bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Regulation of Stem Cell Proliferation and Fate Decisions by their Differentiated Daughters
Authors: Ning Wenxiu , Muroyama Andrew , Li Hua , Lechler Terry
Published: September 2020

Basal stem cells fuel development, homeostasis, and regeneration of the epidermis. The proliferation and fate decisions of these cells are highly regulated by their microenvironment, including the basement membrane and underlying mesenchymal cells. Basal progenitors give rise to differentiated progeny that serve an essential role in generating the epidermal barrier. Here, we present data that differentiated progeny also regulate the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of basal progenitor cells. Using two distinct mouse lines, we found that increasing contractility of differentiated cells resulted in non-cell autonomous hyperproliferation of stem cells and prevented their commitment to a hair follicle lineage. These phenotypes were rescued by pharmacological inhibitors of contractility. Live-imaging revealed that increasing the contractility of differentiated cells resulted in stabilization of adherens junctions and impaired movement of basal progenitors during hair placode morphogenesis, as well as a defect in migration of melanoblasts. These data suggest that intra-tissue tension regulates stem cell proliferation, fate decisions and migration, similar to the known roles of extracellular matrix rigidity. Additionally, this work demonstrates that differentiated epidermal keratinocytes are a component of the stem cell niche that regulates development and homeostasis of the skin.
Corticospinal neurons encode complex motor signals that are broadcast to dichotomous striatal circuits
Authors: Nelson Anders , Abdelmesih Brenda , Costa Rui M
Published: September 2020

Sensorimotor cortex controls movement in part through direct projections to the spinal cord. Here we show that these corticospinal neurons (CSNs) possess axon collaterals that innervate many supraspinal brain regions critical for motor control, most prominently the main input to the basal ganglia, the striatum. Corticospinal neurons that innervate the striatum form more synapses on D1-than D2-striatal projection neurons (SPNs). This biased innervation strategy corresponds to functionally distinct patterns of termination in spinal cord. CSNs are strongly driven during a striatum-dependent sequential forelimb behavior, and often represent high level movement features that are not linearly related to kinematic output. Copies of these activity patterns are relayed in a balanced fashion to both D1 and D2 projection pathways. These results reveal a circuit logic by which motor cortex corticospinal neurons relay both kinematic-related and unrelated signals to distinct striatal and spinal cord pathways, where postsynaptic connectivity ultimately dictates motor specificity.

Highlights

Corticospinal neurons send axon collaterals most abundantly to the striatum

Biases in striatal innervation correspond to biases in spinal innervation

CSNs represent complex movement sequence information

Corollary motor sequence signals are relayed to both striatal projection pathways

eTOC Blurb

Nelson, A. et al. detail the organization of corticospinal neurons and their coordinated cell type-specific targets in the dorsolateral striatum and spinal cord. Corticospinal neurons encode both kinematic-related and unrelated signals during motor sequences, and relay this information in a balanced fashion to dichotomous striatal pathways.
Role of hemocytes in the regeneration of germline stem cells inDrosophila
Authors: Varga Virginia Beatrix , Szikszai Fanni , Szinyákovics Janka , Manzéger Anna , Puska Gina , Kovács Tibor , Vellai Tibor
Published: September 2020

Cellular regeneration, which relies on extensive restructuring of cytoplasmic materials, is an essential process to restore tissues and organs lost during aging, degenerative diseases and injury. At early stages ofDrosophilaspermatogenesis, when cellular constituents are intensely remodeled, there are two different populations of stem cells, the somatic stem cells and the germline stem cells (GSCs). GSCs divide by asymmetric division to give rise two distinct daughter cells. One of them will leave the stem cells’ niche and differentiate into spermatogonial cells (SCs). Both aging and cellular stress can lead to the loss of GSCs. Lost GSCs can be restored by dedifferentiation of SCs into functional GSCs. In other tissues, macrophages provide specific conditions for cellular transformation. Here we examined the potential role of immune surveillance cells called hemocytes during dedifferentiation of SGs into GSCs. We found an elevated number of hemocytes during this dedifferentiation process. Immune depletion of hemocytes decreased the regeneration capacity of germline. We also show that autophagy, which plays a pivotal role in cellular differentiation by eliminating unwanted, superfluous parts of the cytoplasm, becomes upregulated in dedifferentiating SCs upon JAK-STAT signaling emitted by hemocytes. Furthermore, these immune cells regulate expression of Omi/HtrA2, a key regulator of apoptosis in early spermatogenesis. Together, we suggest that hemocytes have important functions in the dedifferentiation process of GSCs.
Genome-Wide Association for Itraconazole Sensitivity in Non-Resistant Clinical Isolates ofAspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Zhao Shu , Ge Wenbo , Watanabe Akira , Fortwendel Jarrod R. , Gibbons John G.
Published: September 2020

