bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain disconnectivity mapping of post-stroke fatigue
Authors: Ulrichsen Kristine M. , Kolskår Knut K. , Richard Geneviève , Alnæs Dag , Dørum Erlend S. , Sanders Anne-Marthe , Tornås Sveinung , Sánchez Jennifer Monereo , Engvig Andreas , Ihle Hansen Hege , de Schotten Michel Thiebaut , Nordvik Jan E. , Westlye Lars T.
Published: November 2020

Stroke patients commonly suffer from post stroke fatigue (PSF). Despite a general consensus that brain perturbations constitute a precipitating event in the multifactorial etiology of PSF, the specific predictive value of conventional lesion characteristics such as size and localization remain unclear. The current study represents a novel approach to assess the neural correlates of PSF in chronic stroke patients. While previous research has focused primarily on lesion location or size, with mixed or inconclusive results, we targeted the extended structural network implicated by the lesion, and evaluated the added explanatory value of a disconnectivity approach with regards to the brain correlates of PSF. To this end, we estimated individual brain disconnectome maps in 84 stroke survivors in the chronic phase (≥ 3 months post stroke) using information about lesion location and normative white matter pathways obtained from 170 healthy individuals. PSF was measured by the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Voxel wise analyses using non-parametric permutation-based inference were conducted on disconnectome maps to estimate regional effects of disconnectivity. Associations between PSF and global disconnectivity and clinical lesion characteristics were tested by linear models, and we estimated Bayes factor to quantify the evidence for the null and alternative hypotheses, respectively. The results revealed no significant associations between PSF and disconnectome measures or lesion characteristics, with moderate evidence in favor of the null hypothesis. These results suggest that symptoms of post-stroke fatigue are not simply explained by lesion characteristics or brain disconnectome measures in stroke patients in a chronic phase, and are discussed in light of methodological considerations.
Nutrient signaling pathways regulate amyloid clearance and synaptic loss in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Mondal Mrityunjoy , Bali Jitin , Tzioras Makis , Paolicelli Rosa C. , Jawaid Ali , Malnar Martina , Dominko Kristina , Udayar Vinod , Halima Saoussen Ben , Vadodaria Krishna C. , Manesso Erica , Thakur Garima , Decressac Mickael , Petit Constance , Sudharshan Ravi , Hecimovic Silva , Simons Mikael , Klumperman Judith , Brüstle Oliver , Ferguson Shawn , Nitsch Roger , Schulz Paul E. , Spires-Jones Tara L. , Koch Philipp , Gunawan Rudiyanto , Rajendran Lawrence
Published: November 2020

Extra-cellular accumulation of Amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques is causatively associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, mechanisms that mediate the pre-pathological state of amyloid plaque formation remain elusive. Here, using paired RNAi and kinase inhibitor screens, we discovered that AKT-mediated insulin/nutrient signaling suppresses lysosomal clearance of Aβ and promotes amyloid formation. This mechanism is cell-autonomous and functions in multiple systems, including iPSC-derived human neurons andin vivo.Nutrient signaling regulates amyloid formation via distinct lysosomal functional mechanisms, while enhanced amino acid signaling promotes amyloid formation by transcriptionally suppressing lysosome biogenesis, and high intracellular cholesterol levels suppress lysosomal clearance of amyloid by increasing the number of non-functional lysosomes. The nutrient signaling pathway, present in both neurons and microglia, regulates lysosomal clearance of amyloid and microglia mediated synapse loss, bothin vitroandin vivo.Clinically, older hyperlipidemic patients showed less synapse loss through microglia and performed better in cognitive tests. Thus, our results reveal a bi-partite cellular quality control system regulated by the insulinnutrient signaling that in neurons regulates Aβ peptide clearance and in microglia regulates synaptic loss, both processes causally associated with AD. Our results also caution against reducing amyloid through such processes as this might also result in synapse loss.
Non-stimulated regions in early visual cortex encode the contents of conscious visual perception
Authors: van Kemenade Bianca M. , Wilbertz Gregor , Müller Annalena , Sterzer Philipp
Published: November 2020

Predictions shape our perception. The theory of predictive processing poses that our brains make sense of incoming sensory input by generating predictions, which are sent back from higher to lower levels of the processing hierarchy. These predictions are based on our internal model of the world and enable inferences about the hidden causes of the sensory input data. It has been proposed that conscious perception corresponds to the currently most probable internal model of the world. Accordingly, predictions influencing conscious perception should be fed back from higher to lower levels of the processing hierarchy. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and multivoxel pattern analysis to show that non-stimulated regions of early visual areas contain information about the conscious perception of an ambiguous visual stimulus. These results indicate that early sensory cortices in the human brain receive predictive feedback signals that reflect the current contents of conscious perception.
Identification of novel Alzheimer’s disease genes co-expressed withTREM2
Authors: Reddy Joseph S. , Allen Mariet , Wang Xue , Biernacka Joanna M. , Coombes Brandon J. , Jenkins Gregory D. , Sinnwell Jason P. , Carrasquillo Minerva M. , Pottier Cyril P. , Ren Yingxue , Sarangi Vivekananda , Younkin Curtis S. , Asmann Yan W. , Ross Owen A. , Rademakers Rosa , Golde Todd E. , Ertekin-Taner Nilüfer , Younkin Steven G.
Published: November 2020

