bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rational Thoughts in Neural Codes
Authors: Wu Zhengwei , Kwon Minhae , Daptardar Saurabh , Schrater Paul , Pitkow Xaq
Published: September 2019

Complex behaviors are often driven by an internal model, which integrates sensory information over time and facilitates long-term planning to reach subjective goals. We interpret behavioral data by assuming an agent behaves rationally — that is, they take actions that optimize their subjective reward according to their understanding of the task and its relevant causal variables. We apply a new method, Inverse Rational Control (IRC), to learn an agent’s internal model and reward function by maximizing the likelihood of its measured sensory observations and actions. This thereby extracts rational and interpretable thoughts of the agent from its behavior. We also provide a framework for interpreting encoding, recoding and decoding of neural data in light of this rational model for behavior. When applied to behavioral and neural data from simulated agents performing suboptimally on a naturalistic foraging task, this method successfully recovers their internal model and reward function, as well as the computational dynamics within the neural manifold that represents the task. This work lays a foundation for discovering how the brain represents and computes with dynamic beliefs.
The correspondence between EMG and EEG measures of changes in cortical excitability following transcranial magnetic stimulation
Authors: Biabani Mana , Fornito Alex , Coxon James P. , Fulcher Ben D. , Rogasch Nigel C.
Published: September 2019

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a powerful tool to investigate cortical circuits. Changes in cortical excitability following TMS are typically assessed by measuring changes in either conditioned motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) following paired-pulse TMS over motor cortex or evoked potentials measured with electroencephalography following single-pulse TMS (TEPs). However, it is unclear whether these two measures of cortical excitability index the same cortical response. Twenty-four healthy participants received local and interhemispheric paired-pulse TMS over motor cortex with eight inter-pulse intervals, suband suprathreshold conditioning intensities, and two different pulse waveforms, while MEPs were recorded from a hand muscle. TEPs were also recorded in response to single-pulse TMS using the conditioning pulse alone. The relationships between TEPs and conditioned-MEPs were evaluated using metrics sensitive to both their magnitude at each timepoint and their overall shape across time. The impacts of undesired sensory potentials resulting from TMS pulse and muscle contractions were also assessed on both measures. Both conditioned-MEPs and TEPs were sensitive to re-afferent somatosensory activity following motor-evoked responses, but over different post-stimulus timepoints. Moreover, the amplitude of low-frequency oscillations in TEPs was strongly correlated with the sensory potentials, whereas early and local high-frequency responses showed minimal relationships. Accordingly, conditioned-MEPs did not correlate with TEPs in the time domain but showed high shape similarity with the amplitude of high-frequency oscillations in TEPs. Therefore, despite the effects of sensory confounds, the TEP and MEP measures share a response component, suggesting that they index a similar cortical response and perhaps the same neuronal populations.
LncRNA-UCA1 inhibits the astrocyte activation in the temporal lobe epilepsy via regulating JAK/STAT signaling pathway
Authors: Hongxin Wang MM , Guangyan Yao BM , Lei Li MM , Zhaoyin Ma MM , Jing Chen MM , Wen Chen DM
Published: September 2019

This article aimed to reveal the mechanism of Urothelial cancer associated 1 (UCA1) regulated astrocyte activation in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) rats via JAK/STAT signaling pathway. A model of TLE was established based on rats via kainic acid (KA) injection. All rats were divided into sham group, KA group, normal control (NC) + KA group and UCA1 + KA group. The Morris water maze was used to test the learning and memory ability of rats, and the expression of UCA1 in hippocampus was determined by qRT-PCR. Surviving neurons were counted by Nissl staining, and expression of glial cells glial fibrillary acidic protein, p-JAK1, and p-STAT and glutamate/aspartate transporter (GLAST) was analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blot. A rat model of TLE was established by intraperitoneal injection of KA. QRT-PCR and fluorescence study showed that UCA1 inhibited astrocyte activation in hippocampus of epileptic rats. Meanwhile, the MWM analysis indicated that UCA1 improved the learning and memory in epilepsy rats. Moreover, the Nissl staining showed that UCA1 might has protective effect on neuronal injury induced by KA injection. Furthermore, the immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis revealed that the overexpression of UCA1 inhibited KA-induced abnormal elevation of GLAST, astrocyte activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway, as well as hippocampus of epilepsy rats. UCA1 inhibited hippocampal astrocyte activation and GLAST expression in TLE rats via regulating JAK/STAT signaling, and improved the adverse reactions caused by epilepsy.
Independent Recruitment of the Mediator Tail Module to theHOPromoter Suggests Mediator Core Limits Coactivator Recruitment inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Yarrington Robert M. , Yu Yaxin , Yan Chao , Bai Lu , Stillman David J.
Published: September 2019

