bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of rheotaxis and flow on the aggregation of organisms
Authors: Painter K. J.
Published: October 2021

Dispersed populations often need to organize into groups. Chemical attractants provide one means of directing individuals into an aggregate, but whether these structures emerge can depend on various factors, such as there being a sufficiently large population or the response to the attractant being sufficiently sensitive. In an aquatic environment, fluid flow may heavily impact on population distribution and many aquatic organisms adopt a rheotaxis response when exposed to a current, orienting and swimming according to the flow field. Consequently, flow-induced transport could be substantially different for the population members and any aggregating signal they secrete. With the aim of investigating how flows and rheotaxis responses impact on an aquatic population’s ability to form and maintain an aggregated profile, we develop and analyse a mathematical model that incorporates these factors. Through a systematic analysis into the effect of introducing rheotactic behaviour under various forms of environmental flow, we demonstrate that each of flow and rheotaxis can act beneficially or detrimentally on the ability to form and maintain a cluster. Synthesizing these findings, we test a hypothesis that density-dependent rheotaxis may be optimal for group formation and maintenance, in which individuals increase their rheotactic effort as they approach an aggregated state.
Structure and property of propellant based on nitroglycerine/glycerol triacetate mixed plasticizers: molecular dynamics simulation and experimental study
Authors: Yang Lilong , Wu Xionggang , Li Junqiang , Chen Tao , Liu Meng , He Qiwen
Published: October 2021

Molecular dynamics simulation has been used to investigate the influence of nitroglycerine (NG)/glycerol triacetate (GTA) mixed plasticizers on the plasticizing ability of nitrocellulose (NC) binder in solid propellant. The radial distribution function and binding energy indicated that NC/plasticizers blends showed stronger intermolecular interaction of van der Waals and hydrogen bonds. The mean-squared displacements of plasticizers and volume distribution revealed that the mobility of plasticizer GTA in the NC polymer binder was higher than that of NG. Then, the mechanical properties of the propellant based on NG/GTA mixed plasticizers were investigated systematically using experimental and simulation calculation method. The results suggested that the ductility of propellant based on NG/GTA mixed plasticizers was improved, implying that NG/GTA mixed plasticizers have a higher plasticizing efficiency for NC. Furthermore, we conducted experimental studies on the effects of NG/GTA mixed plasticizers on the energy and combustion properties of propellants. It was shown that NG/GTA mixed plasticizers could enhance the combustion efficiency of propellants effectively at low pressures. These computational and experimental studies provided guidance for the application of NG/GTA mixed plasticizers in high-performance propellants.
Paenibacillus allorhizosphaerae sp. nov., from soil of the rhizosphere of Zea mays
Authors: Kämpfer Peter , Busse Hans-Jürgen , McInroy John A. , Clermont Dominique , Criscuolo Alexis , Glaeser Stefanie P.
Published: October 2021

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, endospore-forming bacterial strain, isolated from the rhizosphere of Zea mays, was studied for its detailed taxonomic allocation. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity comparisons, strain JJ-447T was shown to be a member of the genus

Paenibacillus

, most closely related to the type strain of

Paenibacillus solanacearum

(97.8 %). The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values to all other

Paenibacillus

species were below 97.0 %. DNA–DNA hybridization (DDH) values with the type strain of

P. solanacearum

were 35.9 % (reciprocal 27%), respectively. The average nucleotide identity and in silico DDH values with the type strain of

P. solanacearum

were 84.86 and 28.9 %, respectively. The quinone system of strain JJ-447T consisted exclusively of menaquinones and the major component was MK-7 (96.4 %) but minor amounts of MK–6 (3.6 %) were detected as well. The polar lipid profile consisted of the major components diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified aminolipid. Major fatty acids were iso- and anteiso-branched with the major compounds anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. Physiological and biochemical characteristics allowed a further phenotypic differentiation of strain JJ-447T from the most closely related species on the basis of d-glucose, l-arabinose and d-mannose assimilation and other physiological tests. Thus, JJ-447T represents a novel species of the genus

Paenibacillus

, for which the name Paenibacillus allorhizosphaerae sp. nov. is proposed, with JJ-447T (=LMG 31601T=CCM 9021T=CIP 111802T) as the type strain.
Impaired Neutralizing Antibody Response to COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines in Cancer Patients
Authors: Zeng Cong , Evans John P. , Reisinger Sarah , Woyach Jennifer , Liscynesky Christina , Boghdadly Zeinab El , Rubinstein Mark P. , Chakravarthy Karthik , Saif Linda , Oltz Eugene M. , Gumina Richard J. , Shields Peter G. , Li Zihai , Liu Shan-Lu
Published: October 2021

