bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The moderating effect of strategic fit enhances business performance: Empirical evidence from the telecommunication industry
Authors: Khan Muhammad Shahid , Saengon Poramet , Cheungsirakulvit Thanaphon , Kanchanathaveekul Kanyamon
Published: September 2020

Competitiveness is inevitable in a highly dynamic and rapidly changing technological situation. A proper linkage among business strategies is a key to developing a sustainable competitive advantage, enhance business performance, and to cope with global competition and rapidly changing environment. Drawing on the configuration theoretic approach, this study posits that firms can improve overall performance through accurate alignment of business strategies. Strategic fit is an emerging concept to make strategy effective. This study empirically tests a conceptual model within a sample of 320 respondents from the telecommunication industry of Malaysia. Data were analyzed with statistical software SMART‐PLS, which is recently used by numerous studies. This article concludes strategic fit significantly and positively moderate the relationship of business strategies and knowledge management strategies with business performance. Results show that business strategy (innovation and competitive advantage) and knowledge management strategy (codification and personalization) have a significant and positive impact on business performance. Although this research expands our understanding of the strategic fit importance in business performance, however, worthwhile prospects of future research remain, this study is limited to monomethod and only two exogenous variables are studied, future research can use mixed‐method and other factors that can influence business performance.
SARS‐COV‐2 (COVID‐19): Cellular and biochemical properties and pharmacological insights into new therapeutic developments
Authors: Parlakpinar Hakan , Gunata Mehmet
Published: September 2020

COVID‐19 caused by SARS‐COV‐2 first appeared in the Wuhan City of China and began to spread rapidly among people. Rapid progression of the outbreak has led to a major global public health problem of a potentially fatal disease. On January 30, 2020, WHO declared the pandemic as the sixth public health emergency of the world. Upon this, the whole country has started to take the necessary precautions. The new coronavirus uses membrane‐bound angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enter into the cells, such as SARS‐CoV, and mostly affects the respiratory tract. Symptoms of COVID‐19 patients include fever (93%), fatigue (70%), cough (70%), anorexia (40%) and dyspnoea (34.5%). The elderly and people with underlying chronic diseases are more susceptible to infection and higher mortality. Currently, a large number of drugs and vaccines studies are ongoing. In this review, we discussed the virology, epidemiological data, the replication of the virus, and its relationship with cardiovascular diseases on COVID‐19 pandemics, treatment and vaccines. Thereby, this study aims to neatly present scientific data in light of many regarding literature that can be a clue for readers who research this disease prevention and treatment.

Significance of the study

This review summarized current information on COVID‐19 (epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical, laboratory, cardiovascular diseases, ACE2 and pharmacological agents) for researchers and reveals guiding data for researchers, especially in the field of cardiovascular system, pharmacology, dysregulation of cellular function in disease, molecular and cell biology and physiology in the regulation of tissue function in health and disease.
Direct EBUS‐guided transtracheal lymphosclerosis for plastic bronchitis after Fontan
Authors: Hubrechts Jelena , Dooms Christophe , Maleux Geert , Gewillig Marc
Published: September 2020

We report on a new puncture technique with direct transtracheal mediastinal lymphatic access to treat plastic bronchitis after Fontan repair. High resolution contrast‐enhanced spiral CT identified enlarged lymph nodes in the paratracheal region. Inguinal intranodal Gadolinium Dynamic Contrast‐enhanced Magnetic Resonance lymphangiography (DCMRL) confirmed the pathologic centrifugal lymph flow passing through these lymph nodes before leaking into the bronchial tree. The abnormal hypertrophic paratracheal, subcarinal, and hilar lymph nodes were punctured with a 22G needle through an endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscope. Occlusion of the lymph vessels was obtained by injecting a mixture of lipiodol/NBCA N‐butyl cyanoacrylate (Histoacryl) 5/1 under fluoroscopic control. There was a total remission of PB with now 10 months of follow‐up.
Research on the constraint factors of cellular automaton‐based Shanghai historic landscape island smart integration protection: Taking Shanghai Moller Villa as example
Authors: Wei Zhen , Zhang Wei
Published: September 2020

Aiming at the typical phenomenon of Shanghai historic landscape islands, the article adopts cellular automaton (CA) smart research method to determine historic landscape island constraint planning factors in accordance with the status quo and characteristics of islands. Taking Shanghai Moller Villa as example, the article standardizes and rasterizes constraint planning factors and therefore affords a solid theoretical foundation to the building of a smart CA constraint model, which greatly contributes a new methodology to historic landscape protection.
Fluorinated Porphycenes: Synthesis, Spectroscopy, Photophysics, and Tautomerism
Authors: Listkowski Arkadiusz , Kharchenko Anastasiia , Ciąćka Piotr , Kijak Michał , Masiera Natalia , Rybakiewicz Renata , Luboradzki Roman , Fita Piotr , Waluk Jacek
Published: September 2020