Mediator is an essential, multisubunit complex that functions as a transcriptional coactivator in yeast and other eukaryotic organisms. Mediator has four conserved modules, Head, Middle, Tail, and Kinase, and has been implicated in nearly all aspects of gene regulation. The Tail module has been shown to recruit the Mediator complex to the enhancer or UAS regions of genes via interactions with transcription factors, and the Kinase domain facilitates the transition of Mediator from the UAS/enhancer to the preinitiation complex via protein phosphorylation. Here we analyze expression of theSaccharomyces cerevisiae HOgene using asin4Mediator Tail mutation that separates the Tail module from the rest of the complex; thesin4mutation permits independent recruitment of the Tail module to promoters without the rest of Mediator. Significant increases in recruitment of the SWI/SNF and SAGA coactivators to theHOpromoter UAS were observed in asin4mutant, along with increased gene activation. These results are consistent with recent studies that have suggested the Kinase module functions negatively to inhibit activation by the Tail. However, we found that Kinase module mutations did not mimic the effect of asin4mutation onHOexpression. This suggests that atHOthe core Mediator complex (Middle and Head modules) must play a role in limiting Tail binding to the promoter UAS and gene activation. We propose that the core Mediator complex helps modulate Mediator binding to the UAS regions of genes to limit coactivator recruitment and ensure proper regulation of gene transcription.
The developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) automated resting-state functional processing framework for newborn infants
Authors: Fitzgibbon Sean P. , Harrison Samuel J. , Jenkinson Mark , Baxter Luke , Robinson Emma C. , Bastiani Matteo , Bozek Jelena , Karolis Vyacheslav , Grande Lucilio Cordero , Price Anthony N. , Hughes Emer , Makropoulos Antonios , Passerat-Palmbach Jonathan , Schuh Andreas , Gao Jianliang , Farahibozorg Seyedeh-Rezvan , O’Muircheartaigh Jonathan , Ciarrusta Judit , O’Keeffe Camilla , Brandon Jakki , Arichi Tomoki , Rueckert Daniel , Hajnal Joseph V. , Edwards A. David , Smith Stephen M. , Duff Eugene , Andersson Jesper
Published: September 2019

The developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) aims to create a detailed 4-dimensional connectome of early life spanning 20 to 45 weeks post-menstrual age. This is being achieved through the acquisition of multi-modal MRI data from over 1000 in- and ex-utero subjects combined with the development of optimised pre-processing pipelines. In this paper we present an automated and robust pipeline to minimally pre-process highly confounded neonatal resting-state fMRI data, robustly, with low failure rates and high quality-assurance. The pipeline has been designed to specifically address the challenges that neonatal data presents including low and variable contrast and high levels of head motion. We provide a detailed description and evaluation of the pipeline which includes integrated slice-to-volume motion correction and dynamic susceptibility distortion correction, a robust multimodal registration approach, bespoke ICA-based denoising, and an automated QC framework. We assess these components on a large cohort of dHCP subjects and demonstrate that processing refinements integrated into the pipeline provide substantial reduction in movement related distortions, resulting in significant improvements in SNR, and detection of high quality RSNs from neonates.

Highlights

An automated and robust pipeline to minimally pre-process highly confounded neonatal fMRI data

Includes integrated dynamic distortion and slice-to-volume motion correction

A robust multimodal registration approach which includes custom neonatal templates

Incorporates an automated and self-reporting QC framework to quantify data quality and identify issues for further inspection

Data analysis of 538 infants imaged at 26-45 weeks post-menstrual age
Bayesian hierarchical models for disease mapping applied to contagious pathologies
Authors: Coly Sylvain , Garrido Myriam , Abrial David , Yao Anne-Françoise
Published: September 2019

Disease mapping aims to determine the underlying disease risk from scattered epidemiological data and to represent it on a smoothed colored map. This methodology is based on Bayesian inference and is classically dedicated to non-infectious diseases whose incidence is low and whose cases distribution is spatially (and eventually temporally) structured. Over the last decades, disease mapping has received many major improvements to extend its scope of application: integrating the temporal dimension, dealing with missing data, taking into account various a prioris (environmental and population covariates, assumptions concerning the repartition and the evolution of the risk), dealing with overdispersion, etc. We aim to adapt this approach to rare infectious diseases. In the context of a contagious disease, the outcome of a primary case can in addition generate secondary occurrences of the pathology in a close spatial and temporal neighborhood; this can result in local overdispersion and in higher spatial and temporal dependencies due to direct and/or indirect transmission. We have proposed and tested 60 Bayesian hierarchical models on 400 simulated datasets and bovine tuberculosis real data. This analysis shows the relevance of the CAR (Conditional AutoRegressive) processes to deal with the structure of the risk. We can also conclude that the negative binomial models outperform the Poisson models with a Gaussian noise to handle overdispersion. In addition our study provided relevant maps which are congruent with the real risk (simulated data) and with the knowledge concerning bovine tuberculosis (real data).

