bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photocatalytic activity of graphene oxide–TiO
2
thin films sensitized by natural dyes extracted from
Bactris guineensis
Authors: Vallejo William , Rueda Angie , Díaz-Uribe Carlos , Grande Carlos , Quintana Patricia
Published: March 2019

This study synthesized and characterized composites of graphene oxide and TiO
2
(GO–TiO
2
). GO–TiO
2
thin films were deposited using the doctor blade technique. Subsequently, the thin films were sensitized with a natural dye extracted from a Colombian source (
Bactris guineensis
). Thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and diffuse reflectance measurements were used for physico-chemical characterization. All the samples were polycrystalline in nature, and the diffraction signals corresponded to the TiO
2
anatase crystalline phase. Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) verified the synthesis of composite thin films, and the SEM analysis confirmed the TiO
2
films morphological modification after the process of GO incorporation and sensitization. XPS results suggested a possibility of appearance of titanium (III) through the formation of oxygen vacancies (O
v
). Furthermore, the optical results indicated that the presence of the natural sensitizer and GO improved the optical properties of TiO
2
in the visible range. Finally, the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was studied under visible irradiation in aqueous solution, and pseudo-first-order model was used to obtain kinetic information about photocatalytic degradation. These results indicated that the presence of GO has an important synergistic effect in conjunction with the natural sensitizer, reaching a photocatalytic yield of 33%.
A categorical perspective towards aerodynamic models for aeroelastic analyses of bridge decks
Authors: Kavrakov I. , Legatiuk D. , Gürlebeck K. , Morgenthal G.
Published: March 2019

Reliable modelling in structural engineering is crucial for the serviceability and safety of structures. A huge variety of aerodynamic models for aeroelastic analyses of bridges poses natural questions on their complexity and thus, quality. Moreover, a direct comparison of aerodynamic models is typically either not possible or senseless, as the models can be based on very different physical assumptions. Therefore, to address the question of principal comparability and complexity of models, a more abstract approach, accounting for the effect of basic physical assumptions, is necessary. This paper presents an application of a recently introduced category theory-based modelling approach to a diverse set of models from bridge aerodynamics. Initially, the categorical approach is extended to allow an adequate description of aerodynamic models. Complexity of the selected aerodynamic models is evaluated, based on which model comparability is established. Finally, the utility of the approach for model comparison and characterization is demonstrated on an illustrative example from bridge aeroelasticity. The outcome of this study is intended to serve as an alternative framework for model comparison and impact future model assessment studies of mathematical models for engineering applications.
Proactive avoidance behaviour and pace-of-life syndrome in Atlantic salmon
Authors: Damsgård Børge , Evensen Tor H. , Øverli Øyvind , Gorissen Marnix , Ebbesson Lars O. E. , Rey Sonia , Höglund Erik
Published: March 2019

Individuals in a fish population differ in key life-history traits such as growth rate and body size. This raises the question of whether such traits cluster along a fast-slow growth continuum according to a pace-of-life syndrome (POLS). Fish species like salmonids may develop a bimodal size distribution, providing an opportunity to study the relationships between individual growth and behavioural responsiveness. Here we test whether proactive characteristics (bold behaviour coupled with low post-stress cortisol production) are related to fast growth and developmental rate in Atlantic salmon,
Salmo salar
. Boldness was tested in a highly controlled two-tank hypoxia test were oxygen levels were gradually decreased in one of the tanks. All fish became inactive close to the bottom at 70% oxygen saturation. At 40% oxygen saturation level a fraction of the fish actively sought to avoid hypoxia. A proactive stress coping style was verified by lower cortisol response to a standardized stressor. Two distinct clusters of bimodal growth trajectories were identified, with fast growth and early smoltification in 80% of the total population. There was a higher frequency of proactive than reactive individuals in this fast-developing fraction of fish. The smolts were associated with higher post-stress plasma cortisol than parr, and the proactive smolts leaving hypoxia had significant lower post-stress cortisol than the stayers. The study demonstrated a link between a proactive coping and fast growth and developmental ratio and suggests that selection for domestic production traits promotes this trait cluster.
β-FeSe nanorods composited g-C
3
N
4
with enhanced photocatalytic efficiency
Authors: Shen Shijie , Zhong Wenwu , Wang Zongpeng , Lin Zhiping , Feng Shangshen
Published: March 2019

A series of β-FeSe nanorods composited g-C
3
N
4
were prepared. The structure, morphology, chemical state, photocatalytic activity, electrochemical impedance and photoluminescence of β-FeSe/g-C
3
N
4
composites were well characterized. It is found that the decolourization rate of 3 wt% β-FeSe/g-C
3
N
4
composites reaches 4.4 times than that of g-C
3
N
4
. The improved photocatalytic properties could be ascribed to the reduced recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, which is derived from the excellent ability of β-FeSe to capture and transfer electrons. This work provides an alternative co-catalyst for decolourizing organic matter.
The neuroscience of
Romeo and Juliet
: an fMRI study of acting
Authors: Brown Steven , Cockett Peter , Yuan Ye
Published: March 2019

