bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of directionality in determining spatiotemporal tau pathology differs between AD-Like and Non-AD-Like mouse models
Authors: Mezias Christopher , Raj Ashish
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Current research indicates divergent spatiotemporal tauopathy progression between conditions and implicates transsynaptic connectome-based spread as a main mechanism. We examine tauopathy and connectome interactions to investigate why different spatiotemporal patterns of pathology arise.

Methods

We test whether divergent spatiotemporal tau pathology patterns from 15 mouse-model datasets can be explained by a directional bias in tau transmission along fiber tracts via a mathematical model called Directed Network Transmission (DNT).

Results

Amyloid-comorbid tauopathic mouse models meant to mimic AD demonstrate spatiotemporal tauopathy patterns consistent with retrograde direction spread biases. Non-amyloid-comorbid mice demonstrate no consistent spread biases. Further, canonically ‘early’ tau pathology regions in AD are implicated as having earliest pathology in a simulation with random tauopathy seeding locations with retrograde biased spread.

Discussion

These results implicate directional biases in tau pathology spread along fiber tracts as a strong candidate explanation for divergent spatiotemporal tau progression between conditions.
Whitebait conservation and protected areas at non-tidal rivermouths: integrating biogeography and environmental controls on īnanga (Galaxias maculatus) spawning grounds
Authors: Orchard Shane , Schiel David R.
Published: November 2020

Galaxias maculatusis a declining amphidromous fish that supports culturally-important whitebait fisheries in New Zealand and elsewhere in the Pacific. As a largely annual species, the seasonal productivity of spawning grounds has a strong influence on the availability of recruits. Spawning ground protection is urgently required to reverse historical degradation and improve prospects for the maintenance of sustainable fisheries. Although spawning habitat has been well characterised in tidal rivers where it is structured by water level changes on spring high tides, there has been no previous study of spawning in non-tidal rivermouths. We assessed seven non-tidal rivers over four months using a census survey approach to quantify spawning activity, identify environmental cues, and characterise fundamental aspects of the biogeography of spawning grounds. We report conclusive results that include a) identification of compact spawning reaches near the rivermouths, b) triggering of spawning events by periods of elevated water levels that were often of very short duration, suggesting that potential lunar cues were less important and that rapid fish movements had likely occurred within the catchment prior to spawning events, and c) consistent vertical structuring of spawning grounds above typical low-flow levels with associated horizontal translation away from the river channel, leading to increased exposure to anthropogenic stressors and associated management implications for protecting the areas concerned. These consistent patterns provide a sound basis for advancing the management of non-tidal rivermouths. Attention to flood management, vegetation control, and bankside recreational activities is required and may be assisted by quantifying spawning ground biogeography. The identification of rapid responses to environmental cues deserves further research to assess implications for floodplain connectivity management to support fish movements in emphemeral flowpaths, and as a potential source of bias in commonly-used fish survey methodologies.
Library-free BoxCarDIA solves the missing value problem in label-free quantitative proteomics
Authors: Mehta Devang , Scandola Sabine , Uhrig R. Glen
Published: November 2020

The last decade has seen significant advances in the application of quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics technologies to tackle important questions in plant biology. The current standard for quantitative proteomics in plants is the use of data-dependent acquisition (DDA) analysis with or without the use of chemical labels. However, the DDA approach preferentially measures higher abundant proteins, and often requires data imputation due to quantification inconsistency between samples. In this study we systematically benchmarked a recently developed library-free data-independent acquisition (directDIA) method against a state-of-the-art DDA label-free quantitative proteomics workflow for plants. We next developed a novel acquisition approach combining MS1-level BoxCar acquisition with MS2-level directDIA analysis that we call BoxCarDIA. DirectDIA achieves a 33% increase in protein quantification over traditional DDA, and BoxCarDIA a further 8%, without any changes in instrumentation, offline fractionation, or increases in mass-spectrometer acquisition time. BoxCarDIA, especially, offers wholly reproducible quantification of proteins between replicate injections, thereby addressing the long-standing missing-value problem in label-free quantitative proteomics. Further, we find that the gains in dynamic range sampling by directDIA and BoxCarDIA translate to deeper quantification of key, low abundant, functional protein classes (e.g., protein kinases and transcription factors) that are underrepresented in data acquired using DDA. We applied these methods to perform a quantitative proteomic comparison of dark and light grown Arabidopsis cell cultures, providing a critical resource for future plant interactome studies. Our results establish BoxCarDIA as the new method of choice in quantitative proteomics using Orbitrap-type mass-spectrometers, particularly for proteomes with large dynamic range such as that of plants.
The evolution of a placenta is not linked to increased brain size in poeciliid fishes
Authors: Rowiński P. K. , Näslund J. , Sowersby W. , Eckerström-Liedholm S. , Rogell B.
Published: November 2020

