bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use-Dependent Plasticity Enhances Nociceptive and Non-Nociceptive Somatosensory Cortical Responses in Healthy Individuals
Authors: Zamorano A.M. , Kleber B. , Arguissain F. , Vuust P. , Flor H. , Graven-Nielsen T.
Published: October 2020

Repetitive movements and multisensory integration promote use-dependent plasticity, which has been consistently demonstrated using musical training as a model. Prolonged and repeated execution of motor patterns is also a main risk factor for developing pain syndromes, yet the neural underpinnings that link repetitive movements and use-dependent plasticity to abnormal pain processing in humans are unknown. Employing nociceptive and non-nociceptive electrical stimulation to evoke brain responses, we demonstrate that healthy musicians compared to non-musicians show larger non-nociceptive N140 and nociceptive N200 responses, smaller non-nociceptive P200 responses, and faster reaction times (RTs) to both stimuli. Across participants, larger N140 and N200 amplitudes predicted the RTs, whereas amount of daily practice in musicians predicted RTs, non-nociceptive P200, and nociceptive P300 components. These novel findings indicate that the mechanisms by which repetitive sensorimotor training and multimodal integration promote neural plasticity in multisensory neural structures may also increase stimulus-selectivity to nociceptive cues in healthy individuals.
Ser/Thr kinase-dependent phosphorylation of the peptidoglycan hydrolase CwlA controls its export and modulates cell division inClostridioides difficile
Authors: Garcia-Garcia Transito , Poncet Sandrine , Cuenot Elodie , Douché Thibaut , Gianetto Quentin Giai , Peltier Johann , Courtin Pascal , Chapot-Chartier Marie-Pierre , Matondo Mariette , Dupuy Bruno , Candela Thomas , Martin-Verstraete Isabelle
Published: October 2020

Cell growth and division require a balance between synthesis and hydrolysis of the peptidoglycan (PG). Inhibition of PG synthesis or uncontrolled PG hydrolysis can be lethal for the cells, making it imperative to control peptidoglycan hydrolase (PGH) activity. The serine/threonine kinases (STKs) of the Hanks family control cell division and envelope homeostasis, but only a few kinase substrates and associated molecular mechanisms have been identified. In this work, we identified CwlA as the first STK-PrkC substrate in the human pathogenClostridiodes difficileand showed that CwlA is an endopeptidase involved in daughter cell separation. We demonstrated that PrkC-dependent phosphorylation inhibits CwlA export, therefore controlling the hydrolytic activity in the cell wall. High level of CwlA at the cell surface led to cell elongation, whereas low level caused cell separation defects. We thus provided evidence that the STK signaling pathway regulates PGH homeostasis to precisely control PG hydrolysis during cell division.
Morphological and biochemical responses ofSphagnummosses to environmental changes
Authors: Sytiuk Anna , Céréghino Regis , Hamard Samuel , Delarue Frédéric , Dorrepaal Ellen , Küttim Martin , Lamentowicz Mariusz , Pourrut Bertrand , Robroek Bjorn JM , Tuittila Eeva-Stiina , Jassey Vincent E.J.
Published: October 2020

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Background and Aims

Sphagnummosses are vital for peatland carbon (C) sequestration, although vulnerable to environmental changes. For averting environmental stresses such as hydrological changes,Sphagnummosses developed an array of morphological and anatomical peculiarities maximizing their water holding capacity. They also produce plethora of biochemicals that could prevent stresses-induced cell-damages but these chemicals remain poorly studied. We aimed to study how various anatomical, metabolites, and antioxidant enzymes vary according toSphagnumtaxonomy, phylogeny and environmental conditions.

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Methods

We conducted our study in fiveSphagnum-dominated peatlands distributed along a latitudinal gradient in Europe, representing a range of local environmental and climate conditions. We examined the direct and indirect effects of latitudinal changes in climate and vegetation species turnover onSphagnumanatomical (cellular and morphological characteristics) and biochemical (spectroscopical identification of primary and specialized metabolites, pigments and enzymatic activities) traits.

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Key results

We show thatSphagnumtraits were not driven by phylogeny, suggesting that taxonomy and/or environmental conditions prevail on phylogeny in drivingSphagnumtraits variability. We found that moisture conditions were important determinants ofSphagnumanatomical traits, especially those related to water holding capacity. However, the species with the highest water holding capacity also exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity, as showed by the high flavonoid and enzymatic activities in their tissues. Our study further highlighted the importance of vascular plants in drivingSphagnumbiochemical traits. More particularly, we found thatSphagnummosses raises the production of specific compounds such as tannins and polyphenols known to reduce vascular plant capacity when herbaceous cover increases.

