bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple origins of Hawaiian drosophilids: Phylogeography ofScaptomyzaHardy (Diptera: Drosophilidae)
Authors: Katoh Toru , Izumitani Hiroyuki F. , Yamashita Shinji , Watada Masayoshi
Published: July 2016

Scaptomyzais a highly diversified genus in the family Drosophilidae, having undergone an explosive radiation, along with the Hawaiian‐endemic genusIdiomyiain the Hawaiian Islands: about 60% of 269Scaptomyzaspecies so far described are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Two hypotheses have been proposed for the origin and diversification of Hawaiian drosophilids. One is the “single Hawaiian origin” hypothesis:ScaptomyzaandIdiomyiadiverged from a single common ancestor that had once colonized the Hawaiian Islands, and then non‐HawaiianScaptomyzamigrated back to continents. The other is the “multiple origins” hypothesis: HawaiianScaptomyzaandIdiomyiaderived from different ancestors that independently colonized the Hawaiian Islands. A key issue for testing these two hypotheses is to clarify the phylogenetic relationships between Hawaiian and non‐Hawaiian species inScaptomyza. Toward this goal, we sampled additional non‐HawaiianScaptomyzaspecies, particularly in the Old World, and determined the nucleotide sequences of four mitochondrial and seven nuclear genes for these species. Combining these sequence data with published data for 79 species, we reconstructed the phylogeny and estimated ancestral distributions and divergence times. In the resulting phylogenetic trees, non‐HawaiianScaptomyzaspecies were interspersed in two Hawaiian clades. From a reconstruction of ancestral biogeography, we inferred thatIdiomyiaandScaptomyzadiverged outside the Hawaiian Islands and then independently colonized the Hawaiian Islands, twice inScaptomyza, thus supporting the “multiple origins” hypothesis.
The comparative effects of diethyldithiocarbamate–copper complex with established proteasome inhibitors on expression levels of CYP1A2/3A4 and their master regulators, aryl hydrocarbon and pregnane X receptor in primary cultures of human hepatocytes
Authors: Vrzal Radim , Dvorak Zdenek
Published: July 2016

In the recent years, a therapeutic potential of disulfiram (Antabuse) complex with copper, as an anticancer drug, was recognized towards several cancer cell lines. The proteasome was suggested as one of the cellular targets for this compound. As the therapeutic use of diethyldithiocarbamate–copper complex (CuET) is expected to increase, it is of great interest to know whether this compound may be the source of drug–drug interactions via the induction of biotransformation enzymes, especially cytochromes P450 (CYPs). To this purpose, we examined the effect of CuET and compared it with typical inducers (rifampicin and dioxin) of CYPs and with well‐established proteasome inhibitors (MG132 and bortezomib). Diethyldithiocarbamate–copper complex revealed inconsistent and rather modulatory effect on the expression of CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 in several cultures of human hepatocytes. Moreover, it was able to cause neither ubiquitin accumulation nor significant and dose‐dependent inhibition of proteasome activity. It had no effect on essential transcription factors involved in regulation of selected CYPs, aryl hydrocarbon (AhR) nor pregnane X receptor (PXR). However, the AhR protein was increased in majority of examined hepatocyte cultures. The main finding of this study is that: (i) disulfiram–copper complex is not the cause of drug–drug interactions via CYP1A2/3A4 induction; (ii) proteasome inhibitors may have different impact on studied parameters in given in vitro system.
Potential therapeutic action of natural products from traditional Chinese medicine on Alzheimer's disease animal models targeting neurotrophic factors
Authors: Wei Shuyong
Published: July 2016

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in which the death of brain cells leads to memory loss and cognitive decline. To reduce the death rate and improve the biological activity of neurocytes, neurotrophic factors (NTFs) exhibit therapeutic effect on AD. However, therapeutic application of exogenous NTFs in treatment of AD is largely limited due to short half‐life, poor stability, etc. Various extracts of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have been shown to exhibit therapeutic effects on AD, and some of these effects are associated with regulation on the expression of nerve growth factor, brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and their associated receptors. This article reviews the progress on promotion of Panax ginseng, Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch., Epimedium, Polygala tenuifolia Willd, and seven other TCMs on secretion of NTFs during AD, with a view to preparation development and clinical application of these TCMs on AD.
The cytosolic cochaperone Sti1 is relevant for mitochondrial biogenesis and morphology
Authors: Hoseini Hoda , Pandey Saroj , Jores Tobias , Schmitt Anja , Franz‐Wachtel Mirita , Macek Boris , Buchner Johannes , Dimmer Kai Stefan , Rapaport Doron
Published: July 2016

