bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stress symptoms and reactions to COVID-19: A multinational survey from six Asian regions
Authors: Yue Ricci P.H. , Cheng Edmund W. , Or Nick H.K. , Yuen Samson W.H.
Published: August 2020

People may experience a heightened level of stress reactions during a pandemic event and in an isolated social environment. A multi-national survey about such mental health information about COVID-19 was conducted in May 2020 across six Asian regions: Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. Data were collected from a population representative sample of 11,895 adults on their stress symptoms and reactions to COVID-19 and the related public health measures. 59.1% of the respondents showed at least one substantial stress symptom. The situation was particularly worrying in South Korea, where 75% of the respondents reported substantial stress symptoms. Respondents who were young, educated, lived in an urban area, had a high socioeconomic status, had a history of chronic illness or mental illness, or who lived with a pregnant woman, elderly or children were most vulnerable to stress during the pandemic. Stress reactions showed a positive relationship with the amount of time spent following news about the COVID-19 outbreak. Asian adults coped with their stress by preparing safety equipment and extra daily commodities (62.4%) and by following government-issued public health measures (60.1%). Most Asian (71%) also frequently checked on the safety of family members and friends to keep each other safe. The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated stringent public health measures have largely increased the prevalence of substantial stress symptoms across multiple Asian regions. Governments should prepare this mental health pandemic and the associated social repercussions.
Convalescent Plasma in treatment of COVID-19: A review of evidence for a living systematic benefit-risk assessment
Authors: Davies Miranda , Lane Samantha , Evans Alison , Denyer Jacqueline , Dhanda Sandeep , Roy Debabrata , Osborne Vicki , Shakir Saad
Published: August 2020

Objectives

We aimed to review the evidence for a living systematic benefit risk assessment for convalescent plasma use amongst patients with severe COVID-19 disease, based on currently available data.

Methods

The assessment used the Benefit-Risk Action Team (BRAT) framework. Convalescent plasma treatment in severe COVID-19 was compared to standard of care, placebo or other treatments. A literature search was conducted to identify published papers from January 1st, 2019 until July 8th, 2020. A value tree was constructed which included ranked key benefits and risks.

Results

We screened 396 papers from PubMed and 127 papers from Embase. Four studies were eligible for inclusion as they contained comparative data. Results from a randomised controlled trial revealed a non-statistically significant shortening of time to clinical improvement of 2.15 days (95% CI, −5.28 to 0.99 days) in the intervention group compared with the control group, with a possible signal of increased efficacy amongst a small subset of patients with severe disease (but not life threatening disease), however this study may have been underpowered. Interpretation of findings amongst the three controlled non-randomised studies were limited by small patient numbers, lack of randomisation, and confounding by co-administration of other treatments. Limited data availability at the current time precluded construction of a data summary table and further quantitative analysis.

Conclusions

There was insufficient evidence from controlled studies to complete a data summary table for a systematic benefit-risk assessment of the use of CP for severe COVID-19 disease at the current time, and as such a benefit-risk conclusion could not be made. Whilst uncontrolled case series have suggested positive findings with CP, results from these studies are very difficult to interpret. We provide a framework which can be updated when further data that have an impact on the benefit-risk become available.

Article Summary

Strengths and limitations of this study

provides a living systematic benefit risk assessment based on currently available data for the use of convalescent plasma in patients with severe COVID-19 disease

establishes a framework inclusive of ranked key benefits and risks for convalescent plasma in severe COVID-19 disease, into which additional data can be added as this becomes available facilitating re-assessment of the benefit risk profile

uses a transparent framework (BRAT framework) which can be applied to other potential treatment options in this disease context

insufficient data available at the current time from comparative studies to form a benefit risk conclusion
Inferring person-to-person networks of Plasmodium falciparum transmission: is routine surveillance data up to the task?
Authors: Huber John H. , Hsiang Michelle S. , Dlamini Nomcebo , Murphy Maxwell , Vilakati Sibonakaliso , Nhlabathi Nomcebo , Lerch Anita , Nielsen Rasmus , Ntshalintshali Nyasatu , Greenhouse Bryan , Perkins T. Alex
Published: August 2020

Inference of person-to-person transmission networks using surveillance data is increasingly used to estimate spatiotemporal patterns of pathogen transmission. Several data types can be used to inform transmission network inferences, yet the sensitivity of those inferences to different data types is not routinely evaluated. We evaluated the influence of different combinations of spatial, temporal, and travel-history data on transmission network inferences for Plasmodium falciparum malaria. We found that these data types have limited utility for inferring transmission networks and may overestimate transmission. Only when outbreaks were temporally focal or travel histories were accurate was the algorithm able to accurately estimate the reproduction number under control, Rc. Applying this approach to data from Eswatini indicated that inferences of Rc and spatiotemporal patterns therein depend upon the choice of data types and assumptions about travel-history data. These results suggest that transmission network inferences made with routine malaria surveillance data should be interpreted with caution.
Multiplexed competition in a synthetic squid light organ microbiome using barcode-tagged gene deletions
Authors: Burgos Hector L. , Burgos Emanuel F. , Steinberger Andrew J. , Suen Garret , Mandel Mark J.
Published: August 2020

