bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optogenetic stimulation of primate V1 reveals local laminar and large-scale cortical networks related to perceptual phosphenes
Authors: Ortiz-Rios Michael , Agayby Beshoy , Balezeau Fabien , Haag Marcus , Rima Samy , Schmid Michael C.
Published: June 2021

Developing optogenetics in non-human primates (NHPs) is essential for translating its successful implementation in rodents to clinical applications in humans. However, information about how optogenetics influences the primate cortex remains limited. Here, we evaluate how optogenetic stimulation of the primate primary visual cortex (V1) affects local and large-scale network activation concerned with visual perception. To this end we injected an optogenetic construct (AAV9-hSyn-ChR2-eYFP) into the V1 cortex of four macaque monkeys (macaca mulatta) and measured the effects of optogenetic V1 stimulation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), laminar electrophysiology, and behavioural assessment. In three macaques, blood-oxygen-dependent (BOLD) fMRI activity could be reliably elicited with optogenetic stimulation in V1 and several connected extrastriate brain areas, including V2/V3, motion-sensitive area MT and the frontal-eye-fields (FEF), in particular when pulsed stimulation at 40 Hz was applied. BOLD modulation was associated with consistent neural spiking activity measured in V1 of two macaques. More detailed analysis revealed strongest neuronal activation in layer 4B and infragranular layers, which tightly reflected the histological expression pattern of the optogenetic construct in V1. Driving this visual network proved sufficient to elicit a visual percept (‘phosphene’) in one macaque during a perceptual choice task. Taken together, our findings reveal the laminar and large-cortical activation pattern related to visual phosphene generation and emphasize the need for further improving optogenetic methods in NHPs as a step towards applications in humans.
Atomic force microscopy reveals the mechanical properties of breast cancer bone metastases
Authors: Chen Xinyue , Hughes Russell , Mullin Nic , Hawkins Rhoda J. , Holen Ingunn , Brown Nicola J. , Hobbs Jamie K.
Published: June 2021

Mechanically dependent processes are essential in cancer metastases. However, reliable mechanical characterisation of metastatic cancer remains challenging whilst maintaining the tissue complexity and an intact sample. Using atomic force microscopy, we quantified the micro-mechanical properties of relatively intact metastatic breast tumours and their surrounding bone microenvironment isolated from mice, and compared with other breast cancer models bothex vivoandin vitro. A unique mechanical distribution of extremely low elastic modulus and viscosity was identified on metastatic tumours, which were significantly more compliant than both 2Din vitrocultured cancer cells and subcutaneous tumour explants. The presence of mechanically distinct metastatic tumour did not result in alterations of the mechanical properties of the surrounding microenvironment at meso-scale distances (> 200 µm). These findings demonstrate the utility of atomic force microscopy in studies of complex tissues and provide new insights into the mechanical properties of cancer metastases in bone.
AltumAge: A Pan-Tissue DNA-Methylation Epigenetic Clock Based on Deep Learning
Authors: de Lima Camillo Lucas Paulo , Lapierre Louis R , Singh Ritambhara
Published: June 2021

Several age predictors based on DNA methylation, dubbed epigenetic clocks, have been created in recent years, with the vast majority based on regularized linear regression. This study explores the improvement in the performance and interpretation of epigenetic clocks using deep learning. First, we gathered 143 publicly available data sets from several human tissues to develop AltumAge, a neural network framework that is a highly accurate and precise age predictor. Compared to ElasticNet, AltumAge performs better for within-data set and cross-data set age prediction, being particularly more generalizable in older ages and new tissue types. We then used deep learning interpretation methods to learn which methylation sites contributed to the final model predictions. We observe that while most important CpG sites are linearly related to age, some highly-interacting CpG sites can influence the relevance of such relationships. Using chromatin annotations, we show that the CpG sites with the highest contribution to the model predictions were related to gene regulatory regions in the genome, including proximity to CTCF binding sites. We also found age-related KEGG pathways for genes containing these CpG sites. Lastly, we perform downstream analyses of AltumAge to explore its applicability and compare its age acceleration with Horvath’s model. We show that our neural network approach predicts higher age acceleration for tumors and for cells that exhibit age-related changesin vitro, such as replicative senescence and mitochondrial dysfunction. Altogether, our neural network approach provides significant improvement and flexibility to current epigenetic clocks for both performance and model interpretability.
High-throughput discovery of peptide activators of a bacterial sensor kinase
Authors: Brink Kathryn R. , Mu Andrew M. , Hoang Ky V. , Groszman Ken , Gunn John S. , Tabor Jeffrey J.
Published: June 2021

