bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fibroblast growth factor 23 is associated with fractional excretion of sodium in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Xu Hong , Hashem Ali , Witasp Anna , Mencke Rik , Goldsmith David , Barany Peter , Bruchfeld Annette , Wernerson Annika , Carrero Juan-Jesus , Olauson Hannes
Published: September 2018

Background

Recent studies suggest that the phosphaturic hormone fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is involved in regulation of renal sodium excretion and blood pressure. There is evidence of both direct effects via regulation of the sodium-chloride symporter (NCC) in the distal tubule, and indirect effects through interactions with the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. However, clinical data on the association between FGF23 and renal sodium regulation is lacking. Herein, we investigated the associations of FGF23 with renal sodium handling and blood pressure in non-dialysis CKD patients.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study encompassing 180 CKD patients Stage 1–5, undergoing renal biopsy. Plasma intact FGF23, 24-h urinary sodium excretion, fractional excretion of sodium (FENa) and blood pressure were measured at baseline. The association between FGF23 and renal sodium handling was explored by multivariate regression analysis.

Results

The median age was 52.8 years, 60.6% were men and the median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 50.6 mL/min/1.73 m2. In univariate analysis, FGF23 was positively associated with FENa (Spearman’s rho = 0.47; P < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (rho = 0.17, P < 0.05), but not with plasma sodium, 24-h urinary sodium excretion or mean arterial blood pressure. The association between FGF23 and FENa remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders (multivariable adjusted β coefficient 0.60, P < 0.001). This association was stronger among the 107 individuals with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (β = 0.47, P = 0.04) and in the 73 individuals on any diuretics (β = 0.88, P < 0.001). Adjustment for measured GFR instead of eGFR did not alter the relationship.

Conclusions

FGF23 is independently associated with increased FENa in non-dialysis CKD patients. These data do not support the notion that FGF23 causes clinically significant sodium retention. Further studies are warranted to explore the mechanism underlying this association.
Social capital as an instrument for common pool resource management: a case study of irrigation management in Sri Lanka
Authors: Aida Takeshi
Published: September 2018

Although social capital is considered to be a key instrument for common pool resource (CPR) management, its effect among heterogenous players such as upstream and downstream farmers along an irrigation canal is not clear. Using a combination of lab-in-the-field experiments to measure social capital and household survey data in a unique natural experimental setting, this study shows that upstream farmers with higher trust toward the downstream farmers are more likely to be satisfied with their water usage. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that upstream farmers with higher trust demand less water and leave more water in a canal because they expect reciprocal behaviour from downstream farmers. Since the incentive structures of irrigation management closely resemble those of the standard experiments to measure social capital, this finding also provides a unique case study of the real-world relevance of these experiments.
Minority Party Government and Independent MPs: A Comparative Analysis of Australia and Ireland
Authors: Kefford Glenn , Weeks Liam
Published: September 2018

Minority government is becoming more common. With support declining for traditional parties and increasing for anti-establishment movements, government formation is becoming increasingly difficult in many jurisdictions. While minority government has been the subject of much normative debate, one type of minority arrangement that has not attracted much attention is that involving independent parliamentarians. Government in most countries tends to be party government, but in this article, we examine the experience in Australia and Ireland of independents supporting minority government. We assess the performance of these administrations in terms of their stability, their productivity and their electoral performance. We find that, contrary to expectation, minority government involving independents is not a recipe for instability nor necessarily results in an efficient parliament.
Cue-related phase reset accounts for age differences in phasic alerting
Authors: Wiegand Iris , Sander Myriam C.
Published: September 2018

Alertness is fundamental for the efficiency of information processing. A person’s level of alertness refers to the system’s state of general responsiveness, and can be temporarily increased by presenting a neutral warning cue shortly before an event occurs (Posner & Petersen, 1990). However, effects of alerts on subsequent stimulus processing are less consistent in older than in younger individuals. In this study, we investigated the neural underpinnings of age differences in processing of auditory alerting cues. We measured electroencephalographic power and phase locking in response to alerting cues in a visual letter report task, in which younger but not older adults showed a cue-related behavioral advantage.

Alerting cues evoked a significant increase in power as well as in inter-trial phase locking, with a maximum effect in the alpha frequency (8–12 Hz) in both age groups. Importantly, these cue-related increases in phase locking and power were stronger in older than in younger adults and were negatively correlated with the behavioral alerting effect in the older sample.

