bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Affinity-based polymers provide long-term immunotherapeutic drug delivery across particle size ranges optimal for macrophage targeting
Authors: Rohner Nathan A. , Purdue Linda , von Recum Horst A.
Published: October 2019

Long term drug delivery to specific arms of the immune system can be technically challenging to provide limited off-target toxicity as well as prolonged delivery and specific cellular targeting given the limits of current drug delivery systems. In this work, we demonstrate the robustness of a cyclodextrin (CD) polymer platform that can extend immunomodulatory drug delivery via affinity interactions to promote long-term, sustained release at multiple size scales. The parameter space of synthesis variables (pre-incubation and stirring speed) and post-synthesis grinding effects on resulting particle diameter were characterized. We demonstrate that polymerized CD forms exhibit size-independent release profiles of the small molecule drug lenalidomide (LND) and can provide similar drug delivery profiles as macro-scale CD polymer disks. CD polymer microparticles and nanoparticles demonstrated no significant cytotoxicity as compared to the base CD macromonomer when co-incubated with fibroblasts. Uptake of ground CD nanoparticles was significantly higher following incubation with RAW 264.7 macrophages in culture over originally synthesized, larger CD microparticles. Thus, the affinity/structure properties afforded by polymerized CD allow particle size to be modified to affect cellular uptake profiles independently of drug release rate for applications in cell-targeted drug delivery.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa lasRmutant fitness in microoxia is supported by an Anr-regulated oxygen-binding hemerythrin
Authors: Clay Michelle E. , Hammond John H. , Zhong Fangfang , Chen Xiaolei , Kowalski Caitlin H. , Lee Alexandra J. , Porter Monique S. , Greene Casey S. , Pletneva Ekaterina V. , Hogan Deborah A.
Published: October 2019

Pseudomonas aeruginosastrains with loss-of-function mutations in the transcription factor are frequently encountered in the clinic and the environment. Among the characteristics common to LasR-defective (LasR-) strains is increased activity of the transcription factor Anr, relative to their LasR+ counterparts, in low oxygen conditions. One of the Anr-regulated genes that was highly induced in the LasR-strains encoded a putative oxygen-binding hemerythrin encoded byPA14_42860(PA1673) which we namedmhrfor microoxic hemerythrin. PurifiedP. aeruginosaMhr protein contained the predicted di-iron center and binds oxygen with aKdof 1 µM. Both Anr and Mhr were necessary for fitness inlasR+ andlasRmutant strains in colony biofilms grown in microoxic conditions, and the effects were more striking in thelasRmutant. Among genes in the Anr regulon,mhrwas most closely co-regulated with the Anr-controlled high affinity cytochromecoxidase genes and in the absence of high affinity cytochromecoxidase activity, deletion ofmhrno longer caused a fitness disadvantage suggesting that Mhr works in concert with microoxic respiration. We demonstrate that Anr and Mhr contribute to LasR-strain fitness even in the normoxic biofilm conditions, and metabolomics data indicate that in alasRmutant, expression of Anr-regulatedmhrleads to differences in metabolism in cells grown on LB and artificial sputum medium. Together these data indicate that increased Anr activity in microoxically-grownlasRmutants confers an advantage in part for its regulation of the O2binding protein Mhr.

Significance

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a versatile bacterium that both lives in environmental habitats and causes life-threatening opportunistic infections, uses quorum sensing to coordinate gene expression with cell density. ThelasRgene, which encodes a quorum sensing regulator, is often deleteriously mutated in clinical isolates. Interestingly, LasR-strains have high activity of the oxygen-sensitive transcription factor Anr in microoxic conditions. This report identifies and characterizes an Anr-regulated microoxic hemerythrin that reversibly binds oxygen. We showed bothanrandmhrare critical to fitness in microoxia, and these genes uniquely benefit LasR-strains in normoxia. Our findings enrich our understanding of the success ofP. aeruginosaas a pulmonary resident through its propensity to lose LasR functionality in the context of low-oxygen infection environments.
A Consensus Proteomic Analysis of Alzheimer’s Disease Brain and Cerebrospinal Fluid Reveals Early Changes in Energy Metabolism Associated with Microglia and Astrocyte Activation
Authors: Johnson Erik C.B. , Dammer Eric B. , Duong Duc M. , Ping Lingyan , Zhou Maotian , Yin Luming , Higginbotham Lenora A. , Guajardo Andrew , White Bartholomew , Troncoso Juan C. , Thambisetty Madhav , Montine Thomas J. , Lee Edward B. , Trojanowski John Q. , Beach Thomas G. , Reiman Eric M. , Haroutunian Vahram , Wang Minghui , Schadt Eric , Zhang Bin , Dickson Dennis W. , Ertekin-Taner Nilufer , Golde Todd E. , Petyuk Vladislav A. , De Jager Philip L. , Bennett David A. , Wingo Thomas S. , Rangaraju Srikant , Hajjar Ihab , Shulman Joshua M. , Lah James J. , Levey Allan I. , Seyfried Nicholas T.
Published: October 2019

