bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in 24-h ambulatory blood pressure following restoration of sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Olbers Joakim , Östergren Jan , Rosenqvist Mårten , Skuladottir Helga , Klavebäck Sofia , Ljungman Petter , Witt Nils
Published: August 2020

Objective:

The interplay between atrial fibrillation and blood pressure (BP) is insufficiently studied. In symptomatic patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, electrical cardioversion (ECV) is often used to restore sinus rhythm. In this prospective study, we investigated how restoration of sinus rhythm affected 24-h ambulatory BP.

Methods:

Ninety-eight patients with persistent atrial fibrillation were examined with 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring before and approximately a week after ECV.

Results:

Sixty-two patients remained in sinus rhythm at the time of the second ambulatory BP monitoring (AF-SR group), whereas 36 patients had relapsed into atrial fibrillation (AF-AF group). In the AF-SR group, there was a significant increase in mean systolic 24-h BP (5.6 mmHg), a significant decrease in mean diastolic 24-h BP (-4.7 mmHg) and accordingly, a significant 25% (10.4 mmHg) increase in mean 24-h pulse pressure.

Conclusion:

These findings may reflect the haemodynamic conditions that are prevalent in atrial fibrillation, ambulatory BP measurement bias in atrial fibrillation or a combination of both factors. From a clinical standpoint, our results suggest that an increased attention to BP is needed when sinus rhythm is restored, as underlying hypertension may be masked by BP changes during atrial fibrillation. From a general standpoint, it may be speculated that BP, as indicated by the relatively large difference in pulse pressure, may be inherently different in atrial fibrillation and may therefore not be interpretable in the equivalent manner as BP in sinus rhythm.
Challenges and Successes in Addressing Food Selectivity in Children With Developmental Disabilities During Preschool Mealtimes
Authors: Gast A. Hunter , Shepley Collin , Lane Justin D.
Published: August 2020

We evaluated the effects of a multicomponent intervention to address food selectivity issues of 3 preschoolers with developmental disabilities. The intervention comprised strategies evidencing ecological validity in both research and practice. All sessions took place during typical mealtimes in children's classroom or lunchroom, with peers present, and a school-based staff member serving as the instructor. A multiple probe design across behaviors (touch, smell, taste, and eat), with a nested changing criterion design in the final tier, was used to evaluate changes in eating behaviors. Exploratory behaviors related to eating increased for all children; however, the designed intervention did not result in increased consumption of nonpreferred foods. Modifications resulted in one child demonstrating consistent increases in the consumption of nonpreferred foods, but these modifications did not result in increased consumption for other children. Challenges and future directions in treating food selectivity using resources typically available during mealtimes in preschool settings are discussed.
Pharmacists as Frontline Responders During COVID-19
Authors: Thiessen Kaci , Usery Justin B. , Lopez-Candales Angel
Published: August 2020

The ongoing pandemic has disrupted the health care system, creating challenges for health care workers and patients alike. As workflows and job responsibilities have been adapted to provide care to coronavirus-infected patients, many primary care services have been postponed. This change has led to significant financial impacts that will be difficult to overcome. Ambulatory care pharmacists can help fill gaps both in access to primary care services and in the financial deficit, if given the opportunity to practice at the top of their skillset and bill for their face-to-face and telehealth services both during and after the pandemic.
Postpartum bleeding in women with inherited bleeding disorders: a matched cohort study
Authors: Wolf Sonia , Sardo Infirri Sofia , Batty Paul , Sahar Bazgha , Beski Shoreh , Bowles Louise
Published: August 2020

Women with inherited bleeding disorders (IBDs) are reported to have higher rates of primary and secondary postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), even with optimal haemostatic management. We evaluated whether women with IBD have higher odds of PPH compared with those without, when controlled for mode of delivery with a control group of women without IBDs. The obstetric experiences and outcomes of all women with IBD delivering at a tertiary centre between 2008 and 2017, were compared with matched controls (1 : 1). Obstetric care was provided according to national guidelines to both women with IBD and controls. Primary PPH was defined as estimated blood loss at least 500 ml. There were 46 completed pregnancies in women with IBD: 16 haemophilia A carriers, eight haemophilia B carriers, eight factor XI deficiency patients and 14 von Willebrand disease patients (type 1 = 6; type 2 = 8). No peripartum haemostatic treatment was received by carriers of haemophilia A or B. There were 74 control pregnancies. Women with IBD had higher odds of primary PPH, in a model controlling for mode of anaesthesia (adjusted odds ratio 5.30, 95% confidence interval 1.02–27.59,P = 0.048). Carriers of haemophilia A had a higher, statistically nonsignificant, odds for primary PPH than controls (adjusted odds ratio 6.85, confidence interval 0.77–60.73,P = 0.084). An increase in primary PPH was observed in women with IBD, particularly in haemophilia A, despite management according to guidelines. These results warrant further investigation and consideration should be given as to which factor levels to target.
A novel heterozygous mutation (γIIe367Thr) causes congenital dysfibrinogenemia in a Chinese family
Authors: Luo Shasha , Xu Qiyu , Xie Yaosheng , Li Xiaolong , Jin Yanhui , Yang Lihong , Liu Siqi , Wang Mingshan
Published: August 2020

