bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Systematic functional analysis of Leishmania protein kinases identifies regulators of differentiation or survival
Authors: N. Baker , C.M.C. Catta-Preta , R. Neish , J. Sadlova , B. Powell , E.V.C. Alves-Ferreira , V. Geoghegan , J.B.T. Carnielli , K. Newling , C. Hughes , B. Vojtkova , J. Anand , A. Mihut , P.B. Walrad , L.G. Wilson , J.W. Pitchford , P. Volf , J.C. Mottram 
Published: September 2020

SummaryDifferentiation between distinct stages is fundamental for the life cycle of intracellular protozoan parasites and for transmission between hosts, requiring stringent spatial and temporal regulation. Here we applied kinome-wide gene deletion and gene tagging in Leishmania mexicana promastigotes to define protein kinases with life cycle transition roles. Whilst 162 were dispensable, 44 protein kinase genes were refractory to deletion in promastigotes and are likely core genes required for parasite replication. Phenotyping of pooled gene deletion mutants using bar-seq and projection pursuit clustering revealed functional phenotypic groups of protein kinases involved in differentiation from metacyclic promastigote to amastigote, growth and survival in macrophages and mice, colonisation of the sand fly and motility. This unbiased interrogation of protein kinase function in Leishmania allows targeted investigation of organelle-associated signalling pathways required for successful intracellular parasitism.
Detection ofPlasmodium vivaxin a liver sample of a howler-monkey: one evidence more in favour of the identity betweenPlasmodium simiumandP. vivax
Authors: Buery J.C. , Duarte A.M.R.C. , Alencar F.E.C. , Furieri C. , Mendes S.L. , Loss A.C. , Vicente C.R. , Fux B. , Rezende H.R. , Cravo P.V. , Medeiros M.M. , Arez A.P. , Cerutti C. 
Published: September 2020

ABSTRACTIntroductionThe residual malaria of Atlantic Forest systems in Brazil occurs as an endemic disease with low frequency of cases. The chronological and spatial distance among the cases indicate an absence of fitness to the classical malaria cycle. This peculiar condition raised the suspicion of a reservoir, possibly the non-human primates. Simian and human malaria occur at the same places in that region, and there is already evidence of molecular identity between the simian parasites,Plasmodium simiumandPlasmodium brasilianum, and the human parasites,Plasmodium vivaxandPlasmodium malariae, respectively. Two different SNPs identified in the COX1 region of thePlasmodium vivax/simiumof the Atlantic Forest reinforced its characterization as a zoonotic parasite. This finding supported the development of a PCR-RFLP protocol to identify such polymorphisms, and to monitor zoonotic malaria transmission.MethodsIn the present work, we tested the above-mentioned PCR-RFLP protocol in unprecedented mosquitoes and simian samples collected in Espírito Santo State, Brazil (ES).ResultsThe parasite found in the simian sample wasP. vivax, contrary to what the protocol should indicate. In the mosquito samples, the protocol disclosed both forms of the parasite.ConclusionThis result suggests that the previously published pair of SNPs, and, consequently, the PCR-RFLP protocol, are not able to distinguish the dynamics ofPlasmodiumspp. circulation in the Atlantic Forest endemic area of ES.
Protective efficacy of calcium phosphate nanoparticle adsorbed bivalent subunit vaccine ofPasteurella multocidaagainst homologous challenge in mice
Authors: Shyam Songyukta , Tamuly Shantanu , Borah Probodh , Sharma Rajeev Kumar 
Published: September 2020

ABSTRACTSwine pasteurellosis, caused byPasteurella multocidacapsular types A and D, causes heavy economic loss to the pig farmers. The vaccine presently used is abacterin ofPasteurella multocidacapsular type B that is proven to be effective against bovine pasteurellosis. However, its efficacy against swine pasteurellosis is questionable. The present study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of calcium phosphate nanoparticle adjuvanted bivalent subunit vaccine prepared fromPasteurella multocidacapsular types A and D along with a monovalent subunit vaccine prepared fromPasteurella multocidacapsular type B in mice. The Alum precipitated bacterin vaccine was used as the control. The bivalent subunit vaccine comprising the immune components of both the capsular types showed significantly higher IgG response than either of the other two vaccines. Both the calcium phosphate nanoparticle adjuvanted vaccines could elicit 100% protection in mice against homologous challenges but the aluminum hydroxide adjuvanted bacterin vaccine could not elicit significant protection. Based on this preliminary work, it was concluded that the bivalent subunit vaccine would be a better option for immunization of swine against swine pasteurellosis.IMPORTANCE OF THE WORKThe swine pasteurellosis is an important economic disease affecting the pig population in the North-eastern part of India that contributes the major pig population. The disease is caused by Serotype A and D ofPasteurella multocida. At present the inactivated vaccine is used that is actually developed against P52strain of serotype B:2 ofPasteurella multocida, which is mainly involved in haemorrhagic septicaemia (or bovine pasteurellosis) that affects the cattle, buffaloe, sheep and goat. As a result, the present vaccine does not give sufficient protection in pigs but gives significant protection in cattle, buffaloe, sheep and goat. Hence, there is a need of development of vaccine that can address specifically swine pasteurellosis by targeting serotype A and D ofPasteurella multocida.
Transgenic pyrimethamine-resistantP. falciparumreveals transmission blocking potency of P218, a novel antifolate
Authors: Posayapisit Navaporn , Pengon Jutharat , Prommana Parichat , Shoram Molnipha , Yuthavong Yongyuth , Uthaipibull Chairat , Kamchonwongpaisan Sumalee , Jupatanakul Natapong 
Published: September 2020

