bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid reshaping: the evolution of morphological changes in an introduced beach daisy
Authors: Brandenburger Claire R. , Sherwin William B. , Creer Stephanie M. , Buitenwerf Robert , Poore Alistair G. B. , Frankham Richard , Finnerty Patrick B. , Moles Angela T.
Published: February 2019

Thousands of species have been introduced to new ranges worldwide. These introductions provide opportunities for researchers to study evolutionary changes in form and function in response to new environmental conditions. However, almost all previous studies of morphological change in introduced species have compared introduced populations to populations from across the species' native range, so variation within native ranges probably confounds estimates of evolutionary change. In this study, we used microsatellites to locate the source population for the beach daisy
Arctotheca populifolia
that had been introduced to eastern Australia. We then compared four introduced populations from Australia with their original South African source population in a common-environment experiment. Despite being separated for less than 100 years, source and introduced populations of
A. populifolia
display substantial heritable morphological differences. Contrary to the evolution of increased competitive ability hypothesis, introduced plants were shorter than source plants, and introduced and source plants did not differ in total biomass. Contrary to predictions based on higher rainfall in the introduced range, introduced plants had smaller, thicker leaves than source plants. Finally, while source plants develop lobed adult leaves, introduced plants retain their spathulate juvenile leaf shape into adulthood. These changes indicate that rapid evolution in introduced species happens, but not always in the direction predicted by theory.
Dietary niche and the evolution of cranial morphology in birds
Authors: Felice Ryan N. , Tobias Joseph A. , Pigot Alex L. , Goswami Anjali
Published: February 2019

Cranial morphology in birds is thought to be shaped by adaptive evolution for foraging performance. This understanding of ecomorphological evolution is supported by observations of avian island radiations, such as Darwin's finches, which display rapid evolution of skull shape in response to food resource availability and a strong fit between cranial phenotype and trophic ecology. However, a recent analysis of larger clades has suggested that diet is not necessarily a primary driver of cranial shape and that phylogeny and allometry are more significant factors in skull evolution. We use phenome-scale morphometric data across the breadth of extant bird diversity to test the influence of diet and foraging behaviour in shaping cranial evolution. We demonstrate that these trophic characters are significant but very weak predictors of cranial form at this scale. However, dietary groups exhibit significantly different rates of morphological evolution across multiple cranial regions. Granivores and nectarivores exhibit the highest rates of evolution in the face and cranial vault, whereas terrestrial carnivores evolve the slowest. The basisphenoid, occipital, and jaw joint regions have less extreme differences among dietary groups. These patterns demonstrate that dietary niche shapes the tempo and mode of phenotypic evolution in deep time, despite a weaker than expected form–function relationship across large clades.
Acid–base physiology over tidal periods in the musselMytilus edulis: size and temperature are more influential than seawater pH
Authors: Mangan Stephanie , Wilson Rod W. , Findlay Helen S. , Lewis Ceri
Published: February 2019

Ocean acidification (OA) studies to date have typically used stable open-ocean pH and CO2values to predict the physiological responses of intertidal species to future climate scenarios, with few studies accounting for natural fluctuations of abiotic conditions or the alternating periods of emersion and immersion routinely experienced during tidal cycles. Here, we determine seawater carbonate chemistry and the correspondingin situhaemolymph acid–base responses over real time for two populations of mussel (Mytilus edulis) during tidal cycles, demonstrating that intertidal mussels experience daily acidosis during emersion. Using these field data to parameterize experimental work we demonstrate that air temperature and mussel size strongly influence this acidosis, with larger mussels at higher temperatures experiencing greater acidosis. There was a small interactive effect of prior immersion in OA conditions (pHNBS7.7/pCO2930 µatm) such that the haemolymph pH measured at the start of emersion was lower in large mussels exposed to OA. Critically, the acidosis induced in mussels during emersionin situwas greater (ΔpH approximately 0.8 units) than that induced by experimental OA (ΔpH approximately 0.1 units). Understanding how environmental fluctuations influence physiology under current scenarios is critical to our ability to predict the responses of key marine biota to future environmental changes.
Microstructure of Ingestive Behavior in Mus Musculus
Authors: Onnis Giorgio , Layco-Bader Ethel , Tecott Laurence
Published: February 2019

