bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-term synaptic depression triggers local biogenesis of autophagic vesicles in dendrites and requires autophagic degradation
Authors: Kallergi Emmanouela , Daskalaki Akrivi-Dimitra , Ioannou Evangelia , Kolaxi Angeliki , Plataki Maria , Haberkant Per , Stein Frank , Savitski Mikhail M , Sidiropoulou Kyriaki , Dalezios Yannis , Nikoletopoulou Vassiliki
Published: March 2020

In neurons, biogenesis of autophagic vesicles (AVs) is spatially confined to the axon tip under baseline conditions. However, it remains unknown whether their biogenesis can be induced in other neuronal compartments following synaptic activity in order to serve local functions. Here, we show that both major types of long-term synaptic depression (LTD), a form of plasticity expressed by the shrinkage and elimination of dendritic spines, trigger the rapid and local biogenesis of AVs in post-synaptic dendrites. In return, autophagy is indispensable for LTD, as either genetic ablation ofatg5in pyramidal neurons or acute pharmacological inhibition of AV biogenesis totally prevents LTD induction. Using quantitative proteomic profiling of purified AVs, we reveal that upon LTD the autophagic cargo is significantly enriched for synaptic proteins, as well as modulators of the actin cytoskeleton and autism-implicated proteins. In line with these findings, a mild autophagy deficit is sufficient to impair behavioral flexibility, a cognitive function that requires efficient LTD. Therefore, local synthesis and assembly of the autophagic machinery in dendrites ensure the elimination of synaptic structures via degradation of their components, facilitating plasticity and associated behaviors.

Graphical Abstract

In brief

Kallergi, Daskalaki and colleagues demonstrate that autophagy is cell autonomously required in pyramidal excitatory neurons for the induction of long-term synaptic depression (LTD). They uncover the novel and local biogenesis of autophagic vesicles (AVs) in dendrites upon LTD, by which post-synaptic components are rapidly accessible on-site for autophagic degradation. Using quantitative proteomics on purified AVs, they reveal that upon LTD the autophagic cargo is enriched in synaptic, cytoskeletal and autism-implicated proteins.

Highlights

Autophagy is required cell-autonomously in pyramidal neurons for LTD.

NMDAR- and mGluR-mediated LTD trigger the local biogenesis of autophagic vesicles in dendrites.

Autophagic vesicles sequester primarily synaptic and cytoskeletal cargo upon LTD.

Mild impairment in autophagy leads to deficits in cognitive flexibility.
Developing a Coarse-Grained Model for Bacterial Cell Walls and Evaluating Mechanical Properties and Free Energy Barriers
Authors: Vaiwala Rakesh , Sharma Pradyumn , Puranik Mrinalini , Ayappa K. Ganapathy
Published: March 2020

The bacterial cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria is a complex biological barrier with multiple layers consisting of the inner membrane, periplasm of peptidoglycan and the outer membrane with lipopolysaccharides (LPS). With rising antimicrobial resistance there is increasing interest in understanding interactions of small molecules with the cell membrane to aid in the development of novel drug molecules. Hence suitable representations of the bacterial membrane are required to carry out meaningful molecular dynamics simulations. Given the complexity of the cell envelope, fully atomistic descriptions of the cell membrane with explicit solvent are computationally prohibitive, allowing limited sampling with small system sizes. However coarse-grained (CG) models such as MARTINI allow one to study phenomena at physiologically relevant length and time scales. Although MARTINI models for lipids and the LPS are available in literature, a suitable CG model of peptidoglycan is lacking. In this manuscript we develop a CG model of the peptidoglycan network within the MARTINI framework using an all-atom model developed by Gumbart et al.1. The model is parametrized to reproduce the structural properties of the glycan strands, such as the end-to-end distance, equilibrium angle between adjacent peptides along the strands and area per disaccharide. Mechanical properties such as the area compressibility and the bending modulus are accurately reproduced. While developing novel antibiotics it is important to assess barrier properties of the peptidogylcan network. We evaluate and compare the free energy of insertion for a thymol molecule using umbrella sampling on both the MARTINI and all-atom peptidoglycan models. The insertion free energy was found to be less than kBT for both the MARTINI and all-atom models. Additional restraint free simulations reveal rapid translocation of thymol across peptidogylcan. We expect that the proposed MARTINI model for peptidoglycan will be useful in understanding phenomena associated with bacterial cell walls at larger length and time scales, thereby overcoming the current limitations of all-atom models.
A family of viral satellites manipulates invading virus gene expression and affects cholera toxin mobilization
Authors: Barth Zachary K , Netter Zoe , Angermeyer Angus , Bhardwaj Pooja , Seed Kimberley D
Published: March 2020