Bacteria use two-component system (TCS) signaling pathways to sense and respond to peptides involved in host defense, quorum sensing, and inter-bacterial warfare. However, little is known about the peptide-sensing capabilities of these TCSs. Here, we develop a high-throughput E. coli display method to characterize the effects of human antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) on the pathogenesis-regulating TCS PhoPQ of Salmonella Typhimurium. We find that PhoPQ senses AMPs comprising diverse sequences, structures, and biological functions. Using thousands of AMP variants, we identify sub-domains and biophysical features responsible for PhoPQ activation. We show that most of the newfound activators induce PhoPQ in S. Typhimurium, suggesting a role in virulence regulation. Finally, we find that PhoPQ homologs from Klebsiella pneumoniae and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, which occupy different in vivo niches, exhibit distinct AMP response profiles. Our high-throughput method enables new insights into the specificities, mechanisms, and evolutionary dynamics of TCS-mediated peptide sensing in bacteria.
Traditional Chinese medicine as a tourism recovery drawcard to boost China's inbound tourism after COVID-19
Authors: Wen Jun , Wang Carol Chunfeng , Goh Edmund , Su Zhaohui , Ying Tianyu
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper explores the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a tourism recovery drawcard to boost China's inbound tourism after COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employed a mixed method involving a cross-disciplinary literature review along with reflections from experts in TCM and health communication to inform tourism management. Specifically, this paper examines TCM and its potential benefits as a medical tourism drawcard to combat COVID-19. The selected literature focusses on the image and merits of TCM to frame how this medical philosophy can be used to position China as a tourist destination. Reflections on the use of TCM as a tourism marketing tool can guide promotional strategies from the Chinese government and destination managers during and after COVID-19.

Findings

The Chinese government, the tourism industry (e.g. destination managers), the media and tourists must focus on three aspects of the role of TCM: to provide medical benefits to travellers amid COVID-19 and beyond, elevate China as a destination for global medical tourists and be leveraged as a tool for economic recovery.

Practical implications

The paper builds a tourism recovery framework for stakeholders to adopt tailored TCM communication strategies to boost its inbound tourism programme.

Originality/value

This paper is the first academic paper to review TCM comprehensively and critically in relation to China tourism and post-COVID-19 recovery measures.
Voluntary appointment of independent directors: evidence from Taiwan
Authors: Kao Mao-Feng , Hodgkinson Lynn , Jaafar Aziz
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Using a data set of Taiwanese listed firms from 2002 to 2015, this paper aims to examine the determinants to voluntarily appoint independent directors.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses panel estimation to exploit both the cross-section and time-series nature of the data. Further, this paper uses Tobit regression, generalized linear model (GLM) in the additional analysis and the two-stage least squares to mitigate for a possible endogeneity issue.

Findings

The main findings show that Taiwanese firms with large board sizes tend to voluntarily appoint independent directors and firms that already have independent supervisors more willingly to accept additional independent directors onto the board. Furthermore, ownership concentration and institutional ownership are positively associated with the voluntary appointment of independent directors. On the contrary, firms controlled by family members are generally reluctant to voluntarily appoint independent directors.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are important for managers, shareholders, creditors and policymakers. In particular, when considering the determinants of the voluntary appointment of independent directors, the results indicate that independent supervisors, outside shareholders and institutional investors are significant factors in influencing effective internal and external corporate governance mechanisms. This research work focuses on the voluntary appointment of independent directors. It would be interesting to compare the effectiveness of voluntary appointments with a mandatory appointment within Taiwan and with other jurisdictions.

Originality/value

This study incrementally contributes to the corporate governance literature in several ways. First, this study extends the earlier research by using a more comprehensive data set of non-financial Taiwanese firms and using alternative methodologies to investigate the determinants of voluntary appointment of independent directors. Second, prior studies tend to neglect the possible issue of using a censored and fractional dependent variable, the proportion of independent directors, which might yield biased and inconsistent parameter estimates when using ordinary least squares regression estimation. Finally, this study addresses the relevant econometric issues by using the Tobit, GLM and the two-stage least squares for a possible endogeneity concern.
The influence of motivations on international location choice in least developed, emerging and developed countries: evidence from Chinese MNEs
Authors: Angulo-Ruiz Fernando , Pergelova Albena , Wei William X.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This research aims to assess variations of motivations when studying international location decisions. In particular, this study aims to assess the influence of diverse motivations – seeking technology, seeking brand assets, seeking markets, seeking resources and escaping institutional constraints – as determinants of the international location choice of emerging market multinational enterprises (EM MNEs) entering least developed, emerging, and developed countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors develop a set of hypotheses based on the ownership–location–internalization framework and complement it with an institutional perspective. The conceptual model posits that the different internationalization motivations (seeking technology, seeking brand assets, seeking markets, seeking resources and escaping institutional constraints) will impact the location choice of EM MNEs in developed economies, emerging markets or least developed countries. This study uses the 2013 survey data collected by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. The final sample of analysis of this research includes 693 observations.

