bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conscious perception and the modulatory role of dopamine: no effect of the dopamine D2 agonist cabergoline on visual masking, the attentional blink, and probabilistic discrimination
Authors: Boonstra E.A. , van Schouwenburg M.R. , Seth A.K. , Bauer M. , Zantvoord J.B. , Kemper E.M. , Lansink C.S. , Slagter H.A.
Published: March 2020

Rationale

Conscious perception is thought to depend on global amplification of sensory input. In recent years, striatal dopamine has been proposed to be involved in gating information and conscious access, due to its modulatory influence on thalamocortical connectivity.

Objectives

Since much of the evidence that implicates striatal dopamine is correlational, we conducted a double-blind crossover pharmacological study in which we administered cabergoline – a dopamine D2 agonist – and placebo to 30 healthy participants. Under both conditions, we subjected participants to several well-established experimental conscious-perception paradigms, such as backward masking and the attentional blink task.

Results

We found no evidence in support of an effect of cabergoline on conscious perception: key behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) findings associated with each of these tasks were unaffected by cabergoline.

Conclusions

Our results cast doubt on a causal role for dopamine in visual perception. It remains an open possibility that dopamine has causal effects in other tasks, perhaps where perceptual uncertainty is more prominent.
Morphological and functional variability in central and subcentral motor cortex of the human brain
Authors: Eichert Nicole , Watkins Kate E. , Mars Rogier B. , Petrides Michael
Published: March 2020

There is a long-established link between anatomy and function in the somatomotor system in the mammalian cerebral cortex. The morphology of the central sulcus is predictive of the location of functional activation peaks relating to movement of different effectors in individuals. By contrast, morphological variation in the subcentral region and its relationship to function is, as yet, unknown. Investigating the subcentral region is particularly important in the context of speech, since control of the larynx during human speech production is related to activity in this region. Here, we examined the relationship between morphology in the central and subcentral region and the location of functional activity during movement of the hand, lips, tongue, and larynx at the individual participant level. We provide a systematic description of the sulcal patterns of the subcentral and adjacent opercular cortex, including the inter-individual variability in sulcal morphology. We show that, in the majority of participants, the anterior subcentral sulcus is not continuous, but consists of two distinct segments. A robust relationship between morphology of the central and subcentral sulcal segments and movement of different effectors is demonstrated. Inter-individual variability of underlying anatomy might thus explain previous inconsistent findings, in particular regarding the ventral larynx area in subcentral cortex. A surface registration based on sulcal labels indicated that such anatomical information can improve the alignment of functional data for group studies.
Dispersal ability ofNeophilaenus campestris, a vector ofXylella fastidiosa, from olive groves to over-summering hosts
Authors: Lago C. , Morente M. , De las Heras-Bravo D. , Marti Campoy A. , Rodriguez-Ballester F. , Plaza M. , Moreno A. , Fereres A.
Published: March 2020

Neophilaenus campestrisis one of the recently identified spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea) able to transmitXylella fastidiosato olive trees. Considering its vector ability and the wide distribution of this species in Spain,N. campestrisshould be considered a serious threat to key crops that are vital for Spanish agriculture such as olive, almonds and grapevines. Migration and dispersal abilities of insect vectors have profound implications in the spread of vector-borne diseases. Thus, knowledge on the dispersal ability ofN. campestrisis essential to model, predict and limit the spread of the diseases caused byX. fastidiosa. A mark-release-recapture technique was developed to track between-field movements ofN. campestrisduring its late spring migration from the ground cover grasses within olive groves to sheltered areas dominated by pine trees. An indoor assay showed that the fluorescent dust used for marking did not affect the survival nor the flying ability ofN. campestris. Spittlebug adults captured in olive groves at Los Santos de la Humosa (Madrid, Spain) during late spring, 2019 were dusted with four fluorescent colours and released in four different locations. Six recapture samplings were performed 23 to 42 days after release in 12 different sites located within a maximum distance of 2.8 km from the release point. Results indicated thatN. campestriswas able to disperse a maximum distance of 2473 m in 35 days from the olive groves to areas dominated by pine trees. Furthermore, our flight mill studies also showed thatN. campestriswas able to fly long distances, reaching almost 1.4 km in an 82 minutes’ single flight.

Moreover, we carried out a survey of directional movement of potential vectors ofX. fastidiosain an olive grove located in Villa del Prado (Madrid). We used yellow sticky bands, a Malaise trap and a vertical yellow sticky net to assess the directional movement from olive groves to surrounding managed and unmanaged areas. The captures obtained in the yellow sticky bands showed that spittlebugs dispersal from the olive grove to surrounding vegetation matched with the time when the ground cover dried out. The highest number of spittlebugs was captured in the border between the olive grove and a vineyard close by.