The current study represents a first attempt at examining the neural basis of dramatic acting. While all people play multiple roles in daily life—for example, ‘spouse' or ‘employee'—these roles are all facets of the ‘self' and thus of the first-person (1P) perspective. Compared to such everyday role playing, actors are required to portray
other
people and to adopt their gestures, emotions and behaviours. Consequently, actors must think and behave not as themselves but as the characters they are pretending to be. In other words, they have to assume a ‘fictional first-person' (Fic1P) perspective. In this functional MRI study, we sought to identify brain regions preferentially activated when actors adopt a Fic1P perspective during dramatic role playing. In the scanner, university-trained actors responded to a series of hypothetical questions from either their own 1P perspective or from that of Romeo (male participants) or Juliet (female participants) from Shakespeare's drama. Compared to responding as oneself, responding in character produced global reductions in brain activity and, particularly, deactivations in the cortical midline network of the frontal lobe, including the dorsomedial and ventromedial prefrontal cortices. Thus, portraying a character through acting seems to be a deactivation-driven process, perhaps representing a ‘loss of self'.
Preparation of modified pomelo peel's pulp adsorbent and its adsorption to uranyl ions
Authors: Yang Pengfei , Xu Yuanhe , Tuo Jie , Li Ang , Liu LixiAng , Shi Huiting
Published: March 2019

Using pomelo peel's pulp (PPP) as raw material, a new chemically modified PPP was prepared by the process of fermentation, cooking, freeze-drying, and so on. The adsorbent has been characterized by EDS, IR, BET and SEM. The factors of different adsorption conditions such as pH value, adsorption temperature, mass of adsorbent, adsorption time and initial concentration of UO
2
2+
were investigated. The adsorption mechanism was explored by adsorption thermodynamics and kinetics experiments. The results indicate that the pH value is 6.0, the dosage of adsorbent is 500 mg l
–1
, the temperature is 50°C and the adsorption time is 90 min, which is the best adsorption condition. When the initial concentration of UO
2
2+
is 35 mg l
–1
, the adsorbed amount of uranyl ions by the modified PPP adsorbent can reach 42.733 mg g
−1
, 26.8% higher than the adsorption amount of unmodified adsorbent (31.276 mg g
−1
), which is obviously enhanced. The kinetic and thermodynamic experiments show that the adsorption process is in good agreement with the pseudo second-order kinetics model, that it is an endothermic reaction, and the reaction is spontaneous. The adsorption process is entropy-dominated. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm can describe the adsorption process more accurately.
Depression chains in seafloor of contrasting morphology, Atacama Trench margin: a comment on Marshet al.(2018)
Authors: Purser Autun , Herr Helena , Dreutter Simon , Dorschel Boris , Glud Ronnie N. , Hehemann Laura , Hoge Ulrich , Jamieson Alan J. , Linley Thomas D. , Stewart Heather A. , Wenzhöfer Frank
Published: March 2019

This comment presents acoustic and visual data showing deep seafloor depression chains similar to those reported in Marshet al.(R. Soc. open sci.5: 180286), though from a different deep-sea setting. Marshet al.present data collected during cruise JC120 from polymetallic nodule rich sites within the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ), at water depths of between 3999 and 4258 m. Within this comment, we present data collected with equivalent acoustic and imaging devices on-board the RV Sonne (SO261—March/April 2018) from the Atacama Trench, approximately 4000 m depth, which shows comparable depression chains in the seafloor. In contrast with the CCFZ observations, our study area was wholly free of polymetallic nodules, an observation therefore weakening the ‘ballast collection’ by deep-sea diving mammals formation hypothesis discussed in their paper.We support their alternate hypothesis that if these features are indeed generated by deep-diving megafauna, then they are more likely the resultant traces of infauna feeding or marks made during opportunistic capture of benthic fish/cephalopods. We observed these potential prey fauna with lander and towed camera systems during the cruise, with example images of these presented here. Both the SO261 and JC120 cruises employed high-resolution sidescan systems at deployment altitudes seldom used routinely until the last few years during scientific deep-sea surveys. Given that both cruises found these depression chains in contrasting physical regions of the East Pacific, they may have a more ubiquitous distribution than at just these sites. Thus, the impacts of cetacean foraging behaviour on deep seafloor communities, and the potential relevance of these prey sources to deep-diving species, should be considered.
Enhanced low-temperature NH
3
-SCR performance of Ce/TiO
2
modified by Ho catalyst
Authors: Zhang Ting-ting , Yan Li-min
Published: March 2019

