bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Foraging fruit flies mix navigational and learning-based decision-making strategies
Authors: Seidenbecher Sophie E. , Sanders Joshua I. , von Philipsborn Anne C. , Kvitsiani Duda
Published: November 2019

Animals often navigate environments that are uncertain, volatile and complex, making it challenging to locate reliable food sources. Therefore, it is not surprising that many species evolved multiple, parallel and complementary foraging strategies to survive. Current research on animal behavior is largely driven by a reductionist approach and attempts to study one particular aspect of behavior in isolation. This is justified by the huge success of past and current research in understanding neural circuit mechanisms of behaviors. But focusing on only one aspect of behaviors obscures their inherent multidimensional nature. To fill this gap we aimed to identify and characterize distinct behavioral modules using a simple reward foraging assay. For this we developed a single-animal, trial-based probabilistic foraging task, where freely walking fruit flies experience optogenetic sugar-receptor neuron stimulation. By carefully analyzing the walking trajectories of flies, we were able to dissect the animals foraging decisions into multiple underlying systems. We show that flies perform local searches, cue-based navigation and learn task relevant contingencies. Using probabilistic reward delivery allowed us to bid several competing reinforcement learning (RL) models against each other. We discover that flies accumulate chosen option values, forget unchosen option values and seek novelty. We further show that distinct behavioral modules -learning and navigation-based systems-cooperate, suggesting that reinforcement learning in flies operates on dimensionality reduced representations. We therefore argue that animals will apply combinations of multiple behavioral strategies to generate foraging decisions.
Distinct representational structure and localization for visual encoding and recall during visual imagery
Authors: Bainbridge Wilma A. , Hall Elizabeth H. , Baker Chris I.
Published: November 2019

During memory recall and visual imagery, reinstatement is thought to occur as an echoing of the neural patterns during encoding. However, the precise information in these recall traces is relatively unknown, with previous work primarily investigating either broad distinctions or specific images, rarely bridging these levels of information. Using ultra-high-field (7T) fMRI with an item-based visual recall task, we conducted an in-depth comparison of encoding and recall along a spectrum of granularity, from coarse (scenes, objects) to mid (e.g., natural, manmade scenes) to fine (e.g., living room, cupcake) levels. In the scanner, participants viewed a trial-unique item, and after a distractor task, visually imagined the initial item. During encoding, we observed decodable information at all levels of granularity in category-selective visual cortex. In contrast, information during recall was primarily at the coarse level with fine level information in some areas; there was no evidence of mid-level information. A closer look revealed segregation between voxels showing the strongest effects during encoding and those during recall, and peaks of encoding-recall similarity extended anterior to category-selective cortex. Collectively, these results suggest visual recall is not merely a reactivation of encoding patterns, displaying a different representational structure and localization from encoding, despite some overlap.
Evaluating species interactions as a driver of phytophagous insect divergence
Authors: de Medeiros Bruno A. S. , Farrell Brian D.
Published: November 2019

Abstract

Plants and their specialized flower visitors provide valuable insights into the evolutionary consequences of species interactions. In particular, antagonistic interactions between insects and plants have often been invoked as a major driver of diversification. Here we use a tropical community of palms and their specialized insect flower visitors to test whether antagonisms lead to higher population divergence. Interactions between palms and the insects visiting their flowers range from brood pollination to florivory and commensalism, with the latter being species that feed on decaying and presumably undefended plant tissues. We test the role of insect-host interactions in the early stages of diversification of nine species of beetles sharing host plants and geographical ranges by delimiting cryptic species and then using models of genetic isolation by environment. The degree to which insect populations are structured by the genetic divergence of plant populations varies. A hierarchical model reveals that this variation is largely uncorrelated with the kind of interaction, showing that antagonistic interactions are not associated with higher genetic differentiation. More general aspects of host use that affect plant-associated insects regardless of the outcomes of their interactions, such as sensory biases, are likely more general drivers of insect population divergence.
Minimal Barriers to Invasion During Human Colorectal Tumor Growth
Authors: Ryser Marc D. , Mallo Diego , Hall Allison , Hardman Timothy , King Lorraine M. , Sorribes Inmaculada C. , Maley Carlo C. , Marks Jeffrey R. , Hwang E. Shelley , Shibata Darryl
Published: November 2019

Intra-tumoral heterogeneity (ITH) could represent clonal evolution where subclones with greater fitness confer more malignant phenotypes and invasion constitutes an evolutionary bottleneck. Alternatively, ITH could represent branching evolution with invasion of multiple subclones. The two models respectively predict a hierarchy of subclones arranged by phenotype, or multiple subclones with shared phenotypes. We delineated these modes of invasion by merging ancestral, topographic, and phenotypic information from 12 human colorectal tumors (11 carcinomas, 1 adenoma) obtained through saturation microdissection of 325 small tumor regions. The majority of subclones (29/46, 60%) shared superficial and invasive phenotypes. Of 11 carcinomas, 9 showed evidence of multiclonal invasion, and invasive and metastatic subclones arose early along the ancestral trees. Early multiclonal invasion in the majority of these tumors indicates the expansion of co-evolving subclones with similar malignant potential in absence of late bottlenecks, and suggests that barriers to invasion are minimal during colorectal cancer growth.
SharpTNI: Counting and Sampling Parsimonious Transmission Networks under a Weak Bottleneck
Authors: Sashittal Palash , El-Kebir Mohammed
Published: November 2019