By analyzing whole-exome data from the Alzheimer’s disease sequencing project (ADSP), we identify a set of 4 genes that show highly significant association with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These genes were identified within a humanTREM2co-expression network using a novel approach wherein prioritized polygenic score analyses were performed sequentially to identify significant polygenic components. Two of the 4 genes (TREM2,RIN3) have previously been linked to AD and two (ATP8B4,IL17RA) are novel. LikeTREM2, the 2 novel AD genes are selectively expressed in human microglial cells. The most significant variants inATP8B4andIL17RAare non-synonymous variants with strong effects comparable to the APOE ε4 and ε2 alleles. These protein-altering variants will provide unique opportunities to further explore the biological role of microglial cells in AD and help inform future immune modulatory therapeutic development for AD.
Pathway-extended gene expression signatures integrate novel biomarkers that improve predictions of patient responses to kinase inhibitors
Authors: Bagchee-Clark Ashis J. , Mucaki Eliseos J. , Whitehead Tyson , Rogan Peter K.
Published: November 2020

Cancer chemotherapy responses have been related to multiple pharmacogenetic biomarkers, often for the same drug. This study utilizes machine learning to derive multi-gene expression signatures that predict individual patient responses to specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors, including erlotinib, gefitinib, sorafenib, sunitinib, lapatinib and imatinib. Support Vector Machine learning was used to train mathematical models that distinguished sensitivity from resistance to these drugs using a novel systems biology-based approach. This began with expression of genes previously implicated in specific drug responses, then expanded to evaluate genes whose products were related through biochemical pathways and interactions. Optimal pathway-extended support vector machines predicted responses in patients at accuracies of 70% (imatinib), 71% (lapatinib), 83% (sunitinib), 83% (erlotinib), 88% (sorafenib) and 91% (gefitinib). These best performing pathway-extended models demonstrated improved balance predicting both sensitive and resistant patient categories, with many of these genes having a known role in cancer etiology. Ensemble machine learning-based averaging of multiple pathway-extended models derived for an individual drug increased accuracy to >70% for erlotinib, gefitinib, lapatinib, and sorafenib. Through incorporation of novel cancer biomarkers, machine learning-based pathway-extended signatures display strong efficacy predicting both sensitive and resistant patient responses to chemotherapy.
Real-time monitoring of subcellular H2O2distribution inChlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Niemeyer Justus , Scheuring David , Oestreicher Julian , Morgan Bruce , Schroda Michael
Published: November 2020

H2O2has been recognized as an important signaling molecule in plants. We sought to establish a genetically encoded, fluorescent H2O2sensor that allows H2O2monitoring in all major subcompartments of a Chlamydomonas cell. To this end we engineered the hypersensitive H2O2sensor, roGFP2-Tsa2ΔCR, as a genetic part for the Chlamydomonas Modular Cloning toolbox. Using previously generated parts, together with new ones, we constructed modules and devices that target the sensor to the cytosol, nucleus, mitochondrial matrix, chloroplast stroma, thylakoid lumen, and ER. The sensor was functional in all compartments, except for the ER where it was fully oxidized. Employing our novel sensors, we show that H2O2produced by photosynthetic linear electron transport (PET) in the stroma leaks into the cytosol but only reaches other subcellular compartments if produced under non-physiological conditions. Our results thus imply the establishment of steep intracellular H2O2gradients under normal physiological conditions and suggest that the cytosolic complement of H2O2scavenging enzymes effectively limits H2O2diffusion. Furthermore, in heat stressed cells, we show that cytosolic H2O2levels closely mirror temperature up- and downshifts and are independent from PET. We anticipate that these sensors will greatly facilitate future investigations into H2O2biology in algal and plant cells.
CRISPAltRations: a validated cloud-based approach for interrogation of double-strand break repair mediated by CRISPR genome editing
Authors: Kurgan Gavin , Turk Rolf , Li Heng , Roberts Nathan , Rettig Garrett R. , Jacobi Ashley M. , Tso Lauren , Mertens Massimo , Noten Roel , Florus Kurt , Behlke Mark A. , Wang Yu , McNeill Matthew S.
Published: November 2020

CRISPR systems enable targeted genome editing in a wide variety of organisms by introducing single- or double-strand DNA breaks, which are repaired using endogenous molecular pathways. Characterization of on- and off-target editing events from CRISPR proteins can be evaluated using targeted genome resequencing. We characterized DNA repair footprints that result from non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) after double stranded breaks (DSBs) were introduced by Cas9 or Cas12a for >500 paired treatment/control experiments. We found that building our understanding into a novel analysis tool (CRISPAltRations) improved results’ quality. We validated our software using simulated rhAmpSeq™ amplicon sequencing data (11 gRNAs and 603 on- and off-target locations) and demonstrate that CRISPAltRations outperforms other publicly available software tools in accurately annotating CRISPR-associated indels and homology directed repair (HDR) events. We enable non-bioinformaticians to use CRISPAltRations by developing a web-accessible, cloud-hosted deployment, which allows rapid batch processing of samples in a graphical user-interface (GUI) and complies with HIPAA security standards. By ensuring that our software is thoroughly tested, version controlled, and supported with a UI we enable resequencing analysis of CRISPR genome editing experiments to researchers no matter their skill in bioinformatics.
Spontaneous thalamic activity modulates the cortical innervation of the primary visual nucleus of the thalamus
Authors: Moreno-Juan Verónica , Aníbal-Martínez Mar , Herrero-Navarro Álvaro , Valdeolmillos Miguel , Martini Francisco J. , López-Bendito Guillermina
Published: November 2020

