bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chickens host diverse picornaviruses originated from potential interspecies transmission with recombination
Authors: Lau Susanna K. P. , Woo Patrick C. Y. , Yip Cyril C. Y. , Li Kenneth S. M. , Fan Rachel Y. Y. , Bai Ru , Huang Yi , Chan Kwok-Hung , Yuen Kwok-Yung
Published: June 2014

While chickens are an important reservoir for emerging pathogens such as avian influenza viruses, little is known about the diversity of picornaviruses in poultry. We discovered a previously unknown diversity of picornaviruses in chickens in Hong Kong. Picornaviruses were detected in 87 cloacal and 7 tracheal samples from 93 of 900 chickens by reverse transcription-PCR, with their partial 3Dpol gene sequences forming five distinct clades (I to V) among known picornaviruses. Analysis of eight genomes from different clades revealed seven different picornaviruses, including six novel picornavirus species (ChPV1 from clade I, ChPV2 and ChPV3 from clade II, ChPV4 and ChPV5 from clade III, ChGV1 from clade IV) and one existing species (Avian encephalomyelitis virus from clade V). The six novel chicken picornavirus genomes exhibited distinct phylogenetic positions and genome features different from related picornaviruses, supporting their classification as separate species. Moreover, ChPV1 may potentially belong to a novel genus, with low sequence homologies to related picornaviruses, especially in the P1 and P2 regions, including the predicted L and 2A proteins. Nevertheless, these novel picornaviruses were most closely related to picornaviruses of other avian species (ChPV1 related to Passerivirus
A, ChPV2 and ChPV3 to Avisivirus A and Duck hepatitis A virus, ChPV4 and ChPV5 to Melegrivirus A, ChGV1 to Gallivirus A). Furthermore, ChPV5 represented a potential recombinant picornavirus, with its P2 and P3 regions possibly originating from Melegrivirus A. Chickens are an important reservoir for diverse picornaviruses that may cross avian species barriers through mutation or recombination.
A topology of Twitter research: disciplines, methods, and ethics
Authors: Zimmer Michael , Proferes Nicholas John
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to engage in a systematic analysis of academic research that relies on the collection and use of Twitter data, creating topology of Twitter research that details the disciplines and methods of analysis, amount of tweets and users under analysis, the methods used to collect Twitter data, and accounts of ethical considerations related to these projects.

Design/methodology/approach

– Content analysis of 382 academic publications from 2006 to 2012 that used Twitter as their primary platform for data collection and analysis.

Findings

– The analysis of over 380 scholarly publications utilizing Twitter data reveals noteworthy trends related to the growth of Twitter-based research overall, the disciplines engaged in such research, the methods of acquiring Twitter data for analysis, and emerging ethical considerations of such research.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings provide a benchmark analysis that must be updated with the continued growth of Twitter-based research.

Originality/value

– The research is the first full-text systematic analysis of Twitter-based research projects, focussing on the growth in discipline and methods as well as its ethical implications. It is of value for the broader research community currently engaged in social media-based research, and will prompt reflexive evaluation of what research is occurring, how it is occurring, what is being done with Twitter data, and how researchers are addressing the ethics of Twitter-based research.
Programmed method: developing a toolset for capturing and analyzing tweets
Authors: Borra Erik , Rieder Bernhard
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce Digital Methods Initiative Twitter Capture and Analysis Toolset, a toolset for capturing and analyzing Twitter data. Instead of just presenting a technical paper detailing the system, however, the authors argue that the type of data used for, as well as the methods encoded in, computational systems have epistemological repercussions for research. The authors thus aim at situating the development of the toolset in relation to methodological debates in the social sciences and humanities.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors review the possibilities and limitations of existing approaches to capture and analyze Twitter data in order to address the various ways in which computational systems frame research. The authors then introduce the open-source toolset and put forward an approach that embraces methodological diversity and epistemological plurality.

Findings

– The authors find that design decisions and more general methodological reasoning can and should go hand in hand when building tools for computational social science or digital humanities.

Practical implications

– Besides methodological transparency, the software provides robust and reproducible data capture and analysis, and interlinks with existing analytical software. Epistemic plurality is emphasized by taking into account how Twitter structures information, by allowing for a number of different sampling techniques, by enabling a variety of analytical approaches or paradigms, and by facilitating work at the micro, meso, and macro levels.

