bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Triplet-Triplet Annihilation PLGA-Nanoparticles for Cancer Bioimaging
Authors: Vepris Olena , Eich Christina , Feng Yansong , Zhang Hong , Kaijzel Eric. L. , Cruz Luis J. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractTriplet-triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC) nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as imaging probes and therapeutic probes in recent years due to their excellent optical properties. In contrast to lanthanide ions-doped inorganic materials, highly efficient TTA-UC can be generated by low excitation power density, which makes it suitable for clinical applications. In the present study, we used biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-NPs as delivery vehicle for TTA-UC based on the heavy metal porphyrin Platinum(II) octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) as photosensitizer/emitter pair. TTA-UC-PLGA-NPs were successfully synthesized according to an oil-in-water emulsion and solvent evaporation method. After physicochemical characterization, UC-efficacy of TTA-UC-PLGA-NPs was assessedin vitroandex vivo. TTA-UC could be detected in the tumor area 96 hours afterin vivoadministration of TTA-UC-PLGA-NPs, confirming the integrity and suitability of PLGA-NPs as TTA-UCin vivodelivery system. Thus, this study provides proof-of-concept that the advantageous properties of PLGA can be combined with the unique optical properties of TTA-UC for the development of advanced nanocarriers for simultaneousin vivomolecular imaging and drug delivery.
Recombinant Paraprobiotics as a New Paradigm for Treating Gastrointestinal Nematode Parasites of Humans
Authors: Li Hanchen , Abraham Ambily , Gazzola David , Hu Yan , Beamer Gillian , Flanagan Kelly , Soto Ernesto , Rus Florentina , Mirza Zeynep , Draper Austin , Vakalapudi Sridhar , Stockman Cheryl , Bain Perry , Urban Joseph F. , Ostroff Gary R. , Aroian Raffi V. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractGastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) of humans,e.g., hookworms, negatively impact childhood growth, cognition, nutrition, educational attainment, income, productivity, and pregnancy. Hundreds of millions of people are targeted with mass drug administration (MDA) of donated benzimidazole (BZ) anthelmintics. However, BZ efficacy against GINs is suboptimal, and reduced/low efficacy has been seen. Developing an anthelmintic for human MDA is daunting: it must be safe, effective, inexpensive, stable without a cold chain, and massively scalable.Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt) crystal protein 5B (Cry5B) has anthelmintic properties that could fill this void. Here we develop an API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) form of Bt Cry5B compatible with MDA. We expressed Cry5B in asporogenous Bt during vegetative phase, forming cytosolic crystals. TheseBacteria withCytosolicCrystals (BaCC) were rendered inviable (inactivated BaCC or IBaCC) with food-grade essential oils. IBaCC potency was validatedin vitroagainst nematodes. IBaCC was also potentin vivoagainst human hookworm infections in hamsters. IBaCC production was successfully scaled to 350 liters at a contract manufacturing facility. A simple fit-for-purpose formulation to protect against stomach digestion and powdered IBaCC were successfully made and used against GINS in hamsters and mice. A pilot histopathology study and blood chemistry workup showed that five daily consecutive doses of 200 mg/kg Cry5B IBaCC (the curative single dose is 40 mg/kg) was non-toxic and completely safe. IBaCC is a safe, inexpensive, highly effective, easy-to-manufacture, and scalable anthelmintic that is practical for MDA and represents a new paradigm for treating human GINs.
Representational content of oscillatory brain activity during object recognition
Authors: Reddy Leila , Cichy Radoslaw Martin , VanRullen Rufin 
Published: September 2020

AbstractNumerous theories propose a key role for brain oscillations in visual perception. Most of these theories postulate that sensory information is encoded in specific oscillatory components (e.g., power or phase) of specific frequency bands. These theories are often tested with whole-brain recording methods of low spatial resolution (EEG or MEG), or depth recordings that provide a local, incomplete view of the brain. Opportunities to bridge the gap between local neural populations and whole-brain signals are rare. Here, using representational similarity analysis we ask which MEG oscillatory components (power and phase, across various frequency bands) correspond to low or high-level visual object representations, using brain representations from fMRI, or layer-wise representations in Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) as a template for low/high-level object representations. The results showed that around stimulus onset and offset, most transient oscillatory signals correlated with low-level brain patterns (V1). During stimulus presentation, sustained beta (∼20Hz) and gamma (>60Hz) power best correlated with V1, while oscillatory phase components correlated with IT representations. Surprisingly, this pattern of results did not always correspond to low- or high-level DNN layer activity. In particular, sustained beta-band oscillatory power reflected high-level DNN layers, suggestive of a feed-back component. These results begin to bridge the gap between whole-brain oscillatory signals and object representations supported by local neuronal activations.
Principles of organelle membrane bridging established using cytosolic tether mimics
Authors: Kamal Mohammad Arif , Janeš Josip Augustin , Li Long , Thibaudau Franck , Smith Ana-Suncana , Sengupta Kheya 
Published: September 2020