Sensory processing relies on the correct development of thalamocortical loops. Visual corticothalamic axons (CTAs) invade the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus in early postnatal mice according to a regulated program that includes activity-dependent mechanisms. Spontaneous retinal activity influences the thalamic incursion of CTAs, yet the perinatal thalamus also generates intrinsic patterns of spontaneous activity whose role in modulating afferent connectivity remains unknown. Here, we found that patterned spontaneous activity in the dLGN contributes to proper spatial and temporal innervation of CTAs. Disrupting patterned spontaneous activity in the dLGN delays corticogeniculate innervation under normal conditions and upon eye enucleation. The delayed innervation was evident throughout the first two postnatal weeks but resumes after eye-opening, suggesting that visual experience is necessary for the homeostatic recovery of corticogeniculate innervation.
High-resolution transcriptome atlas and improved genome assembly of common buckwheat,Fagopyrum esculentum
Authors: Penin Aleksey A. , Kasianov Artem S. , Klepikova Anna V. , Kirov Ilya V. , Gerasimov Evgeny S. , Fesenko Aleksey N. , Logacheva Maria D.
Published: November 2020

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is an important non-cereal grain crop and a prospective component of functional food. Despite this, the genomic resources for this species and for the whole family Polygonaceae, to which it belongs, are scarce. Here, we report the assembly of the buckwheat genome using long-read technology and a high-resolution expression atlas including 46 organs and developmental stages. We found that the buckwheat genome has an extremely high content of transposable elements, including several classes of recently (0.5-1 Mya) multiplied TEs (“transposon burst”) and gradually accumulated TEs. The difference in TE content is a major factor contributing to the 3-fold increase in the genome size ofF. esculentumcompared with its sister speciesF. tataricum. Moreover, we detected the differences in TE content between the wild ancestral subspeciesF. esculentumssp.ancestraleand buckwheat cultivars, suggesting that TE activity accompanied buckwheat domestication. Expression profiling allowed us to test a hypothesis about the genetic control of petaloidy in buckwheat. We showed that it is not mediated by B-class gene activity, in contrast to the prediction from the ABC model. Based on a survey of expression profiles and phylogenetic analysis, we identified the MYB family transcription factor gene tr_18111 as a potential candidate for the determination of conical cells in buckwheat petaloid tepals. The information on expression patterns has been integrated into the publicly available database TraVA:http://travadb.org/browse/Species=Fesc/. The improved genome assembly and transcriptomic resources will enable research on buckwheat, including practical applications.
Anatomic position determines oncogenic specificity in melanoma
Authors: Weiss Joshua M. , Hunter Miranda V. , Cruz Nelly M. , Baggiolini Arianna , Tagore Mohita , Ma Yilun , Misale Sandra , Marasco Michelangelo , Simon-Vermot Theresa , Campbell Nathaniel R. , Newell Felicity , Wilmott James S. , Johansson Peter A. , Thompson John F. , Long Georgina V. , Pearson John V. , Mann Graham J. , Scolyer Richard A. , Waddell Nicola , Montal Emily D. , Huang Ting-Hsiang , Jonsson Philip , Donoghue Mark T.A. , Harris Christopher C. , Taylor Barry S. , Xu Tianhao , Chaligné Ronan , Shliaha Pavel V. , Hendrickson Ronald , Jungbluth Achim A. , Lezcano Cecilia , Koche Richard , Studer Lorenz , Ariyan Charlotte E. , Solit David B. , Wolchok Jedd D. , Merghoub Taha , Rosen Neal , Hayward Nicholas K. , White Richard M.
Published: November 2020

Oncogenic alterations to DNA are not transforming in all cellular contexts1,2. This may be due to pre-existing transcriptional programs in the cell of origin. Here, we define anatomic position as a major determinant of why cells respond to specific oncogenes. Cutaneous melanoma arises throughout the body, whereas the acral subtype arises on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, or under the nails3. We sequenced the DNA of cutaneous and acral melanomas from a large cohort of human patients and found a specific enrichment for BRAF mutations in cutaneous melanoma but CRKL amplifications in acral melanoma. We modeled these changes in transgenic zebrafish models and found that CRKL-driven tumors predominantly formed in the fins of the fish. The fins are the evolutionary precursors to tetrapod limbs, indicating that melanocytes in these acral locations may be uniquely susceptible to CRKL. RNA profiling of these fin/limb melanocytes, compared to body melanocytes, revealed a positional identity gene program typified by posterior HOX13 genes. This positional gene program synergized with CRKL to drive tumors at acral sites. Abrogation of this CRKL-driven program eliminated the anatomic specificity of acral melanoma. These data suggest that the anatomic position of the cell of origin endows it with a unique transcriptional state that makes it susceptible to only certain oncogenic insults.
Sodium-Calcium Exchanger Mediates Sensory-Evoked Glial Calcium Transients in the Developing Retinotectal System
Authors: Benfey Nicholas J. , Li Vanessa J. , Schohl Anne , Ruthazer Edward S.
Published: November 2020