Originality/value

– The paper opens up critical debate by connecting tool design to fundamental interrogations of methodology and its repercussions for the production of knowledge. The design of the software is inspired by exchanges and debates with scholars from a variety of disciplines and the attempt to propose a flexible and extensible tool that accommodates a wide array of methodological approaches is directly motivated by the desire to keep computational work open for various epistemic sensibilities.
Diabetic retinopathy care – an international quality comparison
Authors: Elisabeth de Korte Carolina , F. de Korne Dirk , P. Martinez Ciriano Jose , Robert Rosenthal J. , Sol Kees , S. Klazinga Niek , A. Bal Roland
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the quality indicator appropriateness and use it for international quality comparison on diabetic retinopathy (DR) patient care process in one American and one Dutch eye hospital.

Design/methodology/approach

– A 17-item DR quality indicator set was composed based on a literature review and systematically applied in two hospitals. Qualitative analysis entailed document study and 12 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with ophthalmologists, managers, and board members of the two hospitals.

Findings

– While the medical-clinical approach to DR treatment in both hospitals was similar, differences were found in quality of care perception and operationalization. Neither hospital systematically used outcome indicators for DR care. On the process level, the authors found larger differences. Similarities and differences were found in the structure of both hospitals. The hospitals’ particular contexts influenced the interpretation and use of quality indicators.

Practical implications

– Although quality indicators and quality comparison between hospitals are increasingly used in international settings, important local differences influence their application. Context should be taken into account. Since that context is locally bound and directly linked to hospital setting, caution should be used interpreting the results of quality comparison studies.

Originality/value

– International quality comparison is increasingly suggested as a useful way to improve healthcare. Little is known, however, about the appropriateness and use of quality indicators in local hospital care practices.
Why TQM does not work in Iranian healthcare organisations
Authors: Mohammad Mosadeghrad Ali
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– Despite the potential benefits of total quality management (TQM), many healthcare organisations encountered difficulties in its implementation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the barriers to successful implementation of TQM in healthcare organisations of Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study involved a mixed research design. In-depth interviews were conducted with TQM practitioners to explore TQM implementation obstacles in Iranian healthcare organisations. In addition, this study involved survey-based research on the obstacles associated with successful TQM transformation.

Findings

– TQM implementation and its impact depend on the ability of managers to adopt and adapt its values and concepts in professional healthcare organisations. Unsuccessful TQM efforts in Iranian healthcare organisations can be attributed to the non-holistic approach adopted in its implementation, inadequate knowledge of managers’ about TQM implementation, frequent top management turnover, poor planning, vague and short-termed improvement goals, lack of consistent managers’ and employees’ commitment to and involvement in TQM implementation, lack of a corporate quality culture, lack of team orientation, lack of continuous education and training and lack of customer focus. Human resource problems, cultural and strategic problems were the most important obstacles to TQM successful implementation, respectively.

Practical implications

– Understanding the factors that are likely to obstruct TQM implementation would enable managers to develop more viable strategies for achieving business excellence.

Originality/value

– Understanding the factors that are likely to obstruct TQM implementation will help organisations in planning better TQM models.
How do pupils use ICT devices to support and enhance their learning?
Authors: Reeve James
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this small-scale study is to investigate ways in which pupils at the target school use tools such a mobile phones and tablets to enhance their learning. The research focused on three questions: first, what ICT devices do pupils use during lessons? Second, how are such devices used in different curriculum areas? Third, what are the benefits and limitations of their use?

Design/methodology/approach

– Mixed method approach yielding both quantitative and qualitative data. Quota sampling was used to select ten pupils – two from each year group and five teachers – across a range of curriculum areas – to complete a questionnaire. On the basis of these responses semi-structured focus groups were held with the five teachers and five of the pupils. The pupils were selected on the basis of their use of ICT devices in lessons.

Findings

– It was found that ICT devices play an important role in pupils’ learning if they are used appropriately. Specifically their use helps promote independent learning, provides pupils with immediate feedback and gives easy access to information. Both pupils and staff recognised the importance of developing key ICT skills for further education or employment.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample size was small and the teachers involved in the study were generally early career practitioners. This made it difficult to generalise the findings. The research also found some discrepancies between the pupils’ and the teachers’ responses which warrants further investigation.

Practical implications

– Two curriculum areas were identified as making regular use of ICT devices in lessons. The school would like to investigate how these devices are utilised with a view to sharing good practice across the wider school.

Originality/value

– Many studies of ICT device use in classrooms has been based in the Far East. There is limited research in UK schools.
Researching the psychological therapies in prison: considerations and future recommendations
Authors: Gee Joanna , Bertrand-Godfrey Betty
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The psychological therapies are widely considered within the forensic literature as holding a useful role in the prison system, however, despite this, very little research into the psychological therapies has taken place. Further, where research is carried out, it is often associated with the need for evidence-based practice (EBP), involving quantification and randomization. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper will initially introduce the importance of research into the psychological therapies in prison, followed by a consideration of EBP which can be thought of as the current movement governing research in the psychological therapies in the UK.