Maternal investment is considered to have a direct influence on the size of energetically costly organs, including the brain. In placental organisms, offspring are supplied with nutrients during pre-natal development, potentially modulating brain size. However, the coevolution of the placenta and brain size remains largely unknown in non-mammalian taxa. Here, using eight poeciliid fish species, we test if species with placental structures invest more resources into offspring brain development than species without placental structures. We predict that matrotrophy may entail higher nutrient provisioning rates to the developing embryo than lecithotrophy, resulting in larger brain sizes in offspring of matrotrophic species, and that a relatively larger part of the total brain growth would occur at younger ages (leading to a shallower ontogenetic brain size allometry). We took non-invasive brain size measurements during the first four weeks of life, and compared these to somatic growth measurements. Contrary to our expectations, we did not find any differences in brain size between the two maternal strategies. Furthermore, we did not find any differences in how relative brain size changed over ontogenetic development, between placental and non-placental species. In contrast to the marsupial/placental transition, the species investigated here only exhibit pre-natal provisioning, which may reduce the potential for maternal investment into brain size. Consequently, our results suggest that coevolution between placental structures and juvenile brain size is not a general pattern.
Enriching neural stem cell and pro-healing glial phenotypes with electrical stimulation after traumatic brain injury in male rats
Authors: Park Eunyoung , Lyon Johnathan G. , Alvarado-Velez Melissa , Betancur Martha I. , Mokarram Nassir , Shin Jennifer H. , Bellamkonda Ravi V.
Published: November 2020

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) by an external physical impact results in compromised brain function via undesired neuronal death. Following the injury, resident and peripheral immune cells, astrocytes, and neural stem cells (NSCs) cooperatively contribute to the recovery of the neuronal function after TBI. However, excessive pro-inflammatory responses of immune cells, and the disappearance of endogenous NSCs at the injury site during the acute phase of TBI, can exacerbate TBI progression leading to incomplete healing. Therefore, positive outcomes may depend on early interventions to control the injury-associated cellular milieu in the early phase of injury. Here, we explore electrical stimulation (ES) of the injury site in a rodent model (male Sprague-Dawley rats) to investigate its overall effect on the constituent brain cell phenotype and composition during the acute phase of TBI. Our data showed that a brief ES for 1h on day 2 of TBI promoted pro-healing phenotypes of microglia as assessed by CD206 expression and increased the population of NSCs and Nestin+astrocytes at 7 days post-TBI. Also, ES effectively increased the number of viable neurons when compared to the unstimulated control group. Given the salience of microglia and neural stem cells for healing after TBI, our results strongly support the potential benefit of the therapeutic use of ES during the acute phase of TBI to regulate neuroinflammation and to enhance neuroregeneration.

Significance Statement

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when a head injury leads to a disruption of normal function in the brain and is a major cause of death and disability, worldwide. The authors used electrical stimulation during the acute phase of TBI, which promoted pro-healing phenotypes of microglia and increased the number of neural stem cells and Nestin+astrocytes, thereby enhancing neuronal viability. These findings support further study of electrical stimulation to regulate neuroinflammation and to enhance neuroregeneration after TBI.

Graphical Abstract

FIGURE 1.
Mapping the planet’s critical natural assets
Authors: Chaplin-Kramer Rebecca , Neugarten Rachel A , Sharp Richard P , Collins Pamela M , Polasky Stephen , Hole David , Schuster Richard , Strimas-Mackey Matthew , Mulligan Mark , Brandon Carter , Diaz Sandra , Fluet-Chouinard Etienne , Gorenflo LJ , Johnson Justin A , Kennedy Christina M , Keys Patrick W , Longley-Wood Kate , McIntyre Peter B , Noon Monica , Pascual Unai , Liermann Catherine Reidy , Roehrdanz Patrick R , Schmidt-Traub Guido , Shaw M Rebecca , Spalding Mark , Turner Will R , van Soesbergen Arnout , Watson Reg A
Published: November 2020

Sustaining the organisms, ecosystems, and processes that underpin human well-being is necessary to achieve sustainable development. Here we identify critical natural assets, natural and semi-natural ecosystems that provide 90% of the total current magnitude of 14 types of nature’s contributions to people (NCP). Critical natural assets for maintaining local-scale NCP (12 of the 14 NCP mapped) comprise 30% of total global land area and 24% of national territorial waters, while 44% of land area is required for maintaining all NCP (including those that accrue at the global scale, carbon storage and moisture recycling). At least 87% of the world’s population lives in the areas benefiting from critical natural assets for local-scale NCP, while only 16% lives on the lands containing these assets. Critical natural assets also overlap substantially with areas important for biodiversity (covering area requirements for 73% of birds and 66% of mammals) and cultural diversity (representing 96% of global Indigenous and non-migrant languages). Many of the NCP mapped here are left out of international agreements focused on conserving species or mitigating climate change, yet this analysis shows that explicitly prioritizing critical natural assets for NCP could simultaneously advance development, climate, and conservation goals. Crafting policy and investment strategies that protect critical natural assets is essential for sustaining human well-being and securing Earth’s life support systems.
Tau-mediated synaptic dysfunction is coupled with HCN channelopathy
Authors: Goniotaki Despoina , Tamagnini Francesco , Biasetti Luca , Rumpf Svenja-Lotta , Troakes Claire , Pollack Saskia J. , Ukwesa Shalom , Sun Haoyue , Serpell Louise C. , Noble Wendy , Staras Kevin , Hanger Diane P.
Published: November 2020