Most mitochondrial proteins are synthesized in the cytosol prior to their import into the organelle. It is commonly accepted that cytosolic factors are required for delivering precursor proteins to the mitochondrial surface and for keeping newly synthesized proteins in an import‐competent conformation. However, the identity of such factors and their defined contribution to the import process are mostly unknown. Using a presequence‐containing model protein and a site‐directed photo‐crosslinking approach in yeast cells we identified the cytosolic chaperones Hsp70 (Ssa1) and Hsp90 (Hsp82) as well as their cochaperones, Sti1 and Ydj1, as putative cytosolic factors involved in mitochondrial protein import. Deletion of STI1 caused both alterations in mitochondrial morphology and lower steady‐state levels of a subset of mitochondrial proteins. In addition, double deletion of STI1 with the mitochondrial import factors, MIM1 or TOM20, showed a synthetic growth phenotype indicating a genetic interaction of STI1 with these genes. Moreover, recombinant cytosolic domains of the import receptors Tom20 and Tom70 were able to bind in vitro Sti1 and other cytosolic factors. In summary, our observations point to a, direct or indirect, role of Sti1 for mitochondrial functionality.
A Note on Capital IQ's Credit Line Data
Authors: Mathers Ani Manakyan , Giacomini Emanuela
Published: July 2016

Empirical work in finance is increasingly using Capital IQ's detailed data on capital structure. We compare the Capital IQ credit line data to hand‐collected data for a random sample of firms. Missing values in Capital IQ are prevalent, so the data set underreports the importance of corporate credit lines. When data are reported, Capital IQ often differs from hand‐collected credit line activity. We suggest methods for correcting the errors in the Capital IQ data, note which portions of the data are most reliable, and quantify the effects of Capital IQ's underreporting by examining the tradeoff between cash and lines of credit.
Tracking lags in historical plant species’ shifts in relation to regional climate change
Authors: Ash Jeremy D. , Givnish Thomas J. , Waller Donald M.
Published: July 2016

Can species shift their distributions fast enough to track changes in climate? We used abundance data from the 1950s and the 2000s in Wisconsin to measure shifts in the distribution and abundance of 78 forest‐understory plant species over the last half‐century and compare these shifts to changes in climate. We estimated temporal shifts in the geographic distribution of each species using vectors to connect abundance‐weighted centroids from the 1950s and 2000s. These shifts in distribution reflect colonization, extirpation, and changes in abundance within sites, separately quantified here. We then applied climate analog analyses to compute vectors representing the climate change that each species experienced. Species shifted mostly to the northwest (mean: 49 ± 29 km) primarily reflecting processes of colonization and changes in local abundance. Analog climates for these species shifted even further to the northwest, however, exceeding species’ shifts by an average of 90 ± 40 km. Most species thus failed to match recent rates of climate change. These lags decline in species that have colonized more sites and those with broader site occupancy, larger seed mass, and higher habitat fidelity. Thus, species’ traits appear to affect their responses to climate change, but relationships are weak. As climate change accelerates, these lags will likely increase, potentially threatening the persistence of species lacking the capacity to disperse to new sites or locally adapt. However, species with greater lags have not yet declined more in abundance. The extent of these threats will likely depend on how other drivers of ecological change and interactions among species affect their responses to climate change.
Nucleation of amino acid‐rich crystals on the surface of dried scallop (Chlamys farreri) during storage: formation mechanism and influence of environmental relative humidity
Authors: Hu Jinhua , Zhang Junwei , Liu Dasong , Regenstein Joe M. , Zhou Peng
Published: July 2016

Formation of crystals on the surface of dried scallop (Chlamys farreri) adductor muscle is often observed during storage. The composition of these white crystals was determined, and the effect of relative humidity (RH) during storage on their formation was also studied. The white crystals were determined as the crystal of free amino acids, mainly composed of taurine (Tau) and glycine (Gly). The main polymorphic form of glycine in the crystals was further confirmed as the γ‐form. Besides free amino acids, another major part of the crystal composition was ions, such as Na+, NH4+, K+, PO43− and Cl−. The presence of various free amino acids and Na+ and K+ might contribute to the crystallisation of γ‐glycine. RH particularly at 65% and above significantly increased the amount of crystals. RH of 43% and below was recommended to prevent the formation of amino acid‐rich crystals on dried scallops during storage.
The effect of thermal processing and storage on the physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility of potatoes
Authors: Dupuis John H. , Lu Zhan‐Hui , Yada Rickey Y. , Liu Qiang
Published: July 2016

Shepody potatoes were cooked using three common cooking methods – microwaving, boiling and pressure cooking. Microwaving for 2.5 min retained the highest amounts of slowly digestible starch (SDS, 19.6%) and resistant starch (RS, 48.8%) as compared to the other cooking treatments. Similarly, enthalpy and FTIR results (ratio of 1047/1022 cm−1) were also higher for microwaved samples, again indicating incomplete gelatinisation. Potatoes were also boiled for 15, 30 or 45 min, followed by 1, 3 or 7 days retrogradation at 23 or 4 °C. Retrogradation enthalpy increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) with increased storage time and decreased storage temperature; FTIR results displayed temperature dependency; at 4 °C, ordered structure increased with increasing storage time, whereas the opposite trend was seen at 23 °C. Lastly, formation of SDS and RS was favoured for longer boiling times (30 – 45 min), extended storage times (3–7 days) and 4 °C.
Increased Circulating Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase‐2 Is Associated With Resistant Hypertension
Authors: Sabbatini Andrea R. , Barbaro Natalia R. , de Faria Ana Paula , Modolo Rodrigo , Ritter Alessandra Mileni V. , Pinho Claudio , Amorim Rivadavio Fernandes Batista , Fontana Vanessa , Moreno Heitor
Published: July 2016