Six porphycenes have been synthesized, bearing one, two, or three fluorine atoms attached directly to the 18‐π‐electron system at themesopositions. These novel compounds have been characterized by structural, electrochemical, and spectral techniques, combined with quantum chemical calculations. In three fluoroporphycenes, the unsymmetric substitution pattern leads to the presence of two nonequivalenttranstautomeric forms. They have been identified using electronic absorption, emission, and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopies. Their relative energies have been estimated for the ground and lowest excited electronic states. Tautomerization potential is quasi‐symmetric in S0, but becomes strongly nonsymmetric in S1. Femtosecond transient absorption studies allowed determination of tautomerization rates, larger and similar for both directions of the double hydrogen transfer in S0, lower and disparate in S1. Fluoroporphycenes emerge as good candidates for detailed studies of mechanisms of double hydrogen transfer, as well as processes responsible for rapid radiationless excited state depopulation.
Consecutive Silver(I) Ion Incorporation into Oligonucleotides containing Cytosine‐Cytosine Mispairs
Authors: Hossain M. Nur , Ahmad Syed , Kraatz Heinz‐Bernhard
Published: September 2020

Herein, the consecutive incorporation of AgI ion into the dsDNA containing adjacent C−C mispairs is demonstrated. The melting temperature (Tm) was 8 °C higher for DNA containing three C−C mispairs upon the addition of three AgI ions as compared to the AgI‐free DNA, and no Tm was obtained in the presence of excess AgI ion, indicating a stable bridging of C‐AgI−C upon the incorporation of the stoichiometric amount of AgI per C−C mispair. The circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the dsDNA showed a negative peak at ∼270 nm in the presence of excess AgI, implying that significant structural changes and a potential aggregation of DNA occurred. Subsequently, the AgI‐mediated DNA strands are immobilized on Au surfaces. Their electrochemical properties are monitored using CV, EIS and SECM showing increased overpotentials and charge‐transfer resistances, and decreased the rate constant in the presence of an excess of AgI, respectively. These results are further supported by the XPS and sulfide‐Au reductive desorption measurements.
Efficient Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Purine Ribonucleosides and Ribonucleotides
Authors: Chrominski Mikolaj , Kowalska Joanna , Jemielity Jacek
Published: September 2020

The protocols presented in this article describe highly detailed synthesis of trifluoromethylated purine nucleotides and nucleosides (G and A). The procedure involves trifluoromethylation of properly protected (acetylated) nucleosides, followed by deprotection leading to key CF3‐containing nucleosides. This gives synthetic access to 8‐CF3‐substituted guanosine derivatives and three adenosine derivatives (8‐CF3, 2‐CF3, and 2,8‐diCF3). In further steps, phosphorylation and phosphate elongation (for selected examples) result in respective trifluoromethylated nucleoside mono‐, di‐, and triphosphates. Support protocols are included for compound handling, purification procedures, analytical sample preparation, and analytical techniques used throughout the performance of the basic protocols. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Synthesis of trifluoromethylated guanosine and adenosine derivatives

Basic Protocol 2: Synthesis of trifluoromethylated guanosine and adenosine monophosphates

Basic Protocol 3: Synthesis of phosphorimidazolides of 8‐CF3GMP and 8‐CF3AMP

Basic Protocol 4: Synthesis of trifluoromethylated guanosine and adenosine oligophosphates

Support Protocol 1: TLC sample preparation and analysis

Support Protocol 2: Purification protocol for Basic Protocol 1

Support Protocol 3: HPLC analysis and preparative HPLC

Support Protocol 4: Ion‐exchange chromatography
Phenotypic response of farmer‐selected CWR‐derived rice lines to salt stress in the Mekong Delta
Authors: Tin Huynh Quang , Loi Nguyen Huu , Labarosa Sandy Jan E. , McNally Kenneth L. , McCouch Susan , Kilian Benjamin
Published: September 2020

Breeding for salt tolerance or abiotic stress, in general, requires rapid but reliable screening protocols that reflect the actual field situation as much as possible. A collection of 200 crop wild relative (CWR)‐derived BC3F3‐4 rice (Oryza sativa L.) lines developed at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) were evaluated by farmers in the Mekong Delta over two seasons for agronomic performance. Fifty stable BC3F5 lines were selected and subsequently screened in hydroponics using three NaCl concentrations to assess their phenotypic response to salt stress. The lines and check varieties were grown in a salinized Yoshida nutrient solution at three concentrations: 68, 102, and 13 mM NaCl. Several lines were identified to be tolerant to salinity stress and ANOVA showed significant differences among genotypes and NaCl concentrations. Root and shoot growth parameters showed an inverse relationship with increasing NaCl concentration. Population genetic analysis suggested four groups of genotypes, where the median salt injury score across the three NaCl concentrations was identified as the main clustering factor. Lines from Cluster 3 were identified as the most promising donors of salt tolerance.
Multioperative reversible gate design with implementation of 1‐bit full adder and subtractor along with energy dissipation analysis
Authors: Riyaz Sadat , Naz Syed Farah , Sharma Vijay Kumar
Published: September 2020

