bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Near-infrared imaging in fission yeast by genetically encoded biosynthesis of phycocyanobilin
Authors: Sakai Keiichiro , Kondo Yohei , Fujioka Hiroyoshi , Kamiya Mako , Aoki Kazuhiro , Goto Yuhei
Published: May 2021

Near-infrared fluorescent protein (iRFP) is a bright and stable fluorescent protein with excitation and emission maxima at 690 nm and 713 nm, respectively. Unlike the other conventional fluorescent proteins such as GFP, iRFP requires biliverdin (BV) as a chromophore because iRFP originates from bacteriophytochrome. Here, we report that phycocyanobilin (PCB) functions as a brighter chromophore for iRFP than BV, and biosynthesis of PCB allows live-cell imaging with iRFP in the fission yeastSchizosaccharomyces pombe. We initially found that fission yeast cells did not produce BV, and therefore did not show any iRFP fluorescence. The brightness of iRFP attached to PCB was higher than that of iRFP attached to BVin vitroand in fission yeast. We introduced SynPCB, a previously reported PCB biosynthesis system, into fission yeast, resulting in the brightest iRFP fluorescence. To make iRFP readily available in fission yeast, we developed an endogenous gene tagging system with iRFP and all-in-one integration plasmids, which contain genes required for the SynPCB system and the iRFP-fused marker proteins. These tools not only enable the easy use of iRFP in fission yeast and the multiplexed live-cell imaging in fission yeast with a broader color palette, but also open the door to new opportunities for near-infrared fluorescence imaging in a wider range of living organisms.
Plasmid-encoded H-NS controls extracellular matrix composition in a modern Acinetobacter baumannii urinary isolate
Authors: Benomar Saida , Di Venanzio Gisela , Feldman Mario F.
Published: May 2021

Acinetobacter baumannii is emerging as a multidrug-resistant (MDR) nosocomial pathogen of increasing threat to human health worldwide. The recent MDR urinary isolate UPAB1 carries the plasmid pAB5, a member of a family of large conjugative plasmids (LCP). LCP encode several antibiotic resistance genes and repress the type VI secretion system (T6SS) to enable their dissemination, employing two TetR transcriptional regulators. Furthermore, pAB5 controls the expression of additional chromosomally encoded genes, impacting UPAB1 virulence. Here we show that a pAB5-encoded H-NS transcriptional regulator represses the synthesis of the exopolysaccharide PNAG and the expression of a previously uncharacterized three-gene cluster that encodes a protein belonging to the CsgG/HfaB family. Members of this protein family are involved in amyloid or polysaccharide formation in other species. Deletion of the CsgG homolog abrogated PNAG production and Cup pili formation, resulting in a subsequent reduction in biofilm formation. Although this gene cluster is widely distributed in Gram-negative bacteria, it remains largely uninvestigated. Our results illustrate the complex cross-talks that take place between plasmids and the chromosomes of their bacterial host, which in this case can contribute to the pathogenesis of Acinetobacter.

IMPORTANCE

The opportunistic human pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii displays the highest reported rates of multidrug resistance among Gram-negative pathogens. Many A. baumannii strains carry large conjugative plasmids like pAB5. In recent years, we have witnessed an increase in knowledge about the regulatory cross-talks between plasmids and bacterial chromosomes. Here we show that pAB5 controls the composition of the bacterial extracellular matrix, resulting in a drastic reduction in biofilm formation. The association between biofilm formation, virulence, and antibiotic resistance is well-documented. Therefore, understanding the factors involved in the regulation of biofilm formation in Acinetobacter has remarkable therapeutic potential.
Quantitative Tyr Phosphoproteomic Analyses Identify Cholesterol as a Master Regulator of the Tumor Adaptive Resistance to MAPK Inhibition
Authors: Wang Xu-Dong , Kim Chiho , Zhang Yajie , Rindhe Smita , Cobb Melanie H. , Yu Yonghao
Published: May 2021

Although targeted inhibition of the MAPK pathway has achieved remarkable patient responses in many cancers with MAPK hyperactivation, the development of resistance has remained a critical challenge. Besides genomic resistance mechanisms, adaptive tumor response also underlies the resistance to targeted MAPK inhibitors. It is being increasingly appreciated that such bypass mechanisms often lead to the activation of many pro-survival kinases, which complicates the rational design of combination therapies. Here we performed global tyrosine phosphoproteomic (pTyr) analyses and demonstrated that targeted inhibition of MAPK signaling in melanoma cells leads to a profound remodeling of the pTyr proteome. Intriguingly, many of these kinases contain a cholesterol binding motif, suggesting that altered cholesterol metabolism might drive, in a coordinated fashion, the activation of these kinases. Indeed, we found a dramatic accumulation of intracellular cholesterol in melanoma cells (with BRAFV600E mutations) and non-small cell lung cancer cells (with KRASG12C mutations) treated with MAPK and KRASG12C inhibitors, respectively. Importantly, depletion of cholesterol not only prevented the MAPK inhibition-induced feedback activation of pTyr singling but also enhanced the cytotoxic effects of MAPK inhibitors, both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our findings provide the evidence suggesting that cholesterol functions as a master regulator of the tumor adaptive response to targeted MAPK inhibitors. These results also suggest that MAPK inhibitors could be combined with cholesterol-lowering agents to achieve a more complete and durable response in tumors with hyperactive MAPK signaling.
Systematic Tuning of Rhodamine Spirocyclization for Super-Resolution Microscopy
Authors: Lardon Nicolas , Wang Lu , Tschanz Aline , Hoess Philipp , Tran Mai , D’Este Elisa , Ries Jonas , Johnsson Kai
Published: May 2021

