bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the dynamics of SER evolution: an institutional understanding
Authors: Contrafatto Massimo , Costa Ericka , Pesci Caterina
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretically informed analysis of social and environmental reporting (SER) evolution, i.e. how and why the SER evolved over time in a cooperative bank in Italy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a qualitative fieldwork case study conducted from 2011 to 2015. Information and data were collected through several methods including: interviews with managers involved in the SER’s process; analysis of the SER-related documents; analysis of the website; and observations in the field. The analysis of the empirical evidence draws on the institutional logic (IL) perspective, which provides theoretical insights to interpret the role of the contrasting institutional forces in the evolution of SER.

Findings

The empirical analysis unveils three different stages in the evolution of SER: the “birth” whereby a new form of social reporting was initiated; the “development” through which SER was implemented to become a formal component of the organizational management; and the “de-structuring” when the SER was gradually de-composed. This gradual de-structuring, as well as the initiation and implementation processes, was influenced by different institutionally infused rationalities and logics. These institutionally infused rationalities and logics, along with the specific organizational and contextual events, provided the resources, and created the space and opportunity, for the SER-related changes to occur.

Originality/value

The analysis offers theoretical insights to understand “how” (i.e. processes) and “why” (i.e. the conditions under which) SER gradually evolved, i.e. emerged, was constructed and developed during the phases of implementation and post-implementation. Furthermore, it is shown that SER is multifunctional in nature and unveils how and why these multiple functions change over time. Finally, the analysis provides a theoretical contribution by illuminating the role that different and contrasting ILs play in driving the adoption of organizational practices.
A profile of the popular entrepreneur: a value-based approach
Authors: Esqueda H. Sofia , Csoban Eugenia , Felipe Prat Jose
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the personal characteristics and individual values of Venezuelan low-income entrepreneurs, according to the theoretical framework of the Schwartz model.

Design/methodology/approach

A stratified probabilistic sample of 416 individuals was selected from a database of Bangente’s clients, who received microcredits between 1999 and 2016, in the Capital District of Venezuela. The Portrait Value Questionnaire (Schwartz, 2003; Peiró and Palencia, 2009) was applied to measure the values of power, self-direction, stimulation and achievement. The locus of control was measured (Schjoedt and Shaver, 2012) and information was collected on some personal variables. An analysis of hierarchical clusters was conducted to group clients with similar characteristics, as well as a discriminant analysis, to characterize the groups obtained.

Findings

The selected Schwartz values, the locus of control and personal characteristics (such as educational level, age and gender) proved to be efficient in discriminating between four groups or profiles of low-income entrepreneurs: those “Focused on progress through effort,” “Independent and ambitious young people,” those “Focused on power and achievement” and those who were “Indifferent.” The results of the cluster analysis were validated using discriminant analysis, which identified the variables with the greatest impact for the characterization of each group. The coefficients of the discriminant functions would allow the classification of a new individual requesting a microcredit into one of the groups obtained. This is a proposal to complement the selection process mechanisms currently used to decide whether or not to grant loans, which must be validated in conclusive studies.

Research limitations/implications

The results cannot be generalized until the study is replicated in representative samples in other entities of the microfinance sector.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this work is the integration of individual values in the profile description of low-income entrepreneurs and in the use of statistical strategies such as cluster analysis and discriminant function. The nature of the study is exploratory: the development of this line of research can guide future decisions about which clients (according to their values, personal characteristics and locus of control) could receive their financial support. When considering these non-traditional variables in the banking context, the aim is to enrich our knowledge about low-income entrepreneurs.
Integration of oil with macroeconomic indicators and policy challenges in regard to Oman
Authors: M. Aravind , Nayar Jayaram
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The Oman economy is dominated by production and export of petroleum products and an overdependence on oil revenue, which may have contributed to the continuance of the “resource curse” phenomenon. The purpose of this research is to examine the co-integration of oil with macroeconomic indicators of Oman and of suggesting some policy reform measures to trim down overdependence on oil.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors culled out data from the annual reports published by the Central Bank of Oman from 1975 to 2016. Considering oil price and oil export volume as regressors, the long-term integration with other macroeconomic indicators was examined by using the bound test. Further, auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) model was also derived to check the impact of these cross-sectional relations.

Findings

Oil price is observed to have a strong long-term significant relation with all the macroeconomic variables used in this study. However, the volumes of oil exports do not appear to have significant influence on GDP and consumption but do naturally sway other variables. This indicates that less elasticity of consumption to the flow of macro income, because the consumption in the Omani economy is driven by perceived future income. Oil export revenue is not seems to be much impacting on the real sector as the deficits are funded by the government through compensatory spending. Oil prices and oil exports have exhibited a strong long-term integration with variables such as gross domestic savings (GDS), credit to government (C2G), credit to private (C2P), demand deposits (DD) and time deposits (TD). This hints that oil boom does constitute the key source of funding of the financial sector of Oman.