Nanotechnology and very large‐scale integration (VLSI) fabrication have a reflective productivity. The growth of one demands the growth of the other. In nanotechnology, quantum‐dot cellular automata (QCA) secures as the best alternative for replacement of complementary metal‐oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology for integrated circuit (IC) fabrication. This paper presents an integration of the two domains wherein a novel ultraefficient, multioperative 3 × 3 universal reversible gate, Sadat Farah Vijay (SFV)‐QCA, is proposed and implemented in QCA technology using majority voter approach. SFV‐QCA gate is redesigned and restructured using precise QCA cell interaction for optimization. The basic logic gates are implemented using the proposed SFV‐QCA gate to validate its universality. All the 13 standard Boolean functions are implemented using SFV‐QCA to demonstrate its multioperation nature. One‐bit full adder and subtractor circuits are designed using SFV‐QCA gate and compared with the previous works. The analysis of the SFV‐QCA gate shows that it is ultraefficient and more robust as compared to previous works. Energy dissipation analysis of the designs has also been presented, and the investigation establishes minimum energy dissipation of the designs that confirms ultrahigh efficient designs.
Chemodiversity and biological activity of essential oils from three species from the Euphorbia genus
Authors: Sinan Kouadio Ibrahime , Etienne Ouattara Katinan , Stefanucci Azzurra , Mollica Adriano , Mahomoodally Mohamad Fawzi , Jugreet Sharmeen , Rocchetti Gabriele , Lucini Luigi , Aktumsek Abdurrahman , Montesano Domenico , Ak Gunes , Zengin Gokhan
Published: September 2020

Several studies demonstrated the wide pharmacological properties of extracts and essential oils (EOs) prepared from Euphorbia species. In the present study, the chemical composition and biological activities of EOs from three different Euphorbia species were evaluated using in vitro methods. A total of 29, 33 and 42 constituents were identified in the EOs of E hirta, E convolvuloides and E heterophylla, respectively. The EOs exhibited in vitro radical scavenging potential in the ABTS assay (2.89‐21.50 mg/g). Additionally, an inhibitory effect on acetylcholinesterase (4.23‐5.12 mg/g) was detected. Besides, remarkable tyrosinase inhibition was reported by the EOs (95.24‐113.74 mg/g). Molecular docking was also performed to elucidate the binding interactions between selected EO components and enzymes. Phytol and geranyl‐(E)‐acetone had a good binding with tyrosinase in the molecular docking. This study highlighted the promising pharmacological profiles of these EOs as natural sources of antioxidants as well as cholinesterase and tyrosinase inhibitors that could be further explored in the management of human ailments in food and pharmaceutical industries.
Evaluation of temporal consistency of snow depth drivers of a Rocky Mountain watershed in southern Alberta
Authors: Cartwright Kelsey , Hopkinson Chris , Kienzle Stefan , Rood Stewart B.
Published: September 2020

Collecting spatially representative data over large areas is a challenge within snow monitoring frameworks. Identifying consistent trends in snow accumulation properties enables increased sampling efficiency by minimizing field collection time and/or remote sensing costs. Seasonal snowpack depth estimations during mid‐winter and melt onset conditions were derived from airborne Lidar over the West Castle Watershed in the southern Canadian Rockies on three dates. Each dataset was divided into five sets of snow depth driver classes: elevation, aspect, topographic position index, canopy cover and slope. Datasets were quality controlled by eliminating snow depth values above the 99th percentile value, which had a negligible effect on average snow depths. Consistent trends were observed among driver classes with peak snow accumulation occurring within the treeline ecotone, north‐facing aspects, open canopies, topographic depressions and areas with low slope angle. Although mid‐winter class trends for each driver were similar and watershed‐scale snow depth distributions were significantly correlated (0.76, p < .01), depth distributions within the same driver class of the three datasets were not correlated due to recent snowfall events, redistribution and settling processes. Trends in driver classes during late season melt onset were similar to mid‐winter conditions but watershed scale distribution correlation results varied with seasonality (0.68 mid‐winter 2014 and melt onset 2016; 0.65 mid‐winter 2017 and melt onset 2016, p < .1). This is due to the differing stages of accumulation or ablation and the upward migration in the 0°C isotherm during spring, when snow depth can be declining in valley bottoms while still increasing at higher elevations. The observed consistency in depth driver controls can be used to guide future integrated snow monitoring frameworks.
Controversies in Vitamin D: A Statement From the Third International Conference
Authors: Giustina Andrea , Bouillon Roger , Binkley Neil , Sempos Christopher , Adler Robert A , Bollerslev Jens , Dawson‐Hughes Bess , Ebeling Peter R , Feldman David , Heijboer Annemieke , Jones Glenville , Kovacs Christopher S , Lazaretti‐Castro Marise , Lips Paul , Marcocci Claudio , Minisola Salvatore , Napoli Nicola , Rizzoli Rene , Scragg Robert , White John H , Formenti Anna Maria , Bilezikian John P
Published: September 2020

