bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accounting for strong sustainability: an intervention-research based approach
Authors: Taïbi Souâd , Antheaume Nicolas , Gibassier Delphine
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to first empirically illustrate the construction of accounting for sustainable development tool (Bebbington and Gray, 2001) and, second, to discuss the operationalization of accounting for sustainable development (Bebbington and Larrinaga, 2014).

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on a unique intervention-research approach, the main author having worked part-time for four years on the development of the tool for a business organization in the organic food sector.

Findings

This paper proposes an operationalization of sustainable development within an accounting tool and presents the results of the calculations. It also touches briefly upon the organization’s decision not to adopt the tool. The research concludes on the difficulty of operationalizing the economic, social and environmental capitals while proposing results that demonstrate “unsustainability”.

Practical implications

This research in operationalizing sustainable development paves the way for future potential use of the tool described, and future developments to address the model’s current shortcomings, notably in interconnecting social and economic capitals with natural capital.

Social implications

The non-adoption of the accounting tool raises questions about the acceptability among practitioners of visualizing the unsustainability of their own organization, in particular within “green” and “socially responsible” businesses. Moreover, it raises the question of growth and decoupling of the organization’s impact from its economic growth.

Originality/value

This paper makes three contributions to the current literature. First, it furthers the discussion on how to operationalize accounting for sustainable development, notably by trying to implement capital as a liability (a debt), placing its “maintenance” at the very heart of the design. Second, it offers an initial operationalization of “system thinking” within a tool to account for sustainable development. Finally, it contributes to the literature on “engagement research” through a four-year intervention-research project.
The effect of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty and the mediating role of customer satisfaction
Authors: Slack Neale J. , Singh Gurmeet
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty and the mediating role of customer satisfaction in the supermarket sector.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 480 supermarket customers participated in an intercept survey in four urban centres of Fiji. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the level of service quality provided by supermarkets, and inferential statistics to determine the gap between customer's service quality expectations and perceptions and to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

The findings indicate service quality of supermarkets is perceived as being unsatisfactory, service quality significantly affects customer satisfaction and loyalty and customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty reducing customer's perceptions of service quality, leading to lower customer loyalty.

Practical implications

This study provides an indication as to where supermarkets should target their marketing attention and scarce corporate resources and may help in their efforts to service, satisfy, retain and attract more long-term loyal customers in the increasingly competitive supermarket sector. This research could inform government policy makers in sequencing the supermarket sector transformation and assist local supermarkets to adapt to this changing retail landscape.

Originality/value

This study advances our understanding of the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty and the mediating role of customer satisfaction in the supermarket sector.
A lncRNA survey finds increases in neuroprotective LINC‐PINT in Parkinson’s disease substantia nigra
Authors: Simchovitz Alon , Hanan Mor , Yayon Nadav , Lee Songhua , Bennett Estelle R. , Greenberg David S. , Kadener Sebastian , Soreq Hermona
Published: February 2020

Recent reports highlight regulatory functions of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in neurodegeneration and aging, but biomedical implications remain limited. Here, we report an rRNA‐depletion‐based long RNA‐Sequencing Resource of 65 substantia nigra, amygdala, and medial temporal gyrus samples from Parkinson's disease (PD) and matched control brains. Using a lncRNA‐focused analysis approach to identify functionally important transcripts, we discovered and prioritized many lncRNAs dysregulated in PD. Those included pronounced elevation of the P53‐induced noncoding transcript LINC‐PINT in the substantia nigra of PD patients, as well as in additional models of oxidative stress and PD. Intriguingly, we found that LINC‐PINT is a primarily neuronal transcript which showed conspicuous increases in maturing primary culture neurons. LINC‐PINT also accumulated in several brain regions of Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease patients and decreased with healthy brain aging, suggesting a general role in aging and neurodegeneration for this lncRNA. RNAi‐mediated depletion of LINC‐PINT exacerbated the death of cultured N2A and SH‐SY5Y cells exposed to oxidative stress, highlighting a previously undiscovered neuroprotective role for this tumor‐inducible lncRNA in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative disorders.
Comparison of smoking cessation rates of Quitline users in Korea between smokers of ultra‐low nicotine yield cigarettes and other types of cigarette: a prospective study
Authors: Park Eun Young , Park Eunjung , Jeong Bo Yoon , Park Jinju , Lee Do‐Hoon , Benowitz Neal L. , Lim Min Kyung
Published: February 2020

Aims

It is not known whether the machine‐smoked nicotine yield of usual brand of cigarette smoked is associated with the chances of success of quit attempts. This study aimed to assess this association.

Design

Prospective study.

Setting

Republic of Korea.

Participants

A total of 16 808 male smokers registered for the Quitline between 7 April 2006 and 31 December 2013. Of these, 13 176 participants who were > 19 years of age and provided data on their demographic characteristics, smoking‐related behaviors, nicotine dependence, tobacco brands used and self‐efficacy were included in this study.

