bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV) and decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1) detected inPenaeus monodonfrom the Indian Ocean
Authors: Srisala Jiraporn , Sanguanrut Piyachat , Laiphrom Saensook , Siriwattano Jittima , Khudet Juthatip , Thaiue Dararat , Powtongsook Sorawit , Flegel Timothy W. , Sritunyalucksana Kallaya
Published: September 2020

Infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV) was first discovered in the Americas in 2004 as a new lethal pathogen of cultivated whiteleg shrimpPenaeus vannamei, but infections were not lethal for the giant tiger shrimpPenaeus monodon. In 2007, it was reported in diseasedP. vannameicultivated in Indonesia but, until recently, not from other countries in Asia. Decapod iridescent virus (DIV1) was first reported from China in 2016 and is lethal for the crayfishCherax quadricarinatusandProcambarus clarkii, for the penaeid shrimpP. vannameiandP. chinensisand for the palaemonid shrimpMacrobrachium rosenbergiiandExopalaemon carinicauda. It has not yet been reported from other Asian countries. Here we describe the occurrence of positive test results for IMNV and DIV1 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology during screening of grossly normal, broodstock-size, wildP. monodoncaptured from the Indian Ocean and held in a biosecurity facility for screening. Amplicons for each virus were obtained from two widely separated targets in the relevant viral genomes listed at GenBank, and sequencing revealed 99-100% identity to the targets for each virus. Based on these results, the captured specimens were destroyed. The results raised the possibility that grossly normal, capturedP. monodonmight serve as potential vehicles for introduction of IMNV and/or DIV1 to shrimp hatcheries and farms. Thus, we recommend that appropriate precautions be taken to avoid this possibility.
Co-editingPINK1andDJ-1genes via AAV-delivered CRISPR/Cas9 system in adult monkey brains elicits classic Parkinsonian phenotypes
Authors: Li Hao , Wu Shihao , Ma Xia , Li Xiao , Cheng Tianlin , Chen Zhifang , Wu Jing , Lv Longbao , Li Ling , Xu Liqi , Wang Wenchao , Hu Yingzhou , Jiang Haisong , Yin Yong , Qiu Zilong , Hu Xintian
Published: September 2020

Whether direct manipulation of Parkinson’s disease (PD) risk genes in monkey brain can elicit Parkinsonian phenotypes remains an unsolved issue. Here, we employed an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-delivered CRISPR/Cas9 system to directly co-editPINK1andDJ-1genes in the substantia nigra (SN) region of four adult monkey brains. After the operation, two of the monkeys exhibited all classic PD symptoms, including bradykinesia, tremor, and postural instability, accompanied by severe nigral dopaminergic neuron loss (over 60%) and α-synuclein pathology. The aged monkeys were more vulnerable to gene editing by showing faster PD progression, higher final total PD scores, and severer pathologic changes compared with their younger counterparts, suggesting both the genetic and aging factors played important roles in PD development. This gene editing system can be used to develop a large quantity of genetically edited PD monkeys over a short period, thus providing a practical transgenic monkey model for future PD studies.
Sec22b regulates inflammatory responses by controlling the nuclear translocation of NF-κB
Authors: Arango Duque Guillermo , Dion Renaud , Fabié Aymeric , Descoteaux Julien , Stäger Simona , Descoteaux Albert
Published: September 2020

Soluble NSF attachment receptor (SNARE) proteins regulate the vesicle transport machinery in phagocytic cells. Within the secretory pathway, Sec22b is an ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC)-resident SNARE that controls phagosome maturation and function in macrophages and dendritic cells. The secretory pathway controls the release of cytokines and may also impact the secretion of nitric oxide (NO), which is synthesized by the Golgi-active inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Whether ERGIC SNARE Sec22b controls NO and cytokine secretion, is unknown. Using bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDC), we demonstrated that iNOS colocalizes with ERGIC/Golgi markers, notably Sec22b and its partner syntaxin-5 (Stx5), in the cytoplasm and at the phagosome. Pharmacological blockade of the secretory pathway hindered NO and cytokine release, and inhibited NF-κB translocation to the nucleus. Importantly, RNAi-mediated silencing of Sec22b revealed that NO and cytokine production were abrogated at the protein and mRNA levels. This correlated with deregulated mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling and reduced nuclear translocation of NF-κB. We also found that Sec22b co-occurs with NF-κB in both the cytoplasm and nucleus, pointing to a role for this SNARE in the shuttling of NF-κB. Collectively, our data unveiled a novel function for the ER-Golgi, and its resident SNARE Sec22b, in the production and release of inflammatory mediators.
Proteasome Regulation by Reversible Tyrosine Phosphorylation at the Membrane
Authors: Chen Lu , Shu Xin , Chen Qiong , Wei Tiantian , Wang Xiaorong , Wu Qirou , Wang Heman , Liu Xiaoyan , Zhang Xiaomei , Zhang Yanan , Zheng Suya , Huang Lan , Xiao Junyu , Jiang Chao , Wang Zhiping , Yang Bing , Guo Xing
Published: September 2020