Beneficial symbioses between microbes and their eukaryotic hosts are ubiquitous and have widespread impacts on host health and development. The binary symbiosis between the bioluminescent bacteriumVibrio fischeriand its squid hostEuprymna scolopesserves as a model system to study molecular mechanisms at the microbe-animal interface. To identify colonization factors in this system, our lab previously conducted a global transposon insertion sequencing (INSeq) screen and identified over 300 putative novel squid colonization factors inV. fischeri. To pursue mechanistic studies on these candidate genes, we present an approach to quickly generate barcode-tagged gene deletions and perform high-throughput squid competition experiments with detection of the proportion of each strain in the mixture by barcode sequencing (BarSeq). Our deletion approach improves on previous techniques based on splicing-by-overlap extension PCR (SOE-PCR) andtfoX-based natural transformation by incorporating a randomized barcode that results in unique DNA sequences within each deletion scar. Amplicon sequencing of the pool of barcoded strains before and after colonization faithfully reports on known colonization factors and provides increased sensitivity over colony counting methods. BarSeq enables rapid and sensitive characterization of the molecular factors involved in establishing theVibrio-squid symbiosis and provides a valuable tool to interrogate the molecular dialogue at microbe-animal host interfaces.

Importance

Beneficial microbes play essential roles in the health and development of their hosts. However, the complexity of animal microbiomes and general genetic intractability of their symbionts have made it difficult to study the coevolved mechanisms for establishing and maintaining specificity at the microbe-animal host interface. Model symbioses are therefore invaluable for studying the mechanisms of beneficial microbe-host interactions. Here we present a combined barcode-tagged deletion and BarSeq approach to interrogate the molecular dialogue that ensures specific and reproducible colonization of the Hawaiian bobtail squid byVibrio fischeri. The ability to precisely manipulate the bacterial genome, combined with multiplex colonization assays, will accelerate the use of this valuable model system for mechanistic studies of how environmental microbes—both beneficial and pathogenic—colonize specific animal hosts.
Hidden layers of density dependence in consumer feeding rates
Authors: Stouffer Daniel B. , Novak Mark
Published: August 2020

Functional responses relate a consumer’s feeding rates to variation in its abiotic and biotic environment, providing insight into consumer behavior and fitness, and underpinning population and food-web dynamics. Despite their broad relevance and long-standing history, we show here that the types of density dependence found in classic resource- and consumer-dependent functional-response models equate to strong and often untenable assumptions about the independence of processes underlying feeding rates. We first demonstrate mathematically how to quantify non-independence between feeding and consumer interference and between feeding on multiple resources. We then analyze two large collections of functional-response datasets to show that non-independence is pervasive and borne out in previously-hidden forms of density dependence. Our results provide a new lens through which to view variation in consumer feeding rates and disentangle the biological underpinnings of species interactions in multi-species contexts.
Nanolipoprotein mediated Her2 protein transfection induces malignant transformation in human breast acinar cultures
Authors: He Wei , Evans Angela C. , Coleman Matthew , Robertson Claire
Published: August 2020

Her2 overexpression is associated with an aggressive form of breast cancer and malignant transformation. We sought to determine if a nano-carrier system could introduce Her2 protein to non-malignant cells and determine the effects on cell phenotype and transcriptome. With stimulation with Her2-NLPs, we observed uptake of Her2 protein and a decreased probability of individual non-malignant cells forming polar growth arrested acinar-like structures. The NLP delivery system alone or Her2-NLPs plus trastuzumab showed no effect on acinar organization rate. Transcriptomics revealed essentially no effect of empty NLPs versus untreated cells whereas Her2-NLPs versus either untreated or empty NLP treated cells revealed upregulation of several factors associated with breast cancer. Pathway analysis also suggested that known nodes downstream of Her2 were activated in response to Her2-NLP treatment. This suggests that Her2-NLPs are sufficient for malignant transformation of non-malignant cells and that this system offers a new model for studying cell surface receptor signaling without genomic modification or transformation techniques.
Assessment of research ethics education offerings of pharmacy master programs: a qualitative content analysis
Authors: Ahmed Wesam S. , Nebeker Camille
Published: August 2020