Findings

After controlling for several variables, two-stage Heckman regressions show there is a variation of motivations when EM MNEs enter least developed countries, emerging markets and developed economies. EM MNEs are motivated to enter least developed countries to seek markets and resources. Conversely, those firms enter developed countries in their search for technological assets and to escape institutional constraints at home. While the present study findings show a clear difference in the motivations that lead to location choice in least developed vs developed countries, the results are not as clear for location in other emerging countries.

Research limitations/implications

The paper offers empirical support for the importance of motivations as crucial determinants of location choice.

Originality/value

This paper provides a detailed quantitative study on the internationalization location choice of EM MNEs based on their motivations. Though theoretical models underscore the importance of motivations, we know very little about how, in practice, motivations drive location choice. This study contributes to the international location choice literature a deeper understanding of how diverse motivations drive choices of expansion into developed economies, emerging markets or least developed countries.
Market orientation in service clusters and its effect on the marketing performance of SMEs
Authors: Royo-Vela Marcelo , Amezquita Salazar Juan Carlos , Puig Blanco Francisco
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to address research gaps with regard to the relationship between market orientation and marketing performance when small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are located within a service cluster. The three main objectives of this research are to determine the effect that the cluster can have on both the market orientation of clustered companies and their marketing performance and to furthermore evaluate the effect of the market orientation of companies in the cluster on their marketing performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used executive-level data that were obtained by carrying out a survey involving a unique dataset of 133 Colombian health-related businesses located in the city of Cali (Colombia) in 2014. A system of equations was modeled using SMART PLS. This analysis was complemented by a qualitative study that involved conducting in-depth interviews in six companies.

Findings

The results showed that, among the SMEs, membership in an urban services cluster did not significantly influence marketing performance or the implementation of marketing orientation practices. No differences were observed in internal managerial practices implemented between companies that were co-located and isolated. However, a higher level of competitor orientation was associated with greater marketing performance. Given the verified absence of moderating and mediating effects, our work provides a reasonable basis for proposing future research and practical recommendations.

Originality/value

While research has demonstrated the relationship between a company's market orientation and marketing performance, this type of analysis has not been carried out on service SMEs in geographic concentrations or clusters.
Electronic games classification in the library of congress and Dewey classification schemes: a comparative study
Authors: Salem Nahed , Shehata Ahmed Maher Khafaga
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The study aims to explore the classification of electronic games in Dewey decimal classification (DDC) and The Library of Congress classification (LCC) schemes.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a comparative analytical method to explore the topic in both the DDC and the LCC schemes by comparing its processing method in both schemes. The study measures the extent to which both schemes succeed in allocating notations covering the topic’s literature.

Findings

The study reached several results, the most important of which are: the difference between the two main cognitive sections, to which they belong to the topic, namely, arts and recreation (700) in the DDC scheme and the geography section (G) in the LCC scheme, while they were found to share the same sub-section scheme. The two schemes do not allocate notations to address the subject of electronic games as literature and other notations that have not been embodied for electronic games themselves or in the form of a compact disc or other media.

Originality/value

As far as we know, this is the first paper that compares the treatment of video games in DDC and Library of Congress classification schemes. The study allows for understanding the difference in the treatment of topics in both schemes, which would help in the decision of the adoption of a particular classification scheme.
Asymmetric relationship between customer sentiment and online hotel ratings: the moderating effects of review characteristics
Authors: Lai Xiaofan , Wang Fan , Wang Xinrui
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Online hotel ratings, a form of electronic word of mouth (eWOM), are becoming increasingly important to tourism and hospitality management. Using sentiment analysis based on the big data technique, this paper aims to investigate the relationship between customer sentiment and online hotel ratings from the perspective of customers’ motives in the context of eWOM, and to further identify the moderating effects of review characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first retrieve 273,457 customer-generated reviews from a well-known online travel agency in China using automated data crawlers. Next, they exploit two different sentiment analysis methods to obtain sentiment scores. Finally, empirical studies based on threshold regressions are conducted to establish the asymmetric relationship between customer sentiment and online hotel ratings.

Findings

The results suggest that the relationship between customer sentiment and online hotel ratings is asymmetric, and a negative sentiment score will exert a larger decline in online hotel ratings, compared to a positive sentiment score. Meanwhile, the reviewer level and reviews with pictures have moderating effects on the relationship between customer sentiment and online hotel ratings. Moreover, two different types of sentiment scores output by different sentiment analysis methods verify the results of this study.

