bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Occult Lymph Node Metastasis Using Tumor-to-Blood Standardized Uptake Ratio and Metabolic Parameters in Clinical N0 Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Ouyang Ming-li , Tang Kun , Xu Man-man , Lin Jie , Li Tian-cheng , Zheng Xiang-wu
Published: August 2018

Purpose

We aimed to investigate whether the tumor-to-blood SUV ratio (SUR) and metabolic parameters of 18F-FDG uptake could predict occult lymph node metastasis (OLM) in clinically node-negative (cN0) lung adenocarcinoma.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 157 patients with cN0 lung adenocarcinoma who underwent both preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT and surgical resection with the systematic lymph node dissection. The SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of the primary tumor was measured on the PET/CT workstation. SURmax, SURmean, and TLGsur were derived from each of them divided by descending aorta SUVmean. These PET parameters and clinicopathological variables were analyzed for OLM.

Results

In our study, OLM was detected in 31 (19.7%) of 157 patients. Significantly higher values of tumor size, SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, TLGsuv, SURmax, SURmean, and TLGsur were found in patients with OLM. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the optimal cutoff values of the above parameters were 29.50, 4.38, 2.45, 6.37, 44.13, 5.30, 1.86, and 28.24, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that TLGsur (odds ratio, 1.024; P = 0.002) was the most potent associated factor for the prediction of OLM in cN0 lung adenocarcinoma.

Conclusions

TLGsur showed the most powerful predictive performance than the other PET parameters for the prediction of OLM in cN0 lung adenocarcinoma. This normalized volumetric parameter would be helpful in selection of sublobar resection or aggressive tailored treatments in patients with cN0 lung adenocarcinoma.
Single-axon-resolution intravital imaging reveals a rapid onset form of Wallerian degeneration in the adult neocortex
Authors: Canty A.J. , Jackson J.S. , Huang L. , Trabalza A. , Bass C. , Little G. , De Paola V
Published: August 2018

Despite the widespread occurrence of axon degeneration in the injured and diseased nervous system, the mechanisms of the degenerative process remain incompletely understood. In particular, the factors that regulate how individual axons degenerate within their native environment in the mammalian brain are unknown. Longitudinal imaging of >120 individually injured cortical axons revealed a threshold length below which injured axons undergo a rapid-onset form of Wallerian degeneration (ROWD). ROWD consistently starts 10 times earlier and is executed 4 times slower than classic Wallerian degeneration (WD). ROWD is dependent on synaptic density, unlike WD, but is independent of axon complexity. Finally, we provide both pharmacological and genetic evidence that a Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent pathway controls cortical axon ROWD independent of transcription in the damaged neurons. Thus, our data redefine the therapeutic window for intervention to maintain neurological function in injured cortical neurons, and support the use ofin vivooptical imaging to gain unique insights into the mechanisms of axon degeneration in the brain.
Mining unknown porcine protein isoforms by tissue-based map of proteome enhances the pig genome annotation
Authors: Zhao Pengju , Zheng Xianrui , Yu Ying , Hou Zhuocheng , Diao Chenguang , Wang Haifei , Kang Huimin , Ning Chao , Li Junhui , Feng Wen , Wang Wen , Liu George E. , Li Bugao , Smith Jacqueline , Chamba Yangzom , Liu Jian-Feng
Published: August 2018

A lack of the complete pig proteome has left a gap in our knowledge of the pig genome and has restricted the feasibility of using pigs as a biomedical model. We developed the tissue-based proteome maps using 34 major normal pig tissues. A total of 7,319 unknown protein isoforms were identified and systematically characterized, including 3,703 novel protein isoforms, 669 protein isoforms from 460 genes symbolized beginning with LOC, and 2,947 protein isoforms without clear NCBI annotation in current pig reference genome. These newly identified protein isoforms were functionally annotated through profiling the pig transcriptome with high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of the same pig tissues, further improving the genome annotation of corresponding protein coding genes. Combining the well-annotated genes that having parallel expression pattern and subcellular witness, we predicted the tissue related subcellular components and potential function for these unknown proteins. Finally, we mined 3,656 orthologous genes for 49.95% of unknown protein isoforms across multiple species, referring to 65 KEGG pathways and 25 disease signaling pathways. These findings provided valuable insights and a rich resource for enhancing studies of pig genomics and biology as well as biomedical model application to human medicine.
Abundance of Whales in West and East Greenland in Summer 2015
Authors: Hansen Rikke G. , Boye Tenna K. , Larsen Rasmus S. , Nielsen Nynne H. , Tervo Outi , Nielsen Rasmus D. , Rasmussen Marianne H. , Sinding Mikkel H.S. , Heide-Jørgensen Mads Peter
Published: August 2018

