bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Connectivity-based Psychometric Prediction Framework for Brain-behavior Relationship Studies
Authors: Wu Jianxiao , Eickhoff Simon B. , Hoffstaedter Felix , Patil Kaustubh R. , Schwender Holger , Yeo B.T. Thomas , Genon Sarah
Published: January 2020

The recent availability of population-based studies with neuroimaging and behavioral measurements opens promising perspectives to investigate the relationships between interindividual variability in brain regions’ connectivity and behavioral phenotypes. However, the multivariate nature of connectivity-based prediction model severely limits the insight into brain-behavior patterns for neuroscience. To address this issue, we propose a connectivity-based psychometric prediction framework based on individual regions’ connectivity profiles. We first illustrate two main applications: 1) single brain region’s predictive power for a range of psychometric variables, and 2) single psychometric variable’s predictive power variation across brain region. We compare the patterns of brain-behavior provided by these approaches to the brain-behavior relationships from activation approaches. Then, capitalizing on the increased transparency of our approach, we demonstrate how the influence of various data processing and analyses can directly influence the patterns of brain-behavior relationships, as well as the unique insight into brain-behavior relationships offered by this approach.
RNA-dependent structures of the RNA-binding loop in the flavivirus NS3 helicase
Authors: Davidson Russell B. , Hendrix Josie , Geiss Brian J. , McCullagh Martin
Published: January 2020

The flavivirus NS3 protein is a helicase that has pivotal functions during the viral genome replication process, where it unwinds double-stranded RNA and translocates along the nucleic acid polymer in a nucleoside triphosphate hydrolysis-dependent mechanism. An increased interest in this enzyme as a potential target for development of antiviral therapeutics was sparked by the 2015 Zika virus epidemic in the Americas. Crystallographic and computational studies of the flavivirus NS3 helicase have identified the RNA-binding loop as an interesting structural element, which may function as an origin for the RNA-enhanced NTPase activity observed for this family of helicases. Microsecond-long unbiased molecular dynamics as well as extensive replica exchange umbrella sampling simulations of the Zika NS3 helicase have been performed to investigate the RNA-dependence of this loop’s structural conformations. Specifically, the effect of the bound single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) oligomer on the putative “open” and “closed” conformations of this loop are studied. In the Apo substrate state, the two structures are nearly isoergonic (ΔGO→C = −0.22 kcal mol−1), explaining the structural ambiguity observed in Apo NS3h crystal structures. The bound ssRNA is seen to stabilize the “open” conformation (ΔGO→C = 1.97 kcal mol−1) through direct protein-RNA interactions at the top of the loop. Interestingly, a small ssRNA oligomer bound over 13 Å away from the loop is seen to affect the free energy surface to favor the “open” structure while minimizing barriers between the two states. The mechanism of the transition between “open” and “closed” states is characterized as are residues of importance for the RNA-binding loop structures. From these results, the loop is hypothesized to be a viable region in the protein for targeted small-molecule inhibition and mutagenesis studies, where stabilization of the “closed” RNA-binding loop will negatively impact RNA-binding and the RNA-enhanced NTPase activity.
Pyruvate kinase controls signal strength in the insulin secretory pathway
Authors: Lewandowski Sophie L. , Cardone Rebecca L. , Foster Hannah R. , Ho Thuong , Potapenko Evgeniy , Poudel Chetan , VanDeusen Halena R. , Alves Tiago C. , Zhao Xiaojian , Capozzi Megan E. , Jahan Ishrat , Nunemaker Craig S. , Campbell Jonathan E. , Thomas Craig J. , Kibbey Richard G. , Merrins Matthew J.
Published: January 2020

Pancreatic β-cells couple nutrient metabolism with appropriate insulin secretion. Here, we show that pyruvate kinase (PK), which converts ADP and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) into ATP and pyruvate, underlies β-cell sensing of both glycolytic and mitochondrial fuels. PK present at the plasma membrane is sufficient to close KATPchannels and initiate calcium influx. Small-molecule PK activators increase β-cell oscillation frequency and potently amplify insulin secretion. By cyclically depriving mitochondria of ADP, PK restricts oxidative phosphorylation in favor of the mitochondrial PEP cycle with no net impact on glucose oxidation. Our findings support a compartmentalized model of β-cell metabolism in which PK locally generates the ATP/ADP threshold required for insulin secretion, and identify a potential therapeutic route for diabetes based on PK activation that would not be predicted by the β-cell consensus model.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

The consensus model for β-cell glucose sensing supports a dominant role for OxPhos. This model doesn’t fully explain the observed metabolic and electrophysiologic oscillations associated with glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Lewandowskiet al. challenge this model by mechanistically connecting the anaplerotic PEP cycle to the electrically silent triggering phase, and OxPhos to the electrically active secretory phase. Here, the allosteric recruitment of pyruvate kinase directs metabolic traffic between the two cycles and identifies potential therapeutic strategies for diabetes based on pharmacologic pyruvate kinase activation.

