bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictability in the evolution of Orthopteran cardenolide insensitivity
Authors: Yang Lu , Ravikanthachari Nitin , Mariño-Pérez Ricardo , Deshmukh Riddhi , Wu Mariana , Rosenstein Adam , Kunte Krushnamegh , Song Hojun , Andolfatto Peter
Published: June 2019

The repeated evolutionary specialization of distantly related insects to cardenolide-containing host plants provides a stunning example of parallel adaptation. Hundreds of herbivorous insect species have independently evolved insensitivity to cardenolides, which are potent inhibitors of the alpha-subunit of Na
+
,K
+
-ATPase (ATPα). Previous studies investigating ATPα-mediated cardenolide insensitivity in five insect orders have revealed remarkably high levels of parallelism in the evolution of this trait, including the frequent occurrence of parallel amino acid substitutions at two sites and recurrent episodes of duplication followed by neo-functionalization. Here we add data for a sixth insect order, Orthoptera, which includes an ancient group of highly aposematic cardenolide-sequestering grasshoppers in the family Pyrgomorphidae. We find that Orthopterans exhibit largely predictable patterns of evolution of insensitivity established by sampling other insect orders. Taken together the data lend further support to the proposal that negative pleiotropic constraints are a key determinant in the evolution of cardenolide insensitivity in insects. Furthermore, analysis of our expanded taxonomic survey implicates positive selection acting on site 111 of cardenolide-sequestering species with a single-copy of ATPα, and sites 115, 118 and 122 in lineages with neo-functionalized duplicate copies, all of which are sites of frequent parallel amino acid substitution.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Convergent evolution in the genomics era: new insights and directions’.
Rate variation in the evolution of non-coding DNA associated with social evolution in bees
Authors: Rubin Benjamin E. R. , Jones Beryl M. , Hunt Brendan G. , Kocher Sarah D.
Published: June 2019

The evolutionary origins of eusociality represent increases in complexity from individual to caste-based, group reproduction. These behavioural transitions have been hypothesized to go hand in hand with an increased ability to regulate when and where genes are expressed. Bees have convergently evolved eusociality up to five times, providing a framework to test this hypothesis. To examine potential links between putative gene regulatory elements and social evolution, we compare alignable, non-coding sequences in 11 diverse bee species, encompassing three independent origins of reproductive division of labour and two elaborations of eusocial complexity. We find that rates of evolution in a number of non-coding sequences correlate with key social transitions in bees. Interestingly, while we find little evidence for convergent rate changes associated with independent origins of social behaviour, a number of molecular pathways exhibit convergent rate changes in conjunction with subsequent elaborations of social organization. We also present evidence that many novel non-coding regions may have been recruited alongside the origin of sociality in corbiculate bees; these loci could represent gene regulatory elements associated with division of labour within this group. Thus, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that gene regulatory innovations are associated with the evolution of eusociality and illustrate how a thorough examination of both coding and non-coding sequence can provide a more complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying behavioural evolution.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Convergent evolution in the genomics era: new insights and directions’.
Is there convergence of gut microbes in blood-feeding vertebrates?
Authors: Song Se Jin , Sanders Jon G. , Baldassarre Daniel T. , Chaves Jaime A. , Johnson Nicholas S. , Piaggio Antoinette J. , Stuckey Matthew J. , Nováková Eva , Metcalf Jessica L. , Chomel Bruno B. , Aguilar-Setién Alvaro , Knight Rob , McKenzie Valerie J.
Published: June 2019

Animal microbiomes play an important role in dietary adaptation, yet the extent to which microbiome changes exhibit parallel evolution is unclear. Of particular interest is an adaptation to extreme diets, such as blood, which poses special challenges in its content of proteins and lack of essential nutrients. In this study, we assessed taxonomic signatures (by 16S rRNA amplicon profiling) and potential functional signatures (inferred by Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt)) of haematophagy in birds and bats. Our goal was to test three alternative hypotheses: no convergence of microbiomes, convergence in taxonomy and convergence in function. We find a statistically significant effect of haematophagy in terms of microbial taxonomic convergence across the blood-feeding bats and birds, although this effect is small compared to the differences found between haematophagous and non-haematophagous species within the two host clades. We also find some evidence of convergence at the predicted functional level, although it is possible that the lack of metagenomic data and the poor representation of microbial lineages adapted to haematophagy in genome databases limit the power of this approach. The results provide a paradigm for exploring convergent microbiome evolution replicated with independent contrasts in different host lineages.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Convergent evolution in the genomics era: new insights and directions’.
Robust Neural Networks are More Interpretable for Genomics
Authors: Koo Peter K. , Qian Sharon , Kaplun Gal , Volf Verena , Kalimeris Dimitris
Published: June 2019

