bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Interactions Between Cassava Brown Streak Disease Symptom Types Facilitates the Determination of Varietal Responses and Yield Losses
Authors: Ndyetabula I. L. , Merumba S. M. , Jeremiah S. C. , Kasele S. , Mkamilo G. S. , Kagimbo F. M. , Legg J. P.
Published: February 2016

Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), caused by cassava brown streak viruses, is recognized as one of the most important plant disease threats to African food security. This study describes the incidence and severity of the different symptom types caused by CBSD, derived from extensive surveys in the country most severely affected by the disease: Tanzania. Total plant incidence and mean root severity of CBSD, recorded from 341 farmers’ fields, were both greater in the Coast Zone (49.5% and 3.05), than in the Lake Zone (32.7% and 2.57). Overall, the differing incidences recorded declined in the following order: total plant incidence (39.1%), plant shoot incidence (33.4%), plant root incidence (19.3%), root incidence (10.5%), and unusable root incidence (5.4%). The much lower-than-anticipated loss due to the root necrosis that is characteristic of CBSD was offset by large reductions of root number in plants expressing foliar symptoms of CBSD (15.7% in the Coast Zone and 5.5% in the Lake Zone). These data suggest that the effects of CBSD on the growth of affected plants are greater than those due to root spoilage. Based on these two factors, annual losses due to CBSD in the parts of Tanzania surveyed were estimated at >860,000 t, equivalent to more than U.S.$51 million. A novel approach to using farm-derived data on the responses of the most frequently cultivated varieties to CBSD infection allowed the grouping of the varieties into four categories, based on their relative resistance or tolerance to infection. This tool should be of value to breeders in identifying and selecting for sources of resistance or tolerance in both local and exotic germplasm, and should ultimately contribute to enhancing the management of one of Africa’s most damaging crop diseases.
Associations of alcohol use disorders with esophageal and gastric cancers: a population-based study in Sweden
Authors: Ji Jianguang , Sundquist Jan , Sundquist Kristina
Published: February 2016

Alcohol consumption is associated with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, but little is known about whether alcohol consumption is associated with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and gastric cancer, which we attempt to clarify in this study. Individuals with alcohol use disorders were identified from the nation-wide Swedish Hospital Discharge Register and Outpatient Register, the Crime Register, and the Prescription Drug Register, and they were linked to the Swedish Cancer Registry to calculate standardized incidence ratios of esophageal and gastric cancers using those without alcohol use disorders (AUDs) as a reference. A total of 14 518 and 73 504 patients were diagnosed with esophageal and gastric cancers, separately, during the study period. The risk of esophageal cancer was significantly increased, with a standardized incidence ratio of 2.24 (95% confidence interval 2.08–2.41) among individuals with AUDs. Both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were increased (2.89 for squamous cell carcinoma and 1.20 for adenocarcinoma). The incidence of gastric cancer was significantly decreased and the decrease was even more prominant for corpus cancer compared with cardia cancer (0.57 vs. 0.82). In this retrospective cohort study, we found that AUDs were associated with an increased risk of both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, whereas individuals with AUDs had a lower risk of gastric cancer, especially for corpus cancer, which may be related to the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be explored in future studies.
Reproductive factors are associated with oesophageal cancer risk: results from a meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Zhu Yuhui , Yue Dahai , Yuan Beibei , Zhu Lianhua , Lu Ming
Published: February 2016

To further evaluate the association between reproductive events and the development of oesophageal cancer, we searched relevant studies using electronic databases (PubMed, ISI Web of Science). Study-specific relative risks with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) in all analyses were used and multiple summary relative risk (SRR) estimates were calculated. We carried out subgroup analyses and used meta-regression techniques to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to identify whether pooled results were influenced by individual studies and publication bias was assessed by Begg’s funnel plots and the Egger regression asymmetry test. Fourteen studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis, summarizing a total of 3816 oesophageal cancer cases. We found that age at menopause (SRR=0.70; 95% CI: 0.51–0.95) and hormone replacement therapy (SRR=0.67; 95% CI: 0.56–0.81) had an association with a decreased risk of oesophageal cancer. A similar result was obtained for parity (SRR=0.79; 95% CI: 0.71–0.89) and ever breastfeeding (SRR=0.65; 95% CI: 0.43–0.97). In contrast, postmenopausal status was associated with increased risk (SRR=1.65; 95% CI: 1.28–2.14). No statistically significant link was found with other exposures. Our meta-analysis supports the substantial influence of reproductive factors, which could be causally linked to oesophageal cancer.
Malignant Clear Cell Acanthoma: Report of a Rare Case of Clear Cell Acanthoma-Like Tumor With Malignant Features
Authors: Lin Chien-yio , Lee Li-yu , Kuo Tseng-tong
Published: February 2016

An erythematous and moist tumor nodule on the left temple of a 92-year-old woman was biopsied and identified as a clear cell acanthoma (CCA)-like tumor with malignant cytology and high proliferation activity. This case is similar to 2 cases reported previously as atypical CCA. The authors believe that these tumors are malignant counterparts of CCA and propose to call them malignant CCA. The clinicopathologic features of the present case are described along with dermoscopic findings.
Parental Physical Proximity in End-of-Life Care in the PICU
Authors: Falkenburg Jeannette L. , Tibboel Dick , Ganzevoort Ruard R. , Gischler Saskia , Hagoort Jacobus , van Dijk Monique
Published: February 2016

Objective:

Health professionals in PICUs support both child and parents when a child’s death is imminent. Parents long to stay connected to their dying child but the high-tech environment and treatment implications make it difficult to stay physically close. This study explores in what sense physical aspects of end-of-life care in the PICU influence the parent-child relationship.

