bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Markers for Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Zeng Chang , Zhang Zhou , Wang Jun , Chiu Brian C-H. , Hou Lifang , Zhang Wei
Published: September 2018

OBJECTIVES

Robust biomarkers for pancreatic cancer (PaC) early detection/prognosis are critical for improved patient survival. Our goal was to explore the biomarker potential of 5-hydroxymethylcytosines (5hmC), an epigenetic marker with a distinct role in cancer pathobiology, yet under-investigated due largely to technical constraints.

METHODS

We used the TAB-Array assay, a state-of-the-art technology to directly profile 5hmC at single base resolution with the Illumina EPIC array (>850,000 CpG sites) in 17 pairs of tumor/adjacent tissue samples from US patients.

RESULTS

We demonstrated distinctive distributions of 5hmC in tissues, and substantial differences between tumor and adjacent tissues, suggesting their diagnostic/prognostic value of for PaC.

CONCLUSION

This study established the potential of 5hmC as a novel epigenetic biomarker for PaC.
Empirical patterns of environmental variation favor the evolution of adaptive transgenerational plasticity
Authors: Colicchio Jack M. , Herman Jacob
Published: September 2018

Effects of parental environment on offspring traits have been well known for decades. Interest in this transgenerational form of phenotypic plasticity has recently surged due to advances in our understanding of its mechanistic basis. Theoretical research has simultaneously advanced by predicting the environmental conditions that should favor the adaptive evolution of transgenerational plasticity. Yet whether such conditions actually exist in nature remains largely unexplored. Here, using long-term climate data, we modeled optimal levels of transgenerational plasticity for an organism with a one-year life cycle at a spatial resolution of 4km2 across the continental US. Both annual temperature and precipitation levels were often autocorrelated, but the strength and direction of these autocorrelations varied considerably across the continental US and even among nearby sites. When present, such environmental autocorrelations render offspring environments statistically predictable based on the parental environment, a key condition for the adaptive evolution of transgenerational plasticity. Results of our optimality models were consistent with this prediction: high levels of transgenerational plasticity were favored at sites with strong environmental autocorrelations, and little-to-no transgenerational plasticity was favored at sites with weak or non-existent autocorrelations. These results are among the first to show that natural patterns of environmental variation favor the evolution of adaptive transgenerational plasticity. Furthermore, these findings suggest that transgenerational plasticity is highly variable in nature, depending on site-specific patterns of environmental variation.
Sexual selection, environmental robustness and evolutionary demography of maladapted populations: a test using experimental evolution in seed beetles
Authors: Martinossi-Allibert Ivain , Thilliez Emma , Arnqvist Göran , Berger David
Published: September 2018

Whether sexual selection impedes or aids adaptation has become a pressing question in times of rapid environmental change and parallels the debate about how the evolution of individual traits impacts on population dynamics and viability. The net effect of sexual selection on population viability results from a balance between genetic benefits of “good genes” effects and costs of sexual conflict. Depending on how these facets of sexual selection are affected under environmental change, extinction of maladapted populations could either be avoided or accelerated. Here, we evolved seed beetles under three alternative mating regimes (polygamy, monogamy and male-limited selection) to disentangle the contributions of sexual selection, fecundity selection and male-female coevolution to individual reproductive success and population fitness. We compared these contributions between the ancestral environment and two new stressful environments (temperature and host plant shift). Evolution under polygamy resulted in the highest individual reproductive success in competitive context for both sexes. Moreover, females evolving only via sexual selection on their male siblings in the male-limited regime had similar reproductive success and higher fertility than females evolving under monogamy, suggesting that sexual selection on males had positive effects on female fitness components. Interestingly, male-limited sexual selection resulted in males that were robust to stress, compared to males from the two evolution regimes applying fecundity selection. We quantified the population-level consequences of this sex-specific adaptation and found evidence that costs of socio-sexual interactions were higher in male-limited lines compared to polygamous lines, and that this difference was particularly pronounced at elevated temperature to which males from the male-limited regime were more robust compared to their conspecific females. These results illustrate the tension between individual-level adaptation and population-level viability in sexually reproducing species and suggest that sex-specific selection can cause differences in environmental robustness that may impact population demography under environmental change.
Nuclear export of chimeric mRNAs depends on an lncRNA-triggered autoregulatory loop
Authors: Chen Zhen-Hua , Zeng Zhan-Cheng , Chen Tian-Qi , Han Cai , Sun Yu-Meng , Huang Wei , Sun Lin-Yu , Fang Ke , Luo Xue-Qun , Wang Wen-Tao , Chen Yue-Qin
Published: September 2018

