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Background: Pregnant women are a vulnerable population to COVID-19 given an increased susceptibility to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and pregnancy complications. However, few SARS-CoV-2 serological surveys have been performed among this population to assess the extent of the infection in sub-Saharan countries. The objectives of this study were to determine SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among Beninese pregnant women, to identify spatial seropositivity clusters and to analyse factors associated with the infection. Methods: A cross-sectional study including women in their third trimester of pregnancy attending the antenatal care (ANC) clinics at Allada (south Benin) and Natitingou (north Benin) was conducted. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for detection of IgG/IgM against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were performed using capillary blood. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associations between SARS-CoV-2 serostatus and maternal characteristics were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Spatial analyses were performed using the spatial scan statistics to identify spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: A total of 861 pregnant women were enrolled between May 4 and June 29, 2022. 58/861 (6.7%) participants reported having received COVID-19 vaccine. None of the participants had been diagnosed with COVID-19 during their pregnancy. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 607/802 (75.7%; 95% CI 72.56%–78.62%) of unvaccinated participants. Several urban and rural spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 cases were identified in Allada and one urban spatial cluster was identified in Natitingou. Unvaccinated participants from Allada with at least one previous morbidity were at a three-times higher risk of presenting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (OR = 2.89; 95%CI 1.19%-7.00%). Conclusion: Three out of four pregnant women had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, suggesting a high virus circulation among pregnant women in Benin, while COVID-19 vaccination coverage was low. Pregnant women with comorbidities may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This population should be prioritized for COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination in order to prevent its deleterious effects. Trial registration: NCT06170320 (retrospectively registered on December 21, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of invasive infections in newborns. The prevention of GBS neonatal disease relies on the administration of an intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis to GBS-colonized women. In recent years, rapid intrapartum detection of GBS vaginal colonization using real-time nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) emerged as an alternative to antenatal culture screening methods. Methods: We compared the performances of two loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) tests, the Ampliflash® GBS and the PlusLife® GBS tests, to standard culture for GBS detection in vaginal specimens from pregnant women. The study was conducted from April to July 2023 in a French hospital of the Paris area. Results: A total of 303 samples were analyzed, including 85 culture-positive samples (28.1%). The Ampliflash® GBS test and the PlusLife® GBS tests gave a result for 100% and 96.3% tests, respectively. The performances of the tests were as follows: sensitivity 87.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 78.3–92.6) and 98.7% (95% CI 93.0-99.8), specificity 99.1% (95% CI 96.7–99.8), and 91.9% (95% CI 87.3–95.0), respectively. False negative results of the Ampliflash® GBS test correlated with low-density GBS cultures. Time-to-results correlated with GBS culture density only for the PlusLife® GBS test (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Both techniques provide excellent analytical performances with high sensitivity and specificity together with a short turnaround time and results available in 10 to 35 min. Their potential to further reduce the burden of GBS neonatal disease compared with antenatal culture screening needs to be assessed in future clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their chemical and physical properties, rare earth elements (REEs) are essential in modern applications such as energy conversion or IT technology. The increasing demand for these elements leads to strong incentives for REE recovery and induces the exploration of new, alternative sources for REEs. Accessing REEs from clay minerals, in our case kaolinite, by an elution process is a promising method. The present study investigates the potential application of REE recovery through elution with different mineral acids (HNO3, H2SO4, and HCl) in a microwave process. The material used in this study—residues from an industrial kaolin production process—contained 2.47 g/kg REEs which is a significant amount for REE recovery. The ability of various mineral acids to solubilize metals was studied to assess the REE content of this residual resource. Around 1.87 g/kg of REEs was eluted from industrial kaolinite residues in hydrochloric acid, 1.71 g/kg in sulfuric acid, and 1.13 g/kg in nitric acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated carbon dioxide (eCO2) and rising temperatures will have far‐reaching effects on global plant‐insect interactions, yet their implications for future biological control programs are not fully understood. Studies have shown that elevated CO2 will affect insect feeding guilds differently and these responses can be predicted with some confidence. Water hyacinth, Pontederia crassipes Mart. (Pontederiaceae), is a native and representative species of the Del Plata wetlands (Argentina) that