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Conclusions

Our findings show thatSphagnumanatomical and biochemical traits underpinSphagnumniche differentiation through their role in specialization towards biotic stressors, such as plant competitors, and abiotic stressors, such as hydrological changes, which are important factors governingSphagnumgrowth.
Identification of bona fide B2 SINE retrotransposon transcription through single-nucleus RNA-seq of the mouse hippocampus
Authors: Linker Sara B. , Randolph-Moore Lynne , Kottilil Kalyani , Qiu Fan , Jaeger Baptiste N. , Barron Jerika , Gage Fred H.
Published: October 2020

Currently, researchers rely on generalized methods to quantify transposable element (TE) RNA expression, such as RT-qPCR and RNA-seq, that do not distinguish between TEs expressed from their own promoter (bona fide) and TEs that are transcribed from a neighboring gene promoter such as within an intron or exon. This distinction is important owing to the differing functional roles of TEs depending on whether they are independently transcribed. Here we report a simple strategy to examine bona fide TE expression, termed BonaFide-TEseq. This approach can be used with any template-switch based library such as Smart-seq2 or the single-cell 5′ gene expression kit from 10x, extending its utility to single-cell RNA-sequencing. This approach does not require TE-specific enrichment, enabling the simultaneous examination of TEs and protein-coding genes. We show that TEs identified through BonaFide-TEseq are expressed from their own promoter, rather than captured as internal products of genes. We reveal the utility of BonaFide-TEseq in the analysis of single-cell data and show that short-interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) show cell type–specific expression profiles in the mouse hippocampus. We further show that, in response to a brief exposure of home-cage mice to a novel stimulus, SINEs are activated in dentate granule neurons in a time course that is similar to that of protein-coding immediate early genes. This work provides a simple alternative approach to assess bona fide TE transcription at single-cell resolution and provides a proof-of-concept using this method to identify SINE activation in a context that is relevant for normal learning and memory.
Chitoporin fromSerratia marcescens: recombinant expression, purification and crystallization
Authors: Amornloetwattana Rawiporn , Robinson Robert C. , Soysa Hannadige Sasimali Madusanka , van den Berg Bert , Suginta Wipa
Published: October 2020

Serratia marcescensis an opportunistic pathogen that commonly causes hospital-acquired infections and can utilize chitin-enriched nutrients as an alternative energy source. This study reports the identification of a chitoporin (ChiP), termedSmChiP, from the outer membrane ofS. marcescens. Sequence alignment with genetically characterized ChiPs suggests thatSmChiP is more closely related to the monomericEcChiP fromEscherichia colithan to the trimericVhChiP fromVibrio campbellii. A single crystal ofSmChiP grown under the condition 22%(w/v) PEG 8000, 0.1 Mcalcium acetate, 0.1 MMES pH 6.0 diffracted X-ray synchrotron radiation to 1.85 Å resolution.SmChiP co-crystallized with chitohexaose under the condition 19%(w/v) PEG 1500, 2 Mammonium phosphate monobasic, 0.1 MHEPES pH 7.0 diffracted X-rays to 2.70 Å resolution. Preliminary crystallographic analysis shows that bothSmChiP crystal forms contain one molecule per asymmetric unit and that they belong to the tetragonal space groupsP42212 andP41212, respectively. TheSmChiP crystal has unit-cell parametersa= 82.97,b= 82.97,c= 189.53 Å, α = β = γ = 90°, while the crystal ofSmChiP in complex with chitohexaose has unit-cell parametersa = 73.24,b= 73.24,c= 213.46 Å, α = β = γ = 90°. Initial assessment of the complex structure clearly revealed electron density for the sugar ligand. Structure determination ofSmChiP in the absence and presence of chitohexaose should reveal the molecular basis of chitin utilization byS. marcescens.
Algorithms for target transformations of lattice basis vectors
Authors: Gorfman Semën
Published: October 2020

Simple algorithms are proposed for the transformation of lattice basis vectors to a specific target. In the first case, one of the new basis vectors is aligned to a predefined lattice direction, while in the second case, two of the new basis vectors are brought to a lattice plane with predefined Miller indices. The multi-dimensional generalization of the algorithm is available in the supporting materials. The algorithms are useful for such crystallographic operations as simulation of zone planes (i.e.geometry of electron diffraction patterns) or transformation of a unit cell for surface or cleavage energy calculations. The most general multi-dimensional version of the algorithm may be useful for the analysis of quasiperiodic crystals or as an alternative method of calculating Bézout coefficients. The algorithms are demonstrated both graphically and numerically.
Application of ESG measures for gender diversity and equality at the organizational level in a Korean context
Authors: Cho Yonjoo , Kim Sehoon , You Jieun , Moon Hanna , Sung Hyoyong
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Global gender diversity and equality indexes have been developed to promote gender diversity and equality at the country level, but it is difficult to see how those indexes are applied to organizations on a daily basis. The purpose of this study is to examine the application of environmental, social and governance (ESG) measures for gender diversity and equality at the organizational level in a Korean context.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the institutional theory, the authors reviewed ESG measures for gender diversity and equality of women funds in four countries (USA, Canada, UK and Japan) and examinedThe Women Fundin Korea through document analysis and interviews.