The importance of research ethics (RE) training has led academic and funding institutions to require that students, trainees, and faculty obtain such training at various stages of their careers. Despite the increasing awareness of the value RE education offers, this training requirement is absent in Jordan. We aimed to assess RE education offerings of pharmacy master programs in Jordan and compare with the top-ranked pharmacy graduate programs globally. Therefore, a list of universities that offer research-based pharmacy master programs was created. Each program was evaluated for the inclusion of RE education. A qualitative content analysis approach based on inductive reasoning and latent analysis was followed to analyze the data. Results of the study showed a lack of appropriate RE education for graduate-level pharmacy programs in Jordan with only 40% of the programs partially discuss selected topics related to RE. Regarding pharmacy graduate programs globally, 10% offer a standalone RE course, 40% offer some discussions related to RE, another 10% do not offer RE education in any form, and the remaining 40% of the programs were difficult to assess due to lack of sufficient information available online. Based on the findings of this study, training in RE is tends to be lacking in pharmacy graduate programs in Jordan and globally, with a greater lack in Jordan than globally. There is a need to incorporate formal RE education into programs that do not offer this type of instruction. Programs that formally touch on some aspects of RE need to expand the scope of topics to include more RE-related themes. Integrating a standalone RE course into pharmacy graduate programs is highly encouraged.
“Myosin XI drives polarized growth by vesicle clustering and local enrichment of F-actin inPhyscomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens”
Authors: Galotto Giulia , Wisanpitayakorn Pattipong , Bibeau Jeffrey P. , Liu Yen-Chun , Simpson Parker J. , Tüzel Erkan , Vidali Luis
Published: August 2020

In tip-growing plant cells, growth results from myosin XI and F-actin mediated deposition of cell wall polysaccharides contained in secretory vesicles. Previous evidence showed that myosin XI anticipates F-actin accumulation at the cell’s tip, suggesting a mechanism where vesicle clustering via myosin XI promotes F-actin polymerization. To evaluate this model, we used a conditional loss-of-function strategy by generatingPhyscomitrium (Physcomitrella) patensplants harboring a myosin XI temperature-sensitive allele. We found that loss of myosin XI function alters tip cell morphology, vacuolar homeostasis, and cell viability, but not following F-actin depolymerization. Importantly, our conditional loss-of-function analysis shows that myosin XI clusters and directs vesicles at the tip of the cell, which induces F-actin polymerization, increasing F-actin’s local concentration. Our findings support the role of myosin XI in vesicle clustering and F-actin organization, necessary for tip growth, and deepen our understanding of additional myosin XI functions.
Facilitation and biodiversity jointly drive mutualistic networks
Authors: Losapio Gianalberto , Hasday Elizabeth Norton , Espadaler Xavier , Germann Christoph , Ortiz-Sánchez Francisco Javier , Pont Adrian , Sommaggio Daniele , Schöb Christian
Published: August 2020

Facilitation by nurse plants increases understorey diversity and supports ecological communities. In turn, biodiversity shapes ecological networks and enhances ecosystem functioning. However, whether and how facilitation and increased biodiversity jointly influence community structure and ecosystem functioning remains unclear.

We performed a field experiment disentangling the relative contribution of nurse plants and increasing understorey plant diversity in driving pollination interactions. Both the presence of nurse shrubs as well as increased understorey plant diversity increased pollinator diversity and visitation rates. While nurse and understorey diversity effects on pollinator visitation rates did not interact, the effects of increasing understorey plant diversity on pollinator diversity were stronger in the absence than in the presence of shrubs, meaning that nurse shrubs attenuated the effects of high understorey diversity and buffered the effects of low understorey diversity.

We also found positive complementarity effects among understorey species as well as complementarity between nurse plants and understorey species at high diversity. Results also indicate negative selection effects, suggesting that species with generally few pollinators benefit the most in the polyculture, while a species (possibly the nurse plant) with generally lots of pollinators does not. The corresponding changes in pollination networks with the experimental treatments were due to both changes in the frequency of visits and turnover in pollinator community composition.

SynthesisPlant–plant facilitative systems, where a nurse plant increases understorey plant diversity, are common in stressful environments. Here, we show that these facilitative systems positively influence mutualistic interactions with pollinators via both direct nurse effects and indirect positive effects of increasing plant diversity.

Conserving and supporting nurse plant systems is crucial not only for maintaining plant diversity but also for supporting ecosystem functions and services.
An Integrative Analysis of the Age-Associated Genomic, Transcriptomic and Epigenetic Landscape across Cancers
Authors: Chatsirisupachai Kasit , Lesluyes Tom , Paraoan Luminita , Van Loo Peter , de Magalhães João Pedro
Published: August 2020

Age is the most important risk factor for cancer, as cancer incidence and mortality increase with age. However, how molecular alterations in tumours differ among patients of different age remains largely unexplored. Here, using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we comprehensively characterised genomic, transcriptomic and epigenetic alterations in relation to patients’ age across cancer types. We showed that tumours from older patients present an overall increase in genomic instability, somatic copy-number alterations (SCNAs) and somatic mutations. Age-associated SCNAs and mutations were identified in several cancer-driver genes across different cancer types. The largest age-related genomic differences were found in gliomas and endometrial cancer. We identified age-related global transcriptomic changes and demonstrated that these genes are controlled by age-associated DNA methylation changes. This study provides a comprehensive view of age-associated alterations in cancer and underscores age as an important factor to consider in cancer research and clinical practice.
Stapled peptides based on Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro
Authors: Curreli Francesca , Victor Sofia M B , Ahmed Shahad , Drelich Aleksandra , Tong Xiaohe , Tseng Chien-Te K , Hillyer Christopher D. , Debnath Asim K
Published: August 2020

