Search

In the face of a significant public health event, consumers may either increase their panic buying or decrease their willingness to make purchases. This study focuses on the impact of a significant public health event on offline store sales and consumer consumption, utilizing data from chain convenience stores in Hefei and Wuhu during early 2019 and early 2020 in China. Employing a difference-in-differences model, the study investigates the effect of the significant public health event outbreak on weekly store sales, order numbers, and consumer consumption in terms of product quantities, transaction amount, average amount per order, and transaction frequency. Different from prior literature that finds hoarding behavior of consumers online, the findings of this paper indicate a significant reduction in stores' offline weekly sales and order numbers, as well as consumers' offline weekly consumption across the four dimensions, as a result of the significant public health event outbreak. Additionally, employing a mediation model, the study explores the pathway of population mobility through which the significant public health event adversely affects offline consumption. Furthermore, subset analysis is conducted for stores located in different areas and consumers with varying characteristics, revealing that the aforementioned conclusions predominantly apply to stores situated in office areas and residential areas, as well as consumers with either no apparent preference for different product categories or a noticeable preference for food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: MdERF023 is a transcription factor that can reduce salt tolerance by inhibiting ABA signaling and Na+/H+ homeostasis. Salt stress is one of the principal environmental stresses limiting the growth and productivity of apple (Malus × domestica). The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) family plays key roles in plant growth and various stress responses; however, the regulatory mechanism involved has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we identified an AP2/ERF transcription factor (TF), MdERF023, which plays a negative role in apple salt tolerance. Stable overexpression of MdERF023 in apple plants and calli significantly decreased salt tolerance. Biochemical and molecular analyses revealed that MdERF023 directly binds to the promoter of MdMYB44-like, a positive modulator of ABA signaling-mediated salt tolerance, and suppresses its transcription. In addition, MdERF023 downregulated the transcription of MdSOS2 and MdAKT1, thereby reducing the Na+ expulsion, K+ absorption, and salt tolerance of apple plants. Taken together, these results suggest that MdERF023 reduces apple salt tolerance by inhibiting ABA signaling and ion transport, and that it could be used as a potential target for breeding new varieties of salt-tolerant apple plants via genetic engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salidroside (SAL), an antioxidant derived from Rhodiola rosea, exerts neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury; however, the mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The present study established a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) and a cellular model of oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) to explore the roles and mechanisms of SAL in cerebral I/R injury. The rat model of MCAO/R was established and rats were treated with different doses of SAL. The Zea-Longa scoring system and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining showed that SAL reduced neurological deficit scores and cerebral infarct volumes in MCAO/R rats. The results of Morris water maze (MWM) test showed that SAL reduced memory impairment in MCAO/R rats. In addition, SAL significantly reduced oxidative stress and suppressed inflammatory response. Next, the OGD/R model was established with PC12 cells and treated with SAL. The results of flow cytometry and 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays showed that SAL reduced apoptosis, enhanced cell viability and protected neuronal cells from damage by decreasing lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. SAL increased the expression of TSC complex subunit 2 (TSC2), and activated the 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibited the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways. It was verified that SAL alleviated cerebral I/R injury by regulating the AMPK/TSC2/mTOR pathway to induce autophagy. In conclusion, SAL reduces the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in a concentration-dependent manner, and protects against cerebral I/R injury by modulating TSC2-induced autophagy. These findings suggest SAL may prove to be a potential therapeutic agent for ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the potential of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in monitoring renal changes in a diabetic nephropathy (DN) rat model with acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) induced by iso-osmotic contrast media (IOCM) and low-osmotic contrast media (LOCM). Methods: A diabetic nephropathy rat model was established, and the animals were randomly split into the LOCM group and IOCM group (n = 13 per group), with iopamidol and iodixanol injection, respectively (4 g iodine/kg). MRI including IVIM and DKI was performed 24 h before contrast medium injections (baseline) and 1, 24, 48, and 72 h after injections. Changes in pure molecular diffusion (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion fraction (f), mean diffusion (MD), mean kurtosis (MK), serum creatinine (SCr) and urea nitrogen (BUN), histopathology alterations, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression were assessed. Inter-observer agreement was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Compared