bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MTOR promotes basal cell carcinoma growth through atypical PKC
Authors: Chow Rachel Y. , Levee Taylor M. , Kaur Gurleen , Cedeno Daniel P. , Doan Linda T. , Atwood Scott X.
Published: August 2020

Advanced basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are driven by the Hedgehog (HH) pathway and often possess inherent resistance to SMO inhibitors. Identifying and targeting pathways that bypass SMO could provide alternative treatments. Here, we use a combination of RNA-sequencing analysis of advanced BCC tumor-normal pairs and immunostaining of human and mouse BCC samples to identify an MTOR signature in BCC. Pharmacological inhibition of MTOR activity in BCC cells significantly reduces cell proliferation without affecting HH signaling. Similarly, treatment ofPtch1fl/fl;Gli1-CreERT2mice with everolimus reduces tumor growth and aPKC activity, suggesting that MTOR promotes tumor growth by activating aPKC and demonstrating that suppressing MTOR could be a promising target for BCC patients.
Low Physiological Arousal in Mental Fatigue: Analysis of Heart Rate Variability during Time-on-task, Recovery, and Reactivity
Authors: Matuz András , van der Linden Dimitri , Kisander Zsolt , Hernádi István , Kázmér Karádi , Csathó Árpád
Published: August 2020

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has been suggested as a useful tool to assess fatigue-sensitive psychological operations. The present study uses between and within-subject design to examine the temporal profile of HRV including the changes related to reactivity, time-on-task (ToT), and recovery on a cognitively demanding task. In the fatigue group, participants worked on a bimodal 2-back task with a game-like character (the gatekeeper task) for about 1.5 hours, followed by a 12-minute break, and a post-break block of performance (about 18 min). In the control group, participants watched documentaries. We hypothesized that mental fatigue is associated with low physiological arousal and increasing vagal-mediated HRV as a function of ToT. We also analysed the trial-based post-response cardiac activity as a physiological indicator of task-related motivation. Relative to the control, ToT was associated with an elevated level of subjective fatigue, decreased heart rate, and increased HRV most robustly in the vagal-mediated components. Based on fatigued participants’ post-error cardiac slowing, and post-error reaction time analyses, we found no evidence for motivation deficit in association with increasing HRV and ToT. The present findings support the low arousal state of mental fatigue and suggest that primarily the vagal components of the HRV spectrum are indicative of fatigue. In addition, the study provides evidence that many HRV indices might be changed not only in a fatiguing condition but also if individuals are engaged in a prolonged non-fatiguing activity. This finding emphasizes the relevance of control conditions in ToT experiments.
Could radical pairs play a role in xenon-induced general anesthesia?
Authors: Smith Jordan , Zadeh Haghighi Hadi , Simon Christoph
Published: August 2020

Understanding the mechanisms underlying anesthesia would be a key step towards understanding consciousness. The process of xenon-induced general anesthesia has been shown to involve electron transfer, and the potency of xenon as a general anesthetic exhibits isotopic dependence. We propose that these observations can be explained by a mechanism in which the xenon nuclear spin influences the recombination dynamics of a naturally occurring radical pair of electrons. We develop a simple model inspired by the body of work on the radical-pair mechanism in cryptochrome in the context of avian magnetoreception, and we show that our model can reproduce the observed isotopic dependence of the general anesthetic potency of xenon in mice. Our results are consistent with the idea that radical pairs of electrons with entangled spins could be important for consciousness.
Methylmalonic acid compromises mitochondrial respiration and reduces the expression of markers of differentiation in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells
Authors: da Costa Renata Torres , dos Santos Marcella Bacelar , Silva Izabel Cristina Santos , Almeida Raquel Pascott , Teruel Marcela Simões , Carrettiero Daniel Carneiro , Ribeiro César A. J.
Published: August 2020

Methylmalonic acidemia is a rare metabolic disorder characterized by the accumulation of methylmalonic acid (MMA) and alternatives metabolites which is caused by the deficient activity of L-methylmalonyl-CoA mutase or its cofactor 5-deoxyadenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl). The brain is one of the affected tissues by the accumulation of this metabolite in patients. The neurologic symptoms commonly appear in newborns and are clinically characterized by seizures, mental retardation, psychomotor abnormalities, and coma. The molecular mechanisms of neuropathogenesis in methylmalonic acidemia are still poorly understood, specifically regarding the impairments in neuronal development and maturation. In this study, we firstly investigated the neurotoxicity of MMA in both undifferentiated and 7-day RA-differentiated phenotypes of SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells and found alterations in energetic homeostasis after the exposition to MMA. We observed an increase in glucose consumption and reduced respiratory parameters of both undifferentiated and differentiated SH-SY5Y cells after 48 hours of exposition to MMA. RA-differentiated cells slightly indicated to be more prone to perturbations in respiratory parameters by MMA than undifferentiated cells. In order to understand whether the presence of MMA during neuronal maturation could compromise this process in neuronal cells, we performed high-resolution respirometry to evaluate the mitochondria function and qPCR assay to evaluate mRNA levels of mature neuronal-specific genes in early-stage (day 3), and late-stage (day 7) of differentiation in cells co-treated with MMA 1mM during RA mediated differentiation. Our results showed that MMA compromises the respiratory parameters of routine, ATP-linked, and maximal respiration only at the late stage of differentiation as well as downregulates the transcriptional gene profile of mature neuronal markers ENO2 and SYP. Altogether, our finds point to important alterations observed during neuronal maturation and energetic stress vulnerability that can play a role in the neurological clinical symptoms at the newborn period and reveal important molecular mechanisms that could help the screening of targets to new approaches in the therapies of this disease.
Mechanism and kinetics of copper complexes binding to the influenza A M2 channel
Authors: McGuire K. , Smit P. , Ess D. H. , Hill J. T. , Harrison R. G. , Busath D. D.
Published: August 2020