Holmium was used as a dopant to boost the low-temperature NH
3
-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) performance of Ce/TiO
2
catalyst. It was ascertained that certain amount of Ho-doping species could exceedingly improve the low-temperature SCR activity under 60 000 h
−1
of Ce/TiO
2
, accompanied with the improvement of tolerance to H
2
O and SO
2
at 200°C. Characterization results manifested that Ho modification could not only result in inhibiting the growth of TiO
2
crystals and the enlargement of specific surface area but also lead to the enhanced redox ability and the increased amount of surface-adsorbed substances, all of which could promote the low-temperature NH
3
-SCR performance of Ce/TiO
2
.
Estimation of antihydrogen properties in experiments with small signal deficit
Authors: Radics B.
Published: March 2019

For a class of precision CPT-invariance test measurements using antihydrogen, a deficit in the data indicates the presence of the signal. The construction of classical confidence intervals for the properties of the antiatoms from measurements may pose a challenge due to the limited statistics experimentally available. We use the Feldman–Cousins (Feldman and Cousins,
Phys. Rev. D
,
57
, 3873. (
doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.57.3873
)) method to estimate model parameters for such a low count rate measurement. First, we construct confidence intervals for the Poisson process with a known background and an unknown signal deficit. Then the generalized Monte Carlo version of the method is applied to the use case of the hyperfine transition frequency measurement of the ground-state antihydrogen atom, where the expected double-dip resonance line shape and the mean background is assumed to be known. We find that confidence intervals of the antihydrogen properties could be obtained already from low statistics data. We also discuss how the method may be extended to allow estimation of additional model parameters.
A congruent topology for deep gastropod relationships
Authors: Cunha Tauana Junqueira , Giribet Gonzalo
Published: March 2019

Gastropod molluscs are among the most diverse and abundant animals in the oceans, and are successful colonizers of terrestrial and freshwater environments. Past phylogenetic efforts to resolve gastropod relationships resulted in a range of conflicting hypotheses. Here, we use phylogenomics to address deep relationships between the five major gastropod lineages—Caenogastropoda, Heterobranchia, Neritimorpha, Patellogastropoda and Vetigastropoda—and provide one congruent and well-supported topology. We substantially expand taxon sampling for outgroups and for previously underrepresented gastropod lineages, presenting new transcriptomes for neritimorphs and patellogastropods. We conduct analyses under maximum-likelihood, Bayesian inference and a coalescent-based approach, accounting for the most pervasive sources of systematic errors in large datasets: compositional heterogeneity, site heterogeneity, heterotachy, variation in evolutionary rates among genes, matrix completeness, outgroup choice and gene tree conflict. We find that vetigastropods and patellogastropods are sister taxa, and that neritimorphs are the sister group to caenogastropods and heterobranchs. We name these two major unranked clades Psilogastropoda and Angiogastropoda, respectively. We additionally provide the first genomic-scale data for internal relationships of neritimorphs and patellogastropods. Our results highlight the need for reinterpreting the evolution of morphological and developmental characters in gastropods, especially for inferring their ancestral states.
MALVA: genotyping by Mapping-free ALlele detection of known VAriants
Authors: Bernardini Giulia , Bonizzoni Paola , Denti Luca , Previtali Marco , Schönhuth Alexander
Published: March 2019

The amount of genetic variation discovered and characterized in human populations is huge, and is growing rapidly with the widespread availability of modern sequencing technologies. Such a great deal of variation data, that accounts for human diversity, leads to various challenging computational tasks, including variant calling and genotyping of newly sequenced individuals. The standard pipelines for addressing these problems include read mapping, which is a computationally expensive procedure. A few mapping-free tools were proposed in recent years to speed up the genotyping process. While such tools have highly efficient run-times, they focus on isolated, bi-allelic SNPs, providing limited support for multi-allelic SNPs, indels, and genomic regions with high variant density.

To address these issues, we introduceMALVA, a fast and lightweight mapping-free method to genotype an individual directly from a sample of reads.MALVAis the first mapping-free tool that is able to genotype multi-allelic SNPs and indels, even in high density genomic regions, and to effectively handle a huge number of variants such as those provided by the 1000 Genome Project. An experimental evaluation on whole-genome data shows thatMALVArequires one order of magnitude less time to genotype a donor than alignment-based pipelines, providing similar accuracy. Remarkably, on indels,MALVAprovides even better results than the most widely adopted variant discovery tools.
Rosa26 docking sites for investigating genetic circuit silencing in stem cells
Authors: Fitzgerald Michael , Livingston Mark , Gibbs Chelsea , Deans Tara L.
Published: March 2019

