bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renal Outcomes of Liver Transplantation Recipients Receiving Standard Immunosuppression and Early Renal Sparing Immunosuppression: A Retrospective Single Center Study
Authors: Sharma Pratima , Sun Yihan , Neal Joslyn , Erley Jennifer , Shen James , Tischer Sarah , Sonnenday Christopher J. , Park Jeong M.
Published: August 2019

Background.

New-onset stage 4–5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) after liver transplantation (LT) is associated with high morbidity, mortality, and economic burden. In 2010, we instituted an early renal sparing immunosuppression (RSI) protocol for LT recipients with severe renal dysfunction (pre-LT dialysis/estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)<30mL/min/1.73 m2 or post-LT acute kidney injury) consisting of 2 doses of basiliximab for induction and delaying tacrolimus to post-LT day 4–7. We examined the effect of early RSI on post-LT renal outcomes.

Methods.

Data on all adults who had LT between January 1, 2010, and December 12, 2014 were collected. We calculated the renal risk index (RRI) score for each LT recipient (https://rri.med.umich.edu). Primary outcome was new-onset post-LT stage 4–5 CKD.

Results.

Of 214 LT recipients, 121 (57%) received early RSI and 93 (43%) received standard immunosuppression. Cumulative incidence of new-onset stage 4–5 CKD was higher in early RSI compared with standard immunosuppression (P = 0.03). Female sex and RRI score were the significant risk factors for development of post-LT stage CKD in the entire study cohort as well as the LT recipients with RRI ≥ sixth decile (high-risk group).

Conclusions.

Delaying tacrolimus initiation combined with basiliximab induction did not have a durable effect on long-term renal outcomes in high-risk LT recipients. Further studies are needed to identify the effective strategies to preserve renal function by targeting patients at high risk for CKD progression.
Multiclass Disease Classification from Microbial Whole-Community Metagenomes using Graph Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Khan Saad , Kelly Libusha
Published: August 2019

There is a wealth of information contained within one’s microbiome regarding their physiology and environment, and this is a promising avenue for developing non-invasive diagnostic tools. Here, we utilize 5643 aggregated, annotated whole-community metagenomes from 19 different diseases to implement the first multiclass microbiome disease classifier of this scale. We compared three different machine learning models: random forests, deep neural nets, and a novel graph convolutional architecture which exploits the graph structure of phylogenetic trees as its input. We show that the graph convolutional model outperforms deep neural nets in terms of accuracy (achieving 75% average test-set accuracy), receiver-operator-characteristics (92.1% average AUC), and precision-recall (50% average AUPR). Additionally, the convolutional net’s performance complements that of the random forest, achieving similar accuracy but better receiver-operator-characteristics and lower area under precision-recall. Lastly, we are able to achieve over 90% average top-3 accuracy across all of our models. Together, these results indicate that there are predictive, disease specific signatures across microbiomes which could potentially be used for diagnostic purposes.
Plumage redness signals mitochondrial function in the House Finch
Authors: Hill Geoffrey E. , Hood Wendy R. , Ge Zhiyuan , Grinter Rhys , Greening Chris , Johnson James D. , Park Noel R. , Taylor Halie A. , Andreasen Victoria A. , Powers Matthew J. , Justyn Nicholas M. , Parry Hailey A. , Kavazis Andreas N. , Zhang Yufeng
Published: August 2019

Carotenoid coloration is widely recognized as a signal of individual condition in various animals, but despite decades of study, the mechanisms that link carotenoid coloration to condition remain unresolved. Most birds with red feathers convert yellow dietary carotenoids to red carotenoids in an oxidation process requiring the gene encoding the putative cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2J19. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the process of carotenoid oxidation and feather pigmentation is functionally linked to mitochondrial performance. Consistent with this hypothesis, we observed high levels of red ketolated carotenoids associated with the hepatic mitochondria of molting wild house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), and upon fractionation, we found the highest concentration of ketolated carotenoids in the inner mitochondrial membrane. We further found that the redness of growing feathers was positively related to the performance of liver mitochondria. Structural modeling of CYP2J19 supports a direct role of this protein in carotenoid ketolation that may be functionally linked to cellular respiration. These observations suggest that feather coloration serves as a signal of core functionality through inexorable links to cellular respiration in the mitochondria.
Connectivity analysis of GEF/GTPase networks in living cells
Authors: Marston D.J. , Vilela M. , Ren Jinqi , Glekas George , Azotei Mihai , Danuser G. , Sondek J. , Hahn K.M.
Published: August 2019

