bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new highly sensitive real-time quantitative-PCR method for detection of BCR-ABL1 to monitor minimal residual disease in chronic myeloid leukemia after discontinuation of imatinib
Authors: Kitamura Hiroaki , Tabe Yoko , Tsuchiya Koji , Yuri Maiko , Ai Tomohiko , Misawa Shigeki , Horii Takashi , Ohsaka Akimichi , Kimura Shinya
Published: October 2018

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the BCR-ABL1 fusion protein, encoded by the Philadelphia chromosome, have drastically improved the outcomes for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Although several real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) kits for the detection of BCR-ABL1 transcripts are commercially available, their accuracy and efficiency in laboratory practice require reevaluation. We have developed a new in-house RQ-PCR method to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) in CML cases. MRD was analyzed in 102 patients with CML from the DOMEST study, a clinical trial to study the rationale for imatinib mesylate discontinuation in Japan. The BCR-ABL1/ABL1 ratio was evaluated using the international standard (IS) ratio, where IS < 0.01% was defined as a major molecular response. At enrollment, BCR-ABL1 transcripts were undetectable in all samples using a widely-applied RQ-PCR method performed in the commercial laboratory, BML (BML Inc., Tokyo, Japan); however, the in-house method detected the BCR-ABL1 transcripts in five samples (5%) (mean IS ratio: 0.0062 ± 0.0010%). After discontinuation of imatinib, BCR-ABL1 transcripts were detected using the in-house RQ-PCR in 21 patients (21%) that were not positive using the BML method. Nineteen samples were also tested using a commercially available RQ-PCR assay kit with a detection limit of IS ratio, 0.0007% (ODK-1201, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Tokyo, Japan). This method detected low levels of BCR-ABL1 transcripts in 14 samples (74%), but scored negative for five samples (26%) that were positive using the in-house method. These data suggest that our new in-house RQ-PCR method is effective for monitoring MRD in CML.
Cell-free soluble expression of the membrane protein PsbS
Authors: Krishnan M. , de Leeuw T.J.J.F. , Pandit A.
Published: October 2018

Photosystem II subunit S (PsbS) is a membrane protein that plays an exclusive role in non-photochemical quenching for photoprotection of plants under high-light conditions. The activation mechanism of PsbS and its pH-induced conformational changes are currently unknown. For structural investigation of PsbS, effective synthesis of PsbS with selective isotope or electron-spin labels or non-natural amino acids incorporated would be a great asset. This communication presents cell-free expression as a successful method for in vitro production of PsbS that would allow such incorporation. We have optimized the cell-free method to yield soluble PsbS of ~500 ng/µl using a continuous-exchange method at 30°C, along with a successful purification and refolding of PsbS in n-Dodecyl β-D-maltoside (β-DM) detergent. We expect that the presented protocols are transferrable for in vitro expression of other membrane proteins of the Light-Harvesting Complex family.
A unified haplotype-based method for accurate and comprehensive variant calling
Authors: Cooke Daniel P , Wedge David C , Lunter Gerton
Published: October 2018

Haplotype-based variant callers, which consider physical linkage between variant sites, are currently among the best tools for germline variation discovery and genotyping from short-read sequencing data. However, almost all such tools were designed specifically for detecting common germline variation in diploid populations, and give sub-optimal results in other scenarios. Here we present Octopus, a versatile haplotype-based variant caller that uses a polymorphic Bayesian genotyping model capable of modeling sequencing data from a range of experimental designs within a unified haplotype-aware framework. We show that Octopus accurately calls de novo mutations in parent-offspring trios and germline variants in individuals, including SNVs, indels, and small complex replacements such as microinversions. In addition, using a carefully designed synthetic-tumour data set derived from clean sequencing data from a sample with known germline haplotypes, and observed mutations in large cohort of tumour samples, we show that Octopus accurately characterizes germline and somatic variation in tumours, both with and without a paired normal sample. Sequencing reads and prior information are combined to phase called genotypes of arbitrary ploidy, including those with somatic mutations. Octopus also outputs realigned evidence BAMs to aid validation and interpretation.
Identification of RNA-associated peptides, iRAP, defines precise sites of protein-RNA interaction
Authors: Peil Lauri , Waghmare Sakharam , Fischer Lutz , Spitzer Michaela , Tollervey David , Rappsilber Juri
Published: October 2018