HIGHLIGHTS

Compartmentalized pyruvate kinase (PK) activity underlies β-cell fuel sensing

Membrane-associated PK closes KATPchannels and controls calcium influx

By lowering ADP, PK toggles mitochondria between OxPhos and PEP biosynthesis

Pharmacologic PK activation increases oscillatory frequency and amplifies secretion
Reconstructing Genotypes in Private Genomic Databases from Genetic Risk Scores
Authors: Paige Brooks , Bell James , Bellet Aurélien , Gascón Adrià , Ezer Daphne
Published: January 2020

Some organisations like 23andMe and the UK Biobank have large genomic databases that they re-use for multiple different genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Even research studies that compile smaller genomic databases often utilise these databases to investigate many related traits. It is common for the study to report a genetic risk score (GRS) model for each trait within the publication. Here we show that under some circumstances, these GRS models can be used to recover the genetic variants of individuals in these genomic databases—a reconstruction attack. In particular, if two GRS models are trained using a largely overlapping set of participants, then it is often possible to determine the genotype for each of the individuals who were used to train one GRS model, but not the other. We demonstrate this theoretically and experimentally by analysing the Cornell Dog Genome database. The accuracy of our reconstruction attack depends on how accurately we can estimate the rate of co-occurrence of pairs of SNPs within the private database, so if this aggregate information is ever released, it would drastically reduce the security of a private genomic database. Caution should be applied when using the same database for multiple analysis, especially when a small number of individuals are included or excluded from one part of the study.
Target of Rapamycin: function in abiotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis and its involvement in a possible cross-talk with ribosomal proteins
Authors: Bakshi Achala , Moin Mazahar , Madhav M. S. , Gayatri Meher B. , Reddy Aramati B. M. , Datla Raju , Kirti P. B.
Published: January 2020

The Target of Rapamycin (TOR) protein kinase reprograms cellular metabolism under various environmental stresses. The overexpression ofTORin Arabidopsis resulted in increased plant growth including yield and biomass when compared with the wild type under both controlled and limited water conditions. In the present investigation, we report that Arabidopsis plants overexpressing TOR exhibited enhanced tolerance to the osmotic and salt stress treatments. Further to determine the role of TOR in abiotic stresses other than water limiting conditions, which were observed earlier in rice, we have treated high and mediumTORexpressing Arabidopsis plants, ATR-1.4.27 and ATR-3.7.32 respectively, with stress-inducing chemical agents such as Mannitol (100 mM), NaCl (150 mM), Sorbitol (200 mM) and PEG (7%). Both the lines, ATR-1.4.27 and ATR-3.7.32 exhibited enhanced tolerance to these stresses. These lines also had increased proline and total chlorophyll contents under stress conditions compared with their corresponding WT counterparts. The upregulation of several osmotic stress inducible genes in Arabidopsis transgenic lines indicated the role of TOR in modulating multi-stress tolerance. In the present investigation, we have also analyzed the transcriptional upregulation of ribosomal protein large and small subunit (RPL and RPS) genes inAtTORoverexpressing rice transgenic lines, TR-2.24 and TR-15.1 generated earlier (Bakshi et al., 2017a), which indicated that TOR also positively regulates the transcription of ribosomal proteins (RP) along with the synthesis of rRNAs. Also, the observations from phosphoproteomic analysis in SALK lines of various Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion mutants of ribosomal proteins showed differential regulation in phosphorylation of p70kDa ribosomal protein S6K1 and comparative analysis of phosphorylation sites for RSK (Ribosomal S6 Kinases) in RPL6, RPL18, RPL23, RPL24 and RPS28C proteins of Arabidopsis, Interestingly, rice showed similarity in their peptide sequences and Ser/Thr positions. These results suggest that the phosphorylation of S6K1 is controlled by loss/ inhibition of ribosomal protein function to switch ‘on’/ ‘off’ the translational regulation for balanced growth and the pathways of both RPs and TOR are interlinked in a cyclic manner via phosphorylation of S6K1 as a modulatory step.
Maximum CO2diffusion inside leaves is limited by the scaling of cell size and genome size
Authors: Théroux-Rancourt Guillaume , Roddy Adam B. , Earles J. Mason , Gilbert Matthew E. , Zwieniecki Maciej A. , Boyce C. Kevin , Tholen Danny , McElrone Andrew J. , Simonin Kevin A. , Brodersen Craig R.
Published: January 2020