Findings

ESG measures in four countries’ women funds mainly assessed the percentage of women in the workforce, on boards and in leadership positions. InThe Women Fund, gender diversity indicators consider the ratio of female to male employees, while gender equality indicators take into account gaps of male and female salaries and positions. This study’s impact analysis indicates that the companies invested in byThe Women Fundhad higher return on assets and return on equity than those without the fund.

Research limitations/implications

Although women funds explored in this study exemplify the use of ESG measures to apply global gender diversity and equality indexes at the organizational level, research is needed to examine ESG measures and women funds and their associations. Possible topics include what needs to be measured in ESG, who should be involved, how ESG measures should be applied, what outcomes of using ESG measures would ensue in organizations and how ESG measures relate to regional and global gender diversity.

Practical implications

In promoting ESG measures that apply global gender diversity and equality at the organizational level, human resource development practitioners, as change agents, can help organizations develop socially responsible and ethical behaviors and transform organizational culture, practice and systems, which may influence organizations’ long-term survival and development as well as financial performance.

Social implications

As the government’s support and policies guide and drive firms to develop and implement initiatives and programs, the launch and implementation of gender diversity and equality at the organizational level in the form of women funds require a certain level of collaboration between the government and the private sector.

Originality/value

This study on the application of ESG measures for global gender diversity and equality at the organizational level in the form of women funds is timely to engage organizations in dialogue regarding what needs to be done to promote women’s participation and leadership roles in organizations in Korea and other countries.
Capturing the psychological well-being of Chinese factory workers
Authors: Bellingan Minette , Tilley Catherine , Batista Luciano , Kumar Mukesh , Evans Steve
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Businesses are under pressure to ensure social responsibility in their globalised supply chains. However, conventional factory audits are not providing adequate data about production workers’ well-being. Industry attempts to measure working conditions have shown bias and inconsistency, and there is no consensus on what to measure, or how. Well-being can be intangible and difficult to capture without appropriate theoretical and methodological frameworks. This paper investigates factors influencing the well-being of a Chinese factory’s workers, tests an innovative research method, and proposes interventions to improve well-being in factories.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a longitudinal study using the diaries of production workers at a large assembly manufacturing site in China. Workers left daily digital voice diaries about their day, which were analysed to identify factors related to their well-being at work.

Findings

The picture is more complex than the concerned Western narrative suggests. Workers’ personal and professional concerns extend beyond the criteria currently measured in audits, tending to be more relational and less about their physical state.

Practical implications

The current approach of auditing management practices neglects workers’ well-being. This study offers a more comprehensive view of well-being and tests a new method of investigation.

Originality/value

This is the first study to use diary methods in a Chinese factory. It addresses an issue supported by little empirical evidence. It is the first longitudinal study to hear from factory workers themselves about how they are and what impacts their well-being daily.
Entrepreneurial women in the wine industry: a study in emerging economies
Authors: Duarte Alonso Abel , Kok Seng , Galbreath Jeremy
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate about women involved in the wine industry of emerging economies, including their journey, perceived progression in the industry, their impact and required characteristics to adapt to this industry. Because of its significance in the context of this research, social cognitive theory (SCT) will be adopted.

Design/methodology/approach

Face-to-face, in-depth on-site interviews were conducted with 15 female winery owners and managers in three separate South American wine regions.

Findings

While overall participants recognised persistent barriers for women to work in the wine industry, they also acknowledged increased opportunities for females, which have led to stronger roles for women. Importantly, sensitivity, by being detail-oriented in service encounters while practicing subtlety in winemaking, was revealed as a key differentiating trait. Further, fundamental tenets of SCT, particularly self-efficacy, became apparent when participants reflected on their own journeys, as well as on how future female entrants could successfully adapt to the wine industry.

Originality/value

The study draws on SCT’s underpinnings to examine an under-researched area, notably, the journey of entrepreneurial women in the wine industry of emerging economies. Apart from the gathered empirical evidence concerning such a journey, a proposed framework extends SCT, thereby highlighting the role of self-efficacy, a determinant factor in enhancing women’s presence and involvement in the wine industry. This presence is closely linked to women’s progression and journey in the industry, where determination contributes to their adaptation, learning and accumulation of knowledge, with important implications for their future and the future of other female entrants.
Exploring the listener scheme in a women’s prison: the importance of a gendered approach to peer support for women who self-harm in custody
Authors: Griffiths Louise , Bailey Di , Slade Karen
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Without exception, research on the contribution of the Prison Listener Scheme as a form of peer support for those who self-harm in custody has focussed on men in prison. Women’s experience of custody is shaped by their experiences of hegemonic masculinity that also mediate through women’s roles as mothers and caregivers. Women’s self-harm is similarly influenced by these gendered experiences. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the Listener Scheme as a form of peer-to-peer support for women contributes to women managing their self-harm in a female prison.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper used a case study design with a mixed-methods approach using a quantitative questionnaire with prison staff (n = 65) and women in custody who had self-harmed (n = 30). Qualitative methods included a focus group with Prison Listeners (n10) and semi-structured interviews with women who self-harm (n10) and prison staff (n10). Four days were also spent observing the prison environment.