against baseline levels, significant decreases in D, D*, and f were observed in all anatomical kidney compartments after contrast injection (p < 0.05). MD in the cortex (CO) and outer medullary (OM) gradually decreased, and MK in OM gradually increased 24–72 h after injection. D, D*, f, and MD were negatively correlated with the histopathologic findings and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression in all anatomical kidney compartments. Inter-observer reproducibility was generally good (ICCs ranging from 0.776 to 0.979). Conclusions: IVIM and DKI provided noninvasive imaging parameters, which might offer effective detection of CI-AKI in DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O2O (Online to Offline) on-demand service platforms have grown significantly. With the intensive competition on platforms, effective promotion strategies are the key to the success of O2O stores. Given the specific features of O2O platforms and mobile apps, how different promotions strategies work remain a question. The study investigates the effectiveness of different promotion strategies and their interactions on O2O platforms. Using daily sales data from a store on a well-known O2O platform, we construct a product-level panel with daily sales and promotion information. With fixed-effect regressions and GMM models, we find that both discount promotions including price discounts and order-level discounts and display-related promotions including display banners and rankings in lists can significantly increase product sales. We find that top rankings may be one of the most effective promotion strategies in O2O context. Seemingly organic rankings in lists is more effective than large store-page banners. We also find that direct price discounts perform better than order-level discounts for reaching a threshold. Price discounts and display-related strategies strongly complement each other to increase sales, while the impact of order-level discounts cannot be strengthened with display-related promotions. The findings reveal interesting patterns of how different promotion strategies affect sales and interact with each other and provide theoretical and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of information technology and fast growth of Internet users, e-commerce nowadays is facing complex business environment and accumulating large-volume and high-dimensional data. This brings two challenges for demand forecasting. First, e-merchants need to find appropriate approaches to leverage the large amount of data and extract forecast features to capture various factors affecting the demand. Second, they need to efficiently identify the most important features to improve the forecast accuracy and better understand the key drivers for demand changes. To solve these challenges, this study conducts a multi-dimensional feature engineering by constructing five feature categories including historical demand, price, page view, reviews, and competition for e-commerce demand forecasting on item-level. We then propose a two-stage random forest-based feature selection algorithm to effectively identify the important features from the high-dimensional feature set and avoid overfitting. We test our proposed algorithm with a large-scale dataset from the largest e-commerce platform in China. The numerical results from 21,111 items and 109 million sales observations show that our proposed random forest-based forecasting framework with a two-stage feature selection algorithm delivers 11.58%, 5.81% and 3.68% forecast accuracy improvement, compared with the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Random Forecast, and Random Forecast with one-stage feature selection approach, respectively, which are widely used in literature and industry. This study provides a useful tool for the practitioners to forecast demands and sheds lights on the B2C e-commerce operations management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid biopsy testing utilising Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is rapidly moving towards clinical adoption for personalised oncology. However, before NGS can fulfil its potential any novel testing approach must identify ways of reducing errors, allowing separation of true low-frequency mutations from procedural artefacts, and be designed to improve upon current technologies. Popular NGS technologies typically utilise two DNA capture approaches; PCR and ligation, which have known limitations and seem to have reached a development plateau with only small, stepwise improvements being made. To maximise the ultimate utility of liquid biopsy testing we have developed a highly versatile approach to NGS: Adaptor Template Oligo Mediated Sequencing (ATOM-Seq). ATOM-Seq's strengths and versatility avoid the major limitations of both PCR- and ligation-based approaches. This technology is ligation free, simple, efficient, flexible, and streamlined, and it offers novel advantages that make it perfectly suited for use on highly challenging clinical material. Using reference and clinical materials, we demonstrate detection of known SNVs down to allele frequencies of 0.1% using as little as 20–25 ng of cfDNA, as well as the ability to detect fusions from RNA. We illustrate ATOM-Seq's suitability for clinical testing by showing high concordance rates between paired cfDNA and FFPE clinical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: MdHAL3 has PPCDC activity and is involved in the salt tolerance of autotetraploid apple. Apple (Malus × domestica) is the most widely planted fruit tree species worldwide. However, the growth and development of apple have been increasingly affected by abiotic stress, such as high salinity. In our previous study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis revealed that the expression