Our results are in accordance with the assumption that older adults’ neural responses may be more strongly driven by external input and less variable than younger adults’. A stronger resetting of the system in response to the auditory cue may have hindered older adults’ effective use of the warning signal to foster processing of the following visual stimulus.
Macroscale Cortical Organization and a Default-Like Transmodal Apex Network in the Marmoset Monkey
Authors: Buckner Randy L. , Margulies Daniel S.
Published: September 2018

Networks of widely distributed regions populate human association cortex. One network, often called the default network, is positioned at the apex of a gradient of sequential networks that radiate outward from primary cortex. Here extensive anatomical data made available through the Marmoset Brain Architecture Project were explored to determine if a homologue exists in marmoset. Results revealed that a gradient of networks extend outward from primary cortex to progressively higher-order transmodal association cortex in both frontal and temporal cortex. The transmodal apex network comprises frontopolar and rostral temporal association cortex, parahippocampal areas TH / TF, the ventral posterior midline, and lateral parietal association cortex. The positioning of this network in the gradient and its composition of areas make it a candidate homologue to the human default network. That the marmoset, a physiologically- and genetically-accessible primate, might possess a default-network-like candidate creates opportunities for study of higher cognitive and social functions.
Control of synaptic specificity by limiting promiscuous synapse formation
Authors: Xu Chundi , Theisen Emma , Rumbaut Elijah , Shum Bryan , Peng Jing , Tarnogorska Dorota , Borycz Jolanta A. , Tan Liming , Courgeon Maximilien , Meinertzhagen Ian A. , Pecot Matthew Y.
Published: September 2018

The ability of neurons to distinguish appropriate from inappropriate synaptic partners in their local environment is fundamental to the proper assembly and function of neural circuits. How synaptic partner selection is regulated is a longstanding question in Neurobiology. A prevailing hypothesis is that appropriate partners express complementary molecules that match them together and promote synaptogenesis. Dpr and DIP IgSF proteins bind heterophilically and are expressed in a complementary manner between synaptic partners in the Drosophila visual system. Here, we show that in the lamina, DIP mis-expression is sufficient to promote synapse formation with Dpr-expressing neurons, and that DIP proteins are not necessary for synaptogenesis but rather function to prevent ectopic synapse formation. These findings indicate that Dpr-DIP interactions regulate synaptic specificity by biasing synapse formation towards specific cell-types. We propose that synaptogenesis occurs independent of synaptic partner choice, and that precise synaptic connectivity is established by limiting promiscuous synapse formation.
Genetic insights into the social organisation of the Avar period elite in the 7thcentury AD Carpathian Basin
Authors: Csáky Veronika , Gerber Dániel , Koncz István , Csiky Gergely , Mende Balázs G. , Szeifert Bea , Egyed Balázs , Pamjav Horolma , Marcsik Antónia , Molnár Erika , Pálfi György , Gulyás András , Kovacsóczy Bernadett , Lezsák Gabriella M. , Lőrinczy Gábor , Szécsényi-Nagy Anna , Vida Tivadar
Published: September 2018

After 568 AD the Avars settled in the Carpathian Basin and founded the Avar Qaganate that was an important power in Central Europe until the 9thcentury. Part of the Avar society was probably of Asian origin, however the localisation of their homeland is hampered by the scarcity of historical and archaeological data.

Here, we study mitogenome and Y chromosomal STR variability of twenty-six individuals, a number of them representing a well-characterised elite group buried at the centre of the Carpathian Basin more than a century after the Avar conquest.

The studied group has maternal and paternal genetic affinities to several ancient and modern East-Central Asian populations. The majority of the mitochondrial DNA variability represents Asian haplogroups (C, D, F, M, R, Y and Z). The Y-STR variability of the analysed elite males belongs only to five lineages, three N-Tat with mostly Asian parallels and two Q haplotypes. The homogeneity of the Y chromosomes reveals paternal kinship as a cohesive force in the organisation of the Avar elite strata on both social and territorial level. Our results indicate that the Avar elite arrived in the Carpathian Basin as a group of families, and remained mostly endogamous for several generations after the conquest.
Respiration enhances TDP-43 toxicity, but TDP-43 retains some toxicity in the absence of respiration
Authors: Park Sei-Kyoung , Park Sangeun , Liebman Susan W
Published: September 2018

The trans-activating response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a transcriptional repressor and splicing factor. TDP-43 is normally mostly in the nucleus, although it shuttles to the cytoplasm. Mutations in TDP-43 are one cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In neurons of these patients, TDP-43 forms cytoplasmic aggregates. In addition, wild-type TDP-43 is also frequently found in neuronal cytoplasmic aggregates in patients with neurodegenerative diseases not caused by TDP-43 mutations. TDP-43 expressed in yeast causes toxicity and forms cytoplasmic aggregates. This disease model has been validated because genetic modifiers of TDP-43 toxicity in yeast have led to the discovery that their conserved genes in humans are ALS genetic risk factors. While how TDP-43 is associated with toxicity is unknown, several studies find that TDP-43 alters mitochondrial function. We now report that TDP-43 is much more toxic when yeast are respiring than when grown on a carbon source where respiration is inhibited. However, respiration is not the unique target of TDP-43 toxicity because we found that TDP-43 retains some toxicity even in the absence of respiration. We found that H2O2 increases the toxicity of TDP-43, suggesting that the reactive oxygen species associated with respiration could likewise enhance the toxicity of TDP-43. In this case, the TDP-43 toxicity targets in the presence or absence of respiration could be identical, with the reactive oxygen species produced by respiration activating TDP-43 to become more toxic or making TDP-43 targets more vulnerable.
Modulation of actin polymerization affects nucleocytoplasmic transport in multiple forms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Giampetruzzi Anthony , Danielson Eric W. , Jeon Maryangel , Gumina Valentia , Boopathy Sivakumar , Brown Robert H. , Landers John E. , Fallini Claudia
Published: September 2018

