bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of religious values and habit on an extended green purchase behaviour model
Authors: Ghazali Ezlika M. , Mutum Dilip S. , Ariswibowo Nanang
Published: November 2018

Green purchase behaviour is an increasingly important topic, gaining much attention. A review of current literature reveals that the relationship between green attitudes and green purchase behaviour is contentious because consumers’ attitudes do not necessarily translate into green purchase behaviour. This paper examines the relationships between religious values, green habit, and green purchase behaviours via a holistic approach based on the Theory of Reasoned Action and Homer and Kahle's (1988) cognitive hierarchy model. Data were collected from 504 Muslim consumers in two Southeast Asian countries, namely, Indonesia and Malaysia. Partial least squares (PLS), a variance‐based structural equation–modelling technique, was selected to test the research model and hypotheses. The term “religious values” is conceptualised in this paper as a multidimensional construct with reflective first‐order and formative second‐order items. Previous studies have ignored the quest orientation, which refers to constant questioning and doubting as a way of being religious. The results demonstrate that religious values have a positive impact on natural environmental orientation, environmental concerns, green purchase attitudes, and green purchase intentions. Green habit and green purchase intentions were also found to positively affect green purchase behaviours. This study also highlights the important role of habit, namely, a stronger impact on green behaviour than intentions. Green habit was also found to moderate the relationship between green attitudes and green intentions. The study has practical implications for green marketers, green policy makers, and green consumers, as well as directions for future research.
Consumption within a soft total institution: Discursive inculcation in the Tablighi Jamaat
Authors: Rauf Ateeq A. , Prasad Ajnesh , Razzaque Mohammed A.
Published: November 2018

Erving Goffman’s concept of total institutions has been seldom explored in terms of how it restricts or promotes consumption practices. In an effort to redress the lacuna in the extant literature, this article draws on the findings of an ethnographic study of the Tablighi Jamaat, an orthodox religious organization originating in South Asia, whose participants undergo discursive inculcation in an environment that may be characterized as a soft total institution. We explore how consumption in such an environment entails processes of traditionalization under (late) modernity. Our findings show that consumption in a soft total institution requires subjects to monitor their own behavior discursively in order to attain certain intended, spiritual objectives. The study has implications for how consumption can be a means by which to either meet or inhibit life goals. In terms of theoretical contribution, this article begins to demarcate the boundary conditions between Goffman’s total institution and, what we are terming here, a soft total institution. Finally, we further Goffman’s original thesis by describing some of the subjects’ thoughts and experiences of their daily lives after their inculcation within the institutionalized setting.
Religious or secular? School type matters as a moderator between media exposure and children’s materialism
Authors: Dávila Juan Francisco , Casabayó Mònica , Rayburn Steven W.
Published: November 2018

This article examines the influence of media exposure, specifically TV and the Internet, on materialism in school‐aged children considering the moderating effects of school type, religious, or secular. Data were collected from a sample of 492 children in four schools and was analyzed using correlation tests, PROCESS moderation tests, and structural equation modeling. Results expose the moderating effect of school type. Cultural broadening theory illuminates the reasons behind these effects. In addition, participation in social networks is revealed as a partial mediator in the relationship between the Internet exposure and materialism. Implications for parents and educators hint that, even if children are “isolated” from the overwhelming materialistic messages in media, a time will come when they'll be exposed to these messages (in adolescence or earlier). Discussing the pros and cons of advertising, making children aware of companies’ tactics and explaining the dangers of a life focused on possessions may help schools and parents prevent the development of materialism in children.
Do religion and religiosity affect consumers’ intentions to adopt pro‐environmental behaviours?
Authors: Hwang Hyesun
Published: November 2018

This study attempts to explore the relationship between religion and pro‐environmental consumption in terms of the consumers’ willingness to pay premium prices and additional taxes and lower their living standards in South Korea. Data were obtained from the 2014 Korean General Social Survey. The survey participants were initially classified into religious and non‐religious groups; the religious group was further classified into the following two groups: community‐based (Protestants and Catholics) and individual‐based (Buddhists) religious groups. The differences between the religious groups in their intentions to make pro‐environmental choices were verified. First, religious consumers showed a more positive attitude towards paying premium prices and lowering their living standards than non‐religious consumers. Second, the community‐based religious group, a group characterized by low‐internal and high‐external religiosity, showed a greater intention to adopt pro‐environmental behaviours, whereas opposite results were obtained for the individual‐based religious group. The results showed that community‐based religious consumers exhibited higher intentions when actively interrelated with a religious community, even though they may have lower internal religiosity. This study provides meaningful implications for the relationship between religion and consumer behaviour, an important factor in shaping intrinsic consumer values and constructing a subculture and community extrinsically.
The impact of learner characteristics on training transfer expectation: a survey of Thai teachers’ perception of cloud computing tools
Authors: Celestin Bekolo Ngoa , Yunfei Shao
Published: November 2018