Findings

Findings suggest that women seek support from other women as peer Listeners for three main reasons; their previous difficult experiences with men, a displacement of the mother role and their attachment needs in custody. Research suggests that women often have significant addictions and mental health concerns and are more likely than their male counterparts to engage in self-harm (Prison Reform Trust, 2017). In addition, women’s self-harm acts as a coping method for “intrapersonal issues” which documents self-harm as a result of frustration and lack of control in custody as opposed to “interpersonal issues” which documents self-harm as a result of relationship difficulties with partners (Walker et al., 2017). This paper suggests that peer support schemes internationally should be tailored to providing support for these types of gendered experience to support women who self-harm in custody. This has implications for the training and support of Listeners in women’s prisons.

Research limitations/implications

This exploratory research was conducted in one female prison and while can be considered to test proof of concept is limited in its generalisability.

Originality/value

This paper suggests that Listeners providing peer-to-peer support for women in custody who self-harm may encounter triggers for this behaviour based on women’s experiences including; how women relate to men; women’s experience of the way custody displaces their role as mothers and women’s need for safe attachments in custody. These gendered experiences have implications for the training and development of peer support schemes in women’s prisons, such as the Listener scheme. Further research is needed to compare the gendered types of support Prison Listeners provide depending on whether they are in male or female prisons.
HR practices and counterproductive behaviors: a meta-ethnographic study
Authors: Shaffer Jonathan , Darnold Todd
Published: October 2020

Purpose

Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and the norm of reciprocity, this paper examines the relationship between high-performance human resources practices (HPHRPs) and employee counterproductive work behavior (CWB), and whether HPHRP interact with coercive control systems to predict these outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Using meta-ethnographic data collected from 149 organizational ethnographies, the authors test the hypotheses that (a) HPHRP are negatively related to CWB and (b) HPHRP and coercive control interact such that the relationship between HPHRP and CWB is weaker when coercive control is high.

Findings

The analysis finds that HPHRP and coercive control interacted such that HPHRP was negatively associated with CWB, but only when coercive control was low. When coercive control was high, the relationship between HPHRP was negated.

Practical implications

The results suggest that HPHRP are negatively related to counterproductive behaviors; but when coercive control systems are strong, the potential benefits of HPHRP in terms of reducing CWB may be lost.

Originality/value

This study examines the relationship between HPHRP and a comprehensive set of CWB. By examining the interaction between HPHRP and coercive control, the authors add to literature demonstrating that the effects of HPHRP may be dependent on an organization’s operational strategy. Finally, our use of meta-ethnographic data offers a methodological approach that may increase the generalizability of our findings.
Better than Orgasm: Sex, Authenticity and Intimacy in the New Women's Movement in Norway
Authors: Hellesund Tone
Published: October 2020

Authenticity and intimacy have become key expectations in contemporary romantic relationships. At the same time, it is taken for granted that sex forms a part of such relationships. This article explores how the relationship between sex, authenticity and intimacy was written about and negotiated in the Norwegian community of lesbian radical feminists in the 1970s and 1980s. The construction of male sexuality as fundamentally and inherently different from female sexuality in the periodicals of the lesbian movement made thinking and writing about women's sexual desire and genital sex difficult. This article further argues that the concept of genital sex potentially conflicted with the notions of authenticity and intimacy pursued by the lesbian radical feminist community. While authenticity and intimacy were constructed as preferable companions to sex in the New Left and in large parts of the women's movement, the Norwegian lesbian radical feminists often constructed authenticity and intimacy in opposition to genital sex.
Failure of Condition or Implied Term?
Authors: Pilkington Timothy
Published: October 2020

In Barton v Gwyn‐Jones the Court of Appeal considered the remedies available to a service provider who performed services pursuant to a contract that expressly stated that they were entitled to payment of a specified sum if the services led to a particular result, but did not expressly state whether the service provider was entitled to payment if the services failed to lead to that result. This note argues that the best explanation of the remedy awarded by the Court of Appeal is restitution for a ‘failure of condition’. It is further argued, although more tentatively, that the restitutionary award was probably not inconsistent with the parties’ contractual allocation of risk.
Spoilage‐related microbiota in fish and crustaceans during storage: Research progress and future trends
Authors: Zhuang Shuai , Hong Hui , Zhang Longteng , Luo Yongkang
Published: October 2020