Deep neural networks (DNNs) have been applied to a variety of regulatory genomics tasks. For interpretability, attribution methods are employed to provide importance scores for each nucleotide in a given sequence. However, even with state-of-the-art DNNs, there is no guarantee that these methods can recover interpretable, biological representations. Here we perform systematic experiments on synthetic genomic data to raise awareness of this issue. We find that deeper networks have better generalization performance, but attribution methods recover less interpretable representations. Then, we show training methods promoting robustness – including regularization, injecting random noise into the data, and adversarial training – significantly improve interpretability of DNNs, especially for smaller datasets.
Functional connectivity strength within the auditory forebrain is altered by song learning and predicts song stereotypy in developing male zebra finches
Authors: Layden Elliot A. , Schertz Kathryn E. , Berman Marc G. , London Sarah E.
Published: June 2019

Much as humans acquire speech in early childhood, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) songbird learns to sing from an adult “tutor” during the first three months of life. Within a well-defined critical period (CP), juvenile zebra finches memorize a tutor song that will guide subsequent motor patterning. This sensory learning process is mediated by tutor experience-dependent neuroplasticity within the auditory forebrain. Here, we used longitudinal resting-state fMRI analyses to investigate whether tutor experience also modifies patterns of functional connectivity (FC) within the juvenile zebra finch brain. Eighteen male zebra finches (only males sing) were scanned before, during, and at the end of the CP, as well as at the young adult stage. Prior to the onset of the CP, birds were separated into rearing conditions: Normal (aviary-housed;N=5), Tutored (one adult male tutor and one adult female;N=7), and Isolate (two adult females, isolated from male song;N=6). Brain-wide voxel-wise analyses identified a single cluster overlapping the left caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) of the auditory forebrain that showed developmentally decreasing FC strength in Isolates but stable or increasing FC in Normal and Tutored birds. Additionally, FC between left NCM and left dorsal cerebellum showed a parallel developmental difference. Developmental changes in left NCM FC strength statistically mediated condition-related differences in song stereotypy. These results extend previous reports of tutor experience-dependent plasticity in NCM at epigenetic, genomic, molecular, and cellular levels to the whole-brain functional network level by demonstrating that tutor experience also influences the development of NCM FC. Moreover, these results link NCM FC to the emergence of song stereotypy.
A live-cell imaging system for visualizing the transport of Marburg virus nucleocapsid-like structures
Authors: Takamatsu Yuki , Noda Takeshi , Becker Stephan
Published: June 2019

Live-cell imaging is a powerful tool for visualization of the spatio-temporal dynamics of living organisms. Although this technique is utilized to visualize nucleocapsid transport in Marburg virus (MARV)- or Ebola virus-infected cells, the experiments require biosafety level-4 (BSL-4) laboratories, which are restricted to trained and authorized individuals. To overcome this limitation, we developed a live-cell imaging system to visualize MARV nucleocapsid-like structures using fluorescence-conjugated viral proteins, which can be conducted outside BSL-4 laboratories. Our experiments revealed that nucleocapsid-like structures have similar transport characteristics to nucleocapsids observed in MARV-infected cells. This system provides a safe platform to evaluate antiviral drugs that inhibit MARV nucleocapsid transport.
High fat diet induces microbiota-dependent silencing of enteroendocrine cells
Authors: Ye Lihua , Mueller Olaf , Bagwell Jennifer , Bagnat Michel , Liddle Rodger A. , Rawls John F.
Published: June 2019

Enteroendocrine cells (EECs) are specialized sensory cells in the intestinal epithelium that sense and transduce nutrient information. Consumption of dietary fat contributes to metabolic disorders, but EEC adaptations to high fat feeding were unknown. Here, we established a new experimental system to directly investigate EEC activity in vivo using a zebrafish reporter of EEC calcium signaling. Our results reveal that high fat feeding alters EEC morphology and converts them into a nutrient insensitive state that is coupled to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We called this novel adaptation “EEC silencing”. Gnotobiotic studies revealed that germ-free zebrafish are resistant to high fat diet induced EEC silencing. High fat feeding altered gut microbiota composition including enrichment ofAcinetobacterspecies, and we identified anAcinetobacterstrain sufficient to induce EEC silencing. These results establish a new mechanism by which dietary fat and gut microbiota modulate EEC nutrient sensing and signaling.
Systematic detection of brain protein-coding genes under positive selection during primate evolution and their roles in cognition
Authors: Dumas Guillaume , Malesys Simon , Bourgeron Thomas
Published: June 2019

