bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of efficacy and safety between ultrathin bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents and thin durable polymer drug-eluting stents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature
Authors: Zhai Zhen-yu , Li Ju-xiang
Published: October 2019

Objective

Ultrathin bioresorbable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents (BP SES) have been proposed as an alternative to thin durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP DES). Although BP SES show a significant decrease in target lesion failure rates, clear superiority with respect to efficacy and safety of BP SES in comparison to DP EES has not been consistently proven.

Methods and Results

A comprehensive search of several electronic databases identified studies that assessed efficacy and safety of BP SES, compared with DP EES. Relative risks (RRs) were pooled across studies using a fixed-effects model and a random-effect model, respectively, calculating pooled RRs and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity. We retrieved six studies enrolling >7000 patients. BP SES significantly reduced the risk of target vessel myocardial infarction (RR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.64–0.97; I2 = 0%; Test for overall effect: z = 2.24, P = 0.03) in comparison with DP EES using a random-effects model. Use of BP SES was associated with a significant reduction in any myocardial infarction (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70–0.98; I2 = 12%; Test for overall effect: z = 2.19, P = 0.03), using a fixed-effects model. The subgroup analyses demonstrated, following-up ≥2 years, a statistically significant 27% RR increase in the risk of all-case death for patients randomized to BP SES (RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.01–1.60; I2 = 0%; Test for overall effect: z = 2.08, P = 0.04). No differences in cardiac death, stent thrombosis events (STE), target lesion revascularization (TLR) and target vessel revascularization (TVR) between BP SES and DP EES were observed.

Conclusion

BP SES significantly reduced the risk of any myocardial infarction and target vessel myocardial infarction in comparison with DP EES. There were no differences in cardiac death, STE, TLR, TVR and all-cause death with its follow-up time <2 year between BP SES and DP EES. Following-up ≥2 years, a statistically significant 27% RR increase in the risk of all-case death for patients randomized to BP SES was observed.
Strategies to alter the trajectory of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
Authors: Packard Chris J.
Published: October 2019

Purpose of review

Cardiovascular disease prevention trials of lipid lowering with statins have shown unexpected long-term benefits after the formal randomized treatment stopped. This finding needs further exploration because it raises the possibility that the trajectory of the disease can be modified.

Recent findings

Extended follow up data are now available from further major primary prevention studies and from meta-analyses of the legacy effect of statin trials. New outcome studies have been proposed and launched to test the ability of early intervention to slow or regress atherosclerosis.

Legacy effects are apparent in trials of LDL lowering in hypercholesterolemic and hypertensive patient cohorts. Over follow up periods of decades, both cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality are reduced in individuals who received 3 to 5 years of statin therapy. The phenomenon is observed also in studies of intensive glycemic control suggesting that it is possible to impact plaque development with long-term beneficial consequences. Novel strategies for primary prevention are being devised that include the early use of both prolonged-moderate and short-term aggressive LDL lowering.
Common parenting misconceptions regarding infant care: setting the record straight for parents (and some pediatricians)
Authors: Kahan Tamara , Adesman Andrew
Published: October 2019

Purpose of review

First-time parents often turn to friends and family for advice regarding feeding, sleeping, bathing, diapering and toilet training, and childhood illnesses. Unfortunately, parents may at times be given incorrect and potentially dangerous advice as several widely embraced parenting practices are no longer deemed appropriate. In addition, young children are cared for by family and friends – many of whom are older and may still subscribe to outdated parenting practices.

Parents and grandparents are not the only ones who subscribe to child care myths and misconceptions. Pediatricians also believe in the effectiveness of some outdated child care practices. Although some of these parenting myths are relatively benign, others may indeed pose a significant health risk or safety hazard to a young child. The purpose of this article is to review 10 commonly held myths or misconceptions regarding infant care.

Recent findings

In this review article, we not only highlight many of the studies that document which outdated health beliefs are still endorsed by parents and/or pediatricians, but also review the specific health risks associated with these parenting myths or misconceptions.

It is important that pediatricians educate parents and other primary caregivers about the potential risks of following outdated parenting practices.
Implementation of a Risk Assessment Tool to Reduce Aspiration Pneumonia in Nonstroke Patients
Authors: Cipra Elizabeth J.
Published: October 2019

Background:

Aspiration pneumonia is one of the most common forms of pneumonia in hospitalized adults. Aspiration is potentially preventable when healthcare providers take action to decrease its occurrence. Standardized protocols can improve consistency with identification, assessment, and treatment of hospitalized patients at risk of aspiration pneumonia.

Problem/Purpose:

There was no process in place to identify patients at risk of aspiration who did not present with stroke symptoms. The aims of this project were to assess that action steps were taken in patients who assessed positive for aspiration risk and to determine the aspiration risk assessment tool’s impact on the incidence of aspiration pneumonia.