Copper(II) is known to bind in the influenza virus His37 cluster in the homotetrameric M2 proton channel and block the proton current needed for uncoating. Copper complexes based on iminodiacetate also block the M2 proton channel and show reduced cytotoxicity and zebrafish-embryo toxicity. In voltage-clamp oocyte studies using the ubiquitous amantadine-insensitive M2 S31N variant, the current block showed fast and slow phases in contrast to the single phase found for amantadine block of WT M2. Here we evaluate the mechanism of block by copper adamantyl iminodiacitate (Cu(AMT-IDA)) and copper cyclooctyl iminodiacitate (Cu(CO-IDA)) complexes and address whether the complexes can covalently bind to one or more of the His37 imidazoles. The current traces were fitted to parametrized master equations. The energetics of binding and the rate constants suggest that the first step is copper-complex binding within the channel and the slow step in the current block is the covalent bond formation between copper complex and histidine. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) indicates that a single imidazole binds strongly to the copper complexes. Structural optimization using density functional theory (DFT) reveals that the complexes fit inside the channel and project the Cu(II) towards the His37 cluster allowing one imidazole to form a covalent bond with the Cu(II). Electrophysiology and DFT studies also show that the complexes block the G34E amantadine-resistant mutant in spite of some crowding in the binding site by the glutamates.
Early developmental asymmetries in cell lineage trees in living individuals
Authors: Fasching Liana , Jang Yeongjun , Tomasi Simone , Schreiner Jeremy , Tomasini Livia , Brady Melanie , Bae Taejeong , Sarangi Vivekananda , Vasmatzis Nikolaos , Wang Yifan , Szekely Anna , Fernandez Thomas V. , Leckman James F. , Abyzov Alexej , Vaccarino Flora M.
Published: August 2020

Post-zygotic mosaic mutations can be used to track cell lineages in humans. By using cell cloning and induced pluripotent cell lines, we analyzed early cell lineages in two living individuals (a patient and a control), and a postmortem human specimen. Of ten reconstructed post-zygotic divisions, none resulted in balanced contributions of daughter lineages to tissues. In both living individuals one of two lineages from the first cleavage was dominant across tissues, with 90% frequency in blood. We propose that the efficiency of DNA repair contributes to lineage imbalance. Allocation of lineages in postmortem brain correlated with anterior-posterior axis, associating lineage history with cell fate choices in embryos. Recurrence of germline variants as mosaic suggested that certain loci may be particularly susceptible to mutagenesis. We establish a minimally invasive framework for defining cell lineages in any living individual, which paves the way for studying their relevance in health and disease.
Knocking outSOBIR1inNicotiana benthamianaabolishes functionality of transgenic receptor-like protein Cf-4
Authors: Huang Wen R.H. , Schol Christiaan , Villanueva Sergio Landeo , Heidstra Renze , Joosten Matthieu H.A.J.
Published: August 2020

The first layer of plant immunity is formed by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that are present at the cell surface and perceive extracellular immunogenic patterns. Receptor-like proteins (RLPs), such as the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) PRR Cf-4 that provides resistance to the fungusCladosporium fulvumsecreting the matching avirulence factor Avr4, have an extracellular receptor domain consisting of leucine-rich repeats, but lack a cytoplasmic kinase domain for downstream signaling. RLPs constitutively interact with the receptor-like kinase SUPPRESSOR OF BIR1-1 (SOBIR1), thereby providing the receptor with a kinase domain, and recruit the co-receptor BRI-ASSOCIATED KINASE 1 (BAK1) upon their activation by a matching ligand. Trans-phosphorylation events, which can take place between the kinase domains of SOBIR1 and BAK1 after their association with the RLP, are thought to initiate downstream defense signaling. Currently, our knowledge on RLP/SOBIR1/BAK1-mediated defence initiation is limited and to understand the role of SOBIR1 in RLP function, we knocked outSOBIR1and its close homologSOBIR1-likein the model plantNicotiana benthamiana, as well as in transgenicN. benthamianastably expressingCf-4. We observed that Cf-4 function is completely abolished in the knock-out mutants, and we show that these plants can be used to perform transient complementation studies with SOBIR1 mutants. Thereby, these mutants are an important tool to study the fundamentals of plant immunity mediated by RLPs.
Failure of tofacitinib to achieve an objective response in a DDX3X-MLLT10 T-lymphoblastic leukemia with activating JAK3 mutations
Authors: Wong Jonathan , Wall Meaghan , Corboy Gregory Philip , Taubenheim Nadine , Gregory Gareth Peter , Opat Stephen , Shortt Jake
Published: August 2020