Resistant hypertension (RH) is associated with organ damage and cardiovascular risk. Evidence suggests the involvement of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP‐2) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP‐2) in hypertension and in cardiovascular remodeling. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of MMP‐2 and TIMP‐2 in RH and its relation with organ damage, including arterial stiffness and cardiac hypertrophy. MMP‐2 and TIMP‐2 levels were compared among 19 patients with normotension (NT), 116 with nonresistant hypertension (HTN) and 116 patients with resistant HTN (RH). MMP‐2 levels showed no differences among NT, HTN, and RH groups, while TIMP‐2 levels were higher in RH compared with HTN and NT groups (90.0 [76.1–107.3] vs 70.1 [57.7–88.3] vs 54.7 [40.9–58.1] ng/mL, P<.01), respectively. MMP‐2/TIMP‐2 ratio was reduced in the RH group compared with the HTN and NT groups (2.7 [1.9–3.4] vs 3.3 [2.6–4.2] vs 4.9 [4.5–5.3], P<.01), respectively. No associations were found between MMP‐2 levels, TIMP‐2, and MMP‐2/TIMP‐2 ratio with cardiac hypertrophy and arterial stiffness in the RH and HTN groups. Finally, in a regression analysis, reduced MMP‐2/TIMP‐2 ratio and increased TIMP‐2 levels were independently associated with RH. The present findings provide evidence that TIMP‐2 is associated with RH and might be a possible biomarker for screening RH patients.
Association between gestational weight gain and risk of obesity in preadolescence: a longitudinal study (1997–2007) of 5125 children in Greece
Authors: Mourtakos S. P. , Tambalis K. D. , Panagiotakos D. B. , Antonogeorgos G. , Alexi C. D. , Georgoulis M. , Saade G. , Sidossis L. S.
Published: July 2016

Background

The present study aimed to investigate the association between gestational weight gain (GWG) and birth weight, as well as the body mass index (BMI) status, of children at the ages of 2 and 8 years.

Methods

Population‐based data were obtained from a database of all 7–9‐year‐old Greek children who attended primary school during 1997–2007. The study sample consisted of 5125 children matched with their mothers, randomly selected according to region and place of residence, and equally distributed (approximately 500 per year) throughout the study period (1997–2007). A standardised questionnaire was applied; telephone interviews were carried out to collect maternal age, BMI status at the beginning and the end of pregnancy and GWG, birth weight of offspring and BMI status at the ages of 2 and 8 years, as well as several other pregnancy characteristics (e.g. pregnancy duration, gestational medical problems, maternal smoking and alcohol consumption habits, and lactation of offspring after pregnancy).

Results

Gestational weight gain was positively associated with the weight status of offspring at all three life stages studied: newborn (birth weight), infant (BMI) and child (BMI) [b = 0.008 (0.001), b = 0.053 (0.009) and b = 0.034 (0.007), respectively, all P < 0.001], after adjusting for maternal age at pregnancy (significant inverse predictor only at age 2 years). The same applied to excessive GWG, as defined by the Institute of Medicine guidelines.

Conclusions

Excessive GWG was associated with a higher risk of greater infant size at birth and a higher BMI status at the ages of 2 and 8 years. Healthcare providers should encourage women to limit their GWG to the range indicated by the current guidelines.
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease and their treating clinicians have different views regarding diet
Authors: Holt D. Q. , Strauss B. J. , Moore G. T.
Published: July 2016

Background

Diet and body composition play unclear roles in the pathogenesis, activity and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Evidence‐based guidance regarding dietary modification in IBD is lacking. We aimed to determine the attitudes of IBD patients and clinicians to diet.

Methods

The present cross‐sectional study comprised an online questionnaire distributed to members of a national IBD patient organisation, assessing demographics, anthropometry, disease phenotype and dietary beliefs. Dietitians, gastroenterologists and surgeons were targeted for a similar questionnaire as a result of membership of national professional bodies.

Results

Nine hundred and twenty‐eight patients (72.2% female; mean age 39.5 years; age range 5–91 years) responded. Two‐thirds of the patients had Crohn's disease. The mean reported body mass index was 24.9 kg m–2 and was significantly skewed to the right. Patients who had taken >10 courses of steroids were had a greater probability of being overweight or obese, independent of disease complications. Most patients (71%) assumed that their diet affected their IBD; 61% considered their IBD specialist disregarded the importance of diet. Of the 136 clinicians who responded, the majority felt that diet was a factor in symptoms and intestinal microbiota. More gastroenterologists (44%) than dietitians (17%) considered that diet had a role in the pathogenesis of IBD (P = 0.003). Twenty‐six percent of patients reported receiving dietary advice from their IBD specialist, whereas 98% of gastroenterologists reported advice provision. Patients received diverse advice. Half of the patients followed recommendations provided by a clinician.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates that IBD patients consider diet to be important in their disease. IBD clinicians from different disciplines have diverse views of the role of diet. Advice given to patients is heterogeneous, often perceived as inadequate and poorly followed.
Evaluation Approaches for Advancing Urban Water Goals
Authors: Renouf Marguerite A. , Kenway Steven J.
Published: July 2016