Aspergillus fumigatusis a potentially lethal opportunistic pathogen that infects over ∼200,000 people and causes ∼100,000 deaths per year globally. TreatingA. fumigatusinfections is particularly challenging because of the recent emergence of azole-resistance. The majority of studies focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying azole resistance have examined azole-resistant isolates. However, isolates that are susceptible to azoles also display variation in their sensitivity, presenting a unique opportunity to identify genes contributing to azole sensitivity. Here, we used genome-wide association (GWA) analysis to identify loci involved in azole sensitivity by analyzing the association between 68,853 SNPs and itraconazole (ITCZ) minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in 76 clinical isolates ofA. fumigatusfrom Japan. Population structure analysis suggests the presence of four distinct populations, with ITCZ MICs distributed relatively evenly across populations. We independently conducted GWA when treating ITCZ MIC as a quantitative trait and a binary trait and identified two SNPs with strong associations that were identified in both analyses. These SNPs fell within the coding regions ofAfu2g02220andAfu2g02140. We functionally validatedAfu2g02220by knocking it out using a CRISPR/Cas-9 approach, because orthologs of this gene are involved in sterol modification and ITCZ targets the ergosterol pathway. Knockout strains displayed no difference in growth compared to the parent strain in minimal media, yet a minor but consistent inhibition of growth in the presence of 0.15 ug/ml ITCZ. Our results suggest that GWA paired with efficient gene deletion is a powerful and unbiased strategy for identifying the genetic basis of complex traits inA. fumigatus.

Importance

Aspergillus fumigatusis a pathogenic mold that can infect and kill individuals with compromised immune systems. The azole class of drugs provide antifungal activity againstA. fumigatusinfections and have become an essential treatment strategy. Unfortunately,A. fumigatusazole resistance has recently emerged and rapidly risen in frequency making treatment more challenging. Our understanding of the molecular basis of azole sensitivity has been shaped mainly through candidate gene studies. Unbiased approaches are necessary to understand the full repertoire of genes and genetic variants underlying azole resistance and sensitivity. Here, we provide the first application of genome-wide association analysis inA. fumigatusin the identification of a gene (Afu2g02220) that contributes to itraconazole susceptibility. Our approach, which combines association mapping and CRISPR/Cas-9 for functional validation of candidate genes, has broad application for investigating the genetic basis of complex traits in fungal systems.
In vivotranscriptome analysis provides insights into host-dependent expression of virulence factors byYersinia entomophagaMH96, during infection ofGalleria mellonella
Authors: Paulson Amber R. , O’Callaghan Maureen , Zhang Xue-Xian , Rainey Paul B. , Hurst Mark R.H.
Published: September 2020

The function of microbes can be inferred from knowledge of genes specifically expressed in natural environments. Here we report thein vivotranscriptome of the entomopathogenic bacteriumYersinia entomophagaMH96, captured during three stages of intrahemocoelic infection inGalleria mellonella. A total of 1,285 genes were significantly upregulated by MH96 during infection; 829 genes responded toin vivoconditions during at least one stage of infection, 289 responded during two stages of infection and 167 transcripts responded throughout all three stages of infection. Genes upregulated during the earliest infection stage included components of the insecticidal toxin complex Yen-TC (chi1, chi2andyenC1), genes for rearrangement hotspot element containing proteinyenC3, cytolethal distending toxincdtABand vegetative insecticidal toxinvip2. Genes more highly expressed throughout the infection cycle included the putative heat-stable enterotoxinyenTand three adhesins (usher-chaperone fimbria, filamentous hemagglutinin and an AidA-like secreted adhesin). Clustering and functional enrichment of gene expression data also revealed expression of genes encoding type III and VI secretion system-associated effectors. Together these data provide insight into the pathobiology of MH96 and serve as an important resource supporting efforts to identify novel insecticidal agents.
Severe childhood and adulthood stress associates with neocortical layer-specific reductions of mature spines in psychiatric disorders
Authors: Kaul Dominic , Smith Caine C , Stevens Julia , Fröhlich Anna S , Binder Elisabeth B , Mechawar Naguib , Schwab Sibylle G , Matosin Natalie
Published: September 2020

Severe stress exposure causes the loss of dendritic spines on cortical pyramidal neurons and induces psychiatric-like symptoms in rodent models. These effects are strongest following early-life stress and are most persistent on apical dendrites. However, the long-term impacts and temporal effects of stress exposure on the human brain remain poorly understood. Using a novel postmortem cohort of psychiatric cases with severe stress experienced in childhood, adulthood, or no severe stress, and matched controls, we aimed to determine the impact of stress timing on pyramidal neuron structure in the human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). We performed Golgi Cox staining and manually measured the morphology and density of over 22,000 dendritic spines on layer-specific pyramidal neuron apical dendrites. We also quantified glucocorticoid receptor mRNA and protein as a marker of stress dysregulation. Both childhood and adulthood stress were associated with large reductions in mature mushroom spine density (up to 56% loss) in both the superficial (II/III) and deeper layers (V) of the OFC. However, childhood stress caused more substantial reductions to both total and mature mushroom spines. No difference in glucocorticoid receptor mRNA and protein were seen between groups, although both negatively correlated with total spine density within the whole cohort. These findings indicate that severe stress, especially when experienced during childhood, persistently affects the fine morphological properties of neurons in the human OFC. This may impact on cell connectivity in this brain area, and at least partly explain the social and emotional symptoms that originate in the OFC in psychiatric disorders.
NAD(H)-mediated tetramerization controls the activity ofLegionella pneumophilaphospholipase PlaB
Authors: Diwo Maurice , Michel Wiebke , Aurass Philipp , Kuhle-Keindorf Katja , Pippel Jan , Krausze Joern , Lang Christina , Blankenfeldt Wulf , Flieger Antje
Published: September 2020