Maintaining high rates of photosynthesis in leaves requires efficient movement of CO2from the atmosphere to the chloroplasts inside the leaf where it is converted into sugar. Throughout the evolution of vascular plants, CO2diffusion across the leaf surface was maximized by reducing the sizes of the guard cells that form stomatal pores in the leaf epidermis1,2. Once inside the leaf, CO2must diffuse through the intercellular airspace and into the mesophyll cells where photosynthesis occurs3,4. However, the diffusive interface defined by the mesophyll cells and the airspace and its coordinated evolution with other leaf traits are not well described5. Here we show that among vascular plants variation in the total amount of mesophyll surface area per unit mesophyll volume is driven primarily by cell size, the lower limit of which is defined by genome size. The higher surface area enabled by smaller cells allows for more efficient CO2diffusion into photosynthetic mesophyll cells. Our results demonstrate that genome downsizing among the flowering plants6was critical to restructuring the entire pathway of CO2diffusion, facilitating high rates of CO2supply to the leaf mesophyll cells despite declining atmospheric CO2levels during the Cretaceous.
Hippocampal growth hormone modulates relational memory and the dendritic spine density in CA1
Authors: Haugland Kamilla G. , Olberg Anniken , Lande Andreas , Kjelstrup Kirsten B. , Brun Vegard H.
Published: January 2020

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency is associated with cognitive decline which occur both in normal aging and in endocrine disorders. Several brain areas express receptors for GH although their functional role is unclear. To determine how GH affects the capacity for learning and memory by specific actions in one of the key areas, the hippocampus, we injected recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) in male rats to express green fluorescent protein (GFP) combined with either GH, antagonizing GH (aGH), or no hormone, in the dorsal CA1. We found that aGH disrupted memory in the Morris water maze task, and that aGH treated animals needed more training to relearn a novel goal location. In a one-trial spontaneous location recognition test, the GH treated rats had better memory performance for object locations than the two other groups. Histological examinations revealed that GH increased the dendritic spine density on apical dendrites of CA1, while aGH reduced the spine density. GH increased the relative amount of immature spines, while aGH decreased the same amount. Our results imply that GH is a neuromodulator with strong influence over hippocampal plasticity and relational memory by mechanisms involving modulation of dendritic spines. The findings are significant to the increasing aging population and GH deficiency patients.
3D-MiXD: 3D-printed X-ray-compatible microfluidic devices for rapid, low-consumption serial synchrotron crystallography data collection in flow
Authors: Monteiro Diana C. F. , von Stetten David , Stohrer Claudia , Sans Marta , Pearson Arwen R. , Santoni Gianluca , van der Linden Peter , Trebbin Martin
Published: January 2020

Serial crystallography has enabled the study of complex biological questions through the determination of biomolecular structures at room temperature using low X-ray doses. Furthermore, it has enabled the study of protein dynamics by the capture of atomically resolved and time-resolved molecular movies. However, the study of many biologically relevant targets is still severely hindered by high sample consumption and lengthy data-collection times. By combining serial synchrotron crystallography (SSX) with 3D printing, a new experimental platform has been created that tackles these challenges. An affordable 3D-printed, X-ray-compatible microfluidic device (3D-MiXD) is reported that allows data to be collected from protein microcrystals in a 3D flow with very high hit and indexing rates, while keeping the sample consumption low. The miniaturized 3D-MiXD can be rapidly installed into virtually any synchrotron beamline with only minimal adjustments. This efficient collection scheme in combination with its mixing geometry paves the way for recording molecular movies at synchrotrons by mixing-triggered millisecond time-resolved SSX.
Jugnoo: expansion or consolidation
Authors: Waraich Sushmita Biswal , Chaturvedi Ajay
Published: January 2020

Learning outcomes

The student will be able to understand the concept of spotting an opportunity and exploiting the same. The student will be able to comprehend the various challenges faced in the development of a business idea. The student will be able to understand the strategies that need to be adopted to cope with and grow, in a competitive business environment.

Case overview/synopsis

Samar Singla, the Chief Executive Officer of Jugnoo, had sensed a business opportunity in auto rickshaw aggregation. He was convinced that being among the initial players in the market of auto rickshaw aggregation, there would be very little competition. He only had to play his cards right, to become the top auto aggregator. As Singla started the business, there were challenges like inducting the auto rickshaw drivers as partners, training them, hiring the right team, putting the right strategies in place and to expand the business. Singla launched and achieved robust growth in the new business, in a short period of time. Soon, however, Jugnoo felt competition breathing down their neck – form cab aggregators who were already dominant players in the cabs aggregation segment, in the large cities. To hedge their risks, Singla added other services such as “Meal” (meal delivery) and “Fatafat” (goods delivery) – as B2C and B2B services. These services, however, had to be closed soon after because of stiff competition from the local players. Singla also adopted the inorganic growth path by acquiring “Sabkuch,” a grocery delivery logistics firm; “Yelo,” a platform that provided online access to businesses and “BookMyCab,” a taxi aggregation company. Faced with tapering growth after an initial steep rise, Singla had to confront a dilemma about the right method of ensuring growth in the face of competition.

Complexity academic level

Under graduate, masters in business administration and post graduation in the areas of entrepreneurship and strategy.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 11: Strategy.
Skyworth TV: channel dynamics and growth in China's rural market
Authors: Luk Sherriff T.K. , Chen Ivy Siok Ngoh , Coombes John
Published: January 2020

Subject area

Marketing.