Reversible phosphorylation has emerged as an important mechanism for regulating 26S proteasome function in health and disease. Over 100 phospho-tyrosine (pTyr) sites of the human proteasome have been detected, and yet their function and regulation remain poorly understood. Here we show that the 19S subunit Rpt2 is phosphorylated at Tyr439, a strictly conserved residue within the C-terminal HbYX motif of Rpt2 that is essential for 26S proteasome assembly. Unexpectedly, we found that Y439 phosphorylation depends on Rpt2 membrane localization mediated by its N-myristoylation. Multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) can trigger Rpt2-Y439 phosphorylation by activating Src, a N-myristoylated tyrosine kinase. Src directly phosphorylates Rpt2-Y439in vitroand negatively regulates 26S proteasome integrity and activity at cellular membranes, which can be reversed by the membrane-associated isoform of protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2). In H1975 lung cancer cells with activated Src, blocking Rpt2-Y439 phosphorylation by the Y439F mutation conferred partial resistance to the Src inhibitor saracatinib bothin vitroand in a mouse xenograft tumor model, and caused significant changes of cellular responses to saracatinib at the proteome level. Our study has defined a novel mechanism involved in the spatial regulation of proteasome function and provided new insights into tyrosine kinase inhibitor-based anti-cancer therapies.
Engineering protein-specific proteases: targeting active RAS
Authors: Chen Yingwei , Toth Eric A. , Ruan Biao , Choi Eun Jung , Simmerman Richard , Chen Yihong , He Yanan , Wang Ruixue , Godoy-Ruiz Raquel , King Harlan , Custer Gregory , Gallagher D. Travis , Rozak David A. , Solomon Melani , Muro Silvia , Weber David J. , Orban John , Fuerst Thomas R. , Bryan Philip N.
Published: September 2020

We describe the design, kinetic properties, and structures of engineered subtilisin proteases that degrade the active form of RAS by cleaving a conserved sequence in switch 2. RAS is a signaling protein that, when mutated, drives a third of human cancers. To generate high specificity for the RAS target sequence, the active site was modified to be dependent on a cofactor (imidazole or nitrite) and protease sub-sites were engineered to create a linkage between substrate and cofactor binding. Selective proteolysis of active RAS arises from a 2-step process wherein sub-site interactions promote productive binding of the cofactor, enabling cleavage. Proteases engineered in this way specifically cleave active RASin vitro, deplete the level of RAS in a bacterial reporter system, and also degrade RAS in human cell culture. Although these proteases target active RAS, the underlying design principles are fundamental and will be adaptable to many target proteins.
Paternalism and alcohol policy
Authors: Poikolainen Kari
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what degree scientific evidence supports contemporary paternalistic alcohol policy practices targeting fully competent adults.

Design/methodology/approach

Paternalism may be acceptable if it is effective, fair and protects the safety of the citizen or a third party from the harms caused by the citizen’s autonomic actions. To be justifiable, paternalistic actions should bring about clearly more benefits than harms. Otherwise, autonomy should prevail. The evidence related to alcohol control policies is assessed against these principles.

Findings

In peaceful civilized societies, alcohol control policies (high prices, restrictions on supply and marketing) have no or only insignificant effectiveness. Some policies are unfair and may bring about more harms than benefits. There is strong evidence showing that brief interventions aiming to reduce alcohol intake are inefficient. Wide-scale screening for such interventions is likely to waste health service resources. There is sufficient evidence to refute the claim that the previously mentioned policies are effective measures to reduce alcohol-related harms. Heavy alcohol use during pregnancy and driving motor vehicles while intoxicated may bring about harm to others than the user. Behavioural interventions to reduce heavy use in pregnancy have been shown to be inefficient. Light alcohol use may have no harmful effect on the developing embryo, whereas heavy use is likely to cause harm. There is moderate evidence for enforcing legal blood alcohol concentration limits to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities.

Originality/value

This is the first review on the acceptability of paternalism in currently recommended alcohol policies. It shows that in only a few cases, paternalism is effective and compatible with freedom and fairness.
Identifying critical factors influencing the safety of Chinese subway construction projects
Authors: Zhang Shang , Sunindijo Riza Yosia , Loosemore Martin , Wang Shejiang , Gu Yajun , Li Hongfei
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The image of the construction industry in China, as in many other countries, is tarnished by its poor safety record. With the rapid development of subway systems in Chinese urban areas, construction workers are being exposed to new risks which are poorly understood and managed. Subway construction projects are large scale and scattered over many construction sites, and involve numerous stakeholders and sophisticated technologies in challenging underground environments. Accident rates are high and have significant economic and social consequences for the firms and people involved. Addressing the gap in research about the safety risk in these projects, the purpose of this paper is to advance understanding of the factors influencing the safety of Chinese subway construction projects with the overall objective of reducing accident rates.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted with 399 subway construction professionals across five stakeholder groups. Follow-up interviews were also conducted with five experienced experts in safety management on subway projects to validate the results.

