bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genetic deletion of genes in the cerebellar rhombic lip lineage can stimulate compensation through adaptive reprogramming of ventricular zone-derived progenitors
Authors: Wojcinski Alexandre , Morabito Morgane , Lawton Andrew K. , Stephen Daniel N. , Joyner Alexandra L. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe cerebellum is a foliated posterior brain structure involved in coordination of motor movements and cognition. The cerebellum undergoes rapid growth postnataly due to Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling-dependent proliferation of ATOH1+ granule cell precursors (GCPs) in the external granule cell layer (EGL), a key step for generating cerebellar foliation and the correct number of granule cells. Due to its late development, the cerebellum is particularly vulnerable to injury from preterm birth and stress around birth. We recently uncovered an intrinsic capacity of the developing cerebellum to replenish ablated GCPs via adaptive reprogramming of Nestin-expressing progenitors (NEPs). However, whether this compensation mechanism occurs in mouse mutants affecting the developing cerebellum and could lead to mis-interpretation of phenotypes was not known.MethodsWe used two different approaches to remove the main SHH signaling activator GLI2 in GCPs: 1) our mosaic mutant analysis with spatial and temporal control of recombination (MASTR) technique to deleteGli2in a small subset of GCPs; 2) AnAtohl-Cretransgene to deleteGli2in most of the EGL. Genetic Inducible Fate Mapping (GIFM) and live imaging were used to analyze the behavior of NEPs afterGli2deletion.ResultsMosaic analysis demonstrated that SHH-GLI2 signaling is critical for generating the correct pool of granule cells by maintaining GCPs in an undifferentiated proliferative state and promoting their survival. Despite this, inactivation ofGLI2in a large proportion of GCPs in the embryo did not lead to the expected dramatic reduction in the size of the adult cerebellum. GIFM uncovered that NEPs do indeed replenish GCPs inGli2conditional mutants, and then expand and partially restore the production of granule cells. Furthermore, the SHH signaling-dependent NEP compensation requiresGli2, demonstrating that the activator side of the pathway is involved.ConclusionWe demonstrate that a mouse conditional mutation that results in loss of SHH signaling in GCPs is not sufficient to induce long term severe cerebellum hypoplasia. The ability of the neonatal cerebellum to regenerate after loss of cells via a response by NEPs must therefore be considered when interpreting the phenotypes of conditional mutants affecting GCPs.
Emergence of trait variability through the lens of nitrogen assimilation in Prochlorococcus
Authors: Berube Paul M. , Rasmussen Anna , Braakman Rogier , Stepanauskas Ramunas , Chisholm Sallie W. 
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACTIntraspecific trait variability has important consequences for the function and stability of marine ecosystems. The marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is a useful model system for understanding how trait variability emerges within microbial species: Its functional diversity is overlaid on measurable environmental gradients, providing a powerful lens into large-scale evolutionary processes. Here we examine variation in the ability to use nitrate across hundreds of Prochlorococcus genomes to better understand the modes of evolution influencing the allocation of ecologically important functions within microbial species. We find that nitrate assimilation genes are absent in basal lineages of Prochlorococcus but occur at an intermediate frequency that is randomly distributed within recently emerged clades. The distribution of nitrate assimilation genes within clades appears largely governed by vertical inheritance, stochastic gene loss, and homologous recombination among closely related cells. By mapping this process onto a model of Prochlorococcus’ macroevolution, we propose that niche-constructing adaptive radiations and subsequent niche partitioning set the stage for loss of nitrate assimilation genes from basal lineages as they specialized to lower light levels. Retention of these genes in recently emerged lineages has likely been facilitated by selection as they sequentially partitioned into niches where nitrate assimilation conferred a fitness benefit.
The impact of autonomy on the relationship between mentoring and entrepreneurial intentions among youth in Germany, Kenya, and Uganda
Authors: Baluku Martin Mabunda , Leonsio Matagi , Bantu Edward , Otto Kathleen 
Published: August 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how autonomy, moderated by employment status, impacts the relationship between entrepreneurial mentoring (EM) and entrepreneurial intentions (EI) among three countries (Germany, Kenya, and Uganda); as informed by both theory of planned behavior and self-determination theory.Design/methodology/approachA convenient sample of 1,509 youth from Germany, Kenya, and Uganda consisting of final-year university students, wage-employed, and unemployed was identified and studied. A multi-group analysis was conducted to test for differences in the impact of EM and autonomy on EI.FindingsThe findings indicate that mentoring and autonomy are positively correlated with EI. EM and intentions were lower among German participants than for the East African countries. The moderated moderation results revealed that EM is related to higher EI among students and the unemployed, and when individuals have higher levels of autonomy. Country-level analysis showed the effects of EM and autonomy are highest in Germany and lowest in Uganda.Practical implicationsMentoring and self-determination play an important role in the development of EI. Entrepreneurship mentors should specifically support their protégées to develop the ability to act autonomously as an important entrepreneurial competence. The results further indicate that effectiveness of EM varies according to employment status and among countries. This is particularly important for targeting and designing of EM interventions. EM resources should be applied to youth with high autonomy, who are in either in insecure wage employment or who have no jobs. Protégés with low levels of autonomy should be supported to appreciate autonomy and develop the ability for autonomous action. Future EI research should also examine the impact of the availability of attractive positions in wage employment; and the effects of the availability of social safety nets on the need for autonomy.Originality/valueA major challenge in EI research is the predominant focus on student populations. Using a multi-group analysis, the present paper tested for differences in the impact of EM and autonomy on EI. EM and EI were lower in German participants that in Kenyan and Ugandan participants. Whereas EM was generally positively correlated to EI, the moderated results showed that EM is related to higher EI among students and the unemployed, and when participants have higher autonomy. The study implies that EM and EI are highly correlated when participants need to work but have not or cannot find work or whey they do not need salaried employment to survive.
Residential segregation of same-sex partnered households in the US
Authors: Morales Danielle Xiaodan 
Published: August 2018