invades outside of its native environment. It is considered one of the world's worst aquatic weeds and a target for biological control. In this study, water hyacinth plants were grown under two CO2 concentrations – current (400 p.p.m.) or elevated (800 p.p.m.) –, with and without two biocontrol agents representing different feeding guilds, the leaf‐chewing Cornops aquaticum Brüner (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and the phloem‐feeding Megamelus scutellaris Berg (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). Under eCO2 concentration, photosynthetic rate, total dry weight, and relative growth rate of P. crassipes acclimated to eCO2 conditions and plants showed very little CO2 fertilization response in eutrophic water. Insect herbivory varied depending on feeding guilds at eCO2; however, P. crassipes growth responses increased when exposed to insect herbivory. Chewing herbivory by C. aquaticum was consistent across CO2 conditions, whereas the feeding by M. scutellaris increased substantially at eCO2. These results indicate that successful biological control of P. crassipes under conditions of elevated CO2 might rely on phloem‐feeding insects, with chewers playing a lesser role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systems engineering activities in the concept and development phases have evolved continuously for decades. The deployment of digital thread, digital engineering, MBSE approaches, and modeling and simulation techniques have driven part of this evolution. Despite this trend, requirements are still largely textual and expressed in natural language, and requirements engineering activities are still often document‐based. However, model‐based requirements‐engineering approaches have emerged in recent years and have demonstrated significant benefits, including improved requirements quality, less ambiguity, and early and efficient verification and validation. The goal of this paper is to present the current outcomes and perspectives of setting up an Integrated Digital Requirements Engineering approach as developed within our company. This approach seeks to optimize usability and maximize benefits to support end‐to‐end V&V activities while fully integrating into MBSE workflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the cross-sectional association between dietary indexes (DI) that underlie, respectively, the Nutri-score (NS), the proposed Canadian 'High In' Symbol (CHIL) and the Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines (DCCP) with food consumption, nutrient intakes and metabolic markers. Methods: 1836 adults (18–74 years) participating in the representative ESTEBAN study, conducted in mainland France in 2014–2016, were included in the analysis. Food consumption was assessed with three repeated 24 h dietary recalls. Anthropometric measurements and biomarkers of metabolic risk (cholesterol—total, LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein), HDL (High Density Lipoprotein)—triglycerides, glucose) were obtained through a clinical examination and fasting blood draw. The DI were assessed for their association with food consumption, dietary intakes and metabolic biomarkers as quintiles and continuous variables using multi-adjusted linear regression. Heathier diets were assigned to lower scores. Results: Correlations between scores ranged from + 0.62 between CHIL-DI and NS-DI to + 0.75 between NS-DI and DCCP-DI. All DIs discriminated individuals according to the nutritional quality of their diets through food consumption and nutrient intakes (healthier diets were associated with lower intakes of energy, added sugars and saturated fat; and with higher intakes of fiber, vitamins and minerals). NS-DI was associated with blood glucose (adjusted mean in Q1 = 5 vs. Q5 = 5.46 mmol/dl, ptrend = 0.001) and DCCP-DI was associated with BMI (Q1 = 24.8 kg/m2 vs. Q5 = 25.8 kg/m2, ptrend = 0.025), while CHIL showed no significant association with any anthropometric measures or biomarkers. Conclusions: This study provides elements supporting the validity of the nutrient profiling systems underlying front-of-package nutrition labellings (FOPLs) to characterize the healthiness of diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article "Can individual fatty acids be used as functional biomarkers of dairy fat consumption in relation to cardiometabolic health?"

In epidemiological studies, dairy food consumption has been associated with minimal effect or decreased risk of some cardiometabolic diseases (CMD). However, current methods of dietary assessment do not provide objective and accurate measures of food intakes. Thus, the identification of valid and reliable biomarkers of dairy product intake is an important challenge to best determine the relationship between dairy consumption and health status. This review investigated potential biomarkers of dairy fat consumption, such as odd-chain, trans- and branched-chain fatty acids (FA), which may improve the assessment of full-fat dairy product consumption. Overall, the current use of serum/plasma FA as biomarkers of dairy fat consumption is mostly based on observational evidence, with a lack of well-controlled, dose–response intervention studies to accurately assess the strength of the relationship. Circulating odd-chain SFA and trans-palmitoleic acid are increasingly studied in relation to CMD risk and seem to be consistently associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in prospective cohort studies. However, associations with CVD are less clear. Overall, adding less studied FA such as vaccenic and phytanic acids to the current available evidence may provide a more complete assessment of dairy fat intake and minimise potential confounding from endogenous synthesis. Finally, the current evidence base on the direct effect of dairy fatty acids on established biomarkers of CMD risk (e.g. fasting