Practical implications

The moderating effects of reviewer level and reviews with pictures offer new insights for hotel managers to make different customer service policies and for customers to select a hotel based on reviews from the online travel agency.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by applying big data analysis to the issues in hotel management. Based on the eWOM communication theories, this study extends previous study by providing an analysis framework for the relationship between customer sentiment and online hotel ratings from the perspective of customers’ motives in the context of eWOM.
Does employee willingness to take risks affect customer loyalty? A moderated mediation examination of innovative behaviors and decentralization
Authors: Al-Hawari Mohd Ahmad , Bani-Melhem Shaker , Mohd. Shamsudin Faridahwati
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to build on the trait activation and interactionist perspective theories to investigate the effect of frontline employees’ (FLEs) willingness to take risks on hotel guest loyalty by assessing the mediating role of their innovative behaviors. It also examines whether decentralization strengthens the positive impact of willingness to take risks on innovative behavior and, subsequently, customer loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected multilevel data from various sources – hotel FLEs (n = 183), hotel operation managers (n = 46) and hotel guests/customers (n = 266) – from five-star hotels operating in Dubai. Structural equation modeling and PROCESS macro (version 3.5) were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings showed that willingness to take risks indirectly (via innovative behaviors) affects guest/customer loyalty positively. This effect is strengthened when the hotel is decentralized.

Practical implications

This study provides insight into how hotel managers can foster customer loyalty. More specifically, they can do so by establishing employees’ innovative behaviors triggered by employees’ positive personality traits and by giving employees more autonomy.

Originality/value

The present study addresses recent calls to investigate the positive impact of FLEs’ personality traits, attitudes and behaviors on customer loyalty.
How much is too much? Effects of core concerns accommodativeness on emotion, credibility and integrative intention in supervisor-subordinate conflict negotiation
Authors: Charoensap-Kelly Piyawan
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study drew on the core concerns framework (CCF) and communication accommodation theory (CAT) to examine the direct and indirect effects of manager core concerns accommodativeness on employee integrative (i.e. cooperative) intention through the mediating role of positive emotional change and manager credibility (i.e. competence, trustworthiness and goodwill). Core concerns accommodativeness refers to the degree to which one responds to another’s socio-psychological needs.

Design/methodology/approach

A quasi-experimental design was used. A total of 339 working adults from various industries in the USA took an online questionnaire composed of manipulations, closed-ended and open-ended questions. Quantitative data was analyzed using a series of mediation analyses and triangulated with qualitative data.

Findings

The results showed that both accommodating and overaccommodating manager messages significantly improved employees’ emotional state, perception of manager credibility and integrative intention more than the underaccommodating message. Importantly, the manager communication accommodativeness increases employees’ positive emotional change which heightened the employees’ perception of manager trustworthiness which then stimulated employees’ integrative intention. Qualitative data surprisingly revealed that the overaccommodating message was regarded predominantly positively.

Originality/value

The mixed-methods approach of this study added deeper insight into the role of communication accommodation and emotion in supervisor-subordinate conflict negotiation, extending both the CCF and CAT literature. The findings also inform managers about how to effectively use the core concerns.
Double attention U-Net for brain tumor MR image segmentation
Authors: Li Na , Ren Kai
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Automatic segmentation of brain tumor from medical images is a challenging task because of tumor's uneven and irregular shapes. In this paper, the authors propose an attention-based nested segmentation network, named DAU-Net. In total, two types of attention mechanisms are introduced to make the U-Net network focus on the key feature regions. The proposed network has a deep supervised encoder–decoder architecture and a redesigned dense skip connection. DAU-Net introduces an attention mechanism between convolutional blocks so that the features extracted at different levels can be merged with a task-related selection.

Design/methodology/approach

In the coding layer, the authors designed a channel attention module. It marks the importance of each feature graph in the segmentation task. In the decoding layer, the authors designed a spatial attention module. It marks the importance of different regional features. And by fusing features at different scales in the same coding layer, the network can fully extract the detailed information of the original image and learn more tumor boundary information.

Findings

To verify the effectiveness of the DAU-Net, experiments were carried out on the BRATS 2018 brain tumor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) database. The segmentation results show that the proposed method has a high accuracy, with a Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 89% in the complete tumor, which is an improvement of 8.04 and 4.02%, compared with fully convolutional network (FCN) and U-Net, respectively.