Background

Technological advances in genomic sequencing are facilitating the reconstruction of transmission histories during outbreaks in the fight against infectious diseases. However, accurate disease transmission inference using this data is hindered by a number of challenges due to within-host pathogen diversity and weak transmission bottlenecks, where multiple genetically-distinct pathogenic strains co-transmit.

Results

We formulate a combinatorial optimization problem for transmission network inference under a weak bottleneck from a given timed phylogeny and establish hardness results. We present SharpTNI, a method to approximately count and almost uniformly sample from the solution space. Using simulated data, we show that SharpTNI accurately quantifies and uniformly samples from the solution space of parsimonious transmission networks, scaling to large datasets. We demonstrate that SharpTNI identifies co-transmissions during the 2014 Ebola outbreak that are corroborated by epidemiological information collected by previous studies.

Conclusions

Accounting for weak transmission bottlenecks is crucial for accurate inference of transmission histories during outbreaks. SharpTNI is a parsimony-based method to reconstruct transmission networks for diseases with long incubation times and large inocula given timed phylogenies. The model and theoretical work of this paper pave the way for novel maximum likelihood methods to co-estimate timed phylogenies and transmission networks under a weak bottleneck.
Transcriptomic Profiling of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium Over Time
Authors: Lidgerwood Grace E. , Senabouth Anne , Smith-Anttila Casey J.A. , Gnanasambandapillai Vikkitharan , Kaczorowski Dominik C. , Amann-Zalcenstein Daniela , Fletcher Erica L. , Naik Shalin H. , Hewitt Alex W. , Powell Joseph E. , Pébay Alice
Published: November 2019

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived progenies are immature versions of cells, presenting a potential limitation to the accurate modelling of disease associated with maturity or age. Hence, it is important to characterise how closely cells used in culture resemble their native counterparts. In order to select appropriate points in time for RPE cultures to reflect native counterparts, we characterised the transcriptomic profiles of hPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells from 1- and 12-month cultures. We differentiated the human embryonic stem cell line H9 into RPE cells, performed single cell RNA-sequencing of a total of 16,576 cells, and analysed the resulting data to assess the molecular changes of RPE cells across these two culture time points. Our results indicate the stability of the RPE transcriptomic signature, with no evidence of an epithelial – mesenchymal transition, and with maturing populations of RPE observed with time in culture. Assessment of gene ontology pathways revealed that as cultures age, RPE cells upregulate expression of genes involved in metal binding and antioxidant functions. This might reflect an increased ability to handle oxidative stress as cells mature. Comparison with native human RPE data confirmed a maturing transcriptional profile of RPE cells in culture. These results suggest that in vitro long-term culture of RPE cells allow the modelling of specific phenotypes observed in native mature tissue. Our work highlights the transcriptional landscape of hPSC-derived RPE as they age in culture, which provides a reference for native and patient-samples to be benchmarked against.
Neural Gene Network Constructor: A Neural Based Model for Reconstructing Gene Regulatory Network
Authors: Zhang Zhang , Wang Lifei , Wang Shuo , Tao Ruyi , Xiao Jingshu , Mou Muyun , Cai Jun , Zhang Jiang
Published: November 2019

Reconstructing gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and inferring the gene dynamics are important to understand the behavior and the fate of the normal and abnormal cells. Gene regulatory networks could be reconstructed by experimental methods or from gene expression data. Recent advances in Single Cell RNA sequencing technology and the computational method to reconstruct trajectory have generated huge scRNA-seq data tagged with additional time labels. Here, we present a deep learning model “Neural Gene Network Constructor” (NGNC), for inferring gene regulatory network and reconstructing the gene dynamics simultaneously from time series gene expression data. NGNC is a model-free heterogenous model, which can reconstruct any network structure and non-linear dynamics. It consists of two parts: a network generator which incorporating gumbel softmax technique to generate candidate network structure, and a dynamics learner which adopting multiple feedforward neural networks to predict the dynamics. We compare our model with other well-known frameworks on the data set generated by GeneNetWeaver, and achieve the state of the arts results both on network reconstruction and dynamics learning.
A widely-distributed HIV-1 provirus elimination assay to evaluate latency-reversing agents in vitro
Authors: Matsuda Kouki , Islam Saiful , Takada Toru , Tsuchiya Kiyoto , Yang Tan Benjy Jek , Hattori Shin-ichiro , Katsuya Hiroo , Kitagawa Kosaku , Kim Kwang Su , Matsuo Misaki , Delino Nicole S. , Gatanaga Hiroyuki , Yoshimura Kazuhisa , Matsushita Shuzo , Mitsuya Hiroaki , Iwami Shingo , Satou Yorifumi , Maeda Kenji
Published: November 2019