Progressive neurodegeneration in tauopathies is mediated through an elusive mechanism. Here, we show that hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are functionally linked to disease-associated abnormalities in tau. Selective rises in the proportion of HCN-positive neurons are detected both in post-mortem human brain from Alzheimer’s disease and in the Tau35 mouse model of tauopathy. Tau35 mice develop progressive abnormalities including increased phosphorylated tau, enhanced HCN channel expression and decreased dendritic branching, as well as reduced synapse density that is accompanied by vesicle clustering defects. Notably, altered spine density and increased HCN channel expression in Tau35 neurons correlates with functional abnormalities in network properties, including enhanced hyperpolarization-induced membrane voltage ‘sag’ and changes in the frequency and kinetics of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents. Our findings are consistent with pathological changes in tauopathies impacting on HCN channels to drive network-wide structural and functional synaptic deficits, providing new targets for therapeutic intervention.
Improving the efficiency of de Bruijn graph construction using compact universal hitting sets
Authors: Ben-Ari Yael , Flomin Dan , Pu Lianrong , Orenstein Yaron , Shamir Ron
Published: November 2020

High-throughput sequencing techniques generate large volumes of DNA sequencing data at ultra-fast speed and extremely low cost. As a consequence, sequencing techniques have become ubiquitous in biomedical research and are used in hundreds of genomic applications. Efficient data structures and algorithms have been developed to handle the large datasets produced by these techniques. The prevailing method to index DNA sequences in those data structures and algorithms is by usingk-mers (k-long substrings) known as minimizers. Minimizers are the smallestk-mers selected in every consecutive window of a fixed length in a sequence, where the smallest is determined according to a predefined order, e.g., lexicographic. Recently, a newk-mer order based on a universal hitting set (UHS) was suggested. While several studies have shown that orders based on a small UHS have improved properties, the utility of using them in high-throughput sequencing analysis tasks has not been demonstrated to date.

Here, we demonstrate the practical benefit of UHSs for the first time, in the genome assembly task. Reconstructing a genome from billions of short reads is a fundamental task in high-throughput sequencing analyses. De Bruijn graph construction is a key step in genome assembly, which often requires very large amounts of memory and long computation time. A critical bottleneck lies in the partitioning of DNA sequences into bins. The sequences in each bin are assembled separately, and the final de Bruijn graph is constructed by merging the bin-specific subgraphs. We incorporated a UHS-based order in the bin partition step of the Minimum Substring Partitioning algorithm of Liet al. (2013). Using a UHS-based order instead of lexicographic- or random-ordered minimizers produced lower density minimizers with more balanced bin partitioning, which led to a reduction in both runtime and memory usage.
Micromechanical homogenisation of a hydrogel-filled electrospun scaffold for tissue-engineered epicardial patching of the infarcted heart
Authors: Abdalrahman Tamer , Mandel Nicolas , Sack Kevin L. , Pugno Nicola M. , Bezuidenhout Deon , Limbert Georges , Moscato Francesco , Davies Neil H. , Franz Thomas
Published: November 2020

This study aimed at developing a formulation to link microscopic structure and macroscopic mechanics of a fibrous scaffold filled with a hydrogel for use as a tissue-engineered patch for local epicardial support of the infarcted heart. Mori-Tanaka mean field homogenisation, closed-cell foam mechanics and finite element (FE) methods were used to represent the macroscopic elastic modulus of the filled fibrous scaffold. The homogenised constitutive description of the scaffold was implemented for an epicardial patch in a FE model of a human cardiac left ventricle (LV) to assess effects of patching on myocardial mechanics and ventricular function in presences of an infarct. The macroscopic elastic modulus of the scaffold was predicted to be 0.287 MPa with the FE method and 0.290 MPa with the closed-cell model for the realistic fibre structure of the scaffold, and 0.108 and 0.540 MPa with mean field homogenization for randomly oriented and completely aligned fibres. Epicardial patching was predicted to reduce maximum myocardial stress in the infarcted LV from 19 kPa (no patch) to 9.5 kPa (patch), and to increase the ventricular ejection fraction from 40% (no patch) to 43% (patch). The predictions of the macroscopic elastic modulus of the realistic scaffold with the FE and the closed-cell model agreed well, and were bound by the mean field homogenisation prediction for random and fully aligned fibre orientation of the scaffold. This study demonstrates the feasibility of homogenization techniques to represent complex multiscale structural features in an simplified but meaningful manner.
Enacting anti-racist visualities through photo-dialogues on race in Paris
Authors: Sobande Francesca , Schoonejans Alice , Johnson Guillaume D. , Thomas Kevin D. , Harrison Anthony Kwame
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Grounded in experience of co-organizing a two-day photography-based workshop in Paris, this paper explores how photo-dialogues can facilitate anti-racist pedagogy and generative discussions about how race and racism function in marketplace contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on the authors' involvement in a cross-national and cross-disciplinary team of scholars who worked with local community stakeholders—including activists, artists and practitioners—to discuss, theorize and photo-document issues regarding race and racism in the Parisian marketplace.