Approaches in mammalian synthetic biology have transformed how cells can be programmed to have reliable and predictable behaviour, however, the majority of mammalian synthetic biology has been accomplished using immortalized cell lines that are easy to grow and easy to transfect. Genetic circuits that integrate into the genome of these immortalized cell lines remain functional for many generations, often for the lifetime of the cells, yet when genetic circuits are integrated into the genome of stem cells gene silencing is observed within a few generations. To investigate the reactivation of silenced genetic circuits in stem cells, the Rosa26 locus of mouse pluripotent stem cells was modified to contain docking sites for site-specific integration of genetic circuits. We show that the silencing of genetic circuits can be reversed with the addition of sodium butyrate, a histone deacetylase inhibitor. These findings demonstrate an approach to reactivate the function of genetic circuits in pluripotent stem cells to ensure robust function over many generations. Altogether, this work introduces an approach to overcome the silencing of genetic circuits in pluripotent stem cells that may enable the use of genetic circuits in pluripotent stem cells for long-term function.
Loss of ErbB3 redirects Integrin β1 from early endosomal recycling to secretion in extracellular vesicles
Authors: Rodrigues-Junior Dorival Mendes , Saez-Ibanez Ana Rosa , Terabayashi Takeshi , Daubel Nina , Makinen Taija , Idevall-Hagren Olof , Moustakas Aristidis , Ferby Ingvar
Published: March 2019

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are important cargo of endocytic trafficking, yet the role of RTKs in endocytic sorting and maturation of multivesicular bodies (MVBs) per se remains unclear. Here we show that the ErbB3 receptor, frequently overexpressed in invasive breast cancers, sorts internalized transferrin receptor (TfR) and Integrin β1 for endocytic recycling, in a manner that does not require ligand-induced ErbB3 signaling in breast epithelial cells. Loss of ErbB3 abrogates recycling of Integrin β1, likely from a Rab4-positive compartment, and redirects it towards lysosomal degradation or secretion as cargo of extracellular vesicles (EVs). Depletion of ErbB3 impairs migration of sheets of breast epithelial cells, concomitant with imposing a reduction of Integrin β1 cell surface level and an increase in release of EVs containing Integrin β1. In contrast, EVs secreted from ErbB3-depleted cells enhanced the motility of wild-type cells, potentially counteracting the reduced migration of ErbB3-deficient cells. Mechanistically, ErbB3 facilitates assembly of the Arf6-GGA3-Rabaptin5 endosomal sorting complex to promote early recycling, which consequently suppresses EV release. Therefore, ErbB3 constitutes part of the endosomal trafficking machinery, provoking the notion that RTKs might play a novel and yet unrecognised role in vesicular trafficking.
VIDHOP, viral host prediction with Deep Learning
Authors: Mock Florian , Viehweger Adrian , Barth Emanuel , Marz Manja
Published: March 2019

Motivation

Zoonosis, the natural transmission of infections from animals to humans, is a far-reaching global problem. The recent outbreaks of Zika virus, Ebola virus and Corona virus are examples of viral zoonosis, which occur more frequently due to globalization. In the case of a virus outbreak, it is helpful to know which host organism was the original carrier of the virus. Once the reservoir or intermediate host is known, it can be isolated to prevent further spreading of the viral infection. Recent approaches aim to predict a viral host based on the viral genome, often in combination with the potential host genome and arbitrarily selected features. These methods have a clear limitation in either the number of different hosts they can predict or the accuracy of their prediction.

Results

Here, we present a fast and accurate deep learning approach for viral host prediction, which is based on the viral genome sequence only. To ensure a high prediction accuracy, we developed an effective selection approach for the training data to avoid biases due to a highly unbalanced number of known sequences per virus-host combinations. We tested our deep neural network on three different virus species (influenza A, rabies lyssavirus, rotavirus A). We reached for each virus species an AUG between 0.93 and 0.98, outperforming previous approaches and allowing highly accurate predictions while only using fractions (100-400 bp) of the viral genome sequences. We show that deep neural networks are suitable to predict the host of a virus, even with a limited amount of sequences and highly unbalanced available data. The deep neural networks trained for this approach build the core of the virus-host predicting tool VIDHOP (Virus Deep learning HOst Prediction).