The identification of ever-increasing numbers of RNA species has underlined the importance of robust characterization of bona fide sites of protein-RNA interaction. UV crosslinking can be used to identify precise RNA targets for individual proteins, transcriptome-wide. Here we sought to generate reciprocal data, identifying precise sites of RNA-binding proteome-wide. The resulting technique, identification of RNA-associated peptides (iRAP), was used to locate 1331 unique RNA-interaction sites at single amino acid residue resolution in 324 S. cerevisiae proteins. Our identified RNA-interaction sites in characterized RNA-protein complex agree well with available high-resolution structures. In known RNA-interacting protiens, 317 sites fall into known and suspected RNA-interaction domains while only 21 sites fall into other annotated sequence features. Strikingly, 993 of the sites identified fall into protein regions that lack any recognizable protein domain structure or annotated sequence features. This suggests that, despite binding RNA in vivo, many of these proteins will not have defined functions in RNA metabolism.
Crop residues in wheat-oilseed rape rotation system: a pivotal, shifting platform for microbial meetings
Authors: Kerdraon Lydie , Balesdent Marie-Hélène , Barret Matthieu , Laval Valérie , Suffert Frédéric
Published: October 2018

Crop residues are a crucial ecological niche with a major biological impact on agricultural ecosystems. In this study we used a combined diachronic and synchronic field experiment based on wheat-oilseed rape rotations to test the hypothesis that plant is a structuring factor of microbial communities in crop residues, and that this effect decreases over time with their likely progressive degradation and colonization by other microorganisms. We characterized an entire fungal and bacterial community associated with 150 wheat and oilseed rape residue samples at a plurennial scale by metabarcoding. The impact of plant species on the residue microbiota decreased over time and our data revealed turnover, with the replacement of oligotrophs, often plant-specific genera (such as pathogens) by copiotrophs, belonging to more generalist genera. Within a single cropping season, the plant-specific genera and species were gradually replaced by taxa that are likely to originate from the soil. These changes occurred more rapidly for bacteria than for fungi, known to degrade complex compounds. Overall, our findings suggest that crop residues constitute a key fully-fledged microbial ecosystem. Taking into account this ecosystem, that has been neglected for too long, is essential, not only to improve the quantitative management of residues, the presence of which can be detrimental to crop health, but also to identify groups of beneficial micro-organisms. Our findings are of particular importance, because the wheat-oilseed rape rotation, in which no-till practices are frequent, is particularly widespread in the European arable cropping systems.
A C9orf72–CARM1 axis regulates lipid metabolism under glucose starvation-induced nutrient stress
Authors: Liu Yang , Wang Tao , Ji Yon Ju , Johnson Kenji , Liu Honghe , Johnson Kaitlin , Bailey Scott , Suk Yongwon , Lu Yu-Ning , Liu Mingming , Wang Jiou
Published: October 2018

Cells undergo metabolic adaptation during environmental changes by using evolutionarily conserved stress response programs. This metabolic homeostasis is exquisitely regulated, and its imbalance could underlie human pathological conditions. We report here that C9orf72, which is linked to the most common forms of the neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), is a key regulator of lipid metabolism under stress. Loss of C9orf72 leads to an overactivation of starvation-induced lipid metabolism that is mediated by dysregulated autophagic digestion of lipids and increased de novo fatty acid synthesis. C9orf72 acts by promoting the lysosomal degradation of coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), which in turn regulates autophagy–lysosomal functions and lipid metabolism. In ALS/FTD patient-derived neurons or tissues, a reduction in C9orf72 function is associated with dysregulation in the levels of CARM1, fatty acids, and NADPH oxidase NOX2. These results reveal a C9orf72–CARM1 axis in the control of stress-induced lipid metabolism and implicates epigenetic dysregulation in relevant human diseases.
Genome-Wide Association Studies Reveal the Genetic Basis of Ionomic Variation in Rice
Authors: Yang Meng , Lu Kai , Zhao Fang-Jie , Xie Weibo , Ramakrishna Priya , Wang Guangyuan , Du Qingqing , Liang Limin , Sun Cuiju , Zhao Hu , Zhang Zhanyi , Liu Zonghao , Tian Jingjing , Huang Xin-Yuan , Wang Wensheng , Dong Huaxia , Hu Jintao , Ming Luchang , Xing Yongzhong , Wang Gongwei , Xiao Jinhua , Salt David E. , Lian Xingming
Published: October 2018

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an important dietary source of both essential micronutrients and toxic trace elements for humans. The genetic basis underlying the variations in the mineral composition, the ionome, in rice remains largely unknown. Here, we describe a comprehensive study of the genetic architecture of the variation in the rice ionome performed using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of the concentrations of 17 mineral elements in rice grain from a diverse panel of 529 accessions, each genotyped at ∼6.4 million single nucleotide polymorphism loci. We identified 72 loci associated with natural ionomic variations, 32 that are common across locations and 40 that are common within a single location. We identified candidate genes for 42 loci and provide evidence for the causal nature of three genes, the sodium transporter gene Os-HKT1;5 for sodium, Os-MOLYBDATE TRANSPORTER1;1 for molybdenum, and Grain number, plant height, and heading date7 for nitrogen. Comparison of GWAS data from rice versus Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) also identified well-known as well as new candidates with potential for further characterization. Our study provides crucial insights into the genetic basis of ionomic variations in rice and serves as an important foundation for further studies on the genetic and molecular mechanisms controlling the rice ionome.
Self-adapted clustering of solute atoms into a confined two-dimensional prismatic platelet with an ellipse-like quasi-unit cell
Authors: Xie Hongbo , Bai Junyuan , Pan Hucheng , Pang Xueyong , Ren Yuping , Sun Shineng , Wang Liqing , Zhao Hong , Liu Boshu , Qin Gaowu
Published: October 2018

