bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolic syndrome is associated with cognitive impairment after transient ischemic attack/mild stroke, but does not affect cognitive recovery in short term
Authors: Lin Yingying , Guo Shijie , Liu Xueyuan , Huang Dongya
Published: July 2020

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of risk factors for cognitive impairment. We aimed to investigate the association between MetS and risk of persistent cognitive impairment in patients with a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mild ischemic stroke. This is a prospective and observational study in consecutive patients with first-ever TIA or mild stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≤ 6). Patients underwent Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) at hospital admission and day 30 after discharge. We defined cognitive impairment as a MoCA score of ≤26. Persistent cognitive impairment was defined as baseline cognitive impairment and an increase of <2 point or decrease in MoCA score at 1 month after discharge. Three hundred eleven eligible patients were enrolled, aged 21–80 years, and mean age was 61.87 ± 9.643 years and 211 patients were males (70.1%). Cognitive impairments were present in 166 (53.4%) patients at admission. The cognitive impairment rate was significantly higher in MetS patients than those without MetS both at admission and day 30 after discharge (66.1% vs 33.6%, P < 0.001 and 56.6% vs 27.9%, P < 0.001). In logistic regression analysis, MetS, hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity had no significant interaction with persistent cognitive impairment. However, hypertension had a tendency to be a predictor of persistent cognitive impairment, although this tendency had no statistical significance (odds ratio = 2.545, 95% confidence interval 0.872, 7.430, P = 0.0874). Baseline MetS is associated with the risk of cognitive impairment, but MetS does not affect short-term cognitive recovery from cognitively impaired in patients with TIA/mild stroke.
Identification and characterization of key long non-coding RNAs in the mouse cochlea
Authors: Koffler-Brill Tal , Taiber Shahar , Anaya Alejandro , Bordeynik-Cohen Mor , Rosen Einat , Kolla Likhitha , Messika-Gold Naama , Elkon Ran , Kelley Matthew W. , Ulitsky Igor , Avraham Karen B.
Published: July 2020

The auditory system is a complex sensory network with an orchestrated multilayer regulatory program governing its development and maintenance. Accumulating evidence has implicated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as important regulators in numerous systems, as well as in pathological pathways. However, their function in the auditory system has yet to be explored. Using a set of specific criteria, we selected four lncRNAs expressed in the mouse cochlea, which are conserved in the human transcriptome and are relevant for inner ear function. Bioinformatic characterization demonstrated a lack of coding potential and an absence of evolutionary conservation that represent properties commonly shared by their class members. RNAscope analysis of the spatial and temporal expression profiles revealed specific localization to inner ear cells. Sub-cellular localization analysis presented a distinct pattern for each lncRNA and mouse tissue expression evaluation displayed a large variability in terms of level and location. Our findings establish the expression of specific lncRNAs in different cell types of the auditory system and present a potential pathway by which the lncRNAGas5acts in the inner ear. Studying lncRNAs and deciphering their functions may deepen our knowledge of inner ear physiology and morphology and may reveal the basis of as yet unresolved genetic hearing loss-related pathologies. Moreover, our experimental design may be employed as a reference for studying other inner ear-related lncRNAs, as well as lncRNAs expressed in other sensory systems.
Suppression of chromosome instability limits acquired drug resistance
Authors: Crowley Elizabeth A , Hermance Nicole M , Herlihy Conor P , Manning Amity L
Published: July 2020

Numerical chromosome instability, or nCIN, defined as the high frequency of whole chromosome gains and losses, is prevalent in many solid tumors. nCIN has been shown to promote intra-tumor heterogeneity and corresponds with tumor aggressiveness, drug resistance and tumor relapse. While increased nCIN has been shown to promote the acquisition of genomic changes responsible for drug resistance, the potential to modulate nCIN in a therapeutic manner has not been well explored. Here we assess the role of nCIN in the acquisition of drug resistance in non small cell lung cancer. We show that generation of whole chromosome segregation errors in non small cell lung cancer cells is sensitive to manipulation of microtubule dynamics and that enhancement of chromosome cohesion strongly suppresses nCIN and reduces intra-tumor heterogeneity. We demonstrate that suppression of nCIN has no impact on non small cell lung cancer cell proliferationin vitronor in tumor initiation in mouse xenograft models. However, suppression of nCIN alters the timing and molecular mechanisms that drive acquired drug resistance. These findings suggest mechanisms to suppress nCIN may serve as effective co-therapies to limit tumor evolution and sustain drug response.

Statement of Significance

Modulation of microtubule dynamics in cells that exhibit chromosome instability (CIN) is sufficient to promote mitotic fidelity, reduce genomic heterogeneity, and limit acquisition of drug resistance.
Evaluating High Spatial Resolution Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging at 3T: Reproducibility and Quality of Fit
Authors: Kasa Loxlan W. , Haast Roy A.M. , Kuehn Tristan K. , Mushtaha Farah N. , Baron Corey A. , Peters Terry , Khan Ali R.
Published: July 2020

Background

Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) quantifies the microstructure’s non-Gaussian diffusion properties. However, it has increased fitting parameters and requires higher b-values. Evaluation of DKI reproducibility is important for clinical purposes.

