants exhibited comparable performances and process compartmentalization, with most of ammonium and manganese removal occurring only after complete iron depletion. Within each compartment, the homogeneity of the media coating and genome-based microbial composition highlighted the effect of backwashing on filter media mixing. In stark contrast, intra-compartment contaminant removal was highly stratified following decreasing substrate availability along the filter height. This apparent and long-standing conflict was resolved by quantifying the expressed proteome at different filter heights, revealing a consistent stratification of proteins catalysing ammonia oxidation and protein-based relative abundances of nitrifying genera. This implies that microorganisms adapt their protein pool to the available nutrient load at a faster rate than the backwash mixing frequency. Ultimately, these results show the unique and complementary potential of metaproteomics to understand metabolic adaptations and interactions in highly dynamic ecosystems.
Asymmetric coding of reward prediction errors in human insula and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex
Authors: Hoy Colin W. , Quiroga-Martinez David R. , King-Stephens David , Laxer Kenneth D. , Weber Peter , Lin Jack J. , Knight Robert T.
Published: December 2022

The signed value and unsigned salience of reward prediction errors (RPEs) are critical to understanding reinforcement learning (RL) and cognitive control. Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dMPFC) and insula (INS) are key regions for integrating reward and surprise information, but conflicting evidence for both signed and unsigned activity has led to competing proposals for the nature of RPE representations in these brain areas. Recently, the distributional RL theory (dRL) has been used to explain RPE coding diversity in the rodent midbrain by proposing that dopaminergic neurons have differential sensitivity to positive and negative RPEs. Here, we use intracranially recorded high frequency activity (HFA) to show that thisasymmetric scalingstrategy captures RPE coding diversity in human dMPFC and INS. We found neural populations responding to valence-specific positive and negative RPEs, as well as unsigned RPE salience, which are spatially interleaved within each region. Furthermore, directional connectivity estimates suggest a leading role of INS in communicating positive and unsigned RPEs to dMPFC. These findings support asymmetric scaling across distinct but intermingled neural populations as a core principle in RPE coding, expand the scope of dRL, and reconcile longstanding theoretical debates on the role of dMPFC and INS in RL and cognitive control.
Neutrophil-driven cardiac damage during invasiveStreptococcus pneumoniaeinfection is regulated by CD73
Authors: Bhalla Manmeet , Ravi Vijay R. , Lenhard Alexsandra , Tchalla Essi Y. I. , Lang Jennifer K , Ghanem Elsa N. Bou
Published: December 2022

Streptococcus pneumoniae(pneumococcus)-induced cardiac events are one of the life-threatening infection outcomes of invasive pneumococcal disease.S. pneumoniaehas the ability to invade the myocardium and damage cardiomyocytes, however the contribution of the immune response during this process is not fully understood. We previously found that polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) are crucial for host defense againstS. pneumoniaelung infection and that extracellular adenosine (EAD) production, by exonucleosidases CD39 and CD73, controlled the anti-bacterial functions of these cells. The objective of this study was to explore the role of PMNs and the EAD-pathway in host cardiac damage during invasive pneumococcal infection. Upon intra-peritoneal (i.p.) injection with invasiveS. pneumoniaeTIGR4 strain, hearts of C57BL/6 mice showed an increased influx of PMNs as determined by flow cytometry. However, the increased PMN numbers failed to contain the bacterial burden in the heart and showed positive correlation with serum levels of the cardiac damage marker Troponin-1. Influx of PMNs into the heart was associated with constant presence of neutrophil degranulation products in the cardiac tissue. Depletion of PMNs prior infection reduced pneumococcal burden in the heart and lowered the Troponin-1 levels thus, indicating their role in cardiac damage. While exploring the mechanisms underlying the damaging PMN response, we found that by 24hpi, there was a significant reduction in the expression of CD39 and CD73 on cardiac PMNs. The role of CD73 in regulating cardiac damage was testedin vivousing CD73-/-mice which had significantly higher bacterial burden and cardiac damage compared to wild type mice despite similar PMN numbers. The role of CD73 expression on PMNs was also testedex vivousing the HL-1 cardiomyocyte cell line which uponS. pneumoniaeinfection, showed increased cell death in presence of CD73-/-PMNs. Our findings have identified a detrimental role for PMNs in cardiac damage during invasive pneumococcal infection that is in part driven by reduced expression of EAD-producing enzymes in late disease stages.
Task learning is subserved by a domain-general brain network
Authors: Yeon Jiwon , Larson Alina Sue , Rahnev Dobromir , D’Esposito Mark
Published: December 2022

