bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indole acetic acid and lipopeptide-producing endophytic bacteria fromTaxus chinesis: toxicity evaluation of metabolic products
Authors: Dong Mengmeng , Yuan Bo , Wang Jingyi , Fu Lizhong , Kai Guoyin , Jiang Jihong
Published: June 2020

Endophytes play an important role in plant growth and development. Some one can produce auxins, ACCs, iron carriers, and so on to help plants grow and resist unhealthy growth environments. In addition, they can produce certain antimicrobial substances to resist pests and diseases. Among them,Bacillusis the most common beneficial endophytic bacterium in plants. In this paper, 20 IAA-producing strains were screened from endophytic bacteria isolated fromTaxus chinensis var. maireiplant tissues by high-performance liquid-chromatography (HPLC). Based on the 20 IAA-producing strains, LC-TOF-MS technology was used to screen lipopeptide-producingBacillussp. As a result, three strains (KLBMPTC01, KLBMPTC10, and KLBMPTC29) ofBacillus-producing lipopeptides with abundant contents and species were obtained. According to the situation of the IAA and lipopeptides produced by these strains, KLBMPTC10 was selected as the experimental strain for later toxicological tests. In an Ames test and oral toxicity experiments in mice, we did not detect mutagenicity and other physiological toxicity. This is hoping to provide a theoretical basis for forest resource protection and biofertiliser production therewith.
The genetic signatures ofSalmonellaTyphi carriage in the human gallbladder
Authors: Duy Pham Thanh , Vu Thieu Nga Tran , Nguyen To Nguyen Thi , Dan Thanh Ho Ngoc , Dongol Sabina , Karkey Abhilasha , Carey Megan , Basnyat Buddha , Dougan Gordon , Rabaa Maia A , Baker Stephen
Published: June 2020

Despite recent gains in typhoid fever control, asymptomatic carriage ofSalmonellaTyphi in the gallbladder remains an enigma. Aiming to understand ifS.Typhi in the gallbladder are vital for transmission and/or adapted for long-term colonisation we performed whole genome sequencing on a collection ofS. Typhi isolated from the gallbladders of typhoid carriers. These sequences were compared to contemporaneous sequences from organisms isolated from the blood of acute patients.S. Typhi carriage was not restricted to any particular genotype or conformation of antimicrobial resistance genes but reflective of the general population. However, gallbladder isolates had a higher genetic variability than acute isolates, with median pairwise SNP distances of 21 and 13 SNPs (p=2.8×10−9), respectively. This variation was associated with a higher prevalence of nonsense mutations in the gallbladder isolates in the predominant genotype. Notably, gallbladder isolates displayed a higher frequency of non-synonymous mutations in genes encoding hypothetical proteins, membrane lipoproteins, transport/binding proteins, surface antigens, and carbohydrate degradation. Particularly, we identified several gallbladder-specific non-synonymous mutations involved in LPS synthesis and modification, with some isolates lacking the Vi capsular polysaccharide vaccine target due to a 134Kb deletion. Long-term gallbladder carriage ofS. Typhi results in atypically long branch lengths that can distinguish between carriage and acute infection. Our data strongly suggests typhoid carriers are unlikely to play a principal role in disease transmission in endemic settings, but that the hostile environment of the human gallbladder may generate new antigenic variants through immune selection.
Recurrent Dynamics of Rupture Transitions of Single Giant Vesicles at Solid Surfaces
Authors: Ngassam V.N. , Su W.-C. , Gettel D. L. , Deng Y. , Yang Z. , Wang-Tomic N. , Sharma V. P. , Purushothaman S. , Parikh A. N.
Published: June 2020

Single giant vesicles (GVs) rupture spontaneously from their salt-laden suspension onto solid surfaces. At hydrophilic surfaces, they rupture via a recurrent burst-heal dynamics: during burst, single pores nucleate at the contact boundary of the adhering vesicles facilitating asymmetric spreading and producing a “heart” shaped membrane patch. During the healing phase, the competing pore closure produces a daughter vesicle. At hydrophobic surfaces, by contrast, the GVs rupture via a distinctly different, yet recurrent, bouncing ball rhythm: Rendered tense by the substrate interactions, GVs porate and spread monomolecular layer on the hydrophobic surface in a symmetric manner. Here too, the competition from pore closure produces a daughter vesicle, which re-engages with the substrate. In both cases, the pattern of burst-reseal events repeats multiple times splashing and spreading the vesicular fragments as bilayer patches at the solid surface in a pulsatory manner. These remarkable recurrent dynamics arise not because of the elastic properties of the solid surface but because the competition between membrane spreading and pore healing, prompted by the surface-energy dependent adhesion, determine the course of the topological transition.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Giant lipid vesicles adhering to a solid surface experience strong mechanical stresses. The contacting membrane segment loses thermal fluctuations and accumulates mechanical tension, the equilibration of which can give rise to global shape changes, lipid phase separation, and traction forces. Beyond a threshold tension, vesicles porate, unravel, and spread. Here, we find that a competition from pore-healing can make rupture iterative, rather than a single all-or-nothing event. During burst, single pores expand, spreading a lipid bilayer on the hydrophilic surface and a monolayer on the hydrophobic one. During heal, pore-healing can produce daughter vesicles. This burst-reseal event reiterates “splashing” portions of single vesicles at the solid surface and “bouncing” the remainder as a secondary vesicle in multiple steps.
Cross-sectional evaluation of humoral responses against SARS-CoV-2 Spike
Authors: Prévost Jérémie , Gasser Romain , Beaudoin-Bussières Guillaume , Richard Jonathan , Duerr Ralf , Laumaea Annemarie , Anand Sai Priya , Goyette Guillaume , Benlarbi Mehdi , Ding Shilei , Medjahed Halima , Lewin Antoine , Perreault Josée , Tremblay Tony , Gendron-Lepage Gabrielle , Gauthier Nicolas , Carrier Marc , Marcoux Diane , Piché Alain , Lavoie Myriam , Benoit Alexandre , Loungnarath Vilayvong , Brochu Gino , Haddad Elie , Stacey Hannah D. , Miller Matthew S. , Desforges Marc , Talbot Pierre J. , Gould Maule Graham T. , Côté Marceline , Therrien Christian , Serhir Bouchra , Bazin Renée , Roger Michel , Finzi Andrés
Published: June 2020