Many viruses possess temporally unfolding gene expression patterns aimed at subverting host defenses, commandeering host metabolism, and ultimately producing a large number of progeny virions. High throughput -omics tools, such as RNA-seq, have dramatically enhanced resolution of expression patterns during infection. Less studied have been viral satellites, mobile genomes that parasitize viruses and have far reaching effects on host-cell fitness. By performing RNA-seq on infection time courses, we have obtained the first time-resolved transcriptomes for bacteriophage satellites during lytic infection. Specifically, we have acquired transcriptomes for the lyticVibrio choleraephage ICP1 and all five known variants of ICP1’s parasite, thePhage Inducible Chromosomal Island-LikeElements (PLEs). PLEs rely on ICP1 for both DNA replication and mobilization, and abolish production of ICP1 progeny in infected cells. We investigated PLEs impact on ICP1 gene expression and found that PLEs did not broadly restrict or reduce ICP1 gene expression. A major exception occurred in ICP1’s capsid morphogenesis operon, which was downregulated by each of the PLE variants. This transcriptional manipulation, conserved among PLEs, has also evolved independently in at least one other phage satellite, suggesting that viral satellites may be under strong selective pressure to reduce the capsid expression of their larger host viruses. Surprisingly, PLEs were also found to alter the gene expression of CTXϕ, the integrative phage that encodes cholera toxin and is necessary for virulence of toxigenicV. cholerae. One PLE, PLE1, upregulated CTXϕ genes involved in replication and integration, and boosted CTXϕ mobility following induction of the SOS response. Our data show that PLEs exhibit conserved manipulation of their host-phage’s gene expression, but divergent effects on CTXϕ, revealing that PLEs can influence both their hosts’ resistance to phage and the mobility of virulence encoding elements.
A Piezo1 Open State Reveals a Multi-fenestrated Ion Permeation Pathway
Authors: Jiang Wenjuan , Del Rosario John Smith , Botello-Smith Wesley , Zhao Siyuan , Lin Yi-chun , Zhang Han , Lacroix Jérôme , Rohacs Tibor , Luo Yun Lyna
Published: March 2020

Force-sensing Piezo channels are essential to many aspects of vertebrate physiology. Activation of Piezo1 is facilitated by the presence of negative membrane lipids in the inner leaflet, such as phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Here, to study how Piezo1 opens, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of Piezo1 in membranes flattened by the periodic boundary effect and with or without PIP2 lipids. The Piezo1 pore spontaneously opens in the asymmetrical bilayer but not in the symmetric membrane or when PIP2 lipids are neutralized. Electrophysiological characterization of putative PIP2-interacting Piezo1 residues suggests the contribution of multiple PIP2 binding sites. Our Piezo1 open state recapitulates ionic selectivity, unitary conductance and mutant phenotypes obtained from numerous experimental studies. Tracking ion diffusion through the open pore reveals the presence of intracellular and extracellular fenestrations, delineating a multi-fenestrated permeation pathway. This open state sheds light on the mechanisms of lipid modulation, permeation, and selectivity in a Piezo channel.
Translational accuracy of a tethered ribosome
Authors: Fabret Celine , Namy Olivier
Published: March 2020

Ribosomes are evolutionary conserved ribonucleoprotein complexes that function as two separate subunits in all kingdoms. During translation initiation, the two subunits assemble to form the mature ribosome, which is responsible for translating the messenger RNA. When the ribosome reaches a stop codon, release factors promote translation termination and peptide release, and recycling factors then dissociate the two subunits, ready for use in a new round of translation. A tethered ribosome, called Ribo-T, in which the two subunits are covalently linked to form a single entity, was recently described inEscherichia coli1. A hybrid ribosomal RNA (rRNA) consisting of both the small and large subunit rRNA sequences was engineered. The ribosome with inseparable subunits generated in this way was shown to be functional and to sustain cell growth. Here, we investigated the translational properties of Ribo-T. We analyzed its behavior in −1 or +1 frameshifting, stop codon readthrough, and internal translation initiation. Our data indicate that covalent attachment of the two subunits modifies the properties of the ribosome, altering its ability to initiate and terminate translation correctly.
Shotgun Metagenomic Analysis Reveals New Insights on Bacterial Community Profiles in Tempeh
Authors: Yulandi Adi , Waturangi Diana Elizabeth , Wahyudi Aris Tri , Suwanto Antonius
Published: March 2020

Objective

Amplicon sequencing targeted 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) has been widely used for the analysis profile of the microbial community from fermented food samples. Previous results of 16S rRNA analysis metagenome showed thatFirmicuteswas the dominantphylumin tempeh. However, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) steps on amplicon sequencing analysis and intragenomic heterogeneity within 16S rRNA are believed to contribute to bias in the estimation of microbial community composition. An alternative approach known as shotgun metagenomic might be able to avoid this limitation. In this study, we employed total metagenomic DNA fragments sequenced directly for taxonomic dan functional profiling analysis.