Our understanding of the biological changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology and cognitive impairment remains incomplete. To increase our understanding of these changes, we analyzed dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of control, asymptomatic AD, and AD brains from four different centers by label-free quantitative mass spectrometry and weighted protein co-expression analysis to obtain a consensus protein co-expression network of AD brain. This network consisted of 13 protein co-expression modules. Six of these modules correlated with amyloid-β plaque burden, tau neurofibrillary tangle burden, cognitive function, and clinical functional status, and were altered in asymptomatic AD, AD, or in both disease states. These six modules reflected synaptic, mitochondrial, sugar metabolism, extracellular matrix, cytoskeletal, and RNA binding/splicing biological functions. The identified protein network modules were preserved in a community-based cohort analyzed by a different quantitative mass spectrometry approach. They were also preserved in temporal lobe and precuneus brain regions. Some of the modules were influenced by aging, and showed changes in other neurodegenerative diseases such as frontotemporal dementia and corticobasal degeneration. The module most strongly associated with AD pathology and cognitive impairment was the sugar metabolism module. This module was enriched in AD genetic risk factors, and was also highly enriched in microglia and astrocyte protein markers associated with an anti-inflammatory state, suggesting that the biological functions it represents serve a protective role in AD. Proteins from the sugar metabolism module were increased in cerebrospinal fluid from asymptomatic AD and AD cases, highlighting their potential as biomarkers of the altered brain network. In this study of >2000 brains and nearly 400 cerebrospinal fluid samples by quantitative proteomics, we identify proteins and biological processes in AD brain that may serve as therapeutic targets and fluid biomarkers for the disease.
Novel two-stage processes for optimal chemical production in microbes
Authors: Raj Kaushik , Venayak Naveen , Mahadevan Radhakrishnan
Published: October 2019

Microbial metabolism can be harnessed to produce a broad range of industrially important chemicals. Often, three key process variables: Titer, Rate and Yield (TRY) are the target of metabolic engineering efforts to improve microbial hosts toward industrial production. Previous research into improving the TRY metrics have examined the efficacy of having distinct growth and production stages to achieve enhanced productivity. However, these studies assumed a switch from a maximum growth to a maximum production phenotype. Hence, phenotypes with intermediate growth and chemical production for the growth and production stages of two-stage processes are yet to be explored. The impact of reduced growth rates on substrate uptake adds to the need for intelligent choice of operating points while designing two-stage processes. In this work, we develop a computational framework that scans the phenotypic space of microbial metabolism to identify ideal growth and production phenotypic targets, to achieve optimal TRY targets. Using this framework, with Escherichia coli as a model organism, we compare two-stage processes that use dynamic pathway regulation, with one-stage processes that use static intervention strategies, for different bioprocess objectives. Our results indicate that two-stage processes with intermediate growth during the production stage always result in optimal TRY values even in cases where substrate uptake is limited due to reduced growth during chemical production. By analyzing the flux distributions for the production enhancing strategies, we identify key reactions and reaction subsystems that require perturbation to achieve a production phenotype for a wide range of metabolites in E. coli. Interestingly, flux perturbations that increase phosphoenolpyruvate and NADPH availability are enriched among these production phenotypes. Furthermore, reactions in the pentose phosphate pathway emerge as key control nodes that function together to increase the availability of precursors to most products in E. coli. The inherently modular nature of microbial metabolism results in common reactions and reaction subsystems that need to be regulated to modify microbes from their target of growth to the production of a diverse range of metabolites. Due to the presence of these common patterns in the flux perturbations, we propose the possibility of a universal production strain.
Potential function of CbuSPL and gene encoding its interacting protein during flowering in Catalpa bungei
Authors: Wang Zhi , Zhu Tianqing , Fan Erqin , Lu Nan , Ouyang Fangqun , Wang Nan , Yang Guijuan , Kong Lisheng , Qu Guanzheng , Zhang Shougong , Ma Wenjun , Wang Junhui
Published: October 2019

“Bairihua”, a variety of the Catalpa bungei, has a large amount of flowers and a long flowering period which make it an excellent material for flowering researches in trees. SPL is one of the hub genes that regulate both flowering transition and development. Here, a SPL homologues CbuSPL9 was cloned using degenerate primers with RACE. Expression studies during flowering transition in Bairihua and ectopic expression in Arabidopsis showed that CbuSPL9 was functional similarly with its Arabidopsis homologues. In the next step, we used Y2H to identify the proteins that could interact with CbuSPL9. HMGA, an architectural transcriptional factor, was identified and cloned for further research. BiFC and BLI showed that CbuSPL9 could form a heterodimer with CbuHMGA in the nucleus. The expression analysis showed that CbuHMGA had a similar expression trend to that of CbuSPL9 during flowering in “Bairihua”. Intriguingly, ectopic expression of CbuHMGA in Arabidopsis would lead to aberrant flowers, but did not effect flowering time. Taken together, our results implied a novel pathway that ChuSPL9 regulated flowering development, but not flowering transition, with the participation of ChuHMGA. Further investments need to be done to verify the details of this pathway.
Measures of repetition suppression in the Fusiform Face Area are inflated by co-occurring effects of statistically learned visual associations
Authors: Rostalski Sophie-Marie , Amado Catarina , Kovács Gyula , Feuerriegel Daniel
Published: October 2019