SARS-CoV-2 uses human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as the primary receptor to enter host cells and initiate the infection. The critical binding region of ACE2 is a ∼30 aa long helix. Here we report the design of four stapled peptides based on the ACE2 helix, which is expected to bind to SARS-CoV-2 and prevent the binding of the virus to the ACE2 receptor and disrupt the infection. All stapled peptides showed high helical contents (50-94% helicity). On the contrary, the linear control peptide NYBSP-C showed no helicity (19%). We have evaluated the peptides in a pseudovirus based single-cycle assay in HT1080/ACE2 and human lung cells A549/ACE2, overexpressing ACE2. Three of the four stapled peptides showed potent antiviral activity in HT1080/ACE2 (IC50: 1.9 – 4.1 µM) and A549/ACE2 cells (IC50: 2.2 – 2.8 µM). The linear peptides NYBSP-C and the double-stapled peptide StRIP16, used as controls, showed no antiviral activity. Most significantly, none of the stapled peptides show any cytotoxicity at the highest dose tested. We also evaluated the antiviral activity of the peptides by infecting Vero E6 cells with the replication-competent authentic SARS-CoV-2 (US_WA-1/2020). NYBSP-1 was the most efficient preventing the complete formation of cytopathic effects (CPEs) at an IC100 17.2 µM. NYBSP-2 and NYBSP-4 also prevented the formation of the virus-induced CPE with an IC100 of about 33 µM. We determined the proteolytic stability of one of the most active stapled peptides, NYBSP-4, in human plasma, which showed a half-life (T1/2) of >289 min.
Population modeling with machine learning can enhance measures of mental health
Authors: Dadi Kamalaker , Varoquaux Gaël , Houenou Josselin , Bzdok Danilo , Thirion Bertrand , Engemann Denis
Published: August 2020

Background

Biological aging is revealed by physical measures,e.g., DNA probes or brain scans. Instead, individual differences in mental function are explained by psychological constructs, e.g., intelligence or neuroticism. These constructs are typically assessed by tailored neuropsychological tests that build on expert judgement and require careful interpretation. Could machine learning on large samples from the general population be used to build proxy measures of these constructs that do not require human intervention?

Results

Here, we built proxy measures by applying machine learning on multimodal MR images and rich sociodemographic information from the largest biomedical cohort to date: the UK Biobank. Objective model comparisons revealed that all proxies captured the target constructs and were as useful, and sometimes more useful than the original measures for characterizing real-world health behavior (sleep, exercise, tobacco, alcohol consumption). We observed this complementarity of proxy measures and original measures when modeling from brain signals or sociodemographic data, capturing multiple health-related constructs.

Conclusions

Population modeling with machine learning can derive measures of mental health from brain signals and questionnaire data, which may complement or even substitute for psychometric assessments in clinical populations.

Key Points

We applied machine learning on more than 10.000 individuals from the general population to define empirical approximations of health-related psychological measures that do not require human judgment.

We found that machine-learning enriched the given psychological measures via approximation from brain and sociodemographic data: Resulting proxy measures related as well or better to real-world health behavior than the original measures.

Model comparisons showed that sociodemographic information contributed most to characterizing psychological traits beyond aging.
Role of FMRP in rapid antidepressant effects and synapse regulation
Authors: Heaney Chelcie F. , Namjoshi Sanjeev V. , Uneri Ayse , Bach Eva C. , Weiner Jeffrey L. , Raab-Graham Kimberly F.
Published: August 2020

Rapid antidepressants are novel treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) and work by blocking N-methyl-aspartate receptors (NMDAR), which, in turn, activate the protein synthesis pathway regulated by mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Our recent work demonstrates that the RNA-binding protein Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) is downregulated in dendrites upon treatment with a rapid antidepressant. Here, we show that the behavioral effects of the rapid antidepressant Ro-25-6981 require FMRP expression, and treatment promotes differential mRNA binding to FMRP in an mTORC1-dependent manner. Further, these mRNAs are identified to regulate transsynaptic signaling. Using a novel technique, we show that synapse formation underlying the behavioral effects of Ro-25-6981 requires GABABR-mediated mTORC1 activity in WT animals. Finally, we demonstrate that in an animal model that lacks FMRP expression and has clinical relevance for Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), GABABR activity is detrimental to the effects of Ro-25-6981. These effects are rescued with the combined therapy of blocking GABABRs and NMDARs, indicating that rapid antidepressants alone may not be an effective treatment for people with comorbid FXS and MDD.
Genome-wide methylation prediction of biological age using reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces and Bayesian ridge regressions
Authors: Roudbar Mahmoud Amiri , Momen Mehdi , Mousavi Seyedeh Fatemeh , Ardestani Siavash Salek , Lopes Fernando Brito , Gianola Daniel , Khatib Hasan
Published: August 2020