Various types of sensory stimuli have been shown to induce calcium elevations in glia. However, a mechanistic understanding of the signalling pathways mediating sensory-evoked activity in glia in intact animals is still emerging. Here we demonstrate that during early development of the Xenopus laevis visual system, radial astrocytes in the optic tectum are highly responsive to sensory stimulation. Calcium transients occur spontaneously in radial astrocytes at rest and are abolished by silencing neuronal activity with tetrodotoxin. Visual stimulation drives temporally correlated increases in the activity patterns of neighbouring radial astrocytes. Following blockade of all glutamate receptors, visually-evoked calcium activity in radial astrocytes is enhanced, rather than suppressed, while the additional blockade of either glutamate transporters or sodium-calcium exchangers (NCX) fully prevents visually-evoked responses. Additionally, we demonstrate that blockade of NCX alone is sufficient to prevent visually-evoked responses in radial astrocytes, highlighting a pivotal role for NCX in glia during development.
TCRβ Sequencing Reveals Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Clonal CD4 T cell Responses in a Breach of Tolerance Model of Inflammatory Arthritis
Authors: Al-Khabouri Shaima , Benson Robert A. , Prendergast Catriona T. , Gray Joshua I. , Otto Thomas D , Brewer James M , Garside Paul
Published: November 2020

Effective tolerogenic intervention in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) will rely upon understanding the evolution of articular antigen specific CD4 T cell responses. TCR clonality of endogenous CD4 T cell infiltrates in early inflammatory arthritis was assessed to monitor evolution of the TCR repertoire in the inflamed joint and associated lymph node (LN). Mouse models of antigen-induced breach of self-tolerance and chronic polyarthritis were used to recapitulate early and late phases of RA. The infiltrating endogenous, antigen experienced CD4 T cells in inflamed joints and LNs were analysed using flow cytometry and TCRβ sequencing. TCR repertoires from inflamed late phase LNs displayed increased clonality and diversity compared to early phase LNs, while inflamed joints remained similar with time. Repertoires from late phase LNs accumulated clones with a diverse range of TRBV genes, while inflamed joints at both phases contained clones expressing similar TRBV genes. Repertoires from LNs and joints at the late phase displayed reduced CDR3β sequence overlap compared to the early disease phase, however the most abundant clones in LNs accumulate in the joint at the later phase. The results indicate CD4 T cell repertoire clonality and diversity broadens with progression of inflammatory arthritis and is first reflected in LNs before mirroring in the joint. These observations imply that antigen specific tolerogenic therapies could be more effective if targeted at earlier phases of disease when CD4 T cell clonality is least diverse.
Mayaro Virus Infection Elicits an Innate Immune Response inAnopheles stephensi
Authors: Henderson Cory , Brustolin Marco , Hegde Shivanand , Dayama Gargi , Lau Nelson , Hughes Grant L. , Bergey Christina , Rasgon Jason L.
Published: November 2020

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an arboviral pathogen in the genusAlphavirusthat is circulating in South America with potential to spread to naïve regions. MAYV is also one of the few viruses with the ability to be transmitted by mosquitoes in the genusAnopheles, as well as the typical arboviral transmitting mosquitoes in the genusAedes. Few studies have investigated the infection response ofAnophelesmosquitoes. In this study we detail the transcriptomic and small RNA responses ofAn. stephensito infection with MAYV via infectious bloodmeal at 2, 7, and 14 days post infection (dpi). 487 unique transcripts were significantly regulated, 78 putative novel miRNAs were identified, and an siRNA response is observed targeting the MAYV genome. Gene ontology analysis of transcripts regulated at each timepoint suggested activation of the Toll pathway at 7 dpi and repression of pathways related to autophagy and apoptosis at 14 dpi. These findings provide a basic understanding of the infection response ofAn. stephensito MAYV and help to identify host factors which might be useful to target to inhibit viral replication inAnophelesmosquitoes.