The cytoskeleton is regulated by dynamic, multi-layered signaling networks that interconnect Rho family small GTPases with exquisite spatiotemporal precision1. Understanding the organization of these networks is challenging, as protein activation and interaction occur transiently and with precise subcellular localization. We and others have used fluorescent biosensors in living cells to map the activation patterns of the Rho family small GTPases relative to the changes in cell edge dynamics that they produce2–4. These GTPases are controlled by the localized activity of numerous Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs) with overlapping GTPase specificity5,6. Here we extend this analysis to determine functional relationships between GEFs and GTPases in controlling cell edge movements. First, biosensors for GEF activation are produced, and their activity correlated with edge dynamics. We then shift the wavelengths of GTPase biosensors to image and correlate the activation of GEFs and GTPases in the same cell. Using partial correlation analysis, we can parse out from such multiplexed data the contribution of each GEF – GTPase interaction to edge dynamics, i.e. we identify when and where specific GEF activation events regulate specific downstream GTPases to affect motility. We describe biosensors for eight Dbl family RhoGEFs based on a broadly applicable new design strategy (Asef, Tiam1, Vav isoforms, Tim, LARG, and β-Pix), and red shifted biosensors for RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42. In the context of motility, functional interactions were identified for Asef regulation of Cdc42 and Rac1. This approach exemplifies a powerful means to elucidate the real-time connectivity of signal transduction networks.
Aging of human endocrine pancreatic cell types is heterogeneous and sex-specific
Authors: Arrojo e Drigo Rafael , Erikson Galina , Tyagi Swati , Capitanio Juliana , Lyon James , Spigelman Aliya F , Bautista Austin , Manning Fox Jocelyn E , Shokhirev Max , MacDonald Patrick E. , Hetzer Martin W.
Published: August 2019

The human endocrine pancreas must regulate glucose homeostasis throughout the human lifespan, which is generally decades. We performed meta-analysis of single-cell, RNA-sequencing datasets derived from 36 individuals, as well as functional analyses, to characterize age-associated changes to the major endocrine pancreatic cell types. Increasing age was associated with shifts in pancreatic alpha and beta cell identity and loss of nuclear integrity in non-diabetic humans. In non-diabetic individuals ≥ 50 years old, 80% of their beta cells exhibited a transcriptional signature similar to cells from type-2 diabetic (T2D) donors. Surprisingly, ∼5% of beta cells from T2D donors retained a youthful, N.D. transcriptional profile. Furthermore, beta cell function was reduced by 50% during aging in men but not women, which may explain sex-associated differences in diabetes etiology. These analyses reveal that aging of the human endocrine pancreas is sex- and cell-type specific.
Evidence that alpha blocking is due to increases in system-level oscillatory damping not neuronal population desynchronisation
Authors: Liley David T. J. , Muthukumarswamy Suresh D.
Published: August 2019

The attenuation of the alpha rhythm following eyes-opening (alpha blocking) is among the most robust features of the human electroencephalogram with the prevailing view being that it is caused by changes in neuronal population synchrony. To further study the basis for this phenomenon we use theoretically motivated fixed-order Auto-Regressive Moving-Average (ARMA) time series modelling to study the oscillatory dynamics of spontaneous alpha-band electroencephalographic activity in eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions and its modulation by the NMDA antagonist ketamine. We find that the reduction in alpha-band power between eyes-closed and eyes-open states is explicable in terms of an increase in the damping of stochastically perturbed alpha-band relaxation oscillatory activity. These changes in damping are putatively modified by the antagonism of NMDA-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmission but are not directly driven by changes in input to cortex nor by reductions in the phase synchronisation of populations of near identical oscillators. These results not only provide a direct challenge to the dominant view of the role that thalamus and neuronal population de-/synchronisation have in the genesis and modulation of alpha electro-/magnetoencephalographic activity but also suggest potentially important physiological determinants underlying its dynamical control and regulation.
E-cadherin binds glycosylated sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide to facilitate hepatitis B virus entry
Authors: Hu Qin , Zhang Fei-Fei , Duan Liang , Wang Bo , Li Pu , Li Dan-Dan , Yang Sheng-Jun , Zhou Lan , Chen Wei-Xian
Published: August 2019

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) continues to pose a serious public health risk and is one of the major causes of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current antiviral therapy does not effectively eradicate HBV and, thus, further investigation into the mechanisms employed by HBV to allow for invasion of host cells, is critical for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) has been identified as a functional receptor for HBV. However, the specific mechanism by which HBV and NTCP interact remains unclear. Herein we show that the expression of E-cadherin was upregulated in cells expressing HBV, while knockdown of E-cadherin in HepG2-NTCP cells, HepaRG cells and primary human hepatocytes served to significantly inhibit infection by HBV and HBV pseudotyped particles. Alternatively, exogenous E-cadherin expression was found to significantly enhance HBV uptake by HepaRG cells. Further, mechanistic studies identified glycosylated NTCP localized to the cell membrane via E-cadherin binding, which subsequently allowed for more efficient binding between NTCP and the preS1 of the large HBV surface proteins. E-cadherin was also found to play a key role in establishing and maintaining hepatocyte polarity, which is essential for efficient HBV infection. These observations suggest that E-cadherin facilitates HBV entry through regulation of NTCP distribution and hepatocyte polarity.