Author summary

Disease mapping is dedicated to non-infectious diseases whose incidence is low and whose distribution is spatially (and eventually temporally) structured. In this paper, we aim to adapt this approach to rare infectious pathologies. In the context of a contagious disease, the outcome of a primary case can in addition generate secondary occurrences of the pathology in a close spatial and temporal neighborhood, resulting in local overdispersion and in high spatial and temporal dependencies. We thus explored different adapted spatial, temporal and spatiotemporal links and highlight the most adapted to likely risk structures for infectious diseases. We also conclude that the negative binomial models outperform the Poisson models with a Gaussian noise to handle overdispersion. Our study also provided relevant maps which are congruent with the real risk (in case of simulated data) and with the knowledge concerning bovine tuberculosis (when applying to real data). Thus disease mapping appears as a promising way to investigate rare infectious diseases.
Modeling Mayaro and Chikungunya Control Strategies in Rio de Janeiro Outbreaks
Authors: Dodero-Rojas Esteban , Ferreira Luiza G. , Leite Vitor B. P. , Onuchic José N. , Contessoto Vinícius G.
Published: September 2019

Mosquito-borne diseases have become a significant health issue in many regions around the world. For tropical countries, diseases such as Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya, became epidemic in the last decades. Health surveillance reports during this period were crucial in providing scientific-based information to guide decision making and resources allocation to control outbreaks. In this work, we perform data analysis of last Chikungunya epidemics in the city of Rio de Janeiro by applying a compartmental mathematical model. We estimate the “basic reproduction number” for those outbreaks and predict the potential epidemic outbreak of Mayaro virus. We also simulated several scenarios with different public interventions to decrease the number of infected people. Such scenarios should provide insights about possible strategies to control future outbreaks.
Resolving the fibrotic niche of human liver cirrhosis using single-cell transcriptomics
Authors: Ramachandran P , Dobie R , Wilson-Kanamori JR , Dora EF , Henderson BEP , Taylor RS , Matchett KP , Portman JR , Efremova M , Vento-Tormo R , Luu NT , Weston CJ , Newsome PN , Harrison EM , Mole DJ , Wigmore SJ , Iredale JP , Tacke F , Pollard JW , Ponting CP , Marioni JC , Teichmann SA , Henderson NC
Published: September 2019

Currently there are no effective antifibrotic therapies for liver cirrhosis, a major killer worldwide. To obtain a cellular resolution of directly-relevant pathogenesis and to inform therapeutic design, we profile the transcriptomes of over 100,000 primary human single cells, yielding molecular definitions for the major non-parenchymal cell types present in healthy and cirrhotic human liver. We uncover a novel scar-associated TREM2+CD9+ macrophage subpopulation with a fibrogenic phenotype, that has a distinct differentiation trajectory from circulating monocytes. In the endothelial compartment, we show that newly-defined ACKR1+ and PLVAP+ endothelial cells expand in cirrhosis and are topographically located in the fibrotic septae. Multi-lineage ligand-receptor modelling of specific interactions between the novel scar-associated macrophages, endothelial cells and collagen-producing myofibroblasts in the fibrotic niche, reveals intra-scar activity of several major pathways which promote hepatic fibrosis. Our work dissects unanticipated aspects of the cellular and molecular basis of human organ fibrosis at a single-cell level, and provides the conceptual framework required to discover rational therapeutic targets in liver cirrhosis.
Bicistronic expression and differential localization of proteins in insect cells andDrosophila suzukiiusing picornaviral 2A peptides
Authors: Schwirz Jonas , Yan Ying , Franta Zdenek , Schetelig Marc F.
Published: September 2019

Polycistronic expression systems in insects can be used for applications such as recombinant protein production in cells, enhanced transgenesis methods, and the development of novel pest-control strategies based on the sterile insect technique (SIT). Here we tested the performance of four picornaviral 2A self-cleaving peptides (TaV-2A, DrosCV-2A, FMDV 2A1/31 and FMDV 2A1/32) for the co-expression and differential subcellular targeting of two fluorescent marker proteins in cell lines (Anastrepha suspensaAsE01 andDrosophila melanogasterS2 cells) andin vivoin the pest insectDrosophila suzukii. We found that all four 2A peptides showed comparable activity in cell lines, leading to the production of independent upstream and downstream proteins that were directed to the nucleus or membrane by a C-terminal nuclear localization signal (NLS) on the upstream protein and a poly-lysine/CAAX membrane anchor on the downstream protein. Two of the 2A peptides were inserted intopiggyBacconstructs to create transgenicD. suzukiistrains, confirming efficient ribosomal skippingin vivo. Interestingly, we found that the EGFP-CAAX protein was distributed homogeneously in the membrane whereas the DsRed-CAAX protein formed clumps and aggregates that induced extensive membrane blebbing. Accordingly, only flies expressing the EGFP-CAAX protein could be bred to homozygosity whereas the DsRed-CAAX construct was lethal in the homozygous state. Our results therefore demonstrate that four different 2A constructs and two novel targeting motifs are functional inD. suzukii, and that DsRed-CAAX shows dosage-dependent lethality. These molecular elements could be further used to improve expression systems in insects and generate novel pest control strains.

