E-WOM Intentions towards Social Media Messages

This study investigated the influence of a consumer’s online shopping motivation, attitude, and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) intention towards two social media messages while accounting for social media involvement. Using a fictitious brand and social media messages, data were collected through a snowballing technique by distributing a structured questionnaire on social media sites. It was found that a positive attitude toward task messages was influenced by both utilitarian and hedonic shopping motivations while attitude toward socioemotional messages were influenced solely by hedonic. Also, eWOM intention for both messages was influenced by attitude. Social media involvement had no moderating effect on the relationship between attitude and eWOM intention or a direct impact on eWOM intention. These findings indicate the importance of identifying key shopping motivations of customers who frequent a brand’s social media pages. In this way brands may fashion appropriate social media messages that may result in higher eWOM. Brands should also focus social media messages towards all social media followers not just those customers active on the social media pages, as a higher social media involvement does not necessarily indicate a greater likelihood of eWOM

Electronic structure of single-walled carbon nanotubes on ultrathin insulating films

The electronic structures of single-walled carbon nanotubes on Ag(100) and on ultrathin insulating NaCl(100)/Ag(100) were studied using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. The Fermi level of the nanotubes was shifted toward the conduction band on Ag(100), while it was shifted toward the valence band on NaCl films. We explain this opposite behavior by different basic mechanisms accounting for the Fermi level shifts. On the metal surface, the work function difference between the tube and the substrate determines the direction of the Fermi level shift. In the case of carbon nanotubes on insulating films, the electric field resulting from the dipole moment formed at the interface between the insulating film and the metal plays a decisive role in determining the Fermi level.open8

Mesoporosity changes from cambium to mature tension wood: a new step toward the understanding of maturation stress generation in trees

International audienceIn order to progress in the understanding of mechanical stress generation, the mesoporosity of the cell wall and its changes during maturation of poplar (Populus deltoides x P. nigra) tension wood (TW) and opposite wood (OW) were measured by nitrogen adsorption–desorption. Variations in the thickness of the gelatinous layer (G-layer) were also measured to clarify whether the mesoporosity change simultaneously with the deposition of the G-layer in TW. Results show that mesoporous structures of TW and OW were very similar in early development stages before the deposition of G-layers. With the formation of the S2 layer in OW and the G-layer in TW, the mesopore volume decreased steeply before lignification. However, in TW only, the decrease in mesopore volume occurred together with the pore shape change and a progressive increase in pore size. The different patterns observed in TW revealed that pores from G-layers appear with a different shape compared to those of the compound middle lamella, and their size increases duringthe maturation process until stabilising in mature wood. This observation strongly supports the hypothesis of the swelling of the G-layer matrix during maturation as the origin of maturation stress in poplar tension wood

Minimaliai invazyvi chirurgija ir sarginio limfmazgio biopsija – šiuolaikinis lokaliai neišplitusio endometriumo vėžio gydymo standartas: literatūros apžvalga ir Nacionalinio vėžio instituto patirtis