Repeated presentation of a stimulus leads to reductions in measures of neural responses. This phenomenon, termed repetition suppression (RS), has recently been conceptualized using models based on predictive coding, which describe RS as due to expectations that are weighted toward recently-seen stimuli. To evaluate these models, researchers have manipulated the likelihood of stimulus repetition within experiments. They have reported findings that are inconsistent across hemodynamic and electrophysiological measures, and difficult to interpret as clear support or refutation of predictive coding models. We instead investigated a different type of expectation effect that is apparent in stimulus repetition experiments: the difference in one’s ability to predict the identity of repeated, compared to unrepeated, stimuli. In previous experiments that presented pairs of repeated or alternating images, once participants had seen the first stimulus image in a pair, they could form specific expectations about the repeated stimulus image. However they could not form such expectations for the alternating image, which was often randomly chosen from a large stimulus set. To assess the contribution of stimulus predictability effects to previously observed RS, we measured BOLD signals while presenting pairs of repeated and alternating faces. This was done in contexts whereby stimuli in alternating trials were either i.) predictable through statistically learned associations between pairs of stimuli or ii.) chosen randomly and therefore unpredictable. We found that RS in the right FFA was much larger in trials with unpredictable compared to predictable alternating faces. This was primarily due to unpredictable alternating stimuli evoking larger BOLD signals than predictable alternating stimuli. We show that imbalances in stimulus predictability across repeated and alternating trials can greatly inflate measures of RS, or even mimic RS effects. Our findings also indicate that stimulus-specific expectations, as described by predictive coding models, may account for a sizeable portion of observed RS effects.
Caliban: Accurate cell tracking and lineage construction in live-cell imaging experiments with deep learning
Authors: Schwartz Morgan Sarah , Moen Erick , Miller Geneva , Dougherty Tom , Borba Enrico , Ding Rachel , Graf William , Pao Edward , Van Valen David
Published: October 2019

While live-cell imaging is a powerful approach to studying the dynamics of cellular systems, converting these imaging data into quantitative, single-cell records of cellular behavior has been a longstanding challenge. Deep learning methods have proven capable of performing cell segmentation—a critical task for analyzing live-cell imaging data—but their performance in cell tracking has been limited by a lack of dynamic datasets with temporally consistent single-cell labels. We bridge this gap through the integrated development of labeling and deep learning methodology. We present a new framework for scalable, human-in-the-loop labeling of live-cell imaging movies, which we use to label a large collection of movies of fluorescently labeled cell nuclei. We use these data to create a new deep-learning-based cell-tracking method that achieves state-of-the-art performance in cell tracking. We have made all of the data, code, and software publicly available with permissive open-source licensing through the DeepCell project’s web portalhttps://deepcell.org.
Imputing missing RNA-seq data from DNA methylation by using transfer learning based neural network
Authors: Zhou Xiang , Chai Hua , Zhao Huiying , Luo Ching-Hsing , Yang Yuedong
Published: October 2019

Background

Gene expression plays a key intermediate role in linking molecular features at DNA level and phenotype. However, due to various limitations in experiments, the RNA-seq data is missing in many samples while there exists high-quality of DNA methylation data. As DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification to regulate gene expression, it can be used to predict RNA-seq data. For this purpose, many methods have been developed. A common limitation of these methods is that they mainly focus on single cancer dataset, and do not fully utilize information from large pan-cancer dataset.

Results

Here, we have developed a novel method to impute missing gene expression data from DNA methylation data through transfer learning-based neural network, namely TDimpute. In the method, the pan-cancer dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was utilized for training a general model, which was then fine-tuned on the specific cancer dataset. By testing on 16 cancer datasets, we found that our method significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in imputation accuracy with 7%-11% increase under different missing rates. The imputed gene expression was further proved to be useful for downstream analyses, including the identification of both methylation-driving and prognosis-related genes, clustering analysis, and survival analysis on the TCGA dataset. More importantly, our method was indicated to be useful for general purpose by the independent test on the Wilms tumor dataset from the Therapeutically Applicable Research To Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) project.