Aberrant chromosomal translocations leading to tumorigenesis have been ascribed to the heterogeneously oncogenic functions. However, how fusion transcripts exporting remains to be declared. Here, we showed that the nuclear speckle-specific long non coding RNA MALAT1 controls chimeric mRNA export processes and regulates myeloid progenitor cell differentiation in malignant hematopoiesis. We demonstrated that MALAT1 regulates chimeric mRNAs export in an m6A-dependent manner and thus controls hematopoietic cell differentiation. Specifically, reducing MALAT1 or m6A methyltransferases and the ‘reader’ YTHDC1 result in the universal retention of distinct oncogenic gene mRNAs in nucleus. Mechanically, MALAT1 hijacks both the chimeric mRNAs and fusion proteins in nuclear speckles during chromosomal translocations and mediates the colocalization of oncogenic fusion proteins with METTL14. MALAT1 and fusion protein complexes serve as a functional loading bridge for the interaction of chimeric mRNA and METTL14. This study demonstrated a universal mechanism of chimeric mRNA transport that involves lncRNA-fusion protein-m6A autoregulatory loop for controlling myeloid cell differentiation. Targeting the lncRNA-triggered autoregulatory loop to disrupt chimeric mRNA transport might represent a new common paradigm for treating blood malignancies.
Twenty-four hour face mask sampling in pulmonary tuberculosis reveals three distinct patterns of bacterial aerosol production dissociated from conventional markers of transmission risk
Authors: Williams CML , Abdulwhhab M , Birring SS , De Kock E , Garton NJ , Stoltz A , Haldar P , Barer MR
Published: September 2018

Rationale:Although tuberculosis (TB) is transmitted byMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) in aerosols, little is known of the dynamic characteristics of spontaneous output of bacilli in this form. We have developed and implemented a mask aerosol sampling system (MASS) for longitudinal capture and study of spontaneous aerosol.

Objective:To determine patterns of Mtb output in aerosols, captured using the MASS over 24 hours and their association with existing criteria used to assess transmission risk in patients with pulmonary TB.

Methods:Twenty-four hospitalised patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary TB recruited in Pretoria, South Africa, wore FFP1 masks for one hour out of every three for 24 hours. Aerosol was captured in a gelatine filter processed for Mtb quantitation by PCR. Serial sputum was collected and objective cough frequency monitoring performed over the same period.

Measurements and Main Results:Mtb was detected in 86.5% of 192 mask samples and 20.7% of 38 assessable sputum samples obtained from the cohort. Mtb was detected by MASS in all but two patients. Three dynamic patterns of expression were identifiable in Mtb aerosol producers: i. variable high; ii. consistent; and iii. variable low. No diurnal variation was apparent and there was no correlation between mask Mtb and either sputum Mtb levels or cough frequency. Sputum smear status, culture time to positivity and chest radiographic characteristics also failed to associate with MASS bacillary output.

Conclusions:Conventional markers of tuberculosis case infectivity do not predict bacillary aerosols detected by the MASS. The MASS provides a novel, non-invasive tool for tuberculosis diagnosis and control.
WNT1 Inducible Signaling Pathway Protein 1 (WISP1) stimulates melanoma cell invasion and metastasis by promoting epithelial – mesenchymal transition
Authors: Deng Wentao , Fernandez Audry , McLaughlin Sarah L. , Klinke David J.
Published: September 2018

Besides intrinsic changes, malignant cells release soluble signals to reshape their microenvironment. Among the signaling factors is WNT1 inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1), a secreted matricellular protein that is elevated in a variety of cancers including melanoma and is associated with reduced overall survival of patients diagnosed with primary melanoma. In this work, we found thatWISP1knockout both increased cell proliferation and repressed wound healing, migration and invasion of mouse and human melanoma cells in an ensemble ofin vitroassays.In vivometastasis assays showed that WISP1 knockout repressed tumor metastasis in both C57BL/6Ncrl and NOD-scid IL2Rgammanull (NSG) mice with B16F10 and YUMM1.7 melanoma cells. Mechanistically, B16F10 cells that invaded in a transwell assay possessed a gene expression signature similar to Epithelial - Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), including coincident repression of E-cadherin and induction of fibronectin and N-cadherin. Upon WISP1 knockout, these EMT signature genes went in opposite directions in both mouse and human cell lines and were rescued by media containing WISP1 or recombinant WISP1 protein.In vivo,metastasis repression by WISP1 knockout was reversed by the reintroduction of either WISP1 or SNAI1. A set of EMT gene activation and inhibition experiments using recombinant WISP1 or kinase inhibitors in B16F10 and YUMM1.7 cells suggested that WISP1 activates Akt and MAP kinase signaling pathways to shift melanoma cells from a proliferative to invasive phenotype. Collectively, the results supported a model that WISP1 within the tumor microenvironment stimulates melanoma invasion and metastasis by promoting an EMT-like process.
Naproxen impairs load-induced bone formation, reduces bone toughness, and delays stress fracture repair in mice
Authors: Park Jino , Fertala Andrzej , Tomlinson Ryan E.
Published: September 2018

