bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A model for the spatio-temporal design of gene regulatory circuits
Authors: Stoof Ruud , Wood Alexander , Goñi-Moreno Ángel
Published: January 2019

The design of increasingly complex gene regulatory networks relies upon mathematical modelling to link the gap that goes from conceptualisation to implementation. An overarching challenge is to update modelling abstractions and assumptions as new mechanistic information arises. Although models of bacterial gene regulation are often based on the assumption that the role played by intracellular physical distances between genetic elements is negligible, it has been shown that bacteria are highly ordered organisms, compartmentalizing their vital functions in both time and space. Here, we analysed the dynamical properties of regulatory interactions by explicitly modelling spatial constraints. Key to the model is the combined search by a regulator for its target promoter via 1D sliding along the chromosome and 3D diffusion through the cytoplasm. Moreover, this search was coupled to gene expression dynamics, with special attention to transcription factor-promoter interplay. As a result, promoter activity within the model depends on its physical separation from the regulator source. Simulations showed that by modulating the distance between DNA components in the chromosome, output levels changed accordingly. Finally, previous experimental results with engineered bacteria in which this distance was minimized or enlarged were successfully reproduced by the model. This suggests that the spatial specification of the circuit alone can be exploited as a design parameter to select programmable output levels.
PRISMOID: a comprehensive 3D structure database for post-translational modifications and mutations with functional impact
Authors: Li Fuyi , Fan Cunshuo , Marquez-Lago Tatiana T. , Leier André , Revote Jerico , Jia Cangzhi , Zhu Yan , Ian Smith A. , Webb Geoffrey I. , Liu Quanzhong , Wei Leyi , Li Jian , Song Jiangning
Published: January 2019

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play very important roles in various cell signalling pathways and biological process. Due to PTMs’ extremely important roles, many major PTMs have been thoroughly studied, while the functional and mechanical characterization of major PTMs is well-documented in several databases. However, most currently available databases mainly focus on protein sequences, while the real 3D structures of PTMs have been largely ignored. Therefore, studies of PTMs 3D structural signatures have been severely limited by the deficiency of the data. Here, we develop PRISMOID, a novel publicly available and free 3D structure database for a wide range of PTMs. PRISMOID represents an up-to-date and interactive online knowledge base with specific focus on 3D structural contexts of PTMs sites and mutations that occur on PTMs and in the close proximity of PTM sites with functional impact. The first version of PRISMOID encompasses 17,145 non-redundant modification sites on 3,919 related protein 3D structure entries pertaining to 37 different types of PTMs. Our entry web page is organized in a comprehensive manner, including detailed PTM annotation on the 3D structure and biological information in terms of mutations affecting PTMs, secondary structure features and per-residue solvent accessibility features of PTM sites, domain context, predicted natively disordered regions and sequence alignments. In addition, high-definition JavaScript packages are employed to enhance information visualization in PRISMOID. PRISMOID equips a variety of interactive and customizable search options and data browsing functions; these capabilities allow users to access data via keyword, ID, and advanced options combination search in an efficient and user-friendly way. A download page is also provided to enable users to download the SQL file, computational structural features, and PTM sites’ data. We anticipate PRISMOID will swiftly become an invaluable online resource, assisting both biologists and bioinformaticians to conduct experiments and develop applications supporting discovery efforts in the sequence-structural-functional relationship of PTMs and providing important insight into mutations and PTM sites interaction mechanisms. The PRISMOID database is freely accessible athttp://prismoid.erc.monash.edu/. The database and web interface are implemented in MySQL, JSP, JavaScript, and HTML with all major browsers supported.
Modelling the evolution of viral oncogenesis
Authors: Murall Carmen Lia , Alizon Samuel
Published: January 2019

Most human oncogenic viruses share several characteristics, such as being DNA viruses, having long (co)evolutionary histories with their hosts and causing either latent or chronic infections. They can reach high prevalences while causing relatively low case mortality, which makes them quite fit according to virulence evolution theory. After analysing the life-histories of DNA oncoviruses, we use a mathematical modelling approach to investigate how the virus life cycle may generate selective pressures favouring or acting against oncogenesis at the within-host or at the between-host level. In particular, we focus on two oncoprotein activities, namely extending cell life expectancy and increasing cell proliferation rate. These have immediate benefits (increasing viral population size) but can be associated with fitness costs at the epidemiological level (increasing recovery rate or risk of cancer) thus creating evolutionary trade-offs. We interpret the results of our nested model in the light of the biological features and identify future perspectives for modelling oncovirus dynamics and evolution.
Synaptonemal complex proteins direct and constrain the localization of crossover-promoting proteins duringCaenorhabditis elegansmeiosis
Authors: Cahoon Cori K. , Helm Jacquellyn M. , Libuda Diana E.
Published: January 2019

