bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Kidney Recipients 1 Year After Transplantation
Authors: Lønning Kjersti , Heldal Kristian , Bernklev Tomm , Brunborg Cathrine , Andersen Marit Helen , Lippe Nanna von der , Reisæter Anna Varberg , Line Pål-Dag , Hartmann Anders , Midtvedt Karsten
Published: March 2018

Background

We aimed to evaluate changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients 65 years or older from time of kidney transplantation (KTx) until 1 year postengraftment.

Methods

A single-center prospective study was conducted. HRQoL was measured pre-KTx and at 2, 6, and 12 months postengraftment using self-reported Kidney Disease and Quality of Life short-form version 1.3. Intraindividual scores before and after KTx were evaluated. Liu Comorbidity Index was registered at enlisting. short-form-36 scores were additionally compared with scores from an age-matched population.

Results

From January 1, 2013, until November 30, 2016, a total of 289 waitlisted patients were included. By September 1, 2017, 134 had reached 1 year postengraftment, and valid questionnaires were available in 120 (90%) patients. Mean age at KTx was 71.6 years (±4.3 years), 71% were male. Living donor was used in 21%, and preemptive KTx was performed in 30% of the recipients. Median waiting time for KTx from deceased donor was 16 months (range, 0.6-50.5 months). A total of 79 (66%) recipients had a Liu Comorbidity Index score of 3 or less.

All HRQoL scores except the domain social function improved at 2 months postengraftment and remained stable or continued to improve at 1 year.

HRQoL scores 12 months postengraftment were similar to those described in an age-matched general population except for the domain social function which remained at a significantly lower level. Time in dialysis was the most important variable associated with impaired HRQoL postengraftment.

Conclusions

HRQoL scores showed clinically significant improvement in older KTx recipients 1 year posttransplant.
An animal-actuated rotational head-fixation system for 2-photon imaging during 2-d navigation
Authors: Voigts Jakob , Harnett Mark T.
Published: March 2018

Understanding how the biology of the brain gives rise to the computations that drive behavior requires high fidelity, large scale, and subcellular measurements of neural activity. 2-photon microscopy is the primary tool that satisfies these requirements, particularly for measurements during behavior. However, this technique requires rigid head-fixation, constraining the behavioral repertoire of experimental subjects. Increasingly, complex task paradigms are being used to investigate the neural substrates of complex behaviors, including navigation of complex environments, resolving uncertainty between multiple outcomes, integrating unreliable information over time, and/or building internal models of the world. In rodents, planning and decision making processes are often expressed via head and body motion. This produces a significant limitation for head-fixed two-photon imaging. We therefore developed a system that overcomes a major problem of head-fixation: the lack of rotational vestibular input. The system measures rotational strain exerted by mice on the head restraint, which consequently drives a motor, rotating the constraint system and dissipating the strain. This permits mice to rotate their heads in the azimuthal plane with negligible inertia and friction. This stable rotating head-fixation system allows mice to explore physical or virtual 2-D environments. To demonstrate the performance of our system, we conducted 2-photon GCaMP6f imaging in somas and dendrites of pyramidal neurons in mouse retrosplenial cortex. We show that the subcellular resolution of the system’s 2-photon imaging is comparable to that of conventional head-fixed experiments. Additionally, this system allows the attachment of heavy instrumentation to the animal, making it possible to extend the approach to large-scale electrophysiology experiments in the future. Our method enables the use of state-of-the-art imaging techniques while animals perform more complex and naturalistic behaviors than currently possible, with broad potential applications in systems neuroscience.
Chromatin accessibility landscape of articular knee cartilage reveals aberrant enhancer regulation in osteoarthritis
Authors: Liu Ye , Chang Jen-Chien , Hon Chung-Chau , Fukui Naoshi , Tanaka Nobuho , Zhang Zhenya , Michael Lee Ming Ta , Minoda Aki
Published: March 2018

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disorder with increasing impact in an aging society; however, there is no cure or effective treatments so far due to lack of sufficient understanding of its pathogenesis. While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and DNA methylation profiling identified many non-coding loci associated to OA, the interpretation of them remains challenging.

Methods

Here, we employed Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin with high throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) to map the accessible chromatin landscape in articular knee cartilage of OA patients and to identify the chromatin signatures relevant to OA.

Results

We identified 109,215 accessible chromatin regions in cartilage and 71% of these regions were annotated as enhancers. We found these accessible chromatin regions are enriched for OA GWAS single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and OA differentially methylated loci, implying their relevance to OA. By linking these enhancers to their potential target genes, we have identified a list of candidate enhancers that may be relevant to OA. Through integration of ATAC-seq data with RNA-seq data, we identified genes that are altered both at epigenomic and transcriptomic levels. These genes are enriched in pathways regulating ossification and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation. Consistently, the differentially accessible regions in OA are enriched for mesenchymal stem cell-specific enhancers and motifs of transcription factor families involved in osteoblast differentiation (e.g. bZIP and ETS).