Debilitating stress fractures are surprisingly common in physically active individuals, including athletes, military recruits, and dancers. These individuals are overrepresented in the 30 million daily users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We hypothesized that regular use of NSAIDs would predispose habitually loaded bones to stress fracture and delay the repair of these injuries. To test this hypothesis, adult mice were subjected to six bouts of axial forelimb compression over two weeks. Aspirin, naproxen, or vehicle was administered 24 hours before loading. Naproxen-treated mice had diminished load-induced bone formation as well as a significant loss in toughness in non-loaded bone, which were not observed in aspirin-treated mice. Furthermore, there were no differences in RANKL/OPG ratio or cortical bone parameters. Picrosirius red staining and second harmonic generation imaging revealed that alterations in bone collagen fibril size and organization were driving the loss of toughness in naproxen-treated mice. Separately, adult mice were subjected to an ulnar stress fracture generated by a single bout of fatigue loading, with NSAIDs provided 24 hours before injury. Both aspirin-treated and naproxen-treated mice had normal forelimb use in the week after injury, whereas control mice favored the injured forelimb until day 7. However, woven bone volume was only significantly impaired by naproxen. Both NSAIDs were found to significantly inhibitCox2andNgfexpression following stress fracture, but only naproxen significantly affected serum PGE2 concentration. Overall, our results suggest that naproxen, but not aspirin, may increase the risk of stress fracture and extend the healing time of these injuries, warranting further clinical evaluation for patients at risk for fatigue injuries.
Asparagine availability is an essential limiting factor for poxvirus protein synthesis
Authors: Pant Anil , Cao Shuai , Yang Zhilong
Published: September 2018

Virus actively interfaces with host metabolism because viral replication relies on host cells to provide nutrients and energy. For efficient viral replication in culture, vaccinia virus (VACV; the prototype poxvirus) prefers glutamine to glucose, to the extent that in glutamine-free medium, VACV replication is inefficient. Remarkably, VACV replication can be fully rescued from glutamine depletion by asparagine supplementation. By global metabolic profiling, genetic and chemical intervening of asparagine supply, we provide evidence demonstrating that the requirement of asparagine for efficient viral replication accounts for VACV’s preference of glutamine to glucose, rather than because glutamine is superior to glucose in feeding the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Further, we show that asparagine availability is a critical factor for efficient viral protein synthesis. Our study highlights that the asparagine metabolism, whose regulation has been evolutionarily tailored in mammalian cells, presents a critical barrier to poxvirus replication, suggesting new directions of anti-viral strategy development.
Imaging human cortical responses to intraneural microstimulation using magnetoencephalography
Authors: O’Neill George C. , Watkins Roger H. , Ackerley Rochelle , Barratt Eleanor L. , Sengupta Ayan , Asghar Michael , Sanchez Panchuelo Rosa Maria , Brookes Matthew J. , Glover Paul M. , Wessberg Johan , Francis Susan T.
Published: September 2018

The sensation of touch in the glabrous skin of the human hand is conveyed by thousands of fast-conducting mechanoreceptive afferents, which can be categorised into four distinct types. The spiking properties of these afferents in the periphery in response to varied tactile stimuli are well-characterised, but relatively little is known about the spatiotemporal properties of the neural representations of these different receptor types in the human cortex. Here, we use the novel methodological combination of single-unit intraneural microstimulation (INMS) with magnetoencephalography (MEG) to localise cortical representations of individual touch afferents in humans, by measuring the extracranial magnetic fields from neural currents. We found that by assessing the modulation of the beta (13-30 Hz) rhythm during single-unit INMS, significant changes in oscillatory amplitude occur in the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex within and across a group of fast adapting type I mechanoreceptive 20 afferents, which corresponded well to the induced response from matched vibrotactile stimulation. Combining the spatiotemporal specificity of MEG with the selective single-unit stimulation of INMS enables the interrogation of the central representations of different aspects of tactile afferent signalling within the human cortices. The fundamental finding that single-unit INMS ERD responses are robust and consistent with natural somatosensory stimuli will permit us to more dynamically probe the central nervous system responses in humans, to address questions about the processing of touch from the different classes of mechanoreceptive afferents and the effects of varying the stimulus frequency and patterning.
Effects of BMP-2 dose and delivery of microvascular fragments on healing of bone defects with concomitant volumetric muscle loss
Authors: Ruehle Marissa A. , Krishnan Laxminarayanan , Vantucci Casey E. , Wang Yuyan , Stevens Hazel Y. , Roy Krishnendu , Guldberg Robert E. , Willett Nick J.
Published: September 2018

Traumatic composite bone-muscle injuries, such as open fractures, often require multiple surgical interventions and still typically result in long-term disability. Clinically, a critical indicator of composite injury severity is vascular integrity; vascular damage alone is sufficient to assign an open fracture to the most severe category. Challenging bone injuries are often treated with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), an osteoinductive growth factor, delivered on collagen sponge. Previous studies in a composite defect model found that a minimally bridging dose in the segmental defect model was unable to overcome concomitant muscle damage, but the effect of BMP dose on composite injuries has not yet been studied. Here, we test the hypotheses that BMP-2-mediated functional regeneration of composite extremity injuries is dose dependent and can be further enhanced via co-delivery of adipose-derived microvascular fragments (MVF), which have been previously shown to increase tissue vascular volume. Although MVF treatment did not improve healing outcomes, we observed a significant BMP-2 dose-dependent increase in regenerated bone volume and biomechanical properties. While high dose BMP-2 delivery can induce heterotopic ossification (HO) and increased inflammation, the maximum 10 μg dose used in this study did not result in HO and was associated with a lower circulating inflammatory cytokine profile than the low dose (2.5 μg) group. These data support the potential benefits of an increased, though still moderate, BMP-2 dose for treatment of bone defects with concomitant muscle damage. Future work to improve vascularization may further improve healing.
Real-time whole-plant dynamics of heavy metal transport inArabidopsis halleriandArabidopsis thalianaby gamma-ray imaging
Authors: Kajala Kaisa , Walker Katherine L. , Mitchell Gregory S. , Krämer Ute , Cherry Simon R. , Brady Siobhan M.
Published: September 2018