The use of DNA methylation signatures to predict chronological age and the aging rate is of interest in many fields, including disease prevention and treatment, forensics, and anti-aging medicine. Although a large number of methylation markers have been found to be significantly associated with age, most age-prediction methods use a small number of markers selected based on either previously published studies or datasets containing methylation information. Here, we implemented reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHS) regression and ridge regression model in a Bayesian framework that utilized phenotypic and methylation profiles simultaneously to predict chronological age. We used over 450,000 CpG sites from the whole blood of a large cohort of 4,409 human individuals with a range of 10-101 years of age. Models were fitted using adjusted and un-adjusted methylation measurements for cell heterogeneity. Non-adjusted methylation scores delivered a significantly higher prediction accuracy than adjusted methylation data, with a correlation between age and predicted age of 0.98 and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 3.54 years in non-adjusted data, 0.90 (correlation) and 7.16 (RMSE) years in adjusted data. Reducing the number of predictors through subset selection improved predictive power with a correlation of 0.98 and an RMSE of 2.98 years in the RKHS model. We found distinct global methylation patterns, with significant hypermethylation in CpG islands and hypomethylation in other CpG types including CpG shore, shelf, and open sea (p < 5e-06). Epigenetic drift seemed to be a widespread phenomenon as more than 97% of the age-associated methylation sites had heteroscedasticity. Apparent methylomic aging rate (AMAR) had a sex-specific pattern, with an increase in AMAR in females with age compared to males.
NOise Reduction with DIstribution Corrected (NORDIC) PCA in dMRI with complex-valued parameter-free locally low-rank processing
Authors: Moeller Steen , Pisharady Pramod Kumar , Ramanna Sudhir , Lenglet Christophe , Wu Xiaoping , Dowdle Logan , Yacoub Essa , Uğurbil Kamil , Akçakaya Mehmet
Published: August 2020

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) has found great utility for a wide range of neuroscientific and clinical applications. However, high-resolution dMRI, which is required for improved delineation of fine brain structures and connectomics, is hampered by its low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Since dMRI relies on the acquisition of multiple different diffusion weighted images of the same anatomy, it is well-suited for denoising methods that utilize correlations across the image series to improve the apparent SNR and the subsequent data analysis. In this work, we introduce and quantitatively evaluate a comprehensive framework, NOise Reduction with Distribution Corrected (NORDIC) PCA method for processing dMRI. NORDIC uses low-rank modeling of g-factor-corrected complex dMRI reconstruction and non-asymptotic random matrix distributions to remove signal components which cannot be distinguished from thermal noise. The utility of the proposed framework for denoising dMRI is demonstrated on both simulations and experimental data obtained at 3 Tesla with different resolutions using human connectome project style acquisitions. The proposed framework leads to substantially enhanced quantitative performance for estimating diffusion tractography related measures and for resolving crossing fibers as compared to a conventional/state-of-the-art dMRI denoising method.

Highlights

We propose a framework, NORDIC, for denoising complex valued dMRI data using Gaussian statistics

The effectiveness of the proposed denoising method is distinguished by the ability to remove only signal which cannot be distinguished from thermal noise

The proposed method outperforms a state-of-art method for denoising dMRI in terms of fiber orientation dispersion

Quantitative evaluation of NORDIC across different resolutions and SNR using human connectome type acquisitions and analysis shows up to 6 fold improvement in apparent SNR for 0.9mm whole brain dMRI at 3T.
A generalist lifestyle allows rareGardnerellaspp. to persist at low levels in the vaginal microbiome
Authors: Khan Salahuddin , Vancuren Sarah J. , Hill Janet E.
Published: August 2020

Gardnerellaspp. are considered a hallmark of bacterial vaginosis, a dysbiosis of the vaginal microbiome. There are four cpn60 sequence-based subgroups within the genus (A, B, C, and D), and thirteen genome species have been defined recently.Gardnerellaspp. co-occur in the vaginal microbiome with varying abundance, and these patterns are shaped by a resource-dependent, exploitative competition, which affects the growth rate of subgroup A, B, and C negatively. The growth rate of rarely abundant subgroup D, however, increases with the increasing number of competitors, negatively affecting the growth rate of others. We hypothesized that a nutritional generalist lifestyle and minimal niche overlap with the other, more abundantGardnerellaspp. facilitate the maintenance of subgroup D in the vaginal microbiome through negative-frequency dependent selection. Using 40 whole genome sequences from isolates representing all four subgroups we found that they could be distinguished based on content of their predicted proteomes. Proteins associated with carbohydrate and amino acid uptake and metabolism were significant contributors to the separation of subgroups. Subgroup D isolates had significantly more of their proteins assigned to amino acid metabolism than the other subgroups. Subgroup D isolates were also significantly different from others in terms of number and type of carbon sources utilized in a phenotypic assay, while the other three could not be distinguished. Overall, the results suggest that a generalist lifestyle and lack of niche overlap with otherGardnerellaspp. leads to subgroup D being favoured by negative-frequency dependent selection in the vaginal microbiome.
Effect of relative social rank within a social hierarchy on neural activation in response to familiar or unfamiliar social signals
Authors: Lee Won , Dowd Hollie N. , Nikain Cyrus , Dwortz Madeleine F. , Yang Eilene D. , Curley James P.
Published: August 2020