Urban areas (especially cities) are challenged in meeting their direct water needs from local sources. They also exert strain on global water resources through their indirect (virtual) water use. Agencies concerned with urban water management have visions and goals for managing direct water use, but indirect use is only inferred in more global visions for sustainable consumption. There is limited quantification of “urban water performance” at the macro urban scale (whole of city) to monitor progress toward these goals. It is constrained by a lack of clarity about the evaluation approaches that best serve them. We ask, How can the evaluation approaches described in literature advance urban water management goals? We reviewed the utility of eight evaluation approaches, including urban water system modeling, urban metabolism (territorial and mass balance), consumption (life cycle assessment, water footprinting, and input‐output analysis), and complex systems (ecological network analysis and systems dynamics) approaches. We found that urban metabolism based on water mass balance is a core method for generating information to inform current goals for direct urban water use, with potential for being “coupled” with the other approaches. Consumption approaches inform the management of indirect water use. We describe this in a framework for urban water evaluation to give greater clarity to this field and flag the further research that would be needed to progress this. It includes the recommendation to differentiate the evaluation of direct and indirect urban water, but to also interpret them together.
Patient Education Competence Scale for Registered Nurses in Taiwan: Scale development and psychometric validation
Authors: Lin Li‐Ying , Wang Ruey‐Hsia
Published: July 2016

Aim

To develop a valid and reliable self‐assessment scale that can be used by registered nurses in Taiwan to completely measure their patient education competence.

Methods

The Patient Education Competence Scale for Registered Nurses was developed by using expert reviews, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, criterion validity, and internal consistency and stability to test the construct validity and instrument stability.

Results

The exploratory factor analysis of the Patient Education Competence Scale for Registered Nurses from 133 responses revealed 24 items loading on two factors: implementation of patient education and preparation for patient education. The Patient Education Competence Scale for Registered Nurses correlated positively with the Clinical Teaching Competence Inventory. The Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.96 to 0.97 and the test–retest reliability ranged from 0.82 to 0.88.

Conclusion

The construct validity and internal consistency reliability of the Patient Education Competence Scale for Registered Nurses were supported. This scale reflected the characteristics of Taiwan's clinical nursing practice and it may be used to assess current patient education competence practice and the need for continuing education and study. However, additional research is needed to refine this scale and increase the possibility of generalizability.
Novel incretin analogues improve autophagy and protect from mitochondrial stress induced by rotenone inSH‐SY5Y cells
Authors: Jalewa Jaishree , Sharma Mohit Kumar , Hölscher Christian
Published: July 2016

Currently, there is no viable treatment available for Parkinson's disease (PD) that stops or reverses disease progression. Interestingly, studies testing the glucagon‐like‐peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) mimetic Exendin‐4 have shown neuroprotective/neurorestorative properties in pre‐clinical tests and in a pilot clinical study ofPD. Incretin analogues were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes and several are currently on the market. In this study, we tested novel incretin analogues on the dopaminergicSH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells against a toxic mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, Rotenone. Here, we investigate for the first time the effects of six different incretin receptor agonists – Liraglutide, D‐Ser2‐Oxyntomodulin, aGLP‐1/GIPDual receptor agonist,dAla(2)‐GIP‐GluPal, Val(8)GLP‐1‐GluPal and exendin‐4. Post‐treatment with doses of 1, 10 or 100 nM of incretin analogues for 12 h increased the survival ofSH‐SY5Y cells treated with 1 μM Rotenone for 12 h. Furthermore, we studied the post‐treatment effect of 100 nM incretin analogues against 1 μM Rotenone stress on apoptosis, mitochondrial stress and autophagy markers. We found significant protective effects of the analogues against Rotenone stress on cell survival and on mitochondrial and autophagy‐associated markers. The novelGLP‐1/GIPDual receptor agonist was superior and effective at a tenfold lower concentration compared to the other analogues. Using the Phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) inhibitor,LY294002, we further show that the neuroprotective effects are partiallyPI3K‐independent. Our data suggest that the neuroprotective properties exhibited by incretin analogues against Rotenone stress involve enhanced autophagy, increased Akt‐mediated cell survival and amelioration of mitochondrial dysfunction. These mechanisms can explain the neuroprotective effects of incretin analogues reported in clinical trials.

image

GLP‐1,GIPand dual incretin receptor agonists showed protective effects inSH‐SY5Y cells treated with the stressor Rotenone. The novelGLP‐1/GIPdual receptor agonist was superior and effective at a tenfold lower concentration compared to the other analogues. The drugs protected the cells from rotenone‐induced impairment in cell growth and Akt activation, mitochondrial damage, impairments of autophagy and apoptotic cell signalling. See paper for details.
Rhetoric or reality? What nurse practitioners do to provide self‐management support in outpatient clinics: an ethnographic study
Authors: ter Maten‐Speksnijder Ada J , Dwarswaard Jolanda , Meurs Pauline L , van Staa AnneLoes
Published: July 2016

Aims and objectives

To describe how nurse practitioners enact their role in outpatient consultations, and how this compares to their perception of their responsibility for patients with chronic conditions.

