bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of a novel gene,srpA, conferring resistance to streptogramin A, pleuromutilins, and lincosamides inStreptococcus suis
Authors: Zhang Chaoyang , Liu Lu , Zhang Peng , Cui Jingpo , Qin Xiaoxia , Ma Lichao , Han Kun , Wang Zhanhui , Wang Shaolin , Ding Shuangyang , Shen Zhangqi
Published: August 2020

Antimicrobial resistance is undoubtedly one of the greatest global health threats. The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-positive pathogens, like methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistantEnterococcus faecium, and β-lactamase-resistantStreptococcus pneumonia, has severely limited our antibiotic arsenal. Numerous ribosome-targeting antibiotics, especially pleuromutilins, oxazolidinones, and streptogramins, are viewed as promising alternatives against aggressive MDR pathogens. In this study, we identified a new ABC-F family determinant,srpA, inStreptococcus suisby a comparative analysis of whole genome sequences of tiamulin-resistant and -sensitive bacteria. Functional cloning confirmed that the deduced gene can mediate cross-resistance to pleuromutilins, lincosamides, and streptogramin A inS. suisandS. aureus. A sequence alignment revealed thatsrpAshares the highest amino acid identity with Vga(E) (36%) and shows canonical characteristics of ABC-F family members. In SrpA–ribosome docked compounds, the extended loop region of SrpA approaches the valnemulin binding pocket in the ribosome peptidyl-transferase center and competes with bound valnemulin. A detailed mutational analysis of the loop residues confirmed that this domain is crucial for SrpA activity, as substitutions or truncations of this region affect the efficiency and specificity of antibiotic resistance. A ribosome binding assay supported the protective effects of SrpA on the ribosome by preventing antibiotic binding as well as displacing bound drugs. These findings clarify the mechanisms underlying resistance to ribosomal antibiotics.
Innovation in NLR and TLR sensing drives the MHC-II free Atlantic cod immune system
Authors: Jin Xingkun , Morro Bernat , Tørresen Ole K. , Moiche Visila , Solbakken Monica H. , Jakobsen Kjetill S. , Jentoft Sissel , MacKenzie Simon
Published: August 2020

The genome sequencing of Atlantic cod revealed an immune system absent of specific cell surface toll-like receptors (TLRs), major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, invariant chain (CD74) and the CD4 (cluster of differentiation 4) receptor. Despite the loss of these major components considered as critical to vertebrate innate and adaptive immune systems the cod system is fully functional, however the underlying mechanisms of the immune response in cod remain largely unknown. In this study,ex vivocod macrophages were challenged with various bacterial and viral microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMP) to identify major response pathways. Cytosolic MAMP-PRR pathways based upon the NOD-like receptors (NLRs) and RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) were identified as the critical response pathways. Our analyses suggest that internalization of exogenous ligands through scavenger receptors drives both pathways activating transcription factors like NF-kB (Nuclear factor-kappa B) and interferon regulatory factors (IRFs). Further, ligand-dependent differential expression of a unique TLR25 isoform and multiple NLR paralogues suggests (sub)neofunctionalisation toward specific immune defensive strategies. Our results further demonstrate that the unique immune system of the Atlantic cod provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore the evolutionary history of PRR-based signalling in vertebrate immunity.
Hidden population modes in social brain morphology: Its parts are more than its sum
Authors: Kiesow Hannah , Spreng R. Nathan , Holmes Avram J. , Chakravarty M. Mallar , Marquand Andre F. , Yeo B.T. Thomas , Bzdok Danilo
Published: August 2020

The complexity of social interactions is a defining property of the human species. Many social neuroscience experiments have sought to map ‘perspective taking’, ‘empathy’, and other canonical psychological constructs to distinguishable brain circuits. This predominant research paradigm was seldom complemented by bottom-up studies of the unknown sources of variation that add up to measures of social brain structure; perhaps due to a lack of large population datasets. We aimed at a systematic de-construction of social brain morphology into its elementary building blocks in the UK Biobank cohort (n=~10,000). Coherent patterns of structural co-variation were explored within a recent atlas of social brain locations, enabled through translating autoencoder algorithms from deep learning. The artificial neural networks learned rich subnetwork representations that became apparent from social brain variation at population scale. The learned subnetworks carried essential information about the co-dependence configurations between social brain regions, with the nucleus accumbens, medial prefrontal cortex, and temporoparietal junction embedded at the core. Some of the uncovered subnetworks contributed to predicting examined social traits in general, while other subnetworks helped predict specific facets of social functioning, such as feelings of loneliness. Our population-level evidence indicates that hidden subsystems of the social brain underpin interindividual variation in dissociable aspects of social lifestyle.
NusG is an intrinsic transcription termination factor that stimulates motility and coordinates global gene expression with NusA
Authors: Mandell Zachary F. , Oshiro Reid T. , Yakhnin Alexander V. , Kashlev Mikhail , Kearns Daniel B. , Babitzke Paul
Published: August 2020