Findings

– However, in providing a focused critique of EBP, particularly within prisons, this paper will attempt to pave the way for a consideration of alternative research methodologies and resultant methods in researching the psychological therapies in prisons in the UK.

Originality/value

– Through this it is argued that research within the prison setting should act not to promote interventions and create an evidence-based as such, but to provide an accessible body of knowledge for the psychological therapists working in prisons in the UK.
Social dynamics in rural Punjab: changes in gender roles, spatial mobility and decision making
Authors: Farooq Ayesha , K. Kayani Ashraf
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to observed the gender roles and changes in decision-making structure in a village of the Punjab, Pakistan. Spatial mobility of young females by time periods and responsibility regarding supervision of young boys and girls are also included. Decision making regarding education, family disputes, property and domestic purchases are described from 1960 through 2008.

Design/methodology/approach

– A sample survey was conducted in the village. Systematic sampling technique is used for the selection of the respondents of age 55+ years. An interview schedule was developed as a tool for data collection. The results are based on descriptive and decade wise analyses.

Findings

– Results show traditional gender roles, particularly of women are changing since 1980s, mainly due to education that has partially influenced their autonomy. Positive change in attitudes toward daughters is observed to have appeared in the recent past. Fading away of role of grandparents in decision making is evident from the data. To an extent, it has replaced the autonomy of parents and grownup children.

Originality/value

– This study is an original research which is significant to develop the understanding of the changing gender roles in the rural community of the Punjab, Pakistan. Furthermore, public policies might be designed to encourage or discourage the change in a structured manner.
Does a socially well integrated university have anything to do with faculty retention? A study on Kerman University of Medical Sciences-2011
Authors: Amiresmaili Mohammadreza , Zolala Farzaneh , Esfandiari Atefeh , Dehnavieh Reza , Nekoueimoghadam Mahmood , Salari Hedayat , Rakhshan Amir
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to measure the relationship between organizational social capital and retention of faculty members in Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2011.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a stratified multistage sampling, 120 faculty members were recruited to fill the questionnaire.

Findings

– There were a direct and positive bilateral (r=0.65) relationship between social capital and retention of faculty members.

Originality/value

– The university officials and policy makers need to pay closer attention to some issues such as providing welfare facilities, salary and wages, benefits, interests and appreciation for faculty members.
Long haul truck drivers’ views on the barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and physical activity
Authors: G. Passey Deborah , Garg Arun , Kinney Anita , Robbins Riann , T. Hegmann Kurt , Ott Ulrike , Thiese Matt , A. Murtaugh Maureen
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore truck drivers’ views toward diet, physical activity, and health care access to inform the development of a weight loss intervention.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted four focus groups via teleconference (one) or in person (three). Each focus group included eight to ten truck drivers. Sessions were digitally recorded and transcribed. The authors used thematic analysis of the participant responses to develop themes and subthemes.

Findings

– Truck drivers desired good health, however, many knowledge gaps were identified. Drivers were aware of some healthy foods, but lacked knowledge of appropriate energy intake and healthy weight. Drivers expressed many barriers to eating healthy food and engaging in physical activity on the road. Participants suggested strategies and resources to improve their diet and increase physical activity.

Research limitations/implications

– This qualitative study included a convenience sample of 30 long-haul truck drivers. Consensus of themes and subthemes was achieved by four sessions. Issues facing long-haul truck drivers may be different than other truck drivers. Additional qualitative research should be conducted along with interventions focussed on healthy behaviors that can be implemented in the mobile working environment.

Originality/value

– This is the first focus group study of truck drivers that targets eating and physical activity. Future weight loss intervention designs should address the lack of knowledge and skills. To succeed, interventions should implement strategies to address perceived barriers: access, time limitations, and high cost of healthy lifestyle habits.
Construction of speed-to-market supply chain management model for garment industry
Authors: Yeh Chung , Lee Yu-tang
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to build and provide a step-by-step methodology to develop a speed-to-market (STM) process model for a fashion garment that can quickly respond to the marketing situation and shorten the cycle time from receiving orders to deliver the finished product. The improved STM process model to contrast the “before” and “after” scenarios in order to induce potential benefits such as reducing production lead-time and keeping low inventory.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, collected garment business management systems and garment manufacture operational process. Second, according to the point-line-plane-volume work improvement to list the garment industry up and down stream improvement projects and to reduce the supply chain lead-time. Third, establish the STM model and use information technology to redesign the garment industry supply chain process. Fourth, amend the STM model process. Fifth, compare the supply chain lead-time of finished STM process and normal process.