Measurements

Machine‐smoked nicotine yield was based on information provided by tobacco companies on cigarette packages that smokers reported as their usual brand. Ultra‐low nicotine yield was defined as ≤ 0.1 mg machine‐smoked nicotine yield per cigarette, whereas higher nicotine yield was defined as > 0.1 mg machine‐smoked nicotine yield. Participant personal information and self‐reported continuous abstinence at 1‐month, 6‐month and 1‐year follow‐up were recorded in electronic databases.

Findings

Continuous abstinence rates in the ultra‐low nicotine yield versus higher nicotine yield groups were, respectively, 40.7 versus 34.6% at 1 month [odds ratio (OR) = 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12–1.33], 22.7 versus 18.8% at 6 months (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.08–1.32) and 19.5 versus 16.6% (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.10–1.29) at 1 year. The association between ultra‐low nicotine yield cigarette smoking and successful quitting was stronger among the smokers with higher cigarette dependence.

Conclusions

Male smokers who use the Korean Quitline are more likely to quit successfully if they smoke ultra‐low nicotine yield cigarettes than if they smoke higher nicotine yield cigarettes.
Grassroots Ecologies of Value: Environmental Conflict and Social Reproduction in Southern Italy
Authors: Pusceddu Antonio Maria
Published: February 2020

In this article I examine socio‐environmental conflicts through the category of value. Drawing from a single case study, an industrial city in southern Italy, I address the revaluation projects underpinning the conflict around socio‐ecological arrangements that are considered unfair, unsustainable and detrimental to life. Focusing on the trajectory of local environmentalism and the specific case of a women group, the article shows how the intensification of the socio‐ecological crisis prompted the shift of environmental conflicts from the sphere of production to the broader relations of social reproduction. I propose to analyse this shift through the concept of grassroots ecologies of value, which outlines a framework for thinking about how people deal with the socio‐environmental contradictions in which they live, and their struggles for dignity and worth.
Mass cytometry identifies expansion of double positive and exhausted T cell subsets in the tumour microenvironment of patients with POEMS syndrome
Authors: Kourelis Taxiarchis V. , Jevremovic Dragan , Jessen Erik , Dasari Surendra , Villasboas Jose C. , Dispenzieri Angela , Kumar Shaji
Published: February 2020

We sought to dissect the tumour microenvironment in a small cohort (N = 10) of patients with POEMS at diagnosis and after therapy using mass cytometry. We included 10 MGUS patients as controls. We identified 29 immune cell subsets in the CD45+ and CD3+ compartments. Double positive T cells and PD‐1 positive CD4 T cells were expanded and naïve CD4 T cells were decreased in the bone marrow of patients with newly diagnosed/progressing POEMS. These findings provide evidence for possible antigenic‐driven selection as a driver of disease pathogenesis in POEMS.
Curiosity‐driven recommendation strategy for adaptive learning via deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Han Ruijian , Chen Kani , Tan Chunxi
Published: February 2020

The design of recommendation strategies in the adaptive learning systems focuses on utilizing currently available information to provide learners with individual‐specific learning instructions. As a critical motivate for human behaviours, curiosity is essentially the drive to explore knowledge and seek information. In a psychologically inspired view, we propose a curiosity‐driven recommendation policy within the reinforcement learning framework, allowing for an efficient and enjoyable personalized learning path. Specifically, a curiosity reward from a well‐designed predictive model is generated to model one's familiarity with the knowledge space. Given such curiosity rewards, we apply the actor–critic method to approximate the policy directly through neural networks. Numerical analyses with a large continuous knowledge state space and concrete learning scenarios are provided to further demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.
Putting positive weight‐related conversations into practice: The pilot implementation of a Knowledge Translation Casebook
Authors: Bonder Revi , Provvidenza Christine F. , Hubley Darlene , McPherson Amy C.
Published: February 2020

Background

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) play an important role in discussing weight with children and their parents but report barriers such as lack of training and supports. These barriers are especially prevalent within specialized populations such as children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To address this, a Knowledge Translation Casebook on positive weight‐related conversations was developed by a research team at a Canadian paediatric hospital. The purpose of the current pre‐implementation pilot study was to explore initial acceptability and adoption of the Casebook into clinical settings.

Methods

An interactive, multimodal education workshop was created to provide HCPs with knowledge and training on how to have positive weight‐related conversations with children and parents. Two workshops were conducted using the same curriculum but delivered either in‐person or online. Participants were drawn from a team of clinicians at a teaching hospital whose care focuses on medication management for clients with ASD and clinicians participating in a distance learning programme on best practice care for clients with ASD. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, workshop evaluation, and a pre‐workshop and post‐workshop questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic, questionnaire, and survey data. Answers to open‐ended questions were analysed using content analysis.

