bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circadian pacemaker neurons display co-phasic rhythms in basal calcium level and in fast calcium fluctuations
Authors: Liang Xitong , Holy Timothy E. , Taghert Paul H.
Published: May 2021

Circadian pacemaker neurons in theDrosophilabrain display daily rhythms in the levels of intracellular calcium. These calcium rhythms are driven by molecular clocks and are required for normal circadian behavior. To study their biological basis, we employed genetic manipulations in conjunction with in vivo light-sheet microscopy to measure calcium dynamics in individual pacemaker neurons over complete 24-hour periods. We found co-phasic daily rhythms in basal calcium levels and in high frequency calcium fluctuations. Further we found that the rhythms of basal calcium levels require the activity of theIP3R, a channel that mediates calcium fluxes from internal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium stores. Independently, the rhythms of fast calcium fluctuations required the T-type voltage-gated calcium channel, a conductance that mediates extracellular calcium influx. These results suggest thatDrosophilamolecular clocks regulateIP3Rand T-type channels to generate coupled rhythms in basal calcium and in fast calcium fluctuations, respectively. We propose that both internal and external calcium fluxes are essential for circadian pacemaker neurons to provide rhythmic outputs, and thereby regulate the activities of downstream brain centers.
A genetic mouse model with postnatalNf1andp53loss recapitulates the histology and transcriptome of human malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor
Authors: Inoue Akira , Janke Laura J. , Gudenas Brian L. , Jin Hongjian , Fan Yiping , Paré Joshua , Clay Michael R. , Northcott Paul A. , Hirbe Angela C. , Cao Xinwei
Published: May 2021

Background

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) are aggressive sarcomas. Somatic inactivation ofNF1and cooperating tumor suppressors, includingCDKN2A/B, PRC2, and p53, is found in most MPNST. Inactivation of the LATS1/2 kinases of the Hippo pathway was recently shown to cause tumors resembling MPNST histologically, although Hippo pathway mutations are rarely found in MPNST. Because existing genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of MPNST do not recapitulate some of the key genetic features of human MPNST, we aimed to establish a mouse MPNST model that recapitulated the human disease genetically, histologically, and molecularly.

Methods

We combined two genetically modified alleles, anNf1;Trp53 cis-conditional allele and an induciblePlp-CreERallele (NP-Plp), to model the somatic, possibly postnatal, mutational events in human MPNST. We also generated conditionalLats1;Lats2knockout mice. We performed histopathologic analysis of mouse MPNST models and transcriptomic comparison of mouse models and human nerve sheath tumors.

Results

PostnatalNf1;Trp53 cis-deletion resulted in GEM-MPNST that was histologically more similar to human MPNST than the widely used germlineNf1;Trp53 cis-heterozygous (NPcis) model and showed partial loss of H3K27me3. At the transcriptome level,Nf1;p53-driven GEM-MPNST were distinct fromLats-driven GEM-MPNST and resembled human MPNST more closely than doLats-driven tumors.

Conclusions

The NP-Plp model recapitulates human MPNST genetically, histologically, and molecularly.

Key Points

PostnatalNf1;p53 cis-deletion in NP-Plp mice results in tumors similar to MPNST.

The transcriptomes ofNf1;p53-driven andLats-driven MPNST models are distinct.

NP-Plp model resembles human MPNST genetically, histologically, and molecularly.

Importance of the Study

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) are aggressive sarcomas with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Existing genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of MPNST do not recapitulate some of the key genetic features of human MPNST. To model the somatic, possibly postnatal, mutational events seen in MPNST patients, we generated a GEM-MPNST model by combining two genetically modified alleles, anNf1;Trp53 cis-conditional allele and aPlp-CreERallele. Our histologic and transcriptomic analyses showed that this NP-Plp model resembles human MPNST genetically, histologically, and molecularly—more so than the widely used NPcis model and the recently publishedLats-driven model. The NP-Plp model is genetically simple, making it easy to maintain and an ideal platform for preclinical studies. Given its tamoxifen-inducible nature, this model can be used to study the time/stage dependency of the tumorigenic potential of Schwann cells.
A combined bioinformatics and LC-MS based approach for the development and benchmarking of a comprehensive database for CNS proteins inLymnaea stagnalis
Authors: Wooller Sarah , Anagnostopoulou Aikaterini , Kuropka Benno , Crossley Michael , Benjamin Paul R. , Pearl Frances , Kemenes Ildikó , Kemenes György , Eravci Murat
Published: May 2021

