bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community transmission of rotavirus infection in a vaccinated population in Malawi: a prospective household cohort study
Authors: Bennett Aisleen , Pollock Louisa , Bar-Zeev Naor , Lewnard Joseph A. , Jere Khuzwayo C. , Lopman Benjamin , Iturriza-Gomara Miren , Pitzer Virginia E. , Cunliffe Nigel A.
Published: April 2020

Background

Rotavirus vaccine effectiveness (VE) is reduced among children in low-income countries (LICs). Indirect (transmission-mediated) effects of rotavirus vaccine may contribute to the total population impact of vaccination. We estimated the effectiveness of rotavirus vaccine in preventing transmission of rotavirus to household contacts in Blantyre, Malawi.

Methods

We recruited vaccine-age-eligible children with acute rotavirus gastroenteritis (case-children), together with their household contacts. Clinical data and stool samples were collected from case-children at presentation, and prospectively from household contacts over 14 days. A single stool sample was collected from control households containing asymptomatic children age-matched to case-children. Samples were tested for rotavirus using real-time PCR. Risk factors for household transmission of rotavirus infection and clinical rotavirus disease were identified using logistic regression. Vaccine effectiveness against transmission (VET) was estimated as one minus the ratio of secondary attack rates (SAR) in vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, using VE estimates from the associated diarrhoeal surveillance platform to estimate the counterfactual SAR without vaccination.

Findings

A total of 196 case-households and 55 control-households were recruited. Household SAR for rotavirus infection was high (65%); SAR for clinical disease was much lower (5%). Asymptomatic infection in control households was common (28%). Increasing disease severity was associated with increased risk of transmission of both rotavirus infection and disease to household contacts. Estimated VET was 39% (95% confidence interval 16-57%).

Interpretation

Rotavirus vaccine has the potential to substantially reduce household rotavirus transmission. This should be considered in clinical and health economic assessments of vaccine impact.

Funding

Wellcome Trust and NIH/NIAID.
Transmembrane Stem Cell Factor Protein Therapeutics Enhance Revascularization in Ischemia without Mast Cell Activation
Authors: Takematsu Eri , Auster Jeff , Chen Po-Chih , Srinath Sanjana , Canga Sophia , Singh Aditya , Majid Marjan , Sherman Michael , Dunn Andrew , Graham Annette , Martin Patricia , Baker Aaron B.
Published: April 2020

Stem cell factor (SCF) is a cytokine that regulates hematopoiesis and other biological processes. While clinical treatments using SCF would be highly beneficial, these have been limited by toxicity related to mast cell activation. Transmembrane SCF (tmSCF) has differential activity from soluble SCF and has not been explored as a therapeutic agent. We created novel therapeutics using tmSCF embedded in proteoliposomes or lipid nanodiscs. Mouse models of anaphylaxis and ischemia revealed the tmSCF-based therapies did not activate mast cells and improved the revascularization in the ischemic hind limb. Proteoliposomal tmSCF preferentially acted on endothelial cells to induce angiogenesis while tmSCF nanodiscs had greater activity in inducing stem cell mobilization and recruitment to the site of injury. The type of lipid nanocarrier used altered the relative cellular uptake pathways and signaling in a cell type dependent manner. Overall, we found that tmSCF-based therapies can provide therapeutic benefits without off target effects.
Infection with novelBacteroides phage BV01alters host transcriptome and bile acid metabolism in a common human gut microbe
Authors: Campbell Danielle E. , Ly Lindsey K. , Ridlon Jason M. , Hsiao Ansel , Whitaker Rachel J. , Degnan Patrick H.
Published: April 2020

The bacterial genusBacteroidesis among the most abundant and common taxa in the human gut, yet little is known about the phages infecting the group.Bacteroides phage BV01(BV01) was identified as a prophage integrated on the chromosome of its host,Bacteroides vulgatusATCC 8482. Phage BV01 is actively produced, and infects susceptibleB. vulgatushosts in the mouse gut. Infection with BV01 causes a generalized repression of theB. vulgatustranscriptome, downregulating 103 transcripts and upregulating only 12. Integration of BV01 disrupts the promoter sequence of a downstream gene encoding a putative tryptophan-rich sensory protein (tspO). Deletion oftspOand subsequent RNAseq analysis revealed that more than half of the differentially-regulated transcripts are shared with the BV01 lysogen, suggesting the transcriptomic response to BV01 is linked totspO. Among these differentially-regulated transcripts are two encoding bile salt hydrolases. Bile acid deconjugation assays show that BV01 represses its host’s ability to hydrolyze bile acids in atspO-dependent manner. Analysis of 256 published healthy human gut metagenomes suggests that phage integration adjacent toB. vulgatus-liketspOgenes is rare within an individual, but common among humans. Finally, this work proposes a novel phage family that includes BV01, theSalyersviridae, whose host range spans theBacteroidesand is detectable in human-associated samples. Together, these findings highlight the importance of phage-host interactions to our understanding of how gut microbes sense and interact with their environment.