Rhodamines are the most important class of fluorophores for applications in live-cell fluorescence microscopy. This is mainly because rhodamines exist in a dynamic equilibrium between a fluorescent zwitterion and a non-fluorescent but cell-permeable spirocyclic form. Different imaging applications require different positions of this dynamic equilibrium, which poses a challenge for the design of suitable probes. We describe here how the conversion of the ortho-carboxy moiety of a given rhodamine into substituted acyl benzenesulfonamides and alkylamides permits the systematic tuning of the equilibrium of spirocyclization with unprecedented accuracy and over a large range. This allows to transform the same rhodamine into either a highly fluorogenic and cell-permeable probe for live-cell stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, or into a spontaneously blinking dye for single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM). We used this approach to generate differently colored probes optimized for different labeling systems and imaging applications.
V-ATPase is a universal regulator of LC3 associated phagocytosis and non-canonical autophagy
Authors: Hooper Kirsty M. , Jacquin Elise , Li Taoyingnan , Goodwin Jonathan M. , Brumell John H. , Durgan Joanne , Florey Oliver
Published: May 2021

Non-canonical autophagy is a key cellular pathway in immunity, cancer and neurodegeneration, characterised byConjugation ofATG8 to endolysosomalSingle-Membranes (CASM). CASM is activated by engulfment (endocytosis, phagocytosis), agonists (STING, TRPML1) and infection (influenza), dependent on the ATG16L1 WD40-domain, and specifically K490. However, the factor(s) associated with non-canonical ATG16L1 recruitment, and CASM induction, remain unknown. Here, we investigate a role for V-ATPase during non-canonical autophagy. We report that increased V0-V1 engagement is associated with, and sufficient for, CASM activation. Upon V0-V1 binding, V-ATPase directly recruits ATG16L1, via K490, during LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP), STING- and drug-induced CASM, indicating a common mechanism. Furthermore, during LAP, key molecular players, including NADPH oxidase/ROS, converge on V-ATPase. Finally, we show that LAP is sensitive toSalmonellaSopF, which disrupts the V-ATPase-ATG16L1 axis, and provide evidence that CASM contributes to theSalmonellahost response. Together, these data identify V-ATPase as a universal regulator of CASM, and indicate that SopF evolved in part to evade non-canonical autophagy.
Translation-dependent mRNA localization toCaenorhabditiselegans adherens junctions
Authors: Tocchini Cristina , Rohner Michèle , Von Stetina Stephen E. , Mango Susan E.
Published: May 2021

mRNA localization is an evolutionarily widespread phenomenon that facilitates sub-cellular protein targeting. Extensive work has focused on mRNA targeting through “zip codes” within untranslated regions (UTRs), while much less is known about translation-dependent cues. Here, we examine mRNA localization inCaenorhabditis elegansembryonic epithelia. From an smFISH-based survey, we identified mRNAs associated with the cell membrane or cortex, and with apical junctions in a stage- and cell type-specific manner. Mutational analyses for one of these transcripts,dlg-1/discs large, revealed that it relied on a translation-dependent process and did not require its 5’ or 3’ UTR. We suggest a model in whichdlg-1transcripts are co-translationally colocalized with the encoded protein: first the translating complex goes to the cell membrane through sequences of the SH3 domain, and then to the apical junction by the L27 and PDZ sequences. In addition, the Hook and GuK sequences contribute to the second step: they are required for mRNA, but not protein, to accumulate at the apical junctions from locations at or near the membrane. These studies identify a translation-based process for mRNA localization within developing epithelia and determine the necessary cis-acting sequences fordlg-1mRNA targeting.

Summary statement

An smFISH-based survey identified a subset of mRNAs coding for junctional components that localize at or in the proximity of the adherent junction through a translation-dependent mechanism.
From satisfaction to loyalty: the role of emotional structures in the process of transition from satisfaction to loyalty
Authors: Ghorbanzadeh Davood
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Satisfaction and loyalty as vital and strategic concepts in marketing literature are highly important to companies and marketers. The review of the existing literature reveals a gap of the role of emotional constructs that can begin in a regular and rational sequence of satisfaction and ultimately lead to the formation of consumer loyalty. Hence, in the current study, we seek to answer the question of whether emotional constructs such as emotional attachment and love play a mediating role in the process of transitioning from satisfaction to loyalty in the correct sequence.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 300 valid questionnaires on Smartphone and apparel brands were collected from respondents and analyzed using the partial least squares method.