Design:

Retrospective, qualitative interview study.

Setting:

Level 3 PICU in Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands.

Participants:

Thirty-six parents of 20 children who had died in this unit 5 years previously.

Measurements and Main Results:

Parents vividly remembered the damage done to the child’s physical appearance, an inevitable consequence of medical treatment. They felt frustrated and hurt when they could not hold their child. Yet they felt comforted if facilitated to be physically close to the dying child, like lying with the child in one bed, holding the child in the hour of death, and washing the child after death.

Conclusions:

End-of-life treatment in the PICU presents both a barrier and an opportunity for parents to stay physically connected to their child. Parents’ experiences suggest that aspects of physicality in medical settings deserve more attention. Better understanding of the significance of bodily aspects—other than pain and symptom management—improves end-of-life support and should be part of the humane approach to families.
Midcarpal and Scaphotrapeziotrapezoid Arthritis in Patients with Carpometacarpal Arthritis
Authors: Katzel Evan B. , Bielicka Dierde , Shakir Sameer , Fowler John , Buterbaugh Glenn A. , Imbriglia Joseph E.
Published: February 2016

Background:

Carpometacarpal arthroplasty provides well-documented pain relief with preservation of thenar function in basal joint arthritis treatment. Nevertheless, some patients continue to have pain following surgery. The authors hypothesize that unrecognized midcarpal (capitolunate) arthritis is a contributor to persistent pain after carpometacarpal arthroplasty. The prevalence of midcarpal arthritis in patients with basal joint arthritis is unknown. This article establishes the radiographic prevalence of midcarpal arthritis in patients with carpometacarpal arthritis.

Methods:

Patients with basal joint arthritis were identified from a search using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code 716.94. Hand radiographs were reviewed and graded using the Eaton classification and Sodha classification for carpometacarpal arthritis. Scaphotrapeziotrapezoid arthritis and midcarpal arthritis were graded using the Sodha classification for arthritis as follows: grade 1, no or nearly no arthrosis; grade 2, definite arthrosis but not severe; and grade 3, severe arthrosis.

Results:

Eight hundred ninety-six radiographs were reviewed. The prevalence of scaphotrapeziotrapezoid arthritis in this population was 64 percent. The prevalence of midcarpal arthritis in this population was 23.5 percent. The prevalence of midcarpal arthritis in patients with radiologic evidence of carpometacarpal arthritis was 25.4 percent. The prevalence of severe midcarpal arthritis was 7 percent.

Conclusions:

The prevalence of midcarpal arthritis in patients with basal joint arthritis is 24 percent. The presence of two locations of arthritis may explain persistent hand and wrist pain in this population despite carpometacarpal arthroplasty. Clinically, these data will allow hand surgeons to better educate patients with basal joint arthritis regarding the possibility of incomplete pain relief following carpometacarpal arthroplasty.
Liver Fibrosis Linked to Cognitive Performance in HIV and Hepatitis C
Authors: Valcour Victor G. , Rubin Leah H. , Obasi Mary U. , Maki Pauline M. , Peters Marion G. , Levin Susanna , Crystal Howard A. , Young Mary A. , Mack Wendy J. , Cohen Mardge H. , Pierce Christopher B. , Adimora Adaora A. , Tien Phyllis C. ,   for the Women's Interagency HIV Study Protocol Team
Published: February 2016

Objective:

Because HIV impairs gut barriers to pathogens, HIV-infected adults may be vulnerable to minimal hepatic encephalopathy in the absence of cirrhosis.

Background:

Cognitive disorders persist in up to one-half of people living with HIV despite access to combination antiretroviral therapy. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy occurs in cirrhotic patients with or without HIV infection and may be associated with inflammation.

Design/Methods:

A cross-sectional investigation of liver fibrosis severity using the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) and neuropsychological testing performance among women from the Women's Interagency HIV Study. A subset underwent liver transient elastography (FibroScan, n = 303).

Results:

We evaluated 1479 women [mean (SD) age of 46 (9.3) years]: 770 (52%) only HIV infected, 73 (5%) only hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected, 235 (16%) HIV/HCV coinfected, and 401 (27%) uninfected. Of these, 1221 (83%) exhibited APRI ≤0.5 (no or only mild fibrosis), 206 (14%) exhibited APRI >0.5 and ≤1.5 (moderate fibrosis), and 52 (3%) exhibited APRI >1.5 (severe fibrosis). Having moderate or severe fibrosis (APRI >0.5) was associated with worse performance in learning, executive function, memory, psychomotor speed, fluency, and fine motor skills. In these models that adjusted for fibrosis, smaller associations were found for HIV (learning and memory) and HCV (executive functioning and attention). The severity of fibrosis, measured by FibroScan, was associated with worse performance in attention, executive functioning, and fluency.