Findings

This paper contributes to the literature on visual culture studies and critical race studies as it demonstrates the potentials of photography combined with dialogue to challenge the White supremacy over archiving and visuality in the context of urban spaces. This new methodology is an opportunity to reflect on archetypes of visuality that depart from the traditional Parisian flâneur to be consistent with and reinforce anti-racist stances.

Originality/value

Photography and visual methods often play peripheral roles in anti-racist education across various disciplines and research areas, including critical marketplace studies. This paper expands understanding of the potentials of using photographic methods as part of critical and anti-racist work related to racial and racist dynamics, including issues regarding power, White supremacy and public space. It outlines the use of photographic dialogues in a context (Paris, France) where discussion of race is regularly societally discouraged. Thus, this work shifts the focus away from decontextualized research that regards race as an object, to specifically foreground understandings of racialized experiences and how the photographic gaze produces and is produced by racialized viewers.
Evaluation of passive design strategies to achieve NZEB in the corporate facilities: the context of Bangladeshi subtropical monsoon climate
Authors: Rana Md. Jewel , Hasan Md. Rakibul , Sobuz Md. Habibur Rahman , Sutan Norsuzailina Mohamed
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This study investigates the impact and economic viability of energy-efficient building envelope and orientation for contributing net zero energy building (NZEB) and suggests optimum thermal insulation thickness, optimum wall thickness, appropriate orientation and glazing types of window in the contexts of unique Bangladeshi subtropical monsoon climate.

Design/methodology/approach

The whole study was conducted through energy simulation perspective of an existing office building using building information modeling (BIM) and building energy modeling (BEM) tools which are Autodesk Revit 2017, Autodesk Green Building Studio (GBS) and eQUEST. Numerous simulation patterns were created for energy simulation considering building envelope parameters and orientations. A comprehensive data analysis of simulation results was conducted to sort out efficient passive design strategies.

Findings

The optimum thermal mass and thermal insulation thickness are 6.5 and 0.5 inches, respectively, considering energy performance and economic viability. This study highly recommends that a building should be designed with a small window-to-wall ratio in the south and west face. The window should be constructed with double glazing Low-E materials to reduce solar heat gain. The studied building saves 9.14% annual energy consumption by incorporating the suggested passive design strategies of this study.

Originality/value

The output of this work can add some new energy-efficient design strategies to Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) because BNBC has not suggested any codes or regulations regarding energy-efficient passive design strategies. It will also be useful to designers of Bangladesh and other countries with similar subtropical climatic contexts which are located in Southeast Asia and Northern Hemisphere of Earth.
Social media advertisements with deposit contracts and fitness club/gym membership: are consumers persuaded?
Authors: Fogel Joshua , Ustoyev Sarah
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine the association of social media advertising with deposit contracts and consumers joining a fitness club/gym.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper surveyed 745 college students. Three deposit contract options were presented with goals of losing 5% of your original weight, losing 10 pounds from your weight and exercising for 75 min.

Findings

This paper found that consumers chose deposit contracts at higher rates than no contract or regular contract options. This paper found that behavioral control was positively associated with choosing a deposit contract. This paper found that presence of a weight problem was positively associated with choosing a deposit contract with very concrete goals of losing 10 pounds or exercising for 75 min while no association occurred for the less specific concrete goal of losing 5% of your original weight.

Originality/value

In conclusion, marketers can consider a novel advertising approach on social media of advertising deposit contract information to possibly interest consumers to join a fitness club/gym.
Efficiency and productivity analysis for intermediary institutions: Turkish capital markets case
Authors: Aras Guler , Karaman Yasemin , Hacioglu Kazak Evrim
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate efficiency and productivity of Turkey’s both brokerage sector and intermediary institutions (IIs) that have been active in Turkish capital markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Malmquist total factor productivity index (MPI) are used to analyze efficiency and productivity of Turkey’s both brokerage sector and 51 Turkish IIs constantly operated between the years 2008 and 2018. Paid-in capital, administrative expenses and trading volumes are used as input, while net trading commissions and net profit/loss are used as output in analysis. The calculations of this analysis are made with DEAP 2.2 program and Python.