Persistence of HIV-1 latent reservoir cells during antiretroviral therapy is a major obstacle for curing HIV-1. Latency-reversing agents (LRAs) are under development to reactivate and eradicate latently infected cells; however, there are few useful models for evaluating LRA activity in vitro. Here, we established a long-term cell culture system harboring thousands of different HIV-1-infected cell clones with a wide distribution of HIV-1 provirus similar to that observed in vivo. A combination of an LRA and antiretroviral therapy (ART) significantly reduced viral rebound upon treatment interruption. Experimental investigation and mathematical modeling demonstrated that addition of LRA to ART induced latency-reversing effect and contributed to the eradication of replication competent HIV-1. The widely distributed intact provirus elimination (WIPE) assay will be useful for optimizing therapeutics against HIV-1 latency and investigating mechanistic insights into the clonal selection of heterogeneous HIV-1-infected cells.
Protein prenylation and Hsp40 in thermotolerance ofPlasmodium falciparummalaria parasites
Authors: Mathews Emily S. , Jezewski Andrew J. , Odom John Audrey R.
Published: November 2019

During its complex life cycle, the malaria parasite survives dramatic changes in environmental temperature. Protein prenylation is required during asexual replication ofPlasmodium falciparum, and heat shock protein 40 (HSP40; PF3D7_1437900) is post-translationally modified with a 15-carbon farnesyl isoprenyl group. In other organisms, farnesylation of Hsp40 orthologs controls its localization and function, including temperature stress survival. In this work, we find that plastidial isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) synthesis and protein farnesylation are required for malaria parasite survival after cold and heat shock. Furthermore, loss of HSP40 farnesylation alters its membrane attachment and interaction with proteins involved in crucial biological processes, such as glycolysis and cytoskeletal organization. Together, this work reveals that farnesylation of HSP40 inP. falciparumis a novel essential function of plastidial isoprenoid biosynthesis. We propose a model by which farnesyl-HSP40 promotes parasite thermotolerance and facilitates vesicular trafficking through its interaction with client proteins.
Müllerian mimicry of a quantitative trait despite contrasting levels of genomic divergence and selection
Authors: Curran Emma V. , Stankowski Sean , Pardo-Diaz Carolina , Salazar Camilo , Linares Mauricio , Nadeau Nicola J.
Published: November 2019

Hybrid zones, where distinct populations meet and interbreed, give insight into how differences between populations are maintained despite gene flow. Studying clines in genetic loci and adaptive traits across hybrid zones is a powerful method for understanding how selection drives differentiation within a single species, but can also be used to compare parallel divergence in different species responding to a common selective pressure. Here, we study parallel divergence of wing colouration in the butterfliesHeliconius eratoandH. melpomene, which are distantly related Müllerian mimics that show parallel geographic variation in both discrete variation in pigmentation, and quantitative variation in structural colour. Using geographic cline analysis, we show that clines in these traits are positioned in the roughly the same geographic region for both species, which is consistent with direct selection for mimicry. However, the width of the clines varies markedly between species. This difference is explained in part by variation in the strength of selection acting on colour traits within each species, but may also be influenced by differences in the dispersal rate and total strength of selection against hybrids between the species. Genotyping-by-sequencing also revealed weaker population structure inH. melpomene, suggesting the hybrid zones may have evolved differently in each species; which may also contribute to the patterns of phenotypic divergence in this system Overall, we conclude that multiple factors are needed to explain patterns of clinal variation within and between these species, although mimicry has probably played a central role.
An edge-based formulation of elastic network models
Authors: Hodges Maxwell , Yaliraki Sophia N. , Barahona Mauricio
Published: November 2019

We present an edge-based framework for the study of geometric elastic network models to model mechanical interactions in physical systems. We use a formulation in the edge space, instead of the usual node-centric approach, to characterise edge fluctuations of geometric networks defined in d-dimensional space and define the edge mechanical embeddedness, an edge mechanical susceptibility measuring the force felt on each edge given a force applied on the whole system. We further show that this formulation can be directly related to the infinitesimal rigidity of the network, which additionally permits three- and four-centre forces to be included in the network description. We exemplify the approach in protein systems, at both the residue and atomistic levels of description.
Cell lineage-dependent chiral actomyosin flows drive cellular rearrangements in early development
Authors: Pimpale Lokesh , Middelkoop Teije C. , Mietke Alexander , Grill Stephan W.
Published: November 2019