Conclusions

TDimpute is an effective method for RNA-seq imputation with limited training samples.
ROOT PATTERNING AND REGENERATION ARE MEDIATED BY THE QUIESCENT CENTER AND INVOLVE BLUEJAY, JACKDAW AND SCARECROW REGULATION OF VASCULATURE FACTORS
Authors: Sanchez-Corrionero Alvaro , Perez-Garcia Pablo , Cabrera Javier , Silva-Navas Javier , Perianez-Rodriguez Juan , Gude Inmaculada , del Pozo Juan Carlos , Moreno-Risueno Miguel A.
Published: October 2019

Stem cells are central to plant development. During root postembryonic development stem cells generating tissues are patterned in layers around a stem cell organizer or quiescent center (QC). How stem cell lineages are initially patterned is unclear. Here, we describe a role for BLUEJAY (BLJ), JACKDAW (JKD) and SCARECROW (SCR) transcription factors in patterning of cell lineages during growth and in patterning reestablishment during regeneration through regulation of number of QC cells and their regenerative capacities. In blj jkd scr mutants, QC cells are progressively lost which results in loss of tissue layers. Upon laser ablation blj jkd scr is impaired in QC division and specification resulting in severe impairment in pattern regeneration. Beyond direct regulation of QC activity by these transcription factors, reduced levels of SHORT-ROOT (SHR) and of PIN auxin transporters were observed in the vasculature of blj jkd scr, leading to strong reduction in the auxin response in the QC. We narrowed down non-cell-autonomous regulation of vascularly expressed genes in blj jkd scr to C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR 3 (CBF3). cbf3 mutant shows reduced levels of SHR in the vasculature, and in addition QC disorganization and downregulation of the QC regulator WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEODOMAIN 5 (WOX5). CBF3 gene is primarily expressed in the ground tissue downstream of BLJ, JKD and SCR, while CBF3 protein may move. Targeted-expression of CBF3 to the ground tissue of blj jkd scr recovers radial patterning and regeneration. We propose that BLJ, JKD and SCR regulate QC-mediated patterning, and that part of this regulation involves CBF3.
Territory establishment, song learning strategies and survival in song sparrows
Authors: Akçay Çağlar , Campbell S. Elizabeth. , Darling Saethra , Beecher Michael D.
Published: October 2019

In most songbirds the processes of song learning and territory establishment overlap in the early life of young birds who usually winds up with songs matching those of their territorial neighbors in their first breeding season. In the present study, we examined the relationships among the timing of territory establishment, the pattern of song learning and territorial success in a sedentary population of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). Males in this population show high song sharing within neighborhoods derving from their learning most of their songs from neighboring males. These shared songs are preferentially used in interactions with neighbors. Males also show significant variation in the timing of territory establishment, ranging from their first summer until the next spring. Using a three-year dataset, we found that the timing of territory establishment did not systematically affect the composition of the song repertoire of the tutee: early establishers and late establishers learned equally as much from their primary tutors, and had a similar number of tutors and repertoire size. Timing of territory establishment also did not have an effect on subsequent survival on territory. Therefore, the song learning program of song sparrows seems versatile enough to lead to high song sharing even for birds that establish territories relatively late.
Searching for relief: Drosophila melanogaster navigation in a virtual bitter maze
Authors: Meda Nicola , Frighetto Giovanni , Megighian Aram , Zordan Mauro Agostino
Published: October 2019

Animals use pain-relief learning to discern which actions can diminish or abolish noxious stimuli. If relief from pain is provided in a specific location, place learning is the mechanism used to pinpoint that location in space. Little is known about how physiological and non-directly damaging stimuli can alter visual-based searching behaviour in animals. Here we show how the optogenetically-induced activation of bitter-sensing neurons urges Drosophila melanogaster to seek relief from bitter taste stimulation and that this distressful, but ecologically relevant stimulus, innately wired to the threat of intoxication, is sufficient to elicit pain-relief-like behavioural responses. Specifically, freely walking flies inside an open circular arena are trained to seek relief from the unpleasant stimulation by searching for a safe area alternatively positioned in the proximity of a pair of identical, diametrically opposed, visual markers. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, under this paradigm flies develop visual place learning manifested by their seeking relief in the zone associated with bitter relief during the last trial of training, even when exposed to constant bitter stimulation with no relief provided. An important implication is that this form of learning does not lead to operant conditioning generalization. We further propose that kinematic indexes, such as the spatially-specific reduction of locomotor velocity, may provide immediate evidence of relief-based place learning and spatial memory.
Indirect versus Direct Effects of Freshwater Browning on Larval Fish Foraging
Authors: Leech Dina M. , Clift Troy L. , Littlefield Jessica L. , Ravagli Nicholas R. , Spain Jacob E.
Published: October 2019