Findings

The results reveal that during the analysis period, percentage of efficient institutions among 51 IIs was between 18% and 39% while the sector’s mean efficiency score ranged between 52% and 65%. While 2009 is the year with the highest number of efficient institutions, 2013 is observed to be the least. Finally, the results of productivity analysis indicate that all types of IIs are not fully productive during the related period. The striking finding obtained is that though there is a decrease in total productivity change, the technological change has a positive effect on their productivity change.

Originality/value

This study is a double-layered research paper that includes efficiency analysis by DEA in the first step and productivity analysis by using MPI in the second step.
Information experiences of Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada
Authors: Shuva Nafiz Zaman
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Studies on the information behaviour of immigrants including refugees across the globe show a significant dependency of immigrants on their informal networks for meeting various settlement and everyday life information needs. Although there are quite a few studies in LIS that globally report the dependency of immigrants on their personal networks, very little is known about their experiences with their informal personal networks in the contexts of their settlement in informational terms. This paper explores the information experiences of Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada consulting informal networks including broader Bangladeshi community people in pre- and post-arrival contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a mixed-method approach including semi-structured interviews (n = 60) and surveys (n = 205) with Bangladeshi immigrants who arrived in Canada between the years of 1971 and 2017. Interview data were analysed thematically, and descriptive statistics are used to describe the survey data relevant to this study.

Findings

Although the overall scope of the original study is much larger, this paper features findings on the information experience derived from an analysis of the interview data with some relevant references to the survey data when deemed appropriate. This paper provides insights into the information experiences of Bangladeshi immigrants within their personal networks, including friends, family and ethnic community people. The findings of this study show that participants sometimes received discouraging, unhelpful or wrong information from their personal networks. The multiple dimensions of the information experiences of the study participants show the many consequences for their settlement lives. For some participants, settlement was particularly impacted by the concept of “information sharing fear” that emerged from the interviews. Information sharing fear relates to concerns that sharing information about the challenges faced by newcomers could be considered by potential immigrants as a kind of active “discouragement”. Participants described being sensitive to charges of envy or jealousy when they shared information related to challenges newcomers face, as friends and family see them as trying to prevent competition for social status.

Originality/value

The findings related to the information experiences of immigrants consulting informal networks has potential implications for research in various discipline such as LIS, migrational studies and psychology that explore the benefits of social networks in newcomers' settlement. The study also sets a ground to take a more holistic approach to the information experiences of newcomers, not just naming the sources newcomers utilize in settlement and everyday life contexts. The study also provides some future directions to comprehensively understand the culturally situated information behaviour of various immigrant groups.
African pathway to achieve inclusive growth: COMESA case study
Authors: Albagoury Samar H.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The relationship between economic growth performance and achieving inclusive growth, especially concerning poverty rate, is a subject of continuous argument in economic literature. Although some argue that this relationship is deterministic, i.e. achieving economic growth will definitely reduce poverty and enhance inclusive growth, others believe that the relationship between growth and poverty is conditional, depends mainly on the status of income distribution in this country, i.e. if the growth is combined with a significant improve in distribution then it will reduce poverty.

Design/methodology/approach

Africa is a clear example of the nexus between economic growth and poverty reduction. Although many African countries manage to achieve relatively high growth rates, hit two digits in some cases, during the last decades, poverty still widely spread in those countries. Of the 30 poorest countries in the world, 24 are African countries. And about 50% of African people still live under the poverty line. Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which could be considered as one of the fastest growing regions in Africa, is not an exception; although the region achieves relatively high growth rates, poverty and inequality are still among the region’s main development challenges.

Findings

This paper found that the economic growth rate achieved in COMESA countries could not be considered as inclusive growth as it does not combine with adequate enhancement in inclusiveness indicators. And that the structural characteristics of those countries economy and its inelasticity are the main reasons behind this inefficiency.

Originality/value

In this context, this paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of economic growth achieved in COMESA countries in achieving inclusive growth and to identify the main factors affecting this relationship by using two steps data envelopment analysis. Although this method is originally developed to evaluate the relative economic efficiencies, the main contribution of this paper is the adaptation of data envelopment analysis to evaluate the efficiency of economic growth achieved in COMESA countries in enhancing inclusive growth dimensions such as poverty rate, inequality, unemployment, education, health, and then to identify in its second step the main indicators that could be used to explain the variation in efficiency scores.
Constructing a tax regime for the regulation of trade in digital content
Authors: Okah-Avae Tobore Obrozie , Mukoro Benjamin
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The paper aims to consider how a country like Nigeria, with an underdeveloped tax system, can adapt its tax generation mechanisms to meet the challenges of digital commerce in the 21st century.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts a doctrinal approach.