The aim of this study was to elucidate the molecular defects in a Chinese family with dysfibrinogenemia. The fibrinogen activity was measured by the one-stage clotting method. The fibrinogen antigen was measured with immunoturbidimetry. The fibrinogen gene was amplified by PCR with direct sequencing. Suspected mutation was confirmed by reverse sequencing. Bioinformatics and model analysis were used to study the conservatism and harm of the mutation. The proband had a history of menorrhagia. Study showed fibrinogen activity at 0.35 g/l and fibrinogen antigen at 2.05 g/l. Sequencing analysis detected a heterozygous c.1178T>C missense mutation in exon 9 of FGG gene resulting in p.IIe367Thr. The bioinformatics and model analysis indicated that the IIe367Thr mutation may disrupt the activation of the fibrinogen. We detected a novel IIe367Thr missense mutation in the FGG. To our knowledge this is causative mutation has not been reported so far.
Dynamic expression of MMP28 during cranial morphogenesis
Authors: Gouignard Nadege , Theveneau Eric , Saint-Jeannet Jean-Pierre
Published: August 2020

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a large family of proteases comprising 24 members in vertebrates. They are well known for their extracellular matrix remodelling activity. MMP28 is the latest member of the family to be discovered. It is a secreted MMP involved in wound healing, immune system maturation, cell survival and migration. MMP28 is also expressed during embryogenesis in human and mouse. Here, we describe the detailed expression profile of MMP28 inXenopus laevisembryos. We show that MMP28 is expressed maternally and accumulates at neurula and tail bud stages specifically in the cranial placode territories adjacent to migrating neural crest cells. As a secreted MMP, MMP28 may be required in neural crest–placode interactions.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Contemporary morphogenesis’.
Of mitogens and morphogens: modelling Sonic Hedgehog mechanisms in vertebrate development
Authors: Groves Ian , Placzek Marysia , Fletcher Alexander G.
Published: August 2020

Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) Is a critical protein in vertebrate development, orchestrating patterning and growth in many developing systems. First described as a classic morphogen that patterns tissues through a spatial concentration gradient, subsequent studies have revealed a more complex mechanism, in which Shh can also regulate proliferation and differentiation. While the mechanism of action of Shh as a morphogen is well understood, it remains less clear how Shh might integrate patterning, proliferation and differentiation in a given tissue, to ultimately direct its morphogenesis. In tandem with experimental studies, mathematical modelling can help gain mechanistic insights into these processes and bridge the gap between Shh-regulated patterning and growth, by integrating these processes into a common theoretical framework. Here, we briefly review the roles of Shh in vertebrate development, focusing on its functions as a morphogen, mitogen and regulator of differentiation. We then discuss the contributions that modelling has made to our understanding of the action of Shh and highlight current challenges in using mathematical models in a quantitative and predictive way.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Contemporary morphogenesis’.
Planctomonas psychrotolerans sp. nov., isolated from rhizosphere soil of Suaeda salsa
Authors: Li Xiao-Jun , Wang Chun-Miao , Feng Xue-Mei , Liu Shao-Wei , Qiao Hai-Xia , Chang Yue-Li , Sun Cheng-Hang
Published: August 2020

A psychrotolerant actinobacterium, designated strain J5903T, was isolated from an alkaline soil sample from the rhizosphere of Suaeda salsa collected in desertification land surrounding Jiuliancheng Nur in Hebei Province, PR China. Cells of the isolate were Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-motile and non-spore-forming cocci. Strain J5903T grew optimally at 20‒25 °C, at pH 7.0‒7.5 and with <1 % (w/v) NaCl. The cell-wall peptidoglycan type was B2γ with d-2,4-diaminobutyric acid and l-2,4-diaminobutyric acid as diagnostic amino acids. The muramyl residue was acetyl type. The menaquinones were MK-11, MK-12, MK-10 and MK-13. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified glycolipid. The major whole-cell fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content was 69.1 mol%. It shared the highest average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values with

Planctomonas deserti

13S1-3T. Phylogenies based on genome sequence showed that strain J5903T and

P. deserti

13S1-3T formed a robust cluster with high bootstrap support. Strain J5903T shared typical chemotaxonomic characteristics with

P. deserti

13S1-3T. Combining the polyphasic taxonomic evidence, strain J5903T represents a novel species of the genus

Planctomonas

, for which the name Planctomonas psychrotolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is J5903T (=DSM 101894T=CGMCC 1.15523T).
Implications of the school-household network structure on SARS-CoV-2 transmission under different school reopening strategies in England
Authors: Munday James D. , Sherratt Katharine , Meakin Sophie , Endo Akira , Pearson Carl A B , Hellewell Joel , Abbott Sam , Bosse Nikos I. ,   CMMID COVID 1-9 Working Group, Atkins Katherine E. , Wallinga Jacco , Edmunds W. John , van Hoek Albert Jan , Funk Sebastian
Published: August 2020

Background

School closures are a well-established non-pharmaceutical intervention in the event of infectious disease outbreaks, and have been implemented in many countries across the world, including the UK, to slow down the spread of SARS-CoV-2. As governments begin to relax restrictions on public life there is a need to understand the potential impact that reopening schools may have on transmission.