One of the most important human faculties is the ability to acquire not just new memories but the capacity to perform entirely new tasks. However, little is known about the brain mechanisms underlying the learning of novel tasks. Specifically, it is unclear to what extent learning of different tasks depends on domain-general and/or domain-specific brain mechanisms. Here human subjects (N=45) learned to perform six new tasks while undergoing functional MRI. The different tasks required the engagement of perceptual, motor, and various cognitive processes (attention, expectation, speed-accuracy tradeoff, and metacognition). We found that a bilateral frontoparietal network was more active during the initial compared to the later stages of task learning, and that this effect was stronger for task variants requiring more new learning. Critically, the same frontoparietal network was engaged by all six tasks, demonstrating its domain generality. Finally, although task learning decreased the overall activity in the frontoparietal network, it increased the connectivity strength between the different nodes of that network. These results demonstrate the existence of a domain-general brain network whose activity and connectivity reflect learning for a wide variety of new tasks, and thus may underlie the human capacity for acquiring new abilities.
Mild SARS-CoV-2 infection results in long-lasting microbiota instability
Authors: Upadhyay Vaibhav , Suryawanshi Rahul , Tasoff Preston , McCavitt-Malvido Maria , Kumar G. Renuka , Murray Victoria Wong , Noecker Cecilia , Bisanz Jordan E. , Hswen Yulin , Ha Connie , Sreekumar Bharat , Chen Irene P. , Lynch Susan V , Ott Melanie , Lee Sulggi , Turnbaugh Peter J.
Published: December 2022

Viruses targeting mammalian cells can indirectly alter the gut microbiota, potentially compounding their phenotypic effects. Multiple studies have observed a disrupted gut microbiota in severe cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection that require hospitalization. Yet, despite demographic shifts in disease severity resulting in a large and continuing burden of non-hospitalized infections, we still know very little about the impact of mild SARS-CoV-2 infection on the gut microbiota in the outpatient setting. To address this knowledge gap, we longitudinally sampled 14 SARS-CoV-2 positive subjects who remained outpatient and 4 household controls. SARS-CoV-2 cases exhibited a significantly less stable gut microbiota relative to controls, as long as 154 days after their positive test. These results were confirmed and extended in the K18-hACE2 mouse model, which is susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. All of the tested SARS-CoV-2 variants significantly disrupted the mouse gut microbiota, including USA-WA1/2020 (the original variant detected in the United States), Delta, and Omicron. Surprisingly, despite the fact that the Omicron variant caused the least severe symptoms in mice, it destabilized the gut microbiota and led to a significant depletion inAkkermansia muciniphila. Furthermore, exposure of wild-type C57BL/6J mice to SARS-CoV-2 disrupted the gut microbiota in the absence of severe lung pathology.

IMPORTANCE

Taken together, our results demonstrate that even mild cases of SARS-CoV-2 can disrupt gut microbial ecology. Our findings in non-hospitalized individuals are consistent with studies of hospitalized patients, in that reproducible shifts in gut microbial taxonomic abundance in response to SARS-CoV-2 have been difficult to identify. Instead, we report a long-lasting instability in the gut microbiota. Surprisingly, our mouse experiments revealed an impact of the Omicron variant, despite producing the least severe symptoms in genetically susceptible mice, suggesting that despite the continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2 it has retained its ability to perturb the intestinal mucosa. These results will hopefully renew efforts to study the mechanisms through which Omicron and future SARS-CoV-2 variants alter gastrointestinal physiology, while also considering the potentially broad consequences of SARS-CoV-2-induced microbiota instability for host health and disease.
Revisiting public relations function in the digital era: a study on public relations and marketing practitioners in Hong Kong
Authors: Tong Suk Chong , Chan Fanny Fong Yee
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Based on both quantitative and qualitative analyses, this study revisits public relations (PR) and marketing practitioners' perceptions of PR function and its relationship with marketing function in the digital context.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey targeting 234 PR and marketing practitioners was first conducted, followed by a total of 27 in-depth interviews with PR and marketing practitioners.

