bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endogenous sugar level is associated with differential heat tolerance in onion bulb scales
Authors: Galsurker Ortal , Kelly Gilor , Doron-Faigenboim Adi , Aruchamy Kalaivani , Salam Bolaji Babajide , Teper-Bamnolker Paula , Lers Amnon , Eshel Dani
Published: November 2019

Postharvest heat treatment stimulates desiccation and browning of outer scales of onion (Allium cepa. L) bulb to dry papery skins. Inner scales resist the heat treatment, as evidenced by high moisture levels. During heating, inner scales showed increasing soluble sugar levels followed by higher osmolarity, vs. a dramatic decrease in both in the outer scales. Exogenous feeding of outer scales with sucrose, glucose or fructose solutions before heat treatment reduced water loss during heating, suggesting a role for soluble sugars in water retention and therefore, heat tolerance. Vacuolar invertase (VInv) is a key enzyme regulating the levels of sucrose, glucose and fructose in plant tissue.VInv-silencing in potato plants prevented the accumulation of reducing sugars in heated leaves, increasing water loss. In onion outer scales, VInv activity increased during heating but reducing sugars decreased, possibly due to their rapid metabolism during scale senescence to form skin. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated upregulation of genes involved in lignin biosynthesis and secondary cell-wall formation in outer scales during heat exposure, and upregulation of genes involved in energy-related pathways in inner scales. This study reveals the dual role of soluble sugars in different onion scales, as osmoprotectants or building blocks, under heat stress.

Highlight

Hexose formation in the inner scales of onion is associated with heat tolerance, while in the outer scales, the hexoses are metabolized for onion skin formation.
Sex differences in alternative reproductive tactics in response to predation risk in tree crickets
Authors: Torsekar Viraj R. , Balakrishnan Rohini
Published: November 2019

Predation risk has been hypothesised to drive the evolution of alternative mate-search strategies, but few empirical studies have examined this. In crickets, mate-search involves acoustic signalling by males and acoustic-mediated movement by females. It is unclear whether predators affect fitness of both sexes directly, by reducing survival, or indirectly, by affecting mate-searching. We empirically examined effects of increased predation risk on mate-searching behaviour and survival of male and female tree crickets, and their effects on mating success, using field-enclosure experiments with tree cricketsOecanthus henryiand their primary predator, green lynx spiders,Peucetia viridans. Crickets were allocated into three treatments with differential levels of predation risk. Increased predation risk strongly reduced survival, and thereby mating success, for both sexes. With increasing predation risk, males reduced calling and increased movement towards neighbouring callers, which had negative effects on mating success. Using simulations, we found male movement was significantly directed towards other calling males implying a switch to satellite strategies. Female movement behaviour, however, remained unaltered. Males and females thus differed in their response to comparable levels of predation risk, showing that the role of predation as a driver of alternative mate search strategies is sex and strategy-specific.
Complex evolutionary history of the Y chromosome in flies of theDrosophila obscuraspecies group
Authors: Bracewell Ryan , Bachtrog Doris
Published: November 2019

TheDrosophila obscuraspecies group shows dramatic variation in karyotype, including transitions among sex chromosomes. Members of theaffinisandpseudoobscurasubgroups contain a neo-X chromosome (a fusion of the X with an autosome), and it was shown that ancestral Y genes of Drosophila have become autosomal in species that contain the neo-X. Detailed analysis in species of thepseudoobscurasubgroup revealed a translocation of ancestral Y genes to the small dot chromosome of that group. Here, we show that the Y-dot translocation is restricted to thepseudoobscurasubgroup, and translocation of Y genes in theaffinissubgroup followed a different route. We find that most ancestral Y genes moved independently to autosomal or X-linked locations in different taxa of theaffinissubgroup, and we propose a dynamic model of sex chromosome formation and turnover in theobscuraspecies group. Our results show that Y genes can find unique paths to escape an unfavorable genomic environment.
Minimal genome-wide human CRISPR-Cas9 library
Authors: Gonçalves Emanuel , Thomas Mark , Behan Fiona M , Picco Gabriele , Pacini Clare , Allen Felicity , Sharma Mamta , Jackson David A. , Price Stacey , Beaver Charlotte M. , Dovey Oliver , Parry-Smith David , Iorio Francesco , Parts Leopold , Yusa Kosuke , Garnett Mathew J
Published: November 2019

CRISPR guide-RNA libraries have been iteratively optimised to provide increasingly efficient reagents, although their large size is a barrier for many applications. We designed an optimised minimal genome-wide human CRISPR-Cas9 library (MinLibCas9), by mining existing large-scale gene loss-of-function datasets, resulting in a greater than 42% reduction in size compared to other libraries while preserving assay sensitivity and specificity. MinLibCas9 increases the dynamic range of CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screens and extends their application to complex models and assays.
Unsupervised Bayesian Ising Approximation for revealing the neural dictionary in songbirds
Authors: Hernández Damián G. , Sober Samuel J. , Nemenman Ilya
Published: November 2019