Fish foraging and energy flow are both predicted to decline with freshwater ‘browning’ due to reductions in light availability. Studies investigating these predictions have focused on juveniles and adults; however, the larval stage represents a ‘critical period’ in fish development. We investigated the indirect versus direct effects of browning on zooplankton-larval fish interactions by altering water color with SuperHume (absorbance at 440 nm = 1.6 – 10.8 m−1). Phytoplankton and zooplankton densities were monitored across experimental tanks in the laboratory for one month leading up to fish spawning. Larval largemouth bass were then introduced to assess indirect effects on fish feeding rates and growth. Direct effects on foraging of largemouth bass and bluegill were determined with separate short-term feeding experiments. Browning did not directly alter the ability of larval fish to capture prey. However, significant indirect effects on larval fish foraging, growth, and survival were observed as phytoplankton and zooplankton decreased with increased browning. Our data suggest lake browning will reduce energy transfer to larval fish due to a reduction in prey availability but not visual foraging.
The Effects of Motor Modularity on Performance, Learning, and Generalizability in Upper-Extremity Reaching: a Computational Analysis
Authors: Borno Mazen Al , Hicks Jennifer L. , Delp Scott L.
Published: October 2019

It has been hypothesized that the central nervous system simplifies the production of movement by limiting motor commands to a small set of modules known as muscle synergies. Recently, investigators have questioned whether a low-dimensional controller can produce the rich and flexible behaviors seen in everyday movements. To study this issue, we implemented muscle synergies in a biomechanically realistic model of the human upper extremity and performed computational experiments to determine whether synergies introduced task performance deficits, facilitated the learning of movements, and generalized to different movements. We derived sets of synergies from the muscle excitations our dynamic optimizations computed for a nominal task (reaching in a plane). Then we compared the performance and learning rates of a controller that activated all muscles independently to controllers that activated the synergies derived from the nominal reaching task. We found that a controller based on synergies had errors within 1 cm of a full-dimensional controller and achieved faster learning rates (as estimated from computational time to converge). The synergy-based controllers could also accomplish new tasks–such as reaching to targets on a higher or lower plane, and starting from alternate initial poses–with average errors similar to a full-dimensional controller.
Combined use of design of experiments and metabolic engineering for optimization of nogalamycin production
Authors: Maki Kayla , Coe Marlon , Brown Katelyn , Tran Jennifer , Sohn Minji , Nybo S. Eric
Published: October 2019

Nogalamycin is an anthracycline antibiotic produced fromStreptomyces nogalaterthat exerts its mechanism of action via inhibition of topoisomerase I. Nogalamycin has a unique tetracyclic structure composed of a 7-O-glycosidically linked L-nogalose sugar and a C2-C5”-linked L-nogalamine residue that forms an epoxyoxacin ring. Nogalamycin was originally developed as an anticancer agent in the 1970s, however, it exhibited dose-limiting cardiotoxicity. Shortly after the discovery of nogalamycin, the semi-synthetic analogue 7-O-methylnogarol, or menogaril, was synthesized and exhibited a mild improvement in cardiotoxicity and anticancer efficacy. Menogaril lacks the 7-O-L-nogalose moiety and functions as a topoisomerase II inhibitor, like most anthracyclines, however this agent still proved too toxic for clinical use. Our laboratory is developing a production platform for microbial synthesis of novel nogalamycin analogs useful for treatment of human cancers or as antibiotics. Our initial hypothesis is that overexpression of structural genes responsible for synthesis of TDP-deoxysugar and polyketide precursor substrates, respectively, will increase carbon flux towards nogalamycin production. In this study, we have employed metabolic engineering to enhance nogalamycin production inStreptomyces nogalater. In this work, we used an optimized soytone glucose production medium to produce nogalamycin. We also overexpressed copies of structural biosynthetic genes to bolster substrate precursor building blocks for nogalamycin production. First, overexpression of the TDP-glucose synthase and TDP-D-glucose-4,6-dehydratase enzymes (mtmDE) resulted in a 50% increase in nogalamycin production (160 mg/L) as compared to wildtypeS. nogalater(100 mg/L). Secondly, overexpression of the minimal polyketide synthase genes (snoa123) resulted in a fourfold production increase in nogalamycin (400 mg/L). This production platform will serve as the fundament for production of nogalamycin analogues for future drug development efforts.
Locating complex eigenvalues for analytical eddy-current models used to detect flaws
Authors: Tytko Grzegorz , Dawidowski Łukasz
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Discrete eigenvalues occur in eddy current problems in which the solution domain was truncated on its edge. In case of conductive material with a hole, the eigenvalues are complex numbers. Their computation consists of finding complex roots of a complex function that satisfies the electromagnetic interface conditions. The purpose of this paper is to present a method of computing complex eigenvalues that are roots of such a function.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed approach involves precise determination of regions in which the roots are found and applying sets of initial points, as well as the Cauchy argument principle to calculate them.

Findings

The elaborated algorithm was implemented in Matlab and the obtained results were verified using Newton’s method and the fsolve procedure. Both in the case of magnetic and nonmagnetic materials, such a solution was the only one that did not skip any of the eigenvalues, obtaining the results in the shortest time.