AUTHOR SUMMARY

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is a mosquito-borne Alphavirus responsible for outbreaks in South America and the Caribbean. In this study we infectedAnopheles stephensiwith MAYV and sequenced mRNA and small RNA to understand how MAYV infection impacts gene transcription and the expression of small RNAs in the mosquito vector. Genes involved with innate immunity and signaling pathways related to cell death are regulated in response to MAYV infection ofAn. stephensi, we also discover novel miRNAs and describe the expression patterns of miRNAs, siRNAs, and piRNAs following bloodmeal ingestion. These results suggest that MAYV does induce a molecular response to infection in its mosquito vector species.
Loss of ASH1L in developing brains causes autistic-like behaviors in a mouse model
Authors: Gao Yuen , Duque-Wilckens Natalia , Aljazi Mohammad B , Wu Yan , Moeser Adam J , Mias George I , Robison Alfred J , He Jin
Published: November 2020

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease associated with various gene mutations. Recent genetic and clinical studies report that mutations of the epigenetic geneASH1Lare highly associated with human ASD and intellectual disability (ID). However, the causal link betweenASH1Lmutations and ASD/ID remains undetermined. Here we show loss of ASH1L in developing mouse brains is sufficient to cause multiple developmental defects, core autistic-like behaviors, and impaired cognitive memory. Gene expression analyses uncover critical roles of ASH1L in regulating gene expression during neural cell development. Thus, our study establishes a new ASD/ID mouse model revealing the critical function of ASH1L in normal brain development, a causality betweenAsh1Lmutations and ASD/ID-like behaviors in mice, and potential molecular mechanisms linkingAsh1Lmutations to brain functional abnormalities.
Greek chemical engineers. Are they static or mobile? Evidence from the national archive of PhD theses
Authors: Sachini Evi , Sioumalas-Christodoulou Konstantinos , Chrysomallidis Charalampos , Siganos Galatios , Karampekios Nikolaos
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the geographical location of researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

Combine standard bibliometric databases with social media data.

Findings

The majority of the population of the sample (71.8%) – Greek chemical engineers – are static. A significant portion of the mobile researchers (28.2%) returned to their country of origin (25.6%). Performing network analysis, the cluster of countries corresponding to the mobile category of researchers is identified and depicted.

Originality/value

Herein, this study introduce a new, national data set on doctorate holders that will allow multiple bibliometric analyses in the future. Also, this study is among the few (Gendronneau et al., 2019) that combines standard bibliometric databases with social media data. In cases where multiple affiliations per year pose a difficulty in understanding the geographical location of each individual, LinkedIn data were used. The analysis sheds light on a field of science that is not extensively examined in terms of brain circulation. While similar publications focus on physicians (i.e. cardiologists – Dyachenko and Mironenko, 2018), this paper focus on a subset of doctorate holders in engineering.
Measuring the supply chain competitiveness of e-commerce industry in Indonesia
Authors: Febransyah Ade , Camelia Goni Joklan Imelda
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to measure the supply chain competitiveness of the e-commerce industry in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a multi-criteria decision-making model based on the analytic hierarchy process. Four main criteria are used to measure the supply chain competitiveness, i.e. cost, differentiation, sustainability and infrastructure.

Findings

The findings of this study show that cost is the most important criterion with a degree of importance of 33.19%, followed by infrastructure of 29.40%, differentiation of 27.96% and sustainability of 9.45%. It shows that the internally controlled strategy contributes about 70% of supply chain competitiveness. The internal infrastructure criterion that consists of software and hardware contributes 65.92% to the whole infrastructure criterion. The internal infrastructure then contributes 19.38% to supply chain competitiveness. Therefore, the internally controlled strategies and internal infrastructure contribute up to 90.08% to the supply chain competitiveness of e-commerce in Indonesia. This result implies that to attain the supply chain competitiveness, the company must carry out strategies focusing on the performance such as cost, differentiation, sustainability as well as on the internal infrastructure such as software and hardware.

Research limitations/implications

In this paper, the authors limited their study to the business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) players because these two platforms have been experiencing a very rapid growth. While e-commerce business can take many platforms besides B2B and B2C, the future research should include other platform such as consumer to consumer as well. Because the focus in this study is more the information and material flows, it will be of great interest if the future research covers the platform of mobile payment as well that guarantee the ease of cashflows within supply chains. Also, with the occurrence of the Covid-19 pandemic when this paper was written, in the near future, it is then of great interest to incorporate the pandemic context into the proposed model used in this study. The further study should analyze long-term changes happened as the result of pandemic such as behavioral changes of online shopping from customer side or shift in e-commerce supply chain infrastructure and inventory practice.

Practical implications

With this study, it is expected that it can be determined which criteria contribute the most to the supply chain competitiveness of the e-commerce industry in Indonesia that will be useful for industry player.

Originality/value

E-commerce development in Indonesia is still facing serious challenges. The multi-criteria decision making approach used in this research lays a foundation of how supply chain competitiveness is determined based on the judgment of experts coming from major companies within the supply chain.
Physical flood vulnerability assessment of buildings in Kota Bharu, Malaysia: an indicator-based approach
Authors: Usman Kaoje Ismaila , Abdul Rahman Muhammad Zulkarnain , Idris Nurul Hazrina , Tam Tze Huey , Mohd Sallah Mohd Radhie
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a geospatial approach for buildings flood vulnerability assessment using an indicator-based method (IBM) to support flood risk assessment and mapping of physical elements at risk in Kota Bharu District, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The study developed an indicator-based approach to undertake physical flood vulnerability assessment of buildings. The approach takes into consideration flood hazard intensity, building characteristics and structures surrounding the environment as factors that influence flood vulnerability. The aggregation of the total flood vulnerability index is carried out in a geographic information system (GIS) environment.

