bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Focusing on what matters: Modulation of the human hippocampus by relational attention
Authors: Córdova Natalia I. , Turk-Browne Nicholas B. , Aly Mariam
Published: October 2018

Hippocampal episodic memory is fundamentally relational, consisting of links between events and the spatial and temporal contexts in which they occurred. Such relations are also important over much shorter time periods, during online visual perception. For example, how do we assess the relative spatial positions of objects, their temporal order, or the relationship between their features? Here, we investigate the role of the hippocampus in such online relational processing by manipulating visual attention to different kinds of relations in a dynamic display. While undergoing high-resolution fMRI, participants viewed two images in rapid succession on each trial and performed one of three relational tasks, judging the images’ relative: spatial positions, temporal onsets, or sizes. As a control, they sometimes also judged whether one image was tilted, irrespective of the other; this served as a baseline item task with no demands on relational processing. All hippocampal regions of interest (CA1, CA2/3/DG, subiculum) showed reliable deactivation when participants attended to relational vs. item information. Attention to temporal relations was associated with more robust deactivation than the other conditions. One possible interpretation of such deactivation is that it reflects hippocampal disengagement. If true, there should be reduced information content and noisier, less reliable patterns of activity in the hippocampus for the temporal vs. other tasks. Instead, analyses of multivariate activity patterns revealed more stable hippocampal representations in the temporal task. Additional analyses showed that this increased pattern similarity was not simply a reflection of the lower univariate activity. Thus, the hippocampus differentiates between relational and item processing even during online visual perception, and its representations of temporal relations in particular are robust and stable. Together, these findings suggest that the relational computations of the hippocampus, known to be important for memory, extend beyond this purpose, enabling the rapid online extraction of relational information in visual perception.
Klebsiella pneumonia, one of potential chief culprits of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: through generation of endogenous ethanol
Authors: Wei Xiao , Zhao Xiangna , Chen Chen , Lu Jing , Cheng Weiwei , Li Boxin , Li Huan , Lin Weishi , Tian Changyu , Zhao Jiangtao , An Daizhi , Han Juqiang , Ma Xuejun , Li Wei , Wang Xuesong , Chen Xiao , Zhang Zheng , Zeng Hui , Sun Ying , Yang Ruifu , Liu Di , Yuan Jing
Published: October 2018

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a prelude of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. NAFLD has been considerated to be associated with the composition of gut microbiota. However, causal relationship between change of gut microbiome and NAFLD remains unclear. Here we show that Klebsiella pneumoniae was significantly associated with NAFLD through inducing generation of endogenous ethanol. A strain of high alcohol-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (HiAlc Kpn) was initially isolated from fecal samples of patient with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) accompanied with auto-brewery syndrome (ABS). Gavage of HiAlc Kpn was capable of inducing murine model of fatty liver disease (FLD) in which had typical pathological changes of hepatic steatosis and similar liver gene expression profiles to those of alcohol intake in mice. Data derived from germ-free mice by gnotobiotic gavage further demonstrated that the HiAlc Kpn is the major cause of the changes in FLD mice. Furthermore, using proteomic and metabolitic analysis, we found that HiAlc Kpn induced generation of endogenous alcohol through the 2,3-butanediol fermentation pathway. More interestingly, the blood alcohol concentration was elevated in FLD mice induced by HiAlc Kpn after glucose intake. Clinical analysis showed that HiAlc Kpn were observed in up to 60% of patients with NAFLD. Our results suggested that HiAlc Kpn make important contribution to NAFLD, possibly through generation of the endogenous alcohol. Thus, targeting these bacteria might provide a novel therapeutic for clinical treatment of NAFLD.

In Brief

Fatty liver disease induced by high alcohol-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

Competing Financial Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Risky behaviors and Parkinson’s disease: A Mendelian randomization study in up to 1 million study participants
Authors: Grover Sandeep , Fabiola Del Greco M , Kasten Meike , Klein Christine , Lill Christina M. , König Inke R.
Published: October 2018

Objective

Dopaminergic neurotransmission is known to be a potential modulator of risky behaviors including substance abuse, promiscuity, and gambling. Furthermore, observational studies have shown associations between risky behaviors and Parkinson’s disease; however, the causal nature of these associations remains unclear. Thus, in this study, we examine causal associations between risky behavior phenotypes on Parkinson’s disease using a Mendelian randomization approach.

Methods

We used two-sample Mendelian randomization to generate unconfounded estimates using summary statistics from two independent, large meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies on risk taking behaviors (n=370,771-939,908) and Parkinson’s disease (cases: n=9581, controls: n = 33,245). We used inverse variance weighted as the main method for judging causality.

