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Purpose To contribute to the development of a more complete theory of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), this study aims to focus on media attention as an under-researched antecedent. Media transmit information about (good or bad) business practices and information recipients often adjust their behavior accordingly. Although media often uncover scandals in supply chains, no systematic understanding explicates how they shape lead firms’ reactions to scandals. This empirical study investigates how media attention to a major supply chain scandal influences buying companies’ SSCM. Design/methodology/approach The research setting is the fashion industry, five years after the Rana Plaza building collapse. Matched SSCM data from 73 fashion lead firms and news articles collected from major outlets were analyzed using ordinary least squares regression analyzes. Findings This study generates nuanced insights into the role of the media in triggering SSCM. Certain facets of media attention (direct media exposure and negative framing) result in higher levels of SSCM, others have no significant effect (media visibility) and some result in less SSCM (positive framing). Research limitations/implications The varying effects of different facets of media attention on SSCM have not been established previously. Both media and supply chain researchers should address these unique effects in their continued assessments. Social implications External stakeholders can use these findings to devise more effective ways to influence lead firms and improve social and environmental conditions in supply chains. Originality/value This study is the first empirical investigation of the effects of various facets of media attention on SSCM.

In experimental plant science, research often faces large numbers of tissue samples resulting from sequential harvests of a larger number of genotypes and treatments combinations. Analyses of biological processes such as enzyme kinetics are often time-consuming or need specific sample preparation procedures before the actual measurements can be done. Time is thus often the critical factor and the possibility to store plant samples either as tissue or as extracts increases the available timeframe for analyses. Biological molecules such as enzymes often change their activities when stored and thus do not reflect the processes occurring in living tissue. We investigated the effect of different storage methods such as freeze-drying, freezing at −20 °C, and freezing at −80 °C on the activity of three enzymes known as antioxidants, namely ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase from two rice varieties. Varieties differed in enzyme activity in extracts of fresh material from leaf blades, leaf sheaths, and roots. When subjected to different storage methods, there were no differences between varieties, but strong effects of the different storage methods on enzyme activities were found. The effects of the storage methods on enzyme activity strongly differed between extracts from stored tissue samples or extracts stored from freshly sampled material. We propose enzyme-specific storage methods and durations that allow for expanding the window for analyses in large experimental studies involving destructive samplings for enzyme kinetics.

The SLC26 family of transporters maintains anion equilibria in all kingdoms of life. The family shares a 7 + 7 transmembrane segments inverted repeat architecture with the SLC4 and SLC23 families, but holds a regulatory STAS domain in addition. While the only experimental SLC26 structure is monomeric, SLC26 proteins form structural and functional dimers in the lipid membrane. Here we resolve the structure of an SLC26 dimer embedded in a lipid membrane and characterize its functional relevance by combining PELDOR/DEER distance measurements and biochemical studies with MD simulations and spin-label ensemble refinement. Our structural model reveals a unique interface different from the SLC4 and SLC23 families. The functionally relevant STAS domain is no prerequisite for dimerization. Characterization of heterodimers indicates that protomers in the dimer functionally interact. The combined structural and functional data define the framework for a mechanistic understanding of functional cooperativity in SLC26 dimers. The SLC26 family of transporters maintains anion equilibria in all kingdoms of life. Here, the authors resolve the structure of an SLC26 dimer embedded in a lipid membrane and characterize it by PELDOR/DEER distance measurements, biochemical studies with MD simulations and spin-label ensemble refinement.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential synergy between companies’ sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) activities and their supply chain resilience (SCRES). The authors propose hypotheses about the impact of buying companies SSCM activities on the inflicted damage by unexpected supply chain disruptions and the recovery time afterwards and test these empirically using data from companies during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The authors investigate a sample of 231 of the largest publicly traded companies in the European Union with 4.158 firm-year observations. For the analysis, the authors generate variables capturing the companies’ intensity and years of experience of their SSCM activities targeted at the supply chain and run regression analyses on the inflicted damage due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recovery time after the disruption. Findings Buying companies’ SSCM activities have a positive effect on their SCRES. The damage inflicted by unexpected supply chain disruptions is lower when companies have higher levels of SSCM and longer experience with it. The recovery time afterwards is significantly reduced by longer experience with SSCM efforts. Research limitations/implications The authors suggest SCRES is reinforced by transparency, situational awareness, social capital and collaboration resulting from companies SSCM activities translate into increased SCRES. Practical implications The authors show that companies with superior SSCM are more resilient in a crisis and conclude that, therefore, companies should invest in SSCM to prevent future supply disruptions. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study analyzing a data set of multi-industry companies, linking their SSCM activities to SCRES during the pandemic.

