Self-regulation and conflict goals management capabilities of ecosystem entrepreneurs: a case study of Haier ecosystem.

The inherent dual roles of "follower" and "leader" among ecosystem entrepreneurs inevitably introduce challenges in managing conflicting dependent and independent goals. Ecosystem entrepreneurs' capabilities in conflict goals management directly influence new venture survival and development. This single-case qualitative study explores how ecosystem entrepreneurs develop conflict goals management capabilities through self-regulation, which is not only a unique practical challenge in ecosystem entrepreneurship, but also a cutting-edge topic in current theoretical research. Through research of entrepreneurs in Haier Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, the paper finds: (1) strategic corresponding and mechanism adapting emerge as the two trigger factors enabling ecosystem entrepreneurs to recognize the equilibrium or disequilibrium between conflicting goals; (2) by leveraging self-control, grit, and metacognition, ecosystem entrepreneurs construct decoupling mechanisms for antagonistic goal recognition and coupling mechanisms for synergistic goal recognition; (3) ecosystem entrepreneurs enhance their conflict goals management capabilities by developing both segregative and synergistic management capabilities. Furthermore, this research explores the self-regulation process underlying ecosystem entrepreneurs' conflict goals management behaviors, including environmental interaction perception, conflict goals analysis, and delineation of goal relationships. Findings provide insights for ecosystem entrepreneurs on improving their conflict goals management capabilities through self-assessment and skill development.

Shade stress triggers ethylene biosynthesis to accelerate soybean senescence and impede nitrogen remobilization.

In gramineae-soybean intercropping systems, shade stress caused by taller plants impacts soybean growth specifically during the reproductive stage. However, the effects of shade stress on soybean senescence remain largely unexplored. In this research, we applied artificial shade treatments with intensities of 75% (S75) and 50% (S50) to soybean plants at the onset of flowering to simulate the shade stress experienced by soybeans in the traditional and optimized maize-soybean intercropping systems, respectively. Compared to the normal light control, both shade treatments led to a rapid decline in the dry matter content of soybean vegetative organs and accelerated their abscission. Moreover, shade treatments triggered the degradation of chlorophyll and soluble proteins in leaves and increased the expression of genes associated with leaf senescence. Metabolic profiling further revealed that ethylene biosynthesis and signal transduction were induced by shade treatment. In addition, the examination of nitrogen content demonstrated that shade treatments impeded the remobilization of nitrogen in vegetative tissues, consequently reducing the seed nitrogen harvest. It's worth noting that these negative effects were less pronounced under the S50 treatment compared to the S75 treatment. Taken together, this research demonstrates that shade stress during the reproductive stage accelerates soybean senescence and impedes nitrogen remobilization, while optimizing the field layout to improve soybean growth light conditions could mitigate these challenges in the maize-soybean intercropping system.

Considerable effects of lateralization and aging in intracortical excitation and inhibition.

Introduction: Findings based on the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation and electromyography (TMS-EMG) to determine the effects of motor lateralization and aging on intracortical excitation and inhibition in the primary motor cortex (M1) are inconsistent in the literature. TMS and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) measures the excitability of excitatory and inhibitory circuits in the brain cortex without contamination from the spine and muscles. This study aimed to investigate the effects of motor lateralization (dominant and non-dominant hemispheres) and aging (young and older) and their interaction effects on intracortical excitation and inhibition within the M1 in healthy adults, measured using TMS-EMG and TMS-EEG. Methods: This study included 21 young (mean age = 28.1 ± 3.2 years) and 21 older healthy adults (mean age = 62.8 ± 4.2 years). A battery of TMS-EMG measurements and single-pulse TMS-EEG were recorded for the bilateral M1. Results: Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to investigate lateralization and aging and the lateralization-by-aging interaction effect on neurophysiological outcomes. The non-dominant M1 presented a longer cortical silent period and larger amplitudes of P60, N100, and P180. Corticospinal excitability in older participants was significantly reduced, as supported by a larger resting motor threshold and lower motor-evoked potential amplitudes. N100 amplitudes were significantly reduced in older participants, and the N100 and P180 latencies were significantly later than those in young participants. There was no significant lateralization-by-aging interaction effect in any outcome. Conclusion: Lateralization and aging have independent and significant effects on intracortical excitation and inhibition in healthy adults. The functional decline of excitatory and inhibitory circuits in the M1 is associated with aging.

Cortical activation and functional connectivity during locomotion tasks in Parkinson's disease with freezing of gait.