Applications of key technologies in biomedical research, such as qRT-PCR or LC-MS based proteomics, are generating large biological (-omics) data sets which are useful for the identification and quantification of biomarkers involved in molecular mechanisms of any research area of interest. Genome, transcriptome and proteome databases are already available for a number of model organisms including vertebrates and invertebrates. However, there is insufficient information available for protein sequences of certain invertebrates, such as the great pond snailLymnaea stagnalis, a model organism that has been used highly successfully in elucidating evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of learning and memory, ageing and age-related as well as amyloid-β induced memory decline. In this investigation, we used a bioinformatics approach to designing and benchmarking a comprehensive CNS proteomics database (LymCNS-PDB) for the identification of proteins from the Central Nervous System (CNS) ofLymnaea stagnalisby LC-MS based proteomics. LymCNS-PDB was created by using the Trinity TransDecoder bioinformatics tool to translate amino acid sequences from mRNA transcript assemblies obtained from an existing publishedLymnaea stagnalistranscriptomics database. The blast-style MMSeq2 software was used to match all translated sequences to sequences for molluscan proteins (includingLymnaea stagnalisand other molluscs) available from UniProtKB. LymCNS-PDB, which contains 9,628 identified matched proteins, was then benchmarked by performing LC-MS based proteomics analysis with proteins isolated from the CNS ofLymnaea stagnalis. MS/MS analysis using the LymCNS-PDB database led to the identification of 3,810 proteins while only 982 proteins were identified by using a non-specific Molluscan database. LymCNS-PDB provides a valuable tool that will enable us to perform quantitative proteomics analysis to identify a plethora of protein interactomes involved in several CNS functions inLymnaea stagnalisincluding learning and memory, aging-related memory decline and others.
Essential Regression - a generalizable framework for inferring causal latent factors from multi-omic human datasets
Authors: Bing Xin , Lovelace Tyler , Bunea Florentina , Wegkamp Marten , Singh Harinder , Benos Panayiotis V , Das Jishnu
Published: May 2021

High-dimensional cellular and molecular profiling of human samples highlights the need for analytical approaches that can integrate multi-omic datasets to generate predictive biomarkers and prioritized causal inferences. Current methods are limited by high dimensionality of the combined datasets, the differences in their data distributions and their integration to infer causal relationships. Here we present Essential Regression (ER), an interpretable machine learning approach for high-dimensional multi-omic datasets, that addresses these problems by identifying latent factors and their likely cause-effect relationships with the system-wide outcome/properties of interest. ER is a novel data-distribution-free latent-factor regression model that integrates multi-omic datasets and identifies latent factors significantly associated with an outcome. ER outperforms a range of state-of-the-art methods in terms of prediction performance on simulated datasets. ER can be coupled with probabilistic graphical modeling thereby strengthening the causal inferences. ER generates novel cellular and molecular predictions, using multi-omic human systems immunology datasets, pertaining to immunosenescence and immune dysregulation.
A spatially resolved mechanistic growth law for cancer drug development predicting tumour growing fractions
Authors: Nasim Adam , Yates James , Derks Gianne , Dunlop Carina
Published: May 2021

Mathematical models used in pre-clinical drug discovery tend to be empirical growth laws. Such models are well suited to fitting the data available, mostly longitudinal studies of tumour volume, however, they typically have little connection with the underlying physiological processes. This lack of a mechanistic underpinning restricts their flexibility and inhibits their direct translation across studies including from animal to human. Here we present a mathematical model describing tumour growth for the evaluation of single agent cytotoxic compounds that is based on mechanistic principles. The model can predict spatial distributions of cell subpopulations and account for spatial drug distribution effects within tumours. Importantly, we demonstrate the model can be reduced to a growth law similar in form to the ones currently implemented in pharmaceutical drug development for pre-clinical trials so that it can integrated into the current workflow. We validate this approach for both cell-derived xenograft (CDX) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) data. This shows that our theoretical model fits as well as the best performing and most widely used models. However, in addition the model is also able to accurately predict the observed growing fraction of tumours. Our work opens up current pre-clinical modelling studies to also incorporating spatially resolved and multi-modal data without significant added complexity and creates the opportunity to improve translation and tumour response predictions.
A novel highly potent inhibitor of TMPRSS2-like proteases blocks SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and is broadly protective against infection and mortality in mice
Authors: Shapira Tirosh , Monreal I. Abrrey , Dion Sébastien P. , Jager Mason , Désilets Antoine , Olmstead Andrea D. , Vandal Thierry , Buchholz David W. , Imbiakha Brian , Gao Guang , Chin Aaleigha , Rees William D. , Steiner Theodore , Nabi Ivan Robert , Marsault Eric , Sahler Julie , August Avery , Van de Walle Gerlinde , Whittaker Gary R. , Boudreault Pierre-Luc , Aguilar Hector C. , Leduc Richard , Jean François
Published: May 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains a global public health crisis. Although widespread vaccination campaigns are underway, their efficacy is reduced against emerging variants of concern (VOCs)1,2. Development of host-directed therapeutics and prophylactics could limit such resistance and offer urgently needed protection against VOCs3,4. Attractive pharmacological targets to impede viral entry include type-II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs), such as TMPRSS2, whose essential role in the virus lifecycle is responsible for the cleavage and priming of the viral spike protein5–7. Here, we identify and characterize a small-molecule compound, N-0385, as the most potent inhibitor of TMPRSS2 reported to date. N-0385 exhibited low nanomolar potency and a selectivity index of >106at inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection in human lung cells and in donor-derived colonoids8. Importantly, N-0385 acted as a broad-spectrum coronavirus inhibitor of two SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, B.1.1.7 and B.1.351. Strikingly, single daily intranasal administration of N-0385 early in infection significantly improved weight loss and clinical outcomes, and yielded 100% survival in the severe K18-human ACE2 transgenic mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 disease. This demonstrates that TTSP-mediated proteolytic maturation of spike is critical for SARS-CoV-2 infectionin vivoand suggests that N-0385 provides a novel effective early treatment option against COVID-19 and emerging SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.
The maize E3 ligase ZmCER9 specifically targets activated NLRs for degradation
Authors: Karre Shailesh , Kim Saet-Byul , Selote Devarshi , Khangura Rajdeep , Dilkes Brian , Johal Guri S , Balint-Kurti Peter
Published: May 2021