The Third International Conference on Controversies in Vitamin D was held in Gubbio, Italy, September 10–13, 2019. The conference was held as a follow‐up to previous meetings held in 2017 and 2018 to address topics of controversy in vitamin D research. The specific topics were selected by the steering committee of the conference and based upon areas that remain controversial from the preceding conferences. Other topics were selected anew that reflect specific topics that have surfaced since the last international conference. Consensus was achieved after formal presentations and open discussions among experts. As will be detailed in this article, consensus was achieved with regard to the following: the importance and prevalence of nutritional rickets, amounts of vitamin D that are typically generated by sun exposure, worldwide prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, the importance of circulating concentrations of 25OHD as the best index of vitamin D stores, definitions and thresholds of vitamin D deficiency, and efficacy of vitamin D analogues in the treatment of psoriasis. Areas of uncertainly and controversy include the following: daily doses of vitamin D needed to maintain a normal level of 25OHD in the general population, recommendations for supplementation in patients with metabolic bone diseases, cutaneous production of vitamin D by UVB exposure, hepatic regulation of 25OHD metabolites, definition of vitamin D excess, vitamin D deficiency in acute illness, vitamin D requirements during reproduction, potential for a broad spectrum of cellular and organ activities under the influence of the vitamin D receptor, and potential links between vitamin D and major human diseases. With specific regard to the latter area, the proceedings of the conference led to recommendations for areas in need of further investigation through appropriately designed intervention trials. © 2020 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Simultaneous sitting and sizing photovoltaic unit and distribution static compensator in distribution grid considering the effect of geographical conditions
Authors: Shalchi F. , Mozafari B. , Firouz M. Hosseini
Published: September 2020

This paper proposes a model to allocate photovoltaic unit (PVU) and distribution static compensator (DSTATCOM) that incorporate the operation effect of PVU in sizing and sitting problem. The model is based on the dynamic assessment of PVU production and the effect of it on placement of PVU and DSTATCOM. Geographical conditions are interfered in placement problem of PVU and DSTATCOM simultaneously. The model is verified in a multi‐objective form. The multi‐objective problem is formulated based on voltage stability, liability, power loss and total cost of PVU and DSTATCOM. This problem is solved by employing optimization technique and the results of optimization processes are tested in different scenarios. Uncertainty in network loads is an inevitable task that should be considered in network planning. Uncertainty in the presented model has been defined as a set of divided parts in the presented model. The proposed model has been evaluated on two test system, 33‐bus and 69‐bus. The obtained results indicate that the presented model can be employed to study the intermittent behavior of PVU in placement problem.
Uncertainty evaluation of Climatol's adjustment algorithm applied to daily air temperature time series
Authors: Skrynyk Oleg , Aguilar Enric , Guijarro Jose , Randriamarolaza Luc Yannick Andreas , Bubin Sergiy
Published: September 2020

The present study investigated the uncertainty associated with Climatol's adjustment algorithm applied to daily minimum and maximum air temperature. The uncertainty quantification was performed based on several numerical experiments and the benchmark data that were created in the framework of the INDECIS project. Using a complex approach, the uncertainty was evaluated at different levels of detail (day‐to‐day evaluation through formalism of random functions and six statistical metrics) and time resolution (daily and yearly). However, only the main source of potential residual errors was considered, namely station signals introduced into a raw data set to be homogenized/adjusted. Other influencing factors, such as the averaged correlation between a candidate and references, were removed from the analysis or kept almost unchanged. According to our calculations, the Climatol's adjustment uncertainty, evaluated on the daily scale, varies over time. The width of the residual errors distribution in summer months is substantially less compared with wintertime. The slight seasonality is also observed in the means of the residual errors. The uncertainty evaluation based on the statistical metrics usually neglect such seasonal non‐stationarity of the residual errors providing only assessments averaged over time. On the other hand, the metrics provide detailed information regarding both types of the residual errors, systematic and scatter. The metrics values confirmed good capability of the Climatol software to remove the systematic errors related to jumps in the means, while the scatter errors are removed from the raw time series less efficiently. On the yearly scale, the uncertainty evaluation was performed for the yearly temperature data and several climate extreme indices. Both types of errors are removed well in the yearly time series of the air temperature and the extreme indices. The metrics values showed a significant reduction of the Climatol's adjustment uncertainty. A substantial decrease of the linear trend errors in the yearly time series can also be observed.
Do Postoperative Oral Corticosteroids Improve Results After Sialendoscopy for Ductal Stenosis?
Authors: de Paiva Leite Sandro Henrique , Morton Randall P. , Ahmad Zahoor , Marchal Francis
Published: September 2020

Objectives

This study aims to review the effects of short‐ and long‐term oral administration of postoperative corticosteroids in patients undergoing sialendoscopy for the treatment of obstructive sialadenitis due to ductal stenosis.

