bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Depressive Symptoms During Childhood and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Black and White Men
Authors: Matthews Karen A. , Jennings J. Richard , Lee Laisze , Pardini Dustin
Published: November 2018

Objective

Depressive symptoms and major depression predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk factors in adulthood. Evidence regarding the role of depression in the development of CVD risk in youth is minimal. The study evaluated the prospective relationship of depressive symptoms in childhood and adolescence with adult CVD risk factors in black and white men.

Methods

Health behaviors and medical history were measured in 165 black and 146 white men (mean age = 32); a subset in the Pittsburgh area had a fasting blood draw to measure metabolic syndrome and inflammation. Adult CVD risk factors were related to depressive symptoms and childhood socioeconomic status (SES) prospectively measured annually from ages 7 to 16 years, followed by adjustments for adult SES and depressive symptoms.

Results

Men with higher depressive symptoms ages 7 to 16 smoked more cigarettes, B = 0.28 (standard error = 0.12), p = .015, and ate fewer servings of fruits and vegetables, B = −0.08 (0.04), p = .040, as adults. The association for smoking was independent of adult depressive symptoms (concurrent) and childhood and adult SES as well as race. Depressive symptoms during childhood were unrelated to the metabolic syndrome or biomarkers of inflammation in adulthood.

Conclusions

Depressive symptoms in childhood may predict later adverse health behaviors in black and white men. No evidence was found for an association between childhood depressive symptoms with metabolic syndrome or inflammation markers at ages approximately 32 years. The nature of the sample and lack of measurement of depressive disorder diagnosis tempers the conclusions, and future research is needed to determine associations with biological measures at later life span phases.
Locked Thumb Metacarpophalangeal Joint Caused by Entrapment of the Sesamoid Bone
Authors: Tsai Chia-Chin , Shieh Shyh-Jou
Published: November 2018

Locked thumb metacarpophalangeal joint caused by entrapment of the sesamoid bone is an uncommon entity. The intact volar plate, strong ligamentous attachment between the sesamoid bone and the joint, and altered axis of inserted muscle all contribute to failure of closed reduction. The patient's history, clinical presentation, and plain radiographic findings are all important clues to diagnosing this rare disease. We describe 2 patients with a similar mechanism of injury, where the sesamoid bones were displaced into the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint causing lock thumb. The anatomy, pathophysiology, and surgical management of the patients are also described and discussed. Both patients were successfully treated with meticulous open reduction.
A performance degradation evaluation method for a turbocharger in a diesel engine
Authors: Cui Xinjie , Yang Chuanlei , Serrano Jose Ramon , Shi Mingwei
Published: November 2018

As one of the key systems of the marine power plant diesel engine, the turbocharger directly affects whether the diesel engine can continuously and stably provide the power required for the ship. Owing to a number of uncontrollable factors, such as harsh working conditions and complex structures, the turbocharger may have various failures, causing it to lose its intended function. At present, the fault diagnosis of the marine turbocharger has not been paid enough attention yet and in most cases, the method of ‘ex post diagnosis’ is still adopted. When analysing the nonlinear correspondence between the failure symptoms and failure causes, it is difficult for the existing theories to meet the actual diagnostic requirements. This paper introduces the concept of gas-path diagnosis into the condition monitoring for a marine turbocharger for the first time and proposes the flow capacity index which characterizes the flow capacity of the component and the isentropic efficiency index which characterizes the operating efficiency of the component as two dimensionless evaluation indicators for turbocharger health status. Moreover, the nonlinear mapping relationship between these two health parameters and the gas-path measurable parameters of the turbocharger is studied, and a novel performance degradation evaluation method for a turbocharger is established. The proposed method has been tested in three test cases where the degradation of a model turbocharger has been analysed. These case studies have illustrated that the proposed method can accurately isolate the degraded components and further quantify the degradation of the components.
Short cracks in knee meniscus tissue cause strain concentrations, but do not reduce ultimate stress, in single-cycle uniaxial tension
Authors: Peloquin John M. , Santare Michael H. , Elliott Dawn M.
Published: November 2018