Proper positioning of cells is important for many aspects of embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, and regeneration. A simple mechanism by which cell positions can be specified is via orienting the cell division axis. This axis is specified at the onset of cytokinesis, but can be reoriented as cytokinesis proceeds. Rotatory actomyosin flows have been implied in specifying and reorienting the cell division axis in certain cases, but how general such reorientation events are, and how they are controlled, remains unclear. In this study, we set out to address these questions by investigating earlyCaenorhabditis elegansdevelopment. In particular, we determined which of the early embryonic cell divisions exhibit chiral counter-rotating actomyosin flows, and which do not. We follow the first nine divisions of the early embryo, and discover that chiral counter-rotating flows arise systematically in the early AB lineage, but not in early P/EMS lineage cell divisions. Combining our experiments with thin film active chiral fluid theory we identify specific properties of the actomyosin cortex in the symmetric AB lineage divisions that favor chiral counter-rotating actomyosin flows of the two halves of the dividing cell. Finally, we show that these counter-rotations are the driving force of both the AB lineage spindle skew and cell reorientation events. In conclusion, we here have shed light on the physical basis of lineage-specific actomyosin-based processes that drive chiral morphogenesis during development.
Tfam knockdown results in reduction of mtDNA copy number, OXPHOS deficiency and abnormalities in zebrafish embryos
Authors: Otten Auke BC , Kamps Rick , Lindsey Patrick , Gerards Mike , Pendeville-Samain Hélène , Muller Marc , van Tienen Florence HJ , Smeets Hubert JM
Published: November 2019

High mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy numbers are essential for oogenesis and embryogenesis and correlate with fertility of oocytes and viability of embryos. To understand the pathology and mechanisms associated with low mtDNA copy numbers, we knocked down mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam), a regulator of mtDNA replication, during early zebrafish development. Reduction ofTfamusing a splice-modifying morpholino (MO) resulted in a 42%±4% decrease in mtDNA copy number in embryos at 4 days post fertilization. Morphant embryos displayed abnormal development of the eye, brain, heart and muscle, as well as a 50%±11% decrease in ATP production. Transcriptome analysis revealed a decrease in protein-encoding transcripts from the heavy strand of the mtDNA. In addition, various RNA translation pathways were increased, indicating an upregulation of nuclear and mitochondria-related translation. The developmental defects observed were supported by a decreased expression of pathways related to eye development and haematopoiesis. The increase in mRNA translation might serve as a compensation mechanism, but appears insufficient during prolonged periods of mtDNA depletion, highlighting the importance of high mtDNA copy numbers for early development in zebrafish.

SUMMARY STATEMENT

The first tuneable zebrafish model used to characterize the effect of a reduced mtDNA copy number and resulting OXPHOS deficiency on zebrafish embryonic development.
Promoter-specific dynamics of TATA-binding protein association with the human genome
Authors: Hasegawa Yuko , Struhl Kevin
Published: November 2019

Transcription factor binding to target sites in vivo is a dynamic process that involves cycles of association and dissociation, with individual proteins differing in their binding dynamics. The dynamics at individual sites on a genomic scale have been investigated in yeast cells, but comparable experiments have not been done in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we describe a tamoxifen-inducible, time-course ChIP-seq approach to measure transcription factor binding dynamics at target sites throughout the human genome. As observed in yeast cells, the TATA-binding protein (TBP) typically displays rapid turnover at RNA polymerase (Pol) II-transcribed promoters, slow turnover at Pol III promoters, and very slow turnover at the Pol I promoter. Turnover rates vary widely among Pol II promoters in a manner that does not correlate with the level of TBP occupancy. Human Pol II promoters with slow TBP dissociation preferentially contain a TATA consensus motif, support high transcriptional activity of downstream genes, and are linked with specific activators and chromatin remodelers. These properties of human promoters with slow TBP turnover differ from those of yeast promoters with slow turnover. These observations suggest that TBP binding dynamics differentially affect promoter function and gene expression, possibly at the level of transcriptional reinitiation/bursting.
Across time and space: spatial-temporal binding under stress
Authors: Zerbes Gundula , Schwabe Lars
Published: November 2019

Successful episodic memory requires binding of event details across spatial and temporal gaps. The neural processes underlying mnemonic binding, however, are not fully understood. Moreover, although acute stress is known to modulate memory, if and how stress changes mnemonic integration across time and space is unknown. To elucidate these issues, we exposed participants to a stressor or a control manipulation shortly before they completed, while electroencephalography was recorded, an encoding task that systematically varied the demands for spatial and temporal integration. Associative memory was tested 24 h later. While early event-related potentials, including the P300 and Late Positive Component, distinguished different levels of spatiotemporal discontinuity, only later Slow Waves were linked to subsequent remembering. Furthermore, theta oscillations were specifically associated with successful mnemonic binding. Although acute stress per se left mnemonic integration largely unaffected, autonomic activity facilitated object memory and glucocorticoids enhanced detail memory, indicative for mnemonic integration. At the neural level, stress amplified the effects of spatiotemporal discontinuity on early information processing. Together, our results indicate that temporal and spatial gaps recruit early neural processes, providing attentional resources. The actual binding success, however, appears to depend on later processes as well as theta power and may be shaped by major stress response systems.
Ethyl 5-[(ethoxycarbonyl)oxy]-5,5-diphenylpent-2-ynoate
Authors: Cabezas Jorge A , Fernandez Cristian Saul Campos
Published: November 2019

