bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Entrepreneurial decision-making: new conceptual perspectives
Authors: De Winnaar Kaylee , Scholtz Frances
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to call for inclusion of alternative but complementary conceptual perspectives in entrepreneurial decision-making theory and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual approach, drawing on two sets of theoretical perspectives relating to decision making of entrepreneurs, is adopted.

Findings

The paper presents a conceptual framework of entrepreneurial decision making utilising the intersection between a metacognitive model of the entrepreneurial mindset and the recognition-primed decision-making theory. The paper argues that the convergence of these theoretical viewpoints provides a selection of decision-making processes for entrepreneurs in an uncertain business environment.

Practical implications

Decision-making models and tools are available to entrepreneurs; however, the relevance and applicability are restrained by the complexity and uncertainty of business environments in which entrepreneurs operate. New and more inclusive conceptual perspectives are required to improve the accuracy of decision making.

Originality/value

The study offers a framework that integrates two diverse theoretical dimensions of entrepreneurial decision making. The findings of this study provide direction for practice and for future research on entrepreneurial decision making. The paper intends to encourage researchers to support a new combined theoretical approach and to help practitioners better understand the reasons for entrepreneurial decision failure.
Purchase decision of generation Y in an online environment
Authors: Prasad Shantanu , Garg Arushi , Prasad Saroj
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose the concept of conviction in online environment. It examines the vital role of conviction and firm’s brand reputation while understanding the impact of social media usage and electronic word-of-mouth (EWOM) on purchase decisions of Generation Y.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review resulted in six constructs – social media usage, EWOM, conviction, firm’s brand reputation and purchase intention and customer loyalty. The authors adopted the concept of conviction from another field of enquiry (organizational learning), conducted a qualitative study and an e-mail survey with post-graduate management students (Generation Y) of a university to examine the impact of social media and EWOM on customer purchase decision. Data were collected and analyzed with the help of structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results indicated that impact of social media usage and EWOM on purchase decision is mediated by conviction. Firm’s reputation as brand (perceived by the customer) moderates the relationship between EWOM and purchase intention in a manner that this relationship is significantly stronger if there is more positive brand reputation.

Originality/value

This study validates the concept of conviction in online environment. The purchase decision is defined as purchase intention and loyalty of the customer.
Intellectual structure of market orientation: a citation/co-citation analysis
Authors: Hu Chunjia , Song Michael , Guo Feng
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to employ a quantitative approach to explore the intellectual structure of the market orientation (MO) field over the course of its development.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was conducted by using the bibliometric techniques of citation and co-citation analyses to investigate 1,892 publications in the MO field from 1990 to 2016, as well as factor analysis and multidimensional scaling to present a clear visual experience of the knowledge structure of the MO filed.

Findings

This study reveals meaningful outputs to assist in: delineating the critical authors, institutions and countries related to the study of MO; identifying the published documents that have had a significant influence on the field; clarifying the subfields that have developed from the MO field; and mapping the intellectual structure of the field in a two-dimensional space that allows for the visual representation of different themes.

Research limitations/implications

Given the sheer volume of works that exist, these bibliometric techniques cannot completely measure, describe and present the entire intellectual structure of the MO field. Instead, co-citation analysis was performed using the data from only the top publications to identify the level of integration of the field, the changes of each knowledge group and the maturity of its evolution.

Originality/value

First, this study extends the approach to identify the subject of MO from a quantitative perspective. Second, our analysis shows the intersection between the marketing discipline and management discipline in the MO literature. Finally, this study reveals the development tendency of the MO field in recent years. The results of this study are valuable to readers interested in MO research, especially those newly interested in this field.
Overexpression of cyclin‐dependent kinase 4 protein in extramammary Paget's disease
Authors: Urata Kazumi , Kajihara Ikko , Myangat Tselmeg Mijiddorj , Tasaki Yukino , Otsuka‐Maeda Saki , Sawamura Soichiro , Kanazawa‐Yamada Saori , Sakamoto Ryoko , Makino Katsunari , Aoi Jun , Igata Toshikatsu , Makino Takamitsu , Masuguchi Shinichi , Fukushima Satoshi , Jinnin Masatoshi , Ihn Hironobu
Published: March 2019

Cyclin‐dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) plays an important role in cell cycle progression, and the CDK4/6–cyclin D1 complex controls the cell cycle transition from G1 phase to S phase. CDK4 is enhanced in several types of cancers and CDK4/6 inhibitors attenuate the proliferation of several types of cancer in vitro/in vivo. The purpose of our study was to investigate the expression pattern of CDK4 and evaluate its clinical importance in extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD). Almost all EMPD tissues were positive for CDK4, and metastatic lesions had a similar immunostaining intensity to primary lesions. In addition, CDK4 protein levels were positively correlated with those of cyclin D1 protein. Taken together, CDK4 may assume a crucial role in EMPD progression.
Biotic and abiotic drivers of species loss rate in isolated lakes
Authors: Bellard Céline , Englund Göran , Hugueny Bernard
Published: March 2019

Today, anthropogenic impacts are causing a serious crisis for global biodiversity, with rates of extinction increasing at an unprecedented rate. Extinctions typically occur after a certain delay, and understanding the mechanisms causing delays is a key challenge for both fundamental and applied perspectives.