Findings

It was found that the eight most critical factors perceived by stakeholders to influence safety risks on Chinese subway projects are: project management team; contractor-related factors; site underground environment; safety protection during the use of machines; safety management investment; site construction monitoring and measurement; hazard identification and communication; and use of machines in all stages. This indicates that in allocating limited project resources to improve the safety of subway projects, managers should focus on: developing safety knowledge and positive attitudes in leadership teams; formulating effective risk management systems to identify, assess, mitigate, measure and monitor safety risks on site; improving communications with stakeholders about these risks and effectively managing plant, equipment and machinery.

Originality/value

This research contributes a new multi-stakeholder perspective to the lack of safety research in Chinese subway construction projects. The research findings provide important new insights for policymakers and managers in improving safety outcomes on these major projects, producing potentially significant social and economic benefits for society and the construction industry.
Organizational identification perceptions and millennials' creativity: testing the mediating role of work engagement and the moderating role of work values
Authors: Hui Li , Qun Wang , Nazir Sajjad , Mengyu Zhao , Asadullah Muhammad Ali , Khadim Sahar
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Millennial-generation employees need to stimulate their creativity to produce innovative ideas, services and products for organizations to flourish and succeed. The main purpose of this research was to discover the mechanism through which organization identification influences employees' creativity in the Chinese organizational context. Particularly, we proposed the mediating role of work engagement and the moderating role of work values in the relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was utilized to collect the data from 281 employees working in China. Hierarchical regression was utilized to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings reveal that organizational identification significantly influences the creativity of millennial employees; work engagement plays a positive mediating role between organizational identification and employee creativity. Moreover, work values of millennial generation employees, specifically utilitarian orientation, intrinsic preferences, interpersonal harmony and innovation orientation have a positive moderating effect between work engagement and employee creativity.

Originality/value

This study recognizes and analyzes the mechanism underlying the influence of organizational identification and recommends that work engagement is a crucial mediator of the complicated relationship between organizational identification and employee creativity. Consequently, this study is the key effort for millennial employees’ work values and engagement to explore employee creativity in Chinese cultural context and also suggests important theoretical and practical implications.
On bio-convection thermal radiation in Darcy – Forchheimer flow of nanofluid with gyrotactic motile microorganism under Wu’s slip over stretching cylinder/plate
Authors: Waqas H. , Imran M. , Muhammad Taseer , Sait Sadiq M. , Ellahi R.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to discuss the Darcy–Forchheimer nanoliquid bio-convection flow by stretching cylinder/plate with modified heat and mass fluxes, activation energy and gyrotactic motile microorganism features.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed flow model is based on flow rate, temperature of nanomaterials, volume fraction of nanoparticles and gyrotactic motile microorganisms. Heat and mass transport of nanoliquid is captured by the usage of popular Buongiorno relation, which allows us to evaluate novel characteristics of thermophoresis diffusion and Brownian movement. Additionally, Wu’s slip (second-order slip) mechanisms with double stratification are incorporated. For numerical and graphical results, the built-in bvp4c technique in computational software MATLAB along with shooting technique is used.

Findings

The influence of key elements is illustrated pictorially. Velocity decays for higher magnitude of first- and second-order velocity slips and bioconvection Rayleigh number. The velocity of fluid has an inverse relation with mixed convection parameter and local inertia coefficient. Temperature field enhances with the increase in estimation of thermal stratification Biot number and radiation parameter. A similar situation for concentration field is observed for mixed convection parameter and concentration relaxation parameter. Microorganism concentration profile decreases for higher values of bioconvection Lewis number and Peclet number. A detail discussion is given to see how the graphical aspects justify the physical ones.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, original research work is not yet available in existing literature.
Describing the experiences of older persons with visual impairments during COVID-19 in rural Ghana
Authors: Kwegyir Tsiboe Ariel
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study aims to describe the lived experiences among older persons with disability during the coronavirus pandemic in rural Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a qualitative methodology consistent with a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis.

Findings

During the pandemic, care rendered to older persons with disabilities by their caregivers easily declined because of the lockdown measure. This made the participants suffer in profound loneliness and hunger, and forced some to generate suicidal thoughts. On the other hand, the participants who lived with their family members were also kept indoors for several weeks to reduce their chances of contracting the virus. This was because participants’ family members loosed confidence in the Ghanaian health-care system in protecting their older relatives.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to explore the experiences of older persons with disabilities during coronavirus disease 2019 in rural Ghana. The Ghanaian Government should consider formalized care to ensure continued care of older persons with disabilities especially during pandemics and future related uncertainties.
Improving well-being in dementia care for clients and carers
Authors: Riachi Rhonda , Markwell Sally
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight the results and emerging themes from a study concerning the effect of communication techniques that were tailored to each client in relation to the extent of their dementia. Dementia was viewed by the care workers primarily as a memory disability.