Researchers and practitioners have spent much time on and given a great deal of attention to the practical characteristics of professional development and its delivery in an attempt to understand the training transfer problem at the workplace. However, when we consider the individual employee as the primary agent of the transfer process, we cannot and should not ignore their perceived self‐rated attributes, motivation and expectations of learning and transfer at the pre‐training stage. In this study, it is hypothesized that, trainees’ answers to the questions ‘can I do this task?’ and ‘do I want to do this task?’ are positively associated with the level of transfer effort performance expectancy. The Learning Transfer System Inventory questionnaire was completed by 213 teachers in high schools and vocational schools in Thailand during their training on cloud computing tools. The findings reveal that a teacher’s personal characteristics (learning readiness, personal transfer efficacy, motivation to transfer, personal capacity and perceived content validity) at the pre‐training stage are significant predictors of transfer effort performance expectancy at the post‐training stage. This study can help training practitioners and managers to enhance learner characteristics prior to training with a view to increasing training transfer.
The revised learning transfer system inventory in Portugal
Authors: Antunes Armanda , Luís Nascimento José , Bates Reid A.
Published: November 2018

Although training is critical to leverage performance and competitiveness, it has been reported that only a part of learned skills is transferred to the workplace, reinforcing the need for a deeper understanding of the transfer process. The purpose of this study is to validate the revised learning transfer system inventory (LTSI) in Portugal. LTSI was administrated to 403 participants from five organizations operating in Portugal, upon completion of training programs. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses were used to determine whether or not the new structure was replicated. Results showed a latent structure with 11 factors against the original 16. The study also analyzed LTSI dimensions across some individual and situational variables and revealed that transfer system perceptions are statistically different in several of them. Implications for HR and future research directions are presented.
Serological response to influenza vaccination among adults hospitalized with community‐acquired pneumonia
Authors: Pratt Caroline Quinn , Zhu Yuwei , Grijalva Carlos G. , Wunderink Richard G. , Mark Courtney D. , Waterer Grant , Levine Min Z , Jefferson Stacie , Self Wesley H. , Williams Derek J. , Finelli Lynn , Bramley Anna M. , Edwards Kathryn M. , Jain Seema , Anderson Evan J.
Published: November 2018

Ninety‐five adults enrolled in the Etiology of Pneumonia in the Community study with negative admission influenza polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests received influenza vaccination during hospitalization. Acute and convalescent influenza serology was performed. After vaccination, seropositive (≥1:40) hemagglutination antibody titers (HAI) were achieved in 55% to influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, 58% to influenza A(H3N2), 77% to influenza B (Victoria), and 74% to influenza B (Yamagata) viruses. Sixty‐six (69%) patients seroconverted (≥4‐foldHAIrise) to ≥1 strain. Failure to seroconvert was associated with diabetes, bacterial detection, baseline seropositive titers for influenza B (Yamagata), and influenza vaccination in the previous season.
Want to make Behavioural Research more Replicable? Promote Single Paper Meta-Analysis
Authors: McShane Blakeley B. , Böckenholt Ulf
Published: November 2018

Blakeley B. McShane and Ulf Böckenholt argue for single paper meta-analysis to be the default statistical tool whenever multiple similar studies of a common phenomenon are published in one paper
Preconditioning strategies for improving the survival rate and paracrine ability of mesenchymal stem cells in acute kidney injury
Authors: Zhao Lingfei , Hu Chenxia , Zhang Ping , Jiang Hua , Chen Jianghua
Published: November 2018

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common, severe emergency case in clinics, with high incidence, significant mortality and increased costs. Despite development in the understanding of its pathophysiology, the therapeutic choices are still confined to dialysis and renal transplantation. Considering their antiapoptotic, immunomodulatory, antioxidative and pro‐angiogenic effects, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may be a promising candidate for AKI management. Based on these findings, some clinical trials have been performed, but the results are contradictory (NCT00733876, NCT01602328). The low engraftment, poor survival rate, impaired paracrine ability and delayed administration of MSCs are the four main reasons for the limited clinical efficacy. Investigators have developed a series of preconditioning strategies to improve MSC survival rates and paracrine ability. In this review, by summarizing these encouraging studies, we intend to provide a comprehensive understanding of various preconditioning strategies on AKI therapy and improve the prognosis of AKI patients by regenerative medicine.
O‐GlcNAcylation promotes colorectal cancer progression by regulating protein stability and potential catcinogenic function of DDX5
Authors: Wu Nan , Jiang Mingzuo , Han Yuying , Liu Haiming , Chu Yi , Liu Hao , Cao Jiayi , Hou Qiuqiu , Zhao Yu , Xu Bing , Xie Xin
Published: November 2018