Objectives. To find out sentinel lymph node detection rate of low-risk endometrial cancer patients. To compare postoperative complications rate, lenght of a surgery, lenght of hospital stay and sensitivity of detecting lymph node metastasis between minimally invasive surgery with sentinel lymph node biopsy and abdominal surgery with systemic pelvic lymphadenectomy. Methods. Retrospective analysis of low-risk endometrial cancer patients, treated in National Cancer Institute (n = 103) history cases from 2018 10 untill 2019 12. I group – laparoscopic hysterectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy (n = 35); II group – abdominal hysterectomy with systemic pelvic lymphadenectomy (n = 68). Both groups were homogeneous according to clinicopathological features. Results. Sentinel lymph node were detected in 97.1% cases. Sentinel lymph nodes in both sides were detected in 85.7% cases. Metastasis in regional lymph nodes were detected in 2 cases (5.7%) in group I and none group II. Postoperative complications rate in group I were 3.8% and 13% in group II. Conclusions. There are significantly less postoperative complications in endoscopic surgery with sentinel node biopsy for low-risk endometrial cancer treatment, also this method is more accurate in surgical staging in National Cancer Institute.Sarginio limfmazgio biopsija – saugus ir efektyvus endometriumo vėžio gydymo metodas, taikytinas už gimdos ribų neišplitusios ligos atvejais. Tikslas. Išsiaiškinti pacienčių, kurioms diagnozuotas mažos rizikos endometriumo vėžys, sarginio limfmazgio nustatymo dažnį, palyginti minimaliai invazyvios chirurgijos su sarginio limfmazgio biopsija ir atvirųjų operacijų su sistemine dubens limfonodektomija komplikacijų dažnį, operacijų trukmę, lovadienių skaičių ir metodų jautrumą, nustatant metastazes limfmazgiuose. Tyrimo metodai. Atlikta retrospektyvioji ligos istorijų analizė. Tiriamąją imtį sudarė mažos rizikos endometriumo vėžiu sergančios pacientės (n = 103), gydytos Nacionaliniame vėžio institute nuo 2018 m. spalio mėn. iki 2019 m. gruodžio mėn. Tiriamosios suskirstytos į dvi grupes: I grupės pacientėms atlikta laparoskopinė histerektomija ir sarginio limfmazgio biopsija (n = 35); II grupės pacientėms – atviroji histerektomija ir sisteminė dubens limfonodektomija (n = 68). Abi grupės, palyginus jų klinikines ir patologines charakteristikas, buvo tolygios. Rezultatai. Sarginis limfmazgis nustatytas 97,1 proc. pacienčių. Sarginis limfmazgis abiejose dubens pusėse identifikuotas 85,7 proc. atvejų. Sritiniuose limfmazgiuose metastazių nustatyta dviem I grupės pacientėms (5,7 %), II grupėje – nenustatyta. Pooperacinės komplikacijos I grupėje sudarė 3,8 proc., II grupėje – 13 proc.Išvados. Pacientėms, kurioms diagnozuotas mažos rizikos endometriumo vėžys, taikant endoskopinę chirurgiją ir sarginio limfmazgio biopsiją, nustatoma statistiškai reikšmingai mažiau pooperacinių komplikacijų. Analizuojant Nacionaliniame vėžio institute gydytų pacienčių duomenis, pastebėtas didesnis kalbamojo chirurginio metodo jautrumas nustatant metastazes limfmazgiuose

Gating mechanism of elongating β-ketoacyl-ACP synthases.

Carbon-carbon bond forming reactions are essential transformations in natural product biosynthesis. During de novo fatty acid and polyketide biosynthesis, β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthases (KS), catalyze this process via a decarboxylative Claisen-like condensation reaction. KSs must recognize multiple chemically distinct ACPs and choreograph a ping-pong mechanism, often in an iterative fashion. Here, we report crystal structures of substrate mimetic bearing ACPs in complex with the elongating KSs from Escherichia coli, FabF and FabB, in order to better understand the stereochemical features governing substrate discrimination by KSs. Complemented by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and mutagenesis studies, these structures reveal conformational states accessed during KS catalysis. These data taken together support a gating mechanism that regulates acyl-ACP binding and substrate delivery to the KS active site. Two active site loops undergo large conformational excursions during this dynamic gating mechanism and are likely evolutionarily conserved features in elongating KSs

Sources, seasonality, and trends of southeast US aerosol: an integrated analysis of surface, aircraft, and satellite observations with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model

We use an ensemble of surface (EPA CSN, IMPROVE, SEARCH, AERONET), aircraft (SEAC4RS), and satellite (MODIS, MISR) observations over the southeast US during the summer–fall of 2013 to better understand aerosol sources in the region and the relationship between surface particulate matter (PM) and aerosol optical depth (AOD). The GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model (CTM) with 25 × 25 km^2 resolution over North America is used as a common platform to interpret measurements of different aerosol variables made at different times and locations. Sulfate and organic aerosol (OA) are the main contributors to surface PM_(2.5) (mass concentration of PM finer than 2.5 μm aerodynamic diameter) and AOD over the southeast US. OA is simulated successfully with a simple parameterization, assuming irreversible uptake of low-volatility products of hydrocarbon oxidation. Biogenic isoprene and monoterpenes account for 60 % of OA, anthropogenic sources for 30 %, and open fires for 10 %. 60 % of total aerosol mass is in the mixed layer below 1.5 km, 25 % in the cloud convective layer at 1.5–3 km, and 15 % in the free troposphere above 3 km. This vertical profile is well captured by GEOS-Chem, arguing against a high-altitude source of OA. The extent of sulfate neutralization (f = [NH_4^+]/(2[SO_4^(2−)] + [NO_3^−]) is only 0.5–0.7 mol mol^(−1) in the observations, despite an excess of ammonia present, which could reflect suppression of ammonia uptake by OA. This would explain the long-term decline of ammonium aerosol in the southeast US, paralleling that of sulfate. The vertical profile of aerosol extinction over the southeast US follows closely that of aerosol mass. GEOS-Chem reproduces observed total column aerosol mass over the southeast US within 6 %, column aerosol extinction within 16 %, and space-based AOD within 8–28 % (consistently biased low). The large AOD decline observed from summer to winter is driven by sharp declines in both sulfate and OA from August to October. These declines are due to shutdowns in both biogenic emissions and UV-driven photochemistry. Surface PM_(2.5) shows far less summer-to-winter decrease than AOD and we attribute this in part to the offsetting effect of weaker boundary layer ventilation. The SEAC4RS aircraft data demonstrate that AODs measured from space are consistent with surface PM_(2.5). This implies that satellites can be used reliably to infer surface PM_(2.5) over monthly timescales if a good CTM representation of the aerosol vertical profile is available