The authors have withdrawn their manuscript whilst they perform additional experiments to test some of their conclusions further. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author
Contingent-behavior assay to study the neurogenetics of addiction shows zebrafish preference for alcohol is biphasic
Authors: Nathan Fatima Megala , Kibat Caroline , Goel Tanisha , Stewart James , Claridge-Chang Adam , Mathuru Ajay S.
Published: May 2021

Alcohol use disorders are complex, multifactorial phenomena with a large footprint within the global burden of diseases. Here, we report the development of an accessible, two-choice self-administration zebrafish assay (SAZA) to study the neurobiology of addiction. Using this assay, we first demonstrated that, while zebrafish avoid higher concentrations of alcohol, they are attracted to low concentrations. Pre-exposure to alcohol did not change this relative preference, but acute exposure to an alcohol deterrent approved for human use decreased alcohol self-administration. A pigment mutant used in whole-brain imaging studies displayed a similar relative alcohol preference profile, however, mutants inCCSER1, a gene associated with alcohol dependence in human genetic studies, showed a reversal in relative preference. The presence of a biphasic response (hormesis) in zebrafish validated a key aspect of vertebrate responses to alcohol. SAZA adds a new dimension for discovering novel alcohol deterrents, and studying the neurogenetics of addiction using the zebrafish.
The Automated Systematic Search Deduplicator (ASySD): a rapid, open-source, interoperable tool to remove duplicate citations in biomedical systematic reviews
Authors: Hair Kaitlyn , Bahor Zsanett , Macleod Malcolm , Liao Jing , Sena Emily S.
Published: May 2021

Background

Researchers who perform systematic searches across multiple databases often identify duplicate publications. Identifying such duplicates (“deduplication”) can be extremely time-consuming, but failure to remove these citations can, in the worst instance, lead to the wrongful inclusion of duplicate data. Many existing tools are not sensitive enough, lack interoperability with other tools, are not freely accessible, or are difficult to use without programming knowledge. Here, we report the performance of our Automated Systematic Search Deduplicator (ASySD), a novel tool to perform automated deduplication of systematic searches for biomedical reviews.

Methods

We evaluated ASySD’s performance on 5 unseen biomedical systematic search datasets of various sizes (1,845 – 79,880 citations), which had been deduplicated by human reviewers. We compared the performance of ASySD with Endnote’s automated deduplication option and with the Systematic Review Accelerator Deduplication Module (SRA-DM).

Results

ASySD identified more duplicates than either SRA-DM or Endnote, with a sensitivity in different datasets of 0.95 to 0.99. The false-positive rate was comparable to human performance, with a specificity of 0.94-0.99. The tool took less than 1 hour to deduplicate all datasets.

Conclusions

For duplicate removal in biomedical systematic reviews, ASySD is a highly sensitive, reliable, and time-saving tool. It is open source and freely available online as both an R package and a user-friendly web application.
LiPyphilic: A Python toolkit for the analysis of lipid membrane simulations
Authors: Smith Paul , Lorenz Christian D.
Published: May 2021

Molecular dynamics simulations are now widely used to study emergent phenomena in lipid membranes with complex compositions. Here, we present LiPyphilic - a fast, fully tested, and easy to install Python package for analysing such simulations. Analysis tools in LiPyphilic include the identification of cholesterol flip-flop events, the classification of local lipid environments, and the degree of interleaflet registration. LiPyphilic is both force field and resolution agnostic, and thanks to the powerful atom selection language of MDAnalysis it can handle membranes with highly complex compositions. LiPyphilic also offers two on-the-fly trajectory transformations to i) fix membranes split across periodic boundaries and ii) perform nojump coordinate unwrapping. Our implementation of nojump unwrapping accounts for fluctuations in box volume under the NPT ensemble — an issue that most current implementations have overlooked. The full documentation of LiPyphilic, including installation instructions, is available at https://lipyphilic.readthedocs.io/en/latest.