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology. Although defects in nucleocytoplasmic transport (NCT) may be central to the pathogenesis of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases, the molecular mechanisms modulating the nuclear pore function are still largely unknown. Here we show that genetic and pharmacological modulation of actin polymerization disrupts nuclear pore integrity, nuclear import, and downstream pathways such as mRNA post-transcriptional regulation. Importantly, we demonstrate that modulation of actin homeostasis can rescue nuclear pore instability and dysfunction caused by mutant PFN1 as well as by C9ORF72 repeat expansions, the most common mutations in ALS patients. Collectively, our data link NCT defects to ALS-associated pathology and propose the regulation of actin homeostasis as a novel therapeutic strategy for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases.
An interaction between Gβγ and RNA polymerase II regulates transcription in cardiac fibroblasts
Authors: Khan Shahriar M. , Martin Ryan D. , Gora Sarah , Bouazza Celia , Jones-Tabah Jace , Zhang Andy , MacKinnon Sarah , Trieu Phan , Clarke Paul B.S. , Tanny Jason C. , Hébert Terence E.
Published: September 2018

Gβγ subunits are involved in many different signalling processes in various compartments of the cell, including the nucleus. To gain insight into the functions of nuclear Gβγ, we investigated the functional role of Gβγ signalling in regulation of GPCR-mediated gene expression in primary rat neonatal cardiac fibroblasts. Following activation of the angiotensin II type I receptor in these cells, Gβγ dimers interact with RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Our findings suggest that Gβ1recruitment to RNAPII negatively regulates the fibrotic transcriptional response, which can be overcome by strong fibrotic stimuli. The interaction between Gβγ subunits and RNAPII expands the role for Gβγ signalling in cardiac fibrosis. The Gβγ-RNAPII interaction was regulated by signaling pathways in HEK 293 cells that diverged from those operating in cardiac fibroblasts. Thus, the interaction may be a conserved feature of transcriptional regulation although such regulation may be cell-specific.
Multiple-kernel learning for genomic data mining and prediction
Authors: Wilson Christopher M. , Li Kaiqiao , Kuan Pei-Fen , Wang Xuefeng
Published: September 2018

Advances in medical technology have allowed for customized prognosis, diagnosis, and personalized treatment regimens that utilize multiple heterogeneous data sources. Multiple kernel learning (MKL) is well suited for integration of multiple high throughput data sources, however, there are currently no implementations of MKL in R. In this paper, we give some background material for support vector machine (SVM) and introduce an R package, RMKL, which provides R and C++ code to implement several MKL algorithms for classification and regression problems. The provided implementations of MKL are compared using benchmark data and TCGA ovarian cancer. We demonstrate that combining multiple data sources can lead to a better classification scheme than simply using a single data source.
Growth characteristics of pneumococcus vary with the chemical composition of the capsule and with environmental conditions
Authors: Tothpal Adrienn , Desobry Katherine , Joshi Shreyas , Wyllie Anne L. , Weinberger Daniel M.
Published: September 2018

Background

Pneumococcus, a bacterium that typically resides in the nasopharynx, is exposed to a variety of temperature and oxygen levels in the upper respiratory tract and as it invades the lung, tissues, and blood. The response to these variations likely varies by strain and could influence the fitness of a strain and its virulence. We sought to determine the effect of environmental variability on the growth characteristics of pneumococcus and to evaluate correlations between variability in growth characteristics between strains and biological and epidemiological characteristics.

Methods

We evaluated the effect of temperature and oxygen on the growth of 256 pneumococcal isolates representing 53 serotypes, recovered from healthy carriers and from disease patients. Strains were grown at a range of temperatures anaerobically or in ambient air with and without catalase and were monitored by reading the optical density. Regression models were used to evaluate bacterial and environmental factors associated with characteristics of the growth curves.

Results

Most isolates grew to the maximal density at the temperature of the nasopharynx (~33C) and under aerobic conditions (with catalase). Maximum density achieved was positively associated with the presence of N-acetylated sugars in the capsule and negatively associated with the presence of uronic acids. Reaching a greater density at an early time point was positively associated with the prevalence of serotypes among healthy carriers in the pre-vaccine period.