Findings

– After the garment industry implements STM and supply chain re-engineering, the clothing design to sale process can be simplified and reduced time to market. The garment order to buyer lead-time is shortened from 104 to 42 days totally.

Practical implications

– This research is a practical business re-engineering process and work improvement. The improvement STM model can half the cycle time from receiving orders to deliver the finished garment product.

Originality/value

– This paper provides a process with a step-by-step methodology to develop a successful speed-to-market model for the fashion garment industry and it is able to serve as a reference model for other industrial supply chain management.
Diagnosing vulnerability and “dangerousness”: police use of Section 136 in England and Wales
Authors: B. Menkes David , A. Bendelow Gillian
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– Police in England and Wales are empowered, under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (s136), to detain individuals thought to be a danger to themselves or to others. Use of this authority is widespread, but varies across districts and attracts controversy because of inconsistent application and the fact that it requires police to make judgements about mental health. The purpose of this paper is to examine police attitudes to and criteria for using s136.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted focus groups with 30 officers in urban and rural areas of three different regions across England and Wales. Group interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using open and axial coding.

Findings

– Use of s136 authority has major implications for police work; liaison with mental health services is seen as desirable but often ineffective due to resource constraints and the latter's lack of availability. The decision to invoke s136 depends on social context and other particulars of individual cases.

Research limitations/implications

– Although the findings have limitations with respect to generalisability across the whole of the UK, there are patterns of responses which have major implications for policy recommendations.

Practical implications

– Police decisions to apply s136 reflect an implicit values-based classification of and response to emotionally disturbed behaviour, in light of available institutional and social supports.

Social implications

– Tasked primarily with protecting the public and keeping the peace, police “diagnoses” of risk often contrast with that of mental health professionals.

Originality/value

– A highly original piece of research which has attracted further funding from BA/Leverhulme.
Three year follow-up study of families referred to a family intervention team – what are the outcomes that make a difference?
Authors: Salter Leah , Williams Jessica
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the long-term outcomes for 15 young people on a range of indicators including school success, involvement with other agencies and the perceived effectiveness by the family.

Design/methodology/approach

– Semi-structured telephone interviews were used to gather a range of both quantitative and qualitative data. Interviews were with a parent of the referred child (n=15).

Findings

– In all, 87 per cent of care-givers interviewed rated the service they had received as helpful 85 per cent reported these changes to be maintained at the three year follow-up. Rate of school exclusion was only 7 per cent and 0 per cent of families went on to have involvement with statutory social services or the youth justice system.

Research limitations/implications

– This is a small-scale study offering a small sample (n=15) of families previously referred to this Family Intervention Team, at a three-year post-intervention period. More routine longitudinal information needs to be gathered for a more robust indication on long-term outcomes.

Practical implications

– The impact this study will have on the team involved will be in its recommendations for further long-term outcome studies; but also in feeding back to the service the significant key messages from those interviewed.

Social implications

– Contributing to a wider understanding of the long-term benefits of early intervention.

Originality/value

– This paper offers some new though small statistical data in the growing pool of statistics that are indicating positive outcomes for early intervention and family intervention projects.
Regulatory environment, environmental dynamism, political ties, and performance
Authors: Adomako Samuel , Danso Albert
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– Regulatory environment, environmental dynamism, and political ties are typically modelled as separate antecedents of firm performance. However, the boundary conditions for such models are less examined in a developing country context where regulatory environments have been argued to be weak. Accordingly, drawing on institutional and social capital theories, the purpose of this paper is to examine the interrelationship between regulatory environment, political ties, environmental dynamism, and firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study uses primary data gathered from 372 entrepreneurial firms in Nigeria, a Sub-Saharan African country.

Findings

– The findings of the paper suggest that that regulatory environment is negatively related to firm performance. However, political ties and environmental dynamism moderate the regulatory environment-firm performance relationship such that such relationship is positive and significant.

Research limitations/implications

– First, the study provides important insights on how weak and underdeveloped regulatory environment negatively affect the performance of firms. In other words, the study represents a response to call for the development of better regulatory environment since regulatory environment plays significant role in firm performance. Second, this study also demonstrates the importance of political ties and environment dynamism on firm performance in an emerging economy such as Nigeria where regulatory environment is weak.