Findings

The paper recommends measures that could be adopted to enhance the efficiency of the current tax systems, to allow it to take advantage of opportunities presented by digital transactions.

Originality/value

To the best the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first of its kind to consider the taxation of digital transactions in the Nigerian context.
The chain mediation effect of spiritual leadership on employees' innovative behavior
Authors: Yang Jie , Chang Mingchao , Chen Zhihong , Zhou Lulu , Zhang Jiangjiang
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Based on the intrinsic motivation theory and spiritual leadership theory, the current study proposes a chain mediation model for testing the linkage between spiritual leadership and employees' innovative behavior through individual values and role identity.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 309 valid leader–subordinate matching questionnaires from 10 Internet enterprises and 21 manufacturing enterprises in China were collected through a field study. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping.

Findings

The results show that spiritual leadership has a positive impact on employees' innovative behavior. Uncertainty avoidance and creative role identity not only respectively play a mediating role but also play a chain mediating role in the process of spiritual leadership influencing employees' innovative behavior.

Originality/value

This study explores the influence of leadership style on employees' individual values, which has rarely been done in previous studies. Furthermore, the research explores the impact of personal values (uncertainty avoidance) on employee self-perception (creative role identity). And it enriches the relationship between spiritual leadership and employees' innovative behavior and reveals the deeper influence mechanism between them.
Designing a maturity model for analyzing information and knowledge management in the public sector
Authors: Jääskeläinen Aki , Sillanpää Virpi , Helander Nina , Leskelä Riikka-Leena , Haavisto Ira , Laasonen Valtteri , Torkki Paulus
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This study aims to report the design and testing of a maturity model for information and knowledge management in the public sector, intended for use in frequent monitoring, trend analysis and in-depth analysis of the contemporary information and knowledge management practices of an organization.

Design/methodology/approach

A design science approach was used to develop the proposed model. Creation of the model was based on an extensive literature review. Testing of the model was implemented as a survey receiving 37 responses from nine organizations organizing and purchasing public services.

Findings

The study presents four alternative profiles for an organization’s status, novice, experimenter, facilitator and advanced exploiter, and investigates the differences between these profiles on the basis of the empirical data gathered. The model was found to be both a valid and practical way to determine the state of an organization’s information and knowledge management and identify development needs.

Research limitations/implications

Testing was conducted in the Finnish public sector and further studies applying the model could be implemented in other countries. The model presented was designed specifically for the public sector and more research is needed to test its applicability in the private sector.

Originality/value

Maturity models are useful when evaluating information and knowledge management status in an organization, and beneficial for improving organizational performance. The proposed maturity model combines the fields of knowledge management and information management and contributes to the literature with an overarching maturity model that includes a dimension of satisfaction with the organizational maturity level. While many earlier models originate from the consultancy business, the model presented here was also designed for research purposes and tested in practice.
Humanitarian data justice: A structural data justice lens on civic technologies in post‐earthquake Nepal
Authors: Mulder Femke
Published: November 2020

As disasters are becoming increasingly datafied, social justice in the context of disasters is increasingly bound up with data. A data justice lens reveals how data projects and social justice interlink. This paper approaches social injustice in the context of disasters as structural inequalities in terms of resilience and risk. The first refers to people's ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, and the second to the probability that people will be exposed to hazards to which they are vulnerable. A data justice lens draws attention to the ways in which these structural inequalities shape humanitarian data projects. It also shows how such projects influence social justice outcomes. This paper shows how this lens can be applied to concrete disaster settings and the insights this yields for designers and project managers of data projects. This paper uses a qualitative case study approach to analyse two locally led civic technology projects in post‐earthquake Nepal. These progressive initiatives sought to give disaster‐affected people a role and a voice in the disaster response—and made a valuable contribution to response and recovery efforts. However, as they were rolled out in a context marked by stark social and digital inequalities, they still ended up primarily benefitting those who were relatively more resilient and less at risk. This paper explains why this happened and concludes by recommending critical and strategic collaboration with local progressive digital elites towards greater data justice in disaster settings.
The impact of perceived organizational support and job resourcefulness on supervisor‐rated contextual performance of firefighters: Mediating role of job satisfaction
Authors: Rubaca Ume , Majid Khan Muhammad
Published: November 2020