Altogether, our findings suggest that eradication measures by rooting-upX. fastidiosa-infected and non-infected trees in a radius of 100 m are of limited value because vectors are able to disperse rapidly over distances much longer than expected.
Neural activity precedes conscious awareness of being in or out of a transient hallucinatory state
Authors: Hugdahl Kenneth , Craven Alexander R. , Johnsen Erik , Ersland Lars , Stoyanov Drozdstoy , Kandilarova Sevdalina , Sandøy Lydia Brunvoll , Kroken Rune A. , Løberg Else-Marie , Sommer Iris E.
Published: March 2020

Auditory verbal hallucinations, or “hearing voices”, is a remarkable state of the mind, occurring in psychiatric and neurological patients, and in a significant minority of the general population. An unexplained characteristic of this phenomenon is that it transiently fluctuates, with coming and going of episodes with time. We monitored neural activity with BOLD-fMRI second-by-second before and after participants indicated the start and end of a transient hallucinatory episode during the scanning session by pressing a response-button. We show that a region in the ventro-medial frontal cortex is activated in advance of conscious awareness of going in or out of a transient hallucinatory state. There was an increase in activity initiated a few seconds before the button-press for onsets, and a corresponding decrease in activity initiated a few seconds before the button-press for offsets. We identified the time between onset and offset button-presses, extracted the corresponding BOLD time-courses from nominated regions-of-interest, and analyzed changes in the signal from 10 seconds before to 15 seconds after the response-button was pressed, which identified onset and offset events. We suggest that this brain region act as a switch to turn on and off a hallucinatory episode. The results may have implications for new interventions for intractable hallucinations.
ODELAM: Rapid sequence-independent detection of drug resistance in clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Herricks Thurston , Donczew Magdalena , Mast Fred D. , Rustad Tige , Morrison Robert , Sterling Timothy R. , Sherman David R. , Aitchison John D.
Published: March 2020

Antimicrobial-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) causes over 200,000 deaths each year. Current assays of antimicrobial resistance need knowledge of mutations that confer drug resistance, or long periods of culture time to test growth under drug pressure. We present ODELAM (One-cell Doubling Evaluation of Living Arrays of Mycobacterium), a time-lapse microscopy-based method that observes individual cells growing into microcolonies. ODELAM enables rapid quantitative measures of growth kinetics in as little as 30 hours under a wide variety of environmental conditions. We show the utility of ODELAM by identifying ofloxacin resistance in clinical isolates of Mtb and benchmark its performance with standard MIC assays. In one clinical isolate, ODELAM identified ofloxacin heteroresistance and identifies the presence of drug resistant colony forming units (CFU) at 1 per 1000 CFUs in as little as 48 hours. ODELAM is a powerful new tool that can rapidly evaluate Mtb drug resistance in a laboratory setting.
Beyond the greenhouse: coupling environmental and salt stress response reveals unexpected global transcriptional regulatory networks inSalicornia bigelovii
Authors: Chelaifa Houda , Vinu Manikandan , Dieng Massar , Idaghdour Youssef , Hasan Ayesha , Hernandez Hector H.
Published: March 2020

Soil salinity is an increasing threat to global food production systems. As such, there is a need for salt tolerant plant model systems in order to understand salt stress regulation and response.Salicornia bigelovii, a succulent obligatory halophyte, is one of the most salt tolerant plant species in the world. It possesses distinctive characteristics that make it a candidate plant model for studying salt stress regulation and tolerance, showing promise as an economical non-crop species that can be used for saline land remediation and for large-scale biofuel production. However, availableS. bigeloviigenomic and transcriptomic data are insufficient to reveal its molecular mechanism of salt tolerance. We performed transcriptome analysis ofS. bigeloviiflowers, roots, seeds and shoots tissues cultivated under desert conditions and irrigated with saline aquaculture effluent. We identified a unique set of tissue specific transcripts present in this non-model crop. A total of 66,943 transcripts (72.63%) were successfully annotated through the GO database with 18,321 transcripts (27.38%) having no matches to known transcripts. Excluding non-plant transcripts, differential expression analysis of 49,914 annotated transcripts revealed differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) between the four tissues and identified shoots and flowers as the most transcriptionally similar tissues relative to roots and seeds. The DETs between above and below ground tissues, with the exclusion of seeds, were primarily involved in osmotic regulation and ion transportation. We identified DETs between shoots and roots implicated in salt tolerance includingSbSOS1,SbNHX,SbHKT6 upregulated in shoots relative to roots, while aquaporins (AQPs) were up regulated in roots. We also noted that DETs implicated in osmolyte regulation exhibit a different profile among shoots and roots. Our study provides the first report of a highly upregulated HKT6 fromS. bigeloviishoot tissue. Furthermore, we identified two BADH transcripts with divergent sequence and tissue specific expression pattern. Overall, expression of the ion transport transcripts suggests Na+accumulation inS. bigeloviishoots. Our data led to novel insights into transcriptional regulation across the four tissues and identified a core set of salt stress-related transcripts inS. bigelovii.
Expression ofBacillus cereusVirulence-Related Genes in an Ocular Infection-Related Environment
Authors: Coburn Phillip S. , Miller Frederick C. , Enty Morgan A. , Land Craig , LaGrow Austin L. , Mursalin Md Huzzatul , Callegan Michelle C.
Published: March 2020