Design/methodology/approach

A short qualitative study of the communication techniques of care workers in England, who had received training in dementia care and some training in the SPECAL® method (Specialised Early Care for Alzheimer’s),was conducted through semi-structured interviews. Resulting data were analysed using a constructivist grounded theory approach.

Findings

Continued application of the SPECAL techniques appeared to reinforced clients’ sense of well-being and produced benefits for care workers’ own well-being.

Research limitations/implications

This small qualitative study suggests there can be beneficial effects for both clients and the care team when care workers tailor their communication behaviour to the needs of people with dementia. Further research on communication techniques in dementia care is needed and how these benefits might be translated into institutional settings.

Originality/value

Few research studies have been made of the SPECAL dementia care method, and this study was the first to look explicitly at the communication techniques that the care workers used with clients. Public health professionals are less likely to be aware of the SPECAL method.
CEO power and corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure: does stakeholder influence matter?
Authors: Rashid Afzalur , Shams Syed , Bose Sudipta , Khan Habib
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study examines the association between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) power and the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure, as well as the moderating role of stakeholder influence on this association.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 986 Bangladeshi firm-year observations, this study uses a content analysis technique to develop a 24-item CSR disclosure index. The ordinary least squares regression method is used to estimate the research models, controlling for firm-specific factors that potentially affect the levels of CSR disclosure.

Findings

The study findings indicate that CEO power is negatively associated with the level of CSR disclosure, and that the negative effects of CEO power on the level of CSR disclosure are attenuated by stakeholder influence. CEO power is documented as reducing the positive impact of CSR disclosure on a firm’s financial performance, with this negative impact attenuated if stakeholders have greater influence on the firm.

Practical implications

This study suggests that CEO power and stakeholder influence are important factors in determining firms’ incentives to disclose CSR information. Both CEO power and stakeholder influence need to be considered in the CSR – firm performance nexus, given the mixed findings documented in the literature.

Originality/value

This study makes a significant contribution to the literature on CSR practices by documenting that firms with a powerful CEO have lower levels of CSR disclosure, and that stakeholder influence affects CSR disclosure in the emerging economy context.
Effects of autologous micrografts on stable bilateral vitiligo: A focus on hand lesions
Authors: Menchini Giovanni , Astarita Carlo
Published: September 2020

Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin disorder characterized by depigmented patches of the skin associated with, among several factors, dysregulation and death of melanocytes. Currently, the treatment of vitiligo is based both on the arrest of the progression of active disease and on the stimulation of the skin repigmentation. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of autologous micrografts and narrowband ultraviolet B (NBUVB) phototherapy for skin repigmentation of patients with bilateral stable vitiligo. Autologous micrografts are derived from mechanical disaggregation of small pieces of the patient’s own skin, while phototherapy is a strategy treatment already used. Twenty patients with stable bilateral vitiligo were treated, showing a mean percentage rate of 59.1% at baseline. Combined treatment by autologous micrografts and NBUVB was performed only on the lesions of the hands, and the clinical follow up was performed after 3 and 6 months by photographs taken under Wood’s light. After 6 months, we classed 100% of patients as responders. We also reported a mean of repigmentation rate of 36.7% after 3 months and 64.6% after 6 months of treatment. In particular, six of the 20 patients reached a marked repigmentation rate (75–100%), four moderate (51–75%) and 10 mild (26–50%). No adverse effects were observed and no drugs were administrated as co‐adjuvant therapy. These results are suggestive of a potential wide use of autologous micrografts associated with NBUVB phototherapy for the treatment of stable vitiligo.
Wild guanacos as scapegoat for continued overgrazing by livestock across southern Patagonia
Authors: Marino Andrea , Rodríguez Victoria , Schroeder Natalia M.
Published: September 2020

In a recently published paper, Oliva et al. concluded that domestic grazing pressure across Patagonian rangelands approached carrying capacity due to decades of stock adjustment, but that guanaco overpopulation may have altered that balance. The authors argued that unless guanaco numbers are controlled, they will reduce forage available for domestic stock and will negatively affect rangelands. We consider that the herbivore‐stock analysis presented is inaccurate and deserves revision, and that the stated conclusions lack empirical support.

When the spatial distribution of herbivores is accounted for in the Oliva et al. analysis, domestic stock is far above carrying capacity, indicating that domestic overgrazing continues.

Theoretical and empirical evidence on bottom‐up regulation and competitive exclusion challenges the supposed guanaco overpopulation and the hypothetical reduction of forage available for livestock.

Even if guanaco numbers are reduced, grassland degradation and production losses will continue because their main drivers, domestic overstock and heterogeneous grazing, are still operating.