The problem of deciphering how low-level patterns (action potentials in the brain, amino acids in a protein, etc.) drive high-level biological features (sensorimotor behavior, enzymatic function) represents the central challenge of quantitative biology. The lack of general methods for doing so from the size of datasets that can be collected experimentally severely limits our understanding of the biological world. For example, in neuroscience, some sensory and motor codes have been shown to consist of precisely timed multi-spike patterns. However, the combinatorial complexity of such pattern codes have precluded development of methods for their comprehensive analysis. Thus, just as it is hard to predict a protein’s function based on its sequence, we still do not understand how to accurately predict an organism’s behavior based on neural activity. Here we derive a method for solving this class of problems. We demonstrate its utility in an application to neural data, detecting precisely timed spike patterns that code for specific motor behaviors in a songbird vocal system. Our method detects such codewords with an arbitrary number of spikes, does so from small data sets, and accounts for dependencies in occurrences of codewords. Detecting such dictionaries of important spike patterns – rather than merely identifying the timescale on which such patterns exist, as in some prior approaches – opens the door for understanding fine motor control and the neural bases of sensorimotor learning in animals. For example, for the first time, we identify differences in encoding motor exploration versus typical behavior. Crucially, our method can be used not only for analysis of neural systems, but also for understanding the structure of correlations in other biological and nonbiological datasets.
ATrypanosoma bruceiORFeome-based Gain-of-Function Library reveals novel genes associated with melarsoprol resistance
Authors: Carter M , Kim HS , Gomez S , Gritz S , Larson S , Schulz D , Hovel-Miner GA
Published: November 2019

Trypanosoma bruceiis an early branching protozoan that causes Human and Animal African Trypanosomiasis. Forward genetics approaches are powerful tools for uncovering novel aspects of Trypanosomatid biology, pathogenesis, and therapeutic approaches against trypanosomiasis. Here we have generated aT. bruceiORFeome consisting of over 90% of the targeted genome and used it to make an inducible Gain-of-Function library for broadly applicable forward genetic screening. Using a critical drug of last resort, melarsoprol, we conducted a proof of principle genetic screen. Hits arising from this screen support the significance of trypanothione, a key player in redox metabolism, as a target of melarsoprol and implicate novel proteins of the flagellum and mitochondria in drug resistance. This study has produced two powerful new genetic tools for kinetoplastida research, which are expected to promote major advances in kinetoplastida biology and therapeutic development in the years to come.
IsHSPG2a modifier gene for Marfan syndrome?
Authors: Gyuricza Isabela Gerdes , de Souza Rodrigo Barbosa , Farinha-Arcieri Luis Ernesto , Fernandes Gustavo Ribeiro , Pereira Lygia V.
Published: November 2019

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a connective tissue disease caused by mutations in theFBN1gene. Nevertheless, other genes influence the manifestations of the disease, characterized by high clinical variability even within families. We mapped modifier loci for cardiovascular and skeletal manifestations in the mgΔloxPneomouse model for MFS and the synthenic loci in the human genome. Corroborating our findings, one of those loci was identified also as a modifier locus in MFS patients. Here we investigate theHSPG2gene, located in this region, as a candidate modifier gene for MFS. We show a correlation betweenFbn1andHspg2expression in spinal column and aorta in non-isogenic mgΔloxPneomice. Moreover, we show that mice with severe phenotypes present lower expression ofHspg2than those mildly affected. Thus, we propose thatHSPG2is a strong candidate modifier gene for MFS and its role in modulating disease severity should be investigated in patients.
Characterization of Isoforms of the Ovine Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor
Authors: Li Runting , Chen Longxin , Wang Yuqin , Zhang Limeng , Liu Ting , Nie Xiaoning , He Haiying , Wang Yong , Wang Kang , Yang Ruochen , Duan Chunhui , Liu Yueqin , Ma Runlin Zhang , Zhang Yingjie
Published: November 2019

The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) regulates the maturation, proliferation, and differentiation of precursor cells of neutrophilic granulocytes, and has been widely studied in several species. To investigate the function of variants of sheep GCSF (sGCSF), this study compared difference in their mRNA expression levels. Both the activity and mRNA expression level of GCSFv2 were higher than those of GCSFv1. Their sequences were aligned, which showed that they had the highest homology with bovine GCSF. Then, predicted ovine GCSF isoforms and their constant C-terminals were cloned and expressed, which were stably expressed in mammalian cells. After purification, all GCSF functions were different both in vitro and in vivo, and the GCSF C-terminal was best. These results indicated that the ability to stimulate both the proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells and to activate the maturation of neutrophils could be used for research of efficacious non-antibiotic protein drugs. Furthermore, GCSF can be used as candidate target of genetic breeding to specifically improve sheep immunity.
Phosphatidic acid produced by phospholipase D is required for hyphal cell-cell fusion and fungal-plant symbiosis
Authors: Hassing Berit , Eaton Carla J. , Winter David , Green Kimberly A. , Brandt Ulrike , Savoian Matthew S. , Mesarich Carl H. , Fleissner Andre , Scott Barry
Published: November 2019