Bacillus cereusproduces many factors linked to pathogenesis and is recognized for causing gastrointestinal toxemia and infections.B. cereusalso causes a fulminant and often blinding intraocular infection called endophthalmitis. We reported that the PlcR/PapR system regulates intraocular virulence, but the specific factors that contribute toB. cereusvirulence in the eye remain elusive. Here, we compared gene expression inex vivovitreous humor with expression in Luria Bertani (LB) and Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth by RNA-Seq. The expression of several cytolytic toxins in vitreous was less than or similar to levels observed in BHI or LB. Regulators of virulence genes, including PlcR/PapR, were expressed in vitreous. PlcR/PapR was expressed at low levels, though we had reported that PlcR-deficientB. cereuswas attenuated in the eye. Chemotaxis and motility genes were expressed at similar levels in LB and BHI, but at low to undetectable levels in vitreous, although motility is an important phenotype forB. cereusin the eye. Superoxide dismutase, a potential inhibitor of neutrophil activity in the eye during infection, was the most highly expressed gene in vitreous. Genes previously reported to be important to intraocular virulence were expressed at low levels in vitreous under these conditions, possibly becausein vivocues are required for higher level expression. Genes expressed in vitreous may contribute to the unique virulence ofB. cereusendophthalmitis, and future analysis of theB. cereusvirulome in the eye will identify those expressedin vivo, which could potentially be targeted to arrest virulence.

Impact statement

B. cereusis the causative agent of gastrointestinal infections, but can also cause a serious infection of the eye that often results in blindness or enucleation. Current therapeutic measures often fail to mitigate these poor outcomes. This necessitates the development of new treatment modalities based on new targets. To begin to better define thoseB. cereusfactors with roles in intraocular infection, we analyzed the expression of genes related to gastrointestinal infections, as well as those with both known and hypothesized roles in intraocular infections, after growth in anex vivovitreous. Potentially targetable candidate genes were demonstrated to be expressed in vitreous, which suggests that these genes might contribute to the unique virulence ofB. cereusendophthalmitis. Importantly, our results lay the groundwork for assessing the expression of these genesin vivoand defining the virulome ofB. cereusin intraocular infections.
Interaction mapping of endoplasmic reticulum ubiquitin ligases identifies modulators of innate immune signalling
Authors: Fenech Emma J. , Lari Federica , Charles Philip D. , Fischer Roman , Laétitia-Thézénas Marie , Bagola Katrin , Paton Adrianne W. , Paton James C. , Gyrd-Hansen Mads , Kessler Benedikt M. , Christianson John C.
Published: March 2020

Ubiquitin ligases (E3s) embedded in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane regulate essential cellular activities including protein quality control, calcium flux, and sterol homeostasis. At least 25 different, transmembrane domain (TMD)-containing E3s are predicted to be ER-localised, but for most their organisation and cellular roles remain poorly defined. Using a comparative proteomic workflow, we mapped over 450 protein-protein interactions for 21 different stably expressed, full-length E3s. Bioinformatic analysis linked ER-E3s and their interactors to multiple homeostatic, regulatory, and metabolic pathways. Among these were four membrane-embedded interactors of RNF26, a polytopic E3 whose abundance is auto-regulated by ubiquitin-proteasome dependent degradation. RNF26 co-assembles with TMEM43, ENDOD1, TMEM33 and TMED1 to form a complex capable of modulating innate immune signalling through the cGAS-STING pathway. This RNF26 complex represents a new modulatory axis of STING and innate immune signalling at the ER membrane. Collectively, these data reveal the broad scope of regulation and differential functionalities mediated by ER-E3s for both membrane-tethered and cytoplasmic processes.
Non-Toxic Virucidal Macromolecules Show High Efficacy Against Influenza Virus Ex Vivo and In Vivo
Authors: Kocabiyik Ozgun , Cagno Valeria , Silva Paulo Jacob , Zhu Yong , Sedano Laura , Bhide Yoshita , Mettier Joelle , Medaglia Chiara , Costa Bruno Da , Constant Samuel , Huang Song , Kaiser Laurent , Hinrichs Wouter L. J. , Huckeriede Anke , Goffic Ronan Le , Tapparel Caroline , Stellacci Francesco
Published: March 2020

Influenza is one of the most widespread viral infections worldwide and represents a major public health problem. The risk that one of the next pandemics is caused by an influenza strain is very high. It is very important to develop broad-spectrum influenza antivirals to be ready for any possible vaccine shortcomings. Anti-influenza drugs are available but they are far from ideal. Arguably, an ideal antiviral should target conserved viral domains and be virucidal,i.e. irreversibly inhibit viral infectivity. Here, we describe a new class of broad-spectrum anti-influenza macromolecules that meets these criteria and displays exceedingly low toxicity. These compounds are based on a cyclodextrin core modified on its primary face with long hydrophobic linkers terminated in 6’sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine (6’SLN) or 3’SLN. SLN enables nanomolar inhibition of the viruses while the hydrophobic linkers confer irreversibility to the inhibition. The combination of these two properties allows for efficacy in vitro against several human or avian influenza strains, as well as against a 2009 pandemic influenza strain ex vivo. Importantly, we show that, in mice, the compounds provide therapeutic efficacy when administered 24h post-infection allowing 90% survival as opposed to no survival for the placebo and oseltamivir..
Plasmid analysis of NDM metallo-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales isolated in Vietnam
Authors: Hirabayashi Aki , Yahara Koji , Mitsuhashi Satomi , Nakagawa So , Imanishi Tadashi , Ha Van Thi Thu , Nguyen An Van , Nguyen Son Thai , Shibayama Keigo , Suzuki Masato
Published: March 2020