AbstractThe interactions between different intra-cellular organelles, including the endoplasmic reticulum, have recently been in focus thanks to the tremendous progress in imaging them using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. However, they are still difficult to study in cellulo, and reconstituting these systems has been a standing challenge. Here we achieve this task using a giant unilamellar vesicle (GUV) and supported lipid bilayer (SLB) system. The tethers, which may reside in the cytosol when unbound, are mimicked by single (or double) stranded DNA sequences of two different lengths with ends that are self-sticky, and with terminal cholesterol moieties which insert into GUV or SLB membranes. The DNA-tethers, bound by their sticky-end, can exist in two possible states - either with both cholesterols in the same membrane or each cholesterol in a different membrane, the latter conformation leading to adhesion. Exchange of tether-molecules between the membranes occurs through the aqueous phase. By developing theoretical arguments that are supported in our experiments, we show that this possibility of exchange and the relative difference in the projected area between the two states drives the adhesion due to collective entropic considerations, rather than the usually considered enthalpy of binding. The establishment of this fundamentally different interaction between two membranes suggests that in physiological conditions, the regulation of contact formation inside cells may be very different from the case of the much studied ligand-receptor pairing on the external cell membrane.
Genome sequence and characterization of five bacteriophages infectingStreptomyces coelicolorandStreptomyces venezuelae: Alderaan, Coruscant, Dagobah, Endor1 and Endor2
Authors: Hardy Aël , Sharma Vikas , Kever Larissa , Frunzke Julia 
Published: September 2020

AbstractStreptomycesare well-known antibiotic producers, and are also characterized by a complex morphological differentiation.Streptomyces, like all bacteria, are confronted with the constant threat of phage predation, which in turn shapes bacterial evolution. However, despite significant sequencing efforts recently, relatively few phages infectingStreptomyceshave been characterized compared to other genera. Here, we present the isolation and characterization of five novelStreptomycesphages. All five phages belong to theSiphoviridaefamily, based on their morphology as determined by transmission electron microscopy. Genome sequencing revealed that four of them were temperate phages, while one had a lytic lifestyle. Moreover, one of the newly sequenced phages shows very little homology to already described phages, highlighting the still largely untapped viral diversity. Altogether, this study expands the number of characterized phages ofStreptomycesand sheds light on phage evolution and phage-host dynamics inStreptomyces.
Multi-tissue Multi-omics Nutrigenomics Indicates Context-specific Effects of DHA on Rat Brain
Authors: Zhang Guanglin , Meng Qingying , Blencowe Montgomery , Rahul Agrawal , Gomez-Pinilla Fernando , Yang Xia 
Published: September 2020

AbstractScopeWe explored the influence of DHA on cardiometabolic and cognitive phenotypes, and multiomic alterations in the brain under two metabolic conditions to understand context-specific nutritional effects.Methods and ResultsRats were randomly assigned to a DHA-rich or a control chow diet while drinking water or high fructose solution, followed by profiling of metabolic and cognitive phenotypes and the transcriptome and DNA methylome of the hypothalamus and hippocampus. DHA reduced serum triglyceride and improved insulin resistance and memory exclusively in the fructose-consuming rats. In hippocampus, DHA affected genes related to synapse functions in the chow group but immune functions in the fructose group; in hypothalamus, DHA altered immune pathways in the chow group but metabolic pathways in the fructose group. Network modeling revealed context-specific regulators of DHA effects, includingKlf4andDusp1for chow condition andLum, Fn1, andCol1a1for fructose condition in hippocampus, as well asCyr61, JunB, Ier2, andPitx2under chow condition andHcar1, Cdh1, andOsr1under fructose condition in hypothalamus.ConclusionDHA exhibits differential influence on epigenetic loci, genes, pathways, and metabolic and cognitive phenotypes under different dietary contexts, supporting population stratification in DHA studies to achieve precision nutrition.
Interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R) is required for myeloid cell homeostasis and reconstitution by hematopoietic stem cells
Authors: Cool Taylor , Worthington Atesh , Poscablo Donna , Hussaini Adeel , Forsberg E. Camilla 
Published: September 2020