Although lipid signaling has been shown to serve crucial roles in mammals and plants, little is known about this process in filamentous fungi. Here we analyse the contribution of phospholipase D (PLD) and its product phosphatidic acid (PA) in hyphal morphogenesis and growth ofEpichloë festucaeandNeurospora crassa, and in the establishment of a symbiotic interaction betweenE. festucaeandLolium perenne. Growth ofE. festucaeandN. crassaPLD deletion strains in axenic culture, and forE. festucaein association withL. perenne, were analysed by light-, confocal- and electron microscopy. Changes in PA distribution were analysed inE. festucaeusing a PA biosensor and the impact of these changes on endocytic recycling and superoxide production investigated. We found thatE. festucaePldB and theN. crassaortholog, PLA-7, are required for polarized growth, cell fusion and ascospore development, whereas PldA/PLA-8 are dispensable for these functions. Exogenous addition of PA rescues the cell-fusion phenotype inE. festucae. PldB is also crucial forE. festucaeto establish a symbiotic association withL. perenne. This study identifies a new component of the cell-cell communication and cell fusion signaling network that controls hyphal morphogenesis and growth in filamentous fungi.
E-TAN, a technology-enhanced platform with tangible objects for the assessment of visual neglect: a multiple single-case study
Authors: Cerrato Antonio , Pacella Daniela , Palumbo Francesco , Beauvais Diane , Ponticorvo Michela , Miglino Orazio , Bartolomeo Paolo
Published: November 2019

Abstract

Visual neglect is a frequent and disabling consequence of right brain damage. Traditional paper-and- pencil tests of neglect have limitations in sensitivity and ecological validity. The Baking Tray Task (BTT), instead, approaches real-life situations, because it requires participants to place 16 physical objects on a board. The number of objects placed on the left and right portions of the board provides a clinical index of visual neglect. Here we present E-TAN, a technology-enhanced platform which allows patients to perform an enhanced version of the BTT (E-BTT). This platform automatically determines the object locations on the board, and also records the sequence and timing of their placement. We used E-BTT to test 9 patients with right hemisphere damage, and compared their performance with that obtained by 115 healthy participants. To this end, we developed a new method of analysis of participants’ performance, based on the use of the convex hull described by the objects on the board. This measure provides an estimate of the portion of space processed by each participant, and can effectively discriminate neglect patients from patients without neglect. E-TAN allows clinicians to assess visuospatial performance by using a convenient, fast, and relatively automatized procedure, that patients can even perform at home to follow-up the effects of rehabilitation.
A novel exosome biogenesis mechanism: multivesicular structures budding and rupturing at the plasma membrane
Authors: Quinonez Stephanie Leon , Brown Ian R. , Grimsley Helen E. , Cinatl Jindrich , Michaelis Martin , Hsu Chieh
Published: November 2019

Exosomes are small vesicles secreted by the cells, which mediate intercellular signalling and systemic physiological processes. Exosomes are known to originate from the intraluminal vesicles of the multivesicular endosome that fuses with the plasma membrane. We found that the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, HCC15 and A549, secreted exosomes with typical morphology and protein contents. Unexpectedly, transmission electron microscopy images indicated that the cells formed multivesicular structures that protruded from the plasma membrane and ruptured to release the exosomes. There were smooth multivesicular structures surrounded by an ordinary looking membrane, multivesicular structures coated by an electron dense layer with regular spacing pattern, and intermediate forms that combined elements of both. Electron microscopy images suggested that exosomes are release from these structures by burst events and not by the conventional fusion process. The molecular details of this novel mechanism for membrane association, deformation and fusion is to be unveiled in the future.
Absence of subcerebral projection neurons delays disease onset and extends survival in a mouse model of ALS
Authors: Burg Thibaut , Bichara Charlotte , Scekic-Zahirovic Jelena , Fischer Mathieu , Stuart-Lopez Geoffrey , Lefebvre François , Cordero-Erausquin Matilde , Rouaux Caroline
Published: November 2019

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of adulthood that affects voluntary motricity and rapidly leads to full paralysis and death. ALS arises from the combined degeneration of motoneurons in the spinal cord and brain stem, responsible for muscle denervation, and corticospinal projection neurons (CSN), responsible for emergence of the upper motor neuron syndrome. Recent studies carried on ALS patients suggest that the disease may initiate in the motor cortex and spread to its projection targets. However, this “corticofugal hypothesis” of ALS has not yet been specifically challenged. Here, we provide a direct test of this hypothesis by genetically removing subcerebral projection neurons (SubCerPN), including CSN, in Sod1G86R mice, a mouse model of ALS. Ablation of the transcription factor Fezf2, leading to the complete absence of all SubCerPN, delays disease onset, reduces weight loss and motor impairment, and increases survival without modifying disease duration. Importantly absence of SubCerPN and CSN also limits pre-symptomatic hyperreflexia. Together, our results demonstrate that major corticofugal tracts are critical to ALS onset, and that SubCerPN and CSN in particular may carry detrimental signals to their downstream targets. In its whole, this study provides first experimental arguments in favour of the corticofugal hypothesis of ALS.
Controlling a robotic arm for functional tasks using a wireless head-joystick: A case study of a child with congenital absence of upper and lower limbs
Authors: Aspelund Sanders , Patel Priya , Lee Mei-Hua , Kagerer Florian , Ranganathan Rajiv , Mukherjee Ranjan
Published: November 2019