Results

Our results support a strong protective association between the tendency to smoke and Parkinson’s disease (OR=0.714 per log odds of ever smoking; 95% CI=0.568-0.897; p-value=0.0041; Cochran Q test; p-value=0.238; I2 index=6.3%). Furthermore, we observed risk association trends between automobile speed propensity as well as the number of sexual partners and Parkinson’s disease after removal of overlapping loci with other risky traits (OR=1.986 for each standard deviation increase in normalized automobile speed propensity; 95% CI=1.215-3.243; p-value=0.0066, OR=1.635 for each standard deviation increase in number of sexual partners; 95% CI=1.165-2.293; p-value=0.0049).

Interpretation

These findings provide support for a causal relationship between general risk tolerance and Parkinson’s disease and may provide new insights in the pathogenic mechanisms leading to the development of Parkinson’s disease.
Refacing: Reconstructing Anonymized Facial Features Using Gans
Authors: Abramian David , Eklund Anders
Published: October 2018

Anonymization of medical images is necessary for protecting the identity of the test subjects, and is therefore an essential step in data sharing. However, recent developments in deep learning may raise the bar on the amount of distortion that needs to be applied to guarantee anonymity. To test such possibilities, we have applied the novel CycleGAN unsupervised image-to-image translation framework on sagittal slices of T1 MR images, in order to reconstruct facial features from anonymized data. We applied the CycleGAN framework on both face-blurred and face-removed images. Our results show that face blurring may not provide adequate protection against malicious attempts at identifying the subjects, while face removal provides more robust anonymization, but is still partially reversible.
Characteristic Localization of Neuronatin in Rat Tissues
Authors: Kanno Naoko , Yoshida Saishu , Kato Takako , Kato Yukio
Published: October 2018

Neuronatin (Nnat) is expressed in the pituitary, pancreas, and other tissues; however, the function of NNAT is still unclear. Recent studies have demonstrated that NNAT is localized in the sex determining region Y-box 2-positive stem/progenitor cells in the developing rat pituitary primordium and is downregulated during differentiation into mature hormone-producing cells. Moreover, NNAT is widely localized in subcellular organelles, excluding the Golgi. Here, we further evaluated NNAT expression and intracellular localization in embryonic and postnatal rat tissues such as the pancreas, tongue, whisker hair follicle, and testis. Immunohistochemistry showed that NNAT was localized in undifferentiated cells (i.e., epithelial basal cells and basement cells in the papillae of the tongue and round and elongated spermatids of the testis) as well as in differentiated cells (insulin-positive cells and exocrine cells of the pancreas, taste receptor cells of the fungiform papilla, the inner root sheath of whisker hair follicles, and spermatozoa). Additionally, NNAT showed novel intracellular localization in acrosomes in the spermatozoa. Because the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is excluded from spermatozoa and sarco/ER Ca2+-ATPase isoform 2 (SERCA2) is absent from the inner root sheath, these findings suggested that NNAT localization in the ER and its interaction with SERCA2 were cell-or tissue-specific properties.
Conducting social network analysis with animal telemetry data: applications and methods using spatsoc
Authors: Robitaille Alec L. , Webber Quinn M.R. , Wal Eric Vander
Published: October 2018

We present spatsoc: an R package for conducting social network analysis with animal telemetry data.

Animal social network analysis is a method for measuring relationships between individuals to describe social structure. Using animal telemetry data for social network analysis requires functions to generate proximity-based social networks that have flexible temporal and spatial grouping. Data can be complex and relocation frequency can vary so the ability to provide specific temporal and spatial thresholds based on the characteristics of the species and system is required.

spatsoc fills a gap in R packages by providing flexible functions, explicitly for animal telemetry data, to generate gambit-of-the-group data, perform data-stream randomization and generate group by individual matrices.

The implications of spatsoc are that current users of large animal telemetry or otherwise georeferenced data for movement or spatial analyses will have access to efficient and intuitive functions to generate social networks.
Intact extrastriate visual network without primary visual cortex in a Rhesus macaque with naturally occurring Blindsight
Authors: Bridge Holly , Bell Andrew , Ainsworth Matt , Sallet Jerome , Premereur Elsie , Ahmed Bashir , Mitchell Anna , Schüffelgen Urs , Buckley Mark , Parker Andrew J , Krug Kristine
Published: October 2018

Lesions of primate primary visual cortex (V1) lead to loss of conscious visual perception, and are often devastating to those affected. Understanding the neural consequences of such damage may aid the development of rehabilitation methods. In this rare case of a Rhesus macaque (monkey S), likely born without V1, we investigated the brain structures underlying residual visual abilities using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging. In-group behaviour was unremarkable. Compared to controls, visual structures outside of monkey S’s lesion appeared normal. Visual stimulation under anaesthesia with checkerboards activated lateral geniculate nucleus of monkey S, but not the pulvinar, while full-field moving dots activated the pulvinar. Functional connectivity analysis revealed a network of bilateral dorsal visual areas temporally correlated with V5/MT, consistent across lesion and control animals. Overall, we found an intact network of visual cortical areas even without V1, but little evidence for strengthened subcortical input to V5/MT supporting residual visual function.
Multiple loci of small effect confer wide variability in efficiency and resistance rate of CRISPR gene drive
Authors: Champer Jackson , Wen Zhaoxin , Luthra Anisha , Reeves Riona , Chung Joan , Liu Chen , Lee Yoo Lim , Liu Jingxian , Yang Emily , Messer Philipp W. , Clark Andrew G.
Published: October 2018

