The impact of environmental improvements on the financial performance of leading companies listed in Bursa Malaysia

This paper analyses the relationship between environmental improvement and the financial performance of firms on a sample of 78 leading companies listed in Bursa Malaysia. This study uses content analysis to verify the extent of information disclosed and reported by companies. The results indicate that efforts to embrace environmental improvement and activities may help firms gain financially

Image-based oil palm leaf disease detection using convolutional neural network

Over the years, numerous studies have been conducted on the integration of computer vision and machine learning in plant disease detection. However, these conventional machine learning methods often require the contour segmentation of the infected region from the entire leaf region and the manual extraction of different discriminative features before the classification models can be developed. In this study, deep learning models, specifically, the AlexNet convolutional neural network (CNN) and the combination of AlexNet and support vector machine (AlexNet-SVM), which overcome the limitation of handcrafting of feature representation were implemented for oil palm leaf disease identification. The images of healthy and infected leaf samples were collected, resized, and renamed before the model training. These images were directly used to fit the classification models, without the need for segmentation and feature extraction as in the conventional machine learning methods. The optimal architecture of AlexNet CNN and AlexNet-SVM models were then determined and subsequently applied for the oil palm leaf disease identification. Comparative studies showed that the overall performance of the AlexNet CNN model outperformed AlexNet-SVM-based classifier

Disulfide bond reduction and exchange in C4 domain of von Willebrand factor undermines platelet binding

Background The von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a key player in regulating hemostasis through adhesion of platelets to sites of vascular injury. It is a large, multi-domain, mechano-sensitive protein that is stabilized by a net of disulfide bridges. Binding to platelet integrin is achieved by the VWF-C4 domain, which exhibits a fixed fold, even under conditions of severe mechanical stress, but only if critical internal disulfide bonds are closed. Objective To determine the oxidation state of disulfide bridges in the C4 domain of VWF and implications for VWF’s platelet binding function. Methods We combined classical molecular dynamics and quantum mechanical simulations, mass spectrometry, site-directed mutagenesis, and platelet binding assays. Results We show that 2 disulfide bonds in the VWF-C4 domain, namely the 2 major force-bearing ones, are partially reduced in human blood. Reduction leads to pronounced conformational changes within C4 that considerably affect the accessibility of the integrin-binding motif, and thereby impair integrin-mediated platelet binding. We also reveal that reduced species in the C4 domain undergo specific thiol/disulfide exchanges with the remaining disulfide bridges, in a process in which mechanical force may increase the proximity of specific reactant cysteines, further trapping C4 in a state of low integrin-binding propensity. We identify a multitude of redox states in all 6 VWF-C domains, suggesting disulfide bond reduction and swapping to be a general theme. Conclusions Our data suggests a mechanism in which disulfide bonds dynamically swap cysteine partners and control the interaction of VWF with integrin and potentially other partners, thereby critically influencing its hemostatic function

Integrated adsorption-photocatalytic degradation of chicken processing wastewater using powdered activated carbon-supported graphitic carbon nitride

Due to the expansion of agricultural sector, a massive volume of chicken processing wastewater has been produced and the conventional technologies are ineffective to remove organic and inorganic compounds. Thus, this work investigates the performance for the adsorption-photocatalytic degradation of chicken processing wastewater using powdered activated carbon (AC) supported on different weightage of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) (20 wt%, 40 wt% and 60 wt%). The AC was successfully combined with g-C3N4 by pyrolyzing the urea and AC mixture. The presence of AC reduced the agglomeration of g-C3N4 by providing a larger surface area to trigger more active sites. AC achieved the highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) adsorption efficiency (79.00 %) whereas the pure g-C3N4 showed the strongest adsorption capacity for orthophosphate (49.10 %) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) (100 %). This proves that the microporous structure of AC was not suitable to remove orthophosphate and NH3-N. The highest photodegradation efficiency of COD (47.00 %), orthophosphate (49.00 %) and NH3-N (52.90 %) was successfully achieved by 20 wt% g-C3N4/AC, g-C3N4 and 60 wt% g-C3N4/AC, respectively. Overall, 98.20 % of COD, 98.10 % of orthophosphate and 100% of NH3-N was removed using integrated adsorption-photocatalytic degradation, making this technique a feasible method for on-site chicken processing wastewater treatment

Autoregulation of von Willebrand factor function by a disulfide bond switch

Force-dependent binding of platelet glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) receptors to plasma von Willebrand factor (VWF) plays a key role in hemostasis and thrombosis. Previous studies have suggested that VWF activation requires force-induced exposure of the GPIb binding site in the A1 domain that is autoinhibited by the neighboring A2 domain. However, the biochemical basis of this “mechanopresentation” remains elusive. From a combination of protein chemical, biophysical, and functional studies, we find that the autoinhibition is controlled by the redox state of an unusual disulfide bond near the carboxyl terminus of the A2 domain that links adjacent cysteine residues to form an eight-membered ring. Only when the bond is cleaved does the A2 domain bind to the A1 domain and block platelet GPIb binding. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that cleavage of the disulfide bond modifies the structure and molecular stresses of the A2 domain in a long-range allosteric manner, which provides a structural explanation for redox control of the autoinhibition. Significantly, the A2 disulfide bond is cleaved in ~75% of VWF subunits in healthy human donor plasma but in just ~25% of plasma VWF subunits from heart failure patients who have received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. This suggests that the majority of plasma VWF binding sites for platelet GPIb are autoinhibited in healthy donors but are mostly available in heart failure patients. These findings demonstrate that a disulfide bond switch regulates mechanopresentation of VWF.: This study was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (P.J.H.), Royal College of Pathologists Foundation Kanematsu/Novo Nordisk Research Award (F.P. and L.J.), Diabetes Australia Research Trust grant G179720 and Sydney Medical School Early-Career Researcher Kickstart Grant (L.J.), National Heart Foundation of Australia Postdoctoral Fellowship (101285) (L.J.) and British Heart Foundation Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowship (FS/11/51/28920) (B.M.L.), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (research unit FOR 1543 to C.A.-S., C.B., and F.G.), the Center for Modelling and Simulation in the Biosciences postdoctoral program of the Heidelberg University (A.B.), and the Klaus Tschira Foundation (F.G.). B.L. was supported by the Dutch Thrombosis Foundation through grant number 2016-03.