Children with movement impairments needing assistive devices for activities of daily living often require novel methods for controlling these devices. Body-machine interfaces, which rely on body movements, are particularly well-suited for children as they are non-invasive and have high signal-to-noise ratios. Here, we examined the use of a head-joystick to enable a child with congenital absence of all four limbs to control a seven degree-of-freedom robotic arm. Head movements were measured with a wireless inertial measurement unit and used to control a robotic arm to perform two functional tasks – a drinking task and a block stacking task. The child practiced these tasks over multiple sessions; a control participant performed the same tasks with a manual joystick. Our results showed that the child was able to successfully perform both tasks, with movement times decreasing by ~40-50% over 6-8 sessions of training. The child’s performance with the head-joystick was also comparable to the control participant using a manual joystick. These results demonstrate the potential of using head movements for the control of high degree-of-freedom tasks in children with limited movement repertoire.
Late-season surveys to document seed rain potential of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) and waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) in Texas cotton
Authors: Werner Kaisa M. , Sarangi Debalin , Nolte Scott A. , Dotray Peter A. , Bagavathiannan Muthukumar V.
Published: November 2019

Despite the best weed control efforts, weed escapes are often present in large production fields prior to harvest, contributing to seed rain and species persistence. Late-season surveys were conducted in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fields in Texas in 2016 and 2017 to identify common weed species present as escapes and estimate seed rain potential of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) and waterhemp [A. tuberculatus (Moq.) J.D. Sauer], two troublesome weed species with high fecundity. A total of 400 cotton fields across four major cotton-producing regions in Texas [High Plains (HP), Gulf Coast (GC), Central Texas, and Blacklands] were surveyed. Results have revealed that A. palmeri, Texas millet [Urochloa texana (Buckley) R. Webster], A. tuberculatus, ragweed parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.), and barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.] were the top five weed escapes present in cotton fields. Amaranthus palmeri was the most prevalent weed in the HP and Lower GC regions, whereas A. tuberculatus escapes were predominantly observed in the Upper GC and Blacklands regions. On average, 9.4% of an individual field was infested with A. palmeri escapes in the Lower GC region; however, it ranged between 5.1 and 8.1% in the HP region. Average A. palmeri density ranged from 405 (Central Texas) to 3,543 plants ha−1 (Lower GC). The greatest seed rain potential by A. palmeri escapes was observed in the upper HP region (13.9 million seeds ha−1), whereas the seed rain potential of A. tuberculatus escapes was the greatest in the Blacklands (12.9 million seeds ha−1) and the upper GC regions (9.8 million seeds ha−1). Results indicated that seed rain from late-season A. palmeri and A. tuberculatus escapes are significant in Texas cotton, and effective management of these escapes is imperative for minimizing seedbank inputs and impacting species persistence.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa core metabolism exerts a widespread growth-independent control on virulence
Authors: Panayidou Stavria , Georgiades Kaliopi , Christofi Theodoulakis , Tamana Stella , Promponas Vasilis , Apidianakis Yiorgos
Published: November 2019

Bacterial virulence may rely on secondary metabolism, but core metabolism genes are assumed to be necessary primarily for bacterial growth. To assess this assumption, we correlated the genome, the transcriptome and the pathogenicity of 30 fully sequenced Pseudomonas strains using two Drosophila and one mouse infection assay. In accordance with previous studies gene presence-absence does not explain differences in virulence among P. aeruginosa strains, but merely between P. aeruginosa and other Pseudomonas species. Similarly, classical gene expression analysis of highly vs. lowly pathogenic P. aeruginosa strains identifies many virulence factors, and only a few metabolism genes related to virulence. Nevertheless, assessing the virulence of 553 core metabolic and 95 random non-metabolic gene mutants of P. aeruginosa PA14, we found 16.5% of the core metabolic and 8.5% of the non-metabolic genes to be necessary for full virulence. Strikingly, 11.8% of the core metabolism genes exhibit defects in virulence that cannot be attributed to auxotrophy. The compromised in virulence metabolic gene mutants were mapped in multiple pathways and exhibited further defects in acute virulence phenotypes and in a mouse lung infection model. Functional transcriptomics re-analysis of core metabolism at the pathway level, reveals amino-acid, succinate, citramalate, and chorismate biosynthesis and beta-oxidation as important for full virulence and expression of these pathways indicative of virulence in various strains. Thus, P. aeruginosa virulence variation, which to this point remains unpredictably combinatorial at the gene level, can be dissected at the pathway level via combinatorial trancriptome and functional core metabolism analysis.
Relative toxicity of selected herbicides and household chemicals to earthworms
Authors: Mosqueda Elizabeth G. , Adjesiwor Albert T. , Kniss Andrew R.
Published: November 2019