Background: Freezing of gait (FoG) is a severely disabling symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD). The cortical mechanisms underlying FoG during locomotion tasks have rarely been investigated. Objectives: We aimed to compare the cerebral haemodynamic response during FoG-prone locomotion tasks in patients with PD and FoG (PD-FoG), patients with PD but without FoG (PD-nFoG), and healthy controls (HCs). Methods: Twelve PD-FoG patients, 10 PD-nFoG patients, and 12 HCs were included in the study. Locomotion tasks included normal stepping, normal turning and fast turning ranked as three difficulty levels based on kinematic requirements and probability of provoking FoG. During each task, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to capture concentration changes of oxygenated haemoglobin (ΔHBO2) and deoxygenated haemoglobin (ΔHHB) that reflected cortical activation, and recorded task performance time. The cortical regions of interest (ROIs) were prefrontal cortex (PFC), supplementary motor area (SMA), premotor cortex (PMC), and sensorimotor cortex (SMC). Intra-cortical functional connectivity during each task was estimated based on correlation of ΔHBO2 between ROIs. Two-way multivariate ANOVA with task performance time as a covariate was conducted to investigate task and group effects on cerebral haemodynamic responses of ROIs. Z statistics of z-scored connectivity between ROIs were used to determine task and group effects on functional connectivity. Results: PD-FoG patients spent a nearly significant longer time completing locomotion tasks than PD-nFoG patients. Compared with PD-nFoG patients, they showed weaker activation (less ΔHBO2) in the PFC and PMC. Compared with HCs, they had comparable ΔHBO2 in all ROIs but more negative ΔHHB in the SMC, whereas PD-nFoG showed SMA and PMC hyperactivity but more negative ΔHHB in the SMC. With increased task difficulty, ΔHBO2 increased in each ROI except in the PFC. Regarding functional connectivity during normal stepping, PD-FoG patients showed positive and strong PFC-PMC connectivity, in contrast to the negative PFC-PMC connectivity observed in HCs. They also had greater PFC-SMC connectivity than the other groups. However, they exhibited decreased SMA-SMC connectivity when task difficulty increased and had lower SMA-PMC connectivity than HCs during fast turning. Conclusion: Insufficient compensatory cortical activation and depletion of functional connectivity during complex locomotion in PD-FoG patients could be potential mechanisms underlying FoG. Clinical trial registration: Chinese clinical trial registry (URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn, registration number: ChiCTR2100042813).

Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that has been closely examined as a possible treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). Owing to various rTMS protocols and results, the optimal mode and suitable PD symptoms have yet to be established. OBJECTIVES: This study intends to systematically evaluate the efficacy of rTMS intervention and identify optimal stimulation protocol of rTMS for specific motor symptoms. METHODS: PubMed and web of Science databases were searched before January 2022. Eligible studies included sham-controlled and randomized clinical trials of rTMS intervention for motor dysfunction in patients with PD. Standard mean difference (SMD) was calculated with random-effects models. The effects of rTMS on motor symptoms were mainly estimated by the UPDRS-III. RESULTS: A total of 1172 articles were identified, of which 32 articles met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. The pooled evidence suggested that rTMS relieves motor symptoms of patients with PD (SMD 0.64, 95%CI [0.47, 0.80]). High frequency stimulation on M1 is the most effective mode of intervention (SMD 0.79, 95%CI [0.52, 1.07]). HF rTMS has significant therapeutic effects on limbs motor function (SMD 1.93, 95%CI [0.73, 3.12] for upper limb function and SMD 0.88, 95%CI [0.43, 1.33] for lower limb function), akinesia (SMD 1.17, 95%CI [0.43, 1.92), rigidity (SMD 1.02, 95%CI [0.12, 1.92]) and tremor(SMD 0.91, 95%CI [0.15, 1.67]). CONCLUSION: rTMS therapy is an effective treatment for motor symptoms of PD and the individualized stimulation protocols for different symptoms would further improve its clinical efficacy.

Water leak control for the oil-producing wells using Downhole Water Sink Technology.

Casing or tubing leaks cause unwanted water production from oil-producing wells. Many chemical and mechanic water control technologies can be used to solve this problem, including squeezing chemical shutoff fluids into the targeted zone or using plugs, cement, packers, patches to block the leakage. Although those methods are field-proven to be effective, the mechanical solutions may require well logs to detect the water entry point in the well. Chemical methods may present environment risks. In this study, an alternative method, Downhole Water Sink, is proposed to solve the problem of unwanted water production from a casing or tubing leak. The effectiveness of this method to control water production in a well with casing or tubing leaks is tested using the Hele-Shaw experimental model. The results show that this method can control unwanted water production via dynamic control of the pressure drawdown in the reservoir. From a technical standpoint, the advantage of this technology is that it eliminates the need to run logs to locate the water entry point and does not require chemical injection into the formation. From an environmental standpoint, this technology has the circular economy elements. Because the produced water in this technology contains little or no oil, it can be reused for reinjection into the reservoir for water flooding or pressure maintenance purposes. Therefore, a production-reinjection process to recycle the produced water is established to reduce the pollution caused by discharging the wastewater into the environment.