Two new species of Fistulina (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) from the Northern Hemisphere

Phylogenetic and morphological analyses on samples of Fistulina from East Asia and North America were carried out, and two new species were described, namely, Fistulina americana and Fistulina orientalis, both previously known as Fistulina hepatica. The former is characterized by lateral stipitate basidiocarps, relatively small pores (7–8 per mm), a monomitic hyphal system with both clamp connections and simple septa, and ellipsoid basidiospores of 4–4.8 × 3–3.3 μm, and the species has been found on Quercus in North-East USA. F. orientalis is characterized by lateral stipitate basidiocarps, very small pores (11–12 per mm) with pruinose dissepiments, a monomitic hyphal system with both clamp connections and simple septa, and ovoid to subglobose basidiospores of 3–4 × 2.7–3 μm, and the species has been found on Castanopsis in East Asia. Phylogenetically, samples of F. americana and F. orientalis form two new lineages nested in the Fistulina clade

Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity.

Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian ancestry, with follow-up of suggestive associations in an additional 131,012 individuals. We find four loci, in/near CLASP1, LHX1, SNTA1, and CNTNAP2, that are associated with circulating lipid levels through interaction with physical activity; higher levels of physical activity enhance the HDL cholesterol-increasing effects of the CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 loci and attenuate the LDL cholesterol-increasing effect of the CNTNAP2 locus. The CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 regions harbor genes linked to muscle function and lipid metabolism. Our results elucidate the role of physical activity interactions in the genetic contribution to blood lipid levels

The ARIC predictive model reliably predicted risk of type II diabetes in Asian populations

10.1186/1471-2288-12-48BMC Medical Research Methodology12

Association analyses of East Asian individuals and trans-ancestry analyses with European individuals reveal new loci associated with cholesterol and triglyceride levels

Large-scale meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified >175 loci associated with fasting cholesterol levels, including total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG). With differences in linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure and allele frequencies between ancestry groups, studies in additional large samples may detect new associations. We conducted staged GWAS meta-analyses in up to 69,414 East Asian individuals from 24 studies with participants from Japan, the Philippines, Korea, China, Singapore, and Taiwan. These meta-analyses identified (P < 5 × 10-8) three novel loci associated with HDL-C near CD163-APOBEC1 (P = 7.4 × 10-9), NCOA2 (P = 1.6 × 10-8), and NID2-PTGDR (P = 4.2 × 10-8), and one novel locus associated with TG near WDR11-FGFR2 (P = 2.7 × 10-10). Conditional analyses identified a second signal near CD163-APOBEC1. We then combined results from the East Asian meta-analysis with association results from up to 187,365 European individuals from the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium in a trans-ancestry meta-analysis. This analysis identified (log10Bayes Factor ≥6.1) eight additional novel lipid loci. Among the twelve total loci identified, the index variants at eight loci have demonstrated at least nominal significance with other metabolic traits in prior studies, and two loci exhibited coincident eQTLs (P < 1 × 10-5) in subcutaneous adipose tissue for BPTF and PDGFC. Taken together, these analyses identified multiple novel lipid loci, providing new potential therapeutic targets

Impact of cardiac arrest centers on the survival of patients with nontraumatic out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest : a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Background The role of cardiac arrest centers (CACs) in out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest care systems is continuously evolving. Interpretation of existing literature is limited by heterogeneity in CAC characteristics and types of patients transported to CACs. This study assesses the impact of CACs on survival in out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest according to varying definitions of CAC and prespecified subgroups. Methods and Results Electronic databases were searched from inception to March 9, 2021 for relevant studies. Centers were considered CACs if self‐declared by study authors and capable of relevant interventions. Main outcomes were survival and neurologically favorable survival at hospital discharge or 30 days. Meta‐analyses were performed for adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and crude odds ratios. Thirty‐six studies were analyzed. Survival with favorable neurological outcome significantly improved with treatment at CACs (aOR, 1.85 [95% CI, 1.52–2.26]), even when including high‐volume centers (aOR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.18–1.91]) or including improved‐care centers (aOR, 2.13 [95% CI, 1.75–2.59]) as CACs. Survival significantly increased with treatment at CACs (aOR, 1.92 [95% CI, 1.59–2.32]), even when including high‐volume centers (aOR, 1.74 [95% CI, 1.38–2.18]) or when including improved‐care centers (aOR, 1.97 [95% CI, 1.71–2.26]) as CACs. The treatment effect was more pronounced among patients with shockable rhythm ( P =0.006) and without prehospital return of spontaneous circulation ( P =0.005). Conclusions were robust to sensitivity analyses, with no publication bias detected. Conclusions Care at CACs was associated with improved survival and neurological outcomes for patients with nontraumatic out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest regardless of varying CAC definitions. Patients with shockable rhythms and those without prehospital return of spontaneous circulation benefited more from CACs. Evidence for bypassing hospitals or interhospital transfer remains inconclusive