Conclusions:

Liver fibrosis had a contribution to cognitive performance independent of HCV and HIV; however, the pattern of neuropsychological deficit associated with fibrosis was not typical of minimal hepatic encephalopathy.
Pharmacokinetics of Co-Formulated Elvitegravir/Cobicistat/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate After Switch From Efavirenz/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Ramanathan Srini , Custodio Joseph M. , Wei Xuelian , Wang Hui , Fordyce Marshall , Dave Ami , Ling Kah Hiing J. , Szwarcberg Javier , Kearney Brian P.
Published: February 2016

Background:

Elvitegravir (EVG), a HIV integrase inhibitor, is metabolized primarily by CYP3A, and secondarily by UGT1A1/3; Efavirenz (EFV), a HIV non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, is metabolized by Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B6 and induces CYP3A and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) with residual effects post discontinuation because of long T1/2 (40–55 hours). This study evaluated the pharmacokinetics after switching from efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (EFV/FTC/TDF) to elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF).

Methods:

Healthy subjects (n = 32 including n = 8 CYP2B6 poor metabolizers) received EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF (150/150/200/300 mg) on days 1–7, and after a washout, received EFV/FTC/TDF (600/200/300 mg) on days 15–28 and switched to EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF (150/150/200/300 mg) for 5 weeks (days 29–62). Pharmacokinetic assessments occurred on days 7, 28, 35, and 42; trough samples (Ctrough) were collected periodically until day 63. Safety was assessed throughout the study.

Results:

Twenty-nine subjects completed with 3 adverse events leading to discontinuation; no grade ≥3 adverse events were reported. Post-EFV/FTC/TDF, mean EVG area under concentration (AUCtau) was 37% and 29% lower and mean Ctrough ∼3- and ∼5-fold above IC95, respectively, on days 35 and 42, and 7–8-fold above IC95 by 5 weeks. COBI AUCtau returned to normal by day 42. EVG glucuronide, GS-9200, AUCtau was higher (46% and 32% on days 35 and 42, respectively) postswitch. CYP2B6 poor metabolizers displayed higher EFV AUCtau and Cmax (125% and 91%, respectively) versus non-poor metabolizers, and lower EVG and COBI exposures. EFV Ctrough was >IC90 (10 ng/mL) in all subjects postswitch. FTC and tenofovir (TFV) exposures were unaffected.

Conclusions:

After EFV/FTC/TDF to EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF switch, EVG and/or EFV exposures were in an active range. These findings support further evaluation of switching regimens in HIV-1 patients.
Raymond Edward Smallman CBE FREng. 4 August 1929 — 25 February 2015
Authors: Goodhew P. J.
Published: February 2016

Raymond Edward Smallman was one of Britain's leading physical metallurgists. His books influenced many generations of undergraduates, and his research group spawned more than a dozen professors of metallurgy and materials science, a university vice-chancellor and at least two directors of major metal companies. Smallman's range was immense and during an active research and teaching life of more than 60 years he made important contributions, often using electron microscopy, to our understanding of crystal defects and deformation behaviour in metals, alloys, intermetallic compounds and ceramics. His professional career was based at the University of Birmingham for more than 50 years and he contributed hugely to the success of one of the country's leading schools of metallurgy and materials.
Non-singular acoustic cloak derived by the ray tracing method with rotationally symmetric transformations
Authors: Gao Penglin , Wu Linzhi
Published: February 2016

Recently, the ray tracing method has been used to derive the non-singular cylindrical invisibility cloaks for out-of-plane shear waves, which is impossible via the transformation method directly owing to the singular push-forward mapping. In this paper, the method is adopted to design a kind of non-singular acoustic cloak. Based on Hamilton's equations of motion, eikonal equation and pre-designed ray equations, we derive several constraint equations for bulk modulus and density tensor. On the premise that the perfect matching conditions are satisfied, a series of non-singular physical profiles can be obtained by arranging the singular terms reasonably. The physical profiles derived by the ray tracing method will degenerate to the transformation-based solutions when taking the transport equation into consideration. This illuminates the essence of the newly designed cloaks that they are actually the so-called eikonal cloaks that can accurately control the paths of energy flux but with small disturbance in energy distribution along the paths. The near-perfect invisible performance has been demonstrated by the numerical ray tracing results and the pressure distribution snapshots. Finally, a kind of reduced cloak is conceived, and the good invisible performance has been measured quantitatively by the normalized scattering width.
Transient in-plane thermal transport in nanofilms with internal heating
Authors: Hua Yu-Chao , Cao Bing-Yang
Published: February 2016

Wide applications of nanofilms in electronics necessitate an in-depth understanding of nanoscale thermal transport, which significantly deviates from Fourier's law. Great efforts have focused on the effective thermal conductivity under temperature difference, while it is still ambiguous whether the diffusion equation with an effective thermal conductivity can accurately characterize the nanoscale thermal transport with internal heating. In this work, transient in-plane thermal transport in nanofilms with internal heating is studied via Monte Carlo (MC) simulations in comparison to the heat diffusion model and mechanism analyses using Fourier transform. Phonon-boundary scattering leads to larger temperature rise and slower thermal response rate when compared with the heat diffusion model based on Fourier's law. The MC simulations are also compared with the diffusion model with effective thermal conductivity. In the first case of continuous internal heating, the diffusion model with effective thermal conductivity under-predicts the temperature rise by the MC simulations at the initial heating stage, while the deviation between them gradually decreases and vanishes with time. By contrast, for the one-pulse internal heating case, the diffusion model with effective thermal conductivity under-predicts both the peak temperature rise and the cooling rate, so the deviation can always exist.
Information use and resource competition: an integrative framework
Authors: Lee Alexander E. G. , Ounsley James P. , Coulson Tim , Rowcliffe J. Marcus , Cowlishaw Guy
Published: February 2016