Graphical TOC Entry
Mobile antimicrobial resistance genes in probiotics
Authors: Tóth Adrienn Gréta , Csabai István , Judge Maura Fiona , Maróti Gergely , Becsei Ágnes , Spisák Sándor , Solymosi Norbert
Published: May 2021

Even though people around the world tend to consume probiotic products for their beneficial health effects on a daily basis, recently, concerns were outlined regarding the uptake and potential intestinal colonisation of the bacteria that they transfer. These bacteria are capable of executing horizontal gene transfer (HGT) which facilitates the movement of various genes, including antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), among the donor and recipient bacterial populations. Within our study, 47 shotgun sequencing datasets deriving from various probiotic samples (isolated strains and metagenomes) were bioinformatically analysed. We detected more than 70 ARGs, out of whichrpoBmutants conferring resistance to rifampicin,tet(W/N/W)and potentially extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) codingTEM-116were the most common. Numerous ARGs were associated with integrated mobile genetic elements, plasmids or phages promoting the HGT. Our findings raise clinical and public health concerns as the consumption of probiotic products may lead to the transfer of ARGs to human gut bacteria.
The length scale of multivalent interactions is evolutionarily conserved in fungal and vertebrate phase-separating proteins
Authors: Dasmeh Pouria , Doronin Roman , Wagner Andreas
Published: May 2021

One key feature of proteins that form liquid droplets by phase separation inside a cell is the presence of multiple sites – multivalency – that mediate interactions with other proteins. We know little about the variation of multivalency on evolutionary time scales. Here, we investigated the long-term evolution (∼600 million years) of multivalency in fungal mRNA decapping subunit 2 protein (Dcp2), and in the FET protein family. We found that multivalency varies substantially among the orthologs of these proteins. However, evolution has maintained the length scale at which sequence motifs that enable protein-protein interactions occur. That is, the total number of such motifs per hundred amino acids is higher and less variable than expected by neutral evolution. To help explain this evolutionary conservation, we developed a conformation classifier using machine-learning algorithms. This classifier demonstrates that disordered segments in Dcp2 and FET proteins tend to adopt compact conformations, which is necessary for phase separation. Thus, the evolutionary conservation we detected may help proteins preserve the ability to undergo phase separation. Altogether, our study reveals that the length scale of multivalent interactions is an evolutionarily conserved feature of two classes of phase-separating proteins in fungi and vertebrates.
The genomic basis of evolutionary differentiation among honey bees
Authors: Fouks Bertrand , Brand Philipp , Nguyen Hung N. , Herman Jacob , Camara Francisco , Ence Daniel , Hagen Darren E. , Hoff Katharina J. , Nachweide Stefanie , Romoth Lars , Walden Kimberly K.O. , Guigo Roderic , Stanke Mario , Narzisi Giuseppe , Yandell Mark , Robertson Hugh M. , Koeniger Nikolaus , Chantawannakul Panuwan , Schatz Michael C. , Worley Kim C. , Robinson Gene E. , Elsik Christine G. , Rueppell Olav
Published: May 2021

In contrast to the western honey bee,Apis mellifera, other honey bee species have been largely neglected despite their importance and diversity. The genetic basis of the evolutionary diversification of honey bees remains largely unknown. Here, we provide a genome-wide comparison of three honey bee species, each representing one of the three subgenera of honey bees, namely the dwarf (Apis florea), giant (A. dorsata), and cavity-nesting (A. mellifera) honey bees with bumblebees as an outgroup. Our analyses resolve the phylogeny of honey bees with the dwarf honey bees diverging first. We find that evolution of increased eusocial complexity inApisproceeds via increases in the complexity of gene regulation, which is in agreement with previous studies. However, this process seems to be related to pathways other than transcriptional control. Positive selection patterns acrossApisreveal a trade-off between maintaining genome stability and generating genetic diversity, with a rapidly evolving piRNA pathway leading to genomes depleted of transposable elements, and a rapidly evolving DNA repair pathway associated with high recombination rates in allApisspecies. Diversification withinApisis accompanied by positive selection in several genes whose putative functions present candidate mechanisms for lineage-specific adaptations, such as migration, immunity, and nesting behavior.
Bloch-wave interpretations of Gjønnes–Moodie lines in convergent-beam electron diffraction for non-symmorphic space-group crystals
Authors: Matsuhata Hirofumi
Published: May 2021

The contrast of Gjønnes–Moodie (GM) lines which appear in convergent-beam electron diffraction patterns for non-symmorphic space-group crystals is explained using Bloch waves. In the two-dimensional space groups p2mg and pg the Bloch waves for electron diffraction are described. In both space groups along the Δ line, Bloch waves are arranged as two different types, and it is shown that the two types of Bloch waves do not contribute to the intensity of forbidden reflections. Along the position where the forbidden reflection satisfies the Bragg condition, degeneracies of two Bloch waves are found and it is shown that the degenerated pair of Bloch waves do not contribute to the intensity. These Bloch-wave results provide a new perspective in the understanding of the contrast mechanism of GM lines previously described using scattering polynomials. They also advance the understanding of Bloch-wave behaviour in high-energy electron diffraction.
Difficulties in employment perceived by individuals with ASD in Poland
Authors: Siedler Agnieszka , Idczak-Paceś Edyta
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis often desire to be useful to society and may have the ability to work. Unfortunately, in Poland as in other countries, most remain unemployed. The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that make gaining and retaining employment difficult for people with autism from their perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a qualitative research synthesis, that explored experiences of 15 individuals with autism regarding the process of seeking and maintaining employment. In-depth interviews were conducted with each study participant, and four discussion panels were held with small groups.