Findings

The results showed that brand love is the strongest antecedent of brand loyalty and is the only variable that directly influences brand loyalty in comparison to satisfaction and emotional brand attachment. Moreover, the examination of indirect effects revealed that our assumption based on that the emotional structures such as emotional attachment and brand love play a mediating role in the process of transitioning from satisfaction to loyalty in a correct sequence is supported.

Research limitations/implications

Generalizability needs to be established with a wider range of consumer groups. The survey was conducted in Iran and future research should assess the same product categories in other cultural settings as well as consider other product categories to assess the external validity of these results. The insights on consumers' brand relationships help brand managers devise effective brand management strategies.

Practical implications

The managerial implications can guide managers toward enhancing the consumers' loyalty to the brand through a better understanding of the consumer loyalty process to a brand as well as better relational marketing practices.

Originality/value

The study validates the mediating role of emotional brand attachment and brand love in the relationship between brand satisfaction and brand loyalty; is one of the first to develop a conceptual model that examines the role of emotional structures in the process of transition from satisfaction to loyalty.; is one of few studies to develop the role of emotional structures in the form of a relational chain of brands in the process of transition from satisfaction to loyalty.
DMart an ace in India’s retail space
Authors: Mittal Ankur , Jain Anshul , Dhingra Tarun
Published: May 2021

Learning outcomes

The instructor can use this for covering the concept of competitive advantage and valuation. To explore the relationship between superior profitability with business model and identify the source of competitive advantage. Determining the value of business through discounted cash flow (DCF) approach.

Case overview/synopsis

This case is based on the growth path of a retail chain company, DMart (Avenue Supermarket Private Limited), in the rapidly growing organized retail industry in India. It operates a unique business model that garners significant revenue growth with high profitability. The case covers the competitive advantages of DMart with respect to its peers and its valuation through the DCF model.

Complexity academic level

The case is suitable for teaching basic courses in corporate valuation and strategy at the post-graduate level. The following courses can also make use of this case: financial management, corporate finance and strategic management in emerging markets.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.
The Turkish Super League meets its first female club president
Authors: Ünsal Efe , Kaptanoğlu Sanem , Kabasakal Hayat
Published: May 2021

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes are as follows. First, female managers can face gender inequity in different forms, such as the glass ceiling and glass cliff, while they run for leadership positions, especially in male-dominated business contexts. Second, managers can show high performance and be effective leaders as long as they are aware of that all managers are evaluated according to a wide variety of criteria, and play many different managerial roles, such as interpersonal, informational and decisional roles. Finally, managers should pay attention to all stakeholders’ demands in decision-making process for sustainability and performing better in the long run.

Case overview/synopsis

Since football began gaining popularity in Turkey at the dawn of the 20th century, the sport remains the most popular national sport today. However, recently, a new name has shaken the world of Turkish football: Berna Gozbasi, the first female football manager in Turkish history. In the middle of 2019–2020 football season, Gozbasi became the first female club president after she assumed leadership of Kayserispor. Kayserispor was officially founded as a Turkish professional football club in 1966, and, as its name suggests, was based in Kayseri, a sizeable industrialised city located in Central Anatolia. The team competes in the “Turkish Super League”, Turkey’s top football competition. In this case, to discuss gender inequity, leadership, and management in the sport context, the authors explained the dilemma Gozbasi faced while she decided whether or not to accept this challenging role. Then, the authors examined the experiences she gained as a leader and the dilemma she faced to diminish the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organisation she led.

Complexity academic level

Undergraduate and MBA students.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.
The role of social media in promoting citizenship values of international students during the COVID-19 global health crisis
Authors: Oweis Thelal Iqab
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study, accordingly, is to not only offer insights about Arab international students’ stress management and adjustment mechanisms while abroad but also bring to light the extent to which these digital citizens’ use of social media networks reinforces their citizenship values and preserves their national identity during the COVID-19 global health crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

The researcher adopted the descriptive approach, which is the appropriate scientific method for this type of research studies, grounded on an examination of the reality or phenomenon, depending on its quantitative analysis and its accurate description by means of collecting data, using the measurement tool of questionnaire to identify the role of social media in relation to citizenship during the COVID-19 global health crisis.

Findings

Jordanian exchange students heavily rely on social media during the pandemic, choosing Facebook as their most favorable choice during the pandemic to connect with family and friends near and far, while choosing WhatsApp as the most favorable choice for promoting citizenship values during the pandemic, with an average willingness to actually discuss citizenship through social media. The findings affirm results and conclusions of previous studies about the crucial role of social media in international students’ cross-cultural experiences, especially during stressful events like the COVID-19 global health crisis.