Highlights

Four picornaviral 2A peptides have been studied for their self-cleaving ability in cell lines andin vivoin the pest insectDrosophila suzukii.

All tested 2A peptides showed comparable activity that resulted in the production of independent upstream and downstream proteins.

The proteins co-expressed by 2A peptides were either directed to the cell nucleus by a C-terminal nuclear localization signal (NLS), or to the cell membrane by a poly-lysine/CAAX membrane anchor.

The combination of optimized membrane localization signals fused to DsRed generated an intrinsically lethal phenotype, which can be used to develop novel pest control strains.
ERM-Dependent Assembly of T-Cell Receptor Signaling and Co-stimulatory Molecules on Microvilli Prior to Activation
Authors: Ghosh Shirsendu , Di Bartolo Vincenzo , Tubul Liron , Shimoni Eyal , Kartvelishvily Elena , Dadosh Tali , Feigelson Sara W. , Alon Ronen , Alcover Andres , Haran Gilad
Published: September 2019

Summary

T-cell surfaces are covered with microvilli, actin-rich and flexible protrusions. We use super-resolution microscopy to show that ≥90% T-cell receptor (TCR) complex molecules TCRαβ and TCRζ, as well as the co-receptor CD4 and the co-stimulatory molecule CD2 reside on microvilli of human T cells. Furthermore, TCR proximal signaling molecules involved in the initial stages of the immune response, such as the protein tyrosine kinase Lck and the key adaptor molecule LAT, are also enriched on microvilli. Notably, phosphorylated proteins of the ERM (ezrin, radixin, moesin) family colocalize with these heterodimers as well as with actin filaments within the microvilli of resting T cells. This finding implies a role for one or more phosphorylated ERMs in linking the TCR complex to the actin cytoskeleton within microvilli. Indeed, expression of a dominant-negative ezrin fragment effectively redistributes TCR molecules over the whole T cell surface. Our results establish microvilli as key signaling hubs, in which the TCR complex and its proximal signaling molecules and adaptors are pre-assembled prior to activation in an ERM-dependent manner. The preformed positioning of these actin-binding TCR assemblies on individual microvilli can facilitate the local transmission of TCR signals seconds after TCR occupancy and impacts the slower subsequent events that lead to the assembly of immunological synapses.
Right on time: prediction-errors bidirectionally bias time perception
Authors: Toren Ido , Aberg Kristoffer , Paz Rony
Published: September 2019

The brain updates internal representation of the environment by using the mismatch between the predicted state/outcome and the actual one, termed prediction-error. In parallel, time perception in the sub-second range is crucial for many behaviors such as movement, learning, memory, attention and speech. Both time-perception and prediction-errors are essential for everyday life function of an organism, and interestingly, the striatum was shown to be independently involved in both functions. We therefore hypothesized that the putative shared circuitry might induce behavioral interaction, namely that prediction-errors might bias time perception. To examine this, participants performed a time-duration discrimination task in the presence of positive and negative prediction-errors that were irrelevant and independent of the main task. We find that positive/negative prediction-errors induce a bias in time perception by increasing/decreasing the perceived time, respectively. Using functional imaging, we identify an interaction in Putamen activity between encoding of prediction-error and performance in the discrimination task. A model that accounts for the behavioral and physiological observations confirms that the interaction in regional activations for prediction-errors and time-estimation underlies the observed bias. Our results demonstrate that these two presumably independent roles of the striatum can actually interfere or aid one another in specific scenarios.
Yeast single cell protein production from a biogas co-digestion substrate
Authors: Ohlsson Jonas A. , Olstorpe Matilda , Passoth Volkmar , Leong Su-lin L.
Published: September 2019

Biogas plants serve as hubs for the collection and utilization of highly nutritious waste streams from households and agriculture. However, their outputs (biogas and digestate) are of relatively low economic value. Here, we explore the co-production of yeast single cell protein, a potentially valuable feed ingredient for aquaculture and other animal producing industries, with biogas on substrate collected at a co-digestion biogas plant, using three yeast species well suited for this purpose (Wickerhamomyces anomalus,Pichia kudriavzevii, andBlastobotrys adeninivorans). All yeasts grew rapidly on the substrate, yielding 7.0–14.8 g l−1biomass after 12–15 The biomass crude protein contents were 22.6–32.7 %, with relatively favorable amino acid compositions mostly deficient in methionine and cysteine. Downstream biomethanation potential was significantly different between yeast species, with the highest product yielding species (Blastobotrys adeninivorans) also yielding the highest biomethanation potential.

Highlights

All yeasts grew well on the biogas substrate, with high growth rates.

Produced biomass was of high nutritional value for use in fish feed formulations.

Downstream effects on methane potential were strain-dependent.