IMPORTANCE

The links between human disease and the gut microbiome are numerous. Most mechanisms by which most gut microbes and their activities change and impact human health remain elusive. Phages, viruses that infect bacteria, are hypothesized to play a central role in modulating both community dynamics and functional activities. Here we have characterized an active prophage, BV01, which infects a pervasive and abundant human gut-associated species. BV01 infection alters its host’s transcriptional profile including its metabolism of bile acids, molecules implicated in mediating health and disease states in the gut. This highlights that prophages and other components of the variable genome should not be overlooked in bacterial genomes because they may dramatically alter host phenotypes. Furthermore, BV01 represents a new family of phages infecting human gut symbionts, providing a foundation for future investigations of phage-host interactions in these clinically-relevant but underexplored hosts.
Comparison of thein vitroactivity of novel and established nitrification inhibitors applied in agriculture: challenging the effectiveness of the currently available compounds
Authors: Papadopoulou Evangelia S. , Bachtsevani Eleftheria , Lampronikou Eleni , Adamou Eleni , Katsaouni Afroditi , Thion Cécile , Vasileiadis Sotirios , Menkissoglu-Spiroudi Urania , Nicol Graeme W. , Karpouzas Dimitrios G.
Published: April 2020

Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) applied to soil reduce nitrogen fertilizer losses from agricultural ecosystems. Currently available NIs appear to selectively inhibit ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), while their impact on other groups of nitrifiers is limited. Ethoxyquin (EQ), a preservative shown to inhibit ammonia-oxidizers (AO) in soil, is rapidly transformed to 2,6-dihydro-2,2,4-trimethyl-6-quinone imine (QI) and 2,4-dimethyl-6-ethoxy-quinoline (EQNL). We compared the inhibitory potential of EQ and its derivativesin vitrowith other established NIs that have been applied in an agricultural setting (dicyandiamide (DCD), nitrapyrin (NP), 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP)) by evaluating their impact on the activity and growth of five soil-derived strains (two AOB (Nitrosomonas europaea, Nitrosospira multiformis), two ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) (“CandidatusNitrosocosmicus franklandus”, “CandidatusNitrosotalea sinensis”), and one nitrite-oxidizing bacterium (NOB) (Nitrobactersp.)). NIs degradation was also determined. AOA were more sensitive than AOB or NOB to EQ and its derivatives. Despite its transient character, QI was primarily responsible for AO inhibition by EQ, and the most potent NI against AOA. For AOB, QI was more potent than DCD but less than nitrapyrin and DMPP. AOA and NOB showed higher tolerance to the persistent compounds DCD and DMPP. Our findings benchmark the activity range of known and novel NIs with practical implications for their use, and the development of novel NIs with broad or complementary activity against all AO.
Distinct target-specific mechanisms homeostatically stabilize transmission at pre-and post-synaptic compartments
Authors: Goel Pragya , Nishimura Samantha , Chetlapalli Karthik , Li Xiling , Chen Catherine , Dickman Dion
Published: April 2020

Neurons must establish and stabilize connections made with diverse targets, each with distinct demands and functional characteristics. AtDrosophilaneuromuscular junctions, synaptic strength remains stable in a manipulation that simultaneously induces hypo-innervation on one target and hyper-innervation on the other. However, the expression mechanisms that achieve this exquisite target-specific homeostatic control remain enigmatic. Here, we identify the distinct target-specific homeostatic expression mechanisms. On the hypo-innervated target, an increase in postsynaptic glutamate receptor (GluR) abundance is sufficient to compensate for reduced innervation, without any apparent presynaptic adaptations. In contrast, a target-specific reduction in presynaptic neurotransmitter release probability is reflected by a decrease in active zone components restricted to terminals of hyper-innervated targets. Finally, loss of postsynaptic GluRs on one target induces a compartmentalized, homeostatic enhancement of presynaptic neurotransmitter release called presynaptic homeostatic potentiation that can be precisely balanced with the adaptations required for both hypo- and hyper-innervation to maintain stable synaptic strength. Thus, distinct anterograde and retrograde signaling systems operate at pre- and post-synaptic compartments to enable target-specific, homeostatic control of neurotransmission.
Impaired expression of chloroplast HSP90C chaperone activates plant defense responses leading to a disease symptom-like phenotype
Authors: Shaikhul Islam , Ashok Bhor Sachin , Keisuke Tanaka , Hikaru Sakamoto , Takashi Yaeno , Hidetaka Kaya , Kappei Kobayashi
Published: April 2020