Heavy metals such as zinc are essential for plant growth, but toxic at high concentrations. Despite our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of heavy metal uptake by plants, experimentally addressing the real-time whole-plant dynamics of heavy metal uptake and partitioning has remained a challenge. To overcome this, we applied a high sensitivity gamma-ray imaging system to image uptake and transport of radioactive65Zn in whole-plant assays ofArabidopsis thalianaand the Zn hyperaccumulatorA. halleri. We show that our system can be used to quantitatively image and measure uptake and root-to-shoot translocation dynamics of zinc in real time. In the metal hyperaccumulatorArabidopsis halleri,65Zn uptake and transport from its growth media to the shoot occurs rapidly and on time scales similar to those reported in rice. In transgenicA. halleriplants in which expression of the zinc transporter geneHMA4is suppressed by RNAi,65Zn uptake is completely abolished.

HIGHLIGHT

We have used gamma-ray imaging to visualize the stark differences of real-time whole-plant dynamics of zinc root-to-shoot transport in heavy metal hyperaccumulating and non-accumulatingArabidopsis.
Retinal direction selectivity in the absence of asymmetric starburst amacrine cell responses
Authors: Hanson Laura , Sethuramanujam Santhosh , deRosenroll Geoff , Awatramani Gautam B.
Published: September 2018

Summary

In the mammalian retina, asymmetric inhibitory signals arising from the direction-selective dendrites of GABAergic/cholinergic starburst amacrine cells are thought to be crucial for originating direction selectivity. Contrary to this notion, however, we found that direction selectivity in downstream ganglion cells remains remarkably unaffected when starburst output is rendered non-directional (using a novel strategy combining a conditional GABAA α2 receptor knockout mouse with optogenetics). We show that temporal asymmetries between excitation/inhibition, arising from the differential connectivity patterns of starburst cholinergic and GABAergic synapses to ganglion cells, form the basis for a parallel mechanism generating direction selectivity. We further demonstrate that these distinct mechanisms work in a coordinated way to refine direction selectivity as the stimulus crosses the ganglion cell’s receptive field. Thus, precise spatiotemporal patterns of inhibition and excitation that shape directional responses in ganglion cells are shaped by two ‘core’ mechanisms, both arising from distinct specializations of the starburst network.
Astrocytes Regulate the Development and Maturation of Retinal Ganglion Cells Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Langer Kirstin B. , Vij Ridhima , Ohlemacher Sarah K. , Sridhar Akshayalakshmi , Fligor Clarisse M. , Feder Elyse M. , Edler Michael C. , Baucum Anthony J. , Cummins Theodore R. , Meyer Jason S.
Published: September 2018

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) form the connection between the eye and the brain, with this connectivity disrupted in numerous blinding disorders. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability to derive RGCs from hPSCs; however these cells exhibited some characteristics that indicated a limited state of maturation. Among the many factors known to influence RGC development in the retina, astrocytes are known to play a significant role in their functional maturation. Thus, efforts of the current study examined the functional maturation of hPSC-derived RGCs, including the ability of astrocytes to modulate this developmental timeline. Morphological and functional properties of RGCs were found to increase over time, with astrocytes significantly accelerating the functional maturation of hPSC-derived RGCs. The results of this study are the first of its kind to extensively study the functional and morphological maturation of RGCs in vitro, including the effects of astrocytes upon the maturation of hPSC-derived RGCs.
A mathematical model of viral oncology as an immuno-oncology instigator
Authors: Cassidy Tyler , Humphries Antony R.
Published: September 2018

We develop and analyse a mathematical model of tumour-immune interaction that explicitly incorporates heterogeneity in tumour cell cycle duration by using a distributed delay differential equation. Our necessary and sufficient conditions for local stability of the cancer free equilibrium completely characterise the importance of tumour-immune interaction in disease progression. Consistent with the immunoediting hypothesis, we show that decreasing tumour-immune interaction leads to tumour expansion. Finally, we show that immune involvement is crucial in determining the long-term response to viral therapy.
Glucosinolates promote initial population establishment of feral oilseed rape
Authors: Hesse Elze , Hodgson Dave J. , de Jong Tom J.
Published: September 2018

Background

Crops are often selected for traits that confer a selective disadvantage in the wild. A key trait that has been greatly altered by domestication is investment in herbivore defence. It remains unclear, however, whether variation in chemical defence affects a crop’s ability to colonize semi-natural habitats where it typically has to compete with a resident community. Here, we investigate how breeding efforts aimed at reducing glucosinolate levels in seeds – canonical herbivore deterrents – influence initial establishment of Brassica populations spanning a wild-feral-domesticated gradient.