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is responsible for the current worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, infecting millions of people and causing hundreds of thousands of deaths. The Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 mediates viral entry and is the main target for neutralizing antibodies. Understanding the antibody response directed against SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for the development of vaccine, therapeutic and public health interventions. Here we performed a cross-sectional study on 106 SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals to evaluate humoral responses against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike. The vast majority of infected individuals elicited anti-Spike antibodies within 2 weeks after the onset of symptoms. The levels of receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific IgG persisted overtime, while the levels of anti-RBD IgM decreased after symptoms resolution. Some of the elicited antibodies cross-reacted with other human coronaviruses in a genus-restrictive manner. While most of individuals developed neutralizing antibodies within the first two weeks of infection, the level of neutralizing activity was significantly decreased over time. Our results highlight the importance of studying the persistence of neutralizing activity upon natural SARS-CoV-2 infection.
High developmental temperature leads to low reproduction despite adult temperature
Authors: Santos Marta A. , Carromeu-Santos Ana , Quina Ana S. , Santos Mauro , Matos Margarida , Simões Pedro
Published: June 2020

Phenotypic plasticity can be an important tool in helping organisms to cope with changing thermal conditions and it may show an interdependency between life-stages. For instance, exposure to stressful temperatures during development can trigger a positive plastic response in adults. In this study, we analyse the thermal plastic response of laboratory populations ofDrosophila subobscura, derived from two contrasting latitudes of the European cline. We measured fecundity characters in the experimental populations after exposure to five thermal treatments, with different combinations of developmental and adult temperatures (14°C, 18°C or 26°C). We ask whether (1) adult performance is enhanced (or reduced) by exposing flies to higher (or lower) temperatures during development only; (2) flies raised at lower temperatures outperform those developed at higher ones, supporting the “colder is better” hypothesis; (3) there is a cumulative effect on adult performance of exposing both juveniles and adults to higher (or lower) temperatures; (4) there is any evidence for historical effects on adult performance. Our main findings show that (1) higher developmental temperatures led to low reproductive performance regardless of adult temperature, while at lower temperatures reduced performance only occurred when cold conditions were persistent across juvenile and adult stage; (2) flies raised at lower temperatures did not always outperform those developed at other temperatures; (3) there was no (negative) cumulative effect of exposing both juveniles and adults to higher temperatures; (4) both latitudinal populations showed similar thermal plasticity patterns. The negative effect of high developmental temperature on reproductive performance, regardless of adult temperature, highlights the developmental stage as a critical and most vulnerable stage to climate change and associated heat waves.
Phage cocktail strategies for the suppression of a pathogen in a cross-feeding coculture
Authors: Fazzino Lisa , Anisman Jeremy , Chacón Jeremy M. , Harcombe William R.
Published: June 2020

Cocktail combinations of bacteria-infecting viruses (bacteriophage), can suppress pathogenic bacterial growth. However, predicting how phage cocktails influence microbial communities with complex ecological interactions, specifically cross-feeding interactions in which bacteria exchange nutrients, remains challenging. Here, we used experiments and mathematical simulations to determine how to best suppress a model pathogen,E. coli, when obligately cross-feeding withS. enterica. We tested whether the duration of pathogen suppression caused by a two-lytic phage cocktail was maximized when both phage targetedE. coli, or when one phage targetedE. coliand the other its cross-feeding partner,S. enterica. Experimentally, we observed that cocktails targeting both cross-feeders suppressedE. coligrowth longer than cocktails targeting onlyE. coli. Two non-mutually-exclusive mechanisms could explain these results: 1) we found that treatment with twoE. coliphage led to the evolution of a mucoid phenotype that provided cross-resistance against both phage, and 2)S. entericaset the growth rate of the co-culture, and therefore targetingS. entericahad a stronger effect on pathogen suppression. Simulations suggested that cross-resistance and the relative growth rates of cross-feeders modulated the duration ofE. colisuppression. More broadly, we describe a novel bacteriophage cocktail strategy for pathogens that cross-feed.