Gene drives could allow for control of vector-borne diseases by directly suppressing vector populations or spreading genetic payloads designed to reduce pathogen transmission. CRISPR homing gene drives work by cleaving wild-type alleles, which are then converted to drive alleles by homology-directed repair, increasing the frequency of the drive in a population. However, resistance alleles can form when end-joining repair takes place in lieu of homology-directed repair. Such alleles cannot be converted to drive alleles, which would halt the spread of a drive through a population. To investigate the effects of natural genetic variation on resistance formation, we developed a CRISPR homing gene drive inDrosophila melanogasterand crossed it into the genetically diverseDrosophilaGenetic Reference Panel (DGRP) lines, measuring several performance parameters. Most strikingly, resistance allele formation post-fertilization in the early embryo ranged from 7% to 79% among lines and averaged 42±18%. We performed a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) using our results in the DGRP lines and found that the resistance and conversion rates were polygenic, with several genetic polymorphisms showing relatively weak association. RNAi knockdown of several of these genes confirmed their effect, but their small effect sizes implies that their manipulation will yield only modest improvements to the efficacy of gene drives.
The material properties of naked mole-rat hyaluronan
Authors: Kulaberoglu Yavuz , Bhushan Bharat , Hadi Fazal , Chakrabarti Sampurna , Khaled Walid T. , Rankin Kenneth S. , John Smith Ewanl St. , Frankel Daniel
Published: October 2018

Hyaluronan (HA) is a key component of the extracellular matrix. Given the fundamental role of HA in the cancer resistance of the naked mole-rat (NMR), we undertook to explore the structural and soft matter properties of this species-specific variant, a necessary step for its development as a biomaterial. We examined HA extracted from NMR brain, lung, and skin, as well as that isolated from the medium of immortalised cells. In common with mouse HA, NMR HA forms a range of assemblies corresponding to a wide distribution of molecular weights. However, unique to the NMR, are highly folded structures, whose characteristic morphology is dependent on the tissue type. Skin HA forms tightly packed assemblies that have spring-like mechanical properties in addition to a strong affinity for water. Brain HA forms three dimensional folded structures similar to the macroscopic appearance of the gyri and sulci of the human brain. Lung HA forms an impenetrable mesh of interwoven folds in a morphology that can only be described as resembling a snowman. Unlike HA that is commercially available, NMR HA readily forms robust gels without the need for chemical cross-linking contrasting. NMR HA gels sharply transition from viscoelastic to elastic like properties upon dehydration or repeated loading. In addition, NMR HA can form ordered thin films with an underlying semi-crystalline structure. Given the role of HA in maintaining hydration in the skin it is plausible that the folded structures contribute to both the elasticity and youthfulness of NMR skin. It is also possible that such densely folded materials could present a considerable barrier to cell invasion throughout the tissues, a useful characteristic for a biomaterial.
On prs for complex polygenic trait prediction
Authors: Zhao Bingxin , Zou Fei
Published: October 2018

Polygenic risk score (PRS) is the state-of-art prediction method for complex traits using summary level data from discovery genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The PRS, as its name suggests, is designed for polygenic traits by aggregating small genetic effects from a large number of causal SNPs and thus is viewed as a powerful method for predicting complex polygenic traits by the genetics community. However, one concern is that the prediction accuracy of PRS in practice remains low with little clinical utility, even for highly heritable traits. Another practical concern is whether genome-wide SNPs should be used in constructing PRS or not. To address the two concerns, we investigate PRS both empirically and theoretically. We show how the performance of PRS is influenced by the triplet (n, p, m), where n, p, m are the sample size, the number of SNPs studied, and the number of true causal SNPs, respectively. For a given heritability, we find that i) when PRS is constructed with all p SNPs (referred as GWAS-PRS), its prediction accuracy is controlled by the p/n ratio; while ii) when PRS is built with a set of top-ranked SNPs that pass a pre-specified threshold (referred as threshold-PRS), its accuracy varies depending on how sparse the true genetic signals are. Only when m is magnitude smaller than n, or genetic signals are sparse, can threshold-PRS perform well and outperform GWAS-PRS. Our results demystify the low performance of PRS in predicting highly polygenic traits, which will greatly increase researchers’ aware-ness of the power and limitations of PRS, and clear up some confusion on the clinical application of PRS.
Somatic mutability in cancer predicts the phenotypic relevance of germline mutations
Authors: Provero Paolo , Lazarevic Dejan , Cittaro Davide
Published: October 2018