T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma/T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-LBL/T ALL) is an aggressive hematological malignancy arising from malignant transformation of T-cell progenitors with poor prognosis in adult patients. Outcomes are particularly dismal in the relapsed/refractory setting, and therapeutic options are limited in this context. Genomic profiling has shown frequent aberrations in the JAK-STAT pathway, including recurrent mutations in JAK3 (15%–20% of T-ALL cases), suggesting that JAK kinase inhibition may be a promising therapeutic approach. Activating JAK3 mutations are capable of transforming cytokine-dependent progenitor cells in vitro and causing T-ALL-like disease when expressed in hematopoietic progenitors in vivo. We describe a case of relapsed T-ALL in an adult patient, with two JAK3 activating mutations identified by whole-exome sequencing (WES), leading to hypothesis-based treatment with the JAK1 and JAK3 inhibitor, tofacitinib, following failure of salvage chemotherapy reinduction. Despite the molecularly targeted rationale, tofacitinib did not induce an objective clinical response. Our report suggests that the presence of activating JAK3 mutations does not necessarily confer sensitivity to pharmacological JAK3 inhibition.
Parkes Weber syndrome associated with two somatic pathogenic variants in RASA1
Authors: Flores Daboub Josue A. , Grimmer Johanes Fred , Frigerio Alice , Wooderchak-Donahue Whitney , Arnold Ryan , Szymanski Jeff , Longo Nicola , Bayrak-Toydemir Pinar
Published: August 2020

Parkes Weber syndrome is associated with autosomal dominant inheritance, caused by germline heterozygous inactivating changes in the RASA1 gene, characterized by multiple micro arteriovenous fistulas and segmental overgrowth of soft tissue and skeletal components. The focal nature and variable expressivity associated with this disease has led to the hypothesis that somatic “second hit” inactivating changes in RASA1 are necessary for disease development. We report a 2-yr-old male with extensive capillary malformation and segmental overgrowth of his lower left extremity. Ultrasound showed subcutaneous phlebectasia draining the capillary malformation; magnetic resonance imaging showed overgrowth of the extremity with prominence of fatty tissues, fatty infiltration, and enlargement of all the major muscle groups. Germline RASA1 testing was normal. Later somatic testing from affected tissue showed two pathogenic variants in RASA1 consistent with the c.934_938del, p.(Glu312Argfs*14) and the c.2925del, p.(Asn976Metfs*20) with variant allele fractions of 3.6% and 4.2%, respectively. The intrafamilial variability of Parkes Weber syndrome involving segmental overgrowth of soft tissue, endothelium, and bone is strongly suggestive of a somatic second-hit model. There are at least two reports of confirmed second somatic hits in RASA1. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an individual with two somatic pathogenic variants in the RASA1 gene in DNA from a vascular lesion.
The Transcription Factor bZIP60 Links the Unfolded Protein Response to the Heat Stress Response in Maize
Authors: Li Zhaoxia , Tang Jie , Srivastava Renu , Bassham Diane C. , Howell Stephen H.
Published: August 2020

The unfolded protein response (UPR) and the heat shock response (HSR) are two evolutionarily conserved systems that protect plants from heat stress. The UPR and HSR occur in different cellular compartments and both responses are elicited by misfolded proteins that accumulate under adverse environmental conditions such as heat stress. While the UPR and HSR appear to operate independently, we have found a link between them in maize (Zea mays) involving the production of the BASIC LEUCINE ZIPPER60 (bZIP60) transcription factor, a pivotal response of the UPR to heat stress. Surprisingly, a mutant (bzip60-2) knocking down bZIP60 expression blunted the HSR at elevated temperatures and prevented the normal upregulation of a group of heat shock protein genes in response to elevated temperature. The expression of a key HEAT SHOCK FACTOR TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR13 (HSFTF13, a HEAT SHOCK FACTOR A6B [HSFA6B] family member) was compromised in bzip60-2, and the HSFTF13 promoter was shown to be a target of bZIP60 in maize protoplasts. In addition, the upregulation by heat of genes involved in chlorophyll catabolism and chloroplast protein turnover were subdued in bzip60-2, and these genes were also found to be targets of bZIP60. Thus, the UPR, an endoplasmic-reticulum–associated response, quite unexpectedly contributes to the nuclear/cytoplasmic HSR in maize.
Soft X-ray absorption of thin films detected using substrate luminescence: a performance analysis
Authors: Piamonteze Cinthia , Windsor Yoav William , Avula Sridhar R. V. , Kirk Eugenie , Staub Urs
Published: August 2020