Conclusions

This study marks the first investigation of accessible chromatin landscape on clinically relevant hard tissues and demonstrates how accessible chromatin profiling can provide comprehensive epigenetic information of a disease. Our analyses provide supportive evidence towards the model of endochondral ossification-like cartilage-to-bone conversion in OA knee cartilage, which is consistent with the OA characteristic of thicker subchondral bone. The identified OA-relevant genes and their enhancers may have a translational potential for diagnosis or drug targets.
ACE: A Workbench using Evolutionary Genetic Algorithms for analysing association in TCGA Data
Authors: Gilmore Alan , Savage Kienan I , O’Reilly Paul , Roddy Aideen C , Dunne Philip D , Lawler Mark , McDade Simon S , Waugh David J , McArt Darragh G
Published: March 2018

Modern methods in generating molecular data have dramatically scaled in recent years, allowing researchers to efficiently acquire large volumes of information. However, this has increased the challenge of recognising interesting patterns within the data. Atlas Correlation Explorer (ACE) is a user-friendly workbench for seeking associations between attributes in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database. It allows any combination of clinical and genomic data streams to be selected for searching, and highlights significant correlations within the chosen data. It is based on an evolutionary algorithm which is capable of producing results for very large searches in a short time.
Stimulus-responsive Self-Assembly of Protein-Based Fractals by Computational Design
Authors: Hernández Nancy E. , Hansen William A. , Zhu Denzel , Shea Maria E. , Khalid Marium , Manichev Viacheslav , Putnins Matthew , Chen Muyuan , Dodge Anthony G. , Yang Lu , Marrero-Berríos Ileana , Banal Melissa , Rechani Phillip , Gustafsson Torgny , Feldman Leonard C. , Lee Sang-Hyuk , Wackett Lawrence P. , Dai Wei , Khare Sagar D.
Published: March 2018

Fractal topologies, which are statistically self-similar over multiple length scales, are pervasive in nature. The recurrence of patterns at increasing length scales in fractal-shaped branched objects, e.g., trees, lungs, and sponges, results in high effective surface areas, and provides key functional advantages, e.g., for molecular trapping and exchange. Mimicking these topologies in designed protein-based assemblies will provide access to novel classes of functional biomaterials for wide ranging applications. Here we describe a computational design approach for the reversible self-assembly of proteins into tunable supramolecular fractal-like topologies in response to phosphorylation. Computationally-guided atomic-resolution modeling of fusions of symmetric, oligomeric proteins with Src homology 2 (SH2) binding domain and its phosphorylatable ligand peptide was used to design iterative branching leading to assembly formation by two enzymes of the atrazine degradation pathway. Structural characterization using various microscopy techniques and Cryo-electron tomography revealed a variety of dendritic, hyperbranched, and sponge-like topologies which are self-similar over three decades (~10nm-10μm) of length scale, in agreement with models from multi-scale computational simulations. Control over assembly topology and formation dynamics is demonstrated. Owing to their sponge-like structure on the nanoscale, fractal assemblies are capable of efficient and phosphorylation-dependent reversible macromolecular capture. The described design framework should enable the construction of a variety of novel, spatiotemporally responsive biomaterials featuring fractal topologies.

One Sentence Summary

We report a computationally-guided bottom up design approach for constructing fractal-shaped protein assemblies for efficient molecular capture.
The Shape of the Bacterial Ribosome Exit Tunnel Affects Cotranslational Protein Folding
Authors: Kudva Renuka , Tian Pengfei , Avila Fatima Pardo , Carroni Marta , Best Robert B. , Bernstein Harris D. , von Heijne Gunnar
Published: March 2018

The E.coli ribosome exit tunnel can accommodate small folded proteins, while larger ones fold outside. It remains unclear, however, to what extent the geometry of the tunnel influences protein folding. Here, using E. coli ribosomes with deletions in loops in proteins uL23 and uL24 that protrude into the tunnel, we investigate how tunnel geometry determines where proteins of different sizes fold. We find that a 29-residue zinc-finger domain normally folding close to the uL23 loop folds deeper in the tunnel in uL23 Δloop ribosomes, while two ~100-residue protein normally folding close to the uL24 loop near the tunnel exit port fold at deeper locations in uL24 Δloop ribosomes, in good agreement with results obtained by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. This supports the idea that cotranslational folding commences once a protein domain reaches a location in the exit tunnel where there is sufficient space to house the folded structure.
Integrated analysis of human transcriptome data for Rett syndrome finds a network of involved genes
Authors: Ehrhart Friederike , Coort Susan L. , Eijssen Lars , Cirillo Elisa , Smeets Eric E. , Sangani Nasim Bahram , Evelo Chris T. , Curfs Leopold M.G.
Published: March 2018

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare disorder causing severe intellectual and physical disability. The cause is a mutation in the gene coding for the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2), a multifunctional regulator protein. Purpose of the study was integration and investigation of multiple gene expression profiles in human cells with impaired MECP2 gene to obtain a data-driven insight in downstream effects. Information about changed gene expression was extracted from five previously published studies. We identified a set of genes which are significantly changed not in all but several transcriptomics datasets and were not mentioned in the context of RTT before. Using overrepresentation analysis of molecular pathways and gene ontology we found that these genes are involved in several processes and molecular pathways known to be affected in RTT. Integrating transcription factors we identified a possible link how MECP2 regulates cytoskeleton organization via MEF2C and CAPG. Integrative analysis of omics data and prior knowledge databases is a powerful approach to identify links between mutation and phenotype especially in rare disease research where little data is available.