Tears are central to knee meniscus pathology and, from a mechanical perspective, are crack-like defects (cracks). In many materials, cracks create stress concentrations that cause progressive local rupture and reduce effective strength. It is currently unknown if cracks in meniscus have these consequences; if they do, this would have repercussions for management of meniscus pathology. The objective of this study was to determine if a short crack in meniscus tissue, which mimics a preclinical meniscus tear, (a) causes crack growth and reduces effective strength, (b) creates a near-tip strain concentration and (c) creates unloaded regions on either side of the crack. Specimens with and without cracks were tested in uniaxial tension and compared in terms of macroscopic stress–strain curves and digital image correlation strain fields. The strain fields were used as an indicator of stress concentrations and unloaded regions. Effective strength was found to be insensitive to the presence of a crack (potential effect < 0.86 s.d.;β= 0.2), but significant strain concentrations, which have the potential to lead to long-term accumulation of tissue or cell damage, were observed near the crack tip.
Experimental disturbances reveal group-level costs of social instability
Authors: Maldonado-Chaparro A. A. , Alarcón-Nieto G. , Klarevas-Irby J. A. , Farine D. R.
Published: November 2018

In group-living species, social stability is an important trait associated with the evolution of complex behaviours such as cooperation. While the drivers of stability in small groups are relatively well studied, little is known about the potential impacts of unstable states on animal societies. Temporary changes in group composition, such as a social group splitting and recombining (i.e. a disturbance event), can result in individuals having to re-establish their social relationships, thus taking time away from other tasks such as foraging or vigilance. Here, we experimentally split socially stable groups of captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), and quantified the effects of repeated disturbance events on (1) group foraging efficiency, and (2) co-feeding associations when subgroups were recombined. We found that the efficiency of groups to deplete a rich, but ephemeral, resource patch decreased after just a single short disturbance event. Automated tracking of individuals showed that repeated disturbances reduced efficiency by causing social relationships to become more differentiated and weaker, resulting in fewer individuals simultaneously accessing the patch. Our experiment highlights how short-term disturbances can severely disrupt social structure and group functionality, revealing potential costs associated with group instability that can have consequences for the evolution of animal societies.
Of molecules, memories and migration: M1 acetylcholine receptors facilitate spatial memory formation and recall during migratory navigation
Authors: Roth Timothy C. , Krochmal Aaron R.
Published: November 2018

Many animals use complex cognitive processes, including the formation and recall of memories, for successful navigation. However, the developmental and neurological processes underlying these cognitive aspects of navigation are poorly understood. To address the importance of the formation and recollection of memories during navigation, we pharmacologically manipulated turtles (Chrysemys picta) that navigate long distances using precise, complex paths learned during a juvenile critical period. We treated freely navigating turtles both within and outside of their critical learning period with a specific M1 acetylcholine receptor antagonist, a drug known to disrupt spatial cognition. Experienced adult turtles lost all navigational ability under the influence of the drug, while naive juveniles navigated successfully. We retested these same juveniles the following year (after they had passed their critical period). The juveniles that initially navigated successfully under the influence of the antagonist (but were unable to form spatial memories) were unable to do so subsequently. However, the control animals (who had the opportunity to form memories previously) exhibited typical navigational precision. These results suggest that the formation of spatial memories for navigation occur during a critical period, and successful navigation after the critical period is dependent upon the recall of such memories.
Comparative biogeography: innovations and the rise to dominance of the North Pacific biota
Authors: Vermeij Geerat J.
Published: November 2018

The North Pacific is the largest cold-water source of lineages spreading to other modern marine temperate biotas. How this status was achieved remains unclear. One hypothesis is that functional innovations of large effect, defined as departures from the norm in temperate clades and which confer competitive or defensive benefits, increase resource availability, and raise performance standards in the biota as a whole, evolved earlier and more frequently in the North Pacific than elsewhere in the temperate zone. In support of this hypothesis, phylogenetic and fossil evidence reveals 47 temperate marine innovations beginning in the latest Eocene, of which half arose in the North Pacific. Of the 22 innovations of large effect, 13 (39%) evolved in the North Pacific, including basal growth in kelps and bottom-feeding herbivory and durophagy in mammals. Temperate innovations in the Southern Hemisphere and the North Atlantic appeared later and were less consequential. Most other innovations arose in refuges where the risks of predation and competition are low. Among temperate marine biotas, the North Pacific has the highest incidence of unique innovations and the earliest origins of major breakthroughs, five of which spread elsewhere.
VCF/Plotein: A web application to facilitate the clinical interpretation of genetic and genomic variants from exome sequencing projects
Authors: Ossio Raul , Anaya-Mancilla Diego Said , Garcia-Salinas O. Isaac , Garcia-Sotelo Jair S. , Aguilar Luis A. , Adams David J. , Robles-Espinoza Carla Daniela
Published: November 2018

Purpose

To create a user-friendly web application that allows researchers, medical professionals and patients to easily and securely view, filter and interact with human exome sequencing data in the Variant Call Format (VCF).