Genomic sequence mutations in both the germline and somatic cells can be pathogenic. Several authors have observed that often the same genes are involved in cancer when mutated in somatic cells and in genetic diseases when mutated in the germline. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing techniques have provided us with large databases of both types of mutations, allowing us to investigate this issue in a systematic way. Here we show that high-throughput data about the frequency of somatic mutations in the most common cancers can be used to predict the genes involved in abnormal phenotypes and diseases. The predictive power of somatic mutation patterns is largely independent of that of methods based on germline mutation frequency, so that they can be fruitfully integrated into algorithms for the prioritization of causal variants. Our results confirm the deep relationship between pathogenic mutations in somatic and germline cells, provide new insight into the common origin of cancer and genetic diseases and can be used to improve the identification of new disease genes.
Bridging the divide: bacteria synthesizing archaeal membrane lipids
Authors: Villanueva Laura , von Meijenfeldt F.A. Bastiaan , Westbye Alexander B. , Hopmans Ellen C. , Dutilh Bas E. , Sinninghe Damsté Jaap S.
Published: October 2018

Archaea synthesize membranes of isoprenoid lipids that are ether-linked to glycerol, while Bacteria/Eukarya produce membranes consisting of ester-bound fatty acids. This dichotomy in membrane lipid composition or ‘lipid divide’ is believed to have arisen after the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA). A leading hypothesis is that LUCA possessed a ‘mixed heterochiral archaeal/bacterial membrane’, however no natural microbial representatives supporting this scenario have been shown to exist today. Here, we demonstrate that bacteria of the Fibrobacteres-Chlorobi-Bacteroidetes (FCB) group superphylum and related candidate phyla encode a complete pathway for archaeal membrane lipid biosynthesis in addition to the bacterial fatty acid membrane pathway. Key genes were expressed in the environment and their recombinant expression inE. coliresulted in the formation of a ‘mixed archaeal/bacterial membrane’. Our results support the existence of ‘mixed membranes’ in natural environments and their stability over large evolutionary timescales, thereby bridging a once-thought fundamental divide in biology.
Benefit-cost analysis of the policy of mandatory annual rabies vaccination of domestic dogs in rabies-free Japan
Authors: Kwan Nigel C. L. , Yamada Akio , Sugiura Katsuaki
Published: October 2018

Japan is one of the few rabies-free countries/territories which implement the policy of mandatory vaccination of domestic dogs. In order to assess the economic efficiency of such policy in reducing the economic burden of a future canine rabies outbreak in Japan, a benefit-cost analysis (BCA) was performed using probabilistic decision tree modelling. Input data derived from simulation results of published mathematical model, field investigation conducted by the authors at prefectural governments, literature review, international or Japanese database and empirical data of rabies outbreaks in other countries/territories. The current study revealed that the annual costs of implementing the current vaccination policy would be US$160,472,075 (90% prediction interval [PI]: $149,268,935 – 171,669,974). The economic burden of a potential canine rabies outbreak in Japan were estimated to be US$1,682,707 (90% PI: $1,180,289 – 2,249,283) under the current vaccination policy, while it would be US$5,019,093 (90% PI: $3,986,882 – 6,133,687) under hypothetical abolition of vaccination policy, which is 3-fold higher. Under a damage-avoided approach, the annual benefits of implementing the current vaccination policy in expected value were estimated to be US$85.75 (90% PI: $55.73 – 116.89). The benefit-cost ratio(BCR)was estimated to be 5.35 × 10−7(90% PI: 3.46 × 10−7– 7.37 × 10−7), indicating that the implementation of the current policy is very economically inefficient for the purpose of reducing the economic burden of a potential canine rabies outbreak. In worse-case scenario analysis, theBCRwould become above 1 (indicating economic efficiency) if the risk of rabies introduction increased to 0.04 corresponding to a level of risk where rabies would enter Japan in 26 years while the economic burden of a rabies outbreak under the abolition of vaccination policy increased to $7.53 billion. Best-case analysis further revealed that the economic efficiency of the current policy could be improved by decreasing the vaccination price charged to dog owners, relaxing the frequency of vaccination to every two to three years and implementing the policy on a smaller scale, e.g. only in targeted prefectures instead of the whole Japan.
Chromosome assembly of large and complex genomes using multiple references
Authors: Kolmogorov Mikhail , Armstrong Joel , Raney Brian J. , Streeter Ian , Dunn Matthew , Yang Fengtang , Odom Duncan , Flicek Paul , Keane Thomas M. , Thybert David , Paten Benedict , Pham Son
Published: October 2018