PurposeQuantitative research on the segregation of same-sex partners in the USA is new, and limited by challenges related to the accurate measurement of segregation and data errors. The purpose of this paper is to provide a novel approach to re-examine residential segregation between same-sex partners and different-sex partners in the USA.Design/methodology/approachTwo versions of the dissimilarity index and corrected same-sex partners data from the 2010 decennial census were used. Effects of different geographic scales were examined.FindingsResults reveal that the levels of segregation of both male and female same-sex partners were higher at metropolitan- vs state-levels; the levels of segregation was lower when measured using the unbiased as compared to the conventional version of the D-index; and male same-sex partnered households were more segregated from different-sex partnered households than were female same-sex partnered households.Research limitations/implicationsFuture studies should be attuned to geographic scale effects and should not ignore the bias of the D-index.Originality/valueThis study provides a better test of the differences between the two versions of the D-index and contributes to the literature by examining the segregation of both male same-sex partners and female same-sex partners across different geographic scales.
Feeding the bottleneck: airport congestion during relief operations
Authors: Veatch Michael , Goentzel Jarrod 
Published: August 2018

Purpose
Scheduling the airlift of relief supplies into a damaged or small airport during a crisis is complex yet crucial. The volume of cargo and flights can temporarily overwhelm the airport’s capacity and the mix of flights adds complexity. The purpose of this paper is to better characterize airport operations during a crisis, to develop a model that can assess strategies for scheduling flights and to draw implications for decision makers.

Design/methodology/approach
First, empirical data are analyzed to characterize airport operations. Previously unreported data from the 2010 Haiti earthquake response in the form of a “flight log” are analyzed to provide new insights and parameters. Alternate scheduling strategies are drawn from review of the literature and After Action Reports. Second, a queuing model is developed to understand operations in past crises and predict the impact of alternate scheduling strategies. Empirical data provide the parameters for airport scenarios evaluated.

Findings
Unloading capacity is seen to be the bottleneck but also to not be fully utilized, suggesting that a more aggressive flight schedule is needed. Scheduling flights is shown to be a tradeoff between volume of aid delivered and flights that must be diverted. The proper mix of aircraft and prioritized divert policies also provide benefits. Finally, it is beneficial, though perhaps counterintuitive, to create a parking buffer upstream from the unloading bottleneck.

Originality/value
Analysis of previously unreported data from the Haiti earthquake provides new insights regarding airport parking and unloading operations. A new model of airport scheduling for disaster response is proposed. The model differs from other humanitarian airlift models in that it focuses on aircraft parking and unloading. It differs from commercial aircraft scheduling and gate assignment in the objective used.
The signalling role of audit committee characteristics and the cost of equity capital
Authors: Appuhami Ranjith 
Published: August 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine whether audit committee characteristics influence the cost of equity capital.

Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on signalling theory, this study hypothesises that the presence of an AC with adequate characteristics serves as a market “signal” of the credibility of the effective monitoring process and hence affects the perception of capital providers on the cost of equity capital. The study uses a multiple regression analysis on data collected from a sample of top Australian listed firms.

Findings
The study finds that audit committee characteristics such as size, meeting frequency and independence are significantly and negatively associated with the cost of equity capital. However, there is no significant evidence that the financial qualifications of audit committee directors are associated with the cost of equity capital.