Findings

The difficulties described by the study participants included lack of detailed information, anxiety, high stress levels and overcommitment. Some of them also reported that they were unable to find out the reasons for misunderstanding or dissatisfaction on the part of their employers.

Social implications

The paper emphasizes the need to increase public awareness and reliable knowledge about autism spectrum disorders.

Originality/value

The paper draws conclusions regarding common difficulties from the perspective of individuals with autism. It shows how features associated with autism can be related to specific problems at work or during the process of looking for it. It also indicates changes that should be made in the employers' approach to help people with autism gain and retain employment.
Studying structure of Coronaviridae, analyzing their geometry and focusing on the role of electronic applications in health awareness of viruses
Authors: Almuhur Eman , Al-Labadi Manal , Shatarah Amani , Khan Nazneen , Bashir Raeesa
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This study aims to focus on electronic applications that have an effective role in raising the awareness of the dangers of viruses’ transmission from person-to-person and their positive and important impact on people’s lives.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors illustrated the effects of socializing with infected people on a human body by a model in geometry and how the prospected antibiotic annihilates the structure of the virus. The authors discussed vital operations inside the human body to expound the geometry of objects that are closed under their operations, such as viruses, especially Coronaviridae.

Findings

Also, the authors discussed some of the e-health applications in Jordan. As e-health activities, programs and applications have been given attention, the authors focused on potentials for constructing strategies that lead to create a featuring health technology.

Originality/value

Moreover, in this study, the authors explored the structure and geometry of Coronaviridae family, especially coronavirus that causes lots of diseases, and explained its movement mechanism using the mathematical structures.
Barriers of public policy faced by SMEs of creative economy in Indonesia
Authors: Rosyadi Slamet , Kusuma Ayusia Sabhita , Fitrah Elpeni , Zayzda Nurul Azizah , Pimoljinda Thanawat
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the barriers in public policy faced by the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a creative economy at the local level.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses a qualitative case study method, and the informants are selected with a purposive sampling technique. The researchers collected data through in-depth interviews of 15 informants. The informants include local government officials, SME actors and creative economy activists. Data are analyzed using thematic analysis in the qualitative method.

Findings

This study shows that the development of SMEs in the creative economy is constrained by the mindset and administrative behavior of the local policymakers who tend to be normative, routine-minded and inflexible. Consequently, the local government’s administrative capacity in the creative economy sector has not demonstrated significant support for efforts to increase the competitiveness of creative economies at the regional level.

Research limitations/implications

Research implications suggest how the findings may be important for the policy and practice of SMEs’ development of a creative economy at the local level. The findings suggest that local government needs to engage with the actors and activists of SMEs in the strategic formulation for the development of a creative economy.

Originality/value

This study extends the theoretical and practical knowledge about policy implementation of SMEs’ development by a local government in the creative economy sector in Indonesia.
Impact of FDI inflows on bank loans in Gulf Cooperation Council economies: an empirical insight
Authors: Saif-Alyousfi Abdulazeez Y.H.
Published: May 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and compare the impact of FDI inflows on bank loans in aggregate as well as at the level of conventional and Islamic banks in GCC countries. The paper also tests hypotheses of direct and indirect impacts of FDI inflow and FDI stock on bank loans.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises a total of 70 banks (45 conventional and 25 Islamic banks). The period under consideration is 1995–2017. Static panel and dynamic panel GMM estimation techniques are applied.

Findings

Empirical results indicate that inflowing FDI and FDI stock have a significant negative direct impact on loans of GCC banks. The results lend support to the direct channel hypothesis for the effect of FDI on bank loans and find no evidence in support of the indirect channel hypothesis. FDI inflows affect bank loans directly via increased FDI-related liquidity, business activity or excessive competition in the banking market; they are not channeled through macro variables. Loans from conventional banks appear to be more affected than those from Islamic banks.

Practical implications

Given the attractiveness of the GCC economies to foreign investment, the potential volatility of investment-induced instability to the financial system in these economies should be on the radar of the central banks. Attracting more FDI is expected to increase overall national productivity through competition. However, government would be wise to enact a policy to maximize benefits and minimize potential harm to local industry. In addition, to achieve the goal of the new economic model, in turning the GCC economies into high-income and knowledge-driven economies by 2030, enhancement of efficiency and the quality of the workforce will contribute to creating productivity-driven economies.

