bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of SHP2 phosphatase inhibition in cancers with nucleotide-cycling oncogenic RAS, RAS-GTP dependent oncogenic BRAF and NF1 loss
Authors: Nichols Robert J. , Haderk Franziska , Stahlhut Carlos , Schulze Christopher J. , Hemmati Golzar , Wildes David , Tzitzilonis Christos , Mordec Kasia , Marquez Abby , Romero Jason , Hsieh Daphne , Kiss Gert , Koltun Elena S. , Gill Adrian L. , Singh Mallika , Goldsmith Mark A. , Smith Jacqueline A. M. , Bivona Trever G.
Published: September 2017

Oncogenic alterations in the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway, including mutant forms of KRAS, BRAF, and loss of the tumor suppressor and RAS GTPase-activating protein (GAP) NF1, drive the growth of a wide spectrum of human cancers. While BRAF and MEK inhibitors are effective in many patients with oncogenic BRAF V600E, there are no effective targeted therapies for individuals with cancers driven by other pathway alterations, including oncogenic KRAS, non-V600E BRAF, and NF1 loss. Here, we show that targeting the PTPN11/SHP2 phosphatase with a novel small molecule allosteric inhibitor is effective against cancers bearing nucleotide-cycling oncogenic RAS (e.g. KRAS G12C), RAS-GTP dependent oncogenic BRAF (e.g. class 3 BRAF mutants), or NF1 loss in multiple preclinical models in vitro and in vivo. SHP2 inhibition suppressed the levels of RAS-GTP and phosphorylated ERK in these models and induced growth inhibition. Expression of a constitutively active mutant of the RAS guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) SOS1 rescued cells from the effects of SHP2 inhibition, suggesting that SHP2 blockade decreases oncogenic RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling by disrupting SOS1-mediated RAS-GTP loading. Our findings illuminate a critical function for SHP2 in promoting oncogenic RAS activation and downstream signaling in cancers with nucleotide-cycling oncogenic RAS, RAS-GTP dependent oncogenic BRAF, and NF1 loss. SHP2 inhibition thus represents a rational, biomarker-driven therapeutic strategy to be tested in patients with cancers of diverse origins bearing these oncogenic drivers and for which current treatments are largely ineffective.
Data quality of Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing on Illumina platforms
Authors: Raine Amanda , Liljedahl Ulrika , Nordlund Jessica
Published: September 2017

The powerful HiSeq X sequencers with their patterned flowcell technology and fast turnaround times are instrumental for many large-scale genomic and epigenomic studies. However, assessment of DNA methylation by sodium bisulfite treatment results in sequencing libraries of low diversity, which may impact data quality and yield. In this report we assess the quality of WGBS data generated on the HiSeq X system in comparison with data generated on the HiSeq 2500 system and the newly released NovaSeq system. We report a systematic issue with low basecall quality scores assigned to guanines in the second read of WGBS when using certain Real Time Analysis (RTA) software versions on the HiSeq X sequencer, reminiscent of an issue that was previously reported with certain HiSeq 2500 software versions. However, with the HD.3.4.0/RTA 2.7.7 software upgrade for the HiSeq X system, we observed an overall improved quality and yield of the WGBS data generated, which in turn empowers cost-effective and high quality DNA methylation studies.
Biological communities as interacting compartments: thermodynamic properties and diversity indices
Authors: Meloni Fernando , Nakamura Gilberto M. , Martinez Alexandre Souto
Published: September 2017

Diversity indices provide simple and powerful metrics for assessing biological communities. Based on entropy measures, the approach considers statistical and thermodynamic inferences to deduce ecological patterns. However, concerns exist regarding the accuracy of diversity indices. Because relative quantities depend on the sorting of organisms(e.g., guilds and species) and their interactions, field observations carry inherent imprecision, thus leading to misinterpretation. Here, we present a framework that is able to appropriately achieve the thermodynamic properties in ecological systems and ensure the inference power. We demonstrate that effective abundances rather than raw abundances provide a trustful estimator of probabilities, which is evaluated through massive tests. We use empirical and synthetic data to show the advantages and reliability of this new framework under a broad range of conditions. The tests demonstrate that the replication principle is always optimized by the new estimator. Compared to other methods, this approach is simpler and reduces the importance of schemes used for sorting organisms. We highlight the robustness and the valor of effective abundances for ecological contexts:i)to assess and monitor the biodiversity,ii)to define the best sorting of organisms according to maximum entropy principles, andiii)to link local to regional diversity(α-, β-, andγ-diversity).
Organisation of feed-forward loop motifs reveals architectural principles in natural and engineered networks
Authors: Gorochowski Thomas E. , Grierson Claire S. , di Bernardo Mario
Published: September 2017