Abbreviations

Rett syndrome (RTT), embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), fold change (FC), Gene Ontology (GO), EIF (eukaryotic initiation of transcription factor)

For genes the symbols according to the HGNC nomenclature were used.
Long-term all-optical interrogation of cortical neurons in awake-behaving non-human primates
Authors: Ju Niansheng , Jiang Rundong , Macknik Stephen L. , Martinez-Conde Susana , Tang Shiming
Published: March 2018

Whereas optogenetic techniques have proven successful in their ability to manipulate neuronal populations in species ranging from insects to rodents—with high spatial and temporal fidelity—significant obstacles remain in their application to non-human primates (NHPs). Robust optogenetics-activated behavior and long-term noninvasive monitoring of target neurons, have been challenging in NHPs. Here we present a method for all-optical interrogation (AOI), integrating optical stimulation and simultaneous two-photon imaging of neuronal populations in the primary visual cortex (V1) of awake rhesus macaques. A red-shifted channel-rhodopsin transgene (C1V1) and genetically-encoded calcium indicators (GCaMP5 or GCaMP6s) were delivered by AAVs, and subsequently expressed in V1 neuronal populations for months with high stability. We achieved optogenetic stimulation using both single-photon (1P) activation of neuronal populations and two-photon (2P) activation of single-cells, while simultaneously recording 2P calcium imaging in awake monkeys. Optogenetic manipulations of V1 neuronal populations produced reliable artificial visual percepts. Together, our advances show the feasibility of precise and stable all-optical interrogation of cortical neurons in awake NHPs, which may facilitate broad applications in high-level cognition and pre-clinical testing studies.
Pooled genome-wide CRISPR screening for basal and context-specific fitness gene essentiality inDrosophila cells
Authors: Viswanatha Raghuvir , Li Zhongchi , Hu Yanhui , Perrimon Norbert
Published: March 2018

Genome-wide screens inDrosophilacells have offered numerous insights into gene function, yet a major limitation has been the inability to stably deliver large multiplexed DNA libraries to cultured cells allowing barcoded pooled screens. Here, we developed a site-specific integration strategy for library delivery and performed a genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen inDrosophilaS2R+ cells. Under basal growth conditions, 1235 genes were essential for cell fitness at a false-discovery rate of 5%, representing the highest-resolution fitness gene set yet assembled forDrosophila, including 407 genes which likely duplicated along the vertebrate lineage and whose orthologs were underrepresented in human CRISPR screens. We additionally performed context-specific fitness screens for resistance to or synergy with trametinib, a Ras/ERK/ETS inhibitor, or rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, and identified key regulators of each pathway. The results present a novel, scalable, and versatile platform for functional genomic screens in low-redundancy animal cells.
Rapid preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) using a handheld, nanopore-based, DNA sequencer
Authors: Wei Shan , Weiss Zachary R. , Gaur Pallavi , Forman Eric , Williams Zev
Published: March 2018

Objective

To determine if a handheld, nanopore-based DNA sequencer can be used for rapid preimplantation genetic screening (PGS).

Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

Academic medical center.

Patient(s)

Amplified genomic DNA from euploid and aneuploid trophectoderm biopsy samples (n=9) that was also tested using traditional next generation sequencing (NGS).

Intervention(s)

Short-read DNA library preparation and nanopore-based sequencing using a hand-held MinION sequencer.

Main outcome measure(s)

Comparison of cytogenetic testing result from NGS and nanopore-based sequencing and the time required for library preparation and sequencing.

Result(s)

Multiplexed short-read DNA library preparation was completed in 45 minutes. Sequencing times varied from 1 to 2 hours. These times compare favorably with NGS library preparation (>3.5 hours) and sequencing (>12 hours) times. Whole-chromosome aneuploidy screening results obtained from nanopore-based sequencing were identical to those obtained using NGS.