Purpose

To assess reproducibility in whole-brain high resolution DKI at varying b-values.

Study Type

Prospective.

Subjects and Phantoms

Forty-four individuals from the test-retest Human Connectome Project (HCP) database and twelve 3D-printed tissue mimicking phantoms.

Field Strength/Sequence

Multiband echo-planar imaging forin vivoand phantom diffusion-weighted imaging at 3T and 9.4T respectively. MPRAGE at 3T forin vivostructural data.

Assessment

From HCP data with b-value =1000,2000,3000 s/mm2(dataset A), two additional datasets with b-values=1000, 3000 s/mm2(dataset B) and b-values=1000, 2000 s/mm2(dataset C) were extracted. Estimated DKI metrics from each dataset were used for evaluating reproducibility and fitting quality in whole-brain white matter (WM), region of interest (ROI) and gray matter (GM).

Statistical Tests

DKI reproducibility was assessed using the within-subject coefficient of variation (CoV), fitting residuals to evaluate DKI fitting accuracy and Pearson’s correlation to investigate presence of systematic biases.

Results

Compared to dataset C, the CoV from DKI parameters from datasets A and B were comparable, with WM and GM CoVs <20%, while differences between datasets were smaller for the DKI-derived DTI parameters. Slightly higher fitting residuals were observed in dataset C compared to A and B, but lower residuals in dataset B were detected for the WM ROIs. A similar trend was observed for the phantom data with comparable CoVs at varying fiber orientations for datasets A and B. In addition, dataset C was characterized by higher residuals across the different fiber crossings.

Data Conclusion

The comparable reproducibility of DKI maps between datasets A and B observed in thein vivoand phantom data indicates that high reproducibility can still be achieved within a reasonable scan time, supporting DKI for clinical purposes.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Reproducibility and fitting accuracy of high resolution DKI were evaluated as function of available b-values.

A DKI dataset with b-values of 1000 and 3000 s/mm2performs equally well as the original HCP three-shell dataset, while a dataset with b-values of 1000 and 2000 s/mm2has lower reproducibility and fitting quality.

In vivoresults were verified using phantoms capable of mimicking different white matter configurations.

These results suggest that DKI data can be obtained within less time, without sacrificing data quality.
GuidePro: A multi-source ensemble predictor for prioritizing sgRNAs in CRISPR/Cas9 protein knockouts
Authors: He Wei , Wang Helen , Wei Yanjun , Jiang Zhiyun , Tang Yitao , Chen Yiwen , Xu Han
Published: July 2020

The efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated protein knockout is determined by three factors: sequence-specific sgRNA activity, frameshift probability, and the characteristics of targeted amino acids. A number of computational methods have been developed for predicting sgRNA efficiency from different perspectives. We propose GuidePro, a two-layer ensemble predictor that enables the integration of multiple predictive methods and feature sets. GuidePro leverages information from DNA sequences, amino acids, and protein structures, and reduces the impact of dataset-specific biases. Tested on independent datasets, GuidePro demonstrated consistent superior performance in predicting phenotypes caused by protein loss-of-function. GuidePro is implemented as a web application for prioritizing sgRNAs that target protein-coding genes in human, monkey and mouse genomes, available athttps://bioinformatics.mdanderson.org/apps/GuidePro.
The Synaptonemal Complex Central Region Modulates Crossover Pathways and Feedback Control of Meiotic Double-strand Break Formation
Authors: Lee Min-Su , Higashide Mika T. , Choi Hyungseok , Li Ke , Hong Soogil , Lee Kangseok , Shinohara Akira , Shinohara Miki , Kim Keun P.
Published: July 2020

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a proteinaceous structure that mediates homolog engagement and genetic recombination during meiosis. Zip-Mer-Msh (ZMM) proteins promote crossover (CO) formation and initiate SC formation. In SC elongation, the SUMOylated SC component Ecm11 and its interacting protein Gmc2 facilitate the polymerization of Zip1, a SC-central region component in budding yeast. Through physical recombination, cytological, and genetic analyses, we here demonstrate thatecm11andgmc2mutants exhibit chromosome-specific defects in meiotic recombination. CO frequencies were reduced on a short chromosome (chromosome III), whereas CO and non-crossover (NCO) frequencies were increased on a long chromosome (chromosome VII). Further, persistent double-strand breaks (DSBs) occurred in unsynapsed chromosome regions during the late prophase, suggesting the presence of a negative regulation of DSB formation. The Ecm11-Gmc2 (EG) complex could participate in joint molecule (JM) processing and/or double-Holliday junction resolution for CO-designated recombination of the ZMM-dependent pathway. However, absence of the EG complex ameliorated the JM-processing defect inzmmmutants, suggesting a role of these proteins in suppression of ZMM-independent recombination. Therefore, the EG complex fosters ZMM-dependent processing and resolution of JMs while suppressing ZMM-independent JM processing and late DSB formation. Hence, EG-mediated SC central regions, which display properties similar to those of liquid crystals, may function as a compartment for sequestering recombination proteins in and out of the process to ensure meiosis specificity during recombination.
Constrained non-coding sequence provides insights into regulatory elements and loss of gene expression in maize
Authors: Song Baoxing , Wang Hai , Wu Yaoyao , Rees Evan , Gates Daniel J , Burch Merritt , Bradbury Peter J. , Ross-Ibarra Jeff , Kellogg Elizabeth A. , Hufford Matthew B. , Romay M. Cinta , Buckler Edward S.
Published: July 2020