Study level/applicability

Target audience this decision case has been tried and tested in a classroom setting with final-year undergraduate BBA students and postgraduate students studying an MSc in marketing. The specific course in which this case was used was marketing management in China. This case may also be suitable for an undergraduate or masters level courses in consumer behaviour, distribution management or marketing in China. The case covers environment analysis, market segmentation, consumer behaviour and distribution channels.

Case overview

Skyworth, a Chinese manufacturer of television sets, was faced with some major decisions. Government subsidies on consumer purchases of household appliances had stimulated demand for TV sets especially in rural areas. However, there were limited distribution channels serving rural areas. Large-scale nationwide chain stores like Gome and Suning served mainly urban areas and top-tier cities. These retailer chains were less interested in selling TV sets as their profit margins were lower. How should Skyworth set up its distribution network to take advantage of the growth in rural markets? Establishing its own channel network would involve huge investments that would affect Skyworth's profits in the next few years. Relying on existing retailer chains may not give it the coverage it wanted. Skyworth's brand reputation had also suffered because of poor product quality and customer support. Can the distribution channel network help to improve its brand reputation and customer loyalty? This case highlights how government policies in China can shape the growth of the household appliance market and change consumption patterns.

Expected learning outcomes

By studying this case, students will: 1. Examine how environmental factors affect television manufacturers in China; 2. Understand the buying behaviour of rural households for household appliances; 3. Examine distribution channels in an emerging market; 4. Evaluate a company's product portfolio strategy; and5. Suggest segmentation bases for the market for television sets in China.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or e-mail support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Predictability of precious metals and adaptive market hypothesis
Authors: Shahid Muhammad Naeem , Jehanzeb Malik , Abbas Aamir , Zubair Ahsan , Akbar Mahmood A. Hussain
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to boost the existing literature on adaptive market hypothesis (AMH) as it first time links predictability of gold, silver and metal returns with AMH which permits the predictability of returns to vary over time.

Design/methodology/approach

To know whether commodity (gold, silver and metal) market is efficient or not, the commodity returns are observed by using appropriate linear time series tests (variance ratio test, runs test and auto-correlation test). To capture the varying efficiency of three commodities, the study employs subsamples of five years and all sub-samples are exposed to linear econometric tests to reveal how market efficiency (independency of returns) has behaved over time.

Findings

It is found that the commodity market (gold, silver and metal) is adaptive because fluctuation is observed in the market efficiency. Returns of all three commodities go under the periods of efficiency and inefficiency. Thus, AMH is the better description of behavior of commodity markets than traditional efficient market hypothesis.

Research limitations/implications

Choice of sub-sample in the study is the first limitation as the authors employ a sub-sample comprising five years. Second, commission, fee and taxes (transection cost) are ignored in the study. Finally, the results are reported on the basis of linear econometric tests. In future, longer time period sub-sample analysis is suggested by the study to explore the varying nature of the commodities. Moreover, rolling window analysis may be a more appropriate method to elucidate the idea of AMH in further research. It is further suggested that the method used in the study could be helpful and adapted to examine other commodities (metal and agriculture), bonds and equity markets around the world.

Practical implications

The study will provide a better investment model which can enable the investors to seek more returns in future. Moreover, this research can be extended to explore multiple issues like adaptive behavior of returns from crypto currencies, bonds, stocks and real estate investment trusts.

Social implications

As all the linear tests reveal that almost all the commodities show inefficient behavior in full sample period, it is clear that past prices widely would be helpful to predict the future prices at NYSE; furthermore, investors can use the time-varying information to reduce the risk of investment at NYSE. The study is helpful for individual investors as well as portfolio managers and brokers to forecast the prices on the bases of findings.

Originality/value

The paper identifies the need to study why behavior of commodity returns varies over time.
Care ethics and the responsible management of power and privacy in digitally enhanced disaster response
Authors: Hayes Paul , Jackson Damian
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to argue that traditional ethical theories used in disaster response may be inadequate and particularly strained by the emergence of new technologies and social media, particularly with regard to privacy. The paper suggests incorporation of care ethics into the disaster ethics nexus to better include the perspectives of disaster affected communities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a theoretical examination of privacy and care ethics in the context of social media/digitally enhanced disaster response.

Findings

The paper proposes an ethics of care can fruitfully by used by public and private agents in disaster management. Its relational ontology restores the priority of fostering good relationships between stakeholders, thus giving central importance to values such as transparency and trust and the situated knowledge of disaster-affected communities.

Research limitations/implications

This paper presents theoretical research and is limited by the availability of empirical data. There is opportunity for future research to evaluate the impact of a conscious adoption of an ethics of care by disaster management agents.

Practical implications

An ethos of care ethics needs to be mainstreamed into disaster management organisations and digital initiatives.