The title compound, C22H22O5, crystallizes with two molecules in the asymmetric unit, one of which shows disorder of its ethyl acetate group over two sets of sites in a 0.880 (2):0.120 (2) ratio. The C[triple-bond]C distances in the two molecules are almost the same [1.1939 (16) and 1.199 (2) Å], but the Csp
3—C[triple-bond]C angles differ somewhat [175.92 (12) and 172.53 (16)°]. In the crystal, several weak C—H...O interactions are seen.
Considering the local and the translocal
Authors: Dalmer Nicole K.
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Institutional ethnography is a method of inquiry that brings attention to people’s everyday work while simultaneously highlighting broader sites of administration and governance that may be organising that work. The purpose of this paper is to argue that the integration of institutional ethnography in health information practice research represents an important shift in the way that Library and Information Science professionals and researchers study and understand these practices.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper first explores the key tenets and conceptual underpinnings of Dorothy Smith’s institutional ethnography, illuminating the importance of moving between translocal and the local contexts and identifying ruling relations. Drawing from a library and information science study that combined interviews and textual analyses to examine the social organisation of family caregivers’ health-related information work, the paper then explores the affordances of starting in the local particularities and then moving outwards to the translocal.

Findings

The paper concludes with an overall assessment of what institutional ethnography can contribute to investigations of health information practices. By pushing from the local to the translocal, institutional ethnography enables a questioning of existing library and information science conceptualisations of context and of reappraising the everyday-life information seeking work/non-work dichotomy. Ultimately, in considering both the local and the translocal, institutional ethnography casts a wider net on understanding individuals’ health information practices.

Originality/value

With only two retrieved studies that combine institutional ethnography with the study of health information practices, this paper offers health information practice researchers a new method of inquiry in which to reframe the application of methods used.
Advancing service design research with design science research
Authors: Teixeira Jorge Grenha , Patrício Lia , Tuunanen Tuure
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Service design is a multidisciplinary approach that is key to service innovation, as it brings new service ideas to life. In this context, the development of new service design methods and models for creating new service futures is an important stream of service design research. Such developments can benefit from a systematized research methodology that builds on existing knowledge and robustly evaluates the suitability of research contributions. To address this challenge, the purpose of this paper is to present design science research (DSR), an established methodology from the information systems field, and examine how it can be useful for service design research by supporting the development of new artifacts, such as service design constructs, methods and models.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents DSR and related literature and shows how DSR can support service design research through a step-by-step approach. A methodology to develop prescriptive-driven solutions for classes of problems, DSR can support service design research in developing rigorous and relevant research. One illustrative example of a service design research effort using the DSR approach is presented.

Findings

Building on DSR’s robust methodological background, this paper discusses how DSR can support service design research, namely, through the development of new methods and models, and how DSR can be adapted to leverage service design research participatory, iterative, human-centric and creative approach.

Originality/value

This paper provides an overview of DSR and proposes it as a methodology to conduct service design research, offering step-by-step guidance on the application of DSR in service design research and discussing how it can be adapted according to the specific characteristics of service design research and drive future research.
Predictability of HK-REITs returns using artificial neural network
Authors: Loo Wei Kang
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine if artificial neural network (ANN) works better than linear regression in predicting Hong Kong real estate investment trusts’ (REITs) excess return.

Design/methodology/approach

Both ANN and the regression were applied in this study to forecast the Hong Kong REITs’ (HK-REITs) return using the capital asset pricing model and Fama and French’s three-factor models. Each result was further split into annual time series as a measure to investigate the consistency of the performance across time.

Findings

ANN had produced a better forecasting results than the regression based on their trading performance. However, the forecasting performance varied across individual REITs and time periods.

Practical implications

ANN should be considered for use when one were to attempt forecasting the HK-REITs excess returns. However, the trading performance should be always compared with buy and hold strategy prior to make any investment decisions.

Originality/value

This paper tested the predicting power of ANN on the HK-REITs and the consistency of its predicting power.
Organizational commitment: exploring the role of identity
Authors: Afshari Leila , Young Suzanne , Gibson Paul , Karimi Leila
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of how identification process is associated with development of organizational commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method approach incorporating surveys and interviews was employed. Data were obtained from a manufacturing organization in Australia. A clustering method was employed to identify commitment profiles. Respondents belonging to the clusters representing commitment profiles associated with desirable organizational outcomes were identified for the qualitative stage of the research.

