bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of five cell-free DNA isolation kits for plasma
Authors: Liu Zhongzhen , Yang Xi , Chen Haixiao , Zhu Sujun , Zeng Juan , Chen Fang , Wang Wen-Jing 
Published: July 2019

AbstractCell-free DNA (cfDNA) has been widely used in prenatal test and cancer diagnosis nowadays. The cost- and time-effective isolation kits are needed especially in large-scale clinical application. Here, we compared three domestic kits: VAHTS Serum/Plasma Circulating DNA kit (VZ), MagPure Gel Pure DNA mini kit (MG) and Serum/Plasma Circulating DNA Kit (TG), together with QIAamp Circulating Nucleic Acid Kit (QC) and QIAamp DNA Blood Mini Kit (QD) in cfDNA isolation. cfDNA was isolated from the pooled samples with spike-in fragments, qPCR was conducted to quantify the spike-in fragments recovery. The results indicated that all of the five kits could isolate cfDNA with different efficiency. The VZ kit had an efficiency as high as 90 percent, which is comparable to QC kit. The libraries were constructed using the isolated cfDNAs, quantified by Qubit and analyzed by 2100 bioanalyzer. Both showed the libraries were qualified. Finally, cffDNAs were detected by qPCR targeting SRY gene using libraries from pregnant women bearing male fetuses. All five kits could isolate cffDNAs that could be detected by qPCR. Our results provided more choices in wide-scale clinical application of cfDNA-based non-invasive genetic tests.
Superior colliculus modulates cortical coding of somatosensory information
Authors: Gharaei Saba , Honnuraiah Suraj , Arabzadeh Ehsan , Stuart Greg J 
Published: July 2019

AbstractThe cortex sends a direct projection to the superior colliculus. What is largely unknown is whether (and if so how) the superior colliculus modulates activity in the cortex. Here, we directly investigate this issue, showing that optogenetic activation of superior colliculus changes the input-output relationship of neurons in somatosensory cortex during whisker movement, enhancing responses to low amplitude whisker deflections. While there is no direct pathway from superior colliculus to somatosensory cortex, we found that activation of superior colliculus drives spiking in the posterior medial (POm) nucleus of the thalamus via a powerful monosynaptic pathway. Furthermore, POm neurons receiving input from superior colliculus provide excitatory input to somatosensory cortex. Silencing POm abolished the capacity of superior colliculus to modulate cortical whisker responses. Our findings indicate that the superior colliculus, which plays a key role in attention, modulates sensory processing in somatosensory cortex via a powerful disynaptic pathway through the thalamus.
Gradient-independent Wnt signaling instructs asymmetric neurite pruning in C. elegans
Authors: Lu Menghao , Mizumoto Kota 
Published: July 2019

AbstractDuring development, the nervous system undergoes refinement process by which neurons initially extend an excess number of neurites, the majority of which will be eliminated by the mechanism called neurite pruning. Some neurites undergo stereotyped and developmentally regulated pruning. However, the signaling cues that instruct stereotyped neurite pruning are yet to be fully elucidated. Here we show that Wnt morphogen instructs stereotyped neurite pruning for proper neurite projection patterning of the cholinergic motor neuron called PDB in C. elegans. In the loss of lin-44/wnt and lin-17/frizzled mutant animals, the PDB neurites often failed to prune and grew towards the lin-44-expressing cells. Surprisingly, membrane-tethered lin-44 is sufficient to induce proper neurite pruning in PDB, suggesting that neurite pruning does not require Wnt gradient. LIN-17 and DSH-1/Dishevelled proteins were recruited to the pruning neurites in lin-44-dependent manners. Our results revealed the novel gradient-independent role of Wnt signaling in instructing neurite pruning.
Disease-modifying effects of natural Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in endometriosis-associated pain
Authors: Escudero-Lara Alejandra , Argerich Josep , Cabañero David , Maldonado Rafael 
Published: July 2019

AbstractEndometriosis is a chronic painful disease highly prevalent in women that is defined by growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity and lacks adequate treatment. Medical use of cannabis derivatives is a current hot topic and it is unknown whether phytocannabinoids may modify endometriosis symptoms and development. Here we evaluate the effects of repeated exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a mouse model of surgically-induced endometriosis. In this model, female mice develop pelvic mechanical hypersensitivity, anxiety-like behavior and sharp memory deficits associated to the presence of extrauterine endometrial cysts. Interestingly, chronic THC (2 mg/kg/day) provides sustained alleviation of pelvic hypersensitivity without altering the anxiogenic phenotype, modifies uterine innervation and restores cognitive function, an effect correlated with neuroinflammatory changes in prefrontal cortex. Strikingly, THC also inhibits the development of endometrial cysts. These data highlight the interest of scheduled clinical trials designed to investigate possible benefits of THC for women with endometriosis.
µbialSim: constraint-based dynamic simulation of complex microbiomes
Authors: Popp Denny , Centler Florian 
Published: July 2019