Study Design

Prospective comparative study.

Methods

A prospective observational study was conducted at Manukau Surgical Center in Auckland, New Zealand, where patients undergoing sialendoscopic surgery for recurrent obstructive sialadenitis due to ductal stenoses were reviewed. Univariable and multivariable analysis, and also logistic regression were performed to identify variables correlated with the likelihood of the need for revision surgery for persistent or recurrent symptoms.

Results

In this study, sialendoscopy was performed in 142 patients: 162 parotid glands (86.6%) and 25 submandibular glands (13.4%). Postoperative oral steroids were prescribed for 48 patients (34%); 19 (13%) were prescribed for less than 7 days and 29 (20%) for more than 7 days. In total, 33 patients (23.2%) required a revision sialendoscopy during follow‐up due to recurrence of symptoms. Oral steroids prescribed for more than 7 days after a sialendoscopy reduced the likelihood of a revision procedure by 93% when compared with patients who did not receive this medication, and by 96% when compared with patients who received steroids for less than 7 days.

Conclusion

The results showed that in our population oral administration of corticosteroids for more than 7 days after sialendoscopy for the treatment of recurrent obstructive sialadenitis due to ductal stenosis markedly reduced the need for later revision surgery. Routine use of corticosteroids for more than 7 days is recommended after sialendoscopy in patients with ductal stenosis.

Level of Evidence

II Laryngoscope, 131:E1503–E1509, 2021
Fluorinated Polymers via Para‐Fluoro‐Thiol and Thiol‐Bromo Click Step Growth Polymerization
Authors: Zhao Tieshuai , Beyer Valentin P. , Becer Caglar Remzi
Published: September 2020

Click reactions are utilized widely to modify chain ends and side groups of polymers while click polymerizations based on step‐growth polymerization of bifunctional monomers have recently attracted increased attention of polymer chemists. Herein, the combination of two highly efficient click reactions, namely para‐fluoro‐thiol click and thiol‐bromo substitution reactions, is demonstrated to form fluorinated polymers with tuned hydrophobicity owing to the nature of the dithiol linker compound. The key compound in this study is 2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluoro benzyl bromide that provides the combination of thiol click reactions. The thiols used here are 4,4‐thiobisbenzenthiol, 2,2'‐(ethylenedioxy) diethanethiol, and 1,2‐ethanedithiol that allow tuning of the properties of obtained polymers. The step‐growth click reaction conditions are optimized by screening the effect of reaction temperature, base, solvent, and stochiometric ratio of the compounds. Thermal properties and hydrophobicity of synthesized polymers are determined via water contact angle, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry measurements, showing thermal stability up to 300 °C, glass transition temperatures ranging from −25 to 82 °C and water contact angles ranging from 55 to 90 °C.
Accelerating T2mapping of the brain by integrating deep learning priors with low‐rank and sparse modeling
Authors: Meng Ziyu , Guo Rong , Li Yudu , Guan Yue , Wang Tianyao , Zhao Yibo , Sutton Brad , Li Yao , Liang Zhi‐Pei
Published: September 2020

Purpose

To accelerate T2mapping with highly sparse sampling by integrating deep learning image priors with low‐rank and sparse modeling.

Methods

The proposed method achieves high‐speed T2mapping by highly sparsely sampling (k, TE)‐space. Image reconstruction from the undersampled data was done by exploiting the low‐rank structure and sparsity in the T2‐weighted image sequence and image priors learned from training data. The image priors for a single TE were generated from the public Human Connectome Project data using a tissue‐based deep learning method; the image priors were then transferred to other TEs using a generalized series‐based method. With these image priors, the proposed reconstruction method used a low‐rank model and a sparse model to capture subject‐dependent novel features.

Results

The proposed method was evaluated using experimental data obtained from both healthy subjects and tumor patients using a turbo spin‐echo sequence. High‐quality T2maps at the resolution of 0.9 × 0.9 × 3.0 mm3were obtained successfully from highly undersampled data with an acceleration factor of 8. Compared with the existing compressed sensing–based methods, the proposed method produced significantly reduced reconstruction errors. Compared with the deep learning–based methods, the proposed method recovered novel features better.

Conclusion

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of learning T2‐weighted image priors for multiple TEs using tissue‐based deep learning and generalized series‐based learning. A new method was proposed to effectively integrate these image priors with low‐rank and sparse modeling to reconstruct high‐quality images from highly undersampled data. The proposed method will supplement other acquisition‐based methods to achieve high‐speed T2mapping.
Current challenges facing pediatric radiation oncology viewed through an economics lens
Authors: Halperin Edward C.
Published: September 2020

This commentary addresses two problems facing pediatric radiation oncology: workforce education and the cost of technology. The tools of economics can help us understand these problems.