The virulence factor and phospholipase PlaB promotes lung colonization, tissue destruction, and intracellular replication ofLegionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease. It is exposed at the bacterial surface and shows an extraordinary activation mechanism by tetramer deoligomerization. To unravel the molecular basis for enzyme activation and localization, we determined the crystal structure of PlaB in its tetrameric form. We found that the tetramer is a dimer of identical dimers, and a monomer consists of an N-terminal phospholipase α/β-hydrolase domain augmented by two non-canonical two-stranded β-sheets, β6/β7 and β9/β10. The C- terminal domain reveals a novel fold displaying a bilobed β-sandwich with a hook structure that is required for dimer formation and complementation of the phospholipase domain in the neighboring monomer. Unexpectedly, we observed eight NAD(H) molecules at the dimer/dimer interface, suggesting that these molecules stabilize the tetramer and hence lead to enzyme inactivation. Indeed, addition of NAD(H) increased the fraction of the tetrameric form and concomitantly reduced activity. β9/β10 mutants revealed a decrease in the tetrameric fraction, altered activity profiles, and mislocalization. Protein variants lacking the hook or strands β6/β7 were unaffected in terms of localization but lost their activity, and lid mutants changed substrate specificity. Together, these data reveal structural elements and an unprecedented NAD(H)- mediated tetramerization mechanism required for spatial and enzymatic control of a phospholipase virulence factor. The regulatory process identified is ideally suited to fine tune PlaB in a way that protectsL. pneumophilafrom self-inflicted lysis while ensuring its activity at the pathogen–host interface.
Polygenic mutations model the pleiotropic disease of Fanconi Anemia
Authors: Tomaszowski Karl-Heinz , Roy Sunetra , Keshvani Caezaan , Ott Martina , DiNardo Courtney , Schindler Detlev , Schlacher Katharina
Published: September 2020

Fanconi Anemia (FA) is a prototypic genetic disease signified by heterogeneous phenotypes including cancer, bone marrow failure, short stature, congenital abnormalities, infertility, sub-mendelian birth rate, genome instability and high cellular sensitivity to cancer therapeutics1-4. Clinical diagnosis is confirmed by identifying biallelic, homo- or hemizygous mutations in any one of twenty-threeFANCgenes1,5. Puzzlingly, inactivation of one singleFancgene in mice fails to faithfully model the human disease manifestations6-8. We here delineate a preclinicalFancmouse model with mutations in two genes,Fancd1/Brca2andFanco/Rad51c, that recapitulates the severity and heterogeneity of the human disease manifestations including death by cancer at young age. Surprisingly, these grave phenotypes cannot be explained by the sum of phenotypes seen in mice with single gene inactivation, which are unremarkable. In contrast to expectations from classic epistasis analysis of genetic pathways, the data instead reveal an unexpected functional synergism of polygenicFancmutations. Importantly in humans, whole exome sequencing uncovers thatFANCco-mutation in addition to the identified inactivatingFANCgene mutation is a frequent event in FA patients. Collectively, the data establish a concept of polygenic stress as an important contributor to disease manifestations, with implications for molecular diagnostics.
UTteR control through miRs: fine-tuning ATXN1 levels to prevent ataxia
Authors: Xie Mingyi , Swanson Maurice S.
Published: September 2020

Pathomechanistic studies of neurodegenerative diseases have documented the toxic effects of mutant protein expression, misfolding, and aggregation. However, alterations in the expression of the corresponding wild-type (WT) gene, due to either variations in copy number or transcriptional regulation, have also been linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Another striking example of this mutant and WT duality is spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) caused by an ATXN1 polyglutamine protein, although subtle variations in WT AXTN1 levels also lead to ataxia. In this issue of Genes & Development, Nitschke and colleagues (pp. 1147–1160) delve into posttranscriptional events that fine-tune ATXN1 expression and uncover a key role for 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR)–miR760 interactions. Thus, this study not only provides significant insights into the complexities of modulating the expression of a dosage-sensitive gene but also highlights the critical importance of identifying noncoding polymorphisms as disease risk factors.
High precision Neisseria gonorrhoeae variant and antimicrobial resistance calling from metagenomic Nanopore sequencing
Authors: Sanderson Nicholas D. , Swann Jeremy , Barker Leanne , Kavanagh James , Hoosdally Sarah , Crook Derrick ,   The GonFast Investigators Group, Street Teresa L. , Eyre David W.
Published: September 2020