NusA and NusG are transcription elongation factors that stimulate RNA polymerase pausing inBacillus subtilis. While NusA was known to function as an intrinsic termination factor, the role of NusG in this process had not been explored. To examine the individual and combinatorial roles that NusA and NusG play in intrinsic termination, Term-seq was conducted in wild type, NusA depletion, ΔnusG, and NusA depletion ΔnusGstrains. We determined that NusG functions as an intrinsic termination factor that works alone and cooperatively with NusA to facilitate termination at 88% of the 1,400 identified intrinsic terminators. The loss of both proteins leads to global misregulation of gene expression. Our results indicate that NusG stimulates a sequence-specific pause that assists in the completion of suboptimal terminator hairpins with weak terminal A-U and G-U base pairs at the bottom of the stem. Moreover, the loss of NusG results in flagella and swimming motility defects.
Metabolic potential and survival strategies of microbial communities across extreme temperature gradients on Deception Island volcano, Antarctica
Authors: Bendia Amanda Gonçalves , Lemos Leandro Nascimento , Mendes Lucas William , Signori Camila Negrão , Bohannan Brendan J. M. , Pellizari Vivian Helena
Published: August 2020

Active volcanoes in Antarctica, in contrast to the rest of the icy landscape, have remarkable temperature and geochemical gradients that could select for a wide variety of microbial adaptive mechanisms and metabolic pathways. Deception Island is a stratovolcano flooded by the sea, resulting in contrasting ecosystems such as permanent glaciers (<0 °C) and active fumaroles (up to 100 °C). Steep gradients in temperature, salinity and geochemistry over very short distances have been reported for Deception Island, and have been shown to effect microbial community structure and diversity. However, little is known regarding how these gradients affect ecosystem functioning, for example due to inhibition of key metabolic enzymes or pathways. In this study, we used shotgun metagenomics and metagenome-assembled genomes to explore how microbial functional diversity is shaped by extreme geochemical, salinity and temperature gradients in fumarole and glacier sediments. We observed that microbial communities from a 98 °C fumarole harbor specific hyperthermophilic molecular strategies, as well as reductive and autotrophic pathways, while those from <80 °C fumaroles possess more diverse metabolic and survival strategies capable of responding to fluctuating redox and temperature conditions. In contrast, glacier communities showed less diverse metabolic potentials, comprising mainly heterotrophic and carbon pathways. Through the reconstruction of genomes, we were able to clarify putative novel lifestyles of underrepresented taxonomic groups, especially those related to Nanoarchaeota and thermophilic ammonia-oxidizing archaeal lineages. Our results enhance understanding of the metabolic and survival capabilities of different extremophilic lineages of Bacteria and Archaea.
Replay as structural inference in the hippocampal-entorhinal system
Authors: Evans Talfan , Burgess Neil
Published: August 2020

Model-based decision making relies on the construction of an accurate representation of the underlying state-space, and localization of one’s current state within it. One way to localize is to recognize the state with which incoming sensory observations have been previously associated. Another is to update a previous state estimate given a known transition. In practice, both strategies are subject to uncertainty and must be balanced with respect to their relative confidences; robust learning requires aligning the predictions of both models over historic observations. Here, we propose a dual-systems account of the hippocampal-entorhinal system, where sensory prediction errors between these models duringonlineexploration of state space initiateofflineprobabilistic inference.Offlineinference computes ametricembedding on grid cells of anassociativeplace graph encoded in the recurrent connections between place cells, achieved by message passing between cells representing non-local states. We provide testable explanations for coordinated place and grid cell ‘replay’ as efficient message passing, and for distortions, partial rescaling and direction-dependent offsets in grid patterns as the confidence weighted balancing of model priors, and distortions to grid patterns as reflecting inhomogeneous sensory inputs across states.

Author Summary

Minimising prediction errors between transition and sensory input (observation) models predicts partial rescaling and direction-dependent offsets in grid cell firing patterns.

Inhomogeneous sensory inputs predict distortions of grid firing patterns duringonlinelocalisation, and local changes of grid scale duringofflineinference.