Originality/value

– To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study from the perspective of Sub-Saharan Africa that examine the moderating role of political ties and environmental dynamism on regulatory environment-firm performance relationship.
ICT possession among Congolese SMEs: an exploratory study
Authors: D. Kabongo Jean , O. Okpara John
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possession of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the developing economy of the Democratic Republic (DR) of the Congo.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey of Congolese SMEs in two major cities was conducted.

Findings

– The results of the study demonstrate that nearly 51 percent of SMEs in the sample reported a cell phone number, making this tool the most popular among SMEs studied. In total, 31 percent of SMEs reported an e-mail address while only 3 percent of them reported having a firm web site. Far <1 percent reported a fax number, while none of the SMEs in the sample used a fixed telephone line. The telecommunications sector demonstrated the highest rate of ICT usage. The findings give consistency to what the body of research has concluded relative to the use of mobile telephone by SMEs in developing economies.

Originality/value

– This study fills a gap in the research into ICT usage by SMEs in developing countries by analyzing a sample of SMEs in the DR Congo ever attempted.
Dynamics analysis of dual-axis positioning mechanism of satellite antenna with joint clearance
Authors: Feng Bai Zheng , Zhao Yang , Chen Jun
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The existence of clearance in joints of positioning mechanism is inevitable and the movements of the real mechanism are deflected from the ideal mechanism due to the clearances. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of clearance on the dynamic characteristics of dual-axis positioning mechanism of a satellite antenna.

Design/methodology/approach

– The dynamics analysis of dual-axis positioning mechanism with clearance are investigated using a computational approach based on virtual prototyping technology. The contact model in joint clearance is established by using a hybrid nonlinear continuous contact force model and the friction effect is considered by using a modified Coulomb friction model. Then the numerical simulation of dual-axis positioning mechanism with joint clearance is carried out and four case studies are implemented for different clearance sizes.

Findings

– Clearance leads to degradation of the dynamic performance of the system. The existence of clearance causes impact dynamic loads, and influences the motion accuracy and stability of the dual-axis positioning mechanism. Larger clearance induces higher frequency shakes and larger shake amplitudes, which will deteriorate positioning accuracy.

Practical implications

– Providing an effective and practical method to analyze dynamic characteristics of dual-axis positioning mechanism of satellite antenna with joint clearance and describing the dynamic characteristics of the dual-axis positioning system more realistically, which improves the engineering application.

Originality/value

– The paper is the basis of mechanism design, precision analysis and robust control system design of dual-axis positioning mechanism of satellite antenna.
The flutter of truncated conical shell subjected to internal supersonic air flow
Authors: Ruili Zhang , Zhichun Yang , Yang Gao
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a new approach to determine the aeroelastic instability of truncated conical shells. In the proposed approach the governing equation of flutter for a truncated conical shell is established using Love's thin shell theory and the quasi-steady first-order piston theory.

Design/methodology/approach

– The derivatives in both the governing equations and the boundary conditions are discretized with the differential quadrature method, and the critical flutter chamber pressure is obtained by eigenvalue analysis.

Findings

– The influence of the shell geometry parameters, such as semi-cone angle, radius-thickness ratio and length-radius ratio, on the critical flutter chamber pressure is studied. Results are also presented to indicate the stabilizing effects of aerodynamic damping and the destabilizing effects of the curvature correction term of piston theory on flutter of truncated conical shell.

Originality/value

– The present approach is an efficient method for the free vibration and flutter analysis of truncated conical shells due to its high order of accuracy and less requirement of virtual storage and computational effort.
Between the hand and the head
Authors: Gherardi Silvia , Perrotta Manuela
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to add a new term to the vocabulary of practice-based studies: “formativeness”, which denotes the kind of knowledge that is generated in the process of realizing the object of the practice and that is discovered while the form of the object is being shaped. This term focuses the analysis on how the elements of a practice are held together, rather than on what elements are involved in a practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– Inspired by grounded theory, an empirical research study on craftswomen and their practical creativity (between the hand and the head) was designed. Storytelling was used in order to elicit the verbalization of the craftswomen's ways of knowing/doing, and the episodic interview was the technique employed to access and present the data.

Findings

– Formativeness can be described and interpreted as the effect of the following dimensions: the emergence of the object, the golden rule of realization, forming by hybridization, experimentation, playfulness, attachment to matter, and proper realization.