Author Summary

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) still seriously endangers public health. It is very important to understand the mechanism of HBV invading host cells for developing new therapy target. Sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) is the key receptor mediating HBV invasion, while other molecules also exhibit important roles in ensuring efficient and productive HBV infection. This study reports that E-cadherin facilitates HBV entry by directly interacting with glycosylated NTCP to mediate its distribution on the hepatocyte membrane and also affects the efficacy of HBV invasion by influncing hepatocyte polarity.
Alpha Herpesvirus Egress and Spread from Neurons Uses Constitutive Secretory Mechanisms Independent of Neuronal Firing Activity
Authors: Ambrosini Anthony E. , Deshmukh Nikhil , Berry Michael J. , Enquist Lynn W. , Hogue Ian B.
Published: August 2019

Alpha herpesviruses naturally infect the peripheral nervous system, and can spread to the central nervous system causing severe deadly or debilitating disease. Because alpha herpesviruses spread along synaptic circuits, and infected neurons exhibit altered electrophysiology and increased spontaneous firing, we hypothesized that alpha herpesviruses use activity-dependent synaptic vesicle-like regulated secretory mechanisms for egress and spread from neurons. To address this hypothesis, we used a compartmentalized primary neuron culture system to measure egress and spread of pseudorabies virus (PRV), pharmacological and optogenetics approaches to modulate neuronal firing activity, and a live-cell fluorescence microscopy assay to directly visualize the exocytosis of individual virus particles from infected neurons. Using tetrodotoxin to silence neuronal activity, we observed no inhibition of virus spread, and using potassium chloride or optogenetics to elevate neuronal activity, we also show no increase in virus spread. Using a live-cell fluorescence microscopy method to directly measure virus egress from infected neurons, we observed no association between virus particle exocytosis and intracellular Ca2+ signaling. Finally, we observed virus particle exocytosis occurs in association with constitutive secretory Rab GTPases, Rab6a and Rab8a, not Rab proteins that are associated with the Ca2+-regulated secretory pathway in neurons, Rab3a and Rab11a. Therefore, we conclude that alpha herpesvirus egress and spread is independent of neuronal activity and Ca2+ signaling because virus particle exocytosis uses constitutive secretory mechanisms in neurons.

Author Summary

Alpha herpesviruses, including important human pathogens Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2, and Varicella-Zoster Virus, are among the very few viruses that naturally infect the nervous system. These viruses cause recurrent herpetic and zosteriform lesions, peripheral neuropathies, and deadly or debilitating central nervous system diseases. Many of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of viral egress and spread remain unknown, particularly in the context of specialized neuronal cell biology. Our results indicate that elevated firing activity of infected neurons is not functionally or mechanistically linked to virus egress and spread; therefore, therapies targeting peripheral neuropathic symptoms, elevated neuronal activity, and synaptic vesicle secretory mechanisms are unlikely to affect virus spread in the nervous system.
Human cerebrospinal fluid induces neuronal excitability changes in resected human neocortical and hippocampal brain slices
Authors: Wickham Jenny , Corna Andrea , Schwarz Niklas , Uysal Betül , Layer Nikolas , Wuttke Thomas V. , Koch Henner , Zeck Günther
Published: August 2019

Human cerebrospinal fluid (hCSF) have proven advantageous over conventional medium when culturing both rodent and human brain tissue. Increased excitability and synchronicity, similar to the active state exclusively recordedin vivo, reported in rodent slice and cell-cultures with hCSF as recording medium, indicates properties of the hCSF not matched by the artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) commonly used for electrophysiological recording. To evaluate the possible importance of using hCSF as electrophysiological recording medium of human brain tissue, we compared the general excitability inex vivohuman brain tissue slice cultures during perfusion with hCSF and aCSF. For measuring the general activity from a majority of neurons within neocortical and hippocampal humanex vivoslices we used a microelectrode array (MEA) recording technique with 252 electrodes covering an area of 3.2 x 3.2 mm2and a second CMOS-based MEA with 4225 electrodes on a 2 x 2 mm2area for detailed mapping of action potential waveforms. We found that hCSF increase the number of active neurons and the firing rate of the neurons in the slices as well as increasing the numbers of bursts while leaving the duration of the bursts unchanged. Interestingly, not only an increase in the overall activity in the slices was observed, but a reconfiguration of the network functionality could be detected with specific activation and inactivation of subpopulations of neuronal ensembles. In conclusion, hCSF is an important component to consider for future human tissue studies, especially for experiments designed to mimic thein vivosituation.
Serosolver: an open source tool to infer epidemiological and immunological dynamics from serological data
Authors: Hay James A. , Minter Amanda , Ainslie Kylie , Lessler Justin , Kucharski Adam J. , Riley Steven
Published: August 2019