Background

Nurse practitioners working with patients with chronic conditions seek to support them in self‐managing their diseases.

Design

An ethnographic study.

Methods

Episodic participant observations (in total 48 hours) were carried out combined with formal interviews. The study population consisted of a purposive sample of nurse practitioners working in five outpatient clinics related to chronic care in one university medical centre in the Netherlands. Two different types of clinics were selected, namely (1) for patients with episodic flare‐ups and (2) for patients with diseases requiring life‐saving procedures.

Results

The nurse practitioners perceived the monitoring of patients’ treatment as their main professional responsibility. Four monitoring strategies could be distinguished: ‘assessing health conditions’, ‘connecting with patients’, ‘prioritising treatment in daily living’ and ‘educating patients’.

Conclusion

While nurse practitioners considered building a relationship with their patients of utmost importance, their consultations were mostly based on a conventional medical model of medical history taking. Little attention was paid to the social, psychological and behavioural dimensions of illness. Nurse practitioners in this study seemed quite successful in their extension into medical territory, but moving patients’ illness perceptions to the background was not conducive to self‐management support.

Relevance to clinical practice

By their medical subspecialty expertise, nurse practitioners have a major role in the longitudinal process of the management of chronic diseases’ treatment. Supporting patients to reduce the impact of the disease and its complications requires nurse practitioners to develop new coaching strategies designed to meet patients’ individual needs.
A Model of Financialization of Commodities
Authors: BASAK SULEYMAN , PAVLOVA ANNA
Published: July 2016

We analyze how institutional investors entering commodity futures markets, referred to as the financialization of commodities, affect commodity prices. Institutional investors care about their performance relative to a commodity index. We find that all commodity futures prices, volatilities, and correlations go up with financialization, but more so for index futures than for nonindex futures. The equity‐commodity correlations also increase. We demonstrate how financial markets transmit shocks not only to futures prices but also to commodity spot prices and inventories. Spot prices go up with financialization, and shocks to any index commodity spill over to all storable commodity prices.
Cohort Differences and the Marriage Premium: Emergence of Gender‐Neutral Household Specialization Effects
Authors: Budig Michelle J. , Lim Misun
Published: July 2016

Using fixed‐effects models and National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 and National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 data, we compared cohort, gender, and household specialization differences in the marriage premium. Do these premiums (a) persist among millennials, (b) reflect changing selection into marriage across cohorts, and (c) differ by the gender division of spousal work hours? Despite declining gender‐traditional household specialization, the millennial cohort garnered larger marriage premiums for women and men. Positive selection explained millenial women's marriage premiums, but less of men's. Household specialization mattered only among millennials, where it is gender neutral: Male and female breadwinners earned significantly larger marriage premiums, whereas husbands and wives specializing in nonmarket work earned no premium, or even penalties, when employed. Results show increasing disadvantage among breadwinner households, with dual earners most advantaged among millennials.
Anticipating the “Ball and Chain”? Reciprocal Associations Between Marital Expectations and Delinquency
Authors: Arocho Rachel , Kamp Dush Claire M.
Published: July 2016

Marriage has been identified as a mechanism that may explain decreased delinquency among young adults, but whereas marriage is increasingly delayed, crime continues to decrease across the transition to adulthood. Most adolescents and young adults expect to marry one day, and these expectations may suppress delinquency. Conversely, increased delinquency may also predict decreased marital expectations. Longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort (N = 7,057), a sample of youth who were aged 12 to 17 years in 1997, were used to examine the reciprocal association between an expressed expectation to marry soon and participation in delinquent behavior. Results from an autoregressive cross‐lagged structural equation model suggested that greater expectations to marry were significantly associated with less delinquent activity 1 year later. Greater delinquent activity was not significantly associated with subsequent marital expectations. Youth with the greatest expectations to marry may temper their behavior even before vows are taken.
The Supply Chain Position Paradox: Green Practices and Firm Performance
Authors: Schmidt Christoph G. , Foerstl Kai , Schaltenbrand Birte
Published: July 2016

Engagement in corporate environmentalism has become increasingly important across all tiers of the supply chain, from upstream raw material suppliers to downstream retailers. However, the contextual role of a firm's supply chain position (SCP) on the adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices and their performance implications has not been empirically explored. We derive a conceptual model combining the contingent natural resource‐based view (NRBV) with stakeholder theory. The resulting hypotheses are tested using cross‐industry data of 284 firms utilizing primary and secondary data. Findings reveal a phenomenon we term theSupply Chain Position Paradox: The closer a company is located toward the end consumer, the higher itsGSCMpractice levels. Conversely, performance gains decrease with company proximity to the end consumer. This paradox is grounded in a mismatch between the level of five specificGSCMpractice categories and their respective performance implications. The introduction ofSCPas an overlooked contextual factor adds new insights into the “GSCMpractice–performance link” and extends currentGSCMresearch. Moreover, our results yield insights to supply chain management executives in optimizing theirGSCMpractice portfolios.
On the origin of asexual species by means of hybridization and drift
Authors: Hartfield Matthew
Published: July 2016