An aerial line transect survey of whales in West and East Greenland was conducted in August-September 2015. The survey covered the area between the coast of West Greenland and offshore (up to 100 km) to the shelf break. In East Greenland, the survey lines covered the area from the coast up to 50 km offshore crossing the shelf break. A total of 423 sightings of 12 cetacean species were obtained and abundance estimates were developed for common minke whale, from now on called minke whale, (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)(32 sightings), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) (129 sightings), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)(84 sightings), harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)(55 sightings), long-finned pilot whale, from now on called pilot whale, (Globicephala melas)(42 sightings) and white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostri)(50 sightings). The developed at-surface abundance estimates were corrected for both perception bias and availability bias if possible. Data on surface corrections for minke whales and harbour porpoises were collected from whales instrumented with satellite-linked time-depth-recorders. Options for estimation methods are presented and the preferred estimates are: Minke whales: 5,095 (95% CI: 2,171-11,961) in West Greenland and 2,762 (95% CI: 1,160-6,574) in East Greenland, fin whales: 2,215 (95% CI: 1,017-4,823) in West Greenland and 6,440 (95% CI: 3,901-10,632) in East Greenland, humpback whales: 993 (95% CI: 434-2,272) in West Greenland and 4,223 (95%CI: 1,845-9,666) in East Greenland, harbour porpoise: 83,321 (95% CI: 43,377-160,047) in West Greenland and 1,642 (95% CI: 319-8,464) in East Greenland, pilot whales: 9,190 (95% CI: 3,635-23,234) in West Greenland and 258 (95% CI: 50-1,354) in East Greenland, white-beaked dolphins 15,261 (95% CI: 7,048-33,046) in West Greenland and 11,889 (95% CI: 4,710-30,008) in East Greenland. The abundance of cetaceans in coastal areas of East Greenland has not been estimated before, but the limited historical information from the area indicate that the achieved abundance estimates were remarkably high. When comparing the abundance estimates from 2015 in West Greenland with a similar survey conducted in 2007 there is a clear trend towards lower densities in 2015 for the three baleen whale species and white-beaked dolphins. Harbour porpoises and pilot whales however, did not show a similar decline. The decline in baleen whale and white-beaked dolphin abundance is likely due to emigration to the East Greenland shelf areas where recent climate driven changes in pelagic productivity may have accelerated favourable conditions for these species.
The sterol-responsive RNF145 E3 ubiquitin ligase mediates the degradation of HMG-CoA reductase together with gp78 and Hrd1
Authors: Menzies Sam A. , Volkmar Norbert , van den Boomen Dick J. , Timms Richard T. , Dickson Anna S. , Nathan James A. , Lehner Paul J.
Published: August 2018

HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR), the rate-limiting enzyme of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway and the therapeutic target of statins, is post-transcriptionally regulated by sterol-accelerated degradation. Under cholesterol-replete conditions, HMGCR is ubiquitinated and degraded, but the identity of the E3 ubiquitin ligase(s) responsible for mammalian HMGCR turnover remains controversial. Using systematic, unbiased CRISPR/Cas9 genome-wide screens with a sterol-sensitive endogenous HMGCR reporter, we comprehensively map the E3 ligase landscape required for sterol-accelerated HMGCR degradation. We find that RNF145 and gp78, independently co-ordinate HMGCR ubiquitination and degradation. RNF145, a sterol-responsive ER-resident E3 ligase, is unstable but accumulates following sterol depletion. Sterol addition triggers RNF145 recruitment to HMGCR and Insig-1, promoting HMGCR ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation. In the absence of both RNF145 and gp78, Hrd1, a third UBE2G2-dependent ligase partially regulates HMGCR activity. Our findings reveal a critical role for the sterol-responsive RNF145 in HMGCR regulation and elucidate the complexity of sterol-accelerated HMGCR degradation.
Intracellular mechanisms of fungal space searching in microenvironments
Authors: Held Marie , Kaspar Ondrej , Edwards Clive , Nicolau Dan V.
Published: August 2018