Originality/value

– The study's contribution may be evaluated in relation to how a vocabulary for describing and interpreting knowing-in-practice is constructed. Formativeness makes it possible to name the process by which ways of doing are discovered while activities are being performed. It contributes to a critique of representational knowledge, while offering an alternative line of inquiry.
p27kip1 deficiency accelerates dentin and alveolar bone formation
Authors: Yin Ying , Wang Qun , Sun Wen , Wang Yuli , Chen Ning , Miao Dengshun
Published: June 2014

To assess the role of p27kip1 in regulating dental formation and alveolar bone development, we compared the teeth and mandible phenotypes of homozygous p27kip1‐deficient (p27−/−) mice with their wild‐type littermates at 2 weeks of age. At 2 weeks of age, dental mineral density, dental volume and dentin sialoprotein‐immunopositive areas were increased significantly, whereas the predentin area : total dentin area and biglycan‐immunopositive area : dentin area ratios were decreased significantly in p27−/− mice compared with their wild‐type (WT) littermates. Mandible mineral density, cortical thickness, alveolar bone volume, type I collagen and osterix‐immunopositive areas, osteoblast number and activity and mRNA expression of Runt‐related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin and bone morphogenetic protein (bmp2) were all significantly increased in the mandibles, as was the number and surface of tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase‐positive osteoclasts in the alveolar bone of p27−/− mice compared with their WT littermates. Furthermore, the percentage of proliferating cell nuclear antigen‐positive cells in Hertwig's epithelial root sheath and protein expression of cyclin E and cyclin‐dependent kinase 2 were increased significantly in p27−/− mice relative to their WT littermates. The results from this study indicate that p27 plays a negative regulatory role in dentin formation and alveolar bone development.
From National Interest to Global Reform: Patterns of Reasoning in British Foreign Policy Discourse
Authors: Humphreys Adam R. C.
Published: June 2014

Research Highlights and Abstract

This article

Formulates an ideal-typical model for filling out the implicit content of claims about the national interest; Applies a theoretical perspective on the national interest to New Labour's foreign policy discourse, focusing especially on its approach to global order; Shows how Gordon Brown, especially, extended the content of the national interest well beyond its traditional association with national security, narrowly construed; Provides tools for interrogating claims about the national interest and for holding politicians to account in respect of such claims.

Discussion of the national interest often focuses on how Britain's influence can be maximized, rather than on the goals that influence serves. Yet what gives content to claims about the national interest is the means-ends reasoning which links interests to deeper goals. In ideal-typical terms, this can take two forms. The first, and more common, approach is conservative: it infers national interests and the goals they advance from existing policies and commitments. The second is reformist: it starts by specifying national goals and then asks how they are best advanced under particular conditions. New Labour's foreign policy discourse is notable for its explicit use of a reformist approach. Indeed, Gordon Brown's vision of a ‘new global society’ not only identifies global reform as a key means of fulfilling national goals, but also thereby extends the concept of the national interest well beyond a narrow concern with national security.
Influence of temperature variations on growth, injury survival and inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes in goat milk samples at laboratory scale
Authors: Migeemanathan Suguna , Bhat Rajeev , Wan‐Abdullah Wan‐Nadiah , Chye Fook Yee
Published: June 2014

Transmission of the thermo‐tolerant pathogen Listeria monocytogenes via contaminated milk and its products, can lead to serious food‐borne illness. In this study, the effects of selected temperatures on survival, percentage injury and inactivation of L. monocytogenes in goat milk samples collected from two different farms were evaluated. Low temperature ranges (0, 5, 10 °C) had a bacteriostatic effect; while at temperatures of 25 and 45 °C, this pathogen grew luxuriantly. However, growth was comparatively slow at 15 °C throughout a 12‐h stress period. Furthermore, a high temperature range (50, 55, 60 and 65 °C) resulted in the elimination of this pathogen within 4 h of stress. Results of Scanning Electron Microscopy showed morphological changes in the cells upon induction of stress temperatures.
Who dispersed the seeds? The use of DNA barcoding in frugivory and seed dispersal studies
Authors: González‐Varo Juan P. , Arroyo Juan M. , Jordano Pedro
Published: June 2014

Assessing dispersal events in plants faces important challenges and limitations. A methodological issue that limits advances in our understanding of seed dissemination by frugivorous animals is identifying ‘which species dispersed the seeds’. This is essential for assessing how multiple frugivore species contribute distinctly to critical dispersal events such as seed delivery to safe sites, long‐distance dispersal and the colonization of non‐occupied habitats.

Here, we describe DNA‐barcoding protocols successfully applied to bird‐dispersed seeds sampled in the field. Avian DNA was extracted from the surface of defecated or regurgitated seeds, allowing the identification of the frugivore species that contributed each dispersal event. Disperser species identification was based on a 464‐bp mitochondrial DNA region (COI: cytochrome c oxidase subunit I).