The outstanding acuity of the mammalian ear relies on cochlear amplification, an active mechanism based on the electromotility (eM) of outer hair cells. eM is a piezoelectric mechanism generated by little-understood, voltage-induced conformational changes of the anion transporter homolog prestin (SLC26A5). We used a combination of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and biophysical approaches to identify the structural dynamics of prestin that mediate eM. MD simulations showed that prestin samples a vast conformational landscape with expanded (ES) and compact (CS) states beyond previously reported prestin structures. Transition from CS to ES is dominated by the translational-rotational movement of prestin’s transport domain, akin to elevator-type substrate translocation by related solute carriers. Reversible transition between CS and ES states was supported experimentally by cysteine accessibility scanning, cysteine cross-linking between transport and scaffold domains, and voltage-clamp fluorometry (VCF). Our data demonstrate that prestin’s piezoelectric dynamics recapitulate essential steps of a structurally conserved ion transport cycle. Probing the molecular dynamics of the membrane motor, prestin, with biophysical measures and MD simulations, Kuwabara et al. find that an elevator-like domain movement across the membrane produces the unique piezoelectric behavior.

Background: Since its discovery, the respiratory microbiome has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple pulmonary diseases. Even though corticosteroid treatments are widely prescribed for pulmonary diseases, their effects on the respiratory microbiome are still poorly understood. This systematic review summarizes the current understanding of the effects of corticosteroids on the microbiome of the airways. Research Question: How does treatment with corticosteroids impact the respiratory microbiome? Study Design and Methods: According to the PRISMA guidelines, Embase, Medline, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were systematically searched for all observational or randomized-controlled studies comparing the microbiome parameters of patients receiving corticosteroids to those of controls. The primary outcomes of interest were changes in the diversity, composition and total burden of the respiratory microbiome as assessed by culture-independent molecular methods. Results: Out of 1,943 identified reports, five studies could be included: two on patients with asthma, two on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and one on patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. The studies were highly heterogeneous with regards to the methods used and the populations investigated. Microbiome diversity increased with corticosteroids at least transiently in three studies and decreased in one study. The effects of corticosteroids on the composition of the respiratory microbiome were significant but without a clear shared direction. A significant increase in microbial burden after corticosteroids was seen in one study. Interpretation: Data on the effect of corticosteroids on the respiratory microbiome are still limited, with considerable heterogeneity between studies. However, available data suggest that corticosteroid treatment may have significant effects on the composition and possibly the diversity of the respiratory microbiome. Further research is needed to better understand the influence of corticosteroids on the respiratory microbiome and thus better target its widespread therapeutic use.

BackgroundLately scientific and societal concern has emerged about persistent (P), mobile (M) and toxic (T) chemicals. Such chemicals, like some polyfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), are of concern due to their high mobility and persistence in aquatic compartments which relates to long-term biotic exposure and difficult removal from drinking water. In this study, a screening approach for identification of PMT chemicals was developed and applied to 6158 diverse chemicals.ResultsChemicals are given a continuous score for P, M and T potential based on the modelled indicators (low to moderate potential is a score of 0–0.33, high potential is a score of 0.33–0.5 and very high potential a score of 0.5–1). The P score was based on the estimated aquatic environmental half life and the M score on the chemical’s organic carbon/water partition coefficient (Koc) using respectively the BIOWIN3 and KocWIN QSAR models of EPISuite™. The T score was based on the indicators for five human health endpoints: carcinogenicity (c), mutaganicity (m), reprotoxicity (r), endocrine disruption (ED) and general repeated dose systemic toxicity. Structural alerts for these endpoints taken from the OECD QSAR Toolbox™ and Toxtree™ were used as indicators of potential (human) toxicity. Chemical similarity values to Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) with c, m and/or r properties were also included. Value functions were developed to translate the presence of alerts and similarity to the existing SVHCs to values between 0 and 1. Subsequently, all values were also aggregated to an overall PMT score, again ranging from 0 to 1. Applying the approach to chemicals from the Inventory of Existing Commercial chemical Substances, which are also REACH registered, resulted in 15% of the chemicals receiving high scores (≥ 0.33) for all three (P-, M- and T-) indicators and 4% getting very high scores (≥ 0.5) for both the P- and M-indicators.ConclusionsThe approach confirmed the properties of chemicals classified as SVHC due to PMT properties (e.g. 1,4-dioxane), illustrating the ability of the approach to identify PMT chemicals of concern. Water regulators, drinking water suppliers and others can use this approach to identify potential PMT/vPvM chemicals that need further investigation.