The human brain differs from that of other primates, but the genetic basis of these differences remains unclear. We investigated the evolutionary pressures acting on almost all human protein-coding genes (N=11,667; 1:1 orthologs in primates) based on their divergence from those of early hominins, such as Neanderthals, and non-human primates. We confirm that genes encoding brain-related proteins are among the most strongly conserved protein-coding genes in the human genome. Combining our evolutionary pressure metrics for the protein-coding genome with recent datasets, we found that this conservation applied to genes functionally associated with the synapse and expressed in brain structures such as the prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum. Conversely, several genes presenting signatures commonly associated with positive selection appear as causing brain diseases or conditions, such as micro/macrocephaly, Joubert syndrome, dyslexia, and autism. Among those, a number of DNA damage response genes associated with microcephaly in humans such as BRCA1, NHEJ1, TOP3A, and RNF168 show strong signs of positive selection and might have played a role in human brain size expansion during primate evolution. We also showed that cerebellum granule neurons express a set of genes also presenting signatures of positive selection and that may have contributed to the emergence of fine motor skills and social cognition in humans. This resource is available online and can be used to estimate evolutionary constraints acting on a set of genes and to explore their relative contributions to human traits.
Glioblastoma stem cells: lessons from the tumor hierarchy in a lethal cancer
Authors: Gimple Ryan C. , Bhargava Shruti , Dixit Deobrat , Rich Jeremy N.
Published: June 2019

Glioblastoma ranks among the most lethal of all human cancers. Glioblastomas display striking cellular heterogeneity, with stem-like glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) at the apex. Although the original identification of GSCs dates back more than a decade, the purification and characterization of GSCs remains challenging. Despite these challenges, the evidence that GSCs play important roles in tumor growth and response to therapy has grown. Like normal stem cells, GSCs are functionally defined and distinguished from their differentiated tumor progeny at core transcriptional, epigenetic, and metabolic regulatory levels, suggesting that no single therapeutic modality will be universally effective against a heterogenous GSC population. Glioblastomas induce a systemic immunosuppression with mixed responses to oncoimmunologic modalities, suggesting the potential for augmentation of response with a deeper consideration of GSCs. Unfortunately, the GSC literature has been complicated by frequent use of inferior cell lines and a lack of proper functional analyses. Collectively, glioblastoma offers a reliable cancer to study cancer stem cells to better model the human disease and inform improved biologic understanding and design of novel therapeutics.
Growth disrupting mutations in epigenetic regulatory molecules are associated with abnormalities of epigenetic aging
Authors: Jeffries Aaron R. , Maroofian Reza , Salter Claire G. , Chioza Barry A. , Cross Harold E. , Patton Michael A. , Dempster Emma , Temple I. Karen , Mackay Deborah J.G. , Rezwan Faisal I. , Aksglaede Lise , Baralle Diana , Dabir Tabib , Hunter Matthew F. , Kamath Arveen , Kumar Ajith , Newbury-Ecob Ruth , Selicorni Angelo , Springer Amanda , Van Maldergem Lionel , Varghese Vinod , Yachelevich Naomi , Tatton-Brown Katrina , Mill Jonathan , Crosby Andrew H. , Baple Emma L.
Published: June 2019

Germline mutations in fundamental epigenetic regulatory molecules including DNA methyltransferase 3 alpha (DNMT3A) are commonly associated with growth disorders, whereas somatic mutations are often associated with malignancy. We profiled genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in DNMT3A c.2312G > A; p.(Arg771Gln) carriers in a large Amish sibship with Tatton-Brown–Rahman syndrome (TBRS), their mosaic father, and 15 TBRS patients with distinct pathogenic de novo DNMT3A variants. This defined widespread DNA hypomethylation at specific genomic sites enriched at locations annotated as genes involved in morphogenesis, development, differentiation, and malignancy predisposition pathways. TBRS patients also displayed highly accelerated DNA methylation aging. These findings were most marked in a carrier of the AML-associated driver mutation p.Arg882Cys. Our studies additionally defined phenotype-related accelerated and decelerated epigenetic aging in two histone methyltransferase disorders: NSD1 Sotos syndrome overgrowth disorder and KMT2D Kabuki syndrome growth impairment. Together, our findings provide fundamental new insights into aberrant epigenetic mechanisms, the role of epigenetic machinery maintenance, and determinants of biological aging in these growth disorders.
Genomic characterization of a well-differentiated grade 3 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor
Authors: Williamson Laura M. , Steel Michael , Grewal Jasleen K. , Thibodeau My Lihn , Zhao Eric Y. , Loree Jonathan M. , Yang Kevin C. , Gorski Sharon M. , Mungall Andrew J. , Mungall Karen L. , Moore Richard A. , Marra Marco A. , Laskin Janessa , Renouf Daniel J. , Schaeffer David F. , Jones Steven J.M.
Published: June 2019