Result

Taxonomic profiling showed thatProteobacteria,Firmicutes, andBacteroideteswere the dominantphylafrom direct shotgun metagenomic analysis in all tempeh samples. In terms of composition, the shotgun metagenomic study revealed thatProteobacteriawas the most relatively abundant phylum. Functional profiling showed that iron complex outer-membrane recepter protein (KEGG ID: K02014) was the most transcribed genes based on metagenome from tempeh samples.
The Particle Filter Method to Integrate High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Measurement with Biomolecular Simulations
Authors: Fuchigami Sotaro , Niina Toru , Takada Shoji
Published: March 2020

The high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) can observe structural dynamics of biomolecules at single-molecule level in real time near physiological condition, but its spatiotemporal resolution is limited. Complementarily, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have higher spatiotemporal resolutions albeit with some artifact. Here, in order to integrate the HS-AFM data and coarse-grained (CG)-MD simulations, we develop a particle filter method, one of the sequential Bayesian data assimilation approaches. We tested the method in a twin experiment. We first made a reference HS-AFM movie from a CG-MD trajectory of a test molecule, a nucleosome, which serves as an “experimental measurement”. Then, we performed the particle filter simulation with 512 particles that captured large-scale nucleosome structural dynamics compatible with the AFM movie. Comparing the particle filter simulations with 8 - 8192 particles, we found that the use of more particles consistently results in larger likelihood for the whole AFM movie. By comparing the likelihoods from different ionic concentrations and from different timescales, we found that the “true” concentration and timescale can be inferred as the largest likelihood of the whole AFM movie, but not that of each AFM image. The particle filter method provides a general approach to integrate the HS-AFM data with MD simulations.
Uncovering new drug properties in target-based drug-drug similarity networks
Authors: Udrescu Lucreţia , Bogdan Paul , Chiş Aimée , Sîrbu Ioan Ovidiu , Topîrceanu Alexandru , Văruţ Renata-Maria , Udrescu Mihai
Published: March 2020

Despite recent advances in bioinformatics, systems biology, and machine learning, the accurate prediction of drug properties remains an open problem. Indeed, because the biological environment is a complex system, the traditional approach – based on knowledge about the chemical structures – cannot fully explain the nature of interactions between drugs and biological targets. Consequently, in this paper, we propose an unsupervised machine learning approach that uses the information we know about drug-target interactions to infer drug properties. To this end, we define drug similarity based on drug-target interactions and build a weighted Drug-Drug Similarity Network according to the drug-drug similarity relationships. Using an energy-model network layout, we generate drug communities that are associated with specific, dominant drug properties. DrugBank confirms the properties of 59.52% of the drugs in these communities, and 26.98% are existing drug repositioning hints we reconstruct with our DDSN approach. The remaining 13.49% of the drugs seem not to match the dominant pharmacologic property; thus, we consider them as drug repurposing hints. The resources required to test all these repurposing hints are considerable. Therefore we introduce a mechanism of prioritization based on the betweenness/degree node centrality. By using betweenness/degree as an indicator of drug repurposing potential, we select Azelaic acid and Meprobamate as a possible antineoplastic and antifungal, respectively. Finally, we use a test procedure, based on molecular docking, to further analyze the repurposing of Azelaic acid and Meprobamate.
Development of transient expression assay forCannabis sativawhich revealed differentialAgrobacteriumsusceptibility among cannabis cultivars
Authors: Sorokin Alexei , Yadav Narendra Singh , Gaudet Daniel , Kovalchuk Igor
Published: March 2020

In plant biology, transient expression analysis plays a vital role to provide a fast method to study the gene of interest and subsequently leads the path to develop an improved crop variety with better agronomic traits. In this study, we have reported a rapid and efficient method for transient expression inCannabis sativaseedlings usingAgrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation.A. tumefaciensstrain EHA105 carrying the pCAMBIA1301 construct withuidA gene was used to transform cannabis seedlings and the GUS assay was used to detect theuidA expression. A 1% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution was used for both seed sterilization and rapid germination steps. Transient transformation revealed that both cotyledons and young true leaves are amenable to transformation. Comparison toNicotiana tabacum(tobacco) showed that cannabis seedlings were less susceptible to transformation withAgrobacterium tumefaciens. The susceptibility toAgrobacteriuminfection also varied with the different cannabis cultivars. The method established in this study has potential to be an important tool for gene-function studies and genetic improvement in cannabis.
Establishing Prokaryotic Expression System of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene in pigs
Authors: Xiao Hang , Nie Xin-Tian , Ji Xiao-Xia , Yan Shu-ping , Zhu Bin , Zhang Yuan-Shu
Published: March 2020