This paper reports a new structured prismatic platelet, self-assembled by an ellipse-like quasi-unit cell, precipitated in Mg–In–Yb and Mg–In–Ca ternary alloys and aged isothermally at 200°C using aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with density functional theory computations. The ordered stacking of solute atoms along the [0001]α direction based on elliptically shaped self-adapted clustering leads to the generation of the quasi-unit cell. The bonding of these ellipse-like quasi-unit-cell rods by the Mg atomic columns along the 〈11{\overline 2}0〉α directions formed a two-dimensional planar structure, which has three variants with a {10{\overline 1}0}α habit plane and full coherence with the α-Mg matrix. This finding is important for understanding the clustering and stacking behaviors of solute atoms in condensed matter, and is expected to guide the future design of novel high-strength Mg alloys strengthened by such high-density prismatic platelets.
High-throughput quantum-mechanics/molecular-mechanics (ONIOM) macromolecular crystallographic refinement withPHENIX/DivCon: the impact of mixed Hamiltonian methods on ligand and protein structure
Authors: Borbulevych Oleg , Martin Roger I. , Westerhoff Lance M.
Published: October 2018

Conventional macromolecular crystallographic refinement relies on often dubious stereochemical restraints, the preparation of which often requires human validation for unusual species, and on rudimentary energy functionals that are devoid of nonbonding effects owing to electrostatics, polarization, charge transfer or even hydrogen bonding. While this approach has served the crystallographic community for decades, as structure-based drug design/discovery (SBDD) has grown in prominence it has become clear that these conventional methods are less rigorous than they need to be in order to produce properly predictive protein–ligand models, and that the human intervention that is required to successfully treat ligands and other unusual chemistries found in SBDD often precludes high-throughput, automated refinement. Recently, plugins to thePython-based Hierarchical ENvironment for Integrated Xtallography(PHENIX) crystallographic platform have been developed to augment conventional methods with thein situuse of quantum mechanics (QM) applied to ligand(s) along with the surrounding active site(s) at each step of refinement [Borbulevychet al.(2014),Acta CrystD70, 1233–1247]. This method (Region-QM) significantly increases the accuracy of the X-ray refinement process, and this approach is now used, coupled with experimental density, to accurately determine protonation states, binding modes, ring-flip states, water positions and so on. In the present work, this approach is expanded to include a more rigorous treatment of the entire structure, including the ligand(s), the associated active site(s) and the entire protein, using a fully automated, mixed quantum-mechanics/molecular-mechanics (QM/MM) Hamiltonian recently implemented in theDivConpackage. This approach was validated through the automatic treatment of a population of 80 protein–ligand structures chosen from the Astex Diverse Set. Across the entire population, this method results in an average 3.5-fold reduction in ligand strain and a 4.5-fold improvement inMolProbityclashscore, as well as improvements in Ramachandran and rotamer outlier analyses. Overall, these results demonstrate that the use of a structure-wide QM/MM Hamiltonian exhibits improvements in the local structural chemistry of the ligand similar to Region-QM refinement but with significant improvements in the overall structure beyond the active site.
Crystal structure of native α-L-rhamnosidase from Aspergillus terreus
Authors: Pachl Petr , Škerlová Jana , Šimčíková Daniela , Kotik Michael , Křenková Alena , Mader Pavel , Brynda Jiří , Kapešová Jana , Křen Vladimír , Otwinowski Zbyszek , Řezáčová Pavlína
Published: October 2018

α-L-Rhamnosidases cleave terminal nonreducing α-L-rhamnosyl residues from many natural rhamnoglycosides. This makes them catalysts of interest for various biotechnological applications. The X-ray structure of the GH78 family α-L-rhamnosidase from Aspergillus terreus has been determined at 1.38 Å resolution using the sulfur single-wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing method. The protein was isolated from its natural source in the native glycosylated form, and the active site contained a glucose molecule, probably from the growth medium. In addition to its catalytic domain, the α-L-rhamnosidase from A. terreus contains four accessory domains of unknown function. The structural data suggest that two of these accessory domains, E and F, might play a role in stabilizing the aglycon portion of the bound substrate.
Consumer’s webrooming conduct: an explanation using the theory of planned behavior
Authors: Arora Sourabh , Sahney Sangeeta
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Recent statistics concerning webrooming shoppers is indicative of the trending webrooming phenomenon, and points toward the dire need for the addressal of the issue. The purpose of this paper is to reason the consumer’s intentional visit to an online store prior to making purchases offline by linking it with perceived channel benefits and uncertainty reduction approach through an application of the theory of planned behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey instrument was administered online, and a total of 374 responses were obtained. Respondents were queried with respect to the webrooming sequence, if at all they were into webrooming. The PLS-SEM was used to test the formulated hypotheses.