Findings

Results from the two phases of analysis show that both PR and marketing practitioners perceive market functions as sales-oriented, whereas media relations is interpreted as more of a PR function. Content marketing and influencer marketing via digital communication channels help to enhance the convergence of PR and marketing functions. PR and marketing practitioners believe that PR and marketing functions are integrative, and they are willing to work flexibly for both functions within workplaces.

Originality/value

This study presents a continuum of PR and marketing functions in the digital era that illustrates the role of digital communication in the convergence of PR and marketing functions. The results help to advance the theoretical discussion on both the functional (excellent PR practices and relationship management) and critical (the social role of PR in the participatory culture) approaches of PR in the digital context. Managerial implications are also discussed in addition to the theoretical contributions.
Understanding the impact of learning orientation and the mediating role of new product development capability on social enterprises' performances
Authors: Tasavori Misagh , Bhattarai Charan Raj
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Social enterprises (SEs) offer a unique context as they have the challenge of finding solutions that not only improve their economic performance but also their social performance, simultaneously. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether learning orientation and new product development capability can support SEs to enhance both their economic and social performances.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research design has been employed and data have been collected from a sample of 164 SEs in the UK.

Findings

The findings of this study illustrate that if SEs want to enhance their economic performance, they should ensure that learning orientation leads to new product development capability. Otherwise, learning orientation cannot improve their economic performance. However, surprisingly, learning orientation can impact SEs' performance not only by developing new product development capability but also by having a direct impact on their social performance.

Originality/value

This article contributes to the social entrepreneurship literature by illustrating the role of learning orientation and new product development capability in enhancing the economic as well as the social performance of SEs.
What do border disputes cost? Evidence from an emerging market
Authors: Kumari Vineeta , Pandey Dharen Kumar , Kumar Satish , Xu Emma
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The study aims to examine the impact of six events related to the escalating Indo-China border conflicts in 2020 on the Indian stock market, including the role of firm-specific variables.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs an event-study method on a sample of 481 firms from August 23, 2019 to March 3, 2022. A cross-sectional regression is employed to examine the association between event-led abnormal returns and firm characteristics.

Findings

The results show that, although the individual events reflect heterogeneous effects on stock market returns, the average impact of the event categories is negative. The study also found that net working capital, current ratio, financial leverage and operating cash flows are significant financial performance indicators and drive cumulative abnormal returns. Further, size anomaly is absent, indicating that more prominent firms are resilient to new information.

Research limitations/implications

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is an example of how these disagreements can devolve into a disaster for the parties to the war. Although wars have an impact on markets at the global level, the impacts of border disputes are local. Border disputes are ongoing, and the study's findings can be used to empower investors to make risk-averting decisions that make their portfolios resilient to such events.

Originality/value

This study provides firm-level insight into the impacts of border conflicts on stock markets. The authors compare the magnitude of such impacts on two types of events, namely injuries and casualties due to country-specific border tensions and a government ban on Chinese apps. Key implications for policymakers, stakeholders and academics are presented.
Online flight booking: digital nudging to decrease aviation-related carbon emissions
Authors: Meske Christian , Amojo Ireti , Müller Christoph
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Online flight booking websites compare airfares, convenience and other consumer relevant attributes. Environmental concerns are typically not addressed, even though aviation is the most emission-intensive mode of transportation. This article demonstrates the potential for digital nudges to facilitate more environmentally friendly decision-making on online flight booking websites.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used the digital nudging design process to implement two nudging interventions in an experimental setting on a fictitious flight booking website. The two nudging interventions are (1) an informational nudge, presented as an emission label, and (2) an understanding mapping nudge, presented as an emission converter.