DNA sequencing technology has advanced so quickly, identifying key functional regions using evolutionary approaches is required to understand how those genomes work. This research develops a sensitive sequence alignment approach to identify functional constrained non-coding sequences in the Andropogoneae tribe. The grass tribe Andropogoneae contains several crop species descended from a common ancestor ~18 million years ago. Despite broadly similar phenotypes, they have tremendous genomic diversity with a broad range of ploidy levels and transposons. These features make Andropogoneae a powerful system for studying conserved non-coding sequence (CNS), here we used it to understand the function of CNS in maize. We find that 86% of CNS comprise known genomic elements e.g.,cis-regulatory elements, chromosome interactions, introns, several transposable element superfamilies, and are linked to genomic regions related to DNA replication initiation, DNA methylation and histone modification. In maize, we show that CNSs regulate gene expression and variants in CNS are associated with phenotypic variance, and rare CNS absence contributes to loss of gene expression. Furthermore, we find the evolution of CNS is associated with the functional diversification of duplicated genes in the context of the maize subgenomes. Our results provide a quantitative understanding of constrained non-coding elements and identify functional non-coding variation in maize.
Controllability over stressor decreases responses in key threat-related brain areas
Authors: Limbachia Chirag , Morrow Kelly , Khibovska Anastasiia , Meyer Christian , Padmala Srikanth , Pessoa Luiz
Published: July 2020

Controllability over stressors has major impacts on brain and behavior. In humans, however, the effect of controllability on the responses to stressors themselves is poorly understood. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated how controllability altered responses to a shock-plus-sound stressor. Using a between-group yoked design, participants in controlled and uncontrolled groups experienced the same amount of stressor exposure. Employing both Bayesian multilevel analysis targeting regions of interest and standard voxelwise analysis, we found that controllability decreased stressor-related responses across key threat-related regions, notably in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (part of the extended amygdala) and the anterior insula. The posterior cingulate cortex, the posterior insula, and possibly the medial frontal gyrus (in exploratory analyses) were uncovered as sites where control over the stressor increased brain responses. Our findings support the idea that the aversiveness of the stressor is reduced when controllable, leading to decreased responses across key regions involved in anxiety-related processing, even at the level of the extended amygdala.
Analysis of genomic DNA methylation and gene transcription modulation induced byDNMT3Adeficiency in HEK293 cells
Authors: Zhang Mengxiao , Wang Jiaxian , Tian Qiuxiang , Feng Lei , Yang Hui , Zhu Nan , Pan Xingchen , Zhu Jianwei , Chen Peng , Lu Huili
Published: July 2020

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification associated with transcriptional repression, and plays key roles in normal cell growth as well as oncogenesis. Among the three main DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B), DNMT3A mediatesde novoDNA methylation with partial functional redundancy with DNMT3B. However, the general effects of DNMT3A and its downstream gene regulation profile are yet to be unveiled. In the present study, we used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to successfully create DNMT3A deficient human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293, with frameshift mutations in its catalytic domain. Our results showed that the cell growth slowed down inDNMT3Aknockout cells. UPLC-MS analysis of DNMT3A deficient cells showed that the genome-level DNA methylation was reduced by 21.5% and led to an impairment of cell proliferation as well as a blockage of MAPK and PI3K-Akt pathways. Whole genome RNA-seq revealed thatDNMT3Aknockout up-regulated expression of genes and pathways related to cell metabolism but down-regulated those involved in ribosome function, which explained the inhibition of cell growth and related signal pathways. Further, bisulfite DNA treatment showed thatDNMT3Aablation reduced the methylation level ofDNMT3Bgene as well, indicating the higher DNMT3B activity and thereby explaining those down-regulated profiles of genes.
Individual differences in frontal midline theta activity during visuomotor adaptation are related to execution noise
Authors: Jonker Zeb D. , van der Vliet Rick , Maquelin Guido , van der Cruijsen Joris , Ribbers Gerard M. , Selles Ruud W. , Donchin Opher , Frens Maarten A.
Published: July 2020