Drawing on job demands‐resources model, we examined the positive impact of perceived organizational support and job resourcefulness on supervisor‐rated contextual performance of firefighters along with partial mediating effect of job satisfaction. We adopted a two‐wave survey technique to collect matched responses from 245 Pakistani firefighters about perceived organizational support, job resourcefulness and job satisfaction and 3 months later from their immediate supervisors on contextual performance. The results favour the importance of perceived organizational support and job resourcefulness as valuable resources for enhancing job satisfaction and in this way promote literature on job satisfaction. Results also endorsed job satisfaction as a partial mediator between organizational support, job resourcefulness and supervisor‐rated contextual performance of firefighters. We explored the complex motivational mechanism through which perceived organizational support and job resourcefulness affect supervisor‐rated contextual performance of firefighters. Results were consistent with the hypothesized model. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Effects of growth‐promoting rhizobacteria on maize growth and rhizosphere microbial community under conservation tillage in Northeast China
Authors: Chen La , Hao Zhanhong , Li Keke , Sha Ye , Wang Entao , Sui Xinhua , Mi Guohua , Tian Changfu , Chen Wenxin
Published: November 2020

Conservation tillage in conjunction with straw mulching is a sustainable agricultural approach. However, straw mulching reduces the soil temperature, inhibits early maize growth and reduces grain yield in cold regions. To address this problem, we investigated the effects of inoculation of plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on maize growth and rhizosphere microbial communities under conservation tillage in Northeast China. The PGPR strains Sinorhizobium sp. A15, Bacillus sp. A28, Sphingomonas sp. A55 and Enterobacter sp. P24 were isolated from the maize rhizosphere in the same area and inoculated separately. Inoculation of these strains significantly enhanced maize growth, and the strains A15, A28 and A55 significantly increased grain yield by as much as 22%–29%. Real‐time quantitative PCR and high‐throughput sequencing showed that separate inoculation with the four strains increased the abundance and species richness of bacteria in the maize rhizosphere. Notably, the relative abundance of Acidobacteria_Subgroup_6, Chloroflexi_KD4‐96, and Verrucomicrobiae at the class level and Mucilaginibacter at the genus level were positively correlated with maize biomass and yield. Inoculation with PGPR shows potential for improvement of maize production under conservation tillage in cold regions by regulating the rhizosphere bacterial community structure and by direct stimulation of plant growth.
Preferences for the measurement and supplementation of magnesium, phosphate and zinc in ICUs: The international WhyTrace survey
Authors: Vesterlund Gitte K. , Ostermann Marlies , Myatra Sheila N. , Arabi Yaseen M. , Sadat Musharaf , Zampieri Fernando G. , Cronhjort Maria , Schefold Joerg C. , Stöhr Frederik , Buanes Eirik A. , Bäcklund Minna , Thormar Katrin M. , Perner Anders
Published: November 2020

Background

Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) often have low magnesium, phosphate and zinc levels. Monitoring of serum concentrations and supplementation may be important, but there is no consensus on optimal practice. The objective of the WhyTrace survey was to describe current practice regarding the measurement and supplementation of magnesium, phosphate and zinc in ICUs.

Methods

A 54‐item electronic questionnaire was developed in accordance with SURGE, SUrvey Reporting GuidelinE, to address international clinical practice in the ICU. National investigators recruited ICUs in ten countries with one physician responding per ICU using a unique e‐mail distributed survey‐link.

Results

The questionnaire was sent to clinicians in 336 ICUs of whom 283 (84%) responded. In 62% of the ICUs, a standard procedure was in place regarding the measurement of serum magnesium levels, in 58% for phosphate and in 9% for zinc. Zinc was never or rarely measured in 64% of ICUs. The frequency of requesting serum levels varied from twice daily to once weekly. Regarding supplementation, 66% of ICUs had a standard procedure for magnesium, 63% for phosphate and 15% for zinc. Most procedures recommended supplementation when serum levels were below the lower reference level, but some used the upper reference levels as the threshold for supplementation and others decided on a case‐by‐case basis.

Conclusion

The practice of measuring and supplementing magnesium, phosphate and zinc differed substantially between ICUs. Our findings indicate that there is a need for high‐quality prospective data on frequencies of measurements, treatment goals and effects of supplementation on patient‐important outcomes.
Binge‐Like Exposure During Adolescence Induces Detrimental Effects in Alveolar Bone that Persist in Adulthood
Authors: Maia Cristiane do Socorro Ferraz , Queiroz Letícia Yoshitome , de Oliveira Igor Gonçalves , da Silva Carla Cristiane Soares , Cunha Rodrigo A. , Souza‐Monteiro Deiweson , Ferreira Maria Karolina Martins , Silveira Felipe Martins , da Silva Jordana Conceição , Balbinot Gabriela de Souza , Collares Fabrício Mezzomo , Martins Marco Antônio Trevizani , Martins Manoela Domingues , Lima Rafael Rodrigues
Published: November 2020

Background

Alcohol (EtOH) intake during adolescence has become an important public health issue. Although the detrimental effects of EtOH intake on the musculoskeletal system are well known, only a few studies have investigated its impact on the stomatognathic system of adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the effect of EtOH binge drinking on the alveolar bone and the long‐term consequences after abstinence.