AbstractMicrobial communities are pervasive in the natural environment, associated with many animal hosts, and of increasing importance in biotechnological applications. The complexity of these microbial systems makes the underlying mechanisms driving their dynamics difficult to identify. While experimental meta-OMICS techniques are routinely applied to record the inventory and activity of microbiomes over time, it remains difficult to obtain quantitative predictions based on such data. Mechanistic, quantitative mathematical modeling approaches hold the promise to both provide predictive power and shed light on cause-effect relationships driving these dynamic systems. We introduceµbialSim (pronounced “microbialsim”), a dynamic Flux-Balance-Analysis-based (dFBA) numerical simulator which is able to predict the time course in terms of composition and activity of microbiomes containing 100s of species in batch or chemostat mode. Activity of individual species is simulated by using separate FBA models which have access to a common pool of compounds, allowing for metabolite exchange. A novel augmented forward Euler method ensures numerically accuracy by temporarily reducing the time step size when compound concentrations decrease rapidly due to high compound affinities and/or the presence of many consuming species. We present three exemplary applications ofµbialSim: a batch culture of a hydrogenotrophic archaeon, a syntrophic methanogenic biculture, and a 773-species human gut microbiome which exhibits a complex and dynamic pattern of metabolite exchange.Focussing on metabolite exchange as the main interaction type,µbialSim allows for the mechanistic simulation of microbiomes at their natural complexity. Simulated trajectories can be used to contextualize experimental meta-OMICS data, and hypotheses on cause-effect relationships driving community dynamics can be derived based on scenario simulations.µbialSim is implemented in Matlab and relies on the COBRA Toolbox or CellNetAnalyzer for FBA calculations. The source code is available under the GNU General Public License v3.0 athttps://git.ufz.de/UMBSysBio/microbialsim.
Does membrane feeding compromise the quality ofAedes aegyptimosquitoes?
Authors: Ross Perran A. , Lau Meng-Jia , Hoffmann Ary A. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractModifiedAedes aegyptimosquitoes are being mass-reared for release in disease control programs around the world. Releases involving female mosquitoes rely on them being able to seek and feed on human hosts. To facilitate the mass-production of mosquitoes for releases, females are often provided blood through artificial membrane feeders. When reared across generations there is a risk that mosquitoes will adapt to feeding on membranes and lose their ability to feed on human hosts. To test adaptation to membrane feeding, we selected replicate populations ofAe. aegyptifor feeding on either human arms or membrane feeders for at least 8 generations. Membrane-selected populations suffered fitness costs, likely due to inbreeding depression arising from bottlenecks. Membrane-selected females had higher feeding rates on membranes than human-selected ones, suggesting adaptation to membrane feeding, but they maintained their attraction to host cues and feeding ability on humans despite a lack of selection for these traits. Host-seeking ability in small laboratory cages did not differ between populations selected on the two blood sources, but membrane-selected females were compromised in a semi-field enclosure where host-seeking was tested over a longer distance. Our findings suggest thatAe. aegyptimay adapt to feeding on blood provided artificially, but this will not substantially compromise field performance or affect experimental assessments of mosquito fitness. However, large population sizes during mass rearing with membrane feeders should be maintained to avoid bottlenecks which lead to inbreeding depression.Author summaryWith modified mosquitoes being mass-reared for release in disease control programs, there is interest in understanding factors that can affect the quality of release stocks. In the laboratory, membrane feeding devices are often used to provide blood to female mosquitoes which they need to lay eggs. Over time, mosquitoes could adapt to membrane feeding and lose their preference for (or ability to feed on) natural hosts. Adaptation could affect the performance of lab-reared mosquitoes when deployed in the field, especially if the success of disease control programs relies on female reproduction such as in gene drive orWolbachia-based approaches. We tested to see ifAedes aegyptimosquitoes, the principal vectors of dengue virus, would adapt to feeding on blood provided via membranes. We found some evidence of adaptation, with membrane-selected mosquitoes having higher feeding rates on membranes, but this didn’t affect their ability to feed on humans or their attraction to host cues. Although membrane feeding alone does not substantially affect mosquito quality, it can lead to inbreeding depression if populations pass through bottlenecks as they adapt to feeding on blood provided artificially. Our results may inform mass-rearing programs involving the release of modified female mosquitoes.
New residential perennial floras reflect distinctive decisions of residential developers and new homeowners
Authors: Fuentes Tracy L. 
Published: July 2019