Fish and crustaceans are highly perishable due to microbial growth and metabolism. Recent studies found that the spoilage process of fish and crustaceans is highly related to their microbiota composition. Microbiota of fish and crustaceans changes dramatically during storage and can be influenced by many factors (e.g., aquaculture environment, handling process, storage temperature, and various quality control techniques). Among them, many quality control techniques have exhibited efficient effects on inhibiting spoilage bacteria, regulating microbiota composition, and retarding quality deterioration. In this article, we elucidate the relationship between microbiota composition and fish/crustacean spoilage, demonstrate influencing factors of fish/crustaceans microbiota, and review various quality control techniques (especially plant‐derived preservatives) including their preservative effects on microbiota and quality of fish and crustaceans. Besides, present and future trends of various detective methods used in microbiota analysis are also compared in this review, so as to provide guides for future microbiota studies. To conclude, novel preservation techniques (especially plant‐derived preservatives) and hurdle technologies are expected to achieve comprehensive inhibitory effects on spoilage bacteria. Efficient delivery systems are promising in improving the compatibility of plant‐derived preservatives with fish/crustaceans and enhancing their preservative effects. Besides, spoilage mechanisms of fishery products that involve complex metabolisms and microbial interactions need to be further elucidated, by using omics technologies like metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics.
Jacobian Mapping Reveals Converging Brain Substrates of Disruption and Repair in Response to Ethanol Exposure and Abstinence in 2 Strains of Rats
Authors: Zhao Qingyu , Pohl Kilian M. , Sullivan Edith V. , Pfefferbaum Adolf , Zahr Natalie M.
Published: October 2020

Background

In a previous study using Jacobian mapping to evaluate the morphological effects on the brain of binge (4‐day) intragastric ethanol (EtOH) on wild‐type Wistar rats, we reported reversible thalamic shrinkage and lateral ventricular enlargement, but persistent superior and inferior colliculi shrinkage in response to binge EtOH treatment.

Methods

Herein, we used similar voxel‐based comparisons of Magnetic Resonance Images collected in EtOH‐exposed relative to control animals to test the hypothesis that regardless of the intoxication protocol or the rat strain, the hippocampi, thalami, and colliculi would be affected.

Results

Two experiments [binge (4‐day) intragastric EtOH in Fisher 344 rats and chronic (1‐month) vaporized EtOH in Wistar rats] showed similarly affected brain regions including retrosplenial and cingulate cortices, dorsal hippocampi, central and ventroposterior thalami, superior and inferior colliculi, periaqueductal gray, and corpus callosum. While most of these regions showed significant recovery, volumes of the colliculi and periaqueductal gray continued to show response to each proximal EtOH exposure but at diminished levels with repeated cycles.

Conclusions

Given the high metabolic rate of these enduringly affected regions, the current findings suggest that EtOH per se may affect cellular respiration leading to brain volume deficits. Further, responsivity greatly diminished likely reflecting neuroadaptation to repeated alcohol exposure. In summary, this unbiased, in vivo‐based approach demonstrating convergent brain systems responsive to 2 EtOH exposure protocols in 2 rat strains highlights regions that warrant further investigation in both animal models of alcoholism and in humans with alcohol use disorder.
Intoxication Effects on Impulsive Alcohol Choice in Heavy Drinkers: Correlation With Sensation Seeking and Differential Effects by Commodity
Authors: Oberlin Brandon G. , Carron Claire R. , Ramer Nolan E. , Plawecki Martin H. , O’Connor Sean J. , Kareken David A.
Published: October 2020

Background

The preference for immediate rewards and high sensation seeking are both potent risk factors for alcohol use disorder (AUD), but how they interact during intoxication is poorly understood. To model decision making linked to AUD risk, we tested heavy drinkers for impulsive choice (delay discounting with alcohol:money or money:money) and behavioral sensation seeking using a novel odor choice task. Laboratory tasks measured actual behavior with real contingencies. Our goals were to determine, in heavy drinkers, (i) alcohol’s effects on delay discounting, and (ii) how AUD risk factors relate to delay discounting, and (iii) how delay discounting with alcohol choices compares with strictly monetary choices.

Methods

Thirty‐five heavy drinkers (≥2 binges per month; age = 22.8 ± 2.2; 20 male; 5.8 ± 2.3 drinks/drinking day) performed cross‐commodity discounting (CCD) of immediate alcohol vs. delayed money, a monetary delay discounting (DD), and behavioral sensation‐seeking tasks. CCD and DD were performed while sober and during controlled alcohol infusion targeting 0.08 g/dl. The behavioral sensation‐seeking task presented binary choices of odorants varying in intensity and novelty, and the risk of exposure to a malodorant.

Results

CCD and DD behaviors were highly correlated across conditions, mean r = 0.64. Alcohol increased delayed reward preference in DD, p = 0.001, but did not alter mean CCD, p > 0.16. However, alcohol‐induced changes in CCD correlated with behavioral sensation seeking, such that higher sensation seekers’ immediate alcohol preference increased when intoxicated, p = 0.042; self‐reported sensation seeking was uncorrelated, ps > 0.08. Behavioral sensation seeking also correlated with “want” alcohol following a priming dose targeting 0.035 g/dl, p = 0.021. CCD and DD did not correlate with self‐reported drinking problems or other personality risk traits.