The currently accepted methods for neurotoxicity (NT) testing rely on animal studies. However, high costs and low testing throughput hinder their application for large numbers of chemicals. To overcome these limitations, in vitro methods are currently being developed based on human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) that allow higher testing throughput at lower costs. We applied six different protocols to generate 3D BrainSphere models for acute NT evaluation. These include three different media for 2D neural induction and two media for subsequent 3D differentiation resulting in self-organized, organotypic neuron/astrocyte microtissues. All induction protocols yielded nearly 100% NESTIN-positive hiPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (hiNPCs), though with different gene expression profiles concerning regional patterning. Moreover, gene expression and immunocytochemistry analyses revealed that the choice of media determines neural differentiation patterns. On the functional level, BrainSpheres exhibited different levels of electrical activity on microelectrode arrays (MEA). Spike sorting allowed BrainSphere functional characterization with the mixed cultures consisting of GABAergic, glutamatergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, and cholinergic neurons. A test method for acute NT testing, the human multi-neurotransmitter receptor (hMNR) assay, was proposed to apply such MEA-based spike sorting. These models are promising tools not only in toxicology but also for drug development and disease modeling.

Background Polypharmacy is common in people with dementia. The use of psychotropic drugs (PDs) and other, potentially inappropriate medications is high. The aims of this cross-sectional study were 1) to investigate the use of drugs in people with advanced dementia (PWAD), living at home or in long term care (LTC); 2) to focus on PD use; and 3) to identify determinants of PD use. Methods The study was performed in the context of EPYLOGE (Issu E s in P alliative care for people in advanced and terminal stages of Y OD and LO D in Ge rmany). 191 PWAD were included. All drugs that were administered at the date of the examination were recorded. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified determinants of PD use. Results 96% of PWAD received medication with a median number of four drugs. 49.7% received five or more drugs. According to the Beers Criteria 39% of PWAD ≥ 65 years received at least one potentially inappropriate medication. 79% of PWAD were treated with PDs. Older PWAD and PWAD living in LTC facilities received significantly more drugs than younger PWAD, and PWAD living at home, respectively. Dementia etiology was significantly associated with the use of antipsychotics, antidepressants and sedative substances. Place of living was associated with the use of pain medication. Behavioral disturbances were associated with the use of antipsychotics and sedative substances. Conclusions To mitigate the dangers of polypharmacy and medication related harm, critical examination is required, whether a drug is indicated or not. Also, the deprescribing of drugs should be considered on a regular basis. Trial registration Clinicaltrial.gov, NCT03364179 . Registered 6 December 2017.

For 3D neural cultures durable hydrogels are required, which persist over a long differentiation period and thus enable the maturation of neuronal networks (NN). Here, 3D models based on human induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived neural progenitor cells that are embedded in hydrogels of either pure alginate or alginate functionalized with the extracellular matrix protein laminin 111 (L111) are established. This study analyzes material characteristics such as porosity, L111 distribution and shear viscosity, cell compatibility of hydrogels by measuring viability and cytotoxicity, and neural function by monitoring cell migration, differentiation as well as NN formation and activity on multielectrode arrays. The addition of L111 increases neural migration and enhances differentiation into neurons and astrocytes as well as synaptogenesis in alginate hydrogels. NN formed in hydrogels are electrically active for up to 206 d and L111‐supplementation further increases electrical activity, network maturation, and synchronicity compared to 2D controls and NN grown in pure alginate hydrogels. L111 addition to alginate gels further accelerates recovery of electrical activity after blockage of sodium channels with tetrodotoxin. In conclusion, NN grown in alginate‐L111 hydrogel blends are promising models for future long‐term applications in disease modeling, drug or chemical evaluation. Alginate hydrogels are suitable matrices for long‐term cultivation of human induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived neural networks enabling cultivation times of more than six months. Supplementation of Laminin 111 to alginate increases glial differentiation and network maturation resulting in higher electrical activity. Furthermore, it accelerates recovery after exposure to tetrodotoxin. The image is created with Biorender.com.