Despite the rapid development of sequencing technologies, the assembly of mammalian-scale genomes into complete chromosomes remains one of the most challenging problems in bioinformatics. To help address this difficulty, we developed Ragout 2, a reference-assisted assembly tool that works for large and complex genomes. By taking one or more target assemblies (generated from an NGS assembler) and one or multiple related reference genomes, Ragout 2 infers the evolutionary relationships between the genomes and builds the final assemblies using a genome rearrangement approach. By using Ragout 2, we transformed NGS assemblies of 16 laboratory mouse strains into sets of complete chromosomes, leaving <5% of sequence unlocalized per set. Various benchmarks, including PCR testing and realigning of long Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) reads, suggest only a small number of structural errors in the final assemblies, comparable with direct assembly approaches. We applied Ragout 2 to the Mus caroli and Mus pahari genomes, which exhibit karyotype-scale variations compared with other genomes from the Muridae family. Chromosome painting maps confirmed most large-scale rearrangements that Ragout 2 detected. We applied Ragout 2 to improve draft sequences of three ape genomes that have recently been published. Ragout 2 transformed three sets of contigs (generated using PacBio reads only) into chromosome-scale assemblies with accuracy comparable to chromosome assemblies generated in the original study using BioNano maps, Hi-C, BAC clones, and FISH.
Maftools: efficient and comprehensive analysis of somatic variants in cancer
Authors: Mayakonda Anand , Lin De-Chen , Assenov Yassen , Plass Christoph , Koeffler H. Phillip
Published: October 2018

Numerous large-scale genomic studies of matched tumor-normal samples have established the somatic landscapes of most cancer types. However, the downstream analysis of data from somatic mutations entails a number of computational and statistical approaches, requiring usage of independent software and numerous tools. Here, we describe an R Bioconductor package, Maftools, which offers a multitude of analysis and visualization modules that are commonly used in cancer genomic studies, including driver gene identification, pathway, signature, enrichment, and association analyses. Maftools only requires somatic variants in Mutation Annotation Format (MAF) and is independent of larger alignment files. With the implementation of well-established statistical and computational methods, Maftools facilitates data-driven research and comparative analysis to discover novel results from publicly available data sets. In the present study, using three of the well-annotated cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we describe the application of Maftools to reproduce known results. More importantly, we show that Maftools can also be used to uncover novel findings through integrative analysis.
Sirepo: an open-source cloud-based software interface for X-ray source and optics simulations
Authors: Rakitin Maksim S. , Moeller Paul , Nagler Robert , Nash Boaz , Bruhwiler David L. , Smalyuk Dmitry , Zhernenkov Mikhail , Chubar Oleg
Published: October 2018

Sirepo, a browser-based GUI for X-ray source and optics simulations, is presented. Such calculations can be performed using SRW (Synchrotron Radiation Workshop), which is a physical optics computer code, allowing simulation of entire experimental beamlines using the concept of a `virtual beamline' with accurate treatment of synchrotron radiation generation and propagation through the X-ray optical system. SRW is interfaced with Sirepo by means of a Python application programming interface. Sirepo supports most of the optical elements currently used at beamlines, including recent developments in SRW. In particular, support is provided for the simulation of state-of-the-art X-ray beamlines, exploiting the high coherence and brightness of modern light source facilities. New scientific visualization and reporting capabilities have been recently implemented within Sirepo, as well as automatic determination of electron beam and undulator parameters. Publicly available community databases can be dynamically queried for error-free access to material characteristics. These computational tools can be used for the development and commissioning of new X-ray beamlines and for testing feasibility and optimization of experiments. The same interface can guide simulation on a local computer, a remote server or a high-performance cluster. Sirepo is available online and also within the NSLS-II firewall, with a growing number of users at other light source facilities. Our open source code is available on GitHub.
Ultralow-temperature device dedicated to soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism experiments
Authors: Kappler J.-P. , Otero E. , Li W. , Joly L. , Schmerber G. , Muller B. , Scheurer F. , Leduc F. , Gobaut B. , Poggini L. , Serrano G. , Choueikani F. , Lhotel E. , Cornia A. , Sessoli R. , Mannini M. , Arrio M.-A. , Sainctavit Ph. , Ohresser P.
Published: October 2018

A new ultralow-temperature setup dedicated to soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments is described. Two experiments, performed on the DEIMOS beamline (SOLEIL synchrotron), demonstrate the outstanding performance of this new platform in terms of the lowest achievable temperature under X-ray irradiation (T = 220 mK), the precision in controlling the temperature during measurements as well as the speed of the cooling-down and warming-up procedures. Moreover, owing to the new design of the setup, the eddy-current power is strongly reduced, allowing fast scanning of the magnetic field in XMCD experiments; these performances lead to a powerful device for X-ray spectroscopies on synchrotron-radiation beamlines facilities.
Crystal structure of (diethyl ether-κO)[5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2-isothiocyanatophenyl)porphyrinato-κ4
N]zinc diethyl ether solvate
Authors: Leben Lisa , Schaub Eike , Näther Christian , Herges Rainer
Published: October 2018