The underlying intracellular mechanisms involved in the fungal growth received considerable attention, but the experimental and theoretical work did not take into account the modulation of these processes by constraining microenvironments similar to many natural fungal habitats. To fill this gap in the scientific knowledge, we used time-lapse live-cell imaging of Neurospora crassa growth in custom-built confining microfluidics environments. We show that the position and dynamics of the Spitzenkörper-microtubules system in constraining environments differs markedly from that associated with unconstrained growth. First, when hyphae encounter an obstacle at shallow angles, the Spitzenkörper moves from its central position in the apical dome off-axis towards a contact with the obstacle, thus functioning as a compass preserving the ‘directional memory’ of the initial growth. The trajectory of Spitzenkörper is also followed by microtubules, resulting in a ‘cutting corners’ pattern of the cytoskeleton in constrained geometries. Second, when an obstacle blocks a hypha at nearnormal incidence, the Spitzenkörper-microtubule system temporarily disintegrates, followed by the formation of two equivalent systems in the proto-hyphae – the basis of obstacle-induced branching. Third, a hypha, passing a lateral opening along a wall, continues to grow largely unperturbed while a lateral proto-hypha gradually branches into the opening, which starts forming its own Spitzenkörper-microtubule system. These observations suggest that the Spitzenkörper-microtubules system conserves the directional memory of the hyphae when they navigate around obstacles, but in the absence of the Spitzenkörper-microtubule system during constrainment-induced apical splitting and lateral branching, the probable driving force of obstacle-induced branching is the isotropic turgor pressure.
Comparing the metabolic fates of BALB/c mice maintained on cafeteria-style diets with differential nutritive values
Authors: Zaid Muhammad , Ameer Fatima , Ali Ayesha , Shoukat Zunaira , Rashid Rida , Iqbal Ibrar , Zaidi Nousheen
Published: August 2018

Cafeteria (CAF) diet-fed rodents are shown to provide a robust model of metabolic syndrome and human obesity. The carbohydrate/fat-rich food-items provided to the CAF-diet-model more closely approximate the ultra-processed human diet. However, most of the previous studies applied the commercially available rodent chow-diet for the comparative analyses and labeled it as a healthy-diet. The presented work aims to extend the knowledge on CAF-diet model by exposing the mice to human foods with different nutritional values. Our major goal was to study the metabolic fates of mice maintained on human food-items, which depending upon on their macronutrient compositions are categorized as healthy or unhealthy. BALB/c mice were randomly allocated to one of the three dietary intervention groups, standard chow diet; high-sugar/high-fat-cafeteria (HSHF-CAF) diet; or low-sugar/low-fat-cafeteria (LSLF-CAF) diet, for 5 weeks. The differences in multiple metabolic parameters (including food-/energy /macronutrient-intake, body-weight gain rate, organ-to-body weight ratios, plasma lipid profiles, adipocyte physiology, lipid deposition in metabolic tissues and ectopic fat storage in heart and kidney) were compared among the three intervention groups. We did not observe hyperphagia in mice maintained on CAF-diets. Nonetheless, the CAF-diet-fed mice displayed increased weight-gain-rate, adiposity, and adipocyte hypertrophy when compared to the chow-fed mice. However, the mice maintained on the two cafeteria-style diets displayed similar metabolic profiles, with HSHF-CAF-group displaying slightly higher weight-gain-rate. The HSHF-CAF-and LSLF-CAF-diet induced comparable adiposity in BALB/c mice. Further studies, with longer dietary intervention periods, are required to elucidate the effects of differential CAF-diets on the metabolic health of mice.
Mitochondrial DNA and temperature tolerance in lager yeasts
Authors: Baker EmilyClare P. , Peris David , Moriarty Ryan V. , Li Xueying C. , Fay Justin C. , Hittinger Chris Todd
Published: August 2018

A growing body of research suggests that the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is important for temperature adaptation. In the yeast genusSaccharomyces, species have diverged in temperature tolerance, driving their use in high or low temperature fermentations. Here we experimentally test the role of mtDNA in temperature tolerance in synthetic and industrial hybrids (Saccharomyces cerevisiaexSaccharomyces eubayanus, orSaccharomyces pastorianus), which cold-brew lager beer. We find that the relative temperature tolerances of hybrids correspond to the parent donating mtDNA, allowing us to modulate lager strain temperature preferences. The strong influence of mitotype on the temperature tolerance of otherwise identical hybrid strains provides support for the mitochondrial climactic adaptation hypothesis in yeasts and demonstrates how mitotype has influenced the world's most commonly fermented beverage.

One Sentence Summary

Mitochondrial genome origin affects the temperature tolerance of synthetic and industrial lager-brewing yeast hybrids.
1-Butyl-2,3,3-trimethylindol-1-ium iodide
Authors: Costa Duarte Rodrigo da , Kommers Reimann Louise , Severo Rodembusch Fabiano , Gustavo Teixeira Alves Duarte Luís
Published: August 2018

In the title molecular salt, C15H22N+·I−, the fused-ring system is slightly puckered [dihedral angle between the five- and six-membered rings = 3.43 (8)°]. In the crystal, very weak C—H...I interactions link the cations to the anions. Photophysical data for the title salt in different solvents are presented.
Emotions and eye-tracking of differing age groups searching on e-book wall
Authors: Wu Ko-Chiu , Huang Yi-Hsieh
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of a large e-book touch-wall, on which the visualized interface provides information in a fun, hedonic-oriented fashion on readers of different ages browsing in a public library. The authors examined how emotions exert influence on the information-seeking behaviors of readers.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors investigated the emotions and responsive eye movements of 38 readers in various age groups when operating the touch-wall interface of New Taipei City Library. They were monitored using an eye-tracker and a camera that videotaped their spontaneous facial expressions. A facial affect scoring technique was used to measure emotions and statistical analysis was used to explore the relationships among the scope of eye movements, emotions and information-seeking behavior of readers of different ages.