Crossovers (COs) between homologous chromosomes are critical for meiotic chromosome segregation and form in the context of the synaptonemal complex (SC), a meiosis-specific structure that assembles between aligned homologs. DuringCaenorhabditis elegansmeiosis, central region components of the SC (SYP proteins) are essential to repair double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) as COs, but the roles of these SYP proteins in promoting CO formation are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the relationships between the SYP proteins and conserved CO-promoting factors by examining the immunolocalization of these factors in meiotic mutants where SYP proteins are absent, reduced, or mis-localized. Although COs do not form insypnull mutants, CO-promoting proteins COSA-1, MSH-5, and ZHP-3 nevertheless become co-localized at a variable number of DSB-dependent sites during late prophase, reflecting an inherent affinity of these factors for DSB repair sites. In contrast, in mutants where SYP proteins are present but form aggregates or display abnormal synapsis, CO-promoting proteins consistently track with SYP-1 localization. Moreover, CO-promoting proteins usually localize to a single site per SYP-1 structure, even in SYP aggregates or in mutants where SC forms between sister-chromatids, suggesting that CO regulation occurs within these structures. Further, we find that sister chromatids in the meiotic cohesin mutantrec-8require both CO-promoting proteins and the SC to remain connected. Taken together, our findings support a model in which SYP proteins promote CO formation by directing and constraining the localization of CO-promoting factors to ensure that CO maturation occurs only between properly aligned homologous chromosomes.

Article Summary

Errors during meiosis are the leading cause of birth defects and miscarriages in humans. Thus, the coordinated control of meiosis events is critical for the faithful inheritance of the genome each generation. The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a meiosis-specific structure that assembles between homologs chromosomes and is critical for the establishment and regulation of crossovers, which ensure the accurate segregation of the homologous chromosomes at meiosis I. Here we show that the SC proteins function to regulate crossovers by directing and constraining the localization of proteins involved in promoting the formation of crossovers.
Development of Human Neuroblastomas in Mouse-Human Neural Crest Chimeras
Authors: Cohen Malkiel A. , Zhang Shupei , Sengupta Satyaki , Ma Haiting , Horton Brendan , Bell George W. , George Rani E. , Spranger Stefani , Jaenisch Rudolf
Published: January 2019

Neuroblastoma (NB), derived from the neural crest (NC), is the most common pediatric extracranial solid tumor. Here we establish a platform that allows studying human NBs in mouse-human NC chimeras. Chimeric mice were produced by injecting human NC cells carrying NB relevant oncogenesin-uterointo gastrulating mouse embryos. The mice developed tumors composed of a heterogenous cell population that closely resembled that seen in primary NBs of patients but were significantly different from homogenous tumors formed in xenotransplantation models. The human tumors emerged in immunocompetent hosts and were extensively infiltrated by mouse cytotoxic T cells reflecting a vigorous host anti-tumor immune response. However, the tumors blunted the immune response by inducing infiltration of regulatory T cells and expression of immune checkpoints similar to escape mechanisms seen in human cancer patients. Thus, this experimental platform allows studying human tumor initiation, progression, manifestation and tumor – immune-system interactions in an animal model system.
The differential contribution of pacemaker neurons to synaptic transmission in the pyloric network of the Jonah crab, Cancer borealis
Authors: Martinez Diana , Santin Joseph M. , Schulz David , Nadim Farzan
Published: January 2019

Many neurons receive synchronous input from heterogeneous presynaptic neurons with distinct properties. An instructive example is the crustacean stomatogastric pyloric circuit pacemaker group, consisting of the anterior burster (AB) and pyloric dilator (PD) neurons, which are active synchronously and exert a combined synaptic action on most pyloric follower neurons. Although the stomatogastric system of the crab Cancer borealis has become a preferred model system for exploration of cellular and synaptic basis of circuit dynamics, in this species, the identity of the PD neuron neurotransmitter and its contribution to the total pacemaker group synaptic output remain unexplored. We examined the synaptic properties of the crab PD neuron using a combination of single cell mRNA analysis, electrophysiology and pharmacology. The crab PD neuron expresses high levels of choline acetyltransferase and the vesicular acetylcholine transporter mRNAs, hallmarks of cholinergic neurons. Conversely, the AB neuron does not express either of these cholinergic markers, and expresses high levels of vesicular glutamate transporter mRNA, consistent with a glutamatergic phenotype. Notably, in the combined synapses to the LP and PY neurons, the major contribution is from the glutamatergic AB neuron and only between 25-30% of the synaptic strength is due to the PD neuron. However, there was no difference between the short-term synaptic plasticity in the total pacemaker synapse compared to that of the PD neuron alone. These findings provide a guide for similar explorations of heterogeneous synaptic connections in other systems and a baseline in this system for the exploration of the differential influence of neuromodulators.
Ecological and microbiological diversity of chigger mites, including vectors of scrub typhus, on small mammals across stratified habitats in Thailand
Authors: Chaisiri Kittipong , Gill A. Christina , Stekolnikov Alexandr A. , Hinjoy Soawapak , McGarry John W. , Darby Alistair C. , Morand Serge , Makepeace Benjamin L.
Published: January 2019