There is currently a critical need to determine the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for immunocompromised patients. In this study, we determined the neutralizing antibody response in 160 cancer patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), lung cancer, breast cancer, and various non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL), after they received two doses of mRNA vaccines. Serum from 46 mRNA vaccinated health care workers (HCWs) served as healthy controls. We discovered that (1) cancer patients exhibited reduced neutralizing antibody titer (NT50) compared to HCWs; (2) CLL and NHL patients exhibited the lowest NT50levels, with 50-60% of them below the detection limit; (3) mean NT50levels in patients with CLL and NHL was ∼2.6 fold lower than those with solid tumors; and (4) cancer patients who received anti-B cell therapy exhibited significantly reduced NT50levels. Our results demonstrate an urgent need for novel immunization strategies for cancer patients against SARS-CoV-2, particularly those with hematological cancers and those on anti-B cell therapies.
CLUH controls astrin-1 expression to couple mitochondrial metabolism to cell cycle progression
Authors: Schatton Désirée , Pietro Giada Di , Szczepanowska Karolina , Veronese Matteo , Marx Marie-Charlotte , Braunöhler Kristina , Barth Esther , Müller Stefan , Giavalisco Patrick , Langer Thomas , Trifunovic Aleksandra , Rugarli Elena I.
Published: October 2021

Proliferating cells undergo metabolic changes in synchrony with cell cycle progression and cell division. Mitochondria provide fuel, metabolites, and ATP during different phases of the cell cycle, however it is not completely understood how mitochondrial function and the cell cycle are coordinated. CLUH is a post-transcriptional regulator of mRNAs encoding mitochondrial proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation and several metabolic pathways. Here, we show a role of CLUH in regulating the expression of astrin, which is involved in metaphase to anaphase progression, centrosome integrity, and mTORC1 inhibition. We find that CLUH binds both the SPAG5 mRNA and its product astrin, and controls the synthesis and the stability of the full-length astrin-1 isoform. We show that CLUH interacts with astrin-1 specifically during interphase. Astrin-depleted cells show mTORC1 hyperactivation and enhanced anabolism. On the other hand, cells lacking CLUH show decreased astrin levels and increased mTORC1 signaling, but cannot sustain anaplerotic and anabolic pathways. In absence of CLUH, cells fail to grow during G1, and progress faster through the cell cycle, indicating dysregulated matching of growth, metabolism and cell cycling. Our data reveal a role of CLUH in coupling growth signaling pathways and mitochondrial metabolism with cell cycle progression.
Tropical-temperate dichotomy falls apart in the Asian Palmate Group of Araliaceae
Authors: Coca-de-la-Iglesia Marina , Medina Nagore G. , Wen Jun , Valcárcel Virginia
Published: October 2021

PREMISE

The use of climatic data on phylogenetic studies has greatly increased in the last decades. High-quality spatial data and accurate climatic information are essential to minimize errors in the climatic reconstructions to the past. However, despite the huge amount of already available biodiversity digital information, the process of compiling, cleaning, and comparing spatial data from different open data sources is a time-consuming task that sometimes ends up with low-quality geographical information. For this reason, researchers often resort qualitative approximations among which World bioclimatic classification systems or the experts’ criteria are the most used. Our aim is to evaluate the climatic characterization of the genera of the Asian Palmate Group (AsPG) of the ginseng family (Araliaceae), one of the classical examples of tropical-temperate plant families.

METHODS

We compiled a curated worldwide spatial database of the AsPG genera. We then created five raster layers representing bioclimatic regionalizations of the World. Finally, we crossed the database with the layers to characterize the AsPG genera.

RESULTS

We found large disagreement in the climatic characterization of genera among regionalizations and little support for the tropical-temperate dichotomy. Both results are attributed to the complexity of delimiting tropical, subtropical and temperate climates in the World and to the distribution of the study group in regions with transitional climatic conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The complexity in the climatic classification of this classical example tropical-temperate dichotomy, calls for a general revision in other families. In fact, we claim that to properly evaluate tropical-temperate transitions we cannot ignore the complexity of distribution ranges.
HiIDDD: A high-throughput imaging pipeline for the quantitative detection of DNA damage in primary human immune cells
Authors: Gallant Kelsey , Bektas Arsun , Kaileh Mary , Lustig Ana , Ferrucci Luigi , Pegoraro Gianluca , Misteli Tom
Published: October 2021

DNA damage is a prominent biomarker for numerous diseases, including cancer and aging. Detection of DNA damage routinely relies on traditional microscopy or cytometric methods. However, these techniques are typically of limited throughput and are not ideally suited for large-scale longitudinal and population studies that require analysis of large sample sets. We have developed HiIDDD (High-throughput Immune cell DNA Damage Detection), a robust, semiquantitative and single-cell assay that measures DNA damage by high-throughput imaging using the two major DNA damage markers 53BP1 and γ−H2AX. We demonstrate sensitive detection of DNA damage in a wide set of freshly isolated and cryopreserved primary human immune cells, including CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, B cells and monocytes with low inter-assay variability. As proof of principle, we demonstrate parallel batch processing of several immune cell types from multiple donors. We find common patterns of DNA damage in multiple immune cell types of donors of varying ages, suggesting that immune cell properties are specific to individuals. These results establish a novel high-throughput assay for the evaluation of DNA damage in large-scale studies.
Dynamic chromosomal interactions and control of heterochromatin positioning by Ki-67
Authors: van Schaik Tom , Manzo Stefano G. , Vouzas Athanasios E. , Liu Ning Qing , Teunissen Hans , de Wit Elzo , Gilbert David M. , van Steensel Bas
Published: October 2021