Frontal midline EEG activity has been found to correlate with error magnitude during motor adaptation. We replicated a previous visuomotor adaptation experiment with very small perturbations, likely to invoke implicit adaptation, in a new group of 60 participants and combined it with EEG recordings. We used this data to explore 1) whether frontal midline activity will be evoked in the absence of awareness of the perturbation; 2) whether frontal midline activity is related to implicit adaptation; 3) whether individual differences in frontal midline activity are related to individual differences in motor learning. The results showed that frontal midline theta activity (FMΘ) is also present during small perturbations, does not drive between-trial error correction, and that the sensitivity of FMΘ to error magnitude was smaller for participants with greater execution noise. This relation between FMΘ-error-sensitivity and execution noise could be fully explained by looking at the relationship between FMΘ and error probability. This implies that frontal midline theta activity represents a surprise-like saliency signal, potentially driving awareness and cognitive control in situations with more salient errors.
FADS2-mediated fatty acid desaturation and cholesterol esterification are signatures of metabolic reprogramming during melanoma progression
Authors: Lee Hyeon Jeong , Chen Zhicong , Collard Marianne , Chen Jiaji G , Wu Muzhou , Alani Rhoda M , Cheng Ji-Xin
Published: July 2020

Identifying metabolic alterations in disease progression has been challenged by difficulties in tracking metabolites at sub-cellular level. Here, by high-resolution stimulated Raman scattering and pump-probe imaging and spectral phasor analysis of melanoma cells grouped by MITF/AXL expression pattern and of human patient tissues paired by primary and metastatic status, we identify a metabolic switch from a pigment-containing phenotype in low-grade melanoma to a lipid-rich phenotype in metastatic melanoma. The lipids found in MITFlow/AXLhighmelanoma cells contain high levels of cholesteryl ester (CE) and unsaturated fatty acid species. Elevated fatty acid uptake activity in MITFlow/AXLhighmelanoma contributes to the lipid-rich phenotype, and inhibiting fatty acid uptake suppresses cell migration. Importantly, monounsaturated sapienate is identified as an essential fatty acid that effectively promotes cancer migration. Blocking either FADS2-mediated lipid desaturation or SOAT-mediated cholesterol esterification effectively suppresses the migration capacity of melanomain vitroandin vivo, indicating the therapeutic potential of targeting these metabolic pathways in metastatic melanoma. Collectively, our results reveal metabolic reprogramming during melanoma progression, and highlight metabolic signatures that could serve as targets for metastatic melanoma treatment and diagnosis.
SUMOylation contributes to proteostasis of the chloroplast protein import receptor TOC159 during early development
Authors: Accossato Sonia , Kessler Felix , Shanmugabalaji Venkatasalam
Published: July 2020

Chloroplast biogenesis describes the transition of non-photosynthetic proplastids to photosynthetically active chloroplasts in the cells of germinating seeds. Chloroplast biogenesis requires the import of thousands of nuclear-encoded preproteins and depends on the essential import receptor TOC159, mutation of which results in non-photosynthetic albino plants. We previously showed that ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS)-dependent regulation of TOC159 levels contributes to the regulation of chloroplast biogenesis during early plant development. Here, we demonstrate that the SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-related Modifier) pathway crosstalks with the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway to affect TOC159 stability during early plant development. We identified a SUMO3-interacting motif (SIM) in the TOC159 GTPase (G-) domain and a SUMO3 covalent SUMOylation site in the membrane (M-) domain. A single K to R substitution (K1370R) in the M-domain disables SUMOylation. Expression of the TOC159K1370R mutant in thetoc159mutant (ppi2) complemented the albino phenotype. Compared to wild type TOC159, TOC159K1370R was destabilized under UPS-inducing stress conditions. However, TOC159K1370R recovered to same protein level as wild type TOC159 in the presence of a proteasome inhibitor. Thus, SUMOylation partially stabilizes TOC159 against UPS-dependent degradation under stress conditions. Our data contribute to the evolving model of tightly controlled proteostasis of the TOC159 import receptor during proplastid to chloroplast transition.
A cost-effective maize ear phenotyping platform enables rapid categorization and quantification of kernels
Authors: Warman Cedar , Sullivan Christopher M. , Preece Justin , Buchanan Michaela E. , Vejlupkova Zuzana , Jaiswal Pankaj , Fowler John E.
Published: July 2020

High-throughput phenotyping systems are powerful, dramatically changing our ability to document, measure, and detect biological phenomena. Here, we describe a cost-effective combination of a custom-built imaging platform and deep-learning-based computer vision pipeline. A minimal version of the maize ear scanner was built with low-cost and readily available parts. The scanner rotates a maize ear while a cellphone or digital camera captures a video of the surface of the ear. Videos are then digitally flattened into two-dimensional ear projections. Segregating GFP and anthocyanin kernel phenotype are clearly distinguishable in ear projections, and can be manually annotated using image analysis software. Increased throughput was attained by designing and implementing an automated kernel counting system using transfer learning and a deep learning object detection model. The computer vision model was able to rapidly assess over 390,000 kernels, identifying male-specific transmission defects across a wide range of GFP-marked mutant alleles. This includes a previously undescribed defect putatively associated with mutation of Zm00001d002824, a gene predicted to encode a vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE). We show that by using this system, the quantification of transmission data and other ear phenotypes can be accelerated and scaled to generate large datasets for robust analyses.