GENETIC MAPPING OF GENE EXPRESSION LEVELS: EXPRESSION LEVEL POLYMORPHISM ANALYSIS FOR DISSECTING REGULATORY NETWORKS OF PLANT DISEASE RESISTANCE

The genetic basis of inherited traits has been studied through di erent approaches in many areas of science. Examples include quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis and mutant analysis in genetics, genome sequencing and gene expression analysis in genomics. Each of these approaches is used for the investigation of complex traits, such as disease resistance, but also provides knowledge on components of complex biological systems. We introduce a novel functional genomics approach that integrates two areas, genetics and genomics, by applying QTL analysis to quantitative di erences in the mRNA abundance of trait-related genes. This approach allows comprehensive dissection of regulatory networks for complex traits at a systems biology level. We also address statistical issues, and suggest guidelines for future experiments in this new framework

Electronic modulations in a single wall carbon nanotube induced by the Au(111) surface reconstruction

The structural and electronic structure of single wall carbon nanotubes adsorbed on Au(111) has been investigated by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The nanotubes were dry deposited in situ in ultrahigh vacuum onto a perfectly clean substrate. In some cases, the native herringbone reconstruction of the Au(111) surface interacted directly with adsorbed nanotubes and produced long-range periodic oscillations in their local density of states, corresponding to charge transfer modulations along the tube axis. This effect, however, was observed not systematically for all tubes and only for semiconducting tubes. © 2015 AIP Publishing LLCclose0

Cumulative Burden of Morbidity Among Testicular Cancer Survivors After Standard Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy: A Multi-Institutional Study

Purpose In this multicenter study, we evaluated the cumulative burden of morbidity (CBM) among > 1,200 testicular cancer survivors and applied factor analysis to determine the co-occurrence of adverse health outcomes (AHOs). Patients and Methods Participants were ≤ 55 years of age at diagnosis, finished first-line chemotherapy ≥ 1 year previously, completed a comprehensive questionnaire, and underwent physical examination. Treatment data were abstracted from medical records. A CBM score encompassed the number and severity of AHOs, with ordinal logistic regression used to assess associations with exposures. Nonlinear factor analysis and the nonparametric dimensionality evaluation to enumerate contributing traits procedure determined which AHOs co-occurred. Results Among 1,214 participants, approximately 20% had a high (15%) or very high/severe (4.1%) CBM score, whereas approximately 80% scored medium (30%) or low/very low (47%). Increased risks of higher scores were associated with four cycles of either ifosfamide, etoposide, and cisplatin (odds ratio [OR], 1.96; 95% CI, 1.04 to 3.71) or bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.98), older attained age (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.26), current disability leave (OR, 3.53; 95% CI, 1.57 to 7.95), less than a college education (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.87), and current or former smoking (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.63). CBM score did not differ after either chemotherapy regimen ( P = .36). Asian race (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.72) and vigorous exercise (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.89) were protective. Variable clustering analyses identified six significant AHO clusters (χ2 P < .001): hearing loss/damage, tinnitus (OR, 16.3); hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes (OR, 9.8); neuropathy, pain, Raynaud phenomenon (OR, 5.5); cardiovascular and related conditions (OR, 5.0); thyroid disease, erectile dysfunction (OR, 4.2); and depression/anxiety, hypogonadism (OR, 2.8). Conclusion Factors associated with higher CBM may identify testicular cancer survivors in need of closer monitoring. If confirmed, identified AHO clusters could guide the development of survivorship care strategies