In this paper, ACE2 gene of pigs was cloned and the purified protein was obtained via the prokaryotic expression system. Polyclonal antibody of high titer and sensitivity was obtained using Wastar rats immunization method and is then used to determine of the expression of ACE2 using immunohistochemistry. The sequence of ACE2 in pigs covered 2418 nucleotides and coded 805 amino acid (aa) residues. Sequence homology analysis showed that the ACE2 sequence in pigs is highly conserved among species at the nucleotide and amino acid levels. Genetic evolution analysis revealed that ACE2 gene in pigs has the shortest genetic distance with that in goats while residing in a totally different branch from that in zebra fishes. Analysis of protein structure predicted that ACE2 protein is a transmembrane secreted protein with high hydrophilicity, containing a signal peptide sequences locating between 1aa to 17aa. The ACE2 fusion protein expressed (under the induction with 1.0 mmol/L IPTG for 10 h) was of approximately 100 kDa and mainly existed in inclusion body. Wastar rats immunization showed that the titer of the anti-ACE2 antiserum in rats was 1: 3200. Western blot showed that the antibody binds specifically. Immunohistochemistry showed that the ACE2 protein was expressed in all major tissues of pigs. It is the first time that polyclonal antibody of ACE2 in pigs was obtained and the expression of ACE2 was confirmed. These results will provide a basis for investigating on ACE2’s biological activity in pigs.
Characterizing the Human Heart Rate Circadian Pacemaker through Widely Available Wearable Devices
Authors: Bowman Clark , Huang Yitong , Walch Olivia J , Fang Yu , Frank Elena , Goldstein Cathy , Sen Srijan , Forger Daniel B.
Published: March 2020

The effects of real-world stimuli and how they vary across individuals remains largely unknown for lack of a continuous real-world circadian marker. Here, we show how an underlying circadian rhythm in heart rate (CRHR) can be extracted from several widely used wearables. Analysis of over 130,000 days of data from medical interns on rotating shifts shows how CRHR dynamics are distinct from those of sleep-wake timing and vary greatly among individuals. Analysis of circadian timekeeping in travelers in 5 continents shows how the circadian timekeeping more carefully controls wake time rather than sleep time. We determine a personalized phase response curve (PRC) of CRHR to activity for each individual, representing the first passive and personalized determination of how human circadian timekeeping continuously changes due to real-world stimuli. These results collectively establish CRHR as a practical method to study circadian rhythms in the real world.

eTOC Blurb

We show how the circadian rhythm in heart rate can be extracted from real world data collected by wearables. Studying data from a large cohort of medical interns working on shifts, we find very interesting dynamics of this circadian rhythm that are independent of the acute effects of activity or sleep-wake timing. These techniques can also determine personalized parameters of circadian timekeeping.
The CDK inhibitor SIAMESE targets both CDKA;1 and CDKB1 complexes to establish endoreplication in trichomes
Authors: Wang Kai , Ndathe Ruth , Kumar Narender , Zeringue Elizabeth A. , Kato Naohiro , Larkin John C.
Published: March 2020

Endoreplication, also known as endoreduplication, is a modified cell cycle in which DNA is replicated without subsequent cell division. Endoreplication plays important roles in both normal plant development and in stress responses. TheSIAMESE(SIM) gene of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) encodes a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that plays an central role in establishing endoreplication, and is the founding member of theSIAMESE-RELATED(SMR) family of plant-specific cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors genes. However, there has been conflicting evidence regarding which specific cyclin/CDK complexes are inhibited by SIM in vivo. In this work, we use genetic evidence to show that SIM likely inhibits both CDKA;1- and CDKB1-containing CDK complexes in vivo to promote endoreplication in developing Arabidopsis trichomes. We also show that SIM interacts with CYCA2;3, a binding partner of CDKB1;1, via SIM Motif A, which we previously identified as a CDK-binding motif. In contrast, SIM Motif C, which has been indicated as a cyclin binding motif in other contexts, appears to be relatively unimportant for interaction between SIM and CYCA2;3. Together with earlier results, our work suggests that SIM and other SMRs likely have a multivalent interaction with CYC/CDK complexes.

One sentence summary

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor SIAMESE (SIM) targets both CDKA;1 and CDKB1 complexes to establish endoreplication, and that SIM interacts with the cyclin CYCA2;3 via SIM Motif A.
Clues on an intraspecific communication system in early plant establishment: The seed-seedling transition from the point of view of a crosstalk between information theory and gene expression
Authors: Ribeiro-Oliveira João Paulo , Silveira Lilian E. D. , Pinto Lilian V. A. , Silva Edvaldo A. A. , Hilhorst Henk W. M.
Published: March 2020