AbstractAntimalarial drug which target more than one life stage of the parasite are valuable tools in the fight against malaria. Previous generation of antifolate drugs are able to inhibit replicative stages of drug-sensitive, but not resistant parasites in humans, and mosquitoes. The lack of reliable gametocyte-producing, antifolate resistantP. falciparumhindrance the development of new antifolate compounds against mosquito stages. We used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to develop transgenic gametocyte producingP. falciparumwith quadruple mutations indhfrgene, using NF54 as a parental strain. The transgenic parasites gained pyrimethamine resistance while maintaining the gametocyte producing activity. In contrast to pyrimethamine that cannot inhibit exflagellation of the quadrupledhfrmutant parasite, the novel antifolate P218 showed a good potency for exflagellation inhibition (exflagellation IC5010.74 ± 4.22 nM). The exflagellation IC50was 5.3 times lower than erythrocytic IC50suggesting that the human to mosquito transmission poses as a strong barrier to prevent P218 resistant parasite among population. This study demonstrates that P218 can be considered as a highly potent tool to prevent the spread of antifolate resistant parasites.Graphical AbstractResearch Highlights- Transgenic gametocyte producing pyrimethamine resistantP. falciparumwas generated.- P218 asexual stage IC50in NF54-4mutPfdhfrwas 56.94 ± 15.69 nM.- P218 exflagellation IC50in NF54-4mutPfdhfrwas 10.74 ± 4.22 nM.- P218 exflagellation IC50in NF54-4mutPfdhfris 5.3 times lower than erythrocytic IC50.- P218 is an invaluable tool for malaria treatment and transmission control.
Loss of Kallmann syndrome-associated gene WDR11 disrupts primordial germ cell development by affecting canonical and non-canonical Hedgehog signalling
Authors: Lee Jiyoung , Kim Yeonjoo , Ataliotis Paris , Kim Hyung-Goo , Kim Dae-Won , Bennett Dorothy C. , Brown Nigel A. , Layman Lawrence C. , Kim Soo-Hyun 
Published: September 2020

ABSTRACTMutations ofWDR11are associated with Kallmann syndrome (KS) and congenital hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (CHH), typically caused by defective functions of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurones in the brain. We previously reported that Wdr11 knockout mice show profound infertility with significantly fewer germ cells present in the gonads. To understand the underlying mechanisms mediated by WDR11 in these processes, we investigated the effects ofWdr11deletion on primordial germ cell (PGC) development. Using live-tracking of PGCs and primary co-cultures of genital ridges (GR), we demonstrated thatWdr11-deficient embryos contained reduced numbers of PGCs which had delayed migration due to significantly decreased proliferation and motility. We found primary cilia-dependent canonical Hedgehog (Hh) signalling was required for proliferation of the somatic mesenchymal cells of GR, while primary cilia-independent non-canonical Hh signalling mediated by Ptch2/Gas1 and downstream effectors Src and Creb was required for PGC proliferation and migration, which was disrupted by the loss of function mutations of WDR11. Therefore, canonical and non-canonical Hh signalling are differentially involved in the development of somatic and germ cell components of the gonads, and WDR11 is required for both of these pathways operating in parallel in GR and PGCs, respectively, during normal PGC development. Our study provides a mechanistic link between the development of GnRH neurones and germ cells mediated by WDR11, which may underlie some cases of KS/CHH and ciliopathies.
Phase precession in the human hippocampus and entorhinal cortex
Authors: Qasim Salman E. , Fried Itzhak , Jacobs Joshua 
Published: September 2020