Social implications

This paper argues that power asymmetry in disaster response renders the public vulnerable to abuse, and that the adoption of care ethics can support disaster management agents in recognising this power imbalance and wielding power responsibly.

Originality/value

This paper examines the applicability of an alternative ethical framework to novel circumstances.
Are US antidumping cases being crowded out by other forms of protectionism?
Authors: Desai Prashant , Feinberg Robert M.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The issue of substitutability between various modes of import protection has been studied by economists in various ways. Since President Donald Trump came into office and soon started imposing tariffs, the need by US firms to file antidumping (AD) cases would seem to have been reduced. This study aims to examine whether such a reduction in AD cases has occurred.

Design/methodology/approach

Quarterly US AD filings via a negative binomial regression analysis are explained. Patterns based on data from 1995 through 2016 are obtained first and then predict US AD petitions for 2017 and 2018.

Findings

The authors reject a hypothesis of substitution away from AD in the Trump era of general protectionism but do find some support for the notion that protection moves downstream, with greater than predicted AD filings in downstream metals sectors.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine the possibility of trade policy substitutability in the Trump era.
Spreadable processed cheese using natural goat cheese ripened
Authors: Burgos Laura , Pece Nora , Maldonado Silvina
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to establish the degree of ripening of natural goat cheese used as a raw material; to formulate a spreadable processed cheese with creamy consistency; and to determine the level of each process variable.

Design/methodology/approach

Cheeses of various ripening times were selected for the formulation through cluster analysis. The effect of the final moisture was studied using the same proportion of fresh and ripened cheeses in the formulation, and three melting temperatures were tested.

Findings

Goat cheeses ripened for 10, 20 and 40 days were chosen for the formulation of spreadable processed cheese. Final moisture content of 63.0 ± 0.1 per cent was selected (p= 0.0008). Melting temperature at 85.0 ± 0.1°C for 9.0 ± 0.5 min was suitable to homogenize the cheese mass (p= 0.001). The level of variables was validated by changing the proportions of natural goat cheeses selected. Four formulations were obtained with a consistency similar to that of the commercial reference.

Practical implications

Processed cheese is produced by blending shredded natural cheeses of different types and degrees of ripening. The use of ripening goat cheeses as a raw material in processed cheeses contributes to the added value of the local goat milk chain. Goat cheeses have an acid and slightly salty taste and medium to long persistence.

Originality/value

The results of this work can be used by processed cheese manufacturers to better understand the impact of goat cheese ripening on processed cheese quality. The industry can also use these results to introduce the product onto the market and plan their marketing campaign.
Grape juice and aerobic exercise on blood pressure
Authors: Leal Juliane Barroso , Leal Juçara Barroso , Leal Joaline Barroso Portela , Borges Yan de Lima , de Moura Maria Ivone Leal , Teixeira-Araujo Alfredo Anderson , da Costa Venilson Serafim , Carvalho Ferdinando Oliveira
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to verify the effect of 12 weeks of grape juice (GJ) consumption associated with aerobic exercise on the variation of the hypertensive elderly pressure.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 45 hypertensive elderly of both sexes were distributed into: control group (CG,n= 10), exercise group (EG,n= 10), juice group (JG,n= 12) and juice and exercise group (JEG,n= 13). Blood pressure and heart rate were checked weekly before exercise in JG and JEG, and before and after intervention in all groups, with JG and JEG supplemented with 200 mL of GJ. Three weekly sessions of moderate walking were applied.

Findings

There was a reduction in EG, JG and JEG for systolic pressure and diastolic only for JG and JEG. The GJ consumption to the practice of aerobic exercise provided reductions in the arterial pressure of hypertensive, in addition to stabilization of the diastolic pressure.

Research limitations/implications

Although the objective of the study was to compare the effect and value of intervention with controls, the study had no intervention in food consumption, which could have led to more significant results. There was a limitation in the control drink, leading the study not to be blind, which may have impaired the results. However, it is probably not a bias, as the groups were divided by residence area, and therefore, had no direct contact with the other groups. Another limitation was that the sample size was still small, which would lead to more reliable results. Finally, although the existing limitations cannot be disregarded, the results of this research are very promising, especially when the objective is the effect of GJ and aerobic exercise on blood pressure, with the possibility of implementing supplemental GJ and the inclusion or not of exercise to the hypertensive elderly.

Originality/value

The paper deals with the benefits of GJ consumption associated with aerobic physical exercise on the blood pressure of elderly hypertensive patients. Considering that GJ along with physical exercise was enough to reduce the blood pressure of hypertensive elderly, this may be a new model to be used to reduce and/or control blood pressure, and GJ and the exercise to be part of the daily life of the population.
Herbal infusions and health
Authors: Etheridge Christopher John , Derbyshire Emma
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Increasingly, interest in and the uptake of herbal infusions has advanced, namely, owing to their bioactive properties and potential links to health. Given this, the purpose of the present review was to collate evidence from human trials for five popular herbal infusions.