Discussion

Environmental variability affects the growth of pneumococcus, with notable differences between isolates and by serotype. Such variability could be influenced by characteristics of the capsule and might affect virulence and transmissibility.
Design and Analysis of a Whole Body Non-Contact Electromagnetic Stimulation Device with Field Modulation
Authors: Makarov Sergey N. , Bogdanov Gene , Noetscher Gregory M. , Appleyard William , Ludwig Reinhold , Joutsa Juho , Deng Zhi-De
Published: September 2018

This study describes a whole-body, non-contact electromagnetic stimulation device based on the concept of a conventional MRI Radio Frequency (RF) resonating coil, but at a much lower resonant frequency (100–150 kHz), with a field modulation option (0.5–100 Hz) and with an input power of up to 3 kW. Its unique features include a high electric field level within the biological tissue due to the resonance effect and a low power dissipation level, or a low Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), in the body itself. Because of its large resonator volume together with non-contact coupling, the subject may be located anywhere within the coil over a longer period at moderate and safe electric field levels. The electric field effect does not depend on body position within the resonator. However, field penetration is deep anywhere within the body, including the extremities where muscles, bones, and peripheral tissues are mostly affected. A potential clinical application of this device is treatment of chronic pain. Substantial attention is paid to device safety; this includes both AC power safety and exposure of human subjects to electromagnetic fields. In the former case, we employ inductive coupling which eliminates a direct current path from AC power to the coil. Our design enhances overall device safety at any power level, even when operated under higher-power conditions. Human exposure to electromagnetic fields within the coil is evaluated by performing modeling with two independent numerical methods and with an anatomically realistic multi-tissue human phantom. We show that SAR levels within the body correspond to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) safety standards when the input power level of the amplifier driver does not exceed 3 kW. We also show that electric field levels generally comply with International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection safety standards if the input power level does not exceed 1.5 kW.
The biochemical properties of a novel paraoxonase-like enzyme in Trichoderma atroviride strain T23 involved in the degradation of 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate
Authors: Sun Jianan , Yuan Xu , Li Yaqian , Wang Xinhua , Chen Jie
Published: September 2018

Dichlorvos, is a broad-spectrum organophosphorus pesticide that is widely applied in the agricultural industry and considered a pollutant to fish and bees. T. atroviride strain T23, an efficient DDVP-degrading strain, could convert DDVP to dichloroacetic acid, 2,2-dichloroethanol and phosphoric acid through mineralization. RT-qPCR analysis showed TaPon1-like encoding an organophosphorus hydrolase, is continuously highly expressed in the process of degrading DDVP. TaPon1-like contained an open reading frame of 1317 bp, and the deduced amino acid sequence shared 21% homology with HuPON1, which also exhibits excellent hydrolysis of organophosphate-oxons compounds. By analysis of gene knockout, we found the ΔTaPon1-like knockout strain KO1 lost 35.6% of its DDVP-degradation capacity at 24 h, but this loss of degradation activity was recovered when the gene was complemented. Furthermore, the purified recombinant protein reTAPON1-LIKE, could transform DDVP only to dimethyl phosphate and showed significant paraoxonase activity (1028 U L−1). The reTAPON1-LIKE enzyme showed a broad degradation spectrum, degrading not only DDVP but also organophosphate-oxons and lactone. The kinetic parameters (Km and kcat) of the purified reTAPON1-LIKE were determined to be 0.23 mM and 204.3 s−1 for DDVP, respectively. The highest activity was obtained at 35 °C, and the optimal pH was 8.5. The activity of reTAPON1-LIKE was enhanced most significantly when 1.0 mM Ca2+ was added but declined when 1.0 mM Cu2+ was added. These results showed TAPON1-LIKE play an important role for DDVP degradation in the first step by T23 and provided clue to comprehensively understanding the degradation mechanism of organophosphate-oxons pesticides by filamentous fungi.

Importance

The large amounts of residues of organophosphate pesticides in agroecological system has become a great threat to the safety of environment and humans. Bioremediation in association with microbial is innovative technology having a potential to alleviate such pollution problems. The genus Trichoderma is genetically diverse with capabilities to degrade chemical pesticides among different strains with agricultural significance. As a typical organophosphorus pesticide, it is one of the most employed compounds of the family. Though it was classified as a highly toxic pesticide by WHO due to its hazardous properties, it plays an important role in the control of plant pests, food storage and homes, as well as to treat infections in livestock. Therefore, we use DDVP as a model of organophosphate pesticide to study the mechanism of Trichoderma degrading organophosphate pesticides, for the aim of globally understanding molecular mechanism of enzymatic degradation of organophosphate pesticides by beneficial fungi.
Cross-modal restoration of juvenile-like ocular dominance plasticity after increasing GABAergic inhibition
Authors: Teichert Manuel , Isstas Marcel , Wieske Franziska , Winter Christine , Bolz Jürgen
Published: September 2018