Principled information propagation duringofflineinference predicts coordinated place and grid cell ‘replay’, where sequences propagate between structurally related features.
Remodeling hydrogen bond interactions results in relaxed specificity of Caspase-3
Authors: Yao Liqi , Swartz Paul , Hamilton Paul , Clark A. Clay
Published: August 2020

Caspase enzymes play important roles in apoptosis and inflammation, and the non-identical but overlapping specificity profiles direct cells to different fates. Although all caspases prefer aspartate at the P1 position of the substrate, the caspase-6 subfamily shows preference for valine at the P4 position, while caspase-3 shows preference for aspartate. In comparison to human caspases, caspase-3a from zebrafish has relaxed specificity and demonstrates equal selection for either valine or aspartate at the P4 position. In the context of the caspase-3 conformational landscape, we show that changes in hydrogen bonding near the S3 subsite affect selection of the P4 amino acid. Swapping specificity with caspase-6 requires accessing new conformational space, where each landscape results in optimal binding of DxxD (caspase-3) or VxxD (caspase-6) substrate and simultaneously disfavors binding of the other substrate. Within the context of the caspase-3 conformational landscape, substitutions near the active site result in nearly equal activity against DxxD and VxxD by disrupting a hydrogen bonding network in the substrate binding pocket. The converse substitutions in zebrafish caspase-3a result in increased selection for P4 aspartate over valine. Overall, the data show that evolutionary neofunctionalization resulting in a dual function protease, as in zebrafish caspase-3a, requires fewer amino acid substitutions compared to those required to access new conformational space for swapping substrate specificity, such as between caspases-3 and −6.
Body mass variations relate to fractionated functional brain hierarchies
Authors: Park Bo-yong , Park Hyunjin , Morys Filip , Kim Mansu , Byeon Kyoungseob , Lee Hyebin , Kim Se-Hong , Valk Sofie , Dagher Alain , Bernhardt Boris C.
Published: August 2020

Abstract

Variations in body mass index (BMI) have been suggested to relate to atypical brain organization, yet connectome-level substrates of BMI and their neurobiological underpinnings remain unclear. Studying 325 healthy young adults, we examined association between functional connectome organization and BMI variations. We capitalized on connectome manifold learning techniques, which represent macroscale functional connectivity patterns along continuous hierarchical axes that dissociate low level and higher order brain systems. We observed an increased differentiation between unimodal and heteromodal association networks in individuals with higher BMI, indicative of an increasingly segregated modular architecture and a disruption in the hierarchical integration of different brain system. Transcriptomic decoding and subsequent gene enrichment analyses identified genes previously implicated in genome-wide associations to BMI and specific cortical, striatal, and cerebellar cell types. These findings provide novel insights for functional connectome substrates of BMI variations in healthy young adults and point to potential molecular associations.
Neural circuit mechanisms of sexual receptivity inDrosophilafemales
Authors: Wang Kaiyu , Wang Fei , Forknall Nora , Yang Tansy , Patrick Christopher , Parekh Ruchi , Dickson Barry J.
Published: August 2020

Choosing a mate is one of the most consequential decisions a female will make during her lifetime. This is particularly true for species in which females either mate repeatedly with the same partner or mate infrequently but use the sperm from a single copulation to fertilize eggs over an extended period of time.Drosophila melanogasteruses the latter strategy. Here, we characterize the neural circuitry that implements mating decisions in the female brain. A female fly signals her mating choice by opening her vaginal plates to allow a courting male to copulate1,2. Vaginal plate opening (VPO) occurs in response to the male courtship song and is dependent upon the female's mating status. We sought to understand how these exteroceptive (song) and interoceptive (mating status) inputs are integrated to control VPO. We show that VPO is triggered by a pair of female-specific descending neurons, the vpoDNs. The vpoDNs receive excitatory input from vpoEN auditory neurons, which are tuned to specific features of themelanogastersong. The song responses of vpoDNs, but not vpoENs, are attenuated upon mating, accounting for the reduced receptivity of mated females. This modulation is mediated by pC1 neurons, which encode the female’s mating status3,4and also provide excitatory input to vpoDNs. The vpoDNs thus directly integrate the external and internal signals to control the mating decisions ofDrosophilafemales.
Halal food: structured literature review and research agenda
Authors: Secinaro Silvana , Calandra Davide
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study reviews and critiques the halal food literature, a growing field of research. In addition, the authors classify the significant themes in this research stream, outline opportunities for future research directions and offer a future research agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 221 scholarly articles published from 1997 to 2020 was investigated using the structured literature review method of Massaro et al. (2016). The authors used the bibliometrix R-package and VOSviewer software to mine information about journals, articles, authors, citations, keywords and countries.

Findings

The analysis reveals five research clusters: halal food and the role of certifications, halal food and awareness, halal food production and quality, halal food in tourism management and halal food and the supply chain. The primary research flow comes from Asia. However, collaborations are also emerging in other continents. In addition, scholars should consider stressing the links among halal food and sustainability, innovation and technology.

Research limitations/implications

The study analyses this field from a broad perspective, but only considers articles published in the Scopus database. Future research could extend the research methodologies used by, for example, considering mixed method analysis.