Network motifs are significantly expressed sub-graphs that have been proposed as building blocks for natural and engineered networks. Detailed functional analysis has been performed for many types of motif in isolation, but less is known about how motifs work together to perform complex tasks. To address this issue we measure the aggregation of network motifs via methods that extract precisely how these structures are connected. Applying this approach to a broad spectrum of networked systems and focusing on the widespread feed-forward loop motif, we uncover striking differences in motif organisation. The types of connection are often highly constrained, differ between domains, and clearly capture architectural principles. We show how this information can be used to effectively predict functionally important nodes in the metabolic network ofEscherichia coli. Our findings have implications for understanding how networked systems are constructed from motif parts and elucidates constraints that guide their evolution.
Trait Evolution with Jumps: Illusionary Normality
Authors: Bartoszek Krzysztof
Published: September 2017

Phylogenetic comparative methods for real-valued traits usually make use of stochastic process whose trajectories are continuous. This is despite biological intuition that evolution is rather punctuated than gradual. On the other hand, there has been a number of recent proposals of evolutionary models with jump components. However, as we are only beginning to understand the behaviour of branching Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) processes the asymptotics of branching OU processes with jumps is an even greater unknown. In this work we build up on a previous study concerning OU with jumps evolution on a pure birth tree. We introduce an extinction component and explore via simulations, its effects on the weak convergence of such a process. We furthermore, also use this work to illustrate the simulation and graphic generation possibilities of the mvSLOUCH package.
Collective mechanical adaptation of honeybee swarms
Authors: Peleg O. , Peters J.M. , Salcedo M.K. , Mahadevan L.
Published: September 2017

HoneybeeApis melliferaswarms form clusters made solely of bees attached to each other, forming pendant structures on tree branches (1). These clusters can be hundreds of times the size of a single organism. How these structures are stably maintained under the influence of static gravity and dynamic stimuli (e.g. wind) is unknown. To address this, we created pendant conical clusters attached to a board that was shaken with varying amplitude, frequency and total duration. Our observations show that horizontally shaken clusters spread out to form wider, flatter cones, i.e. the cluster adapts to the dynamic loading conditions, but in a reversible manner - when the loading is removed, the cluster recovers its original shape, slowly. Measuring the response of a cluster to a sharp pendular excitation before and after it adapted shows that the flattened cones deform less and relax faster than the elongated ones, i.e. they are more stable mechanically. We use particle-based simulations of a passive assemblage to suggest a behavioral hypothesis that individual bees respond to local variations in strain. This behavioral response improves the collective stability of the cluster as a whole at the expense of increasing the average mechanical burden experienced by the individual. Simulations using this rule explain our observations of adaptation to horizontal shaking. The simulations also suggest that vertical shaking will not lead to significant differential strains and thus no adaptation. To test this, we shake the cluster vertically and find that indeed there is no response to this stimulus. Altogether, our results show how an active, functional super–organism structure can respond adaptively to dynamic mechanical loading by changing its morphology to achieve better load sharing.
Systematic mapping of the free energy landscapes of a growing immunoglobulin domain identifies a kinetic intermediate associated with co-translational proline isomerization
Authors: Waudby Christopher A. , Karyadi Maria-Evangelia , Wlodarski Tomasz , Cassaignau Anaïs M. E. , Chan Sammy , Schmidt-Engler Julian M. , Wentink Anne S. , Camilloni Carlo , Vendruscolo Michele , Cabrita Lisa D. , Christodoulou John
Published: September 2017

Co-translational folding is a fundamental molecular process that ensures efficient protein biosynthesis and minimizes the wasteful or hazardous formation of misfolded states. However, the complexity of this process makes it extremely challenging to obtain structural characterizations of co-translational folding pathways. Here we contrast observations in translationally-arrested nascent chains with those of a systematic C-terminal truncation strategy. We create a detailed description of chain length-dependent free energy landscapes associated with folding of the FLN5 filamin domain, in isolation and on the ribosome. By using this approach we identify and characterize two folding intermediates, including a partially folded intermediate associated with the isomerization of a conserved proline residue, which, together with measurements of folding kinetics, raises the prospect that neighboring unfolded domains might accumulate during biosynthesis. We develop a simple model to quantify the risk of misfolding in this situation, and show that catalysis of folding by peptidyl-prolyl isomerases is essential to eliminate this hazard.
Bis(3,5-dimethoxy-2-{[2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethylimino-κN]methyl}phenolato-κO)bis(dimethyl sulfoxide)manganese(III) perchlorate methanol 0.774-solvate
Authors: Egekenze Rita , Gultneh Yilma , Butcher Ray J.
Published: September 2017