The RNA helicase p68 (DDX5), a key player in RNA metabolism, belongs to the DEAD box family and is involved in the development of colorectal cancer. Here, we found both DDX5 and O‐GlcNAcylation are up‐regulated in colorectal cancer. In addition, DDX5 protein level is significantly positively correlated with the expression of O‐GlcNAcylation. Although it was known DDX5 protein could be regulated by post‐translational modification (PTM), how O‐GlcNAcylation modification regulated of DDX5 remains unclear. Here we show that DDX5 interacts directly with OGT in the SW480 cell line, which is the only known enzyme that catalyses O‐GlcNAcylation in humans. Meanwhile, O‐GlcNAcylation could promote DDX5 protein stability. The OGT‐DDX5 axis affects colorectal cancer progression mainly by regulating activation of the AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. Taken together, these results indicated that OGT‐mediated O‐GlcNAcylation stabilizes DDX5, promoting activation of the AKT/mTOR signalling pathway, thus accelerating colorectal cancer progression. This study not only reveals the novel functional of O‐GlcNAcylation in regulating DDX5, but also reveals the carcinogenic effect of the OGT‐DDX5 axis in colorectal cancer.
Disabled‐1 is down‐regulated in clinical breast cancer and regulates cell apoptosis through NF‐κB/Bcl‐2/caspase‐9
Authors: Cao Rang‐Juan , Li Kai , Xing Wan‐Ying , Du Shuang , Li Qiang , Zhu Xiao‐Juan , Cui Shu‐Sen
Published: November 2018

Disabled‐1 (Dab1) is best known as an adaptor protein regulating neuron migration and lamination during development. However, the exact function of Dab1 in breast cancer is unknown. In this study, we examined the expression of Dab1 in 38 breast cancer paraffin sections, as well as 60 paired frozen breast cancer and their adjacent tissues. Our results showed that Dab1 was reduced in breast cancer, and its compromised expression correlated with triple negative breast cancer phenotype, poor differentiation, as well as lymph node metastasis. Functional analysis in breast cancer cell lines demonstrated that Dab1 promoted cell apoptosis, which, at least partially, depended on its regulation of NF‐κB/Bcl‐2/caspase‐9 pathway. Our study strongly suggests that Dab1 may be a potential tumour suppressor gene in breast cancer.
Exosomes from mesenchymal stem cells expressing miR‐125b inhibit neointimal hyperplasia via myosin IE
Authors: Wang Dongqing , Gao Bin , Yue Jianing , Liu Fei , Liu Yifan , Fu Weiguo , Si Yi
Published: November 2018

Intercellular communication between mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their target cells in the perivascular environment is modulated by exosomes derived from MSCs. However, the potential role of exosome‐mediated microRNA transfer in neointimal hyperplasia remains to be investigated. To evaluate the effects of MSC‐derived exosomes (MSC‐Exo) on neointimal hyperplasia, their effects upon vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) growth in vitro and neointimal hyperplasia in vivo were assessed in a model of balloon‐induced vascular injury. Our results showed that MSC‐Exo were internalised by VSMCs and inhibited proliferation and migration in vitro. Further analysis revealed that miR‐125b was enriched in MSC‐Exo, and repressed the expression of myosin 1E (Myo1e) by targeting its 3ʹ untranslated region. Additionally, MSC‐Exo and exosomally transferred miR‐125b repressed Myo1e expression and suppressed VSMC proliferation and migration and neointimal hyperplasia in vivo. In summary, our findings revealed that MSC‐Exo can transfer miR‐125b to VSMCs and inhibit VSMC proliferation and migration in vitro and neointimal hyperplasia in vivo by repressing Myo1e, indicating that miR‐125b may be a therapeutic target in the treatment of vascular diseases.
Up‐regulation of SPINT2/HAI‐2 by Azacytidine in bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells affects leukemic stem cell survival and adhesion
Authors: Roversi Fernanda Marconi , Cury Nathalia Moreno , Lopes Matheus Rodrigues , Ferro Karla Priscila , Machado‐Neto João Agostinho , Alvarez Marisa Claudia , dos Santos Gabriela Pereira , Giardini Rosa Renata , Longhini Ana Leda , Duarte Adriana da Silva Santos , Pericole Fernando Vieira , Favaro Patricia , Yunes José Andres , Saad Sara Teresinha Olalla
Published: November 2018

The role of tumour microenvironment in neoplasm initiation and malignant evolution has been increasingly recognized. However, the bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell (BMMSC) contribution to disease progression remains poorly explored. We previously reported that the expression of serine protease inhibitor kunitz‐type2 (SPINT2/HAI‐2), an inhibitor of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) activation, is significantly lower in BMMSC from myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients compared to healthy donors (HD). Thus, to investigate whether this loss of expression was due to SPINT2/HAI‐2 methylation, BMMSC from MDS and de novo acute myeloid leukaemia (de novo AML) patients were treated with 5‐Azacitidine (Aza), a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor. In MDS‐ and de novo AML‐BMMSC, Aza treatment resulted in a pronounced SPINT2/HAI‐2 levels up‐regulation. Moreover, Aza treatment of HD‐BMMSC did not improve SPINT2/HAI‐2 levels. To understand the role of SPINT2/HAI‐2 down‐regulation in BMMSC physiology, SPINT2/HAI‐2 expression was inhibited by lentivirus. SPINT2 underexpression resulted in an increased production of HGF by HS‐5 stromal cells and improved survival of CD34+ de novo AML cells. We also observed an increased adhesion of de novo AML hematopoietic cells to SPINT2/HAI‐2 silenced cells. Interestingly, BMMSC isolated from MDS and de novo AML patients had increased expression of the integrins CD49b, CD49d, and CD49e. Thus, SPINT2/HAI‐2 may contribute to functional and morphological abnormalities of the microenvironment niche and to stem/progenitor cancer cell progression. Hence, down‐regulation in SPINT2/HAI‐2 gene expression, due to methylation in MDS‐BMMSC and de novo AML‐BMMSC, provides novel insights into the pathogenic role of the leukemic bone marrow microenvironment.
Designing and evaluating functional laboratory information system requirements integrated to hospital information systems
Authors: Farzandipour Mehrdad , Meidani Zahra , Sadeqi Jabali Monireh , Dehghan Bnadaki Razieh
Published: November 2018

Rationale, aims, and objectives

Laboratory information sub‐systems play an important role in diagnosis and treatment of patients. This study aimed to determine functional requirements of users and assess the existence of these requirements in the laboratory information system.