How much interactivity is there in a seed-seedling transition system? The answer for this question can reveal a key aspect for early plant establishment. Thus, we hypothesize that information entropy is correlated with early plant development because it is directly related to interactions between seed-seed, seed-seedling, and seedling-seedling. To test this hypothesis, we perform an overlapping of classical physiological measurements (embryo protrusion), gene expression in germinationsensu stricto, water dynamics in germinating seeds and information theory. For a biological model, we usedSolanum lycocarpumA. St.◻Hil. seeds. This is a Neotropical species with high intra-specific variability in the seed sample. Our finds demonstrate that the dynamic and transient seed-seedling transition system is influenced by the number of individuals (seed or seedling) in the sample, especially at a same physiological stage. In addition, we also discuss that: (i) information entropy enables the quantification of system disturbance relative to individuals in the same physiological stage (seed-seed or seedling-seedling), which may be determinant for embryo growth during germination. (ii) there is possible intraspecific communication in seed-seedling transition systems formed by germinating seeds with the potential to alter the pattern of embryonic development of the sample. In view of this, we suggest the use of information entropy as a tool for studies of biological systems to clarify the phenomenon of mutual stimulation in the germination process.
Rearrangement of macronucleus chromosomes correspond to TAD-like structures of micronucleus chromosomes in Tetrahymena thermophila
Authors: Luo Zhengyu , Hu Tengfei , Jiang Hong , Wang Ruoyu , Xu Qianlan , Zhang Simo , Cao Jun , Song Xiaoyuan
Published: March 2020

The somatic macronucleus (MAC) and germline micronucleus (MIC) of Tetrahymena thermophila differ in chromosome numbers, sizes, functions, transcriptional activities, and cohesin complex location. However, the higher-order chromatin organization in T. thermophila is still largely unknown. Here, we explored the higher-order chromatin organization in the two distinct nuclei of T. thermophila using the Hi-C and HiChIP methods. We found that the meiotic crescent MIC has a specific chromosome interaction pattern, with all the telomeres or centromeres on the five MIC chromosomes clustering together, respectively, which is also helpful to identify the midpoints of centromeres in the MIC. We revealed that the MAC chromosomes lack A/B compartments, topologically associating domains (TADs), and chromatin loops. The MIC chromosomes have TAD-like structures but not A/B compartments and chromatin loops. The boundaries of the TAD-like structures in the MIC are highly consistent with the chromatin breakage sequence (CBS) sites, suggesting that each TAD-like structure of the MIC chromosomes develops into one MAC chromosome during MAC development, which provides a mechanism of the formation of MAC chromosomes during conjugation. Overall, we demonstrated the distinct higher-order chromatin organization in the two nuclei of the T. thermophila and suggest that the higher-order chromatin structures may play important roles during the development of the MAC chromosomes.
High-efficiency ultra-precision comparator for d-spacing mapping measurement of silicon
Authors: Yang Junliang , Li Tang , Zhu Ye , Zhang Xiaowei , Waseda Atsushi , Fujimoto Hiroyuki
Published: March 2020

This article describes a high-efficiency experimental configuration for a self-referenced lattice comparator with a `brush beam' of synchrotron radiation from a bending magnet and two linear position-sensitive photon-counting-type X-ray detectors. The efficiency is more than ten times greater compared with the `pencil-beam' configuration and a pair of zero-dimensional detectors. A solution for correcting the systematic deviation of d-spacing measurements caused by the horizontal non-uniformity of the brush beam is provided. Also, the use of photon-counting-type one-dimensional detectors not only improves the spatial resolution of the measurements remarkably but can also adjust the sample's attitude angles easily.
[1–9-NαC]-Linusorb B3 (Cyclolinopeptide A) dimethyl sulfoxide monosolvate
Authors: Purdy Sarah Kendra , Spasyuk Denis , Chitanda Jackson Mulenga , Reaney Martin J. T.
Published: March 2020

Crystals of the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvate of [1–9-NαC]-linusorb B3 (Cyclolinopeptide A; CLP-A; C57H84N9O9·C2H6OS), a cyclic polypeptide were obtained following peptide extraction and purification from flaxseed oil. There are four intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds. In the crystal, the molecules are linked in chains along the a axis by N—H...O hydrogen bonds. Each DMSO O atom accepts a hydrogen bond from an NH group at the Phe6 location in the CLP-A molecule.
Predicting corporate credit rating based on qualitative information of MD&A transformed using document vectorization techniques
Authors: Choi Jinwook , Suh Yongmoo , Jung Namchul
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of qualitative information extracted from firm’s annual report in predicting corporate credit rating. Qualitative information represented by published reports or management interview has been known as an important source in addition to quantitative information represented by financial values in assigning corporate credit rating in practice. Nevertheless, prior studies have room for further research in that they rarely employed qualitative information in developing prediction model of corporate credit rating.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted three document vectorization methods, Bag-Of-Words (BOW), Word to Vector (Word2Vec) and Document to Vector (Doc2Vec), to transform an unstructured textual data into a numeric vector, so that Machine Learning (ML) algorithms accept it as an input. For the experiments, we used the corpus of Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) section in 10-K financial reports as well as financial variables and corporate credit rating data.

Findings

Experimental results from a series of multi-class classification experiments show the predictive models trained by both financial variables and vectors extracted from MD&A data outperform the benchmark models trained only by traditional financial variables.