Originality/value

Unfortunately, and even before the outbreak of the COVID-19 global health crisis, Arab international students, including exchange students, are already underrepresented in studies of international students’ adjustment and stress management in hosting countries (Farrugia et al., 2017; Meleis, 1982). This marginalization, or partial exclusion, of Arab international students’ experiences abroad should alert scholars of missed research opportunities that should alter existing knowledge about international students, especially when we realize, for example, that Arab international students showed the highest stress level among international students – including Asians who, according to previous studies, usually struggle the most (Bai, 2016:103).
Assessment of organizational agility in response to disruptive innovation: a case of an engineering services firm
Authors: Vasanthan Perinbanathan , Suresh M.
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to manage the strategy to counter disruptive innovation by identifying stronger attributes and key strategic areas for improvements in an engineering services context with less freedom to orchestrate product innovation. The authors also validate the combined use of multi-grade fuzzy, Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) and gap analysis in developing the strategy to mitigate turbulence.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a framework using a combination of Dynamic Capabilities and Organizational Agility to develop the strategy. The study uses data gathered from a 60-member engineering project team working on an Aircraft Engine Controller design to identify 50 attributes and the related importance and performance ratings. The research study is designed using a three-tier approach. First, multi-grade fuzzy is utilized to measure the overall firm response agility index. In the second step, the IPA is used to analyze the strength and weaknesses of the firm and to identify the attributes where the firm needs to focus. In the past step, gap analysis is used to prioritize the identified attributes. The findings are validated by panel discussions with a different group of experts from the project team and action points were arrived at.

Findings

This research work finds that the firms’ response agility index of 6.97 is comparable to that of the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) from previous literature, but still needs a better agility score to effectively counter turbulence from disruptive innovations. It also identifies seven key areas for improvement and their relative priority to effectively improve the response agility by utilizing the least number of resources, the reasons for the gap and the mitigation strategy to close the gap. The findings highlight a few key differences between an engineering services firm in comparison to OEMs and Software Services firms.

Practical implications

The findings help the practitioners with a comparative agility score of an engineering services firm, and an effective way of measuring agility, identify key focus areas and prioritize the actions using a simple set of data that could be collected regularly to keep track of the improvements. The provided strategic framework to improve the agility score can be used for continuous improvement.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the existing literature by developing a framework for outsourcing services companies to cope with the turbulence by using dynamic capabilities and organizational agility. It also adds to the literature by extending the validity of IPA and gap analysis in making strategic decisions in an industrial set-up.
Data-driven digital advertising: benefits and risks of online behavioral advertising
Authors: Aiolfi Simone , Bellini Silvia , Pellegrini Davide
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The research aims to investigate how individuals can be persuaded to make purchases through repeated and personalized messages. Specifically, the study proposes a framework of the potential benefits and risks of the online behavioral and data-driven digital advertising (OBA), which can help researchers and practitioners to better understand shopping behavior in the online retailing setting. In addition, the research focuses on the role of privacy concerns in affecting avoidance or adoption of OBA.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors apply a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach with partial least square (PLS) regression method to test the research hypotheses through data coming from a structured questionnaire.

Findings

OBA is a controversial type of advertising that activates opposing reactions on consumers' perspective. Specifically, acceptance of the OBA is positively related to relevance, usefulness and credibility of the personalized advertisements, while the intention to avoid personalized ads is strictly related to the privacy concerns. Consequently, OBA acceptance and avoidance affected the click intention on the ad and the behavioral intention that are decisive for the success of data-driven digital advertising.

Originality/value

Prior research came up with complex theoretical frameworks that explain antecedents of OBA focusing only on ethical issues in marketing, on the effectiveness of a single OBA campaign or on how to create a successful advertising campaign. However, no study focuses on the intended or actual behavior of shoppers. Specifically, filling the gap in the existing literature, our research applies an SEM approach to identify both benefits and risks and the antecedents of the actual behavior of individuals in terms of actual purchases promoted by OBA.
Big data-driven strategic orientation in international marketing
Authors: Akter Shahriar , Hossain Md Afnan , Lu Qiang (Steven) , Shams S.M. Riad
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Big data is one of the most demanding topics in contemporary marketing research. Despite its importance, the big data-based strategic orientation in international marketing is yet to be formed conceptually. Thus, the purpose of this study is to systematically review and propose a holistic framework on big data-based strategic orientation for firms in international markets to attain a sustained firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a systematic literature review to synthesize research rigorously. Initially, 2,242 articles were identified from the selective databases, and 45 papers were finally reported as most relevant to propose an integrative conceptual framework.

Findings

The findings of the systematic literature review revealed data-evolving, and data-driven strategic orientations are essential for performing international marketing activities that contain three primary orientations such as (1) international digital platform orientation, (2) international market orientation and (3) international innovation and entrepreneurial orientation. Eleven distinct sub-dimensions reflect these three primary orientations. These strategic orientations of international firms may lead to advanced analytics orientation to attain sustained firm performance by generating and capturing value from the marketplace.