Several species of asexuals appear to have existed for millions of years. This is despite the prevalent view that natural selection is weakened without gene exchange, which should cause these organisms to rapidly go extinct. In theory, one can identify evolutionary long‐lived asexuals from their allelic sequence divergence, also known as the ‘Meselson effect’, which leads to elevated within‐individual diversity. Yet evidence that this phenomenon exists is mixed. Furthermore, several confounding factors can lead to similar outcomes, including the formation of asexual species by hybridization. Disentangling these factors has proved to be tricky, but Ament‐Velásquez et al. (2016) have provided an elegant solution in this issue of Molecular Ecology. They studied transcriptomes and mitochondrial DNA from the Lineus genus of nemertean worms, which contains both sexual and asexual types, to first show that the asexual L. pseudolactus is a hybrid between a sexual and an asexual species. After isolating out diversity arising from this hybridization, they find subsequent evidence for the Meselson effect. This study sets a new standard for differentiating between the complex causes and consequences of asexuality.
Landscape‐scale variation in an anthropogenic factor shapes immune gene variation within a wild population
Authors: Gonzalez‐Quevedo Catalina , Davies Richard G. , Phillips Karl P. , Spurgin Lewis G. , Richardson David S.
Published: July 2016

Understanding the spatial scale at which selection acts upon adaptive genetic variation in natural populations is fundamental to our understanding of evolutionary ecology, and has important ramifications for conservation. The environmental factors to which individuals of a population are exposed can vary at fine spatial scales, potentially generating localized patterns of adaptation. Here, we compared patterns of neutral and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) variation within an island population of Berthelot's pipit (Anthus berthelotii) to assess whether landscape‐level differences in pathogen‐mediated selection generate fine‐scale spatial structuring in these immune genes. Specifically, we tested for spatial associations between the distribution of avian malaria, and the factors previously shown to influence that distribution, and MHC variation within resident individuals. Although we found no overall genetic structure across the population for either neutral or MHC loci, we did find localized associations between environmental factors and MHC variation. One MHC class I allele (ANBE48) was directly associated with malaria infection risk, while the presence of the ANBE48 and ANBE38 alleles within individuals correlated (positively and negatively, respectively) with distance to the nearest poultry farm, an anthropogenic factor previously shown to be an important determinant of disease distribution in the study population. Our findings highlight the importance of considering small spatial scales when studying the patterns and processes involved in evolution at adaptive loci.
Transforming growth factor‐β activated long non‐coding RNA ATB plays an important role in acute rejection of renal allografts and may impacts the postoperative pharmaceutical immunosuppression therapy
Authors: Qiu Jiang , Chen Yehui , Huang Gang , Zhang Zhi , Chen Lizhong , Na Ning
Published: July 2016

Aim

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are novel intracellular noncoding ribonucleotides regulating the genome and proteome. The lncRNA activated by transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β) (lncRNA‐ATB) was discovered as a prognostic factor in hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer. However, little is known about the role of lncRNA‐ATB in renal transplantation. This study aimed to assess lncRNA‐ATB expression in renal transplant patients with acute kidney injury and explore its role in postoperative pharmaceutical immunosuppression therapy.

Methods

We detected lncRNA‐ATB expression in the kidney biopsies of a cohort of 72 patients with renal allograft rejection and 36 control transplant patients. lncRNA‐ATB were overexpressed from lentiviral vectors in renal cells.

Results

We found that lncRNA‐ATB was remarkably upregulated in patients with acute rejection compared with controls. Meanwhile, lncRNA‐ATB could influence the kidney cell phenotypes and impact the nephrotoxicity of immunosuppressive drug.

Conclusion

In conclusion, lncRNA‐ATB are strongly altered in patients with acute rejection and may serve as a novel biomarker of acute kidney rejection, identifying patients with acute rejection and predicting loss of kidney function.
Variation of DNA methylation patterns associated with gene expression in rice (Oryza sativa) exposed to cadmium
Authors: Feng Sheng Jun , Liu Xue Song , Tao Hua , Tan Shang Kun , Chu Shan Shan , Oono Youko , Zhang Xian Duo , Chen Jian , Yang Zhi Min
Published: July 2016

We report genome‐wide single‐base resolution maps of methylated cytosines and transcriptome change in Cd‐exposed rice. Widespread differences were identified in CG and non‐CG methylation marks between Cd‐exposed and Cd‐free rice genomes. There are 2320 non‐redundant differentially methylated regions detected in the genome. RNA sequencing revealed 2092 DNA methylation‐modified genes differentially expressed under Cd exposure. More genes were found hypermethylated than those hypomethylated in CG, CHH and CHG (where H is A, C or T) contexts in upstream, gene body and downstream regions. Many of the genes were involved in stress response, metal transport and transcription factors. Most of the DNA methylation‐modified genes were transcriptionally altered under Cd stress. A subset of loss of function mutants defective in DNA methylation and histone modification activities was used to identify transcript abundance of selected genes. Compared with wide type, mutation of MET1 and DRM2 resulted in general lower transcript levels of the genes under Cd stress. Transcripts of OsIRO2, OsPR1b and Os09g02214 in drm2 were significantly reduced. A commonly used DNA methylation inhibitor 5‐azacytidine was employed to investigate whether DNA demethylation affected physiological consequences. 5‐azacytidine provision decreased general DNA methylation levels of selected genes, but promoted growth of rice seedlings and Cd accumulation in rice plant.
Neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia may predict caregiver burden: a Sicilian exploratory study
Authors: Torrisi Michele , De Cola Maria C. , Marra Angela , De Luca Rosaria , Bramanti Placido , Calabrò Rocco S.
Published: July 2016

Background

Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia are very common. They represent a main cause of burden and distress in caregivers and can lead to early institutionalization of patients. We aimed to find the most specific behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia that can strongly affect the caregivers' burden.