Findings

The results showed that both organizational identity and professional/occupational identity are positively linked to the development of organizational commitment. An in-depth analysis of the qualitative data demonstrated that engagement of personal/individual level of self in identification process enhances the development of organizational commitment.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that human resource managers can build an effective identification process by strengthening feelings of organizational identity and creating a positive organizational image.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to employ a mixed-method approach to explore the relationship between organizational commitment and identification process. A mixed-method approach, on the one hand, enabled us to build on the existing objectivist commitment literature and explore commitment profiles, and on the other hand, it allowed us to provide a more complete and contextual portrayal of organizational commitment and identification process through qualitative interpretive strategies.
Reciprocity of trust between managers and team members
Authors: Martínez-Tur Vicente , Molina Agustín , Moliner Carolina , Gracia Esther , Andreu Luisa , Bigne Enrique , Luque Oto
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose that the manager’s perception of the service quality delivered by his/her team acts as a precursor of his/her trust in team members. In turn, the manager’s trust in team members is related to team members’ trust in the manager. Furthermore, engagement and burnout at the individual level are considered outcomes of trust reciprocity.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test this trust-mediated multilevel model with a sample of 95 managers and 754 team members working in services for people with intellectual disability. These services are delivered by team-based structures of workers who perform coordinated tasks.

Findings

The findings suggest that service quality delivered by team members is positively and significantly related to the manager’s trust in them. The results also suggest that the manager’s trust in team members leads to the trust that managers received by team members. Finally, team members who trust their managers show less burnout and high engagement.

Research limitations/implications

Previous literature has neglected the reciprocity of trust. In contrast, this research study considered the perspective of both managers and team members and how this reciprocity of trust is related to service quality and well-being at work.

Practical implications

The current study highlights the critical role of service quality and achieving high-quality relationships between managers and team members.

Originality/value

Performance and well-being are compatible because team members’ efforts are compensated by forming relationships with managers based on trust, and the quality of these relationships, in turn, prevents burnout and stimulates engagement among employees.
The dynamics of financial development, globalisation, economic growth and life expectancy in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Shahbaz Muhammad , Shafiullah Muhammad , Mahalik Mantu K.
Published: November 2019

The importance of life expectancy is recognised in the development economics literature because of its increasing effects on labour productivity and economic growth in long‐run. However, no published study to date empirically examines the nonlinear relationships between globalisation, financial development, economic growth and life expectancy in sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries. Therefore, our study intends to fill this gap by using non‐parametric cointegration test and multivariate Granger causality test towards a non‐linear empirical understanding of the factors affecting the life expectancy. We consider the case of 16 sub‐Saharan African economies using annual data over the period 1970–2012. The empirical analysis indicates that financial development, globalisation and economic growth appear to have a positive impact upon life expectancy in sub‐Saharan African economies, except for Gabon and Togo. Our empirical findings may provide insightful policy implications towards improving population health conditions which are vital for promoting the productivity of labour force and long‐run economic growth in sub‐Saharan African countries. In light of these policy implications, governments should incorporate globalisation, financial development and economic growth as key economic instruments in formulating sustainable developmental policy to promote life expectancy for the people in sub‐Saharan African countries.
Transparency and Tax Evasion: Evidence from the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)
Authors: DE SIMONE LISA , LESTER REBECCA , MARKLE KEVIN
Published: November 2019

We examine how U.S. individuals respond to regulation intended to reduce offshore tax evasion. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) requires foreign financial institutions to report information to the U.S. government regarding U.S. account holders. We first document an average $7.8 billion to $15.3 billion decrease in equity foreign portfolio investment to the United States from tax‐haven countries after FATCA implementation, consistent with a decrease in “round‐tripping” investments attributable to U.S. investors’ offshore tax evasion. When testing total worldwide investment out of financial accounts in tax havens post‐FATCA, we find an average decline of $56.6 billion to $78.0 billion. We next provide evidence of other important consequences of this regulation, including increased expatriations of U.S. citizens and greater investment in alternative assets not subject to FATCA reporting, such as residential real estate and artwork. Our study contributes to both the academic literature and policy analysis on regulation, tax evasion, and crime.
Thermal Gel Degradation (Modori) in Sturgeon (Acipenseridae) Surimi Gels
Authors: Tang Shuwei , Feng Guangxin , Gao Ruichang , Ren Jiaoyan , Zhou Xiaodong , Wang Haiyan , Xu He , Zhao Yuanhui , Zeng Mingyong
Published: November 2019

Sturgeon meat has been found to be suitable as surimi raw materials. The present study determined the modori phenomenon in sturgeon surimi gels and identified its relationship with cathepsins. In all heat‐treated gels (25 to 90 °C, at 5 °C intervals), the 40 °C‐incubated sturgeon surimi gel showed the weakest gel properties and water‐holding capacity (P < 0.05), a rough protein gel network under SEM, and the highest protein solubility and trichloroacetic acid‐soluble peptides content (P < 0.05). SDS‐PAGE indicated that the myosin heavy chain band of sturgeon surimi gels was almost completely degraded at 40 °C. Moreover, the highest cathepsin L activity was observed in 40 °C‐treated sturgeon surimi gels (P < 0.05). Our results suggested that the modori phenomenon in sturgeon surimi gels occurred at 40 °C, which was partially attributed to cathepsin L, thereby allowing for the better exploitation and utilization of sturgeon surimi.
Molecular mechanism of the smart attack of pathogenic bacteria on nematodes
Authors: Zhang Lin , Wei Yuping , Tao Ye , Zhao Suya , Wei Xuyang , Yin Xiaoyan , Liu Suyao , Niu Qiuhong
Published: November 2019