Methods:

After implementing an adapted evidence-based aspiration risk assessment tool and aspiration precautions protocol, consistency of actions taken was assessed descriptively, and rates of aspiration pneumonia were compared from preimplementation to postimplementation using χ
2 analysis.

Interventions:

An aspiration risk assessment tool was adapted to include local hospital findings and implemented.

Results:

All adult patients admitted (n = 10 973) during the initial evaluation period (July 2016 to December 2016) were screened using the adapted aspiration risk assessment tool. Three hundred twenty-six patients (19%) were identified at risk of aspiration and referred to speech therapy for evaluation, with 87.1% evaluated in less than 24 hours. Signs for aspiration risk and speech therapy recommendations were posted on 40% (n = 12). During the 18-month preintervention and postintervention period, hospital-acquired aspiration pneumonia decreased from preimplementation (n = 58 cases/26 738 admissions, 0.22%) to postimplementation (37/28 164, 0.13%), P = .018.

Conclusions:

Implementation of an adapted aspiration risk assessment screening tool to document risk of hospital-acquired aspiration pneumonia and aspiration precautions protocol was associated with a decrease in aspiration pneumonia rates.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient's Journey
Authors: Rosa Javier E. , García María Victoria , Luissi Aurelia , Pierini Florencia , Sabelli Mirtha , Mollerach Florencia , Soriano Enrique R.
Published: October 2019

Objectives

The aims of this study were to establish delay times from articular symptoms onset to first rheumatologist consultation, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis, and treatment initiation with disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy and to assess the impact of delayed diagnosis on structural damage.

Methods

This was an observational cohort study. Rheumatoid arthritis adult patients treated in a private health system between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2016, were included. Electronic medical records were reviewed to obtain clinical and demographic data, dates of first disease symptom, diagnosis, and date of first treatment with DMARDs. Physical function (Health Assessment Questionnaire) and structural damage (Sharp score modified by van der Heijde) were also assessed.

Results

Two hundred forty-six patients (81% female), with a mean age of 67.25 (standard deviation [SD], 14.53) years, were included. At the end of follow-up period, median Health Assessment Questionnaire (n = 145) and radiological scores (n = 171) were 0.125 (interquartile range, 0–0.87) and 15 (interquartile range, 6–33), respectively. A mean of 9.2 (SD, 20) months (median, 3 months) elapsed from the first disease symptom to rheumatologist consultation, 14.2 (SD, 24) months (median, 4.8 months) to RA diagnosis, and 16.9 (SD, 25.4) months (median, 7 months) to treatment initiation with DMARDs. Significantly greater structural damage was found in patients with a diagnosis delay of more than 12 months (n = 70) (p = 0.0325).

Conclusions

Despite good access to medical consultation in a private health system, there is still a delay to RA diagnosis and to start pharmacological therapy. A delay of more than 12 months was significantly associated with greater radiological damage after 5 years of follow-up.
A Very Rare Localization of Rhinolith: Fossa of Rosenmuller
Authors: Aksakal Ceyhun
Published: October 2019

Sixty-five-year old male patient applied to our clinic with nonspecific complaints such as tinnitus, otalgia, headache, halitosis, and persistent globus pharyngeus which had been continued for 5 years. His complaints persisted despite different extensive treatments. In nasoendoscopy, a yellow-colored mass with purulent discharge around was observed in eustachian tube opening in left fossa of Rosenmüller. Computed tomography scan showed a mass of 6 × 6 mm size in left fossa of Rosenmüller. After excision of the mass under local anesthesia, significant reductions were observed in patient's symptoms. Histopathology of the mass was reported as rhinolith. Although fossa of Rosenmüller is a quite rare localization for rhinoliths, it needs to be considered in differential diagnosis of patients with nonspecific symptoms such as halitosis, globus pharyngeus, and otalgia. This report represents a patient with rhinolith localized in fossa of Rosenmüller as the 2nd report in the literature.
Comparison of Lengthening Temporalis Myoplasty and Free-Gracilis Muscle Transfer for Facial Reanimation in Children
Authors: Nguyen Phuong D. , Faschan Kristin S. , Mazzaferro Daniel M. , Konieczny Tami , Jackson Oksana A. , Bartlett Scott P.
Published: October 2019

Background:

Lengthening temporalis myoplasty (LTM) and cross-face nerve graft with free gracilis muscle transfer (CFNG-FGMT) are the 2 most common procedures used to restore dynamic facial animation and improve facial symmetry. There has not been direct comparison or consensus. Here, the authors compare our experience with respect to muscle activity, symmetry, and excursion.

Methods:

A retrospective review was performed of patients with facial palsy who had CFNG-FGMT or LTM from 2008 to 2016 at a single institution. Postoperative surface EMG was recorded at maximum open smile. Normal and paralyzed sides of the face were analyzed with Facial Assessment by Computer Evaluation software. Commissure excursion and symmetry was assessed.