Design/methodology/approach

The systematic review comprised ten human trials (560 participants), investigating inter-relationships between herbal infusions consumption and health. Only human studies involving German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L. Asteraceae), ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe Zingiberaceae), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L. Lamiaceae), peppermint (Mentha x spicata L. Lamiaceae)/spearmint (Mentha spicata L. Lamiaceae) and rosehip (Rosa canina L. Rosaceae) teas were included in the present paper.

Findings

Most herbal infusions serve as a good source of flavonoids and other polyphenols in the human diet. Studies included in this paper indicate that herbal infusions (1-3 cups tended to be drank daily; infusion rates up to 15 min) could benefit certain aspects of health. In particular, this includes aspects of sleep quality and glycaemic control (German chamomile), osteoarthritic stiffness and hormone control (spearmint), oxidative stress (lemon balm) and primary dysmenorrhea (rosehip).

Research limitations/implications

Ongoing research is needed using homogenous herbal infusion forms, brewing rates and volumes of water to further reinforce these findings. In the meantime, herbal infusions could provide a useful supplementary approach to improving certain aspects of well-being.

Originality/value

The present paper collates evidence from human trials for five popular herbal infusions.
Triangulation with video observation when studying teachers’ practice
Authors: Molbæk Mette , Kristensen Rune Müller
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss methodological issues concerning the use of video observation of a single lesson as a supplement to interviews when studying teachers’ practice and competencies.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a Danish follow-up study focused on teachers’ practice as a jumping-off point, the authors address both opportunities and challenges when triangulating interviews with video observations of a single lesson. The discussion is structured around the four challenges when using video observations presented by Derry et al. (2010), namely selection, technology, analysis and ethics.

Findings

Based on experiences from the follow-up study, the use of video observations for triangulation has the potential to nuance the meanings ascribed to teachers’ practice. This approach entails productive challenges that can support the more nuanced and diverse perspectives on teachers’ practice if used proactively.

Originality/value

Although there is a wide body of literature on conducting interviews and observations when studying teachers’ practice, the use of a combination of interviews and video observations is seldom addressed. This paper presents concrete experience of how to capture different aspects of teachers’ practice by triangulating data generated from interviews and from video observations in a research design with limited resources. The authors discuss what to consider when planning and conducting video observations of a single lesson as part of an interview-based study.
What a highly controversial ethnography says about tensions, problematizations and inequality in contemporary ethnographic practice and regulation
Authors: Au Anson
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illuminate how inequality – in the way ethnography as a research tool itself is used – underwrites many of the methodological tensions in the recently published and widely-debatedOn the Run: Fugitive Life in an American Cityby Alice Goffman.

Design/methodology/approach

The author conducts an in-depth, critical analysis ofOn the Runas an epistemological case to visualize methodological and moral challenges that burden ethnographic practice at large.

Findings

The author opens dialogue on undercover ethnography, the overreach of institutional review boards, privilege in the use of ethnography as a research tool, “Othering” and the exoticization of the underclass, and the boundary shift from observer to participant roles with deep immersion. The author unpacks these areas of contention toward the construction of a potential alternative combining public sociology with what is called a sociology of compassion.

Originality/value

While the book provides an intimate, rich account of the experience of law among the underclass, the author demonstrates that it constitutes an epistemological case ideal for examining how the issues of pre-fieldwork preparation, positionality and deep immersion are conceived – and problematized – in mainstream ethnographic practice.
Backward supply chain information sharing: who does it benefit?
Authors: Han Zhaojun , Huo Baofeng , Zhao Xiande
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of backward supply chain information sharing (SCIS) on the performance of different parties along supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data collected from 617 Chinese manufacturers, this study examines the effect of information sharing from manufacturers to suppliers (ISMS) on supplier and manufacturer responsiveness in both two- and three-tier supply chains and the transferrable effect of information sharing from customers to manufacturers (ISCM) on supplier responsiveness. The authors use structural equation modeling and regression analysis to estimate the proposed relationships.

Findings

ISMS is positively related to supplier responsiveness in both two- and three-tier SCIS, whereas its effect on manufacturer responsiveness is conditional, indicating that upstream receiving parties benefit more from backward SCIS. ISCM is positively related to supplier responsiveness, demonstrating the transferable effect of backward SCIS.

Practical implications

When designing SCIS strategies, managers should take into account the unequal distribution of benefits from SCIS and the transferable effect of backward SCIS. Specifically, companies should always motivate their downstream partners to engage in SCIS, while they themselves need to be cautious with information sharing. They should also be aware that their information sharing behavior may benefit a third upstream party.