We describe a novel quantitative home cage monitoring (HCM) approach for dissecting spontaneous patterns of ingestive and locomotor behaviors into a hierarchically organized series of behavioral facets or endophenotypes. Fine-grained analyses of a large multimodal 16-strain behavioral dataset collected from 169 mice revealed bouts of feeding, drinking and locomotor behaviors occurring within animals’ Active States. We have automated the detection of these bouts and their discrete properties including bout sizes, rates, durations, and intensities. We have developed a hierarchically organized model of behavioral organization enabling analysis of relationships among Active/Inactive State properties and those of feeding, drinking and locomotor bouts. Robust and analogous patterns of interrelationships among these endophenotypes were found for feeding, drinking behaviors, and these differed markedly from those for locomotor behaviors. For feeding and drinking, patterns of reciprocal relationships were observed for pairs of endophenotypes at multiple hierarchical levels. Moreover, endophenotype variability was highest at lowest hierarchical levels progressively diminished at higher levels, so that variability of gross levels of food and water intake were much less than those of their lower level determinants. By contrast, interrelationships among locomotor endophenotypes differed markedly from those of ingestive behavior. Altogether, these findings raise the possibility that behavioral regulation of food and water intake may make an important contribution to the homeostatic maintenance of energy and volume balance.
Significant temporal shifts on clonal and plasmid backgrounds of Enterobacteriaceae producing acquired AmpC in Portuguese clinical settings
Authors: Ribeiro T. G. , Novais Â. , Rodrigues C. , Nascimento R. , Freitas F. , Machado E. , Peixe L.
Published: February 2019

OBJECTIVES

To provide detailed molecular data on clinical acquired AmpC (qAmpC)-producing Enterobacteriaceae from two different periods (2002-2008 and 2010-2013) in order to clarify the contribution of clonal and plasmid genetic platforms for the current epidemiological scenario concerning extended-spectrum beta-lactams resistance.

METHODS

We analysed 1246 Enterobacteriaceae non-susceptible to third-generation cephalosporins from 2 hospitals and 1 community laboratory between 2010 and 2013. Bacterial identification, antibiotic susceptibility, identification of qAmpC and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes, clonal (PFGE, MLST) and plasmid (S1-/I-CeuI-PFGE, replicon typing, hybridization) analysis were performed by standard methods. WGS was performed in two ST11-K. pneumoniae isolates harbouring DHA-1.

RESULTS

The occurrence of qAmpC was lower (2.6%) than that observed in a previous survey (7.4%), and varied slightly over time. Isolates produced DHA-1 (53%), CMY-2 (44%) or DHA-6 (3%), but significant epidemiological changes were observed in the two surveys. While DHA-1 persisted in different institutions by selection of a worldwide epidemic IncR plasmid in a ST11 harbouring KL105, CMY-2 rates increased over time linked to IncI1 plasmids (instead of IncK or IncA/C2) in multiple E. coli clones.

CONCLUSIONS

The higher frequency of DHA-1 qAmpC in these species contrasts with the scenario of most European countries. Furthermore, the different genetic backgrounds associated with either ESBL or qAmpC in our country might have contributed to their differential expansion.
synder: inferring genomic orthologs from synteny maps
Authors: Arendsee Zebulun , Wilkey Andrew , Singh Urminder , Li Jing , Hur Manhoi , Wurtele Eve Syrkin
Published: February 2019

Ortholog inference is a key step in understanding the evolution and function of a gene or other genomic feature. Yet often no similar sequence can be identified, or the true ortholog is hidden among false positives. A solution is to consider the sequence’s genomic context. We present the generic program,synder, for tracing features of interest between genomes based on a synteny map. This approach narrows genomic search-space independently of the sequence of the feature of interest. We illustrate the utility ofsynderby finding orthologs for theArabidopsis thaliana13-member gene family of Nuclear Factor YC transcription factor across the Brassicaceae clade.
Spatial metabolomics of in situ, host-microbe interactions
Authors: Geier Benedikt K , Sogin Emilia , Michellod Dolma , Janda Moritz , Kompauer Mario , Spengler Bernhard , Dubilier Nicole , Liebeke Manuel
Published: February 2019

Spatial metabolomics describes the location and chemistry of small molecules involved in metabolic phenotypes, defense molecules and chemical interactions in natural communities. Most current techniques are unable to spatially link the genotype and metabolic phenotype of microorganisms in situ at a scale relevant to microbial interactions. Here, we present a spatial metabolomics pipeline (metaFISH) that combines fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) microscopy and high-resolution atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry imaging (AP-MALDI-MSI) to image host-microbe symbioses and their metabolic interactions. metaFISH aligns and integrates metabolite and fluorescent images at the micrometer-scale for a spatial assignment of host and symbiont metabolites on the same tissue section. To illustrate the advantages of metaFISH, we mapped the spatial metabolome of a deep-sea mussel and its intracellular symbiotic bacteria at the scale of individual epithelial host cells. Our analytical pipeline revealed metabolic adaptations of the epithelial cells to the intracellular symbionts, a variation in metabolic phenotypes in one symbiont type, and novel symbiosis metabolites. metaFISH provides a culture-independent approach to link metabolic phenotypes to community members in situ - a powerful tool for microbiologists across fields.
Orthogonal Representations of Object Shape and Category in Deep Convolutional Neural Networks and Human Visual Cortex
Authors: Zeman Astrid A. , Ritchie J. Brendan , Bracci Stefania , de Beeck Hans Op
Published: February 2019

Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are gaining traction as the benchmark model of visual object recognition, with performance now surpassing humans. While CNNs can accurately assign one image to potentially thousands of categories, network performance could be the result of layers that are tuned to represent the visual shape of objects, rather than object category, since both are often confounded in natural images. Using two stimulus sets that explicitly dissociate shape from category, we correlate these two types of information with each layer of multiple CNNs. We also compare CNN output with fMRI activation along the human visual ventral stream by correlating artificial with biological representations. We find that CNNs encode category information independently from shape, peaking at the final fully connected layer in all tested CNN architectures. Comparing CNNs with fMRI brain data, early visual cortex (V1) and early layers of CNNs encode shape information. Anterior ventral temporal cortex encodes category information, which correlates best with the final layer of CNNs. The interaction between shape and category that is found along the human visual ventral pathway is echoed in multiple deep networks. Our results suggest CNNs represent category information independently from shape, much like the human visual system.
The relative importance of biotic and abiotic determinants of temporal occupancy for avian species in North America
Authors: Taylor Sara Snell , Umbanhowar James , Hurlbert Allen H.
Published: February 2019

Aim

We examined the relative importance of competitor abundance and environmental variables in determining the species distributions of 175 bird species across North America. Unlike previous studies, which tend to model distributions in terms of presence and absence, we take advantage of a geographically extensive dataset of community time series to model the temporal occupancy of species at sites throughout their expected range.

Location

North America.

Time period

2001-2015.

Major taxa studied

175 bird species.

Methods

We calculated variation in temporal occupancy across geographic range and used variance partitioning and Bayesian hierarchical models to evaluate the relative importance of 1) the abundance of potential competitors and 2) the environment (elevation, temperature, precipitation, vegetation index) for determining temporal occupancy. We also created a null model to test whether designated competitor species predicted variation in occupancy better than non-competitor species.

Results

On average, the environment explained more variance in occupancy than competitor abundance, but this varied by species. For certain species, competitor abundance explained more variance than the environment. Species with larger range sizes, larger range overlap with competitors, and that occurred at higher mean temperatures had a higher proportion of variance explained by the environment than competitor abundance. The abundance of competitor species had a stronger effect on focal species occupancy than non-competitor species in the null model.

Main conclusions

Temporal occupancy represents a new way of describing species distributions that is complementary to presence/absence or abundance. Geographic variation in temporal occupancy was explained by both biotic and abiotic drivers, and abiotic drivers explained more variation in temporal occupancy than abundance on average. Species traits also play a role in determining whether variation in temporal occupancy is best explained by biotic or abiotic drivers. The results of our study can improve species distribution models, particularly by accounting for competitive interactions.
Mathematical modeling links benefits of short and long antibiotic treatment to details of infection
Authors: Paupério Francisco F. S. , Ganusov Vitaly V. , Gjini Erida
Published: February 2019

Antibiotics are the major tool for treating bacterial infections. With rising antibiotic resistance in microbes, strategies that limit further evolution and spread of drug resistance are urgently needed, in individuals and populations. While classical recommendations favor longer and aggressive treatments, more recent studies and clinical trials advocate for moderate regimens. In this debate, two axes of aggressive treatment have typically been conflated: treatment intensity and treatment duration, the latter being rarely addressed by mathematical models. Here, by using a simple mathematical model of a generic bacterial infection, controlled by host’s immune response, we investigate the role of treatment timing and antibiotic efficacy in determining optimal duration of treatment. We show that even in such simple mathematical model, it is impossible to select for universally optimal treatment duration. In particular, short (3 day) or long (7 day) treatments may be both beneficial depending on treatment onset, on the criterion used, and on the antibiotic efficacy. This results from the dynamic trade-off between immunity and resistance in acute, self-limiting infections, and uncertainty relating symptoms to the start of infection. We find that treatment timing can shift the trend between resistance selection and length of antibiotic exposure in individual hosts. We propose that major advances in predicting impact of antibiotics on bacterial infections must come from deeper experimental understanding of bacterial infection dynamics in humans. To guide rational therapy, mathematical models need to be constrained by data, including details of pathology and symptom thresholds in patients, and of host immune control of infection.
Discovery of several thousand highly diverse circular DNA viruses
Authors: Tisza Michael J. , Pastrana Diana V. , Welch Nicole L. , Stewart Brittany , Peretti Alberto , Starrett Gabriel J. , Pang Yuk-Ying S. , Krishnamurthy Siddharth R. , Pesavento Patricia A. , McDermott David H. , Murphy Philip M. , Whited Jessica L. , Miller Bess , Brenchley Jason M. , Rosshart Stephan P. , Rehermann Barbara , Doorbar John , Ta’ala Blake A. , Pletnikova Olga , Troncoso Juan , Resnick Susan M. , Bolduc Ben , Sullivan Matthew B. , Varsani Arvind , Segall Anca M. , Buck Christopher B.
Published: February 2019