Scrub typhus, caused by a bacterial pathogen (Orientia spp.), is a potentially life-threatening febrile illness widely distributed in the Asia-Pacific region and is emerging elsewhere. The infection is transmitted by the larval stage of trombiculid mites (“chiggers”) that often exhibit low host specificity. Here, we present an analysis of chigger ecology for 38 species sampled from 11 provinces of Thailand and microbiomes for eight widespread species. In total, >16 000 individual chiggers were collected from 1 574 small mammal specimens belonging to 18 species across four horizontally-stratified habitat types. Chigger species richness was positively associated with higher latitudes, dry seasonal conditions, and host maturity; but negatively associated with increased human land use. Human scrub typhus incidence was found to be positively correlated with chigger species richness. The bacterial microbiome of chiggers was highly diverse, with Sphingobium, Mycobacterium, Neisseriaceae and various Bacillales representing the most abundant taxa. Only Leptotrombidium deliense was found to be infected with Orientia. β-diversity, but not α-diversity, was significantly different between chigger species and geographic regions, although not between habitat types. This first field survey of the chigger microbiome provides a framework for future studies on interactions between pathogens and other symbionts in these understudied vectors.
Submicron Crystals of the Parkinson’s Disease Substantia nigra: Calcium Oxalate, Titanium Dioxide and Iron Oxide
Authors: Heller Adam , Coffman Sheryl S.
Published: January 2019

Parkinson’s disease (PD) results of the death of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. When activated, the NLRP3 inflammasome of phagocytes releases inflammatory agents, their release resulting in the death of proximal cells. The hallmark protein of PD, aggregated α-synuclein, is phagocytized and activates the NLRP3 inflammasome. Because crystalline particles are known to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, to enhance α-synuclein expression and aggregation in dopaminergic neurons and because their facets may mis-template adsorbed α-synuclein, we probe here, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), four human PD substantia nigra specimens for their crystalline particles. Samples weighing 5 mg of PD stages 1, 2, 4 and 5 were processed by proteolysis and centrifugation. TEM-grids were dipped in the centrifugate diluted to 1 mL and the dried films were searched for crystalline particles. Two types of crystalline particles, known to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome were found. Endogenous calcium oxalate, a downstream product of ascorbate and dopamine oxidation-produced hydrogen peroxide; and TiO2, the with pigment of foods and medications. The number-density of the NLRP-inflammasome activating crystalline particles found approached the reported about-equal number-densities of microglia and neuronal cells in the brain.

The observations of COD and protein-coated TiO2 support two putative feedback loops, both leading to dopaminergic neuron death. In one, polymeric oxidized-dopamine catalyst accelerates H2O2-generation, the H2O2 indirectly oxidizing ascorbate in an ascorbate-fueled, oxalate-generating, loop the excess oxalate precipitating the subsequently inflammasome-activating COD crystals; In the second, protein-adsorbing facets of TiO2 mis-template the aggregation of α-synuclein to produce inflammasome-activating mis-folded α-synuclein.
Oceanic salt spray and herbivore pressure contribute to local adaptation of coastal perennial and inland annual ecotypes of the Seep Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus)
Authors: Popovic Damian , Lowry David B.
Published: January 2019

Identifying the environmental factors responsible for natural selection across different habitats is crucial for understanding the process of local adaptation. Despite its importance, only a few studies have successfully isolated the environmental factors driving local adaptation in nature. In this study, we evaluated the agents of selection responsible local adaptation of the monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus to coastal and inland habitats in California. We implemented a manipulative field reciprocal transplant experiment at coastal and inland sites, where we excluded aboveground stressors in an effort to elucidate their role in the evolution of local adaptation. We found that excluding these stressors, most likely a combination of salt spray and herbivory, completely rescued inland plant fitness when transplanted to coastal habitat. In contrast, the exclosures in inland habitat provided limited fitness benefit for either coastal or inland plants. We have previously established that low soil water availability belowground is the most important agent of selection in inland habitat. Therefore, our study demonstrates that a distinct set of selective agents are responsible for local adaptation at opposite ends of an environmental gradient.
A Spiking Neuron and Population Model based on the Growth Transform Dynamical System
Authors: Gangopadhyay Ahana , Mehta Darshit , Chakrabartty Shantanu
Published: January 2019

