bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Further investigation of the potential anti-neoplastic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions of phenoxybenzamine using the Broad Institute CLUE platform
Authors: Inchiosa Mario A.
Published: September 2019

Previous clinical studies with the FDA-approved alpha-adrenergic antagonist, phenoxybenzamine, showed apparent efficacy to reverse the symptoms and disabilities of the neuropathic condition, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome; also, the anatomic spread and intensity of this syndrome has a proliferative character and it was proposed that phenoxybenzamine may have an anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory mode of action. A previous study gave evidence that phenoxybenzamine had anti-proliferative activity in suppression of growth in several human tumor cell cultures. The same report demonstrated that the drug possessed significant histone deacetylase inhibitory activity. Utilizing the Harvard/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Broad Institute genomic database, CLUE, the present study suggests that the gene expression signature of phenoxybenzamine in malignant cell lines is consistent with anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory activity and suppression of tumor expansion by several possible mechanisms of action. Of particular note, phenoxybenzamine demonstrated signatures that were highly similar to those with glucocorticoid agonist activity. Also, gene expression signatures of phenoxbenzamine were consistent with several agents in each case that were known to suppress tumor proliferation, notably, protein kinase C inhibitors, Heat Shock Protein inhibitors, epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, and glycogen synthase kinase inhibitors. Searches in CLUE also confirmed the earlier observations of strong similarities between gene expression signatures of phenoxybenzamine and several histone deacetylase inhibitors.
Correction of z-motion artefacts to allow population imaging of synaptic activity in awake behaving mice
Authors: Ryan Thomas , Hinojosa Antonio , Vroman Rozan , Papasavvas Christoforos , Lagnado Leon
Published: September 2019

Functional imaging of head-fixed, awake, behaving mice using two-photon imaging of fluorescent activity reporters has become a powerful tool in the studying the function of the brain. Motion artefacts are an inevitable problem during such experiments and are routinely corrected for in x and y dimensions. However, axial (z) shifts of several microns can also occur, leading to intensity fluctuations in structures such as synapses that are small compared to the axial point-spread function of the microscope. Here we present a simple strategy to correct z-motion artefacts arising over the course of a time-series experiment in a single optical plane. Displacement in z was calculated using dye-filled blood vessels as an anatomical marker, providing high contrast images and accuracy to within ∼0.1 µm. The axial profiles of ROIs corresponding to synapses were described using a Moffat function and this “ROI-spread function” used to correct activity traces on an ROI-by-ROI basis. We demonstrate the accuracy and utility of the procedures in simulation experiments using fluorescent beads and then apply them to correcting measurements of synaptic activity in populations of vasoactive-intestinal peptide (VIP) interneurons expressing the synaptic reporter SyGCaMP6f. Correction of z-motion artefacts had a substantial impact on the apparent correlation between synaptic activity and running speed, demonstrating the importance of correcting for these artefacts for the interpretation of in vivo imaging experiments in awake mice.

Summary of Key Points

Motion artefacts associated with motor behaviour are an inevitable problem of multiphoton imaging in awake behaving animals, particularly imaging synapses.

Correction of axial motion usually requires volumetric imaging resulting in slower rates of acquisition.

We describe a method that is easy to implement to correct z-motion artefacts that allows population imaging of synaptic activity while scanning a single plane in a standard multiphoton microscope.

The method uses a reference volume acquired in two colour channels – an activity reporter and an anatomical marker of blood vessels. The procedure estimates the z-displacement in every frame and applies an intensity correction in which the z point-spread function for each synapse is modelled as a Moffat function.

We demonstrate that the method allows synaptic calcium activity signals to be collected from populations of synaptic boutons in mouse primary visual cortex during locomotion.
AFF3 and BACH2 are master regulators of metabolic inflexibility, β/α-cell transition, and dedifferentiation in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Son Jinsook , Ding Hongxu , Accii Domenico , Califano Andrea
Published: September 2019

Type 2 Diabetes is associated with defective insulin secretion, reduced β-cell mass, and increased glucagon production. Cell lineage-tracing in rodents and human autopsy surveys support the notion of β-cell dedifferentiation as a unifying mechanism for these abnormalities. Yet, mechanistic determinants of human β-cell failure remain elusive. Using regulatory-network-based single-cell analysis of human islets, we identify aberrant, diabetes-enriched transitional states characterized by metabolic inflexibility, α/β-transition, and endocrine progenitor/stem cell features. A coordinated transcription factor hierarchy mediating cell state transition emerged and was validated using barcoded guide-based, single-cell gene transfer and calcium flux measures in primary human islet cells. Specifically, two master regulators and associated epigenetic drivers emerged, one (AFF3) controlling β- to α-like-cell reprogramming, the other (BACH2) transition to a dedifferentiated endocrine progenitor-like cell. The findings provide mechanistic insight into diabetic islet cell dysfunction and suggest actionable pathways for pharmacological intervention.
Development of the duodenal, ileal, jejunal and caecal microbiota in chickens
Authors: Glendinning Laura , Watson Kellie A , Watson Mick
Published: September 2019