lipid profiles and markers of glycaemic control) mostly derives from cross-sectional, animal and in vitro studies and should be strengthened by well-controlled human intervention studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvinia minima Baker (Salviniaceae) has been recorded for the first time in Africa. This South American native macrophyte is highly invasive and damaging, costing millions of dollars to control in the USA, and has the potential to invade many of southern Africa's waterbodies. Field surveys have confirmed the presence of S. minima from four sites in South Africa, with the largest invasion occurring on the highly polluted Hartbeespoort Dam, north east of the country's capital. Salvinia minima has been targeted for biological control in South Africa, using the weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae, which is undergoing host specificity testing under quarantine conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron reduction and sulfate reduction often occur simultaneously in anoxic systems, and where that is the case, the molar ratio between the reactions (i.e., Fe/SO42− reduced) influences their impact on water quality and carbon storage. Previous research has shown that pH and the supply of electron donors and acceptors affect that ratio, but it is unclear how their influences compare and affect one another. This study examines impacts of pH and the supply of acetate, sulfate, and goethite on the ratio of iron to sulfate reduction in semi‐continuous sediment bioreactors. We examined which parameter had the greatest impact on that ratio and whether the parameter influences depended on the state of each other. Results show that pH had a greater influence than acetate supply on the ratio of iron to sulfate reduction, and that the impact of acetate supply on the ratio depended on pH. In acidic reactors (pH 6.0 media), the ratio of iron to sulfate reduction decreased from 3:1 to 2:1 as acetate supply increased (0–1 mM). In alkaline reactors (pH 7.5 media), iron and sulfate were reduced in equal proportions, regardless of acetate supply. Secondly, a comparison of experiments with and without sulfate shows that the extent of iron reduction was greater if sulfate reduction was occurring and that the effect was larger in alkaline reactors than acidic reactors. Thus, the influence of sulfate supply on iron reduction extent also depended on pH and suggests that iron reduction grows more dependent on sulfate reduction as pH increases. Our results compare well to trends in groundwater geochemistry and provide further evidence that pH is a major control on iron and sulfate reduction in systems with crystalline (oxyhydr)oxides. pH not only affects the ratio between the reactions but also the influences of other parameters on that ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects two thirds of the American population. Obesity is also a disease that affects two thirds of the population. The pathophysiology of reflux disease is reasonably understood, however, the degree to which obesity affects this disease remains poorly defined. Therefore the approach to GERD in the obese patient requires special attention and its own algorithm.Methods: A literature search was conducted to consolidate the current available literature on GERD and its management in the obese. In addition, the authors reviewed the literature and present expert opinion on controversial topics.Results: It is well established that GERD is increased in obesity and the pathophysiology is reviewed. Management options for GERD are discussed, with a focus on the obese population. Management strategies including fundoplication and gastric bypass are discussed. In addition, bariatric surgery in the setting of GERD is also reviewed.Conclusions: Currently this is an extremely controversial topic and this white paper presents a strong review of the literature to help guide the management of this challenging disease in this population. Expert recommendations are given throughout the paper based upon the current available data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methanogenesis and iron reduction play major roles in determining global fluxes of greenhouse gases. Despite their importance, environmental factors that influence their interactions are poorly known. Here, we present evidence that pH significantly influences the balance between each reaction in anoxic environments that contain ferric (oxyhydr)oxide minerals. In sediment bioreactors that contained goethite as a source of ferric iron, both iron reduction and methanogenesis occurred but the balance between them varied significantly with pH. Compared to bioreactors receiving acidic media (pH 6), electron donor oxidation was 85% lower for iron reduction and 61% higher for methanogenesis in bioreactors receiving alkaline media (pH 7.5). Thus, methanogenesis displaced iron reduction considerably at alkaline pH. Geochemistry data collected from U.S. aquifers demonstrate that a similar pattern also exists on a broad spatial scale in natural settings. In contrast, in bioreactors that were not augmented with goethite, clay minerals served as the source of ferric iron and the balance between each reaction did not vary significantly with pH. We therefore conclude that pH can regulate the relative contributions of microbial iron reduction and methanogenesis to carbon fluxes from terrestrial environments. We further propose that the availability of ferric (oxyhydr)oxide minerals influences the extent to which the balance between each reaction is sensitive to pH. The results of this study advance our understanding of environmental controls on microbial methane generation and provide a basis for using pH and the occurrence of ferric minerals to refine predictions of greenhouse gas fluxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Relevant for engineering