In neuromorphic engineering, neural populations are generally modeled in a bottom-up manner, where individual neuron models are connected through synapses to form large-scale spiking networks. Alternatively, a top-down approach treats the process of spike generation and neural representation of excitation in the context of minimizing some measure of network energy. However, these approaches usually define the energy functional in terms of some statistical measure of spiking activity (ex. firing rates), which does not allow independent control and optimization of neurodynamical parameters. In this paper, we introduce a new spiking neuron and population model where the dynamical and spiking responses of neurons can be derived directly from a network objective or energy functional of continuous-valued neural variables like the membrane potential. The key advantage of the model is that it allows for independent control over three neuro-dynamical properties: (a) control over the steady-state population dynamics that encodes the minimum of an exact network energy functional; (b) control over the shape of the action potentials generated by individual neurons in the network without affecting the network minimum; and (c) control over spiking statistics and transient population dynamics without affecting the network minimum or the shape of action potentials. At the core of the proposed model are different variants of Growth Transform dynamical systems that produce stable and interpretable population dynamics, irrespective of the network size and the type of neuronal connectivity (inhibitory or excitatory). In this paper, we present several examples where the proposed model has been configured to produce different types of single-neuron dynamics as well as population dynamics. In one such example, the network is shown to adapt such that it encodes the steady-state solution using a reduced number of spikes upon convergence to the optimal solution. In this paper we use this network to construct a spiking associative memory that uses fewer spikes compared to conventional architectures, while maintaining high recall accuracy at high memory loads.
Compartmentalized Biosynthesis of Mycophenolic Acid
Authors: Zhang Wei , Du Lei , Qu Zepeng , Zhang Xingwang , Li Fengwei , Li Zhong , Qi Feifei , Wang Xiao , Jiang Yuanyuan , Men Ping , Sun Jingran , Cao Shaona , Geng Ce , Qi Fengxia , Wan Xiaobo , Liu Changning , Li Shengying
Published: January 2019

Mycophenolic acid (MPA) from filamentous fungi is the first natural product antibiotic in human history and a first-line immunosuppressive drug for organ transplantations and autoimmune diseases. However, its biosynthetic mechanisms have remained a long-standing mystery. Here, we elucidate the MPA biosynthetic pathway that features both compartmentalized enzymatic steps and unique cooperation between biosynthetic and β-oxidation catabolism machineries based on targeted gene inactivation, feeding experiments in heterologous expression hosts, enzyme functional characterization and kinetic analysis, and microscopic observation of protein subcellular localization. Besides identification of the oxygenase MpaB’ as the long-sought key enzyme responsible for the oxidative cleavage of sesquiterpene side chain, we reveal the intriguing pattern of compartmentalization for the MPA biosynthetic enzymes, including the cytosolic polyketide synthase MpaC’ and O-methyltransferase MpaG’, the Golgi apparatus-associated prenyltransferase MpaA’, the endoplasmic reticulum-bound oxygenase MpaB’ and P450-hydrolase fusion enzyme MpaDE’, and the peroxisomal acyl-CoA hydrolase MpaH’. The whole pathway is elegantly co-mediated by these compartmentalized enzymes, together with the peroxisomal β-oxidation machinery. Beyond characterizing the remaining outstanding steps of the MPA biosynthetic pathway, our study highlights the importance of considering subcellular contexts and the broader cellular metabolism in natural product biosynthesis.

Significance Statement

Here we elucidate the full biosynthetic pathway of the fungal natural product mycophenolic acid (MPA), which represents an unsolved mystery for decades. Besides the intriguing enzymatic mechanisms, we reveal that the MPA biosynthetic enzymes are elegantly compartmentalized; and the subcellular localization of the acyl-CoA hydrolase MpaH’ in peroxisomes is required for the unique cooperation between biosynthetic and β-oxidation catabolism machineries. This work highlights the importance of a cell biology perspective for understanding the unexplored organelle-associated essential catalytic mechanisms in natural product biosynthesis of fungi and other higher organisms. The insights provided by our work will also benefit future efforts for both industrial strain improvement and novel drug development.
Heartbeat evokes a dynamically changing cortical theta-synchronized network in the resting state
Authors: Kim Jaejoong , Jeong Bumseok
Published: January 2019

In the resting state, heartbeats evoke cortical responses called heartbeat-evoked responses (HERs). While previous studies reported regional level HERs, researchers have not determined how heartbeat is processed at the cortical network level. Using resting-state magnetoencephalography data from 87 human subjects of both genders provided by the Human Connectome Project, we first showed that heartbeat increases the phase synchronization between cortical regions in the theta frequency, which forms a network structure, and we called this network a heartbeat-evoked network (HEN). The HEN was not an artefactual increase in phase synchronization. The HEN was partitioned into three modules with connector hubs in each module. The first module contained major interoception-related regions and thus was called a visceromotor-interoceptive network (VIN) displaying the strongest synchronization among modules, suggesting a major role for the VIN in processing heartbeat information. Two modules contained regions involved in the default mode network (DMN). The HEN structure was not fixed, but dynamically changed. The most prominent change was observed at approximately 200 ms after R-peak of the electrocardiogram, which was quantified based on the ‘flexibility’ of the network. Furthermore, the strongest synchronization within VIN was observed before heartbeat stimulated the cortex, which might be related to the prediction of an afferent heartbeat signal, thus supporting an interoceptive coding framework. Based on our results, the heartbeat is processed at the network level, and this result provides a useful framework that may potentially explain previous results of the regional level HER modulation through network-level processing.