level of the MdHAL3 gene was significantly upregulated in the autotetraploid apple cultivar Hanfu. In the present study, we first isolated HAL3, whose product was shown to exert 4′-phosphopantothenoylcysteine decarboxylase (PPCDC) activity, from apple. MdHAL3 was expressed in all organs of apple, and its expression was rapidly induced by salt stress. The MdHAL3 protein was localized to the cytomembrane and cytoplasm. Five MdHAL3 overexpression (OE) lines and five MdHAL3-RNAi apple lines were obtained. We found that MdHAL3 enhanced the salt stress tolerance of apple and that the OE plants rooted more easily than the wild-type (WT) plants. The coenzyme A (CoA) content in the leaves of the OE plants was greater than that in the leaves of the WT plants, and the CoA content in the MdHAL3-RNAi plants was lower than that in the WT plants. Taken together, our findings indicate that MdHAL3 plays an essential role in the response to salt stress in apple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a workforce capacity planning model for online-to-offline (O2O) logistics systems. Three types of workforces with different compensation schemes are considered: in-house drivers, full-time crowdsourced drivers, and part-time crowdsourced drivers. We propose a cost minimization problem to determine the optimal workforce capacity and optimal order allocations, considering the dynamics of incoming demand. We apply a dataset from an O2O platform and our analysis reveals that (1) the capacity plan priority is part-time crowdsourced drivers, followed by full-time crowdsourced drivers and in-house drivers; the order assignment priority is reverse; (2) setting a proper guaranteed minimum order level and using the single service mode for full-time crowdsourced drivers can significantly reduce the rate of unfulfilled orders and total cost; and (3) leveraging the flexibility of the part-time crowdsourced drivers can significantly reduce the unfulfilled orders and total cost. Moreover, customizing the design of these schemes further enhances their potential. We expect these results to shed light on cost control and provide a model for crowd-sourcing which can improve the efficiency of O2O on-demand businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-demand services through Internet platforms, e.g. ride-sharing, food take-out services, have emerged as a new business model. In these businesses, customers place orders on Internet platforms and get services fulfilled offline in a timely manner. In this paper, we examine the factors that affect the efficiency of on-demand food take-out services. Besides operational and road factors, we highlight the role of information integration of the ordering platform and the logistics platform. Our results show that information integration of the two platforms significantly increases service efficiency. Through integration, the logistics platform can optimize delivery dispatch based on more comprehensive and accurate historical and real-time demand and delivery information, avoiding suboptimal and short-sighted decisions. We also find that the efficiency of on-demand services depends much more on the information integration and the operational efficiency of the service provider than road conditions. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications for the business model of on-demand services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Herz is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Apple has become a model species for Rosaceae genetic and genomic research, but it is difficult to obtain transgenic apple plants by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using in vitro leaves as explants. In this study, we developed an efficient regeneration and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for crab apple ( Malus micromalus) using cotyledons as explants. The proximal cotyledons of M. micromalus, excised from seedlings that emerged from mature embryos cultured for 10-14 d in vitro, were suitable as explants for regeneration and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Cotyledon explants were cocultivated for 3 d with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 harboring the binary vector pCAMBIA2301 on regeneration medium. Kanamycin-resistant buds were produced on cotyledon explants cultured on selective regeneration medium containing 20 mg/L kanamycin. Acetosyringone supplemented in the Agrobacterium suspension or in the cocultivation medium slightly enhanced the regeneration of kanamycin-resistant buds. The maximum percentage of explants with kanamycin-resistant buds was 11.7%. The putative transformed plants were confirmed by histochemical analysis of β-glucuronidase activity and the polymerase chain reaction amplification of the neomycin phosphotransferase II gene. This transformation system also enables recovery of nontransformed isogenic controls developed from embryo buds and is therefore suitable for functional genomics studies in apple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by base pairing to mRNA target sequences, and play crucial roles in plant development and stress responses. The knowledge on post-transcriptional regulation by miRNAs in strawberry is rather limited so far. In order to understand the role of miRNA in the molecular control during strawberry fruit development, small RNA libraries were constructed from fruits at the turning stage of strawberry cultivar 'Sachinoka' and its white-flesh mutant by using the Solexa platform. One hundred and twenty conserved miRNAs belonging to 27 miRNA families and 33 putative novel strawberry miRNAs were identified in both libraries. Their target genes were predicted using the Fragaria vesca genome. Nine of all miRNAs showed significant expression differences between two types of samples. Four miRNAs were