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) represent a serious threat to public health due to the lack of treatment and high mortality. The rate of antimicrobial resistance of Enterobacterales isolates to major antimicrobials, including carbapenems, is much higher in Vietnam than in Western countries, but the reasons remain unknown due to the lack of genomic epidemiology research. A previous study suggested that carbapenem resistance genes, such as the carbapenemase geneblaNDM, spread via plasmids among Enterobacterales in Vietnam. In this study, we characterizedblaNDM-carrying plasmids in Enterobacterales isolated in Vietnam, and identified several possible cases of horizontal transfer of plasmids both within and among species of bacteria. Twenty-five carbapenem-nonsusceptible isolates from a medical institution in Hanoi were sequenced on Illumina short-read sequencers, and 13blaNDM-positive isolates, including isolates ofKlebsiella pneumoniae,Escherichia coli,Citrobacter freundii,Morganella morganii, andProteus mirabilis, were further sequenced on an Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read sequencer to obtain complete plasmid sequences. Almost identical 73 kb IncFII(pSE11)::IncN hybrid plasmids carryingblaNDM-1were found in aP. mirabilisisolate and anM. morganiiisolate. A 112 kb IncFII(pRSB107)::IncN hybrid plasmid carryingblaNDM-1in anE. coliisolate had partially identical sequences with a 39 kb IncR plasmid carryingblaNDM-1and an 88 kb IncFII(pHN7A8)::IncN hybrid plasmid in aC. freundiiisolate. 148–149 kb IncFIA(Hl1)::IncA/C2 plasmids and 75–76 kb IncFII(Yp) plasmids, both carryingblaNDM-1were shared among three sequence type 11 (ST11) isolates and three ST395 isolates ofK. pneumoniae, respectively. Most of the plasmids co-carried genes conferring resistance to clinically relevant antimicrobials, including third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones, in addition toblaNDM-1. These results provide insight into the genetic basis of CRE in Vietnam, and could help control nosocomial infections.
Direct and indirect effects of land-use intensity on plant communities across elevation in semi-natural grasslands
Authors: Buzhdygan Oksana Y. , Tietjen Britta , Rudenko Svitlana S. , Nikorych Volodymyr A. , Petermann Jana S.
Published: March 2020

Grassland biodiversity is among the most vulnerable to land use. How to best manage semi-natural grasslands for maintaining biodiversity is still unclear in many cases because processes may depend on environmental conditions and indirect effects are rarely considered. Here we evaluate the relative importance of direct and indirect effects of grazing intensity on plant communities along an elevational gradient on a large topographic scale in the Eastern Carpathians in Ukraine. We sampled 31 semi-natural grasslands exposed to cattle grazing in two years. Within each grassland site we measured plant community properties such as the number of species, functional groups, and the proportion of undesirable weeds. In addition, we recorded cattle density (as proxy for grazing intensity), soil properties (bare soil exposure, soil organic carbon, and soil pH) and densities of soil decomposers (earthworms and soil microorganisms). We used structural equation modelling to explore direct and indirect effects of grazing intensity on plant communities along the elevation gradient. We found that cattle density decreased plant species and functional diversity but increased the proportion of undesirable weeds. Some of these effects were directly linked to grazing intensity (i.e., species richness), while others (i.e., functional diversity and proportion of undesirable weeds) were mediated via bare soil exposure. Although grazing intensity decreased with elevation, the effects of grazing on the plant community did not change along the elevation gradient. Generally, elevation had a strong positive direct effect on plant species richness as well as a negative indirect effect, mediated via altered soil acidity and decreased decomposer density. Our results indicate that plant diversity and composition are controlled by the complex interplay among grazing intensity and changing environmental conditions along elevation. Furthermore, we found lower soil pH, organic carbon and decomposer density with elevation, indicating that the effects of grazing on soil and related ecosystem functions and services in semi-natural grasslands may be more pronounced with elevation. This demonstrates that we need to account for environmental gradients when attempting to generalize effects of land-use intensity on biodiversity.
The effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on female fertility preservation in mice
Authors: Liu Qiwei , Zhang Junhui , Tang Yong , Ma Yuanyuan , Xue Zhigang , Wang Jinjuan
Published: March 2020