Because cancer in children is relatively infrequent and the role of pediatric radiotherapy (RT) is limited, there are a small number of cases of children requiring RT in the US compared to the number of radiation oncology trainees. This creates a paucity of necessary clinical training material.

Proton RT, rather than photon RT, is being recommended in many situations when RT is indicated in children. Cost, however, is a significant concern. The arguments for and against proton RT continue and a consensus on this matter has not emerged.
Selecting for useful properties of plants and fungi – Novel approaches, opportunities, and challenges
Authors: Kersey Paul J. , Collemare Jerome , Cockel Christopher , Das Dibakar , Dulloo Ehsan M. , Kelly Laura J. , Lettice Eoin , Malécot Valery , Maxted Nigel , Metheringham Carey , Thormann Imke , Leitch Ilia J.
Published: September 2020

Societal Impact Statement

For millennia, humans have used plants and fungi, as foods, fuels, fibers, and medicines; and have developed techniques for improving their usefulness to our species, mostly through selection of desirable traits. With human populations forecast to rise, the availability of arable land likely to fall amid climate change and increasing urbanization, and modern communications technologies accelerating the dispersal of pathogens, further improvement is urgently needed. However, ensuring long‐term resilience involves conservation of existing genetic diversity in addition to selection. New technologies, particularly those based on molecular biology, are increasingly driving conservation and improvement strategies.

Humans use plants and fungi for a wide range of purposes and, over millennia, have improved wild species by selecting for and combining genetic variation. Improvements in DNA sequencing technologies have enhanced our capacity to identify and manipulate genetic diversity, increasing the range of variation that can be utilized, and accelerating the breeding cycle to reduce the time taken to develop and put new varieties to use. Most recently, the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology has greatly increased our capacity to directly introduce novel genetic variants without unwanted associated material. Moreover, increased knowledge of metabolic pathways resulting from genomic analysis can be used to design new varieties with desired properties with increased precision. Selecting for, or engineering, desirable variants has increased the usefulness of plants and fungi to humans, but at the cost of reducing their genetic diversity, decreasing their resilience and reducing the stock of variation available for future use. Conservation of genetic biodiversity is thus an essential counterpart of crop improvement and is essential to ensure that crop species retain resilience to emerging threats. Conservation efforts are focused on orphan crops, wild relatives of crop species, and landraces; in and exsitu efforts are complementary. Informatic approaches can inform use of these materials in breeding programmes even in the absence of genomic information. The application of some of these approaches may be restricted by ethical, legal, or organizational obstacles. If these can be overcome, there is great potential to unlock previously untapped reservoirs of biodiversity for human benefit.
New scientific discoveries: Plants and fungi
Authors: Cheek Martin , Nic Lughadha Eimear , Kirk Paul , Lindon Heather , Carretero Julia , Looney Brian , Douglas Brian , Haelewaters Danny , Gaya Ester , Llewellyn Theo , Ainsworth A. Martyn , Gafforov Yusufjon , Hyde Kevin , Crous Pedro , Hughes Mark , Walker Barnaby E. , Campostrini Forzza Rafaela , Wong Khoon Meng , Niskanen Tuula
Published: September 2020

Societal Impact Statement

Research and publication of the planet's remaining plant and fungal species as yet unknown to science is essential if we are to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 “Life on Land” which includes the protection of terrestrial ecosystems and halting of biodiversity loss. If species are not known to science, they cannot be assessed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and so the possibility to protect them from extinction is reduced. Furthermore, until species are known to science they cannot be fully scientifically evaluated for their potential as new foods, medicines, and products which would help address SDGs 1,2,3, and 8.

Scientific discovery, including naming new taxa, is important because without a scientific name, a species is invisible to science and the possibilities of researching its ecology, applications and threats, and conserving it, are greatly reduced. We review new scientific discoveries in the plant and fungal kingdoms, based largely on new names of taxa published in 2019 and indexed in the International Plant Names Index and Index Fungorum. Numbers of new species in both kingdoms were similar with 1942 new species of plant published and 1882 species of fungi. However, while >50% of plant species have likely been discovered, >90% of fungi remain unknown. This gulf likely explains the greater number of higher order taxa for fungi published in 2019: three classes, 18 orders, 48 families and 214 genera versus one new family and 87 new genera for plants. We compare the kingdoms in terms of rates of scientific discovery, globally and in different taxonomic groups and geographic areas, and with regard to the use of DNA in discovery. We review species new to science, especially those of interest to humanity as new products, and also by life‐form. We consider where future such discoveries can be expected. We recommend an urgent increase in investment in scientific discovery of plant and fungal species, while they still survive. Priorities include more investment in training taxonomists, in building and equipping collections‐based research centers for them, especially in species‐rich, income‐poor countries where the bulk of species as yet unknown to science are thought to occur.
International collaboration between collections‐based institutes for halting biodiversity loss and unlocking the useful properties of plants and fungi
Authors: Pearce Timothy R. , Antonelli Alexandre , Brearley Francis Q. , Couch Charlotte , Campostrini Forzza Rafaela , Gonçalves Susana C. , Magassouba Sékou , Morim Marli P. , Mueller Gregory M. , Nic Lughadha Eimear , Obreza Matija , Sharrock Suzanne , Simmonds Monique S. J. , Tambam Beri Bonglim , Utteridge Timothy M. A. , Breman Elinor
Published: September 2020