One sentence summary

A maize ear phenotyping system built from commonly available parts creates images of the surface of ears and identifies kernel phenotypes with a deep-learning-based computer vision pipeline.
DBSCAN-SWA: an integrated tool for rapid prophage detection and annotation
Authors: Gan Rui , Zhou Fengxia , Si Yu , Yang Han , Chen Chuangeng , Wu Jiqiu , Zhang Fan , Huang Zhiwei
Published: July 2020

As an intracellular form of a bacteriophage in the bacterial host genome, a prophage is usually integrated into bacterial DNA with high specificity and contributes to horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Phage therapy has been widely applied, for example, using phages to kill bacteria to treat pathogenic and resistant bacterial infections. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective tools for the fast and accurate identification of prophages. Here, we introduce DBSCAN-SWA, a command line software tool developed to predict prophage regions of bacterial genomes. DBSCAN-SWA runs faster than any previous tool. Importantly, it has great detection power based on analysis using 184 manually curated prophages, with a recall of 85% compared with Phage_Finder (63%), VirSorter (74%) and PHASTER (82%) for raw DNA sequences. DBSCAN-SWA also provides user-friendly visualizations including a circular prophage viewer and interactive DataTables.

Availability and implementation

DBSCAN-SWA is implemented in Python3 and is freely available under an open source GPLv2 license fromhttps://github.com/HIT-ImmunologyLab/DBSCAN-SWA/.
Tafenoquine inhibits replication of SARS-Cov-2 at pharmacologically relevant concentrations in vitro
Authors: Dow Geoffrey S. , Luttick Angela , Fenner Jen , Wesche David , Yeo Karen Rowland , Rayner Craig
Published: July 2020

Tafenoquine [TQ] exhibited EC50/90s of ~ 2.6/5.1 μM against SARS-CoV-2 in VERO E6 cells and was 4-fold more potent than hydroxychloroquine [HCQ]. Time-of-addition experiments were consistent with a different mechanism for TQ v HCQ. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling suggested that lung unbound concentrations of TQ in COVID-19 patients may exceed the EC90 for at least 8 weeks after administration. The therapeutic potential for TQ in management of COVID-19 should be further evaluated.
Apoptosis-induced FGF signalling promotes non-cell autonomous resistance to cell death
Authors: Bock Florian J. , Cloix Catherine , Zerbst Desiree , Tait Stephen W.G.
Published: July 2020

Damaged or superfluous cells are often eliminated by apoptosis. Although a cell-autonomous process, apoptotic cells communicate with their environment in different ways. However, the extent to which apoptotic cells alerting their neighbours to potential danger is unclear. Addressing this question, here we describe a mechanism whereby dying cells can promote survival of neighbouring cells. We find that during apoptosis, cells release the growth factor FGF2, leading to MEK/ERK-dependent transcriptional upregulation of pro-survival BCL-2 proteins in a non-cell autonomous manner. This transient upregulation of prosurvival BCL-2 proteins in turn can protect neighbouring cells from apoptosis. Accordingly, we find in certain cancer types a correlation between FGF-signalling, BCL-2 expression and worse prognosis. Importantly, either co-treatment with FGF-receptor inhibitors or removal of apoptotic stress restores apoptotic sensitivity. These data reveal a pathway by which dying cells can increase resistance to cell death in surrounding cells. Beyond mediating cytotoxic drug resistance, this process may serve additional roles, for instance limiting tissue damage in response to stress.
Tobacco harm reduction in the 21st century
Authors: O'Leary Renée , Polosa Riccardo
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to overview the need for tobacco harm reduction, the consumer products that facilitate tobacco harm reduction and the barriers to its implementation. The worldwide endemic of tobacco smoking results in the death of over seven million smokers a year. Cigarette quit rates are very low, from 3%–12%, and relapse rates are high, from 75%–80% in the first six months and 30%–40% even after one year of abstinence. In addition, some smokers do not desire to quit. Cigarette substitution in tobacco harm reduction is one strategy that may reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality.

Design/methodology/approach

This review examines the displacement of smoking through substitution of non-combustible low-risk products such as snus, heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes.

Findings

Toxicological testing, population studies, clinical trials and randomized controlled trials demonstrate the potential reductions in exposures for smokers. Many barriers impede the implementation of product substitution in tobacco harm reduction. These products have been subjected to regulatory bans and heavy taxation and are rejected by smokers and society based on misperceptions about nicotine, sensational media headlines and unsubstantiated fears of youth addiction. These barriers will need to be addressed if tobacco harm reduction is to make the maximum impact on the tobacco endemic.