Female fertility is the capacity to produce oocytes and achieve fertilization and pregnancy, and these outcomes are impaired by age, diseases, environment and social pressure. However, there is no effective therapy that preserves female reproductive ability. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can exhibit multidirectional differentiation potential, and they have gained great attention as a tool for preserving female fertility. Therefore, this study uses human umbilical cords-MSCs (Huc-MSCs) to preserve and restore fertility in aging female mice and chemotherapy-damaged mice through the rescue of ovarian function and the reconstruction of the fallopian tubes and uterus. In our study, 2 mouse models were generated: aging mice (37 weeks old) and chemotherapy-damaged mice. Then, we injected Huc-MSCs into mice through the tail vein. After treatment, the effect of MSCs on the ovary, fallopian tubes and uterus was evaluated by analyzing gonadal hormone levels and by performing morphological analysis and statistical analysis. The levels of E2 and FSH exhibited a significant recovery after HUC-MSC transplantation both in aging mice and mice treated with chemotherapy. Huc-MSC treatment also increased the numbers of primordial, developing and preovulatory follicles in the ovaries of mice. Meanwhile, MSCs have been shown to rescue the morphology of the fallopian tubes and uterus through mechanisms such as regenerating the cilia in fallopian tubes and reforming glands and chorionic villi in the uterus. Therefore, it is suggested that Huc-MSCs may represent an effective potential treatment for preserving female fertility through recovery from chemotherapy damage and rescuing female reproductive organs from the effects of aging.
Analysis of circulating-microRNA expression in lactating Holstein cows under summer heat stress
Authors: Lee Jihwan , Lee Suhyun , Son Junkyu , Lim Hyeonju , Kim Euntae , Kim Donghyun , Ha Seungmin , Hur Taiyoung , Lee Seunghwan , Choi Inchul
Published: March 2020

Korean peninsular weather is rapidly becoming subtropical due to global warming. In summer 2018, South Korea experienced the highest temperatures since the meteorological observations recorded in 1907. Heat stress has a negative effect on Holstein cows, the most popular breed of dairy cattle in South Korea, which is susceptible to heat. To examine physiological changes in dairy cows under heat stress conditions, we analyzed the profiles circulating microRNAs isolated from whole blood samples collected under heat stress and non-heat stress conditions using small RNA sequencing. We compared the expression profiles in lactating cows under heat stress and non-heat stress conditions to understand the regulation of biological processes in heat-stressed cows. Moreover, we measured several heat stress indicators, such as rectal temperature, milk yield, average daily gain, and progesterone concentration. All these assessments showed that pregnant cows were more susceptible to heat stress than non-pregnant cows. Particularly, progesterone concentrations known to have maternal warming effects were at similar levels in non-pregnant cows but significantly increased in pregnant cows under heat stress conditions. The differentially expressed miRNAs and their putative target genes were analyzed in pregnant cows. Interestingly, we found that differentially expressed miRNAs (bta-miR-146b, bta-miR-20b, bta-miR-29d-3p, bta-miR-1246) specifically targeted progesterone biosynthesis (StAR) and the function of corpus luteum-related genes (CCL11,XCL), suggesting that pregnant cows with elevated progesterone concentrations are more susceptible to heat stress. In addition, we found the differential expression of 11 miRNAs (bta-miR-19a, bta-miR-19b, bta-miR-30a-5p, and several from the bta-miR-2284 family) in both pregnant and non-pregnant cows under heat stress conditions. In target gene prediction and gene set enrichment analysis, these miRNAs were found to be associated with the cytoskeleton, cell junction, vasculogenesis, cell proliferation, ATP synthesis, oxidative stress, and immune responses involved in heat response. These miRNAs can be used as potential biomarkers for heat stress.
A conserved role for SFPQ in repression of pathogenic cryptic last exons
Authors: Gordon Patricia M. , Hamid Fursham , Makeyev Eugene V. , Houart Corinne
Published: March 2020

The RNA-binding protein SFPQ plays an important role in neuronal development and has been associated with several neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS, FTLD, and Alzheimer’s Disease. Here, we report that loss ofsfpqleads to premature termination of multiple transcripts due to widespread activation of previously unannotated cryptic last exons (CLEs). These CLEs appear preferentially in long introns of genes with neuronal functions and dampen gene expression outputs and/or give rise to short peptides interfering with the normal gene functions. We show that one such peptide encoded by the CLE-containingepha4bmRNA isoform is responsible for neurodevelopmental defects in thesfpqmutant. The uncovered CLE-repressive activity of SFPQ is conserved in mouse and human, and SFPQ-inhibited CLEs are found across ALS iPSC-derived neurons. These results greatly expand our understanding of SFPQ function and uncover a new gene regulation mechanism with wide relevance to human pathologies.
Stress-Induced Dinoflagellate Bioluminescence at the Single Cell Level
Authors: Jalaal Maziyar , Schramma Nico , Dode Antoine , de Maleprade Hélène , Raufaste Christophe , Goldstein Raymond E.
Published: March 2020