Background

The chicken intestinal microbiota plays a large role in chicken health and productivity and a greater understanding of its development may lead to interventions to improve chicken nutrition, disease resistance and welfare.

Results

In this study we examine the duodenal, jejunal, ileal and caecal microbiota of chickens from day of hatch to 5 weeks of age (day 1, 3, 7, 14 and week 5). DNA was extracted from intestinal content samples and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced. We identify significant differences in microbial community composition, diversity and richness between samples taken from different locations within the chicken intestinal tract. We also characterise the development of the microbiota at each intestinal site over time.

Conclusions

Our study builds upon existing literature to further characterise the development of the chicken intestinal microbiota.
Global analyses of the dynamics of mammalian microRNA metabolism
Authors: Kingston Elena R. , Bartel David P.
Published: September 2019

Rates of production and degradation together specify microRNA (miRNA) abundance and dynamics. Here, we used approach-to-steady-state metabolic labeling to assess these rates for 176 miRNAs in contact-inhibited mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), 182 miRNAs in dividing MEFs, and 127 miRNAs in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). MicroRNA duplexes, each comprising a mature miRNA and its passenger strand, are produced at rates as fast as 110 ± 50 copies/cell/min, which exceeds rates reported for any mRNAs. These duplexes are rapidly loaded into Argonaute, with <30 min typically required for duplex loading and silencing-complex maturation. Within Argonaute, guide strands have stabilities that vary by 100-fold. Half-lives also vary globally between cell lines, with median values ranging from 11 to 34 h in mESCs and contact-inhibited MEFs, respectively. Moreover, relative half-lives for individual miRNAs vary between cell types, implying the influence of cell-specific factors in dictating turnover rate. The apparent influence of miRNA regions most important for targeting, together with the effect of one target on miR-7 accumulation, suggest that targets fulfill this role. Analysis of the tailing and trimming of miRNA 3′ termini showed that the flux was typically greatest through the isoform tailed with a single uridine, although changes in this flux did not correspond to changes in stability, which suggested that the processes of tailing and trimming might be independent from that of decay. Together, these results establish a framework for describing the dynamics and regulation of miRNAs throughout their life cycle.
Understanding the impacts of Chinese business activity in Kenya from the perspective of locals
Authors: Okumu Charles Onjumi , Fee Anthony
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The authors report a field study examining the perceptions of Kenyan host-country stakeholders toward activities of Chinese businesses in their country, and the consequences of this on the legitimacy that they bestow on pertinent entities.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews and observations across an eight-week period of field research revealed generally negative attitudes toward Chinese businesses, with issues pertinent to moral legitimacy prominent, notably, perceptions of corrupt practices, environmental neglect and profit expatriation.

Findings

The authors also find evidence that these negative attitudes spilled over to contaminate Kenyans’ perceptions of their own government, which respondents associated closely with the activities of Chinese entities.

Originality/value

The authors extend understanding of legitimacy theory and the implications of foreign business activity by highlighting that businesses may be mistaken to believe that their international business activities are politically neutral, and while host governments may believe that the economic benefits arising from attracting foreign business activity can buttress their legitimacy, the perceived activities of these businesses, in the absence of supporting institutional frameworks, may render this counterproductive.
Evaluation and improvement of the credit transfer models in the student exchange process
Authors: Nizam Ali
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Increasing flexibility and student mobility are among the most important objectives of today’s universities. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effects of student exchange process (SEP) on a campus management system (CMS), compare different models and recommend an improvement handling transfer process.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature review of how credit transfer is handled in today’s CMS was conducted to understand the information management methods used in the student transfer process. On this basis, a flexible task-based system design is recommended to facilitate the transfer of educational gains between universities. For evaluating the effectiveness of different system designs in the SEP, the duration of information processing process steps was measured quantitatively via on-site observations and user interview in a university’s horizontal, vertical and the Erasmus student exchange (SE) data.