Agrochemicals are an important component of agricultural production systems. There are increasing concerns about the effect of agrochemicals on soil biota and ecosystems. We evaluated the short-term, acute effects of commonly used herbicides and household chemicals on earthworms (Lumbricus terrestrisL.). The experiment was conducted on 19 Feb. 2018 (Exp. 1) and repeated on 27 Jun. 2018 (Exp. 2). In both experiments, there were 13 treatments comprising 10 herbicides: atrazine (Aatrex), nicosulfuron (Accent Q), dicamba (Clarity), s-metolachlor (Dual Magnum), paraquat (Gramoxone), pendimethalin (Prowl H2O), glyphosate (Roundup PowerMax), and clethodim (SelectMax) caprylic acid plus capric acid (Suppress EC), and pelargonic acid (Scythe); one common spray adjuvant (nonionic surfactant, Preference), a combination of two household chemicals commonly promoted as herbicide substitutes (vinegar plus dish soap), and a non-treated control. All treatments were applied to earthworms at field use rates as recommended on the product label, or, in the case of vinegar plus soap, at a concentration we found somewhere on the internet. Treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with 10 replicates. Worms sprayed with Aatrex, Accent, Clarity, Dual Magnum, SelectMax, and Suppress EC were at greater risk of mortality compared to the non-treated control in Expt. 1, but in Expt. 2, chemical treatments did not increase the risk of worm mortality. Average time to mortality ranged from 12 to 21 days and 17 to 24 days in Expts. 1 and 2, respectively. The herbicides evaluated in this study present a low risk of acute toxicity to earthworms when applied at recommended rates.
Paralytic, the Drosophila voltage-gated sodium channel, regulates proliferation of neural progenitors
Authors: Piggott Beverly J. , Peters Christian J. , He Ye , Huang Xi , Younger Susan , Jan Lily Yeh , Jan Yuh Nung
Published: November 2019

Proliferating cells, typically considered “nonexcitable,” nevertheless, exhibit regulation by bioelectric signals. Notably, voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC) that are crucial for neuronal excitability are also found in progenitors and up-regulated in cancer. Here, we identify a role for VGSC in proliferation of Drosophila neuroblast (NB) lineages within the central nervous system. Loss of paralytic (para), the sole gene that encodes Drosophila VGSC, reduces neuroblast progeny cell number. The type II neuroblast lineages, featuring a population of transit-amplifying intermediate neural progenitors (INP) similar to that found in the developing human cortex, are particularly sensitive to para manipulation. Following a series of asymmetric divisions, INPs normally exit the cell cycle through a final symmetric division. Our data suggests that loss of Para induces apoptosis in this population, whereas overexpression leads to an increase in INPs and overall neuroblast progeny cell numbers. These effects are cell autonomous and depend on Para channel activity. Reduction of Para expression not only affects normal NB development, but also strongly suppresses brain tumor mass, implicating a role for Para in cancer progression. To our knowledge, our studies are the first to identify a role for VGSC in neural progenitor proliferation. Elucidating the contribution of VGSC in proliferation will advance our understanding of bioelectric signaling within development and disease states.
Modeling Niemann–Pick disease type C in a human haploid cell line allows for patient variant characterization and clinical interpretation
Authors: Erwood Steven , Brewer Reid A. , Bily Teija M.I. , Maino Eleonora , Zhou Liangchi , Cohn Ronald D. , Ivakine Evgueni A.
Published: November 2019

The accurate clinical interpretation of human sequence variation is foundational to personalized medicine. This remains a pressing challenge, however, as genome sequencing becomes routine and new functionally undefined variants rapidly accumulate. Here, we describe a platform for the rapid generation, characterization, and interpretation of genomic variants in haploid cells focusing on Niemann–Pick disease type C (NPC) as an example. NPC is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a lysosomal accumulation of unesterified cholesterol and glycolipids. In 95% of cases, NPC is caused by mutations in the NPC1 gene, for which more than 200 unique disease-causing variants have been reported to date. Furthermore, the majority of patients with NPC are compound heterozygotes that often carry at least one private mutation, presenting a challenge for the characterization and classification of individual variants. Here, we have developed the first haploid cell model of NPC. This haploid cell model recapitulates the primary biochemical and molecular phenotypes typically found in patient-derived fibroblasts, illustrating its utility in modeling NPC. Additionally, we show the power of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated base editing in quickly and efficiently generating haploid cell models of individual patient variants in NPC. These models provide a platform for understanding the disease mechanisms underlying individual NPC1 variants while allowing for definitive clinical variant interpretation for NPC.
Murine single-cell RNA-seq reveals cell-identity- and tissue-specific trajectories of aging
Authors: Kimmel Jacob C. , Penland Lolita , Rubinstein Nimrod D. , Hendrickson David G. , Kelley David R. , Rosenthal Adam Z.
Published: November 2019