Methods

We have created VCF/Plotein, a web application written entirely in JavaScript using the Vue.js framework, available at http://vcfplotein.liigh.unam.mx. After a VCF is loaded, gene and variant information is extracted from Ensembl, and cross-referencing with external databases is performed via the Elasticsearch search engine. Support for application-based gene and variant filtering has also been implemented. Interactive graphs are created using the D3.js library. All data processing is done locally in the user’s CPU to ensure the security of patient data.

Results

VCF/Plotein allows users to interactively view and filter VCF files without needing any bioinformatics knowledge. A number of features make it especially suited for the medical community, such as its speed, security, the ability to filter by disease or gene function, and the ease with which information may be shared with collaborators/co-workers.

Conclusion

VCF/Plotein is a novel web application that allows users to easily and interactively filter and display exome sequencing information, and that is especially suited for bench researchers, medical professionals and patients.
Organoid single-cell profiling identifies a transcriptional signature of glomerular disease
Authors: Harder Jennifer L. , Menon Rajasree , Otto Edgar A. , Zhou Jian , Eddy Sean , Wys Noel L. , Nair Viji , Cebrian Cristina , Spence Jason R. , Troyanskaya Olga G. , Hodgin Jeffrey , Wiggins Roger C. , Freedman Benjamin S. , Kretzler Matthias ,   European Renal cDNA Bank, Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network
Published: November 2018

Podocyte injury is central to many forms of kidney disease, but transcriptional signatures reflecting podocyte injury and compensation mechanisms are challenging to analyzein vivo. Human kidney organoids derived from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), a new model for disease and regeneration, present an opportunity to explore the transcriptional plasticity of podocytes. Here, transcriptional profiling of over 12,000 single cells from human PSC-derived kidney organoid cultures was used to identify robust and reproducible cell-lineage gene expression signatures shared with developing human kidneys based on trajectory analysis. Surprisingly, the gene expression signature characteristic of developing glomerular epithelial cells was also observed in glomerular tissue from a kidney disease cohort. This signature correlated with proteinuria and inverse eGFR, and was confirmed in an independent podocytopathy cohort. Three genes in particular were further identified as critical components of the glomerular disease signature. We conclude that cells in human PSC-derived kidney organoids reliably recapitulate the developmental transcriptional program of podocytes and other cell lineages in the human kidney, and that the early transcriptional profile seen in developing podocytes is reactivated in glomerular disease. Our findings demonstrate an innovative approach to identifying novel molecular programs involved in the pathogenesis of glomerulopathies.
Bidirectional selection for body weight on standing genetic variation in a chicken model
Authors: Lillie Mette , Honaker Christa F. , Siegel Paul B. , Carlborg Örjan
Published: November 2018

Experimental populations of model organisms provide valuable opportunities to unravel the genomic impact of selection in a controlled system. The Virginia body weight chicken lines represent a unique resource to investigate signatures of selection in a system where long-term, single-trait, bidirectional selection has been carried out for more than 60 generations. Using pooled genome resequencing of paired generations of these lines, we reveal the within and between-line genomic signatures of selection. At 55 generations of divergent selection, 14.2% of the genome showed extreme differentiation between the selected lines were contained within 395 genomic regions. The lines often displayed a duality of the sweep signatures: an extended region of homozygosity in one line, in contrast to mosaic pattern of heterozygosity in the other line. These haplotype mosaics consist of short, distinct haploblocks of variable between-line divergence. Formed during what probably was a complex history of bottlenecks, inbreeding, and introgressions, these mosaics represent the standing genetic variation available at the onset of selection in the founder population. Selection on standing genetic variation can thus result in different signatures depending on the intensity and direction of selection.
Exposure to graphene oxide sheets alters the expression of reference genes used for real-time RT-qPCR normalization
Authors: de Lázaro Irene , Kostarelos Kostas
Published: November 2018

Background

studies that unravel the interactions between thin, 2D graphene oxide (GO) sheets and the biological milieu, including cells and tissues, are multiplying quickly as the biomedical applications of those and other 2D materials continue to be explored. Many of such studies rely on real-time RT-qPCR as a powerful, yet relatively simple technique to determine gene expression. However, a systematic investigation of potential GO-induced changes in the expression of reference genes, crucial for appropriate normalization of qPCR data that ensures reliability of the results, is still lacking. In this study, we aimed to cover this gap by investigating the stability of the expression of ten (10) candidate reference genes upon exposure to increasing, but subtoxic, concentrations of GO, with two established algorithms (Bestkeeper and NormFinder). The study was performed in a human cancer cell line (MCF7) and in mouse, non-cancerous primary cells (mouse embryonic fibroblasts, MEFs), to assess different behaviors between cell types.