Findings

Building a flexible system design based on a loosely coupled mapping between curriculum and educational activities, and increasing the self-management capabilities of a student will facilitate managing SE data in an integrated environment and reduce the university staff’s workload considerably.

Originality/value

To the author’s knowledge, this is the first study making quantitatively measurement and comparison of different credit transfer methods of CMSs. Based on this result, the authors have recommended a new flexible method that supports increasing a student’s self-administration capabilities, reducing the workload of university staff, and contributes academic mobility.
Automation, job characteristics and job insecurity
Authors: Coupe Tom
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether specific jobs characteristics, which experts have identified as being more automation proof, are associated with reduced job insecurity.

Design/methodology/approach

Data come from a recent survey providing information on sources of job insecurity as well as on detailed job characteristics. The analysis is based on various regression models.

Findings

People who have jobs that involve lots of personal interaction are less likely to be concerned about losing their job because of automation, or because of other reasons, and are more likely to think their job will exist 50 years from now. Having a creative job does not change these concerns. The share of respondents who fear losing their job to automation is fairly small, and those who do, typically fear other sources of job insecurity as much or even more.

Practical implications

Developing interpersonal skills is more likely to be an effective strategy for reducing job insecurity than developing creative skills. The findings further suggest that policies aimed at automation are unlikely to suffice for the elimination of worry over job loss, as many workers who fear automation at the same time feel there are other reasons that might lead to the loss of their job.

Originality/value

There are very few studies that link fear of losing one’s job to automation to a job’s characteristics. The survey used here is unique in the level of detail provided on job characteristics.
Citizen feedback and executives
Authors: Havaeji Hossein , Albadvi Amir
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design a model in order that government hears citizen voices and welcomes people’s suggestions to improve its performance, it may be regarded as Management By People’s Suggestions.

Design/methodology/approach

After designing a conceptual model, collected data through the responses of 451 questionnaires from nine areas of Iran Territory Development Plan were analyzed using the structural equation model and an ANOVA.

Findings

The results indicate three directions are initiatives for the action of using citizens’ opinions to improve government performance. The directions are as follows: the direction of government strategies moving toward citizens’ needs; the direction of developing a seamless, integrated, coordinated, relationship between citizens and authorities; and the direction of centralizing citizens’ suggestions and criticisms.

Practical implications

This study suggests an approach using citizen feedback to improve government performance in Iran where it appears to be signs of a gap between people and government.

Originality/value

This paper reveals that, before any effort for citizen relationship management, investigations into effective directions which affect citizen–government relationship seems essential.
From green to good supply chains:
Authors: Carbone Valentina , Moatti Valérie , Schoenherr Tobias , Gavirneni Srinagesh
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent dynamic capabilities (DCs) developed in the field of green supply chain management can foster social supply chain performance. In addition, the role of both human and stakeholder capital in enhancing this relationship is investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

Relying on the theoretical framework of the resource-based view, complemented with the DCs perspective, the authors hypothesize about the benefits of a firm’s environmental management capability for its social supply chain performance, as well as the moderating role of both human and stakeholder capital. Our contentions are tested through a multi-year database of socially responsible investments covering 1,177 multinational corporations.

Findings

The findings show that companies can sustain positive and superior social performance in their supply chain by leveraging DCs developed in the environmental field. This impact is further shown to be elevated in the presence of both human and stakeholder capital.

Research limitations/implications

This study represents a snapshot of the transformation process from environmentally to socially responsible supply chains. While the secondary data employed offers unique advantages, secondary data also have limitations.

Social implications

Developing environmental capabilities not only enhances companies’ profitability, but can also lead to better supply chains through improved labor conditions and well-being.

Originality/value

The authors’ shift from a company-centric to a sustainability-centric conceptualization of DCs can open up new opportunities to engage research, potentially leading to high-impact results in the field of sustainable supply chain management. In addition, the authors leverage a secondary data source not frequently utilized in prior work.
Rival team effects in cause-related sports marketing
Authors: Nichols Bridget Satinover , Cobbs Joe , Tyler B. David
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how reference to a rival or favorite sports team within cause-related sports marketing (CRSM) campaigns affects fans’ intentions to support the cause. The purpose of the studies is to assess the perils of featuring a specific team in league-wide activations of cause-related marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

The research comprises three experiments. Study 1 employs CRSM advertising to test fans’ responses when rival or hometown team imagery is featured by Major League Baseball (MLB). Studies 2 and 3 utilize a press release to activate a cause partnership in MLB and the National Basketball Association (NBA) and assess the potential influence of team involvement and schadenfreude toward the rival team.