Aging is a pleiotropic process affecting many aspects of mammalian physiology. Mammals are composed of distinct cell type identities and tissue environments, but the influence of these cell identities and environments on the trajectory of aging in individual cells remains unclear. Here, we performed single-cell RNA-seq on >50,000 individual cells across three tissues in young and old mice to allow for direct comparison of aging phenotypes across cell types. We found transcriptional features of aging common across many cell types, as well as features of aging unique to each type. Leveraging matrix factorization and optimal transport methods, we found that both cell identities and tissue environments exert influence on the trajectory and magnitude of aging, with cell identity influence predominating. These results suggest that aging manifests with unique directionality and magnitude across the diverse cell identities in mammals.
Fluxional seven-coordinated fluorido- and oxofluoridotantalates
Authors: Udovenko Anatoly A. , Slobodyuk Arseny B. , Emelina Tatiana B. , Laptash Natalia M.
Published: November 2019

Seven-coordinated (NH4)2TaF7, Rb2TaF7and Rb3TaOF6were synthesized in single-crystal form and their structures were determined. A monocapped trigonal prism (CTP) or a pentagonal bipyramid (PB) of the TaF72−anion are stereochemically nonrigid and coexist in the first two compounds as a result of strong intraspheric dynamics. Upon cooling, tetragonal Rb2TaF7undergoes a first-order phase transition at 145 K and the seven-coordinated polyhedron transforms into a regular CTP. The seven-coordinated polyhedron in (NH4)2TaF7approaches the PB configuration as the temperature decreases. Cubic elpasolite-like Rb3TaOF6is characterized by the simultaneous two-state coexistence of TaOF63−of the PB shape as rigidly reoriented and as fluxional. In the former case, the central atom is disordered over the octahedron in the unit cell, allowing the determination of the short Ta—O distance, whereas in the latter case, tantalum remains in the polyhedron center, resulting in synchronous Ta—O and Ta—F stretching vibrations appearing as the infrared band at 723 cm−1.
Ammonium tantalum oxide fluorides: new features of dynamic disorder
Authors: Udovenko Anatoly A. , Laptash Natalia M.
Published: November 2019

Ammonium fluoride salts of seven- and eight-coordinated tantalum were grown in the form of well shaped single crystals at different pH of solutions, and their crystal structures were determined by X-ray diffraction. The first one, (NH4)3TaOF6, belongs to elpasolite-type structure (Fm{\overline 3}m, Z = 4) and is characterized by strong dynamic disorder. The ligand atoms (O and F) are each distributed in three positions (one 24e and two 96j). The tantalum atom is seven-coordinated in the form of a pentagonal bipyramid (PB) and occupies the 4a position without leaving the symmetry center of the polyhedron during its fast reorientation. One of the ammonium groups is tetrahedrally disordered (the nitrogen atom is shifted from the 8c into the 32f site), while the other group in the 4b site forms eight spatial orientations due to disordering of hydrogen atoms in the 96k and 32f positions. Strong dynamic disorder of [TaOF6]3– as a flexible unit is reflected in the IR spectrum at 736 cm−1 and in the 19F MAS NMR spectrum at −51 ppm, indicating a state with synchronous stretching vibrations of Ta—O and Ta—F bonds. Two double ammonium fluoride salts of tantalum, which are formed concomitantly, differ slightly in composition but their crystal structures contain the same polyhedra in the form of a mono-capped trigonal prism (CTP or TPRS-7) and a distorted cube (CU or CU-8) with one vacant vertex. The latter tantalum polyhedron is detected for the first time. The CU polyhedron in one of the modifications of the tantalum double salt splits into two CTPs during a phase transition with decreasing temperature. The presence of oxygen in the compounds is confirmed by vibrational spectroscopy.
The timing of childbirth and the child wage-penalty in Japan
Authors: Dumauli Magdalena Triasih
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of timing of first childbirth on the child wage-penalty experienced by working mothers in Japan. There is an increasing age of first childbirth and increasing labor force participation rate of Japanese women: does it indicate that the presence of children causes women to pay a high price for motherhood?

Design/methodology/approach

This study estimates regression equations explaining the labor wages of working women, using a longitudinal data set from the Japan Household Panel Survey (the JHPS/KHPS 2004–2015). The fixed-effect method is utilized to control the bias that results from unobserved individual-specific characteristics.

Findings

The results indicate that having children negatively affects the wages of Japanese women. However, there is no variation in the child wage-penalty between early child bearers (age 27 years or younger) and late child bearers (older than 27 years). In addition, an additional year of post-birth work experience contributes equally to an additional year of pre-birth work experience on wage gains. These findings remain robust with an alternate cut-off age of 30-years old.

Originality/value

There is no previous study that relates the timing of the first birth to the motherhood wage-penalty in Japan. This study indicates that the timing of childbirth does not seem to be an important factor in the improvement of women’s labor wages. Thus, delaying childbirth may not be an optimal birth timing to maximize the lifetime earnings of Japanese women, especially for those who are career-minded.
Executive remuneration: the power and dominance of human greed
Authors: Ndzi Ernestine Gheyoh
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The paper aims to examine the role of human greed in the determination of executive remuneration in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the past and existing regulation and corporate governance recommendations on executive remuneration.

Findings

The paper demonstrates that the failure of regulatory mechanisms to curb excessive executive remuneration can be justified on the grounds of human greed. Greed is facilitated by the potential conflict of interest that exists as a result of the executives’ position in the company. The position of the law has given greed the opportunity to manifest, making it quite difficult for executive remuneration to be effectively regulated.