Method

This descriptive cross‐sectional study was conducted in 2016 in two phases. The first phase was done through three stages. First, based on an unsystematic review of related literature, an outline of functional laboratory information system requirements was identified. In the second stage, these requirements were identified in group meetings in the form of a semi‐structured questionnaire and given to experts. Then, modified Delphi technique was used to reach agreement on each item. Then, based on experts' comments, the final version of the questionnaire was presented including 61 closed‐ended items using Likert scale and an open‐ended item. It was surveyed by 50 experts using Delphi technique. Responses were scored, and the requirements whose mean final score was 3 and above were finally confirmed. In the second phase, based on the confirmed requirements, a checklist comprising 68 requirements was prepared and adopted hospital information systems were evaluated through researcher observation. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results

The final list of functional laboratory information system requirements was prepared with 68 items. The results of the evaluation revealed that confirmed requirements existed in 58.8% of hospital information systems.

Conclusion

Laboratory information system requirements were designed with 68 items. Evaluation results showed that the systems were moderate in terms of compliance with the requirements.
The impacts of vacuum microwave drying on osmosis dehydration of tilapia fillets
Authors: Wang Qi , Liu Bing , Cao Jun , Li Chuan , Duan Zhenhua
Published: November 2018

Hot‐air (HAD), vacuum microwave (VMD), osmosis microwave (O‐MD), and osmosis vacuum microwave (O‐VMD) drying were applied to investigate the effects of osmosis dehydration and vacuum microwave on the quality and structure of tilapia fillets. Shrinkage ratio, rehydration rate, color, hardness, elasticity, microstructure, per‐unit energy consumption, and main nutritional components of tilapia fillets were compared over the four drying methods. Moisture content was quickly decreased by osmotic pretreatment. Fillets were dehydrated in a short time via microwave conditions (3 min by O‐MD; 11 min by O‐VMD). A vacuum environment promoted the formation of porous structures inside the fish fillets. As for nutrient composition, shrinkage rate, rehydration rate, hardness and elasticity, O‐VMD fillets and VMD fillets had similar performance. The composite drying method of O‐VMD improved the quality of the product and had comparatively better in terms of microstructure, per‐unit energy consumption (24.04 kJ/g) and color change (13.8). Thus, tilapia fillets produced by O‐VMD were of higher quality. Meanwhile, this study provided a reference for further research.

Practical applications

The purpose of dehydration is to decrease the moisture content to a low level at which microbial spoilage and quality deterioration are minimized. Drying is a traditional dehydration method in fish processing, able to deactivate the enzymes and remove the moisture to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Vacuum microwave drying (VMD) uses microwave heating to dry the material under a vacuum environment with a low boiling point, a new technology in modern food processing that was developed to improve the quality of products. Few published studies have applied osmosis vacuum microwave drying to fish processing. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the effects of vacuum and osmosis pretreatment on fillets drying process. Provided data can be applied for comparing the effects of different drying methods on tilapia fillet quality.
Identification and functional study of three nAChR regulators, ubiquilin‐1, PICK1, and CRELD2, in Locusta migratoria manilensis dorsal unpaired median neurons
Authors: Yu Na , Wang Xin , Bao Haibo , Liu Zewen
Published: November 2018

Insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are not only important neurotransmitter receptors but also effective insecticide targets. The regulation of nAChRs has been mainly studied in vertebrates, especially in mammals. Here, two types of nAChRs were found present in the locust Locusta migratoria manilensis dorsal unpaired median (DUM) neurons, α‐bungarotoxin (α‐Bgt)‐sensitive nAChRs and α‐Bgt‐resistant nAChRs, responding to acetylcholine (ACh) at different concentrations. The homologs to three mammalian nAChR regulators, ubiquilin‐1, CRELD2 (cysteine‐rich with EFG‐like domain 2), and PICK1 (protein interacting with PRKCA 1), were characterized in L. migratoria, and their functions on regulating native nAChRs were investigated via RNAi followed by membrane potential measurement with DiBAC4(3) and agonist‐evoked macroscopic current recording in cultured L. migratoria DUM neurons. Ubiquilin‐1 and PICK1 negatively regulated nAChRs because silencing of ubiquilin‐1 and PICK1 both resulted in increased membrane potential and increased inward currents in DUM neurons, while CRELD2 positively regulated nAChRs as decreased membrane potential and inward currents were observed in DUM neurons. In addition, ubiquilin‐1 regulated both α‐Bgt‐sensitive and α‐Bgt‐resistant types of nAChRs whereas PICK1 and CRELD2 regulated only the α‐Bgt‐resistant nAChRs. The present study broadened our understanding on the regulation of insect nAChRs and will benefit pest management given the important role of nAChRs in insect neurons and insecticide science.