Here, we make use of natural experiments, the isolation of lakes by land uplift in Northern Scandinavia, to examine how yearly extinction rates are affected by time since isolation and a range of abiotic and biotic factors.

In this aim, we adapted a model of delayed species loss within isolated communities to test the effects of time since isolation, area,pH, depth and the presence/absence of piscivores on extinction rates.

As expected, we found that small and/or young lakes experience a higher annual rate of extinctions per species than larger and/or older ones. Compared to previous studies that were conducted for either young (few thousand years ago) or very old (>10,000 years ago) isolates, we demonstrated over a large and continuous temporal scales (50–5,000 years), similar relationship between extinction rates and age. We also show that extinction rates are modified by local environmental factors such as a strong negative effect of increasingpH.

Our results urge for the need to consider the time since critical environmental changes occurred when studying extinction rates. In a wider perspective, our study demonstrates the need to consider extinction debts when modelling future effects of climate change, land‐use changes or biological invasions on biodiversity.
Linking soil's volatilome to microbes and plant roots highlights the importance of microbes as emitters of belowground volatile signals
Authors: Schenkel Denis , Deveau Aurélie , Niimi Jun , Mariotte Pierre , Vitra Amarante , Meisser Marco , Buttler Alexandre , Splivallo Richard
Published: March 2019

Plants and microbes release a plethora of volatiles that act as signals in plant–microbe interactions. Characterizing soil's volatilome and microbiome might shed light on the nature of relevant volatile signals and on their emitters. This hypothesis was tested by characterizing plant cover, soil's volatilome, nutrient content and microbiomes in three grasslands of the Swiss Jura Mountains. The fingerprints of soil's volatiles were generated by solid‐phase micro‐extraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, whereas high‐throughput sequencing was used to create a snapshot of soil's microbial communities. A high similarity was observed in plant communities of two out of three sites, which was mirrored by the soil's volatilome. Multiple factor analysis evidenced a strong association among soil's volatilome, plant and microbial communities. The proportion of volatiles correlated to single bacterial and fungal taxa was higher than for plants. This suggests that those organisms might be major contributors to the volatilome of grassland soils. These findings illustrate that key volatiles in grassland soils might be emitted by a handful of organisms that include specific plants and microbes. Further work will be needed to unravel the structure of belowground volatiles and understand their implications for plant health and development.
Why do Emerging Market Firms Engage in Voluntary Environmental Management Practices? A Strategic Choice Perspective
Authors: Tatoglu Ekrem , Frynas Jedrzej George , Bayraktar Erkan , Demirbag Mehmet , Sahadev Sunil , Doh Jonathan , Koh S. C. Lenny
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we investigate firms’ decisions to engage in voluntary environmental management (VEM) practices within an emerging market context. Drawing on the strategic choice and the resource‐based view perspectives, we report results from a survey of VEM practices – a specific form of self‐governance – drawing on a sample of 519 Turkish firms from various industries to identify important strategic antecedents of firms’ decisions to engage in such practices. We find that as firms become more customer focused, more inclined to pursue a differentiation strategy and subject to a higher level of strategy‐oriented stakeholder focus, they tend to implement higher levels of VEM practices, with important implications for research, policy and practice for both emerging and developed markets.
Early prediction of reading trajectories of children with and without reading instruction in kindergarten: a comparison study of Estonia and Finland
Authors: Torppa Minna , Soodla Piret , Lerkkanen Marja‐Kristiina , Kikas Eve
Published: March 2019

Background

The present study examined differences in the prediction of reading development and reading difficulties in Estonia (n = 348) and Finland (n = 344). These neighbouring countries share many similarities in terms of their language, orthography and educational system; however, they differ in the timing of the onset of reading instruction, which is kindergarten in Estonia and Grade 1 in Finland.

Methods

Children's skills were assessed three times – fall and spring in Grade 1 and spring in Grade 2.

Results

The results showed that school‐entry rapid automatised naming and reading fluency predicted the development of fluency in Grade 2, but reading fluency was a stronger predictor in Estonia than in Finland. In addition, school‐entry reading fluency was the strongest predictor of reading comprehension in Grade 2. Furthermore, listening comprehension was a stronger predictor of reading comprehension in the Finnish sample than in the Estonian sample. Finally, high‐risk children were identified based on their slow reading and rapid automatised naming at school entry. In Estonia, the reading development of high‐risk children was declining compared to their peers, while the Finnish high‐risk children were catching up with their peers. The high‐risk children in the Finnish sample also had reading difficulties less often than the Estonian sample.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that the skills at school entry are stronger predictors of reading development in Estonia than in Finland. The reasons for this could be the earlier onset of reading instruction in kindergarten in the Estonian sample or differences in reading instruction practices between Estonian and Finnish schools.
Gestational diabetes and the risk of late stillbirth: a case–control study from England, UK
Authors: Stacey T , Tennant PWG , McCowan LME , Mitchell EA , Budd J , Li M , Thompson JMD , Martin B , Roberts D , Heazell AEP
Published: March 2019

Objective

To explore the separate effects of being ‘at risk’ of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and screening for GDM, and of raised fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and clinical diagnosis of GDM, on the risk of late stillbirth.