Synthesis and applications. Oversimplified models with poor ecological insight can lead to erroneous conclusions and misguide management decisions. The incorrect inference that Patagonian domestic stock is adjusted to carrying capacity could help to consolidate current domestic overgrazing by reducing incentives to improve livestock management practices. Regarding guanacos, a controversial species in an unfavourable context, control‐oriented harvest without a clear justification threatens populations’ viability and genuine attempts of productive diversification. Addressing relevant ecological processes, such as niche partitioning, competitive exclusion and population regulation, is essential to correctly assess joint carrying capacity in multi‐herbivore systems, as well as to identify the true factors driving degradation processes and to optimize rangeland use on a sustainable basis.
Spatial hierarchical partitioning of macrobenthic diversity of clam (Ruditapes) fishing grounds over a large geographical range of Japan
Authors: Takada Yoshitake , Uchida Motoharu , Tezuka Naoaki , Tsujino Mutsumi , Sawayama Shuhei , Kurogi Hiroaki , Ishihi Yuka , Watanabe Satoshi
Published: September 2020

Studies on biodiversity management and conservation have often focused on tidal flats and estuaries. Macrobenthic assemblages in these habitats generally show local and geographical variations. Therefore, understanding about their spatial structure is important in assessing their biodiversity. This study aims to examine the spatial hierarchical composition of macrobenthic diversity inRuditapes philippinarumfishery grounds covering a large (1,700 km) geographic range of Japan. Four diversity measures according to the sensitivity parameterq= 0, 1, 2 and Inf were used to evaluate the contribution of four spatial levels (site, area, region and total). Observed assemblages had a few abundant and many rare taxonomic units. Although the abundant taxonomic units, includingRuditapes, occurred over larger spatial levels, the between‐region β diversity (diversity increment from the region to the total level) contributed most to the diversity of the total area. Comparisons of four diversity measures further revealed that the contributions of the between‐region β diversity were more pronounced in the rare taxonomic units than the abundant ones. Null model analysis confirmed these results although different null models generated some variations in the hierarchical composition of the diversities.
Natranaerofaba carboxydovora gen. nov., sp. nov., an extremely haloalkaliphilic CO‐utilizing acetogen from a hypersaline soda lake representing a novel deep phylogenetic lineage in the class ‘Natranaerobiia’
Authors: Sorokin Dimitry Y. , Diender Martijn , Merkel Alexander Y. , Koenen Michel , Bale Nicole J. , Pabst Martin , Sinninghe Damsté Jaap S. , Sousa Diana Z.
Published: September 2020

An anaerobic enrichment with CO from sediments of hypersaline soda lakes resulted in a methane‐forming binary culture, whereby CO was utilized by a bacterium and not the methanogenic partner. The bacterial isolate ANCO1 forms a deep‐branching phylogenetic lineage at the level of a new family within the class ‘Natranaerobiia’. It is an extreme haloalkaliphilic and moderate thermophilic acetogen utilizing CO, formate, pyruvate and lactate as electron donors and thiosulfate, nitrate (reduced to ammonia) and fumarate as electron acceptors. The genome of ANCO1 encodes a full Wood–Ljungdahl pathway allowing for CO oxidation and acetogenic conversion of pyruvate. A locus encoding Nap nitrate reductase/NrfA ammonifying nitrite reductase is also present. Thiosulfate respiration is encoded by a Phs/Psr‐like operon. The organism obviously relies on Na‐based bioenergetics, since the genome encodes for the Na+‐Rnf complex, Na+‐F1F0 ATPase and Na+‐translocating decarboxylase. Glycine betaine serves as a compatible solute. ANCO1 has an unusual membrane polar lipid composition dominated by diethers, more common among archaea, probably a result of adaptation to multiple extremophilic conditions. Overall, ANCO1 represents a unique example of a triple extremophilic CO‐oxidizing anaerobe and is classified as a novel genus and species Natranaerofaba carboxydovora in a novel family Natranaerofabacea.
On the asymmetric effects of changes in crude oil prices on economic growth: New evidence from China's 31 provinces
Authors: Baek Jungho , Lu Guimin , Nam Soojoong
Published: September 2020

Although previous literature has addressed an asymmetric response of economic growth to oil price movements in developed economies, less widely recognised is the possibility of such responses in developing economies. Thus, the primary thrust of the present article is to investigate the asymmetric effects of changes in crude oil prices on growth in a developing economy, particularly China. To examine this subject thoroughly, we first assume oil price symmetry and apply the method of the linear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) to China's 31 provinces. We discover that the price of crude oil has a significant effect on growth mostly in the short‐run. We then separate oil price hikes from oil price plunges and implement the method of the nonlinear ARDL (NARDL) to reveal that the price of crude oil has indeed an important role in affecting growth across China's 31 provinces in both the short‐ and long‐run. Further, there is evidence that fluctuations in oil prices appear to have asymmetric effects on growth for some provinces, though not all, in the short‐ and long‐run.
Fatal hemorrhage from a periumbilical wound: Stabbing or hemorrhage from a caput medusae?
Authors: Frigiolini Francesca , Lo Pinto Sara , Caputo Fiorella , Barranco Rosario , Fraternali Orcioni Giulio , Bonsignore Alessandro , Ventura Francesco
Published: September 2020