Ki-67 is a chromatin-associated protein with a dynamic distribution pattern throughout the cell cycle, and is thought to be involved in chromatin organization. Lack of genomic interaction maps has hampered a detailed understanding of its roles, particularly during interphase. By pA-DamID mapping in human cell lines we found that Ki-67 associates with large genomic domains that overlap mostly with late-replicating regions. Early in interphase, when Ki-67 is present in pre-nucleolar bodies, it interacts with these domains on all chromosomes. However, later in interphase, when Ki-67 is confined to nucleoli, it shows a striking shift towards small chromosomes. Nucleolar perturbations indicate that these cell cycle dynamics correspond to nucleolar maturation during interphase, and suggest that nucleolar sequestration of Ki-67 limits its interactions with larger chromosomes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Ki-67 does not detectably control chromatin-chromatin interactions during interphase, but it competes with the nuclear lamina for interaction with late-replicating DNA, and it controls replication timing of (peri)centromeric regions. Together, these results reveal a highly dynamic choreography of genome interactions and roles for Ki-67 in heterochromatin organization.
Human milk oligosaccharides reduce murine group B Streptococcus vaginal colonization with minimal impact on the vaginal microbiota
Authors: Mejia Marlyd E. , Ottinger Samantha , Vrbanac Alison , Babu Priyanka , Zulk Jacob , Moorshead David , Bode Lars , Nizet Victor , Patras Kathryn A.
Published: October 2021

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonizes the vaginal mucosa of a significant percentage of healthy women and is a leading cause of neonatal bacterial infections. Currently, pregnant women are screened in the last month of pregnancy and GBS-positive women are given antibiotics during parturition to prevent bacterial transmission to the neonate. Recently, human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) isolated from breastmilk were found to inhibit GBS growth and biofilm formation in vitro, and women that make certain HMOs are less likely to be vaginally colonized with GBS. Using in vitro human vaginal epithelial cells and a murine vaginal colonization model, we tested the impact of HMO treatment on GBS burdens and the composition of the endogenous microbiota by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. HMO treatment reduced GBS vaginal burdens in vivo with minimal alterations to the vaginal microbiota. HMOs displayed potent inhibitory activity against GBS in vitro, but HMO pretreatment did not alter adherence of GBS or the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus to human vaginal epithelial cells. Additionally, disruption of a putative GBS glycosyltransferase (Δsan_0913) rendered the bacterium largely resistant to HMO inhibition in vitro and in vivo but did not compromise its adherence, colonization, or biofilm formation in the absence of HMOs. We conclude that HMOs are a promising therapeutic bioactive to limit GBS vaginal colonization with minimal impacts on the vaginal microenvironment.

IMPORTANCE

During pregnancy, GBS ascension into the uterus can cause fetal infection or preterm birth. Additionally, GBS exposure during labor creates a risk of serious disease in the vulnerable newborn and mother postpartum. Current recommended prophylaxis consists of administering broad-spectrum antibiotics to GBS-positive mothers during labor. Although antibiotics have significantly reduced GBS neonatal disease, there are several unintended consequences including altered neonatal gut bacteria and increased risk for other types of infection. Innovative preventions displaying more targeted antimicrobial activity, while leaving the maternal microbiota intact, are thus appealing. Using a mouse model, we found that human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) reduce GBS burdens without perturbing the vaginal microbiota. We conclude that HMOs are a promising alternative to antibiotics to reduce GBS neonatal disease.
The endophilin curvature-sensitive motif requires electrostatic guidance to recycle synaptic vesicles in vivo
Authors: Zhang Lin , Wang Yu , Dong Yongming , Pant Aaradhya , Liu Yan , Masserman Laura , McLaughlin Richard N , Bai Jihong
Published: October 2021

Curvature-sensing mechanisms assist proteins in executing particular actions on various membrane organelles. Here, we investigated the functional specificity of curvature-sensing amphipathic motifs through the study of endophilin, an endocytic protein for synaptic vesicle recycling. We generated chimeric endophilin proteins by replacing the endophilin amphipathic motif H0 with other curvature-sensing amphipathic motifs. We found that the role of amphipathic motifs cannot simply be extrapolated from the identity of their parental proteins. For example, the amphipathic motif of the nuclear pore complex protein NUP133 functionally replaced the synaptic role of endophilin H0. Interestingly, non-functional endophilin chimeras had similar defects – producing fewer synaptic vesicles but more endosomes – indicating that the curvature-sensing motifs in these chimeras have a common deficiency at reforming synaptic vesicles. Finally, we converted non-functional endophilin chimeras into functional proteins by changing the cationic property of amphipathic motifs, setting a precedent for reprogramming the functional specificity of curvature-sensing motifs in vivo.
A novel innate pathogen sensing strategy involving ubiquitination of bacterial surface proteins
Authors: Apte Shruti , Bhutda Smita , Ghosh Sourav , Sharma Kuldeep , Sahay Osheen , Rakshit Jyotirmoy , Sinha Akash Raj , Dibyachintan Soham , Roy Suvapriya , Datey Akshay , Santra Shweta , Joseph Jincy , Sasidharan Sreeja , Hammerschmidt Sven , Chakravortty Dipshikha , Santra Manas , Banerjee Anirban
Published: October 2021