Originality/value
While there have been several studies examining the cost of equity capital, there is very limited research on the cost of capital in Australian firms. The study aims to fill this gap, in part, and contribute to the literature on corporate governance and signalling theory.
Boys who work on the streets of Iraq are exposed to more traumatic events such as torture than schoolboys of the same age
Authors: Taib Nezar Ismet , Ahmad Abdulbaghi 
Published: August 2018

AbstractAimInformation is scarce about the issues faced by street working. This study examined traumatic events experienced by boys working on the streets of Iraq compared to schoolboys.MethodsWe compared 100 street working boys aged 8–16 years who were attending a drop‐in centre for street working children in Duhok City, Kurdistan, Iraq, in 2004/2005 with 100 age‐matched schoolboys randomly selected from six local schools. The instruments that were used included the Harvard–Uppsala Trauma Questionnaire for Children.ResultsMost of the street working boys were involved in activities such as selling goods or shoe shining, and some were stealing or begging. None were involved in drugs or prostitution. The street working boys showed a significantly higher rate of traumatic events than the control group (96% versus 64%, p < 0.001) and higher rates of moderate to severe trauma levels (78% versus 25%, p < 0.001). A varying degree of association was found for reporting different traumatic events. The largest effect size was found for torture, with an odds ratio of 28.4, and the smallest for maltreatment or assault (2.7).ConclusionStreet working boys in Iraq faced a higher risk of exposure to traumatic events than age‐matched schoolboys.
Evaluation of point‐of‐care analysers for blood gas and clinical chemistry in Hermann’s tortoises (Testudo hermanni)
Authors: Di Girolamo N. , Ferlizza E. , Selleri P. , Nardini G. , Isani G. 
Published: August 2018

ObjectiveTo assess the agreement between point‐of‐care and laboratory analysers in measuring biochemical and blood gas analytes in venous samples from tortoises and to define preliminary reference intervals for venous blood gas analysis in Hermann's tortoises (Testudo hermanni).Materials and MethodsJugular venous blood samples from 47 Hermann's tortoises underwent paired analysis with a portable gas analyser (i‐STAT 1, Abaxis), a portable chemical analyser (VetScan VS2, Abaxis), and with the respective reference analysers. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to determine albumin concentrations on 12 specimens. Agreement was evaluated with Bland–Altman plots and regression analysis using the Passing–Bablok method.ResultsPoint‐of‐care analysers had variable agreement with the reference analysers, presenting constant or proportional bias depending on the analyte. Relevant analytes in reptiles, such as ionised and total calcium, had acceptable agreement. The method for determining albumin concentration currently available in both point‐of‐care and laboratory analysers significantly overestimated albumin concentrations as compared to protein electrophoresis.Clinical SignificanceWhile the use of POC analysers is extremely advantageous in small animal primary care facilities, agreement between point‐of‐care and laboratory analysers varies depending on the analyte. For certain analytes, interchangeability of results is limited and specific reference intervals for point‐of‐care analysers are required. Veterinarians should be aware of the size and the direction of the bias of each analyte.
Heteropogon contortusBL‐1 (Pilli Grass) and Elevated UV‐B Radiation: The Role of Growth, Physiological, and Biochemical Traits in Determining Forage Productivity and Quality
Authors: Hamid Abdul , Singh Suruchi , Agrawal Madhoolika , Agrawal Shashi Bhushan 
Published: August 2018

AbstractExposure to elevated UV‐B (eUV‐B) is well known for its phytotoxicity, although studies made with UV‐B exposure and its impact on grasses are limited especially from tropical countries including India. In this study, responses of a valuable grass species,Heteropogon contortusBL‐1, were assessed under eUV‐B (over ambient UV‐B) at different growth stages. Damage caused by eUV‐B was observed in the form of membrane damage and loss of pigments at early stages of growth, whereas tannin, phenol, and protein contents showed their increments at all the growth stages, to overcome the imposed stress. Reducing sugar showed its decline at all the growth stages, whereas starch and sucrose contents were higher mostly at later ages of plant growth. eUV‐B caused a marked variations in anatomical structures with increase of mesophyll and spongy parenchymatous cells in leaves to reduce severity of irradiation, to maintain the growth and productivity. The study also highlights the significant negative influence of eUV‐B on the growth ofH. contortusBL‐1 and its adaptive strategy to minimize the negative impacts. With the progression of age, plants although adopted to UV‐B stress with maintenance of productivity, but palatability of forage was affected due to increment of tannin content.
Influencing organisational culture is key to successfully implementing root cause analysis to tackle late cancer diagnosis
Authors: Staveley Imogen C M , Bointon Emma S 
Published: August 2018