Methods

Adolescent female Wistar rats (35 days old) were exposed to 4 cycles of EtOH binge drinking (3 g/kg/d; 3 days On‐4 days Off) or distilled water (control group). Alveolar bone micromorphology and vertical bone distance were evaluated at 1, 30, and 60 days after that last EtOH intake through X‐ray computed microtomography. The mineral:matrix ratio was assessed through Raman spectroscopy.

Results

A decrease in both trabecular thickness and volume ratio, and an increase in trabecular separation were observed at the 1‐day evaluation (immediate withdrawal). After 30 and 60 days, the alveolar bone parameters were found similar to control, except for the mineral:matrix ratio in the long‐term abstinence.

Conclusions

EtOH binge drinking during adolescence results in alveolar bone damage that may persist in adulthood, even after abstinence.
Shallow depositional basins as potential archives of palaeoenvironmental changes in southwestern Greenland over the last 800 years
Authors: Roman Matěj , Chattová Barbora , Lehejček Jiří , Tejnecký Václav , Vondrák Daniel , Luláková Petra , Němeček Karel , Houška Jakub , Drábek Ondřej , Nývlt Daniel
Published: November 2020

The Arctic, one of the most sensitive components of the Earth's climate system, experienced pronounced climatic fluctuations during the Late Holocene. In order to obtain a detailed record of past environmental and climatic variability, sedimentary cores from two interconnected infilled depositional basins in the Kobbefjord area, southwestern Greenland, were retrieved and subjected to a multi‐proxy investigation. The absolute chronostratigraphy was established through radiocarbon (14C) and short‐lived radioisotope (210Pb,137Cs) dating. We also analysed magnetic susceptibility, grain size, X‐ray fluorescence element composition, total content of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur, biogenic silica and diatom assemblages. The palaeoenvironmental reconstruction presented from the upper basin records ~800 years of sedimentation in a former shallow Arctic lake/pond that was modulated by catchment processes and regional hydroclimate. The record is dominated by alternating periods of increased organic and clastic deposition, suggesting warmer/drier and colder/wetter climate, respectively. Comparison of our records with other proxy‐based lacustrine, marine and glacier records and instrumental measurements from Greenland and the North Atlantic reveals common climatic trends, consistent with the inferred North Atlantic Oscillation pattern. Periods at ~800–600, ~320–220 and ~140–30 cal. a BP correspond to the main cold phases. The earliest climatic deterioration coincides with the demise of the nearby Norse Western Settlement. The most recent cold period represents the culmination of the Little Ice Age with the maximum Holocene advances of Greenland glaciers. Ameliorated conditions predominated at ~550–320 and ~220–140 cal. a BP. The evolution of both water bodies is concluded by transition into oligotrophic peat bogs after complete infilling of the basins at ~30 cal. a BP. Despite differences in proxy signals between the coring sites, this study endorses the usefulness of shallow lake/pond sediments from infilled basins for environmental reconstructions, as long as local depositional processes do not mask the external driving factors.
Meadow, marsh and lagoon: Late Holocene coastal changes and human–environment interactions in northern Denmark
Authors: Kristiansen Søren M. , Ljungberg Thomas E. , Christiansen Torben Trier , Dalsgaard Kristian , Haue Niels , Greve Mogens H. , Nielsen Bjarne Henning
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a study of past coastline dynamics and their consequences for prehistoric societies living in the glacio‐isostatically uplifted central Limfjord area, northern Denmark. The consequences of the gradual relative sea level (RSL) changes have been investigated to develop a local RSL curve, study settlement patterns on newly exposed marine foreland, and estimate changes in the area and quality of grazing and forage for livestock. This was achieved by a multidisciplinary approach involving existing regional and local beach ridges dated by optically stimulated luminescence, a comprehensive database of archaeological finds, and extrapolation based on a digital elevation model. The beach‐ridge dates suggested a near‐linear local RSL change in the study area of ~1.2±0.2 m per 1000 years for the last 3000 years. Based on this, a palaeo‐coastline development model was produced that correlated well with a comprehensive database of archaeological finds. The model indicates that (i) few human settlements moved to the newly exposed marine foreland prior to modern times, though clusters of burial mounds (barrows) suggest that some of the new lands were colonized during the Late Roman Iron Age until 400 CE, (ii) winter‐flooded marine foreland with high‐quality livestock grazing increased steadily until c. 750 CE and then remained stable at approximately 150 km2, and (iii) due to high salinity of the inundating water, the palaeo‐Limfjord probably had Wadden Sea‐like fertile saltmarshes until c. 1 CE. The improved chronologies yield a better understanding of the spatial and temporal prehistoric human–nature interactions in the study area. The findings highlight the need for accurate local RSL curves in order to interpret concomitant terrestrial environment drivers and trajectories, and thereby understand causal relationships and consequences for prehistoric human–environment interactions in coastal areas.