Sensing of pathogens by ubiquitination is critical for maintaining cytosolic sanctity. However, universal ubiquitination targets on bacteria, especially of proteinaceous origin, remain unidentified. Here, we unveil a novel strategy, involving recognition of degron-like motifs for identification of first protein-based ubiquitination substrates on phylogenetically distinct bacteria. Such motifs can form a new class of intra-cytosolic pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) as their incorporation enables identification of non-ubiquitin targets by host Ub-ligases. We find SCFFBW7E3-ligase, supported by the regulatory kinase, GSK3β, is crucial for effective pathogen detection and clearance. This may explain the enhanced risk of infections in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia patients bearing FBXW7 mutations. We conclude that exploitation of such ubiquitous pathogen sensing strategy allows conservation of cellular resources and boost anti-microbial immunity.

One Sentence Summary

Ubiquitination of bacterial surface proteins fosters sensing and clearance of diverse pathogens
A transcriptional constraint mechanism limits the homeostatic response to activity deprivation in mammalian neocortex
Authors: Valakh Vera , Wise Derek , Zhu Xiaoyue Aelita , Sha Mingqi , Fok Jaidyn , Van Hooser Stephen D. , Schectman Robin , Cepeda Isabel , Kirk Ryan , O’Toole Sean , Nelson Sacha B.
Published: October 2021

Healthy neuronal networks rely on homeostatic plasticity to maintain stable firing rates despite changing synaptic drive. These mechanisms, however, can themselves be destabilizing if activated inappropriately or excessively. For example, prolonged activity deprivation can lead to rebound hyperactivity and seizures. While many forms of homeostasis have been described, whether and how the magnitude of homeostatic plasticity is constrained remains unknown. Here we uncover negative regulation of cortical network homeostasis by the PARbZIP family of transcription factors. In cortical slice cultures made from knockout mice lacking all three of these factors, the network response to prolonged activity withdrawal measured with calcium imaging is much stronger, while baseline activity is unchanged. Whole cell recordings reveal an exaggerated increase in the frequency of miniature excitatory synaptic currents reflecting enhanced upregulation of recurrent excitatory synaptic transmission. Genetic analyses reveal that two of the factors, Hlf and Tef, are critical for constraining plasticity and for preventing life-threatening seizures. These data indicate that transcriptional activation is not only required for many forms of homeostatic plasticity but is also involved in restraint of the response to activity deprivation.
Classification of daily crop phenology in PhenoCams using deep learning and hidden markov models
Authors: Taylor Shawn D , Browning Dawn M
Published: October 2021

Near surface cameras, such as those in the PhenoCam network, are a common source of ground truth data in modelling and remote sensing studies. Despite having locations across numerous agricultural sites, few studies have used near surface cameras to track the unique phenology of croplands. Due to management activities, crops do not have a natural vegetation cycle which many phenological extraction methods are based on. For example, a field may experience abrupt changes due to harvesting and tillage throughout the year. A single camera can also record several different plants due to crop rotations, fallow fields, and cover crops. Current methods to estimate phenology metrics from image time series compress all image information into a relative greenness metric, which discards a large amount of contextual information. This can include the type of crop present, whether snow or water is present on the field, the crop phenology, or whether a field lacking green plants consists of bare soil, fully senesced plants, or plant residue. Here we developed a modelling workflow to create a daily time series of crop type and phenology, while also accounting for other factors such as obstructed images and snow covered fields. We used a mainstream deep learning image classification model, VGG16. Deep learning classification models do not have a temporal component, so to account for temporal correlation among images our workflow incorporates a hidden markov model in the post-processing. The initial image classification model had out of sample F1 scores of 0.83-0.85, which improved to 0.86-0.91 after all post-processing steps. The resulting time series show the progression of crops from emergence to harvest, and can serve as a daily, local scale dataset of field states and phenological stages for agricultural research.
In vitro analysis of the effects of acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin on motility of female adult Onchocerca volvulus worms
Authors: Otabil Kenneth B. , Antwi Rhoda K. , Nyarko Prince , Babae Theophilus N. , Ankrah Blessing , Bart-Plange Emmanuel J. , Kyei Rexford , Ameyaw Joseph , Bamfo Joseph G. , Gyasi Samuel F. , Schallig Henk DFH
Published: October 2021