Originality/value

Despite several studies in the field, no studies have thus far reviewed the literature on halal food to the best of the authors' knowledge. Hence, the presented analysis, using pioneering methods considering sustainability and innovation as priorities, provides a starting point for future research.
The impact of income growth on quality structure improvement of imported food: evidence from China's firm-level data
Authors: Sun Lin , Ye Li Tao , Reed Michael R.
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Against the background of the rapid increase of total imported food in China, China's imported high-quality food has increased more than low-quality ones, and China's imported food quality structure has continuously improved. It is a new issue that needs further examination.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the assumption of non-homothetic preference, this paper apply the method provided by Eaton and Kortum (2002) in a new theoretical model and empirically analyzes the impact of per capita income on the quality structure of imported food by using SYS-GMM with firm import data from Chinese customs.

Findings

The study finds that income is a significant factor which affects the imported food quality structure in China. The higher the per capita income, the higher the imported food quality structure. Furthermore, per capita income has a significant positive impact on the imported food quality structure in different quality groups. The research confirms that China import more food with the highest quality as its per capita income increases.

Research limitations/implications

Chinese policymaker needs to reconsider the role of food imports in improving food quality structure. The aim of the Chinese food industry's supply-side reform should be not only to remove excess capacity but also to produce high-quality products that meet the demand of discriminating consumers.

Originality/value

This paper constructs a new theme for imported food quality structure and investigates import food quality structure improvement from the perspective of demand by incorporating non-homothetic preferences. Another feature of this paper is that it conducts an empirical analysis with unique and highly disaggregated firm import data from Chinese customs to measure imported food quality, which is more refined than the national-product dimension data.
Organisational learning as a mediator in the host-home country similarity–international firm performance link: the role of exploration and exploitation
Authors: Arzubiaga Unai , Castillo-Apraiz Julen , Palma-Ruiz Jesús Manuel
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study aims to shed light on the lack of understanding and previous mixed results regarding why and how some internationalised firms take advantage of host-home country similarity (HHS) while others do not.

Design/methodology/approach

Direct and mediating hypotheses are examined through an empirical investigation of 156 CEOs in internationalised Spanish companies, using structural equation modelling validated by factor analysis.

Findings

The results suggest that exploitation (EI) and exploration (ER) constitute important learning mechanisms that impact on the liability of foreignness when internationalising a business. In particular, the positive influence that HHS has in international firm performance (IP) depends on both exploitative and exploratory learning.

Practical implications

This research adds insights into the importance of two of the main components of organisational learning (i.e. ER and EI) as mediators of the HHS and IP relationship, which can help senior managers or business owners make consistent decisions by matching potential international market locations with firm learning factors.

Originality/value

This study clarifies contradictory theoretical assertions and mixed empirical results about how HHS impacts on international performance. In particular, by responding to recent calls for research, this study has shown that organisational learning is a key component in the aforementioned link where ER and EI positively mediate this relevant relationship.
Numerical simulation of the electric field induced in a contactless dielectrophoretic quadrupole cell separator
Authors: Tada Shigeru
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study aims to propose a contactless and continuous dielectrophoretic cell-separation device using quadrupole electric field. To examine the separation performance, numerical simulations of the electric field in the cross-section of the glass capillary installed in the center of the quadrupole electrode were conducted.

Design/methodology/approach

To estimate the magnitude of the dielectrophoretic force induced on cells, electrostatic analysis was performed by using a boundary-fitted coordinate system.Distribution of the electric field and gradient of the electric field square in the cross-section of the glass capillary were simulated for various ratios of radii of the glass capillary to the electrode rod.

Findings

The distribution of the electric field was found to have a cone-like profile about the center axis of the glass capillary with maximum at the internal surface of the glass capillary. The magnitude of the gradient of electric field square had similar distribution as that of the electric field, but had steeper slope near the internal surface of the glass capillary. The optimal values of the ratio of radii and the applied voltage were also estimated to achieve the local electric field strength suitable for cell separation.

Originality/value

One major advantage of the proposed device is simple and low fabrication cost, in addition to its contactless structure free from cell damage. Derived knowledge is instructive in achieving high-throughput cell separation without the use of devices of complex structure.
The role of firm location and agglomeration economies on export propensity: the case of Portuguese SMEs
Authors: Forte Rosa Portela , Sá Ana Rita
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The present study seeks to assess whether the firm's location and agglomeration economies affect the firm's export propensity.

Design/methodology/approach

This work is based on a sample of 20,234 Portuguese manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and resort to the estimation of a probit model.

Findings

Empirical results show that the location and agglomeration economies have an important role in determining the firm's export propensity. In particular, the study concludes that SMEs located in coastal areas or close to the border are more likely to export. Furthermore, the study also concludes that specialization economies are an important driver of small and medium-sized firms' export propensity while export spillovers are particularly relevant for micro firms. However, urbanization, measured through firms density in NUTS3 region, negatively affects firms' export propensity, which may be due to high congestion costs in the regions with a high firms density.