Yeast biomass may be a viable biogas co-product.
A new local covariance matrix estimation for the classification of gene expression profiles in RNA-Seq data
Authors: Koçhan Necla , Tütüncü Gözde Yazgı , Giner Göknur
Published: September 2019

Background and Objective

Recent developments in the next-generation sequencing (NGS) based on RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) allow researchers to measure the expression levels of thousands of genes for multiple samples simultaneously. In order to analyze these kind of data sets, many classification models have been proposed in the literature. Most of the existing classifiers assume that genes are independent; however, this is not a realistic approach for real RNA-Seq classification problems. For this reason, some other classification methods, which incorporates the dependence structure between genes into a model, are proposed. qtQDA proposed by Koçhan et al. [1] is one of those classifiers, which estimates covariance matrix by Maximum Likelihood Estimator.

Methods

In this study, we use a another approach based on local dependence function to estimate the covariance matrix to be used in the qtQDA classification model. We investigate the impact of different covariance estimates on RNA-Seq data classification.

Results

The performances of qtQDA classifier based on two different covariance matrix estimates are compared over two real RNA-Seq data sets, in terms of classification error rates. The results show that using local dependence function approach yields a better estimate of covariance matrix and increases the performance of qtQDA classifier.

Conclusion

Incorporating the true/accurate covariance matrix into the classification model is an important and crucial step particularly for cancer prediction. The local covariance matrix estimate allows researchers to classify cancer patients based on gene expression profiles more accurately. R code for local dependence function is available at https://github.com/Necla/LocalDependence.
Pectin methylesterase selectively softens the onion epidermal wall yet reduces acid-induced creep
Authors: Wang Xuan , Wilson Liza , Cosgrove Daniel J.
Published: September 2019

De-esterification of homogalacturonan (HG) is thought to stiffen pectin gels and primary cell walls by increasing calcium crosslinking between HG chains. Contrary to this idea, recent studies found that HG de-esterification correlated with reduced stiffness of living tissues, measured by surface indentation. The physical basis of such apparent wall softening is unclear, but possibly involves complex biological responses to HG modification. To assess the direct physical consequences of HG de-esterification on wall mechanics without such complications, we treated isolated onion (Allium cepa) epidermal walls with pectin methylesterase (PME) and assessed wall biomechanics with indentation and tensile tests. In nanoindentation assays, PME action softened the wall (reduced the indentation modulus). In tensile force/extension assays, PME increased plasticity, but not elasticity. These softening effects are attributed, at least in part, to increased electrostatic repulsion and swelling of the wall after PME treatment. Despite softening and swelling upon HG de-esterification, PME treatment alone failed to induce cell wall creep. Instead, acid-induced creep, mediated by endogenous α expansin, was reduced. We conclude that HG de-esterification physically softens the onion wall, yet reduces expansin-mediated wall extensibility.

Highlight

After enzymatic de-esterification without added calcium, the onion epidermal wall swells and becomes softer, as assessed by nanoindentation and tensile plasticity tests, yet exhibits reduced expansin-mediated creep.
(N,N-Diisopropyldithiocarbamato)triphenyltin(IV): crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and computational study
Authors: Haezam Farah Natasha , Awang Normah , Kamaludin Nurul Farahana , Jotani Mukesh M. , Tiekink Edward R. T.
Published: September 2019

The crystal and molecular structures of the title triorganotin dithiocarbamate, [Sn(C6H5)3(C7H14NS2)], are described. The molecular geometry about the metal atom is highly distorted being based on a C3S tetrahedron as the dithiocarbamate ligand is asymmetrically chelating to the tin centre. The close approach of the second thione-S atom [Sn...S = 2.9264 (4) Å] is largely responsible for the distortion. The molecular packing is almost devoid of directional interactions with only weak phenyl-C—H...C(phenyl) interactions, leading to centrosymmetric dimeric aggregates, being noted. An analysis of the calculated Hirshfeld surface points to the significance of H...H contacts, which contribute 66.6% of all contacts to the surface, with C...H/H...C [26.8%] and S...H/H...H [6.6%] contacts making up the balance.
Synthesis and crystal structure of [Cs([2.2.2]crypt)]2[Mo(CO)5]
Authors: Kaas Marina , Korber Nikolaus
Published: September 2019