Findings

The results provide a spatial representation of buildings flood vulnerability index in Kota Bharu Malaysia, and the degree of expected vulnerability is expressed on a scale between 0 to 1 (low damage to total damage). Mapping flood vulnerability index of buildings should be considered in future flood mitigation and evacuation planning.

Originality/value

Unlike other indicator-based methods (IBMs) developed for physical flood vulnerability assessment, in the current study, hazard intensity has been considered and incorporated in the physical flood vulnerability model.
Appropriation of sustainability priorities to gain strategic advantage in a supply chain
Authors: Kumar Anup , Shrivastav Santosh , Adlakha Amit , Vishwakarma Niraj K.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The authors develop a methodology to select appropriate sustainable supply chain indicators (SSCIs) to measure Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the global supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

SSCIs are identified by reviewing the extant literature and topic modeling. Further, they are evaluated based on existing SDGs and ranked using the fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method. Notably, the evaluation of indicators is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) process within a fuzzy environment. The methodology has been explained using a case study from the automobile industry.

Findings

The case study identifies appropriate SSCIs and differentiates them among peer suppliers for gaining a competitive advantage. The results reveal that top-ranked sustainability indicators include the management of natural resources, energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and social investment.

Practical implications

The study outcome will enable suppliers, specialists and decision makers to understand the criteria that improve supply chain sustainability in the automobile industry. The analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the competitive package of indicators for gaining strategic advantage. This proactive sustainability indicator selection promotes and enhances sustainability reporting while fulfilling regulatory requirements and increasing collaboration potential with trustworthy downstream partners. This study sets the stage for further research in SSCIs’ competitive strategy in the automobile industry along with its supply chains.

Originality/value

This study is unique as it provides a framework for determining relevant SSCIs, which can be distinguished from peer suppliers, while also matching economic, environmental and social metrics to achieve a competitive advantage.
Determinants of diffusion of environmental sustainability innovations in hospitals of Bihar state in India
Authors: Chaudhary Richa , Kumar Chandan
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effect of the characteristics of innovation and change adopters on the rate of adoption of environmental sustainability innovations in hospitals of Bihar state in India.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from hospital administration, managers, doctors, nurses and staff working at various levels in both public and private hospitals of Bihar. Research model was tested using regression analysis with the help of statistical package for social sciences 24.

Findings

Innovation characteristics of relative advantage, simplicity, trialability and compatibility were found to significantly predict the adoption of eco-innovations while innovativeness and environmental opinion leadership failed to demonstrate any significant impact on sustainability adoption in hospitals.

Originality/value

This study provides important information to the change agents on how to diffuse green innovations in the unsustainable and inefficient areas and make them more sustainable. With no systematic investigation of sustainability innovations being done in the health-care sector in India, this study on eco-innovations in a resource-constrained state of India provides a fresh perspective and practical insights on the state of sustainability innovations in health care.
Innovation policy in the agri-food sector: evidence from undeveloped Mexican regions
Authors: Solis-Navarrete José Alberto , Bucio-Mendoza Saray , Mata-Vázquez Pedro , Astudillo-Miller María Xochitl
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Mexico has an economic dynamic mostly associated with low added value sectors; regions of Guerrero and Michoacan highlight at national and even international levels in the agri-food production, however, they present substantial lags in their development and competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the innovation policy in the agri-food sector of these regions through its regulations and local policy.

Design/methodology/approach

The present work has a qualitative approach through a case study with the treatment of units of analysis (UA), in which innovation policy in the agri-food sector as main UA, whose sources of interpretation have been direct observation and documentary sources such as laws and the guiding instruments of the regional public policy on innovation and the agri-food sector.

Findings

This paper identifies severe institutional weaknesses, a lack of incentives and structures for generating certainty and innovation capabilities in the agri-food sector. Both regions have weak and poorly articulated institutions in their innovation policy, with few incentives and scarcely defined property rights tending to increase uncertainty among the actors participating in the agri-food sector, although the economic dynamics of both regions is mostly associated with that sector, therefore, the low development and lack of competitiveness are a direct consequence of a minimum priority of innovation policy.

Research limitations/implications

Our research is useful for the academic sphere by contributing to applied knowledge on the implications of innovation policy at the sectoral level on the development and competitiveness of regions, particularly in an emerging country such as Mexico, allowing to generate bridges gaps between theory and practice.

Practical implications

The main contribution is for policymakers, allowing them to compare and facilitate a better design of regulatory and public policy instruments that enable them to address and enhance economic vocations through innovation for regional development.