Design

Prospective case–control study.

Setting

Forty‐one maternity units in the UK.

Population

Women who had a stillbirth ≥28 weeks of gestation (n = 291) and women with an ongoing pregnancy at the time of interview (n = 733).

Methods

Causal mediation analysis explored the joint effects of (i) ‘at risk’ of GDM and screening for GDM and (ii) raised FPG (≥5.6 mmol/l) and clinical diagnosis of GDM on the risks of late stillbirth. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were estimated by logistic regression adjusted for confounders identified by directed acyclic graphs.

Main outcome measures

Screening for GDM and FPG levels

Results

Women ‘at risk’ of GDM, but not screened, experienced 44% greater risk of late stillbirth than those not ‘at risk’ (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.01–2.06). Women ‘at risk’ of GDM who were screened experienced no such increase (aOR 0.98, 95% CI 0.70–1.36). Women with raised FPG not diagnosed with GDM experienced four‐fold greater risk of late stillbirth than women with normal FPG (aOR 4.22, 95% CI 1.04–17.02). Women with raised FPG who were diagnosed with GDM experienced no such increase (aOR 1.10, 95% CI 0.31–3.91).

Conclusions

Optimal screening and diagnosis of GDM mitigate the higher risks of late stillbirth in women ‘at risk’ of GDM and/or with raised FPG. Failure to diagnose GDM leaves women with raised FPG exposed to avoidable risk of late stillbirth.

Tweetable abstract

Risk of #stillbirth in gestational diabetes is mitigated by effective screening and diagnosis.
Combined DNA Typing and Protein Identification from Unfired Brass Cartridges,,,
Authors: Sterling Stacey‐Ann , Mason Katelyn E. , Anex Deon S. , Parker Glendon J. , Hart Bradley , Prinz Mechthild
Published: March 2019

Biological evidence analysis from contact traces is adversely affected by low quantity and quality of DNA. Proteins in these samples contain potentially individualizing information and may be particularly important for difficult surfaces such as brass, where DNA may yield incomplete profiles. In this study, touched unfired brass cartridges were sampled using dry tape or wet swabs and analyzed by separating DNA and protein from the same collected material, thus producing both genomic and proteomic information. DNA recovery was similar for both collection methods, with tape yielding an average of 1.36 ± 1.87 ng and swabs, 1.34 ± 3.04 ng. Analysis by mass spectrometry identified 95 proteins, with the two collection methods showing no significant difference (p = 0.76) in the average number of collected proteins: 44.5 ± 10.9, (tape) versus 47.9 ± 20.4 (swabs). Proteins can be collected from fingerprints at levels necessary to provide identifying information, thus expanding information obtained from challenging evidence.
Prevalence of Prototheca spp. on dairy farms in Poland – a cross‐country study
Authors: Jagielski Tomasz , Krukowski Henryk , Bochniarz Mariola , Piech Tomasz , Roeske Katarzyna , Bakuła Zofia , Wlazło Łukasz , Woch Piotr
Published: March 2019

The Prototheca algae have recently emerged as an important cause of bovine mastitis globally. Here, we present results of a first large‐scale, cross‐country survey on the prevalence of Prototheca spp. in dairy cows, and their environment in Poland. A total of 1211 samples were collected and microbiologically analysed. Included within this number were milk (n = 638), body swabs (n = 374) and environmental samples (n = 199), originating from 400 dairy cows and their surroundings, on 16 dairy farms, based in all major provinces of the country. Prototheca spp. were the third, after Streptococcus and Staphylococcus spp., most common mastitis pathogens. The overall prevalence of protothecal mastitis was 8.3% (33/400), with the majority (75.8%) of cases having a subclinical course, and all but one attributable to P. zopfii genotype 2. Prototheca spp. were cultured from body swabs of both healthy and mastitic cows, yet the isolation rate among the latter was conspicuously lower (12.3% vs. 17.8%). Forty‐two (21.2%) environmental samples yielded growth of Prototheca spp. However, no clear association between Prototheca mastitis in dairy cows and the algal isolation from the herd environment was found. Nor was there any association between the environmental recovery of the algae and farm management practices.
Laboratory contamination over time during low‐biomass sample analysis
Authors: Weyrich Laura S. , Farrer Andrew G. , Eisenhofer Raphael , Arriola Luis A. , Young Jennifer , Selway Caitlin A. , Handsley‐Davis Matilda , Adler Christina J. , Breen James , Cooper Alan
Published: March 2019