Conclusions

Alcohol increased impulsive alcohol choice in high sensation seekers, suggesting an interaction that may underlie impaired control of drinking, at least in a subset of heavy drinkers—consistent with models highlighting high novelty/sensation‐seeking AUD subtypes. Discounting behavior overall appears to be a generalized process, and relatively stable across methods, repeated testing, and intoxication. These findings further support the utility of behavioral tasks in uncovering key behavioral phenotypes in AUD.
The choice of financial advisory and independent expert services in takeovers: evidence in a setting where the services are independent
Authors: Bedford Anna , Bugeja Martin , Grosse Matthew
Published: October 2020

This study investigates the choice to obtain both financial advisory services and independent expert opinions during takeovers in Australia where these services are provided by independent firms. We find the use of both services increases when the target firm is offered a lower initial premium. We also document that engaging both services benefits target firm shareholders through a higher probability of a price revision and a greater likelihood of deal success. The results are robust to controlling for selection bias and suggest the use of both independent experts and financial advisors only adds value when different firms provide these services.
Applying Bayesian cognitive models to decisions to drive after drinking
Authors: McCarthy Denis M. , McCarty Kayleigh N. , Hatz Laura E. , Prestigiacomo Christiana J. , Park Sanghyuk , Davis‐Stober Clintin P.
Published: October 2020

Background and aims

Despite widespread negative perceptions, the prevalence of alcohol‐impaired driving (AID) in the United States remains unacceptably high. This study used a novel decision task to evaluate whether individuals considered both ride service cost and alcohol consumption level when deciding whether or not to drive, and whether the resulting strategy was associated with engagement in AID.

Design

A two‐sample study, where sample 1 developed a novel AID decision task to classify participants by decision strategy. Sample 2 was used to cross‐validate the task and examine whether decision strategy classifications were predictive of prior reported AID behavior.

Setting

A laboratory setting at the University of Missouri, USA.

Participants

Sample 1 included 38 student participants from introductory psychology classes at the University of Missouri. Sample 2 included 67 young adult participants recruited from the local community.

Measurements

We developed a decision task that presented hypothetical drinking scenarios that varied in quantity of alcohol consumption (one to six drinks) and the cost of a ride service ($5–25). We applied a Bayesian computational model to classify choices as consistent with either: integrating both ride cost and consumption level (compensatory) or considering only consumption level (non‐compensatory) when making hypothetical AID decisions. In sample 2, we assessed established AID risk factors (sex, recent alcohol consumption, perceived safe limit) and recent (past 3 months) engagement in AID.

Findings

In sample 1, the majority of participants were classified as using decision strategies consistent with either a compensatory or non‐compensatory process. Results from sample 2 replicated the overall classification rate and demonstrated that participants who used a compensatory strategy were more likely to report recent AID, even after accounting for study covariates.

Conclusions

In a hypothetical alcohol‐impaired driving (AID) decision task, individuals who considered both consumption level and ride service cost were more likely to report recent AID than those who made decisions based entirely on consumption level.
Effect of initial treatment on health‐related quality of life in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma without immediate stem cell transplant intent: results from the Connect® MM Registry
Authors: Abonour Rafat , Rifkin Robert M. , Gasparetto Cristina , Toomey Kathleen , Durie Brian G. M. , Hardin James W. , Terebelo Howard R. , Jagannath Sundar , Narang Mohit , Ailawadhi Sikander , Omel James L. , Lee Hans C. , Srinivasan Shankar , Kitali Amani , Agarwal Amit , Wagner Lynne ,   the CONNECT MM Registry Investigators
Published: October 2020

Although new multiple myeloma (MM) therapies are effective in alleviating some disease‐associated symptoms (e.g. bone pain, fatigue, functional decline), they can result in additional toxicities, further impacting health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). Here, we compared HRQoL and safety of lenalidomide‐bortezomib‐dexamethasone [RVd (n = 445)], bortezomib‐melphalan‐prednisone [VMP (n = 77)] and Vd or VMP (n = 588) in patients with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) from the Connect® MM Registry, a large, USA, multicentre, prospective observational cohort study. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐Multiple Myeloma subscale, EuroQol‐5D overall score and Bone Pain Inventory HRQoL scores were significantly improved with RVd versus Vd/VMP. Serious adverse event rates were similar in all groups. Treatment with RVd maintained HRQoL in this real‐world, largely community‐based population of patients with NDMM.
Phenotypic characters of static homology increase phylogenetic stability under direct optimization of otherwise dynamic homology characters
Authors: Lehtonen Samuli
Published: October 2020