The title compound, [Mn(C16H17N2O3)2(C2H6OS)2]ClO4·0.774CH3OH, comprises a central octahedrally coordinated MnIIIcation, with two bidentate Schiff base ligands occupying the equatorial positions and two dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) ligands occupying the axial positions. There are two independant cations in the asymmetric unit, with the MnIIIatoms of both cations being positioned on crystallographic centers of inversion. The perchlorate anion is disordered over two equivalent conformations, with occupancies of 0.744 (3) and 0.226 (3). In addition, there is a methanol solvent molecule in the crystal lattice that is too close to the minor component of the perchlorate anion to be present simultaneously and thus it was refined to have the same occupancy as the major component of this anion. There is a Jahn–Teller distortion which results in Mn—ODMSOaxial bond lengths of 2.2365 (12) and 2.2368 (12) Å in the two cations. In the crystal, intermolecular π–π stacking between the non-coordinating pyridine rings of each cation is observed. This π–π stacking, along with extensive O—H...O hydrogen bonding and C—H...O interactions, link the components into a complex three-dimensional array.
Crystal structure of fipronil
Authors: Park Hyunjin , Kim Jineun , Kwon Eunjin , Kim Tae Ho
Published: September 2017

The title compound, C12H4Cl2F6N4OS {systematic name: 5-amino-1-[2,6-dichloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4-[(trifluoromethane)sulfinyl]-1H-pyrazole-3-carbonitrile}, is a member of the phenylpyrazole group of acaricides, and one of the phenylpyrazole group of insecticides. The dihedral angle between the planes of the pyrazole and benzene rings is 89.03 (9)°. The fluorine atoms of the trifluoromethyl substituent on the benzene ring are disordered over two sets of sites, with occupancy ratios 0.620 (15):0.380 (15). In the crystal, C—N...π interactions [N...ring centroid = 3.607 (4) Å] together with N—H...N and C—H...F hydrogen bonds form a looped chain structure along [10\overline{1}]. Finally, N—H...O hydrogen bonds and C—Cl...π interactions [Cl...ring centroid = 3.5159 (16) Å] generate a three-dimensional structure. Additionally, there are a short intermolecular F... F contacts present.
Numerical algorithms for solving shallow water hydro-sediment-morphodynamic equations
Authors: Xia Chunchen , Cao Zhixian , Pender Gareth , Borthwick Alistair
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a fully conservative numerical algorithm for solving the coupled shallow water hydro-sediment-morphodynamic equations governing fluvial processes, and also to clarify the performance of a conventional algorithm, which redistributes the variable water-sediment mixture density to the source terms of the governing equations and accordingly the hyperbolic operator is rendered similar to that of the conventional shallow water equations for clear water flows.

Design/methodology/approach

The coupled shallow water hydro-sediment-morphodynamic equations governing fluvial processes are arranged in full conservation form, and solved by a well-balanced weighted surface depth-gradient method along with a slope-limited centred scheme. The present algorithm is verified for a spectrum of test cases, which involve complex flows with shock waves and sediment transport processes with contact discontinuities over irregular topographies. The computational results of the conventional algorithm are compared with those of the present algorithm and evaluated by available referenced data.

Findings

The fully conservative numerical algorithm performs satisfactorily over the spectrum of test cases, and the conventional algorithm is confirmed to work similarly well.

Originality/value

A fully conservative numerical algorithm, without redistributing the water-sediment mixture density, is proposed for solving the coupled shallow water hydro-sediment-morphodynamic equations. It is clarified that the conventional algorithm, involving redistribution of the water-sediment mixture density, performs similarly well. Both algorithms are equally applicable to problems encountered in computational river modelling.
A novel design for microfluidic chamber based on reverse flow optimization
Authors: Chen Xueye , Li Tiechuan
Published: September 2017

Purpose

This paper aims presents topology optimization of microfluidic channels with reverse flow.

Design/methodology/approach

A circular chamber with an inlet and an outlet are chosen as an initial design domain. The energy dissipation is chosen as an objective function. The incompressible Navier–Stokes equation is applied for simulating the fluidic motion in channels. An artificial friction force which is proportional to the flow velocity is substituted into the Navier–Stokes equation for controlling the design variable.

Findings

The effect of a bifurcation angle between the inlet and the outlet on a topological structure is analyzed. The flow velocity, pressure and design variable for every bifurcation angle are obtained.

Originality/value

This work is instructive to the design of a microfluidic system.
Fuzzy inference system application for failure analyzing in automobile industry
Authors: Geramian Arash , Mehregan Mohammad Reza , Garousi Mokhtarzadeh Nima , Hemmati Mohammadreza
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Nowadays, quality is one of the most important key success factors in the automobile industry. Improving the quality is based on optimizing the most important quality characteristics and usually launched by highly applied techniques such as failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA). According to the literature, however, traditional FMEA suffers from some limitations. Reviewing the literature, on one hand, shows that the fuzzy rule-base system, under the artificial intelligence category, is the most frequently applied method for solving the FMEA problems. On the other hand, the automobile industry, which highly takes advantages of traditional FMEA, has been deprived of benefits of fuzzy rule-based FMEA (fuzzy FMEA). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to apply fuzzy FMEA for quality improvement in the automobile industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, traditional FMEA has been implemented. Then by consulting with a six-member quality assurance team, fuzzy membership functions have been obtained for risk factors, i.e., occurrence (O), severity (S), and detection (D). The experts have also been consulted about constructing the fuzzy rule base. These evaluations have been performed to prioritize the most critical failure modes occurring during production of doors of a compact car, manufactured by a part-producing company in Iran.