Conclusion(s)

Methods for PGS of embryos have evolved from FISH to microarrays and most recently to NGS. Here we report the first application of nanopore-based sequencing for PGS on trophecoderm biopsy samples using a rapid multiplex short-read nanopore sequencing library preparation. Aneuploidy screening could be performed on 5 samples in one nanopore flowcell with 1 to 2 hour sequencing times. Overall, nanopore sequencing is a promising tool to perform rapid PGS assay onsite with a rapid turnover time, enabling same day testing and embryo transfer thus obviating the need for complex, large and expensive DNA sequencers or frozen embryos.
Complete avian malaria parasite genomes reveal features associated with lineage-specific evolution in birds and mammals
Authors: Böhme Ulrike , Otto Thomas D. , Cotton James A. , Steinbiss Sascha , Sanders Mandy , Oyola Samuel O. , Nicot Antoine , Gandon Sylvain , Patra Kailash P. , Herd Colin , Bushell Ellen , Modrzynska Katarzyna K. , Billker Oliver , Vinetz Joseph M. , Rivero Ana , Newbold Chris I. , Berriman Matthew
Published: March 2018

Avian malaria parasites are prevalent around the world and infect a wide diversity of bird species. Here, we report the sequencing and analysis of high-quality draft genome sequences for two avian malaria species, Plasmodium relictum and Plasmodium gallinaceum. We identify 50 genes that are specific to avian malaria, located in an otherwise conserved core of the genome that shares gene synteny with all other sequenced malaria genomes. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the avian malaria species form an outgroup to the mammalian Plasmodium species, and using amino acid divergence between species, we estimate the avian- and mammalian-infective lineages diverged in the order of 10 million years ago. Consistent with their phylogenetic position, we identify orthologs of genes that had previously appeared to be restricted to the clades of parasites containing Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, the species with the greatest impact on human health. From these orthologs, we explore differential diversifying selection across the genus and show that the avian lineage is remarkable in the extent to which invasion-related genes are evolving. The subtelomeres of the P. relictum and P. gallinaceum genomes contain several novel gene families, including an expanded surf multigene family. We also identify an expansion of reticulocyte binding protein homologs in P. relictum, and within these proteins, we detect distinct regions that are specific to nonhuman primate, humans, rodent, and avian hosts. For the first time in the Plasmodium lineage, we find evidence of transposable elements, including several hundred fragments of LTR-retrotransposons in both species and an apparently complete LTR-retrotransposon in the genome of P. gallinaceum.
Crystal structure of diaphorin methanol monosolvate isolated from Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, the insect vector of citrus greening disease
Authors: Szebenyi D. Marian , Kriksunov Irina , Howe Kevin J. , Ramsey John S. , Hall David G. , Heck Michelle L. , Krasnoff Stuart B.
Published: March 2018

The title compound C22H39NO9·CH3OH [systematic name: (S)-N-((S)-{(2S,4R,6R)-6-[(S)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl]-4-hydroxy-5,5-dimethyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl}(hydroxy)methyl)-2-hydroxy-2-[(2R,5R,6R)-2-methoxy-5,6-dimethyl-4-methylenetetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl]acetamide methanol monosolvate], was isolated from the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, and crystallizes in the space group P21. `Candidatus Profftella armatura' a bacterial endosymbiont of D. citri, biosynthesizes diaphorin, which is a hybrid polyketide–nonribosomal peptide comprising two highly substituted tetrahydropyran rings joined by an N-acyl aminal bridge [Nakabachi et al. (2013). Curr. Biol.
23, 1478–1484]. The crystal structure of the title compound establishes the complete relative configuration of diaphorin, which agrees at all nine chiral centers with the structure of the methanol monosolvate of the di-p-bromobenzoate derivative of pederin, a biogenically related compound whose crystal structure was reported previously [Furusaki et al. (1968). Tetrahedron Lett.
9, 6301–6304]. Thus, the absolute configuration of diaphorin is proposed by analogy to that of pederin.
Crystal structure of catena-poly[[diiodidomercury(II)]-μ-2,2′-dithiobis(pyridine N-oxide)-κ2
O:O′]
Authors: Seidel Rüdiger W. , Oppel Iris M.
Published: March 2018

The title compound, [HgI2(C10H8N2O2S2)]
n
, a one-dimensional coordination polymer with HgI2 units and 2,2′-dithiobis(pyridine N-oxide) spacer ligands in an alternating fashion, forms helical chains running along the b axis in the crystal. Within a single coordination polymer strand, the axially chiral 2,2′-dithiobis(pyridine N-oxide) ligands are homochiral, but the enantiomeric conformation is present in adjacent strands. Within a coordination polymer strand, the iodido ligands point towards the centroids of the aromatic rings of the pyridine N-oxide moieties in the coordination sphere of HgII. Moreover, intra-strand C—H...O and C—H...I interactions, and inter-strand short S...I and S...O contacts are observed.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of diaquabis(N,N-diethylnicotinamide-κN
1)bis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoato-κO)manganese(II)
Authors: Hökelek Tuncer , Özkaya Safiye , Necefoğlu Hacali
Published: March 2018