Research limitations/implications

This study offers a generalized submission to support the real sector of Oman to lead out of a resource curse through diversification. The study however does not provide industrial groupings to assess the impact of fluctuations in oil prices.

Originality/value

This research has confirmed the existence of “resource movement” effect and “spending effect” in Oman economy. The nation needs to take radical measures to come out of this phenomenon. For addressing this we have suggested the modified version of Shumpeterian model of creative destruction. In this model we call for demolishing the oil dependent structure with a diversification structure. The new move can bring more positive effect on real and financial sectors of the economy.
The influence of policy makers over Lean implementations in healthcare
Authors: Gadolin Christian
Published: July 2019

Purpose

It is often argued that Lean enables the challenges of contemporary healthcare delivery to be tackled in relation to consistently high-quality care, while utilizing the full potential of available resources. Nevertheless, system-wide implementations of Lean are notoriously difficult and the desired results are often not achieved. Policy makers play a pivotal role in enabling healthcare organizations to enact more precise strategies and frameworks through steering professionals toward both adopting guidelines and becoming more comfortable with Lean as an improvement technique. However, the difficulties in achieving system-wide implementations of Lean indicate their shortcomings in this respect. The purpose of this paper is to outline how these shortcomings may be manifested empirically.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative content analysis of Swedish counties’ annual reports with regard to how the implementation of Lean is presented and promoted.

Findings

The study shows that policy makers have vague and divergent perceptions of what Lean is, and that they often reduce Lean to a means of achieving cost reductions and savings, while relying on the education of managers as the primary factor to ensure implementation.

Originality/value

In order for policy makers to facilitate system-wide implementations of Lean, this study indicates that they need to rectify their simplistic perception of Lean while elaborating on why and how Lean should be implemented in healthcare.
Does shared leadership fosters taking charge behaviors? A post-heroic leadership perspective in the public sector higher educational institutes
Authors: Bilal Ahmad Raza , Fatima Tehreem , Imran Muhammad Kashif
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance the theoretical perspective of complexity leadership paradigm to introduce shared leadership style as a precursor of taking charge behavior in public sector higher educational institutions (HEIs) of Pakistan. Moreover, this study unveils the underlying mechanisms of the climate of initiative and psychological safety for clarifying the link of shared leadership and taking charge.

Design/methodology/approach

The multi-source and multi-wave data were analyzed by employing double mediation analysis (PROCESS Model 4); using 282 valid responses obtained from a proportionate stratified sample of faculty members working in public sector HEIs of Pakistan.

Findings

The result indicates that shared leadership is a suitable style for governing the public sector HEIs and it fosters taking charge behavior in teaching faculty. Additionally, shared leadership creates climates that support initiatives and are psychologically safe that set stage for taking charge behaviors in teaching faculty of public sector HEIs of Pakistan.

Originality/value

This research has filled the gap of focusing on more collaborative leadership styles instead of traditional vertical leadership practices in public sector HEIs of Pakistan. Theoretically, this study suggests new insights into the contextual antecedents and mediating mechanisms of taking charge behaviors.
Role-related stress and perceptions of the keyworker role among professionals supporting adults with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Moriarty John , Regan Daniel , Honan Rita
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Individuals with intellectual disabilities who are users of day and residential services will often be assigned at least one “keyworker”, a staff member who is expressly responsive to their needs and responsible for co-ordinating services with them. Keyworkers are often given their role because it is a norm in their organisation. However, given the emotionally intensive workload involved in co-ordinating care for a single individual, little attention is given to the potential stress burden of being a keyworker. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted of professionals’ perceptions of the keyworker role and of levels of workplace well-being. The authors first examine differences between keyworkers and their colleagues along measures of role perception and well-being. The authors then present a new measure of keyworkers’ duties and boundaries (Key-DAB) capturing perceptions of the keyworker role by keyworkers and other staff. The measure was administered to a sample of staff (n=69) from an Irish provider of services for adults with intellectual disabilities. Alongside the new scale, the authors administered established measures of workplace well-being and locus of control (LoC) to examine construct validity and assess if perception of keyworking could be related to stress.

Findings

Some differences were detected between keyworkers and non-keyworkers: keyworkers had more internally oriented LoC and experienced lower work pressure than non-keyworking colleagues. The Key-DAB measure possessed favourable psychometric properties, including high internal reliability. External validity was also shown as keyworkers’ scale scores were related to LoC and to role demands. Results suggested: that keyworkers who are clear about what is expected of the keyworker are more satisfied with their role and perceive keyworking as beneficial to them; that role ambiguity and role conflict can undo these potential benefits and render the keyworker’s role a potentially hazardous one.