Results

Bestkeeper and NormFinder algorithms evidenced significant deviations in the expression of various reference genes. Ribosomal proteins scored among the most significantly dysregulated targets in both cell types. Expression of ACTB and GAPDH, the most frequent calibrators in real-time RT-qPCR studies, was also affected, although differences existed between cell lines.

Conclusions

this study illustrates the need to validate reference genes for appropriate real-time RT-qPCR normalization, according to specific experimental conditions, when GO-cell interactions occur.
Dehydrojuncusol, a Natural Phenanthrene Compound Extracted fromJuncus maritimusIs a New Inhibitor of Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Authors: Sahuc Marie-Emmanuelle , Sahli Ramla , Rivière Céline , Pène Véronique , Lavie Muriel , Vandeputte Alexandre , Brodin Priscille , Rosenberg Arielle R. , Dubuisson Jean , Ksouri Riadh , Rouillé Yves , Sahpaz Sevser , Séron Karin
Published: November 2018

Recent emergence of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) targeting hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins has considerably enhanced the success of antiviral therapy. However, the appearance of DAA resistant-associated variants is a cause of treatment failure, and the high cost of DAAs renders the therapy not accessible in countries with inadequate medical infrastructures. Therefore, search for new inhibitors and with lower cost of production should be pursued. In this context, crude extract ofJuncus maritimusLam. was shown to exhibit high antiviral activity against HCV in cell culture. Bio-guided fractionation allowed isolating and identifying the active compound, dehydrojuncusol. A time-of-addition assay showed that dehydrojuncusol significantly inhibited HCV infection when added after virus inoculation of HCV genotype 2a (EC50= 1.35 µM). This antiviral activity was confirmed with a HCV subgenomic replicon and no effect on HCV pseudoparticle entry was observed. Antiviral activity of dehydrojuncusol was also demonstrated in primary human hepatocytes. Noin vitrotoxicity was observed at active concentrations. Dehydrojuncusol is also efficient on HCV genotype 3a and can be used in combination with sofosbuvir. Interestingly, dehydrojuncusol was able to inhibit replication of two frequent daclatasvir resistant mutants (L31M or Y93H in NS5A). Finally, resistant mutants to dehydrojuncusol were obtained and showed that HCV NS5A protein is the target of the molecule. In conclusion, dehydrojuncusol, a natural compound extracted fromJ. maritimus, inhibits infection of different HCV genotypes by targeting NS5A protein and is active against HCV resistant variants frequently found in patients with treatment failure.

Importance

Tens of millions of people are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) worldwide. Recently marketed direct acting antivirals (DAAs) targeting HCV proteins have enhanced the efficacy of the treatment. However, due to its high cost, this new therapy is not accessible to the vast majority of infected patients. Furthermore, treatment failures have also been reported due to appearance of viral resistance. Here we report on the identification of a new HCV inhibitor, dehydrojuncusol that targets HCV NS5A and is able to inhibit replication of replicons harboring resistance mutations to anti-NS5A DAAs used in current therapy. Dehydrojuncusol is a natural compound isolated fromJuncus maritimus, a halophilic plant species very common in the coastlines worldwide. This molecule might serve as a lead for the development of new therapy more accessible to hepatitis C patients in the future.
Global transcriptional regulation of innate immunity in C. elegans
Authors: Fletcher Marissa , Tillman Erik J. , Butty Vincent L. , Levine Stuart S. , Kim Dennis H.
Published: November 2018

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a genetically tractable animal host in which to study evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of innate immune signaling. We previously showed that the PMK-1 p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway regulates innate immunity of C. elegans through phosphorylation of the CREB/ATF bZIP transcription factor, ATF-7. Here, we have undertaken a genomic analysis of the transcriptional response of C. elegans to infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, combining genome-wide expression analysis by RNA-seq with ATF-7 chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-Seq). We observe that PMK-1-ATF-7 activity regulates a majority of all genes induced by pathogen infection, and observe ATF-7 occupancy in regulatory regions of pathogen-induced genes in a PMK-1-dependent manner. Moreover, functional analysis of a subset of these ATF-7-regulated pathogen-induced target genes supports a direct role for this transcriptional response in host defense. The genome-wide regulation through PMK-1– ATF-7 signaling reveals global control over the innate immune response to infection through a single transcriptional regulator in a simple animal host.