The rise of antimicrobial-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a significant public health concern. Against this background, rapid culture-independent diagnostics may allow targeted treatment and prevent onward transmission. We have previously shown metagenomic sequencing of urine samples from men with urethral gonorrhea can recover near-complete N. gonorrhoeae genomes. However, disentangling the N. gonorrhoeae genome from metagenomic samples and robustly identifying antimicrobial resistance determinants from error-prone Nanopore sequencing is a substantial bioinformatics challenge. Here, we show an N. gonorrhoeae diagnostic workflow for analysis of metagenomic sequencing data obtained from clinical samples using R9.4.1 Nanopore sequencing. We compared results from simulated and clinical infections with data from known reference strains and Illumina sequencing of isolates cultured from the same patients. We evaluated three Nanopore variant callers and developed a random forest classifier to filter called SNPs. Clair was the most suitable variant caller after SNP filtering. A minimum depth of 20× reads was required to confidently identify resistant determinants over the entire genome. Our findings show that metagenomic Nanopore sequencing can provide reliable diagnostic information in N. gonorrhoeae infection.
Standard Immunization of Rabbits
Authors: Greenfield Edward A.
Published: September 2020

Rabbits can be immunized by administering biweekly injections of a purified antigen, cultured cells, or cDNA. The minimum amount of antigen capable of inducing a response will depend on the nature of the antigen and on the host, but for rabbits, the minimum dose will be in the range of 10 μg per injection, although 100 μg per injection will be used more commonly. If a pure, soluble protein antigen is being used and is abundant, then a dose of 0.5–1 mg in adjuvant at each immunization is a sensible general recommendation. The injection sites on the rabbit are shaved and disinfected before immunization. Adjuvants are mixed with the immunizing antigen for the first two immunizations only, and Complete Freund's adjuvant is only used with the first immunization; subsequent immunizations are performed in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or normal saline, with or without Incomplete Freund's adjuvant. Once a good titer has developed against the antigen of interest, regular boosts and bleeds are performed to collect the maximum amount of serum. For rabbits, boosts should be spaced every 6 wk, and serum samples of 20–40 mL should be collected ∼10–12 d after each boost; typically, a single sample bleed from a rabbit will yield 25 mL of serum.
Assessing the Immune Response When Raising Antibodies
for Use in Xenopus
Authors: Piccinni Maya Z. , Guille Matthew J.
Published: September 2020

Frog-specific antibodies usually must be raised for work in Xenopus. Selecting a host animal whose immune system will respond to a target antigen with an antibody response is essential to obtaining high-quality antibodies. To determine whether an immunized animal has produced antibodies against an antigen, western blotting using Xenopus embryo or egg extract as the protein source can be performed as described here. When a protein of the expected size is detected by western blotting in the immune sera but not the preimmune sera, the antibody has been successfully raised.
Purifying Antibodies Raised against Xenopus Peptides
Authors: Piccinni Maya Z. , Guille Matthew J.
Published: September 2020

Antibody production for work in Xenopus involves the immunization of a host with an antigen, usually a Xenopus protein or peptide alien to the host. The antibody-containing serum, normally returned to the investigator by the company/bioresource unit where it was raised, is comprised of all proteins not used in blood clotting (coagulation) and all the electrolytes, antibodies, antigens, hormones, and any exogenous substances, such as drugs and microorganisms, that were in the blood. It is often necessary to separate the target antibody from the rest of the serum components to minimize nonspecific protein–antibody interactions in downstream applications (e.g., when performing western blotting). Most antibody production companies provide a column containing the peptide coupled to glass beads. A purification procedure for using this type of column (i.e., one that is based on controlled-pore glass beads) is described here.
Lysozyme crystals dyed with bromophenol blue: where has the dye gone?
Authors: Plaza-Garrido Marina , Salinas-Garcia M. Carmen , Alba-Elena Daniel , Martínez Jose C. , Camara-Artigas Ana
Published: September 2020