Research limitations/implications

The study minimizes the literature gap by forming knowledge on big data-based strategic orientation and framing a multidimensional framework for guiding managers in the context of strategic orientation for international business and international marketing activities. The current study was conducted by following only a systematic literature review exclusively in firms' overall big data-based strategic orientation concept in international marketing. Future research may extend the domain by introducing firms' category wise systematic literature review.

Originality/value

The study has proposed a holistic conceptual framework for big data-driven strategic orientation in international marketing literature through a systematic review for the first time. It has also illuminated a future research agenda that raises questions for the scholars to develop or extend theory in this area or other related disciplines.
Understanding the effects of self-peer-platform incentives on users' physical activity in mobile fitness apps: the role of gender
Authors: Yin Qiuju , Li Lun , Yan Zhijun , Guo Chenxi
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Mobile fitness apps (MFAs) are increasingly popular for people to promote physical activity (PA) and further enhance health status via behavioral change techniques (BCTs), but the phenomenon of users abandoning MFAs is still common. For improving users' PA and decreasing dropout rates of MFAs, this study intends to gain insights into the effects of major BCTs-based incentive factors on users' PA under MFAs context and the gender differences in their effects.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on self-determination theory, three major incentive factors were chosen from the perspective of self-peer-platform incentives, i.e. self-monitoring (SM), social support (SS) and platform rewards (PR). A dataset of 4,530 users from a popular mobile fitness app was collected and was analyzed using fixed effects models.

Findings

The results show that all three types of incentive factors are positively associated with users' PA. The estimated effect sizes can be ordered as: SM > PR > SS. Moreover, social support has a stronger positive impact on PA of females than males, whereas platform rewards have a weaker positive effect on PA of females than males. In addition, the results also indicate there are no significant gender differences in the effect of self-monitoring.

Originality/value

There is insufficient research on systematically examining the effects of different types of incentive factors of MFAs on users' PA in one study. This study extends the current understanding of incentive factors by simultaneously examining different incentive factors and the role of gender. The findings can also provide insightful guidance for the design of MFAs.
Antecedents of halal brand equity: a study of halal food sector of Malaysia
Authors: Khan Mussadiq Ali , Hashim Sharizal Bin , Iqbal Asim , Bhutto Muhammad Yaseen , Mustafa Ghulam
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Islamic marketing is an emerging field with a lot of potentials, so it is worthwhile to explore it. This paper aims to conduct research on the unexplored relationship of antecedents of the equity, image and consumers’ trust and satisfaction of halal brands.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was designed to conduct research to analyze the halal brand equity and its antecedents. Data were collected from 250 halal consumers of Kota Samarahan and Kuching, Malaysia through a self-administered questionnaire using a convenience sampling method.

Findings

The study finds a positive relationship of three antecedents of brand equity, which confirms a strong relationship between the image and satisfaction of halal brand equity. The results further showed that halal brand image is linked with halal brand trust, but the relationship between halal brand trust and its equity could not be proved.

Research limitations/implications

This has been a cross-sectional study that was limited to Malaysia, a Muslim majority country. Researchers can conduct a longitudinal study and can conduct it in non-Muslim societies to comprehend their diversity and wider impact. Additionally, this study was limited to halal food brands in Malaysia.

Originality/value

Islamic marketing has received great attention of researchers, academicians and practitioners that has rather been unexplored earlier particularly the relationships among antecedents of the equity, image and consumers’ trust and satisfaction of halal brands.
Service-oriented human resource practices and customer outcomes: the service-profit chain perspective
Authors: Chen Pei-Chi , Chi Nai-Wen
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Based on the service-profit chain perspective, this study investigates whether service-oriented human resource practices can enhance customer outcomes through motivational mechanisms (i.e. intrinsic/extrinsic satisfaction) as well as emotional mechanisms (i.e. emotional labor strategies).

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected paired data from 220 service workers and their customers at different time points from 80 service firms. Multilevel path-analysis was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

Our results indicate that firm-level extensive training is positively related to service workers' intrinsic job satisfaction, which in turn increases deep acting. In addition, firm-level incentive compensation is positively associated with service workers' extrinsic job satisfaction, which in turn reduces surface acting. Finally, service employee's deep acting enhances customer loyalty and willingness to recommend via customer satisfaction.

Practical implications

The service organization should (1) stress the importance of incentive compensation to decrease surface acting via enhancing extrinsic job satisfaction and (2) provide extensive service training to improve service employees' intrinsic satisfaction and deep acting, leading to favorable customer outcomes.

Originality/value

The present study identifies the critical roles of motivational and emotional mechanisms in transferring service-oriented human resource practices to customer outcomes and employing rigorous research design to enhance the internal/external validity of our findings.
Elevated temperatures drive the evolution of armour loss in the threespine sticklebackGasterosteus aculeatus
Authors: Smith Carl , Zięba Grzegorz , Przybylski Mirosław
Published: May 2021

While there is evidence of genetic and phenotypic responses to climate change, few studies have demonstrated change in functional traits with a known genetic basis.

Here we present evidence for an evolutionary adaptive response to elevated temperatures in freshwater populations of the threespine sticklebackGasterosteus aculeatus.