X-ray absorption spectroscopy of thin films is central to a broad range of scientific fields, and is typically detected using indirect techniques. X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) from the sample's substrate is one such detection method, in which the luminescence signal acts as an effective transmission measurement through the film. This detection method has several advantages that make it versatile compared with others, in particular for insulating samples or when a probing depth larger than 10 nm is required. In this work a systematic performance analysis of this method is presented with the aim of providing guidelines for its advantages and pitfalls, enabling a wider use of this method by the thin film community. The efficiency of XEOL is compared and quantified from a range of commonly used substrates. These measurements demonstrate the equivalence between XEOL and X-ray transmission measurements for thin films. Moreover, the applicability of XEOL to magnetic studies is shown by employing XMCD sum rules with XEOL-generated data. Lastly, it is demonstrated that above a certain thickness XEOL shows a saturation-like effect, which can be modelled and corrected for.
On the Σ classes in E
6
Authors: Engel P.
Published: August 2020

In E
6, the cone of positive definite quadratic forms is subdivided into Σ
s
subcones and its equivalence classes {\cal E}_{\Sigma _s} are determined for s = 0–3, and 18–21.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld analysis of 3′-bromo-4-methylchalcone and 3′-cyano-4-methylchalcone
Authors: Battaglia Zachary O. , Kersten Jordan T. , Nicol Elise M. , Whitworth Paloma , Wheeler Kraig A. , Hall Charlie L. , Potticary Jason , Hamilton Victoria , Hall Simon R. , D'Ambruoso Gemma D. , Matsumoto Masaomi , Warren Stephen D. , Cremeens Matthew E.
Published: August 2020

Two crystal structures of chalcones, or 1,3-diarylprop-2-en-1-ones, are presented; both contain a methyl substitution on the 3-Ring, but differ on the 1-Ring, bromo versus cyano. The compounds are 3′-bromo-4-methylchalcone [systematic name: 1-(2-bromophenyl)-3-(4-methylphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one], C16H13BrO, and 3′-cyano-4-methylchalcone {systematic name: 2-[3-(4-methylphenyl)prop-2-enoyl]benzonitrile}, C17H13NO. Both chalcones meaningfully add to the large dataset of chalcone structures. The crystal structure of 3′-cyano-4-methylchalcone exhibits close contacts with the cyano nitrogen that do not appear in previously reported disubstituted cyanochalcones, namely interactions between the cyano nitrogen atom and a ring hydrogen atom as well as a methyl hydrogen atom. The structure of 3′-bromo-4-methylchalcone exhibits a type I halogen bond, similar to that found in a previously reported structure for 4-bromo-3′-methylchalcone.
Hybrid intelligent adaptive controller for tiltrotor UAV
Authors: Tavoosi Jafar
Published: August 2020

Purpose

In this paper, an innovative hybrid intelligent position control method for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) tiltrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is proposed. So the more accurate the reference position signals tracking, the proposed control system will be better.

Design/methodology/approach

In the proposed method, for the vertical flight mode, first the model reference adaptive controller (MRAC) operates and for the horizontal flight, the model predictive control (MPC) will operate. Since the linear model is used for both of these controllers and naturally has an error compared to the real nonlinear model, a neural network is used to compensate for them. So the main novelties of this paper are a new hybrid control design (MRAC & MPC) and a neural network-based compensator for tiltrotor UAV.

Findings

The proper performance of the proposed control method in the simulation results is clear. Also the results showed that the role of compensator is very important and necessary, especially in extreme speed wind conditions and uncertain parameters.

Originality/value

Novel hybrid control method. 10;-New method to use neural network as compensator in an UAV.
Determinants of FDI in producer services: evidence from Chinese aggregate and sub-sectoral data
Authors: Gao Runda , De Vita Glauco , Luo Yun , Begley Jason
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) in producer services in China using both country aggregate and provincial sub-sectoral data.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applies autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) cointegration and panel data regression approaches in examining the determinants of Producer Service FDI (PSFDI).

Findings

Our results show differences between the determinants of aggregate FDI and PSFDI. Contrary to the typical influencing factors of general FDI (that include GDP, openness, low wages and environmental quality), the two main determinants of PSFDI inflows to China are found to be high wages and research inputs (specifically the number of research workers as a proxy for research intensity). Data drawn from 26 Chinese provinces disaggregated at sub-sector level of producer services corroborate the results.