Findings

Findings indicate that fuzzy FMEA not only solves problems of traditional FMEA, but also is highly in accordance with it, in terms of some priorities. According to results of fuzzy FMEA, failure modes E, pertaining to the sash of the rear right door, and H, related to the sash of the front the left door, have been ranked as the most and the least critical situations, respectively. The prioritized failures could be considered to facilitate future quality optimization.

Practical implications

This research provides quality engineers of the studied company with the chance of ranking their failure modes based on a fuzzy expert system.

Originality/value

This study utilizes the fuzzy logic approach to solve some major limitations of FMEA, an extensively applied method in the automobile industry.
Analyzing the causes of delay in development projects by fuzzy analysis
Authors: Ghiasi Vahed , Kaivan Ebrahim , Arzjani Nima , Arzjani Danial
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize the causes of delay in development projects and present strategies to reduce the delay.

Design/methodology/approach

The discussion includes the failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) method for converting survey data, fuzzy risk priority number (FRPN) for prioritizing the delay factors, and the proposed solutions to reduce the delay of projects.

Findings

The research provided prioritized delay factors to show the importance of each delay factor in the projects by analyzing the survey data. Results show that lack of proper contract price to win the tender has the most impact on the delay of development project between delay factors.

Originality/value

This study offered some guidelines for people who are involved with contracts and development projects, so that they can use these suggestions to prevent possible factors that may cause delay in projects. This paper also demonstrated a process of analyzing the data which was provided by FMEA and FRPN methods.
Interpretive structural modeling for integrating quality management in manufacturing and service counterparts
Authors: Goyal Gaurav , Samalia Harsh Vardhan , Verma Piyush
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank the contextual relationship among the quality management (QM) constructs for manufacturing and its related service organizations providing integrated value bundles, which has got limited research attention.

Design/methodology/approach

The QM constructs of manufacturing and services are selected by performing the citation analysis. Studies related to manufacturing and service are selected by reviewing their citations index in the three major research databases namely ProQuest, Scopus and Google Scholar. The subjective responses from both industry and academia are taken in order to gain better understanding of the contextual relationship among the QM constructs. Finally, an integrated model is proposed using Micmac analysis and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM).

Findings

The citation analysis lead to identification of 12 QM constructs: top management commitment, supplier relationship management, human resource management, strategic focus, customer focus, quality of information sharing, process management, servicescape, employee involvement, service quality, supply chain flexibility and customer satisfaction. The expert opinions of executives in the automotive industry and academia resulted in the development of contextual relationships among the identified QM constructs for the development of an ISM model, which is a major contribution of this study.

Originality/value

The unique focus of this study is on analyzing the contextual relationship among QM aspects in manufacturing and services as clubbed offering. The researchers in the existing literature have so far differentiated between manufacturing and services but this study integrates the QM constructs for manufacturing and its associated services through expert feedback and proposes an ISM model.
International perspectives on homeownership and home equity extraction by senior households
Authors: Haurin Donald , Moulton Stephanie
Published: September 2017

Purpose

This paper links the literatures on the life-cycle hypothesis, homeownership, home equity and pensions. Empirically, the focus is on the EU and USA. The paper aims to explore the extent that seniors extract their home equity and discuss the financial instruments available for equity extraction.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses data from the EU and USA to determine homeownership rates, house values and mortgage debt. With these values, the amount of seniors’ home equity is measured for each country. The usage of home equity extraction methods is reported and factors limiting their use are identified.

Findings

Seniors’ home equity is a substantial share of their total wealth. Estimates for 2013 are that their home equity equals about €5tn in the USA and over €8tn in large EU countries. The authors find that only a small share of seniors extracts their home equity. While there are supply side constraints in many countries, the evidence suggests that the cause of low extraction rates is the lack of demand. Various reasons for the lack of demand are discussed.

Practical implications

The increasing share of seniors in most countries’ population suggests that there will be increasing pressure on public pension systems. One among many options to address this issue is to impose a wealth test for eligibility, where wealth includes home equity. This study suggests that although home equity is substantial for many seniors, they are reluctant to access the funds.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the importance of home equity in the EU and USA and the factors that affect the primary methods of extraction.
Technological leverage in higher education: an evolving pedagogy
Authors: Pillai K. Rajasekharan , Prakash Ashish Viswanath
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to analyse the perception of students toward a computer-based exam on a custom-made digital device and their willingness to adopt the same for high-stake summative assessment.