Originality/value

This study provides deep insights into the distribution of the benefits from SCIS among supply chain partners and suggests that the direction and the role supply chain partners play (as receiving or disclosing parties) in SCIS matter.
Movement difficulties in children with ADHD: Comparing the long‐ and short‐form Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency—Second Edition (BOT‐2)
Authors: Mancini Vincent , Rudaizky Daniel , Howlett Sarah , Elizabeth‐Price Jordan , Chen Wai
Published: January 2020

Aims

Up to 50% of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also present with difficulties with motor proficiency. Several assessments of motor proficiency are available for occupational therapists, though the validity of these measures in an ADHD population requires further exploration. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the consistency of scores obtained using the long‐form and short‐form of the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency—Second Edition (BOT‐2) in a school‐age ADHD sample.

Method

The BOT‐2 long‐form was administered to 84 school‐age children (78 males) with ADHD; short‐form scores were extracted from the relevant long‐form items.

Results

Long‐form and short‐form total scores were highly correlated (r = .87), though the average short‐form score was significantly higher. As a categorical measure, 52 children were classified as “at‐risk” for movement difficulties by the long‐form; but only 36 by the short‐form, yielding a false‐negative rate of 30.77%. The sensitivity of short‐form could be improved by raising the cut‐off thresholds of short‐form scores as identified by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis but did not yield practical utility.

Interpretation

As a continuous indicator (i.e. total scores), the short‐form is comparable to the long‐form. However, the short‐form overestimates the child's motor proficiency relative to the long‐form and yields an unacceptably high rate of false negatives as a categorical measure. The current revision of the short‐form is therefore not recommended as a screening nor diagnostic instrument in an ADHD population. In the absence of ADHD‐specific norms, use of the long‐form provides greater opportunity for occupational therapists to identify those at‐risk for movement difficulties. However, any assessment of motor proficiency should be accompanied by a broader comprehensive assessment to best understand a child's motor functioning.
China and Global Governance: Opportunistic Multilateralism
Authors: Kastner Scott L. , Pearson Margaret M. , Rector Chad
Published: January 2020

US policy toward the People's Republic of China (PRC) has come under increasing attack in Washington, as a growing chorus of analysts paints the PRC has a revisionist power seeking to undercut existing multilateral institutions. We observe, however, that China's approach to multilateralism varies across different issue areas, and we argue and show that China's approach differs depending on the strategic landscape of any given context. We conclude that it is thus a mistake to view China through a single lens as either a ‘revisionist’ or a ‘status‐quo’ power.
Nitric oxide: To be or not to be an endocrine hormone?
Authors: Bahadoran Zahra , Carlström Mattias , Mirmiran Parvin , Ghasemi Asghar
Published: January 2020

Nitric oxide (NO), a highly reactive gasotransmitter, is critical for a number of cellular processes and has multiple biological functions. Due to its limited lifetime and diffusion distance, NO has been mainly believed to act in autocrine/paracrine fashion. The increasingly recognized effects of pharmacologically delivered and endogenous NO at a distant site have changed the conventional wisdom and introduced NO as an endocrine signalling molecule. The notion is greatly supported by the detection of a number of NO adducts and their circulatory cycles, which in turn contribute to the transport and delivery of NO bioactivity, remote from the sites of its synthesis. The existence of endocrine sites of synthesis, negative feedback regulation of biosynthesis, integrated storage and transport systems, having an exclusive receptor, that is, soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), and organized circadian rhythmicity make NO something beyond a simple autocrine/paracrine signalling molecule that could qualify for being an endocrine signalling molecule. Here, we discuss hormonal features of NO from the classical endocrine point of view and review available knowledge supporting NO as a true endocrine hormone. This new insight can provide a new framework within which to reinterpret NO biology and its clinical applications.
Editorial: interventions in infantile colic – can efficacy be attributed to treatment or to time?
Authors: Iacovou Marina
Published: January 2020

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Nocerino et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15561 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15627.
Editorial: histologic normalisation in ulcerative colitis
Authors: Pai Rish K. , Jairath Vipul , Feagan Brian G.
Published: January 2020

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Cushing et al and Cushing and Ananthakrishnan papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15568 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15621.
Editorial: inaccuracies in attribution of symptoms due to gluten—not just in those with self‐reported noncoeliac gluten sensitivity. Authors' reply
Authors: Daveson A. James M. , Tye‐Din Jason A. , Anderson Robert P.
Published: January 2020

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Daveson et al and Gibson papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15551 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15620.
Perceived Stigmatization and Disclosure among Individuals in Consensually Nonmonogamous Relationships
Authors: Valadez Adrian M. , Rohde Jaqueline , Tessler Jessica , Beals Kristin
Published: January 2020

The current study aimed to identify common themes regarding stigma and identity disclosure among individuals in Consensually Nonmonogamous (CNM) relationships. Researchers conducted semistructured interviews with participants (N = 8) to gather information about their current or previous CNM relationship(s). Utilizing an Inductive Latent Thematic approach within a Constructivist framework, results indicated that the majority of the participants acknowledged CNM as being a stigmatized identity and were most likely to disclose their relationship to others if the target message recipient was perceived to be affirming and open minded. Several participants discussed their experiences and the potential consequences of being outed. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Development of prediction equation for methane‐related traits in beef cattle under high concentrate diets
Authors: Uemoto Yoshinobu , Ogawa Shinichiro , Satoh Masahiro , Abe Hiroyuki , Terada Fuminori
Published: January 2020