Significance statement

The resting-state network is composed of several networks supporting different functions. However, although the heartbeat is processed in the cortical regions, even in the resting state, the network supporting this function is unknown. Thus, we identified and investigated the heartbeat-evoked network (HEN), a network composed of significantly increased theta-phase synchronization between cortical regions after a heartbeat. The HEN comprised three modules. In particularly, the visceromotor-interoceptive network was likely to play a major role in network-level heartbeat processing and displayed the strongest synchronization immediately before the heartbeat enters the CNS, which supports an interoceptive predictive coding framework. These results provide a novel framework that may improve our understanding of cortical heartbeat processing from a network perspective.
Microbial predictors of environmental perturbations in coral reef ecosystems
Authors: Glasl Bettina , Bourne David G. , Frade Pedro R. , Thomas Torsten , Schaffelke Britta , Webster Nicole S.
Published: January 2019

Incorporation of microbial community data into environmental monitoring programs could improve prediction and management of environmental pressures. Coral reefs have experienced dramatic declines due to cumulative impacts of local and global stressors. Here we assess the utility of free-living (i.e. seawater and sediment) and host-associated (i.e. corals, sponges and macroalgae) microbiomes for diagnosing environmental perturbation based on their habitat-specificity, environmental sensitivity and uniformity. We show that the seawater microbiome has the greatest diagnostic value, with environmental parameters explaining 56% of the observed compositional variation and temporal successions being dominated by uniform community assembly patterns. Host-associated microbiomes, in contrast, were five-times less affected by the environment and their community assembly patterns were generally less uniform. Further, seawater microbial community data provided an accurate prediction on the environmental state, highlighting the diagnostic value of microorganisms and illustrating how long-term coral reef monitoring initiatives could be enhanced by incorporating assessments of microbial communities in seawater.

Importance

The recent success in disease diagnostics based on the human microbiome has highlighted the utility of this approach for model systems. However, despite improved prediction and management of environmental pressures from the inclusion of microbial community data in monitoring programs, this approach has not previously been applied to coral reef ecosystems. Coral reefs are facing unprecedented pressure on a local and global scale, and sensitive and rapid markers for ecosystem stress are urgently needed to underpin effective management and restoration strategies. In this study, we performed the first assessment of the diagnostic value of multiple free-living and host-associated reef microbiomes to infer the environmental state of coral reef ecosystems. Our results reveal that free-living microbial communities have a higher potential to infer environmental parameters than host-associated microbial communities due to their higher determinacy and environmental sensitivity. We therefore recommend timely integration of microbial sampling into current coral reef monitoring initiatives.
Measuring amber initiator tRNA orthogonality in a genomically recoded organism
Authors: Vincent Russel M. , Wright Bradley W. , Jaschke Paul R.
Published: January 2019

Using engineered initiator tRNA for precise control of protein translation within cells has great promise within future orthogonal translation systems to decouple housekeeping protein metabolism from that of engineered genetic systems. Previously,E. colistrain C321.ΔA.explacking all UAG stop codons was created, freeing this ‘amber’ stop codon for other purposes. An engineered ‘amber initiator’that activates translation at UAG codons is available, but little is known about this tRNA’s orthogonality. Here, we combine for the first time the amber initiatorin C321.ΔA.expand measure its cellular effects. We found that theexpression resulted in a nearly 200Yfold increase in fluorescent reporter expression with a unimodal population distribution and no apparent cellular fitness defects. Proteomic analysis revealed upregulated ribosomeYassociated, tRNA degradation, and amino acid biosynthetic proteins, with no evidence for offYtarget translation initiation. In contrast to previous work, we show that UAGYinitiated proteins carry NYterminal methionine exclusively. Together, our results identify beneficial features of using the amber initiatorto control gene expression while also revealing fundamental challenges to using engineered initiator tRNAs as the basis for orthogonal translation initiation systems.
A variant of the student’s t-test for data of varying reliability
Authors: Sheth Suril B. , Sheth Bhavin R.
Published: January 2019