Bacteria are not only ubiquitous on earth but can also be incredibly diverse within clean laboratories and reagents. The presence of both living and dead bacteria in laboratory environments and reagents is especially problematic when examining samples with low endogenous content (e.g., skin swabs, tissue biopsies, ice, water, degraded forensic samples or ancient material), where contaminants can outnumber endogenous microorganisms within samples. The contribution of contaminants within high‐throughput studies remains poorly understood because of the relatively low number of contaminant surveys. Here, we examined 144 negative control samples (extraction blank and no‐template amplification controls) collected in both typical molecular laboratories and an ultraclean ancient DNA laboratory over 5 years to characterize long‐term contaminant diversity. We additionally compared the contaminant content within a home‐made silica‐based extraction method, commonly used to analyse low endogenous content samples, with a widely used commercial DNA extraction kit. The contaminant taxonomic profile of the ultraclean ancient DNA laboratory was unique compared to modern molecular biology laboratories, and changed over time according to researcher, month and season. The commercial kit also contained higher microbial diversity and several human‐associated taxa in comparison to the home‐made silica extraction protocol. We recommend a minimum of two strategies to reduce the impacts of laboratory contaminants within low‐biomass metagenomic studies: (a) extraction blank controls should be included and sequenced with every batch of extractions and (b) the contributions of laboratory contamination should be assessed and reported in each high‐throughput metagenomic study.
The Wood–Ljungdahl pathway as a key component of metabolic versatility in candidate phylum Bipolaricaulota (Acetothermia, OP1)
Authors: Youssef Noha H. , Farag Ibrahim F. , Rudy Sydney , Mulliner Ace , Walker Kara , Caldwell Ford , Miller Malik , Hoff Wouter , Elshahed Mostafa
Published: March 2019

The Wood–Ljungdahl (WL) pathway is an important component of the metabolic machinery in multiple anaerobic prokaryotes, including numerous yet‐uncultured bacterial phyla. The pathway can operate in the reductive and oxidative directions, enabling a wide range of metabolic processes. Here, we present a detailed analysis of 14 newly acquired, previously analysed, and publicly available genomic assemblies belonging to the candidate phylum Bipolaricaulota (candidate division OP1, and candidatus Acetothermia), where the occurrence of WL pathway appears to be universal. In silico analysis of predicted metabolic capabilities indicates that the pathway enables homoacetogenic fermentation of sugars and amino acids in all three Bipolaricaulota orders (RBG‐16‐55‐9, UBA7950 and Bipolaricaulales). In addition, members of RBG‐16‐55‐9 appear to possess the additional capacity for syntrophic acetate oxidation using the WL pathway; as well as for respiratory growth using oxygen or nitrate. Anabolically, all UBA7950, and the majority of the Bipolaricaulales genomes possess the capacity for autotrophic growth using the WL pathway. Our results highlight the WL‐enabled metabolic versatility in the Bipolaricaulota, emphasize the need for examining the WL pathway in context of the overall metabolic circuitry in uncultured taxa, and demonstrate the value of comparative genomic analysis for providing a detailed overview of metabolic potential in a target microbial lineage and its potential functional niche in an ecosystem.
Myelin Water Fraction Imaging of the Brain in Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Authors: McLachlan Kaitlyn , Vavasour Irene , MacKay Alex , Brain Ursula , Oberlander Tim , Loock Christine , Reynolds James N. , Beaulieu Christian
Published: March 2019

Background

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is linked to alterations of cerebral white matter, including volume and nonspecific diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indices of microstructure in humans. Some animal models of PAE have demonstrated myelination deficiencies, but myelin levels have not yet been evaluated in individuals with PAE. Multiecho T2 MRI offers a quantitative method to estimate myelin water fraction (MWF; related to myelin content) noninvasively, which was used here to evaluate brain myelination in children with PAE.

Methods

Participants with PAE (n = 10, 6 females, mean age 13.9 years, range 7 to 18 years) and controls (n = 14, 11 females, mean age 13.2 years, range 9 to 16 years) underwent 3T MRI of the brain. T2 images (15 minutes acquisition for 32 echoes) were used to create MWF maps from which mean MWF was measured in 12 regions of interest (ROIs) including 8 in white matter and 4 in deep gray matter.

Results

As expected, across the combined sample, MWF was highest for major white matter tracts such as the internal capsule and genu/splenium of the corpus callosum (10 to 18%) while the caudate and putamen had MWF less than 5%. Mean MWF was similar across 11/12 brain white and gray matter regions for the PAE and control groups (L/R internal capsule, major forceps, putamen, caudate nucleus, L minor forceps, genu and splenium of corpus callosum). In the PAE group, MWF was positively correlated with age in the genu of corpus callosum and right minor forceps, notably 2 frontal tracts.

Conclusions

Given comparable MRI‐derived myelination fraction measures in PAE relative to controls, white matter alterations shown in other imaging studies, such as diffusion tensor imaging, may reflect microstructural anomalies related to axon caliber and density.
A Prospective Study of Alcohol Use Patterns and Short‐Term Weight Change in College Freshmen
Authors: Fazzino Tera L. , Forbush Kelsie , Sullivan Debra , Befort Christie A.
Published: March 2019

Background

The transition to college is a developmentally sensitive time in which freshmen are at high risk for engaging in heavy drinking and experiencing changes in weight and body composition. The study tested prospective associations among drinking patterns (weekly drinks, heavy drinking occasions/month) and alcohol calorie intake on weight and waist circumference change over the first year of college.