In the title centrosymmetric complex, [Mn(C10H11O2)2(C10H14N2O)2(H2O)2], the MnII cation is located on an inversion centre. The four O atoms form a slightly distorted square-planar arrangement around the MnII cation, and the distorted octahedral coordination is completed by two pyridine N atoms at distances of 2.3289 (15) Å. The dihedral angle between the planar carboxylate group and the adjacent benzene ring is 87.73 (16)°, while the benzene and pyridine rings are oriented at a dihedral angle of 43.03 (8)°. In the crystal, the water molecules are involved in both intramolecular (to the non-coordinating carboxylate O atom) and intermolecular (to the amide carbonyl O atom) O—H...O hydrogen bonds. The latter lead to the formation of layers parallel to (100). These layers are further linked via weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds, resulting in a three-dimensional supramolecular network. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H...H (70.0%), H...O/O...H (15.5%) and H...C/C...H (14.0%) interactions. One of the ethyl groups of the diethylnicotinamide ligand is disordered over two sets of sites, with an occupancy ratio of 0.282 (10):0.718 (10).
Overview of refinement procedures withinREFMAC5: utilizing data from different sources
Authors: Kovalevskiy Oleg , Nicholls Robert A. , Long Fei , Carlon Azzurra , Murshudov Garib N.
Published: March 2018

Refinement is a process that involves bringing into agreement the structural model, available prior knowledge and experimental data. To achieve this, the refinement procedure optimizes a posterior conditional probability distribution of model parameters, including atomic coordinates, atomic displacement parameters (Bfactors), scale factors, parameters of the solvent model and twin fractions in the case of twinned crystals, given observed data such as observed amplitudes or intensities of structure factors. A library of chemical restraints is typically used to ensure consistency between the model and the prior knowledge of stereochemistry. If the observation-to-parameter ratio is small, for example when diffraction data only extend to low resolution, the Bayesian framework implemented inREFMAC5 uses external restraints to inject additional information extracted from structures of homologous proteins, prior knowledge about secondary-structure formation and even data obtained using different experimental methods, for example NMR. The refinement procedure also generates the `best' weighted electron-density maps, which are useful for further model (re)building. Here, the refinement of macromolecular structures usingREFMAC5 and related tools distributed as part of theCCP4 suite is discussed.
Fragon: rapid high-resolution structure determination from ideal protein fragments
Authors: Jenkins Huw T.
Published: March 2018

Correctly positioning ideal protein fragments by molecular replacement presents an attractive method for obtaining preliminary phases when no template structure for molecular replacement is available. This has been exploited in several existing pipelines. This paper presents a new pipeline, namedFragon, in which fragments (ideal α-helices or β-strands) are placed usingPhaserand the phases calculated from these coordinates are then improved by the density-modification methods provided byACORN. The reliable scoring algorithm provided byACORNidentifies success. In these cases, the resulting phases are usually of sufficient quality to enable automated model building of the entire structure.Fragonwas evaluated against two test sets comprising mixed α/β folds and all-β folds at resolutions between 1.0 and 1.7 Å. Success rates of 61% for the mixed α/β test set and 30% for the all-β test set were achieved. In almost 70% of successful runs, fragment placement and density modification took less than 30 min on relatively modest four-core desktop computers. In all successful runs the best set of phases enabled automated model building withARP/wARPto complete the structure.
Validation of ligands in macromolecular structures determined by X-ray crystallography
Authors: Smart Oliver S. , Horský Vladimír , Gore Swanand , Svobodová Vařeková Radka , Bendová Veronika , Kleywegt Gerard J. , Velankar Sameer
Published: March 2018

Crystallographic studies of ligands bound to biological macromolecules (proteins and nucleic acids) play a crucial role in structure-guided drug discovery and design, and also provide atomic level insights into the physical chemistry of complex formation between macromolecules and ligands. The quality with which small-molecule ligands have been modelled in Protein Data Bank (PDB) entries has been, and continues to be, a matter of concern for many investigators. Correctly interpreting whether electron density found in a binding site is compatible with the soaked or co-crystallized ligand or represents water or buffer molecules is often far from trivial. The Worldwide PDB validation report (VR) provides a mechanism to highlight any major issues concerning the quality of the data and the model at the time of deposition and annotation, so the depositors can fix issues, resulting in improved data quality. The ligand-validation methods used in the generation of the current VRs are described in detail, including an examination of the metrics to assess both geometry and electron-density fit. It is found that the LLDF score currently used to identify ligand electron-density fit outliers can give misleading results and that better ligand-validation metrics are required.
Identifying the optimal level of gold as a reserve asset using Black–Litterman model
Authors: Bayram Kamola , Abdullah Adam , Meera Ahamed Kameel
Published: March 2018

Purpose

After the collapse of the Bretton Woods fixed exchange rate system in 1971, countries moved towards floating exchange rates, and the expectation was that the requirement for foreign reserves would decrease. However, central banks currently hold more foreign exchange reserves to enhance the credibility of exchange rate policies. The demand for gold, which was the main reserve asset prior the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, has increased as a reserve asset once again following the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2008, given gold’s characteristics as a safe haven asset and a store of value. This study aims to analyse official reserves of four countries, namely, Malaysia, Turkey, KSA and Pakistan. The Black–Litterman model was used to build a new strategic portfolio with optimal allocation to gold. This study shows that all countries under the analyses should increase their gold holdings to preserve the value of the portfolio during times of financial turmoil.