Findings

Contrary to previous research, results demonstrate that rival team presence in league-wide activation can reduce intentions to support the cause effort across both leagues, but not in all circumstances. The influence of rival team exposure on perceived sincerity is moderated by team involvement with the cause in MLB, but not the NBA. However, sincerity consistently enhances cause support across all studies. While conditional effects of schadenfreude are noted, it is not a significant moderator of cause support.

Research limitations/implications

This research exposes the nuance of league-wide CRSM activations. Specifically, the rival team effect on perceived sincerity seems to be league dependent, and subject to team involvement with the cause. Moreover, these results are limited to the leagues studied.

Practical implications

League administrators and their cause-related partners should exercise due diligence when promoting their affiliation using specific teams and levels of involvement with the cause.

Originality/value

These studies produce results that differ from the limited prior research within the domain of league-wide CRSM, and therefore advance the conversation regarding how best to activate such campaigns.
The effects of self-efficacy, process feedback, and task complexity on escalation of commitment in new product development
Authors: Liang Beichen
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of self-efficacy, process feedback and task complexity on decisions by managers to continue or discontinue a new product after receiving negative performance feedback.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a classroom experiment design and uses logistic regression and a chi-square test to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings of this paper show that self-efficacy, process feedback and task complexity have not only main effects but also interactive effects on managers’ go or no-go decisions; further, the main effects are mediated by interactions. The effect of self-efficacy is moderated by process feedback and task complexity. Process feedback and task complexity also have an interactive effect on decisions about new products by decision-makers.

Research limitations/implications

This paper extends the theory of escalation of commitment (EOC) by showing that self-efficacy, process feedback and task complexity can influence decision-makers’ go or no-go decisions after they have received negative performance feedback.

Practical implications

This paper provides useful guidelines for managers on how to reduce the likelihood of EOC.

Originality/value

The originality and value of this paper lie in its being the first to examine the effects of process feedback and task complexity on the EOC.
How to measure B2B relationship value to increase satisfaction and loyalty
Authors: Ruiz-Martínez Alfonso , Frasquet Marta , Gil-Saura Irene
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the dimensional structure of relationship value by comparing the results of one-dimensional versus multidimensional conceptualisation in the prediction of satisfaction and loyalty in a B2B context.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was carried out and 219 responses were obtained from retail companies in the furniture sector in Spain. The model was estimated using the partial least squares (PLS) approach.

Findings

The results revealed that the multidimensional conceptualisation of relationship value explained satisfaction and loyalty levels to a greater extent than the one-dimensional conceptualisation.

Research limitations/implications

Given the complexity involved in conceptualising relationship value, its study needs to be expanded to encompass other contexts.

Practical implications

Manufacturers should focus their efforts on improving each of the axes of relationship value, to ensure the satisfaction and loyalty of their retail customers.

Originality/value

This study integrates and justifies the measurement of relationship value and its axes in the nomological structure with other relational constructs.
Challenges of implementing lean construction in the construction industry in Bangladesh
Authors: Ahmed Shakil , Sobuz Md Habibur Rahman
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Construction management is ameliorated by the lean construction concept in many direct and indirect ways to reduce waste of construction process and improve the value. The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges of the implementation of lean construction in the Bangladeshi construction industry and to prioritize these factors that constitute these challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature review was used for shorting the global challenges of implementing lean construction. Subsequently, these challenges were incorporated into a structured questionnaire for survey. A total of 164 valid responses were collected from Bangladeshi construction practitioners involved in different types of construction organizations. The results were analyzed using the Relative Important Index (RII) and Mann–WhitneyUtest.

Findings

The findings revealed 41 challenges of lean construction implementation in the Bangladeshi construction industry. The highest ranking challenges are the lack of awareness about lean construction, lack of skills, training and lean techniques, unwillingness to change the existing culture, lack of management commitment, fragmented and cyclic nature of the construction project and unavailing communication between all project participants. The study also discusses some universally applicable solutions to overcome these challenges.

Originality/value

By the findings of this study, the Bangladeshi construction industry could get a new insight into the challenges of implementing lean construction. It could play a very important part in the body of knowledge, as it reveals the challenges of implementing lean construction for the first time with the socio-economic context of Bangladesh. Exploring the findings, the study could help the stakeholders, companies, academician, researchers and government to focus their effort and resources on the significantly appropriate issues. Furthermore, this study may beneficial to those developing countries especially in South Asia, who have shared the same socio-economic status with Bangladesh.
Big Data and analytics in tourism and hospitality: a perspective article
Authors: Mariani Marcello
Published: September 2019

Purpose

This study aims to discuss the evolution of Big Data (BD) and Analytics in the tourism and hospitality field. It analyses the important role that BD has played so far in tourism and hospitality research and delineates how it might evolve in the future.