Methods

College freshmen (N = 103) were randomly selected from a pool of eligible students to participate at the beginning of the academic year. The sample was comprised of 52% males, 46% of individuals identifying as racial or ethnic minority, and 45% students with at‐risk drinking as defined by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test—Consumption questions. Students engaging in daily risky drinking (n = 2) were excluded. Participants attended 3 visits during the academic year during which they provided weight and waist circumference measurements and completed assessments about drinking, dietary intake, and physical activity.

Results

Weight gain (>2.3 kg) occurred in 28% of participants. In linear mixed models, drinking patterns and alcohol calorie intake were not associated with weight or waist circumference changes within individuals, when controlling for demographic and energy balance variables. Drinking patterns and alcohol calorie intake did not account for differences in anthropometric measurements between participants, when controlling for covariates.

Conclusions

Alcohol use did not explain the anthropometric changes observed in a sample well represented by freshmen engaging in risky drinking (and excluding those with daily risky drinking) during the academic year. Drinking may not contribute to short‐term weight gain among freshmen.
Lateral septum inhibition reduces motivation for cocaine: Reversal by diazepam
Authors: Pantazis Caroline B. , Aston‐Jones Gary
Published: March 2019

The lateral septum (LS) is a brain region implicated in motivation, addiction, anxiety, and affect. We recently found that LS is necessary for cocaine‐seeking behaviors including conditioned place preference and reinstatement of extinguished drug seeking, which involve LS input to limbic regions including ventral tegmental area (VTA) and orexin neurons in hypothalamus. Here, we microinjected baclofen‐muscimol (B‐M) in LS prior to testing in a behavioral economics (BE) paradigm. We found that intra‐LS B‐M decreased motivation (increased demand elasticity; α) for cocaine, but did not change consumption at low effort (Q0). We also compared the effects of LS inhibition with the effects of treatment with the benzodiazepine diazepam, which has been shown to facilitate reward pathways and disinhibit VTA dopamine neurons. Pretreatment with diazepam blocked the effects of LS inhibition and restored cocaine demand to that following vehicle treatment. These changes in cocaine demand after LS inhibition or diazepam were not due to effects on anxiety, as both manipulations produced similar effects on anxiety measures but opposing effects on drug taking. Collectively, these studies point to LS as a critical region driving motivation for cocaine, likely through its interactions with the mesolimbic dopamine system.
Life history and mortality factors ofAgrilus maliMatsumura (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in wild apples in Northwestern China
Authors: Cui Zhi‐Jun , Zhang Yan‐Long , Zhang Xin , Luo Zhao‐Hui , Zhang Ping , Golec Julian , Poland Therese M. , Zalucki Myron P. , Han Peng , Lu Zhao‐Zhi
Published: March 2019

Wild appleMalus sieversii(Ledeb.) M. Roem. (Rosales: Rosaceae), the ancestor of cultivated apples, is widely distributed in Central Asia and is recognized as an important germplasm bank. Recently, the invasive pestAgrilus maliMatsumura (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), originally distributed in eastern Asia, has damaged endemic apple forests in the Yili River valley, Xinjiang, China, and has spread rapidly, infesting more than 80% of wild apple trees in this region.

We investigated the life‐history traits and native natural enemies in the recently invaded range during 2016 and 2017.Agrilus malihas a univoltine life cycle and overwinters as young larvae in galleries in the cambium. Adults emerged from early June to mid‐August and their density peaked in mid‐July.

Several native natural enemies were identified fromAgrilus malilarvae, includingAtanycolus denigrator(L.) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), the mitePyemotes moseriYu et Liang (Acari: Pyemotidae) and fungal entomopathogens.

Combined, these natural enemies were responsible for mortality rates ranging from 20% to 80% during the summer and autumn. The most abundant and important natural enemy wasA. denigrator, which was responsible for up to 15% mortality ofA. mali.

The results of the present study suggest that augmentation and conservation ofA. denigratorandP. moserishould be considered with respect to biological control against this devastating pest.
Population genetics of 15 autosomal STR loci in the Han population of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Northwestern China
Authors: Zhao Zhi‐liang , Xia Lu , Zhao Cong , Ameen Fuad , Alyahya Sami , Yao Jun
Published: March 2019

Purpose

China harbors 56 ethnic groups and Han accounts for >92% of the total Chinese population. We investigated the frequencies of 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci in the Han population of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture with the aim of expanding the available population information in human genetics databases and for forensic DNA analysis.

Subjects and Methods

We explored the genetic characteristics of 15 autosomal STR loci in 552 unrelated Chinese Han individuals from Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Northwestern China using the AmpFISTR Identifiler PCR Amplification Kit. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis was performed between the Han population and other relevant populations based on the autosomal STR genotyping. The neighbor‐joining tree and principle component analysis were generated based on the Nei's standard genetic distance and allelic frequencies, respectively.