The student’s t-test has been a workhorse of statistical testing and is used to determine if two sets of sampled data are significantly different from one another, in a statistical sense. The samples of the data may be individual samples or the means – or some overall summary statistic – of independently acquired subsets of data (e.g. data from individual observers, neurons, or baseball games). The various subsets of data acquired that go into computing the t-statistic are likely to be of differing reliability on account of either different variances or of different numbers of subsamples corresponding to each subset; while all data are given equal weight in a standard t-test, the variation in data reliability across subsets of data needs to be accounted for. Solutions based on mixed model methods and Monte Carlo simulations exist, which do factor data reliability in computing statistics. However, no such extension exists for the ubiquitous student’s t-test. Our proposal is a novel variant of the students t-test that incorporates these issues and adopts a simple but effective alteration in the design that accounts for differing levels of data reliability. Specifically, we weighted each data subset by the inverse of the variance of the data contained therein, a measure that has been used in studies of Bayesian cue combination, or, in the absence of information about variance, by the relative proportion of the overall data contained in the subset. The changes proposed here extend the applicability of the student’s t-test to a wider array of data sets.
Syntheses, supramolecular networks and Hirshfeld surface and thermal analyses of two new cadmium chloride coordination polymers with an N,O-chelating ligand
Authors: Bouchene Rafika , Bouacida Sofiane
Published: January 2019

Two new coordination polymers, namely poly[[(3-aminopyrazin-4-ium-2-carboxylate-κ2
N
1,O)di-μ-chlorido-cadmium(II)] monohydrate], {[CdCl2(C5H5N3O2)]·H2O}
n
, (1), and poly[2-amino-3-carboxypyrazin-1-ium [(3-aminopyrazine-2-carboxylato-κ2
N
1,O)di-μ-chlorido-cadmium(II)] monohydrate], {(C5H6N3O2)[Cd(C5H4N3O2)Cl2]·H2O}
n
, (2), have been synthesized from the reaction of cadmium(II) chloride and 3-aminopyrazine-2-carboxylic acid (Hapca) under mild conditions in acidic media. The two coordination polymers have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and show chloride-bridged zigzag chains with octahedrally coordinated metal ions, where Hapca acts as a bidentate ligand via the π-conjugated N atom and a carboxylate O atom. The chains are further interconnected via noncovalent interactions into three-dimensional supramolecular networks. The dominant H...O and H...Cl interactions for both compounds were quantified using Hirshfeld surface analysis. The thermal stability and topological analysis of the two-dimensional networks of (1) and (2) are also discussed.
Crystallographic and computational studies of a new organoarsenate compound: o-anisidinium dihydroarsenate
Authors: Harchani Ali , Trzybiński Damian , Pawlędzio Sylwia , Woźniak Krzysztof , Haddad Amor
Published: January 2019

The crystal structure and the results of theoretical calculations for the new organoarsenate salt o-anisidinium dihydroarsenate (systematic name: 2-methoxyanilinium dihydrogen arsenate), C7H10NO+·H2AsO4
−, are reported. The salt, crystallizing in the triclinic space group P\overline{1}, was synthesized using a solution method and was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. It possesses a layered supramolecular architecture in the crystal. The intermolecular interactions were studied using Hirshfeld surface analysis which confirmed that hydrogen bonds and H...H contacts play dominant roles in the crystal structure of the investigated system. An analysis of the electronic structure and molecular modelling using charge distribution confirms the good electrophilic reactivity of the title compound.
Synthesis, crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 3-(4,4-dimethyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-ylidene)-6-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran-2,4-dione
Authors: Samba Mohamed , Minnih Mohamed Said , Hökelek Tuncer , Kaur Manpreet , Jasinski Jerry P. , Sebbar Nada Kheira , Essassi El Mokhtar
Published: January 2019

The title compound, C17H18N2O3, is constructed from a benzodiazepine ring system linked to a pendant dihydropyran ring, where the benzene and pendant dihydropyran rings are oriented at a dihedral angle of 15.14 (4)°. Intramolecular N—HDiazp...ODhydpand C—HDiazp...ODhydp(Diazp = diazepine and Dhydp = dihydropyran) hydrogen bonds link the seven-membered diazepine ring to the pendant dihydropyran ring, enclosingS(6) ring motifs. In the crystal, N—HDiazp...ODhydphydrogen bonds link the molecules into infinite chains along [10\overline{1}]. These chains are further linkedviaC—HBnz...ODhydp, C—HDhydp...ODhydpand C—HMth...ODhydp(Bnz = benzene and Mth = methyl) hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network. The observed weak C—HDiazp... π interaction may further stabilize the structure. Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H...H (51.1%), H...C/C...H (25.3%) and H...O/O...H (20.3%) interactions. Hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions are the dominant interactions in the crystal packing.
Crystal structure of benzyl 2-naphthyl ether, a sensitiser for thermal paper
Authors: Kikuchi Takuya , Gontani Saori , Miyanaga Kyohei , Kurata Takaaki , Akatani Yoshiki , Matsumoto Shinya
Published: January 2019

The title compound [systematic name: 2-(benzyloxy)naphthalene], C17H14O, which is used as a sensitiser for thermal paper, has a twisted conformation with a dihedral angle of 48.71 (12)° between the phenyl ring and the naphthyl ring system. In the crystal, one molecule interacts with six neighbouring molecules via intermolecular C—H...π interactions to form a herringbone molecular arrangement.
Performance assessment of novel photovoltaic thermal system using nanoparticle in phase change material
Authors: Ergün Alper , Eyinç Hilal
Published: January 2019

Purpose

Nanotechnology has developed gradually in recent years and it is encountered in various applications. It has many usage area especially in energy systems. The purpose of this study, in a photovoltaic thermal system, thermal behaviours of a PV panel has been investigated by energy and exergy analysis method using a phase change material inserted 5 per cent weighted Al2O3 nanoparticle.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, one of the three different PV panels was kept normally, the other one was filled with a phase changing material (paraffin-wax) and the last panel was filled with the mixture of a nanoparticle and paraffin-wax.