Societal Impact Statement

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 calls for “strong global partnerships and cooperation” to support the other SDGs. The collections‐based science community offers many examples of conservation of plant and fungal biodiversity, sharing, repatriation and aggregation of data, access to new technologies, supply of plant and fungal material, strengthening capacity of practitioners, and benefit sharing with the providers of biodiversity and genetic resources. Collaboration framed by workable multilateral treaties will increase our understanding of plant and fungal diversity, help halt biodiversity loss, and accelerate our sustainable use of plants and fungi and the exploration of their useful traits.

Collections‐based institutes are at the forefront of generating knowledge and understanding of plant and fungal biodiversity. Through the analysis of occurrence data, the use of modern technologies to better understand the evolutionary relationships between species and documentation of their useful properties, the work of collections‐based institutes provides good models for conservation; addressing species loss and improving sustainable use of plants and fungi. Nevertheless, the pressure on the planet's plant and fungal diversity is relentless. We argue that a massive increase in the accessibility of preserved and living collections of plants and fungi is required. An increased scale of responsible exploration to both conserve and unlock the useful properties of plants and fungi is needed to deliver solutions to the many global challenges facing humanity and the planet. This article explores the role of collaborations between collections‐based institutes and their partners in preventing biodiversity loss and delivering sustainable development. Drawing on examples from herbaria, agricultural and wild species genebanks, mycological collections, an international NGO, and the botanic garden community, we demonstrate how collaboration improves efficiency and impact. Collaborations can be peer to peer, institutional, governmental, national, or international, they may involve work with local communities and are frequently a combination of these. We suggest the five key benefits to collaboration and show that with trust, understanding, and mutual respect, powerful and sustainable partnerships develop. Such trust and respect are hard won, but once established, sustain a high level of commitment, enable development of shared long‐term visions of success, and attract diverse funding streams.
A comparison of the associations between alexithymia and both non‐suicidal self‐injury and risky drinking: The roles of explicit outcome expectancies and refusal self‐efficacy
Authors: Greene Danyelle , Hasking Penelope , Boyes Mark
Published: September 2020

Both non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) and risky drinking are positively associated with alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties appraising feelings and an externally orientated thinking style. Although researchers have studied the associations between alexithymia and both NSSI and risky drinking, the underlying factors of both associations are rarely compared. Using path analysis, we compared the mediating effects of behaviour‐specific outcome expectancies and self‐efficacy beliefs on the associations between alexithymia and both NSSI and risky drinking. A sample of 627 university students (76.10% female, Mage = 20.75, SD = 1.88) completed a battery of questionnaires. Alexithymia exhibited indirect effects on NSSI via affect regulation expectancies, pain expectancies, communication expectancies, and low self‐efficacy to resist NSSI. Alexithymia exhibited indirect effects on risky drinking via expectations of increased confidence and negative consequences. However, the indirect effects differed depending on the valance of the emotion the individual had difficulties appraising. Our findings indicate that the underlying factors in the associations between alexithymia and both NSSI and risky drinking could differ. Where individuals who have difficulties appraising negative emotions may engage in NSSI to help regulate negative feelings, they may consume alcohol to gain more confidence in expressing their feelings. Clinical implications are discussed.
From necessity to opportunity: Scaling bricolage across resource‐constrained environments
Authors: Busch Christian , Barkema Harry
Published: September 2020

Research summary

Enterprises in low‐resource contexts often rely on bricolage (i.e., making do by applying resources at hand to new problems). However, bricolage has traditionally been regarded as a way to temporarily get by, potentially constraining growth if continued over time. This has been explained by factors such as limited development of learning competencies. Surprisingly, we encountered a social organization appearing to use bricolage to scale extensively into a variety of locations. This puzzling observation prompted our research question: Can bricolage be scaled, and if so, how and why? We embarked on a process study of this organization, leading to a novel conceptual model of scaling bricolage: as a low‐cost replication process of heuristics, enabling fit with a diversity of local environments, as well as cross‐unit learning.