AbstractRespiratory diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide, with highly varied vulnerability to disease between individuals. The underlying reasons of disease susceptibility are unknown, but often include a variable immune response in lungs. Recently, we identified a surprising novel role of the interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R), a primarily lymphoid-associated regulator, in fetal-specified, lung-resident macrophage development. Here, we report that traditional, hematopoietic stem cell-derived myeloid cells in the adult lung, peripheral blood, and bone marrow also depend on IL7R expression. Using single and double germline knockout models, we found that eosinophil numbers were reduced upon deletion of IL7Rα. We then employed two Cre recombinase models in lineage tracing experiments to test whether these cells developed through an IL7Rα+ pathway. Despite the impact of IL7Rα deletion, IL7R-Cre labeled only a minimal fraction of eosinophils. We therefore examined the intrinsic versus extrinsic requirement for IL7R in the production of eosinophils using reciprocal hematopoietic stem cell transplantation assays. These assays revealed that extrinsic, but not eosinophil-intrinsic, IL7R is required for eosinophil reconstitution by HSCs in the adult lung. To determine which external factors may be influencing eosinophil development and survival, we performed a cytokine array analysis between wild-type and IL7Rα-deficient mice and found several differentially regulated proteins. These findings expand upon our previous publication that IL7R is required not only for proper lymphoid cell development and homeostasis, but also for myeloid cell homeostasis in tissues.HighlightsLoss of IL7Rα resulted in significantly fewer eosinophils in adult miceIL7R-Cre lineage tracing revealed minimal labeling of eosinophilsIL7Rα-deficient HSCs robustly reconstituted eosinophils in a WT hostWT HSCs failed to fully reconstitute eosinophils in IL7Rα-/-hostsSeveral cytokines are differentially expressed in WT and IL7Rα-deficient mice
Predictive modeling of material properties for aircraft control cables
Authors: Yavuz Hande 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationship between material properties and alloying elements of carbon steels through predictive modeling. Aircraft control cables are usually made of steel materials and subjected to deformation because of the motion of control surfaces such as aileron, rudder, elevator and trailing edge flaps. Investigation of the relationship between material properties and alloying elements would therefore be explored.Design/methodology/approachThis study is focused on the modeling of mechanical properties of carbon steels concerning the content of alloying elements by using response surface methodology with false discovery rate (FDR) correction approach. SAS Institute JMP data analysis software was used to develop response and argument relationships in various carbon steels without including thermomechanical treatment effect. Mechanical properties were considered as tensile strength, yield strength, ductility, and Brinell hardness. Carbon (0.28 Wt.%-0.46 Wt.%) and manganese (0.7 Wt.%-0.9 Wt.%) proportions were gathered fromASM Handbook. Linear regression models were tested for the statistical adequacy by using analysis of variance and statistical significance analysis. A posterior probability, which refers to Benjamini–Hochberg FDR (BH-FDR), was embedded as multiple testing corrections of thet-testp-values.FindingsPredictive modeling of the material properties for aircraft control cables was successfully achieved by using the response surface method with BH-FDR significance level of 0.05.Originality/valueThe effect of statistically developed graphical interactions of alloying elements on the common mechanical properties of such steels would provide prompt comparison to material suppliers and part manufacturers except those subjected to thermomechanical treatment applications.
Evaluating social countermarketing success: resonance of framing strategies in online food quality debates
Authors: Jacobs Sandra Hermina Jacoba , Wonneberger Anke , Hellsten Iina 
Published: September 2020

PurposeSocial countermarketing (SCM) aims at influencing existing socio-cultural norms, public policies or political decision-making. Existing empirical accounts of SCM give limited insights into their success. The authors analyze SCM strategies and their public resonance by studying the diagnostic and prognostic frames and responsibility attributions that are used in the debates.Design/methodology/approachThe authors focus on two online SCM campaigns in the Netherlands that are targeted against over-feeding of chickens for consumption and the selling of low-priced meat. The authors conducted a quantitative content analysis (N = 3,902) of these debates on Twitter for a two-year period (July 2015 to June 2017).FindingsThe results show that citizens play an important role for the amplification of SCM campaigns. Diagnostic and prognostic frames about meat selling practices are among the most popular ones while the importance of mobilization messages differs per case. This can be explained by the proximity of these frames to citizens' daily life experiences.Practical implicationsThe apparent willingness of citizens to both tweet and retweet calls for mobilization might give messages by environmental NGOs third-party endorsement. This strengthens their position and visibility in the debates, which are both of strategic value. The analysis of actor responsibility can identify reputational risks for companies in contested industries such as mass meat production.Originality/valueThe findings enhance professional understanding of designing campaign messages and refine SCM success in terms of resonance, since resonance indicates amplification and third-party endorsement.
The impact of audit committee financial expertise on de facto use of IFRS: does external auditor’s size matter?
Authors: Oussii Ahmed Atef , Klibi Mohamed Faker 
Published: September 2020

Purpose
De facto use of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is a particular form of voluntary compliance with International Accounting Standards (IAS). It is practiced when an enterprise uses a number (and not all) of international standards as a complement to overcome the unachieved nature of local generally accepted accounting principles. The purpose of this paper is to analyze, at first, whether the financial expertise of Tunisian audit committee’s members is associated with de facto use of IFRS. Second, it explores to what extent and in what direction this association evolves when the factor auditor’s size is introduced as a moderator variable.