In view of the very ambitious global timelines for elimination of onchocerciasis in 2030, the search for alternative antifilarials cannot depend on drug development from scratch, and repurposed drugs offer cheaper and faster alternatives. Previous studies had demonstrated the presence and potential expression of amidase, an enzyme that can be targeted by repurposed analgesics, in Onchocerca volvulus worms. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin on the motility of adult O. volvulus worms. In total, thirty (30) female O. volvulus worms were exposed to acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin in concentrations of either 5mg/ml, 2.5mg/ml, 1.25mg/ml or 0.63mg/ml control in duplicates. Worm motility was observed and recorded using the WormAssay software and a darkfield imaging apparatus starting on day 2 of incubation and ending on day 8. Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin inhibited O. volvulus motility by 2-fold compared to control in the first 24 hours of drug exposure. However, an extended exposure of the worms to these test drugs rather improved the motility of the worms. The study has demonstrated that a 24-hour exposure of O. volvulus worms to the analgesic drugs studied, results in significant inhibition in worm motility compared with the control group, but extended duration of exposure led to an enhancement in motility of the previously immobile worms. This finding supports the idea that aspirin and ibuprofen may have some longevity enhancing properties. Further research on the utility of these analgesics as possible anti-filarial drugs is thus warranted.
Autophagy-dependent TOR reactivation drives fungal growth in living host rice cells
Authors: Li Gang , Gong Ziwen , Dulal Nawaraj , Rocha Raquel O. , Wilson Richard A.
Published: October 2021

Eukaryotic filamentous plant pathogens with biotrophic growth stages like the devastating hemibiotrophic rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae grow for extended periods in living host plant cells without eliciting defense responses. M. oryzae elaborates invasive hyphae (IH) that grow in and between living rice cells while separated from host cytoplasm by plant-derived membrane interfaces. However, although critical to the plant infection process, the molecular mechanisms and metabolic strategies underpinning this intracellular growth phase are poorly understood. Eukaryotic cell growth depends on activated target-of-rapamycin (TOR) kinase signaling, which inhibits autophagy. Here, using live-cell imaging coupled with plate growth tests and RNAseq, proteomic, quantitative phosphoproteomics and metabolic approaches, we show how cycles of autophagy in IH modulate TOR reactivation via α-ketoglutarate to sustain biotrophic growth and maintain biotrophic interfacial membrane integrity in host rice cells. Deleting the M. oryzae serine-threonine protein kinase Rim15-encoding gene attenuated biotrophic growth, disrupted interfacial membrane integrity and abolished the in planta autophagic cycling we observe here for the first time in wild type. Δrim15 was also impaired for glutaminolysis and depleted for α-ketoglutarate. α-ketoglutarate treatment of Δrim15-infected leaf sheaths remediated Δrim15 biotrophic growth. In WT, α-ketoglutarate treatment suppressed autophagy. α-ketoglutarate signaling is amino acid prototrophy- and GS-GOGAT cycle-dependent. We conclude that, following initial IH elaboration, cycles of Rim15- dependent autophagic flux liberate α-ketoglutarate – via the GS-GOGAT cycle – as an amino acid-sufficiency signal to trigger TOR reactivation and promote fungal biotrophic growth in nutrient-restricted host rice cells.
NOXA expression drives synthetic lethality to RUNX1 inhibition in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Doffo Josefina , Bamopoulos Stefanos A. , Köse Hazal , Orben Felix , Zang Chuanbing , Pons Miriam , den Dekker Alexander T. , Brouwer Rutger W. W. , Baluapuri Apoorva , Habringer Stefan , Reichert Maximillian , lllendula Anuradha , Krämer Oliver H. , Schick Markus , Wolf Elmar , van IJcken Wilfred F. J. , Esposito Irene , Keller Ulrich , Schneider Günter , Wirth Matthias
Published: October 2021

Evasion from drug-induced apoptosis is a crucial mechanism of cancer treatment resistance. The pro-apoptotic protein NOXA marks an aggressive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) subtype. To identify drugs that unleash the death-inducing potential of NOXA, we performed an unbiased drug screening experiment. In NOXA-deficient isogenic cellular models we identified an inhibitor of the transcription factor heterodimer CBFβ/RUNX1. By genetic gain and loss of function experiments we validated that the mode of action depends on RUNX1 and NOXA. Of note, RUNX1 expression is significantly higher in PDACs compared to normal pancreas. We show that pharmacological RUNX1 inhibition significantly blocks tumor growth in vivo and in primary patient-derived PDAC organoids. Through genome wide analysis, we detected that RUNX1-loss reshapes the epigenetic landscape, which gains H3K27ac enrichment at the NOXA promoter. Our study demonstrates a previously unknown mechanism of NOXA-dependent cell death, which can be triggered pharmaceutically. Therefore, our data show a novel way to target a therapy resistant PDAC, an unmet clinical need.