In juvenile and “young adult” mice monocular deprivation (MD) shifts the ocular dominance (OD) of binocular neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) away from the deprived eye. However, OD plasticity is completely absent in mice older than 110 days, but can be reactivated by treatments which decrease GABA levels in V1. Typically, these OD shifts can be prevented by increasing GABAergic transmission with diazepam. We could recently demonstrate that both bilateral whisker and auditory deprivation (WD, AD), can also restore OD plasticity in mice older than 110 days, since MD for 7 days in WD mice caused a potentiation of V1 input through the ipsilateral (open) eye, the characteristic feature of OD plasticity of “young adult” mice. Here we examined whether WD for 7 days also decreases GABA levels. For this, we performed post mortem HPLC analysis of V1 tissue. Indeed, we found that WD significantly decreased GABA levels in V1. Surprisingly, enhancing GABAergic inhibition by diazepam did not abolish OD shifts in WD mice, as revealed by repeated intrinsic signal imaging. On the contrary, this treatment led to a depression of V1 input through the previously closed contralateral eye, the characteristic signature of OD plasticity in juvenile mice during the critical period. Interestingly, the same result was obtained after AD. Taken together, these results suggest that cross-modally restored OD plasticity does not only depend on reduction of GABA levels in V1, but also requires other, so far unknown mechanisms.
Agricultural intensification reduces microbial network complexity and the abundance of keystone taxa in roots
Authors: Banerjee Samiran , Walder Florian , Büchi Lucie , Meyer Marcel , Held Alain Y. , Gattinger Andreas , Keller Thomas , Charles Raphael , van der Heijden Marcel G.A.
Published: September 2018

Root-associated microbes play a key role in plant performance and productivity, making them important players in agroecosystems. So far, very few studies have assessed the impact of different farming systems on the root microbiota and it is still unclear whether agricultural intensification influences network complexity of microbial communities. We investigated the impact of conventional, no-till and organic farming on wheat root fungal communities usingPacBio SMRT sequencingon samples collected from 60 farmlands in Switzerland. Organic farming harboured a much more complex fungal network than conventional and no-till farming systems. The abundance of keystone taxa was the highest under organic farming where agricultural intensification was the lowest. The occurrence of keystone taxa was best explained by soil phosphorus levels, bulk density, pH and mycorrhizal colonization. The majority of keystone taxa are known to form arbuscular mycorrhizal associations with plants and belong to the ordersGlomerales,Paraglomerales, andDiversisporales. Supporting this, the abundance of mycorrhizal fungi in roots and soils was also significantly higher under organic farming. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report mycorrhizal keystone taxa for agroecosystems, and we demonstrate that agricultural intensification reduces network complexity and the abundance of keystone taxa in the root microbiota.
Specific metabolic signatures of fish exposed to cyanobacterial blooms
Authors: Sotton Benoît , Paris Alain , Manach Séverine Le , Blond Alain , Duval Charlotte , Qiao Qin , Catherine Arnaud , Combes Audrey , Pichon Valérie , Bernard Cécile , Marie Benjamin
Published: September 2018

With the increasing impact of the global warming, occurrences of cyanobacterial blooms in aquatic ecosystems are becoming a main ecological concern around the world. Due to their capacity to produce potential toxic metabolites, interactions between the cyanobacteria/cyanotoxin complex and the other freshwater organisms have been widely studied in the past years. Non-targeted metabolomic analyses have the powerful capacity to study a high number of metabolites at the same time and thus to understand in depth the molecular interactions between various organisms in different environmental scenario and notably during cyanobacterial blooms. In this way during summer 2015, liver metabolomes of two fish species, sampled in peri-urban lakes of the île-de-France region containing or not high concentrations of cyanobacteria, were studied. The results suggest that similar metabolome changes occur in both fish species exposed to cyanobacterial blooms compared to them not exposed. Metabolites implicated in protein synthesis, protection against ROS, steroid metabolism, cell signaling, energy storage and membrane integrity/stability have shown the most contrasted changes. Furthermore, it seems that metabolomic studies will provide new information and research perspectives in various ecological fields and notably concerning cyanobacteria/fish interactions but also a promising tool for environmental monitoring of water pollutions.
Reduction of LOXL2-mediated H3K4 oxidation increases chromatin accessibility and promotes chemosensitivity of triple-negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Cebrià-Costa J.P. , Pascual-Reguant L. , Gonzalez-Perez A. , Serra-Bardenys G. , Querol J. , Cosín M. , Verde G. , Cigliano R.A. , Sanseverino W. , Segura-Bayona S. , Iturbide A. , Andreu D. , Nuciforo P. , Bernado-Morales C. , Rodilla V. , Arribas J. , Yelamos J. , de Herreros A. Garcia , Stracker T.H. , Peiró S.
Published: September 2018