Methods

Twenty‐seven patients and their caregivers were enrolled in this study. All of the patients were affected by Alzheimer's, vascular, or frontotemporal dementia and were evaluated with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and Mini‐Mental State Examination. Caregivers were administered the Caregiver Burden Inventory.

Results

Apathy, depression, anxiety, and agitation were the most common symptoms and were found in up to 90% of the patients. We detected strong correlations between patient neuropsychiatric symptoms, (i.e. irritability, hallucinations, aberrant motor behavioural, depression, and agitation) and Caregiver Burden Inventory scores. Multiple regression analysis found hallucinations, irritability, and depression to be significant predictors of caregiver burden. Moreover, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory score was more closely related to caregiver burden than the Mini‐Mental State Examination score.

Conclusion

Our results revealed that demented patients' behavioural problems are related to the level of caregiver burden and distress. Further investigations are needed to differentiate the present findings among dementia subtypes and to better evaluate the effect of caregivers' personal characteristics on their own burden.
The higher you climb: Dark side personality and job level
Authors: Gøtzsche‐Astrup Oluf , Jakobsen Joan , Furnham Adrian
Published: July 2016

The purpose of this study was to explore the idea that there are dark side personality differences in the profiles of people at different levels in organizations. This study replicates and extends existing leadership research by focusing on self‐defeating behavioral tendencies. A Danish consultancy provided data on 264 adults based on assessment reports. This paper explored linear and quadratic relationships between personality and de facto job level. More senior managers scored high on Cluster B/Moving Against Others scales of Bold, Colorful and Imaginative, and low on Cautious and Dutiful. These Danish data are compared to data from Great Britain and New Zealand which show very similar findings. Practice should take into account that dark side personality traits associated with an assertive, sometimes hostile, interpersonal orientation, predict leadership level up to a point.
Dynamics of biomass partitioning, stem gene expression, cell wall biosynthesis, and sucrose accumulation during development of Sorghum bicolor
Authors: McKinley Brian , Rooney William , Wilkerson Curtis , Mullet John
Published: July 2016

Biomass accumulated preferentially in leaves of the sweet sorghum Della until floral initiation, then stems until anthesis, followed by panicles until grain maturity, and apical tillers. Sorghum stem RNA‐seq transcriptome profiles and composition data were collected for approximately 100 days of development beginning at floral initiation. The analysis identified >200 differentially expressed genes involved in stem growth, cell wall biology, and sucrose accumulation. Genes encoding expansins and xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases were differentially expressed in growing stem internodes. Genes encoding enzymes involved in the synthesis of cellulose, lignin, and glucuronoarabinoxylan were expressed at elevated levels in stems until approximately 7 days before anthesis and then down‐regulated. CESA genes involved in primary and secondary cell wall synthesis showed different temporal patterns of expression. Following floral initiation, the level of sucrose and other non‐structural carbohydrates increased to approximately 50% of the stem's dry weight. Stem sucrose accumulation was inversely correlated with >100‐fold down‐regulation of SbVIN1, a gene encoding a vacuolar invertase. Accumulation of stem sucrose was also correlated with cessation of leaf and stem growth at anthesis, decreased expression of genes involved in stem cell wall synthesis, and approximately 10‐fold lower expression of SbSUS4, a gene encoding sucrose synthase that generates UDP‐glucose from sucrose for cell wall biosynthesis. Genes for mixed linkage glucan synthesis (CSLF) and turnover were expressed at high levels in stems throughout development. Overall, the stem transcription profile resource and the genes and regulatory dynamics identified in this study will be useful for engineering sorghum stem composition for improved conversion to biofuels and bio‐products.
Identification of a residue responsible for UDP‐sugar donor selectivity of a dihydroxybenzoic acid glycosyltransferase from Arabidopsis natural accessions
Authors: Chen Han‐Yi , Li Xu
Published: July 2016