Originality/value

It is widely recognized that FDI inflows are of great importance to the financial performance development of emerging and developing countries. However, their impact on bank loans has so far not been subject to accurate empirical assessment. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing an in-depth quantitative analysis of the impact of FDI inflow and FDI stock, separately, on bank loans for both conventional and Islamic banks in GCC countries. It distinguishes between direct and indirect channels through which FDI inflows may affect bank loans. The study uses both static and dynamic panel GMM estimation techniques to analyze the data.
Ambidexterity, prosocial impact, and task performance in cross-functional teams: the role of individual’s team identification
Authors: Silalahi Darwin , Firmanzah Fiz , Ekaputra Irwan Adi , Rachmawati Riani , Pasaribu Manerep
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This paper examines the motivational influence of individuals’ team identification (TID) on their ambidexterity (TA), prosocial impact (TPS), and task performance (TTP) at the team level of analysis, as well as investigates the role of TA in mediating TID’s relationship with both TTP and TPS.

Design/methodology/approach

By using a cross-sectional sample of 102 cross-functional teams with a total of 362 individual members from 22 firms in the customer-facing industries of Indonesia, we analyzed multilevel data and tested hypotheses using aggregated team-level structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

This study supports a significant positive relationship between TID and TA. Further, while TA fully mediates the relationship between TID and TTP, TID has a direct influence on TPS.

Practical implications

This study contributes to filling the gaps in empirical evidence pertaining to the role of identity in motivating employees beyond their formal employment contracts. Their immediate leaders play a crucial role in individuals’ daily work lives and affect how they view their social identifications with their team, which subsequently contributes toward the enhancement of people and organizational performances.

Originality/value

Our study offers empirical evidence in support of the identity-enhanced principal-agent model and contributes to the literature on Social Identity Theory with a focus on the individual-group interface. To our knowledge, our study is the first empirical research on the influence of TID on TA, TPT, and TPS across multiple firms in the customer-facing industries.
Bridging the gap between real estate research and professional practice in Nigeria
Authors: Oyedokun Tunbosun Biodun , Abidoye Rotimi Boluwatife , Akinbogun Solomon Pelumi
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Beyond contributing to literature, research findings are expected to reinforce existing best practices while also serving as a springboard for formulating new and more efficient methods of undertaking economic activities. However, academic research is sometimes divorced from implementation and research findings are not always translated into practice. This study, therefore, assesses the impact of real estate research activities and findings on the practice of real estate surveying and valuation in Nigeria as the largest real estate market in Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

An online questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain relevant data from Estate Surveyors and Valuers across the country. The survey questions cover reading of academic papers from the field of real estate and the reasons for doing so; whether they have made any changes to their professional practice based on findings from academic papers; and possible barriers to adoption academic research findings in your practice. Mean score ranking and principal component analysis were employed for data analysis.

Findings

Out of a total of 61 participants, only 35 have made a change to their professional practice based on findings from academic papers they have read. “Personal development and enlightenment” ranks first on the list of reasons for reading academic papers among the participants while barriers to the adoption of academic research findings relate mainly to education, dissemination and lack of guidance on how to apply research findings.

Practical implications

The study demonstrates how findings from real estate research are being applied and identifies possible barriers that must be addressed to improve the level of application and consequently, the value of academic studies.

Originality/value

The study provides evidence on barriers to the adoption of academic research and contributes to the global effort to bridge the gap between academia and practice.
An experimental based artificial neural network modeling in prediction of optimum combustion, performance, and emission from diesel engine operated with three biodiesels
Authors: Kolakoti Aditya
Published: May 2021

Purpose

This study aims to improve the performance and to regulate the harmful emission from the diesel engine. For this purpose, palm oil biodiesel (POBD), waste cooking biodiesel (WCBD) and animal fat biodiesel (AFBD) are used for examination.

Design/methodology/approach

The transesterification process was followed to convert the three raw oils into biodiesels and the experiments are conducted at various loads with fixed 25 rps. Diesel as a reference fuel and three neat biodiesels are tested for emissions and performance. By training the experimental results in an artificial neural network (ANN), the best biodiesel was predicted.

Findings

The biodiesels are tested for significant fuel properties with the American Society for testing and materials standards and observed that kinematic viscosity, density and cetane number are recorded higher than diesel fuel. The fatty acid composition (FAC) from chromatography reveals the presence of unsaturated FAC is more in POBD (70.89%) followed by WCBD (57.67%) and AFBD (43.13%). The combustion pressures measured at every degree of crank angle reveal that WCBD and AFBD exhibited on far with diesel fuel. Compared to diesel fuel WCBD and AFBD achieved maximum brake thermal efficiency of 31.99% and 30.93% at 75% load. However, there is a penalty in fuel consumption and NOx emissions from biodiesels. On the other hand, low carbon monoxide, unburnt hydrocarbon emissions and exhaust smoke are reported for biodiesels. Finally, WCBD was chosen as the best choice based on ANN modeling prediction results.