Results:

Six patients with LTM and 10 with CFNG-FGMT met inclusion criteria. Muscle activity was 1st identified in LTM patients after 3 months (47.42 mV, P < 0.001) and CFNG-FGMT patients after 3 months (28.30 mV, P < 0.001) compared to immediate postoperative period. Relative to preoperative excursion, there was significant increase of 3.33 mm in commissure excursion seen at the 0 to 3 month period for LTM patients (P = 0.04). Commisure excursion for CFNG-FGMT was seen later, in the 3- to 6-month postoperative period (4.01, P = 0.024). During smile, CFNG-FGMT patients had better symmetry than unilateral LTM patients. In bilateral LTM patients, there was no significant change in symmetry.

Conclusion:

Dynamic facial animation improved in both surgical groups. The LTM demonstrates a faster rate of muscle recruitment compared to CFNG-FGMT. After 3 months, both LTM and CFNG-FGMT groups had comparable excursions. A decision-making algorithm is presented.
Catastrophic Allergic Fungal Sinusitis: A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Walter Eyal , McKean Erin L. , Camelo-Piragua Sandra I. , Parmar Hemant A. , Trobe Jonathan D.
Published: October 2019

Background:

Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) is a common condition in which sinusitis develops as an IgE-mediated response to common sinonasal fungal organisms. If that response leads to blockage of sinus ostia, bone expansion and erosion by expansive cysts containing dense inspissated debris may occur with the potential for critical neurovascular compression including damage to the anterior visual pathway.

Methods:

Review of clinical and imaging features of 2 patients who sustained catastrophic clinical outcomes.

Results:

The first patient had pansinusitis with massive mucocele-like cysts expanding the sphenoid sinus and cranial base and causing compression of the anterior visual pathway that led to persistent severe vision loss despite extensive sinus surgery. The second patient developed sphenoethmoidal expansion with a marked inflammatory response and presumed conversion to invasive fungal sinusitis that caused anterior visual pathway vision loss, bilateral ocular motor palsies from extension into the cavernous sinuses, and death from a large middle cerebral artery stroke.

Conclusions:

Although AFRS is most often benign and treatable, it may rarely produce catastrophic outcomes, especially if the sphenoid sinus is involved. Irreversible vision loss may occur from compression, and ocular motor palsies and death from conversion to invasive fungal disease. Close ophthalmologic and imaging monitoring is necessary in patients with expanded sinuses, and prophylactic sinus surgery may be indicated in certain cases.
Analysis of online information available for treatment of depression
Authors: Clarke Zachary , Ghezzi Pietro
Published: October 2019

The Internet has become a prime source of health information available to the public. Our aims were to assess the content and quality of online information for the treatment of depression.

We searched, “How to cure depression” on Google and analysed the first 200 websites according to the website typology and a standard health information assessment tool, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria (presence of authorship, date, disclosure, and references). We also analyzed content in terms of treatments mentioned and developed a Quality Indicator Score (QIS) based on the guidelines for treating depression from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

News websites were the most frequent typology followed by health portals, non-profit, professional and government; commercial websites were the least represented. In the top ten websites, news and health portals remained first and second respectively. Antidepressants were the most mentioned treatment, followed by psychotherapy, lifestyle & exercise, social support, diet. The least mentioned interventions were sunlight & light therapy, routine, and ketamine & psychedelics. Commercial websites preferentially mentioned supplements, while ketamine and psychedelic drugs were the most covered by news outlets. Analysing webpages according to our QIS showed the median of NICE recommended treatments was 2.5 out of 5 possible treatments: antidepressants, lifestyle & exercise, psychotherapy, social support and ECT. Government websites had the highest QIS, news and commercial websites the lowest. Webpages with high QIS ranked higher in Google.
speck, first identified in Drosophila melanogaster in 1910, is encoded by the Arylalkalamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT1) gene
Authors: Spana Eric P , Abrams Amanda B , Ellis Katharine T , Klein Jason C , Ruderman Brandon T , Shi Alvin H , Zhu Daniel , Stewart Andrea , May Susan
Published: October 2019

The pigmentation mutation speck is a commonly used recombination marker characterized by a darkly pigmented region at the wing hinge. Identified in 1910 by Thomas Hunt Morgan, speck was characterized by Sturtevant as the most 'workable' mutant in the rightmost region of the second chromosome and eventually localized to 2-107.0 and 60C1-2. Though the first speck mutation was isolated over 115 years ago, speck is still not associated with any gene. Here, as part of an undergraduate-led research effort, we show that speck is encoded by the Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase 1 (AANAT1) gene. Both alleles from the Morgan lab contain a retrotransposon in exon 1 of the RB transcript of the AANAT1 gene. We have also identified a new insertion allele and generated multiple deletion alleles in AANAT1 that all give a strong speck phenotype. In addition, expression of AANAT1 RNAi constructs either ubiquitously or in the dorsal portion of the developing wing generates a similar speck phenotype. We find that speck alleles have additional phenotypes, including ectopic pigmentation in the posterior pupal case, leg joints, cuticular sutures and overall body color. We propose that the acetylated dopamine generated by AANAT1 decreases the dopamine pool available for melanin production. When AANAT1 function is decreased, the excess dopamine enters the melanin pathway to generate the speck phenotype.
Real-time Continuous Hand Motion Myoelectric Decoding by Automated Data Labeling
Authors: Hu Xuhui , Zeng Hong , Chen Dapeng , Zhu Jiahang , Song Aiguo
Published: October 2019