Organisms may reduce uncertainty regarding how best to exploit their environment by collecting information about resource distribution. We develop a model to demonstrate how competition can facilitate or constrain an individual's ability to use information when acquiring resources. As resource distribution underpins both selection on information use and the strength and nature of competition between individuals, we demonstrate interdependencies between the two that should be common in nature. Individuals in our model can search for resources either personally or by using social information. We explore selection on social information use across a comprehensive range of ecological conditions, generalizing the producer–scrounger framework to a wide diversity of taxa and resources. We show that resource ecology—defined by scarcity, depletion rate and monopolizability—determines patterns of individual differences in social information use. These differences suggest coevolutionary processes linking dominance systems and social information use, with implications for the evolutionary demography of populations.
Multiple evolutionary origins of Australian soil-burrowing cockroaches driven by climate change in the Neogene
Authors: Lo Nathan , Tong K. Jun , Rose Harley A. , Ho Simon Y. W. , Beninati Tiziana , Low David L. T. , Matsumoto Tadao , Maekawa Kiyoto
Published: February 2016

Parallel evolution is the independent appearance of similar derived phenotypes from similar ancestral forms. It is of key importance in the debate over whether evolution is stochastic and unpredictable, or subject to constraints that limit available phenotypic options. Nevertheless, its occurrence has rarely been demonstrated above the species level. Climate change on the Australian landmass over the last approximately 20 Myr has provided conditions conducive to parallel evolution, as taxa at the edges of shrinking mesic habitats adapted to drier biomes. Here, we investigate the phylogeny and evolution of Australian soil-burrowing and wood-feeding blaberid cockroaches. Soil burrowers (subfamily Geoscapheinae) are found in relatively dry sclerophyllous and scrubland habits, whereas wood feeders (subfamily Panesthiinae) are found in rainforest and wet sclerophyll. We sequenced and analysed mitochondrial and nuclear markers from 142 specimens, and estimated the evolutionary time scale of the two subfamilies. We found evidence for the parallel evolution of soil-burrowing taxa from wood-feeding ancestors on up to nine occasions. These transitions appear to have been driven by periods of aridification during the Miocene and Pliocene across eastern Australia. Our results provide an illuminating example of climate-driven parallel evolution among species.
Age-related declines in immune response in a wild mammal are unrelated to immune cell telomere length
Authors: Beirne Christopher , Waring Laura , McDonald Robbie A. , Delahay Richard , Young Andrew
Published: February 2016

Senescence has been hypothesized to arise in part from age-related declines in immune performance, but the patterns and drivers of within-individual age-related changes in immunity remain virtually unexplored in natural populations. Here, using a long-term epidemiological study of wild European badgers (
Meles meles
), we (i) present evidence of a within-individual age-related decline in the response of a key immune-signalling cytokine, interferon-gamma (IFN
γ
), to
ex vivo
lymphocyte stimulation, and (ii) investigate three putative drivers of individual variation in the rate of this decline (sex, disease and immune cell telomere length; ICTL). That the within-individual rate of age-related decline markedly exceeded that at the population level suggests that individuals with weaker IFN
γ
responses are selectively lost from this population. IFN
γ
responses appeared to decrease with the progression of bovine tuberculosis infection (independent of age) and were weaker among males than females. However, neither sex nor disease influenced the rate of age-related decline in IFN
γ
response. Similarly, while ICTL also declines with age, variation in ICTL predicted neither among- nor within-individual variation in IFN
γ
response. Our findings provide evidence of within-individual age-related declines in immune performance in a wild mammal and highlight the likely complexity of the mechanisms that generate them.
Opposing phylogenetic diversity gradients of plant and soil bacterial communities
Authors: Goberna Marta , Navarro-Cano Jose A. , Verdú Miguel
Published: February 2016

Plants and soil microbes show parallel patterns of species-level diversity. Diverse plant communities release a wider range of organics that are consumed by more microbial species. We speculated, however, that diversity metrics accounting for the evolutionary distance across community members would reveal opposing patterns between plant and soil bacterial phylogenetic diversity. Plant phylogenetic diversity enhances plant productivity and thus expectedly soil fertility. This, in turn, might reduce bacterial phylogenetic diversity by favouring one (or a few) competitive bacterial clade. We collected topsoils in 15 semi-arid plant patches and adjacent low-cover areas configuring a plant phylodiversity gradient, pyrosequenced the 16S rRNA gene to identify bacterial taxa and analysed soil fertility parameters. Structural equation modelling showed positive effects of both plant richness and phylogenetic diversity on soil fertility. Fertility increased bacterial richness but reduced bacterial phylogenetic diversity. This might be attributed to the competitive dominance of a lineage based on its high relative fitness. This suggests biotic interactions as determinants of the soil bacterial community assembly, while emphasizing the need to use phylogeny-informed metrics to tease apart the processes underlying the patterns of diversity.
Chunking improves symbolic sequence processing and relies on working memory gating mechanisms
Authors: Solopchuk Oleg , Alamia Andrea , Olivier Etienne , Zénon Alexandre
Published: February 2016