Results

Participants agreed that the workshop gave them a clear understanding of the Casebook's content and helped them easily navigate the Casebook. Based on raw scores, self‐efficacy in having weight‐related conversations seemed to increase from pre‐to post‐workshop, but reported weight‐management clinical practice scores did not change over time. However, the small sample precluded in‐depth statistical analysis.

Conclusions

The Casebook was acceptable and appeared to increase self‐efficacy about having weight‐related conversations with children with ASD and parents. More robust implementation strategies are needed to foster the uptake of best practices in weight‐related conversations into clinical practice.
Questionnaires as screening tools for children with cerebral visual impairment
Authors: Fazzi Elisa , Micheletti Serena
Published: February 2020

This commentary is on the original article by Ben Itzhak et al. on pages 969–976 of this issue.
Demanding more of Strawsonian accountability theory
Authors: Telech Daniel
Published: February 2020

A neglected and non‐trivial problem exists for a central cluster of Strawsonian accountability theories of moral responsibility, namely those that, following Gary Watson, understand the reactive attitudes to be implicit forms ofmoral address, particularly moral demand. The problem consists in the joint acceptance of two claims: (a) Accountability is a matter of agents holding one another to moral demands, and (b) accountability is a view of blameand praise. I label joint acceptance of these claims the Strawsonian'sdemand dogma. Symptomatic of a larger tendency among responsibility theorists to focus on blame to the neglect of its positive counterpart, the demand dogma saddles the Strawsonian with an impoverished and ultimately untenable view of praise. This is because moral demand occupies a dual role on the Strawsonian's view of blame, one that it is incapable of occupying for praise. For, demands figure not only in thecontentsof blame responses; demand typifies the form of these responses themselves. That is, reactive attitudes of blame, unlike those of praise, implicitlymake demandsof their targets. The force of this problem is highlighted by considering the inadequacy of various strategies for shoehorning “demand” into our conception of praise. If reactive attitudes generally are incipient forms of moral address, praise‐manifesting attitudes must communicate something other than demand. Though primarily critical, this paper invites Strawsonian responsibility theorists to give renewed attention to the foundations of the proposal that the reactive attitudes are incipiently communicative, focusing this time on the form of address that lies at the heart of praise.
Nursing science and health policy – opportunities in the year of the nurse and the midwife
Authors: Mitchell Pamela H.
Published: February 2020

The 2020 International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife is an important opportunity to marry nursing science and health policy globally. Nurses and midwives are demonstrating strong intent towards evidence‐based practice but often feel they lack the skills to implement it. Examples are provided of ways in which general and advanced practice nurses have succeeded in bringing evidence into practice and then into local and global policy.
Nursing Now 2020: the Nightingale Challenge
Authors: Bayliss‐Pratt Lisa , Daley Matthew , Bhattacharya‐Craven Adrita
Published: February 2020

Global healthcare expenditure is increasing, along with the numbers of older patients with multiple comorbidities, while the numbers of health workers are hugely decreasing, and many nursing and midwifery vacancies remain unfilled. With the World Health Organization declaring 2020 the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, and commencing the Nursing Now campaign with partners including the International Council of Nurses and the International Confederation of Midwives, has allowed these professions to unite, encourage advocacy and the call for global investment in nursing and midwifery. These actions will permit these professions to address universal health coverage, global inconsistencies of professional practice, and recruitment and retention. The Nightingale Challenge seeks to place early career nurses and midwives at the forefront of transformation, calling on employers worldwide to invest and provide nursing leadership development, and to become a key part of the solution to address the issues of providing universal health coverage, promoting gender equality and supporting economic growth. This will help place them at the heart of tackling 21st century health challenges.
Waterlogging differentially affects yield and its components in wheat, barley, rapeseed and field pea depending on the timing of occurrence
Authors: Ploschuk Rocio A. , Miralles Daniel J. , Colmer Timothy D. , Striker Gustavo G.
Published: February 2020

Waterlogging on croplands is increasing in various areas of the world. This study evaluated the yield penalty by early and late waterlogging on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) and field pea (Pisum sativum L.). Plants cultivated outdoors were exposed to a 14‐day waterlogging during vegetative (at 65 days after sowing (DAS)) or reproductive (at 85/87 DAS) stages, followed by drained conditions until maturity. Yield (seed weight per plant) and its components (number of spikes/siliques/pods per plant, number of grains per spike/silique/pod and 1,000 grain weight) were assessed at maturity, along with morphological (number of tillers/branches) and shoot and root dry weight responses after waterlogging and during recovery. Wheat was the most tolerant species achieving 86% and 71% of controls in yield with early and late waterlogging, related to fewer grains per spike. Barley and rapeseed tolerated early waterlogging (yields 85% and 79% of controls) as compared to late waterlogging (32% and 26% of controls), mainly due to fewer spikes per plant (barley) or reductions in seeds per silique (rapeseed). Field pea was greatly affected by waterlogging at both timings, attaining a yield of only 6% of controls on average due to much fewer pods and fewer seeds per pod. So, wheat could be an option for areas facing either winter or spring transient waterlogging (i.e. early or late stages); barley and rapeseed are recommended only with if water excess occurs in early stages and field pea is intolerant to waterlogging.
Effects of ignoring inbreeding in model‐based accuracy for BLUP and SSGBLUP
Authors: Aguilar Ignacio , Fernandez Eduardo N. , Blasco Agustin , Ravagnolo Olga , Legarra Andres
Published: February 2020