In this paper an automated data labeling (ADL) neural network was proposed to streamline dataset collecting for real-time predicting the continuous motion of hand and wrist, these gestures are only decoded from a surface electromyography (sEMG) array of eight channels. Unlike collecting both the bio-signals and hand motion signals as samples and labels in supervised learning, this algorithm only collects the unlabeled sEMG into an unsupervised neural network, in which the hand motion labels are auto-generated. The coefficient of determination (r2) for three DOFs, i.e. wrist flex/extension, wrist pro/supination, hand open/close, was 0.86, and 0.87 respectively. The comparison between real motion labels and auto-generated labels shows that the latter has earlier response than former. The results of Fitts’ law test indicate that ADL has capability of controlling multi-DOFs simultaneously even though the training set only contains sEMG data from single DOF gesture. Moreover, no more hand motion measurement needed which greatly helps upper-limb amputee imagine the gesture of residual limb to control a dexterous prosthesis.
L1 and B1 repeats blueprint the spatial organization of chromatin
Authors: Lu J. Yuyang , Chang Lei , Li Tong , Wang Ting , Yin Yafei , Zhan Ge , Zhang Ke , Percharde Michelle , Wang Liang , Peng Qi , Yan Pixi , Zhang Hui , Han Xue , Bi Xianju , Shao Wen , Hong Yantao , Wu Zhongyang , Wang Peizhe , Li Wenzhi , Zhang Jing , Chang Zai , Hou Yingping , Li Pilong , Ramalho-Santos Miguel , Na Jie , Xie Wei , Sun Yujie , Shen Xiaohua
Published: October 2019

Despite extensive mapping of three-dimensional (3D) chromatin structures, the basic principles underlying genome folding remain unknown. Here, we report a fundamental role for L1 and B1 retrotransposons in shaping the macroscopic 3D genome structure. Homotypic clustering of B1 and L1 repeats in the nuclear interior or at the nuclear and nucleolar peripheries, respectively, segregates the genome into mutually exclusive nuclear compartments. This spatial segregation of L1 and B1 is conserved in mouse and human cells, and occurs dynamically during establishment of the 3D chromatin structure in early embryogenesis and the cell cycle. Depletion of L1 transcripts drastically disrupts the spatial distributions of L1- and B1-rich compartments. L1 transcripts are strongly associated with L1 DNA sequences and induce phase separation of the heterochromatin protein HP1α. Our results suggest that genomic repeats act as the blueprint of chromatin macrostructure, thus explaining the conserved higher-order structure of chromatin across mammalian cells.
DDIA: data dependent-independent acquisition proteomics - DDA and DIA in a single LC-MS/MS run
Authors: Guan Shenheng , Taylor Paul P. , Han Ziwei , Moran Michael F. , Ma Bin
Published: October 2019

Data dependent acquisition (DDA) and data independent acquisition (DIA) are traditionally separate experimental paradigms in bottom-up proteomics. In this work, we developed a strategy combining the two experimental methods into a single LC-MS/MS run. We call the novel strategy, data dependent-independent acquisition proteomics, or DDIA for short. Peptides identified by conventional and robust DDA identification workflow provide useful information for interrogation of DIA scans. Deep learning based LC-MS/MS property prediction tools, developed previously can be used repeatedly to produce spectral libraries facilitating DIA scan extraction. A complete DDIA data processing pipeline, including modules for iRT vs RT calibration curve generation, DIA extraction classifier training, FDR control has been developed. A key advantage of the DDIA method is that it requires minimal information for processing its data.

GRAPHIC ABSTRACT
Intercellular adhesion stiffness moderates cell decoupling on stiff substrates
Authors: Vargas D. A. , Heck T. , Smeets B. , Ramon H. , Parameswaran H. , Van Oosterwyck H.
Published: October 2019