We present a flexible, open source R package designed to obtain additional biological and epidemiological insights from commonly available serological datasets. Analysis of serological responses against pathogens with multiple strains such as influenza pose a specific statistical challenge because observed antibody responses measured in serological assays depend both on unobserved prior infections and the resulting cross-reactive antibody dynamics that these infections generate. We provide a general modelling framework to jointly infer these two typically confounded biological processes using antibody titres against current and historical strains. We do this by linking latent infection dynamics with a mechanistic model of antibody dynamics that generates expected antibody titres over time. This makes it possible to use observations of antibodies in serological assays to infer an individual’s infection history as well as the parameters of the antibody process model. Our aim is to provide a flexible inference package that can be applied to a range of datasets studying different viruses over different timescales. We present two case studies to illustrate how our model can infer key immunological parameters, such as antibody titre boosting, waning and cross-reaction, and well as latent epidemiological processes such as attack rates and age-stratified infection risk.
A mechanism for how Cdr1/Nim1 kinase promotes mitotic entry by inhibiting Wee1
Authors: Opalko Hannah E. , Nasa Isha , Kettenbach Arminja N. , Moseley James B.
Published: August 2019

To enter into mitosis, cells must shut off the cell cycle inhibitor Wee1. SAD family protein kinases regulate Wee1 signaling in yeast and humans. InS. pombe, two SAD kinases (Cdr1/Nim1 and Cdr2) act as upstream inhibitors of Wee1. Previous studies found thatS. pombeCdr1/Nim1 directly phosphorylates and inhibits Wee1in vitro, but different results were obtained for budding yeast and human SAD kinases. Without a full understanding of Cdr1 action on Wee1, it has been difficult to assess thein vivorelevance and conservation of this mechanism. Here, we show that both Cdr1 and Cdr2 promote Wee1 phosphorylation in cells, but only Cdr1 inhibits Wee1 kinase activity. Inhibition occurs when Cdr1 phosphorylates a cluster of serine residues linking α-helices G and H of the Wee1 kinase domain. This region is highly divergent among different Wee1 proteins, consistent with distinct regulatory mechanisms. Awee(4A)mutant that impairs phosphorylation by Cdr1 delays mitotic entry and causes elongated cells. By disrupting and re-targeting Cdr1 localization, we show that Cdr1 inhibition of Wee1 occurs in cells at cortical nodes formed by Cdr2. Based on our results, we propose a two-step model for inhibition of Wee1 by Cdr1 and Cdr2 at nodes.
Exploration-related strategy mediates negative coupling between decision-making performance and psychiatric symptoms
Authors: Suzuki Shinsuke , Yamashita Yuichi , Katahira Kentaro
Published: August 2019

Various psychiatric symptoms are often accompanied by impairments in decision-making. Given the high comorbidity of psychiatric disorders, symptoms that specifically couple with the impairment remain unidentified. The computations involved in decision-making that mediate the coupling are also elusive. Here, we conducted an online experiment with healthy individuals (n=939), participating in a decision-making task and completing questionnaires about psychiatric symptoms. The questionnaire data identified two dimensions underlying various symptoms: the first is mainly associated with obsessive-compulsive traits whereas the second is associated with depression and anxiety. Furthermore, by model-based analysis, we found only the first dimension was negatively correlated with the overall performance of the decision-making task, and the negative correlation was mediated by choice stochasticity (random exploration) and propensity to choose options previously unchosen. Given that the preference for previously unchosen options can reflect uncertainty-driven exploration, our findings highlight a key role of exploration-related strategies in psychiatric deficits of decision-making.
A LAMP assay for the rapid and robust assessment of Wolbachia infection in Aedes aegypti under field and laboratory conditions
Authors: Jasper Moshe , Yang Qiong , Ross Perran A. , Endersby-Harshman Nancy , Bell Nicholas , Hoffmann Ary A.
Published: August 2019

With Wolbachia-based arbovirus control programs being scaled and operationalised around the world, cost effective and reliable detection of Wolbachia in field samples and laboratory stocks is essential for quality control. Here we validate a modified loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for routine scoring of Wolbachia in mosquitoes from laboratory cultures and the field, applicable to any setting. We show that this assay is a rapid and robust method for highly sensitive and specific detection of wAlbB Wolbachia infection within Aedes aegypti under a variety of conditions. We test the quantitative nature of the assay by evaluating pooled mixtures of Wolbachia-infected and uninfected mosquitoes and show that it is capable of estimating infection frequencies, potentially circumventing the need to perform large-scale individual analysis for wAlbB infection status in the course of field monitoring. These results indicate that LAMP assays are useful for routine screening particularly under field conditions away from laboratory facilities.