Design/methodology/approach

This study followed an analytical methodology using survey design. A modified version of students’ perception of e-assessment questionnaire (SPEAQ) was used to elicit information from the subjects, who were drawn from a first-year post-graduate course in management and commerce, soliciting voluntary participation in the survey. SmartPLS 2.0 was the major analytical tool used to understand the theoretical robustness of observed and latent variables through structural equation modelling. The final model was retained based on the structural significance of the path coefficients.

Findings

The results of the study offer ample evidence to establish the proposed theoretical relationship. It was found that the subjects of the study maintained a positive attitude toward e-assessment. Hence, the introduction of e-exams for high-stake assessment is suitable to current generation students.

Research limitations/implications

Findings of the study may be irrelevant to students who are not subject to e-learning processes, as an e-assessment can only be effective when students have ample exposure to working on computers.

Practical/implications

A major practical implication of the study is that e-exams will positively influence the outcome of education and effectiveness of the teaching–learning process. Technology, as an eclectic paradigm, can amplify the educational outcome by boosting the competency of students to meet challenges of any emerging situations.

Originality/value

The idea of an e-exam, using a custom-made device, is unprecedented. This paper offers a convincing empirical evidence to academic administrators to integrate e-assessment with e-learning programs.
Internet based learning (IBL) in higher education: a literature review
Authors: Yadav Rajan , Tiruwa Anurag , Suri Pradeep Kumar
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The growing use of internet-based learning (IBL) platforms in institutions of higher education is producing profound changes in the traditional teaching learning process worldwide. This paper aims to identify and understand the ways in which higher education institutions draw benefits by the use of such means, synthesizing the literature research.

Design/methodology/approach

The study synthesized the literature research by using a mixed method approach in which both Web of Science (WoS) and bibliographic techniques were used to retrieve the relevant data base.

Findings

The comprehensive review of the literature suggests that communication technology (CT), massive open online courseware (MOOCs), social networking sites (SNSs), blogs, real simple syndication (RSS) and YouTube are creating new possibilities and avenues of collaborative learning by transforming the traditional class and teacher-centric system.

Research limitations/implications

Multiplicity of the IBL platforms and rapid technological obsolesce are some of the limitations of this paper.

Originality/value

The findings of this study are highly useful in developing a strategic framework to accelerate the integration of IBL platforms to make teaching learning process more interactive and informative.
Fundamental solution for a two-dimensional problem in transversely isotropic micropolar thermoelastic media
Authors: Chawla Vijay , Ahuja Sanjeev , Rani Varsha
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the fundamental solution in transversely isotropic micropolar thermoelastic media. With this objective, the two-dimensional general solution in transversely isotropic thermoelastic media is derived.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of the general solution, the fundamental solution for a steady point heat source on the surface of a semi-infinite transversely isotropic micropolar thermoelastic material is constructed by six newly introduced harmonic functions.

Findings

The components of displacement, stress, temperature distribution and couple stress are expressed in terms of elementary functions. From the present investigation, a special case of interest is also deduced and compared with the previous results obtained.

Practical implications

Fundamental solutions can be used to construct many analytical solutions of practical problems when boundary conditions are imposed. They are essential in the boundary element method as well as the study of cracks, defects and inclusions.

Originality/value

Fundamental solutions for a steady point heat source acting on the surface of a micropolar thermoelastic material is obtained by seven newly introduced harmonic functions. From the present investigation, some special cases of interest are also deduced.
A cascade of destabilizations: Combining Wolbachia and Allee effects to eradicate insect pests
Authors: Blackwood Julie C. , Vargas Roger , Fauvergue Xavier
Published: September 2017

The management of insect pests has long been dominated by the use of chemical insecticides, with the aim of instantaneously killing enough individuals to limit their damage. To minimize unwanted consequences, environmentally friendly approaches have been proposed that utilize biological control and take advantage of intrinsic demographic processes to reduce pest populations.

We address the feasibility of a novel pest management strategy based on the release of insects infected with Wolbachia, which causes cytoplasmic incompatibilities in its host population, into a population with a pre‐existing Allee effect. We hypothesize that the transient decline in population size caused by a successful invasion of Wolbachia can bring the population below its Allee threshold and, consequently, trigger extinction.

We develop a stochastic population model that accounts for Wolbachia‐induced cytoplasmic incompatibilities in addition to an Allee effect arising from mating failures at low population densities. Using our model, we identify conditions under which cytoplasmic incompatibilities and Allee effects successfully interact to drive insect pest populations towards extinction. Based on our results, we delineate control strategies based on introductions of Wolbachia‐infected insects.