Managerial summary

How do organizations emerge, survive, and scale in resource‐scarce environments? Traditional scaling models tend to rely on considerable financial resources and companies often struggle to adjust to diverse contexts. In contrast, we identified and studied an organization in Sub‐Saharan Africa that we argue used simple rules to scale bricolage—making the best out of what is at hand—successfully in diverse low‐resource contexts. Our paper provides a novel conceptual model of scaling bricolage: a low‐cost replication process of heuristics, enabling fit with a diversity of local environments, as well as cross‐unit innovation and learning.
Genome‐wide association analysis of natural variation in seed tocochromanols of barley
Authors: Mahalingam Ramamurthy , Sallam Ahmad H. , Steffenson Brian J. , Fiedler Jason D. , Walling Jason G.
Published: September 2020

Tocochromanols (tocols for short), commonly called Vitamin E, are lipid‐soluble plant antioxidants vital for regulating lipid peroxidation in chloroplasts and seeds. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seeds contain all eight different isoforms of tocols; however, the extent of natural variation in their composition and their underlying genetic basis is not known. Tocol levels in barley seeds were quantified in diverse H. vulgare panels comprising 297 wild lines from a diversity panel and 160 cultivated spring‐type accessions from the mini‐core panel representing the genetic diversity of the USDA barley germplasm collection. Significant differences were observed in the concentration of tocols between the two panels. To identify the genes associated with tocols, genome‐wide association analysis was conducted with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from Illumina arrays for the mini‐core panel and genotyping‐by‐sequencing for the wild barley panel. Forty unique SNPs in the wild barley and 27 SNPs in the mini‐core panel were significantly associated with various tocols. Marker–trait associations (MTAs) were identified on chromosomes 1, 6, and 7 for key genes in the tocol biosynthesis pathway, which have also been reported in other studies. Several novel MTAs were identified on chromosomes 2, 3, 4 and 5 and were found to be in proximity to genes involved in the generation of precursor metabolites required for tocol biosynthesis. This study provides a valuable resource for barley breeding programs targeting specific isoforms of seed tocols and for investigating the physiological roles of these metabolites in seed longevity, dormancy, and germination.
An empirical soil water retention model based on probability laws for pore‐size distribution
Authors: Zheng Wenjuan , Shen Chongyang , Wang Lian‐Ping , Jin Yan
Published: September 2020

Knowledge of the soil water retention curve (SWRC) is critical to mathematical modeling of soil water dynamics in the vadose zone. Traditional SWRC models were developed based on bundles of cylindrical capillaries (BCCs) using a residual water content, which fail to accurately describe the dry end of the curve. This study improved and expanded on the traditional BCC models. Specifically, the total water retention was treated as a weighed superposition of capillary and adsorptive components. We proposed a mathematical continuous expression for water retention from saturation to oven dryness, which also allowed for a partition of capillary and adsorptive retention. We further evaluated six capillary retention functions using different probability laws for pore‐size distribution—namely, the log‐logistic, Weibull, lognormal, two‐parameter van Genuchten (VG), three‐parameter VG (or Dagum), and Fredlund–Xing (FX) distributions. Model testing against 144 experimental data showed better agreement of the proposed model with experimental observations than the traditional approaches that use the residual water content. The Dagum and FX distributions, which have one more degree of freedom, provided better agreement with experimental data than the other four distributions. The log‐logistic and lognormal distributions fitted the experimental data better than the Weibull and VG distribution for loam soils. In addition, the fitted weighting factor w using the log‐logistic and lognormal distributions better correlated to soil clay content than the other four distributions. Our study suggests that the log‐logistic and lognormal distributions are more suitable to model soils’ pore‐size distribution than other tested distributions.
A renormalisation group equation for transport coefficients in (2 + 1)-dimensions derived from the AdS/CMT correspondence
Authors: Dolan Brian P.
Published: September 2020

Abstract

Within the framework of the AdS/CMT correspondence asymptotically anti-de Sitter black holes in four space-time dimensions can be used to analyse transport properties in two space dimensions. A non-linear renormalisation group equation for the conductivity in two dimensions is derived in this model and, as an example of its application, both the Ohmic and Hall DC and AC conductivities are studied in the presence of a magnetic field, using a bulk dyonic solution of the Einstein-Maxwell equations in asymptotically AdS4 space-time. The $$ \mathcal{Q} $$
Q
-factor of the cyclotron resonance is shown to decrease as the temperature is increased and increase as the charge density is increased in a fixed magnetic field. Likewise the dissipative Ohmic conductivity at resonance increases as the temperature is decreased and as the charge density is increased. The analysis also involves a discussion of the piezoelectric effect in the context of the AdS/CMT framework.
One-loop running of dimension-six Higgs-neutrino operators and implications of a large neutrino dipole moment
Authors: Chala Mikael , Titov Arsenii
Published: September 2020

Abstract

We compute the one-loop running of the dimension-six CP-even Higgs operators in the Standard Model effective field theory involving the right-handed component of the would-be Dirac neutrinos. Then, on the basis of naturalness arguments, for some operators we obtain bounds that surpass direct constraints by orders of magnitude. We also discuss the implications of a large Dirac neutrino magnetic dipole moment. In particular, we demonstrate that a neutrino magnetic moment explaining the recent XENON1T excess induces Higgs and Z invisible decays with branching ratios in the range [10−18, 10−12]. These numbers are unfortunately beyond the reach of current and near future facilities.