Originality/value

This review provides the rationale for tobacco harm reduction, evaluates the current products available and identifies the barriers to implementation.
What makes employees participate in volunteering programs? The role of organizational support
Authors: Sekar Srinivasan , Dyaram Lata
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify some of the critical organizational support factors and efforts that facilitate better employee participation in corporate volunteering (CV) programs. There is a growing interest to understand the role of organization in enhancing better employee participation in volunteering programs.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an empirical investigation with (n = 461) employee volunteers, who participated in company sponsored volunteering programs. The authors tested the hypothesized relationship using structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

The SEM results indicate that cultural fit, organizational CV communication and implementation of CV programmes facilitate better employee participation.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides insights for organizations in terms of increased internal communication and alignment of organizational values with CV programmes to attract better employee participation in volunteering programmes.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on the phenomenon of employee volunteering by examining various organizational efforts that facilitate better employee participation in volunteering programmes.
Supplier selection using hybrid multicriteria decision-making methods
Authors: Tusnial Anirudh , Sharma Satyendra Kumar , Dhingra Parth , Routroy Srikanta
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The paper develops a decision-making model for supplier selection combining quality function deployment (QFD), analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The efficacy of the model was demonstrated by applying it for supplier selection of lithium ion batteries.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed methodology involved identifying customer requirements for lithium ion batteries and translating them to requisite technical characteristics using QFD. Further, separate sourcing, safety and sustainability-related supplier parameters were proposed taking into account the manufacturer's point of view. The relative weight of each parameter was then calculated using AHP, and finally, TOPSIS was used to select the best supplier.

Findings

The proposed methodology was applied to six suppliers of lithium ion batteries, and the obtained results were used to select the most and least preferred suppliers.

Practical implications

The obtained results cannot be generalized and are valid to the case environment. However, the proposed approach can be used for any environment related to supplier selection after capturing the corresponding parameters. The proposed approach does not restrict the number of parameters to be considered.

Originality/value

Many researches related to supplier evaluation are reported in literature, but few studies are available related to supplier performance evaluation for lithium ion batteries using QFD, AHP and TOPSIS. The study will provide a guideline for comparing and selecting supplier on the basis of performance in general and its application to lithium ion batteries in specific.
Numerical study of heat transfer in 90° bend tube by AI2O3 nano fluids using fluid injection
Authors: Mahdizadeh Hadi , Adam Nor Mariah
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate increasing heat transfer in bend tube 90° by fluid injection using nano fluid flow that was performed by expending varying Reynolds number. This paper studies the increased heat transfer in the bent tube that used some parameters to examine the effects of volume fraction, nanoparticle diameter, fluid injection, Reynolds number on heat transfer and flow in a bend pipe.

Design/methodology/approach

Designing curved tubes increases the thermal conductivity amount between fluid and wall. It is used the finite volume method and simple algorithms to solve the conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy. The results showed that the nanoparticles used in bent tube transfusion increase the heat transfer performance by increasing the volume fraction; it has a direct impact on enhancing the heat transfer coefficient.

Findings

Heat transfer coefficient enhanced 1.5% when volume fraction increased from 2 % to 6%, the. It is due to the impact of nanoparticles on the thermal conductivity of the fluid. The fluid is injected into the boundary layer flow due to jamming that enhances heat transfer. Curved lines used create a centrifugal force due to the bending and lack of development that increase the heat transfer.

Originality/value

This study has investigated the effect of injection of water into a 90° bend before and after the bend. Specific objectives are to analyze effect of injection on heat transfer of bend tube and pressure drop, evaluate best performance of mixing injection and bend in different positions and analyze effect of nano fluid volume fraction on injection.
Do they really want to leave? A (re)-evaluation of expatriates' and spouses' premature return intention
Authors: Goede Julia
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to (re-)evaluate the explanatory power of the stressor–stress–strain model and its' current operationalization by examining the influence of general and interaction adjustment and the mediating effect of general satisfaction on expatriates' and spouses' intention to prematurely return from an assignment or overseas location. Though expatriates' premature return intention has been well examined in prior literature, this is the first study to focus on spouses' premature return intention from the expatriate's assignment.

Design/methodology/approach

To evaluate the hypotheses, a sample of 104 expatriates and a sample of 64 spouses were collected and analysed utilizing structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results show that adjustment, as the opposite of distress, is not a direct negative driver of expatriates' nor spouses' premature return intention. Instead, the findings underscore the relevance of the general satisfaction with the international assignment (IA) as a mediator for both expatriates and spouses, which emphasizes the importance of attitudinal factors in the model. Overall, the results indicate that adjustment, in particular interaction adjustment, might not be a timely measure of distress anymore.

Practical implications

In order to reduce expatriates' and spouses' premature return intention multinational corporations should aim at maximizing satisfaction levels during the IA. To achieve this, both should be included in the selection process prior to the IA to tailor support mechanisms to satisfy their expectations.

Originality/value

This study is the first to investigate the premature return intention from the expatriates' and spouses' perspectives, while (re-)evaluating the explanatory power of the stressor–stress–strain model at present.
Screening of Murabaha business process through Quran and hadith: a text mining analysis
Authors: Tlemsani Issam , Marir Farhi , Majdalawieh Munir
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This paper revolves around the usage of data analytics in the Qur’an and Hadith through a new text mining technique to answer the main research question of whether the activities and the data flows of the Murabaha financing contract is compatible with Sharia law. The purpose of this paper is to provide a thorough and comprehensive database that will be used to examine existing practices in Islamic banks’ and improve compliancy with Islamic financial law (Sharia).