We extend this analysis to evaluate control strategies that implement successive introductions of two incompatible Wolbachia strains. Additionally, we consider methods that combine Wolbachia invasion with mating disruption tactics to enhance the pre‐existing Allee effect.

We demonstrate that Wolbachia‐induced cytoplasmic incompatibility and the Allee effect act independently from one another: the Allee effect does not modify the Wolbachia invasion threshold, and cytoplasmic incompatibilities only have a marginal effect on the Allee threshold. However, the interaction of these two processes can drive even large populations to extinction. The success of this method can be amplified by the introduction of multiple Wolbachia cytotypes as well as the addition of mating disruption.

Our study extends the existing literature by proposing the use of Wolbachia introductions to capitalize on pre‐existing Allee effects and consequently eradicate insect pests. More generally, it highlights the importance of transient dynamics, and the relevance of manipulating a cascade of destabilizatons for pest management.
Fast‐growing oysters show reduced capacity to provide a thermal refuge to intertidal biodiversity at high temperatures
Authors: McAfee Dominic , O'Connor Wayne A. , Bishop Melanie J.
Published: September 2017

Ecosystem engineers that modify the thermal environment experienced by associated organisms might assist in the climate change adaptation of species. This depends on the ability of ecosystem engineers to persist and continue to ameliorate thermal stress under changing climatic conditions—traits that may display significant intraspecific variation.

In the physically stressful intertidal, the complex three‐dimensional structure of oysters provides shading and traps moisture during aerial exposure at low tide. We assessed variation in the capacity of a faster‐ and slower‐growing population of the Sydney Rock Oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, to persist, form three‐dimensional structure and provide a cool microhabitat to invertebrates under warmer conditions.

The two populations of oysters were exposed to a temperature gradient in the field by attaching them to passively warmed white, grey and black stone pavers and their growth, survivorship and colonisation by invertebrates was monitored over a 12‐month period.

Oysters displayed a trade‐off between fast growth and thermal tolerance. The growth advantage of the fast‐growing population diminished with increasing substrate temperature, and at higher temperatures, the faster‐growing oysters suffered greater mortality, formed less habitat, and were consequently less effective at ameliorating low‐tide air temperature extremes than slower‐growing oysters. The greater survivorship of slower‐growing oysters, in turn, produced a cooler microclimate which fed back to further bolster oyster survivorship. Invertebrate recruitment increased with habitat cover and was greater among the slower than the faster‐growing population.

Our results show that the capacity of ecosystem engineers to serve as microhabitat refugia to associated organisms in a warming climate displays marked intraspecific variation. Our study also adds to growing evidence that fast growth may come at the expense of thermal tolerance.
Emerging citizen responses to disasters in Germany. Disaster myths as an impediment for a collaboration of unaffiliated responders and professional rescue forces
Authors: Lorenz Daniel F. , Schulze Katja , Voss Martin
Published: September 2017

Combating disasters necessitates taking advantage of all means and resources that are available. A number of events in recent years have demonstrated the necessity, as well as the potential of well‐integrated and coordinated action between unaffiliated and professional responders. Nevertheless, in practical situations this potential remains largely untapped. This article investigates the case in Germany and asks to which extent known and researched disaster myths impede the cooperation between unaffiliated and professional responders. We combine data from observations of a full‐scale exercise, a representative population survey (N = 1.006), and expert interviews with professional rescue workers to answer our research question. With the results of our research, we have deduced that these disaster myths still significantly influence the perceptions and practical actions of the various involved actors and, as such, that approaches aiming to improve the various forms of cooperation between all available forces must take these underlying assumptions into account.
Translocal disaster interventions: The role of individual relief channels in Philippine disasters
Authors: Dalgas Karina
Published: September 2017

The disaster‐prone Philippine archipelago is a major sender of migrants worldwide. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in the Philippines and Denmark, this article investigates how individual migrants channelled relief to their neighbourhoods of origin after the Bohol earthquake of 2013. I argue that such individual relief channels both complement and conflict with official disaster responses because they form part of local collective coping mechanisms in a way that contradict equity as a principle of distributive justice, and, on the level of practical implementation, poses challenges to aspirations to distribute relief equally. Drawing attention to the practice of excluding the migrants’ households of origin from receiving targeted aid, the article suggests that disaster management should reconsider how remittances flow in disasters.
Applicability of protein estimation methods for assaying glycomacropeptide
Authors: Narwal Vikrant , Sharma Neelima , Sharma Rajan , Rajput Yudhishthir S , Mann Bimlesh
Published: September 2017