We illustrate the possible applications of this method with bird‐dispersed seeds sampled in the field. DNA‐barcoding provides a non‐invasive technique that allows quantifying frugivory and seed dispersal interaction networks, assessing the contribution of each frugivore species to seed rain in different microhabitats, and testing whether different frugivore species select different fruit/seed sizes.

DNA barcoding of animal‐dispersed seeds can resolve the distribution of dispersal services provided by diverse frugivore assemblages, allowing a robust and precise estimation of the different components of seed dispersal effectiveness, previously unattainable to traditional field studies at individual seed level. Given that seeds are sampled at the end of the dispersal process, this technique enables us to link the identity of the disperser species responsible for each dispersal event to plant traits and environmental features, thereby building a bridge between frugivory and seed deposition patterns.
Patient Throughput Benefits of Triage Liaison Providers Are Lost in a Resource‐neutral Model: A Prospective Trial
Authors: Nestler David M. , Halasy Michael P. , Fratzke Alesia R. , Church Christopher J. , Scanlan‐Hanson Lori N. , Lohse Christine M. , Campbell Ronna L. , Sadosty Annie T. , Hess Erik P.
Published: June 2014

Objectives

Patient throughput is an increasingly important cause of emergency department (ED) crowding. The authors previously reported shorter patient length of stay (LOS) when adding a triage liaison provider, which required additional personnel. Here, the objective was to evaluate the effect of moving a fast‐track provider to the triage liaison role.

Methods

This was a prospective observational before‐and‐after study design with predefined outcomes measures. A “standard staffing” situation (where an advanced practice provider staffed treatment rooms in the fast track) was compared with an advanced practice provider performing the triage liaison staffing role, with no additional staff. Eleven intervention (“triage liaison staffing”) days were compared with 11 matched control (“standard staffing”) days immediately preceding the intervention. Total LOS was measured for all adult Emergency Severity Index (ESI) 3, 4, and 5 patients (excluding behavioral health patients), and results were compared using Wilcoxon rank‐sum and chi‐square tests.

Results

A total of 681 patients registered on control days and 599 on intervention days. There was no significant difference in total patient LOS: median = 273 minutes, interquartile range (IQR) 176 to 384 minutes on intervention days versus median = 253 minutes, IQR = 175 to 365 minutes on control days (p = 0.20). There was no difference in left‐without‐being‐seen (LWBS) rates (n = 48, 7% on control days vs. n = 35, 6% on intervention days; p=0.38). Secondary analysis of only ESI 3 patients showed no difference in total LOS between periods (median = 284 minutes, IQR = 194 to 396 minutes on intervention days vs. median = 290 minutes, IQR = 217 to 397 minutes on control days; p = 0.22). There was, however, significantly greater total LOS for ESI 4 and 5 patients during the intervention period (median = 238 minutes, IQR = 124 to 350 minutes on intervention days vs. median = 192 minutes, IQR = 124 to 256 minutes on control days; p = 0.011).

Conclusions

The previously reported benefits on patient LOS and LWBS rates after adding a triage liaison (resource additive) were lost when that provider was moved from fast track to the triage role (resource neutral). While the triage liaison provider role may be a way to improve ED throughput when additional resources are available, as evidenced by our prior study, the triage liaison model itself does not appear to replace the staffing of treatment rooms, as evidenced by this study.
Striking subgroup differences in substance‐related mortality after release from prison
Authors: Forsyth Simon J. , Alati Rosa , Ober Coralie , Williams Gail M. , Kinner Stuart A.
Published: June 2014

Aims

To compare the incidence, timing and risk factors for substance‐related death between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous ex‐prisoners in Queensland, Australia.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

All adult prisons in the state of Queensland, Australia, linked to deaths registered in Australia.

Participants/cases

We obtained records for all adults released from prison in Queensland, Australia from 1 January 1994 to 31 December 2007. Among this cohort of 42 015 individuals we observed 82 315 releases from prison and 2158 deaths in the community by the end of 2007, of which 661 were substance‐related deaths.

Measurements

Incarceration data were obtained from Queensland Corrective Services and linked probabilistically with deaths recorded in the Australian National Death Index.

Findings

In the first year after release, Indigenous ex‐prisoners were more likely to die from alcohol‐related causes [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1–3.1)] but less likely to die of drug‐related causes (HR = 0.34, 95%CI = 0.21–0.53) than were non‐Indigenous ex‐prisoners. Among non‐Indigenous prisoners only, the risk of substance‐related death was significantly higher in the first 4 weeks [relative risk (RR) = 5.1, 95% CI = 3.7–6.9] when compared with the risk after 1 year post‐release. Most evaluated risk factors for substance‐related death were similar for Indigenous and non‐Indigenous ex‐prisoners; however, the hazard of death increased with age more for Indigenous ex‐prisoners (HR = 1.7 per decade of age, 95% CI = 1.4–2.1) than for non‐Indigenous ex‐prisoners (HR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.2–1.4).