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNENs) represent a minority of pancreatic neoplasms that exhibit variability in prognosis. Ongoing mutational analyses of PanNENs have found recurrent abnormalities in chromatin remodeling genes (e.g., DAXX and ATRX), and mTOR pathway genes (e.g., TSC2, PTEN PIK3CA, and MEN1), some of which have relevance to patients with related familial syndromes. Most recently, grade 3 PanNENs have been divided into two groups based on differentiation, creating a new group of well-differentiated grade 3 neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) that have had a limited whole-genome level characterization to date. In a patient with a metastatic well-differentiated grade 3 PanNET, our study utilized whole-genome sequencing of liver metastases for the comparative analysis and detection of single-nucleotide variants, insertions and deletions, structural variants, and copy-number variants, with their biologic relevance confirmed by RNA sequencing. We found that this tumor most notably exhibited a TSC1-disrupting fusion, showed a novel CHD7–BEND2 fusion, and lacked any somatic variants in ATRX, DAXX, and MEN1.
A case of Coffin–Siris syndrome with severe congenital heart disease and a novel SMARCA4 variant
Authors: Dsouza Nikita R. , Zimmermann Michael T. , Geddes Gabrielle C.
Published: June 2019

Coffin–Siris syndrome (CSS) is a developmental disability, caused by genomic variants in the gene SMARCA4, in addition to other known genes, but the full spectrum of SMARCA4 variants that can cause CSS is unknown with 40% of cases not having molecular confirmation. In this report, we identify a patient with CSS, a severe cardiac phenotype, and a novel SMARCA4 variant. There is no experimental structure of human SMARCA4, so we use molecular modeling techniques to generate a structural model of human SMARCA4. We then map known SMARCA4 variants causative of CSS and our novel variant to the model. We use the resulting information to support the interpretation that the novel variant is causative of disease in our patient. Modeling demonstrates that the variant found in our patient is in a region of SMARCA4 associated with DNA binding, as are the other known pathogenic SMARCA4 variants mapped. Because of this structural information, we discuss how these variants may be disease-causing through a dominant negative effect of disrupting DNA binding.
Routes of Antigen Injection in Mice and Rats
Authors: Greenfield Edward A.
Published: June 2019

The route of injection used to induce an antigenic response in small rodents is based on a number of practical considerations, such as the volume to be delivered, the buffers and other components co-injected with the immunogen, and the rate at which one desires the immunogen to be released into the lymphatics or circulation. For mice, large volumes are only practical with intraperitoneal injections. If adjuvants or particulate matter are included in the injection, the immunogen should not be delivered intravenously.
Diffuse + Bragg double scattering and specular reflection observed in the small-angle X-ray scattering from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite
Authors: Ohmasa Yoshinori , Chiba Ayano
Published: June 2019

In the small-angle scattering from as-prepared and neutron-irradiated highly oriented pyrolytic graphite samples, a new type of streak pattern is observed near the (00l,00\overline{l})-type double Bragg scattering. This newly observed scattering is assigned as the double scattering whose first scattering is diffuse scattering near the 00l Bragg scattering and whose second scattering is the 00\overline{l} Bragg scattering. Specular reflection from the surfaces of the crystallites or microcracks is also observed as a streak. These two types of scattering from the neutron-irradiated sample show oscillatory behavior, unlike that from the non-irradiated samples. The scattering is analyzed using the sharp-boundary model, and is explained by the assumptions that the non-irradiated sample has interfaces with a width of about 1 nm and the neutron-irradiated sample has a slab-like structure with a thickness of about 14 nm.
DebyeFit: a simple tool to obtain an appropriate model of atomic vibrations in solids from atomic displacement parameters obtained at different temperatures
Authors: Dudka A. P. , Bolotina N. B. , Khrykina O. N.
Published: June 2019

DebyeFit is a simple tool to calculate the Debye or Einstein characteristic temperature of thermal vibrations in crystals from the equivalent atomic displacement parameters (ADPs) of any atom obtained at several temperatures. The ADP values are separated into static and dynamic components to get a best fit to the Debye, Einstein or mixed model. The static term is added to account for possible static disorder. A nonlinear least-squares technique is used to refine the parameters of the model for sets of ADPs observed in multi-temperature structural studies. The program provides a good fit between theoretical and observed ADP values.
DeepCentering: fully automated crystal centering using deep learning for macromolecular crystallography
Authors: Ito Sho , Ueno Go , Yamamoto Masaki
Published: June 2019