a wide range of technological systems, Property Model Methodology (PMM) is applied in this paper to the development process of a helicopter function in the frame of the ARP4754A/ED79A. After a short presentation of the method, the case study is presented: “to retract and to extend airborne the landing gear system”. Then, each stage of the PMM development process is illustrated by examples from the case study: (1) Modeling the top level requirements specification, (2) Validating the requirements specification by proof and simulation, (3) Modeling the architectural design, Refining the top level requirements into requirements specified to the different subsystems contributing to the function and Modeling the terminal subsystems detailed designs (4) Validating the requirements specified to the contributing subsystems by proof or simulation, (5) Verifying the design models by simulation and finally (6–8) Verifying physical implementations by test on the basis of all validation and verification scenarios accumulated throughout the development. At end, lessons learnt and industrial perspectives are summarized highlighting how PMM is a methodology adapted to the challenges facing to systems engineering by the globalization of development processes and showing how PMM can provide a powerful conceptual framework to support digital continuity within globalized Design Organizations. Modeling, simulation, proof and test generation activities are supported by the MATLAB and Simulink products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of hydrophobic polymer films from surfaces is one of the top priorities of modern conservation science. Nanostructured fluids containing water, good solvents for polymers, either immiscible or partially miscible with water, and surfactants have been used in the last decade to achieve controlled removal. The dewetting of the polymer film is often an essential step to achieve efficient removal; however, the role of the surfactant throughout the process is yet to be fully understood. We report on the dewetting of a methacrylate/acrylate copolymer film induced by a ternary mixture of water, propylene carbonate (PC) and C9-11E6, a nonionic alcohol ethoxylate surfactant. The fluid microstructure was characterised through small angle X-ray scattering and the interactions between the film and water, water/PC and water/PC/C9-11E6, were monitored through confocal laser-scanning microscopy (CLSM) and analised both from a thermodynamic and a kinetic point of view. The presence of a surfactant is a prerequisite to induce dewetting of μm-thick films at room temperature, but it is not a thermodynamic driver. The amphiphile lowers the interfacial energy between the phases and favors the loss of adhesion of the polymer on glass, decreasing, in turn, the activation energy barrier, which can be overcome by the thermal fluctuations of polymer film stability, initiating the dewetting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resettlement can be an uncertain time for refugees as they have often suffered life-threatening circumstances prior to flight from their countries, yet few resettlement programs screen for mental health. The purpose of this study was to pilot the Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15) to assess mental health and the Pathways to Wellness intervention to identify internal and structural barriers affecting resettlement with a refugee women's sewing group. Community collaborations that create healthy social and physical environments through access to resources, economic opportunities, and social support promote a holistic approach to health and can improve quality of life for this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Olfactomedin 1 (OLFM1) is a secreted glycoprotein and member of the olfactomedin protein family, which is preferentially expressed in various areas throughout the central nervous system. To learn about the functional properties of OLFM1 in the eye, we investigated its localization in the mouse and pig eye. In addition, we analyzed the ocular phenotype of Olfm1 mutant mice in which 52 amino acids were deleted in the central part (M2 region) of OLFM1. OLFM1 was detected in cornea, sclera, retina, and optic nerve of both wild-type and Olfm1 mutant littermates. By immunohistochemistry and double labeling with the lectin peanut agglutinin, OLFM1 was found in the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) of mouse and pig retina where it was directly localized to the inner segments of photoreceptors. Western blotting confirmed the presence of the OLFM1 isoforms pancortin 1 (BMY) and pancortin 2 (BMZ) in the IPM. The retinal phenotype of Olfm1 mutant mice did not obviously differ from that of wild-type littermates. In addition, outer nuclear layer (ONL) and total retinal thickness were not different, and the same was true for the area of the optic nerve in cross sections. Functional changes were observed though by electroretinography, which showed significantly lower a- and b-wave amplitudes in Olfm1 mutant mice when compared to age-matched wild-type mice. When light damage experiments were performed as an experimental paradigm of photoreceptor apoptosis, significantly more TUNEL-positive cells were observed in Olfm1 mutant mice 30 h after light exposure. One week after light exposure, the ONL was significantly thinner in Olfm1 mutant mice than in wild-type littermates indicating increased photoreceptor loss. No differences were observed when rhodopsin turnover or ERK1/2 signaling was investigated. We conclude that OLFM1 is a newly identified IPM molecule that serves an important role for photoreceptor homeostasis, which is significantly compromised in the eyes of Olfm1 mutant mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MnxCo1−xSb2O4 and FexCo1−xSb2O4 have been synthesised for 0 ≤x≤ 1 and their structures and magnetic