Results

A total of 171 alleles were observed among 552 unrelated individuals and allelic frequencies ranged from 0.5145 to 0.0009. The combined power of discrimination and combined power of exclusion of the 15 autosomal STR loci were 0.9999999999999999964 and 0.999998243616671, respectively.

Conclusions

Population comparison revealed that the Ili Han population were lining up together with other Han populations in China while showing significant differences from other Chinese and worldwide populations.
Vagus nerve stimulation dampens intestinal inflammation in a murine model of experimental food allergy
Authors: Bosmans Goele , Appeltans Iris , Stakenborg Nathalie , Gomez‐Pinilla Pedro J. , Florens Morgane V. , Aguilera‐Lizarraga Javier , Matteoli Gianluca , Boeckxstaens Guy E.
Published: March 2019

Background

The vagus nerve has emerged as an important modulator of the intestinal immune system. Its anti‐inflammatory properties have been previously shown in innate and Th1/Th17 predominant inflammatory models. To what extent the vagus nerve is of importance in Th2 inflammatory responses like food allergy is still unclear. In this study, we therefore aimed to investigate the effect of vagotomy (VGX) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), on the development and severity of experimental food allergy.

Methods

Balb/C mice were first sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) in the presence of alum. Prior to oral challenges with OVA, mice were subjected to VGX or VNS. Disease severity was determined by assessing severity and onset of diarrhoea, OVA‐specific antibody production, mast cell number and activity, inflammatory gene expression in duodenal tissue and lamina propria immune cells by flow cytometry analysis.

Results

When compared to control mice, VGX did not significantly affect the development and severity of the disease in our model of food allergy. VNS, on the other hand, resulted in a significant amelioration of the different inflammatory parameters assessed. This effect was independent of α7nAChR and is possibly mediated through the dampening of mast cells and increased phagocytosis of OVA by CX3CR1hi macrophages.

Conclusions

These results underscore the anti‐inflammatory properties of the vagus nerve and the potential of neuro‐immune interactions in the intestine. Further insight into the underlying mechanisms could ultimately lead to novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of not only food allergy but also other immune‐mediated diseases.
Role of spatial dispersion of repolarization in reentry around a functional core versus reentry around a fixed anatomical core
Authors: Himel Herman D. , Cupelli Michael , Gantt Martin , Boutjdir Mohamed , El‐Sherif Nabil
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Successful initiation of spiral wave reentry in the neonatal rat ventricular myocyte (NRVM) monolayer implicitly assumes the presence of spatial dispersion of repolarization (DR), which is difficult to quantify. We recently introduced a NRVM monolayer that utilizes anthopleurin‐A to impart a prolonged plateau to the NRVM action potential. This was associated with a significant degree of spatial DR that lends itself to accurate quantification.

Methods and results

We utilized the monolayer and fluorescence optical mapping of intracellular calcium transients (FCai) to systematically study and compare the contribution of spatial dispersion of the duration of FCai (as a surrogate of DR) to induction of spiral wave reentry around a functional core versus reentry around a fixed anatomical obstacle. We show that functional reentry could be initiated by a premature stimulus acting on a substrate of spatial DR resulting in a functional line of propagation block. Subsequent wave fronts circulated around a central core of functional obstacle created by sustained depolarization from the circulating wave front. Both initiation and termination of spiral wave reentry around an anatomical obstacle consistently required participation of a region of functional propagation block. This region was similarly based on spatial DR. Spontaneous termination of spiral wave reentry also resulted from block in the functional component of the circuit obstacle, usually preceded by beat‐to‐beat slowing of propagation.

Conclusions

The study demonstrates the critical contribution of DR to spiral wave reentry around a purely functional core as well as reentry around a fixed anatomical core.
Treatment of colonoscopic perforation: outcomes from a major single tertiary institution
Authors: Chew Carolyn R. , Yeung Justin M. C. , Faragher Ian G.
Published: March 2019

Background

The use of colonoscopy has been increasing in Australia. This case series describes management and outcomes of colonoscopic perforation managed by a single tertiary referral unit.

Methods

An analysis of 13 years (2003–2015) of prospectively collected data on patients who had a colonoscopic perforation and were managed by the colorectal unit at a single tertiary referral centre was performed. Main outcomes were time of diagnosis, modality of management, time to theatre, length of stay, cost of admission and complications.

Results

Sixty‐two patients had perforations (median age of 69 years). Thirty‐eight (61.2%) patients had their colonoscopy performed in another institution. The incidence rate decreased to 0.37 perforations per 1000 colonoscopies within Western Health. Overall, diagnostic colonoscopies accounted for 56% of perforations and perforations were likely to occur in the left colon (P = 0.006). Fifty‐one (82%) patients underwent surgery during their admission, with 24% of these being laparoscopic procedures. An earlier diagnosis was associated with significantly less intra‐abdominal contamination. Gross peritoneal contamination was more likely to be associated with the decision to form a stoma (37%, n = 19, P = 0.04). Thirty‐day mortality was 1.6% (n = 1).