Direct optimization of unaligned sequence characters provides a natural framework to explore the sensitivity of phylogenetic hypotheses to variation in analytical parameters. Phenotypic data, when combined into such analyses, are typically analyzed with static homology correspondences unlike the dynamic homology sequence data. Static homology characters may be expected to constrain the direct optimization and thus, potentially increase the similarity of phylogenetic hypotheses under different cost sets. However, whether a total‐evidence approach increases the phylogenetic stability or not remains empirically largely unexplored. Here, I studied the impact of static homology data on sensitivity using six empirical data sets composed of several molecular markers and phenotypic data. The inclusion of static homology phenotypic data increased the average stability of phylogenetic hypothesis in five out of the six data sets. To investigate if any static homology characters would have similar effect, the analyses were repeated with randomized phenotypic data, and with one of the molecular markers fixed as static homology characters. These analyses had, on average, almost no effect on the phylogenetic stability, although the randomized phenotypic data sometimes resulted in even higher stability than empirical phenotypic data. The impact was related to the strength of the phylogenetic signal in the phenotypic data: higher average jackknife support of the phenotypic tree correlated with stronger stabilizing effect in the total‐evidence analysis. Phenotypic data with a strong signal made the total‐evidence trees topologically more similar to the phenotypic trees, thus, they constrained the dynamic homology correspondences of the sequence data. Characters that increase phylogenetic stability are particularly valuable for phylogenetic inference. These results indicate an important role and additive value of phenotypic data in increasing the stability of phylogenetic hypotheses in total‐evidence analyses.
The importance of the socio‐ecological approach to conceptualizing intellectual disability
Authors: Alveirinho Correia Raquel
Published: October 2020

This commentary is on the original article by Williams et al. on pages 89–96 of this issue.
Antidiabetic medication use in commercially insured children and adolescents in the United States from 2004 to 2019
Authors: Sun Jenny W. , Hernández‐Díaz Sonia , Bourgeois Florence T. , Haneuse Sebastien , Brill Gregory , Bateman Brian T. , Huybrechts Krista F.
Published: October 2020

Aim

To describe the patterns of non‐insulin antidiabetic medication use, initiation and adherence in the paediatric population.

Methods

We conducted a descriptive study of non‐insulin antidiabetic medication use in children and adolescents (aged 10‐18 years) using real‐world data from a nationwide US commercial claims database (January 2004–September 2019). Trends in the prevalence of non‐insulin antidiabetic medication use overall and by class were evaluated. Among new users of non‐insulin antidiabetic agents, medication adherence was examined using group‐based trajectory models.

Results

In a cohort of more than 1 million paediatric patients, the prevalence of any non‐insulin antidiabetic medication use was 75.7 per 100 000 patients in 2004 and more than doubled to 162.0 per 100 000 in 2019. Biguanides (metformin) was by far the most widely used medication class. The use of newer classes was low (<10 per 100 000), but there was an uptake in the use of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists after liraglutide received paediatric approval in 2019. Medication adherence was poor during the 18 months after treatment initiation: 79.6% of initiators experienced an early treatment interruption (median time to interruption: 90 days among metformin monotherapy initiators) and 21% of initiators did not return for a prescription refill after the first month.

Conclusions

There was a substantial increase in non‐insulin antidiabetic medication use among commercially insured paediatric patients from 2004 to 2019. Nearly all patients were treated with metformin, while the use of newer agents remained low. Despite the increase in medication use, short treatment episodes were observed, even among patients with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, raising concern over poor adherence.
Building clinical risk score systems for predicting the all‐cause and expanded cardiovascular‐specific mortality of patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Liu Chiu‐Shong , Li Chia‐Ing , Wang Mu‐Cyun , Yang Sing‐Yu , Li Tsai‐Chung , Lin Cheng‐Chieh
Published: October 2020

Aim

To develop and validate risk score systems by examining the effects of glycaemic and blood pressure variabilities on the all‐cause and expanded cardiovascular‐specific mortality of people with type 2 diabetes.

Materials and methods

This retrospective cohort study consisted of 9692 patients aged 30‐85 years, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and enrolled in a managed care programme of a medical centre from 2002 to 2016. All the patients were randomly allocated into two groups, namely, training and validation sets (2:1 ratio), and followed up until death or August 2019. Cox's proportional hazard regression was performed to develop all‐cause and expanded cardiovascular‐specific mortality prediction models. The performance of the prediction model was assessed by using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC).

Results

Overall, 2036 deaths were identified after a mean of 8.6 years of follow‐up. The AUROC‐measured prediction accuracies of 3‐, 5‐, 10‐ and 15‐year all‐cause mortalities based on a model containing the identified traditional risk factors, biomarkers and variabilities in fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c and blood pressure in the validation set were 0.79 (0.76‐0.83), 0.78 (0.76‐0.81), 0.80 (0.78‐0.82) and 0.80 (0.78‐0.82), respectively. The corresponding values of the expanded cardiovascular‐specific mortalities were 0.85 (0.80‐0.90), 0.83 (0.79‐0.86), 0.80 (0.77‐0.83) and 0.79 (0.77‐0.82), respectively.