Originality/value

This study proposed a new approach for corporate credit rating prediction by using qualitative information extracted from MD&A documents as an input to ML-based prediction models. Also, this research adopted and compared three textual vectorization methods in the domain of corporate credit rating prediction and showed that BOW mostly outperformed Word2Vec and Doc2Vec.
Development of a modular garment assembly line simulator
Authors: Kim Eung Tae , Kim Sungmin
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a modular garment assembly line simulator that can be used for various production methods such as traditional mass production or modern small quantity batch production.

Design/methodology/approach

For realistic simulation, the actual shape and sewing information of the garment patterns were used. The assembly line consists of process units including the cutter, preprocessor, module assembly, final assembly, finish, and stack units. Any number of units can be arranged and connected to form various layouts. The simulation can be run at an arbitrary speed.

Findings

This system can be used to estimate the time required to process the given order for a specific layout. Therefore, it can be utilized as the basis for optimum production line design.

Originality/value

This system is expected to be utilized by garment manufacturers for obtaining the productivity improvement, production cost reduction, and increased competitiveness.
Building a destination image: images of exclusiveness and refuge
Authors: de Castro Mendes Bruna , Jose Cavenaghi Airton
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight the political influences that account for the destination image of a tourist city: Campos do Jordão, São Paulo State, Brazil. The study took into consideration the collective imagination and its influence on the formation of touristic destinations.

Design/methodology/approach

Descriptive study based on literature and document review, accompanied by an analysis of texts and photos available on non-official websites – about Campos do Jordão – from November to December 2018 and by visits to selected location.

Findings

“Charm”, “refinement” and “sophistication” are the most frequently used words to describe Campos do Jordão, which remains a symbol of exclusiveness and refuge for the highest social classes. These images are shaped by political and economic influences.

Research limitations/implications

The investigation focussed on a single city. Also, as it is an analytical study aimed at showing the permanence of preconceived values used to build the image of a destination it is not possible to talk about extrapolating the present study to other cities. In addition, the research was done by using the reproduction of physical and cultural aspects in addition to the use of European landscapes structures and values in a locality with an exceptional environmental context.

Social implications

Many of the images connected to Campos do Jordão are replicated by local citizens, a fact that evidences the importance of associative memory, which concerns memories citizens have of their living space. The social implications presented herein seek to recover the formative memories of the assessed city, although it is not the focus of the current study. Assumingly, becoming an active segment of the tourism sector is the only way for local citizens to appropriate the city.

Originality/value

The influence of local government and public actions in tourism construction and in the image linked to the city is used as a case study. Building a touristic imagination demands a wide range of businesses, but this process takes time and effort, as highlighted by the applied documental review; it would not happen without the straight interference of the public sector through the local government.
Understanding security in the government's use of blockchain technology with value focused thinking approach
Authors: Tshering Gaki , Gao Shang
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of the research is to assess security concerns in government's use of Blockchain technology through the lens of value focused thinking (VFT) approach.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative methods such as open ended questions and interviews were used to gather data and the data was analysed in a structured approach to formulate a means-ends network of objectives. The data were collected from eight interviews of selected participants.

Findings

The findings are 35 objectives of which ten are fundamental objectives related to the values of identity, trust, data privacy, transparency, integrity, public service delivery, cost, availability of public information, responsibility and usability.

Practical implications

The study implies that governments or private organisations building blockchain solutions for governments can benefit from insights on values to focus on in blockchain security; and the current research serves as a base to understand more on blockchain use in the governments as well as security values and application of VFT approach for future academic researchers in this area.

Social implications

It is a need-driven approach in which blockchain is assessed to ensure its fit to societal needs and public values.

Originality/value

It is first of its kind in studying security in blockchain use by government through the lens of VFT approach, and it provides insights of values that are of importance to further blockchain use in the government.
What really matters for startups in luxury: entrepreneurial luxury excellence
Authors: Ehrensperger Elena , Erkhova Daria , Yadavalli Aparna , Krohmer Harley
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify luxury-specific entrepreneurial success factors that, in addition to the well-established general success factors of startups, drive the performance of startups in the luxury industry. The study proposes a contingency perspective on the success factors of startups by examining entrepreneurial excellence in one specific context, the luxury context.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a qualitative research design, with 24 semi-structured in-depth interviews with senior executives of Swiss luxury startups as key informants. The data is analyzed using the grounded theory approach.

Findings

The study develops a new construct of entrepreneurial luxury excellence consisting of two dimensions, resource-related excellence and strategy-related excellence, and identifies the underlying specific success factors related to these two dimensions of entrepreneurial luxury excellence.

Research limitations/implications

The study advances research on strategic entrepreneurship as it combines a holistic approach to managerial success factors of startups with a contingency perspective on them. It also adds to the existing body of research on luxury management where studies with a focus on industry newcomers are still a new domain.