High-throughput protein crystallography using a synchrotron light source is an important method used in drug discovery. Beamline components for automated experiments including automatic sample changers have been utilized to accelerate the measurement of a number of macromolecular crystals. However, unlike cryo-loop centering, crystal centering involving automated crystal detection is a difficult process to automate fully. Here, DeepCentering, a new automated crystal centering system, is presented. DeepCentering works using a convolutional neural network, which is a deep learning operation. This system achieves fully automated accurate crystal centering without using X-ray irradiation of crystals, and can be used for fully automated data collection in high-throughput macromolecular crystallography.
Energy efficient modeling and optimization for assembly sequence planning using moth flame optimization
Authors: Abdullah Arif , Ab Rashid Mohd Fadzil Faisae , Ponnambalam S.G. , Ghazalli Zakri
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Environmental problems in manufacturing industries are a global issue owing to severe lack fossil resources. In assembly sequence planning (ASP), the research effort mainly aims to improve profit and human-related factors, but it still lacks in the consideration of the environmental issue. This paper aims to present an energy-efficient model for the ASP problem.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model considered energy utilization during the assembly process, particularly idle energy utilization. The problem was then optimized using moth flame optimization (MFO) and compared with well-established algorithms such as genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and ant colony optimization (ACO). A computational test was conducted using five assembly problems ranging from 12 to 40 components.

Findings

The results of the computational experiments indicated that the proposed model was capable of generating an energy-efficient assembly sequence. At the same time, the results also showed that MFO consistently performed better in terms of the best and mean fitness, with acceptable computational time.

Originality/value

This paper proposed a new energy-efficient ASP model that can be a guideline to design assembly station. Furthermore, this is the first attempt to implement MFO for the ASP problem.
Firm response, action visibility and consumers’ legitimacy judgment
Authors: Yuan Zhimei , Guo Yi , Wang Xingdong
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of action visibility in moderating the relationship between firm response and individual legitimacy judgment. Since a firm may decouple its public commitment from its actual practice to cope with conflicting stakeholder interests, visibility is important for consumers to make judgment because it is difficult for them to observe a firm’s actual fulfillment of its public commitment to quality assurance after a product-harm crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

Scenario-based mixed design experiments were employed and 718 valid responses were collected.

Findings

The results indicated that, while acknowledging responsibility produced more favorable legitimacy judgment than denial, decoupling produced no better judgment than denial. However, higher visibility significantly amplified the effect size. Specifically, under the condition of high visibility, not only did acknowledging responsibility produce much more favorable judgment than denial, but so did decoupling.

Research limitations/implications

This study provided empirical evidence that action visibility moderated the relationship between firm response and individual legitimacy judgment, thus complementing the literature on crisis management.

Practical implications

This study provided executives or managers with optimal, suboptimal and least optimal response strategies under different levels of action visibility.

Originality/value

Much of the extant research on response strategy for organizations to deal with product-harm crisis ignored the moderating role of action visibility. Past research on legitimacy judgment focused on organization. This paper combined firm response, action visibility and individual-level legitimacy judgment.
The moderating effect of leader member exchange on the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress
Authors: Choi Youngkeun
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Based on the conservation of resources theory, the purpose of this paper is to develop and test the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress of male employees. And depending on the leader member exchange (LMX) theory, it assumes that the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress of male employees is moderated by the LMX.

Design/methodology/approach

For this, this study used a survey method and multiple regression analyses with multi-source data from 226 male Korean employees and their supervisors.

Findings

The results suggest the following. First, workplace ostracism was positively associated with job tension, emotional exhaustion and depressed moods at work for male employees. Second, there was a stronger positive relationship between workplace ostracism and job tension, or emotional exhaustion for male employees with low, as opposed to those with high, levels of LMX.

Originality/value

This study is the first one to examine the moderating effect of LMX on the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress of male employees.
Destination food image, satisfaction and outcomes in a border context: tourists vs excursionists
Authors: Toudert Djamel , Bringas-Rábago Nora L.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of cognitive destination food image in food expectation, satisfaction and visit outcomes within a local context of the USA–Mexico border. The differences between tourists and excursionists were also assessed for their possible implications in strengthening an active market strategy in the framework of the same objective.

Design/methodology/approach

Four hypotheses were examined through Squares SEM techniques. The model validation was carried out assessing the measurement and structural model. Additionally a multi-group analysis was performed to test the tourists and excursionists moderation effect. The study used 518 questionnaires completed by US visitors in three important gastronomic regions of the coast of Baja California, Mexico.

Findings

The results suggest that tourists and excursionists obey different dimensions when structuring cognitive destination food image which showed a significant impact on visitor satisfaction and future intentions.