Conclusions

Our prediction models considering glycaemic and blood pressure variabilities had good prediction accuracy for the expanded cardiovascular‐specific and all‐cause mortalities of patients with type 2 diabetes.
A tale of two gravities*
Authors: Bowman Jason H. , Chen Xiaoping , Li Ben G.
Published: October 2020

The flows of traded goods across countries are known to follow a gravity pattern: Their volumes are greater between countries that are larger in size and closer to each other. We find a similar pattern in the flows of territories across countries between 1870 and 2008. During this period, countries experienced inflows and outflows of territories, mirroring the international flows of goods. We find three other pieces of critical evidence supporting that the two flows interact through similar economic motives. Our findings illustrate the usefulness of international trade models for understanding international politics.
Quarantining behaviour in ants: are Myrmica aphid milkers able to detect and get rid of fungus‐contaminated aphids?
Authors: Novgorodova Tatiana A.
Published: October 2020

Fungal infections are highly dangerous for social insects including ants. Close trophobiotic interaction between ants and aphids promotes infection transmission, as aphids can be a disease vector. The ability of ants to detect fungus‐infected aphids and get rid of them is important to the prosperity of both symbiotic partners. However, the diversity of quarantining behaviour among ants is still poorly studied. Here, the behaviour of honeydew foragers of two ant species – Myrmica rubra L. and Myrmica scabrinodis Nylander (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Myrmicinae, Myrmicini) – was studied in laboratory towards Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Hemiptera: Aphididae, Aphidini) aphids contaminated with the generalist fungal pathogen Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo‐Crivelli) Vuillemin (Hypocreales). This fungus attacks a wide range of hosts including aphids and ants. The removal of conidia‐contaminated aphids from the host plant was found not to be typical of the ants studied. Aphid milkers of M. rubra and M. scabrinodis usually displayed non‐aggressive behaviour (tolerance, antennation, honeydew collection, grooming) towards the experimental aphids regardless of whether they were covered with conidia or not. Neither ant species, nor the number of milkers had significant effects on their behaviour towards ‘infected’ aphids. However, some individuals were found to demonstrate quarantining behaviour in full. They quickly detected and removed contaminated aphids, placing them at some distance from the plant. Moreover, in addition to the simple carrying of ‘infected’ aphids down, the more effective technique of dropping them from the plant was noted as well. Ants of the genus Myrmica appear to have a tendency to perform a certain sequence of actions to remove conidia‐contaminated aphids from the plant. It is likely that in larger colonies or under conditions of increased risk of infection with entomopathogenic fungi, some Myrmica ants are able to deploy and actively use the behavioural pattern of quarantining behaviour to increase their viability.
Contrast sensitivity deficits in schizophrenia: A psychophysical investigation
Authors: Zemon Vance , Herrera Shaynna , Gordon James , Revheim Nadine , Silipo Gail , Butler Pamela D.
Published: October 2020

Individuals with schizophrenia have problems with visual contrast processing. The current study investigated contrast sensitivity (CS) in schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder to elucidate the underlying neural mechanisms affected by this disorder and to identify critical testing conditions that distinguish individuals with the disorder from healthy individuals. Principal component analysis was applied to the data (N = 143) to separate responses from distinct visual pathways. Participants were 68 patients and 75 age‐similar controls. CS was obtained using a forced‐choice psychophysical paradigm with grating patterns of low to high spatial frequency presented at short and long durations. Linear mixed‐effects models were used to examine differences in log CS with respect to group, duration, and stimulus condition. Lower CSs were found in patients compared to controls over all stimulus conditions with the magnitude of deficits dependent on both spatial frequency and stimulus duration. Log CSs to low and high spatial frequencies loaded onto separate principal components, supporting the existence of two psychophysical mechanisms, transient and sustained. Critical conditions were identified to tap each mechanism. Visual acuity was correlated moderately with log CS to high, but not low, spatial frequencies, and deficits found for acuity and CS to moderate/high spatial frequencies (4–21 cycles/degree) appear to reflect dysfunction in the sustained mechanism. CS deficits found at the lowest spatial frequency tested (0.5 cycles/degree) appear to reflect dysfunction in the transient mechanism. Both types of CS deficits may have diagnostic value and implications for social and neurocognitive deficits in this disorder.
Invasive freshwater snails form novel microbial relationships
Authors: Bankers Laura , Dahan Dylan , Neiman Maurine , Adrian‐Tucci Claire , Frost Crystal , Hurst Gregory D. D. , King Kayla C.
Published: October 2020

Resident microbes (microbiota) can shape host organismal function and adaptation in the face of environmental change. Invasion of new habitats exposes hosts to novel selection pressures, but little is known about the impact on microbiota and the host–microbiome relationship (e.g., how rapidly new microbial associations are formed, whether microbes influence invasion success). We used high‐throughput 16S rRNA sequencing of New Zealand (native) and European (invasive) populations of the freshwater snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum and found that while invaders do carry over some core microbial taxa from New Zealand, their microbial community is largely distinct. This finding highlights that invasions can result in the formation of novel host–microbiome relationships. We further show that the native microbiome is composed of fewer core microbes than the microbiome of invasive snails, suggesting that the microbiota is streamlined to a narrower set of core members. Furthermore, native snails exhibit relatively low alpha diversity but high inter‐individual variation, whereas invasive snails have higher alpha diversity but are relatively similar to each other. Together, our findings demonstrate that microbiota comparisons across native and invasive populations can reveal the impact of a long coevolutionary history and specialization of microbes in the native host range, as well as new associations occurring after invasion. We lay essential groundwork for understanding how microbial relationships affect invasion success and how microbes may be utilized in the control of invasive hosts.