Availability

The trained models for the prediction of the host for the viruses influenza A, rabies lyssavirus, rotavirus A are implemented in the tool VIDHOP. This tool is freely available under https://github.com/flomock/vidhop.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/UXT7N
Reproductive success of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) varies with the timing and severity of drought
Authors: Carleton Reneé E. , Graham John H. , Lee Adel , Taylor Zachary P. , Carleton Jon F.
Published: March 2019

Drought affects avian communities in complex ways. We used our own and citizen science-generated reproductive data acquired through The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch Program, combined with drought and vegetation indices obtained from governmental agencies, to determine drought effects on Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialisL.) reproduction across their North American breeding range for the years 2006–2013. Our results demonstrate that some aspects of bluebird reproductive success varies with the timing and severity of drought. Clutch size was unaffected by drought occurrence or severity during or within one and two months of clutch initiation, but hatching and fledging rates decreased as drought severity increased. Drought conditions occurring one month prior to the month during which eggs should have hatched, and two months prior to the month nestlings should have fledged also reduced the numbers of fledged offspring. We also demonstrate the value of datasets generated by citizen scientists in combination with climate data for examining biotic responses at large temporal and spatial scales.
ARMOR: an Automated Reproducible MOdular workflow for preprocessing and differential analysis of RNA-seq data
Authors: Orjuela Stephany , Huang Ruizhu , Hembach Katharina M. , Robinson Mark D. , Soneson Charlotte
Published: March 2019

The extensive generation of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data in the last decade has resulted in a myriad of specialized software for its analysis. Each software module typically targets a specific step within the analysis pipeline, making it necessary to join several of them to get a single cohesive workflow. Multiple software programs automating this procedure have been proposed, but often lack modularity, transparency or flexibility. We present ARMOR, which performs an end-to-end RNA-seq data analysis, from raw read files, via quality checks, alignment and quantification, to differential expression testing, geneset analysis and browser-based exploration of the data. ARMOR is implemented using the Snakemake workflow management system and leverages conda environments; Bioconductor objects are generated to facilitate downstream analysis, ensuring seamless integration with many R packages. The workflow is easily implemented by cloning the GitHub repository, replacing the supplied input and reference files and editing a configuration file. Although we have selected the tools currently included in ARMOR, the setup is modular and alternative tools can be easily integrated.
The gene annotated by the locus tag At3g08860 encodes a β-alanine/L-alanine aminotransferase in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Parthasarathy Anutthaman , Savka Francisco C. , Hudson André O.
Published: March 2019

The aminotransferase gene family in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana consists of 44 genes some of which remain uncharacterized. This study elucidates the function of an uninvestigated aminotransferase annotated by the locus tag At3g08860. The cDNA was shown to functionally complement two E. coli mutants auxotrophic for the amino acids β-alanine (non-proteogenic) and L-alanine (proteogenic). The elucidation of At3g08860 activity has the potential to facilitate experiments for the optimization of plant lines involved in nitrogen utilization efficiency, response to hypoxia, osmo-protection, vitamin B5 and coenzyme A metabolism.
Effects of enalapril and paricalcitol treatment on diabetic nephropathy and renal expressions of TNF-α, P53, Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 in STZ-induced diabetic rats
Authors: Ahmed Osama M. , Ali Tarek M. , Abdel Gaid Mohamed A. , Elberry Ahmed A.
Published: March 2019

This study aimed to assess the renopreventive effect of the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), enalapril, and/or vitamin D receptor (VDR) activator, paricalcitol, on streptozotocin (STZ) diabetes-induced nephropathy and to elucidate the mechanisms of action through investigation of the effects on renal oxidative stress, antioxidant defense system and expressions of TNF-α, P53, caspase-3, and Bcl-2. Diabetes mellitus was induced in fasting male Wistar rats by single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (45 mg /kg b.w.) dissolved in citrate buffer pH 4.5. Ten days after STZ injection, the diabetic rats were treated with enalapril (25 mg/l of drinking water) and/or paricalcitol (8 µg/kg b.w.per os) dissolved in 5% DMSO daily for 4 weeks. The obtained data revealed that the treatment of diabetic Wistar rats with enalapril and/or paricalcitol led to a significant decrease in the elevated serum urea, uric acid, creatinine and sodium, potassium levels; thereby reflecting improvement of the impaired kidney function. The deteriorated kidney lipid peroxidation, GSH content and GST and catalase activities in diabetic rats were significantly ameliorated as a result of treatment with enalapril and/or paricalcitol. The elevated fasting and post-prandial serum glucose levels and the lowered serum insulin and C-peptide levels were also improved. Moreover, the treatment of diabetic rats successfully prevented the diabetes-induced histopathological deleterious changes of kidney and islets of Langerhans of pancreas. In association, the immunohistochemically detected pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α and apoptotic mediators P53 and caspase-3 were remarkably decreased in kidney of diabetic rats as a result of treatment, while the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was increased. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that enalapril and paricalcitol can prevent STZ diabetes-induced nephropathy though amelioration of the glycemic state and antioxidant defense system together with the suppression of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.
Channelrhodopsin-1 Phosphorylation Changes with Phototactic Behavior and Responds to Physiological Stimuli inChlamydomonas
Authors: Böhm Michaela , Boness David , Fantisch Elisabeth , Erhard Hanna , Frauenholz Julia , Kowalzyk Zarah , Marcinkowski Nadin , Kateriya Suneel , Hegemann Peter , Kreimer Georg
Published: March 2019