Significance

Recent evidence demonstrated the existence of molecular subtypes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which resist all current therapies. The paucity of therapeutic options, including a complete lack of targeted therapies, underscore the urgent and unmet medical need for the identification of targets and novel treatment strategies for PDAC. Our study unravels a function of the transcription factor RUNX1 in apoptosis regulation in PDAC. We show that pharmacological RUNX1 inhibition in PDAC is feasible and leads to NOXA-dependent apoptosis. The development of targeted therapies that influence the transcriptional landscape of PDAC might have great benefits for patients who are resistant to conventional therapies. RUNX1 Inhibition as a new therapeutic intervention offers an attractive strategy for future therapies.
In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies of TiO2 photocatalytic active sites for degradation of trace CHCl3 in drinking water
Authors: Hsiung T.-L. , Wei L.-W. , Huang H.-L. , Wang H. Paul
Published: October 2021

Toxic disinfection byproducts such as trihalomethanes (e.g. CHCl3) are often found after chlorination of drinking water. It has been found that photocatalytic degradation of trace CHCl3 in drinking water generally lacks an expected relationship with the crystalline phase, band-gap energy or the particle sizes of the TiO2-based photocatalysts used such as nano TiO2 on SBA-15 (Santa Barbara amorphous-15), TiO2 clusters (TiO2–SiO2) and atomic dispersed Ti [Ti-MCM-41 (Mobil Composition of Matter)]. To engineer capable TiO2 photocatalysts, a better understanding of their photoactive sites is of great importance and interest. Using in situ X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, the A1 (4969 eV), A2 (4971 eV) and A3 (4972 eV) sites in TiO2 can be distinguished as four-, five- and six- coordinated Ti species, respectively. Notably, the A2 Ti sites that are the main photocatalytic species of TiO2 are shown to be accountable for about 95% of the photocatalytic degradation of trace CHCl3 in drinking water (7.2 p.p.m. CHCl3 gTiO2
−1 h−1). This work reveals that the A2 Ti species of a TiO2-based photocatalyst are mainly responsible for the photocatalytic reactivity, especially in photocatalytic degradation of CHCl3 in drinking water.
Synthesis and crystal structure of a solvated CoIIIcomplex with 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone ligands
Authors: Rusanova Julia A. , Kokozay Volodymyr N. , Petrusenko Svitlana , Plyuta Nataliya
Published: October 2021

The title CoIIIcomplex, bis[bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazonato)cobalt(III)] dithionate–dimethylformamide–methanol (1/4/3), [Co(C9H10N3O2S)2]2(S2O6)·4C3H7NO·3CH3OH, with monodeprotonated 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone as ligands crystallizes in the space groupP\overline{1}. The asymmetric unit consists of two mononuclear [CoL2]+cations, one dithionate anion (S2O6)2−as counter-anion and seven solvate molecules (four dimethylmethanamide and three methanol). Each CoIIIion has a moderately distorted octahedral S2N2O2geometry. In the crystal, the components are linked by numerous N—H...O and O—H...O contacts.
Bis(isonicotinamide-κN)silver(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate acetonitrile disolvate
Authors: Adrian Rafael A. , Ibarra Sara J. , Arman Hadi D.
Published: October 2021

The central AgI atom of the title salt, [Ag(INAM)2](CF3SO3)·2CH3CN, where INAM is isonicotinamide (C6H6N2O), is twofold coordinated by the pyridine N atoms of two isonicotinamide ligands creating a slightly distorted linear molecular geometry. The formation of polymeric chains {[Ag(INAM)2]+}
n
, held together by discrete hydrogen bonds through the amide group of the INAM ligand leaves voids for non-coordinating acetonitrile molecules that interact the silver metal center via regium bonds.
Bis(μ-cobaltoceniumselenolate-1:2κ2
Se:Se)bis[bis(cobaltoceniumselenolate-κSe)mercury(II)] tetrakis(hexafluoridophosphate) acetonitrile disolvate
Authors: Menia Daniel , Wurst Klaus , Bildstein Benno
Published: October 2021

The title compound, [Co6Hg2(C5H5)6(C5H4Se)6](PF6)4·2CH3CN or [Hg2(CcSe)6][PF6]4·2CH3CN (Cc = C10H9Co), was obtained as bright-orange needle-shaped crystals. It is a salt containing a tetracationic dimercury species with six cobaltoceniumselenolate ligands, four hexafluoridophosphate counter-ions and two acetonitrile solvent molecules. The cation (point group \overline{1}) has a bitetrahedral {Hg2Se6} core with two bridging Se atoms and four terminal Se atoms.
Voluntary corporate governance disclosure and bank performance: evidence from an emerging market
Authors: Nobanee Haitham , Ellili Nejla Ould Daoud
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This study aims to explore the extent of voluntary corporate governance disclosure in the annual reports of banks in the UAE, operating in an emerging economy in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. It also examines the effect of this non-financial disclosure on bank performance by differentiating conventional and Islamic banks.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies content analysis to explore the extent of voluntary corporate governance disclosure using data collected from the annual reports of all the banks traded on the UAE financial markets from 2003 through 2020. It further examines the potential effect of voluntary disclosure on bank performance using dynamic panel data regressions.