Conclusions

In Australia, patterns of substance‐related death in ex‐prisoners differ markedly according to Indigenous status. Efforts to prevent substance‐related deaths in ex‐prisoners should consider heterogeneity in the target population and tailor responses accordingly.
The effects of intra‐operative dexmedetomidine on postoperative pain, side‐effects and recovery in colorectal surgery
Authors: Cheung C. W. , Qiu Q. , Ying A. C. L. , Choi S. W. , Law W. L. , Irwin M. G.
Published: June 2014

In this double‐blind, randomised study, 100 patients undergoing open or conventional laparoscopic colorectal surgery received an intra‐operative loading dose of dexmedetomidine 1 μg.kg−1 followed by an infusion of 0.5 μg.kg−1.h−1, or a bolus and infusion of saline 0.9% of equivalent volume. Forty‐six patients in the dexmedetomidine group and 50 in the saline group completed the study. The area under the curve of numerical rating scores for pain at rest for 1–48 h postoperatively was significantly lower in the patients receiving dexmedetomidine (p = 0.041). There was no difference in morphine consumption, duration of recovery ward or hospital stay. From the data obtained in this study, we calculated a number needed to treat for effective pain relief of 4. Intra‐operative dexmedetomidine in colorectal surgery resulted in a reduction in resting pain scores, but there was no morphine‐sparing effect or improvement in patients' recovery outcome measures.
Review article: the epidemiology and prevention of gastric cancer
Authors: Fock K. M.
Published: June 2014

Background

Gastric cancer can be divided into cardia and noncardia gastric adenocarcinoma (NCGA). Non cardia gastric cancer is a disease that has declined in global incidence but has remained as an extremely lethal cancer.

Aim

To review recent advances in epidemiology and strategies in prevention of non cardia gastric cancer.

Methods

A rapid literature search strategy was developed for all English language literature published before March 2013. The search was conducted using the electronic databases PubMed and EMBASE. The search strategy included the keywords ‘stomach neoplasms’, ‘gastric cancer’, ‘epidemiology’, ‘risk factor’, ‘early detection of cancer’, ‘mass screening’, ‘cancer burden’, ‘prevention’ and ‘cost‐effectiveness’. The search strategy was adjusted according to different requirements for each database. The specific search was also performed in cancer‐related websites for country‐specific information. The search was limited to past 10 years.

Results

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer but the third leading cause of cancer death. The case fatality rate is 75%. Screening by radiological or endoscopic methods has limited success in prevention of gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori has been identified as a carcinogen, accounting for 60–70% of gastric cancer globally and eradication is a potential preventive measure. A meta‐analysis in 2009 demonstrated that individuals treated with H. pylori eradication therapy can reduce gastric cancer risk. The extended Shandong Intervention trial that lasted 14.3 years showed that H. pylori eradication therapy significantly reduced gastric cancer incidence by 39%. Consensus groups from Asia, Europe and Japan have recommended H. pylori eradication as primary prevention in high‐risk areas. Following eradication therapy, endoscopic surveillance of pre‐malignant lesions using enhanced imaging appears to be another promising preventive strategy.

Conclusions

Gastric cancer remains a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. There is emerging evidence that H. pylori eradication in high gastric cancer regions can lead to a decline in the incidence of this highly lethal disease.
Bipolar disorder, miscarriage, and termination
Authors: Di Florio Arianna , Jones Lisa , Forty Liz , Gordon‐Smith Katherine , Craddock Nick , Jones Ian
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To compare rates of bipolar episodes following miscarriage and termination with those occurring in the postpartum period.

Methods

Information in relation to pregnancy and childbirth was gathered retrospectively for 1,283 women with broadly defined bipolar disorder by interview and case‐notes review.

Results

Rates of mania or affective psychosis were significantly higher after full‐term delivery than after termination (p < 0.001) or miscarriage (p < 0.001). Rates of non‐psychotic major depression were similar following full‐term deliveries, miscarriages (p = 0.362), and terminations (p = 0.301).

Conclusions

While women with bipolar disorder and their clinicians should be aware of the possible onset of depression in the weeks following miscarriage or termination, episodes of mania or affective psychosis are less common in comparison with the high rates observed in the postpartum period.