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Zn(C48H24N8S4)(C4H10O)]·C4H10O, consists of discrete porphyrin complexes that are located on a twofold rotation axis. The ZnII cation is fivefold coordinated by four N atoms of the porphyrin moiety and one O atom of a diethyl ether molecule in a slightly distorted square-pyramidal environment with the diethyl ether molecule in the apical position. The porphyrin backbone is nearly planar with the metal cation slightly shifted out of the plane towards the coordinating diethyl ether molecule. All four isothiocyanato groups of the phenyl substituents at the meso-positions face the same side of the porphyrin, as is characteristic for picket fence porphyrins. In the crystal structure, the discrete porphyrin complexes are arranged in such a way that cavities are formed in which additional diethyl ether solvate molecules are located around a twofold rotation axis. The O atom of the solvent molecule is not positioned exactly on the twofold rotation axis, thus making the whole molecule equally disordered over two symmetry-related positions.
Synthesis, crystallographic analysis and Hirshfeld surface analysis of 4-bromo-2-{[2-(5-bromo-2-nitrophenyl)hydrazin-1-ylidene]methyl}-5-fluorophenol
Authors: Yaman Mavise , Aydemir Ercan , Dege Necmi , Agar Erbil , Iskenderov Turganbay S.
Published: October 2018

The title compound, C13H8Br2FN3O3, is nearly planar with a dihedral angle of 10.6 (4)° between the two benzene rings. Intramolecular N—H...O and O—H...N hydrogen bonds occur. In the crystal, the molecules are linked by weak C—H...O and C—H...Br hydrogen bonds. The roles of the intermolecular interactions in the crystal packing were clarified using Hirshfeld surface analysis.
Ethyl 4-(3,4,6-trimethyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-5-yl)benzoate
Authors: Jouha Jabrane , Loubidi Mohamed , El Hafi Mohamed , Tber Zahira , Essassi El Mokhtar , Mague Joel T.
Published: October 2018

In the title compound, C24H23N3O2, the dihedral angles between the pyrazolopyridine ring system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.001 Å) and the N-bound and C-bound benzene rings are 15.95 (2) and 83.71 (4)°, respectively. The conformation of the former is influenced by an intramolecular C—H...N hydrogen bond, which generates an S(6) ring. In the crystal, stepped layers are generated by three sets of C—H...π interactions.
Would diversified corporate boards add value? The case of banking institutions in Malaysia
Authors: Jubilee Ribed Vianneca W. , Khong Roy W.L. , Hung Woan Ting
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Board diversity has gained increasing attention and has been widely posited as a driver for firm value. The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on the relation of gender diversity of corporate boards with the value of banking institutions in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprised of ten banking institutions listed on Bursa Malaysia with data observations from 2007 to 2016. Panel data techniques were employed to investigate the relationship between having female directors and firm performance in terms of values generated as indicated by Tobin’s Q.

Findings

The results revealed a positive relationship between the proportion of female director and the value of the bank. Interestingly, this study found that appointment of female independent directors tends to be negatively related to the value of such institutions.

Practical implications

There remains a shortage of research studying the impact of gender equality on corporate boards in Malaysia generally and in the banking sector specifically. Thus, this study contributes a significant knowledge on the value implication of board diversity. The findings also provide useful insights on the developmental policy initiated by the government to increase female participation in the top management.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by bridging the knowledge gap on board diversity in the governance structure of banking institutions. It also provides theoretical contributions to the development of regulatory policy in relation to gender diversification in corporate leadership.
Indian consumers’ risk perception in buying green products: the case of LED light bulbs
Authors: Ray Sujit Kumar , Sahney Sangeeta
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the various perceived risk facets such as financial risk, performance risk, psychological risk, social risk, and physical risk influence the Indian consumers’ perceived overall risk during the purchase of green products such as energy-efficient LED light bulbs.

Design/methodology/approach

A self-administered questionnaire comprising a total of 29 items was employed over a sample of 272 respondents. The structural equation modeling using partial least squares was used for data analysis.

Findings

Psychological risk emerged as the most influential of the various risk facets in affecting perceived overall risk. Financial, physical, and performance risks emerged as the second, third, and fourth most influential risk facets, respectively, which affect the perceived overall risk. Surprisingly, social risk did not emerge as an influential facet when it comes to affecting perceived overall risk. Further, psychological and financial risks appeared to have a positive medium-level influence on the perceived overall risk, whereas physical and performance risks appeared to have a positive weak influence on the perceived overall risks. The influence of financial risk on the perceived overall risk was found to be partially mediated by performance risk.

Originality/value

The study is unique in the sense that it reflects the risk perception of potential consumers in one of the largest emerging markets of the world, when it comes to purchase of green products.
Consumer behaviour towards willingness to pay for Halal products
Authors: Ahmed Waqar , Najmi Arsalan , Faizan Hafiz Muhammad , Ahmed Shaharyar
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the factors affecting Muslim consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for Halal food, products and operations by employing theory of reasoned action.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has used quantitative research methodology and collected data from 350 questionnaires from a densely populated city of Pakistan. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The results show that the concerns about Halal, religiosity, perception of usefulness of Halal and product ingredients have a significant impact on WTP for Halal foods, while attitude has an insignificant impact on WTP. Moreover, the extent of demand for Halal certification is significantly affected by WTP.