Design/methodology/approach

In line with the Platinum Jubilee Special Issue of Tourism Review, this work consists of a critical and conceptual analysis including a mini literature review of recent work in the area at the intersection of BD and tourism and hospitality research.

Findings

Findings suggest that tourism and hospitality scholars are increasingly aware of and adopting BD approaches to retrieve, collect, analyse, report and visualise their data. However, a number of avenues for improvement in the use and interpretation of BD and BD analytics as both sets of methods and technology need to be developed. Moreover, BD analytics promise to enhance a number of digital technologies in tourism and hospitality such as AI and IoT that heavily rely on data. As such, the authors envision that a new digital entrepreneurship field might be shaped within the tourism and hospitality literature. Research pathways for future inquiry at the intersection of BD and tourism and hospitality are outlined.

Originality/value

While thinking retrospectively about research revolving around BD and its role in the tourism and hospitality research field so far, this study also addresses the challenges pertaining to how BD research will be conducted in the next seven decades within tourism and hospitality.
Impact of plant functional group and species removals on soil and plant nitrogen and phosphorus across a retrogressive chronosequence
Authors: Wardle David A. , Gundale Michael J. , Kardol Paul , Nilsson Marie‐Charlotte , Fanin Nicolas
Published: September 2019

In the prolonged absence of catastrophic disturbance, ecosystem retrogression occurs, which is characterized by declining soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability, increasing plant and soil N to P ratios, and reduced plant biomass and productivity. It is, however, largely unknown as to how the effects of plant communities on soil nutrients change during retrogression or might contribute to declining nutrient availability as retrogression proceeds.

We studied a well‐characterized system of 30 lake islands in northern Sweden that collectively represent a 5,000‐year post‐fire retrogressive chronosequence. For each island, we established an experiment that involved full factorial removal of three plant functional groups (tree roots, dwarf shrubs and mosses), and of three species of dwarf shrub (Vaccinium myrtillus, V. vitis‐idaea and Empetrum hermaphroditum). After 19 years, we took various measures of soil N and P availability, and measured foliar N and P for each dwarf shrub species, for each plot in the experiment.

Although plant removal effects (and particularly removal of tree roots, shrubs and Vaccinium species) on below‐ground N and P measures sometimes changed during retrogression, this seldom happened in a way that explains the decline in nutrient availability and increase in N to P ratios that characterize ecosystem retrogression. The only exceptions were that the positive effects of tree roots on soil mineral N and P, and of V. myrtillus on soil mineral P, declined during retrogression.

Plant removal effects on community‐level measures of shrub N and P varied greatly across the chronosequence, but these effects again did not align with the changes in soil nutrient availability or N to P ratios that characterize ecosystem retrogression.

Synthesis. Our results suggest that retrogression, and associated changes in nutrient availability and soil N to P ratios, is driven mainly by longer‐term pedogenic processes as opposed to shorter‐term effects of plant communities on soil N and P availability. More generally, they illustrate the value of long‐term and large‐scale experimental manipulations of plant communities for showing how effects of biodiversity loss on ecosystem properties vary across contrasting ecosystems.
School punishment and interpersonal exclusion: Rejection, withdrawal, and separation from friends
Authors: Jacobsen Wade C.
Published: September 2019

School suspension is a common form of punishment in the United States that is disproportionately concentrated among racial minority and disadvantaged youth. In labeling theories, the implication is that such stigmatized sanctions may lead to interpersonal exclusion from normative others and to greater involvement with antisocial peers. I test this implication in the context of rural schools by 1) examining the association between suspension and discontinuity in same‐grade friendship ties, focusing on three mechanisms implied in labeling theories: rejection, withdrawal, and physical separation; 2) testing the association between suspension and increased involvement with antisocial peers; and (3) assessing whether these associations are stronger in smaller schools. Consistent with labeling theories, I find suspension associated with greater discontinuity in friendship ties, based on changes in the respondents’ friendship preferences and self‐reports of their peers. My findings are also consistent with changes in perceptual measures of exclusion. Additionally, I find suspension associated with greater involvement with substance‐using peers. Some but not all of these associations are stronger in smaller rural schools. Given the disproportionate distribution of suspension, my findings indicate that an excessive reliance on this exclusionary form of punishment may foster inequality among these youth.
Characterization of Soluble Glandless Cottonseed Meal Proteins Based on Electrophoresis, Functional Properties, and Microscopic Structure
Authors: Delgado Efren , Valverde‐Quiroz Luisa , Lopez Denisse , Cooke Peter , Valles‐Rosales Delia , Flores Nancy
Published: September 2019