Originality/value

The experimental results show that the proposed method has good performance in the segmentation of brain tumors. The proposed method has potential clinical applicability.
The ethical decisions of life insurance salespeople: the effects of interest conflicts, ethical leadership and ethical training
Authors: Lai Li-Tzu , Wu Jui-Yun , Tseng Lu-Ming
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Life insurance salespeople are hired to pursue the best interests of life insurers on the one hand, the salespeople are also expected to pursue the best interests of customers on the other hand. However, the best interests of life insurers are not necessarily consistent with the best interests of customers. This study aims to investigate the influences of interest conflicts on the life insurance salespeople’s ethical attitude and ethical intention by focusing on the role of ethical leadership and ethical training.

Design/methodology/approach

Four types of interest conflicts are studied. Questionnaires are administered to a total of 757 full-time life insurance salespeople. Data analysis is performed by using analysis of variance tests and partial least squares regression.

Findings

The main results indicate that the types of interest conflicts change the life insurance salespeople’s ethical attitude and ethical intention. Moreover, ethical training could make the life insurance salespeople become more concerned about the interests of customers, but not the interests of life insurers. The results also challenge a belief that ethical leadership and ethical training will often have direct, consistent and significant impacts on the ethical attitude and ethical intention of life insurance salespeople.

Originality/value

Interest conflict is an important issue in the literature on financial regulation. The potential for life insurance salespeople to behave unethically has also received extensive attention by researchers. This study provides clarification of the relationships among interest conflicts, ethical leadership, ethical training and ethical decision-making of life insurance salespeople. This is the first study that analyzes the relationships. The results of this study may provide some contributions to the relevant literature.
Influencing factors and gaps of blood donation knowledge among university and college students in Myanmar: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Viwattanakulvanid Pramon , Chan Oo Aye
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Blood donation knowledge of healthy young students is crucial to donate blood voluntarily and regularly in long-term. This study aimed to determine the influencing factors on the blood donation knowledge, to identify gaps of blood donation knowledge and reasons for not donating blood among university and college students in Yangon, Myanmar.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross-section survey (May 2019) was conducted in students of Yangon Technological University (YTU) and National Management Degree College (NMDC) with the use of quota and convenience sampling method. The questionnaires covered sociodemographic characteristics, blood donation knowledge and reasons for not donating blood.

Findings

Total 320 students (129 males and 191 females) with age of 18 to 23 years old participated. Previous blood donation had statistically significant influence on blood donation knowledge scores (ß = 0.396, p < 0.001). Gaps of knowledge between nondonors and blood donors were recorded, especially in universal recipient blood groups, Rh blood groups, blood donation interval, eligibility criteria, transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs), amount of blood removed in donation, benefits of blood donations and misbelief of infections from blood donation. Top three reasons for not donating blood among nondonors were (1) no opportunity, (2) fear to donate and (3) still underage to donate.

Originality/value

Blood donations programs should extend awareness-raising programs in academic society and population at large. Raising awareness should focus on the knowledge gaps such as donor eligibility, interval of blood donations, TTIs and benefits of donating blood to recipients.
A model for mass customization and flexibility in mass housing units
Authors: Garip Ervin , Sağlar Onay Nilüfer , Garip S. Banu
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to present a mass customization model for interior spaces of mass housing projects to provide solutions that will increase flexibility in accordance with different user needs.

Design/methodology/approach

The research project develops a model that generates an expert system that leads to different spatial variations. The expert system is based on the parameters that are determined depending on the findings of the field study done in the selected site. A modular system that allows different configurations is designed, and the expert system has made it possible to achieve a large number of spatial variations by means of a multi-parameter layout design. In the last phase, an interface is developed as a website that presents the spatial variations for each different user according to their response to the online questionnaire.

Findings

All the variations with the outputs obtained from the project are presented to the user through a digital interface, which functions as a website. In this sense, the model acts as a mass customization tool that brings together the needs of the inhabitants and provides specific solutions to them with all the outputs obtained from the project. The main objective of the interface is to provide the user with various interior layout alternatives and modular furniture that meet their needs.