Originality/value

The paper presents a new effective method of locating complex eigenvalues for analytical solutions of eddy current problems containing a conductive material with a hole.
Bridging the divide
Authors: Holden Matt , Shipway Richard , Lamont Matthew
Published: October 2019

Purpose

In sport tourism, an undeniable recent participation trend is the gravitation of amateur athletes to participatory sport events, particularly cycling sport tourism events. This trend presents numerous policy, applied, and scholarly opportunities and challenges. Contemporary trends are identified to guide future research addressing cycling sport tourism events. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a collaborative initiative between a major global sport event management organisation and established sport tourism scholars. Industry data are drawn upon to identify contemporary sport event participation trends and thus inform a future research agenda.

Findings

This paper draws upon industry data and insights to tease out five emerging trends in the participatory sport event sector which scholars should engage with.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the confidential nature of the company data, there were restrictions in the detail which could be reported.

Practical implications

Increasing growth in premium quality, physically challenging cycling sport tourism events is analysed. A five-pronged future research agenda is proposed to address contemporary sport event management issues around measuring event impacts; strategic management of events; and leveraging globalisation and emerging markets.

Originality/value

Based on trends identified in this paper, theoretical concepts are drawn upon to propose a timely, industry-relevant future research agenda into cycling sport tourism events.
Experimental analysis of Medicare data using hierarchical grouping mechanism
Authors: P. Naga Jyothi , D. Rajya Lakshmi , K.V.S.N. Rama Rao
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Analyzing medicare data is a role undertaken by the government and commercial companies for accepting the appeals and sanctioning the claims of those insured under Medicare. As the data of medicare is robust and made up of heterogeneous typed columns, traditional approaches consist of a laborious and time-consuming process. The understanding and processing of such data sets and finding the role of each attribute for data analysis are tricky tasks which this research will attempt to ease. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a Hierarchical Grouping (HG) with an experimental model to handle the complex data and analysis of the categorical data which consist of heterogeneous typed columns. The HG methodology starts with feature subset selection. HG forms a structure by quantitatively estimating the similarities and forms groups of the features for data. This is carried by applying metrics like decomposition; it splits the dataset and helps to analyze thoroughly under different labels with different selected attributes of Medicare data. The method of fixed regression includes metrics of re-indexing and grouping which works well for multiple keys (multi-index) of categorical data. The final stage of structure is applying multiple aggregation function on each attribute for quantitative computation.

Findings

The data are analyzed quantitatively with the HG mechanism. The results shown in this paper took less computation cost and speed, which are usually incurred on the publicly available data sets.

Practical implications

The motive of this paper is to provide a supportive work for the tasks like outlier detection, prediction, decision making and prescriptive tasks for multi-dimensional data.

Originality/value

It provides a new efficient approach to analyze medicare data sets.
Islamic marketing and consumer behaviour: a systematic literature review
Authors: Floren Jessen , Rasul Tareq , Gani Azmat
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the existing literature on Islamic marketing and its major impacts on consumer behaviours. In addition, this study seeks to shed light on global trends and dynamics beyond Islamic marketing and how Islam, as one of the most prominent religions worldwide, affects the consumption and purchasing choices of Muslim consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review of published peer-reviewed articles on Islamic marketing was conducted. A comprehensive search strategy was applied on different databases, including Google Scholar, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, MUSE and Directory of Open Access Journals, and the retrieved articles were then selected from 14 leading journals published between 2010 and 2018.

Findings

Islam as a religion has been found to impact the ethical beliefs and behaviours of Muslim consumers from different countries, as well as consumers’ choice of services and some taboo products on the basis of Islamic Shariah law. The results show that Islamic marketing has a significant impact on the characteristics of Muslim consumers and therefore affects their key choices about certain products and services.

Research limitations/implications

The studies included in this review are extensively based on peer-reviewed articles published in high-ranked marketing journals (A* and A in the Australian Business Deans Council list), which may be perceived as a limitation in the present study. Another limitation is that this study only took into account peer-reviewed articles written in English.

Practical implications

The important relationship between Islam and the heterogeneous Muslim consumer will have a considerable practical implication for companies that explore the marketing supply capacity in the Islamic world. The authors hereby expect the current review to significantly impact the identification of methodologies for the main trends in the academic analysis of Islamic marketing and Islamic consumer behaviour.

Originality/value

This review provides a strong contribution to Islamic marketing literature by recommending the need to integrate the Islamic practices related to consumer consumption of goods and services in studies focused on consumer behaviour analysis.
Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid: a meta-analysis
Authors: Maslowski Amy K. , LaCaille Rick A. , LaCaille Lara J. , Reich Catherine M. , Klingner Jill
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper, a meta-analysis and systematic review of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), is to focus on studies that reported trainees’ mental health literacy, attitudes and helping-related behaviors, as well as the impact of the program for the people who came into contact with trainees (i.e. recipients).

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic search included several online databases of published studies, dissertations or theses, and journals commonly publishing research in this area. Studies were randomized or non-randomized control trials using an intervention based upon the adult or youth MHFA curriculum.