UDP‐glycosyltransferase (UGT) plays a major role in the diversity and reactivity of plant specialized metabolites by catalyzing the transfer of the sugar moiety from activated UDP‐sugars to various acceptors. Arabidopsis UGT89A2 was previously identified from a genome‐wide association study as a key factor that affects the differential accumulation of dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA) glycosides in distinct Arabidopsis natural accessions, including Col‐0 and C24. The in vitro enzyme assays indicate that these distinct metabolic phenotypes reflect the divergence of UGT89A2 enzyme properties in the Col‐0 and C24 accessions. UGT89A2 from Col‐0 is highly selective toward UDP‐xylose as the sugar donor, and the isoform from C24 can utilize both UDP‐glucose and UDP‐xylose but with a higher affinity to the glucose donor. The sequences of the two isozymes only differ at six amino acid residues. Examination of these amino acid residues in more natural accessions revealed a strong correlation between the amino acid polymorphism at position 153 and the DHBA glycoside accumulation pattern. Site‐directed mutagenesis that swapped residue 153 between UGT89A2 from Col‐0 and C24 reversed the UDP‐sugar preferences, indicating that residue 153 plays an important role in determining sugar donor specificity of UGT89A2. This study provides insight into the key amino acid changes that confer sugar donor selectivity on UGTs, and demonstrates the usefulness of natural variation in understanding the structure–function relationship of enzymes involved in specialized metabolism.
Linear Versus Nonlinear Response of a Cantilevered Beam Under Harmonic Base Excitation: Theory and Experiment
Authors: Sayag Michal Raviv , Dowell Earl H.
Published: July 2016

A computational and experimental study of a uniform cantilever beam with a tip mass under base excitation was performed. The beam was excited at various levels of base displacement to provoke tip displacements greater than 15% of the beam length. Damping and yield stress of the beam were both considered. It was found that a large tip displacement causes nonlinear inertial (NLI) and structural (NLS) effects to arise. Each of the structural and inertial nonlinearities has an opposite effect on the resulting resonance frequency, which are nearly mutually canceling. The result was that resonant frequency calculated using the full nonlinear (FNL) model was essentially equal to the value calculated by linear (LIN) theory, and the tip displacement amplitude varied only modestly from the LIN value. It was also observed that the damping in this system is likely nonlinear, and depends on tip displacement amplitude. A theoretical model for fluid damping is suggested. Initial investigation shows encouraging agreement between the theoretical fluid damping and the measured values.
Revisiting the Maugis–Dugdale Adhesion Model of Elastic Periodic Wavy Surfaces
Authors: Jin Fan , Guo Xu , Wan Qiang
Published: July 2016

The plane strain adhesive contact between a periodic wavy surface and a flat surface has been revisited based on the classical Maugis–Dugdale model. Closed-form analytical solutions derived by Hui et al. [1], which were limited to the case that the interaction zone cannot saturate at a period, have been extended to two additional cases with adhesion force acting throughout the whole period. Based on these results, a complete transition between the Westergaard and the Johnson, Kendall, and Roberts (JKR)-type contact models is captured through a dimensionless transition parameter, which is consistent with that for a single cylindrical contact. Depending on two dimensionless parameters, different transition processes between partial and full contact during loading/unloading stages are characterized by one or more jump instabilities. Rougher surfaces are found to enhance adhesion both by increasing the magnitude of the pull-off force and by inducing more energy loss due to adhesion hysteresis.
Time-Dependent Uniaxial Ratchetting of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene Polymer: Viscoelastic–Viscoplastic Constitutive Model
Authors: Chen Kaijuan , Kang Guozheng , Yu Chao , Lu Fucong , Jiang Han
Published: July 2016

Uniaxial tension–unloading recovery, creep-recovery, and stress-controlled cyclic tests are first performed to investigate the recoverable viscoelasticity and irrecoverable viscoplasticity (including the uniaxial ratchetting) of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) polymer at room temperature. The results show that obvious time-dependent ratchetting occurs in the asymmetrical stress-controlled cyclic tension–compression and tension–tension tests of the UHMWPE, and total ratchetting strain consists of both recoverable viscoelastic and irrecoverable viscoplastic parts. Based on the experimental observation, a new viscoelastic–viscoplastic constitutive model is proposed to describe the time-dependent ratchetting of the UHMWPE. In the proposed model, the viscoplastic strain is set to be contributed simultaneously by the unified viscoplastic and creep ones. Meanwhile, a memory surface is introduced into the viscoelastic model to improve the description to the shapes of stress–strain hysteresis loops. Finally, the proposed model is verified by comparing the predictions with the corresponding experimental results of the UHMWPE. It is clearly demonstrated that the proposed model predicts the creep, viscoelastic recovery, and uniaxial time-dependent ratchetting of the UHMWPE well.
Toward a Lifecycle Information Framework and Technology in Manufacturing
Authors: Hedberg Thomas , Feeney Allison Barnard , Helu Moneer , Camelio Jaime A.
Published: July 2016

Industry has been chasing the dream of integrating and linking data across the product lifecycle and enterprises for decades. However, industry has been challenged by the fact that the context in which data are used varies based on the function/role in the product lifecycle that is interacting with the data. Holistically, the data across the product lifecycle must be considered an unstructured data set because multiple data repositories and domain-specific schema exist in each phase of the lifecycle. This paper explores a concept called the lifecycle information framework and technology (LIFT). LIFT is a conceptual framework for lifecycle information management and the integration of emerging and existing technologies, which together form the basis of a research agenda for dynamic information modeling in support of digital-data curation and reuse in manufacturing. This paper provides a discussion of the existing technologies and activities that the LIFT concept leverages. Also, the paper describes the motivation for applying such work to the domain of manufacturing. Then, the LIFT concept is discussed in detail, while underlying technologies are further examined and a use case is detailed. Lastly, potential impacts are explored.