Model‐based accuracy, defined as the theoretical correlation between true and estimated breeding value, can be obtained for each individual as a function of its prediction error variance (PEV) and inbreeding coefficient F, in BLUP, GBLUP and SSGBLUP genetic evaluations. However, for computational convenience, inbreeding is often ignored in two places. First, in the computation of reliability = 1‐PEV/(1 + F). Second, in the set‐up, using Henderson's rules, of the inverse of the pedigree‐based relationship matrix A. Both approximations have an effect in the computation of model‐based accuracy and result in wrong values. In this work, first we present a reminder of the theory and extend it to SSGBLUP. Second, we quantify the error of ignoring inbreeding with real data in three scenarios: BLUP evaluation and SSGBLUP in Uruguayan dairy cattle, and BLUP evaluations in a line of rabbit closed for >40 generations with steady increase of inbreeding up to an average of 0.30. We show that ignoring inbreeding in the set‐up of the A‐inverse is equivalent to assume that non‐inbred animals are actually inbred. This results in an increase of apparent PEV that is negligible for dairy cattle but considerable for rabbit. Ignoring inbreeding in reliability = 1‐PEV/(1 + F) leads to underestimation of reliability for BLUP evaluations, and this underestimation is very large for rabbit. For SSGBLUP in dairy cattle, it leads to both underestimation and overestimation of reliability, both for genotyped and non‐genotyped animals. We strongly recommend to include inbreeding both in the set‐up of A‐inverse and in the computation of reliability from PEVs.
The Imperial and Transpacific Origins of Chinese Capitalism
Authors: Hamilton Peter E.
Published: February 2020

This article restores early colonial Hong Kong to a key role in the history of capitalism and the integration of the Pacific. It argues that in the 1840s Hong Kong became the first identifiably capitalist Chinese society and a nexus between the China coast and both the expanding British and US imperial systems. It first demonstrates how Hong Kong's colonial regime swiftly re‐structured the island's social‐property relations and scaffolded its residents toward the ceaseless accumulation of capital. It then examines how this nascent node of Chinese capitalism integrated with the westward expansion of American capitalism amid the California Gold Rush and concludes by analyzing how Hong Kong's transpacific networks facilitated the expansion of capitalist systems into late nineteenth‐century China, most especially Shanghai.
Occlusal dysesthesia—A clinical guideline
Authors: Imhoff Bruno , Ahlers M. Oliver , Hugger Alfons , Lange Matthias , Schmitter Marc , Ottl Peter , Wolowski Anne , Türp Jens Christoph
Published: February 2020

Background

The diagnosis and management of patients suffering from occlusal dysesthesia (OD) remain a major challenge for dental practitioners and affected patients.

Objectives

To present the results of a literature‐based expert consensus intended to promote better understanding of OD and to facilitate the identification and management of affected patients.

Methods

In 2018, electronic literature searches were carried out in PubMed, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar as well as in the archives of relevant journals not listed in these databases. This approach was complemented by a careful assessment of the reference lists of the identified relevant papers. The articles were weighted by evidence level, followed by an evaluation of their contents and a discussion. The result represents an expert consensus.

Results

Based on the contents of the 77 articles identified in the search, the current knowledge about clinical characteristics, epidemiology, aetiology, diagnostic process, differential diagnosis and management of OD is summarised.

Conclusions

Occlusal dysesthesia exists independently of the occlusion. Instead, it is the result of maladaptive signal processing. The focus should be on patient education, counselling, defocusing, cognitive behavioural therapy, supportive drug therapy and certain non‐specific measures. Irreversible, specifically an exclusively dental treatment approach must be avoided.
Invasive species, not environmental changes, restrict the population and geographical range of the quokka (Setonix brachyurus)
Authors: Scholtz E. J. , DeSantis L. R. G.
Published: February 2020