Design/methodology/approach

The Black–Litterman model has been used to build a new strategic portfolio with optimal allocation to gold. The study shows that all countries in our analyses suggested increasing their gold holdings to preserve the value of the portfolio during times of financial turmoil.

Findings

The study found that countries under the analyses, namely, Turkey, Malaysia, KSA and Pakistan, suggested increasing their official gold holding given the outstanding performance of gold during the GFC.

Research limitations/implications

Research can be further extended by including few more countries from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation such as Qatar and Indonesia.

Originality/value

Emerging economies such as China, India and Russia started to sharply increase their official gold holdings in the aftermath of the GFC. According to recent statistics, central banks of China and Russia have been adding to their gold reserves. Of note, only in few European countries and in the USA, is the share of gold in foreign reserves more than 50%. In the rest of the world, this figure is about 3-5%. The paper elaborates the aforementioned subject and suggests the strategic weight of gold reserve for each country under analysis.
Imperfect labor mobility and the trickle-down effect in international trade
Authors: Hong Sungwan , Oh Soo Hyun , Sim Seung-Gyu
Published: March 2018

Purpose

Unlike the common belief in the so-called “trickle-down effect,” trade-induced output growth in a small open economy does not necessarily improve the domestic welfare of the economy. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the conditions under which the trickle-down effect does not work properly such that the connection between trade-induced output growth and welfare improvement is broken.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper introduces an inter-sectoral migration barrier in the general equilibrium model and conducts various simulation experiments under reasonable parameter values.

Findings

This paper demonstrates that subsidizing export industries may raise the total value-added of an economy but deteriorate aggregate welfare. This worsens especially when the supply of non-tradable domestic goods is inelastic, and the demand for them is more substitutable by tradable goods.

Practical implications

To reinforce the trickle-down effect, it is necessary to facilitate efficient labor reallocation and to induce capitalization in the non-tradable sector.

Originality/value

That output growth and welfare improvement do not always move in the same direction requires a reappraisal of the former common belief on the trickle-down effect which emphasizes output growth as an indicator of welfare improvement.
Relating Cultural Values with Opportunity Evaluation Evidence from India
Authors: Goktan A. Banu , Gupta Alka , Mukherjee Subhendu , Gupta Vishal K.
Published: March 2018

The link between social interaction and entrepreneurial activity has attracted considerable attention in the entrepreneurship literature. In this study, we focus on individual cultural values, shaped by interactions in the social space, as they relate to opportunity evaluation, a cornerstone of the entrepreneurial process. We test our predictions in India, a non-Western society that has sustained one of the highest rates of entrepreneurial activity in the world. Our findings suggest that value orientation of high power distance is negatively associated with opportunity evaluation whereas uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, and femininity are positively associated with opportunity evaluation.
Catalyzing Social Innovation: Leveraging Compassion and Open Strategy in Social Entrepreneurship
Authors: Pittz Thomas G. , Madden Laura T. , Mayo David
Published: March 2018

We implement an inductive, case study approach to explore the motivations and methods of five successful social entrepreneurs. Our findings show that founders noticed, felt, and responded to someone else's pain, demonstrating compassion as the genesis of the business venture. Successful social innovation, however, was the result of the creation of an organization structured to include diverse stakeholder input and participation in the decision-making process. Thus, compassion motivates entrepreneurs to pursue broad gains as opposed to singular interests and enhances a willingness to incorporate others' ideas through an open-strategy process. Our study suggests that interaction with stakeholders can impact the structure of the firm, the business model it employs, and intended and unintended business consequences.
Ecological determinants of avian malaria infections: An integrative analysis at landscape, mosquito and vertebrate community levels
Authors: Ferraguti Martina , Martínez‐de la Puente Josué , Bensch Staffan , Roiz David , Ruiz Santigo , Viana Duarte S. , Soriguer Ramón C. , Figuerola Jordi
Published: March 2018

Vector and host communities, as well as habitat characteristics, may have important but different impacts on the prevalence, richness and evenness of vector‐borne parasites.

We investigated the relative importance of (1) the mosquito community composition, (2) the vertebrate community composition and (3) landscape characteristics on the prevalence, richness and evenness of avian Plasmodium. We hypothesized that parasite prevalence will be more affected by vector‐related parameters, while host parameters should be also important to explain Plasmodium richness and evenness.

We sampled 2,588 wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and 340,829 mosquitoes, and we performed vertebrate censuses at 45 localities in the Southwest of Spain. These localities included urban, rural and natural landscapes that were characterized by several habitat variables.

Twelve Plasmodium lineages were identified in house sparrows corresponding to three major clades. Variation partitioning showed that landscape characteristics explained the highest fraction of variation in all response variables (21.0%–44.8%). Plasmodium prevalence was in addition explained by vector‐related variables (5.4%) and its interaction with landscape (10.2%). Parasite richness and evenness were mostly explained by vertebrate community‐related variables.