Originality/value

The authors recommend that employers provide clear guidelines and explicit training to keyworkers and suggest that the measures may be effective tools for ongoing assessment of keyworkers’ role clarity.
Factors affecting the role of local councils in local policy-making
Authors: Abdullah Rushdi Aziz
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically the relevance and impact of a number of factors on the role of local councils in local policy-making in Erbil province/Iraq.

Design/methodology/approach

This research theoretically based on literature review and adopted an analytical approach to clarify the related concepts through the policy cycle approach. On the empirical side, the research adopted a descriptive analysis for research questions and used statistical analysis to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

The results of the study reveal that variables of the local policy-making process, political factors, interaction patterns and the role of other actors have relevance in the role of local councils. In addition, the study concludes that technical feasibility, budgetary considerations, public opinion, coalition building, civil society, executive bodies, administrative organs and non-governmental organizations have a positive effect on the role of local councils in local policy-making in Erbil province, while interest groups have a negative effect on the role of local councils in local policy-making in Erbil province.

Practical implications

The findings and recommendations of this research can practically use by the local councils to achieve effective local policy, particularly in Erbil province/Iraq.

Originality/value

This research has interesting implications in theory and practice, as it provides several contributions to the literature, as well as the practical contribution for local councils in the local policy-making process.
The fabrication of NiTi shape memory alloy by selective laser melting: a review
Authors: Chen Xizhang , Liu Kun , Guo Wei , Gangil Namrata , Siddiquee Arshad Noor , Konovalov Sergey
Published: July 2019

Purpose

In recent years, the use of high performing materials, and application of additive manufacturing technology for industrial production has witnessed a steady rise and its expanse is only to increase in the future. “Selective laser melting (SLM) technique” for an exotic nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) is expected to a great facilitator to research in this area. The purpose of this paper is to put forth the research direction of NiTi shape memory alloy by selective laser melting.

Design/methodology/approach

This review also summaries and skims out the information on process equipment, adopted methodologies/strategies, effects of process parameters on important responses e.g. microstructure and comprehensive functional and mechanical properties of SLM-NiTi. In particular, the functional characteristics (i.e. shape memory effects and super-elasticity behavior), process analysis and application status are discussed.

Findings

Current progresses and challenges in fabricating NiTi-SMA of SLM technology are presented.

Practical implications

This review is a useful tool for professional and researchers with an interest in the field of SLM of NiTi-SMA.

Originality/value

This review provides a comprehensive review of the publications related to the SLM techniques of NiTi-SMA while highlighting current challenges and methods of solving them.
Severe psoriasis entering remission after treatment for latent tuberculosis with isoniazid: Report of two cases
Authors: Partarrieu‐Mejías Felipe , Hernández‐Bel Pablo , Giácaman‐von der Weth Macarena , Pérez‐Ferriols Amparo
Published: July 2019

Psoriasis is a multifactorial systemic disease with predominantly cutaneous manifestations. The role of tuberculosis infection in the pathogenesis of psoriasis has not been consistently proven. Current guidelines recommend screening for tuberculosis infection in any patient with psoriasis when the initiation of biologic therapy is being considered. Isoniazid is an antibiotic with high bactericidal effect on replicating mycobacteria and constitutes the most commonly prescribed treatment for latent tuberculosis infection. Here, we report two cases of patients with psoriasis who presented at our clinic with extensive cutaneous involvement despite previous treatments with topical and systemic therapies. Both were considered as candidates for biologic therapy. As part of the screening protocol, a tuberculin test was performed with a positive result. In the absence of symptoms and chest radiography findings, isoniazid 300 mg/day for 6 months was prescribed to treat latent tuberculosis infection. This resulted in significant clearing of their skin lesions in the absence of any other concurrent treatment, apart from emollients. Both patients remained clinically stable and with no need of further systemic treatment. This situation has only been described twice before in the English‐language published work. These cases highlight the possible role of tuberculosis infection in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, suggesting the possible existence of a link between untreated infection and skin lesions. This can lead to consideration of novel therapeutic strategies and new lines of investigation.
Interspecific plant competition mediates the metabolic and ecological signature of a plant–herbivore interaction under warming and elevated CO2
Authors: Van De Velde Helena , AbdElgawad Hamada , Asard Han , Beemster Gerrit T. S. , Selim Samy , Nijs Ivan , Bonte Dries
Published: July 2019

Biotic interactions shape community evolution, but we lack mechanistic insights on how metabolic and ecological processes under climate change are altered by biotic interactions.