RNA-seq analysis of a transgenic tobacco plant, i-hpHSP90C, in which chloroplastHSP90Cgenes can be silenced in an artificially inducible manner resulting in the development of chlorosis, revealed the up- and down-regulation of 2746 and 3490 genes, respectively. Gene Ontology analysis of these differentially expressed genes indicated the upregulation of ROS-responsive genes, the activation of the innate immunity and cell death pathways, and the downregulation of genes involved in photosynthesis, plastid organization, and cell cycle. Cell death was confirmed by trypan blue staining and electrolyte leakage assay and the H2O2production by diaminobenzidine staining. The upregulation of ER stress-responsive genes suggested the interplay between ER protein quality control and chloroplast or immune response. The results collectively suggest that the reduced levels of HSP90C chaperone leads the plant to develop chlorosis primarily through the global downregulation of chloroplast and photosynthesis-related genes and additionally through the light-dependent production of ROS, followed by the activation of immune responses including the cell death.

Highlight

Induced silencing ofHSP90Cgene caused the upregulation of stress-responsive genes and the activation of innate immune response, which resulted in the chlorosis development accompanying cell death.
Cryo-EM structure of the fully-loaded asymmetric anthrax lethal toxin in its heptameric pre-pore state
Authors: Antoni Claudia , Quentin Dennis , Lang Alexander E. , Aktories Klaus , Gatsogiannis Christos , Raunser Stefan
Published: April 2020

Anthrax toxin is the major virulence factor secreted byBacillus anthracis, causing high mortality in humans and other mammals. It consists of a membrane translocase, known as protective antigen (PA), that catalyzes the unfolding of its cytotoxic substrates lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF), followed by translocation into the host cell. Substrate recruitment to the heptameric PA pre-pore and subsequent translocation, however, are not well understood. Here, we report three high-resolution cryo-EM structures of the fully-loaded anthrax lethal toxin in its heptameric pre-pore state, which differ in the position and conformation of LFs. The structures reveal that three LFs interact with the heptameric PA and upon binding change their conformation to form a continuous chain of head-to-tail interactions. As a result of the underlying symmetry mismatch, one LF binding site in PA remains unoccupied. Whereas one LF directly interacts with a part of PA called α-clamp, the others do not interact with this region, indicating an intermediate state between toxin assembly and translocation. Interestingly, the interaction of the N-terminal domain with the α-clamp correlates with a higher flexibility in the C-terminal domain of the protein. Based on our data, we propose a model for toxin assembly, in which the order of LF binding determines which factor is translocated first.
Communicability distance reveals hidden patterns of Alzheimer disease
Authors: Lella Eufemia , Estrada Ernesto
Published: April 2020

The communicability distance between pairs of regions in human brain is used as a quantitative proxy for studying Alzheimer disease. Using this distance we obtain the shortest communicability path lengths between different regions of brain networks from Alzheimer diseased (AD) patients and healthy cohorts (HC). We show that the shortest communicability path length is significantly better than the shortest topological path length in distinguishing AD patients from HC. Based on this approach we identify 399 pairs of brain regions for which there are very significant changes in the shortest communicability path length after AD appears. We find that 42% of these regions interconnect both brain hemispheres, 28% connect regions inside the left hemisphere only and 20% affects vermis connection with brain hemispheres. These findings clearly agree with the disconnection syndrome hypothesis of Alzheimer disease. Finally, we show that in 76.9% damaged brain regions the shortest communicability path length drops in AD in relation to HC. This counterintuitive finding indicates that AD transforms the brain network into a more efficient system from the perspective of the transmission of the disease, because it drops the circulability of the disease factor around the brain regions in relation to its transmissibility to other regions.
The mRNA-binding protein HuR is a kinetically-privileged electrophile sensor
Authors: Poganik Jesse R. , Van Hall-Beauvais Alexandra K. , Long Marcus J. C. , Disare Michael T. , Zhao Yi , Aye Yimon
Published: April 2020

The key mRNA-binding proteins HuR and AUF1 are reported stress sensors in mammals. Intrigued by recent reports of sensitivity of these proteins to the electrophilic lipid prostaglandin A2 and other redox signals, we here examined their sensing abilities to a prototypical redox-linked lipid-derived electrophile, 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE). Leveraging our T-REX electrophile delivery platform, we found that only HuR, and not AUF1, is a kinetically-privileged sensor of HNE in HEK293T cells, and sensing functions through a specific cysteine, C13. Cells depleted of HuR, upon treatment with HNE, manifest unique alterations in cell viability and Nrf2-transcription-factor-driven antioxidant response (AR), which our recent work shows is regulated by HuR at the Nrf2-mRNA level. Mutagenesis studies showed that C13-specific sensing alone is not sufficient to explain HuR-dependent stress responsivities, further highlighting a complex context-dependent layer of Nrf2/AR regulation through HuR.
Physical and mental health characteristics of adults with subjective cognitive decline: A study of 3,407 people aged 18-81 years from an MTurk-based U.S. national sample
Authors: Van Patten Ryan , Nguyen Tanya T. , Mahmood Zanjbeel , Lee Ellen E. , Daly Rebecca E. , Palmer Barton W. , Wu Tsung-Chin , Tu Xin , Jeste Dilip V. , Twamley Elizabeth W.
Published: April 2020