Methods

We used data provided by the UK Department for Education to construct a network of English schools, connected through pairs of pupils resident at the same address. We used the network to evaluate the potential for transmission between schools, and for long range propagation across the network, under different reopening scenarios.

Results

Amongst the options evaluated we found that reopening only Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 (4-6 and 10-11 year olds) resulted in the lowest risk of transmission between schools, with outbreaks within a single school unlikely to result in outbreaks in adjacent schools in the network. The additional reopening of Years 10 and 12 (14-15 and 16-17 year olds) resulted in an increase in the risk of transmission between schools comparable to reopening all primary school years (4-11 year olds). However, the majority of schools presented low risk of initiating widespread transmission through the school system. Reopening all secondary school years (11-18 year olds) resulted in large potential outbreak clusters putting up to 50% of households connected to schools at risk of infection if sustained transmission within schools was possible.

Conclusions

Reopening secondary school years is likely to have a greater impact on community transmission than reopening primary schools in England. Keeping transmission within schools limited is essential for reducing the risk of large outbreaks amongst school-aged children and their household members.
Gastroenterology Procedures Generate Aerosols: an Air Quality Turnover Solution to Mitigate the Risk
Authors: Garbey Marc , Joerger Guillaume , Furr Shannon
Published: August 2020

The growing fear of virus transmission during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has called for many scientists to look into the various vehicle of infection, including the potential to travel through aerosols. Few have looked into the issue that gastrointestinal (GI) procedures may produce an abundance of aerosols. The current process of risk management for clinics is to follow a clinic-specific HVAC formula, which is typically calculated once-a-year and assume perfect mixing of the air within the space, to determine how many minutes each procedural room refreshes 99% of its air between procedures when doors are closed. This formula is not designed to fit the complex dynamic of small airborne particle transport and deposition that can potentially carry the virus in clinical conditions. It results in reduced procedure throughput as well as an excess of idle time in clinics that process a large number of short procedures such as outpatient GI centers.

We present and tested a new cyber-physical system that continuously monitors airborne particle counts in procedural rooms and also at the same time it automatically monitors the procedural rooms’ state and flexible endoscope status without interfering with the clinic’s workflow. We use our data gathered from over 1500 GI cases in one clinical suite to understand the correlation between air quality and standard procedure types as well as identify the risks involved with any HVAC system in a clinical suite environment. Thanks to this system, we demonstrate that standard GI procedures generate large quantities of aerosols, which can potentially promote viral airborne transmission among patients and healthcare staff. We provide a solution for the clinic to improve procedure turnover times and throughput, as well as to mitigate the risk of airborne transmission of the virus.
Causal Evaluation of Laboratory Markers in Type 2 Diabetes on Cancer and Vascular Diseases Using Various Mendelian Randomization Tools
Authors: Jin Heejin , Lee Sanghun , Won Sungho
Published: August 2020

Multiple studies have demonstrated the effects of type 2 diabetes (T2D) on various human diseases; however, most of these were observational epidemiological studies that suffered from many potential biases including reported confounding and reverse causations. In this article, we investigated whether cancer and vascular disease can be affected by T2D-related traits, including fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h postprandial plasma glucose (2h-PG), and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, by using Mendelian randomization (MR). The summary statistics for FPG, 2h-PG, and HbA1c were obtained through meta-analyses of large-scale genome-wide association studies that included data from 133,010 non-diabetic individuals from collaborating Meta-Analysis of Glucose and Insulin related traits Consortium studies. Thereafter, based on the statistical assumptions for MR analyses, the most reliable approaches including inverse-variance-weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, MR-Egger with a simulation extrapolation (SIMEX), weighted median and MR-Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO) methods were applied to identify traits affected by FPG, 2h-PG, and HbA1c. We found that coronary artery disease is affected by FPG, as per the IVW [log odds ratio (logOR): 0.21; P=0.012], MR-Egger (SIMEX) (logOR: 0.22; P=0.014), MR-PRESSO (logOR: 0.18; P=0.045), and weighted median (logOR: 0.29; P<0.001) methods, but not as per the MR-Egger (logOR: 0.13; P=0.426) approach. Furthermore, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels are affected by HbA1c, as per the IVW (beta (B): 0.23; P=0.015), MR-Egger (B: 0.45; P=0.046), MR-Egger (SIMEX) (B: 0.27; P=0.007), MR-PRESSO (B; 0.14; P=0.010), and the weighted median (B: 0.15; P=0.012) methods. Further studies of the associated biological mechanisms are required to validate and understand the disease-specific differences identified in the TD2-related causal effects of each trait.
How do socio-demographic status and personal attributes influence adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviours?
Authors: Uddin Shahadat , Imam Tasadduq , Khushi Matloob , Khan Arif , Ali Moni Mohammad
Published: August 2020