We used a two‐trophic model community consisting of the aphid Dysaphis plantaginea feeding on the forb Plantago lanceolata, and a grass competitor Lolium perenne that does not experience herbivory by the aphid. Monocultures and mixtures were exposed to the herbivory treatment and to three relevant simulated environmental changes as prevalent under current climate change (increased temperature, CO2, and increased temperature and CO2)

Elevated CO2 reduced the nitrogen content of P. lanceolata, while simultaneous increases of CO2 and temperature modified the plant metabolic component and the magnitude of these responses in different directions. Elevated CO2 enhanced defence systems in P. lanceolata, but these effects were not altered by warming. Interspecific plant competition did, however, neutralize these responses. There were no indirect effects of climate change on aphid population growth despite changes in plant defence, nutritional quality and biomass induced by our environmental change scenarios.

We thus demonstrate interactions between abiotic and biotic processes on plant metabolite profiles, but more importantly, that climate change effects on a selection of the metabolic pathways are altered by herbivory and competition. Our experiment under semi‐natural conditions thus demonstrates the non‐additive and often neutralizing effects of biotic interactions on plant metabolism and species performance under climate‐associated environmental change.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
The effects of increasing land use intensity on soil nematodes: A turn towards specialism
Authors: Vazquez Carmen , de Goede Ron G. M. , Korthals Gerard W. , Rutgers Michiel , Schouten Anton J. , Creamer Rachel
Published: July 2019

The ecosystem services that humans obtain from the soil are strongly linked to the soil's biota. There is ample evidence that intensive agriculture has a negative effect on the soil's biological diversity. While in other ecosystems, habitat specialists are at a higher risk of extinction due to human impacts than generalists, we have no evidence of whether this holds true for soil biota. We calculated the realized niche width for soil nematodes using co‐occurrence data. We compared these with ecological traits. We then calculated an index of community specialization and tested whether land use intensity leads to decreases in the index of community specialization, taxon richness, diversity and to changes in nematode abundance.

The resulting realized niche widths did not correlate with ecological traits such as feeding group, body mass or c‐p class. While it is possible that there are no relationships between these traits and the realized niche width, it is likelier that food availability, pH tolerance, or host breadth are more important factors in explaining niche width.

Contrary to our expectations, the lowest community specialization levels were found in soils with the lowest human intervention (shrubland–woodland ecosystems), while grasslands, dairy farms and arable farms had an overall higher level of specialization. Weather variables and land use intensity explained 66% of the variation in the index of community specialization in sandy soils. We found highest richness and diversity at intermediate levels of disturbance (grasslands and dairy farms). The lowest abundances were found on shrubland–woodland systems. Dairy farms on sand and clay had similar indices of community specialization, whereas peaty soils fostered a higher proportion of habitat specialists.

We argue that farmland supposes a stable environment for organisms with shorter life spans. Agricultural management strives to lower disturbances, allowing shorter lived organisms to escape pressures otherwise present in nature, such as drought or nutrient deficiencies during the growing season. In very disturbed systems, however, specialists may also suffer from negative effects of land use intensity.

This co‐occurrence method to assess niche width opens the door to estimating the soil community's niche breadth, for which resource‐based methods are difficult to implement.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Dietary restriction and insulin‐like signalling pathways as adaptive plasticity: A synthesis and re‐evaluation
Authors: Regan Jennifer C. , Froy Hannah , Walling Craig A. , Moatt Joshua P. , Nussey Daniel H.
Published: July 2019

Dietary restriction (DR) under laboratory conditions generally extends life span and delays ageing across species as diverse as yeast, nematode worms, flies and mice, and is underpinned by taxonomically conserved physiological pathways, notably the insulin‐like signalling pathway (IIS). Despite growing excitement about the links between DR/IIS and ageing within biogerontology, our understanding of why the DR response and associated pathways evolved under natural selection remains controversial and limited.

Here, we provide a brief overview of current understanding of the relationship between DR and IIS and ageing from modern biogerontology and go on to summarize the evidence that the IIS pathway integrates a range of important environmental cues including photoperiod, temperature and humidity, as well as nutrition.

We go on to discuss the main existing evolutionary explanations for DR and argue that they are not mutually exclusive and are too nutrition‐focussed to fully explain the evolutionary origin of the IIS pathway. In the wild, environmental cues and pressures are dynamic and multivariate, and physiological pathways capable of integrating multiple predictive cues could be strongly favoured by natural selection.