Findings

This article finds that both digital nudges are useful interventions in online choice environments; however, emission labels more effectively encourage sustainable booking behavior.

Originality/value

The contributions of this article are twofold. In contribution to research, this article builds on existing research in sustainability contexts and successfully evaluates the effectiveness of anchoring and understanding mapping heuristics to influence sustainable decision-making in virtual environments. Furthermore, in contribution to practice, this article contributes knowledge to nudge design and provides hands on examples for designers or website operators on how to put nudge designs to practice in virtual choice environments. Additionally, this article contributes relevant considerations in a high-impact research field with growing importance given the global climate crisis.
Understanding how mindfulness sustains customer cocreation effort and transforms service value to well-being
Authors: Le Nguyen-Hau , Mai My-Quyen Thi , Pham Tram-Anh
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Mindfulness, while being suggested as an important psychological cognitive capability of customers, has received insufficient attention in studies of transformative services characterized by challenging cocreation behaviors. It is unclear about the contributions of mindfulness to customers’ cocreation and transformative outcomes. This study aims to investigate the direct, indirect, mediating and moderating relationships to explain how mindfulness sustains cocreation effort, increases perceived service value and ultimately enhances the diffusion from the service value to customer well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural model was developed and tested using the CB-SEM method. Data were surveyed from two transformative service industries, yoga training and higher education (N = 283 and 273 cases, respectively).

Findings

Customer mindfulness has a positive relationship with cocreation effort, which in turn positively associates with perceived value. Additionally, mindfulness has a direct relationship with perceived value, which then is the full mediator in the relationships between mindfulness, cocreation effort and life satisfaction. Mindfulness also moderates the transformation from service value (immediate outcome) to life satisfaction (long-term outcome).

Practical implications

Transformative service providers and policymakers should acknowledge and develop strategies to cultivate customers’ mindfulness, which subsequently fosters their value cocreation effort and enhances their well-being.

Originality/value

This research puts forward the concept of mindfulness, a trainable cognitive capability of customers, and shows its importance in transformative service cocreation. This paper provides a full structural mechanism explaining how mindfulness helps cocreate a transformative service and diffuse its immediate value to customer life satisfaction.
Enhancing the organisation and the management of built environment higher education courses
Authors: Gomis Kasun , Saini Mandeep , Pathirage Chaminda , Arif Mohammed
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Persistent critical issues in built environment higher education (BEHE) curricula may need to be addressed by improving course organisation and management. In addition to the implications of the COVID pandemic, issues such as inadequate communication and lack of contemporary and innovative practices integrated with course delivery have resulted in a gap for Course organisation and management. The purpose of this study is to recommend a set of drivers that can assist academics and academic institutions in improving course development, organisation and management in the BEHE context. Thus, the study focused on three themes: course organisation and administration, timetabling and course communication.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic approach was taken to obtain data, where a documental analysis and a close-ended questionnaire were adopted as data collection instruments. The documental analysis considered 334 mid module reviews (MMRs) generating data from architecture, construction management, civil engineering, surveying and real estate students. Content analysis was used to identify critical themes within the MMRs and develop a closed-ended questionnaire. Twenty academics from each discipline completed the questionnaire. Eight drivers were developed from the data obtained from both MMRs and questionnaires. Content analysis and interpretive structural modelling were applied to identify the relationship between the drivers. Finally, these drivers were categorised by their level of influence and reliance to highlight how they contributed to improving course organisation and management.

Findings

The study revealed eight drivers that can improve course organisation and management in the BEHE context. The study found that using virtual learning environments and communication are fundamental in course organisation and management.

Practical implications

This research paper suggests drivers to improve how academics and academic institutions organise and manage courses. The study recommends eight drivers that could be used as a guideline and a best practice as per the level partitioning diagram developed to enhance the course organisation and management in BEHE.