Findings

Of the 8,257 initial articles, 16 met inclusion criteria. Small-to-moderate effect sizes (Hedges’ g=0.18–0.53) were found for the primary outcomes for the trainees with effects appearing to be maintained at follow-up. Study quality was inversely associated with effect size. No evidence of investigator allegiance was detected. Few studies examined the effects for those who received aid from a MHFA trainee. Preliminary quantitative evidence appeared lacking (Hedges’ g=−0.04 to 0.12); furthermore, a qualitative review found limited positive effects.

Research limitations/implications

MHFA trainees appear to benefit from MHFA; however, objective behavioral changes are in need of greater emphasis. Additionally, considerably greater attention and effort in testing effects on distressed recipients is needed with future empirical investigations.

Originality/value

This is the first known review that includes preliminary findings on the effects of MHFA on the distressed recipients of the aid. It is anticipated that this will prompt further investigation into the impact of MHFA.
Food choice motivations among Ardabil – Iran adults?
Authors: Mohajeri Mahsa , Hoojeghani Shiva , Izadi Azimeh , Ghahremanzadeh Mohammad , Pourfarzi Farhad , Nemati Ali , Barzegar Ali
Published: October 2019

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the food choice motivations and some healthy food intake among Ardabil adults with different socioeconomic status.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is based on a focus group study conducted in September 2018. Self-assessed other food choice motivations, healthy food intake and socioeconomic status were reported in questionnaires. The study data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA test and χ2 test in groups of study.

Findings

Price was a primary motivation of food choice for low-level socioeconomic status persons. The wealthiest people total vegetable consumption was 3.59Â ± 0.004 serving/day, whereas the total vegetable consumption of poorest participants was significantly less than them (p = 0.012). Of the socioeconomics category 1 (SEC1) group participants, 82 per cent said that they consider food price when they were purchasing for their households, while only 28 per cent of SEC4 group said that they consider food prices when food choosing. Only 1 per cent of this group participants pay attention to food label when they choose foods.

Originality/value

This is the first study that investigated the food choice motivations in Ardabil adults. The results indicated that food price is the most critical food choice motivation. Based on this study results, the food policymaker can change people food security and food choices with some programs like as healthy food subsidies and unhealthy food taxes.
Dietary total antioxidant capacity and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder susceptibility
Authors: Rezaeimanesh Nasim , Razeghi Jahromi Soodeh , Naser Moghadasi Abdorreza , Rafiee Pegah , Ghorbani Zeinab , Beladi Moghadam Nahid , Hekmatdoost Azita , Sahraian Mohammad Ali
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) is a rare disease with unknown risk factors. The role of oxidative stress and nutritional factors is imprecise in NMOSD development. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the effects of dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) on the odds of NMOSD.

Design/methodology/approach

Dietary TAC was determined in 70 definite NMOSD cases and 164 healthy controls in term of Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method. A validated 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used for dietary assessment. Three multivariate regression models were applied to analyze the odds of NMOSD across the TAC quartiles.

Findings

A significant inverse association was found between dietary TAC and odds of being assigned to the NMOSD group in all three regression models. In the fully adjusted model ORs (95% CI) in the second, third and fourth quartiles of TAC vs the first quartile were as follows: 0.11 (0.04-0.29), 0.05 (0.01-0.16) and 0.01 (0.00-0.05), respectively. Odds of NMOSD also indicated a significant decreasing trend across the quartiles of dietary TAC (p-trend: <0.01). Total energy (p < 0.01) as well as consumption of vegetables (p < 0.01), whole grains (p < 0.01), tea and coffee (p < 0.01), legumes (p < 0.01) and poultry (p < 0.01) significantly increased through the TAC quartiles.

Originality/value

In the present study, a new hypothesis was proposed concerning the influence of dietary TAC on the odds of NMOSD. A diet rich in foods with high TAC can be effective in the modification of the NMOSD odds.
Adina Cordifoliaas a corrosion inhibitor – a green approach against mild steel corrosion in 0.5M sulphuric acid medium
Authors: Durvas Seshian Bhuvaneshwari , Pandian Bothi Raja , Durai Umapathi
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop green/natural corrosion inhibitors.Adina cordifolialeaves extract (ACLE) was screened for its corrosion inhibition potential for mild steel (MS) corrosion in 0.5 M H2SO4medium.

Design/methodology/approach

Adina cordifolia(AC) leaves were subjected to cold ethanol extraction and concentrated after refluxed with double distilled water. The resultant concentrate was screened for corrosion inhibition studies using sequence of standard corrosion monitoring techniques, namely, gravimetric analysis, electrochemical studies and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Findings

Gravimetric analysis provided evidence that the prepared ACLE showed dose dependent corrosion inhibition; impedance study revealed that the ACLE increases the charge transfer resistance and decreases double layer capacitance while polarization curves indicated that ACLE acts as a mixed-type inhibitor. Further studies over MS surface/test solutions through SEM and Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy evident the formation of ACLE protective film protects MS.

Practical implications

AC’s methanol extract developed in this work can be used as a green corrosion inhibitor over industrial applications.