Nematode–bacterial associations are far‐reaching subjects in view of their impact on ecosystems, economies, agriculture and human health. There is still no conclusion regarding which pathogenic bacteria sense nematodes. Here, we found that the pathogenic bacterium Bacillus nematocida B16 was sensitive to C. elegans and could launch smart attacks to kill the nematodes. Further analysis revealed that the spores of B. nematocida B16 are essential virulence factors. Once gaseous molecules (morpholine) produced from C. elegans were sensed, the sporulation of B16 was greatly accelerated. Then, B16 showed maximum attraction to C. elegans during the spore‐forming process but had no attraction until all the spores were formed. The disruption of either the spore formation gene spo0A or the germination gene gerD impaired colonization and attenuated infection in B16. In contrast, complementation with the intact genes restored most of the above‐mentioned deficient phenotypes, which indicated that the spo0A gene was a key factor in the smart attack of B16 on C. elegans. Further, transcriptome, molecular simulations and quantitative PCR analysis showed that morpholine from C. elegans could promote sporulation and initiate infection by increasing the transcription of the spo0A gene by decreasing the transcription of the rapA and spo0E genes. The overexpression of rapA or spo0E decreased the induced sporulation effect, and morpholine directly reduced the level of phosphorylation of purified recombinant RapA and Spo0E compared to that of Spo0A. Collectively, these findings further support a ‘Trojan horse‐like’ infection model. The significance of our paper is that we showed that the soil‐dwelling bacterium B. nematocida B16 has the ability to actively detect, attract and attack their host C. elegans. These studies are the first report on the behaviours, signalling molecules and mechanism of the smart attack of B16 on nematodes and also reveal new insights into microbe–host interactions.
Safety of baricitinib in East Asian patients with moderate‐to‐severe active rheumatoid arthritis: An integrated analysis from clinical trials
Authors: Chen Ying‐Chou , Yoo Dae Hyun , Lee Chang Keun , Li Ko‐Jen , Won Ji‐Eon , Wu Wen‐Shuo , Zhong Jinglin , Nicolay Claudia , Walls Chad Daniel , Tanaka Yoshiya
Published: November 2019

Aim

We evaluated the safety of baricitinib in an East Asian (EA) patient population with moderate‐to‐severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), through an integrated sub‐analysis of data from the overall baricitinib RA clinical program.

Methods

Data from EA patients who received any dose of baricitinib from five completed studies (1 Phase 2, 4 Phase 3) and an ongoing long‐term extension study were pooled up to 1 September, 2016. Exposure‐adjusted incidence rates (EAIR) and incidence rates (IRs), both per 100 patient‐years (PY), were calculated.

Results

This analysis included 740 EA patients with 1294 PY of total baricitinib exposure (maximum 3.5 years). Overall, 109 patients discontinued baricitinib due to adverse events (AEs); EAIR: 8.4. No deaths were reported in this cohort. Serious AEs were reported by 125 patients (EAIR: 9.7). Serious infections were the most common serious AEs (n = 53, IR: 4.15). IR of herpes zoster infection was 6.2; the majority of events were of mild‐to‐moderate severity. Three cases (IR: 0.23) of tuberculosis were reported. The IRs of malignancy (excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer) was 0.99 and EAIR specifically of lymphoma was 0.1. The IR of major adverse cardiovascular events was 0.26, and deep vein thrombosis was reported in four patients (EAIR: 0.3). Two cases of gastrointestinal perforations (EAIR: 0.2) were reported.

Conclusion

Integrated data show that baricitinib is well‐tolerated in EA patients with moderate‐to‐severely active RA in the context of demonstrated efficacy, which is generally consistent with safety results of the overall study population.
Choosing the Level of Significance: A Decision‐theoretic Approach
Authors: Kim Jae H. , Choi In
Published: November 2019

In many areas of science, including business disciplines, statistical decisions are often made almost exclusively at a conventional level of significance. Serious concerns have been raised that this contributes to a range of poor practices such as p‐hacking and data‐mining that undermine research credibility. In this paper, we present a decision‐theoretic approach to choosing the optimal level of significance, with a consideration of the key factors of hypothesis testing, including sample size, prior belief, and losses from Type I and II errors. We present the method in the context of testing for linear restrictions in the linear regression model. From the empirical applications in accounting, economics, and finance, we find that the decisions made at the optimal significance levels are more sensible and unambiguous than those at a conventional level, providing inferential outcomes consistent with estimation results, descriptive analysis, and economic reasoning. Computational resources are provided with two R packages.
Functional microbiome deficits associated with ageing: Chronological age threshold
Authors: Ruiz‐Ruiz Susana , Sanchez‐Carrillo Sergio , Ciordia Sergio , Mena María C. , Méndez‐García Celia , Rojo David , Bargiela Rafael , Zubeldia‐Varela Elisa , Martínez‐Martínez Mónica , Barbas Coral , Ferrer Manuel , Moya Andrés
Published: November 2019