Varices are the main clinical manifestation of portal hypertension, and their bleeding is the predominant cause of mortality from this condition. Periumbilical varices are known as “caput medusae.” Reports of their bleeding are rare, with only three fatal cases described in the literature. The antemortem diagnosis is relatively simple, while the postmortem diagnosis is more complex. This paper is the first report of fatal hemorrhage from a caput medusae for which the diagnosis was made postmortem, thanks to a complete diagnostic process including scene and circumstances, medical history, and autopsy with detailed histology. The circumstantial analysis showed the presence of a large amount of blood at the scene, blood which originated from a small abdominal wound; an analysis of the subject's clinical data reported that he was affected by portal hypertension. The autopsy revealed some dilated and convoluted veins in the subcutaneous tissue of the umbilical region; a fistula between these veins and the abdominal wound was detected. The histological study confirmed the presence of periumbilical varices, one of them ruptured and connected with the overlying skin. The cause of death was attributed to a massive hemorrhage generated by a periumbilical varix in a patient affected by portal hypertension.
Improved production of 2,3‐butanediol and isobutanol by engineering electron transport chain in Escherichia coli
Authors: Jung Hwi‐Min , Han Jae‐Ho , Oh Min‐Kyu
Published: September 2020

The electron transport chain (ETC) is one of the major energy generation pathways in microorganisms under aerobic condition. Higher yield of ATP can be achieved through oxidative phosphorylation with consumption of NADH than with substrate level phosphorylation. However, most value‐added metabolites are in an electrochemically reduced state, which requires reducing equivalent NADH as a cofactor. Therefore, optimal production of value‐added metabolites should be balanced with ETC in terms of energy production. In this study, we attempted to reduce the activity of ETC to secure availability of NADH. The ETC mutants exhibited poor growth rate and production of fermentative metabolites compared to parental strain. Introduction of heterologous pathways for synthesis of 2,3‐butanediol and isobutanol to ETC mutants resulted in increased titres and yields of the metabolites. ETC mutants yielded higher NADH/NAD+ ratio but similar ATP content than that by the parental strain. Furthermore, ETC mutants operated fermentative metabolism pathways independent of oxygen supply in large‐scale fermenter, resulting in increased yield and titre of 2,3‐butanediol. Thus, engineering of ETC is a useful metabolic engineering approach for production of reduced metabolites.
Downregulation of m6A reader YTHDC2 promotes tumor progression and predicts poor prognosis in non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Sun Shulei , Han Qiang , Liang Maoli , Zhang Qian , Zhang Jing , Cao Jie
Published: September 2020

Background

m6A modification affects the pathological progress of many diseases by affecting RNA stability and translocation. YTHDC2, a m6A reader, is associated with multiple cancers; however, little is known of its role in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

The GEPIA, Oncomine and GEO databases were analyzed to assess expression of YTHDC2 in NSCLC patients. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to detect YTHDC2 expression in different NSCLC cell lines (H1299, H460, H292 and A549) and patients. The effects of YTHDC2 on NSCLC cell lines (A549 and H1299) proliferation and migration were employed using CCK8 and transwell assays. The potential target RNAs of YTHDC2 were obtained from the POSTAR database. Functional enrichment analysis of YTHDC2 targeted RNAs was performed using the Metascape database.

Results

GEPIA, Oncomine and GEO databases showed low expression of YTHDC2 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) patients. YTHDC2 expression was significantly decreased in different NSCLC cell lines and our clinical samples. Moreover, low expression of YTHDC2 was significantly associated with poor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, tumor size and stage. In addition, YTHDC2 could suppress the proliferation and migration ability of A549 and H1299 cell lines. Kaplan‐Meier Plotter database analysis revealed that patients with low level of YTHDC2 had a significantly poor prognosis. Finally, functional enrichment analysis of YTHDC2 targeted RNAs indicated several enriched pathways related to cancer.

Conclusions

These findings elucidate that YTHDC2 suppresses tumorigenesis in NSCLC, indicating that YTHDC2 may be a promising therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Key points

Significant findings of the study

This study demonstrated that the downregulation of YTHDC2 promotes tumor progression and predicts poor prognosis in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

What this study adds

YTHDC2 might be a promising therapeutic target for non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Limnological response to the Laacher See eruption (LSE) in an annually laminated Allerød sediment sequence from the Nahe palaeolake, northern Germany
Authors: Dreibrodt Stefan , Krüger Sascha , Weber Jan , Feeser Ingo
Published: September 2020