Using a unique set of historical data and museum specimens, in combination with contemporary samples, we fitted a Bayesian spatial model to identify a population‐level decline in the number of lateral bony plates, comprising anti‐predator armour, in multiple populations of sticklebacks over the last 91 years in Poland.

Armor loss was predicted by elevated temperatures and is proposed to be a correlated response to selection for reduced body size.

This study demonstrates a change in a functional trait of known genetic basis in response to elevated temperature, and illustrates the utility of the threespine stickleback as a model for measuring the evolutionary and ecological impacts of environmental change across the northern hemisphere.

A freePlain Language Summarycan be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Mixed Methods in Venture Capital Research: An Illustrative Study and Directions for Future Work
Authors: Levasseur Ludvig , Johan Sofia , Eckhardt Jonathan
Published: May 2021

Professor Wright's body of research on venture capital (VC) has advanced the field and facilitated recent research on new sources of financing for start‐ups, such as crowdfunding and blockchain. In this paper, inspired by Professor Wright's pursuit of encouraging new directions in research, we first demonstrate – with an illustrative study on VC learning – that mixed methods research, which combines quantitative and qualitative data, can be helpful in VC research. We also present some possible mixed methods directions for future research. We conclude with a short and critical discussion on both methods and research practices. In doing so, we hope to stimulate scholars’ interest in these underutilized methods.
Religious Controversy in Comparative Context: Ulster, the Netherlands and South Africa in the 1920s
Authors: Mathieson Stuart , Flipse Abraham C.
Published: May 2021

This article introduces a comparative element to the study of the fundamentalist–modernist controversies of the late 1920s, demonstrating that similar ideas are manifested differently in different spatial contexts. Although fundamentalism is primarily considered an American phenomenon, the article argues that the concerns animating fundamentalists in the United States also caused fierce debates elsewhere. It uses three heresy trials – in Belfast, Amsterdam and Stellenbosch – as case studies. In each case, the participants were part of an international Calvinist network, sharing the vast majority of their intellectual commitments and ecclesiastical structure. Yet these shared intellectual commitments did not result in the same outcomes when each group attempted to confront the idea of ‘modernism’ using their church disciplinary procedures. This study demonstrates that social and historical factors played a decisive role in the outcome of each trial. In Belfast, the violent legacy of the recent Irish War of Independence and partition of Ireland lent extra weight to calls for restraint and Protestant unity. In Amsterdam, the social structure of ‘pillarisation’ meant that debates were largely confined within one denomination, and so could be contested more fiercely. In Stellenbosch, meanwhile, the question of how the church should approach the fraught issue of race was the key factor.
Comparison of commercial and traditional kefir microbiota using metagenomic analysis
Authors: Biçer Yusuf , Telli Arife Ezgi , Sönmez Gonca , Turkal Gamze , Telli Nihat , Uçar Gürkan
Published: May 2021

The current study aimed to determine the bacterial microbiota of five commercial and one traditional kefir beverages consumed in Turkey. In all samples, Firmicutes (93.66%–99.98%) were the most abundant filum. Actinobacteria were detected (6.19%) in one commercial sample, and Proteobacteria were detected (5.91%) in the traditional kefir beverage. The dominant family in all commercial kefir beverages was Streptococcaceae (89.12–99.83%), and the most common genus was Lactococcus in three samples and Streptococcus in the other two samples. However, Lactobacillaceae (36.68%) and Streptococcaceae (36.68%) were dominant in traditional kefir. Lactococcus, Streptococcus and Enterococcus were common in all samples.
Increasing facility delivery through maternity waiting homes for women living far from a health facility in rural Zambia: a quasi‐experimental study
Authors: Lori JR , Munro‐Kramer ML , Liu H , McGlasson KL , Zhang X , Lee H , Ngoma T , Kaiser JL , Bwalya M , Musonda G , Sakala I , Perosky JE , Fong RM , Boyd CJ , Chastain P , Rockers PC , Hamer DH , Biemba G , Vian T , Bonawitz R , Lockhart N , Scott NA
Published: May 2021

Objective

To report on the effectiveness of a standardised core Maternity Waiting Home (MWH) model to increase facility deliveries among women living >10 km from a health facility.

Design

Quasi‐experimental design with partial randomisation at the cluster level.

Setting

Seven rural districts in Zambia.

Population

Women delivering at 40 health facilities between June 2016 and August 2018.

Methods

Twenty intervention and 20 comparison sites were used to test whether MWHs increased facility delivery for women living in rural Zambia. Difference‐in‐differences (DID) methodology was used to examine the effectiveness of the core MWH model on our identified outcomes.

Main outcome measures

Differences in the change from baseline to study period in the percentage of women living >10 km from a health facility who: (1) delivered at the health facility, (2) attended a postnatal care (PNC) visit and (3) were referred to a higher‐level health facility between intervention and comparison group.