Findings

After the analyses, especially during the time intervals when the radiation is high, it is found that the panel with Np-paraffin mixture has a high electrical and thermal efficiency. In addition, as a result of the exergy analyses, average exergy efficiency of the panel with Np-paraffin mixture has been determined as 10 per cent, whereas that of the panel with paraffin as 9.2 per cent.

Originality/value

Nanoparticles had not been used with PCMs in photovoltaic–thermal systems in the studies made before.
Inequality and imbalance of professional development opportunities
Authors: Mongkolhutthi Preechaya
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the professional development opportunities of a group of 16 “English as a foreign language” (EFL) lecturers at a Thai higher educational institution and the nature of the learning opportunities they engaged in.

Design/methodology/approach

The ethnographic research approach was employed to reveal the participants’ accesses to professional learning opportunities and their perception towards the opportunities. Observation, interview, written document and questionnaire were used to help capture the complexities of the issues investigated.

Findings

The data suggest varied degrees of participants’ engagement in learning activities, inside and outside the workplace. This group of lecturers relied more on formal than on informal professional development opportunities. Constraints in accessing professional development activities for the part-time lecturers and non-Thai lecturers were highly noticeable.

Research limitations/implications

These emerging findings provide an insight into the actual professional learning situation and call for greater awareness of the support of learning opportunities and better visibility of the part-time lecturers and expatriate lectures in the higher education system. With regard to the nature of ethnographic research, the implementation of the findings of this study should be done with awareness of the socio-cultural influences on participants’ beliefs and behaviours.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies that academically highlights the existence of part-time and expatriate lecturers in the Asian higher educational context and voices these lecturers’ actual professional needs and their perceived obstacles.
The internal governance model in Chinese universities: an international comparative analysis
Authors: Liu Wei , Yan Weigang
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to glean a comprehensive picture of the internal governance structure in Chinese universities based on data from 40 university administrators from 33 Chinese institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The 40 administrators were convenience sampled while they were taking a three-month higher education leadership development program in a large public university in Canada. Permission was obtained to use the comparative discussions at different reflective research sessions as data to inform this study. The data were also progressively collected through informal interviews throughout the three months.

Findings

The study finds that the current governance model practiced in Chinese universities can be called “administrator governance,” with all members on the two major governing bodies being senior administrators appointed by and accountable for the governments. To build a “modern university system” aspired in China, the Chinese university administrators perceived a need to strengthen institutional autonomy and collegial governance with participation of the faculty and students.

Originality/value

As much of the literature has focused on the government–university relationship in China, this study aims to glean a comprehensive picture of the internal governance structure in Chinese universities.
Relationship of transformational leadership with employee creativity and organizational innovation
Authors: Chaubey Akriti , Sahoo Chandan Kumar , Khatri Naresh
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how creative self-efficacy and physical work environment mediate and moderate the relationship of transformational leadership with employee creativity and organizational innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from 254 managers working in two major automotive manufacturing units in India. The survey response rate was 81.9 percent. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The study findings suggest that transformational leadership augments employee creativity. The authors show that employee creative self-efficacy acts as a mediator and physical work environment as a moderator in the relationship between transformational leadership and employee creativity.

Originality/value

The study contributes by examining mediating and moderating influences in the relationship between transformational leadership and employee creativity. The data were collected from an important industry in a large, emerging economy that has received much less research attention relative to its size and significance.
Professionalism in accounting: a five-factor model of ethical decision-making
Authors: Dunn Paul , Sainty Barbara
Published: January 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model of ethical decision-making that applies to accountants and the accounting profession.

Design/methodology/approach

This model is an integration of five factors that influence ethical decision-making by accountants: professional codes of conduct; philosophical orientation; religious orientation; culturally derived values; and moral maturity.

Findings

This model is a synthesis of previous identified factors that influence ethical decision-making and incorporates them into a model that is specific to professional accountants.

Research limitations/implications

The authors develop a set of propositions and explain how this model can be tested and its implications for both the accounting profession and the teaching of business ethics.