Originality/value

The research focuses on a debate at the regional level on the institutional limitations of promoting innovation through public policy. This study approaches economic and political processes having as empirical evidence of two undeveloped Mexican regions that stand out internationally in agri-food production. These regions have sectoral dynamics inserted in global value chains but have not achieved a local articulation, which has negatively affected their competitiveness and development. The cases of Guerrero and Michoacan are examples of regions like many others, which present diverse institutional weaknesses and lack of incentives associated with innovation policy that limit the development and articulation of their territorial capabilities.
An emerging market perspective of what makes professional service firms successful
Authors: Sackey Felix Nana Abaka , Caesar Livingstone Divine
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Despite the criticality of strategic partnerships to the survival and success of professional service firms (PSF) in emerging markets, there is a dearth of research on the subject matter. Specifically, not much is known concerning the dynamics of partnerships among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the professional services sector of the economy. This paper aims to explore the dynamics of the impact of constructs such as attributes of partnership, communication behaviour and collaborative conflict resolution on partnership success.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey sent to 300 small and medium-sized PSFs achieved a 79% response rate. The data is then analysed using bivariate and multi-variate techniques.

Findings

The results revealed a positive relationship between two of the three constituents of attributes of the partnership (i.e. commitment and coordination) and the success of partnerships. Commitment and coordination emerged as the significant attributes of partners that affect the success of the partnership. Contrary to previous studies, trust and information sharing did not have a positive impact on partnership success.

Practical implications

PSFs in emerging markets need concerted efforts to maintain competitive and sustainable partnerships. To make any significant impact, they must develop contemporary skills in collaborative conflict management.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the need for PSFs and SMEs in other service sectors of emerging markets to harness partnerships as a valuable tool to overcome the policy shortcomings of current regulatory frameworks within their respective markets.
Impacts of Urbanization and Intensification of Agriculture on Transboundary Aquifers: A Case Study
Authors: Hargrove W.L. , Sheng Z. , Granados A. , Heyman J.M. , Mubako S.T.
Published: November 2020

The objectives were to (1) delineate the complex set of rules governing the fate and transfer of water rights as agricultural land is urbanized in Texas and New Mexico in the United States and Chihuahua in Mexico and (2) estimate the change in water use as a result of such urbanization. Important additional determinants of water use in the region include intensification of agriculture and the hydroschizophrenic policy framework. We conducted interviews with key informants to identify the possible outcomes for changes in water rights as land is urbanized. We constructed decision trees for each of the three jurisdictions, Chihuahua, Texas, and New Mexico, that identified the possible outcomes from urbanization. For each of the possible outcomes in the decision tree, we estimated a range of potential water use outcomes and the most likely water use outcome on a per unit of land area basis. Results show that urbanization of agricultural land has almost no impact on the aggregate demand for or use of surface water. However, the impacts of urbanization on groundwater use vary considerably over the region from Texas to New Mexico to Chihuahua. In New Mexico and Chihuahua where groundwater rights can be leased or sold to other users, the likely impact is a net increase in groundwater use as land is urbanized, ranging from 0 to 3,000 m3/ha in New Mexico and averaging 3,000 m3/ha or more in Chihuahua. In Texas, there is a net benefit in groundwater savings, but those savings are subject to being offset by increased groundwater pumping to meet the needs of expanding pecan production. The net result is continued groundwater depletion, threatening the life of the transboundary aquifers, the Hueco Bolson and the Mesilla Bolson, in the Middle Rio Grande basin (defined as the part of the basin between Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico to the confluence of the river with the Rio Conchos from Mexico).
Relationship between endothelial function and vascular stiffness on lower limit of cerebral autoregulation in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery
Authors: Hori Daijiro , Nomura Yohei , Nakano Mitsunori , Akiyoshi Kei , Kimura Naoyuki , Yamaguchi Atsushi
Published: November 2020

Hemodynamic management based on cerebral autoregulation range is a possible strategy for preserving major organ perfusion during cardiovascular surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation of vascular properties with lower limit of cerebral autoregulation (LLA). LLA was monitored in 66 patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery using near‐infrared spectroscopy. To determine the clinical importance of LLA monitoring, association of blood pressure excursions below LLA and acute kidney injury (AKI) was evaluated. Flow‐mediated dilation (FMD) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured for the evaluation of endothelial function and aortic stiffness. Variables associated with LLA were evaluated. Excluding patients on hemodialysis, there were 15 patients (25.9%) who developed AKI. Blood pressure excursions below LLA were higher in patients who developed AKI (4.55 mm Hg × hr vs. 1.23 mm Hg × hr, P = .017). In the univariate analysis, prevalence of ischemic heart disease (No IHD: 53 ± 13.0 mm Hg vs. IHD: 60.0 ± 13.6 mm Hg, P = .056) and FMD (r = −0.42, 95% CI −0.61 to −0.19, P < .001) were associated with LLA before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). During CPB, calcium channel blocker (No Ca blocker: 42 ± 10.6 mm Hg vs. Ca blocker: 49 ± 14.3 mm Hg, P = .033), diabetes (no DM: 44 ± 13.2 mm Hg vs. DM: 55 ± 10.0 mm Hg, P = .024), FMD (r = −0.32, 95% CI −0.55 to −0.05, P = .021), and PWV (r = 0.28, 95% CI 0.012 to 0.513, P = .041) were associated with LLA. Multivariate analysis showed that FMD was correlated with LLA before CPB (r = −2.19, 95% CI −3.621 to −0.755, P = .003), while PWV was correlated with LLA during CPB (r = 0.01, 95% CI 0.001‐0.019, P = .023). Endothelial function and aortic stiffness may be important factors in determining LLA at different phases in cardiovascular surgery.
Microvascular retinal alterations in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after pneumatic retinopexy
Authors: Kaderli Sema Tamer , Karalezli Aylin , Sul Sabahattin
Published: November 2020

Purpose

To evaluate the macular microvascularity with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) which were successfully treated with pneumatic retinopexy (PR).