The structuring role of landscape characteristics in vector and host communities was a key factor in determining parasite prevalence, richness and evenness, although the role of each factor differed according to the parasite parameters studied. These results show that the biotic and abiotic contexts are important to explain the transmission dynamics of mosquito‐borne pathogens in the wild.
Cervical dilatation over time is a poor predictor of severe adverse birth outcomes: a diagnostic accuracy study
Authors: Souza JP , Oladapo OT , Fawole B , Mugerwa K , Reis R , Barbosa‐Junior F , Oliveira‐Ciabati L , Alves D , Gülmezoglu AM
Published: March 2018

Objective

To assess the accuracy of the World Health Organization (WHO) partograph alert line and other candidate predictors in the identification of women at risk of developing severe adverse birth outcomes.

Design

A facility‐based, multicentre, prospective cohort study.

Setting

Thirteen maternity hospitals located in Nigeria and Uganda.

Population

A total of 9995 women with spontaneous onset of labour presenting at cervical dilatation of ≤6 cm or undergoing induction of labour.

Methods

Research assistants collected data on sociodemographic, anthropometric, obstetric, and medical characteristics of study participants at hospital admission, multiple assessments during labour, and interventions during labour and childbirth. The alert line and action line, intrapartum monitoring parameters, and customised labour curves were assessed using sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio, and the J statistic.

Outcomes

Severe adverse birth outcomes.

Results

The rate of severe adverse birth outcomes was 2.2% (223 women with severe adverse birth outcomes), the rate of augmentation of labour was 35.1% (3506 women), and the caesarean section rate was 13.2% (1323 women). Forty‐nine percent of women in labour crossed the alert line (4163/8489). All reference labour curves had a diagnostic odds ratio ranging from 1.29 to 1.60. The J statistic was less than 10% for all reference curves.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that labour is an extremely variable phenomenon, and the assessment of cervical dilatation over time is a poor predictor of severe adverse birth outcomes. The validity of a partograph alert line based on the ‘one‐centimetre per hour’ rule should be re‐evaluated.

Funding

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), and WHO (A65879).

Tweetable abstract

The alert line in check: results from a WHO study.
Randomised controlled trial to estimate reduction in pain after laparoscopic surgery when using a combination therapy of intraperitoneal normal saline and the pulmonary recruitment manoeuvre
Authors: van Dijk JEW , Dedden SJ , Geomini PMAJ , van Kuijk SMJ , van Hanegem N , Meijer P , Bongers MY
Published: March 2018

Objective

To evaluate the effect of two manoeuvres at the end of gynaecological laparoscopy on postoperative pain.

Design

Randomised controlled trial.

Setting

One teaching and one university hospital in the Netherlands.

Sample

Women aged between 18 and 65 years, with American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) classification I–II, scheduled for an elective laparoscopic procedure for a benign gynaecological indication.

Methods

Women were randomly allocated to two groups. In the intervention group, carbon dioxide was removed from the abdomen by a combination treatment of intraperitoneal warm saline and performing a pulmonary recruitment manoeuvre. In the control group, carbon dioxide was removed with gentle abdominal pressure.

Main outcome measures

Frequency and intensity of post‐laparoscopic shoulder pain and pain in the upper abdomen at 8, 24, and 48 hours after surgery.

Results

A total of 200 women participated, with 100 in each group. No difference was observed in the occurrence of post‐laparoscopic shoulder pain during the first 48 hours after surgery between the intervention group (46%) and the control group (55%). The incidence of abdominal pain was not significantly different between the two groups. The mean visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of participants who reported shoulder pain were not statistically different between the groups. The mean VAS score for abdominal pain at 8 hours after surgery was significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (3.2 versus 4.2, P = 0.02). No difference in pain medication between the groups was observed, nor was there any difference in nausea or vomiting.

Conclusions

Combined intervention of intraperitoneal saline and the pulmonary recruitment manoeuvre does not lower post‐laparoscopic shoulder pain.

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not‐for‐profit sectors.

Tweetable abstract

PRM with intraperitoneal saline does not influence the incidence and intensity of post‐laparoscopic shoulder pain.
A Common Framework on Inequalities for G7 Countries
Authors: Martelli Simone , Bartolomucci Lawrence , Berardi Simone
Published: March 2018

High and rising inequality has become one the defining challenges of our time, causing concerns among policymakers, especially in G7 countries. As a response, policy makers have adopted different strategies to address the issue. We argue that the unsatisfactory results of this uncoordinated approach reflects a misunderstanding of the multidimensional nature of inequality and of its main drivers. A common and coordinated framework among G7 countries, both individually and as a group, could prove more effective in addressing inequalities.
Combination nivolumab with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for clinical remission of small cell lung cancer: A case report
Authors: Guo Ziwei , Meng Chao , Wei Xing , Tang Chuanhao , Liang Jun
Published: March 2018