Findings

Results revealed that participants experienced an array of emotions, such as contemplative, doubtful or peaceful. The older the participant was, the smaller the scope of eye movements was. Scope was also affected by emotions (both positive and negative).

Originality/value

These results serve as useful reference for exploration into human – information interaction, perceived ease of use, affected searching and the formulation of knowledge structures in visualized interfaces.
From walls to experience – servitization of workplaces
Authors: Petrulaitiene Vitalija , Korba Pia , Nenonen Suvi , Jylhä Tuuli , Junnila Seppo
Published: August 2018

Purpose

New ways of working challenge workplace management: increasing mobility and diminishing organizational boundaries require re-evaluation of both workplace design and service delivery. However, structures and processes of workplace management are still traditional, and managers, together with outsourced facility service providers, often do not succeed at fulfilling the needs of mobile employees. The aforementioned changes stimulate discussions in many areas in both industry and academy. Nevertheless, workplace literature from business perspective seems to be scarce. In this paper, the focus is on workplace service offering for mobile knowledge workers. This paper aims to study the current state of workplace servitization. To answer this, the authors identify value offering elements that are used in office business market to deliver workplace as a service.

Design/methodology/approach

This study follows multiple case study methodology including five case studies. Primary data were collected through interviews with workplace service providers. Secondary data included observations and publicly available data. The authors took business model design approach to study selected business offerings.

Findings

The results indicate that workplace business models include elements of servitization on various levels. Physical space is no longer the central offering in the office business; instead, it acts as a component on which the service portfolio is built. The highest value from workplace comes from experience-related service offerings.

Originality/value

Academically, research contributes to the workplace management studies by providing servitization perspective to a topic previously approached with a more technical and psychological point of view. This study can also support service providers and customer organizations in their quest to make service provision more flexible and experience-oriented.
Revisiting the importance of casual dining experience quality: an empirical study
Authors: Hussein Ananda Sabil
Published: August 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the dimensions of experience quality in the area of Indonesia casual dining restaurant. Furthermore, this study scrutinizes the interrelationships among experience quality, customer satisfaction, restaurant image, brand engagement and customer loyalty in Indonesia’s casual dining restaurant industry.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the research objectives, two consecutive studies were conducted. The first study was an exploratory study involving two focus group discussions and survey with self-administered questionnaires. The second study was an explanatory study, in which data were collected through self-administered questionnaires. A total of 405 respondents participated in this study. In the first study, the collected data were analysed by exploratory factor analysis, while partial least squares was used in the second study.

Findings

The result of exploratory factor analysis indicated that casual dining experience quality has four dimensions, namely, food aspects, interaction quality, physical environment and service outcome. This study also tests the interrelationship between experience quality and customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, restaurant image and brand engagement. The hypothesis testing shows that food aspect and interaction quality significantly affect customer satisfaction and restaurant image. Furthermore, customer satisfaction, restaurant image and customer engagement are noted as the antecedents of customer loyalty.

Originality/value

This study explores the dimension of Indonesian casual dining experience, and it proves that the casual dining experience construct based on Indonesian perspectives consists of four dimensions. Moreover, this study builds a comprehensive model to explain the interrelationship among experience quality, restaurant image, customer satisfaction, brand engagement and customer loyalty in the perspective of Indonesian casual dining restaurant.
Small family business in Russia: formal or informal?
Authors: Chepurenko Alexander
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to deal with informal entrepreneurial activity of micro and small family businesses in the specific transitional environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses two cases – an informal micro business (“marginal” family business), and a formal retail small firm (“simpleton” family firm), respectively, of a panel conducted in 2013–2015 in Moscow.

Findings

First, the real distribution of responsibilities between family members is informal; it relies more on interpersonal trust and “common law.” Second, exactly the ease of governing such trust-based businesses for the founders’ generation sets limits of succession of small-scale family businesses. Third, as trust in the state is very low, the policy of Russian authorities to quickly force informal entrepreneurs to become legalized is substantially wrong; the results would be either a transformation of “simpleton” into “marginal” businesses or quitting business.

Research limitations/implications

Research limitations of the study are the number of observations and the localization of the panel only in the capital of Russia.

Practical implications

The fundamental failure of Russian State policy toward small-scale family businesses is its attempt to convince “marginal” to formalize and to oppress “simpleton” family businesses pushing them into informality. In fact, it should be designed vice versa: tolerate “marginal” businesses and let them to “live and die” while shaping a friendly environment for “simpleton” family firms.