Author Summary

Innate immunity is the first line of defense against invading microbes across metazoans. Caenorhabditis elegans lacks adaptive immunity and is therefore particularly dependent on mounting an innate immune response against pathogens. A major component of this response is the conserved PMK-1/p38 MAPK signaling cascade, the activation of which results in phosphorylation of the bZIP transcription factor ATF-7. Signaling via PMK-1 and ATF-7 causes broad transcriptional changes including the induction of many genes that are predicted to have antimicrobial activity including C-type lectins and lysozymes. In this study, we show that ATF-7 directly regulates the majority of innate immune response genes upon pathogen infection of C. elegans, and demonstrate that many ATF-7 targets function to promote pathogen resistance.
The iPSC proteomic compendium
Authors: Brenes Alejandro , Bensaddek Dalila , Hukelmann Jens , Afzal Vackar , Lamond Angus I.
Published: November 2018

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology holds great potential for therapeutic and research purposes. The Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Initiative (HipSci) was established to generate a panel of high-quality iPSCs, from healthy and disease cohorts, with accompanying multi-omics and phenotypic data. Here, we present a proteomic analysis of 217 HipSci iPSC lines obtained from 163 donors.

This dataset provides a comprehensive proteomic map of iPSCs, identifying >16,000 protein groups. We analyse how the expression profiles of proteins involved in cell cycle, metabolism and DNA repair contribute to key features of iPSC biology and we identify potential new regulators of the primed pluripotent state. To facilitate access, all these data have been integrated into the Encyclopedia of Proteome Dynamics (www.peptracker.com/epd), where it can be browsed interactively. Additionally, we generated an iPSC specific spectral library for DIA which we deposited in PRIDE along with the raw and processed mass-spectrometry data.
Revisiting tradeoffs in Rubisco kinetic parameters
Authors: Flamholz Avi I. , Prywes Noam , Moran Uri , Davidi Dan , Bar-On Yinon M. , Oltrogge Luke M. , Alves Rui , Savage David , Milo Ron
Published: November 2018

Rubisco is the most abundant enzyme in the biosphere and one of the best-characterized enzymes. Based on correlations between Rubisco kinetic parameters, it is widely posited that tradeoffs embedded in the catalytic mechanism constrain its specificity and maximum catalytic rate. However, the reasoning that established this view was based on data from ≈20 organisms. We re-examine these tradeoff models using a dataset from ≈300 organisms. Most correlations are substantially attenuated, with the inverse relationship between carboxylation kcat and specificity SC/O being a key example. Only one tradeoff model survives in our dataset. In this model, increasing catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) for carboxylation requires increased catalytic efficiency for the competing oxygenation reaction, evidenced by strong power-law correlation between catalytic efficiencies. Our results imply that Rubisco evolution is constrained primarily by the physicochemical limits of O2/CO2 discrimination, which should reframe efforts to engineer this very central enzyme.
Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan Windpipe modulates Hedgehog signaling inDrosophila
Authors: Takemura Masahiko , Noborn Fredrik , Nilsson Jonas , Nakato Eriko , Su Tsu-Yi , Larson Göran , Nakato Hiroshi
Published: November 2018

Proteoglycans, a class of carbohydrate-modified proteins, often modulate growth factor signaling on the cell surface. However, the molecular mechanism by which proteoglycans regulate signal transduction is largely unknown. In this study, using a recently-developed glycoproteomic method, we found that Windpipe (Wdp) is a novel chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) inDrosophila. Wdp is a single-pass transmembrane protein with leucin-rich repeat (LRR) motifs and bears three CS sugar chain attachment sites in the extracellular domain. Here we show that Wdp modulates the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway. Overexpression ofwdpinhibits Hh signaling in the wing disc, which is dependent on its CS chains and the LRR motifs. Conversely, loss ofwdpleads to the upregulation of Hh signaling. Furthermore, knockdown ofwdpincrease the cell surface accumulation of Smoothened (Smo), suggesting that Wdp inhibits Hh signaling by regulating Smo stability. Our study demonstrates a novel role of CSPG in regulating Hh signaling.
ManiNetCluster: A Manifold Learning Approach to Reveal the Functional Linkages Across Multiple Gene Networks
Authors: Nguyen Nam D. , Blaby Ian K. , Wang Daifeng
Published: November 2018