Originality/value

The study proposes a set of drivers to improve course organisation and management in BEHE curricula. Furthermore, insight into how these drivers influence and rely on each driver and their relation with the national student survey theme are novel contributions to the current body of knowledge. The paper further clarifies how they should be implemented for successful course organisation and management, thus, improving the quality of courses in higher education curricula.
Season and herbivore defence trait mediate tri‐trophic interactions in tropical rainforest
Authors: Wenda Cheng , Nakamura Akihiro , Ashton Louise A.
Published: December 2022

Bottom‐up effects from host plants and top‐down effects from predators on herbivore abundance and distribution vary with physical environment, plant chemistry, predator and herbivore trait and diversity. Tri‐trophic interactions in tropical ecosystems may follow different patterns from temperate ecosystems due to differences in above abiotic and biotic conditions.

We sampled leaf‐chewing larvae of Lepidoptera (caterpillars) from a dominant host tree species in a seasonal rainforest in Southwest China. We reared out parasitoids and grouped herbivores based on their diet preferences, feeding habits and defence mechanisms. We compared caterpillar abundance with leaf numbers (‘bottom‐up’ effects) and parasitoid abundance (‘top‐down’ effects) between different seasons and herbivore traits.

We found bottom‐up effects were stronger than top‐down effects. Both bottom‐up and top‐down effects were stronger in the dry season than in the wet season, which were driven by polyphagous rare species and host plant phenology. Contrary to our predictions, herbivore traits did not influence differences in the bottom‐up or top‐down effects except for stronger top‐down effects for shelter‐builders. Our study shows season is the main predictor of the bottom‐up and top‐down effects in the tropics and highlights the complexity of these interactions.
Risk Preferences of Gender‐Diverse Boards: Evidence from CEO Debt‐like Compensation
Authors: Nanda Vikram , Prevost Andrew , Upadhyay Arun
Published: December 2022

We hypothesize that gender‐diverse boards manage CEO risk‐taking preferences through the debt‐like component of CEO compensation. We provide empirical evidence of a strong positive association between the proportion of independent female directors and debt‐like pension compensation for a sample of US firms. Our key results are robust to a least‐squares framework that includes firm fixed effects to address potential omitted variable bias, and we also find evidence that higher proportions of independent female directors are associated with lower CEO option compensation and more intensive use of restricted stock grants. We obtain corroborating results from a difference‐in‐differences approach using California's 2018 board gender quota law (SB 826) as a quasi‐experiment. Consistently, gender‐diverse boards reduce the cost of debt among firms that are closer to financial distress and for longer maturity bond issues.
Frying dough with yellow mealworm oil: Aroma profile and consumer perception at a central location test and at home
Authors: Tzompa‐Sosa Daylan A. , Provijn Paul , Gellynck Xavier , Schouteten Joachim J.
Published: December 2022

Insect oil is a valuable fraction that is obtained from insect processing. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of yellow mealworm oil (YMW) oil (crude, deodorized, and blended with vegetable oil) on the sensory evaluation and aroma profile of fried dough. The sensory evaluation was performed in a sensory lab (central location test, CLT) and at home in order to examine how the evaluation environment or context impacts consumer perceptions. The strongest liking and preference were found for the donuts that were fried in 100% deodorized YMW oil and in YMW oil blended with vegetable oil. The evaluation environment did not affect overall liking scores but had an impact on sensory profiling, with more discriminating sensory terms observed for the test that was conducted at the sensory lab than for the test that was conducted at home. A distinctive profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was found for every fried dough. The discrimination between VOCs and other frying oils that were observed is well in line with the sensory descriptors and the consumer test results. Acetic acid, acetic acid ethenyl ester, and tetrahydro‐6‐propyl‐2H‐Pyran‐2‐one were present in the doughs that were fried in crude YMW oil and in its blend with vegetable oil. They were absent from deodorized YMW oil and from its blend with vegetable oil. This study shows that, as far as fried donuts are concerned, deodorized YMW oil is an alternative to a vegetable oil—the two lead to similar sensorial experiences and preferences.