Originality-Significance Statement

Cross-feeding, or exchanging nutrients among bacteria, is a type of ecological interaction found in many important microbial communities. Furthermore, cross-feeding interactions are found to play a role in some infections, and research into treating infections with combinations of bacteriophage in ‘cocktails’ is growing. Here, we used a combination of mathematical modelling and wet-lab experiments to optimize suppression of a model pathogen with a bacteriophage cocktail in a synthetic cross-feeding bacterial coculture. A key finding was that a physiological parameter – growth rate – of the bacteria was important to consider when choosing the most effective cocktail formulation. This work is novel because it highlights an unexpected multispecies-targeting strategy for designing phage cocktails for cross-feeding pathogens and has relevance to many ecological systems ranging from human health to agriculture. We demonstrate how leveraging knowledge of a pathogen’s ecological interaction has the potential to improve precision medicine and management of microbial systems.
Transcription terminator-mediated enhancement in transgene expression in maize: preponderance of the AUGAAU motif overlapping with poly(A) signals
Authors: Wang Po-Hao , Kumar Sandeep , Zeng Jia , McEwan Robert , Wright Terry R. , Gupta Manju
Published: June 2020

The selection of transcription terminators (TTs) for pairing with high expressing constitutive promoters in chimeric constructs is crucial to deliver optimal transgene expression in plants. In this study, the use of the native combinations of four polyubiquitin gene promoters and corresponding TTs resulted in up to >3-fold increase in transgene expression in maize. Of the eight polyubiquitin promoter and TT regulatory elements utilized, seven were novel and identified from the polyubiquitin genes ofBrachypodium distachyon, Setaria italica, andZea mays. Furthermore, gene expression driven by the Cassava mosaic virus promoter was studied by pairing the promoter with distinct TTs derived from the high expressing genes ofArabidopsis. Of the three TTs studied, the polyubiquitin10 gene TT produced the highest transgene expression in maize. Polyadenylation patterns and mRNA abundance from eight distinct TTs were analyzed using 3’-RACE and next-generation sequencing. The results exhibited one to three unique polyadenylation sites in the TTs. The poly(A) site patterns for the StPinII TT were consistent when the same TT was deployed in chimeric constructs irrespective of the reporter gene and promoter used. Distal to the poly(A) sites, putative polyadenylation signals were identified in the near-upstream regions of the TTs based on previously reported mutagenesis and bioinformatics studies in rice andArabidopsis. The putative polyadenylation signals were 9 to 11 nucleotides in length. Six of the eight TTs contained the putative polyadenylation signals that were overlaps of either canonical AAUAAA or AAUAAA-like polyadenylation signals and AUGAAU, a top-ranking-hexamer of rice andArabidopsisgene near-upstream regions. Three of the polyubiquitin gene TTs contained the identical 9-nucleotide overlap, AUGAAUAAG, underscoring the functional significance of such overlaps in mRNA 3’ end processing. In addition to identifying new combinations of regulatory elements for high constitutive trait gene expression in maize, this study demonstrated the importance of TTs for optimizing gene expression in plants. Learning from this study could be applied to other dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous plant species for transgene expression.
Interaction of dengue NS3 with human RNA silencing machinery through HSPA1A
Authors: Kakumani Pavan Kumar , Shanmugam Rajgokul K. , Chinnappan Mahendran , Kaur Inderjeet , Chopra Arun P. , Malhotra Pawan , Mukherjee Sunil K. , Bhatnagar Raj K.
Published: June 2020

Viruses encode multiple proteins that interact with different host factors to aid in their establishment inside the host. Viral Suppressor of RNA silencing (VSR) are one such class of proteins that have been shown to interact with components of host machinery involved in post transcriptional gene silencing, a known antiviral defence mechanism. In the present study, we showed that dengue NS3, a known VSR not only interacts with HSPA1A, a cellular chaperone, but also modulates its expression levels. Further, we revealed HSPA1A associated with host RNA silencing machinery through its interaction with Argonaute proteins; Ago1, Ago2 and co-localizes with them in the cytoplasm of the cell. Together, these results provide evidence for involvement of other host partners in mediating VSR function of dengue NS3 and aid in deeper understanding of mechanisms underlying viral suppression of RNA silencing.
Stochastic time-dependent enzyme kinetics: closed-form solution and transient bimodality
Authors: Holehouse James , Sukys Augustinas , Grima Ramon
Published: June 2020