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), or internal feelings of reduced mental capacity, is of increasing interest in the scientific, clinical, and lay community. Much of the extant literature is focused on SCD as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease in older adults, while less attention has been paid to non-cognitive health correlates of SCD across adulthood. Consequently, we investigated physical and mental health correlates of SCD in younger, middle-aged, and older adults. We recruited 3,407 U.S. residents through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, an online labor market. Participants completed a 90-item self-report survey questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, physical health, sleep, depression, anxiety, loneliness, wisdom, self-efficacy, and happiness. Overall, 493/1930 (25.5%) of younger adults (18-49) and 278/1032 (26.9%) of older adults (50 or older) endorsed the SCD item. Multivariate analysis of variance and follow-upt-tests revealed worse physical and mental health characteristics in people endorsing SCD compared to those who did not, with effect sizes primarily in the medium to large range. Additionally, age did not moderate relationships between SCD and physical and mental health. Results suggest that SCD is associated with a diverse set of negative health characteristics such as poor sleep and high body mass index, and lower levels of positive factors including happiness and wisdom. Effect sizes of psychological correlates of SCD were as large as (or larger than) those of physical correlates, indicating that mental health and affective symptoms may be critical to consider when evaluating SCD. Overall, findings from this large, national U.S. sample suggest the presence of relationships between SCD and multiple psychological and perceived health factors; our results also show that SCD may be highly prevalent in both younger and older adults, suggesting that it be assessed across the adult lifespan.
Mechanics and energetics of walking and running up and downhill: A joint-level perspective to guide design of lower-limb exoskeletons
Authors: Nuckols Richard W. , Takahashi Kota Z. , Farris Dominic J. , Mizrachi Sarai , Riemer Raziel , Sawicki Gregory S.
Published: April 2020

Lower-limb wearable robotic devices can provide effective assistance to both clinical and healthy populations; however, how assistance should be applied in different gait conditions and environments is still unclear. We suggest a biologically-inspired approach derived from knowledge of human locomotion mechanics and energetics to establish a ‘roadmap’ for wearable robot design. In this study, we characterize the changes in joint mechanics during both walking and running across a range of incline/decline grades and then provide an analysis that informs the development of lower-limb exoskeletons capable of operating across a range of mechanical demands. Eight subjects (6M,2F) completed five walking (1.25 m-1) trials at −15%, −10%, 0%, 10%, and 15% grade and five running (2.25 m s-1) trials at −10%, −5%, 0%, 5%, and 10% grade on a treadmill. We calculated time-varying joint moment and power output for the ankle, knee, and hip. For each gait, we examined how individual limb-joints contributed to total limb positive, negative and net power across grades. For both walking and running, changes in grade caused a redistribution of joint mechanical power generation and absorption. From level to incline walking, the ankle’s contribution to limb positive power decreased from 44% on the level to 28% at 15% uphill grade (p< 0.0001) while the hip’s contribution increased from 27% to 52% (p< 0.0001). In running, regardless of the surface gradient, the ankle was consistently the dominant source of lower-limb positive mechanical power (47-55%). In the context of our results, we outline three distinct use-modes that could be emphasized in future lower-limb exoskeleton designs 1) Energy injection: adding positive work into the gait cycle, 2) Energy extraction: removing negative work from the gait cycle, and 3) Energy transfer: extracting energy in one gait phase and then injecting it in another phase (i.e., regenerative braking).
Functional and transcriptional profiling of non-coding RNAs in yeast reveal context-dependent phenotypes and widespreadin transeffects on the protein regulatory network
Authors: Balarezo-Cisneros Laura Natalia , Parker Steven , Fraczek Marcin G , Timouma Soukaina , Wang Ping , O’Keefe Raymond T , Millar Catherine B , Delneri Daniela
Published: April 2020

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including the more recently identified Stable Unannotated Transcripts (SUTs) and Cryptic Unstable Transcripts (CUTs), are increasingly being shown to play pivotal roles in the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of genes in eukaryotes. Here, we carried out a large-scale screening of ncRNAs inSaccharomyces cerevisiae, and provide evidence for SUT and CUT function. Phenotypic data on 372 ncRNA deletion strains in 23 different growth conditions were collected, identifying ncRNAs responsible for significant cellular fitness changes. Transcriptome profiles were assembled for 18 haploid ncRNA deletion mutants and 2 essential ncRNA heterozygous deletants. Guided by the resulting RNA-seq data we analysed the genome-wide dysregulation of protein coding genes and non-coding transcripts. Novel functional ncRNAs, SUT125, SUT126, SUT035 and SUT532 that actin transby modulating transcription factors were identified. Furthermore, we described the impact of SUTs and CUTs in modulating coding gene expression in response of different environmental conditions, regulating important biological process such as respiration (SUT125, SUT126, SUT035, SUT432), steroid biosynthesis (CUT494, SUT530, SUT468) or rRNA processing (SUT075 and snR30). Overall, this data captures and integrates the regulatory and phenotypic network of ncRNAs and protein coding genes, providing genome-wide evidence of the impact of ncRNAs on cellular homeostasis.