Although it is suspected that there are millions of distinct viral species, fewer than 9,000 are catalogued in GenBank’s RefSeq database. We selectively enriched for and amplified the genomes of circular DNA viruses in over 70 animal samples, ranging from cultured soil nematodes to human tissue specimens. A bioinformatics pipeline, Cenote-Taker, was developed to automatically annotate over 2,500 circular genomes in a GenBank-compliant format. The new genomes belong to dozens of established and emerging viral families. Some appear to be the result of previously undescribed recombination events between ssDNA viruses and ssRNA viruses. In addition, hundreds of circular DNA elements that do not encode any discernable similarities to previously characterized sequences were identified. To characterize these “dark matter” sequences, we used an artificial neural network to identify candidate viral capsid proteins, several of which formed virus-like particles when expressed in culture. These data further the understanding of viral sequence diversity and allow for high throughput documentation of the virosphere.
Modeling epistasis in mice and yeast using the proportion of two or more distinct genetic backgrounds: evidence for “polygenic epistasis”
Authors: Rau Christoph D. , Gonzales Natalia M. , Bloom Joshua S. , Park Danny , Ayroles Julien , Palmer Abraham A. , Lusis Aldons J. , Zaitlen Noah
Published: February 2019

Background

The majority of quantitative genetic models used to map complex traits assume that alleles have similar effects across all individuals. Significant evidence suggests, however, that epistatic interactions modulate the impact of many alleles. Nevertheless, identifying epistatic interactions remains computationally and statistically challenging. In this work, we address some of these challenges by developing a statistical test forpolygenic epistasisthat determines whether the effect of an allele is altered by the global genetic ancestry proportion from distinct progenitors.

Results

We applied our method to data from mice and yeast. For the mice, we observed 49 significant genotype-by-ancestry interaction associations across 14 phenotypes as well as over 1,400 Bonferroni-corrected genotype-by-ancestry interaction associations for mouse gene expression data. For the yeast, we observed 92 significant genotype-by-ancestry interactions across 38 phenotypes. Given this evidence of epistasis, we test for and observe evidence of rapid selection pressure on ancestry specific polymorphisms within one of the cohorts, consistent with epistatic selection.

Conclusions

Unlike our prior work in human populations, we observe widespread evidence of ancestry-modified SNP effects, perhaps reflecting the greater divergence present in crosses using mice and yeast.

Author Summary

Many statistical tests which link genetic markers in the genome to differences in traits rely on the assumption that the same polymorphism will have identical effects in different individuals. However, there is substantial evidence indicating that this is not the case. Epistasis is the phenomenon in which multiple polymorphisms interact with one another to amplify or negate each other’s effects on a trait. We hypothesized that individual SNP effects could be changed in a polygenic manner, such that the proportion of as genetic ancestry, rather than specific markers, might be used to capture epistatic interactions. Motivated by this possibility, we develop a new statistical test that allowed us to examine the genome to identify polymorphisms which have different effects depending on the ancestral makeup of each individual. We use our test in two different populations of inbred mice and a yeast panel and demonstrate that these sorts of variable effect polymorphisms exist in 14 different physical traits in mice and 38 phenotypes in yeast as well as in murine gene expression. We use the term “polygenic epistasis” to distinguish these interactions from the more conventional two- or multi-locus interactions.
Classical conditioning drives learned reward prediction signals in climbing fibers across the lateral cerebellum
Authors: Heffley William , Hull Court
Published: February 2019

Classical models of cerebellar learning posit that climbing fibers operate according to a supervised learning rule to instruct changes in motor output by signaling the occurrence of movement errors. However, cerebellar output is also associated with non-motor behaviors, and recently with modulating reward association pathways in the VTA. To test how the cerebellum processes reward related signals in the same type of classical conditioning behavior typically studied to evaluate reward processing in the VTA and striatum, we have used calcium imaging to visualize instructional signals carried by climbing fibers across the lateral cerebellum before and after learning. We find distinct climbing fiber responses in three lateral cerebellar regions that can each signal reward prediction, but not reward prediction errors per se. These instructional signals are well suited to guide cerebellar learning based on reward expectation and enable a cerebellar contribution to reward driven behaviors.
An evolutionarily conserved mechanism for production of secondary meristems in land plants
Authors: Yasui Yukiko , Tsukamoto Shigeyuki , Sugaya Tomomi , Nishihama Ryuichi , Wang Quan , Yamato Katsuyuki T. , Fukaki Hidehiro , Mimura Tetsuro , Kubo Hiroyoshi , Theres Klaus , Kohchi Takayuki , Ishizaki Kimitsune
Published: February 2019