Originality/value

For the first time,ACleaves were tested as corrosion inhibitors for MS corrosion in 0.5 M H2SO4medium. The results evidenced that ACLE will be a promising corrosion inhibitor, which could be usable in industries as a green corrosion inhibitor.
Students’ and staff perceptions of vocational education institution heads’ virtues
Authors: Fernández González Manuel Joaquín , Pīgozne Tamāra , Surikova Svetlana , Vasečko Ļubova
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The relevance of institution leaders’ personal qualities for providing quality education is widely recognized. The purpose of this paper is to explore vocational education and training (VET) institution leaders’ character features. The research question was twofold: What are the features of the character of the pedagogical leaders of three Latvian VET institutions according to students, teachers and institution board members? What are the differences between respondents’ groups regarding their perceptions of leaders’ virtues?

Design/methodology/approach

Six members of the institution board, five teachers and six students participated in structured qualitative interviews collected in 2013 in three high-quality VET institutions from different fields (tourism, sports and maritime education). Secondary analysis of latent content was used to explore respondents’ perceptions of leaders’ virtues, using software AQUAD 7 for qualitative data analysis.

Findings

The results revealed significant differences between students’ and staff (teachers’ and institution board members’) perceptions: the staff members appreciated particularly leaders’ performance virtues (“teamwork orientation”) and intellectual virtues (“critical thinking”), whereas, for students, heads’ moral virtues were more relevant, especially “magnanimity”. Respondents also showed concern about VET institution leaders’ civic virtues (“neighborliness,” “community awareness,” and “communicability”).

Practical implications

The results suggest that different perspectives, and in particular students’ voices, should be integrated in VET leaders’ assessment process and that their continuing professional development should also address their intellectual, moral and civic virtues.

Originality/value

This study represents an innovative methodological trial for investigating educational institution heads’ leadership from the lens of virtue ethics.
Linking lipid transfer with reduced arbuscule formation in tomato roots colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus under low pH stress
Authors: Feng Zengwei , Liu Xiaodi , Feng Guangda , Zhu Honghui , Yao Qing
Published: October 2019

Arbuscules are the core structures of arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM), and arbuscule development is regulated by environmental stress, e.g., low pH. Recent studies indicate that lipid transfer from plants is essential for AM fungal colonization; however, the role of lipid transfer in arbuscule formation and the dynamics of lipid accumulation in arbuscules under low pH stress are far from well understood. In the symbiosis of tomato and Rhizophagus intraradices under contrasting pH conditions (pH 4.5 vs. pH 6.5), we investigated arbuscule formation, nutrient uptake, alkaline phosphatase activity and lipid accumulation; examined the gene expression involved in phosphate transport, lipid biosynthesis and transfer and sugar metabolism; and visualized the lipid dynamics in arbuscules. Low pH greatly inhibited arbuscule formation, in parallel with reduced phospholipid fatty acids accumulation in AM fungus and decreased P uptake. This reduction was supported by the decreased expression of plant genes encoding lipid biosynthesis and transfer. More degenerating arbuscules were observed under low pH conditions, and neutral lipid fatty acids accumulated only in degenerating arbuscules. These data reveal that, under low pH stress, reduced lipid transfer from hosts to AM fungi is responsible for the inhibited arbuscule formation.
Genome‐resolved viral and cellular metagenomes revealed potential key virus‐host interactions in a deep freshwater lake
Authors: Okazaki Yusuke , Nishimura Yosuke , Yoshida Takashi , Ogata Hiroyuki , Nakano Shin‐ichi
Published: October 2019

Metagenomics has dramatically expanded the known virosphere, but freshwater viral diversity and their ecological interaction with hosts remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a metagenomic exploration of planktonic dsDNA prokaryotic viruses by sequencing both virion (<0.22 μm) and cellular (0.22–5.0 μm) fractions collected spatiotemporally from a deep freshwater lake (Lake Biwa, Japan). This simultaneously reconstructed 183 complete (i.e., circular) viral genomes and 57 bacterioplankton metagenome‐assembled genomes. Analysis of metagenomic read coverage revealed vertical partitioning of the viral community analogous to the vertically stratified bacterioplankton community. The hypolimnetic community was generally stable during stratification, but occasionally shifted abruptly, presumably due to lysogenic induction. Genes involved in assimilatory sulfate reduction were encoded in 20 (10.9%) viral genomes, including those of dominant viruses, and may aid viral propagation in sulfur‐limited freshwater systems. Hosts were predicted for 40 (21.9%) viral genomes, encompassing 10 phyla (or classes of Proteobacteria) including ubiquitous freshwater bacterioplankton lineages (e.g., Ca. Fonsibacter and Ca. Nitrosoarchaeum). Comparison with viral genomes derived from published metagenomes revealed viral phylogeographic connectivity in geographically isolated habitats. Notably, analogous to their hosts, actinobacterial viruses were among the most diverse, ubiquitous and abundant viral groups in freshwater systems, with potential high lytic activity in surface waters.