Findings

The results indicate a low level of voluntary corporate governance disclosure in the annual reports for most disclosure indices. However, conventional and Islamic banks do not differ significantly. Additionally, the results of the robust dynamic panel data from the two-step generalized method of moments system estimation confirm that voluntary corporate governance disclosure does not affect bank performance significantly.

Practical implications

The findings of this study would benefit the central bank and lawmakers in the UAE in developing a framework for appropriate voluntary disclosure and enhancing the corporate governance framework to improve the quality of annual reports.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on the extent of corporate governance disclosure, as well as its association with bank performance in an emerging economy by differentiating between conventional and Islamic banks.
Exploring data mining: facets and emerging trends
Authors: Gul Sumeer , Bano Shohar , Shah Taseen
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Data mining along with its varied technologies like numerical mining, textual mining, multimedia mining, web mining, sentiment analysis and big data mining proves itself as an emerging field and manifests itself in the form of different techniques such as information mining; big data mining; big data mining and Internet of Things (IoT); and educational data mining. This paper aims to discuss how these technologies and techniques are used to derive information and, eventually, knowledge from data.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive review of literature on data mining and its allied techniques was carried to ascertain the emerging procedures and techniques in the domain of data mining. Clarivate Analytic’s Web of Science and Sciverse Scopus were explored to discover the extent of literature published on Data Mining and its varied facets. Literature was searched against various keywords such as data mining; information mining; big data; big data and IoT; and educational data mining. Further, the works citing the literature on data mining were also explored to visualize a broad gamut of emerging techniques about this growing field.

Findings

The study validates that knowledge discovery in databases has rendered data mining as an emerging field; the data present in these databases paves the way for data mining techniques and analytics. This paper provides a unique view about the usage of data, and logical patterns derived from it, how new procedures, algorithms and mining techniques are being continuously upgraded for their multipurpose use for the betterment of human life and experiences.

Practical implications

The paper highlights different aspects of data mining, its different technological approaches, and how these emerging data technologies are used to derive logical insights from data and make data more meaningful.

Originality/value

The paper tries to highlight the current trends and facets of data mining.
Using pretraining and text mining methods to automatically extract the chemical scientific data
Authors: Pang Na , Qian Li , Lyu Weimin , Yang Jin-Dong
Published: October 2021

Purpose

In computational chemistry, the chemical bond energy (pKa) is essential, but most pKa-related data are submerged in scientific papers, with only a few data that have been extracted by domain experts manually. The loss of scientific data does not contribute to in-depth and innovative scientific data analysis. To address this problem, this study aims to utilize natural language processing methods to extract pKa-related scientific data in chemical papers.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the previous Bert-CRF model combined with dictionaries and rules to resolve the problem of a large number of unknown words of professional vocabulary, in this paper, the authors proposed an end-to-end Bert-CRF model with inputting constructed domain wordpiece tokens using text mining methods. The authors use standard high-frequency string extraction techniques to construct domain wordpiece tokens for specific domains. And in the subsequent deep learning work, domain features are added to the input.

Findings

The experiments show that the end-to-end Bert-CRF model could have a relatively good result and can be easily transferred to other domains because it reduces the requirements for experts by using automatic high-frequency wordpiece tokens extraction techniques to construct the domain wordpiece tokenization rules and then input domain features to the Bert model.

Originality/value

By decomposing lots of unknown words with domain feature-based wordpiece tokens, the authors manage to resolve the problem of a large amount of professional vocabulary and achieve a relatively ideal extraction result compared to the baseline model. The end-to-end model explores low-cost migration for entity and relation extraction in professional fields, reducing the requirements for experts.
Structural change and economic growth in India: a comparative study of Punjab
Authors: Sanyal Anirban , Singh Nirvikar
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The Green Revolution transformed agriculture in the Indian State of Punjab, with positive spillovers to the rest of India, but recently the state’s economy has fallen dramatically in rankings of per capita state output. Understanding the trajectory of Punjab’s economy has important lessons for all of India. Economic development is typically associated with changes in economic structure, but Punjab has remained relatively reliant on agriculture rather than shifting economic activity to manufacturing and services, where productivity growth might be greater.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors empirically examine structural change in the Punjab economy in the context of structural change and economic growth across the States of India. The authors calculate structural change indices and map their pattern over time. The authors estimate panel regressions and time-varying parameter regressions, as well as performing productivity change decompositions into within-sector and structural changes.

Findings

Panel regressions and time-varying-coefficient regressions suggest a significant positive influence of structural change on state-level growth. In addition, growth positively affected structural change across India’s states. The relative lack of structural change in Punjab’s economy is implicated in its relatively poor recent growth performance. Comparisons with a handful of other states reinforce this conclusion: Punjab’s lack of economic diversification is a plausible explanation for its lagging economic performance.