Originality/value

The moderation function of tourists and excursionists in the causal relationships of the research model was analyzed as one of the first explorations in food tourism marketing. In conjunction with other findings, this paper offers specific theoretical and practical implications on how to stimulate gastronomic consumption in these two segments of visitors.
Evaluation of poultry meat colour using computer vision system and colourimeter
Authors: Tomasevic Igor , Tomovic Vladimir , Ikonic Predrag , Lorenzo Rodriguez Jose Manuel , Barba Francisco J. , Djekic Ilija , Nastasijevic Ivan , Stajic Slavisa , Zivkovic Dusan
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ability of the computer vision system (CVS) to evaluate the colour of poultry meat. The advantages of the CVS over traditional methods were also explored.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was carried out on m. pectoralis major samples of three animals for each of the following four species: chicken, turkey, duck and goose. The total colour difference (ΔE) and the degree of difference of hue, chroma and lightness between the methods were calculated. In addition, a trained panel of 14 people was used to carry out three different similarity tests analysed using χ2 one sample test and one-way ANOVA. The correlation coefficient between CVS and colourimeter measures was evaluated using the Spearman rank correlation test.

Findings

The total colour difference (ΔE) between the methods employed was so large that the generated colour(s) could be considered more opposite than similar. The CVS-generated colour chips were more similar to the sample of the meat products visualised on the monitor compared to colourimeter-generated colour chips in all (100 per cent) individual trials performed. The use of the colourimeter for colour evaluation of lighter coloured poultry meat (chicken and turkey) was unrepresentative.

Practical implications

In this study, a CVS was developed to measure the colour of poultry meat as an alternative to conventional colourimeters.

Originality/value

The research has demonstrated that the use of a CVS should be considered a superior alternative to the traditional method for measuring colour of chicken, turkey, duck and goose meat.
Exploring claims and marketing techniques in Brazilian food labels
Authors: Pereira Rafaela Corrêa , de Angelis-Pereira Michel Cardoso , Carneiro João de Deus Souza
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the packaged food market in Brazil by examining the use of nutrition and health claims and marketing techniques, as well as the different levels of industrial food processing in relation to product category, nutrition information and price.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted on the labels of pre-packed foods and non-alcoholic beverages marketed in a home-shopping website in Brazil.

Findings

The authors showed that the use of nutrition and health claims on packaged foods in Brazil is widespread and varied across different food categories. Marketing techniques were also prevalent, and techniques emphasising general health, well-being or naturalness were the most frequent type used. Overall, products carrying nutrition and health claims and/or using marketing techniques had lower content of fat and higher content of fibre. However, the high prevalence of these strategies in ultra-processed foods is alarming. The presence of health claims and use of marketing techniques was not found to be an effective modifier of the three price measures. However, processed and ultra-processed foods were more expensive than unprocessed foods when considering price per energy and price per 100 g or mL.

Originality/value

These results indicate that there are clear opportunities to improve the packaged food environment in supermarkets. It is important to highlight the need to develop public policies to address these issues, including restriction of the promotion and advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages and use of warning labels.
Development and optimization of coffee gelato: a sensory perspective
Authors: Sousa Maísa Mancini Matioli de , Antonialli Fabio , Pereira Rafaela Corrêa , Ribeiro Michele Nayara , Pires Fabiana de Carvalho , Moreira Suzana da Silva , Leme Paulo Henrique Montagnana Vicente , Pereira Rosemary Gualberto Fonseca Alvarenga
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to optimise and characterise the sensory aspects of gelatos flavoured with different types of coffee preparations (brewed, espresso and soluble), to select the most acceptable formulation and investigate the influence of hedonic claims on the consumer acceptance of this product.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the optimal concentration of each coffee type (brewed, soluble and espresso) to be added to the gelato was determined using the just-about-right scale. Second, the acceptance and purchase intentions towards gelatos flavoured with different concentrations of each type of coffee were determined. Finally, the most acceptable concentration for each flavour was selected based on purchase intentions and three other hedonic claims (i.e. texture, flavour and overall impression).

Findings

The estimated optimal concentrations of coffee (in relation to syrup) were found to be 111.09, 135.31 and 59.38 per cent for brewed, espresso and soluble coffee, respectively. Gelatos flavoured with soluble coffee were accepted more readily and associated with higher purchase intentions based on the evaluated sensory attributes (i.e. colour, taste, texture, softness and overall impression). The sensory perceptions towards these gelatos did not change significantly based on the evaluated hedonic claims (“coffee”, “soluble coffee” and “gourmet coffee”). This reveals that consumers may not be influenced by specific information and/or hedonic claims in the case of coffee gelatos.

Originality/value

Besides encouraging the availability of a variety of coffee products on the market, this work also supports future studies aimed at the optimization of coffee products from a sensory perspective.
Understanding innovation in Canadian wine regions: an exploratory study
Authors: Doloreux David , Frigon Anthony
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Despite the importance of innovation in and the growth of the wine industry in recent years, empirical research devoted to innovation in this industry remains scarce. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to filling this gap by exploring innovation among Canadian wine firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in this paper are drawn from an original firm-level survey conducted between April and July 2018 to study the business and innovation strategies of Canadian winery firms over the 2015–2017 period.