Author Summary

The yeast genome contains 25% of non-coding RNA molecules (ncRNAs), which do not translate into proteins but are involved in regulation of gene expression. ncRNAs can affect nearby genes by physically interfering with their transcription (cismode of action), or they interact with DNA, proteins or others RNAs to regulate the expression of distant genes (transmode of action). Examples ofcis-acting ncRNAs have been broadly described, however genome-wide studies to identify functionaltrans-acting ncRNAs involved in global gene regulation are still lacking. Here, we used the ncRNA yeast deletion collection to score their impact on cellular function in different environmental conditions. A group of 20 ncRNAs mutants with broad fitness diversity were selected to investigate their effect on the protein and ncRNA expression network. We showed a high correlation between altered phenotypes and global transcriptional changes, in an environmental dependent manner. We confirmed the widespreadtransacting expressional regulation of ncRNAs in the genome and their role in affecting transcription factors. These findings support the notion of the involvement on ncRNAs in fine tuning the cellular expression via regulations of TFs, as an advantageous RNA-mediated mechanism that can be fast and cost-effective for the cells.
Temporal analysis of localization and trafficking of glycolipids
Authors: Arai Kenta , Kabayama Kazuya , Kanie Yoshimi , Kanie Osamu , Fukase Koichi
Published: April 2020

Glycolipid metabolism occurs in the Golgi apparatus, but the detailed mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. We used fluorescently labeled glycolipids to analyze glycolipid composition and localization changes and shed light on glycolipid metabolism. In a previous study, the fatty chain of lactosyl ceramide was fluorescently labeled with BODIPY (LacCer-BODIPY) before being introduced into cultured cells to analyze the cell membrane glycolipid recycling process. However, imaging analysis of glycolipid recycling is complicated because of limited spatial resolution. Therefore, we examined the microscopic conditions that allow the temporal analysis of LacCer-BODIPY trafficking and localization. We observed that the glycolipid fluorescent probe migrated from the cell membrane to intracellular organelles before returning to the cell membrane. We used confocal microscopy to observe co-localization of the glycolipid probe with endosomes and Golgi markers, demonstrating that it recycles mainly through the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Here, a glycolipid recycling pathway was observed that did not require the lipids to pass through the lysosome.
AthCNV: A Map of DNA Copy Number Variations in the Arabidopsis Genome
Authors: Zmienko Agnieszka , Marszalek-Zenczak Malgorzata , Wojciechowski Pawel , Samelak-Czajka Anna , Luczak Magdalena , Kozlowski Piotr , Karlowski Wojciech M. , Figlerowicz Marek
Published: April 2020

Copy number variations (CNVs) greatly contribute to intraspecies genetic polymorphism and phenotypic diversity. Recent analyses of sequencing data for >1000 Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accessions focused on small variations and did not include CNVs. Here, we performed genome-wide analysis and identified large indels (50 to 499 bp) and CNVs (500 bp and larger) in these accessions. The CNVs fully overlap with 18.3% of protein-coding genes, with enrichment for evolutionarily young genes and genes involved in stress and defense. By combining analysis of both genes and transposable elements (TEs) affected by CNVs, we revealed that the variation statuses of genes and TEs are tightly linked and jointly contribute to the unequal distribution of these elements in the genome. We also determined the gene copy numbers in a set of 1060 accessions and experimentally validated the accuracy of our predictions by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assays. We then successfully used the CNVs as markers to analyze population structure and migration patterns. Finally, we examined the impact of gene dosage variation triggered by a CNV spanning the SEC10 gene on SEC10 expression at both the transcript and protein levels. The catalog of CNVs, CNV-overlapping genes, and their genotypes in a top model dicot will stimulate the exploration of the genetic basis of phenotypic variation.
Crystal structures, thermal stabilities, and dissolution behaviours of tinidazole and the tinidazole–vanillic acid cocrystal: insights from energy frameworks
Authors: Zheng Kang , Xie Changjian , Li Xiaowei , Wu Weiwei , Li Ao , Qian Shaosong , Pang Qiuxiang
Published: April 2020