One of the characteristic features of many marine dinoflagellates is their bioluminescence, which lights up nighttime breaking waves or seawater sliced by a ship’s prow. While the internal biochemistry of light production by these microorganisms is well established, the manner by which fluid shear or mechanical forces trigger bioluminescence is still poorly understood. We report controlled measurements of the relation between mechanical stress and light production at the single-cell level, using high-speed imaging of micropipette-held cells of the marine dinoflagellatePyrocystis lunulasubjected to localized fluid flows or direct indentation. We find a viscoelastic response in which light intensity depends on both the amplitude and rate of deformation, consistent with the action of stretch-activated ion channels. A phenomenological model captures the experimental observations.
Ink-jet printed ring resonator with integrated Microfluidic components
Authors: Jasińska Laura , Szostak Krzysztof , Kiliszkiewicz Milena , Słobodzian Piotr , Malecha Karol
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to test the performance of the ink-jet printed microwave resonant circuits on Low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) substrates combined with microfluidic channels for sensor applications. Normally, conductive patterns are deposited on an LTCC substrate by means of the screen-printing technique, but in this paper applicability of ink-jet printing in connection with LTCC materials is demonstrated.

Design/methodology/approach

A simple microfluidic LTCC sensor based on the microstrip ring resonator was designed. It was assumed the micro-channel, located under the ring, was filled with a mixture of DI water and ethanol, and the operating frequency of the resonator was tuned to 2.4 GHz. The substrate was fabricated by standard LTCC process, and the pattern of the microstrip ring resonator was deposited over the substrate by means of an ink-jet printer. Performance of the sensor was assessed with the use of various volumetric concentrations of DI water and ethanol. Actual changes in concentration were detected by means of microwave measurements.

Findings

It can be concluded that ink-jet printing is a feasible technique for fast fabrication of micro-strip circuits on LTCC substrates, including microfluidic components. Further research needs to be conducted to improve the reliability, accuracy and performance of this technique.

Originality/value

The literature shows the use of ink-jet printing for producing various conductive patterns in different applications. However, the idea to replace the screen-printing with the ink-jet printing on LTCC substrates in connection with microwave-microfluidic applications is not widely studied. Some questions concerning accuracy and reliability of this technique are still open.
Knowledge sharing direction and innovation performance in organizations
Authors: Zhao Shuliang , Jiang Yanhong , Peng Xiaobao , Hong Jin
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Because the mechanism of how knowledge sharing affects organizational innovation is still unclear, the study focuses on the relationship between knowledge sharing and organizational innovation performance, with a focus on mediating role of absorptive capacity and individual creativity.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of the knowledge base view and organizational learning theory, the study propose a model to verify the impact of inbound and outbound knowledge sharing on organizational innovation performance based on previous research. It also analyzed how these effects were mediated by individual creativity and absorptive capacity. The study collected 166 samples to verify the theoretical model.

Findings

Results corroborate that inbound knowledge sharing cannot directly promote organizational innovation performance, and absorptive capacity has a full mediation effect between inbound knowledge sharing and organizational innovation performance. Knowledge outbound sharing, individual creativity and absorptive capacity can improve innovation performance. In addition, absorptive capacity and individual creativity have direct and significant impacts on organizational innovation performance. Moreover, absorptive capacity plays a partial mediate role between individual creativity and innovation performance. Finally, this study discusses the policy implications of the study and describes possible future research directions.

Originality/value

The paper creatively divides knowledge sharing into inbound knowledge sharing and outbound knowledge sharing and verifies that knowledge sharing does not directly affect organizational innovation performance. The mediating role of absorptive capacity and individual creativity was analysis.
Sectoral analysis of productivity in the developing and developed economies of Asia-Pacific
Authors: Dua Pami , Garg Niti Khandelwal
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The study aims to empirically investigate the trends and determinants of labour productivity of the two broad sectors –industry and services – and their components, namely, manufacturing and market services sectors, in the case of major developing and developed economies of Asia-Pacific over the period 1980-2014 and make a comparison thereof.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses econometric methodology of panel unit root tests, panel cointegration and group-mean full modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS).

Findings

The study finds that while capital deepening, government size, institutional quality, productivity of the other sector and financial openness affect productivity of all the sectors significantly, the impact of human capital and trade openness varies across sectors in the case of developing economies. Furthermore, the impact of technological progress becomes significant in the post-liberalization reforms period in the developing economies. The study further finds that capital deepening, human capital, government size, institutional quality, productivity of the other sector, government size and trade openness are significant determinants of productivity of all sectors of developed economies under consideration. However, the impact of technological progress is stronger for manufacturing sector than services and its components. Furthermore, while both equity and debt liabilities (as measures of financial openness) influence sectoral productivity of industry and manufacturing sectors positively and significantly in case of developed economies, only equity liabilities have a significant influence on the productivity of developing economies. This may indicate existence of more developed financial markets in the case of developed economies.