AbstractKnowing where we are, where we have been, and where we are going is critical to many behaviors, including navigation and memory. One potential neuronal mechanism underlying this ability is phase precession, in which spatially tuned neurons represent sequences of positions by activating at progressively earlier phases of local network theta (~5–10 Hz) oscillations. Phase precession may be a general neural pattern for representing sequential events for learning and memory. However, phase precession has never been observed in humans. By recording human single-neuron activity during spatial navigation, we show that spatially tuned neurons in the human hippocampus and entorhinal cortex exhibit phase precession. Furthermore, beyond the neural representation of locations, we show evidence for phase precession related to specific goal-states. Our findings thus extend theta phase precession to humans and suggest that this phenomenon has a broad functional role for the neural representation of both spatial and non-spatial information.
Comparative study of knowledge and use of Bloom's digital taxonomy by teachers and students in virtual and conventional universities
Authors: Amin Hina , Mirza Munawar Sultana 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThis paper intended to explore the knowledge and use of the digital verbs and tools by the students and teachers for conceptual understanding in the virtual and conventional learning environment. The study also explored the use of such digital tools for lower- and higher-order thinking.Design/methodology/approachA survey research method was used for the study. All the students and teachers of the faculty of education from one virtual and one conventional university were the population of this study. Teachers were selected through census sampling. Student enrollment in the faculty of education of the virtual university during Spring 2019 was 1,139 while the conventional university had 1,809 students. In total, 20% of the students from each of the two universities were sampled by using a convenient proportionate sampling technique. A questionnaire was developed by the researchers and validated by three experts before administration. The reliability of the instrument wasa = 0.934. Mean, SD, parametric and nonparametric statistics were applied for data analysis.FindingsThe study reveals that the students of ODL are far better in using digital tools and activities that is, googling, collaborating and Skyping. They are good at understanding and application levels and are involved in higher-order thinking tasks, that is, publishing and podcasting as well. Unlike the students, the teachers of the virtual university are using digital tools of lower-order thinking. The authors infer that the students and teachers of the online universities are using these tools regularly because of the demands of the ODL environment. These findings suggest further research to explore the factors that hinder the use of higher-order thinking skills by the teachers in the online environment.Originality/valueThe study suggests the adoption of Bloom's digital taxonomy in teaching–learning processes, that is, curriculum, instructions and assessment for the millennials. The findings may motivate the online and conventional higher education institutions to adopt digital pedagogy for instructional purposes as the students of the digital age are already extensively involved with digital tools.
The construction of Singapore's mainstream Chinese media on OBOR: based on a discourse analysis of Zaobao
Authors: Li Xiangyi , Wen Zhiting 
Published: September 2020

PurposeSince One Belt One Road (OBOR) was proposed, Singaporean sides have reacted differently. Based on the case of Zaobao, the authors develop the theoretical frame including international relations, agenda setting and media framing, analyzing the construction of textual materials on OBOR and its influencing factors.Design/methodology/approachIn this sense, this paper attempts to use Zaobao's texts on OBOR from 2015 to 2017 as textual materials, by using the discourse analysis method and combining the theories of international relations, agenda setting and media framing, to explore the following two relevant questions: How does the mainstream Chinese media of Singapore construct OBOR issue? What factors influence this kind of construction?FindingsThe study finds that agendas setting on OBOR are diversified in the purpose of supporting official position and meeting audiences' expectations, which are constrained by the factors such as international situations, regional strategies, national interests and domestic politics. The authors learn more details about hidden and vague thoughts on OBOR from all sides in Singapore through this discourse analysis.Originality/valueIn summary, the academic community has a certain foundation for the study of the cognition of the “Belt and Road” initiative. However, compared with the other countries' research on the Belt and Road cognition, the research on Singapore is insufficient. Singapore is an important hub for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. At the same time, as a leader of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), it has a strong appeal and influence in other ASEAN countries. It has also played a pivotal role in building the “Belt and Road”. However, the “Belt and Road” initiative has been proposed and implemented for five years. The research on Singapore's cognition and reaction of the “Belt and Road” initiative is still insufficient. Therefore, an in-depth study of Singapore's cognition of the ‘Belt and Road” initiative has significant academic and applied value. This paper attempts to explore the construction of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative by Singapore's official media to make up for the shortcomings of existing research.
Accounting conservatism and uncertainty in business environments; using financial data of listed companies in the Tehran stock exchange
Authors: Hejranijamil Marziyeh , Hejranijamil Afsane , Shekarkhah Javad 
Published: September 2020