Soleus H-Reflex Change in Poststroke Spasticity: Modulation due to Body Position.

Purpose: This study is aimed at exploring how soleus H-reflex change in poststroke patients with spasticity influenced by body position. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four stroke patients with spastic hemiplegia and twelve age-matched healthy controls were investigated. Maximal Hoffmann-reflex (Hmax) and motor potential (Mmax) were elicited at the popliteal fossa in both prone and standing positions, respectively, and the Hmax/Mmax ratio at each body position was determined. Compare changes in reflex behavior in both spastic and contralateral muscles of stroke survivors in prone and standing positions, and match healthy subjects in the same position. Results: In healthy subjects, Hmax and Hmax/Mmax ratios were significantly decreased in the standing position compared to the prone position (Hmax: p = 0.000, Hmax/Mmax: p = 0.016). However, Hmax/Mmax ratios were increased in standing position on both sides in poststroke patients with spasticity (unaffected side: p = 0.006, affected side: p = 0.095). The Hmax and Hmax/Mmax ratios were significantly more increased on the affected side than unaffected side irrespective of the position. Conclusions: The motor neuron excitability of both sides was not suppressed but instead upregulated in the standing position in subjects with spasticity, which may suggest that there was abnormal regulation of the Ia pathway on both sides.

Light signals generated by vegetation shade facilitate acclimation to low light in shade-avoider plants.

When growing in search for light, plants can experience continuous or occasional shading by other plants. Plant proximity causes a decrease in the ratio of R to far-red light (low R:FR) due to the preferential absorbance of R light and reflection of FR light by photosynthetic tissues of neighboring plants. This signal is often perceived before actual shading causes a reduction in photosynthetically active radiation (low PAR). Here, we investigated how several Brassicaceae species from different habitats respond to low R:FR and low PAR in terms of elongation, photosynthesis, and photoacclimation. Shade-tolerant plants such as hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) displayed a good adaptation to low PAR but a poor or null response to low R:FR exposure. In contrast, shade-avoider species, such as Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), showed a weak photosynthetic performance under low PAR but they strongly elongated when exposed to low R:FR. These responses could be genetically uncoupled. Most interestingly, exposure to low R:FR of shade-avoider (but not shade-tolerant) plants improved their photoacclimation to low PAR by triggering changes in photosynthesis-related gene expression, pigment accumulation, and chloroplast ultrastructure. These results indicate that low R:FR signaling unleashes molecular, metabolic, and developmental responses that allow shade-avoider plants (including most crops) to adjust their photosynthetic capacity in anticipation of eventual shading by nearby plants.

Adjustment of the PIF7-HFR1 transcriptional module activity controls plant shade adaptation.

Shade caused by the proximity of neighboring vegetation triggers a set of acclimation responses to either avoid or tolerate shade. Comparative analyses between the shade-avoider Arabidopsis thaliana and the shade-tolerant Cardamine hirsuta revealed a role for the atypical basic-helix-loop-helix LONG HYPOCOTYL IN FR 1 (HFR1) in maintaining the shade tolerance in C. hirsuta, inhibiting hypocotyl elongation in shade and constraining expression profile of shade-induced genes. We showed that C. hirsuta HFR1 protein is more stable than its A. thaliana counterpart, likely due to its lower binding affinity to CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1), contributing to enhance its biological activity. The enhanced HFR1 total activity is accompanied by an attenuated PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR (PIF) activity in C. hirsuta. As a result, the PIF-HFR1 module is differently balanced, causing a reduced PIF activity and attenuating other PIF-mediated responses such as warm temperature-induced hypocotyl elongation (thermomorphogenesis) and dark-induced senescence. By this mechanism and that of the already-known of phytochrome A photoreceptor, plants might ensure to properly adapt and thrive in habitats with disparate light amounts.

Influence of positional changes on spasticity of the upper extremity in poststroke hemiplegic patients.