AbstractUrban patterns reflect the people who build and manage urban space. However, most field research on residential vegetation focuses on household or neighborhood preferences, norms, or socioeconomic drivers of observed patterns and plant traits. Very few urban ecology researchers have studied residential real estate developers, who configure the space and establish the initial plant communities. How do the landscaping decisions of developers and homeowners shape residential perennial floras? To answer this question, I collected a stratified random sample of perennials at 60 newly built and sold homes in the Seattle, WA area. Through field sampling, conversations with new homeowners, and archival research, I assigned each individual perennial to one of three origins: remnant, planted by developers, or planted by homeowners. After describing landscaping decisions using plant traits (as presented in gardening literature), I evaluated whether planting decisions of developers and homeowners were heterogeneous and whether urban form or economic drivers influenced planted species richness. I also tested whether homeowner yard and plant buying preferences could be linked to planted richness. Given that developers and homeowners have different incentives, I hypothesized that they would choose different types of perennials and that urban metrics related to area and economics would increase species richness. I also predicted that homeowner preferences would be linked to species richness patterns. Developers planted most of the trees, shrubs, and graminoids. Homeowners planted fewer woody and more herbaceous perennial species. Parcel planting area, wealth related metrics, and parcel density increased species richness for some perennials. However, homeowner preferences were stronger predictors of their planting behavior than urban metrics. Because assembly of residential perennial flora communities is heterogeneous, future investigations in other urban ecosystems should incorporate preferences of developers and homeowners, site-specific constraints, and broader scale influences. More work is needed to understand developer incentives and preferences.
An alternative nisin A resistance mechanism affects virulence inStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Kawada-Matsuo Miki , Watanabe Atsuko , Arii Kaoru , Oogai Yuichi , Noguchi Kazuyuki , Miyawaki Shouichi , Hayashi Tetsuya , Komatsuzawa Hitoshi 
Published: July 2019

AbstractNisin A is a bacteriocin produced byLactococcus lactisand is widely used as a food preservative.Staphylococcus aureushas the BraRS-VraDE system providing resistance against low concentrations of nisin A. The BraRS is one of a two-component system that senses nisin A by BraS and finally induces the expression of ABC transporter VraDE by phosphorylated BraR. Previously, we isolated a highly nisin A resistant strain with increased VraDE expression due to a mutation ofbraRS. In this study, we isolated a BraRS-VraDE-independent, nisin A resistant mutant fromS. aureusMW2. These mutants, designated SAN2 (S.aureusnisin resistant) and SAN469, had a mutation inpmtR(MW1875) which encodes a transcriptional regulator responsible for the expression of thepmtA-Doperon. As a result, this mutant exhibited a high level of constitutive production of PmtA-D, a transporter responsible for the export of phenol soluble modulin (PSM). We also obtained twopmtA-Doverexpressing, nisin A resistant mutants which contained a point mutation inpmtRfrom otherS. aureusstrains.Characterization of the mutants revealed that they have a decreased susceptibility to human beta defensin-3 and LL37, which are innate immune factors. Additionally, these mutants showed higher hemolytic activity than the MW2 original strain. Furthermore, in a mouse bacteremia model, the SAN2 strain exhibited a lower survival rate than the MW2 original strain. These results indicate that the over expression ofpmtA-Ddue to thepmtRmutation is an alternative nisin A resistance, which also affects virulence inS. aureus.Author SummaryRecently, the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria such as MRSA, MDRP and CRE have brought serious problems for chemotherapy in the world. In addition, many antibacterial agents such as disinfectants and food additives are widely used. Therefore, it raises the possibility that bacteria are becoming resistant to all antibacterial agents. In this study, we investigated whetherS. aureusbecome resistant against nisin A, one of the food additives. Finally, we isolated nisin A highly resistantS. aureusstrains. Among these strains, we identified that one strain designated as SAN2 showed nisin A resistance by the overproduction of Pmts which were involved in the secretion of virulence factors called PSMs. We identified a mutation ofpmtRgene encoding a regulator forpmtgenes. SAN2 strain showed the decreased susceptibility to human antimicrobial peptides and the increased hemolytic activity. Finally, SAN2 showed higher lethal activity in mouse bacteremia model. Our study provides new insights into thatS. aureusmay cause resistance against various antibacterial food additives, together with the altering the virulence.
Implementing a new procurement strategy: the case of social housing associations
Authors: van Zoest Simon , Volker Leentje , Hermans Marleen 
Published: July 2019

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the barriers that Dutch housing associations encounter in implementing new procurement strategies.

Design/methodology/approach
Several aspects of purchasing, portfolio management, project delivery and supply management are discussed in relation to the changing role of housing associations as semi-public commissioning bodies in the Dutch construction industry, based on data derived from workshops with six Dutch housing associations.