Findings

The factor “Access to reviews online” emerged as the prime perceived search benefit which drives consumers’ to first visit an online store, while factors like “access to touch and feel the product,” “better post-purchase services offline” and “immediate possession of product” induced customers to later purchase offline. Factors like “E-distrust” and “perceived risks related to purchasing online” notably determined consumer’s movement to the physical store for purchasing the product in the second phase of the webrooming sequence.

Research limitations/implications

A small sample size limits the authors from drawing definitive generalizations. Due to the lack of studies, individually examining webrooming conduct, a prior qualitative exploration can be conducted to draw more insights.

Practical implications

The findings of the study can be utilized by the online retailers for devising strategies to push the webroomers to make purchases online.

Social implications

The study creates awareness as to what motivates consumers to webroom, which has been realized as one of the serious issues being faced by the online retailers today.

Originality/value

This study addresses a key concern “webrooming phenomenon,” which has emerged as a critical challenge in the present retailing dynamics.
Evolution and effect of LEAN bundles: a longitudinal study
Authors: Hallavo Ville , Kuula Markku , Putkiranta Antero
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of lean in a longitudinal context. Lean is currently experiencing its second coming. In spite of this, the current body of research on lean is especially lacking in longitudinal studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used in this study is a longitudinal case study. The authors combined elements of multiple-case study and survey research by analyzing interview data on the same 23 Finnish manufacturing firms at three distinct points in time (1993, 2004 and 2010) with a methodology called qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) that is novel to the field.

Findings

The “thick” results of our exploratory contingency theoretic analysis suggest that the holistic and adaptive use of lean bundles is effective. It seems that especially the firm status of ownership and the phase of the business cycle exert an impact on successful lean bundle use. There is also evidence that a certain maturation effect takes place within lean bundle use: lean is increasingly being used as a complete management philosophy.

Research limitations/implications

The authors hope that this research encourages researchers to use more QCA in their research, especially with small samples.

Originality/value

This is a unique longitudinal study on the same 23 manufacturing firms and their development. Furthermore, this study opens new avenues for lean theory development, introduces a new methodology to the field and helps decision makers to gain a better understanding of the long-term dynamics of lean.
Climate change and variability perceptions in Ga-Dikgale community in Limpopo Province, South Africa
Authors: Chikosi Enerst Shingai , Mugambiwa Shingirai Stanley , Tirivangasi Happy Mathew , Rankoana Sejabaledi Agnes
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Perceptions of climate change and its threats to rural communities are among major challenges faced by scientists around the world. A few studies prove that these communities are aware of change in climatic conditions and their impacts on people’s livelihoods. Climate change is usually perceived as increasing warming days, erratic rainfall patterns, ecological variability, biological change and their adverse effects on human beings. This study aims to assess Ga-Dikgale community’s perceptions on climate change and variability.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research method was adopted and community members of age 60 and above in GaDikgale community were purposively selected as participants in the study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, and thematic content analysis was used to analyse data.

Findings

The study found that the community perceives climate change and climate variability based on changes in temperature patterns, erratic rainfall patterns, seasonal change, depletion of biodiversity, decline in subsistence crop production, change in water quality and cessation of cultural activities.

Originality/value

The study concludes that community’s perceptions of climate change are largely centred on variations in temperature and rainfall patterns. It has been established that knowledge of climate change in rural communities is of paramount importance in as far as adaptation to climate hazards is concerned.
A global perspective of entrepreneurship and innovation in China
Authors: Ahlstrom David , Yang Xiaohua , Wang Liang , Wu Changqi
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to study largely recent aspects of entrepreneurship and innovation in China. It synthesizes the research in the current special issue (SI) ofMultinational Business Review(MBR) on this topic. In addition, this paper differs from other work on this topic in examining entrepreneurship and innovation from a more global standpoint with relevant international effects.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides an overview of the literature on entrepreneurship, innovation and key related topics such as firm and economic growth, as well as linking this research to related international works. It also summarizes the papers of the SI.

Findings

The authors’ analysis suggests that the study of entrepreneurship and innovation should be placed in the context of a country’s economic development and institutional environment as well as the firm internationalization trajectories and business models. In addition, the authors believe that a good understanding of economic growth in a transition economy like China (which is a key goal of China’s recent emphasis on innovation) is facilitated by understanding the comparative advantages and disadvantages of an economy with respect to the global innovation system.