Design/methodology/approach

To design a Sharia-compliant Murabaha business process originated on text mining, the authors start by identifying the factors deemed necessary in their text mining techniques of both texts; using a four-step strategy to analyze those text mining analytics; then, they list the three basic approaches in text mining used for new knowledge discovery in databases: the co-occurrence approach based on the recursive co-occurrence algorithm; the machine learning or statistical-based; and the knowledge-based. They identify any variation and association between the Murabaha business processes produced using text mining against the one developed through data collection.

Findings

The main finding attained in this paper is to confirm the compatibility of all activities and the data flows in the Murabaha financing contract produced using data analytics of the Quran and Hadith texts against the Murabaha business process that was developed based on data collection. Another key finding is revealing some shortcomings regarding Islamic banks business process compliance with Sharia law.

Practical implications

Given Murabaha as the most popular mode of Islamic financing with more than 75% in total transactions, this research has managed to touch-base on an area that is interesting to the vast majority of those dealing with Islamic finance instruments. By reaching findings that could improve the existing Islamic Murabaha business process and concluding on Sharia compliance of the existing Murabaha business process, this research is quite relevant and could be used in practice as well as in influencing public policy. In fact, Islamic Sharia law experts, Islamic finance professionals and Islamic banks may find the results of this study very useful in improving at least one aspect of the Islamic finance transactions.

Originality/value

By using a novel, fresh text mining methods built on recursive occurrence of synonym words from the Qur’an and Hadith to enrich Islamic finance, this research study can claim to have been the first of its kind in using machine learning to mine the Quran, Hadith and in extracting valuable knowledge to support and consolidate the Islamic financial business processes and make them more compliant with the i.
Happiness as a driver of entrepreneurial initiative and innovation capital
Authors: Usai Antonio , Orlando Beatrice , Mazzoleni Alberto
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This study aims to extend the knowledge in the domain of intellectual capital and entrepreneurship by investigating whether happiness may have a positive influence on entrepreneurial initiative and intellectual property or not.

Design/methodology/approach

The used large-scale dataset for 2018 is drawn from the Eurostat. It includes information on individual happiness, sustainability, start-ups, creativity, intellectual property and quality of life, grouped by European countries. Hypotheses are tested through using the linear regression method.

Findings

The findings confirm that happiness, along with creativity, fosters both entrepreneurial initiative and intellectual property.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies should test the model by extending the analysis to different world regions and by considering further variables, such as country culture.

Practical implications

The study suggests that policy makers have to focus on improving life conditions and sustainability as a means to foster local economies and communities.

Originality/value

This cutting-edge study is unique in its genus, because the prior literature never focused on these topics jointly. At an academic level, it ties happiness to creativity and to “the entrepreneurial spirit”, thus opening up to a new and vast domain of researches.
Integrated sustainable supply chain management and firm performance in the Indian textile industry
Authors: Shahi Shashi K. , Shiva Atul , Dia Mohamed
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This research study explores the adoption of integrated sustainable SCM practices in the textile industry in India and its impact on the firm's business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis was carried out using the partial least squares structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 3.3.2.

Findings

It was found that the demand-side sustainability initiatives of the large firms and the internal sustainability practices of the small firms directly impacted their business performance. It was also found that the suppliers' sustainability initiatives had a direct and positive impact on the internal sustainability of the firm, which in turn had a direct and positive impact on the demand-side sustainability in the Indian textile industry.

Originality/value

The findings emphasize the distinctive role of each dimension of the integrated sustainable SCM on the firm performance in the Indian textile industry.
Modulation of bleomycin‐induced oxidative stress and pulmonary fibrosis by N‐acetylcysteine in rats via AMPK/SIRT1/NF‐κβ
Authors: Mansour Heba H. , Omran Mervat M. , Hasan Hesham F. , El kiki Shereen M.
Published: July 2020

The efficacy of bleomycin (BLM) as an antineoplastic drug is limited to the development of dose and time‐dependent pulmonary fibrosis. This study was intended to investigate the effect of N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) on BLM‐induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats. Twenty rats were randomly divided to the following four groups: Group one served as control; group two received BLM (15 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (ip)) for five consecutive days; group three received NAC (200 mg/kg, ip) for five consecutive days; and group four received NAC 1 hour before BLM for 5 days. The expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF), silent information regulator l (SIRT1), AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) were determined by qRT‐PCR in lung tissues. The changes in transforming growth factor‐beta1 (TGF‐β1), tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin‐β1 (IL‐β1) and nuclear factor kappa‐β (NF‐κβ) in serum were measured by ELISA. The tissue antioxidant status was determined biochemically. BLM administration caused pulmonary fibrosis as evidenced by increased levels of inflammatory mediators (TGF‐β1, TNF‐α, IL‐β1 and NF‐κβ) in serum (P < .05), elevated lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide and depleted endogenous antioxidants in lung tissue (P < .05). The expression levels of SIRT1 and AMPK were significantly decreased (P < .05), while the expression levels of CTGF and PDGF were increased significantly in the BLM group as compared to the control group (P < .05). These alterations were normalized by NAC intervention. NAC markedly attenuated the lung histopathological changes and reduced collagen deposition. These results suggest that NAC exerted an ameliorative effect against BLM‐induced oxidative damage and pulmonary fibrosis via SIRT1/ AMPK/ NF‐κβ pathways.
Dual transcriptomics and proteomics analyses of the early stage of interaction between Caballeronia mineralivoransPML1(12) and mineral
Authors: Uroz Stéphane , Picard Laura , Turpault Marie‐Pierre , Auer Lucas , Armengaud Jean , Oger Phil
Published: July 2020