Open science badges

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Angiotensin II receptor blockers are safe in patients with prior angioedema related to angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors – a nationwide registry‐based cohort study
Authors: Rasmussen Eva Rye , Pottegård Anton , Bygum Anette , von Buchwald Christian , Homøe Preben , Hallas Jesper
Published: November 2018

Background

It has long been suggested that angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (AT2s) have some degree of ‘cross‐reactivity' in causing angioedema. Therefore, caution has been advised when switching patients with ACEi‐related angioedema to an AT2.

Objectives

To clarify whether AT2s can be used safely in patients with a history of angioedema during ACEi treatment and to estimate the incidence rate of angioedema in patients subsequently treated with other antihypertensive drugs (beta‐adrenergic blockers, calcium channel blockers, thiazides and analogues) or no antihypertensives.

Methods

This is a nationwide retrospective registry‐based cohort study of the Danish population during the period 1994 to 2016, and it uses Danish health registries. Propensity score adjusted and conventional proportional hazards regression models have been employed.

Results

A total of 1 106 024 ACEi users were identified. In total, 5 507 (0.5%) of these patients had experienced angioedema during ACEi treatment and were included in the study. The highest risk of angioedema recurrence was associated with continued ACEi use at an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.45 (95% CI, 1.19 to 1.78). An inverse association was found between AT2s and angioedema (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.51) compared with other antihypertensives (adjusted hazard ratios, 0.77 to 0.97).

Conclusions

Compared with other antihypertensive drugs, AT2s do not increase the incidence of angioedema in patients with previous ACEi‐related angioedema.
Association Between Early Implant Failure and Prosthodontic Characteristics
Authors: Carr Alan B. , Sinha Nikita , Lohse Christine M. , Muller Olivia M. , Salinas Thomas J.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

To identify associations between early implant failure and prosthodontic characteristics that could be used to guide subsequent continuous quality improvement efforts of patient care.

Materials and Methods

An implant‐level analysis was performed in which data were abstracted from a prospective clinical database of all adult patients treated with implants and followed up from January 2000 through December 2014 at the Department of Dental Specialties at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. These data were used to determine time to implant failure. Associations between prosthodontic characteristics and early implant failure were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards regression models and summarized with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Among 8762 implants in 2787 patients, 395 (4.5%) failed within the first year of placement at a mean (SD) of 127 (97) days (range, 2‐364 days). Univariable analysis showed no associations between early implant failure and use of a cover screw, prosthesis, or definitive or provisional prosthesis at implant placement. Three of 25 single crowns failed, and use of a single crown was significantly associated with early implant failure (HR, 3.94; 95% CI, 1.08‐14.35; P = 0.04). This study identified no significant associations between prosthodontic characteristics identified after implant placement and early implant failure.

Conclusions

Use of a prosthesis at implant placement, use of a definitive or provisional prosthesis, and early mechanical complications were not associated with increased risk of early implant failure. Quality improvement efforts should focus on aspects of decision making that aim to decrease surgical complications.
Performance and intestinal microbiota of chickens receiving probiotic in the feed and submitted to antibiotic therapy
Authors: Pereira Rafaela , Bortoluzzi Cristiano , Durrer Ademir , Fagundes Naiara Simarro , Pedroso Adriana Ayres , Rafael Jaqueline Moreira , Perim Júlia Elidia de Lima , Zavarize Kelen Cristiane , Napty Glaucia Samira , Andreote Fernando Dini , Costa Diogo Paes , Menten José Fernando Machado
Published: November 2018

The purpose of this study was to verify the ability of a probiotic in the feed to maintain the stability of the gut microbiota in chickens after antibiotic therapy and its association with growth performance. One thousand six hundred twenty 1‐day‐old Cobb male were housed in floor pens (36 pens, 45 birds/pen) and were fed corn‐/soya bean meal‐based diets supplemented with or without probiotic (Bacillus subtilis) during the entire rearing phase. From 21 to 24 days of age (three consecutive days), the chickens were submitted to antibiotic therapy via drinking water (bacitracin and neomycin) in order to mimic a field treatment and induce dysbiosis. Growth performance was monitored until 42 days of age. At 2, 4 and 6 days after antibiotic therapy, three chickens from each pen were euthanized and the contents of the small intestine and caeca were collected and pooled. The trial was conducted with four treatments and nine replicates in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement for performance characteristics (with and without probiotic × with and without antibiotic therapy); for the intestinal microbiota, it was in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (with and without probiotic × with and without antibiotic therapy × 2, 4 and 6 days after the antibiotic therapy) with three replicates per treatment. Terminal restriction length polymorphism (T‐RFLP) analysis showed that the structure of gut bacterial community was shaped by the intestinal segment and by the time after the antibiotic therapy. The number of 16S rDNAs copies in caecum contents decreased with time after the therapeutic treatment. The antibiotic therapy and dietary probiotic supplementation decreased richness and diversity indexes in the caecal contents. The improved performance observed in birds supplemented with probiotic may be related to changes promoted by the feed additive in the structure of the intestinal bacterial communities and phylogenetic groups. Antibiotic therapy modified the bacterial structure, but did not cause loss of broiler performance.
Effects of L‐citrulline supplementation on heat stress physiology, lactation performance and subsequent reproductive performance of sows in summer
Authors: Liu Fan , de Ruyter Emily M. , Athorn Rebecca Z. , Brewster Chris J. , Henman David J. , Morrison Rebecca S. , Smits Robert J. , Cottrell Jeremy J. , Dunshea Frank R.
Published: November 2018