European arrival into Australia had large‐scale impacts on the local flora and fauna. Most notably, Europeans brought with them numerous non‐native species, including the European red fox (Vulpes vulpes), European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and the goat (Capra hircus) among many others. The introduction of these species had significant consequences on native Australian mammals, causing some small‐ to medium‐sized herbivores to become geographically restricted to primarily islands. Here, we examined the dietary ecology of the quokka (Setonix brachyurus), a native marsupial herbivore with a restricted geographic range in Western Australia before and after European arrival. Fossils from south‐western Australia and modern specimens were examined via dental microwear texture analysis and stable isotope analysis to assess whether the diet of the quokka had changed dramatically over time. Collectively, we help clarify whether there were any ecological reasons as to why this marsupial became geographically restricted, aside from the presence of invasive predators on mainland Australia. The quokka maintains a browsing diet from the Pleistocene to the present on the mainland, but modern island populations eat drier and tougher foods when living on islands lacking invasive mammals. There is also an apparent shift in the feeding environment of the quokkas on mainland Australia, from more open forests/shrublands in the Pleistocene to denser and wetter forests. Multi‐proxy data collectively indicate that the restricted range of the quokka today is most likely a result of predation from non‐native taxa and/or other human influences—not because of a lack of suitable habitat.
Mixed ancestry from wild and domestic lineages contributes to the rapid expansion of invasive feral swine
Authors: Smyser Timothy J. , Tabak Michael A. , Slootmaker Chris , Robeson Michael S. , Miller Ryan S. , Bosse Mirte , Megens Hendrik‐Jan , Groenen Martien A. M. , Paiva Samuel Rezende , de Faria Danielle Assis , Blackburn Harvey D. , Schmit Brandon S. , Piaggio Antoinette J.
Published: February 2020

Invasive alien species are a significant threat to both economic and ecological systems. Identifying the processes that give rise to invasive populations is essential for implementing effective control strategies. We conducted an ancestry analysis of invasive feral swine (Sus scrofa, Linnaeus, 1758), a highly destructive ungulate that is widely distributed throughout the contiguous United States, to describe introduction pathways, sources of newly emergent populations and processes contributing to an ongoing invasion. Comparisons of high‐density single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes for 6,566 invasive feral swine to a comprehensive reference set of S. scrofa revealed that the vast majority of feral swine were of mixed ancestry, with dominant genetic associations to Western heritage breeds of domestic pig and European populations of wild boar. Further, the rapid expansion of invasive feral swine over the past 30 years was attributable to secondary introductions from established populations of admixed ancestry as opposed to direct introductions of domestic breeds or wild boar. Spatially widespread genetic associations of invasive feral swine to European wild boar deviated strongly from historical S. scrofa introduction pressure, which was largely restricted to domestic pigs with infrequent, localized wild boar releases. The deviation between historical introduction pressure and contemporary genetic ancestry suggests wild boar‐hybridization may contribute to differential fitness in the environment and heightened invasive potential for individuals of admixed domestic pig–wild boar ancestry.
C2 photosynthesis: a promising route towards crop improvement?
Authors: Lundgren Marjorie R.
Published: February 2020

C2 photosynthesis is a carbon concentrating mechanism that can increase net CO2 assimilation by capturing, concentrating and re‐assimilating CO2 released by photorespiration. Empirical and modelling studies indicate that C2 plants assimilate more carbon than C3 plants under high temperature, bright light, and low CO2 conditions. I argue that engineering C2 photosynthesis into C3 crops is a promising approach to improve photosynthetic performance under these – and temporally heterogeneous – environments, and review the modifications that may re‐create a C2 phenotype in C3 plants. Although a C2 engineering program would encounter many of the same challenges faced by C4 engineering programmes, the simpler leaf anatomical requirements make C2 engineering a feasible approach to improve crops in the medium term.
A lack of genetically compatible mates constrains the spread of an invasive weed
Authors: Uesugi Akane , Baker David J. , de Silva Nissanka , Nurkowski Kristin , Hodgins Kathryn A.
Published: February 2020

Introduced populations often experience lag times before invasion, but the mechanisms constraining rapid expansions of introduced populations are unclear. Solidago altissima is a North American native plant with highly invasive Japanese populations and introduced Australian populations that are not invasive despite the climatic and ecological suitability of the region.

By contrasting Australian with Japanese populations, we tested the hypothesis that Australian population growth is limited by a lack of long‐distance dispersal via seeds owing to a limited number of compatible mates.

In the field, Australian populations rarely produced viable seeds. A cross‐pollination experiment found that Australian plants are fertile, yet lack compatible mates within Australia. Genetic analysis revealed that Australian individuals descend from a small set of self‐incompatible genetic clones, which explains the negligible seed set within Australia.

Our results show that low genetic diversity, leading to mate incompatibility, inhibits invasiveness of Australian S.  altissima, and provides compelling evidence for genetic, rather than ecological, factors constraining invasion in Australia.
Autocrine regulation of root hair size by the RALF‐FERONIA‐RSL4 signaling pathway
Authors: Zhu Sirui , Martínez Pacheco Javier , Estevez José M. , Yu Feng
Published: February 2020