Reduction of the heteroleptic metal carbonyl complex Mo(CO)3(η5-Cp)H with the metallic salt Cs5Bi4in the presence of [2.2.2]crypt (= 4,7,13,16,21,24-hexaoxa-1,10-diazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosane) in liquid ammonia led to single crystals of bis[(4,7,13,16,21,24-hexaoxa-1,10-diazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosane)caesium] pentacarbonylmolybdate, [Cs(C18H36N2O6)]2[Mo(CO)5] or [Cs([2.2.2]crypt)]2[Mo(CO)5]. The twofold negatively charged anionic complex corresponds to the 18 valence electron rule. It consists of an Mo atom coordinated by five carbonyl ligands in a shape intermediate between trigonal–bipyramidal and square-pyramidal. The Mo—C distances range from 1.961 (3) to 2.017 (3) Å, and the C[triple-bond]O distances from 1.164 (3) to 1.180 (4) Å.
Profitability vs Poverty alleviation: has banking logic influences Islamic microfinance institutions?
Authors: Tamanni Luqyan , Haji Besar Mohd Hairul Azrin
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to shed some lights on the process of mission drifting or abandoning poverty objective by Islamic microfinance institutions (IMFs). The paper investigates whether the extensive use of banking logic changes IMFs, from focusing on both development and financial objectives to only considering sustainability as their primary mission.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts mixed methods by analyzing 7,200 microfinance data from Microfinance Exchange Market and reviewing annual reports and websites of 25 IMFs to examine their vision and mission statements and other related information.

Findings

The finding shows Islamic microfinance has not changed, despite increasing adoption of financial or banking performance measures. However, size and age of the institutions may affect the outcome in the future. The authors find that smaller microfinance institutions maintain genuine objective to serve the poor, as the grow larger they would be more inclined toward sustainability objectives.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited on the sample size as data on Islamic microfinance globally is limited. However, the paper looked at the global data rather than local data to compensate for this limitation. Future study would be further taking the study through qualitative methods to support the study.

Originality/value

This paper aims to shed some lights on the process of mission drifting or abandoning poverty objective by IMFIs. The paper investigates how has the extensive use of financing logic has changed IMFIs from focusing on both development and financial objectives to only considering sustainability as their primary mission. Arun and Hulme (2009) argued that the interaction of multiple logic within microfinance institutions, i.e. financial vs social, could pose some serious management dilemmas within microfinance institutions. Further, commercialization puts pressure on the field staffs to achieve financial targets and often neglect their poverty outreach mission to the poor. The well-known crisis in Andhra Pradesh, India where clients of microfinance institutions committed suicide after being shamed by field officers who tried to collect payments of loans (Mader, 2013; Taylor, 2011), provides a powerful case of the impact of financialization to microfinance clients.
Board characteristics and earnings management in Sri Lanka
Authors: Rajeevan Shanmugavel , Ajward Roshan
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between designated corporate governance attributes and the degree of earnings management in selected quoted companies in Sri Lanka.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 70 listed companies in Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) were selected based on the highest market capitalisation for the period covering from 2015 to 2017 and representing beverage, food and tobacco, diversified, hotel and travel, manufacturing, oil palms and health care sectors, which accounted for 59.9 per cent of the total market capitalisation of CSE.

Findings

This study found a positive relationship between CEO-Chair duality and earnings management.

Practical implications

The insights may also provide investors, economic analysts and regulators with early caution indicators of potential problems in a corporation regarding corporate governance failures and aid stakeholders in assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the board and corporate governance structure and earnings management methods.

Originality/value

This study extends the extant research on board characteristics and real earnings management by adopting prominent research design and modernised data. This study offers evidence on how selected audit and board committee’s characteristics influence real earnings management practices.
Organization’s core competencies and front-end decision-making in the apparel innovation
Authors: Seram Niromi , Nanayakkara Julian , Lanarolle Gamini
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Organization’s core competencies are acknowledged as most valuable assets and skills which contribute to enhance the ability of innovation, the competitive advantage and commercial success of the business. Although several researchers have studied the effects of core competencies on the success of an organization, no enough work has been carried out to investigate the effect of core competencies onfront-end decision-making. Apparel-specific studies in the area of core competencies relating to front-end decision-making are rarely found. Therefore, this paper aims to determine the impact of organizational core competencies on front-end decision-making in the apparel innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual framework was developed focusing four groups of competencies; technological/ technical, customer, network/ partnership and financial competences and hypothesis were derived. Sixty participants in different companies across Sri Lanka were randomly selected based on their involvement in the front-end of the apparel innovation for questionnaire survey. The data were analyzed using the SPSS version 20 statistical software package. Spearman's rho correlation and Linear regression analysis were used to quantify the impact of the competencies on front-end decisions.

Findings

The factors of network competencies are found to be the most influentialon effective front-end decision-making in apparel innovation in Sri Lanka. These results strongly suggests strengthening companies’ ability to interact with partners who possess raw materials, machineries and technology know-how to facilitate efficient front-end decision-making. The next most influential are the factors of technological competencies. It highlights the importance of strengthening the companies’ own technical/ technological competencies to facilitate effective front- end decision-making in apparel innovation.