Originality/value

This study focus on the determinants of the decision to export or the export propensity, particularly the external factors such as the firm's location and agglomeration economies. This is a relatively neglected topic in the literature that has focused on the determinants of export intensity.
A new similarity solution with stability analysis for the three-dimensional boundary layer of hybrid nanofluids
Authors: Khashi'ie Najiyah Safwa , Arifin Norihan M. , Pop Ioan , Nazar Roslinda , Hafidzuddin Ezad Hafidz
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to implement a new class of similarity transformation in analyzing the three-dimensional boundary layer flow of hybrid nanofluid. The Cu-Al2O3/water hybrid nanofluid is formulated using the single-phase nanofluid model with modified thermophysical properties.

Design/methodology/approach

The governing partial differential equations are reduced to the ordinary (similarity) differential equations using the proposed similarity transformation. The resulting equations are programmed in Matlab software through the bvp4c solver to obtain their solutions. The features of the reduced skin frictions and the velocity profiles for different values of the physical parameters are analyzed and discussed.

Findings

The non-uniqueness of the solutions is observed for certain physical parameters. The dual solutions are perceived for both permeable and impermeable cases and being the main agenda of the work. The execution of stability analysis proves that the first solution is undoubtedly stable than the second solution. An increase in the mass transpiration parameter leads to the uniqueness of the solution. Oppositely, as the injection parameter increase, the two solutions remain. However, no separation point is detected in this problem within the considered parameter values. The present results are decisive to the pair of alumina and copper only.

Originality/value

The present findings are original and can benefit other researchers particularly in the field of fluid dynamics. This study can provide a different insight of the transformation that is applicable to reduce the complexity of the boundary layer equations.
Numerical study of fatigue damage under random loading using rainflow cycle counting
Authors: Kebir Tayeb , Correia José , Benguediab Mohamed , Jesus Abilio M.P. de
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this scientific work is to simulate the fatigue damage under random loading taking into account the mean stress effect on fatigue lifetime and using the rainflow counting technique to assess the fatigue damage.

Design/methodology/approach

The study of fatigue under random loading is based on same concepts which as constant loading with addition of damage summation. The damage of materials due a stress cycle depends not only on the alternating stress but also on the mean stress.

Findings

The cycles counting simulation method allows quantifying the hysteresis loops, even if for small amplitude stresses.

Originality/value

The cycles are low or medium; the damage occurs most often, the higher values of alternating stresses cause the most failure of materials.
Preferences for eco certified wines in the United States
Authors: Moscovici Daniel , Rezwanul Rana , Mihailescu Radu , Gow Jeff , Ugaglia Adeline Alonso , Valenzuela Lionel , Rinaldi Azzurra
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the wine industry’s response to changing societal attitudes towards the environment. Environmental considerations are now an increasingly important factor in both production and purchasing behavior. While many eco-certifications exist, there is still consumer confusion between the multitude of eco wine certifications, lack of clarity about what consumers think about the wines, and not enough data about their willingness to pay (WTP) for these environmental characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

This study clarifies what the various wine eco certifications are, quantifies consumer knowledge and ascertains their WTP for five environmental or sustainable wine certifications, namely, biodynamic, fair trade, organic, natural and sustainable. The authors surveyed 456 wine drinkers in the USA.

Findings

The authors found that millennials, women, unmarried individuals, those purchasing eco-certified foods, low-income individuals and those looking to celebrate a special occasion have a higher WTP for eco-certified wines compared to respondents who are older, male, married, do not buy eco-certified goods, have higher incomes and are purchasing the wine for a regular occasion. They recommend marketing and targeting those in the former group for environmental or sustainable wines.

Originality/value

The study is the only research project, of this kind, to evaluate five types of eco-certifications for wine in a single WTP analysis.
Investigating the role of leader-member exchange for goal commitment in system implementation
Authors: Hwang Yujong , Kim Soyean , Shin Donghee
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Although Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) has been studied within the domain of organizational psychology, it has not received major attention from information systems literature and researchers. Drawing on LMX theory and the theory of reasoned interaction, this study investigates the roles of LMX, individual member's attitude toward system adoption, supervisor influence and goal commitment on mandatory system implementation. Specifically, our model investigates the moderating role of LMX and how it can be interpreted for an individual member's system adoption in an organization.

Design/methodology/approach

Partial least square (PLS) technique with the field survey of 148 participants was used for this analysis.

Findings

The empirical test results in the field setting show that attitude and supervisor influence positively affect goal commitment in the system implementation. Furthermore, LMX is a significant moderator between attitude and goal commitment within organizations, but this moderating effect is not valid in the relationship between supervisor influence and goal commitment since it is a more complex process influenced by variables other than supervisor influence.