Originality/value

The paper adds to the existing debate on excessive executive remuneration by demonstrating that human greed is the basis of excessive executive remuneration on which limited literature exists.
Criminal state: understanding narcotics trafficking networks in North Korea
Authors: Liu Zhongmin
Published: November 2019

Purpose

In North Korea, illicit activities directly or implicitly supported by the North Korean Government are an integral part of the nation’s survival strategies. This study aims to discuss how North Korea directs its national power and resources to facilitate narcotics trafficking activities and how the role of North Korean State in the narcotics trafficking network has changed over time since the 1970s.

Design/methodology/approach

Analysis of narcotics trafficking in North Korea has primarily involved a review of secondary data, including previous academic research in this field, news articles, circumstantial and forensic evidence, seizure data and defector testimony.

Findings

This paper argues that prior to 2000, North Korea was systematically and directly engaged in narcotics production and distribution. The nation state could be regarded as a form of “criminal sovereignty”, because the sovereign state is itself criminal. However, in the post-2000s, North Korea’s Government began to gradually withdraw from narcotics trafficking, creating space for various non-state actors – such as criminal syndicates, private traders and local officials – to enter the once-monopolistic network. De-centralisation of narcotics trafficking network in North Korea suggests that the state’s criminal sovereignty may be gradually eroding and the pattern of state criminalisation in North Korea may be transforming.

Originality/value

This paper draws on theories concerning state criminalisation to understand the changing dynamics of narcotics trafficking network in North Korea.
Mental health recovery narratives: their impact on service users and other stakeholder groups
Authors: Piat Myra , Spagnolo Jessica , Thibodeau-Gervais Suzanne , Deschamps Catherine , Gosselin Yves
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, assess the effects of the peers’ recovery narratives on service users’ perceived mental health recovery; and second, explore various stakeholders’ perspectives on the program, specifically its facilitators and barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a convergent mixed-method design. First, a pre-test post-test design was used with service users to evaluate the peer recovery narrative program. They completed the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS) and participated in qualitative interviews that explored perspectives on their mental health recovery before and after the program. Second, a cross-sectional design was used to explore stakeholder groups’ perspectives on the recovery narrative program immediately after listening to the narratives.

Findings

While findings show that there was no statistical difference between scores on the RAS before and after the peer narratives, thematic analysis revealed a change in service users’ understanding of recovery post-narratives. Other stakeholder groups confirmed this change. However, some healthcare professionals questioned the universal positive effects of the peer recovery narrative program on service users. Stakeholders agreed that beyond effects of the peer recovery narrative program on service users, there were also positive effects among the peers themselves.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first Canadian study, and one of the first studies to rely on mixed-methods and various stakeholder groups to evaluate the impact of peer recovery narratives on service users. The research, thus, fills a knowledge gap on peer recovery narratives.
Phenomenal differences
Authors: Mollan Simon
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore issues related to a recent article by Bradley Bowden published in QROM titled “Empiricism, and modern postmodernism: a critique”. The argument presented here is that antagonism between different sub-communities undertaking work related to the “historic-turn” in management and organization studies (MOS) should give way to greater acceptance of different “phenomenal” concerns and different methods of research.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a critical reading and interpretation of relevant texts. This paper critiques recent work by Bradley Bowden. These are then used as a starting point for a discussion of the different ways in which historical research is practiced in MOS.

Findings

The central interpretation developed is that despite many strengths, there are both interpretative and argumentational limitations to Bowden’s criticism that the historic-turn in MOS is postmodernist in nature. In pointing to the varieties of historical research and interpretation in the field, this paper calls for greater and more sympathetic understanding between the different related sub-fields that are interested in history in relation to management and organization.

Research limitations/implications

This paper concludes by calling for more historical work that deals with historiographical and theoretical issues, rather than a continuation of methodological debates that focus on antagonisms between different methods of undertaking historical research to the exclusion of advancing the creation of new historical knowledge, however constructed.

Originality/value

This paper articulates a pluralistic and ecumenical vision for historical research in relation to management and organization. The primary contribution is therefore to attempt to dissolve the seeming assumption of dialectical antagonism between different but related sub-communities of practice.
Prevalence and genomic characterization of Group A Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis isolated from patients with invasive infections in Toyama prefecture, Japan
Authors: Ishihara Haruka , Ogura Kohei , Miyoshi‐Akiyama Tohru , Nakamura Masahiko , Kaya Hiroyasu , Okamoto Shigefumi
Published: November 2019