The crystal structures of the antimicrobial drug tinidazole [TNZ; systematic name: 1-(2-ethylsulfonylethyl)-2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole, C8H13N3O4S] and the 1:1 cocrystal ofTNZwith the naturally occurring compound vanillic acid (VA; systematic name: 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid, C8H8O4), namely, theTNZ–VAcocrystal, were determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis at 100 K. The supramolecular structure of theTNZ–VAcocrystal is composed of a carboxylic acid dimer and an O—H...N(heterocycle) synthon in the form of layers made up of O—H...N and O—H...O hydrogen bonds. The layers are joinedviaC—H...O hydrogen bonds, π–π stacking and C—H...π interactions. The energy framework analysis, together with interaction energy calculations using the DLPNO-CCSD(T) method, indicates that theTNZ–VAcocrystal inherits strong interactions from theTNZandVAcrystals, which accounts for the enhanced thermal stability and reduced dissolution rate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of a cocrystal containingTNZ.
Determinant factors of climate change adaptation by pastoral/agro-pastoral communities and smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Menghistu Habtamu Taddele , Abraha Amanuel Zenebe , Tesfay Girmay , Mawcha Gebrehiwot Tadesse
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the determinant factors of climate change adaptation (CCA) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Design/methodology/approach

Studies that focused on determinant factors of CCA by crop–livestock farmers and pastoralists in SSA and written in English were reviewed from five major databases using the applications of Endnote and NVivo. The review process followed a sequence of steps to reach into the final selection.

Findings

A total of 3,028 papers were recovered from the databases and screened for duplicates (777) and publications before 2000 (218). The titles and abstracts of 2,033 papers were reviewed, and 1,903 of them were excluded owing to preliminary exclusion criteria. Finally, 130 papers were selected for full-text review and more detailed assessment, where 36 papers qualified for the final review. The most important determinant factors of CCA by pastoralists were household income, access to information, access to extension services, government support and access to market. In the case of agro-pastoralists, access to information, household income, age and land/livestock ownership were found as the major determinant factors. Household income, land ownership, access to information, farm size, household size and access to extension services were the determinant factors found for CCA by smallholder farmers.

Research limitations/implications

This systematic review identified the major determinant factors according to production systems and highlights the importance of considering specific factors in designing CCA strategies.

Originality/value

After clearly stating the research question, a literature search was conducted from the major databases for climate-related research, and a comprehensive search was performed by two independent researchers.
Institutional change of cloud ERP implementation in the public sector
Authors: Alsharari Nizar Mohammad
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explain the transformation process from using regular enterprise resource planning (ERP) system into implementing Cloud ERP system in the UAE public sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a qualitative case study and analyzes the primary evidences from in-depth interviews with the case organization’s personnel. It conducts a thematic analysis of the interviews’ findings. Furthermore, the study uses secondary and tertiary resources from published sources comprising the case organization’s website and previous studies.

Findings

The findings demonstrated that the transformation process to Cloud ERP could result in different practical benefits in an organization’s controlling system, cost reduction and profitability. Conversely, results revealed that the effectiveness of implementing cloud ERP is dependable on the provider’s professionalism; hence resulting in issues related to minimized organizational independence. In addition, the paper’s findings provide evidenced clarifications about the controversial misconceptions of Cloud ERP’s privacy issues.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is exposed to the regular case studies limitations, as the study is a qualitative research studying one case company. Thus, the study findings should be strengthened by future quantitative researches on more companies with implying more statistical analysis.

Practical implications

The paper has important implications for practitioners and decision-makers, as it presents significant and reality-based information about Cloud ERP implementation’s benefits and drawbacks. It thus enhances decision-makers’ ability to make an appropriate and suitable decision about adopting the Cloud ERP in the public sector.

Originality/value

As Cloud ERP is still emerging, this study is one of the very few case studies that discuss and present some experienced benefits and issues related to Cloud ERP implementation in UAE Government. This study also uses transformation theory to analyze the data.
Antecedents to buyer-supplier coordination in the pharmaceutical supply chain
Authors: Jambulingam Thanigavelan , Kathuria Ravi
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand the antecedents that influence supply chain coordination in the pharmaceutical supply chain using the transaction cost analysis framework.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 156 retail pharmacies on their relationship with the pharmaceutical wholesalers are used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The findings of this paper show the importance of antecedents that are based on the transactional cost theory, such as asset specificity and environmental uncertainty. These antecedents impact the supply chain process coordination at different levels – transactional, operational and strategic.

Research limitations/implications

Future research may investigate additional antecedents using other theoretical lenses.

Practical implications

Pharmaceutical wholesalers are dependent on pharmaceutical manufacturers for the supply of products and face intense competition that results in lower profit margins. Given that the pharmaceutical industry is strictly regulated, the wholesaler facilitates regulatory compliance of the manufacturers in the distribution process by coordinating with them. But the wholesalers do also face a constant threat from the manufacturers, who could potentially bypass the wholesalers (disintermediation) and go directly to the pharmacies. To counterbalance the dependence, the wholesalers strive to achieve loyalty with the retail pharmacies. Through supply chain coordination, the wholesalers achieve efficiency in procurement for the pharmacies, thus reducing cost and improving their competitive advantage.