Originality/value

The authors’ study explores the local-global and parent-subsidiary connectivity and co-evolution of firm strategies and the institutional environment in entrepreneurship and innovation in emerging and transition economies. The authors summarize and synthesize the papers in this SI to provide the results as well as some directions for future research in the domain of entrepreneurship, innovation and new venture creation, which is believed to be a key engine of economic growth in the coming years.
Galactose intake is related to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Emamat Hadi , Farhadnejad Hossein , Poustchi Hossein , Hekmatdoost Azita
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the association between galactose intake and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 196 newly diagnosed patients with NAFLD and 803 controls were recruited from a referral hepatology clinic. Dietary intakes were assessed using a validated and reliable food frequency questionnaire. Dietary intakes of galactose were compared between cases and controls.

Findings

Median (interquartile range) of dietary galactose intake was 2.24 (1.36-3.53) g/day for all subjects. In age and sex adjusted-model, subjects in the highest tertile of galactose intake had more than three times higher risk of NAFLD compared with those in the lowest tertile (odds ratio [OR]: 3.05; 95 per cent confidence interval [CI]: 2.02-4.54), (p-value < 0.001). Additionally controlling for body mass index (BMI), physical activity, energy intake and dietary lactose intake, the direct association between galactose intake and NAFLD remained significant (OR: 2.77; 95 per cent CI: 1.55-4.95), (p-value < 0.001).

Originality/value

This study was the first one to assess the association between galactose intake and risk of NAFLD.
Competitive asymmetry and local adaptation in Trinidadian guppies
Authors: Potter Tomos , King Leighton , Travis Joseph , Bassar Ronald D.
Published: October 2018

The outcome of competition between individuals often depends on body size. These competitive asymmetries can drive variation in demographic rates, influencing the ecology and evolution of life histories. The magnitude and direction of such asymmetries differ among taxa, yet little is known empirically about how adaptation to resource limitation alters competitive asymmetries.

Here, we investigate the relationship between size‐dependent competitive ability and adaptation to resource limitation.

We examined size‐dependent competition in two ecotypes of Trinidadian guppy, adapted to high or low levels of resource competition. Using aquaria‐based competition experiments, we describe how the size and ecotype of competitors influence somatic growth rate, whilst controlling for the confounding effect of niche differentiation. We replicated our study across two independent evolutionary origins of the “competitive” ecotype.

The two “competitive” ecotypes differed markedly in size‐dependent asymmetry, indicating that adaptation to resource limitation alone is insufficient to explain changes in size‐dependent competitive asymmetry. For one origin, the ecotype adapted to resource limitation was a superior competitor over a wide range of size pairings.

The equivalence of competitors varied over fivefold, dependent on size and ecotype; in three of four populations, larger individuals had a competitive advantage.

Our results demonstrate that competitive asymmetry has strong effects on somatic growth. Because somatic growth contributes to demographic parameters, intraspecific trait variation is likely to play a key role in regulating demographic rates. Our findings imply that the evolution of size‐dependent asymmetries under conditions of intense competition is likely to be constrained by niche availability, although further research is needed to verify this.
The application of self‐limiting transgenic insects in managing resistance in experimental metapopulations
Authors: Zhou Liqin , Alphey Nina , Walker Adam S. , Travers Laura M. , Morrison Neil I. , Bonsall Michael B. , Raymond Ben
Published: October 2018

The mass release of transgenic insects carrying female lethal self‐limiting genes can reduce pest insect populations. Substantial releases are also a novel resistance management tool, since wild type alleles conferring susceptibility to pesticides can dilute resistance alleles in target populations. However, a potential barrier is the need for large‐scale area‐wide releases. Here, we address whether localized releases of transgenic insects could provide an alternative means of population suppression and resistance management, without serious loss of efficacy.

We used experimental mesocosms constituting insect metapopulations to explore the evolution of resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry1Ac in a high‐dose/refugia landscape in the insect Plutella xylostella. We ran two selection experiments, the first compared the efficacy of “everywhere” releases and negative controls to a spatially density‐dependent or “whack‐a‐mole” strategy that concentrated release of transgenic insects in subpopulations with elevated resistance. The second experiment tested the relative efficacy of whack‐a‐mole and everywhere releases under spatially homogenous and heterogeneous selection pressure.

The whack‐a‐mole releases were less effective than everywhere releases in terms of slowing the evolution of resistance, which, in the first experiment, largely prevented the evolution of resistance. In contrast to predictions, heterogeneous whack‐a‐mole releases were no more effective under heterogeneous selection pressure. Heterogeneous selection pressure did, however, reduce total insect population sizes.

Whack‐a‐mole releases provided early population suppression, indistinguishable from homogeneous everywhere releases. However, insect population densities tracked the evolution of resistance in this system, as phenotypic resistance provides access to additional diet containing the toxin Cry1Ac. Thus, as resistance levels diverged between treatments, carrying capacities and population sizes increased under the whack‐a‐mole approach.