Protein crystals can easily be coloured by adding dyes to their mother liquor, but most structures of these protein–dye complexes remain unsolved. Here, structures of lysozyme in complex with bromophenol blue obtained by soaking orthorhombic and tetragonal crystals in a saturated solution of the dye at different pH values from 5.0 to 7.5 are reported. Two different binding sites can be found in the lysozyme–bromophenol blue crystals: binding site I is located near the amino- and carboxyl-termini, while binding site II is located adjacent to helices α1 (residues 4–15) and α3 (residues 88–100). In the orthorhombic crystals soaked at pH 7.0, binding of the dye takes place in both sites without significant changes in the unit cell. However, soaking tetragonal crystals with bromophenol blue results in two different complexes. Crystals soaked at pH 5.5 (HEWL-T1) show a single dye molecule bound to site II, and the crystals belong to space group P43212 without significant changes in the unit cell (a = b = 78.50, c = 37.34 Å). On the other hand, crystals soaked at pH 6.5 in the presence of imidazole (HEWL-T2) show up to eight molecules of the dye bound to site II, and display changes in space group (P212121) and unit cell (a = 38.00, b = 76.65, c = 84.86 Å). In all of the structures, the dye molecules are placed at the surface of the protein near to positively charged residues accessible through the main solvent channels of the crystal. Differences in the arrangement of the dye molecules at the surface of the protein suggest that the binding is not specific and is mainly driven by electrostatic interactions.
How can econometrics help fight the COVID-19 pandemic?
Authors: Alvarez Kevin , Kreinovich Vladik
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The current pandemic is difficult to model – and thus difficult to control. In contrast to the previous epidemics, whose dynamics were smooth and well described by the existing models, the statistics of the current pandemic are highly oscillating. The purpose of this paper is to explain these oscillations and to see how this explanation can be used to fight the epidemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use an analogy with economic systems.

Findings

The authors show that these oscillations can be explained if we take into account the disease’s long incubation period – as a result of which our control measures are determined by outdated data, showing number of infected people two weeks ago. To better control the pandemic, the authors propose to use the experience of economics, where also the effect of different measures can be observed only after some time. In the past, this led to wild oscillations of the economy, with rapid growth periods followed by devastating crises. In time, economists learned how to smooth the cycles and thus to drastically decrease the corresponding negative effects. The authors hope that this experience can help fight the pandemic.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first explanation of the highly oscillatory nature of this epidemic’s dynamics.
Gender and body weight status differences in the consumption frequency, choice and sugar intake of ready-to-drink sugar-sweetened beverages
Authors: Tan Seok Tyug , Abdullah Zaini Nur Ainaa' Najihah , Tan Seok Shin , Tan Chin Xuan
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) not only contribute to the incidence of dental caries but also a substantial risk for metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and arthritis. Therefore, this study aims to compare the ready-to-drink SSB (RTD-SSB) consumption frequency, choice and sugar intake across gender and body weight status.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study involved 126 adolescents from two primary schools in Shah Alam, Selangor. Adolescents aged between 9-11 years old were enrolled using convenience sampling method. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to assess socio-demographic and RTD-SSB consumption of the adolescents. The RTD-SSB consumption was assessed with 2-day 24-hour dietary recalls (single weekend and single weekday recalls), whereas body weight and height were assessed using TANITA weighing scale and stadiometer, respectively. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26.0, while BMI-for-age (BAZ) z-score was determined using the World Health Organization (WHO) AnthroPlus software version 1.0.4.

Findings

The mean age of 126 adolescents was 10.82 ± 0.93 years old. The frequency of SSB consumption was 1.77 ± 1.25 times/day, whereas the average daily sugar intake was 6.3 teaspoons (26.61 ± 22.18 g) from RTD-SSBs. Flavoured milk emerged as the most frequent consumed beverage among adolescents, regardless of gender and weight status. No association was observed between the RTD-SSB consumption frequency and weight status (χ2 = 0.953, p > 0.05) as well as sugar intake and weight status (χ2 = 1.202, p > 0.05). Emerging findings demonstrated that the RTD-SSB consumption frequency, choice and sugar intake were similar across gender and weight status.

Originality/value

This was the first study that compares RTD-SSB consumption frequency, choice and sugar intake across gender and different body weight status.
Training transfer climate: examining the role of high performance work system and organizational performance in the power sector of India
Authors: Muduli Ashutosh , McLean Gary N.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Benchmarking research has explored the role of organizational practices and business processes rooted with human capabilities for achieving growth performance. The role of high performance work system as an organizational practice and business process is yet to be studied. Even if studied, no study has been conducted on the role of training transfer climate on high performance work system and organizational performance. The current research aims at examining high performance work system on organizational performance. Further, the study also examine training transfer climate as a mediating variable between HPWS and organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collected from 415 executives of a high performance-based power sector company of Gujarat, India. The survey instrument consists of high performance work system, training transfer climate and organizational performance. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for a simultaneous assessment of overall and specific elements of measurement validity and reliability. Structural equation modelling used to test the hypothesized model.

Findings

The result proved the capability of high performance work system to predict organizational performance. Further, the result supports the hypothesis that training transfer climate acts as a mediator between high performance work system and organizational performance.

Research limitations/implications

The result has important theoretical and managerial implications. Theoretically, the research extends the scope of benchmarking to high performance work system. The managerial implications have been discussed from the training transfer climate perspectives.

Originality/value

The originality of the study lies with proving the role of high performance work system and training transfer climate as an organizational practice and business process within benchmarking research.
Impact of firm performance and corporate governance mechanisms on intellectual capital disclosures in CEO statements
Authors: Mardini Ghassan H. , Lahyani Fathia Elleuch
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Using agency theory and impression management theory, this study examines the impact of financial performance (FP) and corporate governance (CG) mechanisms on the extent of intellectual capital disclosures (ICDs) and the three components within the CEO statement – human capital (HC), structural capital (SC) and relational capital (RC).