Originality/value

The main originality of the research project is the development of a model that consists of different stages that works as a unique mass customization tool. The most significant specialty of the model is the constitution of an expert system in relation to the raw data obtained from the field study. This expert system generates spatial configurations by the help of the design parameters, and these parameters are mainly variables that differentiate the solutions according to the specific requirements of users in the selected site.
Neutrophil : lymphocyte ratio is associated with disease severity and mortality in patients with Stevens–Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis
Authors: Wang Qian , Lan Yun‐Ping , Qi Bo , Yin Lin , Zhang Li‐Xia , Liu Wei
Published: June 2021

The neutrophil : lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet : lymphocyte ratio (PLR), C‐reactive protein : albumin ratio (CAR), and albumin : fibrinogen ratio (AFR) have been considered as useful inflammatory biomarkers. However, their roles in Stevens–Johnson Syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) still remain unclear. This study aimed to test whether NLR, PLR, CAR, and AFR serve as predictive markers of disease severity and systemic inflammation in patients with SJS/TEN. This retrospective study included 40 patients with SJS/TEN and 60 healthy controls. The correlation between these markers and severity‐of‐illness score for toxic epidermal necrolysis (SCORTEN), ABCD‐10, procalcitonin (PCT), C‐reactive protein (CRP) were analyzed and compared. Univariable and multivariable analysis were used to assess associations of variables with mortality. The receiver–operator curves (ROC) were used to evaluate the predictive value of variables for mortality in SJS/TEN patients. The results demonstrated that the NLR and PLR of SJS/TEN patients were significantly higher and the AFR was significantly lower when compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05). The NLR and CAR were positively correlated with SCORTEN, ABCD‐10, PCT, and CRP. The NLR in SCORTEN of ≥3 group was significantly higher than that in SCORTEN <3 group (p < 0.05) and there were no significant differences between PLR, CAR, and AFR between the two groups. The univariate analysis suggested that NLR of >5.79 was a risk factor for mortality (odds ratio, 10.5; p < 0.05), but the association was no longer statistically significant in multivariable analysis. The ROC showed that NLR had a sensitivity of 85.7% and specificity of 63.6% for predicting death with a cut‐off value of 5.79 (p < 0.05) in SJS/TEN patients. In conclusion, among the four markers, NLR and CAR can partially reflect severity and inflammatory status in patients with SJS/TEN. NLR was also a predictor of death.
Domestic chicken diversity: Origin, distribution, and adaptation
Authors: Lawal R. A. , Hanotte O.
Published: June 2021

Chicken is the most numerous among the domesticated livestock species. Across cultures, religions, and societies, chicken is widely accepted with little or no taboo compared to other domestic animals. Its adaptability to diverse environmental conditions and demonstrated potential for breeding improvement provide a unique genetic resource for addressing the challenges of food security in a world impacted by climatic change and human population growth. Recent studies, shedding new knowledge on the chicken genomes, have helped reconstruct its past evolutionary history. Here, we review the literature concerning the origin, dispersion, and adaptation of domestic chicken. We highlight the role of human and natural selection in shaping the diversity of the species and provide a few examples of knowledge gaps that may be the focus of future research.
European Society of Coloproctology guidance on the use of mesh in the pelvis in colorectal surgery
Authors: Maeda Yasuko , Espin‐Basany Eloy , Gorissen Kim , Kim Mia , Lehur Paul‐Antoine , Lundby Lilli , Negoi Ionut , Norcic Gregor , O’Connell P. Ronan , Rautio Tero , van Geluwe Bart , van Ramshorst Gabrielle H. , Warwick Andrea , Vaizey Carolynne J.
Published: June 2021

This is a comprehensive and rigorous review of currently available data on the use of mesh in the pelvis in colorectal surgery. This guideline outlines the limitations of available data and the challenges of interpretation, followed by best possible recommendations.
Alcohol intoxication incidence differences at companies in Lithuania
Authors: Stumbrys Daumantas , Tamutienė Ilona
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Employee alcohol consumption is a major challenge to both the health of the employee and productivity of the company. Our study investigates the overall alcohol intoxication rates of employees at companies in Lithuania, alcohol intoxication incidence rates during the work week and associations between company variables and employee alcohol intoxication at work.

Methods

Data for our study were collected at 153 different companies in Lithuania during the year 2018. Overall 2 455 997 alcohol breath tests were analysed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Poisson regression analysis.

Results

Descriptive statistics showed that the alcohol intoxication (blood alcohol concentration ≥ 0.01%) incidence rate was 0.31% (n = 7535). Average alcohol intoxication was 0.04%. Furthermore, higher alcohol intoxication incidence rates were found on Mondays and in the morning than at any other day or time. The results of Poisson regression analysis showed that the alcohol intoxication incidence rate ratios were highest among small companies, companies from the farming sector and companies from rural areas.