The coordination of genome encoded function is a critical and complex process in biological systems, especially across phenotypes or states (e.g., time, disease, organism). Understanding how the complexity of genome-encoded function relates to these states remains a challenge. To address this, we have developed a novel computational method based on manifold learning and comparative analysis, ManiNetCluster, which simultaneously aligns and clusters multiple molecular networks to systematically reveal function links across multiple datasets. Specifically, ManiNetCluster employs manifold learning to match local and non-linear structures among the networks of different states, to identify cross-network linkages. By applying ManiNetCluster to the developmental gene expression datasets across model organisms (e.g., worm, fruit fly), we found that our tool significantly better aligns the orthologous genes than existing state-of-the-art methods, indicating the non-linear interactions between evolutionary functions in development. Moreover, we applied ManiNetCluster to a series of transcriptomes measured in the green algaChlamy-domonas reinhardtii, to determine the function links between various metabolic processes between the light and dark periods of a diurnally cycling culture. For example, we identify a number of genes putatively regulating processes across each lighting regime, and how comparative analyses between ManiNetCluster and other clustering tools can provide additional insights. ManiNetCluster is available as an R package together with a tutorial athttps://github.com/namtk/ManiNetCluster.
Polaris India International: moving boundaries
Authors: Arora Soma
Published: November 2018

Learning outcomes

To familiarize the students with a process of international expansion within an emerging market scenario encompassing countries such as India, Sri Lanka and a developing country like Kazakhstan. Mostly cases in international marketing are central to developed nations, as that is where the MNCs emerge and grow. In this case study, though Polaris originally is an US-based MNC, the focus lies on Polaris India going international. Hence, it looked at empowering an emerging market for regional development. To provide a situation for choice of entry mode strategies involving strategic alliances and various kinds of non-equity based partnerships. Here there is scope for tremendous learning with reference to institutional voids and market failures prompting a certain mode of entry strategy versus another in international marketing. Though this topic has been researched widely, this case is the first ever tribute to a real-life situation in an emerging market. The case is focussed on experiential marketing as the new tool for sales and communication. This is unique to Polaris, and worth replicating in its internationalization. The crucial question emerged: adaptation of experiential marketing techniques as per local market.

Case overview /

synopsis This case investigated the process of internationalization for Polaris India, a US-based MNC, making for an interesting study in how emerging markets can become hubs for effective regional market expansion. The case simultaneously explored the concept of experiential marketing in a new light referring to the issue of communication adaptation in international marketing. The company had successfully used Polaris Experience zones as their promotion and distribution tools. The PEZ had weaved its magic on Indian customers to bring about significant positive change to the perception of a brand now extending the brand promise to other emerging markets. Polaris India started as a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries USA Inc in 2011 with Mr Pankaj Dubey, as the Country Head. Polaris specialized in building world class off-road vehicles and was a global leader in the same. The case study provided an opportunity to discuss behind the scenes role played by channel partners in targeted foreign markets – Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan. In international marketing, strategic alliances are of tremendous significance as a method of entry strategy and the knowledge, depth, expertise can make all the difference to achievement of success in the local market. Polaris despite having to market a product with no readymade market and combating the perceived notion of a super-premium product in emerging markets, managed to weave its own success story. The case is about, how Polaris India went International with its choice of strategic partners and communication tools.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

Marketing.
Factors influencing Islamic banks’ capital structure in developing economies
Authors: Bukair Abdullah Awadh Abdullah
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the influence of company-specific attributes on capital structure decisions of Islamic banks (IBs) in Gulf Cooperation council (GCC) countries during the period 2009-2011.

Design/methodology/approach

To improve the econometric estimates’ efficiency, the paper uses the generalized least square (GLS) regression model to increase the levels of freedom and reduce collinearity.

Findings

The empirical results indicate that bank size, liquidity and corporate age are positively associated with the leverage ratio of GCC IBs, supporting the trade-off theory. Inconsistent with theoretical predictions, it is found that the profitability, tangibility and growth have positive insignificant relationship with the level of leverage, suggesting these determinants are not important in capital structure decisions. Furthermore, gross domestic product (GDP) and non-debt tax shield have negative effects on the leverage ratio and significant for GDP.