Competent social functioning of group-living species relies on the ability of individuals to detect and utilize conspecific social cues to guide behavior. Previous studies have identified numerous brain regions involved in processing these external cues, collectively referred to as the Social Decision-Making Network. However, how the brain encodes social information with respect to an individual’s social status has not been thoroughly examined. In mice, cues about an individual’s identity, including social status, are conveyed through urinary proteins. In this study, we assessed the neural cFos immunoreactivity in dominant and subordinate male mice exposed to familiar and unfamiliar dominant and subordinate male urine. The posteroventral medial amygdala was the only brain region that responded exclusively to dominant compared to subordinate male urine. In all other brain regions, including the VMH, PMv, and vlPAG, activity is modulated by a combination of odor familiarity and the social status of both the urine donor and the subject receiving the cue. We show that dominant subjects exhibit robust differential activity across different types of cues compared to subordinate subjects, suggesting that individuals perceive social cues differently depending on social experience. These data inform further investigation of neurobiological mechanisms underlying social-status related brain differences and behavior.
Single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomics of archival pancreatic cancer reveals multi-compartment reprogramming after neoadjuvant treatment
Authors: Hwang William L. , Jagadeesh Karthik A. , Guo Jimmy A. , Hoffman Hannah I. , Yadollahpour Payman , Mohan Rahul , Drokhlyansky Eugene , Van Wittenberghe Nicholas , Ashenberg Orr , Farhi Samouil , Schapiro Denis , Reeves Jason , Zollinger Daniel R. , Eng George , Schenkel Jason M. , Freed-Pastor William A. , Rodrigues Clifton , Gould Joshua , Lambden Conner , Porter Caroline , Tsankov Alexander , Dionne Danielle , Abbondanza Domenic , Waldman Julia , Cuoco Michael , Nguyen Lan , Delorey Toni , Phillips Devan , Ciprani Debora , Kern Marina , Mehta Arnav , Fuhrman Kit , Fropf Robin , Beechem Joseph , Loeffler Jay S. , Ryan David P. , Weekes Colin D. , Ting David T. , Ferrone Cristina R. , Wo Jennifer Y. , Hong Theodore S. , Aguirre Andrew J. , Rozenblatt-Rosen Orit , Mino-Kenudson Mari , Castillo Carlos Fernandez-del , Liss Andrew S. , Jacks Tyler , Regev Aviv
Published: August 2020

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a treatment-refractory disease. Characterizing PDAC by mRNA profiling remains particularly challenging. Previously identified bulk expression subtypes were influenced by contaminating stroma and have not yet informed clinical management, whereas single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) of fresh tumors under-represented key cell types. Here, we developed a robust single-nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-seq) technique for frozen archival PDAC specimens and used it to study both untreated tumors and those that received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy (CRT). Gene expression programs learned across untreated malignant cell and fibroblast profiles uncovered a clinically relevant molecular taxonomy with improved prognostic stratification compared to prior classifications. Moreover, in the increasingly-adopted neoadjuvant treatment context, there was a depletion of classical-like phenotypes in malignant cells in favor of basal-like phenotypes associated with TNF-NFkB and interferon signaling as well as the presence of novel acinar and neuroendocrine classical-like states, which may be more resilient to cytotoxic treatment. Spatially-resolved transcriptomics revealed an association between malignant cells expressing these basal-like programs and higher immune infiltration with increased lymphocytic content, whereas those exhibiting classical-like programs were linked to sparser macrophage-predominant microniches, perhaps pointing to susceptibility to distinct therapeutic strategies. Our refined molecular taxonomy and spatial resolution can help advance precision oncology in PDAC through informative stratification in clinical trials and insights into differential therapeutic targeting leveraging the immune system.
Visualization of individual cell division history in complex tissues
Authors: Denoth-Lippuner Annina , Jaeger Baptiste N. , Liang Tong , Chie Stefanie E. , Royall Lars N. , Kruse Merit , Simons Benjamin D. , Jessberger Sebastian
Published: August 2020

The division potential of individual stem cells and the molecular consequences of successive rounds of proliferation remain largely unknown. We developed an inducible cell division counter (iCOUNT) that reports cell division events in human and mouse tissuesin vitroandin vivo. Analysing cell division histories of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in the developing and adult brain, we show that iCOUNT allows for novel insights into stem cell behaviour. Further, we used single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) of iCOUNT-labelled NSPCs and their progenies from the developing mouse cortex and forebrain-regionalized human organoids to identify molecular pathways that are commonly regulated between mouse and human cells, depending on individual cell division histories. Thus, we developed a novel tool to characterize the molecular consequences of repeated cell divisions of stem cells that allows an analysis of the cellular principles underlying tissue formation, homeostasis, and repair.