Originality/value

The study highlighted the concerns of the Muslim consumers with respect to Halalness of the products and operations despite living in a Muslim country. It is recommended that the policy makers, food authorities and health institutions should conduct regular inspections of foods, products and producers’/manufacturers’ operations to ensure that all the procedures from manufacturing of the raw material till the finished goods follow Islamic principles to make them completely Halal.
Nutritional and phytochemical content of Swiss chard from Montenegro, under different fertilization and irrigation treatments
Authors: Ivanović Ljubica , Milašević Ivana , Topalović Ana , Ðurović Dijana , Mugoša Boban , Knežević Mirko , Vrvić Miroslav
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate both nutrient and phytochemical content of Swiss chard grown under different fertilization and irrigation treatments and the effect of these treatments on the tested parameters.

Design/methodology/approach

Samples of fresh Swiss chard were collected from the experimental field of Ljeskopolje, Montenegro, where chard was grown under different fertilization and irrigation treatments. Swiss chard samples were analyzed for nutritional and antioxidant parameters.

Findings

In this study, the authors found that 100 g of Swiss chard is a good source of total chlorophyll (47.13 mg), carotenoids (9.85 mg), minerals as well as vitamin C (26.88 mg) expressed as mean values. Total phenol and flavonoid compounds content were (138.59 µg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) and 11.91 µg catechin equivalent (CAE) per mg of water extract, respectively), also expressed as mean values. The total antioxidant capacity (IC50 values) determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay ranged from 2.93 to 4.44 mg/mL of aquatic water extract. Different fertilization regimes affected the following parameters: phosphorous, protein content, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and vitamin C (p<0.05), while different irrigation regimes did not have any effect on the tested parameters (p>0.05), while interaction effect between fertilization and irrigation was found only for sodium and copper (p<0.05).

Originality/value

Swiss chard produced in Montenegro on a sandy clay loam soil with acid reaction contains appreciable amount of minerals, crude fibers, vitamin C, chlorophylls, carotenoids and polyphenols. The nutrient and phytochemical content of chard is equal or superior to other green leafy vegetables which are considered as functional food. It was identified as a potentially rich source of essential nutrients and phytochemical compounds. The promotion of higher consumption and production of Swiss chard may represent a natural and sustainable alternative for improving human health.
Is anti-consumption driving meat consumption changes in Australia?
Authors: Malek Lenka , Umberger Wendy , Goddard Ellen
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate recent changes made by Australian consumers in their consumption of beef, chicken, pork and lamb, as well as the factors motivating both decreased and increased consumption of each type of meat. Reasons for meat-avoidance are also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

An online questionnaire was completed in July 2016 by two Australian samples comprising: adults from the general population; and vegetarians. Data were analysed for 287 meat consumers and 82 meat avoiders. Descriptive statistics and results of multinomial logistic regression models are presented.

Findings

Meat consumers most commonly reported reducing consumption of beef in the last 12 months (30 per cent); followed by lamb (22 per cent), pork (14 per cent) and chicken (8 per cent). The following factors were associated with reductions in meat consumption: concerns regarding price and personal health; age and household income; and food choice motivations related to personal benefits, social factors and food production and origin. Main reasons motivating meat-avoidance were concerns regarding animal welfare, health and environmental protection.

Originality/value

This is the first Australian study providing national-level insight on how and why meat consumption patterns are changing. Reasons for changes are examined through an anti-consumption lens, investigating rationale for avoiding, reducing and increasing consumption. This provides a more comprehensive understanding of meat consumption and anti-consumption decisions, which are becoming increasingly complex. Insights on the psychologically distinct motivations underpinning avoidance, reductions and increases in meat consumption can inform the development of strategies aimed at promoting a societal-shift towards consumption of more sustainable dietary protein sources.
Effects of cavity and heat source aspect ratios on natural convection of a nanofluid in a C-shaped cavity using Lattice Boltzmann method
Authors: Izadi Mohsen , Mohebbi Rasul , Chamkha A. , Pop Ioan
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider natural convection of a nanofluid inside of a C-shaped cavity using Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM).

Design/methodology/approach

Effects of some geometry and flow parameters consisting of the aspect ratio of the cavity, aspect ratio of the heat source; Rayleigh number (Ra = 103 − 106) have been investigated. The validity of the method is checked by comparing the present results with ones from the previously published work.

Findings

The results demonstrate that for Ra = 103, the aspect ratio of the heat source has more influence on the average Nusselt number in contrast to the case of Ra = 106. Contrary to the fact that the average Nusselt number increases non-linearly more than twice because of the increase of the aspect ratio of the enclosure at Ra = 103, the average Nusselt number has a linear relation with the aspect ratio for of Ra = 106. Therefore, upon increasing the Rayleigh number, the efficiency of the aspect ratio of the cavity on the thermal convection, gradually diminishes.