Originality/value

There is no evident literature on these three neat biodiesel applications with the mapping of ANN modeling.
What does a threatened saproxylic beetle look like? Modelling extinction risk using a new morphological trait database
Authors: Hagge Jonas , Müller Jörg , Birkemoe Tone , Buse Jörn , Christensen Rune Haubo Bojesen , Gossner Martin M. , Gruppe Axel , Heibl Christoph , Jarzabek‐Müller Andrea , Seibold Sebastian , Siitonen Juha , Soutinho João Gonçalo , Sverdrup‐Thygeson Anne , Thorn Simon , Drag Lukas
Published: May 2021

The extinction of species is a non‐random process, and understanding why some species are more likely to go extinct than others is critical for conservation efforts. Functional trait‐based approaches offer a promising tool to achieve this goal. In forests, deadwood‐dependent (saproxylic) beetles comprise a major part of threatened species, but analyses of their extinction risk have been hindered by the availability of suitable morphological traits.

To better understand the mechanisms underlying extinction in insects, we investigated the relationships between morphological features and the extinction risk of saproxylic beetles. Specifically, we hypothesised that species darker in colour, with a larger and rounder body, a lower mobility, lower sensory perception and more robust mandibles are at higher risk.

We first developed a protocol for morphological trait measurements and present a database of 37 traits for 1,157 European saproxylic beetle species. Based on 13 selected, independent traits characterising aspects of colour, body shape, locomotion, sensory perception and foraging, we used a proportional‐odds multiple linear mixed‐effects model to model the German Red List categories of 744 species as an ordinal index of extinction risk.

Six out of 13 traits correlated significantly with extinction risk. Larger species as well as species with a broad and round body had a higher extinction risk than small, slim and flattened species. Species with short wings had a higher extinction risk than those with long wings. On the contrary, extinction risk increased with decreasing wing load and with higher mandibular aspect ratio (shorter and more robust mandibles).

Our study provides new insights into how morphological traits, beyond the widely used body size, determine the extinction risk of saproxylic beetles. Moreover, our approach shows that the morphological characteristics of beetles can be comprehensively represented by a selection of 13 traits. We recommend them as a starting point for functional analyses in the rapidly growing field of ecological and conservation studies of deadwood.
T‐cell response to phytohemagglutinin in the interferon‐γ release assay as a potential biomarker for the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Kamimaki Chisato , Kobayashi Nobuaki , Hirata Momo , Somekawa Kohei , Fukuda Nobuhiko , Kubo Sousuke , Katakura Seigo , Teranishi Shuhei , Watanabe Keisuke , Horita Nobuyuki , Hara Yu , Yamamoto Masaki , Kudo Makoto , Piao Hongmei , Kaneko Takeshi
Published: May 2021

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a standard treatment for advanced lung cancer, although it remains important to identify biomarkers that can accurately predict treatment response. Immune checkpoint inhibitors enhance the antitumor T‐cell response, and interferon‐γ plays an important role in this process. Therefore, this study evaluated whether the number of interferon‐γ‐releasing peripheral T cells after phytohemagglutinin stimulation in the interferon‐γ release assay might act as a biomarker for the response of non‐small cell lung cancer to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment.

Methods

Data were retrospectively collected regarding 74 patients with non‐small cell lung cancer who had received immune checkpoint inhibitors. Pretreatment screening tests had been performed using the T‐SPOT.TB assay, which quantifies the number of interferon‐γ‐releasing T cells (as immunospots) in response to phytohemagglutinin and tuberculosis‐specific antigen stimulation. Clinical factors and the number of spots in the T‐SPOT fields were evaluated for associations with patient outcomes. The median number of spots was used to categorize patients as having high or low values, and the two groups were compared.

Results

Relative to patients with a low ratio, patients with a high ratio of phytohemagglutinin/tuberculosis‐specific antigen spots (i.e. more responsive T cells) had significantly better progression‐free survival after immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. When we only considered patients with negative T‐SPOT results, a high number of phytohemagglutinin‐stimulated spots corresponded to significantly longer progression‐free survival.

Conclusion

The T‐SPOT.TB assay can be used to quantify the number of immunospots in response to antigen stimulation, which may predict the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer.
Analysis of clinicopathological features of primary diaphragm tumors: A single‐center study
Authors: Guo Chao , Liu Lei , Zhang Jiaqi , Wang Guige , Chen Yeye , Huang Cheng , Liu Hongsheng , Li Shanqing
Published: May 2021

Background and Objectives

Primary diaphragm tumors are rare. The aim of this study was to explore the clinicopathological features of primary diaphragm tumor patients who underwent surgical treatment in our center to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Methods

Clinical data of patients with primary diaphragm tumor who underwent surgery in our hospital from 2004 to 2019 were reviewed and analyzed.

Results

A total of 18 patients were enrolled. The male:female ratio was 8:10, and the median age was 58 years old (35–74 years old). Most patients included in this study had no typical clinical symptoms. Nine tumor cases were distributed in the left and right diaphragms separately, whereas 11 cases were located at the diaphragm angle. The diaphragm of 12 patients was reconstructed by direct suture. All postoperative pathologies showed that the tumors were benign, and cysts were observed in most of the cases (5/18).