properties examined. For all compounds, neutron powder diffraction (NPD) data reveal a canted AFM structure that changes gradually from C-type (x = 0) to A-type (x = 1). This transition corresponds to a gradual rotation of the moments through 90°, from ±[001] to ±[100]. It is primarily caused by a change in the relative magnitudes of the three types of magnetic exchange that exist between cations. Within a given chain, direct exchange promotes an antiferromagnetic ground state for the two cations and 90° superexchange that favours ferromagnetic order. Between chains, antiferromagnetic order is preferred. However, the observed magnetic moments (from NPD) are significantly lower than expected except for the end-members of the series; this suggests that incomplete magnetic order is present. Magnetic susceptibility data also suggest complex magnetic behaviour except for the end-member compounds. The complex magnetic features appear to originate from composition inhomogeneity, local magnetic order in the chains of octahedra being dependent on small clusters of the same transition metal ion and the delicate energy balance that clearly exists between the two ordered configurations in the mid-composition region where x is near to 0.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucosylceramides (GlcCer), glucose-conjugated sphingolipids, are major components of the endomembrane system and plasma membrane in most eukaryotic cells. Yet the quantitative significance and cellular functions of GlcCer are not well characterized in plants and other multi-organ eukaryotes. To address this, we examined Arabidopsis lines that were lacking or deficient in GlcCer by insertional disruption or by RNA interference ( RNAi) suppression of the single gene for GlcCer synthase ( GCS, At2g19880), the enzyme that catalyzes GlcCer synthesis. Null mutants for GCS (designated ' gcs-1') were viable as seedlings, albeit strongly reduced in size, and failed to develop beyond the seedling stage. Heterozygous plants harboring the insertion allele exhibited reduced transmission through the male gametophyte. Undifferentiated calli generated from gcs-1 seedlings and lacking GlcCer proliferated in a manner similar to calli from wild-type plants. However, gcs-1 calli, in contrast to wild-type calli, were unable to develop organs on differentiation media. Consistent with a role for GlcCer in organ-specific cell differentiation, calli from gcs-1 mutants formed roots and leaves on media supplemented with the glucosylated sphingosine glucopsychosine, which was readily converted to GlcCer independent of GCS. Underlying these phenotypes, gcs-1 cells had altered Golgi morphology and fewer cisternae per Golgi apparatus relative to wild-type cells, indicative of protein trafficking defects. Despite seedling lethality in the null mutant, GCS RNAi suppression lines with ≤2% of wild-type GlcCer levels were viable and fertile. Collectively, these results indicate that GlcCer are essential for cell-type differentiation and organogenesis, and plant cells produce amounts of GlcCer in excess of that required for normal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: No scales measure self-efficacy in women with Type 2 diabetes. A scale was developed and tested. Methods: Items generated, content validity index (CVI) assessed by experts, the 2-part Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale (DSLF-I and DSLF-II) was piloted with 62 women, administered to 208 women, and then readministered to 30 women to determine initial reliability. Factor analysis was conducted for construct validity. Discriminant, convergent, and predictive validity was examined. Results: The CVI index was 98%. Cronbach's alphas were 0.88 (DSLF-I) and 0.82 (DSLF-II; pilot) and 0.87 and 0.86, respectively (main study); test-retest correlation was .60 (DSLF-I) and .69 (DSLF-II). There were 3 factors that emerged: diabetes knowledge of self-care activity, diabetes diet self-care, and diabetes medication self-care. Conclusions: The Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale demonstrates good initial reliability and validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brinker is the key target protein of the Drosophila Decapentaplegic morphogen signalling pathway. Brinker is widely expressed and can bind with DNA. NMR spectra suggest that apo-Brinker is intrinsically unstructured and undergoes a folding transition upon DNA-binding. However, the coupled mechanism of binding and folding is poorly understood. Here, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for both bound and apo-Brinker to study the mechanism. Room-temperature MD simulations suggest that Brinker becomes more rigid and stable upon DNA-binding. Kinetic analysis of high-temperature MD simulations shows that both bound and apo-Brinker unfold viaa two-state process. The time scale of tertiary unfolding is significantly different between bound and apo-Brinker. The predicted Φ-values suggest that there are more residues with native-like transition state ensembles (TSEs) for bound Brinker than for apo-Brinker. The average RMSD differences between bound and apo-Brinker and Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test analysis illustrate that Brinker folding upon DNA-binding might obey induced-fit mechanism based on MD simulations. These methods can be used for the research of other biomolecular folding upon ligand-binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The class IV homeodomain leucine zipper transcription factor GLABRA2 (GL2) acts in a complex regulatory circuit that regulates the differentiation of trichomes in Arabidopsis thaliana. We describe a genetic interaction with HOMEODOMAIN GLABROUS11 (HDG11), previously identified as a negative regulator of trichome branching. gl2 hdg11 double mutants display enhanced trichome cell-type differentiation defects. Transgenic expression of