The outcome of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients is poor because rapid metastasis develops after first‐line chemotherapy and few drugs are available for second‐line chemotherapy. The median survival rate has not significantly changed in recent years. In this report, we discuss the case of a 71‐year‐old Chinese female non‐smoker diagnosed with extensive‐stage SCLC who was treated with nivolumab for a short period and obtained a prolonged clinical benefit. We report the clinical history, clinical features, potential mechanism, benefits, and the best therapeutic window. The patient was treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization because of liver metastasis and then with four doses of nivolumab as third‐line systemic treatment. There was no disease progression for 15 months. The lesions became larger than before, suggesting disease progression, thus nivolumab treatment was ceased. Immunotherapy has the capacity to turn combined therapy into a feature that may be exploited for clinical benefit. Further research is required to evaluate whether combined treatment is beneficial for patients, affecting the efficacy of immunotherapy, and to determine the best therapeutic window for clinical treatment.
Attempt of peripheral nerve reconstruction during lung cancer surgery
Authors: Li Hanyue , Hu Yingjie , Huang Jia , Yang Yunhai , Xing Kaichen , Luo Qingquan
Published: March 2018

Background

Vagus nerve and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury are not rare complications of lung cancer surgery and can cause lethal consequences. Until now, no optimal method other than paying greater attention during surgery has been available.

Methods

Four patients underwent lung surgery that involved RLN or vagus nerve injury. The left RLN or vagus nerve was cut off and then reconstructed immediately during surgery. Two patients underwent direct anastomosis, while the remaining two underwent phrenic nerve replacing tension‐relieving anastomosis.

Results

All patients were able to speak immediately after recovery. No or minimal glottal gap was observed during laryngoscopy conducted on the second day after surgery. Most patients achieved full recovery of voice quality.

Conclusions

Immediate reconstruction of RLN is technically feasible and can be carried out with satisfying short‐term and long‐term outcomes.
The Chirocopter: A UAV for recording sound and video of bats at altitude
Authors: Fu Yanqing , Kinniry Morgan , Kloepper Laura N.
Published: March 2018

Most recordings of bats are conducted with fixed equipment, which relies on opportunistic data collection. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV; such as drones) are considered inappropriate for recording bats due to ultrasound noise constraints.

We developed a UAV system that physically isolates UAV noise, so we can record, with 3D manoeuvrability, ultrasonic audio and spatial thermal data of bat flight at altitude.

We tested the noise of our UAV with various payloads and microphone configurations to characterize the ultrasonic noise of our system, physically isolate drone noise from the microphone, and maximize UAV flight performance.

Over 84 min of recordings, we captured 3,847 echolocation signals from bats with corresponding thermal data of bat flight. Our system provides a feasible mechanism to capture both acoustic and video data of bats aloft at flexible locations and altitudes.

We include information on how to extend our method to apply to acoustic recordings in the audible (20 Hz–20 kHz) range for recording sounds of other taxa.
Field testing a novel high residence positioning system for monitoring the fine‐scale movements of aquatic organisms
Authors: Guzzo Matthew M. , Van Leeuwen Travis E. , Hollins Jack , Koeck Barbara , Newton Matthew , Webber Dale M. , Smith Frank I. , Bailey David M. , Killen Shaun S.
Published: March 2018

Acoustic telemetry is an important tool for studying the behaviour of aquatic organisms in the wild.

VEMCO high residence (HR) tags and receivers are a recent introduction in the field of acoustic telemetry and can be paired with existing algorithms (e.g. VEMCO positioning system [VPS]) to obtain high‐resolution two‐dimensional positioning data.

Here, we present results of the first documented field test of a VPS composed of HR receivers (hereafter, HR‐VPS). We performed a series of stationary and moving trials with HR tags (mean HR transmission period = 1.5 s) to evaluate the precision, accuracy and temporal capabilities of this positioning technology. In addition, we present a sample of data obtained for five European perch Perca fluviatilis implanted with HR tags (mean HR transmission period = 4 s) to illustrate how this technology can estimate the fine‐scale behaviour of aquatic animals.

Accuracy and precision estimates (median [5th–95th percentile]) of HR‐VPS positions for all stationary trials were 5.6 m (4.2–10.8 m) and 0.1 m (0.02–0.07 m), respectively, and depended on the location of tags within the receiver array. In moving tests, tracks generated by HR‐VPS closely mimicked those produced by a handheld GPS held over the tag, but these differed in location by an average of ≈9 m.

We found that estimates of animal speed and distance travelled for perch declined when positional data for acoustically tagged perch were thinned to mimic longer transmission periods. These data also revealed a trade‐off between capturing real nonlinear animal movements and the inclusion of positioning error.

Our results suggested that HR‐VPS can provide more representative estimates of movement metrics and offer an advancement for studying fine‐scale movements of aquatic organisms, but high‐precision survey techniques may be needed to test these systems.