Chunking, namely the grouping of sequence elements in clusters, is ubiquitous during sequence processing, but its impact on performance remains debated. Here, we found that participants who adopted a consistent chunking strategy during symbolic sequence learning showed a greater improvement of their performance and a larger decrease in cognitive workload over time. Stronger reliance on chunking was also associated with higher scores in a WM updating task, suggesting the contribution of WM gating mechanisms to sequence chunking. Altogether, these results indicate that chunking is a cost-saving strategy that enhances effectiveness of symbolic sequence learning.
Rapidin situX-ray position stabilizationviaextremum seeking feedback
Authors: Zohar S. , Venugopalan N. , Kissick D. , Becker M. , Xu S. , Makarov O. , Stepanov S. , Ogata C. , Sanishvili R. , Fischetti R. F.
Published: February 2016

X-ray beam stability is crucial for acquiring high-quality data at synchrotron beamline facilities. When the X-ray beam and defining apertures are of similar dimensions, small misalignments driven by position instabilities give rise to large intensity fluctuations. This problem is solved using extremum seeking feedback control (ESFC) forin situvertical beam position stabilization. In this setup, the intensity spatial gradient required for ESFC is determined by phase comparison of intensity oscillations downstream from the sample with pre-existing vertical beam oscillations. This approach compensates for vertical position drift from all sources with position recovery times <6 s and intensity stability through a 5 µm aperture measured at 1.5% FWHM over a period of 8 hours.
A study of how ICT capabilities can influence dynamic capabilities
Authors: Parida Vinit , Oghazi Pejvak , Cedergren Stefan
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– Prior studies have argued that small firms with dynamic capabilities can revise and reconfigure their internal resources to meet the uncertainties of their business environment. However, there is a lack of understanding of how they can develop such critical capabilities. The purpose of this paper is to propose that small firms can employ information and communication technology (ICT) capabilities as a facilitator for developing dynamic capabilities. Thus, the study builds on resource-based view (RBV) literature and information systems (IS) literature by examining the influence of ICT capabilities on the dynamic capabilities of small firms.

Design/methodology/approach

– Several hypotheses were tested by analysing the survey data from 291 small high-technology firms in Sweden.

Findings

– The results reveal that ICT capabilities influence dynamic capabilities of small firms. More specifically, the ICT use for internal efficiency positively influences adoptive capabilities, collaborative use of ICT positively influences networking capabilities, and ICT use for communications positively influences both adaptive and innovation capabilities. Consequently, the results suggest that the different components of ICT capabilities facilitate the development of the different organizational capabilities that together represent dynamic capabilities and thus, can contribute to a small firm’s competitive advantage.

Practical implications

– This study has few implications for the managers and CEO’s of small high-technology firms. First, by prioritizing ICT capabilities, small firms can benefit from the development of dynamic capabilities that will support them to meet the challenges of turbulent business environment. Second, because small firms usually lack internal resources (i.e. financial resources and competence), the study provides more specific direction on how they can strategically invest and build different components of ICT that will positively influence their adaptive, absorptive, innovative, and network capabilities.

Originality/value

– The study provides an alternative view of how ICT capabilities influence the performance of small firms, and outlines how such capabilities influence the development of dynamic capabilities. Therefore, the study in hand contributes to the RBV and IS literature by specifically linking the components of ICT capabilities to dynamic capabilities and its related sub-capabilities.
A multidimensional measure of managers’ contextual and task performance
Authors: Hosie Peter , Nankervis Alan
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper it to report the findings of an empirical study into managers’ job performance. A new measure was developed from the literature to test and establish the multidimensional structure of managers’ contextual and task performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– Field ratings by executives explicitly and simultaneously measured both managers’ contextual and task performance. A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to a variety of public and third sector managers from a range of private, public and third sector occupations residing in (Western) Australia. A purposive sample yielded a response rate of 32 percent. Factor analysis was used to determine the items that constitute executives’ perceptions of managers’ performance using downward appraisal (i.e. by the person to whom a manager reports).

Findings

– The construct “managers’ job performance” was found to be multidimensional; consisting of four distinct contextual factors (Following, Persisting, Helping, Endorsing) and a further four distinct task factors (Delegating, Monitoring, Technical, Influencing).

Originality/value

– Performance appraisals of managers represent new items and factors that more accurately reflect the nature of the broader roles undertaken by managers, including transformative and ethical leadership. Findings from this study assist in establishing the structure for the subsequent appraisal of managers’ contextual and task performance. Future researchers could test the applicability and replicability of this new instrument in more diverse industry contexts using confirmatory statistical analysis.
Systemic T Cells and Monocyte Characteristics in Patients with Denture Stomatitis
Authors: Maciąg Joanna , Mikołajczyk Tomasz , Matusik Paweł , Nosalski Ryszard , Sagan Agnieszka , Maciąg Anna , Nowakowski Daniel , Wilk Grzegorz , Osmenda Grzegorz , Guzik Tomasz , Cześnikiewicz‐Guzik Marta
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Chronic inflammatory disorders of the oral cavity, such as periodontitis, were recently linked to systemic immune activation. Since fungal oral infections have not yet been studied in this respect, the aim of our study is to determine whether the local inflammation caused by oral fungal infection of the palatal tissue (denture stomatitis—DS) is associated with the systemic inflammatory response. This question is becoming essential as the population ages.