Originality/value

The paper argues that the most important facet of informality in small family entrepreneurship is the informal property rights and governance duties’ distribution among the family members.
What influence users’ e-finance continuance intention? The moderating role of trust
Authors: Zhou Wangyue , Tsiga Zayyad , Li Boying , Zheng Shuning , Jiang Shuli
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify antecedents of e-finance continuance intention with Alibaba’s Yu’E Bao as an example.

Design/methodology/approach

An online questionnaire was used to collect the data (n=293), and partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis. Four e-finance features (perceived reputation, website quality, e-finance familiarity and situational normality) are introduced with trust acting as a moderator between the users’ satisfaction and continuance intention to use an e-finance platform.

Findings

The results find that website quality, familiarity and situational normality can influence perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU). PEOU and PU, together with reputation, are positively associated with confirmation which further leads to satisfaction. The positive effects that satisfaction and trust have on e-finance continuance intention are confirmed, and trust is found to be a significant moderator on the relationship between satisfaction and continuance intention.

Practical implications

The findings can be used to guide e-finance providers to improve their platform design and services to retain users.

Originality/value

This study combines the theory of trust, Technology Acceptance Model and Expectations Confirmation Theory to investigate the factors that influence the continuance intention in the context of e-finance in China.
Effect of radiation absorption and buoyancy force on the MHD mixed convection flow of Casson nanofluid embedded with Al50Cu50 alloy nanoparticles
Authors: Ashwinkumar G.P. , C. Sulochana
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the effects of radiation absorption and buoyancy forces on the boundary layer analysis of Casson nanofluid past a vertical plate in a porous enclosure filled with Al50Cu50 alloy nanoparticles.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors reconstructed the controlling equations as a group of nonlinear ODEs and solved analytically using perturbation technique. The vital interest in this analysis is to examine the influence of sundry physical parameters on the common profiles (velocity, temperature and concentration) conferred through the plots. Tabular values are listed to discuss the skin friction factor, heat and mass transfer rates. Dual solutions are observed for Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid cases.

Findings

Acquired results indicate that the Casson fluid plays a major role in controlling heat and mass transfer rates as compared with Newtonian fluid. Also, raise in volume fraction of nanoparticles regulates the thermal fields, discerns the velocity fields. The authors established the comparison of present results with previously published results and they are found in good agreement for limited cases.

Originality/value

Because of the substantial properties of aluminium and its alloys such as, extreme corrosion resistance, exalted electrical and thermal conductivities and ease of fabrication they achieved tremendous applications in transportation especially in space and aircrafts, in the production of electrical transmission lines. In view of these, the current literature is perpetrated to probe the impact of radiation absorption and buoyancy forces on the heat and mass transfer analysis of Casson nanofluid in the presence of Al50Cu50 alloy nanoparticles.
Institutional perspectives of dividend policy in India
Authors: Baker H. Kent , Kapoor Sujata , Jabbouri Imad
Published: August 2018

Purpose

This study aims to examine dividend policy from the perspective of institutional investors in India. It focuses on the level of importance these investors attach to the dividend policy of their investee firms, the level of influence they exercise in shaping such firms’ dividend policies and their reactions to changes in dividends. This study also reports how institutional investors view various explanations for paying dividends.

Design/methodology/approach

A mail survey provides a profile of respondents and their firms, as well as responses to 29 closed-ended questions involving various explanations for paying dividends and 22 closed-ended questions on various dividend issues.

Findings

The evidence shows that Indian institutional investors attach substantial importance to dividend policy and prefer high dividend payments. Their reactions to dividend changes are asymmetric. Taxes are a major driver for why they seek dividends, whereas liquidity needs to play little role in shaping their preferences. The two most commonly used methods of active monitoring are selling shares and communicating concerns to investee companies.

Research limitations/implications

The number of responses limits the ability to test for statistically significant differences between the various competing hypotheses.

Practical implications

The findings support multiple explanations for paying cash dividends and provide new evidence supporting the positive relation between inflation and dividend payments.

Originality/value

This study provides the first survey evidence on the views of institutional investors on dividend policy in India.
Managerial perspectives of big data analytics capability towards product innovation
Authors: Tan Kar Hooi
Published: August 2018

Purpose

Although published research is limited to big data, some research focuses on the challenges that companies face in implementing big data projects. Specifically, in the field of information systems, researchers realize that the success of Big Data projects is not only the result of data and analytics tools and processes, but also includes broader aspects. To address this issue, people have come up with a perception of big data analytics capabilities, often defined as the ability of businesses to take advantage of data management, infrastructure, and talent to turn business into competencies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

The relationship between analytics and organizational performance has been the subject of the extant research. Prior studies have highlighted the direct influence of analytics on organizational performance. For example, big data analytics capabilities are significantly correlated with market performance and operational performance. The mechanisms through which analytics affect organizations were also examined from various perspectives.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
Effect of corporate social responsibility on Jordan pharmaceutical industry’s business performance
Authors: Sharabati Abdel-Aziz Ahmad
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives (social responsibility, economic responsibility and environmental responsibility) on Jordanian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (JPM) industry’s business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study follows a quantitative descriptive design. The data were collected from 116 managers working at seven JPM organizations by questionnaire. After confirming validity and reliability of the tool, the statistical analysis means, standard deviations andt-values were used to test implementation and finally multiple regressions were used to test the hypothesis.