We derive an approximate closed-form solution to the chemical master equation describing the Michaelis-Menten reaction mechanism of enzyme action. In particular, assuming that the probability of a complex dissociating into enzyme and substrate is significantly larger than the probability of a product formation event, we obtain expressions for the time-dependent marginal probability distributions of the number of substrate and enzyme molecules. For delta function initial conditions, we show that the substrate distribution is either unimodal at all times or else becomes bimodal at intermediate times. This transient bimodality, which has no deterministic counterpart, manifests when the initial number of substrate molecules is much larger than the total number of enzyme molecules and if the frequency of enzyme-substrate binding events is large enough. Furthermore, we show that our closed-form solution is different from the solution of the chemical master equation reduced by means of the widely used discrete stochastic Michaelis-Menten approximation, where the propensity for substrate decay has a hyperbolic dependence on the number of substrate molecules. The differences arise because the latter does not take into account enzyme number fluctuations while our approach includes them. We confirm by means of stochastic simulation of all the elementary reaction steps in the Michaelis-Menten mechanism that our closed-form solution is accurate over a larger region of parameter space than that obtained using the discrete stochastic Michaelis-Menten approximation.
Tumor Characterization using Unsupervised Learning of Mathematical Relations within Breast Cancer Data
Authors: Axenie Cristian , Kurz Daria
Published: June 2020

Despite the variety of imaging, genetic and histopathological data used to assess tumors, there is still an unmet need for patient-specific tumor growth profile extraction and tumor volume prediction, for use in surgery planning. Models of tumor growth predict tumor size and require tumor biology-dependent parametrization, which hardly generalizes to cope with tumor variability among patients. In addition, the datasets are limited in size, owing to the restricted or single-time measurements. In this work, we address the shortcomings that incomplete biological specifications, the inter-patient variability of tumors, and the limited size of the data bring to mechanistic tumor growth models and introduce a machine learning model capable of characterizing a tumor, namely its growth pattern, phenotypical transitions, and volume. The model learns without supervision, from different types of breast cancer data the underlying mathematical relations describing tumor growth curves more accurate than three state-of-the-art models on three publicly available clinical breast cancer datasets, being versatile among breast cancer types. Moreover, the model can also, without modification, learn the mathematical relations among, for instance, histopathological and morphological parameters of the tumor and, combined with the growth curve, capture the (phenotypical) growth transitions of the tumor from a small amount of data. Finally, given the tumor growth curve and its transitions, our model can learn the relation among tumor proliferation-to-apoptosis ratio, tumor radius, and tumor nutrient diffusion length to estimate tumor volume, which can be readily incorporated within current clinical practice, for surgery planning. We demonstrate the broad unsupervised learning and prediction capabilities of our model through a series of experiments on publicly available clinical datasets.
Association between SARS-CoV-2 infection, exposure risk and mental health among a cohort of essential retail workers in the United States
Authors: Lan Fan-Yun , Suharlim Christian , Kales Stefanos N. , Yang Justin
Published: June 2020

Objectives

To investigate SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) infection and exposure risks among grocery retail workers, and to investigate their mental health state during the pandemic.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2020 in a single grocery retail store in Massachusetts, USA. We assessed workers’ personal/occupational history and perception of COVID-19 by questionnaire. The health outcomes were measured by nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results, GAD-7 (General Anxiety Disorder-7) and PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9).

Results

Among 104 workers tested, twenty-one (20%) had positive viral assays. Seventy-six percent positive cases were asymptomatic. After multi-variate adjustments, employees with direct customer exposure had an odds of 4.7 (95% CI 1.2 to 32.0) being tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, while smokers had an odds of 0.1 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.8) having positive assay. As to mental health, the prevalence of anxiety and depression (i.e. GAD-7 score > 4 or PHQ-9 score >4) was 24% and 8%, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, those able to practice social distancing consistently at work had odds of 0.2 (95% CI 0.1 to 0.7) and 0.1 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.6) screening positive for anxiety and depression, respectively.

Conclusions

We found a considerable asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among grocery workers. Employees with direct costumer exposure were 5 times more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2, while cigarette smokers were 90% less likely to have positive assays. Those able to practice social distancing consistently at work had significantly lower risk of anxiety or depression.
Identification of multiple large deletions in ORF7a resulting in in-frame gene fusions in clinical SARS-CoV-2 isolates
Authors: Addetia Amin , Xie Hong , Roychoudhury Pavitra , Shrestha Lasata , Loprieno Michelle , Huang Meei-Li , Jerome Keith R. , Greninger Alexander L.
Published: June 2020

Peculiar among human RNA viruses, coronaviruses have large genomes containing accessory genes that are not required for replication. Numerous mutations within the SARS-CoV-2 genome have been described but few deletions in the accessory genes of SARS-CoV-2 have been reported. Here, we report two large deletions in ORF7a, both of which produce new open reading frames (ORFs) through the fusion of the N-terminus of ORF7a and a downstream ORF.
Crystal structure and interaction studies of human DHTKD1 provide insight into a mitochondrial megacomplex in lysine catabolism
Authors: Bezerra Gustavo A. , Foster William R. , Bailey Henry J. , Hicks Kevin G. , Sauer Sven W. , Dimitrov Bianca , McCorvie Thomas J. , Okun Jürgen G. , Rutter Jared , Kölker Stefan , Yue Wyatt W.
Published: June 2020