up-regulated and five were down-regulated in white-flesh mutant. The sequencing results were partially validated by quantitative RT-PCR. Among them, the expression of miR399a shows the biggest change between the two samples. The prediction of its target gene showed that miR399 may play an important role in phosphate homeostasis of strawberry fruits. Furthermore, we deduce that the expression of miR399 has negative correlation with the content of sugars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key challenges for implementing RFID systems in supply chain management is the difficulty in economic justification. Such difficulty is further amplified by its public participation nature as multiple self-interest beneficiaries may receive diverse paybacks, and their incentives to join the system are difficult to align. This paper aims to address these problems by a collaborative design from two aspects. First, we propose to introduce a centralized planning mechanism in the chain to facilitate the participation, so that the cost of the overall system can be minimized. Second, we propose to analyze the multi-facet economic return from multi-purpose applications to achieve the full potential of RFID systems. To illustrate our approach, its application for inventory inaccuracy and product recall in RFID system is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 20-24 nucleotide (nt) non-coding regulatory RNAs which play critical roles in plant growth and development. miRNA-encoding genes, which are transcribed by RNA polymerase II, are involved in a variety of processes, including developmental and morphogenesis systems, and hormone and stress responses. To investigate miRNA responses to tissue culture conditions, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect differences in miRNA expression between in vitro micropropagated strawberry plants and transplanted micropropagated strawberry plants. Four miRNAs were differentially expressed between them, including one up-regulated gene (miR156) and three down-regulated genes (miR164, miR172 and miR390). The ratios of miRNA expression levels in in vitro micropropagated strawberry plants to micropropagated plants transplanted into soil in greenhouse for 4 months for miR156, miR164, miR172 and miR390 were 6.757, 0.046, 0.035 and 0.050, respectively. The ratio of miR156 expression levels in micropropagated plants transplanted into soil for 5 months to levels in the conventionally propagating runner plants was 3.785. miR156 was expressed highly and was strikingly inversely proportional to the expressions of its target gene SPL9 and miR172 in in vitro micropropagated strawberry plants. We speculate that high expression of miR156 is the main reason for rejuvenation in micropropagated plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retrotransposons are the most abundant mobile elements in the plant genome and seem to play an important role in genome reorganization induced by environmental challenges. Their success in this function depends on the ability of their promoters to regulate plant adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, the promoter region of FaRE1 was amplified in the strawberry genome, and promoter::GUS fusion was constructed. We produced transgenic strawberry plants carrying FaRE1 promoter::GUS-fusion genes, and monitored GUS reporter activity. Histochemical and fluorimetric GUS analysis these plants showed the characteristics of the FaRE1 promoter were activated by either hormones treatments with ABA, NAA, and 2,4-D or cold stress. In addition, we found the GUS reporter was activated in the leaves of transgenic strawberry plants using 5-azaC. These results suggest that the promoter of FaRE1 may act as different signal transduction pathways, allowing FaRE1 retrotransposon to be activated in response to multiples challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retrotransposon-based molecular markers are a powerful tool for mapping and diversity studies. The scarcity of retrotransposon long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences limits the application of retrotransposon-based molecular marker systems. Here, we isolated two novel complete Ty1- copia retrotransposons ( CTcrm1 and CTcrm2) in apple using a genome walking strategy. The CTcrm retrotransposons are nearly 5 kb long, and they have all the features of Ty1- copia retrotransposons. The differences in gene organization and nucleotide sequence length between the CTcrm retrotransposons and other reported complete retrotransposons in apple showed that CTcrm1 and CTcrm2 are the first two distinct complete Ty1 -copia retrotransposons in the apple genome. To investigate the potential utility of the two retrotransposons as molecular markers, primers complementary to the CTcrm LTRs were designed to develop sequence-specific amplification polymorphism markers for discriminating bud sports of Fuji apple. Multiple polymorphisms corresponding to CTcrm1 and CTcrm2 were detected and could easily be used to discriminate bud sports from their Fuji progenitor, as well as from each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time-frequency analysis of the signal acquired by a single ground-based microphone shows a two-dimensional interference pattern in the time-frequency plane, which is caused by the time delay of the received signal emitted from a low flying aircraft via the direct path and the ground-reflected path. A model is developed for estimating the motion parameters of an aircraft flying along a straight line at a constant height and with a constant speed. Monte Carlo simulation results and experimental results are presented to validate the model, and an error analysis of the model is presented to verify the effectiveness of the estimation scheme advocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]