Results

We detected a significant difference in the percentage of deliveries at intervention facilities with the core MWH model for all women living >10 km away (DID 4.2%, 95% CI 0.6–7.6, P = 0.03), adolescent women (<18 years) living >10 km away (DID 18.1%, 95% CI 6.3–29.8, P = 0.002) and primigravida women living >10 km away (DID 9.3%, 95% CI 2.4–16.4, P = 0.01) and for women attending the first PNC visit (DID 17.8%, 95% CI 7.7–28, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The core MWH model was successful in increasing rates of facility delivery for women living >10 km from a healthcare facility, including adolescent women and primigravidas and attendance at the first PNC visit.

Tweetable abstract

A core MWH model increased facility delivery for women living >10 km from a health facility including adolescents and primigravidas in Zambia.
Genetic engineering biofilms in situ using ultrasound‐mediated DNA delivery
Authors: Ng Chun Kiat , Putra Samuel L. , Kennerley Joseph , Habgood Robert , Roy Ronald A. , Raymond Jason L. , Thompson Ian P. , Huang Wei E.
Published: May 2021

The ability to directly modify native and established biofilms has enormous potential in understanding microbial ecology and application of biofilm in 'real‐world' systems. However, efficient genetic transformation of established biofilms at any scale remains challenging. In this study, we applied an ultrasound‐mediated DNA delivery (UDD) technique to introduce plasmid to established non‐competent biofilms in situ. Two different plasmids containing genes coding for superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) and the flavin synthesis pathway were introduced into established bacterial biofilms in microfluidic flow (transformation efficiency of 3.9 ± 0.3 × 10‐7 cells in biofilm) and microbial fuel cells (MFCs), respectively, both employing UDD. Gene expression and functional effects of genetically modified bacterial biofilms were observed, where some cells in UDD‐treated Pseudomonas putida UWC1 biofilms expressed sfGFP in flow cells and UDD‐treated Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1 biofilms generated significantly (P < 0.05) greater (61%) bioelectricity production (21.9 ± 1.2 µA cm−2) in MFC than a wild‐type control group (~ 13.6 ± 1.6 µA cm−2). The effects of UDD were amplified in subsequent growth under selection pressure due to antibiotic resistance and metabolism enhancement. UDD‐induced gene transfer on biofilms grown in both microbial flow cells and MFC systems was successfully demonstrated, with working volumes of 0.16 cm3 and 300 cm3, respectively, demonstrating a significant scale‐up in operating volume. This is the first study to report on a potentially scalable direct genetic engineering method for established non‐competent biofilms, which can be exploited in enhancing their capability towards environmental, industrial and medical applications.
SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA screening in routine pathology specimens
Authors: von Stillfried Saskia , Villwock Sophia , Bülow Roman D. , Djudjaj Sonja , Buhl Eva M. , Maurer Angela , Ortiz‐Brüchle Nadina , Celec Peter , Klinkhammer Barbara M. , Wong Dickson W.L. , Cacchi Claudio , Braunschweig Till , Knüchel‐Clarke Ruth , Dahl Edgar , Boor Peter
Published: May 2021

Virus detection methods are important to cope with the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemics. Apart from the lung, SARS‐CoV‐2 was detected in multiple organs in severe cases. Less is known on organ tropism in patients developing mild or no symptoms, and some of such patients might be missed in symptom‐indicated swab testing. Here, we tested and validated several approaches and selected the most reliable RT‐PCR protocol for the detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA in patients’ routine diagnostic formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) specimens available in pathology, to assess (i) organ tropism in samples from COVID‐19‐positive patients, (ii) unrecognized cases in selected tissues from negative or not‐tested patients during a pandemic peak, and (iii) retrospectively, pre‐pandemic lung samples. We identified SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA in seven samples from confirmed COVID‐19 patients, in two gastric biopsies, one small bowel and one colon resection, one lung biopsy, one pleural resection and one pleural effusion specimen, while all other specimens were negative. In the pandemic peak cohort, we identified one previously unrecognized COVID‐19 case in tonsillectomy samples. All pre‐pandemic lung samples were negative. In conclusion, SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA detection in FFPE pathology specimens can potentially improve surveillance of COVID‐19, allow retrospective studies, and advance our understanding of SARS‐CoV‐2 organ tropism and effects.
SuessR: Regional corrections for the effects of anthropogenic CO2 on δ13C data from marine organisms
Authors: Clark Casey T. , Cape Mattias R. , Shapley Mark D. , Mueter Franz J. , Finney Bruce P. , Misarti Nicole
Published: May 2021

Anthropogenic CO2 emissions associated with fossil fuel combustion have caused declines in baseline oceanic δ13C values. This phenomenon, called the Suess effect, can confound comparisons of marine δ13C data from different years. The Suess effect can be corrected for mathematically; however, a variety of disparate techniques are currently used, often resulting in corrections that differ substantially. SuessR is a free, user‐friendly tool that allows researchers to calculate and apply regional Suess corrections to δ13C data from marine systems using a unified approach.