PurposeApplying conservatism to the preparation of financial statements has been considered not only as a natural mechanism to protect the interests of the stockholders but also as a practical way to assist managers to deal with uncertainty in business environments. This study aimed to determine if increasing uncertainty can lead to raising the level of conservatism used in preparing financial statements. The result of the study could provide a better understanding of the factors that influence the level of applying conservative methods in accounting and financial reporting.Design/methodology/approachThe model introduced by Basu (1997) was used to measure accounting conservatism. Business strategy and alertness were considered as two proxies for classifying companies according to their level of uncertainty. By adding each proxy of uncertainty to the model and using the financial data of 183 companies for five years (from 2013 to 2018), the multiple regression models were estimated through EViews. It was assumed that inert companies and those with prospector strategy face a higher level of uncertainty. Consequently, they were expected to report their financial status conservatively.FindingsFindings revealed that companies, which adopted a prospector strategy, applied more conservative methods in their financial reports. This indicated that facing wider uncertainty results in reporting more conservatively, which could not be said about inert companies.Originality/valueThe current research is the first research undertaken in a developing country such as Iran, and the study's results may benefit other developing countries.
WhatsApp groups: channel for sharing information among LIS professionals in Nigeria
Authors: Udem Obiora Kingsley , Aghoghovwia Doris U. , Baro Ebikabowei Emmanuel 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine the type of information Library and Information Science professionals share in the WhatsApp groups in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a quantitative content analysis research design. With a total of 739 participants, 1,385 posts of six different WhatsApp groups of Library and Information Science professionals for three months were analyzed.FindingsThe study found that the most shared information among the Library and Information Science professionals in Nigeria is post on professional information. This demonstrates that librarians are determined to share professional information among them to promote the profession. This was followed by political information basically on the Nigerian Library Association national executives’ election, and job advertisements related to the library. Although a few members violate the rules by posting the kind of information not required in the WhatsApp group, the erring members are quickly called to order and warned by the WhatsApp group administrator.Social implicationsProfessional ties can grow among information specialists and library practitioners through participation in virtual communities such as WhatsApp group. The implication of this work is in showing that social media especially WhatsApp groups can be used as a knowledge sharing mechanism to share timely, current and relevant information among professionals in different occupations.Originality/valueFindings on the use of WhatsApp group in sharing professional information will inform several other Library and Information Science professionals in other countries of the need to adopt this channel to disseminate timely information related to up-coming conferences, training opportunities, workshops, call for papers and so on among the professionals. The results of this paper are valuable for anyone interested in an avenue to share or receive much quicker and pertinent information that saves the time of professionals in any occupation.
Impact of supplier innovativeness, top management support and strategic sourcing on supply chain resilience
Authors: Mandal Santanu 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the importance of supplier innovativeness (SI), top management support (TMS) and strategic sourcing (SS) in the development of supply chain (SC) resilience. The study also argues that organization culture (OC) strongly influences SI, TMS and SS in their importance in generating SC resilience.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a cross-sectional approach for collecting online-survey-based responses for evaluating the validity of the proposed associations. Respondents were chosen ensuring that they have sufficient exposure in SC operations in their respective designations. With two reminders, around 212 completed responses were received and analyzed using partial least squares in SmartPLS 2.0.M3.FindingsFindings suggested TMS as a positive enabler of SC resilience. However, although SI and SS had positive influences, they were not significant. The study argues that this may be attributed to the presence of OC as a strong precursor for SI, TMS and SS. The findings showed that OC is indeed a strong predictor of SI, TMS and SS.Originality/valueThe study has undersigned empirically the influence of OC in the development of SI, TMS and SS. The study is the foremost to acknowledge the influence of SI, TMS and SS on SC resilience.
Defining the relationship between consumers and retailers through user-generated content: insights from the research literature
Authors: Singh Harmanjit , Chakrabarti Somnath 
Published: September 2020

PurposeThe purpose ofthis study is to synthesise the findings of existing research on brand-related user-generated content (UGC) in the context of fashion retail and to come up with future research directions.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of 33 research papers, selected using well-defined criteria, was done. Further, the thematic analysis identified underlying themes and their inter-linkages.FindingsThe inter-linkages of 12 emergent themes were showcased in the form of a causal-chain conceptual framework, highlighting antecedents, mediators, moderators and consequences.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research involves six directions, and researchers should empirically test out the proposed conceptual framework and take the given research directions forward.Practical implicationsRetailers should understand UGC motivators to launch targeted campaigns to amplify UGC with firm-generated content and increase overall engagement and sales of a brand.Originality/valueFirst, this study fills the gap of missing synthesis of existing studies on UGC about fashion retail by analysing the publication distribution, paper types, data collection tools and techniques and data analysis methods. Second, the authors have proposed a causal-chain conceptual framework based upon thematic analysis of the research literature. The emergent themes touch upon three crucial aspects of marketing on enabling technology, consumer behaviour and marketing tactics. Finally, the academic contribution of this study lies in coming up with six vital research agenda for future research.