HDG11 using the GL2 promoter partially suppresses gl2 trichome phenotypes. Vice versa, expression of GL2 under the control of its native promoter partially complements hdg11 ectopic branching. Since gl2 hdg11 and gl2 myb23 double mutants and the triple mutant display similar trichome differentiation defects, we investigated a connection to the R2R3-MYB transcription factor MYB23. We show that MYB23 transcript levels are significantly reduced in shoots from gl2 mutants and that GL2 can drive the expression of a MYB23 -promoter fusion to green fluorescent protein. Yeast one-hybrid, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and in planta reporter gene experiments indicate that an L1-box in the MYB23 promoter acts as a GL2 binding site. Taken together, our findings reveal a functional redundancy between GL2 and HDG11, two homeodomain leucine zipper transcription factors previously thought to mediate opposing functions in trichome morphogenesis. A model is proposed in which GL2 transcript levels are maintained through a positive feedback loop involving GL2 activation of MYB23. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two fungal-secreted α-fucosidases and their genes were characterized. FoFCO1 was purified from culture filtrates of Fusarium oxysporum strain 0685 grown on l-fucose and its encoding gene identified in the sequenced genome of strain 4287. FoFCO1 was active on p-nitrophenyl-α-fucoside (pNP-Fuc), but did not defucosylate a nonasaccharide (XXFG) fragment of pea xyloglucan. A putative α-fucosidase gene ( FgFCO1) from Fusarium graminearum was expressed in Pichia pastoris. FgFCO1 was ∼1,800 times less active on pNP-Fuc than FoFCO1, but was able to defucosylate the XXFG nonasaccharide. Although FgFCO1 and FoFCO1 both belong to Glycosyl Hydrolase family 29, they share <25 % overall amino acid identity. Alignment of all available fungal orthologs of FoFCO1 and FgFCO1 indicated that these two proteins belong to two subfamilies of fungal GH29 α-fucosidases. Fungal orthologs of subfamily 1 (to which FoFCO1 belongs) are taxonomically more widely distributed than subfamily 2 (FgFCO1), but neither was universally present in the sequenced fungal genomes. Trichoderma reesei and most species of Aspergillus lack genes for either GH29 subfamily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes and beliefs of front-line employees regarding how customer-company interactions might be improved. Since front-line employees are closely connected to customers, the resultant experiences and relationships with customers are highly dependent on their actions. However, little is written from the perspective of front-line employees. Design/methodology/approach – Using a qualitative approach and employing an adaptation of the grounded theory method, this study uses front-line employee participants with data collection occurring over a six-month period. A variety of data sources were used including open-ended reciprocal interviews, member-checking interviews, observation, and collection of participant and researcher artifacts. Findings – Findings suggest that organizational changes initiated by management create strategically constructed silos that force implementation through people and systems to control and standardize the service interface and resultant customer experience(s). This reactive and inwardly focused construction of silos often serves company rather than customer needs and can result in deteriorating service levels based on the type of customer-company interaction occurring. Originality/value – Contrary to how most customer service processes are designed by management, not all customer-company interactions are alike and vary both in regard to the degree of knowledge needed by front-line employees to fully serve customers, and the routine or non-routine nature of the interaction. A two-by-two matrix is presented to highlight the impacts of silos occurring for various interaction types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author responds to an article entitled "The Evolutionary Psychology of Chinese Religion: Pre-Qin HIgh Gods as Punishers and Rewarders," by scholars Kelly James Clark and Justin T. Winslett in a previous edition of the journal. He criticizes the article's premise and states that the premise contends that a Hebrew-Bible deity is at the core of early Chinese religion. He argues that the scholars unduly criticize sinologists concerning early Chinese deities and incorrectly assume that cognitive approaches to religious studies demand the recognition of a singular deity.

The grounded theory method (GT) remains elusive and misunderstood by many—even those who advocate its use. In practice, many research studies cite the use of GT but merely apply certain a la carte aspects or jargon of the method while not actually incorporating the fundamental principles of the methodology. Consequently, the purpose of this article is fourfold: (a) to demystify the key tenets of GT, (b) to discuss the problematic impacts of adopting an a la carte approach to GT, (c) to draw attention to GT as a rigorous method for business research, and (d) to advocate for the increased use of GT by more researchers where appropriate. Throughout the article, the authors use the example of a recently completed GT study by the lead author to highlight the multiple dimensions of GT and how they all work together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central goal in nanoscience is to achieve control of the structural characteristics of ensembles (artificial molecules) of anisotropic nanoparticles (NPs), which contain new fundamental information about plasmonically or electronically coupled single NPs. Based on their collective behavior, these artificial molecules have potential in optoelectronics and sensing. This review mainly covers different strategies for the synthesis and self-assembly of gold nanorods (GNRs), the properties of self-assembled structures, the application of such structures as sensors, and the trends and future perspective of the self-assembly of GNRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preface to the journal "Information Resources Management Journal" is presented.