Synthesis and applications. Spatially density‐dependent releases of transgenic insects, particularly those targeting source populations at a landscape level, could suppress pest populations in the absence of blanket area‐wide releases. The benefits of self‐limiting transgenic insects were reduced in spatially localized releases, suggesting that they are not ideal for “spot” treatment of resistance problems. Nevertheless, spatially homogeneous or heterogeneous releases could be used to support other resistance management interventions.
Reduced competition may allow generalist species to benefit from habitat homogenization
Authors: Nordberg Eric J. , Schwarzkopf Lin
Published: October 2018

Complex environments support high biodiversity and diverse microhabitat availability, which may reduce the intensity of competition among species. Both natural and anthropogenic disturbances reduce the structural complexity of habitats, leading to homogenization. High abundances of common, generalist species in disturbed habitats may be driven by reduced competition from specialists in similar habitats.

We quantified habitat availability for and utilization of three co‐occurring arboreal geckos (Australian native house geckos [Gehyra dubia], northern velvet geckos [Oedura castelnaui] and eastern spiny‐tailed geckos [Strophurus williamsi]) in four replicated grazing regimes in an experimental grazing trial in north‐east Queensland, Australia.

Native house geckos were most abundant in heavily grazed habitats, whereas the two other species rarely co‐occurred (either with each other or with native house geckos). Geckos displayed resource partitioning of habitat features, such as tree species and structural characteristics.

We found evidence of interspecific competition among gecko species, in which native house geckos shifted their habitat selection in the presence of velvet geckos. In the absence of other geckos, native house geckos preferred rough, peeling bark and dead trees, yet in the presence of velvet geckos, native house geckos shifted away from dead trees, and used more structurally complex trees, probably due to high niche overlap with velvet geckos.

Native house geckos were more resistant to the negative effects of livestock grazing than either velvet or spiny‐tailed geckos. In the absence of other species, native house geckos used a wider range of microhabitats.

Synthesis and applications. Species assemblages are often the results of multiple or complex factors, including predation pressure, habitat availability or competitive interactions. The homogenizing effects on habitat structure caused by livestock grazing reduce diversity and suitability for microhabitat specialists. Reduced competition can therefore promote the abundance of microhabitat generalist species, such as Australian native house geckos, suggesting that livestock grazing leads to homogenization and simplification of habitat structure, which ultimately leads to changes in species composition through reduced competition. Understanding species’ responses to disturbance, and more broadly, habitat complexity, is crucial for maintaining or increasing biological diversity in anthropogenically modified landscapes.
Social media in dietetics: Insights into use and user networks
Authors: Probst Yasmine C. , Peng Qingcai
Published: October 2018

Aim

Social media has transformed the interaction between healthcare professionals and consumers, yet research of its use in dietetics is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of dietetic user networks on use of social media and test the applicability of a social media metrics tool to determine influential users.

Methods

An online survey about social media use and practices based on the scientific literature was developed and implemented online with dietitians. Feasibility of a social media metrics analysis was conducted via Twitter using the NodeXL metrics tool to determine influential dietetic networks based on four measures of network centrality (betweenness, eigenvector, closeness and degree).

Results

The survey (n = 340) revealed social networking sites were the most widely used (by user) (n = 282) and micro‐blogging was the most regularly used (by frequency of use). Among respondents who used social media in a professional capacity (n = 130), the greatest benefit was communicating internationally and remotely while the delivery of health care was of least benefit. The majority of respondents (87.3%) indicated their primary efforts were to maintain e‐professionalism. Time restraints (18.6%) and not knowing where to start (18.6%) were common barriers to use. Highly influential connections between users were observed from network visualisations of dietitians in Australia and the United States.

Conclusions

Professional use of social media among dietitians needs to be monitored over time for shifts of influential networks. Influential users from key networks can be identified from metrics analyses and should be engaged via professional bodies to upskill new users.
Effects of tranexamic acid on short‐term and long‐term outcomes of on‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting: Randomized trial and 7‐year follow‐up
Authors: Zhang Yu , Gao Xurong , Yuan Su , Guo Jingfei , Lv Huanran , Zhou Yong , Wang Yuefu , Ji Hongwen , Wang Guyan , Li Lihuan , Shi Jia
Published: October 2018

Aims

Safety evaluations of tranexamic acid (TXA) remain sparse, especially with respect to its impact on long‐term outcomes in patients undergoing on‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We hypothesized that the effects of TXA on perioperative bleeding and allogeneic transfusion and its impact on long‐term clinical outcomes of patients receiving on‐pump CABG are superior to those in the control group.

Methods

In this prospective, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial, 210 patients undergoing primary and isolated on‐pump CABG were randomly assigned to receive TXA or a corresponding volume of saline solution. Randomly assigned patients were followed up at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years after hospital discharge. Finally, 163 patients fulfilled the 7‐year follow‐up. The primary outcome was allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. Long‐term mortality and morbidity were also evaluated.