Originality/value

The results showed that the model in this research has high explanatory and predictive power and is valuable in offering insights and guidance for implementers initiating technology-related changes within organizations.
A model of cultural intelligence and global identity
Authors: Randrianasolo Arilova , Semenov Alexey , Arnold Mark , Reynolds Kristy
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to propose an original model of cultural intelligence (CQ), global identity and consumer willingness to buy foreign products. Previous research has discussed the relationships between CQ and global identity but only in the context of multi-cultural management teams. The research presented here proposes a model that is applicable to consumer marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

Online surveys are used to collect data from the USA with a snowball sampling technique and from the UK with panel data. A structural equation model (SEM) is estimated in analysis of moment structures 25 and Hayes bootstrap mediation tests are used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The SEM results show that global identity influences motivational CQ, motivational CQ influences cognitive, metacognitive and behavioral CQ and cognitive and behavioral CQ influence consumer willingness to buy foreign products. Results from Hayes Bootstrap mediation tests show that motivational CQ mediates the relationships between global identity and the other three CQ dimensions.

Practical implications

The findings imply that firms can gauge and enhance consumer CQ levels by investigating or influencing levels of global identity; managers can influence or gauge consumer metacognitive, cognitive and behavioral CQ through motivational CQ; and managers can target consumers with high cognitive and behavioral CQ levels when marketing foreign products.

Originality/value

This paper not only provides a deeper understanding of the relationships between global identity and cultural intelligence but also incorporates CQ in a consumer context. Previous research has only discussed CQ in the context of managers.
Macroprudential ring-fencing
Authors: Konečný Tomáš , Pfeifer Lukáš
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to focus on capital-related macroprudential policies in the context of recent policy discussions on the removal of barriers to the mobility of capital and liquidity of cross-border banks in the European Union (EU).

Design/methodology/approach

This study first discusses the link between financial stability and internal resource mobility of cross-border banks. Then, it examines past heterogeneity in structural capital buffers as key macroprudential capital instruments applied in the EU and relate them to costs of policy action, degree of foreign penetration and membership in the Banking Union.

Findings

Observed phase-in patterns of structural capital buffers in the EU are broadly consistent with costs of policy action, degree of foreign penetration and membership in the Banking Union as potential factors. The process of financial integration could be further enhanced through reduced uncertainty in the application of macroprudential policies that constrain capital mobility of cross-border banks.

Originality/value

This paper anchors macroprudential policies into a wider discussion on the mechanism and implications of ring-fencing in the EU over time. It discusses two policy areas, macroprudential policies and proposals for deeper financial integration, that share the same financial stability objective but tend to emphasize different implications of the mobility of capital and liquidity of cross-border banks in the EU. The study provides a discussion of potential implications of the recent adoption of the CRRII/CRDV legislation for future heterogeneity of macroprudential policies in the EU.
Does bruising influence the volatile profile of pears?
Authors: Bodner Martina , Scampicchio Matteo
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Volatile flavor plays a main role in defining the fruit quality by consumers. Bruising leads often to dark spots on fruits and its amount could highly affect product quality. This paper aims to study the effect of bruising on the volatilome released by pears by using proton transfer reaction – mass spectrometry (PTR-MS).

Design/methodology/approach

Fingerprints of non-bruised and bruised pear samples were collected through PTR-MS for 28 days, and discriminant analysis was used to discriminate the fruit products. The CIELAB color changes were also measured during the entire ripening period.

Findings

Bruised pears released a higher intensity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) compared to non-bruised pears (p16days = 0.049, p22days = 0.012, p28days = 0.006). In particular, the release of m/z 45 and m/z 47 were significantly (pm/z 45 = 0.076, pm/z 47 = 0.095.) higher in bruised samples, suggesting that the bruising event accelerated the natural ripening process. CIELAB color coordinates were also recorded. The coordinate a* showed a linear increase during the whole 28 days because of the loss of the green component. The CIELAB ΔE* was higher in the bruised pears than the non-bruised pears (p = 0.022).

Originality/value

Bruising can affect food quality and taste. Bruise susceptibility has been largely studied on apples, tomatoes and peaches, but rarely on pears. Very little is known about the effect of bruising on the volatilome of pears. Moreover, bruising research usually involved the study of physical properties; on the contrary, PTR-MS, applied to bruising research, has never been used before. Besides the analysis of volatilome, the changes in color were also recorded for the whole 28 days of analysis. The proposed method could be applied for the monitoring of pears quality in the food industry.
Risk of predation on offspring reduces parental provisioning, but not flight performance or survival across early life stages
Authors: Mouton James C. , Tobalske Bret W. , Wright Natalie A. , Martin Thomas E.
Published: August 2020

Developmental responses can help young animals reduce predation risk but can also yield costs to performance and survival in subsequent life stages with major implications for lifetime fitness. Compensatory mechanisms may evolve to offset such costs, but evidence from natural systems is largely lacking.

In songbirds, increased nest predation risk should favour reduced provisioning, but also young that fledge (leave their nest) at an earlier age. Both responses can result in fledglings with shorter wings, reduced mobility and decreased survival. Young may compensate for shorter wings developmentally by reallocating resources towards feather development or behaviourally by adjusting flight kinematics or habitat use. However, underfed young may lack the capacity to express these phenotypes due to insufficient resources or an inability to adjust allocation of resources.