Generation of nanostructures containing from several to thousands of inorganic nanorods (NRs) organized in a highly ordered manner paves the way for applications that exploit directional properties of NR arrays. Self-assembly of NRs provides a simple and cost-efficient strategy for producing NR ensembles. This tutorial reviewhighlights recent advances in the field of NR synthesis, summarizes the types of ligands used for NR synthesis and stabilization, reviews experimental and theoretical work on NR self-assembly that is driven by interactions between the ligands and describes current properties and applications of self-assembled NR structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – A paucity of literature considers a growing trend within the retail space whereby franchise companies and their franchisees market and sell products and services across multiple channels, including company-owned retail stores. This case study aims to explore the processes used to support the customer experience, the control mechanisms that are in place, and the channels by which these customer-company interactions occur. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach employing an adaptation of the grounded theory method for data collection, coding, and analysis was used and this study specifically focused on an international van-based service franchise during the integration of the franchise company's service into the retail brick-and-mortar locations of the parent company. Participants included retail employees of the parent company, franchise company support staff, franchisees, and third-party call center agents working for the parent company. Findings – Findings suggest a relationship exists between the alignment of the internal factors of the customer relationship management (CRM) experience (e.g. people, processes, and technology) and the relative strength or weakness of each external factor (e.g. customer, company, and competition). Moreover, it is postulated that weaker customer-centric service results in greater misalignment of internal factors and leads to larger service variability, or sub-optimized CRM. Originality/value – The unique contribution of this research is the juxtaposition of the disparate marketing approaches of the parent company and franchisees and the subsequent impact on CRM efforts of the company. A conceptual model of internal and external factors of the CRM experience is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient one-pot, three-component synthesis of highly substituted bicyclic pyridines containing a ring-junction nitrogen, starting from simple and readily available materials, is described. Cyclocondensation of heterocyclic ketene aminals (HKAs), triethoxymethane, and active methylene compounds by refluxing under solvent-free and catalyst-free conditions, provided bicyclic pyridines in excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affinity analysis is a key biotechnique used in the fields of biology and biomedicine. Herein, we advanced the concept of moving affinity boundary (MAB) using metal ion Ni(ii) and histidine (His) as the model inorganic ion and ligand, respectively, developed the simple method of MAB affinity capillary electrophoresis (MAB-ACE), and carried out the relative experiments. The experiments manifested that (a) an MAB could be created with the model metal ion and ligand; (b) the MAB-ACE could specifically capture His rather than other amino acids, or numerous metabolites in human urine; and (c) the capture had the merits of simultaneous focusing and separation to the target metabolite of His. It was further revealed that the specificity of MAB-ACE was originated from the selective affinity interaction and the effective control of affinity conditions. The analyses of His in raw urine by the MAB-ACE are in agreement with those viathe standard amino acid analyzer, indicating the reliability of the developed method. Additionally, the MAB-ACE with UV detector had good sensitivity (LOD = 43 ng mL−1, S/N = 3), 1.0–150 μM linearity and <5% intra-/inter-day variations. The novel method has an evident potential application for capture of a target metabolite in complex biological sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Storage and transport behaviors of lithium in LiF/Ti nanocomposites, either formed in situthrough a conversion reaction from TiF3powder electrode or prepared by the pulse laser deposition method, have been investigated. Reversible lithium storage in the LiF/Ti nanocomposites shows a sloped voltage profile. The lithium storage capacity in the LiF/Ti nanocomposite thin film is much higher than that in single Ti or LiF thin film with the same thickness and is increased with increasing film thickness. Accordingly, lithium should store at the grain boundary regions since either the LiF or the Ti phase is not active for lithium storage. Hence, this type of interfacial storage is intermediate between the insertion and storage in supercapacitors. The transport properties of electrons and lithium ions in initial LiF/Ti nanocomposites are also investigated by IV, IS and blocking electrode techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with aminolevulinic acid (ALA) or methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) is an approved modality for the non-invasive treatment of actinic keratoses (AK) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) offering excellent cosmetic outcome. However, pain during and after illumination is the most frequent and limiting side effect. The aim of this study was to precisely assess