Highlights

iCOUNT reports previous cell divisions in mouse and human cellsin vitro

iCOUNT detects cell division biographies in complex mouse tissuesin vivo

iCOUNT allows for the analysis of human neural stem/progenitor cells in human forebrain organoids

Single cell RNA-sequencing of iCOUNT cells derived from the mouse developing cortex and human forebrain organoids identifies molecular consequences of previous rounds of cell divisions

Graphical abstract
Exploring organizational inclusion and inclusive leadership in Indian companies
Authors: Kuknor Sunaina , Bhattacharya Shubhasheesh
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how practitioners and policymakers of inclusion perceive inclusion at workplace and define the role and behavior of leaders in fostering inclusion and struggles associated with acceptance and implementation of inclusion initiatives at the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews were taken from diversity and inclusion leads, inclusion consultants and human resources experts. Each interview was transcribed and a technique of inductive content analysis was used. Broad themes and several new items emerged that define organizational inclusion and inclusive leadership.

Findings

The paper provides insights on how inclusion is perceived differently by each individual and even though organizations have policies in place, getting them into practice is yet to be accomplished. The paper finds key leadership behaviors to be practiced to foster and sustain inclusion in the workplace. Struggles and outcomes of inclusion are also discussed in the paper.

Practical implications

The study will facilitate creating awareness in practitioners and academicians who think inclusion is mostly concerned with disabled learners, which is misleading. The paper will help the concerned stakeholders to formulate inclusion policies to encourage healthy employee relations and better the organizational outcomes.

Originality/value

India is known to have a rich diverse culture. The paper explores with empirical evidence how this diversity can be leveraged through inclusion to benefit the organization. It adds to the existing body of knowledge on how inclusion and role of a leader are experienced by the employer and employee in Indian companies which is a niche area of research.
Identifying the inhibitory factors of dietary salt reduction in women: a qualitative study, Yazd, Iran
Authors: Mazloomy Mahmoodabad Seyed Saeed , Vaezi Ali Akbar , Soltani Tahere , Nadjarzadeh Azadeh , Namayandeh Seyedeh Mahdieh , Soltani Mohammad Hossein , Fallahzadeh Hossien
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Increased dietary salt content is one of the effective factors of hypertension and a major public health challenge globally. Although the positive effects of dietary salt reduction on health are universally accepted, people can hardly reduce their salt intake. The purpose of this study is to identify the inhibitory factors of dietary salt reduction among 20–65-year-old women in Yazd City, Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted using a deductive content analysis approach based on the communication for the behavioral impact (COMBI) framework. The purposeful sampling method was applied with maximum variation in terms of different educational levels, age groups, occupational status and residential areas to select the participants. Snowball sampling was used to select health-care professionals. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions were conducted with 31 local women and 11 health-care professionals working in the City until data saturation was achieved. Data were analyzed using Graneheim and Landsman’s method.

Findings

After data analysis, 617 initial codes were extracted over the perceived barriers. After merging similar codes, 223 codes were extracted. The barriers were classified into five main categories of family, personal, organizational, educational and socio-cultural barriers.

Originality/value

Based on the COMBI framework, the results demonstrated that the most important barriers for reducing salt intake were negative attitude toward restrictions on dietary salt intake, insufficient and incorrect beliefs about the health risk of salt, lack of family support, inadequate health literacy and low self-efficacy in Yazd City. Among these barriers, lack of family support was considered as the most effective factor in reducing salt consumption. So, by focusing on this area and providing the community with the required education, the amount of salt consumed by families can be reduced.
Financial uncertainty valuation: does Shariah compliant screening matter?
Authors: Alahouel Fatma , Loukil Nadia
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the financial uncertainty vary according to different financial assets type: conventional and Islamic.

Design/methodology/approach

Common factors are related to risk or known information. For this, the authors use general dynamic factor model to extract common variation between both types of indexes. Then they calculate stochastic volatility for each idiosyncratic component. They also carry out the study on three different family indexes respectively, Dow Jones, S&P and MSCI indexes, for the period going from January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2018. Through a comparison analysis with uncertainty index designed for conventional assets, the authors examine the similarity between the two indexes via mean, median and variance tests. They decrypt the interrelation between them by using OLS linear regression, vector autoregressive model.