Methods

We followed the dynamics of twenty-nine Brassica accessions in two experimental fields by recording life table parameters and vegetation cover biannually over a two-year period. Accessions were selected to vary in their glucosinolate content, and included lines of wild turnip (B. rapa), feral B. napus as well as modern canola and historical oilseed rape cultivars. Populations were established by sowing seeds on bare soil after which the natural vegetation was allowed to regenerate, providing a temporal gradient in the degree of interspecific competition.

Results

Populations flourished in the first year, but many perished during a second year of growth, in particular those of oilseed rape. Declines coincided with an increase in vegetation cover, but were slower in populations harbouring more glucosinolates. These compounds had opposing effects on different life cycle stages: seedling establishment was greater in high-glucosinolate lines, which traded off with reduced post-recruitment survival. Crucially, the effect of glucosinolates on persistence was lost when focussing on oilseed rape only, but the underlying demographic trade-off remained.

Discussion

Our study illustrates that initial establishment of feral oilseed rape is governed by glucosinolate-mediated trade-offs between seedling recruitment and subsequent survival, with low-glucosinolate lines (modern canola) being most successful when post-recruitment conditions are relatively benign. Such demographic trade-offs likely extend to other species, and must be considered when managing escaped crops and invasive plants.
Particle-based simulation reveals macromolecular crowding effects on the Michaelis-Menten mechanism
Authors: Weilandt Daniel R. , Hatzimanikatis Vassily
Published: September 2018

Many computational models for analyzing and predicting cell physiology rely onin vitrodata, collected in dilute and cleanly controlled buffer solutions. However, this can mislead models because about 40% of the intracellular volume is occupied by a dense mixture of proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, RNA, and DNA. These intracellular macromolecules interact with enzymes and their reactants and affect the kinetics of biochemical reactions, makingin vivoreactions considerably more complex than thein vitrodata indicates. In this work, we present a new type of kinetics that captures and quantifies the effect of volume exclusion and any other spatial phenomena on the kinetics of elementary reactions. We further developed a framework that allows for the efficient parameterization of this type of kinetics using particle simulations. Our formulation, entitled GEneralized Elementary Kinetics (GEEK), can be used to analyze and predict the effect of intracellular crowding on enzymatic reactions and was herein applied to investigate the influence of crowding on phosphoglycerate mutase inEscherichia coli, which exhibits prototypical reversible Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Current research indicates that many enzymes are reaction limited and not diffusion limited, and our results suggest that the influence of fractal diffusion is minimal for these reaction-limited enzymes. Instead, increased association rates and decreased dissociation rates lead to a strong decrease in the effective maximal velocitiesVmaxand the effective Michaelis-Menten constantsKMunder physiologically relevant volume occupancies. Finally, the effects of crowding in the context of a linear pathway were explored, with the finding that crowding can have a redistributing effect, relative to ideal conditions, on the effective flux responses in the case of two-fold enzyme overexpression. We suggest that the presented framework in combination with detailed kinetics models will improve our understanding of enzyme reaction networks under non-ideal conditions.
KRAB Zinc Finger Proteins coordinate across evolutionary time scales to battle retroelements
Authors: Fernandes Jason D , Haeussler Maximilian , Armstrong Joel , Tigyi Kristof , Gu Joshua , Filippi Natalie , Pierce Jessica , Thisner Tiffany , Angulo Paola , Katzman Sol , Paten Benedict , Haussler David , Salama Sofie R
Published: September 2018

KRAB Zinc Finger Proteins (KZNFs) are the largest and fastest evolving family of human transcription factors1,2. The evolution of this protein family is closely linked to the tempo of retrotransposable element (RTE) invasions, with specific KZNF family members demonstrated to transcriptionally repress specific families of RTEs3,4. The competing selective pressures between RTEs and the KZNFs results in evolutionary arms races whereby KZNFs evolve to recognize RTEs, while RTEs evolve to escape KZNF recognition5. Evolutionary analyses of the primate-specific RTE family L1PA and two of its KZNF binders, ZNF93 and ZNF649, reveal specific nucleotide and amino changes consistent with an arms race scenario. Our results suggest a model whereby ZNF649 and ZNF93 worked together to target independent motifs within the L1PA RTE lineage. L1PA elements eventually escaped the concerted action of this KZNF “team” over ∼30 million years through two distinct mechanisms: a slow accumulation of point mutations in the ZNF649 binding site and a rapid, massive deletion of the entire ZNF93 binding site.
Dilithium (citrate) crystals and their relatives
Authors: Cigler Andrew J. , Kaduk James A.
Published: September 2018