This paper presents evidence for a limnological response to the Laacher See eruption (LSE) as detected in lake sediments from Nahe, northern Germany. The sediment section of the Allerød period dating to between 13 422 and 12 708 cal. a BP is preserved in annual laminations. Within this section, the LSE was identified as a cryptotephra layer (12 944±44 cal. a BP). Microfacies analysis, continuous high‐resolution geochemical measurements and pollen analyses enabled a high‐resolution reconstruction of environmental change. The older part of the Allerød (c. 13 422 to 12 943 cal. a BP) was characterized by relatively stable sedimentation conditions. Evidence for windier conditions dating to c. 13 160 to 13 080 cal. a BP probably reflects the Gerzensee oscillation. Pronounced changes of the lake sedimentation followed the LSE. Four unusually thick varves with increased amounts of allochthonous material indicate serious disturbance of the local environment immediately after the LSE, related to increased storminess and/or the occurrence of high intensity rainfall events. A pronounced reduction of biogenic silica accumulation for c. 60 years after the LSE could reflect a period of acidification. Indications of a simultaneous lake level increase until c. 60 years after the LSE are in line with the supposed reduced evapotranspiration associated with cooler conditions. About 120 years after the LSE, increased oxygen access at the lake bottom, allochthonous input and Cl fluxes point to an onset of increasingly stronger westerly winds, probably as a long‐term response to the LSE. This supports the idea of a southward shift of the mid‐latitude westerlies wind system within the interval between the LSE and the beginning of the Younger Dryas. The pace of the southwards shift of this wind system decreased from 10 km a−1 in the initial phase (40–120 years after LSE) to 6 km a−1 in the later phase (120–200 years after LSE).
Neogene to recent evolution of the Southern Gulf of Mexico basin: Tectonic controls on deep‐water sediment dispersal systems
Authors: Sickmann Zachary T. , Snedden John W.
Published: September 2020

Newly available two‐dimensional (2D) and limited three‐dimensional (3D) reflection seismic data coupled with publicly available well and core data were used to generate the first comprehensive regional basin evolution model for the deep‐water Neogene to recent southern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). This evolution is presented in the context of contemporaneous onshore tectonic drivers and predecessor basin tectonic history. Dynamic uplift to the west in North America, transpression to the south and tectonically influenced salt tectonics to the east served to collapse the margins of the southern Gulf of Mexico Basin throughout the late Neogene and into the modern. This collapse and salt inflation served to shut off efficient sediment transport into the axial deep basin. Newly developed nearshore extensional accommodation along both the western margin of the basin and salt‐rooted orogenic structures to the south and east appear to have baffled coarser‐caliber sediment input from southern (Mexican) sediment sources into the deep Gulf of Mexico Basin beginning in the late Miocene. This sequence is recorded in the southern GoM basin by a transition from large early–mid Miocene submarine channel belts to late Miocene–recent sediment wave fields and mass transport deposits. Improved resolution of new 2D and 3D subsurface seismic reflection data shows that sediment waves of the southern Gulf of Mexico are supercritical bedforms, long wavelength antidunes and cyclic steps, not contourites. These supercritical bedforms are among the most spatially expansive and morphologically largest documented globally. The location and evolution of these bedforms appears closely tied to the tectonically driven history of margin collapse, salt inflation and the starving of the deep basin of coarse‐grained sediment. Cumulatively, the tectonic drivers that intuitively should have increased sediment flux into the deep southern Gulf of Mexico acted to ‘pinch off’ the basin, starving it of sediment supplied from southern sediment sources.
Synthesis and in vitro antileishmanial efficacy of novel quinazolinone derivatives
Authors: Prinsloo Izak F. , Zuma Nonkululeko H. , Aucamp Janine , N’Da David D.
Published: September 2020

Currently available drugs being used to treat leishmaniasis have several shortcomings, including high toxicity, drug administration that requires hospitalization, and the emergence of parasite resistance against clinically used drugs. As a result, there is a dire need for the development of new antileishmanial drugs that are safe, affordable, and efficient. In this study, two new series of synthesized quinazolinone derivatives were investigated as potential future antileishmanial agents, by assessing their activities against the Leishmania (L.) donovani and L. major species. The cytotoxicity profiles of these derivatives were assessed in vitro on Vero cells. The compounds were found to be safer and without any toxic activities against mammalian cells, compared to the reference drug, halofuginone, a clinical derivative of febrifugine. However, they had demonstrated poor antileishmanial growth inhibition efficacies. The two compounds that had been found the most active were the mono quinazolinone 2d and the bisquinazolinone 5b with growth inhibitory efficacies of 35% and 29% for the L. major and L. donovani 9515 promastigotes, respectively. These outcomes had suggested structural redesign, inter alia the inclusion of polar groups on the quinazolinone ring, to potentially generate novel quinazolinone derivatives, endowed with effective antileishmanial potential.
Hybrid convolutional bidirectional recurrent neural network based sentiment analysis on movie reviews
Authors: Soubraylu Sivakumar , Rajalakshmi Ratnavel
Published: September 2020