Practical implications

The study makes important implications for luxury entrepreneurs and other stakeholders (e.g. investors) by showing that the success factors of luxury startups might differ from those of startups in other industries.

Originality/value

The paper identifies a new construct – entrepreneurial luxury excellence.
Business model innovation as a turnaround strategy
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Shahri Masoumeh , Nematollahi Sarvestani Maryam
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to determine the firms, innovations in the cases that have successfully overcome a decline and also to assess whether these innovations can be considered as business model innovations.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the data was collected from analyzing four case studies in different businesses through semistructured interviews with relevant internal experts.

Findings

The findings revealed that the innovation that had been taken was related to the constructs of their existing business model. Therefore, the business model innovation functions as a critical practice of turnaround strategy in the decline period.

Research limitations/implications

The article provides the most important business model constructs in each business through which the related firm could overcome a decline in their life cycle. Since this paper has been studied in different unrelated businesses and due to the qualitative research nature, generalization cannot be ensured.

Practical implications

From the practical and managerial point of view, this article is useful as it defines the most important business model components in each industry and based on it, the similar companies can do innovation in their business model. It also helps the related companies in the same industry to develop and design their specific turnaround strategies.

Originality/value

So far, rare research has seen business model innovation as a turnaround strategy, and it can be claimed that till now, no research has been conducted in Iran in this context. Therefore, the business practitioners can employ innovation on the components of their existing business model to overcome a decline.
How does Islamic fintech promote the SDGs? Qualitative evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Hudaefi Fahmi Ali
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore the existing Islamic financial technology (fintech) lending in Indonesia. Doing so is to better understand in what way the fintech firms have been promoting the global movement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the local context.

Design/methodology/approach

This study engages qualitative methods. This paper first reviews relevant literature related to fintech and establishes the substantive definition of Islamic fintech. Further, the existing literature of SDGs is explored to understand its original idea and its recent implementation, particularly in Indonesia. Following this, the official reports from the domestic regulators are referred to select the fintech firms which meet the criteria of Islamic fintech lending based on the proposed definition. The selected firms are then analysed based on several themes which best capture their position in promoting the SDGs. Finally, the discussion is linked to the recent performance of Indonesia in implementing SDGs.

Findings

This work finds that the reviewed fintech firms have been promoting the idea of financial inclusion, for example, financing the underdeveloped sectors such as agriculture and small and micro enterprises (SMEs). Furthermore, the selected fintech firms are also found to collect and distribute Islamic social funds such as infaq (charity spending), waqf (endowment) and sadaqah (voluntary charity). Besides, the firms are also found to initiate charity programmes for underprivileged community. In some degree, these findings are synonymous of the firms’ effort in promoting SDG of ending poverty (SDG 1) and hunger (SDG 2) and reducing the inequalities (SDG 10).

Research limitations/implications

The discussion of this work does not provide any positivist generalisation due to the method used.

Practical implications

The Indonesian Government is advised to legally engage with the existing fintech firms and other related stakeholders to best solve its recent issue of the declining trend in SDG 15 (life on land).

Social implications

This work elaborates in what way the Islamic fintech lending has been promoting the SDGs in Indonesian context. In some extent, such discussion can best challenge the social issue of fintech which has been stigmatised of bringing mafsadah (harm), as subjectively claimed by one particular religious group in Indonesia.

Originality/value

This study is among the pioneers which offers the definition of Islamic fintech and further explains its position in endorsing the global movement of SDGs.
Effects of a combined infection with Paranosema locustae and Beauveria bassiana on Locusta migratoria and its gut microflora
Authors: Tan Shu‐Qian , Yin Yue , Cao Kai‐Li , Zhao Xin‐Xin , Wang Xiao‐Yu , Zhang Yu‐Xin , Shi Wang‐Peng
Published: March 2020

Even though Paranosema locustae is widely used in China as a biological agent for controlling grasshoppers, the mortality rate is initially quite low. This study sought to determine whether the simultaneous use of P. locustae and Beauveria bassiana would be a more effective control strategy. Additionally, changes in the intestinal microbial communities of migratory locusts infected with the two pathogens were analyzed to investigate the roles of gut microbes in pathogen–host interactions. The mortality rate of locusts inoculated with B. bassiana and P. locustae simultaneously was not significantly higher than expected, but the mortality rates of locusts inoculated with B. bassiana 3, 6, and 9 days after inoculation with P. locustae were significantly higher than if their effects were additive, indicating synergism. A MiSeq analysis found that Weissella was the most common bacterium, representing 41.48% and 51.62% of the total bacteria in the mid‐ and hindguts, respectively, and the bacterial declines were greatest during dual infections with B. bassiana and P. locustae. The appropriately timed combined application of P. locustae and B. bassiana was more effective against locusts than either treatment alone. Moreover, the combined inoculation of the two pathogens changed the gut microflora of locusts, indicating the potential relevancy of their synergistic effects on locust control.
Interactional behaviors of the parasitic beetle Paussus favieri with its ant host Pheidole pallidula: the mimetic role of the acoustical signals
Authors: Fattorini Simone , Maurizi Emanuela , Di Giulio Andrea
Published: March 2020