Using predation risk experiments and 29 years of observational field data, we test whether increased nest predation risk reduces flight performance and survival during the fledgling stage and explore potential mechanisms that might underlie these effects. We show that young from high‐risk nests did not leave the nest earlier on average, but wing growth was slower likely due to observed reductions in parental feeding rates. Wings were shorter in high‐risk nests when fledglings left the nest early. Yet, fledglings from high‐risk nests showed improved flight performance for a given wing length such that flight performance at fledging did not differ between young from high‐risk and low‐risk nests. Young from high‐risk nests may have offset the costs of shorter wings on flight performance by accelerating the emergence of flight feathers from their sheaths to reduce wing porosity, though evidence for this mechanism was mixed. Fledglings from high‐risk nests also selected habitat with denser woody vegetation compared with young from low‐risk nests.

Together, these developmental and behavioural responses seem to mitigate the expected effects of increased nest predation risk on fledgling survival. Ultimately, our results show that offspring predation risk can affect parental provisioning and offspring morphology without major implications for performance and survival in subsequent life stages.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
The relationship ageing of the population and saving in an unemployment context: Empirical evidence using an autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing approach
Authors: Frini Olfa
Published: August 2020

In this article, we emphasised that ageing population does not systematically depress savings by drawing attention to the factors that may distort that prediction of the life‐cycle hypothesis (LCH). To demonstrate it, we used two indicators for ageing: the total and aged dependency ratios and we looked at the economic context influence on national saving evolution through considering the labour market imbalance interference. By applying the autoregressive distributed lag approach, with Tunisian data during 1970–2018, a dynamic long‐run relationship between ageing and national saving is found, although it seemed to be sensitive to the used ageing indicator and the economic context. Indeed, the LCH is proved only by the total dependence ratio whereas the aged dependence ratio puts a significant long‐run upward pressure on saving. Further, in a context of unemployment without any benefit scheme, the LCH prediction cannot be endorsed by the two indicators. Hence, the social and economic conditions limit the LCH scope, bearing out that elderly not depress systematically savings. Therefore, to sustain saving major economic and financial reforms are needed, as to postpone the retirement age, to move from pay‐as‐you‐go system towards funded pension system, to promote life insurance and to diversify the long‐run savings products.
An economic evaluation of tranexamic acid to prevent postpartum haemorrhage in women with vaginal delivery: the randomised controlled TRAAP trial
Authors: Durand‐Zaleski I , Deneux‐Tharaux C , Seco A , Malki M , Frenkiel J , Sentilhes L ,   for TRAAP study group
Published: August 2020

Objective

To estimate the cost‐effectiveness of tranexamic acid (TXA) use to prevent postpartum haemorrhage.

Design

A trial‐based economic evaluation.

Setting

Fifteen French university maternity hospitals.

Population

Women enrolled in the TRAAP randomised controlled trial comparing TXA versus placebo in women with vaginal delivery. TRAAP failed to show a reduction in postpartum haemorrhage of at least 500 ml in the intervention arm but evidenced significant lower rates of secondary outcomes related to blood loss.

Methods & main outcome measures

We estimated direct medical costs from within‐trial hospital resources collected prospectively from the study report form. All resources were costed at their value to the hospital. We estimated incremental cost per incremental haemorrhage averted.

Results

Among the 4079 women in the TRAAP trial, data necessary to calculate costs were available for 3836 (94.0%). The average total costs in the TXA and control groups were €2278 ± 388 and €2288 ± 409 per woman, respectively (P = 0.79). In women with postpartum haemorrhage of at least 500 ml (trial primary endpoint), costs were €2359 ± 354 and €2409 ± 525 (P = 0.14); for provider‐assessed clinically significant postpartum haemorrhage and postpartum haemorrhage of at least 1000 ml, costs were respectively €2316 ± 347 versus €2381 ± 521 (P = 0.22) and €2321 ± 318 versus €2411 ± 590 (P = 0.35) in the tranexamic and placebo groups, respectively. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the use of TXA had a 65–73% probability of saving costs and improving outcome.

Conclusions

Our findings support the use of TXA, as both bleeding events and cost may be reduced three out of four times.

Tweetable abstract

Tranexamic acid at vaginal delivery reduces both costs and bleeding events 3 times out of 4.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Novel Loop Drainage Technique Versus Standard Incision and Drainage in the Treatment of Skin Abscesses
Authors: Ladde Jay , Baker Sara , Lilburn Natali , Wan Michelle , Papa Linda
Published: August 2020

Objectives

The objective was to compare the failure rate of incision and drainage (I&D) with LOOP technique versus I&D with standard packing technique in adults and children presenting to the emergency department (ED) with subcutaneous abscess.