Importance

Releases of mosquitoes infected with strains of Wolbachia bacteria are expanding around the world because this bacterium that lives inside cells provides an effective tool to suppress mosquito populations and the ability of mosquitoes to transmit viruses. The success of the release programs relies on rapid and effective means of detecting Wolbachia and scoring their frequencies in mosquitoes for quality control and for assessing the success of releases. Here we test a “LAMP” (Loop-mediated isothermal amplification) assay for robust detection of Wolbachia infections in laboratory and field mosquito populations. We show that the assay can detect the bacteria when present at a low density in samples, and with a high degree of reproducibility. The assay uses a simple protocol which requires minimal training. It can readily detect Wolbachia in mosquitoes obtained from traps that are routinely used in field surveys. The assay should be cost effective in a variety of settings.
Inland-coastal bifurcation of southern East Asians revealed by Hmong-Mien genomic history
Authors: Xia Zi-Yang , Yan Shi , Wang Chuan-Chao , Zheng Hong-Xiang , Zhang Fan , Liu Yu-Chi , Yu Ge , Yu Bin-Xia , Shu Li-Li , Jin Li
Published: August 2019

The early history of the Hmong-Mien language family and its speakers is elusive. A good variety of Hmong-Mien-speaking groups distribute in Central China. Here, we report 903 high-resolution Y-chromosomal, 624 full-sequencing mitochondrial, and 415 autosomal samples from 20 populations in Central China, mainly Húnán Province. We identify an autosomal component which is commonly seen in all the Hmong-Mien-speaking populations, with nearly unmixed composition in Pahng. In contrast, Hmong and Mien respectively demonstrate additional genomic affinity to Tibeto-Burman and Kra-Dai speakers. We also discover two prevalent uniparental lineages of Hmong-Mien speakers. Y-chromosomal haplogroup O2a2a1b1a1b-N5 diverged ∼2,330 years before present (BP), approximately coinciding with the estimated time of Proto-Hmong-Mien (∼2,500 BP), whereas mitochondrial haplogroup B5a1c1a significantly correlates with Pahng and Mien. All the evidence indicates a founding population substantially contributing to present-day Hmong-Mien speakers. Consistent with the two distinct routes of agricultural expansion from southern China, this Hmong-Mien founding ancestry is phylogenetically closer to the founding ancestry of Neolithic Mainland Southeast Asians and present-day isolated Austroasiatic-speaking populations than Austronesians. The spatial and temporal distribution of the southern East Asian lineage is also compatible with the scenario of out-of-southern-China farming dispersal. Thus, our finding reveals an inland-coastal genetic discrepancy related to the farming pioneers in southern China and supports an inland southern China origin of an ancestral meta-population contributing to both Hmong-Mien and Austroasiatic speakers.
Escape mutations circumvent a tradeoff between resistance to a beta-lactam and a beta-lactamase inhibitor
Authors: Russ Dor , Glaser Fabian , Tamar Einat Shaer , Yelin Idan , Zampaloni Claudia , Haldimann Andreas , Kishony Roy
Published: August 2019

Beta-lactamase inhibitors are increasingly used to counteract microbial resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics mediated by beta-lactamase enzymes. These inhibitors compete with the beta-lactam drug for the same binding site of the beta-lactamase, thereby generating an inherent evolutionary tradeoff: enzyme mutations that increase its activity against the beta-lactam drug also increase its susceptibility towards the inhibitor. It is unclear how common and accessible are mutants that escape this adaptive tradeoff. Here, systematically constructing and phenotyping a deep mutant library of theampCbeta-lactamase gene ofEscherichia coli, we identified escape mutations, which even in the presence of the enzyme inhibitor allow growth at beta-lactam concentrations far exceeding the native inhibitory levels of the wildtype strain. Importantly, while such escape mutations appear for combinations of avibactam with some beta-lactam drugs, for other drugs escape phenotypes are completely restricted. Amplicon sequencing of the selected mutant pool identified these escape mutations and showed that they are rare and drug specific. For the combination of avibactam with aztreonam, an escape phenotype was conferred via multiple substitutions in a single conserved amino acid (Tyr 150). In contrast, a different set of mutations showed an escape phenotype for cefepime, and no escape mutants appeared for piperacillin. The differential adaptive potential ofampCto combinations of avibactam and different beta-lactam drugs can help guide drug treatments that are more resilient to evolution of resistance.
Escherichia coli Metabolite Profiling Leads to the Development of an RNA Interference Strain for Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Neve Isaiah A. A. , Sowa Jessica N. , Lin Chih-Chun J. , Sivaramakrishnan Priya , Herman Christophe , Ye Youqiong , Han Leng , Wang Meng C.
Published: August 2019

The relationship of genotypes to phenotypes can be modified by environmental inputs. Such crucial environmental inputs include metabolic cues derived from microbes living together with animals. Thus the analysis of genetic effects on animals’ physiology can be confounded by variations in the metabolic profile of microbes. Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to distinct bacterial strains and species exhibit phenotypes different at cellular, developmental and behavioral levels. Here we reported metabolomic profiles of three Escherichia coli strains, B strain OP50, K-12 strain MG1655, and B-K-12 hybrid strain HB101, and also different mitochondrial and fat storage phenotypes of C. elegans exposed to MG1655 and HB101 versus OP50. We found that these metabolic phenotypes of C. elegans are not correlated with overall metabolic patterning of bacterial strains, but their specific metabolites. In particular, the fat storage phenotype is traced to the betaine level in different bacterial strains. HT115 is another K-12 E. coli strain that is commonly utilized to elicit an RNA interference response, and we showed that C. elegans exposed to OP50 and HT115 exhibit differences in mitochondrial morphology and fat storage levels. We thus generated an RNA interference competent OP50 (iOP50) strain that can robustly and consistently knockdown endogenous C. elegans genes in different tissues. Together, these studies suggest the importance of specific bacterial metabolites in regulating the host’s physiology, and provide a tool to prevent confounding effects when analyzing genotype-phenotype interactions under different bacterial backgrounds.
Microfluidic electrochemical cell for in situ structural characterization of amorphous thin-film catalysts using high-energy X-ray scattering
Authors: Kwon Gihan , Cho Yeong-Ho , Kim Ki-Bum , Emery Jonathan D. , Kim In Soo , Zhang Xiaoyi , Martinson Alex B. F. , Tiede David M.
Published: August 2019