Design/methodology/approach
Data spanning a seven-year period (2012–2018) was hand-collected for a sample of 497 firm-year observations. Further, regression analysis was used to test the study’s hypothesis.

Findings
Findings show that the proportion of financial experts who sit on the audit committee is positively associated with the de facto use of IFRS. Besides, the association between audit committee members’ financial expertise and the voluntary use of IFRS is more pronounced when the company is audited by at least one BIG 4 audit firm.

Practical implications
The paper’s findings have implications for regulatory bodies and standards setters who are concerned with the functioning of the audit committee, especially when it comes to enhancing the quality of the financial statements. The results also shed light on the role of financial experts on the audit committee and Big 4 auditors to enforce the de facto use of IFRS.

Originality/value
The findings of this study contain an important message for the drift toward national de jure convergence with IAS.
Identifying and addressing reverse salients in infrastructural change. The case of a small zero emission campus in Southern Norway
Authors: Berker Thomas , Woods Ruth 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the relevance and use of the concept “reverse salient” in ambitious infrastructural change. Thomas Hughes, in his seminal study of socio-technical system building, observed that the elimination of “reverse salients”, i.e. subsystems that because of their limited performance hold back further development, was a central driver for creativity and innovation. It is argued that in sustainable infrastructural transformations, however, reverse salients that resist change are more often neglected than addressed.Design/methodology/approachHigher education institution campuses combine laboratory-like conditions and sufficient internal complexity to be used as test-beds for ambitious sustainable change in the built environment. In this article, a neglected barrier to the transformation of a small campus into a zero emission campus is revealed, described and addressed.FindingsIn terms of substantive findings, first, it is demonstrated how parts of infrastructures that – often for good reasons – have been neglected in efforts to reduce climate impacts can be identified with the help of a historical exploration of the site and through close collaboration with local facilities managers. Second, a temporary low-tech intervention is presented that addressed the critical problems related to these “reverse salients”.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of a case study approach apply to this study. Particular caution has to be exercised in terms of generalisation. Moreover, the intervention would benefit greatly from stricter control and additional iterations of the intervention which have not yet been performed.Practical implicationsIn addition to technology-focussed, top-down initiatives, which often struggle with actually reaching their ambitious goals in routine operation, neglected parts of campuses can contribute greatly to energy and emissions reductions. Moreover, it is demonstrated that and how local technical personnel has an important part to play in infrastructural transformations.Originality/valueConcepts developed in the study of socio-technical system building have not yet been applied in the study and practice of sustainable infrastructural transformation. Their contribution is demonstrated. Moreover, living labs are notoriously difficult to evaluate. In this case study, processes and effects of an innovative living lab intervention are described and analysed. This enables a better understanding of restrictions and possibilities of experimenting in real-life settings.
Corporate governance and compliance with AAOIFI governance standards by Islamic banks
Authors: Mnif Yosra , Tahari Marwa 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effect of the main corporate governance characteristics on compliance with accounting and auditing organisation for Islamic financial institutions’ (AAOIFI) governance standards’ (GSs) disclosure requirements by Islamic banks (IB) that adopt AAOIFIs’ standards in Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Syria, Sudan, Palestine and Yemen.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consists of 486 bank-year observations from 2009 to 2017.FindingsThe findings reveal that compliance with AAOIFIs’ GSs’ disclosure requirements is positively influenced by the audit committee (AC) independence, AC’s accounting and financial expertise and industry expertise, auditor industry specialisation, IB’s size and IB’s listing status. On the other hand, it is negatively influenced by the ownership concentration.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has only examined compliance with AAOIFI’s GSs’ disclosure requirements and has focussed on one major sector of the Islamic financial institutions (which is IB).Practical implicationsThe findings are useful for various groups of preparers and users of IBs’ annual reports such as academics and researchers, accountants, management of IBs and some organisations.Originality/valueWhile the study of the AAOIFIs’ standards has grown contemporary with considerable contributions from scholars, however, the majority of these studies are descriptive in nature. Indeed, the existing literature that has explored the determinants of compliance with AAOIFI’s standards is in the early research stage. To the best of the knowledge, there is a paucity of empirical research testing this issue.