Findings

Results show that there are relationships between CSR variables, and all the three variables are strongly related to business performance. The results also indicate that the three sub-variables together affect JPM industry’s business performance. The environmental responsibility has the highest effect on JPM industry’s business performance, followed by the economic responsibility, and then the social responsibility.

Research limitations/implications

This study was directed toward pharmaceutical industry in Jordan. Generalizing the results to other industries and countries is questionable. Therefore, further research on other industries and countries will help mitigate the issue of generalizing conclusions.

Practical implications

CSR should be formulated clearly within JPM corporate strategy. The elements of CSR need to be integrated with the present performance management criteria, leadership development programs and organizational development programs, and a champion for CSR needs to be assigned.

Social implications

The CSR initiatives should be derived from local culture and match with international initiatives because CSR is the responsibility of every person.

Originality/value

Still the topic of CSR is not well implemented and does not have priority by Jordanian companies; therefore, this study may be considered as one of the few studies dedicated to study this topic and create awareness about it in Jordan.
Density‐dependent disease, life‐history trade‐offs, and the effect of leaf pathogens on a suite of co‐occurring close relatives
Authors: Parker Ingrid M. , Gilbert Gregory S.
Published: August 2018

Plant pathogens reduce the performance of their hosts and therefore may contribute to ecological mechanisms of coexistence. In Chesson’s framework, pathogens contribute to stabilizing mechanisms when they intensify negative intraspecific interactions, such as density‐dependent disease. Additionally, pathogens contribute to equalizing mechanisms when they reduce differences in performance among species. Life‐history trade‐offs predict higher susceptibility to pathogens in rapidly growing species, which could equalize performance among fast‐ and slow‐growing species in the presence of pathogens.

In a coastal prairie in California, we studied the impact of leaf diseases on the performance of 17 co‐occurring species of Trifolium and Medicago (“clovers”). We transplanted clovers in randomized arrays into the natural prairie community in 3 years of common garden experiments. We quantified infection rates by isolating fungi from leaves, and we measured disease severity as per cent leaf area damaged. In a fungicide experiment, we measured the impact of infection on biomass and survival. We assessed whether disease on transplants was positively related to natural abundance of that species in the surrounding community, which we monitored over 5 years. We assessed life‐history trade‐offs by testing whether more rapidly growing species were more susceptible to pathogens.

Rank abundance of clover species was stable over 5 years despite marked environmental fluctuations. Across hosts, fungal infection was not linearly related to density, although transplants of species that were locally absent showed lower and more variable infection. Disease severity was greater for more abundant species, but in only 1 of 3 years, and response to fungicide was not stronger in more abundant species. As predicted by life‐history trade‐offs, faster‐growing species experienced greater fungal infection. However, the impact of that infection was less negative, not more negative, on faster‐growing species.

Our results suggest that life‐history trade‐offs in plant–pathogen interactions may influence equalizing mechanisms among species in this guild, but the combined effects of greater infection with greater tolerance may limit rather than promote coexistence. We also found modest evidence that density‐dependent disease may contribute to stabilizing mechanisms. Lack of host specificity, rapid evolution of host use and temporal variation in climatic conditions may all influence the role that pathogens play in coexistence of these closely related plants.
Do soil biota influence the outcome of novel interactions between plant competitors?
Authors: Cardinaux Aline , Hart Simon P. , Alexander Jake M.
Published: August 2018

Species are shifting their ranges, for example to higher elevations, in response to climate change. Different plant species and soil microbiota will likely shift their ranges at different rates, giving rise to novel communities of plants and soil organisms. However, the ecological consequences of such novel plant–soil interactions are poorly understood. We experimentally simulated scenarios for novel interactions arising between high‐ and low‐elevation plants and soil biota following asynchronous climate change range shifts, asking to what extent the ability of plants to coexist depends on the origin of the soil biota.

In a greenhouse experiment, we grew pairs of low‐ (Poa trivialis and Plantago lanceolata) and high‐ (Poa alpina and Plantago alpina) elevation plant species alone and against a density gradient of con‐ or heterospecific neighbours. Plants grew on sterilized field soil that was inoculated with a soil community sampled from either low or high elevation in the western Swiss Alps. We used the experiment to parameterize competition models, from which we predicted the population‐level outcomes of competition in the presence of the different soil biota.