The unicellular alga Chlamydomonas (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) exhibits oriented movement responses (phototaxis) to light over more than three log units of intensity. Phototaxis thus depends on the cell’s ability to adjust the sensitivity of its photoreceptors to ambient light conditions. In Chlamydomonas, the photoreceptors for phototaxis are the channelrhodopsins (ChR)1 and ChR2; these light-gated cation channels are located in the plasma membrane. Although ChRs are widely used in optogenetic studies, little is known about ChR signaling in algae. We characterized the in vivo phosphorylation of ChR1. Its reversible phosphorylation occurred within seconds as a graded response to changes in the light intensity and ionic composition of the medium and depended on an elevated cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. Changes in the phototactic sign were accompanied by alterations in the phosphorylation status of ChR1. Furthermore, compared with the wild type, a permanently negative phototactic mutant required higher light intensities to evoke ChR1 phosphorylation. C-terminal truncation of ChR1 disturbed its reversible phosphorylation, whereas it was normal in ChR2-knockout and eyespot-assembly mutants. The identification of phosphosites in regions important for ChR1 function points to their potential regulatory role(s). We propose that multiple ChR1 phosphorylation, regulated via a Ca2+-based feedback loop, is an important component in the adaptation of phototactic sensitivity in Chlamydomonas.
Electronic criterion for categorizing the chalcogen and halogen bonds: sulfur–iodine interactions in crystals
Authors: Bartashevich Ekaterina , Mukhitdinova Svetlana , Yushina Irina , Tsirelson Vladimir
Published: March 2019

Diversity of mutual orientations ofY–S and I–Xand covalent bonds in molecular crystals complicate categorizing noncovalent chalcogen and halogen bonds. Here, the different types of S...I interactions with short interatomic distances are analysed. The selection of S...I interactions for the categorization of the chalcogen and halogen bonds has been made using angles that determine the mutual orientation of electron lone pairs and σ-holes interacted S and I atoms. In complicated cases of noncovalent interactions with `hole-to-hole' of S and I orientations, distinguishing the chalcogen and halogen bonds is only possible if the atom is uniquely determined, which also provides the electrophilic site. The electronic criterion for chalcogen/halogen bonds categorizing that is based on analysis of dispositions of electron density and electrostatic potential minima along the interatomic lines has been suggested and its effectiveness has been demonstrated.
Room-temperature synthesis of a new stable (N2H4)WO3 compound: a route for hydrazine trapping
Authors: Giovannelli F. , Mathieu C. , Fritsch K. , Adil K. , Goutenoire F. , Habicht K. , Delorme F.
Published: March 2019

A new (N2H4)WO3 compound has been obtained by mixing WO3 and aqueous hydrazine solution at room temperature for 24 h. The reaction is catalyzed by the presence of lithium. X-ray, synchrotron and neutron diffraction techniques have shown that the material crystallizes in trigonal space group P3221 (No. 154). Chains of distorted WO4 tetrahedra extend along the a axis of the unit cell, linked by a corner-sharing oxygen atom: the N2H4 are in the voids between them. The thermal characterization shows that this new compound is stable up to 220°C, greatly beyond the boiling point of N2H4 (114°C); thus making it a promising candidate for catalysis or trapping applications.
Investigation of the changes in hydrogen bonding accompanying the structural reorganization at 103 K in ammonium iodate
Authors: Marshall W. G. , Jones R. H. , Knight K. S. , Pulham C. R. , Smith R. I.
Published: March 2019

Neutron powder diffraction has been used to observe the changes in hydrogen bonding that occur as a function of temperature in ND4IO3 and, thus, determine the structural features that occur during the low-temperature (103 K) phase transition. It is shown that in the deuterated material the change is not a phase change per se but rather a structural reorganization in which the hydrogen bonding becomes firmly locked in at the phase transition temperature, and stays in this configuration upon further cooling to 4.2 K. In addition, both the differences and changes in the axial thermal expansion coefficients in the region 100–290 K can be explained by the changes involving both the hydrogen bonding and the secondary I...O halogen bonds.
A large anisotropic plasticity of L-leucinium hydrogen maleate preserved at cryogenic temperatures
Authors: Arkhipov S. G. , Losev E. A. , Nguyen T. T. , Rychkov D. A. , Boldyreva E. V.
Published: March 2019

L-Leucinium hydrogen maleate crystals are very plastic at ambient conditions. Here it is shown that this plasticity is preserved at least down to 77 K. The structural changes in the temperature range 293–100 K were followed in order to rationalize the large anisotropic plasticity in this compound. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported example of an organic compound remaining so plastic at cryogenic conditions.
BacMam production and crystal structure of nonglycosylated apo human furin at 1.89 Å resolution
Authors: Pearce Kenneth H. , Overton Laurie K. , Gampe Robert T. , Barrett George B. , Taylor J. David , McKee David D. , Campobasso Nino , Nolte Robert T. , Reid Robert A.
Published: March 2019