Originality/value

This paper performs a novel empirical analysis of structural change and growth, simultaneously using three different approaches: panel regressions, time-varying parameter regressions and productivity decompositions. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the only paper we are aware of that combines these three approaches.
IFRS adoption and unconditional conservatism: an accrual-based analysis
Authors: Fullana Olga , González Mariano , Toscano David
Published: October 2021

Purpose

In this paper we analyse the effect on unconditional conservatism of the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by the European listed firms in January 2005. Under the hypothesis that accounting regulation influences the accounting conservatism, we use a non-market-based measure of unconditional conservatism – the accrual-based measure proposed by Givoly and Hayn (2000) – to test this effect, controlling for the other determinants of the unconditional conservatism found in the accounting literature.

Design/methodology/approach

We use a panel data of 10 years and 96 non-financial listed firms in the Spanish stock market in which the differences between local GAAP and IFRS are more important. A pre-estimation analysis of the data reveals that GLS with random effects is the correct estimation procedure. However, to try to deal with the likely endogeneity in the set of variables, the authors perform an estimate with a dynamic estimator for panels with few periods and many individuals where the independent variables are not strictly exogenous.

Findings

As expected, results show evidence that support a significant reduction on the unconditional conservatism of firms in the sample due to the adoption of IFRS. This evidence is relevant to equity market, debt market and corporate governance users of the financial information, and also for the policymakers who can assess the effects of their mandate.

Research limitations/implications

Results shown in this paper have all the limitations of system-, country-, sample- and event-specific studies but, along with many others drawn in alternative contexts, may help to correctly understand both the time-evolution and cross-sectional country differences of firms’ unconditional conservatism.

Originality/value

The study represents the first analysis of the effect of the adoption of IFRS on unconditional conservatism of the European listed companies using a non-market accrual-based measure. Results are not influenced by the dynamics of the stock market and, by comparison, allow us to analyse this influence in results provided by using market-based measures of the unconditional accounting conservatism provided by previous literature.
Empirical examination of societal, financial and technology-related challenges amid COVID-19 in service supply chains: evidence from emerging market
Authors: Ajmal Mian M. , Khan Mehmood , Shad Muhammad Kashif , AlKatheeri Haseena , Jabeen Fauzia
Published: October 2021

Purpose

This paper reports an empirical examination of the societal, financial and technology-related challenges amid the ongoing pandemic (COVID-19) in the service supply chain network.

Design/methodology/approach

A combination of qualitative approach (for items generation pertinent to the constructs involved) and quantitative approach (self-administered questionnaires from the top and middle management of the sampled companies) was used for data collection. In total, 272 complete responses were received and analyzed through structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results provided empirical evidence that social and physical distancing, travel restrictions, work from home and lockdown practices have two conflicting effects: On one hand, these practices have contributed to the reduction of economic activities, including the low economic outlook, low productivity, high unemployment, poverty, fall in customer demands, dissatisfaction and mental health, that ultimately impacts rise financial and societal issues. On the other hand, the results revealed an insignificant influence of COVID-19 on creating technology-related challenges in the service sector. It shows that the organizations are doing well in combating the technology-related challenges amidst the current pandemic.

Research limitations/implications

Findings of the inquiry recommend implications for the services industry to harmonize a comprehensive strategy and revisit the global norms in sustainable supply chain management activities that have been the backdrop in their operations for a long time.

Practical implications

Findings of the inquiry recommend implications for the services industry to harmonize a comprehensive strategy and revisit the global norms in supply chain management activities that have been the backdrop in their operations for a long time.

Originality/value

Prior studies in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak and its implications have given more attention to the exploratory and theoretical discussion than to empirical evidence. This paper contributes to filling this knowledge gap by empirically exploring the societal, financial and technology-related challenges created by COVID-19. The analysis in this paper covers three dimensions of the PEST model, namely economic, societal and technological factors. This study also helps in laying out a platform for investigating the PEST (political, economic, social and technological) model for guiding the services industry in strategic decision-making in a new era due to COVID-19.
Toward the inter-channel synergy renaissance in emerging markets: evidence from adding clicks to bricks in Serbia
Authors: Stojković Dragan , Dokić Aleksa , Vlacic Bozidar , Silva Susana Costa e
Published: October 2021

Purpose

Newly established intersections between offline and online channels create room for enhancing inter-channel synergies. The nature and structure of emerging markets only further emphasize the need to expand existing knowledge. Consequently, this study investigates inter-channel synergy creation during offline–online retail integration in emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collected from 97 companies in Serbia that incorporated online channels into their offline retailing businesses were analyzed using the structural equation modeling method.

Findings

The results show that retailers who have undergone click-to-brick integration in the emerging markets struggle to leverage physical presence for inter-channel synergy creation through digital channels. Essentially, retailers integrating clicks into bricks in emerging markets are less likely to achieve immediate omni-channel synergy, resorting to a multi-iterative transition process.

Originality/value

This research synthesizes knowledge on inter-channel synergy creation in an omni-channel context, as well as existing findings regarding inter-channel integration. This paper presents the first comprehensive study on inter-channel synergy creation during click-to-brick integration in emerging retail markets. Moreover, this study outlines challenges facing retailers seeking channel synergy during click-to-brick integration. The study results have theoretical and practical implications regarding inter-channel synergy creation in the multi-channel environment of emerging markets.