Originality/value

The authors believe that all the results, both numerical and asymptotic, are original and have not been published elsewhere.
Fluid-structure interaction analysis of buoyancy-driven fluid and heat transfer through an enclosure with a flexible thin partition
Authors: Zargartalebi H. , Ghalambaz M. , Chamkha A. , Pop Ioan , Nezhad Amir Sanati
Published: October 2018

Purpose

A numerical model of an unsteady laminar free convection flow and heat transfer is studied in a cavity that comprises a vertical flexible thin partition.

Design/methodology/approach

The left and right vertical boundaries are isothermal, while the horizontal boundaries are insulated. Moreover, the thin partition, placed in the geometric centerline of the enclosure, is considered to be hyper elastic and diathermal. Galerkin finite-element methods, the system of partial differential equations along with the appropriate boundary conditions are transformed to a weak form through the fluid-structure interaction and solved numerically.

Findings

The heat transfer characteristics of the enclosure with rigid and flexible partitions are compared. The effect of Rayleigh number and Young’s modulus on the maximum nondimensional stress and final deformed shape of the membrane is addressed.

Originality/value

Incorporation of vertical thin flexible membrane in middle of a cavity has numerous industrial applications, and it could noticeably affect the heat and mass transfer in the enclosure.
Void conditions and potential for mould growth in insulated and uninsulated suspended timber ground floors
Authors: Pelsmakers Sofie , Vereecken Evy , Airaksinen Miimu , Elwell Cliff C.A.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Millions of properties have suspended timber ground floors globally, with around ten million in the UK alone. However, it is unknown what the floor void conditions are, nor the effect of insulating such floors. Upgrading floors changes the void conditions, which might increase or decrease moisture build-up and mould and fungal growth. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the current global evidence and present the results ofin situmonitoring of 15 UK floor voids.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive literature review on the moisture behaviour in both uninsulated and insulated suspended timber crawl spaces is supplemented with primary data of a monitoring campaign during different periods between 2012 and 2015. Air temperature and relative humidity sensors were placed in different floor void locations. Where possible, crawl spaces were visually inspected.

Findings

Comparison of void conditions to mould growth thresholds highlights that a large number of monitored floor voids might exceed the critical ranges for mould growth, leading to potential occupant health impacts if mould spores transfer into living spaces above. A direct comparison could not be made between insulated and uninsulated floors in the sample due to non-random sampling and because the insulated floors included historically damp floors. The study also highlighted that long-term monitoring over all seasons and high-resolution monitoring and inspection are required; conditions in one location are not representative of conditions in other locations.

Originality/value

This study presents the largest UK sample of monitored floors, evaluated using a review of current evidence and comparison with literature thresholds.
Development of the Persian patient satisfaction questionnaire
Authors: Nouri Mahdi , Ghaffarifar Saeideh , Sadeghi-Bazargani Homayoun
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the patient satisfaction questionnaire (PVPSQ). The study addressed the communication skills section of the PSQ specifically.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 to determine the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the patient satisfaction questionnaire (PSQ). In total, 538 patients (ten in pilot, 488 in tests, 40 in retest), 14 experts and 198 residents participated. The items’ impact score, content validity index, and content validity ratio were calculated. Construct validity and reliability of the scale were examined with exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach’s α, and the Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively.

Findings

The questionnaire demonstrated a content validity index=0.94, content validity ratio=0.84, impact score=4.61, Cronbach’s α=0.93 and ICC=0.513 (p<0.00). A single factor was found in the eigenvalue distribution of the PSQ that predicted approximately 93 percent of the variance.

Practical implications

The results of this study will permit researchers in all Persian-speaking countries to use a valid and reliable Persian version of the PSQ to evaluate patients’ satisfaction with residents’ communication skills.

Originality/value

There were a few Persian questionnaires to assess patient satisfaction with physicians’ communication skills, but their psychometric properties had not been reported until the time of this study. By using the PVPSQ, both researchers at Iranian universities of medical sciences and researchers in other Persian-speaking countries can assess residents’ communication skills from the patient’s perspective more reliably.
Does skewness help in better investment decision making?
Authors: Kumar Satish
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the significance of skewness in maximizing the investor utility using the daily data for eight sectors listed on the National Stock Exchange of India.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is carried out in three different steps. In the first part, the author analyzes the monthly stock returns and the important financial ratios – price-to-book (PB) ratio, price-earnings (PE) ratio and dividend yield (DY). Second, the author tests the sector-wise return predictability using Westerlund and Narayan (2012) flexible generalized least squares estimator. Third, the author compares the mean–variance–skewness (MVS) utility function with the mean–variance (MV) utility function.

Findings

The author forecasts the sectoral stock returns using three financial ratios – PB ratio, PE ratio and DY – as predictors. The results indicate that sectoral stock returns are significantly predicted by these financial ratios. The author then formulates trading strategies by including skewness in the utility function and finds that the investor utility is high when the utility function includes skewness as opposed to when the skewness is excluded.

Originality/value

The author extends the MV utility function to the MVS utility function and shows that the Indian stock market is more profitable when the investor uses a MVS utility function which highlights the main contribution to the literature.