Conclusions

Colonoscopic perforations occur in experienced hands and may have serious implications. We demonstrated a difference in patterns of injury between therapeutic and diagnostic colonoscopies. Those who have an earlier diagnosis are less likely to have severe intra‐abdominal contamination requiring a stoma formation.
Very preterm children at risk for developmental coordination disorder have brain alterations in motor areas
Authors: Dewey Deborah , Thompson Deanne K. , Kelly Claire E. , Spittle Alicia J. , Cheong Jeanie L. Y. , Doyle Lex W. , Anderson Peter J.
Published: March 2019

Aim

Brain alterations in very preterm children at risk for developmental coordination disorder were investigated.

Methods

Infants born very preterm with gestation age <30 weeks or birthweight <1250 g were recruited from Royal Women's Hospital Melbourne from 2001 to 2003. Volumetric imaging was performed at term equivalent age; at seven years, volumetric imaging and diffusion tensor imaging were performed. At seven years, 53 of 162 children without cerebral palsy had scores ≤16th percentile on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children‐Second Edition and were considered at risk for developmental coordination disorder.

Results

At term equivalent age, smaller brain volumes were found for total brain tissue, cortical grey matter, cerebellum, caudate accumbens, pallidum and thalamus in children at risk for developmental coordination disorder (p < 0.05); similar patterns were present at seven years. There was no evidence for catch‐up brain growth in at‐risk children. At seven years, at‐risk children displayed altered microstructural organisation in many white matter tracts (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Infants born very preterm at risk for developmental coordination disorder displayed smaller brain volumes at term equivalent age and seven years, and altered white matter microstructure at seven years, particularly in motor areas. There was no catch‐up growth from infancy to seven years.
Life history of frogs of the Brazilian semi‐arid (Caatinga), with emphasis in aestivation
Authors: Jared Carlos , Mailho‐Fontana Pedro Luiz , Mendelson Joseph , Antoniazzi Marta Maria
Published: March 2019

The semi‐arid region (Caatinga), that corresponds to 18.26% (1,540,000 km2) of Brazil, occupies most the northeast region. Rainfall is irregular and concentrated within the first 3 months of the year. Prolonged periods of drought, with low total rainfall, may extend for two or more years. Most of the rivers of this biome are temporary, remaining totally dry during periods of drought. We collected and observed the natural history and biology of the species Proceratophrys cristiceps, Pleurodema diplolister and Physalaemus spp, both in the rainy and dry seasons, in ten field expeditions to the State of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil). We focused on the morphology of the skin and cutaneous glands, specifically in their defence against desiccation. During the dry season, they form concentrations in the bed of temporary rivers, burrowing themselves in favourable locations within the sand, at depths that may exceed 1.50 m. No morphological evidence was found that there are specific cutaneous adaptations against water loss. We suggest that the cutaneous fragility per se is a cutaneous adaptation to water balance. The behaviour of such anuran species, together with their physiological characteristics, should be the main tools to face the challenge of living in xeric conditions.
MIR29B mediates epigenetic mechanisms of HBG gene activation
Authors: Starlard‐Davenport Athena , Smith Alana , Vu Luan , Li Biaoru , Pace Betty S.
Published: March 2019

Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects over 2 million people worldwide with high morbidity and mortality in underdeveloped countries. Therapeutic interventions aimed at reactivating fetal haemoglobin (HbF) is an effective approach for improving survival and ameliorating the clinical severity of SCD. A class of agents that inhibit DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity show promise as HbF inducers because off‐target effects are not observed at low concentrations. However, these compounds are rapidly degraded by cytidine deaminase when taken by oral administration, creating a critical barrier to clinical development for SCD. We previously demonstrated that microRNA29B (MIR29B) inhibits de novo DNMT synthesis, therefore, the goal of our study was to determine if MIR29 mediates HbF induction. Overexpression of MIR29B in human KU812 cells and primary erythroid progenitors significantly increased the percentage of HbF positive cells, while decreasing the expression of DNMT3A and the HBG repressor MYB. Furthermore, HBG promoter methylation levels decreased significantly following MIR29B overexpression in human erythroid progenitors. We subsequently, observed higher MIR29B expression in SCD patients with higher HbF levels compared to those with low HbF. Our findings provide evidence for the ability of MIR29B to induce HbF and supports further investigation to expand treatment options for SCD.
Super‐recognizers: From the lab to the world and back again
Authors: Ramon Meike , Bobak Anna K. , White David
Published: March 2019