Lactating sows are susceptible to heat stress (HS). Part of the thermoregulatory response to HS is to increase peripheral blood flow, which is mediated in part by the vasodilator, nitric oxide (NO). Therefore, the aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of supplementation of L‐citrulline, a NO precursor, on symptoms of HS, lactation performance and subsequent reproductive performance of sows in summer. A total of 221 summer farrowing mixed parity sows were fed either a control diet or supplemented with 1% L‐citrulline upon entry to the farrowing house (6 ± 1.8 days for mean ± standard deviation [SD] before farrowing) until weaning (26 ± 1.5 days). The average daily minimum and maximum temperature in the farrowing house was 21.0 ± 1.88 and 29.2 ± 3.82°C (mean ± SD). Rectal temperature, respiration rate, and plasma and urinary nitrite and nitrate (NOx) of sows were measured on the 19th day post‐farrowing. Supplemental L‐citrulline in the diet did not affect the number of piglets born alive, feed intake of sows, body weight or backfat thickness of sows at weaning, or litter weight gain. L‐citrulline tended to reduce piglet pre‐weaning mortality rate from 18.6% to 15.6% (p = 0.058). L‐citrulline reduced the respiration rate of sows compared to the control diet at 17:00 hr (Time × Diet, p < 0.001); however, rectal temperature was not affected. L‐citrulline tended to increase urinary NOx concentrations (127 vs. 224 µM, p = 0.057) but not plasma NOx concentrations. L‐citrulline did not affect farrowing rate or number of piglets born alive in the subsequent parity. In conclusion, L‐citrulline supplementation reduced respiration rate of lactating sows and reduced piglet pre‐weaning mortality rate in summer. Whether the effects were due to a NO‐dependent mechanism requires further validation.
Biased by our imaginings
Authors: Sullivan‐Bissett Ema
Published: November 2018

I propose a new model of implicit bias, according to which implicit biases are constituted by unconscious imaginings. I argue that my model accommodates characteristic features of implicit bias, does not face the problems of the doxastic model, and is uniquely placed to accommodate the structural heterogeneity in the category of implicit bias. Finally I turn to how my view relates to holding people accountable for their biases and what we know about intervention strategies.
Oxygen‐dependent regulation of SPI1 type three secretion system by small RNAs in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium
Authors: Kim Kyungsub , Golubeva Yekaterina A. , Vanderpool Carin K. , Slauch James M.
Published: November 2018

Salmonella Typhimurium induces inflammatory diarrhea and uptake into intestinal epithelial cells using the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1) type III secretion system (T3SS). Three AraC‐like regulators, HilD, HilC and RtsA, form a feed‐forward regulatory loop that activates transcription of hilA, encoding the activator of the T3SS structural genes. Many environmental signals and regulatory systems are integrated into this circuit to precisely regulate SPI1 expression. A subset of these regulatory factors affects translation of hilD, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we identified two sRNAs, FnrS and ArcZ, which repress hilD translation, leading to decreased production of HilA. FnrS and ArcZ are oppositely regulated in response to oxygen, one of the key environmental signals affecting expression of SPI1. Mutational analysis demonstrates that FnrS and ArcZ bind to the hilD mRNA 5′ UTR, resulting in translational repression. Deletion of fnrS led to increased HilD production under low‐aeration conditions, whereas deletion of arcZ abolished the regulatory effect on hilD translation aerobically. The fnrS arcZ double mutant has phenotypes in a mouse oral infection model consistent with increased expression of SPI1. Together, these results suggest that coordinated regulation by these two sRNAs maximizes HilD production at an intermediate level of oxygen.
Long‐distance pollen dispersal during recent colonization favors a rapid but partial recovery of genetic diversity in Picea sitchensis
Authors: Elleouet Joane S. , Aitken Sally N.
Published: November 2018

Tree species in the northern hemisphere are currently subject to rapid anthropogenic climate change and are shifting their ranges in response. This prompts questions about the mechanisms allowing tree populations to respond quickly to selection pressures when establishing into new areas. Focusing on the northern expanding range edge of Picea sitchensis, a widespread conifer of western North America, we ask how genetic structure and diversity develop during colonization, and assess the role of demographic history in shaping the evolutionary trajectory of an establishing population.

We combined 500 yr of tree‐ring and genotyping‐by‐sequencing data in 639 trees at the expansion front on the Kodiak Archipelago.