Glycomacropeptide (GMP) is a nutraceutical additive, which is released during cheese preparation. In this study, the protein content in a laboratory GMP preparation and two commercial GMP samples, which was estimated by the Bradford, biuret, Lowry and bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assays, were compared using the Kjeldahl method. There were apparent differences in the values of estimated proteins using the different methods. An absence of dose response in the Bradford method and a low dose response using the Lowry method indicated the unsuitability of both these methods. Absorbance in the biuret and BCA methods linearly increased with increasing GMP content. The BCA method was the most sensitive of these methods.
Optimisation of Bacillus cereus biofilm removal in the dairy industry using an in vitro model of cleaning‐in‐place incorporating serine protease
Authors: Kumari Sarita , Sarkar Prabir K
Published: September 2017

This article addresses a major hygienic issue in the dairy industry, namely biofilm removal. Response surface methodology was deployed to optimise Bacillus cereus biofilm removal conditions using serine protease. The currently practiced alkali cleaning‐in‐place (CIP) method was also optimised, and while the optimised protease CIP resulted in complete removal of biofilm cells, the reference CIP (with alkali) resulted in a reduction of 4.08 log biofilm cells/cm2 and the optimised alkali CIP resulted in a reduction of ∼4.92 log biofilm cells/cm2. Furthermore, the amount of the biofilm matrix removed in the optimised protease CIP was significantly higher than that of alkali CIP. It was concluded that the optimised protease CIP has better applicability.
Dairy technology: A UK perspective on its past, present and future
Authors: Wilbey R Andrew
Published: September 2017

The past 70 years have seen a dramatic change in the structure of the dairy industry, driven by socio‐economic changes and by the dramatic improvements in knowledge of the physicochemical and microbiological state of milk and milk products. Production processes have been revolutionised by improvements to process hygiene and by automation. Energy efficiency will continue to have a major influence on manufacture and distribution.
Regional autocratic linkage and regime survival
Authors: SCHMOTZ ALEXANDER , TANSEY OISÍN
Published: September 2017

In this article, the effects of regional autocratic linkage on the survival of autocratic regimes are analysed. Scholars have suggested that regional factors shape regime survival through processes of diffusion. However, in most accounts, diffusion is simply derived from characteristics of the region, such as the number or proportion of regional autocracies. In contrast, it is argued here that it is the actual linkages between countries that must be examined. Regional political, economic and social ties between autocratic regimes create domestic and external stakes in the regime, counterweigh democratisation pressure and facilitate autocratic learning. The study employs the average volume of trade, migration and diplomatic exchanges between autocratic regimes within a region as proxies for regional autocratic linkage, and asserts that regional autocratic linkage is on the rise. Applying Cox survival models on a dataset of regional autocratic linkage and regime survival between 1946 and 2009, it is found that regional autocratic linkage significantly reduces the likelihood of autocratic regime breakdown. These effects hold when the proportion of autocratic regimes within a region is controlled for, suggesting that one must look beyond the characteristics of the countries within a region and focus on the ties and linkages between them.
Impact of ladder‐related falls on the emergency department and recommendations for ladder safety
Authors: Cabilan CJ , Vallmuur Kirsten , Eley Rob , Judge Chantelle , Cochrane Sarah , Reed Connie , Riordan Jessica , Roberts Kym , Thom Ogilvie , Wood Gabriella
Published: September 2017

Objectives

To describe the characteristics of patients who presented to the ED from a ladder‐related fall and their injuries, highlight the impact of ladder‐related falls on the ED, identify contributing factors of ladder falls and draw recommendations to improve ladder safety.

Methods

A prospective observational study was conducted in two EDs. Patients’ demographics and ED services used were obtained from medical records. A 53‐item questionnaire was used to gather information about the type of ladder used, ladder activity, circumstances of the fall, contributing factors and future recommendations.

Results

A total of 177 patients were recruited for this study. The typical patient was male, over the age of 50 and using a domestic ladder. The ED length of stay was between 30 min and 16 h, and was longer if patients were transferred to the short stay unit. Services most utilised in the ED included diagnostic tests, procedures and referrals to other healthcare teams. Most falls occurred because of ladder movement and slips or misstep. The major contributing factors identified were a combination of user features and flaws in ladder setup.

Conclusions

Ladder‐related falls carry a considerable burden to the ED. Recommendations include ladder safety interventions that target ladder users most at risk of falls: men, ≥50 years old and performing domestic tasks. Safety interventions should emphasise task avoidance, education and training, utilisation of safety equipment and appropriate ladder setup.
Preoperative nutritional management of bariatric patients in Australia: The current practice of dietitians
Authors: Bourne Ruth , Tweedie Judith , Pelly Fiona
Published: September 2017

Aim

The aim of this observational study was to investigate the reported practices of Australian dietitians managing bariatric surgery patients in the preoperative stage.

Methods

An online survey of dietitians providing nutritional care to bariatric patients was developed for the purpose of this investigation. The survey questions were guided by the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Perioperative Nutritional, Metabolic and Nonsurgical Support of the Bariatric Surgery Patient guidelines and current literature.