This investigation aimed to extract and characterize the GCSM proteins, determine their solubility potential at two different temperatures and different solvents, and explore their functional properties. During the extraction, no water‐ or ethanol‐soluble protein was found. Most of the protein was extracted with KOH solution. GCSM showed major protein bands between 13,273 and 56,564 Da with an isoelectric point of 5.1. The results showed that extraction temperature and solvent affected the amount of protein extracted from GCSM. The highest protein yield (63.4%) was obtained with KOH at 55 °C. Fat content negatively affected the protein solubility. The highest protein purity (99.9%) was obtained with 6% of fat content and the lowest one with 19% of fat content. GCSM has a high glutamic acid content, followed by arginine and aspartic acid compared to the other amino acids. The essential amino acids make up about 30.0% of the total amino acid concentration in KOH‐soluble fractions. The results showed a denaturation temperature of GCSM protein ranging from 61.4 to 63.6 °C. Scanning electron microscopy reveals a microglobular protein structure. GCSM protein isolate showed lower (P < 0.05) water‐holding and oil‐holding capacity but similar gelation properties as soy protein. GCSM protein shows a high foaming capacity at high pH values and high emulsion stability.

Practical Application

The results of this investigation have a direct impact on the plant protein processing industry. This paper presents a new source of plant protein with a high foaming capacity in alkaline conditions with potential applications for human consumption and feed for aquaculture and animals. The results of this research may impact the cotton producers who can increase their income, and the aquaculture industry will have a cheaper source of protein that can partially substitute the expensive fishmeal. Cottonseed protein can be used to develop high protein extruded snacks and other functional foods, such as plant protein‐based food products.
Genome‐wide DNA methylation analysis using next‐generation sequencing to reveal candidate genes responsible for boar taint in pigs
Authors: Wang X. , Kadarmideen H. N.
Published: September 2019

Boar taint (BT) is an offensive flavor observed in non‐castrated male pigs that reduces the carcass price. Surgical castration effectively avoids the taint but is associated with animal welfare concerns. The functional annotation of farm animal genomes for understanding the biology of complex traits can be used in the selection of breeding animals to achieve favorable phenotypic outcomes. The characterization of pig epigenomes/methylation changes between animals with high and low BT and genome‐wide epigenetic markers that can predict BT are lacking. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing of DNA methylation patterns based on next‐generation sequencing is an efficient technology to identify candidate epigenetic biomarkers associated with BT. Three different BT levels were analyzed using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing data to calculate the methylation levels of cytosine and guanine dinucleotide (CpG) sites. The co‐analysis of differentially methylated CpG sites identified by this study and differentially expressed genes identified by a previous study found 32 significant co‐located genes. The joint analysis of GO terms and pathways revealed that methylation and gene expression of seven candidate genes were associated with BT; in particular, FASN plays a key role in fatty acid biosynthesis, and PEMT might be involved in estrogen regulation and the development of BT. This study is the first to report the genome‐wide DNA methylation profiles of BT in pigs using next‐generation sequencing and summarize candidate genes associated with epigenetic markers of BT, which could contribute to the understanding of the functional biology of BT traits and selective breeding of pigs against BT based on epigenetic biomarkers.
Consumption, Temporality, and Celebration in Contemporary Santiago de Cuba
Authors: Garth Hanna
Published: September 2019

In this article, I argue that the temporal experience of contemporary Cuba must be understood as co‐constituted in both the struggles of daily life and cycles of celebration. As the socialist welfare state has tried to maintain quality of life in post‐Soviet Cuba, the daily work of acquiring basic goods and services has increasingly become a struggle (una lucha). Yet, while everyday life is experienced as a struggle, Cubans are often seen reveling in the joyous experience of celebration at parties or annual festivals. Rather than view these events as spectacular, I argue that they are central to socialist temporality and the lived experiences of the doble moral, a set of shifting values and actions under post‐Soviet Cuban socialism. Analyzing the ways in which Cubans living in Santiago de Cuba experience the celebratory aspect of Carnaval, birthday parties, and La Noche Santiaguera, a weekly street party, I argue that the temporal experiences of anticipation, inversion, and rejuvenation juxtaposed with the quotidian experiences of the struggle (la lucha) are central to the lived experiences of Cubanidad and socialism in Cuba today. [festivals, temporality, consumption, Caribbean, Cuba]
Heparin therapy in placental insufficiency: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Mazarico Edurne , Molinet‐Coll Cristina , Martinez‐Portilla Raigam Jafet , Figueras Francesc
Published: September 2019

Introduction

The objective of this study was to establish whether heparin improves the neonatal outcome of fetuses with suspected placental insufficiency.