In the absence of neighbours, three of the four species produced more biomass with the low‐elevation soil biota. As a result of generally similar responses across plant species, soil biota tended not to affect plant interaction outcomes, with the low‐elevation species generally predicted to competitively exclude high‐elevation species irrespective of the soil biota origin. However, the low‐elevation grass Poa trivialis was only able to invade communities of Poa alpina in the presence of a low‐elevation soil biota. This suggests that, at least in some cases, the outcome of novel competitive interactions between plants following climate change will depend on whether shifts in the distribution of plants and soil organisms are asynchronous.

Synthesis. Our results indicate that the changing soil communities that plants encounter during range expansion can influence plant performance. However, this is only likely to alter expectations for the ability of plants to coexist following climate change if plant species respond differently to the change in the soil community.
Accurate predictions of coexistence in natural systems require the inclusion of facilitative interactions and environmental dependency
Authors: Bimler Malyon D. , Stouffer Daniel B. , Lai Hao Ran , Mayfield Margaret M.
Published: August 2018

Coexistence between plant species is well known to depend on the outcomes of species interactions within an environmental context. The incorporation of environmental variation into empirical studies of coexistence are rare, however, due to the complex experiments needed to do so and the lack of feasible modelling approaches for determining how environmental factors alter specific coexistence mechanisms.

In this article, we present a simple modelling framework for assessing how variation in species interactions across environmental gradients impact on niche overlap and fitness differences, two core determinants of coexistence. We use a novel formulation of an annual plant population dynamics model that allows for competitive and facilitative species interactions and for variation in the strength and direction of these interactions across environmental gradients. Using this framework, we examine outcomes of plant–plant interactions between four commonly co‐occurring annual plant species from Western Australian woodlands. We then determine how niche overlap and fitness differences between these species vary across three environmental gradients previously identified as important for structuring diversity patterns in this system: soil phosphorus, shade and water.

We found facilitation to be a widespread phenomenon and that interactions between most species pairs shift between competitive and facilitative across multiple environmental gradients. Environmental conditions also altered the strength, direction and relative variation of both niche overlap and fitness differences in nonlinear and unpredictable ways.

Synthesis. We provide a simple framework for incorporating environmental heterogeneity into explorations of coexistence mechanisms. Our findings highlight the importance of the environment in determining the outcome of species interactions and the potential for pairwise coexistence between species. The prevalence of facilitation in our system indicates a need to improve current theoretical frameworks of coexistence to include noncompetitive interactions and ways of translating these effects into explicit predictions of coexistence. Our study also suggests a need for further research into determining which factors result in consistent responses of niche overlap and fitness differences to environmental variation. Such information will improve our ability to predict outcomes of coexistence, invasion events and responses of whole communities to future environmental change.
Effect of insect herbivory on plant community dynamics under contrasting water availability levels
Authors: Tamburini Giovanni , Dani Elena , Bommarco Riccardo , Marini Lorenzo
Published: August 2018

Plant diversity is impacted by multiple global change drivers but also by altered biotic interactions with antagonist and mutualist organisms that can potentially affect species coexistence.

With a 2‐year, outdoor mesocosm experiment in realistic mesic grassland communities, we explored the role of insect herbivory in impacting plant community dynamics under contrasting levels of water availability simulating altered rainfall regimes. We selected a grasshopper species (Calliptamus italicus L.) feeding predominantly on forbs while avoiding grasses.

High water availability reduced species coexistence, boosting productivity while decreasing individual plant survival. At the community level, herbivores were not able to promote species coexistence but asymmetrically influenced grasses and forbs, reducing forb biomass under high water availability.

Herbivores shaped individual plant responses to both abiotic conditions and individual‐neighbours’ interactions. Herbivores influenced focal plant survival by altering the effect of neighbouring plants, mitigating the negative effect of high neighbour biomass at low water availability and exacerbating it at high level of water availability.

Synthesis. Altered rainfall has the capacity to change the relative strength of plant–plant interactions and also to determine the effects of herbivores on grassland communities. The complexity of the interactions between plants and herbivores and the observed context dependence indicate the need to incorporate multiple biotic and abiotic drivers to fully understand the mechanisms underlying plant dynamics and species coexistence in a changing world.
Isotopic evidence of biotrophy and unusual nitrogen nutrition in soil‐dwelling Hygrophoraceae
Authors: Halbwachs Hans , Easton Gary L. , Bol Roland , Hobbie Erik A. , Garnett Mark H , Peršoh Derek , Dixon Liz , Ostle Nick , Karasch Peter , Griffith Gareth W.
Published: August 2018