Originality/value

We add to existing literature by identifying the key determinants of inward PSFDI in China also via a provincial-level data analysis and disaggregation at sub-sectoral level of producer services.
The influence of social distancing on employee well-being: a conceptual framework and research agenda
Authors: Tuzovic Sven , Kabadayi Sertan
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The ongoing pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus has severely influenced lives and livelihoods. As service organizations either face hibernation or continuity of their business operations, the impact of social distancing measures raises major concerns for the well-being of service employees. In this paper, the authors develop a conceptual framework to examine how different social distancing practices impact an organization's service continuity or service hibernation, which in turn affects different dimensions of their employee subjective well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors draw on macroeconomic data and industrial reports, linking them to theoretical concepts to develop a conceptual framework and a research agenda to serve as a starting point to fully understand the impact of this pandemic on employee well-being.

Findings

This article develops an overarching framework and research agenda to investigate the impact of social distancing practices on employee well-being.

Originality/value

The authors propose two opposing business concepts – service continuity and service hibernation – as possible responses to social distancing measures. By bridging different theoretical domains, the authors suggeste that there is a need to holistically examine macro-, meso- and micro-level factors to fully understand the impact of social distancing–related measures on employee well-being.
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst: barriers to service innovation
Authors: Velayati Rezvan , Shabani Esmail , Nazarian Alireza
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Despite the growing scholarly interest in service innovation and its associated benefits for organizations, research into the barriers to developing new services remains scant. In addition, most of these studies have been mainly conducted at the firm level, failing to incorporate macro forces in the industry. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate major industry trends as well as organizational attributes that affect organizations’ capability in designing innovative services.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was used. In all, 21 semi-structured interviews with senior executives in different banks were conducted to collect data. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis.

Findings

The results of this study suggest that privatization, technological shortcomings, legislative inefficiencies and deposit orientation instead of market orientation were major industry trends that affect service innovation. Furthermore, ambiguity in knowledge management regimes, silo mentality and the absence of a collaborative organizational culture, growing need to focus on human capital and risk aversion were the main organizational attributes that should be addressed for effective service innovation.

Practical implications

Service innovation is a strategic asset for organizations. To effectively leverage the benefits, managers should have an end-to-end approach toward the subject. The findings of this study would inform managers of different obstacles in the development of new services from an organizational and industry-wide perspective. Based on the outputs of the interviews and a thorough review of the literature, managerial implications are presented.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few studies that explores service innovation challenges at both macro and micro levels of analysis, providing a more holistic view of the phenomenon in the context of service organizations.
Impact of task priority on software supply chain: a simulation approach
Authors: Kumar Mahesh , Vaidya Omkarprasad S , Srivastava Rajiv Kumar
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of the role of the bottlenecks in the dynamic software development supply chains. The paper examines the effects of the task priorities in the software development and investigates the possible strategies to manage them effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a software development supply chain has been simulated. This includes modeling of the various sizes of software requirement, different priorities, variations in development times, quality defects, etc. The model assumes a fixed set of resources of various skills. The model is studied for the bottlenecks, throughput, work in progress (WIP), etc. under various work preemption scenarios.

Findings

The results indicate that job priorities impact the bottleneck formulation, throughput and WIP of the software development. The work interruption policies to accommodate priority jobs adversely impact the throughput. Selective introduction of interruptions by leaving the bottlenecks from interruptions helps balancing the throughput and priorities.

Research limitations/implications

The impact of the learning curve and knowledge acquisition time needed by the resources to restart the interrupted work has not been considered in this paper, which can be a future area of research.

Practical implications

The paper helps the practicing managers evaluate the dynamics of the bottlenecks with various task management approaches and comprehend the possible tradeoffs between priority and throughout.

Originality/value

The paper looks at software development from a perspective of workflow dynamics. This is a pioneer effort, as it utilizes simulation and modeling approach in understanding the software supply chains better.
Stakeholders and socially responsible supply chain management: the moderating role of internationalization
Authors: Damert Matthias , Koep Lisa , Guenther Edeltraud , Morris Jonathan
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how the pressures from stakeholders located in company's country of origin and level of internationalization of the company influence the implementation of socially responsible supply chain management (SR-SCM) practices.

Design/methodology/approach

To assess this level of influence, an SR-SCM performance index is developed by building on existing theoretical frameworks and using secondary data from ThomsonReuters’ WorldScope and ASSET4 databases to capture responsible supply chain actions categorized in communication, compliance and supplier development strategies. The analysis is based on 1,252 international companies from diverse countries and sectors between 2007 and 2016.

Findings

The effectiveness of stakeholder pressures in facilitating the adoption of socially responsible practices varies greatly with regard to the strategic element of SR-SCM and the type stakeholders considered. Companies that are more internationalized tend to adopt a greater number of SR-SCM practices, whereas home country stakeholders are of diminishing relevance with the increasing internationalization of a company.

Practical implications

Governments in companies’ countries of origin should ensure that social issues in supply chains are adequately covered by regulations. Ideally, laws should not only cover firms’ domestic operations but also their global activities.

Social implications

Citizens should be given the opportunities to raise their voice and publicly express their disagreement with business misconduct and non-compliance. Apart from that, the role of workers’ associations and investors in the social sustainability debate should be strengthened.