Material and methods

Before data extraction, the project was registered in the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration number: CRD42019117627). A systematic search was performed to identify relevant studies, using PubMed, SCOPUS, ISI Web of Knowledge, and PROSPERO database for meta‐analysis. Suspected placental insufficiency was defined as either an estimated fetal weight or abdominal circumference below the 10th centile or when at least 2 of the following criteria were met: (1) abnormal biochemical markers, (2) sonographic evidence of abnormal placental morphology, or (3) abnormal uterine artery Doppler. Heparin in any commercial presentation was defined as the intervention. Mean difference (MD) by random effects model was used. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using Cochran's Q, H, and I2 statistics.

Results

From 1159 assessed studies, two were retained for analysis. The results showed a significantly higher birthweight (MD 365; 95% CI 236 to 494; P < 0.001) and a significant increase of gestational age at birth by 1 week in those women treated with heparin (MD 0.806; 95% CI 0.354 to 1.258; P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in Apgar scores, neonatal admission, neonatal mortality, or composite neonatal morbidity.

Conclusions

In women with very high suspicion of placental insufficiency, heparin may increase fetal growth and prolong pregnancy. There is no evidence for a beneficial effect of heparin in reducing neonatal adverse outcomes.
Bias correction of bounded location error in binary data
Authors: Walker Nelson B. , Hefley Trevor J. , Walsh Daniel P.
Published: September 2019

Binary regression models for spatial data are commonly used in disciplines such as epidemiology and ecology. Many spatially referenced binary data sets suffer from location error, which occurs when the recorded location of an observation differs from its true location. When location error occurs, values of the covariates associated with the true spatial locations of the observations cannot be obtained. We show how a change of support (COS) can be applied to regression models for binary data to provide coefficient estimates when the true values of the covariates are unavailable, but the unknown location of the observations are contained within nonoverlapping arbitrarily shaped polygons. The COS accommodates spatial and nonspatial covariates and preserves the convenient interpretation of methods such as logistic and probit regression. Using a simulation experiment, we compare binary regression models with a COS to naive approaches that ignore location error. We illustrate the flexibility of the COS by modeling individual‐level disease risk in a population using a binary data set where the locations of the observations are unknown but contained within administrative units. Our simulation experiment and data illustration corroborate that conventional regression models for binary data that ignore location error are unreliable, but that the COS can be used to eliminate bias while preserving model choice.
Right heart failure in pulmonary hypertension: Diagnosis and new perspectives on vascular and direct right ventricular treatment
Authors: Tello Khodr , Seeger Werner , Naeije Robert , Vanderpool Rebecca , Ghofrani Hossein Ardeschir , Richter Manuel , Tedford Ryan J. , Bogaard Harm J.
Published: September 2019

Adaptation of right ventricular (RV) function to increased afterload—known as RV–arterial coupling—is a key determinant of prognosis in pulmonary hypertension. However, measurement of RV–arterial coupling is a complex, invasive process involving analysis of the RV pressure–volume relationship during preload reduction over multiple cardiac cycles. Simplified methods have therefore been proposed, including echocardiographic and cardiac MRI approaches. This review describes the available methods for assessment of RV function and RV–arterial coupling and the effects of pharmacotherapy on these variables. Overall, pharmacotherapies for pulmonary hypertension have shown beneficial effects on various measures of RV function, but it is often unclear if these are direct RV effects or indirect results of afterload reduction. Studies of the effects of pharmacotherapies on RV–arterial coupling are limited and mostly restricted to experimental models. Simplified methods to assess RV–arterial coupling should be validated and incorporated into routine clinical follow‐up and future clinical trials.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue on Risk factors, comorbidities, and comedications in cardioprotection. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v178.1/issuetoc
Effect of implant neck design on primary and secondary implant stability in the posterior maxilla: A prospective randomized controlled study
Authors: Eshkol‐Yogev Inbar , Tandlich Moshik , Shapira Lior
Published: September 2019

Objective

To compare the early changes in implant stability of implants with different neck design during the first 3 months of healing in the posterior maxilla.