Practical Application

Yellow mealworm oil (YMW) oil is a co‐product of insect protein that can be valorized in the food industry. In the present study, it is demonstrated that the deodorization of YMW oil produces positive sensorial experiences and increases consumer acceptance of insect‐based food. Furthermore, findings indicate that consumer testing at home yields similar acceptance and preference ratings suggesting that this type of testing may be an alternative means of collecting reliable consumer data.
Performing in spite of starvation: How Saccharomyces cerevisiae maintains robust growth when facing famine zones in industrial bioreactors
Authors: Minden Steven , Aniolek Maria , Noorman Henk , Takors Ralf
Published: December 2022

In fed‐batch operated industrial bioreactors, glucose‐limited feeding is commonly applied for optimal control of cell growth and product formation. Still, microbial cells such as yeasts and bacteria are frequently exposed to glucose starvation conditions in poorly mixed zones or far away from the feedstock inlet point. Despite its commonness, studies mimicking related stimuli are still underrepresented in scale‐up/scale‐down considerations. This may surprise as the transition from glucose limitation to starvation has the potential to provoke regulatory responses with negative consequences for production performance. In order to shed more light, we performed gene‐expression analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in intermittently fed chemostat cultures to study the effect of limitation‐starvation transitions. The resulting glucose concentration gradient was representative for the commercial scale and compelled cells to tolerate about 76 s with sub‐optimal substrate supply. Special attention was paid to the adaptation status of the population by discriminating between first time and repeated entry into the starvation regime. Unprepared cells reacted with a transiently reduced growth rate governed by the general stress response. Yeasts adapted to the dynamic environment by increasing internal growth capacities at the cost of rising maintenance demands by 2.7%. Evidence was found that multiple protein kinase A (PKA) and Snf1‐mediated regulatory circuits were initiated and ramped down still keeping the cells in an adapted trade‐off between growth optimization and down‐regulation of stress response. From this finding, primary engineering guidelines are deduced to optimize both the production host's genetic background and the design of scale‐down experiments.
Are U‐shaped relationships between risk factors and outcomes artifactual?
Authors: Shah Reema , Thabane Lehana , Gerstein Hertzel C.
Published: December 2022

Background

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the observed nadir in a U‐ or J‐shaped relationship between a particular risk factor and a future health outcome is a function of the distribution of the risk factor in the sample being analyzed.

Methods

Data from the ORIGIN trial were used to assess the relationship between three risk factors (weight, systolic blood pressure, and serum insulin) and the hazard of a major cardiovascular event comprising a nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. Three spline curves were generated for each risk factor. The first was based on all available data, the second for a subgroup with a higher mean risk factor level, and the third for a subgroup with a lower mean risk factor level. Nadir levels of the risk factor (i.e., risk factor levels predicting the lowest hazard) were then identified for each spline curve.

Results

When compared to the nadir values based on all available data, nadir values for all three risk factors were higher for the subgroups with higher mean levels and lower for those with lower mean levels.

Conclusions

The distribution of a risk factor in the population is an important determinant of its nadir value. Populations with high or low values may have high and low nadirs, respectively. Identification of a nadir for a modifiable risk factor from epidemiologic relationships may therefore arise from this distribution bias and is therefore unrelated to therapeutic targets.
Issues and prospects of image‐guided thermal ablation in the treatment of primary and metastatic lung tumors
Authors: Wang Meixiang , Wei Zhigang , Ye Xin
Published: December 2022

The precise local minimally invasive or noninvasive treatment represents the important orientation for advancing the treatment of pulmonary malignant tumors. New local treatment methods have emerged as solutions to the shortcomings of minimally invasive or local treatment methods. Image‐guided thermal ablation (IGTA) comes with the characteristics such as more accurate localization, less trauma, more definite efficacy, higher safety, stronger repeatability, fewer complications, and lower cost in treating lung tumors. This paper investigates the existing problems of IGTA in the treatment of lung tumors and puts forward the orientation of studies.
Concurrent ordination: Simultaneous unconstrained and constrained latent variable modelling
Authors: van der Veen Bert , Hui Francis K. C. , Hovstad Knut A. , O'Hara Robert B.
Published: December 2022

In community ecology, unconstrained ordination can be used to indirectly explore drivers of community composition, while constrained ordination can be used to directly relate predictors to an ecological community. However, existing constrained ordination methods do not explicitly account for community composition that cannot be explained by the predictors, so that they have the potential to misrepresent community composition if not all predictors are available in the data.