This study assesses how socio-demographic status and personal attributes influence protection behaviours during a pandemic, with protection behaviours being assessed through three perspectives – social distancing, personal protection behaviour and social responsibility awareness. The COVID-19 preventive behaviours were explored and compared based on the social-demographic and personal attributes of individuals. Using a publicly available and recently collected dataset on Japanese citizens during the COVID-19 early outbreak and exploiting both Classification and Regression Tree (CART) and regression analysis, the study notes that socio-demographic and personal attributes of individuals indeed shape the subjective prevention actions and thereby the control of the spread of a pandemic. Three socio-demographic attributes – sex, marital family status and having children – appear to have played an influential role in Japanese citizens’ abiding by the COVID-19 protection behaviours, especially with women having children being noted more conscious than the male counterparts. Work status also appears to have some impact especially concerning social distancing and personal protection behaviour. Among the personality attributes, smoking behaviour appeared as a contributing factor with non-smokers or less-frequent smokers more compliant to the protection behaviours. Overall, the findings imply the need of public policy campaigning to account for variations in protection behaviour due to socio-demographic and personal attributes during a pandemic.
Single-cell nucleic acid profiling in droplets (SNAPD) enables high-throughput analysis of heterogeneous cell populations
Authors: Hyman Leland B. , Christopher Clare R. , Romero Philip A.
Published: August 2020

Experimental methods that capture the individual properties of single cells are revealing the key role of cell-to-cell variability in countless biological processes. These single-cell methods are becoming increasingly important across the life sciences in fields such as immunology, regenerative medicine, and cancer biology. Existing single-cell analysis methods are often limited by their low analysis throughput, their inability to profile high-dimensional phenotypes, and complicated experimental workflows with slow turnaround times. In this work, we present Single-cell Nucleic Acid Profiling in Droplets (SNAPD) to analyze the transcriptional states of hundreds of thousands of single mammalian cells. Individual cells are encapsulated in aqueous droplets on a microfluidic chip and the content of each cell is profiled by amplifying a targeted panel of transcriptional markers. Molecular logic circuits then integrate this multi-dimensional information to categorize cells based on their transcriptional profile and produce a detectable fluorescence output. SNAPD analyzes over 100,000 cells per hour and can be used to quantify distinct cell types within populations, detect rare cells at frequencies down to 0.1%, and enrich specific cell types using microfluidic sorting. SNAPD provides a simple, rapid, low cost, and scalable approach to study complex phenotypes in heterogeneous cell populations.
Identification of novel alternative splicing events associated with tumorigenesis, protein modification, and immune microenvironment in early-onset gastric cancer
Authors: Zhang Jian , Goel Ajay , Zhu Lin
Published: August 2020

Background

Alternative splicing (AS), e.g. tandem alternative polyadenylation (TAPA), has emerged as major post-transcriptional modification events in human disease. However, the roles of AS and TAPA in early-onset gastric cancer (EOGC) have not been revealed.

Methods

The global AS profiles of 80 EOGC patient samples from the European Nucleotide Archive (PRJNA508414) were analyzed. The EOGC-specific AS events (ESASs) were identified in both EOGC and adjacent non-tumor tissues. Functional enrichment analysis, Splicing network, Alternative Polyadenylation (APA) core factor network, and cell abundancy analysis were performed. Furthermore, the landscapes of AS events in the varied subtypes of EOGC patients, including various protein modifications and viral infections, were evaluated.

Results

Overall, 66,075 AS events and 267 ESASs were identified in EOGC. In these events, 4809 genes and 6152 gene isoforms were found to be aberrantly expressed in EOGC. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway analyses showed that significant pathway alterations might exist in these AS events, genes, and gene isoforms. Moreover, the Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis revealed that UBC, NEK2, EPHB2, and DCTN1 genes were the hub genes in the AS events in EOGC. The immune cell infiltration analysis indicated a correlation between the AS events and the cancer immune microenvironment. The distribution of AS events in varied EOGC subtypes was uneven. The numbers of AS events related to protein phosphorylation and glycosylation were 82 and 85, respectively, which suggested a high association between AS events and protein modification in EOGC.