Materials and methods

Patients were randomized to receive triangular neck implant (test), or round neck implant (control). Resonance frequency analysis (ISQ) measurements were obtained at surgery and at 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, 45, 60, and 90 days following implant placement. Non‐parametric statistic was used for data analysis.

Results

Thirty‐two patients were included (17 test and 15 controls). Initial ISQ values of the test implants were high (mean: 68.4, SD = 8.4) and increased over time (mean: 74.4, SD = 6.0). Control implants presented a statistically significant higher initial ISQ value at implant placement (mean: 76.9, SD = 8.7), which was maintained over the healing period (mean: 77.6, SD = 3.6) with no significant changes between time intervals. After 6 weeks of healing, both implants displayed comparable ISQ values with no differences between the groups. All implants exhibited a decrease in stability on days 2 and 21 post‐placement. All roundneck implants used, and 82% of the triangularneck implants showed initial ISQ values above the suggested threshold for immediate loading (>60).

Conclusions

Implant neck design plays a role in implant primary stability in the posterior maxilla. Both implants show high primary stability, with significantly higher values for the round neck. However, these differences disappeared after 6 weeks of healing. While primary implant stability is partially governed by implant neck design, the role of this result is negligible for the achievement of secondary stability.
Prevalence of traumatic orofacial and dental injury in unidentified bodies—Data from a forensic medicine institute in Brazil
Authors: Villalobos Maria Isabel de Oliveira e Britto , dos Santos Alyssa Sales , Horta Martinho Campolina Rebello , Miranda Geraldo Elias , Bastos Juliana Vilela , Côrtes Maria Ilma de Souza Gruppioni
Published: September 2019

Background/Aim

Orofacial trauma and traumatic dental injuries (TDI) are serious public health problems due to their high prevalence, severe morbidity, high costs of treatment, and long‐term sequelae. However, the extent of the problem may be underestimated since trauma analysis, from a forensic odontology perspective, is not widely represented in the scientific literature. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of traumatic orofacial injuries (TOI) and TDI in unidentified bodies and their association with the cause of death.

Materials and methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted of dental and autopsy reports of unidentified bodies admitted to the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Belo Horizonte (IFM‐BH), Brazil, between 2015 and 2016. The final sample was made up of 536 bodies. Demographic data, the location where the body was found, cause of death, and the presence and type of orofacial trauma were collected.

Results

The mean of the estimated age of the bodies was 38 years and the median was 35 years. Most of the bodies were from males (87.5%) and were found downtown in the city of Belo Horizonte (60.4%). Violence was the most common cause of death (64%), generally by gunshot (48.7%). Bodies with an estimated age ≤35 years were eight times more likely to have died from violent causes. TOI was registered in 50.9% of the reports. TDI was observed in 10.8% of the bodies. Victims of violent death were seven times more likely to present TOI. Such association was not observed when the presence of TDI was considered.

Conclusions

There is a positive association between TOI and violent death in unidentified bodies.
Longitudinal effects of utilising photography on the accuracy of ergonomic self‐assessments amongst dental hygiene students
Authors: Partido Brian B.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the longitudinal effects of feedback involving photography and self‐assessment on the accuracy of ergonomic self‐assessments and ergonomic scores amongst dental hygiene students.

Materials and methods

The study involved an experimental design. Data collection took place over 4 months, divided into weeks 1‐4 and after 3 months. At weeks 1 through 4 and 3 months, all participants completed ergonomic self‐evaluations, using a Modified‐Dental Operator Posture Assessment Instrument. At week 1, week 4 and 3 months, all participants were photographed, and in weeks 2 and 3, only participants in the training group were photographed and used those photographs to complete ergonomic self‐assessments. All participants' photographs were evaluated by three faculty raters.

Results

A mixed‐design ANOVA of Kappa coefficient values between student and rater scores measured the effects of the feedback with photography on the accuracy of student self‐assessments. A main effect for group was not found to be significant (F(1,30) = 2.90, P = .101). A mixed‐design ANOVA measured the effects of the feedback with photography on the ergonomic scores. No significant main effects were found (F(1,120) = 1.55, P = .216).

Conclusion

Although self‐assessment utilising photographs resulted in initial improvements in the accuracy of ergonomic self‐assessments and ergonomic scores after 4 weeks, both ergonomic accuracy and scores significantly decreased after 3 months. Improvement in ergonomic accuracy and scores may be sustained by the continual facilitated use of photographs and self‐assessment by dental and dental hygiene educators.