Root hair (RH) size has vital physiological implications, since it influences the surface area of the root and thus the ability of the plant to absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Arabidopsis ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE 6‐LIKE 4 (RSL4), a bHLH transcription factor, controls the expression of hundreds of RH genes, and RSL4 expression itself can trigger ectopic RH growth. Recent studies reveal an autocrine mechanism governing plant RH cell growth in which the extracellular peptide RAPID ALKALINIZATION FACTOR 1 (RALF1) and receptor FERONIA (FER) act as a central hub between the cell surface and downstream signaling events. RALF1‐FER promotes the phosphorylation of eIF4E1. Then, phosphorylated eIF4E1 further regulates the synthesis of RH proteins, including RSL4, to promote RH growth. High levels of RSL4 exert a negative feedback on RALF1 expression via directly binding to the RALF1 gene promoter, slowing RH growth and determining final RH cell size.
Auxin‐activated MdARF5 induces the expression of ethylene biosynthetic genes to initiate apple fruit ripening
Authors: Yue Pengtao , Lu Qian , Liu Zhi , Lv Tianxing , Li Xinyue , Bu Haidong , Liu Weiting , Xu Yaxiu , Yuan Hui , Wang Aide
Published: February 2020

The gaseous plant hormone ethylene induces the ripening of climacteric fruit, including apple (Malus domestica). Another phytohormone, auxin, is known to promote ethylene production in many horticultural crops, but the regulatory mechanism remains unclear.

Here, we found that auxin application induces ethylene production in apple fruit before the stage of commercial harvest, when they are not otherwise capable of ripening naturally.

The expression of MdARF5, a member of the auxin response factor transcription factor (TF) family involved in the auxin signaling pathway, was enhanced by treatment with the synthetic auxin naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Further studies revealed that MdARF5 binds to the promoter of MdERF2, encoding a TF in the ethylene signaling pathway, as well as the promoters of two 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid synthase (ACS) genes (MdACS3a and MdACS1) and an ACC oxidase (ACO) gene, MdACO1, all of which encode key steps in ethylene biosynthesis, thereby inducing their expression. We also observed that auxin‐induced ethylene production was dependent on the methylation of the MdACS3a promoter.

Our findings reveal that auxin induces ethylene biosynthesis in apple fruit through activation of MdARF5 expression.
Ageing elevates peripheral spatial suppression of motion regardless of divided attention
Authors: Park Soa , Nguyen Bao N , McKendrick Allison M
Published: February 2020

Purpose

It is more difficult to perceive the direction of motion of larger, high contrast patterns than smaller, low contrast patterns due to spatial suppression. Spatial suppression of motion is considered important to the segmentation of moving objects in the visual environment. Previous studies have shown that such spatial suppression of motion is reduced in older adults in central vision, to the extent that older adults can have better sensitivity than younger adults for foveally presented stimuli. Our study was designed to explore whether spatial suppression of motion is similarly reduced for older adults in parafoveal regions and whether divided attention impacts on suppression strength because attention is known to impact on spatial interactions.

Methods

Twenty younger (19–34 years) and 18 older (61–77 years) adults completed a single task, where observers identified the direction of a drifting Gabor patch of variable size (σ of the Gaussian envelope = 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4°) presented at 10 degrees of visual angle while observing a central fixation marker, and a dual task, where observers were required to divide their attention across two stimuli, the peripheral drifting Gabor patch and a central rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) stream.

Results

Older adults showed increased spatial suppression of motion relative to younger adults for both tasks (main effect of group: p < 0.001). Dividing attention elevated thresholds for both age groups to a similar extent (main effect of attention: p = 0.002), but did not specifically alter spatial interactions (group x attention interaction: p = 0.13).

Conclusions

Older adults require significantly longer than younger adults to correctly identify stimulus motion, and demonstrate increased spatial suppression of motion, in peripheral vision. When considered alongside previous evidence for reduced suppression for central fixation, our study provides evidence for substantial differences between foveal and parafoveal mechanisms of spatial suppression.
Epidemiology and surveillance of human (neuro)cysticercosis in Europe: is enhanced surveillance required?
Authors: Abraham Annette , Schmidt Veronika , Kaminski Miriam , Stelzle Dominik , De Meijere Robert , Bustos Javier , Sahu Priyadarshi Soumyaranjan , Garcia Hector Hugo , Bobić Branko , Cretu Carmen , Chiodini Peter , Deksne Gunita , Dermauw Veronique , Devleesschauwer Brecht , Dorny Pierre , Fonseca Ana , Gabriël Sarah , Gómez-Morales Maria Angeles , Kucsera István , Laranjo‐González Minerva , Trevisan Chiara , Vilhena Manuela , Walker Naomi F. , Zammarchi Lorenzo , Winkler Andrea Sylvia
Published: February 2020

Objectives

To report on relevant national surveillance systems of (N)CC and taeniasis (the infection with the adult tapeworm) in the European Union/European Economic Area and to assess the magnitude of (N)CC occurrence by retrieving information on cases for the period 2000–2016.

Methods

(N)CC cases were retrieved via national reporting systems, a systematic literature search, contact with clinicians and a search for relevant ‘International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems’ (ICD)‐based data.