We hypothesize that the IIS and related pathways, such as mTOR, evolved to detect and integrate a wide range of environmental cues (not just diet) that are predictive of important selective pressures in the wild. Available evidence suggests the pathway is capable of triggering a range of phenotypic responses, depending on the cues provided, ranging from profound physiological remodelling (e.g. diapause, aestivation, hibernation) associated with promoting survival through challenging environments, to more subtle responses to acute, fine‐scale variation in the environment which may allow individuals to better match their level of reproductive investment to their conditions.

We argue that the IIS pathway underpins important adaptive phenotypic plastic responses to a wide range of environmental inputs, of which diet is just one. A multi‐disciplinary approach combining perspectives and methods from biogerontology, cell biology, ecology and evolutionary biology will be essential to develop our understanding of the evolutionary origins of this pathway and the way natural selection and the environment have shaped variation in the IIS pathway's response to different environmental cues.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Host genetics and geography influence microbiome composition in the spongeIrcinia campana
Authors: Griffiths Sarah M. , Antwis Rachael E. , Lenzi Luca , Lucaci Anita , Behringer Donald C. , Butler Mark J. , Preziosi Richard F.
Published: July 2019

Marine sponges are hosts to large, diverse communities of microorganisms. These microbiomes are distinct among sponge species and from seawater bacterial communities, indicating a key role of host identity in shaping its resident microbial community. However, the factors governing intraspecific microbiome variability are underexplored and may shed light on the evolutionary and ecological relationships between host and microbiome.

Here, we examined the influence of genetic variation and geographic location on the composition of theIrcinia campanamicrobiome.

We developed new microsatellite markers to genotypeI. campanafrom two locations in the Florida Keys, USA, and characterized their microbiomes using V4 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.

We show that microbial community composition and diversity is influenced by host genotype, with more genetically similar sponges hosting more similar microbial communities. We also found that althoughI. campanawas not genetically differentiated between sites, microbiome composition differed by location.

Our results demonstrate that both host genetics and geography influence the composition of the sponge microbiome. Host genotypic influence on microbiome composition may be due to stable vertical transmission of the microbial community from parent to offspring, making microbiomes more similar by descent. Alternatively, sponge genotypic variation may reflect variation in functional traits that influence the acquisition of environmental microbes. This study reveals drivers of microbiome variation within and among locations, and shows the importance of intraspecific variability in mediating eco‐evolutionary dynamics of host‐associated microbiomes.
Bacterial colonization of minerals in grassland soils is selective and highly dynamic
Authors: Vieira Selma , Sikorski Johannes , Gebala Aurelia , Boeddinghaus Runa S. , Marhan Sven , Rennert Thilo , Kandeler Ellen , Overmann Jörg
Published: July 2019

Bacteria colonize reactive minerals in soils where they contribute to mineral weathering and transformation. So far, the specificity, patterns and dynamics of mineral colonization have rarely been assessed under natural conditions. High throughput Illumina sequencing was employed to investigate the bacterial communities assembling on illite and goethite during exposure to natural grassland soils. Two different types of organic carbon sources, simple carbon compounds representing root exudates and detritus of two dominant grassland plant species were applied, and their effects on the temporal dynamics of bacterial communities were investigated. The observed temporal patterns suggest that the surfaces of de novo exposed minerals in soils drive the establishment of bacterial communities and override the effect of the type of carbon sources and of other environmental properties. Mineral colonization was selective and specific bacterial sequence variants exhibited distinct colonization patterns, among which early, intermittent, and late colonizers could be distinguished. Based on our results, soil minerals are not only colonized by specific bacterial communities but enable a succession of different bacterial communities. Our results thereby expand the concept of the mineralosphere and provide novel insights into mechanisms of community assembly in the soil ecosystem.
JR‐131, a Biosimilar of Darbepoetin Alfa, for the Treatment of Hemodialysis Patients With Renal Anemia: A Randomized, Double‐Blinded, Parallel‐Group Phase 3 Study
Authors: Nishi Shinichi , Yamada Masayuki , Tsuruya Kazuhiko , Masakane Ikuto , Nakamoto Hidetomo
Published: July 2019

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous JR‐131, a darbepoetin alfa biosimilar, to darbepoetin alfa in hemodialysis patients with renal anemia. In this 24‐week, multicenter, randomized, double‐blinded, parallel‐group phase 3 study, 334 hemodialysis patients with renal anemia who had been receiving darbepoetin alfa were randomized to either JR‐131 or darbepoetin alfa group. The initial dose was set based on the darbepoetin alfa dose during the observation period. The primary endpoint was change in hemoglobin level from baseline to end of treatment. The 95% confidence interval of the difference in the change in hemoglobin level between the groups was −0.19 to −0.20 g/dL, within the equivalent margin of −0.5 to 0.5 g/dL. No notable treatment‐emergent adverse events were observed in either group. JR‐131 was therapeutically equivalent to darbepoetin alfa, and the safety profile of JR‐131 was similar to that of darbepoetin alfa.
Genome‐skimming provides accurate quantification for pollen mixtures
Authors: Lang Dandan , Tang Min , Hu Jiahui , Zhou Xin
Published: July 2019