Conclusion

The study highlighted the vital roles of AS in EOGC, including modulating the specific protein modification and reshaping the cancer immune microenvironment, and yielded new insights into the diagnosis of EOGC as well as cancer treatment.
Developmental stage-specific changes in protein synthesis differentially sensitize hematopoietic stem cells and erythroid progenitors to impaired ribosome biogenesis
Authors: Magee Jeffrey A. , Signer Robert A.J.
Published: August 2020

Ribosomopathies encompass a collection of human genetic disorders that often arise from mutations in ribosomal proteins or ribosome biogenesis factors. Despite ubiquitous requirement of ribosomes for protein synthesis, ribosomopathies present with tissue- and cell-type-specific disorders, and blood is particularly affected. Several ribosomopathies present with congenital anemias and bone marrow failure, and accordingly, erythroid lineage cells and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are preferentially impaired by ribosomal dysfunction. However, the factors that influence this cell-type-specific sensitivity are incompletely understood. Here, we show that protein synthesis rates change during HSC and erythroid progenitor ontogeny. Fetal HSCs exhibit significantly higher protein synthesis than adult HSCs. Despite protein synthesis differences, reconstituting activity of both fetal and adult HSCs is severely disrupted by a ribosomal mutation (Rpl24Bst/+). In contrast, fetal erythroid lineage progenitors exhibit significantly lower protein synthesis than their adult counterparts. Protein synthesis declines during erythroid differentiation, but the decline starts earlier in fetal differentiation than in adults. Strikingly, theRpl24Bst/+mutation impairs fetal, but not adult erythropoiesis, by impairing proliferation at fetal erythroid progenitor stages with the lowest protein synthesis relative to their adult counterparts. Thus, developmental and cell-type-specific changes in protein synthesis can sensitize hematopoietic cells to impaired ribosome biogenesis.

Key Points

Fetal HSCs synthesize much more protein per hour than young adult HSCs in vivo

Fetal erythroid progenitors synthesize much less protein per hour than young adult erythroid progenitors in vivo

Differences in protein synthesis dynamics distinguish fetal and adult erythroid differentiation

A ribosomal mutation that reduces protein synthesis impairs fetal and adult HSCs

Reduced protein synthesis impairs fetal but not adult erythroid progenitors
Alterations of the rewarding actions of amphetamine by prior nicotine and alcohol treatment: The role of age and dopamine
Authors: Stojakovic Andrea , Ahmad Syed Muzzammil , Lutfy Kabirullah
Published: August 2020

Rationale

Nicotine and alcohol each can serve as the gateway to other drugs.

Objective

The current study was sought to determine if prior nicotine and alcohol exposure alters amphetamine reward and if age and dopaminergic neurotransmission are involved.

Methods

Male and female adolescent and adult C57BL/6J mice were tested for baseline place preference, received six conditioning with saline/nicotine (0.25 mg/kg) twice daily followed by six conditioning with saline/ethanol (2 g/kg) in a counterbalance manner. Control mice were conditioned with saline/saline throughout. Finally, mice were conditioned with amphetamine (3 mg/kg) once in the nicotine-alcohol-paired chamber and then tested for CPP 24 h later. The following day, mice were challenged with amphetamine (1 mg/kg) and tested for CPP under a drugged state. Mice were then immediately euthanized, brain removed and nucleus accumbens isolated and processed for the expression of dopamine receptors and transporter, and glutamate receptors.

Results

We observed a greater amphetamine-induced CPP in adolescent than adult mice but no change in state-dependent CPP between the two age groups. In contrast, amphetamine-induced CPP in mice with prior nicotine-alcohol exposure was greater in adult than adolescent mice under both drug-free and drugged states. The enhanced response in adult mice was associated with greater expression of dopamine-transporter, reduced D2 receptors, and increased D1 receptors with no changes in glutamate receptors.

Conclusions

These results suggest that prior nicotine and alcohol exposure differentially alters the rewarding action of amphetamine in adult and adolescent mice and alterations in dopaminergic neurotransmission may be involved in this phenotype.
Chemotaxonomic Investigation of Apocynaceae for Retronecine-Type Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Using HPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Barny Lea A. , Tasca Julia A. , Sanchez Hugo A. , Smith Chelsea R. , Koptur Suzanne , Livshultz Tatyana , Minbiole Kevin P. C.
Published: August 2020