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) causes severe invasive streptococcal infections, especially in elderly people. Between 2013 and 2018, 88 streptococci were isolated from clinical blood culture in a hospital in Toyama prefecture, Japan. The collection included six Group A SDSE (ASD) strains, which are rarely isolated. Multilocus sequence typing categorized five of the six strains into ST128 and the remaining strain into a new type. Maximum‐likelihood phylogenetic analysis revealed that the six ASD strains had highly similar genome sequences. Bayesian analysis indicated that the most recent common ancestor of the strains appeared 39 years ago. The ASD strains possessed carbohydrate synthase genes that are conserved in Streptococcus pyogenes strains, whereas one strain featured a different arrangement of the gene cluster. The carbohydrate synthase genes varied by Lancefield type (A, C, and G).
Drivers of spatiotemporal variability in bycatch of a top marine predator: First evidence for the role of water turbidity in protected species bycatch
Authors: Luck Cian , Cronin Michelle , Gosch Martha , Healy Kieran , Cosgrove Ronan , Tully Oliver , Rogan Emer , Jessopp Mark
Published: November 2019

Bycatch of protected species in static net fisheries is a global conservation concern and is currently considered the dominant anthropogenic threat facing many marine mammal species. Effective bycatch mitigation remains challenging, contingent on an understanding of the underlying mechanisms that cause individuals to become entangled.

We combined data collected by scientific observers and fishers to identify predictors of seal bycatch in static net fisheries along the west, southwest and south coasts of Ireland. We first analysed the broad regional and seasonal trends in seal bycatch before identifying environmental variables that could explain these patterns.

Based on negative binomial generalized linear mixed effects models, seal bycatch significantly varied with season and decreased with greater distance to major seal colonies and in clearer, less turbid water.

Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that distance to major seal colonies was a significant driver of spatial variation in seal bycatch, and water turbidity a major driver of seasonal trends. These findings will enable us to identify future bycatch risk and target mitigation measures effectively. This is the first study to identify the effect of water turbidity on bycatch of a protected marine species. Increasing net visibility in turbid waters may provide a novel approach to mitigating against protected species bycatch in static net fisheries.
Restrictive versus routine episiotomy among Southeast Asian term pregnancies: a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Sangkomkamhang U , Kongwattanakul K , Kietpeerakool C , Thinkhamrop J , Wannasiri P , Khunpradit S , Thepsuthamarat K , Jampathong N , Lumbiganon P
Published: November 2019

Objective

To determine whether restrictive or routine episiotomy in term pregnant Southeast Asian women results in fewer complications.

Design

A multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Setting

Two tertiary and two general hospitals in Thailand.

Population

3006 singleton pregnant women 18 years or older, ≥37 weeks of gestation, cephalic presentation and planned vaginal delivery.

Methods

This randomised controlled trial compared routine versus restrictive episiotomies in Thai women giving birth vaginally. Participants were singleton, term pregnant women with cephalic presentation. Block randomisation was stratified by study site and parity. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to indicate between‐group differences.

Main outcome measures

Primary outcome was severe perineal laceration. Secondary outcomes included vaginal laceration, cervical laceration, and pregnancy outcomes.

Results

3006 women were randomly assigned to restrictive (1502) and routine (1504) episiotomy. There was no difference in severe perineal laceration between the groups (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.46–1.12). Restrictive episiotomy resulted in more intact perineums in multiparous women (RR 3.09, 95% CI 2.10–4.56). Restrictive episiotomy increased the risk of vaginal laceration in primiparous (RR 1.96, 95% CI 1.62–2.37) and multiparous women (RR 2.21, 95% CI 1.77–2.75) but did not lead to more suturing. There were comparable risks of cervical laceration, postpartum haemorrhage, wound complication, birth asphyxia, and admission to neonatal intensive care unit.

Conclusions

Restrictive episiotomy results in more intact perineum in multiparous women. Risks of maternal and neonatal outcomes were comparable between the two practices. These results strengthen the certainty of the existing Cochrane review findings in supporting restrictive episiotomy.

Tweetable abstract

Restrictive episiotomy results in more intact perineums after vaginal birth in multiparous Southeast Asian women.
Neurodevelopmental outcome in 7‐year‐old children is not affected by exercise during pregnancy: follow up of a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Ellingsen MS , Pettersen A , Stafne SN , Mørkved S , Salvesen KÅ , Evensen KAI
Published: November 2019

Objective

To investigate whether regular moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy had adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age.

Design

Follow up of a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Setting

St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital and Stavanger University Hospital, Norway (2007–09).

Population

Women randomised to follow a 12‐week structured exercise protocol or standard antenatal care during pregnancy.

Methods

At 7 years of age, neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed by the parent questionnaire Five‐To‐Fifteen (FTF), including motor skills, executive functions, perception, memory, language, social skills and possible emotional/behavioural problems.

Main outcome measure

Continuous and dichotomised (cut‐off 90th centile) FTF scores.

Results

A total of 855 women were randomised to exercise (n = 429) or standard antenatal care (n = 426) during pregnancy. At follow up, 164 (38.2%) children born to mothers in the intervention group and 115 (27.0%) children born to mothers in the control group participated. We found no group differences in FTF scores or in the proportion of children with scores ≥90th centile. Stratified analyses by sex, subgroup analyses of women who adhered to the exercise protocol or sensitivity analyses excluding preterm children and/or children who had been admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit did not change the results.

Conclusions

In the present randomised controlled trial follow‐up study, regular moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy did not have adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age.

Tweetable abstract

Moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy had no adverse effect on neurodevelopment of offspring at 7 years of age.