A variety of plants in diverse taxa can reproduce asexually via vegetative propagation, in which clonal propagules with new meristem(s) are generated directly from vegetative organs. A basal land plant, Marchantia polymorpha, develops clonal propagules, gemmae, in a specialized receptacle, gemma cup. Here we report an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, designated GEMMA CUP-ASSOCIATED MYB 1 (GCAM1), which is an essential regulator of gemma cup development in M. polymorpha. Although gemma cups are a characteristic gametophyte organ for vegetative reproduction in a taxonomically restricted group of liverwort species, phylogenetic and interspecific complementation analyses supported the orthologous relationship of GCAM1 to regulatory factors for axillary meristem formation, e.g. Arabidopsis RAXs and tomato Blind, in angiosperm sporophytes. The present findings in M. polymorpha suggest an ancient acquisition of a regulatory mechanism for production of secondary meristems, and the use of the mechanism for diverse developmental programs during land plant evolution.
The relationship between neural variability and neural oscillations
Authors: Daniel Edan , Meindertsma Thomas , Arazi Ayelet , Donner Tobias H. , Dinstein Ilan
Published: February 2019

Neural activity fluctuates over time, creating considerable variability across trials. This trial-by-trial neural variability is dramatically reduced (“quenched”) after the presentation of sensory stimuli. Likewise, the power of neural oscillations, primarily in the alpha-beta band, is also reduced. Despite their similarity, these phenomena have been discussed independently. We hypothesized that the two phenomena are tightly coupled. To test this, we examined magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings of healthy subjects viewing repeated presentations of a visual stimulus. The timing, amplitude, and spatial topography of variability-quenching and power suppression were remarkably similar. Neural variability quenching was eliminated by excluding the alpha-beta band from the recordings, but not by excluding other frequency-bands. Moreover, individual magnitudes of alpha-beta band power explained 86% of between-subject differences in variability quenching. In contrast, inter-trial-phase-coherence (ITPC) was not correlated with variability quenching. These results reveal that neural variability quenching reflects stimulus-induced changes in the power of alpha-beta band oscillations.
Calculating the maximum capacity of intracellular transport vesicles
Authors: Ratamero Erick Martins , Royle Stephen J.
Published: February 2019

In eukaryotic cells, vesicles transport protein cargo to various destinations in the cell. As part of an effort to count the number of cargo molecules in vesicles in cells, we asked a simple question: what is the maximum number of cargo molecules that can be packed into a vesicle? The answer to this question lies in the Tammes Problem, which seeks to determine the packing of circles on a spherical surface. The solution to this problem depends on the sizes of the vesicle and the cargo. We present here the computational results that determine the maximum theoretical capacity of a range of biologically relevant cargo in a variety of meaningful vesicle sizes. Our results could be generalized in order to describe an equation that allows the calculation of the approximate maximum capacity of any vesicle, whatever the size; provided that the size and geometry of the cargo is known.
Recombination and mutational robustness in neutral fitness landscapes
Authors: Klug Alexander , Park Su-Chan , Krug Joachim
Published: February 2019

Mutational robustness quantifies the effect of random mutations on fitness. When mutational robustness is high, most mutations do not change fitness or have only a minor effect on it. From the point of view of fitness landscapes, robust genotypes form neutral networks of almost equal fitness. Using deterministic population models it has been shown that selection favors genotypes inside such networks, which results in increased mutational robustness. Here we demonstrate that this effect is massively enhanced by recombination. Our results are based on a detailed analysis of mesa-shaped fitness landscapes, where we derive precise expressions for the dependence of the robustness on the landscape parameters for recombining and non-recombining populations. In addition, we carry out numerical simulations on different types of random holey landscapes as well as on an empirical fitness landscape. We show that the mutational robustness of a genotype generally correlates with its recombination weight, a new measure that quantifies the likelihood for the genotype to arise from recombination. We argue that the favorable effect of recombination on mutational robustness is a highly universal feature that may have played an important role in the emergence and maintenance of mechanisms of genetic exchange.

Author summary

Two long-standing and seemingly unrelated puzzles in evolutionary biology concern the ubiquity of sexual reproduction and the robustness of organisms against genetic perturbations. Using a theoretical approach based on the concept of a fitness landscape, in this article we argue that the two phenomena may in fact be closely related. In our setting the hereditary information of an organism is encoded in its genotype, which determines it to be either viable or non-viable, and robustness is defined as the fraction of mutations that maintain viability. Previous work has demonstrated that the purging of non-viable genotypes from the population by natural selection leads to a moderate increase in robustness. Here we show that genetic recombination acting in combination with selection massively enhances this effect, an observation that is largely independent of how genotypes are connected by mutations. This suggests that the increase of robustness may be a major driver underlying the evolution of sexual recombination and other forms of genetic exchange throughout the living world.
An insect serotonin receptor mediates cellular immune responses and its inhibition by phenylethylamide derivatives from bacterial secondary metabolites
Authors: Hasan Ariful , Yeom Hyun-Suk , Ryu Jaewook , Bode Helge B. , Kim Yonggyun
Published: February 2019