DHTKD1 is a lesser-studied E1 enzyme among the family of 2-oxoacid dehydrogenases. In complex with E2 (dihydrolipoamide succinyltransferase, DLST) and E3 (dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, DLD) components, DHTKD1 is involved in lysine and tryptophan catabolism by catalysing the oxidative decarboxylation of 2-oxoadipate (2OA) in mitochondria. Here, the 1.9 Å resolution crystal structure of human DHTKD1 is solved in complex with the thiamine diphosphate co-factor. The structure reveals how the DHTKD1 active site is modelled upon the well characterized homologue 2-oxoglutarate (2OG) dehydrogenase but engineered specifically to accommodate its preference for the longer substrate of 2OA over 2OG. A 4.7 Å resolution reconstruction of the human DLST catalytic core is also generated by single-particle electron microscopy, revealing a 24-mer cubic scaffold for assembling DHTKD1 and DLD protomers into a megacomplex. It is further demonstrated that missense DHTKD1 variants causing the inborn error of 2-aminoadipic and 2-oxoadipic aciduria impact on the complex formation, either directly by disrupting the interaction with DLST, or indirectly through destabilizing the DHTKD1 protein. This study provides the starting framework for developing DHTKD1 modulators to probe the intricate mitochondrial energy metabolism.
Comparison of two MnIVMnIV-bis-μ-oxo complexes {[MnIV(N4(6-Me-DPEN))]2(μ-O)2}2+ and {[MnIV(N4(6-Me-DPPN))]2(μ-O)2}2+
Authors: Coggins Michael K. , Downing Alexandra N. , Kaminsky Werner , Kovacs Julie A.
Published: June 2020

The addition of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (
t
BuOOH) to two structurally related MnII complexes containing N,N-bis(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine (6-Me-DPEN) and N,N-bis(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)propane-1,2-diamine (6-Me-DPPN) results in the formation of high-valent bis-oxo complexes, namely di-μ-oxido-bis{[N,N-bis(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine]manganese(II)}(Mn—Mn) bis(tetraphenylborate) dihydrate, [Mn(C16H22N4)2O2](C24H20B)2·2H2O or {[MnIV(N4(6-Me-DPEN))]2(μ-O)2}(2BPh4)(2H2O) (1) and di-μ-oxido-bis{[N,N-bis(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)propane-1,3-diamine]manganese(II)}(Mn—Mn) bis(tetraphenylborate) diethyl ether disolvate, [Mn(C17H24N4)2O2](C24H20B)2·2C4H10O or {[MnIV(N4(6-MeDPPN))]2(μ-O)2}(2BPh4)(2Et2O) (2). Complexes 1 and 2 both contain the `diamond core' motif found previously in a number of iron, copper, and manganese high-valent bis-oxo compounds. The flexibility in the propyl linker in the ligand scaffold of 2, as compared to that of the ethyl linker in 1, results in more elongated Mn—N bonds, as one would expect. The Mn—Mn distances and Mn—O bond lengths support an MnIV oxidation state assignment for the Mn ions in both 1 and 2. The angles around the Mn centers are consistent with the local pseudo-octahedral geometry.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of one-dimensional copper(II) coordination polymer incorporating succinate and tetramethylethylenediamine ligands
Authors: Qadir Adnan M. , Kansiz Sevgi , Dege Necmi , Rosair Georgina M. , Iskenderov Turganbay S.
Published: June 2020

The reaction of copper nitrate with succinic acid (succH) and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) in basic solution produces the complex catena-poly[[[(N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine-κ2
N,N′)copper(II)]-μ-succinato-κ2
O
1:O
4] tetrahydrate], {[Cu(C4H4O4)(C6H16N2)]·4H2O}
n
or {[Cu(succ)(tmeda)]·4H2O}
n
. Each carboxylate group of the succinate ligand coordinates to a CuII atom in a monodentate fashion, giving rise to a distorted square-planar geometry. The succinate ligands bridge the CuII centres, forming one-dimensional polymeric chains. Hydrogen bonds between the ligands and water molecules link these chains into sheets that lie parallel to the ac plane. Hirshfeld surface analysis, d
norm and two-dimensional fingerprint plots were examined to verify the contributions of the different intermolecular contacts within the supramolecular structure.
1-Benzyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide
Authors: Peppel Tim , Wulf Christoph , Spannenberg Anke
Published: June 2020

The title compound, (BenzMIm)Br (BenzMIm=1-benzyl-3-methylimidazolium), C11H13N2
+·Br−, was obtained as single crystals directly from a pure and liquid sample of the compound over several weeks. The molecular structure of (BenzMIm)Br consists of separated bromide anions and 1-benzyl-3-methylimidazolium cations connected via short C—H...Br contacts. The compound exhibits a relatively low melting point (m.p. = 72°C) and is a supercooled, highly viscous transparent liquid at ambient conditions. The title compound crystallizes with two unique ion pairs in the asymmetric unit of the orthorhombic unit cell.
Editorial cartoon collections: a review of indexing challenges
Authors: Stead Oliver , Liew Chern Li
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The difficulty of attributing subject to editorial cartoons for indexing purposes exists both for traditional paper-based cartoon formats and for digitized or born-digital cartoons. This paper presents a selective review of literature on indexing editorial cartoons and the associated challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

A gap exists in published research on indexing collections of editorial cartoons for online search and retrieval. This paper presents a review of selected works that specifically address the topic of editorial cartoon indexing within a wider context of research that addresses image indexing, subject analysis and indexing challenges more generally. Works that address the interpretation of cartoons by readers and how readers respond to information communicated by editorial cartoons are also considered.