New compounds of the type LiMHC6H5O7 (M = Li, Na, K, Rb) have been prepared from the metal carbonates and citric acid in solution. The crystal structures have been solved and refined using laboratory powder X-ray diffraction data, and optimized using density functional techniques. The compounds crystallize in the triclinic space group P-1 and are nearly isostructural. The structures are lamellar, with the layers in the ab plane. The boundaries of the layers consist of hydrophobic methylene groups and very strong intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds. The O...O distances range from 2.666 Å for M = Li to 2.465 Å for M = Rb. The Li—O bonds exhibit significant covalent character, while the heavier M—O bonds are ionic. The Li atoms are four-, five-, or six-coordinate, while the coordination numbers of the larger cations are higher, i.e. eight for Na and nine for K and Rb. The citrate anion occurs in the trans,trans conformation, one of the two low-energy conformations of an isolated citrate anion. The crystal structure of LiRbHC6H5O7·H2O was also solved and refined. It consists of the same layers as in the anhydrous M = Rb compound, with interlayer water molecules and a different hydrogen-bonding pattern.
Novel coupled model for power loss prediction in a record-breaking electric aircraft motor
Authors: Goraj Robert
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to devise an analytical approach to calculate conductor winding losses, considering multiple contributing aspects simultaneously. These include the geometric configuration of coil windings, frequency of the electric current and the dependency on the coil temperature, derived studying a coupled fluid–solid model considering the cooling system characteristics. The obtained results allow identifying power loss trends according to such system variables as coolant inlet temperature or overall flow rate of the motor.

Design/methodology/approach

An easy-to-use coupled analytical approach is applied, which is suitable for rapid estimations of the impact of parameter variation on the resulting conductor winding power losses that facilitates decision-making in the design process of electric aircraft engines.

Findings

In the considered cooling parameters, the overall conductor winding power losses vary approximately between 6 kW and 7.2 kW. More than 95 per cent of this loss is because of direct current losses. These losses cause the variation in maximal coil temperature ranging between 115°C and 170°C.

Practical implications

The SP260D motor is set and was currently tested in Extra 330. It recently broke two world records.

Social implications

One of the current trends in aircraft engineering is electric aircraft. Advantages of electric aircraft include improved manoeuvrability because of greater torque from electric motors, increased safety because of decreased chance of mechanical failure, less risk of explosion or fire in the event of a collision and less noise. There will be environmental and cost benefits associated with the elimination of dependency on fossil fuels and resultant emissions.

Originality/value

The use of a novel fluid–solid interaction model for predicting conductor winding power loss of the SP260D electric aircraft motor has not been done earlier. A novel alternative derivation of the widely applied Dowell’s formula (Dowell, 1966) is presented for the estimation of proximity losses in square winding conductors.
HR’s role in organizational effectiveness
Authors: Vanderpyl Tim H.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

HR leaders need to see their role as one of building and valuing personal networks that bolster their organization’s effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses three primary ways that HR departments can bolster their organization’s effectiveness, namely, harnessing social power, empowering alpha employees, and influencing organizational design.

Findings

These three focuses will give HR leaders’ opportunities to further contribute to the overall effectiveness of the organization.

Originality/value

In the conceptual literature, the author’s own viewpoints and other ideas are weaved together to present a unique perspective on HR’s role in creating effective organizations.
Analysing student perceptions to enhance engagement
Authors: Schaddelee Marjolein , McConnell Christine
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to better understand what helps and hinders the engagement of students in a project-based learning (PjBL) approach as the sole mode of teaching and learning for the entire first year of a Bachelor of Applied Management.

Design/methodology/approach

This study takes an action research approach by investigating the perceptions of students of an interdisciplinary PjBL programme, and then taking action and responding to the students. Students were asked to share their experiences through a series of surveys spanning the first two years of the programme’s introduction.

Findings

Results indicate that there were significant challenges associated with the introduction of a PjBL programme. Students expressed both their positive and negative experiences in relation to working in groups, the way the programme and projects were designed and how the programme was communicated and integrated. The comments and suggestions students made led to a number of recommendations to further improve student engagement and learning outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

The research was conducted at a state-funded tertiary provider located in New Zealand and may not necessarily be applied to other geographical regions or cultures.

Practical implications

The results and recommendations have value for international education in business providers that are interested to introduce or further develop an interdisciplinary PjBL approach.

Social implications

Further understanding of how students may be further engaged has value for a variety of different contexts where engagement and motivation feature as a desired outcome.

Originality/value

This research study contributes to the understanding of how PjBL can be implemented to increase student motivation and engagement, and the insights provided practical suggestions for similar programmes of an interdisciplinary nature.
Feminine futures: female initiation and aspiration in matrilineal Malawi
Authors: Johnson Jessica
Published: September 2018

A vibrant recent literature documents the challenges of achieving social adulthood in the context of economic decline and high youth unemployment in Africa and beyond. Those who have already made this transition, however, tend to reside in the margins of these texts, casting disapproving shadows. This article seeks to redress the balance by focusing on the significant efforts of social adults to shape young girls’ transitions to adult womanhood. In rural Malawi, this takes the form of female initiation rites, which have been adapted to include messages about the importance of formal education and the potential benefits of ‘waithood’. Rather than constituting a problem, delayed marriage is lauded as an alternative to the real social limbo entailed in early marriage and childbearing in a context of widespread poverty. Subtle alterations to initiation rites are thus embraced in an attempt to guide young women towards a more desirable future, at the same time as they are prepared, in moral and practical terms, for lives much like their elders.
Real rates and consumption smoothing in a low interest rate environment: The case of Japan
Authors: Lecznar Jonathon , Lubik Thomas A.
Published: September 2018