Porous, high-surface-area electrode architectures are described that allow structural characterization of interfacial amorphous thin films with high spatial resolution under device-relevant functional electrochemical conditions using high-energy X-ray (>50 keV) scattering and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. Porous electrodes were fabricated from glass-capillary array membranes coated with conformal transparent conductive oxide layers, consisting of either a 40 nm–50 nm crystalline indium tin oxide or a 100 nm–150 nm-thick amorphous indium zinc oxide deposited by atomic layer deposition. These porous electrodes solve the problem of insufficient interaction volumes for catalyst thin films in two-dimensional working electrode designs and provide sufficiently low scattering backgrounds to enable high-resolution signal collection from interfacial thin-film catalysts. For example, PDF measurements were readily obtained with 0.2 Å spatial resolution for amorphous cobalt oxide films with thicknesses down to 60 nm when deposited on a porous electrode with 40 µm-diameter pores. This level of resolution resolves the cobaltate domain size and structure, the presence of defect sites assigned to the domain edges, and the changes in fine structure upon redox state change that are relevant to quantitative structure–function modeling. The results suggest the opportunity to leverage the porous, electrode architectures for PDF analysis of nanometre-scale surface-supported molecular catalysts. In addition, a compact 3D-printed electrochemical cell in a three-electrode configuration is described which is designed to allow for simultaneous X-ray transmission and electrolyte flow through the porous working electrode.
Investigation of the effect of second phase precipitates on the corrosion and electrical conductivity of 7075 aluminum alloys
Authors: Şimşek Ijlal
Published: August 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effects of second phase precipitate size on microstructure, hardness, density, corrosion and electrical conductivity of 7075 aluminum alloy fabricated by the powder metallurgy method and aged at 120°C for various aging periods.

Design/methodology/approach

For the aging process (T6), these alloys were solution-treated at 485°C for 2 h, quenched, aged at 120°C for four various periods and finally air cooled. After the aging process, these alloys were examined with scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, density and hardness measurements. The corrosion tests were carried out using the potentiodynamic polarization technique; electrical conductivity values were measured as IACS%.

Findings

Results showed that the precipitate size increased with increasing aging period and the maximum precipitate size was achieved for the sample aged for 28 h. The maximum hardness was attained for the sample aged for 24 h, while the same specimen obtained the lowest electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance.

Originality/value

In this research, second phase precipitates of heat treatment processing affected the electrical conductivity and corrosion behavior of the 7075 aluminum alloy. Also it is understood that the heat treatment period is an effective parameter on these properties.
Mild steel protection with tannic and polyaspartic acid in cooling systems
Authors: Sezer Esma , Öztürk İpek
Published: August 2019

Purpose

Tannic acid (TA) is one of the green corrosion inhibitors for mild steel; its anti-corrosive performance in alkaline water on mild steel when it is used together with polyaspartic acid (PASA) still has not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to develop an effective, biodegradable and environment-friendly novel corrosion inhibitor based on TA and PASA as an alternative to the conventional inorganic inhibitors for mild steel in decarbonised water, which is common in cooling systems.

Design/methodology/approach

Corrosion inhibition mechanism is investigated by electrochemical techniques such as polarisation measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and results were evaluated to determine the optimum inhibitor concentration for industrial applications. Additionally, practice-like conditions are carried out in pilot plant studies to simulate the conditions in cooling systems. Thus, the efficiencies of the inhibitors are evaluated through both weight loss and linear polarisation resistance measurements. Moreover, the corrosion product is characterised by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis.

Findings

TA shows high inhibition efficiency especially towards pitting corrosion for mild steel in decarbonised water. PASA addition in the cooling systems improves the inhibition efficiency of TA, and at lower concentrations of TA + PASA, it is possible to obtained better inhibition efficiency than TA alone at higher inhibitor amounts, which is essential in economic and environmental aspect.

Originality/value

A blended inhibitor program including TA and PASA with suggested concentrations in this work can be used as an environmental friendly treatment concept for the mild steel corrosion inhibition at cooling systems.
Trends of puffery in advertising – a bibliometric analysis
Authors: Punjani Krunal K. , Ravi Kumar V.V. , Kadam Sanjeev
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to quantitatively assess the essential trends of existing research on “puffery in advertising” through bibliometric analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses citation data collected through Scopus and Google Scholar for the research area “puffery in advertising” to investigate the most productive journals, top countries of affiliation and prominent years with maximum citations. The study analyses the 87 articles related to “puffery in advertising,” published during 1840 to 2018. Moreover, this study also presents graphical analysis through network maps.