SuessR updates existing methods for calculating region‐specific Suess corrections for samples collected from 1850 to 2020. It also estimates changes in phytoplankton 13C fractionation associated with increasing water temperature and aqueous CO2 concentrations, referred to here as the Laws effect. SuessR version 0.1.3 contains four built‐in regions, including three in the subpolar North Pacific (Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska) and one North Atlantic region (Subpolar North Atlantic). Users can also supply environmental data for regions not currently built into SuessR to generate their own custom corrections.

In 2020, net corrections (Suess + Laws corrections) were as follows—Bering Sea: 1.29‰; Aleutian Islands: 1.30‰, Gulf of Alaska: 1.30‰; and Subpolar North Atlantic: 1.31‰ (compared to a global atmospheric CO2 change of ~2.43‰ across the same period). For samples collected in 2020, the net correction exceeds instrumental error (±0.2‰) when making comparisons across only eight years (i.e. 2013–2020). The magnitude of the Suess effect calculated by SuessR aligns with published estimates, whereas the Laws effect is smaller than previously calculated, resulting from updated estimates of average community cell sizes, growth rates and permeability of phytoplankton plasmalemmas (the plasma membrane which bounds the cell) to CO2.

The increasing magnitude of the Suess effect means this phenomenon is no longer only of concern to historical ecologists, but now affects contemporary ecological studies using δ13C data. This highlights the importance of a unified approach for generating Suess corrections. The SuessR package provides a customizable tool that is simple to use and will improve the interpretability and comparability of future stable isotopic studies of marine ecology.

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Central nystagmus plus ABCD2 identifying stroke in acute dizziness presentations
Authors: Wang Weiheng , Zhang Yixin , Pan Qi , Liu Juan , Zhu Yinglin , Tan Ge , Zhan Qunling , Zhou Jiying
Published: May 2021

Objective

The objective was to explore the ability of head impulse‐nystagmus‐test of skew (HINTS) combined with ABCD2 score to identify cerebrovascular causes of dizziness.

Materials and Methods

We prospectively recruited 85 patients with acute onset of dizziness from September 2016 to December 2018 and analyzed their clinical characteristics, ABCD2 scores, HINTS, and neuroimages data.

Results

Acute stroke was identified by MRI in 21 of 85 patients. The mean ± SD ABCD2 scores were significantly higher among patients with acute stroke than those without acute stroke (4.0 ± 0.8 h vs. 2.5 ± 0.7 h, p < 0.01). The majority (71.4%) of patients with cerebrovascular causes had central pattern of nystagmus at the initial 48 h from symptoms onset. The sensitivity and specificity of HINTS were 100% and 87% for the presence of stroke in patients with nystagmus. When combined central pattern of nystagmus and ABCD2 ≥ 4, the sensitivity increased to 100% for identifying cerebrovascular causes. Nystagmus were absence at time of examination in 16.5% of our patients, and ABCD2 scores in patients who had cerebrovascular diagnoses were all ≥ 4.

Conclusion

HINTS examinations could efficiently differentiate stroke from nonstroke under the condition that patients remaining symptomatic, including spontaneous or gaze‐evoked nystagmus. It is more practical to apply the combination of central pattern of nystagmus and ABCD2 ≥ 4 in ED setting. If patients were absence of central nystagmus at admission, cerebrovascular event should be a priority diagnosis when their ABCD2 ≥ 4.
Impacts of the introduced European honeybee on Australian bee‐flower network properties in urban bushland remnants and residential gardens
Authors: Prendergast Kit S. , Ollerton Jeff
Published: May 2021

The European honeybee Apis mellifera is a highly successful, abundant species and has been introduced into habitats across the globe. As a supergeneralist species, the European honeybee has the potential to disrupt pollination networks, especially in Australia, whose flora and fauna have co‐evolved for millions of years. The role of honeybees in pollination networks in Australia has been little explored and has never been characterised in urban areas, which may favour this exotic species due to the proliferation of similarly exotic plant species which this hyper‐generalist can utilise, unlike many native bee taxa. Here, we use a bipartite network approach to compare the roles, in terms of species‐level properties, of honeybees with native bee taxa in bee‐flower (‘pollination’) networks in an urbanised biodiversity hotspot. We also assessed whether the abundance of honeybees influences overall network structure. Pollination networks were created from surveys across seven residential gardens and seven urban native vegetation remnants conducted monthly during the spring‐summer period over two years. There were consistent differences in species‐level properties between bee taxa, with honeybees often differing from all other native bees. Honeybees had significant impacts on network properties, being associated with higher nestedness, extinction slopes of plants, functional complementarity and niche overlap (year two), as well as lower weighted connectance and generalisation. These associations all are indicative that competition is occurring between the introduced honeybee and the native bee taxa in bee‐flower networks. In conclusion, the introduced honeybee occupies a dominant, distinct position in bee‐flower networks in urban habitats in the southwest Western Australian biodiversity hotspot and has a major, potentially disruptive, influence on plant‐pollinator network properties in these areas.