Results

Mandatory notification systems for (N)CC were found in Hungary, Iceland and Poland. Ten cases were reported in Poland and none in Hungary and Iceland. Through the systematic literature review and information given by clinicians, 263 individual and 721 aggregated (N)CC cases from 19 European countries were identified. ICD‐based data were obtained from five countries. From 2000 to 2016, a total of 3489 cases (N)CC cases were coded: 832 in Italy, eight in Latvia, 357 in Portugal, 2116 in Spain and 176 in Sweden.

Conclusion

Despite being classified as a possible eradicable disease, (N)CC is still diagnosed across Europe, yet its true extent and impact remain unclear.
Diagnosis and management of hereditary haemochromatosis
Authors: Murphree Catherine R. , Nguyen Nga N. , Raghunathan Vikram , Olson Sven R. , DeLoughery Thomas , Shatzel Joseph J.
Published: February 2020

Hereditary haemochromatosis, one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States, can produce systemic iron deposition leading to end‐organ failure and death if untreated. The diagnosis of this condition can be challenging as elevated serum ferritin may be seen in a variety of conditions, including acute and chronic liver disease, a range of systemic inflammatory states, and both primary and secondary iron overload syndromes. Appropriate and timely diagnosis of haemochromatosis is paramount as simple interventions, such as phlebotomy, can prevent or reverse organ damage from iron overload. The recognition of other aetiologies of elevated ferritin is also vital to ensure that appropriate intervention is provided and phlebotomy only utilized in patients who require it. In this review, we summarize the existing data on the work up and management of hereditary haemochromatosis and present a practical algorithm for the diagnosis and management of this disease.
Morphology of obligate ectosymbionts reveals Paralaxus gen. nov.: A new circumtropical genus of marine stilbonematine nematodes
Authors: Scharhauser Florian , Zimmermann Judith , Ott Jörg A. , Leisch Nikolaus , Gruber‐Vodicka Harald R.
Published: February 2020

Stilbonematinae are a subfamily of conspicuous marine nematodes, distinguished by a coat of sulphur‐oxidizing bacterial ectosymbionts on their cuticle. As most nematodes, the worm hosts have a relatively simple anatomy and few taxonomically informative characters, and this has resulted in numerous taxonomic reassignments and synonymizations. Recent studies using a combination of morphological and molecular traits have helped to improve the taxonomy of Stilbonematinae but also raised questions on the validity of several genera. Here, we describe a new circumtropically distributed genus Paralaxus (Stilbonematinae) with three species: Paralaxus cocos sp. nov., P. bermudensis sp. nov. and P. columbae sp. nov. We used single worm metagenomes to generate host 18S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) as well as symbiont 16S rRNA gene sequences. Intriguingly, COI alignments and primer matching analyses suggest that the COI is not suitable for PCR‐based barcoding approaches in Stilbonematinae as the genera have a highly diverse base composition and no conserved primer sites. The phylogenetic analyses of all three gene sets, however, confirm the morphological assignments and support the erection of the new genus Paralaxus as well as corroborate the status of the other stilbonematine genera. Paralaxus most closely resembles the stilbonematine genus Laxus in overlapping sets of diagnostic features but can be distinguished from Laxus by the morphology of the genus‐specific symbiont coat. Our re‐analyses of key parameters of the symbiont coat morphology as character for all Stilbonematinae genera show that with amended descriptions, including the coat, highly reliable genus assignments can be obtained.
Muerte fetal anteparto: ¿es una condición prevenible?
Authors: Molina Saulo , Alfonso Diana Alejandra
Published: February 2020

El síndrome de muerte fetal se define como la muerte del feto que se presenta después de la semana 20 de gestación, en ausencia de trabajo de parto instaurado. Constituye un tercio de toda la mortalidad fetal e infantil y más de 50% de todas las muertes perinatales en los países desarrollados. Las causas de muerte fetal raramente se reportan y la mayoría se desconoce. Se pretende con este artículo hacer una revisión que permita entender la fisiopatología de la entidad, evaluar los factores de riesgo y tratar de brindar a nuestras pacientes la posibilidad de un embarazo exitoso. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura existente de acuerdo con las bases de datos PubMed, EBSCO, Ovid y Proquest, desde el año 2000 hasta 2008. A pesar de la disminución significativa de los óbitos fetales en las últimas décadas, sigue siendo un serio problema de salud pública, no sólo por ser una condición prevalente, sino por el subregistro y la ausencia de reportes confiables.
Colorado River flow dwindles as warming-driven loss of reflective snow energizes evaporation
Authors: Milly P. C. D. , Dunne K. A.
Published: February 2020

Evaporating futures

Drought and warming have been shrinking Colorado River flow for many years. Milly and Dunne used a hydrologic model and historical observations to show that this decrease is due mainly to increased evapotranspiration caused by a reduction of albedo from snow loss and the associated rise in the absorption of solar radiation (see the Perspective by Hobbins and Barsugli). This drying will be greater than the projected precipitation increases expected from climate warming, increasing the risk of severe water shortages in an already vulnerable region.