Findings

“Puffery in advertising” has remained an under-researched area. However, records of past ten years indicate marginal growth in the number of publications. USA dominates this research area with most numbers of articles published till date. Through clustering of subject areas, it is found that majority of articles have been published under the subject area of “Business, Management and Accounting.” Interestingly, the results of the network maps slightly differ from that of citation table.

Practical implications

This paper is useful for any reader or researcher who wants to understand the trends of “puffery in advertising” in terms of citation analysis, authors and affiliation countries, and prominent years with maximum citations, which would further enable them to discover emerging research areas, potential research collaborations and publications.

Originality/value

To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first ever bilbiometric study on “puffery in advertising” providing a bird’s-eye view of the essential trends.
The triple-As supply chain competitive advantage
Authors: Feizabadi Javad , Gligor David , Alibakhshi Motlagh Somayeh
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to draw on resource orchestration theory (ROT) and resource advantage theory (RAT) to develop a measurement scale for supply chain competitive advantage (SCCA) as a second-order construct with the dimensions of agility, adaptability and alignment (triple-A).

Design/methodology/approach

A survey research design is adopted to collect primary and secondary data from 182 international firms. The paper utilizes a scale development procedure to develop a measurement instrument and assess its psychometric properties. The scale’s predictive validity is tested using both subjective and objective data. Additionally, the simultaneous effect of triple-A is tested using latent congruent modeling.

Findings

Drawing upon ROT and RAT, this study introduces SCCA as a second-order construct composed of SC agility, adaptability and alignment. In addition, the findings show that an SCCA has a direct and positive impact on firms’ financial and market performance.

Originality/value

Existing literature indicates that competition has shifted from inter-firm to inter-SC. To account for this change in competition level, past studies have suggested various capabilities that SCs must possess to offer a competitive advantage, such as triple-As. However, drawing upon RAT and ROT, the authors argue that the SCCA construct accounts for sources of advantage in both the resource side and the demand side. The authors further assert that possessing supply chain resources (i.e. agility, adaptability, alignment as disparate resources) is not sufficient to create advantage but the resources must be orchestrated to create SCCA (i.e. the combination of agility, adaptability and alignment).
Qualitative research with primary school-aged children: ethical and practical considerations of evaluating a safeguarding programme in schools
Authors: Jackson-Hollis Vicki
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the ethical and practical challenges of working with primary school-aged children to conduct qualitative service evaluations regarding sensitive safeguarding topics.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper centres on the author’s learnings from conducting school-based, task-assisted focus groups with 5–11 year olds. The reflections are drawn from notes made during fieldwork, debrief discussions with evaluation colleagues and wider team debates. This was a consultative participatory evaluation and the findings are situated within the wider literature around rights-based approaches to research.

Findings

Using multi-method and creative approaches can facilitate young children to assent and dissent from service evaluation in a school setting. However, the challenges of helping children understand confidentiality are highlighted, as is the challenge for researchers in recognising and respondingin situto disclosures. Using suitable and creative activities, this evaluation demonstrates that primary school children can contribute meaningful data to assist with service development. However, the approach to collecting these data from the youngest children needs careful consideration.

Practical implications

Researchers may need to adopt full participatory methods to better help children understand the confidentiality bounds of research and to form views on the subject matter. More discussion is needed in the wider safeguarding research literature to show how researchers have navigated the challenges of handling disclosures.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by providing examples of how to overcome issues of children’s participation, consent and protection in service evaluation focussed on a sensitive topic.
You Shall (Not) Fear
Authors: Lim Heejin , Cho Moonhee , Bedford Sergio C.
Published: August 2019

Purpose

In the age of transparency, nonprofit organizations have attempted to raise awareness of unethical business practices through diverse social media platforms, putting firms under great pressure to incorporate sustainability in their operations. Focusing on the issue of animal cruelty which is a relatively under-investigated topic in the fashion industry, the purpose of this paper is to examine how different levels of animal cruelty depicted in nonprofit organizations’ ethical consumption campaigns influence viewers’ negative emotions and lead to their supportive behavior and ethical consumption intention.

Design/methodology/approach

In the main study, undergraduate students (n=82) from a big public University in the USA were recruited in exchange for extra credit and randomly assigned to one of the three experimental conditions of animal cruelty in a single-factor, three-level, between-subjects experimental design: non-threatening condition (n=26), low-threatening condition (n=27) and high-threatening condition (n=29).

Findings

The results indicated that the levels of negative emotional arousal are positively related to levels of perceived animal cruelty in social media campaigns. In addition, negative emotional arousal mediates the effect of perceived animal cruelty on the intention of supportive behavior, but no mediation effect on ethical consumption intention was found. Additionally, the findings of this study revealed that the indirect effect of perceived animal cruelty on supportive behavior intention is moderated by participants’ moral justification such as the reality of economic development and government dependency.