The objective of this study was to develop a prediction equation for methane‐related traits in beef cattle and evaluate this equation using datasets with different cattle breeds and roughage rates. Enteric methane emission (CH4, l/day) was measured using open‐circuit respiration chambers. Dry matter intake (DMI, kg/day), body weight (BW, kg), daily gain (DG, kg), total digestible nutrients (TDN, %DMI), and roughage rate (Rrate, %) were used as independent variables, and methane‐related traits—CH4, CH4 per DMI (CH4/DMI, l/kg), and methane conversion factor (MCF, %)—were used as dependent variables. The best‐fit equations to predict methane‐related traits using a total of 76 records were CH4 = –676.7 + 0.04194 × BW + 29.88 × DMI + 7.883 × TDN + 4.367 × Rrate, CH4/DMI = –52.24 – 1.193 × 10–3 × BW – 5.905 × DG + 1.077 × TDN + 0.5008 × Rrate, and MCF = –11.43 – 5.308 × 10–4 × BW – 1.223 × DG + 0.2336 × TDN + 0.1157 × Rrate. The predictive ability of the developed equations differed between roughage rates but not between breeds. For CH4, the predictive ability of the developed equations was better compared with previously reported equations in the low roughage rate dataset, but not in the high roughage rate dataset. Our results suggest that the developed equations of methane‐related traits can be applied in beef cattle fed with low roughage diets.
Establishment dynamics of native and exotic plants after disturbance along roadsides
Authors: Corcos Daria , Nascimbene Juri , Campesan Marta , Donadello Davide , Segat Veronica , Marini Lorenzo
Published: January 2020

Questions

How does small‐scale soil disturbance influence establishment dynamics of native and exotic species along roadsides? Does soil disturbance provide potential opportunities to exotic invasions along elevational gradients? Does the established plant community after disturbance reflect the surrounding vegetation?

Location

Prealps, Italy.

Methods

To disentangle the role of elevation and soil disturbance in promoting exotic invasions, we performed a manipulative experiment along 12 roads spanning an elevational gradient of ca. 1,200 m. Additionally, we sampled species richness of native and exotic plants in the surroundings of the experimental plots.

Results

Soil disturbance reduced species richness of native plants, total plant biomass and vegetation cover compared to the undisturbed plots. The decrease in species richness of natives and plant biomass was stronger at higher than lower elevations, suggesting higher colonization opportunities for exotics. However, exotic species richness did not increase with disturbance, probably due to a low propagule and colonization pressure. We observed strong species replacement between control and disturbed plots, indicating that plant communities established after disturbance were not a subset of species communities already occurring in the surrounding vegetation.

Conclusions

With increasing elevation, disturbance had a stronger negative effect on native than on exotic species. Higher elevations, hitherto considered to have low invasibility, may provide new potential colonization opportunities for exotics but only if disturbance is coupled with an increased propagule pressure. Disturbance along roadsides promoted the establishment of species that did not occur in the surrounding vegetation.
A new quantile estimator with weights based on a subsampling approach
Authors: Navruz Gözde , Özdemir A. Fırat
Published: January 2020

Quantiles are widely used in both theoretical and applied statistics, and it is important to be able to deploy appropriate quantile estimators. To improve performance in the lower and upper quantiles, especially with small sample sizes, a new quantile estimator is introduced which is a weighted average of all order statistics. The new estimator, denoted NO, has desirable asymptotic properties. Moreover, it offers practical advantages over four estimators in terms of efficiency in most experimental settings. The Harrell–Davis quantile estimator, the default quantile estimator of the R programming language, the Sfakianakis–Verginis SV2 quantile estimator and a kernel quantile estimator. The NO quantile estimator is also utilized in comparing two independent groups with a percentile bootstrap method and, as expected, it is more successful than other estimators in controlling Type I error rates.
Leveraging innovation spaces to foster collaborative innovation
Authors: Caccamo Marta
Published: January 2020

Companies increasingly seek to foster collaborative innovation through the design of innovation spaces such as incubators, accelerators, studios, and fab labs. Innovation spaces bring together multiple actors for collaborative practices to generate new products and processes. Despite their growing popularity, many innovation spaces fail to deliver on their promises and are subsequently shut down. How can innovation spaces foster effective collaborative innovation? This article illustrates the role of space and boundary objects to facilitate collaborative innovation. Based on illustrative examples from the context of business studios, the findings show that innovation spaces enable the four affordances of convergence, generativity, socialization, and collaborative learning. Managers who design and run innovation spaces need to leverage these affordances to propel collaborative innovation.