Oxidation of H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4ox) by lysyl oxidase–like 2 (LOXL2) generates an H3 modification with an unknown physiological function. We find that LOXL2 and H3K4ox are higher in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines and patient–derived xenographs (PDXs) than those from other breast cancer subtypes. ChIP-seq revealed that H3K4ox is located primarily in heterochromatin, where it is involved in chromatin compaction. Knocking down LOXL2 reduces H3K4ox levels and causes chromatin decompaction, resulting in a sustained activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) and increased susceptibility to anticancer agents. This critical role that LOXL2 and oxidized H3 play in chromatin compaction and DDR suggests that functionally targeting LOXL2 could be a way to sensitize TNBC cells to conventional therapy.
Human Bone Marrow Assessment by Single Cell RNA Sequencing, Mass Cytometry and Flow Cytometry
Authors: Oetjen Karolyn A. , Lindblad Katherine E. , Goswami Meghali , Gui Gege , Dagur Pradeep K. , Lai Catherine , Dillon Laura W. , McCoy J. Philip , Hourigan Christopher S.
Published: September 2018

New techniques for single-cell analysis have led to insights into hematopoiesis and the immune system, but the ability of these techniques to cross-validate and reproducibly identify the biological variation in diverse human samples is currently unproven. We therefore performed a comprehensive assessment of human bone marrow cells using both single-cell RNA sequencing and multiparameter flow cytometry from twenty healthy adult human donors across a broad age range. These data characterize variation between healthy donors as well as age-associated changes in cell population frequencies. Direct comparison of techniques revealed discrepancy in the quantification of T lymphocyte and natural killer cell populations. Orthogonal validation of immunophenotyping using mass cytometry demonstrated good correlation with flow cytometry. Technical replicates using single-cell RNA sequencing matched robustly, while biological replicates showed variation. Given the increasing use of single-cell technologies in translational research, this resource serves as an important reference dataset and highlights opportunities for further refinement.
Calibration of rotation axes for multi-axis goniometers in macromolecular crystallography
Authors: White K. Ian , Bugris Valeria , McCarthy Andrew A. , Ravelli Raimond B. G. , Csankó Krisztián , Cassetta Alberto , Brockhauser Sandor
Published: September 2018

The installation of multi-axis goniometers such as the ESRF/EMBL miniKappa goniometer system has allowed the increased use of sample reorientation in macromolecular crystallography. Old and newly appearing data collection methods require precision and accuracy in crystal reorientation. The proper use of such multi-axis systems has necessitated the development of rapid and easy to perform methods for establishing and evaluating device calibration. A new diffraction-based method meeting these criteria has been developed for the calibration of the motors responsible for rotational motion. This method takes advantage of crystal symmetry by comparing the orientations of a sample rotated about a given axis and checking that the magnitude of the real rotation fits the calculated angle between these two orientations. Hence, the accuracy and precision of rotational motion can be assessed. This rotation calibration procedure has been performed on several beamlines at the ESRF and other synchrotrons. Some resulting data are presented here for reference.
On physical scattering density fluctuations of amorphous samples
Authors: Ciccariello Salvino , Riello Piero , Benedetti Alvise
Published: September 2018

Using the rigorous results obtained by Wiener [Acta Math. (1930), 30, 118–242] on the Fourier integral of a bounded function and the condition that small-angle scattering intensities of amorphous samples are almost everywhere continuous, the conditions that must be obeyed by a function η(r) for this to be considered a physical scattering density fluctuation are obtained. These conditions can be recast in the following form: the V → ∞ limit of the modulus of the Fourier transform of η(r), evaluated over a cubic box of volume V and divided by V
1/2, exists and its square obeys the Porod invariant relation. Some examples of one-dimensional scattering density functions obeying the aforesaid condition are numerically illustrated.
Interactive processing of radar target detection and tracking
Authors: Chen Weishi
Published: September 2018

Purpose

An interactive processing scheme is proposed to improve the target detection probability as well as the tracking performance of the radar system.

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, with the spatial-correlated features extracted from the foreground and background statistical models, the thresholds were adapted to distinguish the dim small targets from clutters in the complex incoherent radar images. Then, the target trajectories were constructed with the target tracking algorithm. According to the temporal correlation with the target life cycle, the thresholding values were modified in the neighbourhood of the predicted positions to improve the detection sensitivity in these areas during the tracking process. Finally, the temporal-correlated features of the remained clutters were used to further reduce the false alarm rate.

Findings

The proposed algorithm was applied on the simulated data, as well as the image sequences obtained with the incoherent marine radars. The detection results demonstrated that the interactive algorithm could detect and track the dim small targets with relatively low false alarm rate.

Practical implications

The interactive processing scheme could be applied for low-altitude airspace surveillance with incoherent marine radar.