Originality/value

The study identifies important structural differences in determinants of productivity both across sectors and across developing and developed economies of Asia-Pacific.
Study on properties of electromagnetic shielding yarns and fabrics
Authors: Liu Xinjin , Yan Xinxin , Su Xuzhong , Song Juan
Published: March 2020

Purpose

With the popularization of electronic products, the electromagnetic radiation pollution has been the fourth largest pollution after water, air and noise pollution. Therefore, electromagnetic shielding property of textiles is attracting more attention. In this paper, the properties of electromagnetic shielding yarns and fabrics were studied.

Design/methodology/approach

Ten kinds of yarn, stainless steel short fiber and polyester blend yarn with three different blending ratios T/S 90/10, T/S 80/20 and T/S 70/30, stainless steel short fiber, polyester and cotton blend yarn with blending ratio C/T/S 35/35/30, core-spun yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament C/T28tex/S(30 um), core-spun yarn with two 15 um stainless steel filaments (C/T28tex/S(15 um)/S(15 um)), twin-core-spun yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament and one 50D spandex filament C/T28tex/S(30 um)/SP(50D), sirofil wrapped yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament feeding from left S(30 um)+C/T28tex, sirofil wrapped yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament feeding from right C/T28tex+S(30 um), sirofil wrapped yarn with two 15 um stainless steel filaments feeding from two sides S(15 um)+C/T28tex+ S(15 um), were spun. The qualities of spun yarns were measured. Then, for analyzing the electromagnetic shielding properties of fabrics made of different spun yarns, 20 kinds of fabrics were woven.

Findings

The tested results show that comparing to the T/S 80/20 blend yarn, the resistivity of composite yarns with the same ratio of the stainless steel filament is smaller. The possible reason is that comparing to the stainless steel short fiber, the conductivity of stainless steel filament is better because of the continuous distribution of stainless steel in the filament. Comparing with the core-spun yarn, the conductivity of the sirofil wrapped yarn is a little better. Comparing to the fabric woven by the blend yarn, the electromagnetic shielding of the fabric woven by the composite yarn is better, and comparing to the fabric woven by the core-spun yarn, the electromagnetic shielding of the fabric woven by the sirofil yarn is a little better. The possible reason is that the conduction network can be produced by the stainless steel filament wrapped on the staple fiber yarn surface in the fabric, and the electromagnetic wave can be transmitted in the network.

Originality/value

In this paper, the properties of electromagnetic shielding yarns and fabrics were studied. Ten kinds of yarn, including three stainless steel short fiber and polyester blend yarns, one stainless steel short fiber, polyester and cotton blend yarn, two core-spun yarns, one twin-core-spun yarn, three sirofil wrapped yarn, were spun. Then, for analyzing the electromagnetic shielding properties of fabrics made of different spun yarns, 20 kinds of fabrics were woven. The effects of fabric warp and weft densities, fabric structures, yarn kinds, yarn distributions in the fabric on electromagnetic shielding were analyzed.
An entrepreneurial intention model focussing on higher education
Authors: Tomy Sarath , Pardede Eric
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Start-up intention among university students is related to the image of entrepreneurship as a career alternative. University is critical in developing the levels of motivation and capabilities of graduates to effectively engage in entrepreneurial activity. The purpose of this paper is to propose an entrepreneurial intention model focussing on higher education and the implementation of the model as a practical digital application which can be used in universities to improve the entrepreneurial intention of students enrolled in different courses.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper first discusses the importance of entrepreneurial intention in graduate entrepreneurship. Then, it proposes an entrepreneurial intention model based on the four propositions identified from the literature. Finally, the model is implemented as a practical digital application focussing on self-skill awareness, entrepreneurial resources and entrepreneurial support network. A survey is conducted with students to evaluate the model and the application.

Findings

Entrepreneurial awareness found to have a positive effect of entrepreneurial intention. Besides the conceptual model, this study has developed a digital application to enhance entrepreneurial intention of students focussing on information technology discipline. The application is evaluated through an online survey and the results show that the application can significantly improve entrepreneurial intention.

Originality/value

The proposed entrepreneurial intention model and the digital application offer guidance to universities as to how online systems can be used to create an environment that fosters individual intentions to select entrepreneurship as a career option, even for students doing non-entrepreneurial courses.
Resilience of firefighters exposed to potentially traumatic events: a literature review
Authors: Laureys Vanessa , Easton Marleen
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the empirical literature on the resilience of firefighters related to potentially traumatic events (PTE). This paper identifies how resilience is defined in this particular research field, reveals trends in applied research methods and examines the main topics addressed in previous research.

Design/methodology/approach

Web of Science, PsycARTICLES and Google Scholar databases were searched, as well as a secondary manual screening of the reference lists of all the selected studies and Dutch academic journals. Based on this review, 54 empirical articles were included in the current paper.

Findings

Firstly, this paper revealed that there is no consensus in how to define the concept of resilience in this specific research area. A second observation was that most of the selected studies used a quantitative, cross-sectional research design. Finally, the 54 empirical studies provided insights on six topics: the role of the organization, demographic factors, personal characteristics, coping strategies, social support and the reactions of firefighters in the aftermath of PTE. Comparing the empirical results was challenged by the different interpretations and denominations of the concept of resilience and the myriad of measurement techniques applied across the selected articles.