Apocynaceae are well-known for diverse specialized metabolites that are distributed in a phylogenetically informative manner. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) have been reported sporadically in one lineage in the family, the APSA clade, but few species had been studied to date. We conduct the first systematic survey of Apocynaceae for retronecine-type PAs, sampling leaves from 231 species from 13 of 16 major lineages within the APSA clade using HPLC-MS/MS. We also follow up on preliminary evidence for infra-specific variation of PA detectability inEchites umbellatusJacq. Four precursor ion scans (PREC) were developed for a high-throughput survey for chemicals containing a structural moiety common to many PAs, the retronecine core. We identified with high confidence PAs in 7 of 8 sampled genera of tribe Echiteae, but not in samples from the closely related Odontadenieae and Mesechiteae, confirming the utility of PAs as a taxonomic character in tribal delimitation. The presence of PAs in Malouetieae was confirmed, as we report with high confidence their presence inGalactophora schomburgkianaWoodson andEucorymbia albaStapf, but currently we have low confidence of their presence inHolarrena pubescensWall. ex G. Don (the one Malouetieae species where they were previously reported), as well as inKibatalia macrophylla(Pierre ex Hua) Woodson and inHolarrena curtisiiKing & Gamble. For the first time the presence of PAs in species ofWrightiaR. Br. (Wrightieae) andMarsdeniaR. Br. (Marsdenieae) was confirmed. Detectability of PAs was found to vary among samples ofEchites umbellatusand intra-individual plasticity contributes to this variation. Of toxicological importance, novel potential sources of human exposure to pro-toxic PAs were identified in the medicinal plants,Wrightia tinctoriaR.Br. andMarsdenia tinctoriaR.Br., and the food plant,Echites panduratusA. DC., warranting immediate further research to elucidate the structures of the candidate PAs identified. Method development and limitations are discussed.
Genetically-modifiedX. laevisindicate distinct roles for prominin-1 and photoreceptor cadherin in outer segment morphogenesis and retinal dystrophy
Authors: Carr Brittany J , Stanar Paloma , Moritz Orson L
Published: August 2020

Mutations in prominin-1 (prom1) and photoreceptor cadherin (cdhr1) are associated with inherited retinal degenerative disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa, cone-rod dystrophy, and juvenile macular dystrophy. The proteins encoded by these genes are hypothesized to regulate photoreceptor outer segment disc morphogenesis, but their functions remain unknown. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to generateprom1-, cdhr1-, andprom1+cdhr1-nullX. laevisand then documented the effects of these mutations on photoreceptor structure and function.Prom1-null mutations resulted in dysmorphic photoreceptors comprised of overgrown and disorganized disc membranes. Cones were more severely affected than rods; outer segments were elongated and fragmented, and ERG response was impaired. Autofluorescent deposits in the outer segment layer of agingprom1-null animals indicate that secondary toxic effects to the retina or RPE drive retinal degeneration for this mutation, instead of direct effects on outer segment disc morphogenesis.Cdhr1-null photoreceptors did not appear grossly dysmorphic, but ultrastructural analysis revealed that some disc membranes were overgrown or aligned vertically within the plasma membrane.Prom1+cdhr1-null mutants did not differ significantly fromprom1-null mutants. Our results indicate that neither prom1 nor cdhr1 are necessary for outer segment disc membrane evagination or the membrane fusion event involved in disc sealing. Rather, they are necessary for higher-order organization of the nascent outer segment discs. Prom1 may align and reinforce interactions between the disc leading edges, a function more critical in cone photoreceptors for structural support. Cdhr1 may help to align nascent discs and maintain horizontal disc orientation prior to fusion.
Structural insights into the histidine-containing phosphotransfer protein and receiver domain of sensor histidine kinase suggest a complex model in the two-component regulatory system inPseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Chen Shao-Kang , Guan Hong-Hsiang , Wu Pei-Hsun , Lin Li-Ting , Wu Meng-Chun , Chang Hwan-You , Chen Nai-Chi , Lin Chien-Chih , Chuankhayan Phimonphan , Huang Yen-Chieh , Lin Pei-Ju , Chen Chun-Jung
Published: August 2020

InPseudomonas aeruginosa, an important opportunistic pathogen that causes numerous acute and chronic infections, the hybrid two-component system (TCS) regulates the swarming ability and biofilm formation with a multistep phosphorelay, and consists of hybrid-sensor histidine kinase (HK), histidine-containing phosphotransfer protein (Hpt) and response regulator (RR). In this work, two crystal structures of HptB and the receiver domain of HK PA1611 (PA1611REC) ofP. aeruginosahave been determined in order to elucidate their interactions for the transfer of the phosphoryl group. The structure of HptB folds into an elongated four-helix bundle – helices α2, α3, α4 and α5, covered by the short N-terminal helix α1. The imidazole side chain of the conserved active-site histidine residue His57, located near the middle of helix α3, protrudes from the bundle and is exposed to solvent. The structure of PA1611REC possesses a conventional (β/α)5topology with five-stranded parallel β-sheets folded in the central region, surrounded by five α-helices. The divalent Mg2+ion is located in the negatively charged active-site cleft and interacts with Asp522, Asp565 and Arg567. The HptB–PA1611REC complex is further modeled to analyze the binding surface and interactions between the two proteins. The model shows a shape complementarity between the convex surface of PA1611REC and the kidney-shaped HptB with fewer residues and a different network involved in interactions compared with other TCS complexes, such as SLN1-R1/YPD1 fromSaccharomyces cerevisiaeand AHK5RD/AHP1 fromArabidopsis thaliana. These structural results provide a better understanding of the TCS inP. aeruginosaand could potentially lead to the discovery of a new treatment for infection.
A review of models for assessing readiness of construction organisations to innovate
Authors: Akunyumu Stephen , Fugar Frank D.K. , Adinyira Emmanuel , Danku James Cofie
Published: August 2020

Purpose

There is an urgent need for the construction industry to improve its current performance to increase productivity and satisfy the complex and varying needs of project clients. To be successful, construction companies must innovate. Unfortunately, the extant literature has revealed some inertia towards innovation which in several cases is because of lack of the organisational readiness required to embrace innovation. Various models for assessing organisational readiness are proposed in the literature. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to determine the applicability of existing models for assessing the readiness of construction organisations to innovate.