IntroductionLate diagnosis of cancer increases morbidity and mortality, and the overall cost of care. Camden Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) improved the percentage of patients diagnosed at stage I and II cancer, from 39% in 2012 to 47% in 2015;there remained a need to identify the issues leading to late diagnosis.MethodCamden CCG adapted the Royal College of General Practitioners’ cancer significant event analysis (SEA) tool to be used by general practitioner (GP) surgeries to identify the causes of delayed cancer diagnoses and to find ways to increase early diagnosis. The effective collection of findings through an online portal, comprehensive communication of these to GPs and clear display of these to commissioners ensured the necessary information to transform systems to facilitate early diagnosis. GPs were encouraged to complete a SEA through financial incentivisation, clinical leadership and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Facilitator input.Results49 root cause analyses were completed and the findings led to changes in behaviour to improve early diagnosis of cancer.ConclusionResults show that for SEA to be successfully used across a borough to change individual clinician’s behaviour and to induce system transformation, multiple approaches are required: involvement of all stakeholders from the start, clinical leadership, support from CRUK Facilitators, education and financial incentivisation.
Agent-based model illustrates the role of the microenvironment in regeneration in healthy and mdx skeletal muscle
Authors: Virgilio Kelley M. , Martin Kyle S. , Peirce Shayn M. , Blemker Silvia S. 
Published: August 2018

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle-wasting disease with no effective treatment. Multiple mechanisms are thought to contribute to muscle wasting, including increased susceptibility to contraction-induced damage, chronic inflammation, fibrosis, altered satellite stem cell (SSC) dynamics, and impaired regenerative capacity. The goals of this project were to 1) develop an agent-based model of skeletal muscle that predicts the dynamic regenerative response of muscle cells, fibroblasts, SSCs, and inflammatory cells as a result of contraction-induced injury, 2) calibrate and validate the model parameters based on comparisons with published experimental measurements, and 3) use the model to investigate how changing isolated and combined factors known to be associated with DMD (e.g., altered fibroblast or SSC behaviors) influence muscle regeneration. Our predictions revealed that the percent of injured muscle that recovered 28 days after injury was dependent on the peak SSC counts following injury. In simulations with near-full cross-sectional area recovery (healthy, 4-wk mdx, 3-mo mdx), the SSC counts correlated with the extent of initial injury; however, in simulations with impaired regeneration (9-mo mdx), the peak SSC counts were suppressed relative to initial injury. The differences in SSC counts between these groups were emergent predictions dependent on altered microenvironment factors known to be associated with DMD. Multiple cell types influenced the peak number of SSCs, but no individual parameter predicted the differences in SSC counts. This finding suggests that interventions to target the microenvironment rather than SSCs directly could be an effective method for improving regeneration in impaired muscle. NEW & NOTEWORTHY A computational model predicted that satellite stem cell (SSC) counts are correlated with muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) recovery following injury. In simulations with impaired CSA recovery, SSC counts are suppressed relative to healthy muscle. The suppressed SSC counts were an emergent model prediction, because all simulations had equal initial SSC counts. Fibroblast and anti-inflammatory macrophage counts influenced SSC counts, but no single factor was able to predict the pathological differences in SSC counts that lead to impaired regeneration.
Insulin inhibits autophagy signaling independent of counterregulatory hormone levels but does not affect the effects of exercise
Authors: Møller Andreas Buch , Voss Thomas Schmidt , Vendelbo Mikkel Holm , Pedersen Steen Bønløkke , Møller Niels , Jessen Niels 
Published: August 2018

Acute exercise increases autophagic signaling through Unc-51 like kinase-1 (ULK1) in human skeletal muscle during both anabolic and catabolic conditions. The aim of the present study was to investigate if changes in ULK1 Ser555 phosphorylation during exercise are reflected by changes in phosphorylation of a newly identified ULK1 substrate (ATG14 Ser29) and to elucidate the involvement of circulatory hormones in the regulation of autophagy in human skeletal muscle. We show that 1 h of cycling exercise increases ATG14 Ser29 phosphorylation during both hyperinsulinemic euglycemic and euinsulinemic euglycemic conditions. This could suggest that counterregulatory hormones stimulate autophagy in skeletal muscle, as circulating concentrations of these hormones are highly elevated during exercise. Furthermore, ATG14 Ser29 correlated positively with ULK1 phosphorylation, suggesting that ULK1 Ser555 (activating site) phosphorylation reflects ULK1 kinase activity. In a separate series of experiments, we show that insulin stimulates ULK1 phosphorylation at Ser757 (inhibitory site) in both hypoglycemic and euglycemic conditions, suggesting that counterregulatory hormones (such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, growth hormone, and glucagon) have limited effects on autophagy signaling in human skeletal muscle. In conclusion, 1 h of cycling exercise increases phosphorylation of ATG14 at Ser29 in a pattern that mirrors ULK1 phosphorylation at Ser555. Moreover, insulin effects on autophagy signaling in human skeletal muscle are independent of hypoglycemic and euglycemic conditions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Autophagy signaling is regulated in a hierarchical order by exercise, insulin, and counterregulatory hormones. Exercise-induced autophagy signaling is stimulated by local factors in skeletal muscle rather than circulatory hormones. Unc-51 like kinase-1 (ULK1) phosphorylation at Ser555 reflects ULK1 kinase activity.