Materials and Methods

Peripheral blood of DS patients (n = 20) and control patients (n = 24) was assessed with flow cytometry to determine lymphocyte and monocyte profiles. Intracellular cytometric analysis was carried out to establish cytokine production by T cells. DS was diagnosed based on clinical symptoms of DS such as swelling and redness of oral mucosa, confirmed by microbiological swabs for fungal colonization with Candida species. The control group was recruited from denture users without clinical and microbiological signs of oral infections.

Results

Percentages of peripheral lymphocytes, T cells, monocytes, and their subpopulations were similar in both studied groups. The exception was median percentages of CD25+ T cell subsets, which were significantly lower in DS patients than in control subjects. This reduction was observed in both CD4 T cell subset (16.7% and 28.1%; p = 0.0006) and CD8 T cell subset (4.6% and 7.0%; p = 0.007)

Conclusions

While DS and associated local fungal infection do not overtly affect activation of monocytes or lymphocytes, the number of CD 25+ T cells is significantly lower in the DS patients, possibly indicating limited potential for the infection clearance in denture‐using aging patients.
Simulation Modeling of Consumers' Participation in Product Take-Back Systems
Authors: Mashhadi Ardeshir Raihanian , Esmaeilian Behzad , Behdad Sara
Published: February 2016

As electronic waste (e-waste) becomes one of the fastest growing environmental concerns, remanufacturing may be a promising solution. However, the profitability of take-back systems is hampered by several factors, including the lack of information on the quantity and timing of to-be-returned used products to a remanufacturing facility. Factors that contribute to this unpredictability in the waste stream include product design features, consumers' awareness of recycling opportunities, sociodemographic characteristics, peer pressure, and the tendency of consumers to keep used items in storage. A system that helps predict when the consumer will stop using a product and store, resell, recycle, or discard it could help manufacturers better estimate return trends. The objective of this paper is to develop an agent-based simulation (ABS) framework that integrates a discrete choice analysis (DCA) technique to predict consumer end-of-use (EOU) decisions. The proposed simulation tools examine the impact of design features, interaction among individual consumers, and sociodemographic criteria related to the number of e-product returns. A numerical example of a cellphone take-back system has been provided to show the application of the model.
A Model-Based Two-Arm Robot With Dynamic Vertical and Lateral Climbing Behaviors
Authors: Ko Wei-Hung , Chiang Wei-Hsuan , Hsu Ya-Han , Yu Ming-Yuan , Lin Hung-Sheng , Lin Pei-Chun
Published: February 2016

We report on the model-based development of a climbing robot that is capable of performing dynamic vertical and lateral climbing motions. The robot was designed based on the two-arm vertical-climbing model inspired by the dynamic climbing motion of cockroaches and geckos, with the extension of introducing the arm sprawl motion to initiate the lateral climbing motion. The quantitative formulation of the model was derived based on Lagrangian mechanics, and the numerical analysis of the model was conducted. The robot was then built and controlled based on the analysis results of the model. The robot can perform the behaviors predicted by the model in which the climbing speed decreases when the swing magnitude increases, and the lateral climbing motion can be initiated when the arm sprawl motion is introduced. The experimental validation of the robot confirms that though the reduced-order two-arm model is abstract and ignored various empirical details, the model is sufficient to predict the robot behavior. This conclusion further suggests that the behavior development of the robot can indeed be explored and evaluated by using the simple climbing model in the simulation environment in place of extensive trial-and-error on the physical robot.
Novel targets for mitochondrial medicine
Authors: Wang Wang , Karamanlidis Georgios , Tian Rong
Published: February 2016

Emerging mechanisms in mitochondrial biology, including protein modification, calcium ion transport, and dynamics, are potential targets for next-generation therapies.
Linked in: Cholesterol connects oligos to liver
Authors: Traverso Giovanni
Published: February 2016

Antisense oligonucleotides chemically linked to cholesterol naturally target hepatocytes and modulate gene expression in the liver.
A puzzling path from infection to Guillain-Barré syndrome
Authors: Wang Taia T.
Published: February 2016

New case studies clearly show that Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) occurs secondary to infection and hint that autoimmunity is not the only path to GBS.
Comparative Study of Activities of a Diverse Set of Antimycobacterial Agents against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium ulcerans
Authors: Scherr Nicole , Pluschke Gerd , Panda Manoranjan
Published: February 2016