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine: 5-HT) is a biogenic monoamine that mediates immune responses and modulates nerve signal in insects.Se-5HTR, a specific receptor of serotonin, has been identified in the beet armyworm,Spodoptera exigua.It is classified into subtype 7 among known 5HTRs.Se-5HTRwas expressed in all developmental stages ofS. exigua.It was expressed in all tested tissues of larval stage. Its expression was up-regulated in hemocytes and fat body in response to immune challenge. RNA interference (RNAi) ofSe-5HTRexhibited significant immunosuppression by preventing cellular immune responses such as phagocytosis and nodulation. Treatment with an inhibitor (SB-269970) specific to 5HTR subtype 7 resulted in significant immunosuppression. Such immunosuppression was also induced by bacterial secondary metabolites derived fromXenorhabdusandPhotorhabdus. To determine specific bacterial metabolites inhibiting Se-5HTR, this study screened 37 bacterial secondary metabolites with respect to cellular immune responses associated with Se-5HTR and selected 10 potent inhibitors. These 10 selected compounds competitively inhibited cellular immune responses against 5-HT and shared phenylethylamide (PEA) chemical skeleton. Subsequently, 46 PEA derivatives were screened and resulting potent chemicals were used to design a compound to be highly inhibitory against Se-5HTR. The designed compound was chemically synthesized. It showed high immunosuppressive activities along with specific and competitive inhibition activity for Se-5HTR. This study reports the first 5HT receptor fromS. exiguaand provides its specific inhibitor designed from bacterial metabolites and their derivatives.

Author Summary

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine: 5-HT) plays a crucial role in mediating nerve and immune signals in insects. Interruption of 5-HT signal leads to malfunctioning of various insect physiological processes. Se-5HTR, a 5-HT receptor of beet armyworm,Spodoptera exigua,was identified and classified as subtype 7 (5-HT7) of 5-HT receptors. A specific inhibitor (SB-269970) for 5-HT7highly inhibited immune responses such as phagocytosis and nodulation mediated by Se-5HTR. Two entomopathogenic bacteria,XenorhabdusandPhotorhabdus,could secrete potent inhibitors against immune responses mediated by 5-HTR. Bacterial secondary metabolites were screened against Se-5HTR-mediating immune responses. Most of resulting compounds shared phenylethylamide (PEA) chemical skeleton. Subsequent screening using PEA derivatives supported the importance of this chemical skeleton. Based on their relative inhibitory activities, a compound was designed and synthesized. This novel compound possessed high inhibitory activities against Se-5HTR-mediating immune responses and exhibited competitive inhibition with 5-HT.
Molecular signaling involved in immune system activation against root-knot nematodes by bio-control agents in tomato plants
Authors: Molinari Sergio , Leonetti Paola
Published: February 2019

The expression of key defense genes was detected in roots and leaves of tomato plants until the 12thday after treatments with a mixture of beneficial bio-control agents (BCAs), as soil-drenches. The expression of the same genes was monitored in pretreated plants at the 3rdand 7thday since the inoculation with the root-knot nematodeMeloidogyne incognita.Genes dependent on SA-signaling, such as the Pathogenesis Related Genes,PR1, PR3,andPR5,were systemically over-expressed at the earliest stages of BCA-root interaction. BCA pre-treatment primed plants against root-knot nematodes. The expression ofPR-genes and of the gene encoding for the enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase (ACO), which catalyzes the last step of ethylene biosynthesis, was systemically enhanced after nematode inoculation in primed plants. Defense related enzyme activities, such as endochitinase and glucanase, were higher in roots of BCA-treated than in those of untreated plants, as well. On the contrary, the expression of genes dependent on JA/ET-signaling, such as Jasmonate Ethylene Response Factor 3 (JERF3), did not increase after nematode inoculation in primed plants. The antioxidant system, as indicated by catalase gene expression and ascorbate peroxidase activity, was repressed in infected colonized roots. Therefore, Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR), and not Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR), is proposed as the molecular signaling that is activated by BCA priming at the earliest stages of root-nematode interaction. Such BCA-induced activation of the plant immune system did not directly act against nematode motile juveniles penetrating and moving inside the roots. It resulted in a drastically decreased number of sedentary individuals and, then, in an augmented ability of the plants to contrast feeding site building by invasive juveniles.
Carbonic anhydrase II in complex with carboxylic acid-based inhibitors
Authors: Lomelino Carrie L. , McKenna Robert
Published: February 2019

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are molecular targets in various diseases. While many sulfonamide-based drugs are in clinical use, CA inhibitor design is moving towards the incorporation of alternative zinc-binding groups, such as carboxylic acids, to promote CA isoform-specific inhibition. Here, X-ray crystal structures of CA II in complex with nicotinic acid and ferulic acid determined to 1.70 and 1.50 Å resolution, respectively, are reported. Furthermore, the structures of these two compounds are superimposed with previously determined structures to compare the mechanisms of inhibition and the properties of carboxylic acid-based CA inhibitors. This study examines an important class of alternative, non-sulfonamide-based CA inhibitors and provides insight to facilitate the structure-guided design of CA isoform-specific inhibitors.
Preparation of stable recombinant Osm1 noncovalently bound with flavin adenosine dinucleotide cofactor for structural study
Authors: Kim Sunghwan , Park Hyun Ho
Published: February 2019