We show that alleles accumulated rapidly during an increase in recruitment rate in the early 1700s. A shift from foreign to local pollen flow subsequently homogenized genetic structure at the expansion front.

Taking advantage of the exceptional longevity of conifers, we highlight the major role of long‐distance pollen dispersal in the rapid but incomplete recovery of genetic diversity during the initial stages of colonization. We also warn that slow initial population growth as well as long‐lasting dominance of local gene flow by early founders could increase evolutionary load under a rapidly changing climate.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by Microencapsulated Chondrocytes on Repairing of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Authors: Zhang Zi‐qi , Wang Chun‐sheng , Yang Pei , Wang Kun‐zheng
Published: November 2018

Objective

To evaluate the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells induced by microencapsulated chondrocytes on repairing of intervertebral disc degeneration.

Methods

Rabbit chondrocytes and bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were derived. Chondrocytes were microencapsulated by a microcapsule generator to produce microencapsulated chondrocytes (MEC). MSC were then co‐cultured with MEC (MSC‐MEC) and the properties and the therapeutic effects on repairing of intervertebral disc degeneration were studied. For the in vitro study, cell proliferation, type II collagen, and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) were studied. The MSC induced by chondrocytes in the Transwell system (MSC‐MLC) and pure MSC were used as the control group. For the in vivo studied, MSC‐MEC were implanted into the intervertebral disc degenerated (IDD) models, and the radiological images, biomechanical properties, collagen II, and histology of the discs were studied. The IDD, MSC, and MSC‐MLC groups were used as the control group.

Results

In the in vitro study, no significant differences were found among the three groups, indicating that the microcapsule co‐culture system will not affect the proliferation of MSC. The type II collagen quantity secreted by MSC‐MEC was 23.57 ± 2.46 ng/μL, which was more than for MSC‐MLC (15.14 ± 2.31 ng/μL) and MSC groups (4.17 ± 1.23 ng/μL, all P < 0.025). GAG secreted by MSC‐MEC was 0.184 ± 0.006 mg/well, which was more than for the MSC‐MLC (0.151 ± 0.011 mg/well) and MSC groups (0.023 ± 0.002 mg/well, all P < 0.025). In the in vivo study, no obvious degenerative or protrusive disc was found in the MSC‐MEC group, while protrusive discs could be found in the MSC‐MLC group, and both degenerative and protrusive discs were found in MSC and IDD groups, which indicated that the reparative effects of MSC‐MEC on degenerated discs were better than for the control groups. Biomechanical properties of discs in the MSC‐MEC group were maintained at all four time points (2nd, 4th, 8th, and 16th week after implantation). The compressive strength (CS) and the elastic modulus (EM) of MSC and IDD groups were consistently decreased. The CS of the MSC‐MLC group was increased in the 4th week but decreased again in the 8th week, while the EM of the MSC‐MLC group consistently decreased. Western blot results indicated that discs of the MSC‐MEC group had more collagen II, which is an important component of discs. Histology staining showed that the nucleus pulposus of MSC‐MEC was complete; no obvious fragment of component loss was found, while those of MSC‐MLC, MSC, and IDD groups were widened, broken, and hollow.

Conclusion

The microencapsulation method for half‐contact co‐culturing improves the differentiation extent of MSC, and MSC induced by chondrocytes could also be used for treatment of IDD.
Disinfect Porphyromonas gingivalis Biofilm on Titanium Surface with Combined Application of Chlorhexidine and Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Cai Zhiyu , Li Yijun , Wang Yanhuang , Chen Shuai , Jiang Shan , Ge Huan , Lei Lishan , Huang Xiaojing
Published: November 2018

Various antimicrobial modalities have been proposed to treat peri‐implantitis but resulted in limited outcomes. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the disinfection efficacy of combined application of chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) of titanium surfaces previously contaminated with Porphyromonas gingivalis biofilm. P. gingivalis biofilms were grown on 32 polished and 32 sandblasted large‐grit acid‐etched (SLA) titanium surfaces. Titanium disks were allocated into four groups as follows: (1) immersed in phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS), (2) immersed in 0.2% CHX, (3) application of aPDT and (4) immersed in 0.2% CHX and subsequent aPDT. Residual bacteria were determined by microbial culture analysis and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) imaging. Combination protocol (CHX+ aPDT) was the most effective in eradicating P. gingivalis (P < 0.05) on both polished and SLA surfaces. There was no significant difference in the number of remaining P. gingivalis between polished titanium disks and the SLA ones in four groups (P > 0.05). Under the limitation of this study, combined technique of preceding application of CHX and subsequent aPDT was shown to be an efficient method in reducing P. gingivalis numbers in both polished and SLA titanium surfaces.
Photolyases and Cryptochromes in UV‐resistant Bacteria from High‐altitude Andean Lakes
Authors: Portero Luciano Raúl , Alonso‐Reyes Daniel G. , Zannier Federico , Vazquez Martín P. , Farías María Eugenia , Gärtner Wolfgang , Albarracín Virginia Helena
Published: November 2018