Studies on foraging partitioning in pollinators can provide critical information to the understanding of food‐web niche and pollination functions, thus aiding conservation. Metabarcoding based on PCR amplification and high‐throughput sequencing has seen increasing applications in characterizing pollen loads carried by pollinators. However, amplification bias across taxa could lead to unpredictable artefacts in estimation of pollen compositions. We examined the efficacy of a genome‐skimming method based on direct shotgun sequencing in quantifying mixed pollen, using mock samples (five and 14 mocks of flower and bee pollen, respectively). The results demonstrated a high level of repeatability and accuracy in identifying pollen from mixtures of varied species ratios. All pollen species were detected in all mocks, and pollen frequencies estimated from the number of sequence reads of each species were significantly correlated with pollen count proportions (linear model, R2 = 86.7%, p = 2.2e−16). For >97% of the mixed taxa, pollen proportion could be quantified by sequencing to the correct order of magnitude, even for species which constituted only 0.2% of the total pollen. In addition, DNA extracted from pollen grains equivalent to those collected from a single honeybee corbicula was sufficient for genome‐skimming. We conclude that genome‐skimming is a feasible approach to identifying and quantifying mixed pollen samples. By providing reliable and sensitive taxon identification and relative abundance, this method is expected to improve our understanding in studies that involve plant–pollinator interactions, such as pollen preference in corbiculate bees, pollen diet analyses and identification of landscape pollen resource use from beehives.
Diurnal variation in opsin expression and common housekeeping genes necessitates comprehensive normalization methods for quantitative real‐time PCR analyses
Authors: Yourick Miranda R. , Sandkam Benjamin A. , Gammerdinger William J. , Escobar‐Camacho Daniel , Nandamuri Sri Pratima , Clark Frances E. , Joyce Brendan , Conte Matthew A. , Kocher Thomas D. , Carleton Karen L.
Published: July 2019

To determine the visual sensitivities of an organism of interest, quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR) is often used to quantify expression of the light‐sensitive opsins in the retina. While qRT–PCR is an affordable, high‐throughput method for measuring expression, it comes with inherent normalization issues that affect the interpretation of results, especially as opsin expression can vary greatly based on developmental stage, light environment or diurnal cycles. We tested for diurnal cycles of opsin expression over a period of 24 hr at 1‐hr increments and examined how normalization affects a data set with fluctuating expression levels using qRT–PCR and transcriptome data from the retinae of the cichlid Pelmatolapia mariae. We compared five methods of normalizing opsin expression relative to (a) the average of three stably expressed housekeeping genes (Ube2z, EF1‐α and β‐actin), (b) total RNA concentration, (c) GNAT2, (the cone‐specific subunit of transducin), (d) total opsin expression and (e) only opsins expressed in the same cone type. Normalizing by proportion of cone type produced the least variation and would be best for removing time‐of‐day variation. In contrast, normalizing by housekeeping genes produced the highest daily variation in expression and demonstrated that the peak of cone opsin expression was in the late afternoon. A weighted correlation network analysis showed that the expression of different cone opsins follows a very similar daily cycle. With the knowledge of how these normalization methods affect opsin expression data, we make recommendations for designing sampling approaches and quantification methods based upon the scientific question being examined.
Characterizing symbiont inheritance during host–microbiota evolution: Application to the great apes gut microbiota
Authors: Perez‐Lamarque Benoît , Morlon Hélène
Published: July 2019

Microbiota play a central role in the functioning of multicellular life, yet understanding their inheritance during host evolutionary history remains an important challenge. Symbiotic microorganisms are either acquired from the environment during the life of the host (i.e. environmental acquisition), transmitted across generations with a faithful association with their hosts (i.e. strict vertical transmission), or transmitted with occasional host switches (i.e. vertical transmission with horizontal switches). These different modes of inheritance affect microbes’ diversification, which at the two extremes can be independent from that of their associated host or follow host diversification. The few existing quantitative tools for investigating the inheritance of symbiotic organisms rely on cophylogenetic approaches, which require knowledge of both host and symbiont phylogenies, and are therefore often not well adapted to DNA metabarcoding microbial data. Here, we develop a model‐based framework for identifying vertically transmitted microbial taxa. We consider a model for the evolution of microbial sequences on a fixed host phylogeny that includes vertical transmission and horizontal host switches. This model allows estimating the number of host switches and testing for strict vertical transmission and independent evolution. We test our approach using simulations. Finally, we illustrate our framework on gut microbiota high‐throughput sequencing data of the family Hominidae and identify several microbial taxonomic units, including fibrolytic bacteria involved in carbohydrate digestion, that tend to be vertically transmitted.
Historical DNA as a tool to address key questions in avian biology and evolution: A review of methods, challenges, applications, and future directions
Authors: Billerman Shawn M. , Walsh Jennifer
Published: July 2019