Several lines of evidence suggest that the agaricoid, non‐ectomycorrhizal members of the family Hygrophoraceae (waxcaps) are biotrophic with unusual nitrogen nutrition. However, methods for the axenic culture and lab‐based study of these organisms remain to be developed, so our current knowledge is limited to field‐based investigations. Addition of nitrogen, lime or organophosphate pesticide at an experimental field site (Sourhope) suppressed fruiting of waxcap basidiocarps. Furthermore, stable isotope natural abundance in basidiocarps were unusually high in 15N and low in 13C, the latter consistent with mycorrhizal nutritional status. Similar patterns were found in waxcap basidiocarps from diverse habitats across four continents. Additional data from 14C analysis of basidiocarps and 13C pulse label experiments suggest that these fungi are not saprotrophs but rather biotrophic endophytes and possibly mycorrhizal. The consistently high but variable δ15N values (10–20‰) of basidiocarps further indicate that N acquisition or processing differ from other fungi; we suggest that N may be derived from acquisition of N via soil fauna high in the food chain.
Thermodesulfobium sp. strain 3baa, an acidophilic sulfate reducing bacterium forming biofilms triggered by mineral precipitation
Authors: Rüffel Viola , Maar Mona , Dammbrück Markus N. , Hauröder Bärbel , Neu Thomas R. , Meier Jutta
Published: August 2018

Sulfate reducing prokaryotes are promising candidates for the remediation of acidic metal‐rich waste waters. However, only few acidophilic species have been described to date. Chemolithoautotrophic strain 3baa was isolated from sediments of an acidic mine pit lake. Based on its 16S‐rRNA gene sequence it belongs to the genus Thermodesulfobium. It was identified as an acidophile growing in artificial pore water medium in the range of pH 2.6–6.6. Though the highest sulfate reduction rates were obtained at the lower end of this range, elongated cells and extended lag phases demonstrated acid stress. Sulfate reduction at low pH was accompanied by the formation of mineral precipitates strongly adhering to solid surfaces. A structural investigation by laser scanning microscopy, electron microscopy and X‐ray microanalysis revealed the formation of Al hydroxides and Fe sulfides which were densely populated by cells. Al hydroxides precipitated first, enabling initial cell attachment. Colonization of solid surfaces coincided with increased sulfate reducing activity indicating more favourable growth conditions within biofilms compared with free‐living cells. These findings point out the importance of cell–mineral interaction for biofilm formation and contribute to our understanding how sulfate reducing prokaryotes thrive in both natural and engineered systems at low pH.
A new synbiotic dairy food containing lactobionic acid and Lactobacillus casei
Authors: García Cristina , Bautista Lucía , Rendueles Manuel , Díaz Mario
Published: August 2018

As well as its beneficial health properties, the incorporation of the prebiotic lactobionic acid (LBA) in fermented dairy products can provide a technological advantage due to its gelling capacities. This study aimed to develop a new functional dairy product containing LBA synthesised within the process itself by the bacterium Pseudomonas taetrolens. A probiotic Lactobacillus casei strain was introduced through a sequential fermentation system. After incubation, in the case of the most effective experimental procedure, a synbiotic fermented milk with 30 g/L of prebiotic LBA was obtained, together with an active L. casei population of 109 cfu/mL and <1% lactose content.
Insight into metabolic diversity of the brown‐rot basidiomycete Postia placenta responsible for sesquiterpene biosynthesis: semi‐comprehensive screening of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase involved in protoilludene metabolism
Authors: Ichinose Hirofumi , Kitaoka Takuya
Published: August 2018

A wide variety of sesquiterpenoids have been isolated from basidiomycetes, and their bioactive properties have attracted significant attention in an effort to understand biosynthetic machineries. As both sesquiterpene synthases and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases play key roles in the diversification of sesquiterpenoids, it is important to widely and mutually understand their biochemical properties. In this study, we performed genome‐wide annotation and functional characterization of sesquiterpene synthases from the brown‐rot basidiomycete Postia placenta. Using RT‐PCR, we isolated 16 sesquiterpene synthases genes as full‐length cDNAs. Heterologous expression revealed that the sesquiterpene synthases could produce a series of sesquiterpene scaffolds with distinct metabolic profiles. Based on metabolic studies, we identified 25 sesquiterpene scaffolds including Δ6‐protoilludene produced by the sesquiterpene synthases. In particular, a protoilludene synthase from the brown‐rot basidiomycete was characterized for the first time. Furthermore, we conducted a semi‐comprehensive functional screening of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases from P. placenta to elucidate biosynthetic machineries involved in metabolisms of Δ6‐protoilludene. Coexpression of protoilludene synthase and 184 isoforms of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases enabled the identification of CYP5344B1, CYP5348E1 and CYP5348J3, which catalysed the hydroxylation reaction of Δ6‐protoilludene to produce Δ6‐protoilludene‐8‐ol and Δ6‐protoilludene‐5‐ol. Furthermore, structural isomers of Δ7‐protoilludene‐6‐ol were obtained from incubation of Δ6‐protoilludene‐8‐ol in acidic culture medium.