Originality/value

The findings of this study contribute to the literature by advancing the current understanding of the role of negative emotional images in ethical consumption campaigns in the context of animal cruelty in the fashion industry.
Leader–follower narcissism and subgroup formation in teams: a conceptual model
Authors: London Manuel
Published: August 2019

Purpose

Drawing on existing theory, a model is developed to illustrate how the interaction between leaders and followers similarity in narcissism and goal congruence may influence subgroup formation in teams, and how this interaction influences team identification and team performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model draws on dominance complementary, similarity attraction, faultline formation and trait activation theories.

Findings

Leader–follower similarity in narcissism and goal congruence may stimulate subgroup formation, possibly resulting in conformers, conspirators, outsiders and victims, especially when performance pressure on a team is high. Followers who are low in narcissism and share goals with a leader who is narcissistic are likely to become conformers. Followers who are high in narcissism and share goals with a narcissistic leader are likely to become confederates. Followers who do not share goals with a narcissistic leader will be treated by the leader and other members as outsiders if they are high in narcissism, and victimized if they are low in narcissism. In addition, the emergence of these subgroups leads to reduced team identification and lower team performance.

Practical implications

Higher level managers, coaches and human resource professions can assess and, if necessary, counteract low team identification and performance resulting from the narcissistic personality characteristics of leaders and followers.

Originality/value

The model addresses how and under what conditions narcissistic leaders and followers may influence subgroup formation and team outcomes.
Helping a depressed Chinese adult with high functioning autism reconnect with his family through structural family therapy
Authors: Ma Joyce L. C. , Wong Chi‐yan , Xia Lily L. L.
Published: August 2019

This clinical case example from a Chinese context describes the healing journey through structural family therapy (SFT) of a depressed Chinese father with high functioning autism (HFA). The paper both narrates the experience of a father and his family in facing the relational challenges arising from HFA and explores the contributions of SFT in helping. Identifying the father’s history of loss at the individual and family levels as well as the pattern of family relationships in the family sheds light on directions for treatment. Key treatment principles of SFT and strategies to help depressed adults with HFA let go of anger and losses, both symbolic and real, and reconnect with their families are discussed.

Practitioner points

Structural family therapy (SFT) can assist depressed adults with high functioning autism (HFA) in reconnecting with their spouses and children

Therapists’ trust of family competence and uniqueness, and the artful use of enactment, can facilitate healing for depressed adults with HFA

Therapists’ knowledge of HFA, and their humility and willingness to learn from this clientele, are critical
Spillover Effects of Capital Expenditure Announcements Within Business Groups
Authors: Chen I‐Fen , Chang Shao‐Chi
Published: August 2019

Using the capital expenditure announcements of Taiwanese business group affiliated firms, this study examines whether the group diversification and ownership structure influence intragroup spillover effects. We find that the stock price reactions of the announcing firms are positively associated with both the stock price reactions and the post‐announcement long‐term performance of their non‐announcing group peers. More importantly, the evidence shows that this positive spillover effect weakens for business groups associated with a pyramidal ownership structure. The evidence supports the conjecture that principal–principal conflicts play an important role in moderating the spillover effects in a business group. The findings further show that the spillover effects are stronger during periods of financial crises. Finally, in the 3‐year period following announcements, the non‐announcing group members experience declining industry‐adjusted performance.
Does It Pay to Graduate from an 'Elite' University in Australia?
Authors: Carroll David , Heaton Chris , Tani Massimiliano
Published: August 2019

In Australia, the so‐called Group of Eight (Go8) elite research universities have lower student‐to‐staff ratios, better‐qualified staff, superior research outcomes, and generally better placement in university rankings than non‐Go8 universities. In this paper, we use data from the Graduate Destination Survey and data on Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks (ATARs) to investigate the existence of Go8 premia in the Australian graduate labour market, and to determine the extent to which they are due merely to the recruitment of better students. We find statistically significant evidence of small Go8 premia which are largely, but not entirely, due to the selection of above average ATAR students.
Accelerating the United Nation's 2030 Global Agenda: Why Prioritization of the Gender Goal is Essential
Authors: Hepp Paula , Somerville Claire , Borisch Bettina
Published: August 2019

In September 2015, Member States of the United Nations (UN) committed to work towards a transformative policy agenda consisting of 17 ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. However, implementation progress has been slow and at the current rate the SDG agenda will fall far short on delivery of its 169 targets. In order to accelerate progress at global, national and local levels it is necessary to prioritize goals and targets. One standalone SDG that is also cross‐cutting and universal is Goal 5: Gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls. In this article we assemble evidence to make the case that decisively (and politically) placing the gender equality goal (SDG5 and its 9 targets) together with 54 gender indicators across all goals as the priority focus of the 2030 agenda is the most impactful way to ensure measurable achievements are made across the agenda to deliver on all 5 pillars of the global commitment: namely People, Planet, Peace, Prosperity and Partnerships.