Results

Compared with placebo, TXA reduced the allogeneic RBC requirement in terms of the volume transfused (4.20 ± 4.06 vs 6.25 ± 4.86 units; P < 0.01), ratio exposed (52.0% vs 71.6%; P < 0.01), and blood loss volume (879.0 ± 392.5 vs 1154.0 ± 582.8 mL; P < 0.01). Except for myocardial infarction, there were no significant differences in mortality or morbidity between the two groups during the 7‐year follow‐up. The TXA group had a lower rate of myocardial infarction than did the placebo group (0.0% vs 4.9% at 84 months; P = 0.03).

Conclusions

Tranexamic acid significantly decreased postoperative bleeding and allogeneic transfusion in patients undergoing on‐pump CABG. The 7‐year follow‐up suggested that the use of TXA was safe and might play a potential role in the prevention of long‐term myocardial infarction.
“Full Stomach” Despite the Wait: Point‐of‐care Gastric Ultrasound at the Time of Procedural Sedation in the Pediatric Emergency Department
Authors: Leviter Julie , Steele Dale W. , Constantine Erika , Linakis James G. , Amanullah Siraj
Published: October 2018

Objectives

The objective was to use gastric point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) to assess gastric contents and volume, summarize the prevalence of “full stomach,” and explore the relationship between fasting time and gastric contents at the time of procedural sedation.

Methods

This was a prospective study of patients aged 2 to 17 years fasting prior to procedural sedation. A single sonographer scanned each patient's gastric antrum in two positions: supine with the upper body elevated and right lateral decubitus (RLD). Gastric content (empty, liquid, or solid) was noted, and the gastric volume (mL/kg) was estimated from antral cross‐sectional area (CSA). “Full stomach” was defined as any solid content or >1.2 mL/kg of liquid gastric content.

Results

We enrolled 116 subjects, with a median fasting time of 5.8 hours. Of the 107 with evaluable images, 74 patients, 69% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 60%–77%), were categorized as having a full stomach. Each hour of fasting was associated with lower odds (odds ratio = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.65–0) of a full stomach. However, the knowledge of fasting time alone provides little ability to discriminate between risk groups (C‐index = 0.66).

Conclusions

Gastric POCUS classified many patients as having a full stomach at the time of expected procedural sedation, despite prolonged fasting times. These findings may inform risk–benefit considerations when planning the timing and medication choice for procedural sedation.
What Is Addiction? How Can Animal and Human Research Be Used to Advance Research, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Alcohol and Other Substance Use Disorders?
Authors: Bickel Warren K. , Crabbe John C. , Sher Kenneth J.
Published: October 2018

The current article highlights key issues in defining, studying, and treating addiction, a concept related to but distinct from substance use disorders. The discussion is based upon a roundtable discussion at the 2017 annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism where Warren K. Bickel and John C. Crabbe were charged with answering a range of questions posed by Kenneth J. Sher. All the presenters highlighted a number of central concerns for those interested in assessing and treating addiction as well as those seeking to conduct basic preclinical research that is amenable to meaningful translation to the human condition. In addition, the discussion illustrated both the power and limitations of using any single theory to explain multiple phenomena subsumed under the rubric of addiction. Among the major issues examined were the important differences between traditional diagnostic approaches and current concepts of addiction, the difficulty of modeling key aspects of human addiction in nonhuman animals, key aspects of addiction that have, to date, received little empirical attention, and the importance of thinking of recovery as a phenomenon that possibly involves processes distinct from those undergirding the development and maintenance of addiction.
Causal Network Modeling of the Determinants of Drinking Behavior in Comorbid Alcohol Use and Anxiety Disorder
Authors: Anker Justin J. , Kummerfeld Erich , Rix Alexander , Burwell Scott J. , Kushner Matt G.
Published: October 2018

Background

Anxiety and depression disorders (internalizing psychopathology) occur in approximately 50% of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and mark a 2‐fold increase in the rate of relapse in the months following treatment. In a previous study using network modeling, we found that perceived stress and drinking to cope (DTC) with negative affect were central to maintaining network associations between internalizing psychopathology INTP and drinking in comorbid individuals. Here, we extend this approach to a causal framework.

Methods

Measures of INTP, drinking urges/behavior, abstinence self‐efficacy, and DTC were obtained from 362 adult AUD treatment patients who had a co‐occurring anxiety disorder. Data were analyzed using a machine‐learning algorithm (“Greedy Fast Causal Inference”[ GFCI]) that infers paths of causal influence while identifying potential influences associated with unmeasured (“latent”) variables.

Results

DTC with negative affect served as a central hub for 2 distinct causal paths leading to drinking behavior, (i) a direct syndromic pathway originating with social anxiety and (ii) an indirect stress pathway originating with perceived stress.

Conclusions

Findings expand the field's knowledge of the paths of influence that lead from internalizing disorder to drinking in AUD as shown by the first application in psychopathology of a powerful network analysis algorithm (GFCI) to model these causal relationships.
Population structure of the glasshouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) shows multiple introductions to the U.K.
Authors: Kareem Ali A. , Port Gordon , Wolff Kirsten
Published: October 2018

Whiteflies are major pests of many crops worldwide. Trialeurodes vaporariorum was introduced into the U.K. approximately 160 years ago. In the present study, we aimed to understand their genetic diversity and population structure and thus their invasion history.