Results

Ninety‐nine dietitians completed the survey. Most participants recommended one to two different medical nutrition therapy strategies for preoperative weight loss (n = 69, 74%), with a very‐low‐energy diet exclusively from liquid meal replacements being the most frequently prescribed (n = 62, 69%). A significantly higher proportion of dietitians working privately reported the involvement of a bariatric surgeon in the multidisciplinary team (P = 0.002). More private practitioners also reported providing education on the nutritional consequences of the different types of bariatric procedures (P = 0.005) and postoperative vitamin and mineral supplementation (P = 0.013), as well as the use of the guidelines to guide their practice (P = 0.014), compared to dietitians who worked in the public sector. A higher proportion of dietitians working in metropolitan areas reported that screening occurred more frequently for vitamin D (P = 0.008), fasting blood lipids (P = 0.03) and glycated haemoglobin (P = 0.003) compared to those in regional/rural/remote areas.

Conclusions

Reported preoperative screening practices were not consistent with the recommendations from the literature and current American guidelines. Further investigation into the difference in the nutritional management strategies and work environments is warranted.
High nutrition risk is associated with higher risk of dysphagia in advanced age adults newly admitted to hospital
Authors: Popman Amy , Richter Marilize , Allen Jacqueline , Wham Carol
Published: September 2017

Aim

To establish the prevalence of nutrition risk and associated risk factors among adults of advanced age newly admitted to hospital.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was undertaken in adults aged over 85 years admitted to one of two hospital wards in Auckland within the previous 5 days. An interviewer‐administered questionnaire was used to establish participant's socio‐demographic and health characteristics. Markers of body composition and muscle strength were collected. Nutrition risk was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment‐Short Form (MNA‐SF), dysphagia risk using the 10‐Item Eating Assessment Tool (EAT‐10) and level of cognition using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

Results

A total of 88 participants with a mean age of 90.0 ± 3.7 years completed the assessments. A third (28.4%) of the participants were categorised by the MNA‐SF as malnourished and 43.2% were classified at risk of malnutrition. A third (29.5%) were at risk of dysphagia as assessed by EAT‐10. Malnourished participants were more likely to be at risk of dysphagia (P = 0.015). The MNA‐SF score was positively correlated with body mass index (r = 0.484, P < 0.001) and grip strength (r = 0.250, P = 0.026) and negatively correlated with risk of dysphagia (r = −0.383, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Among newly hospitalised adults of advanced age, over two thirds were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, and a third were at risk of dysphagia. Nutrition risk was positively correlated with low BMI and grip strength and negatively correlated with dysphagia risk. Findings highlight the importance of screening for dysphagia risk, especially in those identified to be malnourished or at nutrition risk.
Optimizing Agricultural Best Management Practices in a Lake Erie Watershed
Authors: Pyo Jongcheol , Baek Sang‐Soo , Kim Minjeong , Park Sanghun , Lee Hyuk , Ra Jin‐Sung , Cho Kyung Hwa
Published: September 2017

Implementing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) is influenced by a balance of desired environmental outcomes, economic feasibility, and stakeholder familiarity, the latter taken to be related to BMP acceptability. To explore this balance, we developed a multi‐objective decision support system for allocating BMP type and placement by coupling the Soil and Water Assessment Tool with a nondominated sorted genetic algorithm that minimizes total phosphorus (TP) yields from agricultural hydrologic response units (HRUs) and costs, while using stakeholder BMP familiarity as a constraint; conventional tillage, no tillage, nutrient management, riparian buffers, and contour cropping were explored. Using constraints representing current conditions, the optimization resulted in 59.6 to 81.0% reduction in agricultural TP yield from HRUs at costs ranging between US $0.8 and US $5.3 million. The constrained optimization tended to select mostly single BMPs or at most two BMPs for a given HRU due to these BMPs having higher acceptability to stakeholders. In contrast, the unconstrained case, representing full familiarity, selected 2‐ and 3‐BMP applications. There was little difference in costs between the constrained and unconstrained cases below an 80% TP yield reduction; however, significant differences were found at larger reductions, supporting the value of stakeholder education and extension efforts. Editor's note: This paper is part of the featured series on SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. See the February 2017 issue for the introduction and background to the series.
European Society of Cardiology 2017
Authors: Carracher Ann M. , Marathe Payal H. , Close Kelly L.
Published: September 2017

Ann M. Carracher, Payal H. Marathe, and Kelly L. Close are of Close Concerns (http://www.closeconcerns.com), a healthcare information company focused exclusively on diabetes and obesity care. Close Concerns publishes Closer Look, a periodical that brings together news and insights in these areas. Each month, the Journal of Diabetes includes this News feature, in which Carracher, Marathe, and Close review the latest developments relevant to researchers and clinicians.