Findings

First, the study has identified four innovation modes which are distinct in terms of firms’ strategy, innovation activities, and knowledge sourcing and openness. The second finding is that these different innovation modes are associated with different innovation outputs. The third finding is that there here is a tendency for certain innovation modes to better reflect firms in some regions, although all innovation modes are represented to different degrees in each of the three wine regions.

Originality/value

Empirical research devoted to innovation in this industry remains scarce. This paper contributes to filling this gap by exploring innovation among Canadian wine firms. These firms deal with several challenges and opportunities arising from the production and transformation of cool-climate grapes that impact on business innovation approaches.
Anti-diabetic and anti-proliferative activities of herbal teas,Athrixia phylicoidesDC andMonsonia burkeanaPlanch. ex Harv, indigenous to South Africa
Authors: Mathivha Lutendo Patricia , Thibane Vuyisile Samuel , Mudau Fhatuwani Nixwell
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the health and medicinal importance of bush tea (Athrixia phylicoidesDC) and special tea (Monsonia burkeanaPlanch. ex Harv), two of Southern African indigenous herbal teas.

Design/methodology/approach

The two herbal teas,A. phylicoidesandM. burkeanawere extracted individually and in combined ratios for analysis. The phenolic content was determined and the different phenolic compounds were identified using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The anti-diabetic activity of the teas was determined by evaluating the inhibition of bothα-amylase andα-glucosidasein vitro. The anti-proliferative activity was measured on human cervical cancer (HeLa) cell line using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium) assay.

Findings

Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and quercetin were identified to be present in significant quantities by TLC. The HPLC quantified the presence of catechin (1.567 mg/g) and chlorogenic acid (1.862 mg/g) in special tea while chlorogenic acid (1.288 mg/g) was present in bush tea. Bush tea and special tea expressed significant levels of phenolic content and high antioxidant activities. Special tea (S100) expressed high inhibition ofα-amylase,α-glucosidase and HeLa cell line proliferation when compared to bush tea (B100).

Originality/value

Both bush tea and special tea could provide an alternative for treatment and management of both diabetes and cervical cancer. However, future studies are needed to investigate their synergistic effect with a wide range of other commercial herbal teas.
Improved version of teaching learning-based optimization algorithm using random local search
Authors: Kheireddine Bourahla , Zoubida Belli , Tarik Hacib
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to deal with the development of a newly improved version of teaching learning based optimization (TLBO) algorithm.

Design/methodology/approach

Random local search part was added to the classic optimization process with TLBO. The new version is called TLBO algorithm with random local search (TLBO-RLS).

Findings

At first step and to validate the effectiveness of the new proposed version of the TLBO algorithm, it was applied to a set of two standard benchmark problems. After, it was used jointly with two-dimensional non-linear finite element method to solve the TEAM workshop problem 25, where the results were compared with those resulting from classical TLBO, bat algorithm, hybrid TLBO, Nelder–Mead simplex method and other referenced work.

Originality value

New TLBO-RLS proposed algorithm contains a part of random local search, which allows good exploitation of the solution space. Therefore, TLBO-RLS provides better solution quality than classic TLBO.
Sensemaking questions in crisis response teams
Authors: Kalkman Jori Pascal
Published: June 2019

Purpose

When a crisis strikes, responders need to make sense of it to gain an understanding of its origins, nature and implications. In this way, crisis sensemaking guides the implementation of the response. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the sensemaking questions that responders need to address for achieving effective and efficient crisis management.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are drawn from six exercises, in which teams of professionals from different crisis organizations were confronted with two terrorist attacks. Just like in real incidents, these professionals convened in tactical response teams and formulated their response collectively.

Findings

The exercises demonstrate that crisis responders do not just have to make sense of the crisis, but also of their own roles and actions. They raise and address three sensemaking questions: What is happening in this crisis? (i.e. situational sensemaking), Who am I in this crisis? (i.e. identity-oriented sensemaking) and How does it matter what I do? (i.e. action-oriented sensemaking).

Practical implications

Crisis preparation tends to focus on plans and systems that accelerate or improve the construction of a situational understanding, while this study suggests the need of more preparatory attention for crisis responders’ roles and actions.