Discussion and Conclusions

We found a relationship between company variables, testing time and incidence rates of alcohol intoxication. The increased alcohol intoxication at work throughout the weekend and on Monday is consistent with the alcohol consumption patterns in the Lithuanian population. Relatively low alcohol intoxication rate for the majority of the positively tested cases may indicate consumption of small amounts of alcohol just before starting work or excessive alcohol consumption the day before. Our findings could be an indicator of an underlying problem and have implications for alcohol prevention strategies.
Low‐temperature tolerance in coprophagic beetle species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): implications for ecological services
Authors: Gotcha Nonofo , Machekano Honest , Cuthbert Ross N. , Nyamukondiwa Casper
Published: June 2021

1. Low temperatures affect insect functioning and population dynamics. Although temperate species cope with low temperatures better than their tropical counterparts, increasing temperature variability due to climate change exposes tropical species to frequent cold stress. For keystone insect species providing important ecosystem services, low‐temperature tolerances, and behavioural responses remain unknown, hampering predictions under climate change.

2. The present study examined low‐temperature physiology [critical thermal minima (CTmin) and chill coma recovery time (CCRT)] of six dung beetle species across three activity times: diurnal Allogymnopleurus indigaceous (Reiche) and Euoniticellus intermedius (Reiche); crepuscular Onthophagus alexis (Klug) and Onthophagus gazella (Fabricius), and; nocturnal Copris elephenor (Klug) and Scarabaeus zambezianus (Peringuey). Further, ecological service delivery (dung removal) was examined between diurnal and nocturnal species across the temperature regimes.

3. Nocturnal species had significantly greater cold tolerance than both crepuscular and diurnal species, while CCRT was significantly shortest in diurnal than both crepuscular and nocturnal species. Dung ball production between diurnal and nocturnal species interacted with temperature, with diurnal species producing significantly fewer balls at low temperatures, while nocturnal beetles were not significantly affected. In turn, nocturnal species produced significantly larger balls than the diurnal species across temperatures. Effects of temperature regime shifts were intertwined with the foraging ecology of individual species.

4. Future research should quantify species' functional responses toward different amounts of dung masses as stressful temperatures increase.

5. Results are significant for determination of species thermal ranges and predicting costs of low‐temperature stress through reduced ecological services under shifting thermal environments.
Does non‐native pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus affect endemic algae‐scraping Capoeta aydinensis in case of introduction to a small stream? An ex situ growth experiment
Authors: Top‐Karakuş Nildeniz , Tarkan Ali Serhan
Published: June 2021

The survival and establishment of alien fishes in novel environments can result in resource partitioning with native fishes. This can cause ecological impact and suppression of native populations. However, quantifying the impact of novel interactions between alien and native species remains highly challenging in the wild. Consequently, to determine the ecological risk of Lepomis gibbosus in case of introduction to a small stream, experimental approach was used to predict its competitive interaction with a poorly studied endemic fish, Capoeta aydinensis. The aim was to test whether L. gibbosus has an adverse effect on native species using an experimental design under allopatric and sympatric context with temperature regimes of 15 and 24ºC. The results indicated that temperature and fish proportion had effects on the growth of C. aydinensis while these factors were not important for L. gibbosus. These results provided little evidence of L. gibbosus presence being detrimental for endemic C. aydinensis, but nevertheless steps should be taken to avoid their further co‐habitation in the wild.
Tinnitus development is associated with synaptopathy of inner hair cells in Mongolian gerbils
Authors: Tziridis Konstantin , Forster Jan , Buchheidt‐Dörfler Isabelle , Krauss Patrick , Schilling Achim , Wendler Olaf , Sterna Elisabeth , Schulze Holger
Published: June 2021

Human hearing loss (HL) is often accompanied by comorbidities like tinnitus, which is affecting up to 15% of the adult population. Rodent animal studies could show that tinnitus may not only be a result of apparent HL due to cochlear hair cell damage but can also be a consequence of synaptopathy at the inner hair cells (IHCs) already induced by moderate sound traumata. Here, we investigate synaptopathy previously shown in mice in our animal model, the Mongolian gerbil, and relate it to behavioral signs of tinnitus. Tinnitus was induced by a mild monaural acoustic trauma leading to monaural noise induced HL in the animals, quantified by auditory brainstem response (ABR) audiometry. Behavioral signs of tinnitus percepts were detected by measurement of prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response in a gap‐noise paradigm. Fourteen days after trauma, the cochleae of both ears were isolated, and IHC synapses were counted within several spectral regions of the cochlea. Behavioral signs of tinnitus were only found in animals with IHC synaptopathy, independent of type of HL. On the other hand, animals with apparent HL but without behavioral signs of tinnitus showed a reduction in amplitudes of ABR waves I&II but no significant changes in the number of synapses at the IHC. We conclude—in line with the literature—that HL is caused by damage to the IHC or by other reasons but that the development of tinnitus, at least in our animal model, is closely linked to synaptopathy at the IHC.
Seasonal shifts in the soil microbial community responded differently to in situ experimental warming in a natural forest and a plantation
Authors: Zhao Chunzhang , Wang Yanjie , Zhang Nannan , Liang Jin , Li Dandan , Yin Chunying , Liu Qing
Published: June 2021