The interplay between cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions is complex yet necessary for the formation and well-functioning of tissues. The same mechanosensing mechanisms used by the cell to sense its extracellular matrix, also play a role in intercellular interactions. We used the discrete element method to develop a computational model of a deformable cell that includes subcellular components responsible for mechanosensing. We modeled a cell pair in 3D on a patterned substrate, a simple laboratory setup to study intercellular interactions. We explicitly modeled focal adhesions between the cells and the substrate, and adherens junctions between cells. These mechanosensing adhesions matured; their disassembly rate was dictated by the force they carry. We also modeled stress fibers which bind the discrete adhesions and contract. The mechanosensing fibers strengthened upon stalling and exerted higher forces. Traction exerted on the substrate was used to generate maps displaying the magnitude of the tractions along the cell-substrate interface. Simulated traction maps are compared to experimental maps obtained via traction force microscopy. The model recreates the dependence on substrate stiffness of the tractions’ spatial distribution across the cell-substrate interface, the contractile moment of the cell pair, the intercellular force, and the number of focal adhesions. It also recreates the phenomenon of cell decoupling, in which cells exert forces separately when substrate stiffness increases. More importantly, the model provides viable molecular explanations for decoupling. It shows that the implemented mechanosensing mechanisms are responsible for competition between different fiber-adhesion configurations present in the cell pair. The point at which an increasing substrate stiffness becomes as high as that of the cell-cell interface is the tipping point at which configurations that favor cell-substrate adhesion dominate over those favoring cell-cell adhesion. This competition is responsible for decoupling. Additionally, we learn that extent of decoupling is modulated by adherens junction maturation.

Statement of Significance

Cells are sensitive to mechanical factors of their extracellular matrix while simultaneously in contact with other cells. This creates complex intercellular interactions that depend on substrate stiffness and play a role in processes such as development and diseases like cardiac arrhythmia, asthma, and cancer. The simplest cell collective system in vitro is a cell pair on a patterned substrate. We developed a computational model of this system which explains the role of molecular adhesions and contractile fibers in the dynamics of cell-cell interactions on substrates with different stiffness. It is one of the first models of a deformable cell collective based on mechanical principles. It recreates cellular decoupling, a phenomenon in which cells exert forces separately, when substrate stiffness increases.
Ambiguity coding allows accurate inference of evolutionary parameters from alignments in an aggregated state-space
Authors: Weber Claudia C. , Perron Umberto , Casey Dearbhaile , Yang Ziheng , Goldman Nick
Published: October 2019

How can we best learn the history of a protein’s evolution? Ideally, a model of sequence evolution should capture both the process that generates genetic variation and the functional constraints determining which changes are fixed. However, in practical terms the most suitable approach may simply be the one that combines the convenience of easily available input data with the ability to return useful parameter estimates. For example, we might be interested in a measure of the strength of selection (typically obtained using a codon model) or an ancestral structure (obtained using structural modelling based on inferred amino acid sequence and side chain configuration).

But what if data in the relevant state-space are not readily available? We show that it is possible to obtain accurate estimates of the outputs of interest using an established method for handling missing data. Encoding observed characters in an alignment as ambiguous representations of characters in a larger state-space allows the application of models with the desired features to data that lack the resolution that is normally required. This strategy is viable because the evolutionary path taken through the observed space contains information about states that were likely visited in the “unseen” state-space. To illustrate this, we consider two examples with amino acid sequences as input.

We show thatω, a parameter describing the relative strength of selection on non-synonymous and synonymous changes, can be estimated in an unbiased manner using an adapted version of a standard 61-state codon model. Using simulated and empirical data, we find that ancestral amino acid side chain configuration can be inferred by applying a 55-state empirical model to 20-state amino acid data. Where feasible, combining inputs from both ambiguity-coded and fully resolved data improves accuracy. Adding structural information to as few as 12.5% of the sequences in an amino acid alignment results in remarkable ancestral reconstruction performance compared to a benchmark that considers the full rotamer state information. These examples show that our methods permit the recovery of evolutionary information from sequences where it has previously been inaccessible.
The effects of polydisperse crowders on the compaction of the Escherichia coli nucleoid
Authors: Yang Da , Männik Jaana , Retterer Scott T. , Männik Jaan
Published: October 2019

DNA binding proteins, supercoiling, macromolecular crowders, and transient DNA attachments to the cell membrane have all been implicated in the organization of the bacterial chromosome. However, it is unclear what role these factors play in compacting the bacterial DNA into a distinct organelle-like entity, the nucleoid. By analyzing the effects of osmotic shock and mechanical squeezing on Escherichia coli, we show that macromolecular crowders play a dominant role in the compaction of the DNA into the nucleoid. We find that a 30% increase in the crowder concentration from physiological levels leads to a 3-fold decrease in the nucleoid’s volume. The compaction is anisotropic, being higher along the long axes of the cell at low crowding levels. At higher crowding levels the compression becomes isotropic, implying that E. coli nucleoids lack a well-defined backbone. We furthermore show that the compressibility of the nucleoid is not significantly affected by cell growth rates and by prior treatment with rifampicin. The latter results point out that in addition to poly-ribosomes, soluble cytoplasmic proteins have a significant contribution in determining the size of the nucleoid.
Contributions of the conserved insect carbon dioxide receptor subunits to odor detection
Authors: Kumar Arun , Tauxe Genevieve M. , Perry Sarah , Scott Christi A. , Dahanukar Anupama , Ray Anandasankar
Published: October 2019