A library of compounds covering a broad chemical space was selected from a tuberculosis drug development program and was screened in a whole-cell assay against
Mycobacterium ulcerans
, the causative agent of the necrotizing skin disease Buruli ulcer. While a number of potent antitubercular agents were only weakly active or inactive against
M. ulcerans
, five compounds showed high activity (90% inhibitory concentration [IC
90
], ≤1 μM), making screening of focused antitubercular libraries a good starting point for lead generation against
M. ulcerans
.
Tigecycline Potentiates Clarithromycin Activity against Mycobacterium avium In Vitro
Authors: Bax Hannelore I. , Bakker-Woudenberg Irma A. J. M. , ten Kate Marian T. , Verbon Annelies , de Steenwinkel Jurriaan E. M.
Published: February 2016

The
in vitro
activities of clarithromycin and tigecycline alone and in combination against
Mycobacterium avium
were assessed. The activity of clarithromycin was time dependent, highly variable, and often resulted in clarithromycin resistance. Tigecycline showed concentration-dependent activity, and mycobacterial killing could only be achieved at high concentrations. Tigecycline enhanced clarithromycin activity against
M. avium
and prevented clarithromycin resistance. Whether there is clinical usefulness of tigecycline in the treatment of
M. avium
infections needs further study.
The RNA-Binding Chaperone Hfq Is an Important Global Regulator of Gene Expression in Pasteurella multocida and Plays a Crucial Role in Production of a Number of Virulence Factors, Including Hyaluronic Acid Capsule
Authors: Mégroz Marianne , Kleifeld Oded , Wright Amy , Powell David , Harrison Paul , Adler Ben , Harper Marina , Boyce John D.
Published: February 2016

The Gram-negative bacterium
Pasteurella multocida
is the causative agent of a number of economically important animal diseases, including avian fowl cholera. Numerous
P. multocida
virulence factors have been identified, including capsule, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and filamentous hemagglutinin, but little is known about how the expression of these virulence factors is regulated. Hfq is an RNA-binding protein that facilitates riboregulation via interaction with small noncoding RNA (sRNA) molecules and their mRNA targets. Here, we show that a
P. multocida
hfq
mutant produces significantly less hyaluronic acid capsule during all growth phases and displays reduced
in vivo
fitness. Transcriptional and proteomic analyses of the
hfq
mutant during mid-exponential-phase growth revealed altered transcript levels for 128 genes and altered protein levels for 78 proteins. Further proteomic analyses of the
hfq
mutant during the early exponential growth phase identified 106 proteins that were produced at altered levels. Both the transcript and protein levels for genes/proteins involved in capsule biosynthesis were reduced in the
hfq
mutant, as were the levels of the filamentous hemagglutinin protein PfhB2 and its secretion partner LspB2. In contrast, there were increased expression levels of three LPS biosynthesis genes, encoding proteins involved in phosphocholine and phosphoethanolamine addition to LPS, suggesting that these genes are negatively regulated by Hfq-dependent mechanisms. Taken together, these data provide the first evidence that Hfq plays a crucial role in regulating the global expression of
P. multocida
genes, including the regulation of key
P. multocida
virulence factors, capsule, LPS, and filamentous hemagglutinin.
Protective Effect of Chronic Schistosomiasis in Baboons Coinfected with Schistosoma mansoni and Plasmodium knowlesi
Authors: Nyakundi Ruth K. , Nyamongo Onkoba , Maamun Jeneby , Akinyi Mercy , Mulei Isaac , Farah Idle O. , Blankenship D'Arbra , Grimberg Brian , Hau Jann , Malhotra Indu , Ozwara Hastings , King Christopher L. , Kariuki Thomas M.
Published: February 2016

Malaria and schistosomiasis coinfections are common, and chronic schistosomiasis has been implicated in affecting the severity of acute malaria. However, whether it enhances or attenuates malaria has been controversial due the lack of appropriately controlled human studies and relevant animal models. To examine this interaction, we conducted a randomized controlled study using the baboon (Papio anubis) to analyze the effect of chronic schistosomiasis on severe malaria. Two groups of baboons (n= 8 each) and a schistosomiasis control group (n= 3) were infected with 500Schistosoma mansonicercariae. At 14 and 15 weeks postinfection, one group was given praziquantel to treat schistosomiasis infection. Four weeks later, the two groups plus a new malaria control group (n= 8) were intravenously inoculated with 105Plasmodium knowlesiparasites and monitored daily for development of severe malaria. A total of 81% of baboons exposed to chronicS. mansoniinfection with or without praziquantel treatment survived malaria, compared to only 25% of animals infected withP. knowlesionly (P= 0.01). Schistosome-infected animals also had significantly lower parasite burdens (P= 0.004) than the baboons in theP. knowlesi-only group and were protected from severe anemia. Coinfection was associated with increased spontaneous production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), suggesting an enhanced innate immune response, whereas animals infected withP. knowlesialone failed to develop mitogen-driven tumor necrosis factor alpha and IL-10, indicating the inability to generate adequate protective and balancing immunoregulatory responses. These results indicate that chronicS. mansoniattenuates the severity ofP. knowlesicoinfection in baboons by mechanisms that may enhance innate immunity to malaria.
A Plasmodium yoelii Mei2-Like RNA Binding Protein Is Essential for Completion of Liver Stage Schizogony
Authors: Dankwa Dorender A. , Davis Marshall J. , Kappe Stefan H. I. , Vaughan Ashley M.
Published: February 2016