Research limitations/implications

Overall, the evidence provided in the study highlights the significance of company-specific characteristics in determining and affecting the capital structure decisions of IBs in GCC countries. It is useful to use these variables in the analysis of IBs’ capital structure in the GCC region before the financial crisis in 2007. One limitation for this study is that the sample is restricted to only the Islamic banking sector. Future research could include all Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) operating within the Gulf region. Second, the study only concentrates on GCC countries to the neglect of other countries. Finally, the study controls for the country level only and does not account for firm factors. Future research could consider all these limitations. Another possible avenue is by examining other variables, such as corporate governance mechanisms.

Originality/value

Despite that most previous studies investigated the determinants of the capital structure of financial conventional industries, research on Islamic banking is almost non-existent. Moreover, the extant literature on Islamic finance has been theoretically explored, and the empirical research regarding capital structure is still in the infancy stage. Accordingly, it is evident that based on the Islamic trade-off perspective, theoretical hypotheses and empirical findings provide a novel addition to the capital structure theory for IFIs.
Forio: a Swiss treatment program for young sex offenders with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Hollomotz Andrea , Caviezel Schmitz Seraina
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of a Swiss outpatient group therapy for adolescent and young men with intellectual disabilities who have sexually offended.

Design/methodology/approach

The findings from two studies that examined the treatment independently from one another are brought together. These combine the qualitative methods of document analysis of programme tools, overt participant observations of treatment sessions and semi-structured interviews with programme designers.

Findings

At the heart of Forio treatment is a seven-step programme that aims to enable participants to increase their risk management capacities and foster pro-social behaviours. Responsivity issues are a key consideration, and the use of a traffic light system to distinguish acceptable, borderline and unacceptable behaviours provides a central reference point throughout treatment and beyond. Treatment relies on individuals practising newly learned pro-social behaviours in their daily life. To facilitate this, risks are managed, and support is provided via close networking between therapists and the supervision and social care network.

Practical implications

This paper offers detailed descriptions of the programme setting, structure and tools, which will allow international readers to adapt the techniques discussed to suit their specific treatment context. Particularly, the close networking between treatment providers and those managing risks in the community is commendable.

Originality/value

The Forio programme has not previously been described in English language papers. Even though it arises from the same evidence base as the internationally more widely known programmes, this paper offers unique insights into ways in which known concepts have been adapted to suit local circumstances.
Eco‐evolutionary feedbacks—Theoretical models and perspectives
Authors: Govaert Lynn , Fronhofer Emanuel A. , Lion Sébastien , Eizaguirre Christophe , Bonte Dries , Egas Martijn , Hendry Andrew P. , De Brito Martins Ayana , Melián Carlos J. , Raeymaekers Joost A. M. , Ratikainen Irja I. , Saether Bernt‐Erik , Schweitzer Jennifer A. , Matthews Blake
Published: November 2018

Theoretical models pertaining to feedbacks between ecological and evolutionary processes are prevalent in multiple biological fields. An integrative overview is currently lacking, due to little crosstalk between the fields and the use of different methodological approaches.

Here, we review a wide range of models of eco‐evolutionary feedbacks and highlight their underlying assumptions. We discuss models where feedbacks occur both within and between hierarchical levels of ecosystems, including populations, communities and abiotic environments, and consider feedbacks across spatial scales.

Identifying the commonalities among feedback models, and the underlying assumptions, helps us better understand the mechanistic basis of eco‐evolutionary feedbacks. Eco‐evolutionary feedbacks can be readily modelled by coupling demographic and evolutionary formalisms. We provide an overview of these approaches and suggest future integrative modelling avenues.

Our overview highlights that eco‐evolutionary feedbacks have been incorporated in theoretical work for nearly a century. Yet, this work does not always include the notion of rapid evolution or concurrent ecological and evolutionary time scales. We show the importance of density‐ and frequency‐dependent selection for feedbacks, as well as the importance of dispersal as a central linking trait between ecology and evolution in a spatial context.

Aplain language summaryis available for this article.
Individual consumption of supplemental food as a predictor of reproductive performance and viral infection intensity
Authors: Tollington Simon , Ewen John G. , Newton Jason , McGill Rona A. R. , Smith Donal , Henshaw Aurélie , Fogell Deborah J. , Tatayah Vikash , Greenwood Andrew , Jones Carl G. , Groombridge Jim J.
Published: November 2018

Supplemental food is often provided to threatened species in order to maintain or enhance reproductive fitness and thus population growth. However, its impact on individual reproductive fitness is rarely evaluated, despite being associated with both positive and negative consequences.