Findings

The findings show that Islamic assets uncertainty is different from conventional uncertainty level. This difference can be due to the Shariah screening and the prohibition of gharar. The main findings suggest that Islamic financial uncertainty is lower than conventional one. The OLS results prove that conventional financial uncertainties have no impact on their Islamic counterparts. In addition, Islamic financial uncertainty appears to have no significant influence on conventional one exception for Dow Jones pair. Overall, the findings support the decoupling hypothesis in term of uncertainty only for SP and MSCI indexes.

Practical implications

Risk averse investors can find their claim in Shariah-compliant assets, as it offers a low level of financial uncertainty. A portfolio manager may benefit from the long run non-association in uncertainty between Islamic and conventional assets especially in time of crisis.

Originality/value

In this work, the authors measured financial uncertainty differently and take into account the specific features of each index type to improve the results quality.
Investigating medical professionals' continuance intention of the cloud-based e-learning system: an extension of expectation–confirmation model with flow theory
Authors: Cheng Yung-Ming
Published: August 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose an integrated model based on expectation–confirmation model (ECM), flow theory and human–organization–technology fit framework to examine whether human, organizational and technology factors as antecedents to medical professionals' beliefs can affect their continuance intention of the cloud-based e-learning system.

Design/methodology/approach

Sample data for this study were collected from medical professionals at five hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, and 368 (73.6%) useable questionnaires were analyzed using structural equation modeling in this study.

Findings

Synthetically speaking, human, organizational and technology factors, as antecedents to medical professionals' continuance intention of the cloud-based e-learning system have been examined, and the results strongly support the research model with all hypothesized links being significant.

Originality/value

Particularly, it is worth mentioning that the application of capturing both ECM and flow theory for completely explaining three types of factors (i.e. human, organizational and technology factors) as external variables to medical professionals' cloud-based e-learning continuance intention is well documented, that is, information systems (IS) and nonIS determinants are simultaneously evaluated, and extrinsic and intrinsic motivators are both taken into consideration in this study's theoretical development of medical professionals' cloud-based e-learning continuance intention to acquire a more comprehensive and robust analysis.
Impact of economic sentiment and economic policy uncertainty on travel and leisure stock return
Authors: Hadood Abobaker Al.Al. , Irani Farid
Published: August 2020

Purpose

This paper considers the role of economic sentiment and economic policy uncertainty (both domestic and European) in explaining the changes in the contemporaneous and future travel and leisure stock index returns in top European Union (EU) tourism destinations, namely, in France, Germany, Spain and the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted the ordinary least square (OLS) regression estimations to investigate the impact of changes in economic sentiment and economic policy uncertainty on travel and leisure stock returns. Furthermore, the authors used predictive regressions to determine whether economic sentiment and economic policy uncertainty are useful predictors over the short- or medium-term for travel and leisure stock returns.

Findings

Empirical results revealed that, in France and Spain, the changes in regional economic sentiments predominantly and positively affected travel and leisure stock index returns. Also, results indicated that changes in European economic sentiment have a strong positive effect on the future travel and leisure stock returns in Spain and the UK over the short run, while in France, changes in European economic policy uncertainty have a weak negative effect on the future travel and leisure stock returns over the medium-term.

Research limitations/implications

This paper provides valuable practical implications for investors who trade travel and leisure stocks. Traders can use economic sentiment and economic policy uncertainty to establish arbitrageur strategies.

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine the effects of economic sentiment and economic policy uncertainty (both domestic and European) on contemporaneous and future travel and leisure stock returns in a top European tourism destination.
Attracting and recruiting quality talent: firm perspectives
Authors: Adeosun Oluyemi Theophilus , OHIANI Adeku Salihu
Published: August 2020

Purpose

Understanding matching patterns and determinants of attracting quality talents is an under-researched area, especially from a firm perspective. Firm’s recruitment strategies have an impact on the sorting patterns in the labour market which remains undetermined. This paper aims to explore the drivers of attracting and recruiting quality talents. Also, the role of policies including the national labour laws, industry norms and localised firm policies have on hiring practices and drivers in a developing country.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is underpinned by network theory, equity theory, social exchange theory and resource-based theory. The authors leveraged on a mixed methodology that is a structured questionnaire administered to 200 firm representatives in Lagos and interviews with key informants from the demand side for labour.

Findings

The study revealed that firms can leverage on salary, brand name, referral, job security as core factors in attracting and recruiting quality talents. Also, digitisation is a key strategy leveraged on attracting and recruiting quality talents. Techniques such as the use of social media, traditional media, online interviews, physical interviews have proven to help in selecting quality talents.

Originality/value

Specifically, the paper throws light on how firms use different recruitment channels for hiring workers, and how the use of these channels affects the quality of matches. Furthermore, the role of social networks, wages and benefits for firm recruitment and matching efficiency was well highlighted.