Furin, also called proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 3 (PCSK3), is a calcium-dependent serine endoprotease that processes a wide variety of proproteins involved in cell function and homeostasis. Dysregulation of furin has been implicated in numerous disease states, including cancer and fibrosis. Mammalian cell expression of the furin ectodomain typically produces a highly glycosylated, heterogeneous protein, which can make crystallographic studies difficult. Here, the expression and purification of nonglycosylated human furin using the BacMam technology and site-directed mutagenesis of the glycosylation sites is reported. Nonglycosylated furin produced using this system retains full proteolytic activity indistinguishable from that of the glycosylated protein. Importantly, the nonglycosylated furin protein reliably forms extremely durable apo crystals that diffract to high resolution. These crystals can be soaked with a wide variety of inhibitors to enable a structure-guided drug-discovery campaign.
Experiential marketing, social judgements, and customer shopping experience in emerging markets
Authors: Ihtiyar Ali , Barut Mehmet , Ihtiyar Hatice Gulsah
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of experiential marketing modules, service quality and social judgement on experiential values of young customers. The paper also investigates the effects of experiential values on customer satisfaction (CS) and post-purchasing behaviour. In addition, the paper intends to strengthen the shift in marketing paradigm and to provide insightful enhancements to the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

An instrument was developed to measure how strategic experiential module (Schmitt, 1999), social judgement module (Rosenberg et al., 1968) and service quality perceptions of customers influence functional and emotional values. Primary data were gathered through surveying 402 respondents in order to diagnose young customers’ experiences in popular coffee stores in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The constructs and their interrelationships were examined based on partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The results of PLS-SEM were found to be adequate in terms of validity and reliability. The results revealed that some of experiential modules and service quality have positive stimuli on experiential values. These contributions postulate an impetus for potential exploration in numerous service settings.

Originality/value

The study assesses the effect of shopping experiences of young customers on experiential values, social judgement, CS and post-purchase shopping attitudes. It is anticipated that by filling this gap, this study will assist in strengthening marketing strategies, which requires an alteration in the existing business atmosphere. The suggestions and results for future research are discussed in detail accordingly.
The impact of pioneer adopter characteristics and perceptions on the perceived costs of switching to a follower product
Authors: Parry Mark Edward , Sarma Sumita
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a model in which the perceived post-purchase monetary costs and time costs of switching from a pioneer product are a function of the perceived difficulty of comparing follower products with the pioneer product, the variety of ways in which the pioneer product is used by an adopter, pioneer adopter satisfaction with the pioneer, the familiarity of the pioneer adopter with follower products and the anticipated reactions to switching of other household members who use the pioneer product.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test this model with data collected from 518 Japanese iPad owners. Hypotheses are evaluated using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The authors find that each of the hypothesized independent variables is related in the hypothesized direction with one or both types of switching costs.

Research limitations/implications

Findings indicate that the variety of pioneer product use, the perceived negative reaction of other household users of the pioneer product and comparison difficulties between the pioneer and follower product have an important influence on the perceptions of the perceived costs of switching from a pioneer to a follower product.

Practical implications

Findings suggest that managers responsible for launching follower products can lower the perceived costs of switching from a pioneer product through specific product design and communication decisions.

Originality/value

In contrast with prior switching-cost research, this paper focuses on switching costs as perceived by pioneer adopters and examining the importance of pioneer-follower product comparison difficulties, the variety of pioneer product use and the negative reactions of other household users of the pioneer product.
Consumers’ perceptions regarding questionable consumption practices in China
Authors: Chang Hsiu-Hua , Vitell Scott J. , Lu Long-Chuan
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Since East Asian Confucian societies are relational societies that view harmonious relationships with others as important, the issue of consumer ethics has received considerable attention in the quest to improve the effectiveness of business transactions. This is especially true of China, a large developing country with many business investment opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between consumer ethical beliefs and the personality traits of consumer relationship proneness, religiousness, attitude toward business and love of money, which are seldom explored in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample is collected by systematic sampling in China and a sample of 434 individuals is surveyed. This study performs confirmatory factor analysis to examine the reliability and validity and then uses the evaluation of the structural equation model exhibited a good fit between the model and the observed data to test the hypotheses via LISREL 8.7.

Findings

Findings show that individuals with stronger relationship proneness and high religiousness tend to more strongly consider many questionable consumer practices as unacceptable. Attitude toward business and love of money partially impact consumer unethical beliefs.