Museum specimens play a crucial role in addressing key questions in systematics, evolution, ecology, and conservation. With the advent of high‐throughput sequencing technologies, specimens that have long been the foundation of important biological discoveries can inform new perspectives as sources of genomic data. Despite the many possibilities associated with analyzing DNA from historical specimens, several challenges persist. Using avian systems as a model, we review DNA extraction protocols, sequencing technologies, and capture methods that are helping researchers overcome some of these difficulties. We highlight empirical examples in which researchers have used these technologies to address fundamental questions related to avian conservation and evolution. Increasing accessibility to new sequencing technologies will provide researchers with tools to tap into the wealth of information contained within our valuable natural history collections.
Elevated H3K27ac in aged skeletal muscle leads to increase in extracellular matrix and fibrogenic conversion of muscle satellite cells
Authors: Zhou Jiajian , So Karl K. , Li Yuying , Li Yang , Yuan Jie , Ding Yingzhe , Chen Fengyuan , Huang Yile , Liu Jin , Lee Wayne , Li Gang , Ju Zhenyu , Sun Hao , Wang Huating
Published: July 2019

Epigenetic alterations occur in various cells and tissues during aging, but it is not known if such alterations are also associated with aging in skeletal muscle. Here, we examined the changes of a panel of histone modifications and found H3K27ac (an active enhancer mark) is markedly increased in aged human skeletal muscle tissues. Further analyses uncovered that the H3K27ac increase and enhancer activation are associated with the up‐regulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) genes; this may result in alteration of the niche environment for skeletal muscle stem cells, also called satellite cells (SCs), which causes decreased myogenic potential and fibrogenic conversion of SCs. In mice, treatment of aging muscles with JQ1, an inhibitor of enhancer activation, inhibited the ECM up‐regulation and fibrogenic conversion of SCs and restored their myogenic differentiation potential. Altogether, our findings not only uncovered a novel aspect of skeletal muscle aging that is associated with enhancer remodeling but also implicated JQ1 as a potential treatment approach for restoring SC function in aging muscle.
Opacity and the comovement in the stock prices of banks
Authors: Blau Benjamin M. , Griffith Todd G. , Whitby Ryan J.
Published: July 2019

We examine whether the stock prices of banks co‐move more than the stock prices of non‐banks, and whether that comovement is driven by informational opacity. Since the risks associated with the financial intermediation process are relatively opaque to outside investors, valuing banks can be difficult and information acquisition can be costly. We introduce a measure of comovement, denoted as beta dispersion, that identifies how closely a particular stock co‐moves with the average industry CAPM beta. We find that bank stock prices generally co‐move more than non‐bank stock prices, and that opacity is driving the higher levels of comovement.
Regionalization of environmental and anthropic variables associated to livestock predation by large carnivores in Mexico
Authors: Reyna‐Sáenz F. , Zarco‐González M. M. , Monroy‐Vilchis O. , Antonio‐Némiga X.
Published: July 2019

Conflicts with humans are one of the main causes of the decline in populations of large carnivores, making it a crucial conservation issue worldwide. In Mexico, jaguarPanthera onca, pumaPuma concolorand American black bearUrsus americanusare involved in livestock predation and are persecuted in retaliation. The sites where predation occurs are distributed throughout the country and differ not only in environmental characteristics, but also in social, economic and livestock management practices. However, due to the general focus of the studies carried out so far, the proposed mitigation measures are also general. It is necessary to consider conditions that encourage predation in the design of strategies to be more effective. In this study, environmental, anthropic and livestock management characteristics of livestock predation by large carnivores were analyzed for conflict regionalization. The variables most related to predation sites were identified, with a high percentage of them being livestock management practices. Based on these variables, we formed clusters of similar sites and analyzed their spatial distribution, which presented grouping patterns in the cases of predation by puma and black bear, in contrast to the jaguar clusters, which presented a dispersed distribution. Considering the characteristics of the clusters, we propose as mitigation measures the confinement of livestock, construction or improvement of corrals and improvement of management practices. The anthropic component and livestock management practices are closely related to the predation events and, therefore, their inclusion in the conservation programs of carnivores in Mexico is fundamental.
The effectiveness of an educational intervention to enhance happiness in Iranian older people: Applying social support theory
Authors: Moeini Babak , Barati Majid , Farhadian Maryam , Heydari Ara Milad
Published: July 2019

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an educational program based on social support theory (SST) to enhance happiness in older adults (60‐75 years) in Hamadan (Iran) in 2017.