Originality/value

The findings of this research are of main interest to extend the current understanding on how different factors of organization’s core competencies influence on effective front-end decision-making in apparel innovation. Particularly, apparel domain practitioners will be motivated in implementing and nurturing these important/ and most influential competencies within their firms to facilitate front-end decision-making to achieve better results consistently.
Soil functional responses to drought under range‐expanding and native plant communities
Authors: Manrubia Marta , van der Putten Wim H. , Weser Carolin , ten Hooven Freddy C. , Martens Henk , Brinkman E. Pernilla , Geisen Stefan , Ramirez Kelly S. , Veen G. F. (Ciska)
Published: September 2019

Current climate warming enables plant species and soil organisms to expand their range to higher latitudes and altitudes. At the same time, climate change increases the incidence of extreme weather events such as drought. While it is expected that plants and soil organisms originating from the south are better able to cope with drought, little is known about the consequences of their range shifts on soil functioning under drought events.

Here, we test how range‐expanding plant species and soil communities may influence soil functioning under drought. We performed a full‐factorial outdoor mesocosm experiment with plant communities of range expanders or related natives, with soil inocula from the novel or the original range, with or without summer drought. We measured litter decomposition, carbon mineralization and enzyme activities, substrate‐induced respiration and the relative abundance of soil saprophytic fungi immediately after drought and at 6 and 12 weeks after rewetting.

Drought decreased all soil functions regardless of plant and soil origin except one; soil respiration was less reduced in soils of range‐expanding plant communities, suggesting stronger resistance to drought. After rewetting, soil functioning responses depended on plant and soil origin. Soils of native plant communities with a history of drought had more litter mass loss and higher relative abundance of saprophytic fungi than soils without drought and soils of range expanders. Functions of soil from range expanders recovered in a more conservative manner than soils of natives, as litter mass loss did not exceed the control rates. At the end of the experiment, after rewetting, most soil functions in mesocosms with drought history did not differ anymore from the control.

We conclude that functional consequences of range‐expanding plants and soil biota may interact with effects of drought and that these effects are most prominent during the first weeks after rewetting of the soil.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Contrasting drivers of community‐level trait variation for vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes across an elevational gradient
Authors: Roos Ruben E. , van Zuijlen Kristel , Birkemoe Tone , Klanderud Kari , Lang Simone I. , Bokhorst Stef , Wardle David A. , Asplund Johan
Published: September 2019

Across environmental gradients, community‐level functional traits of plants can change due to species turnover, intraspecific variation and their covariation. Studies on vascular plants suggest that species turnover is the main driver of trait variation across gradients, although intraspecific variation can also be important. However, there is limited knowledge about whether this holds for non‐vascular primary producers such as lichens and bryophytes. We hypothesized that intraspecific variation is more important for non‐vascular than for vascular primary producers because they lack specialized structures to maintain homeostasis and should therefore be more responsive to extrinsic factors.

To assess the relative importance of species turnover versus intraspecific variation for vascular plants, lichens and bryophytes, we estimated species abundance and measured chemical (tissue nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) content, N:P ratio and pH) and non‐chemical (specific leaf or thallus area, dry matter content and water holding capacity) functional traits along an elevational gradient in alpine southern Norway. We calculated community‐weighted mean traits and quantified the relative contribution of species turnover, intraspecific variation and their covariation to total trait variation across the gradient.

We found mixed support for our hypothesis: the contribution of intraspecific variation to total trait variation for N and N:P was higher in lichens than in vascular plants and bryophytes, but in general the contribution of intraspecific variation differed among functional traits and producer groups. Nutrient variables (N, P and N:P) were significantly impacted by intraspecific variation for vascular plants and lichens but not for bryophytes. Non‐chemical traits and pH were mainly driven by species turnover effects in all primary producer groups.

Our results highlight that while nearly all studies on primary producer trait variation across environments have focused on vascular plants, trait variation of other largely neglected but ecologically important producer groups, such as lichens and bryophytes, may show very different responses to the same environmental factors. In order to fully understand how future environmental changes impact on community‐ and ecosystem‐level processes, traits of primary producers other than vascular plants—and their within‐species variation—need to be considered in systems where these groups are abundant.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Incentivising teachers? Evaluating the incentive effect of China’s teacher performance‐based compensation reform in rural China
Authors: Zhang Jian , Jin Songqing , Si Wei
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we evaluate the incentive role of a teacher performance‐based compensation reform in rural China. Using the value‐added model widely adopted in the education literature, we first estimated the teacher effects on student academic scores with panel data of a large number of students and teachers from rural and urban schools in one county in a south‐western province of China. The estimated teachers’ value‐add was then allowed us to examine the effectiveness of the 2009 teachers’ compensation reform. We find that despite the strong intent of the performance‐based compensation reform to improve student’s academic performance, teachers’ compensations are not closely tied to teachers’ value‐add to student academic achievement. This suggests that the performance‐based compensation reform is not able to provide strong incentives for teachers to raise students’ test scores and points towards the possible problems with the design and/or implementation of the reform.
The evolution of the wage gap between rural migrants and the urban labour force in Chinese cities
Authors: Zhang Dandan
Published: September 2019