Osm1, a soluble fumarate reductase fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae, is localized in both the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).OSM1genetically interacts withERO1, which encodes an essential ER oxidoreductase for disulfide-bond formation under anaerobic conditions. However, the detailed enzymatic mechanisms involved in this interaction and the cellular roles of Osm1 are not fully understood. In this study, monomeric and stable recombinant Osm1 was successfully prepared for structural study. During purification, it was realized that the majority of recombinant Osm1 expressed inEscherichia colilacked the flavin adenosine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor. However, exogenously introduced FAD could be incorporated into recombinant Osm1, generating stable and homogenous holo Osm1. Moreover, after removing a flexible fragment by limited proteolysis, holo Osm1 formed isotropic crystals that retained catalytic activity. X-ray diffraction data were successfully collected from the Osm1 crystals to a resolution of 1.75 Å.
The PAAFID project: exploring the perspectives of autism in adult females among intellectual disability healthcare professionals
Authors: Tromans Samuel , Chester Verity , Kapugama Chaya , Elliott Amy , Robertson Sarah , Barrett Mary
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perspectives of healthcare professionals on autism in adult females with intellectual disability (ID), including regarding the gender ratio of autism, the clinical manifestation of autism in females, and the recognition, screening and diagnosis of autism.

Design/methodology/approach

The questionnaire was developed following a review of the relevant literature and distributed to professionals within three healthcare trusts as well as members of two clinical research groups. The questionnaire was completed by 80 ID healthcare professionals. Data were aggregated and analysed using Microsoft Excel.

Findings

ID healthcare professionals had a lack of recognition of the smaller gender ratio of autism in patients with ID as compared to those without ID. Most respondents reported believing that autism manifests differently in females; with women demonstrating a greater ability to mask their symptoms. A considerable proportion of participants reported feeling less confident in recognising, screening and diagnosing autism in female patients, with many endorsing a wish for additional training in this area.

Practical implications

These findings suggest that ID healthcare professionals are keen to improve their skills in providing services for women with autism. Training programmes at all levels should incorporate the specific needs of women with ASD, and individual professionals and services should actively seek to address these training needs in order to promote best practice and better outcomes for women with autism.

Originality/value

This is the first published questionnaire exploring the perspectives of healthcare professionals regarding autism in adult females with ID.
Mediator assisted simultaneous negotiations with multiple customers for order acceptance decision
Authors: Piya Sujan
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the manufacturer of a make-to-order company to simultaneously negotiate with multiple customers through mediator to achieve order acceptance decisions (OADs).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper developed mathematical models for the manufacturer, as well as customers to revise their offers during negotiations. Moreover, the paper also proposed a method for the mediator to carry out his assigned duties to assist in negotiation. In the decision process, mediator acts as a bridge between the manufacturer and customers to reach an agreement. A numerical example is enumerated to illustrate the working mechanism and superiority of proposed framework as compared to the framework where simultaneous negotiations are carried out without the presence of mediator.

Findings

Iterative method of negotiation conducted without mediator leads to delay in reaching agreement as the aspiration level of manufacturer offer and counter-offer of customer will never cross each other. In addition, the party who submits the offer first may suffer as the opponent can take the advantage of his/her offer during negotiation, thereby, derailing the issue of fairness. Introducing mediator between the manufacturer and the customer for their negotiations could overcome these two issues. Numerical analysis clearly illustrates that, in average, the rounds of negotiation to reach an agreement can be reduced by 22 percent using proposed negotiation framework. In addition, the fairness in negotiations can be improved by 33 percent with the incorporation of mediator.

Originality/value

Through continuing research efforts in this domain, certain models and strategies have been developed for negotiation. Iterative method of negotiations without mediator will help neither the manufacturer nor the customer in terms of fairness and negotiations round to reach an agreement. To the best of the author’s knowledge, so far, this is the first instance of research work in the domain of OAD and negotiation framework that attempts to incorporate mediator for simultaneous negotiation between manufacturer and customers on multiple issues simultaneously.
Public service motivation in the Chinese public and private sectors
Authors: McCarthy Dermot , Wei Ping , Homberg Fabian , Tabvuma Vurain
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to statistically test if the public service motivation (PSM) measure operates in the same way across the public and private sectors of a municipal district in China. It also contrasts the relationship between PSM and workplace outcomes across sectors and employee age groups.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data from independent samples of public (n=220) and private (n=230) sector employees in the Changsha Municipal District of China is used. The analysis tests for invariance across groups, before comparing mean values and regression weights.