how reported pain during PDT is influenced by sex, age, treatment site, disease (AK/BCC) as well as the photosensitizer used. 467 lesions consisting of AK (primary treatments: n= 158; follow-up: n= 47) or BCC (primary treatments: n= 138; follow-up: 124) were treated by ALA- or MAL-PDT using metal halide lamps (580–750 nm). Pain was assessed during illumination using a continuous visual analogue scale (VAS). Factors predictive for higher pain levels during PDT are treatment of the head, treating AK and using ALA. The observed results may improve patient management and predict which level of pain to expect, and what kind of pain relief to prepare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have recorded transient absorption kinetics at 390 nm with picosecond resolution in order to observe electron transfer from the reduced primary acceptor, A−0, to the secondary acceptor, A1, in wild type and mutated Photosystem I from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In the mutants, the methionine axial ligand to the primary electron acceptor in either the A- or B-branch of electron transfer cofactors, was replaced with histidine. Both of the mutations reduced the formation of a positive signal at 390 nm, characteristic of A−1to a level approximately half of that observed in wild type Photosystem I. It is concluded that in the mutated branch of Photosystem I, electron transfer from A−0to A1does not occur. The absorption kinetics resulting from subtraction of either of the mutants’ traces from that of wild type is interpreted to reflect the kinetics of A- or B-side electron transfer from A−0to A1in the the wild type Photosystem I. Each of these traces could be fitted with a monoexpoenential decay characterized by the same amplitude and 25–30-ps lifetime. The almost identical effect of both mutations on A−1formation confirm a similar engagement of both the A- ad B-branches in electron transfer to A1in Photosystem I from C. reinhardtii. This observation is in contrast to the unidirectional electron transfer concluded from the studies on similar mutants of cyanobacterial Photosystem I.1Thus, this contribution provides further evidence for functional differences between these two model Photosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the major advances in soft lithography and polymer materials, use of microfluidic devices has attracted tremendous attention recently. A simple and fast micromachining process is highly in demand to prototype such a device efficiently and economically. In this paper, we first reported an out-of-cleanroom printing-based integrated microfabrication process, referred to as the lab-on-a-print(LOP), for rapid-prototyping three-dimensional microfluidics. Using this lab-on-a-printprocess, we demonstrated the potential to accomplish an entire design-to-fabrication cycle within an hour, including about 70 µm resolution of direct-lithography patterning, well-controlled polyimide wet etching, three-dimensional pattern alignment and multilayer wax thermal-fusion packaging. A microfluidic gradient generator was prepared and tested for validation of the lab-on-a-printmicrofabrication process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high requirement of the gut for threonine has often been ascribed to the synthesis of mucins, secreted threonine-rich glycoproteins protecting the intestinal epithelium from injury. This requirement could be even greater during intestinal inflammation, when mucin synthesis is enhanced. In this study, we used an animal model to investigate the effects of an acute ileitis on threonine splanchnic fluxes. Eight adult multi-catheterized minipigs were fed with an enteral solution. Four of them were subjected to experimental ileitis involving direct administration of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) into the ileum (TNBS-treated group) and the other 4 were not treated (control group). Threonine fluxes across the portal-drained viscera (PDV) were quantified with the use of simultaneous i.g. L-[15Nithreonine and iv. L-[U-13C]threonine infusions. Ileal mucosa was sampled for mucin fractional synthesis rate measurement, which was greater in the TNBS-treated group (114 ± 15%/d) than in the control group (61 ± 8%/d) (P= 0.021). The first-pass extraction of dietary threonine by the PDV and liver did not differ between groups and accounted for ∼27 and 10% of the intragastric delivery, respectively. PDV uptake of arterial threonine increased from 25 ± 14 μmol·kg-1· h-1 in the control group to 171 ± 35 μmoI·kg-1· h-1 in the TNBS-treated group (P < 0.001). In conclusion, ileitis increased intestinal mucin synthesis and PDV utilization of threonine from arterial but not luminal supply. This leads to the mobilization of endogenous proteins to meet the increased threonine demand associated with acute intestinal inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a dual lens of Stakeholder Theory (ST) and Relationship Marketing (RM), this exploratory case study considers the perceptions and attitudes of each stakeholder regarding the initial design, development, and subsequent testing of an electronic customer relationship management (eCRM) tool. Through the use of in-depth interviews, member-checking interviews, and data from actual customer transactions, this study attempts to fill the gap in the literature by gaining a clear understanding of the objectives, goals, and perceptions of an eCRM vendor, franchisor senior company management, franchisees, and customers regarding eCRM. The results of this study reveal important implications for the informing sciences including the need to balance human and computer interaction, issues related to control, the impact that "electronic" systems may have on marketing relationships, and the importance of balancing the interests and expectations of all stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]