Social implications

Supply chain coordination in the pharmaceutical supply chain improves the safety and security of the pharmaceutical distribution system.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the supply chain coordination stream of literature. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to develop the three levels of process coordination in the pharmaceutical supply chain context. This paper shows how process coordination can be achieved between the dyad without vertical integration.
Social capital affects job performance through social media
Authors: Yen Yung-Shen , Chen Mei-Chun , Su Chun-Hsiung
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore the impact of social capital on job performance when workers interact with coworkers through social media in organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was conducted, and a sample of 230 workers in Taiwan was investigated.

Findings

This study found that bonding social capital has a greater impact on job performance than bridging social capital for interactions among coworkers through social media in organizations. Moreover, bridging social capital affects job performance more strongly for male workers than for female workers, but bonding social capital affects job performance more strongly for female workers than for male workers.

Research limitations/implications

This study extended social capital theory by adding the mediating effects of job satisfaction and relational satisfaction and the moderating effect of gender into the model.

Practical implications

This study suggests that company managers need to train workers how to use social media to appropriate their affordances and consider the work team relationship to position adequate strategies for male and female workers.

Originality/value

This study advances the previous knowledge of social capital theory for workers interacting with coworkers through social media in organizations.
OKC-enabled online knowledge integration: role of group heterogeneity and group interaction process
Authors: Qiu Jiangnan , Xu Liwei , Zuo Min , Wang Jingxian , Helen Weadon
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Online knowledge integration has been an important concern of the online knowledge community as it can lead to various positive outcomes of online knowledge coproduction. This paper identifies online knowledge integration factors by considering group heterogeneity and group interaction process.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the categorization-elaboration model (CEM) and interactive team cognition (ITC) theory, a research model that reflects the antecedent's factors and mediating factors of online knowledge integration was developed and empirically examined based on data collected from 2,339,836 data extracted from Wikipedia.

Findings

Group interaction process plays an essential mediator role in online knowledge integration. Group knowledge heterogeneity negatively influences online knowledge integration and group experience heterogeneity positively, and they both positively promote online knowledge integration through group interaction process with different paths.

Research limitations

Our research concerns the OKC context in one setting (Wikipedia). We expect that the results will generalize to other OKC platforms.

Practical implications

The findings of the study could assist the online knowledge community's organizers to understand the motivational mechanisms of online knowledge integration. Group interaction process could be regarded as the key role to promote group wisdom and maintain group independence.

Social implications

We advance the understanding of the online knowledge integration and gain a richer understanding of the importance of group interaction independence for online knowledge integration based on the agreement of group wisdom. It suggested keeping group interaction independence is an important aspect for highly online knowledge integration among heterogeneity groups.

Originality/value

This study extends CEM and ITC theory to the domain of knowledge integration context and finds the mechanism between group heterogeneity and online knowledge integration by introducing the group interaction process.
The impact of telematics on the insurability of risks
Authors: Eling Martin , Kraft Mirko
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of telematics in insurance and its consequences for the insurability of risks. Empirical results on monitoring policyholders or insured objects and its consequences for asymmetric information, as well as claims frequency and severity are discussed. Furthermore, potential future research questions that arise from the use of telematics in risk management and insurance are outlined.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper systematically reviews existing studies and then investigates the consequences of telematics using Berliner’s insurability criteria. The results are based on 52 academic studies and industry papers published from 2000 to 2019.

Findings

The findings emphasize the effects of new information on information asymmetry and risk pooling, the implications of new technologies on loss frequency and severity, legal restrictions and ethical consequences of the use of telematics in the insurance field. Problems with the insurability impede the market development of innovations such as telematics tariffs.

Originality/value

Despite its increasing relevance for businesses at present, research on telematics in insurance is limited. Some papers can be found in the IT domain, but relatively little research has been done in the business and economics literature. The authors illustrate where the research stands currently and outline directions for future research.
AI voice bots: a services marketing research agenda
Authors: Klaus Phil , Zaichkowsky Judy
Published: April 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to document how AI has changed the way consumers make decisions and propose how that change impacts services marketing, service research and service management.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the literature, documentation of sales and customer service experiences support the evolution of bot-driven consumer decision-making, proposing the bot-driven service platform as a key component of the service experience.

Findings

Today the focus is on convenience, the less time and effort, the better. The authors propose that AI has taken convenience to a new level for consumers. By using bots as their service of choice, consumers outsource their decisions to algorithms, hence give little attention to traditional consumer decision-making models and brand emphasis. At the moment, this is especially true for low involvement types of decisions, but high involvement decisions are on the cusp of delegating to AI. Therefore, management needs to change how they view consumers’ decision-making-processes and how services are being managed.