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs a sample of non-financial SPF-120 French listed firms to capture the relevant variables; it collects data for 2010–2017, using a panel data technique to run the random effects regressions.

Findings

The study finds that FP, measured using both market (Tobin's q) and accounting (return on equity and return on assets) indicators, plays a vital role in the extent of ICDs and the three components in the CEO statement published by SPF-120 companies. This confirms its impact on the decision-making needs of stakeholders. Among the CG mechanisms, this study finds that cultural diversity and gender diversity affect some ICD components. Moreover, CEO characteristics such as age, education and role duality affect ICD, while institutional ownership drives the extent of such disclosures.

Practical implications

Our findings have comprehensive implications for managers of French listed firms, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, and stakeholders in general.

Originality/value

This study provides significant insights by investigating the impact of FP, CG and company characteristics on the extent of the ICDs published in CEO statements.
Exploring the determinants of scientific productivity: a proposed typology of researchers
Authors: Ballesteros-Rodríguez José Luis , De Saá-Pérez Petra , García-Carbonell Natalia , Martín-Alcázar Fernando , Sánchez-Gardey Gonzalo
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Although several previous studies were focused on examining the determinants of research productivity, the knowledge of the competences and motives that lead researchers to achieve relevant scientific performance remains unclear. This paper is aimed at contributing to this gap in the research by proposing a typology to understand academic researchers' traits and extending the traditional “more is better” approach, which assumes that higher levels of competence and motivation are always preferable.

Design/methodology/approach

Cluster analysis was applied to a sample of 471 Spanish academics to examine diverse combinations of human capital attributes – knowledge, skills, and abilities – and two sources of motivation – intrinsic and extrinsic.

Findings

Four researcher profiles were identified: (1) high vocational academics; (2) motivated academics; (3) self-starter academics and (4) reactive academics. Based on these preliminary findings, we present conclusions about the functioning and productivity of academic researchers.

Originality/value

This paper contributes a novel typology of researchers to the extant literature based on the variables of academic human capital and motivation. The findings indicate that a required and specific combination of attributes better fits the reality of research activities.
Lowering the walls: an integrative approach to first-year undergraduate business education
Authors: Fernando Mario , Fox Stephen , Bandara Ruwan , Hartley Daniel
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the nature of interdisciplinary thinking and the conditions and processes that foster it among first-year undergraduate students.

Design/methodology/approach

This study with 510 Australian students drawn from 2 cohorts explored an initiative to promote interdisciplinary teaching in an undergraduate ethics-based subject. The study focused on a case-study-based reflective essay intervention to compare the teaching and learning outcomes in the two student cohorts.

Findings

The results show how a case-study-based reflective essay intervention impacted on interdisciplinary learning. Introducing the case-study-based reflective essay improved interdisciplinary thinking. Findings show that integral to engaging students in interdisciplinary learning is a need for more experiential and active approaches built into education itself.

Research limitations/implications

The study findings extend Speltet al.’s (2009) model in the business education context to link student learning outcomes to the learning processes, learning environment and interdisciplinary thinking. A key limitation of this study is that the intervention is limited to only two student cohorts.

Practical implications

The study recommends the use of reflective practice in interdisciplinary subjects to support a variety of learning outcomes across disciplines including classroom-based and assignment-based reflective practices which influence interdisciplinary thinking and active learning.

Originality/value

There is limited understanding on how business schools should or could attempt to promote interdisciplinary teaching and the actual methods for doing so. This study highlights the significance of integrating reflective practice in undergraduate business education to promote students’ interdisciplinary thinking.
Lateral deformation behavior of eccentrically loaded slender RC columns with different levels of rotational end restraint at elevated temperatures
Authors: Mahmoud Khaled Ahmed
Published: September 2020

Purpose

In literature, previous studies have focused on analyzing rienforced concrete (RC) columns with idealized end conditions when subjected to fire. In nature, full fixity or free rotation at column ends is not attained. Such ends may be considered partially restrained in rotation. This paper aims to shed a new light on the effect of different degrees of rotational restraint on the lateral deformation behavior of slender heated RC columns subjected to non-linear strain distributions produced by a time-dependent temperature history.

Design/methodology/approach

To find the strain distribution on the cross section, an iterative technique is adopted using Newton–Raphson method. By introducing a reliable calculation procedure, the lateral deformational behavior is expressed using numerical and searching techniques. A methodology is presented to calculate the effective length factor for RC columns at elevated temperature.

Findings

The results of the proposed model showed good agreement with available experimental test results. It was also found that the variation of rotational end restraint level has a considerable effect on the lateral deformation behavior of heated slender RC columns. In addition, the effectiveness and the validity of an analytical model should be verified by simultaneously validating the axial and lateral deformations. Moreover, the effective length factor for heated column is higher than that for the corresponding column at ambient temperature.