The recent discovery of individuals with superior face processing ability has sparked considerable interest amongst cognitive scientists and practitioners alike. These ‘Super‐recognizers’ (SRs) offer clues to the underlying processes responsible for high levels of face processing ability. It has been claimed that they can help make societies safer and fairer by improving accuracy of facial identity processing in real‐world tasks, for example when identifying suspects from Closed Circuit Television or performing security‐critical identity verification tasks. Here, we argue that the current understanding of superior face processing does not justify widespread interest in SR deployment: There are relatively few studies of SRs and no evidence that high accuracy on laboratory‐based tests translates directly to operational deployment. Using simulated data, we show that modest accuracy benefits can be expected from deploying SRs on the basis of ideally calibrated laboratory tests. Attaining more substantial benefits will require greater levels of communication and collaboration between psychologists and practitioners. We propose that translational and reverse‐translational approaches to knowledge development are critical to advance current understanding and to enable optimal deployment of SRs in society. Finally, we outline knowledge gaps that this approach can help address.
Tracing clinothem geometry and sediment pathways in the prograding Holocene Po Delta system through integrated core stratigraphy
Authors: Amorosi Alessandro , Bruno Luigi , Campo Bruno , Costagli Bianca , Dinelli Enrico , Hong Wan , Sammartino Irene , Vaiani Stefano Claudio
Published: March 2019

Though clinothem geometry represents a key control on fluid flow in reservoir modelling, tracing clinothem boundaries accurately is commonly limited by the lack of sufficiently precise outcrop or subsurface data. This study shows that in basin systems with strongly heterogeneous compositional signatures, the combination of bulk‐sediment geochemistry and benthic foraminiferal distribution can help identify clinothem architecture and generate realistic models of 3D deltaic upbuilding and evolution. Middle‐late Holocene deposits in the Po Delta area form an aggradational to progradational parasequence set that reveals the complex interaction of W–E Po Delta progradation, S‐directed longshore currents (from Alpine rivers) and Apennines rivers supply. Unique catchment lithologies (ophiolite rocks and dolostones) were used to delineate basin‐wide geochemical markers of sediment provenance (Cr and Mg) and to assess distinctive detrital signatures. The geochemical characterization of cored intervals across different components of the sediment routing system enabled a direct linkage between clinothem growth, transport pathways and provenance mixing to be established. On the other hand, abrupt microfaunal variations at clinothem boundaries were observed to reflect the palaeoenvironmental response to sharp changes in sediment flux and fluvial influence. This study documents the ability of an integrated geochemical and palaeoecological approach to delineate three distinct sources (Po, Alps and Apennines) that contributed to coastal progradation and to outline the otherwise lithologically cryptic geometries of clinothems that using conventional sedimentological methods it would be virtually impossible to restore.
CEO overconfidence and CSR decoupling
Authors: Sauerwald Steve , Su Weichieh
Published: March 2019

Research question/issue

This study examines whether there is decoupling between how firms communicate about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and what firms do in terms of CSR. We argue that this CSR decoupling is driven by the CEOs' cognitive biases. Specifically, we propose that overconfident CEOs increase CSR decoupling.

Research findings/insights

We tested our arguments in a sample of S&P 500 firms for the period of 2006–2014. We find that CEO overconfidence is positively related to the decoupling between the optimistic tone of CSR reporting and the firm's actual corporate social performance. However, the board of directors mitigates the effect of CEO overconfidence on CSR decoupling when outside directors have CSR expertise and ownership incentives.

Theoretical/academic implications

Previous studies have suggested that CSR decoupling is a function of opportunistic management that can be constrained by external monitoring. We examine CSR decoupling as a function of cognitive biases (such as overconfidence) that can be constrained by internal monitoring.

Practitioner/policy implications

This study provides insights into the conditions when CSR information released by the firm is symbolic. Practitioners may prevent such symbolic CSR reporting by imposing effective oversight by the board of directors.
Spatial Concentration of Innovation Activities in China and the Role of Mega‐economic Zones
Authors: Ma Ru , Liu Wan‐Hsin
Published: March 2019

This paper analyzes the development of spatial concentration of various innovation activities in China from 2000 to 2015 by using a generalized Theil index based on a balanced provincial dataset. It tracks concentration development back to the developing heterogeneity within and between regions in general and the mega‐economic zones in particular. Results show that innovation activities tend to be distributed unequally across provinces in China, with more pronounced unequal distribution of innovation outcomes than innovation inputs. Over the research period, the innovation activities considered became more and more equally distributed across provinces. The between‐region inequality of innovation activities has, however, not yet significantly improved, despite the implementation of Chinese regional policies to encourage more equal regional development. Instead, more equal distribution of innovation activities within mega‐economic zones is observed.
How Can Chinese Farmers' Property Income Be Improved? A Population–Land Coupling Urbanization Mechanism
Authors: Wu Yuzhe , Jiang Wendan , Luo Jiaojiao , Zhang Xiaoling , Skitmore Martin
Published: March 2019

Balancing urban and rural development is an important political goal in China. The failure of rural land privatization has led to a low level of rural economic development and a vast property income gap between citizens and farmers. This paper illustrates the reasons for property income inequality from the perspective of the land tenure system and the dualistic household registration system. After evaluating the segmentation of the rural land market and the rigid nature of rural land assets, a population–land coupling urbanization mechanism is proposed. The paper argues that China's land property system has externalized a high degree of geospatial and social urban and rural intertwinement. Major reform of the rural land property rights system is required to correct the situation (further development of the social security system and stable urbanization) and to increase property income potential for farmers.