Originality/value

This model presents a new way of viewing ethical decision-making by accountants that is predicated on the importance of professional codes of conduct that influence both behaviour and decision-making. The external certification of professional accountants provides a layer of accountability not previously incorporated into ethical decision-making models.
Outcome‐focussed planning in Australian local government: How council plans and cultural development plans measure up
Authors: Uppal Surajen , Dunphy Kim
Published: January 2019

Contemporary public policy increasingly emphasises a focus on outcomes, the difference that occurs in the lives of citizens from policy and activity of government. Other contemporary imperatives for effective planning include: recognition of the values of the community whom plans serve, direction towards goals and objectives, utilisation of evidence, articulation of theories of change that underpin planning and responsiveness to evaluation. This article reports a desk‐based research project to assess how local government planning documents meet these imperatives. Two documents are examined for 67 councils across Australia: the major strategic document, council plan or other‐named document and the cultural development plan (CDP) or other‐named document that directs staff and investment aimed at cultural enrichment of the LGA. Findings indicate that the majority of councils’ documents appeared only concordant with one or two of these planning imperatives. No plan addressed more than three. Overall, council plans and cultural development plans did not clearly indicate their responsiveness to values of their communities, nor include objectives that formed measurable steps towards goals or formally refer to the use of evidence in decision‐making. No plans included theories of change to underpin decision‐making. This analysis indicates clear areas of improvement for planning for local governance.
Transmission of Household and Business Credit Shocks in Emerging Markets: The Role of Real Estate
Authors: Bahadir Berrak , Gumus Inci
Published: January 2019

We study the role of real estate in the transmission of household and business credit shocks to the economy. To this end, we construct a small open economy real business cycle model with households and entrepreneurs, who hold real estate and face credit constraints on their borrowing. The impulse response analysis shows that both household and business credit shocks lead to an expansion in the economy, with business credit having a larger effect. Real estate plays an important role in understanding the response of the economy to credit shocks. A credit expansion in one sector increases house prices, which raises the value of real estate holdings of the other sector and generates spillover effects between sectors. As a result, household and business credit shocks lead to similar responses. Without housing, the two types of shocks affect the key macroeconomic variables differently with only business credit shocks leading to an expansion. Our findings suggest that housing as a common asset provides a transmission channel between the sectors that mitigates the differences in the responses to the credit shocks.
Simultaneous cone beam computed tomography‐guided bronchoscopic marking and video‐assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection in a hybrid operating room
Authors: Anayama Takashi , Hirohashi Kentaro , Okada Hironobu , Miyazaki Ryohei , Kawamoto Nobutaka , Yamamoto Marino , Orihashi Kazumasa
Published: January 2019

The increasing need for pulmonary resection by video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has presented a greater opportunity to detect small‐sized pulmonary nodules by computed tomography (CT). In cases where it is difficult to identify tumor localization intraoperatively, it is necessary to place the VATS marker near the pulmonary nodules before surgery. Conventional percutaneous or bronchoscopic VATS marker placement under local anesthesia is accompanied by patient pain. We clinically applied a new technique to place VATS markers using a bronchoscope under general anesthesia in a hybrid operating room. Multiple pulmonary nodules were successfully marked and securely excised simultaneously by VATS. This technique enables secure, minimally invasive resection of multiple small‐sized pulmonary nodules without causing distress to the patient.
Pharmacist‐led influenza vaccination services in residential aged care homes: A pilot study
Authors: McDerby Nicole C. , Kosari Sam , Bail Kasia S. , Shield Alison J. , MacLeod Tamra , Peterson Gregory M. , Naunton Mark
Published: January 2019

Objectives

The feasibility of pharmacist‐led influenza vaccination services in residential aged care homes has not previously been studied. The primary objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of this service. The secondary objective was to assess the effect of the service on employee vaccination rates.

Methods

An in‐house pharmacist‐led vaccination service was implemented at a single site in 2017. De‐identified employee influenza vaccination records at this site for 2016 and 2017 were compared to assess the change in vaccination rate.

Results

The residential care pharmacist administered 37% of all influenza vaccinations to employees (n = 78) in 2017. Between 2016 and 2017, there was a significant improvement in the employee vaccination rate at the site (46.5% vs 69.2%, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

It is feasible for pharmacists to administer influenza vaccinations to employees in residential aged care. The flexibility of an in‐house pharmacist improves accessibility and can therefore promote uptake of influenza vaccination by employees.
Why American conservatives and individuals from traditionalist cultures may share a preference for group uniformity
Authors: Bettache Karim , Chiu Chi‐yue
Published: January 2019

American culture is known for its emphasis on freedom‐promoting values such as self‐determination and autonomy. Yet, a large segment of American society endorses a conservative ideology that seems to go against these values. In this article, we empirically show that conservatives’ weaker endorsement of autonomy values predicts a preference to be an amorphous entity in a tight, uniform group (Study 1A). We do so by implementing a novel measure of sociocultural tightness that is not based on self‐report items. We subsequently show that cultural (East–West) differences in this preference can be explained through a similar mechanism (Study 1B). Hence, we show that some cognitive processes of American conservatives are similar to those of individuals coming from more collectivist, non‐Western societies.