We study the dynamics of consumption, the real interest rate and measures of labour input in Japan over the period from 1985 to 2014. We identify structural breaks in macroeconomic aggregates during the 1990s and associate them with the zero interest‐rate policy pursued by the Bank of Japan and the surprise increase in the consumption tax rate in April 1997. Formal estimation using the generalized methods of moments shows that the mid‐1990s are characterized by breaks in the structural parameters governing household consumption and labour supply decisions. Specifically, following the tax hike and during the low nominal rate period, Japanese households became less risk averse and exhibited a higher degree of habit formation.
The effectiveness of refutation with logic vs. indignation in restoring the credibility of and trust in a government organization: A heuristic‐systematic model of crisis communication processing
Authors: Lim Joon Soo
Published: September 2018

Across two experiments, this study examines the relative effectiveness of refutational messages employing different rhetorical modes in mitigating the reputational damage from an activist’s accusation of which validity can be contentious. Experiment 1 reveals that an appeal to logic generates more positive evaluations than an appeal to indignation in the message evaluations of transparency and reliability. Experiment 2 shows that an appeal to logic yields more positive attitude, higher perceptions of credibility and trust in the organization than an appeal to indignation when crisis involvement is high. The results of this study support the theoretical proposition of a dual‐process model of persuasion—individuals’ processing of crisis discourse is greatly affected by their level of involvement with the crisis.
Hospital quality indicators are not unidimensional: A reanalysis of Lieberthal and Comer
Authors: Cefalu Matthew S. , Elliott Marc N. , Setodji Claude M. , Cleary Paul D. , Hays Ron D.
Published: September 2018

Objective

To evaluate the dimensionality of hospital quality indicators treated as unidimensional in a prior publication.

Data Source/Study Design

Pooled cross‐sectional 2010‐2011 Hospital Compare data (10/1/10 and 10/1/11 archives) and the 2012 American Hospital Association Annual Survey.

Data Extraction

We used 71 indicators of structure, process, and outcomes of hospital care in a principal component analysis of Ridit scores to evaluate the dimensionality of the indicators. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis using only the indicators in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Hospital Value‐Based Purchasing.

Principal Findings

There were four underlying dimensions of hospital quality: patient experience, mortality, and two clinical process dimensions.

Conclusions

Hospital quality should be measured using a variety of indicators reflecting different dimensions of quality. Treating hospital quality as unidimensional leads to erroneous conclusions about the performance of different hospitals.
Solute Clearance and Fluid Removal: Large‐Dose Cyclic Tidal Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Hibino Satoshi , Uemura Osamu , Uchida Hiroshi , Majima Hisakazu , Yamaguchi Reiko , Tanaka Kazuki , Kawaguchi Azusa , Yamakawa Satoshi , Fujita Naoya
Published: September 2018

Large‐dose cyclic tidal peritoneal dialysis (TPD) is an original prescription of TPD involving frequent infusion and drainage of the dialysate to increase weekly urea clearance normalized to total body water (Kt/Vurea) and fluid removal. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of solute clearance and fluid removal achieved with large‐dose cyclic TPD compared to that achieved with nightly peritoneal dialysis (NPD). Seventeen patients with end‐stage renal disease, for whom maintenance PD was changed from NPD to large‐dose cyclic TPD, were enrolled. Their median age at administration of PD was 4.9 years. Kt/Vurea and fluid removal were compared between large‐dose cyclic TPD and NPD. The median peritoneal Kt/Vurea achieved with NPD and large‐dose cyclic TPD was 1.5 and 2.7, respectively. The median peritoneal Kt/Vurea per hour with large‐dose cyclic TPD was significantly higher than that with NPD (P = 0.0003). Among nine patients who used dialysates with the same glucose concentration for both NPD and large‐dose cyclic TPD, nightly fluid removal amount per hour with large‐dose cyclic TPD was significantly higher than that with NPD (P = 0.0039). Large‐dose cyclic TPD is a useful prescription of PD for increasing Kt/Vurea and fluid removal.
APEXSENSUN: An Open‐Source Package in R for Sensitivity Analysis and Model Performance Evaluation of APEX
Authors: Talebizadeh Mansour , Moriasi Daniel , Steiner Jean L. , Gowda Prasanna , Tadesse Haile K. , Nelson Amanda M. , Starks Patrick
Published: September 2018