Sentiment analysis is the process of extracting the opinions of customers from online reviews. In general, customers express their reviews in natural language. It becomes a complex task when applying sentiment analysis on those reviews. In earlier stages, word‐level features with various feature weighting methods such as Bag of Words, TF‐IDF, and Word2Vec were applied for sentiment analysis and deep learning networks are not explored much. We considered phrase level and sentence level features instead of applying word‐level features for sentiment analysis and also enhanced by applying various deep learning techniques. In this article, we have proposed a hybrid convolutional bidirectional recurrent neural network model (CBRNN) by combining two‐layer convolutional neural network (CNN) with a bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BGRU). In the proposed CBRNN model, the CNN layer extracts the rich set of phrase‐level features and BGRU captures the chronological features through long term dependency in a multi‐layered sentence. The proposed approach was evaluated on two benchmark datasets and compared with various baselines. The experimental results show that the proposed hybrid model provides better results than any other models with an F1 score of 87.62% and 77.4% on IMDB and Polarity datasets,respectively. Our CBRNN model outperforms the state of the art by 2%‐4% on these two datasets. It is also observed that, the time taken for training is slightly higher than the existing approaches with the substantial improvement in the performance.
The effect of miRNA and autophagy on colorectal cancer
Authors: Long Jiali , He Qinglian , Yin Yuting , Lei Xue , Li Ziqi , Zhu Wei
Published: September 2020

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has become a concern because of its high recurrence rate and metastasis rate, low early diagnosis rate and poor therapeutic effect. At present, various studies have shown that autophagy is closely connected with the occurrence and progression of CRC. Autophagy is a highly cytosolic catabolic process involved in lysosomes in biological evolution. Cells degrade proteins and damaged organelles by autophagy to achieve material circulation and maintain cell homeostasis. Moreover, microRNAs are key regulators of autophagy, and their mediated regulation of transcriptional and post‐transcriptional levels plays an important role in autophagy in CRC cells. This review focuses on the recent research advances of how autophagy and related microRNAs are involved in affecting occurrence and progression of CRC and provides a new perspective for the study of CRC treatment strategies.
Hypogammaglobulinemia following heart transplantation: Prevalence, predictors, and clinical importance
Authors: Fujino Takeo , Kumai Yuto , Nitta Daisuke , Holzhauser Luise , Nguyen Ann , Lourenco Laura , Rodgers Daniel , Raikhelkar Jayant , Kim Gene , Sayer Gabriel , Uriel Nir
Published: September 2020

Hypogammaglobulinemia (HGG) can occur following solid organ transplantation. However, there are limited data describing the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes associated with HGG following heart transplantation. We retrospectively reviewed data of 132 patients who had undergone heart transplantation at our institution between April 2014 and December 2018. We classified patients into three groups based on the lowest serum IgG level post‐transplant: normal (≥700 mg/dL), mild HGG (≥450 and <700 mg/dL), and severe HGG (<450 mg/dL). We compared clinical outcomes from the date of the lowest IgG level. Mean age was 57 (47, 64) years, and 94 (71%) patients were male. Prevalence of severe HGG was the highest (27%) at 3‐6 months following heart transplantation and then decreased to 5% after 1 year. Multivariate analysis showed that older age and Caucasian race were independent risk factors for HGG. Overall survival was comparable between the groups; however, survival free of infection was 73%, 60%, and 45% at 1 year in the normal, mild HGG, and severe HGG groups, respectively (P = .013). In conclusion, there is a high prevalence of HGG in the early post‐heart transplant period that decreases over time. HGG is associated with an increased incidence of infection.
Liver transplant for inherited metabolic disease among siblings
Authors: McKiernan Patrick J. , Squires James E. , Squires Robert H. , Vockley Jerry , Mazariegos George V. , Soltys Kyle , Ganoza Armando , Strauss Kevin , Khanna Ajai , Sindhi Rakesh
Published: September 2020

Liver transplantation is a successful option for inherited metabolic disease yet little is published on the outcome among siblings. We report outcomes of siblings who have undergone liver transplantation for metabolic disease in a single program. Seventy‐one siblings (35 males) from 33 individual families underwent liver transplantation since 1982. Outcomes were compared over three consecutive eras. Twenty‐eight families had two siblings, four had three siblings, and one had four siblings. In half of families where dates of listing were known, siblings were listed simultaneously. Mean (SD) age at listing for the oldest and second sibling was 13.2 (7.1) and 9.8 (5.7) years, respectively (p < .01). In 18/33 families, the oldest sibling underwent transplantation first. Mean (SD) age at transplant fell from the oldest to second sibling from 12.9 (7.2) to 9.5 (6.3) years, respectively (p < .001). Ten‐year patient survival was 83.5% which improved over the eras: era 1 (1982‐1994) 65.0%, era 2 (1995‐2007) 87.5%, and era 3 (2008–2019) 93.8%: p < .03. Sex, age at transplant, order of transplant, and presence of structural liver disease did not significantly impact survival. When siblings undergo liver transplant for inherited metabolic disease, later siblings are listed and transplanted at a significantly younger age.