The CO2 receptor in mosquitoes is broadly tuned to detect many diverse odorants. The receptor consists of three 7-TM subunits (Gr1, Gr2, and Gr3) in mosquitoes but only two subunits in Drosophila: Gr21a (Gr1 ortholog) and Gr63a (Gr3 ortholog). We demonstrate that Gr21a is required for CO2 responses in Drosophila as has been shown for Gr63a. Next, we generate a Drosophila double mutant for Gr21a and Gr63a, and in this background we functionally express combinations of Aedes Gr1, 2, and 3 genes in the “CO2 empty neuron.” Only two subunits, Gr2 and Gr3, suffice for response to CO2. Addition of Gr1 increases sensitivity to CO2 while it decreases the response to pyridine. The inhibitory effect of the antagonist isobutyric acid is observed upon addition of Gr1. Gr1 therefore increases the diversity of ligands of the receptor, and also modulates the response of the receptor complex.
Coincidence of cholinergic pauses, dopaminergic activation and depolarization drives synaptic plasticity in the striatum
Authors: Zhang Yan-Feng , Fisher Simon D. , Oswald Manfred , Wickens Jeffery R. , Reynolds John N. J.
Published: October 2019

Pauses in the firing of tonically-active cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) in the striatum coincide with phasic activation of dopamine neurons during reinforcement learning. However, how this pause influences cellular substrates of learning is unclear. Using two in vivo paradigms, we report that long-term potentiation (LTP) at corticostriatal synapses with spiny projection neurons (SPNs) is dependent on the temporal coincidence of ChI pause and dopamine phasic activation, critically accompanied by SPN depolarization.
Genetic interaction of mammalian IFT-A paralogs regulates cilia disassembly, ciliary protein trafficking, Hedgehog signaling and embryogenesis
Authors: Wang Wei , Allard Bailey A. , Pottorf Tana S. , Vivian Jay L. , Tran Pamela V.
Published: October 2019

Primary cilia are sensory organelles that are essential for eukaryotic development and health. These antenna-like structures are synthesized by intraflagellar transport protein complexes, IFT-B and IFT-A, which mediate bi-directional protein trafficking along the ciliary axoneme. Here using mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF), we investigate the ciliary roles of two mammalian orthologues ofChlamydomonasIFT-A gene,IFT139, namelyThm1(also known asTtc21b) andThm2 (Ttc21a). Thm1loss causes perinatal lethality, andThm2loss allows survival into adulthood. At E14.5, the number ofThm1;Thm2double mutant embryos is lower than that for a Mendelian ratio, indicating deletion ofThm1andThm2causes mid-gestational lethality. We examined the ciliary phenotypes of mutant MEF.Thm1-mutant MEF show decreased cilia assembly, shortened primary cilia, a retrograde IFT defect for IFT and BBS proteins, and reduced ciliary entry of membrane-associated proteins.Thm1-mutant cilia also show a retrograde transport defect for the Hedgehog transducer, Smoothened, and an impaired response to Smoothened agonist, SAG.Thm2-null MEF show normal ciliary dynamics and Hedgehog signaling, but additional loss of aThm1allele impairs response to SAG. Further,Thm1;Thm2double mutant MEF show enhanced cilia disassembly, and relative toThm1-null MEF, increased impairment of IFT81 retrograde transport and of INPP5E ciliary import. Thus,Thm1andThm2have unique and redundant roles in MEF.Thm1regulates cilia assembly, and together withThm2, cilia disassembly. Moreover,Thm1alone and together withThm2, regulates ciliary protein trafficking, Hedgehog signaling, and embryogenesis. These findings shed light on mechanisms underlyingThm1-,Thm2- or IFT-A-mediated ciliopathies.
Evolution in alternating environments with tunable inter-landscape correlations
Authors: Maltas Jeff , McNally Douglas M. , Wood Kevin B.
Published: October 2019

Natural populations are often exposed to temporally varying environments. Evolutionary dynamics in varying environments have been extensively studied, though understanding the effects of varying selection pressures remains challenging. Here we investigate how cycling between a pair of statistically related fitness landscapes affects the evolved fitness of an asexually reproducing population. We construct pairs of fitness landscapes that share global fitness features but are correlated with one another in a tunable way, resulting in landscape pairs with specific correlations. We find that switching between these landscape pairs, depending on the ruggedness of the landscape and the inter-landscape correlation, can either increase or decrease steady-state fitness relative to evolution in single environments. In addition, we show that switching between rugged landscapes often selects for increased fitness in both landscapes, even in situations where the landscapes themselves are anti-correlated. We demonstrate that positively correlated landscapes often possess a shared maximum in both landscapes that allows the population to step through sub-optimal local fitness maxima that often trap single landscape evolution trajectories. Finally, we demonstrate that switching between anti-correlated paired landscapes leads to ergodic-like dynamics where each genotype is populated with nonzero probability, dramatically lowering the steady-state fitness in comparison to single landscape evolution.
Chronic Bilateral Cochlear Implant Stimulation in Early-Deaf Rabbits Restores Neural Binaural Sensitivity
Authors: Sunwoo Woongsang , Delgutte Bertrand , Chung Yoojin
Published: October 2019