We propose and develop a set of new methods for ordination and joint species distribution modelling (JSDM) as part of the generalized linear latent variable model (GLLVM) framework, that incorporate predictors directly into an ordination. This includes a new ordination method that we refer to as concurrent ordination, as it simultaneously constructs unconstrained and constrained latent variables. Both unmeasured residual covariation and predictors are incorporated into the ordination by simultaneously imposing reduced rank structures on the residual covariance matrix and on fixed‐effects.

We evaluate the method with a simulation study, and show that the proposed developments outperform canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) for Poisson and Bernoulli responses, and perform similar to redundancy analysis (RDA) for normally distributed responses, the two most popular methods for constrained ordination in community ecology. Two examples with real data further demonstrate the benefits of concurrent ordination, and the need to account for residual covariation in the analysis of multivariate data.

This article contextualizes the role of constrained ordination in the GLLVM and JSDM frameworks, while developing a new ordination method that incorporates the best of unconstrained and constrained ordination, and which overcomes some of the deficiencies of existing classical ordination methods.
A unique robber fly species and genus of Asilinae from Argentina (Diptera: Asilidae)
Authors: Camargo Alexssandro , Vieira Rodrigo , Fisher Eric
Published: December 2022

Apulvillasilus gen. nov. is proposed as a new monotypic Asilinae genus from Argentina, based on Apulvillasilus boharti sp. nov. The new genus is separated from other Asilinae genera mainly by the absence of empodia and pulvilli. Its placement in the Myaptex group is proposed. Description, diagnosis, images of the habitus, male and female terminalia, a distribution map, and an updated key for the genera of the Myaptex group are provided.
Filicicapsus smaragdus gen. et sp. nov. (Heteroptera: Miridae), a new plant bug genus and species from New Guinea
Authors: Bolshakova Darya S. , Konstantinov Fedor V.
Published: December 2022

Filicicapsus smaragdus gen. et sp. nov. (Orthotylinae) is described from the Biak Island, Papua Province of Indonesia. The position of the new taxon has been tested using Bayesian and IQ‐TREE analyses based on the sequences of four fragments of mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear (18S, 28S) DNA. The taxonomic position of the new genus within the Zanchius genus group is discussed. Also provided are a diagnosis, photographs of habitus and selected structures, illustrations of male and female genitalia, scanning electron micrographs of diagnostic characters, and host information.
Adapting network theory for spatial network externalities in agriculture: A case study on hempcross‐pollination
Authors: Young Jeffrey S. , McCarty Tanner J.
Published: December 2022

Growers have increasingly expressed frustration over the negative externalities created by their neighbor's production practices. These spatial agricultural network problems include issues such as cross‐pollination and herbicide drift. We develop novel methods for estimating parameters that allow us to adapt and apply general network diffusion models to these spatial agricultural network problems. Doing so allows us to calculate externality damage within a region and calculate cost‐effective policies for alleviating that externality. We empirically illustrate, motivate, and test this approach by applying it to hemp. We find that network structure is an important factor in externality size and cost‐effective policy response for spatial agricultural network problems. We also find that policies that are implemented early and proactively are more likely to be successful and cost effective than policies implemented retroactively. Finally, we find that in our application of limiting the cross‐pollination damage experienced by growers of feminized hemp from non‐feminized hemp growers, the most cost‐effective policy is to establish a regional quota on non‐feminized production combined with intertemporal cultivar spacing. This policy response will likely change across time and region as economic and network variables evolve.