The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model is used to evaluate the impact of different land management strategies associated with water availability, soil and water quality, plant growth, and economics. This article presents APEXSENSUN, an open‐source software package that automates global sensitivity analysis and assists with calibration of the APEX model. APEXSENSUN was developed in R programming language and includes regression‐based, derivative‐based, and variance‐based methods, as well as a regional sensitivity analysis method. Evapotranspiration data measured at a research field located at the United States Department of Agriculture‐Agricultural Research Service Conservation and Production Research Laboratory in Bushland, Texas were utilized to illustrate the main features of APEXSENSUN, which are to identify important parameters and assist with calibration. The results from variance‐based methods were in agreement regarding the ranking of top five sensitive parameters including the soil evaporation‐plant factor, root growth‐soil strength, and the coefficient for adjusting the microbial activity function in the top soil layer. The Fourier amplitude sensitivity testing method required the least number of simulations for calculation of the total‐effect sensitivity indices. The Monte Carlo‐based calibration feature of the package was also tested for calculating the posterior parameter distributions and prediction intervals with a desired level of confidence for output predictions.
Location of stage I–III non‐small cell lung cancer and survival rate: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Lee Hyun Woo , Lee Chang‐Hoon , Park Young Sik
Published: September 2018

Background

The association between the location of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and prognosis is a debated issue. Some studies have provided evidence of better prognosis of upper lobe tumors than lower to middle lobe tumors, while other studies have reported contrasting conclusions. The aim of this study was to further assess this association through a systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Methods

Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched up to 27 January 2017. Patients pathologically diagnosed with stage I–III NSCLC with three or five‐year survival data were included. The main meta‐analysis compared differences in survival rates according to the primary tumor location using the Mantel–Haenszel method with a random effect model. Sensitivity analysis was conducted according to lymph node metastasis, tumor node metastasis stage, staging method, and treatment modality.

Results

Ten clinical studies and 35 570 patients were recruited. Patients with tumors in the upper lobes had a higher rate of five‐year survival compared to those with tumors in non‐upper lobes (odds ratio [OR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15–1.49). Similarly, the three‐year survival rate was high in patients with tumors in the upper lobes (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.02–3.86) and low in those with lower lobe tumors (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.12–0.77).

Conclusions

Stage I–III NSCLC located in the upper lobes showed higher five‐year survival rates compared to other tumor locations.
Laparoscopic decompression of a stricture of the celiac artery caused by the median arcuate ligament in a gastric cancer patient: A case of report
Authors: Asaumi Yoshihide , Sakatoku Mitsuaki , Okamoto Junpei , Hayashi Saki , Ota Naohiro , Yoshida Kouichi , Sugahara Hiroyuki , Tabata Satoshi , Kaneki Masahiro , Ietsugu Kenichi , Kiyohara Kaoru
Published: September 2018

Stricture of the celiac artery caused by the median arcuate ligament induces abdominal ischemic symptoms and aneurysm near the pancreatic head. However, the need to treat asymptomatic patients is unclear. We safely performed surgical decompression of a stricture of the celiac artery by MAL in an asymptomatic patient at the same time as gastrectomy for gastric cancer. After surgery, the stricture of the celiac artery had disappeared as demonstrated by CT scan and 3‐D CT angiography.
Does socially responsible mutual fund performance vary over the business cycle? New insights on the effect of idiosyncratic SR features
Authors: Matallín‐Sáez Juan Carlos , Soler‐Domínguez Amparo , de Mingo‐López Diego Víctor , Tortosa‐Ausina Emili
Published: September 2018

This study analyses the performance and market timing of US socially responsible (SR) mutual funds in relation to business cycle regime shifts and different grouping criteria: Ethical strategy focus, SR attributes scores and Morningstar category. Different methodologies are applied and results highlight the importance of considering specific benchmarks related to the investment style in evaluating the SR fund performance. Our results show that, in aggregate, the abnormal performance of SR funds is negative and significant in expansion periods, but no significant differences are found in recession periods. When specific benchmarks are considered, performance improves in recession periods, particularly for environmental funds, those with high SR attributes scores, and funds from the nine Morningstar style box categories. Market timing of SR funds takes positive values and is partially significant. Previous evidence of negative timing after a recent financial crisis vanishes when specific benchmarks are considered. For comparative purposes the performance of conventional US mutual funds is also analysed. There are no significant differences between the performance of SR and conventional mutual funds when a fair comparison is made within the same style categories. When all the SR funds are considered, they underperform conventional funds in expansion sub‐periods, but in recession sub‐periods they perform better, although the differences observed are not significant.
Balancing social and political strategies in emerging markets: Evidence from India
Authors: Rao‐Nicholson Rekha , Khan Zaheer , Marinova Svetla
Published: September 2018

This article explores the substitution and complementary effects between political and social strategies on firm performance in the context of an emerging market (EM). Using in‐depth, historical case‐study approach, the article investigates how companies integrate political and social resources in this market. Corporate performance includes traditional measures, such as accounting performance and nonfinancial measures like the ease of doing business. The study finds that social strategies are stronger enablers of firm long‐term performance than political strategies. The latter have a short‐term impact on performance, but their success over time is limited. The main drawback of reliance on political resources in EMs is the lack of political stability, fragmented polity, and weak political coalitions. We identify rather limited evidence of firms using these two strategies as complements. Thus, we suggest that firms should employ both these strategies in the EM.