Originality/value

This literature review discovered some promising avenues for future research regarding resilience of firefighters. Moreover, it demonstrated that studying resilience is particularly interesting as the identification of supporting factors leads to a better understanding of how to enhance the well-being, job satisfaction and job performance of firefighters.
Fault separation and detection algorithm based on Mason Young Tracy decomposition and Gaussian mixture models
Authors: Li Xiaoling , Liu Shuang shuang
Published: March 2020

Purpose

For the large-scale power grid monitoring system equipment, its working environment is increasingly complex and the probability of fault or failure of the monitoring system is gradually increasing. This paper proposes a fault classification algorithm based on Gaussian mixture model (GMM), which can complete the automatic classification of fault and the elimination of fault sources in the monitoring system.

Design/methodology/approach

The algorithm first defines the GMM and obtains the detection value of the fault classification through a method based on the causal Mason Young Tracy (MYT) decomposition under each normal distribution in the GMM. Then, the weight value of GMM is used to calculate weighted classification value of fault detection and separation, and by comparing the actual control limits with the classification result of GMM, the fault classification results are obtained.

Findings

The experiment on the defined non-thermostatic continuous stirred-tank reactor model shows that the algorithm proposed in this paper is superior to the traditional algorithm based on the causal MYT decomposition in fault detection and fault separation.

Originality/value

The proposed algorithm fundamentally solves the problem of fault detection and fault separation in large-scale systems and provides support for troubleshooting and identifying fault sources.
Analysis of customers' return behaviour after online shopping in China using SEM
Authors: Lin Danping , Lee Carman Ka Man , Siu M.K. , Lau Henry , Choy King Lun
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential impacts of various variables on product return activities after online shopping. Previous studies on customer behaviour have been predominantly concerned with return on used products and other product-quality-related constructs in the model. This study aims to specially examine the logistics service-related and customer intention–related variables for general products under the e-commerce circumstance.

Design/methodology/approach

Structured questionnaire data for this study were collected in the two southeast cities of China (162 useable responses). Structural equation modelling was used to examine the latent variables.

Findings

The results confirmed that product return intention has the greatest impact on online shopping returns with a direct effect of 0.63, followed by the flexibility in return (logistics service) with a direct effect of 0.49.

Originality/value

Such a model not only enriches the theoretical understanding of customer behaviour studies but also offers online shopping stores and platforms a quantitative benchmark and new perspective on the design of online shopping supply chains by considering product returns so as to improve the customer satisfaction.
Impacts of digitization on real estate sector jobs
Authors: Piazolo Daniel , Dogan Utku Cem
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Previous research on automation and job disruption is only marginally related to the real estate industry and its characteristics. This study investigates the effects of digitization on jobs in German real estate sector, in order to assess the proportion of jobs threatened to be replaced by automation. Since Germany is the largest EU economy insights for the German real estate market allow a first approximation for Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive database of the German Federal Employment Agency containing job definitions and occupation titles is matched with real estate criteria to create a subset with the relevant real estate occupations. This data is combined with a database of the German Institute of Employment Research reflecting to what extent tasks within jobs can be automated by current technical capabilities.

Findings

For the 286 identified occupations within the real estate sector a weighted average of 47 percent substitution probability through current technological capabilities is derived for tasks within the examined occupations.

Practical implications

This contribution indicates the extent of the structural change the real estate sector has to face due to digitization: One out of two real estate jobs will have to be re-created.

Originality/value

This research quantifies the magnitude of the job killer aspect of digitization in the real estate sector.
Antioxidant activity, extraction and application of psyllium mucilage in chocolate drink
Authors: Souza Gabriela , Siqueira dos Santos Suelen , Bergamasco Rita , Antigo Jessica , Madrona Grasiele Scaramal
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to extract psyllium mucilage and evaluate its antioxidant compounds (in the best extraction condition) and its application in a chocolate drink.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the extraction by ultrasonic bath was evaluated, followed by water bath extraction, and as there was no difference between the methods, a water bath experimental design was carried out to evaluate the best extraction conditions for psyllium mucilage, having response variables, yield and emulsion stability. A chocolate drink with psyllium mucilage was produced and evaluated in the best extraction condition to compare with xanthan gum.

Findings

The best extraction conditions for psyllium mucilage were 60°C for 2 h and 1:80 ratio (seed:water). It can be verified that psyllium is rich in antioxidant compounds (0.71 mg GAE/g and 6.67 Mmol ET/g by 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonic acid-6), and 9.65 Mmol ET/g for ferric reducing antioxidant power), which can greatly contribute to its application in food products. The use of mucilage in chocolate drink is feasible, as among its several attributes there was no significant difference between samples, highlighting texture attributes in which mucilage samples did not differ from the control containing xanthan gum (being the grades approximated 6.84).

Originality/value

Psyllium presented several antioxidant compounds that are very desirable in food products. In the chocolate drink, psyllium mucilage showed potential use as a thickener, so it is important for further studies to improve the product’s development, but it is currently feasible to be produced in an industrial scale.