Mitochondrial CO1 sequencing showed that T. vaporariorum had a low level of variation. Microsatellite analysis showed a high diversity and indicated the presence 2, 6 and 10 clusters, which were, to a limited extent, linked to locations but not to host plants. The primary symbiont Portiera aleyrodidarum was detected in both sexes of T. vaporariorum, whereas only one secondary symbiont Arsenophonus sp. was detected in almost all females but not males.

The population structure suggested that glasshouse agroecosystems restricted gene flow between glasshouse whitefly populations and that the movement of glasshouse whitefly was linked to human‐assisted spread.

Taken together, the results of the present study suggest multiple but limited numbers of introductions of T. vaporariorum, mainly from countries nearest to U.K.
The Destruction of Black Wall Street: Tulsa's 1921 Riot and the Eradication of Accumulated Wealth
Authors: Messer Chris M. , Shriver Thomas E. , Adams Alison E.
Published: October 2018

The Tulsa race riot of 1921 was one of the most destructive riots in American history. Prior to the riot, the Greenwood community was among the wealthiest African‐American neighborhoods in the state. Residents of Greenwood had successfully developed their own business infrastructure, and by the early 1920s the neighborhood was rapidly expanding and flourishing economically. The attack by white citizens on a flourishing black neighborhood not only resulted in mass casualties, but it destroyed nearly all of the African‐American‐owned businesses and churches, as well as many residential properties. The economic prosperity of Greenwood was literally obliterated overnight. The Greenwood community was perceived as a threat to white hegemony. The riot and its aftermath served to effectively impede African‐American prosperity. The city of Tulsa provided very little monetary assistance following the event. Greenwood residents attempted to rebuild following the destruction, but the community never regained the same economic standing. We argue that the Tulsa riot of 1921 was one of many examples of racial violence during the early part of the 20th century that had long‐lasting economic and social legacies for African Americans.
Inherited Prospects: The Importance of Financial Transfers for White and Black College‐Educated Households’ Wealth Trajectories
Authors: Taylor Joanna , Meschede Tatjana
Published: October 2018

The persistent racial wealth gap in the United States continues to grow, reaching an all‐time high in 2016. Throughout much of the discussion and analysis on the racial wealth gap, however, the assumption that higher education can at least narrow the gap has often been left unquestioned. While education is a factor in increasing incomes and wealth, recent research challenges the narrative that education is the key to reducing the racial wealth gap. Our findings provide further support for this growing literature. While black college graduates do have higher wealth than those without college degrees, the wealth gap with white college graduates remains vast, and the inheritances received by white college‐educated households provide a huge boost to wealth that is not available to their black counterparts. Further, we find that black college‐educated households are much more likely to provide financial support for their parents as well as their children, and that black households that do provide support across generations do so with much less net wealth than white households that do not.
Recent developments and highlights in allergen immunotherapy
Authors: Pfaar Oliver , Lou Hongfei , Zhang Yuan , Klimek Ludger , Zhang Luo
Published: October 2018

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only disease‐modifying treatment option for patients with IgE‐mediated inhalant allergies. Though used in clinical practice for more than 100 years, most innovations in AIT efficacy and safety have been developed in the last two decades. This expert review aimed to highlight the recent progress in AIT for both application routes, the sublingual (SLIT) and subcutaneous (SCIT) forms. As such, it covers recent aspects regarding efficacy and safety in clinical trials and real‐life data and outlines new concepts in consensus and position papers as well as in guidelines for AIT. Potential clinical and nonclinical biomarkers are discussed. This review also focuses on potential future perspectives in AIT, such as alternative application routes, immune‐modulating adjuvants, and recombinant vaccines. In conclusion, this state of the art review provides a comprehensive overview of AIT and highlights unmet needs for the future.
Translocalising and Relocalising Antifascist Struggles: From #KämpaShowan to #KämpaMalmö
Authors: Merrill Samuel , Pries Johan
Published: October 2018

This article explores the translocal hybrid activism surrounding two demonstrations triggered by a violent altercation between antifascists and neo‐Nazis in Malmö in March 2014. It maps the appearance and spread of the hashtag that underpinned this activism: #KämpaShowan. It also considers how the hashtag was articulated, adopted and adapted by different activists in ways that led to the emergence of a new hashtag: #KämpaMalmö. It shows how the action frames foregrounded by #KämpaShowan stimulated its translocal diffusion but were also criticised by local activists who in turn tried to relocalise the energy behind the hashtag and shift its associated action frames. The article thus reveals how antifascist activists might respond to far‐right violence with social media tactics that attract broader publics and break the isolation often caused by more confrontational street politics. It also highlights how these tactics can stretch across geographical scales involving processes of relocalisation as much as translocalisation.