Findings
Housing associations are adapting their procurement strategy towards a more integrative and performance-based approach to supply management. Due to the complexity of implementing this process, housing associations struggle especially with moving beyond pilot projects, increasing the maturity levels throughout the organisation and aligning new policies with daily practices at a tactical and an operational level.

Practical implications
Increased knowledge of change processes and seeing the potential of maturity models will be valuable for practitioners who are dealing with changes on the work floor.

Social implications
Client organisations are considered one of the key drivers of change in the construction industry. Insights into these particular organisational change processes contribute to the potential of industry reform.

Originality/value
Most studies on collaboration and integration in the supply chain focus on the inter-organisational level or on the supply side, rather than the internal organisation of the client.
Measurement of financial efficiency and productivity of Turkish Public Universities by using non-parametric methods
Authors: Günay Aslı , Dulupçu Murat Ali 
Published: July 2019

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to measure the financial efficiency and productivity of 23 public universities founded in 1992 in Turkey over the period between 2004 and 2013. The results obtained will provide managerial information and act as a guide to public universities’ administrations, in using their resources more effectively.

Design/methodology/approach
Data envelopment analysis is applied to assess the relative financial efficiency of these universities, while Malmquist total factor productivity index is used to measure the total factor productivity change concerning financial inputs of the universities.

Findings
The number of financially efficient universities and the number of universities showing an increase in their productivity according to their financial inputs change annually and both of them display a rough trend over the years. A decrease of about 5 percent in the financial productivity of the universities is observed which stems from a technological recession. Therefore, public universities in Turkey are not able to develop effective policies to diversify, increase and use their financial resources.

Originality/value
When the lack of studies within the literature measuring the financial efficiency of higher education institutions is taken into account, this study can fill a gap in this area. The analyses conducted here distinguish from existing studies on this subject with regards to the extent and diversity of financial data set and the measurement of both efficiency and productivity change of universities considering financial inputs concurrently.
Clarifying the brand personality construct in Malaysia
Authors: Mohtar Mozard , Rudd John M. , Evanschitzky Heiner 
Published: July 2019

Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the variations in brand personality trait items to describe both global and local brands in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopted both factor analytic and experimental methods to investigate the internal and external validity of Malaysia brand personality (MBP) scale. They followed a stringent scale development process that ensures the scale conform to psychometric properties.

Findings
In seven studies, the results show that the 22-item four-factor Malaysian brand personality scale adheres to strong psychometric properties of scale development process. The findings further indicate that there are seven indigenous traits, while most traits emerge from factor analyses originate from studies of Aaker (1997) and colleagues (2001). This confirms universality of some brand personality traits and dimensions.

Research limitations/implications
Within the limits of the study, we did not examine the MBP facet level, and were confined to those respondents in Klang Valley only.

Practical implications
The MBP scale enables marketing managers in Malaysia to focus on brand personality dimensions that their customers can relate to. In other words, marketing communications can be more efficient when managers can identify brand personality traits that enhance customers’ behaviors and profitability.

Originality/value
Malaysia is a multicultural and multiethnic country which is increasingly becoming the focus of international brand expansion. The authors view that the development of the MBP scale is timely and should provide managers further insights into the brand personality structure that is relevant in Malaysia.
Sharing of branded viral advertisements by young consumers: the interplay between personality traits and ad appeal
Authors: Kulkarni Kalpak K. , Kalro Arti D. , Sharma Dinesh 
Published: July 2019

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the influence of Big Five Personality traits (i.e. openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism) on young consumers’ intentions to share branded viral video advertisements. Further, this study also demonstrates that the advertising appeal (informational versus emotional) used in the viral advertisement moderates the effects of specific personality traits on the sharing of viral ads.

Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual framework is proposed based on the Five-Factor Model of Personality (McCrae and John, 1992) and advertising effectiveness literature. Using experiments, responses from young consumers were collected and hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression and ANOVA.

Findings
Results reveal that the two personality traits, extraversion and openness to experiences, are positively associated with consumers’ viral ad sharing intentions, whereas conscientiousness, agreeableness and neuroticism are not. Moreover, individuals scoring high on openness and extraversion prefer sharing branded viral ads containing informational appeal vis-ã-vis those containing emotional appeals.

Originality/value
Studies decoding the factors behind the success of viral advertisements have more often focussed on the ad content rather than on personality dimensions of the ad sharers. This study bridges this gap by investigating the influence of Big Five Personality traits on young consumers’ intention to forward viral ads, in interaction with ad appeal. Young consumers represent key audience segments consuming and sharing viral content online, and hence, it is important to have a deeper understanding of this market segment.