Originality/value

The research extends crisis sensemaking literature beyond the restricted focus on the incident itself by showing that responders are also trying to grasp their own role and how their actions matter when they are engaged in crisis response.
Disambiguating USPTO inventor names with semantic fingerprinting and DBSCAN clustering
Authors: Han Hongqi , Yu Yongsheng , Wang Lijun , Zhai Xiaorui , Ran Yaxin , Han Jingpeng
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The aim of this study is to present a novel approach based on semantic fingerprinting and a clustering algorithm called density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN), which can be used to convert investor records into 128-bit semantic fingerprints. Inventor disambiguation is a method used to discover a unique set of underlying inventors and map a set of patents to their corresponding inventors. Resolving the ambiguities between inventors is necessary to improve the quality of the patent database and to ensure accurate entity-level analysis. Most existing methods are based on machine learning and, while they often show good performance, this comes at the cost of time, computational power and storage space.

Design/methodology/approach

Using DBSCAN, the meta and textual data in inventor records are converted into 128-bit semantic fingerprints. However, rather than using a string comparison or cosine similarity to calculate the distance between pair-wise fingerprint records, a binary number comparison function was used in DBSCAN. DBSCAN then clusters the inventor records based on this distance to disambiguate inventor names.

Findings

Experiments conducted on the PatentsView campaign database of the United States Patent and Trademark Office show that this method disambiguates inventor names with recall greater than 99 per cent in less time and with substantially smaller storage requirement.

Research limitations/implications

A better semantic fingerprint algorithm and a better distance function may improve precision. Setting of different clustering parameters for each block or other clustering algorithms will be considered to improve the accuracy of the disambiguation results even further.

Originality/value

Compared with the existing methods, the proposed method does not rely on feature selection and complex feature comparison computation. Most importantly, running time and storage requirements are drastically reduced.
SEM-based numerical framework for non-Darcy mixed convection in a porous cavity with three adiabatic thin baffles on the hot wall
Authors: Wang Yazhou , Qin Guoliang , Ye Ximeng , Bao Zhenzhong
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a numerical framework based on the accurate spectral element method (SEM) to simulate the mixed convective heat transfer within a porous enclosure with three adiabatic thin baffles of different lengths in nine cases and analyze the effects of several parameters.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors develop an improved time-splitting method to solve the Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer model. No extra assumptions are introduced for the intermediate velocity, and the final velocity field satisfies the incompressible constraint strictly compared with the classical method. The governing equations are split into a pure convection problem, a Stokes problem and a thermal diffusion problem. The least-squares variation is adopted for the Stokes problem, and the Galerkin variation is used for the other two problems, such that the pressure and velocity can be discretized with the same interpolation order, which benefits the numerical accuracy and program design.

Findings

Regarding the method, the excellent spectral accuracy, the capability of discretizing complex computational regions and the improved time-splitting methods make SEM an effective tool to accurately predict the non-Darcy convective heat transfer; as for the numerical tests, it is observed that weakened convection and heat transfer are induced by the increasing length of the baffles. The flow and heat transfer in channel 1 is only related to the length of baffle 1 because of the downward-driven right sidewall, and it is more difficult for baffle 3 to form the secondary flow on its tip.

Originality/value

A novel numerical framework for Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer model is developed, expanding the application of SEM for simulating non-Darcy convective heat transfer to improve the numerical accuracy. Numerical results and analysis for flow and heat fields could help designers understand the control of heat transfer using adiabatic baffles better.
From theory to practice: guidelines for enhancing information security management
Authors: Topa Ioanna , Karyda Maria
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This study aims to identify the implications of security behaviour determinants for security management to propose respective guidelines which can be integrated with current security management practices, including those following the widely adopted information security standards ISO 27001, 27002, 27003 and 27005.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an exhaustive analysis of related literature, the authors identify critical factors influencing employee security behaviour and ISP compliance. The authors use these factors to perform a gap analysis of widely adopted information security standards ISO 27001, 27002, 27003 and 27005 and identify issues not covered or only partially addressed. Drawing on the implications of security behaviour determinants and the identified gaps, the authors provide guidelines which can enhance security management practices.

Findings

The authors uncover the factors shaping security behaviour barely or partly considered in the ISO information security standards ISO 27001, 27002, 27003 and 27005, including top management participation, accommodating individual characteristics, embracing the cultural context, encouraging employees to comply out of habit and considering the cost of compliance. Furthermore, the authors provide guidelines to security managers on enhancing their security management practices when implementing the above ISO Standards.

Practical implications

This study offers guidelines on how to create and design security management practices whilst implementing ISO standards (ISO 27001, ISO 27002, ISO 27003, ISO 27005) so as to enhance ISP compliance.

Originality/value

This study analyses the role and implications of security behaviour determinants, discusses discrepancies and conflicting findings in related literature, provides a gap analysis of commonly used information security standards (ISO 27001, 27002, 27003 and 27005) and proposes guidelines on enhancing security management practices towards improving ISP compliance.