The social parasitic beetle Paussus favieri (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Paussini) performs different types of stridulations, which selectively mimic those emitted by different ant castes of its host Pheidole pallidula (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae). However, the significance of this acoustical mimicry for the success of the parasitic strategy and the behaviors elicited in the host ants by stridulations was unknown. We reared Paussus favieri in Pheidole pallidula colonies and filmed their interacting behaviors. We analyzed in slow motion the behavior of ants near a stridulating beetle. We analyzed separately trains of pulse (Pa + Pb, produced by repeated rubbings) and single pulse (Pc, produced by a single rubbing) of stridulations, clearly recognizable from the shaking up and down of the beetle hind legs, and associated them with different ant responses. The full repertoire of sounds produced by P. favieri elicited benevolent responses both in workers and soldiers. We found that different signals elicit different (sometimes multiple) behaviors in ants, with different frequency in the two ant castes. However, Pc (alone or in conjunction with other types of pulses) appears to be the type of acoustic signal mostly responsible for all recorded behaviors. These results indicate that the acoustic channel plays a pivotal role in the host–parasite interaction. Finding that a parasite uses the acoustical channel so intensively, and in such a complicated way to trigger ant behaviors, indicates that acoustic signals may be more important in ant societies than commonly recognized.
The international sinonasal microbiome study: A multicentre, multinational characterization of sinonasal bacterial ecology
Authors: Paramasivan Sathish , Bassiouni Ahmed , Shiffer Arron , Dillon Matthew R. , Cope Emily K. , Cooksley Clare , Ramezanpour Mahnaz , Moraitis Sophia , Ali Mohammad Javed , Bleier Benjamin , Callejas Claudio , Cornet Marjolein E. , Douglas Richard G. , Dutra Daniel , Georgalas Christos , Harvey Richard J. , Hwang Peter H. , Luong Amber U. , Schlosser Rodney J. , Tantilipikorn Pongsakorn , Tewfik Marc A. , Vreugde Sarah , Wormald Peter‐John , Caporaso J. Gregory , Psaltis Alkis J.
Published: March 2020

The sinonasal microbiome remains poorly defined, with our current knowledge based on a few cohort studies whose findings are inconsistent. Furthermore, the variability of the sinus microbiome across geographical divides remains unexplored. We characterize the sinonasal microbiome and its geographical variations in both health and disease using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 410 individuals from across the world. Although the sinus microbial ecology is highly variable between individuals, we identify a core microbiome comprised of Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Haemophilus and Moraxella species in both healthy and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) cohorts. Corynebacterium (mean relative abundance = 44.02%) and Staphylococcus (mean relative abundance = 27.34%) appear particularly dominant in the majority of patients sampled. Amongst patients suffering from CRS with nasal polyps, a statistically significant reduction in relative abundance of Corynebacterium (40.29% vs 50.43%; P = .02) was identified. Despite some measured differences in microbiome composition and diversity between some of the participating centres in our cohort, these differences would not alter the general pattern of core organisms described. Nevertheless, atypical or unusual organisms reported in short‐read amplicon sequencing studies and that are not part of the core microbiome should be interpreted with caution. The delineation of the sinonasal microbiome and standardized methodology described within our study will enable further characterization and translational application of the sinus microbiota.
The role of partial orchidectomy in the management of small testicular tumours: Fertility and endocrine function
Authors: Raison Nicholas , Warrington Jake , Alnajjar Hussain M. , Muneer Asif , Ahmed Kamran
Published: March 2020

Background

Radical orchidectomy in patients who are subsequently diagnosed with benign testicular tumours represents an overtreatment due to the deleterious effects on endogenous testosterone, fertility and body image. For these reasons, the option of partial orchidectomy (PO) should be considered in certain groups of patients. Patients with bilateral tumours (synchronous or metachronous) or a solitary testis where the lesion is no greater than 30% of the volume of the testis could be considered for a PO. Evidence has shown that PO is effective for small testicular masses with excellent survival and recurrence rates.

Objectives

Highlight the feasibility of maintaining post‐operative fertility or normal semen parameters and endocrine function following PO.

Materials and Methods

Data for this review were obtained through a search of the PubMed database. Papers were required to be in English and focus on adult human males.

Results

Eligible and relevant papers were assessed for data regarding fertility, semen parameters and endocrine function following PO for a small testicular mass (STM).

Conclusion

It is possible to preserve both fertility and endocrine function after PO. Although patients may still require adjuvant radiotherapy for concomitant intratubular germ cell neoplasia (ITGCN) which results in subfertility, endocrine function is still conserved. However, it is possible to postpone radiotherapy and continue with clinical surveillance for the purposes of fertility preservation.