Research limitations/implications

In an AI-convenience driven service economy, the emphasis needs to be on search ranking or warehouse stock, rather than the traditional drivers of brand values such as service quality. Customer experience management will shift from interaction with products and services toward interactions with new service platforms such as AI, bots. Hence, service marketing, as the authors know it might be in decline and be replaced by an efficient complex attribute computer decision-making model.

Originality/value

The change in consumer behavior leads to a change in the service marketing approach needed in the world of AI. The bot, the new service platform is now in charge of search and choice for many purchase situations.
Sustainability intention: mediator of sustainability behavioral control and sustainable entrepreneurship
Authors: Kimuli Saadat Nakyejwe Lubowa , Orobia Laura , Sabi Humphrey Muki , Tsuma Clive Katiba
Published: April 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report results of a study carried out to establish the mediation effect of sustainability intention in the relationship between sustainability behavioral control and sustainable entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is cross sectional and correlational. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 384 small businesses. Data were analyzed through correlation coefficients and linear regression using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and the Medgraph program.

Findings

The results suggest that sustainability intention partially mediates the relationship between sustainability behavioral control and sustainable entrepreneurship. Results further indicate that sustainability behavioral control and sustainability intention are significant predictors of sustainable entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

This study provides an initial empirical evidence on the mediation effect of sustainability intention in the relationship between sustainability behavioral control and sustainable entrepreneurship. To the researcher's knowledge, no study had been conducted on such an interesting topic using evidence from a developing country such as Uganda.
Sex‐specific differences in the response of prey to predation risk
Authors: Donelan Sarah C. , Trussell Geoffrey C.
Published: April 2020

The non‐consumptive effects of predation risk can strongly affect prey behaviour and fitness with emergent effects on community structure and ecosystem functioning. Prey may respond differently to predation risk based on key traits such as sex, but the influence of sex‐specific variation is typically explored in species with strong sexual dimorphism. However, sex‐specific responses to predation risk may arise even in prey species lacking sexual dimorphisms based on differences in the relative cost of reproduction.

Using a rocky intertidal food chain, we conducted a laboratory mesocosm experiment to explore sex‐specific responses of morphologically similar, reproductively mature prey (the snail Nucella lapillus) to predation risk and whether risk affected female fecundity.

We found that predation risk suppressed prey growth only in males via effects on growth efficiency, suggesting that sex‐specific disparities may arise due to differences in the energy required for reproduction and/or the costs of mounting a physiological stress response. Moreover, while risk did not affect overall female fecundity, it eliminated the positive relationship between female size and fecundity observed in the absence of risk.

We hypothesize that these sex‐specific disparities arise due to differences in the energy required for reproduction and/or the costs of mounting a physiological stress response. Reproduction is likely more energetically costly for females than males, so females may display weaker antipredator responses in order to maintain energetic reserves needed for reproduction. Our results suggest that sex‐specific responses may be an important component of inter‐individual differences in prey responses to risk and influence prey population growth and demography even in species lacking sexual dimorphism.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Gut enterotypes are stable during Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus probiotic supplementation
Authors: Haddad Eliot N. , Sugino Kameron Y. , Tucker Robin M. , Comstock Sarah S.
Published: April 2020

The human gut microbiome has been classified into three distinct enterotypes (Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Ruminococcus). The relationship between probiotics and gut enterotype is not yet clear. Cayenne pepper is effective in vitro as a prebiotic for Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, so cayenne ingestion with probiotics may lead to more profound gut microbial shifts. We aimed to determine whether probiotics (with or without cayenne pepper) alter gut bacterial community composition and if these changes are associated with the original gut enterotype of the individual. A total of 27 adult participants provided three fecal samples: prior to probiotic treatment (baseline), post probiotic treatment (probiotic), and post probiotic plus cayenne pepper treatment (probiotic + cayenne). DNA was extracted, amplified, and the V4 region sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform using V2 chemistry. Sequence reads were processed in mothur and assigned using the SILVA reference by phylotype. Three enterotypes characterized the study population—Bacteroides (B; n = 6), Prevotella (P; n = 11), and Ruminoccocus (R; n = 10). There was no significant increase in probiotic genera in fecal samples after treatment periods. Alpha diversity scores were significantly lower in B‐type but not in P‐ or R‐type individuals after probiotic treatment. For the majority of individuals, their enterotype remained constant regardless of probiotic (and cayenne) treatment. This suggests that baseline gut community characteristics and enterotype classification influence responsiveness to probiotic treatment, but that enterotype is stable across administration of prebiotic and probiotics.

Practical Application

A person's gut microbial community influences their responsiveness to probiotics and prebiotic ingredients. Consumers must understand that it is difficult to shift their gut microbiota even with simultaneous administration of prebiotic and probiotic. Greater understanding of these phenomena will enable consumers to choose the most efficacious products for their needs.