Methods

This prospective, randomized controlled trial (NCT03398746) enrolled a convenience sample of patients presenting to two Level 1 trauma centers over 12 months with skin abscesses. Of 256 patients screened, 217 patients were enrolled, 109 randomized to I&D with packing (50%) and 108 (50%) to I&D with LOOP. The primary outcome was treatment failure defined by admission, IV antibiotics, or repeat drainage within 10‐day follow‐up. The secondary outcomes included ease of procedure, ease of care, pain, and satisfaction using a 10‐point numeric rating scale.

Results

There were no differences in patient characteristics between groups. Follow‐up data were available in 196 (90%). Treatment failure occurred in 20% (range = 12%–28%) of packing patients and 13% (range = 6%–20%) of LOOP patients (p = 0.25). There were no significant differences in failure rates in adults (p = 0.82), but there was a significant difference in children (age ≤ 18 years) at 21% (range = 8%–34%) in the packing group and 0 (0%) in the LOOP group (p = 0.002). Operators reported no significant differences in ease of procedure between techniques (p = 0.221). There was significantly less pain at follow‐up in the LOOP group versus packing (p = 0.004). The wound was much easier to care for over the first 36 hours in the LOOP group (p = 0.002). Patient satisfaction at 10 days postprocedure was significantly higher in the LOOP group (p = 0.005).

Conclusions

The LOOP and packing techniques had similar failure rates for treatment of subcutaneous abscesses in adults, but the LOOP technique had significantly fewer failures in children. Overall, pain and patient satisfaction were significantly better in patients treated using the LOOP technique.
Prevalence and correlates of simultaneous, multiple substance injection (co‐injection) among people who inject drugs in Melbourne, Australia
Authors: Palmer Anna , Higgs Peter , Scott Nick , Agius Paul , Maher Lisa , Dietze Paul
Published: August 2020

Aims

To estimate the prevalence of and risk factors associated with concurrent injection of multiple substances (co‐injection) among a community‐recruited cohort of people who inject drugs.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Melbourne, Australia.

Participants

A sample of 720 actively injecting participants from the Melbourne Injecting Drug User Cohort Study (33% female) was extracted.

Measurements

We constructed two statistical models: a logistic regression model analysing correlates of co‐injection of any substance combination in the past month and a multinomial logistic regression model analysing correlates of three mutually exclusive groups: heroin–diphenhydramine co‐injection only, co‐injection of other substances and no co‐injection. Risk factors examined included drug use characteristics, demographic characteristics, health service use, hepatitis C status, injection risk behaviours and previous experience of non‐fatal overdose.

Findings

One‐third [n = 226, 31%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 28–34%] of participants reported co‐injecting substances within the past month, with equal numbers of participants reporting injecting combinations of heroin–diphenhydramine (n = 121, 54%; 95% CI = 48–60%) and heroin–methamphetamine (n = 121, 54%; 95% CI = 48–60%). In logistic regression analyses, reporting co‐injection of any substance combination was associated with male sex [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.18–2.74, P = 0.006] and injecting daily or more frequently (aOR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.31–3.18, P = 0.002). In multinomial logistic regression analyses, participants reporting heroin–diphenhydramine co‐injection only were significantly more likely to report groin injecting [adjusted relative risk ratio (aRRR) = 6.16, 95% CI = 2.80–13.56, P < 0.001] and overdose (requiring an ambulance) in the past 12 months (aRRR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.17–6.72, P = 0.021) compared with participants reporting no co‐injection or co‐injection of other substances.

Conclusions

A substantial proportion of people who inject drugs report co‐injection of multiple substances, which is associated with a range of socio‐demographic, drug use and health service use risk factors.
The Pub and the People. A Worktown Study by Mass Observation
Authors: MacGregor Susanne
Published: August 2020

Mass Observation was an independent social research organization which, between 1937 and 1949, documented the attitudes, opinions and everyday lives of the British people, using a combination of anthropological fieldwork, opinion surveys and written testimony. The Pub and the People is a classic text for its distinctly sociological approach, seeing patterns of drinking and socializing in context, rather than focusing primarily on pathological consequences. The main conclusions were that the pub is a living social organism and that the traditional approach of British sociology which, Mass Observation argued, focused on ‘the drink problem’ and the links between alcohol, crime and delinquency, failed to take account of the full social context. Mass Observation's focus on the pub as a place anticipates themes taken up in work on alcohol in cultural geography. Later alcohol researchers and epidemiologists have continued this orientation, recognizing the importance of physical and social environments in relation to alcohol consumption. Other studies have built on the MO initiative by looking at how drug and alcohol consumption links to identity, friendship and sociality or at the connections between intoxication and pleasure. The value of this classic text is that it reminds us that paying attention to the social context is not just a useful supplement, but absolutely central to understanding the use of alcohol or drugs.