Science
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A Hierarchical Network of Four Regulatory Genes Controlling Production of the Polyene Antibiotic Candicidin inStreptomycessp. Strain FR-008
Authors: Zhu Yanping , Xu Wenhao , Zhang Jing , Zhang Peipei , Zhao Zhilong , Sheng Duohong , Ma Wei , Zhang Yu-Zhong , Bai Linquan , Pang Xiuhua
Published: February 2020

The regulation of antibiotic biosynthesis byStreptomycesspecies is complex, especially for biosynthetic gene clusters with multiple regulatory genes. The biosynthetic gene cluster for the polyene antibiotic candicidin contains four consecutive regulatory genes, which encode regulatory proteins from different families and which form a subcluster within the larger biosynthetic gene cluster inStreptomycessp. FR-008. Syntenic arrangements of these regulatory genes are widely distributed in polyene gene clusters, such as the amphotericin and nystatin gene clusters, suggesting a conserved regulatory mechanism controlling production of these clinically important medicines. However, the relationships between these multiple regulatory genes are unknown. In this study, we determined that each of these four regulatory genes is critical for candicidin production. Additionally, using transcriptional analyses, bioassays, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, and genetic cross-complementation, we showed that FscR1 to FscR4 comprise a hierarchical regulatory network that controls candicidin production and is likely representative of how expression of other polyene biosynthetic gene clusters is controlled.
Dual Role of Toll-Like Receptor 7 in the Pathogenesis of Rabies Virus in a Mouse Model
Authors: Luo Zhaochen , Lv Lei , Li Yingying , Sui Baokun , Wu Qiong , Zhang Yachun , Pei Jie , Li Mingming , Zhou Ming , Hooper D. Craig , Fu Zhen F. , Zhao Ling
Published: February 2020

Developing targeted treatment for RABV requires understanding the innate immune response to the virus because early virus clearance is essential for preventing the fatality when the infection has progressed to the CNS. Previous studies have revealed that TLR7 is involved in the immune response to RABV. Here, we establish that TLR7 recognizes RABV and facilitates the production of some interferon-stimulated genes. We also demonstrated that when RABV invades into the CNS, TLR7 enhances the production of inflammatory cytokines which contribute to immunopathology in the mouse brain. Taken together, our findings suggest that treatments for RABV must consider the balance between the beneficial and harmful effects of TLR7-triggered immune responses.
Chikungunya Virus Evades Antiviral CD8+T Cell Responses To Establish Persistent Infection in Joint-Associated Tissues
Authors: Davenport Bennett J. , Bullock Christopher , McCarthy Mary K. , Hawman David W. , Murphy Kenneth M. , Kedl Ross M. , Diamond Michael S. , Morrison Thomas E.
Published: February 2020

CHIKV is a reemerging mosquito-transmitted virus that in the last decade has spread into Europe, Asia, the Pacific Region, and the Americas. Joint pain, swelling, and stiffness can endure for months to years after CHIKV infection, and epidemics have a severe economic impact. Elucidating the mechanisms by which CHIKV subverts antiviral immunity to establish and maintain a persistent infection may lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies against chronic CHIKV disease. In this study, we found that CHIKV establishes and maintains a persistent infection in joint-associated tissue in part by evading antiviral CD8+T cell immunity. Thus, immunomodulatory therapies that improve CD8+T cell immune surveillance and clearance of CHIKV infection could be a strategy for mitigating chronic CHIKV disease.
Problem solving in clinical practice: the sick infant with low sodium and high potassium
Authors: Tse Yincent , Singhal Nidhi , McDonald Leigh , Gopal Milan , Lall Anupam , Johnstone Helen , Cheetham Timothy
Published: February 2020

Many paediatricians will be faced with a sick infant who on investigation is found to have hyponatraemia and hyperkalaemia at some time in their career. The focus of initial management includes the treatment of potentially life-threatening hyperkalaemia with concurrent investigation aiming to elucidate whether the underlying cause reflects a primarily renal or endocrine pathology. We describe the presentation of two infants who each presented with one of the more common underlying diagnoses that led to this biochemical disturbance and discuss the approach to immediate treatment, diagnostic work-up and longer term management.
Case of paradoxical adverse response to mepolizumab with mepolizumab-induced alopecia in severe eosinophilic asthma
Authors: Nixon Rodanthe , Despiney Raquel , Pfeffer Paul
Published: February 2020

Recent years have seen an increase in use of mepolizumab and other biological therapies for the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma. A few cases of paradoxical responses to mepolizumab therapy have now been reported and are hypothesised as being a response to immune complex formation. We present a case of mepolizumab-induced alopecia in a patient with paradoxical adverse response to mepolizumab given for severe eosinophilic asthma. We postulate this could be secondary to autoimmune mechanisms and that it could help herald poor response to treatment, thereby facilitating early identification of patients having paradoxical responses.