Methods

Thirty eyes of thirty patients who were treated with PR (12 eyes with macula‐off RRD and 18 eyes with macula‐on RRD) were included in this prospective study. OCTA was used to evaluate the macular perfusion changes postoperatively at 1 and 3 months. The fellow eyes (30 eyes) were used as control for comparison. Parafoveal retinal thickness (RT) and best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were evaluated.

Results

Vessel density (VD) in SCP, DCP and choriocapillaris plexus (CCP) flow area was significantly lower in the macula‐off group one month after the PR (p < 0.001). In the macula‐off group, VD in SCP, DCP and CCP flow area significantly increased at months 3 (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.009). The inner RT, RT and FAZ decreased three months after PR (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, <0.001). The FAZ was significantly larger in the macula‐off group at third months after PR (p < 0.001). The inner RT was higher in the macula‐off group at third month (p = 0.012). There was no significant difference between the groups in means of final VD, CCP flow area and RT. There was also a negative correlation between the final BCVA (logMAR) and FAZ at month 3 (r = 0.776, p = 0.003).

Conclusion

Optical coherence tomography angiography evaluation of macular capillary plexuses may be useful for predicting vascular structural changes in patients undergoing PR.
Subjective and objective refractions in eyes with extended‐depth‐of‐focus intraocular lenses using echelette optics: clinical and experimental study
Authors: Ota Yuka , Minami Keiichiro , Oki Shinichi , Bissen‐Miyajima Hiroko , Okamoto Keiichiro , Nakashima Masaya , Tsubota Kazuo
Published: November 2020

Purpose

To evaluate differences in subjective and objective refractions in eyes with extended‐depth‐of‐focus intraocular lenses (EDOF IOLs) using echelette optics, and the effect of the light wavelength used during examinations.

Methods

In the prospective study, subjective and objective refractions of 128 eyes of 64 patients were examined 3 months after implantation of the EDOF IOLs (ZXR00V, Johnson & Johnson Surgival Vision). Objective refractions were measured using an autorefractor with a near‐infrared (NIR) light source. Clinical differences in the spherical, cylindrical and spherical equivalent (SE) refractions between the subjective and objective refractions were evaluated. Then, lens powers of monofocal, EDOF and diffractive bifocal IOLs in the use of a 850‐nm light source were measured experimentally for using a lensmeter, and the differences from the monofocal IOLs were calculated.

Results

The mean objective refractions were more myopic (p < 0.001) than the subjective refractions; the differences in the spherical, cylindrical and SE refractions were −0.71, −0.26 and −0.84 dioptre, respectively. Experimental investigation resulted that there was the mean difference of 0.83 D with the EDOF from monofocal IOLs at 850 nm, while the difference was −0.20 D with bifocal IOLs.

Conclusions

The diffractive EDOF IOLs using echelette gratings inherently induced constant differences in the subjective and objective refractions, which arose from the chromatic difference in IOL powers for the visible and NIR lights.
Determinants of vitreomacular traction width: associations with foveal floor width and vitreoretinal interface changes
Authors: Grinton Michael , Melville Harry , George Grace , Tyagi Pallavi , Avery Peter , Wickham Louisa , Steel David H.
Published: November 2020

To investigate the relationship between vitreomacular traction (VMT) width, foveal floor width (FFW) and other anatomical characteristics between eyes of patients with VMT.

Retrospective observational study of unilateral and bilateral VMT cases from two specialist ophthalmic centres in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2016 and 2018. For unilateral VMT cases: VMT width in the affected eye and FFW in the non‐affected fellow eye were measured. In bilateral VMT cases: VMT width in both eyes was measured. In all cases, the presence of any associated inner or outer retinal, and vitreoretinal interface (VRI) changes, including epiretinal membrane, was also documented.

88 patients fulfilled the study criteria: 57 having unilateral and 31 bilateral VMT. For unilateral VMT cases, log (VMT) width was significantly correlated with FFW (r = 0.347, p = 0.008). Using stepwise linear regression, FFW (p = 0.004) and VRI changes (p = 0.03) were both significantly associated with VMT width with a R2 of 0.21. In bilateral VMT cases, there was strong positive correlation between log (VMT) width (r = 0.88, p < 0.001), and the presence of any VRI (r = 0.90, p < 0.001) or outer retinal changes (r = 0.50, p < 0.001) between the two eyes.

These findings suggest that individual variations in foveal morphology as measured by the FFW, along with the presence of vitreoretinal interface changes, are associated with the extent of VMT width. VMT width, VRI and outer retinal changes were also highly correlated between eyes in bilateral VMT, suggesting that individual patient factors, which may be genetic or acquired, determine their presence and extent.