Design/methodology/approach

A desk study of the extant literature was conducted to identify perspectives of readiness assessment and, based on a comparative framework, a set of readiness assessment models identified was examined to ascertain their perspectives on organisational readiness assessment.

Findings

Five models/tools of organisational readiness assessments were identified and compared based on a set of identified criteria. The comparative analysis revealed that three of the models can be used to assess the readiness of construction organisations to innovate, albeit with varied scopes of modification.

Practical implications

The paper presents an overview of readiness assessment perspectives developed through models that could help organisations in selecting the most appropriate tool to assess their readiness.

Originality/value

The paper uses a comparative framework as a basis for analysing the identified models. It further discusses the strengths and weaknesses inherent in each model noting critical areas of omission.
Is there any relation between Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and corruption in developing countries?
Authors: Guritno Danur Condro , Kurniawan Mahrus Lutfi Adi , Mangkunegara Irfan , Samudro Bhimo Rizky
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relation between the cultural dimensions of Hofstede and corruption in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a quantitative research approach with multiple regression analysis and quantile regression (QR) analysis.

Findings

The results showed that all cultural dimensions except power distance index (PDI) influence the level of corruption in developing countries. This study also found something interesting from the significance of the cultural dimensions of individualism and uncertainty avoidance (UAI) in the regression model. The community of developing countries tends to be collective which means that the level of corruption in the country is getting higher. The cultural dimension of UAI in developing countries is also interesting to study because of the positive relation with the Corruption Personal Index value which means it tends to be freer from corruption.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited to the number of samples and the scope of the Hofstede’s cultural dimensions which are limited in developing countries.

Practical implications

The results of this research can add empirical evidence related to cultural variables and corruption, especially in developing countries.

Social implications

This research is expected to be a reference on cultural aspect and corruption in developing countries to be studied more deeply to investigate the causes of corruption in developing countries.

Originality/value

This is a preliminary study using cultural dimension and corruption in developing countries with quantile regression (QR) as an analysis tool and can add empirical evidence about the cultural dimensions and corruption.
Formation and breakdown of the alliance between state and civic forces in post-2013 Egypt: a state-in-society approach
Authors: Hassan Mazen
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine why the alliance formed between non-Islamist forces and state actors to oust Mohamed Morsi from power in 2013 broke down quickly.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper makes use of original data set derived from three waves of surveys fielded in 2011, 2014 and 2015 that ask questions about public threat perception. Around 10 elite interviews were also conducted to further test the study’s hypothesis.

Findings

On the one hand, non-Islamists, civic forces challenged the status and interests of state actors in a way that made state actors view them with heightened distrust. On the other, many civic forces, in face of high threat perception, prioritized law during and order after Morsi’s removal, driven – at least partly – by shifts in public attitudes.

Originality/value

Many views look at transitions in the Arab world from the angle of how Islamists interact with traditional power holders. Such an approach, however, could be reductionist in many ways because it disregards civic forces. This is a point this paper seeks to address.
Changing to improve? Organizational change and change-oriented leadership in hospitals
Authors: Øygarden Olaug , Olsen Espen , Mikkelsen Aslaug
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to fill gaps in one’s knowledge of the impact of organizational change on two outcomes relevant to hospital service quality (performance obstacles and physician job satisfaction) and in one’s knowledge of the role of middle manager change-oriented leadership in relation to the same outcomes. Further, the authors aim to identify how physician participation in decision-making is impacted by organizational change and change-oriented leadership, as well as how it mediates the relationships between these two variables, performance obstacles and job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design including data from Norwegian hospital physicians (N = 556). A hypothetical model was developed based on existing theory, confirmatory factor analysis was carried out in order to ensure the validity of measurement concepts, and the structural model was estimated using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The organizational changes in question were positively related to performance obstacles both directly and indirectly through participation in decision-making. Organizational change was also negatively related to job satisfaction, both directly and indirectly. Change-oriented leadership was negatively related to performance obstacles, but only indirectly through participation in decision-making, whereas it was positively related to job satisfaction both directly and indirectly.