Plasmodium
parasites employ posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms as their life cycle transitions between host cell invasion and replication within both the mosquito vector and mammalian host. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) provide one mechanism for modulation of RNA function. To explore the role of
Plasmodium
RBPs during parasite replication, we searched for RBPs that might play a role during liver stage development, the parasite stage that exhibits the most extensive growth and replication. We identified a parasite ortholog of the
Mei2
(
Me
iosis
i
nhibited 2) RBP that is conserved among
Plasmodium
species (PlasMei2) and exclusively transcribed in liver stage parasites. Epitope-tagged
Plasmodium yoelii
PlasMei2 was expressed only during liver stage schizogony and showed an apparent granular cytoplasmic location. Knockout of
PlasMei2
(
plasmei2
−
) in
P. yoelii
only affected late liver stage development. The
P. yoelii
plasmei2
−
liver stage size increased progressively until late in development, similar to wild-type parasite development. However,
P. yoelii
plasmei2
−
liver stage schizonts exhibited an abnormal DNA segregation phenotype and failed to form exoerythrocytic merozoites. Consequently the cellular integrity of
P. yoelii
plasmei2
−
liver stages became increasingly compromised late in development and the majority of
P. yoelii
plasmei2
−
underwent cell death by the time wild-type liver stages mature and release merozoites. This resulted in a complete block of
P. yoelii
plasmei2
−
transition from liver stage to blood stage infection in mice. Our results show for the first time the importance of a
Plasmodium
RBP in the coordinated progression of late liver stage schizogony and maturation of new invasive forms.
Chromatin Modulation of Herpesvirus Lytic Gene Expression: Managing Nucleosome Density and Heterochromatic Histone Modifications
Authors: Kristie Thomas M.
Published: February 2016

Like their cellular hosts, herpesviruses are subject to the regulatory impacts of chromatin assembled on their genomes. Upon infection, these viruses are assembled into domains of chromatin with heterochromatic signatures that suppress viral gene expression or euchromatic characteristics that promote gene expression. The organization and modulation of these chromatin domains appear to be intimately linked to the coordinated expression of the different classes of viral genes and thus ultimately play an important role in the progression of productive infection or the establishment and maintenance of viral latency. A recent report from the Knipe laboratory (J. S. Lee, P. Raja, and D. M. Knipe, mBio 7:e02007-15, 2016) contributes to the understanding of the dynamic modulation of chromatin assembled on the herpes simplex virus genome by monitoring the levels of characteristic heterochromatic histone modifications (histone H3 lysine 9 and 27 methylation) associated with a model viral early gene during the progression of lytic infection. Additionally, this study builds upon previous observations that the viral immediate-early protein ICP0 plays a role in reducing the levels of heterochromatin associated with the early genes.
Salmonella
Suppresses the TRIF-Dependent Type I Interferon Response in Macrophages
Authors: Owen Katherine A. , Anderson C. J. , Casanova James E.
Published: February 2016

Salmonella enterica
is an intracellular pathogen that causes diseases ranging from gastroenteritis to typhoid fever.
Salmonella
bacteria trigger an autophagic response in host cells upon infection but have evolved mechanisms for suppressing this response, thereby enhancing intracellular survival. We recently reported that
S. enterica
serovar Typhimurium actively recruits the host tyrosine kinase focal adhesion kinase (FAK) to the surface of the
Salmonella
-containing vacuole (SCV) (K. A. Owen et al., PLoS Pathog 10:e1004159, 2014). FAK then suppresses autophagy through activation of the Akt/mTORC1 signaling pathway. In FAK
−/−
macrophages, bacteria are captured in autophagosomes and intracellular survival is attenuated. Here we show that the cell-autonomous bacterial suppression of autophagy also suppresses the broader innate immune response by inhibiting production of beta interferon (IFN-β). Induction of bacterial autophagy (xenophagy), but not autophagy alone, triggers IFN-β production through a pathway involving the adapter TRIF and endosomal Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and TLR4. Selective FAK knockout in macrophages resulted in rapid bacterial clearance from mucosal tissues after oral infection. Clearance correlated with increased IFN-β production by intestinal macrophages and with IFN-β-dependent induction of IFN-γ by intestinal NK cells. Blockade of either IFN-β or IFN-γ increased host susceptibility to infection, whereas experimental induction of IFN-β was protective. Thus, bacterial suppression of autophagy not only enhances cell-autonomous survival but also suppresses more-systemic innate immune responses by limiting type I and type II interferons.

IMPORTANCE
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium represents one of the most commonly identified bacterial causes of foodborne illness worldwide.
S
. Typhimurium has developed numerous strategies to evade detection by the host immune system. Autophagy is a cellular process that involves the recognition and degradation of defective proteins and organelles. More recently, autophagy has been described as an important means by which host cells recognize and eliminate invading intracellular pathogens and plays a key role in the production of cytokines. Previously, we determined that
Salmonella
bacteria are able to suppress their own autophagic capture and elimination by macrophages. Building on that study, we show here that the inhibition of autophagy by
Salmonella
also prevents the induction of a protective cytokine response mediated by beta interferon (IFN-β) and IFN-γ. Together, these findings identify a novel virulence strategy whereby
Salmonella
bacteria prevent cell autonomous elimination via autophagy and suppress the activation of innate immune responses.