Climate warming will shift the seasonal variation of the soil microbial community and thereby regulate the soil process dynamics of forest ecosystems. To evaluate the effects of warming on soil microbial community seasonal dynamics, an in situ experiment was conducted in a natural forest and a dragon spruce plantation in the subalpine region of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Open‐top chambers (OTCs) were used to increase the mean soil temperature by 0.54 and 0.58°C for the natural forest and plantation, respectively. Our results showed that the initial levels of soil carbon and nitrogen were much higher in the natural forest than in the plantation. Compared to no‐warming, the annual average soil carbon and nitrogen contents increased by 14% and 16% in the natural forest, but decreased by 7 and 6% in the plantation after 4 years of OTC warming, respectively. Conversely, warming caused a significant reduction in the annual average microbial biomass by approximately 50% in the natural forest but enhanced this parameter by approximately 30% in the plantation. Warming further enlarged the differences in seasonal variation in microbial community composition between the two forests. The seasonal variation in microbial community‐level substrate utilization also responded differently to warming in the two forest types. These opposite responses of the soil microbial community and soil properties to warming will further magnify the differences in soil conditions between the two forest types under future climate warming.

Highlights

Soil microbial biomass is reduced by warming in the natural forest but increased in the plantation.

Seasonal shifts of microbial community respond differently to warming in the two forests.

Soil initial properties likely affect responses of microbial community to warming.

Warming will enlarge the differences between the two forests.
A deep learning semantic segmentation architecture for COVID‐19 lesions discovery in limited chest CT datasets
Authors: Khalifa Nour Eldeen M. , Manogaran Gunasekaran , Taha Mohamed Hamed N. , Loey Mohamed
Published: June 2021

During the epidemic of COVID‐19, Computed Tomography (CT) is used to help in the diagnosis of patients. Most current studies on this subject appear to be focused on broad and private annotated data which are impractical to access from an organization, particularly while radiologists are fighting the coronavirus disease. It is challenging to equate these techniques since they were built on separate datasets, educated on various training sets, and tested using different metrics. In this research, a deep learning semantic segmentation architecture for COVID‐19 lesions detection in limited chest CT datasets will be presented. The proposed model architecture consists of the encoder and the decoder components. The encoder component contains three layers of convolution and pooling, while the decoder contains three layers of deconvolutional and upsampling. The dataset consists of 20 CT scans of lungs belongs to 20 patients from two sources of data. The total number of images in the dataset is 3520 CT scans with its labelled images. The dataset is split into 70% for the training phase and 30% for the testing phase. Images of the dataset are passed through the pre‐processing phase to be resized and normalized. Five experimental trials are conducted through the research with different images selected for the training and the testing phases for every trial. The proposed model achieves 0.993 in the global accuracy, and 0.987, 0.799, 0.874 for weighted IoU, mean IoU and mean BF score accordingly. The performance metrics such as precision, sensitivity, specificity and F1 score strengthens the obtained results. The proposed model outperforms the related works which use the same dataset in terms of performance and IoU metrics.
Structural and biochemical properties of L‐asparaginase
Authors: Lubkowski Jacek , Wlodawer Alexander
Published: June 2021

l‐Asparaginase (a hydrolase converting l‐asparagine to l‐aspartic acid) was the first enzyme to be used in clinical practice as an anticancer agent after its approval in 1978 as a component of a treatment protocol for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Structural and biochemical properties of l‐asparaginases have been extensively investigated during the last half‐century, providing an accurate structural description of the enzyme isolated from a variety of sources, as well as clarifying the mechanism of its activity. This review provides a critical assessment of the current state of knowledge of primarily structural, but also selected biochemical properties of ‘bacterial‐type’ l‐asparaginases from different organisms. The most extensively studied members of this enzyme family are l‐asparaginases highly homologous to one of the two enzymes from Escherichia coli (usually referred to as EcAI and EcAII). Members of this enzyme family, although often called bacterial‐type l‐asparaginases, have been also identified in such divergent organisms as archaea or eukarya. Over 100 structural models of l‐asparaginases have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank during the last 30 years. One of the prime achievements of structure‐centered approaches was the elucidation of the details of the mechanism of enzymatic action of this unique hydrolase that utilizes a side chain of threonine as the primary nucleophile. The molecular basis of other important properties of these enzymes, such as their substrate specificity, is still being evaluated. Results of structural and mechanistic studies of l‐asparaginases are being utilized in efforts to improve the clinical properties of this important anticancer drug.