Composition of the gut microbiota changes during ageing, but questions remain about whether age is also associated with deficits in microbiome function and whether these changes occur sharply or progressively. The ability to define these deficits in populations of different ages may help determine a chronological age threshold at which deficits occur and subsequently identify innovative dietary strategies for active and healthy ageing. Here, active gut microbiota and associated metabolic functions were evaluated using shotgun proteomics in three well‐defined age groups consisting of 30 healthy volunteers, namely, ten infants, ten adults and ten elderly individuals. Samples from each volunteer at intervals of up to 6 months (n = 83 samples) were used for validation. Ageing gradually increases the diversity of gut bacteria that actively synthesize proteins, that is by 1.4‐fold from infants to elderly individuals. An analysis of functional deficits consistently identifies a relationship between tryptophan and indole metabolism and ageing (p < 2.8e−8). Indeed, the synthesis of proteins involved in tryptophan and indole production and the faecal concentrations of these metabolites are directly correlated (r2 > .987) and progressively decrease with age (r2 > .948). An age threshold for a 50% decrease is observed ca. 11–31 years old, and a greater than 90% reduction is observed from the ages of 34–54 years. Based on recent investigations linking tryptophan with abundance of indole and other “healthy” longevity molecules and on the results from this small cohort study, dietary interventions aimed at manipulating tryptophan deficits since a relatively “young” age of 34 and, particularly, in the elderly are recommended.
Cerebellar Morphometry and Cognition in the Context of Chronic Alcohol Consumption and Cigarette Smoking
Authors: Cardenas Valerie A. , Hough Christina M. , Durazzo Timothy C. , Meyerhoff Dieter J.
Published: November 2019

Background

Cerebellar atrophy (especially involving the superior–anterior cerebellar vermis) is among the most salient and clinically significant effects of chronic hazardous alcohol consumption on brain structure. Smaller cerebellar volumes are also associated with chronic cigarette smoking. The present study investigated effects of both chronic alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking on cerebellar structure and its relation to performance on select cognitive/behavioral tasks.

Methods

Using T1‐weighted Magnetic Resonance Images (MRIs), the Cerebellar Analysis Tool Kit segmented the cerebellum into bilateral hemispheres and 3 vermis parcels from 4 participant groups: smoking (s) and nonsmoking (ns) abstinent alcohol‐dependent treatment seekers (ALC) and controls (CON) (i.e., sALC, nsALC, sCON, and nsCON). Cognitive and behavioral data were also obtained.

Results

We found detrimental effects of chronic drinking on all cerebellar structural measures in ALC participants, with largest reductions seen in vermis areas. Furthermore, both smoking groups had smaller volumes of cerebellar hemispheres but not vermis areas compared to their nonsmoking counterparts. In exploratory analyses, smaller cerebellar volumes were related to lower measures of intelligence. In sCON, but not sALC, greater smoking severity was related to smaller cerebellar volume and smaller superior–anterior vermis area. In sALC, greater abstinence duration was associated with larger cerebellar and superior–anterior vermis areas, suggesting some recovery with abstinence.

Conclusions

Our results show that both smoking and alcohol status are associated with smaller cerebellar structural measurements, with vermal areas more vulnerable to chronic alcohol consumption and less affected by chronic smoking. These morphometric cerebellar deficits were also associated with lower intelligence and related to duration of abstinence in sALC only.
Pinpointing baobab (Adansonia digitata [Linn. 1759]) population hotspots in the semi‐arid areas of Tanzania
Authors: Msalilwa Upendo L. , Munishi Linus K. , Makule Edna E. , Ndakidemi Patrick A.
Published: November 2019

The impact of unsustainable land‐use conversions, changes in climate and anthropogenic activities on abundance and distribution of baobab populations was assessed in semi‐arid regions of Tanzania. Baobabs were sampled in plots of 1 km long and a 50 m wide, which were carried out in 337 grids located in different land‐use types. Transects for each land‐use type were located using a stratified random sampling technique to compare baobab population variations and occurrences in semi‐arid areas of Tanzania. Baobab density was found to be highest in strictly protected areas and the lowest density in unprotected areas, suggesting that anthropogenic activities coupled with local management practices within land‐uses may be influencing its viability in semi‐arid areas. In species like this, with less and slow recruitment rate, it takes a long time to bring the population to recovery when substantial disturbance and overutilisation have reduced the populations to certain levels. Thus, increased human and climate change pressures on land are likely to drive the species to extinction in these fragmented populations.