Originality/value

This paper shows the impact of different boundary conditions on the behavior of heated slender RC columns. It suggests powerful techniques to determine the lateral deflection and the effective length factor at high temperatures.
Analysing the voice of customers by a hybrid fuzzy decision-making approach in a developing country's automotive market
Authors: Amoozad Mahdiraji Hannan , Hafeez Khalid , Kord Hamidreza , Abbasi Kamardi AliAsghar
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This paper analyses the voice of customers (VoCs) using a hybrid clustering multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. The proposed method serves as an efficient tool for how to approach multiple decision-making involving a large set of countrywide customer complaints in the Iranian automotive sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The countrywide data comprising 3,342 customer complaints (VoCs) were gathered. A total of seven determinant complaint criteria were identified in brainstorming sessions with three groups (six each) of experts employing the fuzzy Delphi method. The weights of these criteria were assigned by applying the fuzzy best–worst method (FBWM) to identify the severity of the complaints. Subsequently, the complaints were clustered into five categories with respective customer locations (province), car type and manufacturer using the K-mean method and further prioritised and ranked employing the fuzzy complex proportional assessment of alternatives (FCOPRAS) method.

Findings

The results indicated that the majority of complaints (1,027) from the various regions of the country belonged to one specific model of car made by a particular producer. The analyses revealed that only a few complaints were related to product quality, with the majority related to service and financial processes including delays in automobile delivery, delays in calculating monthly instalments, price variation, failure to provide a registration ( licence) and failure to supply the agreed product. The proposed method is an efficient way to solve large-scale multidimensional problems and provide a robust and reliable set of results.

Practical implications

The proposed method makes it much easier for management to deal with complaints by significantly reducing their number. The highest-ranked complaints from customers of the car industry in Iran are those related to delivery time, price alternations, customer service support and quality issues. Surveying the list of complaints shows that paying attention to the four most voiced complaints can reduce them more than 54%. Management can make appropriate strategies to improve the production quality as well as business processes, thus producing a significant number of customer complaints.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a comprehensive approach to critically analyse the VoCs by combining qualitative and decision-making approaches including K-mean, FCOPRAS, fuzzy Delphi and FBWM. This is the first paper that analyses the VoCs in the automotive sector in a developing country’s context involving large-scale decision-making problem-solving.
Using modern low‐oxygen marine ecosystems to understand the nitrogen cycle of the Paleo‐ and Mesoproterozoic oceans
Authors: Fuchsman Clara A. , Stüeken Eva E.
Published: September 2020

During the productive Paleoproterozoic (2.4–1.8 Ga) and less productive Mesoproterozoic (1.8–1.0 Ga), the ocean was suboxic to anoxic and multicellular organisms had not yet evolved. Here, we link geologic information about the Proterozoic ocean to microbial processes in modern low‐oxygen systems. High iron concentrations and rates of Fe cycling in the Proterozoic are the largest differences from modern oxygen‐deficient zones. In anoxic waters, which composed most of the Paleoproterozoic and ~40% of the Mesoproterozoic ocean, nitrogen cycling dominated. Rates of N2production by denitrification and anammox were likely linked to sinking organic matter fluxes andin situprimary productivity under anoxic conditions. Additionally autotrophic denitrifiers could have used reduced iron or methane. 50% of the Mesoproterozoic ocean may have been suboxic, promoting nitrification and metal oxidation in the suboxic water and N2O and N2production by partial and complete denitrification in anoxic zones in organic aggregates. Sulfidic conditions may have composed ~10% of the Mesoproterozoic ocean focused along continental margins. Due to low nitrate concentrations in offshore regions, anammox bacteria likely dominated N2production immediately above sulfidic zones, but in coastal regions, higher nitrate concentrations probably promoted complete S‐oxidizing autotrophic denitrification at the sulfide interface.
Fungal volatiles mediate cheese rind microbiome assembly
Authors: Cosetta Casey M. , Kfoury Nicole , Robbat Albert , Wolfe Benjamin E.
Published: September 2020

In vitro studies in plant, soil, and human systems have shown that microbial volatiles can mediate microbe–microbe or microbe–host interactions. These previous studies have often used artificially high concentrations of volatiles compared to in situ systems and have not demonstrated the roles volatiles play in mediating community‐level dynamics. We used the notoriously volatile cheese rind microbiome to identify bacteria responsive to volatiles produced by five widespread cheese fungi. Vibrio casei had the strongest growth stimulation when exposed to all fungi. In multispecies community experiments, fungal volatiles caused a shift to a Vibrio‐dominated community, potentially explaining the widespread occurrence of Vibrio in surface‐ripened cheeses. RNA sequencing identified activation of the glyoxylate shunt as a possible mechanism underlying volatile‐mediated growth promotion and community assembly. Our study demonstrates how airborne chemicals could be used to control the composition of microbiomes and illustrates how volatiles may impact the development of cheese rinds.
Milk fat globule membrane: An overview with particular emphasis on its nutritional and health benefits
Authors: Abd El‐Salam Mohamed H , El‐Shibiny Safinaz
Published: September 2020

Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is a minor milk constituent composed of a large number of polar lipid (PL) classes and proteins organised in a tri‐layer structure. The MFGM PLs and proteins have a wide range of nutritional and health benefits. Animal and human studies have shown that consumption of MFGM preparations has beneficial effects on brain development and function and physical performance, particularly in the elderly. MFGM also improves intestinal health and skin condition, combats hypercholesterolaemia, obesity and inflammation. The present article updates the information about MFGM; particularly its nutritional and health benefits.
Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of food bioactive compounds; overview and assessment by in vitro methods
Authors: Dima Cristian , Assadpour Elham , Dima Stefan , Jafari Seid Mahdi
Published: September 2020

Oral bioavailability is the key to the bioefficiency of food bioactive ingredients; it evaluates the relationship between foods and their health benefits. The analysis of the main factors limiting the oral bioavailability (bioaccessibility, absorption, and transformation) has led to the proposal of classification systems for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals (Biopharmaceuticals Classification System and Nutraceutical Bioavailability Classification Scheme). Based on the relevant studies published in the last decade, this review presents the essential aspects regarding the factors limiting the oral bioavailability of the biocomponents and different in vitro methods used to investigate the mechanisms involved in the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of biocomponents, particularly encapsulated bioactive compounds. Oral bioavailability investigated by in vitro studies provides the food and drug manufacturers with information to formulate delivery systems more efficiently and to determine the dosage of biocomponents for increase the health benefits and avoid or reduce the risk of toxicity.
Marine‐polysaccharide degrading enzymes: Status and prospects
Authors: Sun Huihui , Gao Li , Xue Changhu , Mao Xiangzhao
Published: September 2020

Marine‐polysaccharide degrading enzymes have recently been studied extensively. They are particularly interesting as they catalyze the cleavage of glycosidic bonds in polysaccharide macromolecules and produce oligosaccharides with low degrees of polymerization. Numerous findings have demonstrated that marine polysaccharides and their biotransformed products possess beneficial properties including antitumor, antiviral, anticoagulant, and anti‐inflammatory activities, and they have great value in healthcare, cosmetics, the food industry, and agriculture. Exploitation of enzymes that can degrade marine polysaccharides is in the ascendant, and is important for high‐value use of marine biomass resources. In this review, we describe research and prospects regarding the classification, biochemical properties, and catalytic mechanisms of the main types of marine‐polysaccharide degrading enzymes, focusing on chitinase, chitosanase, alginate lyase, agarase, and carrageenase, and their product oligosaccharides. The state‐of‐the‐art discussion of marine‐polysaccharide degrading enzymes and their properties offers information that might enable more efficient production of marine oligosaccharides. We also highlight current problems in the field of marine‐polysaccharide degrading enzymes and trends in their development. Understanding the properties, catalytic mechanisms, and modification of known enzymes will aid the identification of novel enzymes to degrade marine polysaccharides and facilitation of their use in various biotechnological processes.
Genetic diversity in oak populations under intensive management for fuelwood in the Sierra de Zongolica, Mexico
Authors: Vega‐Ortega Miguel Ángel , Llanderal‐Mendoza Jesús , Gerez‐Fernández Patricia , López Binnqüist Citlalli
Published: September 2020

Firewood and charcoal are used on a daily basis both in rural areas and in cities. This type of energy is produced by one of the most ancient traditional methods, known as coppice, which harvest tree sprouts. There is controversy about its effects on forests: it preserves populations and tree cover of species used, but reduces density, inhibits sexual reproduction and generates genetic erosion. We inquired if it was possible to identify a loss of genetic diversity in oak populations traditionally used for charcoal by the Zongolica Nahuas in Veracruz state, Mexico. We studied populations of Quercus laurina, Quercus calophylla and Quercus rugosa in three different altitudes. Molecular analysis with eight nuclear codominant microsatellites was performed to determine the diversity, structure and gene flow of these species. Results for Q. laurina were Na = 8.458, I = 1.766, Ho = 0.679, polymorphism = 100%, Fis = 0.079, with intraindividual variation of 81.55%. For Q. calophylla: Na = 7.250, I = 1.563, Ho = 0.646, polymorphism = 91.67%, Fis = 0.083, with intraindividual variation of 83.80%. For Q. rugosa: Na = 6.958, I = 1.510, Ho = 0.574, polymorphism = 91.67%, Fis = 0.204, with intraindividual variation of 81.99%; this species shows signals of an early genetic isolation process. Our findings indicate that Quercus genetic diversity for the three species is high and comparable with oak species in Mexico and worldwide. We conclude that at the present, coppice is preserving a historical diversity in adult trees kept alive through sprouting. Nonetheless, problems with coppice systems elsewhere, unregulated harvesting and expansion of pine plantation in the region suggest that further studies, hand in hand with a landscape management approach that improve charcoal and firewood production, may be valuable for Sierra de Zongolica genetic biodiversity conservation.