Findings

Only in respect of one PSM dimension do findings show a significant higher mean in the public sector. No significant difference is found on the impact of PSM on employee performance across sectors, while it is in the private sector that PSM has the greater impact on intention to leave. Findings also show no marked impact of age upon outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides an initial set of results and further research will need to be undertaken to verify them. The limited sample size and narrow geographical focus, although in line with similar studies on China, means the ability to draw generalisations is limited. The reliance on self-reported measures means issues with common method bias cannot be ignored. Measures were taken during data collection to minimise issues of bias and a set ofpost-hoctest results are provided.

Practical implications

The recruitment of employees with higher levels of PSM can be expected to play a role in achieving better outcomes, regardless of sector and age profile.

Originality/value

The PSM measure has been applied by researchers across various economic sectors. This paper is one of the first to statistically test if the concept and its measure operates in the same way across sectors. The paper contributes to the on-going debate on PSM in the context of China and its relationship with a number of key output variables. Finally, the paper contributes to the emerging debate on changing workforce demographics and their role in shaping outcomes.
Soundtracking: music listening practices in the digital age
Authors: Fuentes Christian , Hagberg Johan , Kjellberg Hans
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to further develop the conceptualization of music consumption in the digital age by examining how contemporary music listening is interweaved with other practices, how it shapes those practices and how it is in turn shaped by them.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on extensive, qualitative interviews with 15 Swedish music consumers. During the course of these interviews, specific situations of everyday music listening were discussed in detail.

Findings

Drawing on practice theory and more specifically the concepts of dispersed and integrative practices, the authors identify and explore a mode of music listening that they term soundtracking, which involves choosing and listening to music mainly to accompany other everyday practices.

Research limitations/implications

As soundtracking grows in importance, music is increasingly consumed as an affective-practical resource. Its significance is then not derived from its ability to demarcate difference and construct consumer identities but from its capacity to evoke emotions and moods than enable and enrich a set of everyday practices.

Practical implications

When music is consumed as part of soundtracking, issues such as the audio quality of music or ownership of material music media become less important, while aspects such as mobility, accessibility and the adaptability of music increase in importance. This has important implications for how and what music should be produced and marketed.

Originality/value

This paper offers an alternative view of contemporary music consumption compared to previous research, which has considered music listening primarily as an integrative practice on which the practitioner is fully focussed. The paper also contributes to practice theory by offering an empirically based understanding of a dispersed practice, showing that such practices are neither without shape nor necessarily very simple in their structure.
Micro histories of intercultural knowledge exchange: Tao Xingzhi’s educational poetry
Authors: Qi Jing , Manathunga Catherine , Singh Michael , Bunda Tracey
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a micro historical account of the work of a key Chinese educational reformer, Tao Xingzhi (1891–1946), who transformed educational ideas from John Dewey to effect social and cultural change in 1920s–1940s China.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines English and Chinese language sources, including Tao’s poetry, to present a fresh analysis of Tao’s epistemological life history. It draws upon transnational historical approaches to chart the multidirectional circulation of progressive education philosophies around the globe. It also explores some conceptual dimensions of Chinese historical thinking and historiographical strategies.

Findings

Tao Xingzhi engaged in critical intercultural knowledge exchange in implementing educational reforms in China. He blended and critiqued Chinese and Deweyian educational philosophies to create unique educational reform, which involved reversing some of Dewey’s approaches as well as adapting others.

Originality/value

This paper foregrounds Tao Xingzhi’s agency in transforming some of Dewey’s ideas in the Chinese context and challenges studies that adopt an “impact-response” approach to Tao’s contribution, which suggest a one-way flow of knowledge from a “modern” West to a “traditional” China. It brings hitherto unexplored Chinese language sources to an English-speaking audience, particularly Tao’s poetry, to gain new historical insights into Tao’s educational reforms. It contributes to transnational understandings of the multidirectional flows of knowledge about Progressive educational philosophies around the world.
Empowering leadership and management innovation in the hospitality industry context
Authors: Hassi Abderrahman
Published: February 2019

Purpose

This study aims to examine a model that uses climate for creativity as an intervening mechanism for the relationship of empowering leadership to management innovation in the hospitality industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises 127 hotels in Morocco. Data were gathered from two sources, namely, the administrative department managers and the front desk managers. Structural equation modeling analyses along with the Bayesian estimation technique were used.

Findings

Findings demonstrate that the climate for creativity plays a mediating role between empowering leadership and management innovation. The climate for creativity dimensions of employee creativity recognition, flexibility to change and adequate resources for innovation pave the way for empowering leaders in the adoption of new management practices, processes or structures.

Practical implications

This study suggests that climate for creativity can be an effective tool for implementing management innovation. Hence, leaders and managers of hotel firms, who aim to obtain innovative results in the managerial spheres, should capitalize on the benefits of building a positive climate for creativity.

Originality/value

The present paper bridges a gap pertaining to antecedents and factors that impact management innovation. It is the first of its kind to investigate the influence of empowering leadership on management innovation with climate for creativity as a mediating variable.