“High‐altitude Andean Lakes” (HAAL) are pristine environments harboring poly‐extremophilic microbes that show combined adaptations to physical and chemical stress such as large daily ambient thermal amplitude, extreme solar radiation levels, intense dryness, alkalinity, high concentrations of arsenic (up to 200 ppm) and dissolved salts. In this work, we compared the UV resistance profiles, pigment content and photoreactivation abilities of three UV‐resistant bacteria isolated from distinct niches from HAALs, that is Acinetobacter sp. Ver3 (water, Lake Verde; 4400 m), Exiguobacterium sp. S17 (stromatolite, Lake Socompa, 3570 m) and Nesterenkonia sp. Act20 (soil, Lake Socompa, 3570 m). UV resistance ability of HAAL's strains indicate a clear adaptation to high radiation exposure encountered in their original habitat, which can be explained by genetic and physiological mechanisms named as the UV‐resistome. Thus, the UV‐resistome depends on the expression of a diverse set of genes devoted to evading or repairing the damage it provoked direct or indirectly. As pigment extraction and photoreactive assays indicate the presence of photoactive molecules, we characterized more in detail proteins with homology to photolyases/cryptochromes members (CPF). Phylogenetic analyses, sequence comparison and 3D modeling with bona fide CPF members were used to prove the presence of functional domains and key residues in the novel proteins.
Physiological and population genetic analysis of Botrytis field isolates from vineyards in Castilla y León, Spain
Authors: Acosta Morel W. , Marques‐Costa T. M. , Santander‐Gordón D. , Anta Fernández F. , Zabalgogeazcoa I. , Vázquez de Aldana B. R. , Sukno S. A. , Díaz‐Mínguez J. M. , Benito E. P.
Published: November 2018

Grey mould is reported in the vineyards of Castilla y León, Spain, every year. However, the natural populations of the pathogen have yet to be properly characterized. Vineyards from six wine‐producing areas were surveyed in 2002 and 2007, sampling from bunches of grapes with and without symptoms. A total of 283 Botrytis field isolates were selected for physiological and genetic analyses. Botrytis cinerea isolates predominated in the population, although isolates belonging to Botrytis pseudocinerea and Botrytis prunorum were also identified. These two species are recorded for the first time in Spain in this work. In addition, two isolates closely related to Botrytis californica were identified. Physiologically, the B. cinerea population is very diverse, displaying a normal distribution of aggressiveness values in Vitis vinifera leaves, suggesting a quantitative nature for this trait. Several isolates unable to cause infection were identified, most of them belonging to a mycelial morphotype. Population genetic analysis revealed that genotypic diversity is high and that multiple infections of the same bunch of grapes by different genotypes occur frequently. The high genotypic diversity observed, an even distribution of both mating types and the linkage disequilibrium values detected support a mixed mode of reproduction with low levels of clonality. The wine‐producing area in which each isolate was collected imposed a low degree of population differentiation, an effect that does not depend solely on the geographic distances but rather on the management practices used by growers and wine producer associations.
Bounded Stories
Authors: Shanahan Elizabeth A. , Raile Eric D. , French Kate A. , McEvoy Jamie
Published: November 2018

Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) and framing scholars share an interest in how the construction of policy arguments influences opinions and policy decisions. However, conceptual clarification is needed. This study advances the NPF by clarifying the meaning and function of frames and narrative, as well as their respective roles in creating policy realities. We explore sociological and psychological roots of framing scholarship and map these onto NPF's science of narratives philosophy, suggesting that narratives can reveal internally held cognitive schemas. We focus on issue categorization frames as boundaries for narrative construction. Within these bounds, narrative settings further focalize the audience by specifying where action toward a solution takes place. Based on 26 interviews with floodplain decision makers in Montana, we capture internally held cognitions through the assemblage of issue categorization frames and narrative elements. We find that settings can traverse issue categorization frames and policy solutions, with actions of characters that unfold within the setting being key. Similarly, we find that a single issue categorization frame can contain multiple different narratives and that individuals may simultaneously hold multiple different narratives internally. Overall, this study contributes to policy process research through establishment of connections among narratives, issue categorization frames, and cognitive schemas.
Sustained Organizational Influence: American Legislative Exchange Council and the Diffusion of Anti‐Sanctuary Policy
Authors: Collingwood Loren , El‐Khatib Stephen Omar , Gonzalez O'Brien Benjamin
Published: November 2018

Building upon existing literature, we offer a particular model of network policy diffusion—which we call sustained organizational influence. Sustained organizational influence necessitates an institutional focus across a broad range of issues and across a long period of time. Sustaining organizations are well‐financed, and exert their influence on legislators through benefits, shared ideological interests, and time‐saving opportunities. Sustaining organizations' centralized nature makes legislators' jobs easier by providing legislators with ready‐made model legislation. We argue that sustaining organizations uniquely contribute to policy diffusion in the U.S. states. We evaluate this model with a case study of state‐level immigration sanctuary policy making and the role that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) played in disseminating model legislation. Through quantitative text analysis and several negative binomial state‐level regression models, we demonstrate that ALEC has exerted an overwhelming influence on the introduction of anti‐sanctuary legislative proposals in the U.S. states over the past 7 years consistent with our particular model of network policy diffusion. Implications are discussed.