Cochlear implant (CI) users with a pre-lingual onset of hearing loss show poor sensitivity to interaural time differences (ITD), an important cue for sound localization and speech reception in noise. Similarly, neural ITD sensitivity in the inferior colliculus (IC) of neonatally-deafened animals is degraded compared to animals deafened as adults. Here, we show that chronic bilateral CI stimulation during development can partly reverse the effect of early-onset deafness on ITD sensitivity. The prevalence of ITD sensitive neurons was restored to the level of adult-deaf rabbits in the early-deaf rabbits that received chronic stimulation with wearable bilateral sound processors during development. In contrast, chronic CI stimulation did not improve temporal coding in early-deaf rabbits. The present study is the first report showing functional restoration of ITD sensitivity with CI stimulation in single neurons and highlights the importance of auditory experience during development.
Antecedents for greening the workforce: implications for green human resource management
Authors: Moktadir Md. Abdul , Dwivedi Ashish , Ali Syed Mithun , Paul Sanjoy Kumar , Kabir Golam , Madaan Jitender
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Green human resource management (GHRM) is an arising issue for the tannery industry in the context of developing economies. As the tannery industry can be seen as one of the highest polluting industries on earth, it becomes imperative for the industry to implement GHRM practices for greening the workforce. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to focus on antecedents that will support the implementation of GHRM practices in the tannery industry supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, an expanded literature review was organized to establish antecedents for implementing GHRM practices. The total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) technique is employed to explore interactions among the identified antecedents. Furthermore, Matriced Impact Croises Multiplication Applique analysis was conducted for determining the driving-dependence power of each antecedent.

Findings

The results revealed that “green selection facility,” “green recruiting facility,” “green organizational culture,” “green purchasing,” “green strategy towards ES,” “regulatory forces towards ES” and “top management commitment towards greening the workforce” are the key antecedents for the exercise of GHRM practices in the tannery industry.

Practical implications

The proposed model might support decision makers to understand the interactions among the antecedents of GHRM practices. This model will help managers to understand the impact of one antecedent on another prior to the implementation of GHRM practices in the tannery industry.

Originality/value

In this study, the author(s) propose a new version of the interpretive structural modeling approach (ISM), named the TISM technique, for determining the contextual interactions between GHRM initiative antecedents that are very new in the existing literature.
A comprehensive decision support approach for credit scoring
Authors: Luo Cuicui
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive decision support approach in credit risk assessment.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive decision support approach is proposed for credit scoring and prediction. The predictive performance of the new approach has been investigated by using data including number and text.

Findings

The results demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves better and more stable classification accuracy than the single classifiers in most cases. Meanwhile, the prediction accuracy of individual classifiers is also improved by the proposed approach.

Originality/value

This study provides a comprehensive model for credit risk scoring and provides valuable information to the existing literature on credit scoring by using artificial intelligence.
Motivations and perceived opportunities for partnerships among international business consultancy firms
Authors: Kindl Eva-Maria , Casais Beatriz
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Consultancy services for internationalisation are crucial to help companies to grow and find new businesses abroad. This kind of service used to be provided by consultancy firms operating in the home country of the clients. Considering the advantages of partnerships that theory has enhanced, this paper aims to identify the motivations and perceived opportunities from consultancy firms to establish business-to-business partnerships with international consultancy companies in other countries, with the purpose of reinforcing international trading.

Design/methodology/approach

As an exploratory study, this paper shows the perspective of 13 interviewed German consultancy managers focused on international business about developing a partnership with international consultancy firms from Portugal.

Findings

Consultants indicate that with mutual benefits, partnerships are welcome. However, the study enhances the importance of signals of status and reputation for international partnerships among business consultancy firms and reveals a lack of knowledge about the market opportunities for internationalisation that might motivate German consultancy firms to establish partnerships with consultancy companies in Portugal.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the low motivation of consultants from a higher-status country to establish partnerships with international business consultancy firms in lower-status countries. The study addresses useful recommendations for consultancy firms, governments and international trade agencies to intensify marketing activities and enhance country reputation and positioning in international business, communicating the opportunities and potential of markets and building signals of status and reputation for international consulting.
Factors Contributing to Energy‐related Financial Stress in Australia
Authors: Best Rohan , Burke Paul J.
Published: October 2019

This paper quantifies factors affecting energy‐related financial stress in Australia, a key economic challenge facing a minority of households. We find that low net wealth is a particularly important factor affecting difficulty in paying energy bills. Having insulation reduces reported difficulties in being able to heat and cool homes. The odds of not paying energy bills on time are doubled by households not having solar panels. Other important factors contributing to energy‐related financial stress include being a renter, being a mortgage holder, having a large number of occupants in a household, and having a resident who requires energy‐consuming medical equipment.
When Are Audit Firms Sued for Financial Reporting Failures and What Are the Lawsuit Outcomes?
Authors: Lennox Clive , Li Bing
Published: October 2019