Originality/value

This study contributes to SR-SCM theory development by operationalizing existing conceptual frameworks, showing how domestic stakeholders shape SR-SCM performance and analyzing whether the influence of certain stakeholder groups diminishes or increases when a company is more globally-oriented in its operations.
Matrix stimulation in chronic pruritus: A randomized controlled study
Authors: Witte Jan‐Philipp , Kravchenko Dimitrij , Marinova Milka , Küborth Karsten , Radbruch Lukas , Mücke Martin , Conrad Rupert
Published: August 2020

Chronic pruritus is one of the main symptoms in dermatology. We investigated a new intervention for chronic pruritus by neurostimulation through matrix electrodes. In this randomized controlled trial, 29 patients with chronic pruritus caused by a variety of dermatological diseases were allocated to an experimental group (EG; n = 14, 4‐Hz neurostimulation of the itching area through matrix electrodes) or the control group (CG; n = 15, placement of matrix electrodes without neurostimulation). Outcome measures were the itching sensation as measured by a Numerical Rating Scale immediately after the intervention and the intermediate effect measured by the average itching sensation on the day before the intervention compared with the average itching sensation on day 1, 2 and 3 after the intervention. Regarding the short‐term effect on itching, the anova showed a significant interaction effect for the 5‐min stimulation with a larger reduction in the EG with a large effect size of d = 1.10. The average reduction in itching intensity was 78.2% for the EG compared with 34.3% for the CG. For the intermediate effect, no significant interaction was found (F = 1.721, P = 0.199). Comparing the itching sensation at day 0 with day 3, the interaction effect showed a statistical trend toward a greater reduction in the EG (F = 3.178, P = 0.086; statistical trend, d = 0.69). This study proved that neurostimulation through matrix electrodes is effective in the short‐term reduction of itching in patients with chronic pruritus caused by dermatological diseases. Additional studies are needed with larger patient pools and covering longer study periods.
Genetic examination of the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea and effects of its metamorphosis‐inducing factors
Authors: Alker Amanda T. , Delherbe Nathalie , Purdy Trevor N. , Moore Bradley S. , Shikuma Nicholas J.
Published: August 2020

Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea is a globally distributed marine bacterium that stimulates the metamorphosis of marine animal larvae, an important bacteria–animal interaction that can promote the recruitment of animals to benthic ecosystems. Recently, different P. luteoviolacea isolates have been shown to produce two stimulatory factors that can induce tubeworm and coral metamorphosis; Metamorphosis‐Associated Contractile structures (MACs) and tetrabromopyrrole (TBP) respectively. However, it remains unclear what proportion of P. luteoviolacea isolates possess the genes encoding MACs, and what phenotypic effect MACs and TBP have on other larval species. Here, we show that 9 of 19 sequenced P. luteoviolacea genomes genetically encode both MACs and TBP. While P. luteoviolacea biofilms producing MACs stimulate the metamorphosis of the tubeworm Hydroides elegans, TBP biosynthesis genes had no effect under the conditions tested. Although MACs are lethal to larvae of the cnidarian Hydractinia symbiologicarpus, P. luteoviolacea mutants unable to produce MACs are capable of stimulating metamorphosis. Our findings reveal a hidden complexity of interactions between a single bacterial species, the factors it produces and two species of larvae belonging to different phyla.
Presentations of stroke and acute myocardial infarction in the first 28 days following the introduction of State of Emergency restrictions for COVID‐19
Authors: Mitra Biswadev , Mitchell Rob D , Cloud Geoffrey C , Stub Dion , Nguyen Minh , Nanayakkara Shane , Miller Jean‐Philippe , M O'Reilly Gerard , Smit De Villiers , Cameron Peter A
Published: August 2020

SOE measures to achieve physical distancing and restrict community contact were not associated with significant changes in time to ED presentation after acute stroke and AMI. Time to initial investigation and life‐saving interventions were also unchanged in the first 28 days. Public health messaging encouraging patients with acute illness or injury to seek medical assessment should be continued.
Internal migration, group size, and ethnic endogamy in Indonesia
Authors: Utomo Ariane J. , McDonald Peter F.
Published: August 2020

Much of the literature on assortative mating has centred on the social contexts of immigrant‐receiving countries in the West. This article examines ethnic assortative mating (endogamy) against rising volumes and intensity of migration within a multi‐ethnic lower middle‐income country. We used full enumeration data from the 2010 Indonesian Population Census to create a national dataset of husband–wife pairs (n= 47.8 million couples), and five subsets of married couples from provinces with the highest proportion of lifetime migrants: Riau, Riau Islands, Jakarta, East Kalimantan, and West Papua (n= 4.05 million). First, we examined the association between migration, group size, and endogamy at the provincial level. We found a negative association between internal migrant stock and endogamy across 33 provinces in Indonesia. Using endogamy as a proxy of the strength of ethnic boundaries, we have shown that accounting for group size at the provincial level changes the overall ranking of endogamy among ethnic groups. Second, drawing on the subsets of couples in the five provinces with the highest proportion of migrants in their population, we used multivariate analysis to examine how migration status correlates with the likelihood of endogamy at the individual level. Controlling for sex, group size, age, education, and religion, we found that the relationship between an individual's migration status and endogamy varies across the five provinces, reflecting the different nature and history of migration, and the ethno‐religious composition in these regions.
Pseudosciaena crocea roe protein‐stabilized emulsions for oral delivery systems: In vitro digestion and in situ intestinal perfusion study
Authors: Tang Yue , Wang Xiaohan , Jiang Hui , Song Liang , Cui Haozhe , Zhang Zhihui , Lin Songyi
Published: August 2020

Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) was encapsulated in oil‐in‐water emulsions stabilized by Pseudosciaena crocea roe protein isolate (PRPI). The stability, lipid digestion, BITC bioavailability, and retention rate of the emulsions were characterized using a simulated gastrointestinal tract model. Tween‐corn and PRPI‐medium‐chain triglycerides (MCT) emulsions were used as controls. The membrane permeability and BITC absorption from these emulsions were investigated by in situ single‐pass intestinal perfusion. The results showed that the PRPI‐stabilized emulsions were stable under nonacidic environment conditions. Moreover, the PRPI‐corn emulsion had more obvious protective effects than PRPI‐MCT and Tween‐corn emulsions. Atomic force and confocal laser scanning microscopy images showed that the protein hydrolyzed and oil droplets aggregated during simulated gastric phase digestion. Following the exposure of oil droplets in the small intestine phase, the PRPI‐corn emulsion had a high rate of free fatty acid release (99.13 ± 2.49%), and the retention rate and bioavailability of BITC from the PRPI‐corn emulsion were 75.93 ± 7.17% and 77.32 ± 5.36%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those measured for the other emulsions (P < 0.05). Moreover, the Ka and Peff of the PRPI‐corn emulsion reached the maximum value at 45 min and then decreased slowly. These results suggest that the PRPI‐corn emulsion delivery system is effective in encapsulating, delivering, and protecting BITC.

Practical Application

This study provides some useful information for the food industry to develop a Pseudosciaena crocea roe protein isolate (PRPI) emulsion that could be successfully used to construct a BITC delivery system and improve benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) bioavailability. The protective effect on BITC assessed in vitro simulated gastrointestinal tract and in situ single‐pass intestinal perfusion are discussed.
Measurement properties of reading tests in subjects with maculopathy
Authors: Brussee Tamara , Alagahgi Basel , van Nispen Ruth M. A. , van Rens Ger H. M. B.
Published: August 2020

Purpose

A reliable reading test provides a standardized measure of the visual component of reading performance. This study evaluated reproducibility, agreement and feasibility of five Dutch language continuous text reading tests used in clinical practice and research in visually impaired participants.

Methods

In 42 participants with macular pathologies (mean age 77 years), the Colenbrander Reading Card (Colenbrander), International Reading Speed Texts (IReST), Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology (LEO) charts, ‘de Nederlanders’ (NED) and the Radner Reading Charts (Radner) were evaluated. The coefficient of repeatability was calculated for different reading parameters, and agreement between the reading tests was determined.

Results

Between the reading tests, the differences found in repeatability for reading performance were mainly within the limit of one line (0.1 logMAR). Exceptions were the inter‐session repeatability for critical print size: Colenbrander (0.35 logMAR), LEO (0.34), Radner (0.23). The highest agreement was found between the LEO and Radner; Reading acuity bias 0.03 logMAR (SD 0.10), CPS 0.03 (0.12).

Conclusion

This study shows that reading performance results obtained with reading tests are not always reliable and reading parameters could not always be properly assessed in participants with maculopathies. Therefore, choices regarding which reading test to use especially for research purposes should be based on both the feasibility and reliability of the reading test. The NED (a historical test) was the least feasible, and it is recommend that this test is no longer used. To allow standardized and comparable analysis of reading performance a highly standardized reading test, like the Radner is recommended.
Variations and trends in global disease burden of age‐related macular degeneration: 1990‐2017
Authors: Zou Minjie , Zhang Yichi , Chen Aiming , Young Charlotte Aimee , Li Yi , Zheng Danying , Jin Guangming
Published: August 2020

Purpose

To evaluate the disease burden of age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and to evaluate the risk factors of disability‐adjusted life years (DALY) caused by AMD.

Methods

Country‐specific DALY number, rate and age‐standardized rate of AMD were acquired from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 database. The Socio‐demographic Index (SDI), Human Development Index (HDI), Inequality‐adjusted Human Development Index (IA‐HDI) and other related data were obtained from published data or shared databases. Regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlations between the potential risk factors and the age‐standardized DALY rate of AMD.