Originality/value

The proposed scheme outperforms the classical radar target detection algorithms and the state-of-the-art image processing algorithms for video-based surveillance.
Small consequences of a major agreement: the MILA case
Authors: Hardy Nicolas , Magner Nicolas S. , Lavin Jaime , Cardenas Rodrigo A. , Jara-Bertin Mauricio
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence about the effects of the MILA agreement in terms of improving financial market efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors measure efficiency by studying the stock reaction to earnings announcements using a conditional heteroscedasticity generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity-adjusted market model and the most commonly implemented event study tests for 3,399 events across four countries in the Latin American Integrated Market (MILA).

Findings

Contrary to expectations, the results show that the MILA agreement has isolated gains in terms of reaction to corporate earnings announcements, which translates into partial improvements in market efficiency. However, the evidence indicates that the MILA agreement favored cointegration, which is in line with other studies.

Practical implications

This paper provides evidence for policymakers and regulators that a stock market agreement is a condition that promotes market cointegration, but it is not an element that in itself ensures an improvement in market efficiency. To achieve greater MILA benefits, regulatory and market-level changes are required.

Originality/value

This is the first study that analyses the effect of a stock market agreement on the efficiency of markets, expanding on what has been studied in the finance literature regarding the influence of these agreements on cointegration.
Shareholder activism impact on efficiency in Brazil
Authors: Guimaraes Paula , Leal Ricardo P.C. , Wanke Peter , Morey Matthew
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the long-term impact of shareholder activism on Brazilian listed companies.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a sample of 194 companies in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and a two-stage data envelopment analysis to generate an efficiency score based on corporate governance, ownership structure and financial characteristics of companies. In the second stage, the study applies a bootstrap truncated regression to identify whether there is a relationship between the efficiency scores and a company-level activism index.

Findings

The results show a negative correlation between the efficiency scores and the activism index, suggesting that activist shareholders tend to target less efficient companies. A time analysis over the period 2010-2014 does not offer evidence of impacts of activism on changes of the efficiency scores.

Practical implications

Activist shareholders target less efficient companies. Shareholder activism increased after regulation that facilitated shareholder voting and required greater company transparency was introduced.

Originality/value

The two-stage nature of the procedure used in the analysis ascertains that this result is not spurious, assuring data separability between productive resources and contextual variables. This study contributes to the scarce literature on activism in emerging markets.
Trends and gaps in place-making in the context of urban development and tourism
Authors: Dupre Karine
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Many scholars have addressed the concept of place-making, yet there is still little formal knowledge about how major societal changes have influenced place-making. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 is an earthshaking event that changed the world, with regard to geopolitics and the internationalisation of our cities and places, thus generating many urban and tourism developments. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse how the term “place-making” has been variously defined and developed as a concept since the time of the fall. Furthermore, it intends to assess whether such analysis can reveal potential competition and synergy for places between tourism and urban developments.

Design/methodology/approach

To address these two questions, a systematic quantitative literature review of research published between 1991 and 2016 has been used, providing a 25 years overview that reveals the current trends in the research on this topic and highlights the gaps in the existing literature.

Findings

Findings concerns the variety of definitions, demonstrating the complexity of place-making; four emerging topics (place-making and globalisation; participation; conflicts/challenges; and trendy strategies); and a lack of synergy between tourism and urban development regarding place-making.

Research limitations/implications

The major limitation to this research is the language criterion, restricted to English, thus automatically eliminating articles written in any other languages.

Practical implications

This paper can help key stakeholders to re-assess the place-making strategies in light of the findings.

Social implications

This research demonstrates the emergence of new trends in place-making that need to be addressed to fulfil societal demands and own changes. It can be used as a basis to start reflection and further development for communities and a wide variety of stakeholders.

Originality/value

The originality of this research resides in the 25-year overview that displays gaps and trends around place-making.
Predicting the success of Twitter in healthcare
Authors: Aboelmaged Mohamed Gamal
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to predict Twitter satisfaction by healthcare professionals through integrating constructs of Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory, quality dimensions and usefulness.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey responses of 108 physicians from a variety of specialisations in the United Arab Emirates have been validated and analysed by means of partial least squares-based structural equation modelling method using smartPLS software.

Findings

Service quality has emerged as the most influential quality dimension that positively impact flow state and perceived usefulness of Twitter, while information quality, surprisingly, does not show any effect. The findings also indicate that flow state plays a significant role in shaping physicians’ satisfaction with Twitter. The study also enhances our understanding concerning the effects of perceived usefulness on flow state and satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

Understanding factors that influence Twitter satisfaction can help healthcare managers construct appropriate intervention strategies for maximising professional benefits of social media and minimising user resistance. This is important because top managers usually ratify traditional practices that are only of limited effect. Also, the findings help vendors to accentuate user’s concerns in addition to system functionalities in social media applications.