We examine how often audit firms are sued in a large sample of accounting lawsuits that allege financial reporting failures. We find an insignificant relation between the likelihood of auditor litigation and restatements, but the likelihood of auditor litigation is strongly related to the types of alleged accounting deficiencies. We also find that the auditor's type influences the probability of the auditor being sued and the size of the payouts from auditor and nonauditor defendants. In particular, the Big N firms are approximately 7 percent less likely than non–Big N firms to be named as co‐defendants, and the auditor's contribution to the plaintiff's payout is significantly larger when a Big N firm is sued. Overall, our findings suggest that auditors are rarely blamed when there are allegations of financial reporting failures, but the types of accounting deficiencies and the auditor's type significantly influence the probability of the audit firm being sued and the outcomes of the lawsuits.
Cytochrome P450 1A2 activity and incidence of thyroid disease and cancer after chronic or acute exposure to dioxins
Authors: Samer Caroline Flora , Gloor Yvonne , Rollason Victoria , Guessous Idris , Doffey‐Lazeyras Fabienne , Saurat Jean‐Hilaire , Sorg Olivier , Desmeules Jules , Daali Youssef
Published: October 2019

Background

Dioxin (2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin; TCDD) is the most toxic congener of a family of structurally and mechanistically related persistent organic pollutants whose effects are mediated through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Induction of CYP1A1/2 by TCDD through the AhR depends on the magnitude and the duration of exposure. We aimed to assess CYP1A2 activity after acute and chronic exposure to TCDD. The Maincy cohort is a sample population from Melun in the Val‐de‐Seine region in France that lived for at least 5 years close to a waste incinerator emitting polluted vapours (1974‐2002) with high concentrations of dioxins (up to 2000 times the maximal recommended values). Acute exposure to TCDD (Viktor Yushchenko) has been described elsewhere by Sorg et al (Toxicol. Sci. 2012; 125:310‐317). Both are rare cases of well‐identified source of chronic and acute exposure to TCDD.

Methods

All subjects underwent a full medical history and physical examination and had a cutaneous examination, and a retro‐auricular skin biopsy was taken. A questionnaire was designed and used regarding demographic, personal, environmental and occupational characteristics. CYP1A2 activity was assessed 2 hours after the ingestion of a drink containing caffeine through measurement of the metabolic ratio of paraxanthine (17X) over caffeine (137X) by LC‐MS/MS or LC‐UV. CYP1A1 expression in skin biopsies was determined by immunohistochemical analysis.

Results

Forty‐seven exposed subjects (age 11‐78) and 31 controls were included in the study. Eleven exposed subjects had a history of thyroid disease (23.4%), and 7 (14.8%) had a cancer vs none and 1, respectively, in controls. Nodular skin lesions were found in 13 exposed subjects (27.7%) vs none in controls. Mean CYP1A2 activity of the exposed population was modestly elevated as compared to controls (17X/137X metabolic ratio of 0.475 vs 0.374, P = .051). CYP1A2 was, however, induced (17X/137X, metabolic ratio >0.5) in 27.6% of the exposed cases vs 6.4% of the controls. In contrast, acute dioxin exposure was associated with a strong induction (mean 17X/137X, metabolic ratio of 1.9) still present 29 months after the acute exposure. CYP1A1 was expressed in 59.6% of the skin biopsies (highly expressed in 31.9%) of the Maincy cohort. No correlation between CYP1A2 activity, CYP1A1 expression and clinical manifestations (thyroid disease, cancer, skin lesions) could be demonstrated.

Conclusion

Higher frequencies of dysthyroidism and cancer were detected in the population exposed chronically to dioxins from a waste incinerator. CYP1A2 was induced in 27.6% of the exposed population, while the magnitude of induction was fourfold higher after acute exposure in the case of Yushchenko.
Dare to be different? Investigating the relationship between analyst categorisation hierarchies and corporate social responsibility (CSR) conformity
Authors: Pan Xin , Chen Xuanjin , Yang Mengxi , Chen Xin
Published: October 2019

This paper investigates how analyst categorisation hierarchies (CH) affect corporate social responsibility (CSR) conformity. We argue that firms that are labelled as either high rank or low rank by analysts have higher institutional immunity, while firms that are categorised as middle rank have lower immunity. These heterogeneous institutional immunities will affect the levels of CSR conformity differently. Our results, which originate from a sample of Chinese listed firms from 2009 to 2016, suggest that CH exhibit an inverted‐U‐shaped relationship with CSR conformity. High‐ranked and low‐ranked firms are most likely to be CSR nonconformist, while middle‐ranked firms tend to conduct CSR like the majority of their industry peers. Moreover, we also investigate the environmental boundary conditions of this curvilinear relationship. This relationship is moderated by environmental munificence (positively) and dynamism (negatively). Our findings fill the theoretical gap by proposing an institutional‐based explanation for the CSR conformity heterogeneity which is rarely discussed and extending the boundary conditions for the categorisation‐CSR conformity relationship.