Results

The DALY number doubled from 1990 to 2017, and DALY rate increased from 4.73 (95% CI: 3.19–6.54) to 6.95 (95% CI: 4.76–9.54). However, change was small after standardizing. Females tended to have severer burden. Disability‐adjusted life years (DALY) rates were correlated to annual PM2.5 concentration, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, population with at least some secondary education (secondary education), glaucoma prevalence and gross national income (GNI) per capita. In SDI model, glaucoma, GDP, healthcare access and quality index (HAQ) and secondary education were associated with disease burden (p < 0.001). In IA‐HDI model, cataract, glaucoma, PM2.5, GDP and secondary education were correlated to DALY rates (p < 0.001). In model included four components of HDI, glaucoma, PM2.5, GDP, secondary education, expected years of schooling and life expectancy at birth were associated (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Being female, older age, poor socioeconomic status and less educated are associated with a heavier disease burden of AMD. These findings would provide a basic understanding for policy making on AMD prevention and treatment.
Fostering Self‐Control Development With a Designed Intervention in Physical Education: A Two‐Year Class‐Randomized Trial
Authors: Pesce Caterina , Lakes Kimberley D. , Stodden David F. , Marchetti Rosalba
Published: August 2020

This study evaluated whether a theory‐based intervention in physical education (PE) designed to train self‐control may positively impact children’s quick‐temperedness and disruptiveness and whether changes in executive functions (EFs) may be a correlate or antecedent of such effects. One hundred and sixteen children aged 8–9 years participated in a 2‐year intervention and completed three assessments at baseline, 6‐ and 18‐month follow‐ups in quick‐temperedness and disruptiveness, hot and cool EFs. After the intervention, children in the intervention group showed lower quick‐temperedness and disruptiveness and improvement in hot EF. Changes over the intervention period were moderately associated and showed marginal evidence of causal ordering, suggesting that designed PE may benefit self‐control through a possible linkage to hot EF improvement.
Estimating animal population size with very high‐resolution satellite imagery
Authors: Zhao Peng , Liu Shuming , Zhou Yi , Lynch Tim , Lu Wenhu , Zhang Tao , Yang Hongsheng
Published: August 2020

Very high‐resolution (VHR) satellite sensors can be used to estimate the size of animal populations, a critical factor in wildlife management, and acquire animal spatial distributions in an economical, easy, and precise way. We developed a method for satellite population size estimation that includes a noninvasive photogrammetry, from which the animal's average orthographic area is calculated, and an imagery interpretation method that estimates population size based on the ratio of an observed animal population area to the average individual area. As a proof of concept, we used this method to estimate the population size of Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus) in a national nature reserve in China. To reduce errors, the reserve was subdivided into regions of interest based on locations of Whooper Swan and background brightness. Estimates from the satellite pixels were compared with manual counts made over 2 years, at 3 locations, and in 3 land‐cover types. Our results showed 1124 Whooper Swans occupied a national nature reserve on 15 February 2013, and the average percent error was 3.16% (SE = 1.37). These results demonstrate that our method produced robust data for population size estimation that were indistinguishable from manual count data. Our method may be used generally to estimate population sizes of visible and gregarious animals that exhibit high contrast relative to their environments and may inform estimations of populations in complex backgrounds.
Maternal and larval niche construction interact to shape development, survival, and population divergence in the dung beetleOnthophagus taurus
Authors: Dury Guillaume J. , Moczek Armin P. , Schwab Daniel B.
Published: August 2020

Through niche construction, organisms modify their environments in ways that can alter how selection acts on themselves and their offspring. However, the role of niche construction in shaping developmental and evolutionary trajectories, and its importance for population divergences and local adaptation, remains largely unclear. In this study, we manipulated both maternal and larval niche construction and measured the effects on fitness‐relevant traits in two rapidly diverging populations of the bull‐headed dung beetle,Onthophagus taurus. We find that both types of niche construction enhance adult size, peak larval mass, and pupal mass, which when compromised lead to a synergistic decrease in survival. Furthermore, for one measure, duration of larval development, we find that the two populations have diverged in their reliance on niche construction: larval niche construction appears to buffer against compromised maternal niche construction only in beetles from Western Australia, but not in beetles from the Eastern United States. We discuss our results in the context of rapid adaptation to novel conditions and the role of niche construction therein.
Fracture toughness of rigid polymeric foams: A review
Authors: Marșavina Liviu , Linul Emanoil
Published: August 2020

Polymeric foams have good capacity of absorbing energy in compression but are brittle in tension. Linear elastic fracture mechanics is successfully applied to assess the integrity of polymeric foam‐based composite structures. The fracture toughness represents an important parameter. The different approaches to estimate the fracture toughness of polymeric foams are reviewed: analytical and numerical micromechanical models and experimental investigations. Focus is given on the parameters influencing the fracture toughness of polymeric foams like specimen type, solid material, density, loading speed, size effect and temperature. Data on mixed‐mode loading and dynamic fracture toughness are also presented. The last part of the paper presents some results to increase the fracture toughness by reinforcing of polymeric foams.