Findings

Cartoon controversies in transnational and multicultural contexts, experienced through the international news media since 2000, have dramatically increased research attention and publications in this area. Profound changes in media publication since the advent of the Internet have had an impact on editorial cartoonists and cartoon publishing. Subject indexing of editorial cartoons remains a challenge.

Research limitations/implications

The potential for large indexed cartoon collections to be data-mined for topic modeling for research in the social sciences points to the need for indexers of cartoon collections to improve metadata standards and structures to allow improved access to cartoon metadata for computational analysis.

Originality/value

This paper places discussion of the technical challenges facing indexers of editorial cartoons within a broader context of discussions about the nature and future of editorial cartooning in rapidly changing media and publishing environments.
Lesson Study as a bridge between two learning contexts
Authors: Lundbäck Birgitta , Egerhag Helen
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Lesson Study is a model for advancing knowledge about how teachers can enhance teaching through collaboration in schools. This study aims to focus on two learning situations for students in Grades 1–3: elementary school (the first years of school) and school-age educare (activities for students before and after school while their parents are working or studying). The case study aims to describe how teachers use Lesson Study to enhance students' mathematical learning in the two learning situations. The objectives were to describe teachers' perceptions of Lesson Study activities and collaboration and students' knowledge before and after lessons.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected as a narrative case study using audio-recorded conversations between researchers and teachers in the different learning contexts. A questionnaire comprising five open-ended questions was used to map students' knowledge of the subject.

Findings

Teachers found it advantageous to cooperate with each other across the different learning situations. Mapping students' knowledge before and after a teaching session helped them understand how to create a teaching situation that benefits their students. They saw the value of continued collaboration and called for implementation of the Lesson Study method throughout the school.

Research limitations/implications

An important limitation of this case study is that it was conducted in a very specific context, and the findings cannot, therefore, be generalized to other situations. However, there is a need for similar case studies to be conducted in different contexts, both in Sweden and in other countries, to pay attention to ways in which elementary schools and school-age educare can develop supplementary teaching situations.

Originality/value

The originality of this case lies in planning and reporting a Lesson Study in two different learning situations in the same school, and the conclusion that educators identify and develop collaborative links in different subjects.
Formulation of historic residential architecture as a background to urban conservation
Authors: Dinler Mesut
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The paper explores how interpretations of vernacular traditional architecture played a significant role in the development of urban conservation practice in Turkey in the 1960s and 1970s. At the turn of the 20th century, the value of Ottoman historic residential architecture began to develop with the label of the Turkish House. At the turn of the 20th century, historic residential architecture of the Ottoman Empire gained a heritage value and labeled as the Turkish House. Thus, these houses became a part of a national heritage discourse, though their preservation only came to agenda in the early 1970s through preservation programs for Istanbul's waterfront mansions (yali). Turkey simultaneously adapted international heritage developments throughout the 1960s and the 1970s and introduced urban conservation both in practice and in theory to heritage management system of Turkey.

Design/methodology/approach

The main research material is derived from the archives of the primary preservation council of Turkey that functioned from 1951 to 1983. The earlier works of the members of the council, journals of the period and urban projects are investigated to outline the complexities of urban conservation.

Findings

This paper explores how modernist efforts of the early 20th century framed traditional Ottoman architecture with the label “Turkish House.” In addition, it reveals how preserving the Turkish House was a major motivation that triggered early urban conservation attempts primarily along Istanbul's Bosporus shores.

Originality/value

The paper outlines dynamics of urban conservation. It outlines that urban conservation did not only emerge as a response to postwar context, but it was also a historic continuation of modernist understandings of “cultural heritage.”
Financialisation and participation in the metropolisation dynamics of European-listed property companies
Authors: Coën Alain , Languillon Raphaël , Simon Arnaud , Zaiter Saadallah
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the relationship between the financialisation dynamics of listed property companies (LPCs) and their participation in the metropolisation dynamics, in ten European countries between 2000 and 2017. The study takes place in a context of globalised real estate markets and modification of traditional urban economics.

Design/methodology/approach

The measure of financialisation corresponds to a beta increase, in the sense of the capital asset pricing model, and is corroborated by an informativeness index. LPC-owned properties are classified along two spatial segmentations. Panel models are used to analyse the relation between financial and urban hierarchies (through building arbitrages).

Findings

Financialisation is generally associated with a decrease in the number of assets owned, especially in the Netherlands and the UK, whereas non-financialised companies tend to increase their number of assets, especially in “flight-to-quality” countries such as Germany and Switzerland. In the first case, non-urban spaces and small and medium urban areas are arbitraged in favour of urban cores and metropoles. In the second, investments are reallocated towards hinterlands and the lower segments of the urban hierarchy. Over the study period, the parallelism between the financial hierarchy and the urban hierarchy was reinforced. Spain illustrates the risks of this evolution, whereas Sweden and Belgium present specificities.