Originality/value

The authors developed a theoretical model based on existing theory, but to their knowledge no other studies have tested these exact relationships within one model. These findings offer insights relevant to current and ongoing developments in the healthcare field and to the question of how hospitals may deal with continuous changes in ways that could contribute positively towards outcomes relevant to service quality.
Temporary clusters: a new SME clustering management model
Authors: Deif Ahmed , Mohib Ahmed
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore a new model to manage small and medium enterprise (SME) clustering process that examines the geographical connectivity conditions within the existing theories on agglomeration. The presented work explores the dynamics governing the decisions related to both the duration and frequency of the different forms of these new clusters.

Design/methodology/approach

A clustering configurator tool is developed to assist managers for the best temporary cluster model. The configurator considers aspects related to the market, industry and classical clustering requirements as well as social capital (SC). Finally, the performance of various temporary clusters under different demand scenarios and operational conditions are studied using numerical simulation.

Findings

The results examined the performance of the new clusters under various internal and external defining indicators against potential economic growth, technology spillover and the new metric of SC. The results offered interesting observations suggesting various recommendations to promote these new models to SMEs as well as how to better manage them.

Research limitations/implications

The presented results are understood in the context of the suggested settings of relationships and scoring weights.

Practical implications

The new form of clusters will help SMEs overcome the feasibility challenge when considering re-locating to existing clusters while reaping many of these clusters benefits. Furthermore, different recommendations for management aimed at enhancing clustering decisions and the efficiency of SMEs in these new setups are presented.

Originality/value

This paper suggests a new clustering management approach that capitalizes on the temporal domain rather than classical space or the digital clusters domains. Also, a new management concept called dynamic matching is suggested. SC is considered among clustering objectives which was disregarded in similar studies.
Financial resilience of English local government in the aftermath of COVID-19
Authors: Ahrens Thomas , Ferry Laurence
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The financial resilience of local authorities has been a serious concern over the past decade due to austerity and its effects on local government budgets despite rising service demands. More recently, the scale and suddenness of the shock from COVID-19 has exacerbated problems of financial resilience. This paper explores the financial management responses required by a sudden, nationwide pandemic of such severity.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applies the concept of financial resilience to English local government to analyse their situation in the aftermath of COVID-19. It is based on a close reading of official reports and the news media.

Findings

Local authority’s financial resilience could deal with normal levels of risk arising from austerity. However, the seriousness of COVID-19 alongside pressures still emanating from Brexit requires a significant level of central government support. This is critical as local government is expected to underpin future economic growth of the UK as well as deliver an important social response. Presently, the financial framework for funding individual local authorities through central government in terms of COVID-19 support is not on a reliable footing to answer specific demands. This can lead to gaming and perverse incentives.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to connect the financial resilience in the local government framework with the required central government funding procedures for sudden nationwide crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies the need to define what effect key variables, such as local government financial reserves, local deprivation indices and anticipatory financial management practices in local government should have on the determination of central government aid for individual local authorities.
Self adaptive fruit fly algorithm for multiple workflow scheduling in cloud computing environment
Authors: Aggarwal Ambika , Dimri Priti , Agarwal Amit , Bhatt Ashutosh
Published: August 2020

Purpose

In general, cloud computing is a model of on-demand business computing that grants a convenient access to shared configurable resources on the internet. With the increment of workload and difficulty of tasks that are submitted by cloud consumers; “how to complete these tasks effectively and rapidly with limited cloud resources?” is becoming a challenging question. The major point of a task scheduling approach is to identify a trade-off among user needs and resource utilization. However, tasks that are submitted by varied users might have diverse needs of computing time, memory space, data traffic, response time, etc. This paper aims to proposes a new way of task scheduling.

Design/methodology/approach

To make the workflow completion in an efficient way and to reduce the cost and flow time, this paper proposes a new way of task scheduling. Here, a self-adaptive fruit fly optimization algorithm (SA-FFOA) is used for scheduling the workflow. The proposed multiple workflow scheduling model compares its efficiency over conventional methods in terms of analysis such as performance analysis, convergence analysis and statistical analysis. From the outcome of the analysis, the betterment of the proposed approach is proven with effective workflow scheduling.

Findings

The proposed algorithm is more superior regarding flow time with the minimum value, and the proposed model is enhanced over FFOA by 0.23%, differential evolution by 2.48%, artificial bee colony (ABC) by 2.85%, particle swarm optimization (PSO) by 2.46%, genetic algorithm (GA) by 2.33% and expected time to compute (ETC) by 2.56%. While analyzing the make span case, the proposed algorithm is 0.28%, 0.15%, 0.38%, 0.20%, 0.21% and 0.29% better than the conventional methods such as FFOA, DE, ABC, PSO, GA and ETC, respectively. Moreover, the proposed model has attained less cost, which is 2.14% better than FFOA, 2.32% better than DE, 3.53% better than ABC, 2.43% better than PSO, 2.07% better than GA and 2.90% better than ETC, respectively.

Originality/value

This paper presents a new way of task scheduling for making the workflow completion in an efficient way and for reducing the cost and flow time. This is the first paper uses SA-FFOA for scheduling the workflow.