Originality/value

The paper is an early attempt to propose a model for social media success in a professional context in general and healthcare in particular. It also one of first studies that examine social media satisfaction through integrating contemporary information system success and acceptance models with flow theory.
Protecting privacy on the web
Authors: O’Brien Patrick , W.H. Young Scott , Arlitsch Kenning , Benedict Karl
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which HTTPS encryption and Google Analytics services have been implemented on academic library websites, and discuss the privacy implications of free services that introduce web tracking of users.

Design/methodology/approach

The home pages of 279 academic libraries were analyzed for the presence of HTTPS, Google Analytics services and privacy-protection features.

Findings

Results indicate that HTTPS implementation on library websites is not widespread, and many libraries continue to offer non-secured connections without an automatically enforced redirect to a secure connection. Furthermore, a large majority of library websites included in the study have implemented Google Analytics and/or Google Tag Manager, yet only very few connect securely to Google via HTTPS or have implemented Google Analytics IP anonymization.

Practical implications

Librarians are encouraged to increase awareness of this issue and take concerted and coherent action across five interrelated areas: implementing secure web protocols (HTTPS), user education, privacy policies, informed consent and risk/benefit analyses.

Originality/value

Third-party tracking of users is prevalent across the web, and yet few studies demonstrate its extent and consequences for academic library websites.
Exchange rate pass-through to inflation in Egypt: a structural VAR approach
Authors: Helmy Omneia , Fayed Mona , Hussien Kholoud
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The theoretical and empirical literature stipulated that exchange rate shocks do influence the domestic price of imports. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the underlying relationship between the exchange rate and prices known as the exchange rate pass-through.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a structural vector auto-regression (SVAR) model, drawing on Bernanke (1986) and Sims (1986), to empirically examine and analyze the pass-through of exchange rate fluctuations to domestic prices in Egypt.

Findings

The empirical results of the monthly data between 2003 and 2015 revealed that the exchange rate pass-through in Egypt is fairly substantial but incomplete and slow in the three price indices [IMP, producer price index and consumer price index (CPI)]. However, the impact is more prominent for consumer prices than for any other price index. This finding could be attributed to the fact that the CPI in Egypt is composed of a relatively large number of subsidized commodities and goods with administered prices as well as the authorities’ behavior in manipulating prices (i.e. export ban). This is expected to weaken the transmission of exchange rate shocks.

Practical implications

The result has interesting implications for Egypt’s ability to attain an effective inflation targeting regime.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature by assessing the effect of changes in the exchange rate (the Egyptian £vis-à-visthe US$) on prices using an updated time series from 2003 to 2015. It addresses the limitations of the study of Nafieet al.(2004), which found no strong relationship between the exchange rate and inflation rate in the Egyptian context. One of these limitations was using the CPI, as the only price index.
Strategic human resource management and public employee retention
Authors: Fahim Marwa Gaber Ahmed
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to explore the dynamics of using strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices in the public sector. More specifically, this paper tries to point out some main aspects of SHRM, which strongly influence the decision of employees to stay. The empirical study here tends to reveal greater insights into the SHRM-retention relationship and its validation at the National Bank of Egypt (NBE).

Design/methodology/approach

This research is co-relational in nature with cause and effect approach. The design of the study is both descriptive in the theoretical part and quantitative in the applied one. Theoretically, this paper adopted the analytical approach to define the main concepts, aside from an empirical study to investigate correlations in practice.

Findings

This paper concludes that the employment of best HRM practices is deemed a remarkable strategic tool in the retention of core public employees. Also, the results of analysis provide evidence that SHRM contributes to employee retention at NBE.

Practical implications

The findings and recommendations of this research can practically guide management to devise effective policies to improve employee retention using appropriate SHRM activities, particularly in the Egyptian public organizations.

Originality/value

This research has valuable implications for both theory and practice, as it offers several contributions to literature in the field of study, as well as the practical contribution.
Arab Spring future challenges: evidence from Egypt
Authors: Abdou Doaa Salman , Zaazou Zeinab
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to shed light on the Egyptian socio-economic and political conditions seven years post the 2011 revolution.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors depended on secondary data and information gathered from scholars and from domestic and international institutions as well. Additionally, the authors distributed 390 Likert-scale questionnaires among respondents to test their perceptions regarding the safety, social, political and economic conditions in Egypt seven years post the 2011 revolution.

Findings

The research findings confirmed that there was an agreement among participants that the safety conditions in Egypt improved during the past seven years post the 2011 revolution, and there was a general agreement among participants that the political conditions in Egypt became more stable lately. The economic and social cost presents a challenging status to the current decision maker.

Practical implications

Finally, authors came up with recommendations aiming to find solutions for certain economic and political problematic issues. The main research limitation is that the representative sample was confined only to the two main governorates in Egypt: Cairo and Giza.

Originality/value

Finally, the study is of a value, as it could be considered a road map to policy makers. Moreover, the findings provide a set of policies for governments to undertake tenable actions to accelerate development and economic growth.