Conclusions

There are no difference in distribution of gender and distribution on both sides of the diaphragm. In addition, primary diaphragm tumor is common in middle‐age patients. Most cases occur in the diaphragm angle and are characterized by cyst lesions. Surgical resection is an effective treatment option for primary diaphragm tumor.
Short and dysfunctional telomeres protect from allergen‐induced airway inflammation
Authors: Piñeiro‐Hermida Sergio , Martínez Paula , Blasco Maria A.
Published: May 2021

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting 300 million people worldwide. As telomere shortening is a well‐established hallmark of aging and that asthma incidence decreases with age, here we aimed to study the role of short telomeres in asthma pathobiology. To this end, wild‐type and telomerase‐deficient mice with short telomeres (third‐generation (G3 Tert−/− mice)) were challenged with intranasal house dust mite (HDM) extract. We also challenged with HDM wild‐type mice in which we induced a telomere dysfunction by the administration of 6‐thio‐2´‐deoxyguanosine (6‐thio‐dG). Following HDM exposure, G3 Tert−/− and 6‐thio‐dG treated mice exhibited attenuated eosinophil counts and presence of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, as well as lower levels of IgE and circulating eosinophils. Accordingly, both G3 Tert−/− and 6‐thio‐dG treated wild‐type mice displayed reduced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), as indicated by decreased airway remodeling and allergic airway inflammation markers in the lung. Furthermore, G3 Tert−/− and 6‐thio‐dG treated mice showed lower differentiation of Club cells, attenuating goblet cell hyperplasia. Club cells of G3 Tert−/− and 6‐thio‐dG treated mice displayed increased DNA damage and senescence and reduced proliferation. Thus, short/dysfunctional telomeres play a protective role in murine asthma by impeding both AHR and mucus secretion after HDM exposure. Therefore, our findings imply that telomeres play a relevant role in allergen‐induced airway inflammation.
Platelet biomarkers for a descending cognitive function: A proteomic approach
Authors: Yu Haitao , Liu Yanchao , He Benrong , He Ting , Chen Chongyang , He Jiahua , Yang Xifei , Wang Jian‐Zhi
Published: May 2021

Memory loss is the most common clinical sign in Alzheimer's disease (AD); thus, searching for peripheral biomarkers to predict cognitive decline is promising for early diagnosis of AD. As platelets share similarities to neuron biology, it may serve as a peripheral matrix for biomarkers of neurological disorders. Here, we conducted a comprehensive and in‐depth platelet proteomic analysis using TMT‐LC‐MS/MS in the populations with mild cognitive impairment (MCI, MMSE = 18–23), severe cognitive impairments (AD, MMSE = 2–17), and the age‐/sex‐matched normal cognition controls (MMSE = 29–30). A total of 360 differential proteins were detected in MCI and AD patients compared with the controls. These differential proteins were involved in multiple KEGG pathways, including AD, AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway, telomerase RNA localization, platelet activation, and complement activation. By correlation analysis with MMSE score, three positively correlated pathways and two negatively correlated pathways were identified to be closely related to cognitive decline in MCI and AD patients. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA) showed that changes of nine proteins, including PHB, UQCRH, CD63, GP1BA, FINC, RAP1A, ITPR1/2, and ADAM10 could effectively distinguish the cognitively impaired patients from the controls. Further machine learning analysis revealed that a combination of four decreased platelet proteins, that is, PHB, UQCRH, GP1BA, and FINC, was most promising for predicting cognitive decline in MCI and AD patients. Taken together, our data provide a set of platelet biomarkers for predicting cognitive decline which may be applied for the early screening of AD.
COVID‐19 and impacts on global food systems and household welfare: Introduction to a special issue
Authors: Swinnen Johan , Vos Rob
Published: May 2021

The food system, and those who depend on it, have been strongly but unevenly affected by COVID‐19. Overall, the impacts on food systems, poverty, and nutrition have been caused by a combination of a generalized economic recession and disruptions in agri‐food supply chains. This paper provides an overview of the contributions to this Special Issue of Agricultural Economics. The papers in this volume confirm that both income shocks and supply disruptions have affected food security and livelihoods the most where supply chains were more poorly integrated, and poverty and market informality had greater presence before COVID‐19. Yet, as the pandemic still has societies worldwide in a stranglehold, outcomes remain uncertain and reliable data are still sparsely available. This Special Issue of Agricultural Economics provides new insights of the pandemics impact on food systems, household welfare, and food security, building on both model‐based scenario analysis and new survey data. These methods have proven helpful in providing these insights amidst the unprecedented shock that the pandemic has caused to production systems and livelihoods worldwide. However, they also suffer from obvious limitations identified in this editorial overview paper and require substantial improvement in order to understand the changes in economic behavior and functioning of food supply chains induced by the pandemic.