Minerals and rocks represent essential reservoirs of nutritive elements for the long‐lasting functioning of forest ecosystems developed on nutrient‐poor soils. While the presence of effective mineral weathering bacteria was evidenced in the rhizosphere of different plants, the molecular mechanisms involved remain uncharacterized. To fill this gap, we combined transcriptomic, proteomics, geo‐chemical and physiological analyses to decipher the potential molecular mechanisms explaining the mineral weathering effectiveness of strain PML1(12) of Caballeronia mineralivorans. Considering the early‐stage of the interaction between mineral and bacteria, we identified the genes and proteins differentially expressed when: (i) the environment is depleted of certain essential nutrients (i.e., Mg and Fe), (ii) a mineral is added and (iii) the carbon source (i.e., glucose vs mannitol) differs. The integration of these data demonstrates that strain PML1(12) is capable of (i) mobilizing iron through the production of a non‐ribosomal peptide synthetase‐independent siderophore, (ii) inducing chemotaxis and motility in response to nutrient availability and (iii) strongly acidifying its environment in the presence of glucose using a suite of GMC oxidoreductases to weather mineral. These results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in mineral weathering and their regulation and highlight the complex sequence of events triggered by bacteria to weather minerals.
Neoliberalism and the punitive turn in Southeast Asia and beyond: implications for gender, sexuality, and graduated pluralism
Authors: Peletz Michael G.
Published: July 2020

Anthropologists and other scholars have explored the elective affinities between neoliberal globalization and punitive turns in both legal and more expansive cultural‐political domains, particularly in Western settings such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. This article expands the discussion by engaging these affinities in late modern Southeast Asia, especially the Muslim‐majority nations of Malaysia and Indonesia. One goal of the article is to describe and analyse the constriction of pluralism with respect to gender and sexuality, a key feature of the surge in punitiveness in many societies in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. Others include elucidating similarities and differences between trends in Southeast Asia and the new punitiveness we have seen in the United States in recent decades, and highlighting some of the comparative and theoretical implications of my arguments.
Parents' experiences of care and support after stillbirth in rural and urban maternity facilities: a qualitative study in Kenya and Uganda
Authors: Mills TA , Ayebare E , Mukhwana R , Mweteise J , Nabisere A , Nendela A , Ndungu P , Okello M , Omoni G , Wakasiaka S , Wood R , Lavender T
Published: July 2020

Objective

To explore parents' lived experiences of care and support following stillbirth in urban and rural health facilities.

Design

Qualitative, interpretative, guided by Heideggerian phenomenology.

Setting

Nairobi and Western Kenya, Kampala and Central Uganda.

Sample

A purposive sample of 75 women and 59 men who had experienced the stillbirth of their baby (≤1 year previously) and received care in the included facilities.

Methods

In‐depth interviews, analysed using Van Manen's reflexive approach.

Results

Three main themes were identified; parents described devastating impacts and profound responses to their baby's death. Interactions with health workers were a key influence, but poor communication, environmental barriers and unsupportive facility policies/practices meant that needs were often unmet. After discharge, women and partners sought support in communities to help them cope with the death of their baby but frequently encountered stigma engendering feelings of blame and increasing isolation.

Conclusions

Parents in Kenya and Uganda were not always treated with compassion and lacked the care or support they needed after the death of their baby. Health workers in Kenya and Uganda, in common with other settings, have a key role in supporting bereaved parents. There is an urgent need for context and culturally appropriate interventions to improve communication, health system and community support for African parents.

Tweetable Abstract

Health‐system response and community support for parents after stillbirth in Kenya and Uganda are inadequate.
Adaptation May Reduce Climate Damage in Agriculture by Two Thirds
Authors: Huang Kaixing , Sim Nicholas
Published: July 2020

Although climate change may severely impact agriculture, farmers can mitigate it by adapting. Using US data, we estimate the amount of potential loss in agricultural profits, due to climate change, that can be reduced by agricultural adaptation. We consider two panel frameworks that differ only in their fixed effects specifications, where this difference allows us to estimate the climate change impact on agricultural profits with or without adaptation. Comparing these estimates, we find that adaptation has the potential to offset about two‐thirds of the end‐of‐century loss in agricultural profits potentially resulting from climate change. We also find that the warmest region in the US (i.e. in the south) has the most to gain from adaptation.