Originality/value

This paper illustrates how LPCs function as transmitting channels in the new spatial and urban organisation.
Securitization and earnings management: evidence from the Sarbanes–Oxley act
Authors: Rupp Anin
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether the opportunistic use of assets securitization for earnings management is systematically widespread. It is hypothesized that with the passage of the Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002, which imposed more stringent governance over the financial reporting process, there should be a decrease in the opportunistic use of securitization among firms that were not compliant prior to the passage.

Design/methodology/approach

The author use the SOX Act as an exogenous shock to determine whether the act had the intended effect of mitigating opportunistic securitization.

Findings

The empirical results show that there was a significant decrease in securitization among the non-compliant firms relative to the compliant firms and this reduction is related to firms using securitization opportunistically. This evidence suggests that securitization for earnings management was a systematic phenomenon and that SOX was effective in mitigating such behavior.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper to the literature is twofold. It will identify changes in the use of asset securitization for earnings management purpose by using the exogenous variation in the strength of external governance. Furthermore, it will provide additional evidence of the effectiveness of financial regulations and have potential implications at the policy maker level.
Emotional finance: determinants of phantasy
Authors: Aren Selim , Nayman Hamamcı Hatice
Published: June 2020

Purpose

In this study, scales are developed for phantasy and its determinants, which is accepted as an important variable in investment preference with an emotional finance perspective. The scales developed in this framework are narrative, divided mind, group feel, informed herding, uninformed herding and phantasy. In addition, the power of these determinants to explain phantasy was investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

For this purpose, the data was obtained between May 01, 2019 and November 30, 2019 via an online survey with convenience sampling. First, a pilot study consisting of 200 subjects was performed. Then, additional data was collected. The total number of subjects was 648. The authors used IBM SPSS Statistics and AMOS for analysis. Exploratory factor analysis and discriminant analysis were performed. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis was performed after an additional data collection process with structural equation modeling.

Findings

As a result of analyses, the validity and reliability of these scales were ensured statistically. It was also found that divided mind directly affects phantasy, but group feel and narrative indirectly affect by informed herding. The “unknown and new investment” preference, which is accepted as a typical feature of the bubble periods, is modeled with the relevant variables. In this framework, it has been found that the variables that refer individuals to the relevant investment preferences are phantasy, group feel, uninformed herding and divided mind.

Originality/value

The study is unique because of its findings and developed scales. The findings are valuable in that the theoretically alleged relations were also obtained empirically.
Influence of investor sentiment and its antecedent on investment decision-making using partial least square technique
Authors: P.H. Haritha , Uchil Rashmi
Published: June 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether individual investor sentiment and its factors influence investment decision-making behavior in the Indian stock market. The study contributes to the novel conceptual framework that integrates the impact of investor sentiment and outlines the role of its factors (herding, media factor, advocate recommendation and social interaction) during the investment decision-making process.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, data were collected using a structured questionnaire survey from Indian individual investors. It uses self-reported sources of information collected via a survey of individual investors and estimated the linkage via path modeling. The collected data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between the construct, namely, herding, media, advocate recommendation and social interaction with investor sentiment and investment decision-making.

Findings

The study shows that herding, media factor, advocate recommendation and social interaction significantly and positively influence the investor sentiment. Among all the factors, social interaction has the lowest influence on investor sentiment. The study also reveals that investor sentiment has a positive impact on investment decision-making.

Practical implications

The study provides valuable insights for the individual investors, financial advisors, policymakers and other stakeholders. Knowledge of behavioral finance would enhance the decision-making capabilities of individual investors in the stock market. Thus, the study calls for the need to increase awareness among Indian investors about behavioral finance and its usefulness in investment decision-making. The paper also sheds light upon the influence of investor sentiment and its antecedents on investment decision-making. The study confirms that the investor relies on their sentiment while making investment decisions. Hence, the stakeholders in the stock market should focus on investor sentiment and other psychological aspects of individual investors as well.

Originality/value

There are very few studies that deal with the behavioral aspects of individual investors in an emerging market context. The study mainly focuses on the antecedent of investor sentiment and its influence on investment decision-making in the Indian stock market. To the best of authors’ knowledge, the present study unique nature that examines the impact of the antecedent of investor sentiment which was not explored in the Indian context and investment decision-making of individual investors.
Real‐world safety and efficacy data of ipilimumab in Japanese radically unresectable malignant melanoma patients: A postmarketing surveillance
Authors: Yamazaki Naoya , Kiyohara Yoshio , Uhara Hisashi , Tsuchida Tetsuya , Maruyama Keiko , Shakunaga Naoki , Itakura Eijun , Komoto Akira
Published: June 2020

Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors has improved prognosis among patients with cutaneous melanoma, but there are still unmet medical needs in Japan, especially for mucosal melanoma and acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) subtypes. Ipilimumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody that specifically blocks cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated antigen 4 and potentiates antitumor T‐cell response, was approved in Japan in 2015 for the treatment of radically unresectable malignant melanoma. This postmarketing surveillance (prospective, non‐interventional, multicenter, observational study) evaluated the safety (occurrence of adverse drug reactions [ADR]) and efficacy (overall survival [OS]) of ipilimumab in a real‐world setting in Japan. All patients with radically unresectable malignant melanoma undergoing treatment with ipilimumab in Japan during the registration period between August 2015 and February 2017 were enrolled. In total, 547 patients were analyzed; 67.5% were 60 years old or more, 85.7% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–1, 50.3% had melanoma of the skin (mainly of the ALM subtype) and 73.5% had negative BRAF mutation status. Most patients had experienced recurrence and received multiple treatments. The overall incidence of ADR and serious ADR was 69.5% and 40.8%, respectively. The most common ADR and serious ADR were liver disorder, colitis and diarrhea. The most common ADR of special interest were liver‐related ADR (22.5%), skin‐related ADR (22.1%), gastrointestinal‐related ADR (20.3%) and endocrine system‐related ADR (16.3%). Most of these events had recovered or were in remission by the last evaluation. The median OS was 7.52 months (95% confidence interval, 6.47–8.74). Median OS was 6.31 and 8.44 months in patients with mucosal melanoma and melanoma of the skin; 9.43 and 3.75 months in patients with and without ADR; and 10.32 and 6.11 months in patients with and without serious ADR, respectively. Ipilimumab was tolerable and showed efficacy in improving OS for these patients.
Serum anti‐p53 autoantibodies in angiosarcoma
Authors: Kiyohara Mihoko , Aoi Jun , Kajihara Ikko , Otuka Saki , Kadomatsu Tuyoshi , Fukushima Satoshi , Ihn Hironobu
Published: June 2020

There is no biomarker for detecting the status of angiosarcoma patients. Studies have reported that serum anti‐p53 antibody (Ab) levels are often high in patients with various types of malignant tumors, suggesting the potential use of this Ab as a biomarker for various tumors, including angiosarcoma. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of serum anti‐p53 Ab as a potent angiosarcoma biomarker. Nineteen angiosarcoma patients were included. All patients had histologically been diagnosed with cutaneous angiosarcoma. We compared p53 protein expression and serum p53 Ab levels between angiosarcoma in the scalp patients (n = 19) and normal controls (n = 30). We evaluated Ab levels before and after therapy. Increased p53 expression was detected in angiosarcoma skin tissues compared with that observed in normal skin tissues. We evaluated serum from angiosarcoma patients and controls for the presence of the anti‐p53 Ab. Serum anti‐p53 Ab levels were significantly higher in angiosarcoma patients than in controls．Serum anti‐p53 Ab levels of patients who showed disease progression after therapy increased in correlation with the medical condition. The Ab levels of three patients, who showed partial response after therapy, decreased in correlation with the medical condition. The Ab levels of the other three patients were low at all time points. Anti‐p53 Ab levels were significantly higher in angiosarcoma patients than in the controls. We demonstrated that serum anti‐p53 Ab levels would reflect the clinical course of angiosarcoma patients, suggesting that serum anti‐p53 Ab can be a potent diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of angiosarcoma.
Effects of low‐dose Aloe sterol supplementation on skin moisture, collagen score and objective or subjective symptoms: 12‐week, double‐blind, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Kaminaka Chikako , Yamamoto Yuki , Sakata Mariko , Hamamoto Chiaki , Misawa Eriko , Nabeshima Kazumi , Saito Marie , Tanaka Miyuki , Abe Fumiaki , Jinnin Masatoshi
Published: June 2020

Daily oral intake of 40 μg Aloe sterol was shown in a double‐blind clinical trial to significantly increase skin barrier function, moisture and elasticity. Ultrasonographic results also suggested that the intake of Aloe sterol increases collagen content in the dermis. Here, we evaluate the effects of a much smaller dose of Aloe sterol, approximately half that used previously, on skin functions in more detail. This is a monocentric, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, supplementation study of the effects of low‐dose Aloe sterol on skin transepidermal water loss, hydration, collagen score, evaluation of objective or subjective symptoms, and safety after 12 weeks of daily intake. We randomly administrated either Aloe sterol or placebo to 122 healthy volunteers. Transepidermal water loss was significantly reduced and collagen score was increased in the Aloe sterol group compared with the placebo group at week 12. In the Aloe sterol group, there was significant improvement of objective skin condition (face erythema and pruritus of inner and outer arms) at week 12 compared with week 0, but not in the placebo group. Subjectively, there was significant improvement of visual analog scale of skin acne, fingernail brittleness and constipation in the Aloe sterol group. According to subgroup analysis, although not planned before the study initiation, subjects with dry skin in the Aloe sterol group had significantly increased skin hydration values at week 12 compared with the placebo group. Our results confirmed that even low‐dose Aloe sterol ingestion improves skin moisture by promoting skin barrier function and dermal collagen production, which contributes to maintenance of healthy skin.