An increasing earning gap between rural migrants and urban residents has recently aroused public concern about rising urban poverty asscociated with migration of rural people into Chinese cities. To address the issue, this paper explores the possibility of wage assimilation for rural migrants towards their urban counterparts and its determinants between 1999 and 2009, by applying an economic assimilation model to analyse a repeated cross‐sectional data for seven Chinese cites at the individual level. The results show that rural migrants' earnings do not assimilate to their urban counterparts, although the situation improves gradually over time. This implies that institutional and policy barriers impede the assimilation process of rural migrants, which supports the call for further labour market reforms.
Prioritization of differentially expressed genes through integrating public expression data
Authors: Xu W. , Li S. , Zhang Z. , Hu J. , Zhao Y.
Published: September 2019

Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis is a major approach for interpreting phenotype differences and produces a large number of candidate genes. Given that it is burdensome to validate too many genes through benchwork, an urgent need exists for DEG prioritization. Here, a novel method is proposed for prioritizing bona fide DEGs by constructing the normal range of gene expression through integrating public expression data. Prioritization was performed by ranking the differences in cumulative probability for genes in case and control groups. DEGs from a study on pig muscle tissue were used to evaluate the prioritization accuracy. The results showed that the method reached an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 96.42% and can effectively shorten the list of candidate genes from a differential expression experiment to find novel causal genes. Our method can be easily extended to other tissues or species to promote functional research in broad applications.
Plastination of larger and massive specimens—With Silicone
Authors: Nader Paul B. , Henry Robert W. , Sui Hong Jin
Published: September 2019

In 1977, plastination was unveiled, which replaced tissue fluid with a curable polymer. Today preservation via plastination of various animal and plant tissues, organs, and whole bodies is an extremely useful technique to display such and help educate vast arrays of both allied science students and the lay public across the planet. The diversity of applications of plastination techniques seems to be without limits. In fact, the only real limitation to plastination is one's imagination! The size of plastinates during the early years of plastination was comparatively small and dictated primarily by the size of the available plastination kettle/chamber, 35 L Heidelberg plastination kettle (49 cm H × 34.5 cm diam.). In the 1990s larger chambers were designed and slowly became available:150–210 cm (long) × 65–80 cm (wide) and 83–92 cm (high). Today a few large vacuum chambers are in service which will accommodate whole bodies of man and domestic or exotic animals. Today, at least two gigantic chambers are available to impregnate massive specimens. These are 3.5 m × 2 m × 1.5 m (Dalian) and 4 m × 3 m × 2.2 m (Guben). Also, the need for larger quantities of acetone and impregnation mix, not to mention the great increase in specimen preparation time, makes this a major investment. The “cold temperature process” is used to impregnate these massive creations. The room temperature technique could be used. The same four plastination steps are necessary for larger and massive specimens. Besides their tremendous size, the slippery silicone polymer is a reckoning force.
Cutaneous manifestation of IgG4‐related disease mimicking dermatitis artefacta
Authors: Ashoka Menon Vivek , Tong Elissa , Slape Dana Rose-Marie Louise , Phan Tai Anh , Chan Renee CF
Published: September 2019

Dermatitis artefacta is a self‐inflicted cutaneous disease presenting as sharply delineated ulcers, usually in accessible sites such as the head and neck. IgG4‐related disease (IgG4‐RD) is a recently recognised immune‐mediated condition causing a fibroinflammatory process, resulting in the formation of tumefactive lesions in various organs, rarely presenting primarily in the skin. We report a case of cutaneous IgG4‐RD clinically presenting as dermatitis artefacta.
Unmet treatment needs in patients with chronic pelvic pain in a New Zealand gynaecology service
Authors: Joseph Karen , Mills Jessica
Published: September 2019

Background

Chronic pelvic pain, which carries a high burden of disability and distress, is a common presentation to gynaecology clinics. While there is increasing acknowledgment of the complexity of chronic pelvic pain, and the benefits of providing management from a multidisciplinary team within a sociopsychobiomedical framework, the mainstay of management in gynaecology outpatient clinics remains within a single clinician biomedical‐focused model. This model of care is only sufficient for women who present with minimal psychosocial complexity to their pain.

Aims

To estimate the proportion of women attending the gynaecology outpatient clinic at a public women's hospital in New Zealand referred with chronic pelvic pain who have needs unmet by the current biomedical model of care. Informed by international research, pain catastrophising was used as a psychosocial correlate of this complexity.

Methods

An audit was undertaken of 100 consecutive pre‐appointment questionnaires of women, referred to a gynaecology outpatient clinic for review of pelvic pain of duration over six months, with no red flags in their referral history.

Results

An unexpectedly high level of catastrophic thoughts about pain was reported. Seventy‐seven percent of the women scored in the high or severe range, with 55% endorsing clinically significant scores for helpless catastrophising.

Conclusions

The Pain Catastrophising Scores in this cohort were found to be higher than those in similar groups in the published international literature and also than in patients referred to the local tertiary level pain management centre, further reinforcing the need for investment into appropriate services for women with chronic pelvic pain.