Methods

This study was a quasi‐experimental intervention with a control group, consisting of 60 participants and an intervention group of 40 participants. The research instruments included the Oxford Argyle Happiness Inventory and a questionnaire derived from SST.

Results

The findings showed that there was a significant difference between the scores of happiness, social support and their components in the intervention group compared to the control group three months after the intervention.

Conclusion

The study results indicate that an educational intervention to promote happiness using social support can play a pivotal role in the mental health, life satisfaction and happiness of older adults.
Diverse and highly cross‐reactive T‐cell responses in ragweed allergic patients independent of geographical region
Authors: Würtzen Peter A. , Hoof Ilka , Christensen Lars H. , Váczy Zuzana , Henmar Helene , Salamanca Guillermo , Lundegaard Claus , Lund Lise , Kráľova Tatiana , Brooks Edwars G. , Andersen Peter S.
Published: July 2019

Background

Ragweed frequently causes seasonal allergies in North America and Europe. In the United States, several related ragweed species with diverse geographical distribution cause allergic symptoms. Cross‐reactivity towards related ragweed species of IgE and treatment‐induced IgG4 has been demonstrated previously. However, less is known about the underlying T‐cell cross‐reactivity.

Methods

The allergen content of ragweed extracts was determined by mass spectrometry and related to T‐cell epitopes of Amb a allergens (group 1, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 11) in 20 American ragweed allergic patients determined by FluoroSpot and proliferation assays. T‐cell responses to 50 frequently recognized Amb a‐derived T‐cell epitopes and homologous peptides from western ragweed (Amb p), giant ragweed (Amb t) and mugwort (Art v) were investigated in an additional 11 American and 14 Slovakian ragweed allergic donors.

Results

Ragweed extracts contained all known allergens and isoallergens thereof. Donor T‐cell responses were diverse and directed against all Amb a 1 isoallergens and to most minor allergens investigated. Similar response patterns were seen in American and Slovakia donors. Several epitopes were cross‐reactive between isoallergens and ragweed species, some even including mugwort. T‐cell cross‐reactivity generally correlated with allergen sequence homology.

Conclusion

T‐cell epitopes of multiple allergens/isoallergens are involved in the diverse T‐cell responses in ragweed allergic individuals. T‐cell lines were highly cross‐reactive to epitopes of related ragweed species without any apparent geographical response bias. These data support that different ragweed species can be considered an allergen homology group with Amb a as the representative species regarding diagnosis as well as allergy immunotherapy.
Hesperidin attenuated apoptotic‐related genes in testicle of a male rat model of varicocoele
Authors: Shokoohi M. , Khaki A. , Shoorei H. , Khaki A. A. , Moghimian M. , Abtahi‐Eivary S.‐H.
Published: July 2019

Background

Varicocoele is a swollen bulge of the pampiniform venous plexus inside the scrotum. It is also considered one of the causes of infertility in males. It has been demonstrated that hesperidin has remarkable pharmacological potentials, including antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticarcinogenic effects.

Objective

The present study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of hesperidin on varicocoele‐induced testicular tissue damage and oxidative stress in the testicles of adult male rats.

Materials and methods

Animals were assigned into the following groups: control group (Ctrl) or sham, varicocoele group (Vcl) which received no treatment, varicocoele group that was daily fed with hesperidin (Vcl+Hsp) at a dose of 50 mg/kg for eight weeks, and hesperidin group (Hsp) which received only hesperidin. At the end of the treatment period, the levels of oxidative stress markers were measured in plasma, and the expression of Bax and Bcl‐2 was determined by immunocytochemistry and RT‐qPCR methods. The index of apoptosis was assessed by the TUNEL assay.

Results

Johnsen's score, the epithelium thickness, and diameter of seminiferous tubules were improved in the Vcl+Hsp group as compared to the Vcl group. Treatment with hesperidin enhanced the serum levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes and decreased the heightened concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) in testicular tissue (p < 0.001). Moreover, our results demonstrated that hesperidin considerably diminished Bax and increased Bcl‐2 expression (gene and protein) levels compared with the Vcl group (p < 0.05). It also markedly reduced the rate of programmed cell death in germ cells (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

It seems that the treatment with hesperidin could mitigate testicular tissue damage in rats underwent varicocoele possibly through its antioxidant properties.