BACKGROUND: Spasticity commonly occurs in hemiplegic patients with stroke, and clinical experience indicates that upper limb spasticity is more apparent when patients are standing than when they are lying down. Few reports have investigated how positional changes impact the spasticity of the upper limb and trigger a combined movement called the "hemiplegic posture". OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the influence of different body positions on the spasticity of the upper extremity. METHODS: Eighty-four poststroke patients with upper limb spasticity were recruited for this study. We measured the spasticity of hemiplegic upper limbs involving elbow flexors, wrist flexors and digitorum flexors using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS) and Triple Spasticity Scale (TSS) in three positions, i.e., supine, sitting and standing. The results were obtained by comparing one position with another for each muscle. RESULTS: All the MAS, MTS and TSS scores of all the muscles of the upper limb were significantly lower in the supine position than in the other positions (all P < 0.05), and the MTS and TSS scores were statistically higher while standing than while sitting (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: High modulation of spasticity in the upper limbs measured using the MAS, MTS and TSS when transitioning to the standing position from either the supine or sitting position demonstrated that posture plays a role in modulating the spasticity of the hemiplegic upper limb in poststroke patients.

Exercise Reverses Dysregulation of T-Cell-Related Function in Blood Leukocytes of Patients With Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease with movement and balance impairments. Although studies have reported improvement of motor symptoms with physical exercise, the mechanisms by which exercise is beneficial remains poorly understood. Our study addresses the exercise-induced changes to peripheral immune cells by interrogating the transcriptome of blood-derived leukocytes in PD patients before and after exercise. Patients attended 1 h exercise classes twice a week for 12 weeks. Leukocytes were collected at the beginning and end of the study for gene expression analysis by RNA-seq or quantitative real-time PCR. We correlated differentially expressed genes after exercise with clinical measures and analyzed the potential functions of gene changes with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway and Gene Ontology analysis. Exercise improved measures of movement and balance when compared with scores before the exercise program. Among the gene changes, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology analysis suggests that T-cell receptor signaling, T-cell activation, and T-cell migration pathways were downregulated, while the T-cell receptor signaling pathway was the most significantly correlated with clinical measures. To further investigate T-cell-related changes in PD leukocytes, we reanalyzed the differentially expressed genes from publicly available microarray data and found that genes in the T-cell activation, differentiation, and migration pathways were upregulated in PD samples compared to controls in a time-dependent manner. Together, our findings suggest that exercise rehabilitation may improve movement and balance in PD patients by reversing the upregulated T-cell activation pathways associated with PD. This study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry under ChiCTR-TRC-14004707. Registered on May 27, 2014.

Metabolomic tool to identify soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] germplasms with a high level of shade tolerance at the seedling stage.

The isoflavone profiles of seeds of various soybean genotypes with different levels of shade tolerance at the seedling stage were investigated. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify 12 isoflavones, and the data were analyzed using a multivariate statistical analysis. Combined with field experimental data and an orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), several aglycones (genistein (GE), daidzein (DE), and glycitein (GLE)) were selected and identified as key compounds involved in the shade tolerance of soybean seedlings. Additional correlation analysis and laboratory shading stress experiments with soybean seedlings also confirmed the function of these selected isoflavones, especially GE, in the discrimination of soybean seedlings with different levels of shade tolerance. Furthermore, the structure-antioxidant activity relationships between a range of isoflavones and the plant shade-tolerance mechanism are discussed. Targeted metabolomic analyses of isoflavones could reveal the diversity of shade tolerance in soybean seedlings, thus contributing to the breeding of excellent soybean varieties.

Metabolism variation and better storability of dark- versus light-coloured soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) seeds.

The effects of storage duration on the seed germination and metabolite profiling of soybean seeds with five different coloured coats were studied. Their germination, constituents and transcript expressions of isoflavones and free fatty acids (FFAs) were compared using chromatographic metabolomic profiling and transcriptome sequencing. The seed water content was characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry. Results showed that dark-coloured seeds were less inactivated than light-coloured seeds. The aglycone and ß-glucoside concentrations of upstream constituents increased significantly, whereas the acetylglucosides and malonylglucosides of downstream constituents decreased with an increase in the storage period. FFAs increased considerably in the soybean seeds as a result of storage. These results indicate that dark-coloured soybean seeds have better storability than light-coloured seeds, and seed water content plays a role in seed inactivation. It was concluded that there are certain metabolic regularities that are associated with different coloured seed coats of soybeans under storage conditions.

Apoptotic cell characteristics of rat brain microvascular endothelia induced by different degrees of hypoperfusion.

Hypoperfusion is one of the common causes of ischemic stroke. In this study, decreased blood perfusion and neurological damage were confirmed in ischemic rats. Further, the effect of different perfusion was researched in vivo. We found that hypoperfusion promoted the apoptosis of rats brain microvascular endothelial cells, and the more serious of hypoperfusion, the more obvious of apoptosis. At the same time, this process was related to Tie-2 receptor on cell membranes and Caspase-3 apoptotic pathways. Hemodynamics was one factors affecting the cerebral infarction.