Originality/value

While there cultural differences between East Asian and western societies, consumer relationship proneness and the three other constructs featuring Chinese characteristics should be considered a vital personality in Chinese society. The results of this study offer findings which are not fully consistent with the findings of studies conducted in other countries and can improve friendly relationship marketing practices with Chinese consumers. More research is necessary to understand consumer ethical behavior in the varied cultures of Asia.
The temporal effects of social and business networks on international performance of South Korean SMEs
Authors: Jeong So Won , Jin Byoungho Ellie , Jung Sojin
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Drawing on the resource-based view, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the link between resource capabilities and performance by incorporating two network dimensions (i.e. social and business networks), a moderator (i.e. international experience) and a mediator (i.e. marketing capabilities).

Design/methodology/approach

SME data were collected via surveys. A sampling frame of 3,000 exporting manufactures was developed based on a database sourced from the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The authors first contacted the managers of each firm in the sampling frame through e-mail or phone to receive permission, and then sent a paper questionnaire. The authors analyzed 392 valid cases using a path analysis.

Findings

The findings largely confirmed the hypotheses in the proposed framework based on the RBV. While social networks only enhanced marketing capabilities and did not directly lead to international performance, business networks enhanced both. Also, unlike social networks, the influence of SME business networks on international performance was weakened as international experience increased. This study found that marketing capabilities mediated the path from business networks to international performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study explained the distinctive roles played by social and business networks in international performance, extending our knowledge of the RBV by showing how firm resources can turn into sustainable competitive advantages. More importantly, the integration of time into the discussion on networks and international performance extended the business network internationalization process model.

Practical implications

The authors suggest that Korean SMEs focus on developing their own marketing capabilities by capitalizing on their social and business networks, which could directly enhance international performance. Governments can also offer assistance to SMEs for developing their own marketing capabilities during the initial stages of internationalization, since the benefit of business networks diminishes as international experience increases.

Originality/value

By testing the proposed link between resource capabilities and performance, this study suggested how SME networks can contribute to international performance, extending our understanding of RBV. This study further confirmed the dynamic impact of business networks on international performance, such that it changes over the course of the internationalization process.
Factors influencing agents’ bargaining power and collaborative innovation
Authors: Lee Yung-Heng , Yan Min-Ren
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors influencing bargaining decisions and systematically develop a framework to support collaborative innovation within a strategic alliance. This framework can help companies resolve bargaining problems and facilitate cooperation and effective negotiation of strategic alliances to build successful business relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

The study considers Taiwanese agents’ bargaining power during negotiations with suppliers, using decision analysis to identify the variables affecting judgment. It uses Delphi–AHP methods to evaluate and develop a multi-criteria model explaining the critical factors to increase agents’ bargaining power and collaborative capability in the negotiation process.

Findings

Two significant differences between supply chain management practices and managerial specialty are found. Results suggest that better supply chain management practices of agents could assist suppliers in reducing their stock and processing delivery costs, and suppliers could offer more of their marketing planning and strategies to agents to increase confidence in each other’s products.

Research limitations/implications

It is hoped that this study will encourage more academics in the supply chain management field to investigate the extent to which other bargaining considerations act as facilitating or constraining factors in other Asian and non-Asian economies and other industries.

Practical implications

This study focuses on collaborative thinking and cooperation to develop and improve positive and relational outcomes in agent–supplier relationships.

Originality/value

The study analyzed the bargaining power of agents and collaborative innovation in the semiconductor industry from three major perspectives: professional competence, managerial competence and channel efficiency. The study provides effective suggestions for enhancing profits in agency-based cooperation.
Challenges in public private partnerships in construction industry
Authors: Jayasuriya Sajani , Zhang Guomin , Jing Yang Rebecca
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Public private partnerships (PPPs) face challenges in implementation and operation, and need efforts to improve their performance. The purpose of this paper is to review the PPP literature quantitatively and qualitatively, in order to establish challenge themes and set research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

More than 4,000 papers published between 2008 and 2017 were retrieved. From this collection, papers from five major international journals were selected to explore extant PPP research findings under six main PPP challenges including: challenges related to financial management, concession period and price determination, operational phase, risk management, PPP project procurement and stakeholder management (SM). Initially, the papers were categorised quantitatively into the identified challenges and subsequently the articles were qualitatively analysed and discussed.

Findings

Poor SM, the complexity of risk management models, project delivery time and cost overruns, inadequate consideration of whole life-cycle aspects and over-reliance on a Public Sector Comparator for evaluating PPPs are found to be the most commonly encountered issues. These all warrant more extensive attention and innovative solutions.

Practical implications

PPP projects have faced many challenges in practice and also existing research findings have limited application in practice. Challenges highlighted in this research can be a focus area in practice to improve the performance of PPPs.

Originality/value

No previous reviews have explored the challenges relating to PPP projects and how they can then addressed by further studies in the field. This review is intended to address that gap, and should help to shed light on further research directions to address the emerging challenges in PPP procurement.