We used stable isotope analyses to characterise the relative proportional consumption of supplemental food and quantitative polymerase chain reaction to assess beak and feather disease viral infection intensity among parakeets. Life‐history and nest‐site data from a long‐term monitoring effort was incorporated.

Older females benefitted the most from supplemental feeding; demonstrated by a greater reproductive uplift than younger females. There were no strong predictors of viral infection levels among nestlings.

Reproductive fitness, measured by the number of fledglings produced per brood, was positively associated with proportional dietary content of supplemental food among adult parakeets and breeding pairs that nested closer to feeding stations consumed more supplemental food than those nesting further away.

Synthesis and applications. Our study demonstrates that supplementary feeding can lead to an overall increase in population growth. However, by characterising individual consumption, we also reveal subtle patterns of use and differential benefits on reproductive fitness within a population. Manipulating the delivery of supplemental food may help to reduce demand on finite resources or target the proportion of a population that derives the most benefit, but is associated with trade‐offs in fecundity. For example, the use of and access to feeding stations could potentially be targeted towards specific individuals, or positioned in the habitats most deficient in native food. However, increasing reproductive fitness in one component of the population may be accompanied by a decrease in another. This knowledge can be incorporated into adaptive management strategies that aim to fulfil specific objectives associated with species recovery and long‐term viability as long as the relative importance of each objective is be considered.
Measuring word retrieval in narrative discourse: core lexicon in aphasia
Authors: Kim Hana , Kintz Stephen , Zelnosky Kristen , Wright Heather Harris
Published: November 2018

Background

Discourse analysis procedures are time consuming and impractical in a clinical setting. Critical to clinicians are simple and informative discourse measures that require minimal time and labour to complete. Many studies, however, have overlooked difficulties that clinicians face. We recently developed core lexicon lists for nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs for two narrative discourse tasks with healthy control groups. Core lexicon lists consist of important lexical items required to produce coherently meaningful discourse in response to discourse tasks. Measuring core lexicon is useful for quantifying word retrieval impairments at the discourse level in clinical populations.

Aims

To apply an age‐based core lexicon list for nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs for the wordless picture books Good Dog Carl (1985) and Picnic (1984) and to determine how well the lists measured linguistic impairments in persons with aphasia (PWA).

Materials & Methods

Lemma forms were extracted from 470 control participants who were divided into seven age groups. Twenty‐five core lexicons were identified for four word classes (nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs) among the seven age groups. The nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs for each PWA (N = 11) were then compared with the core lexicon for their respective age group. Per cent agreement was computed by comparing the number of total items within each list to the number of items that PWA produced. A Spearman's correlation coefficient was computed between the WAB‐R AQ and the per cent agreement for each word type for PWA.

Outcomes & Results

The percentage of agreement for each word type among the age cohorts ranged between 56% and 96%. Of the four word types, core verbs significantly correlated with the WAB AQs for both discourse tasks. A post‐hoc analysis found significant differences between fluent and non‐fluent aphasia for core verbs.

Conclusions & Implications

Core lexicon analysis appears to be a practical way to capture impairments in word retrieval at the discourse level. Core verbs may be a better indicator to understand holistic language performances for PWA. Use of the core lexicon checklist can serve as an option to reconcile ecological validity with clinical usability.
Textual cohesion in oral narrative and procedural discourse: the effects of ageing and cognitive skills
Authors: Sherratt Sue , Bryan Karen
Published: November 2018

Background

Knowledge of the discourse performance of non‐brain‐damaged individuals is critical not only for its differentiation from disordered expression but also for more accurate models of ageing and communication. The effect of ageing and cognitive skills on the cohesive adequacy of discourse has, until now, presented a confusing and ambiguous picture.

Aims

To examine comprehensively the effects of both age and cognitive skills on the discourse cohesion of 32 non‐brain‐damaged males divided into four age groups.

Methods & Procedures

A large body of narrative and procedural samples (394 samples) was elicited from the participants. Their cognitive skills were determined using three tests, whilst their discourse cohesion was analyzed and correlated with the cognitive test results.

Outcomes & Results

This extensive investigation of ageing effects on discourse cohesion and their relationship to cognitive behaviour did not provide neat generalizable results. It showed that ageing significantly increases the number of cohesive errors and reduces the quantity of referential ties in picture‐sequence narratives. The changes with age were limited to two aspects of cohesion and not linear across age groups. The participants’ cognitive skills declined with age. Correlations between some cognitive tests and certain cohesive changes suggest co‐occurring deficits rather than a causal explanation of cohesive decline with age.

Conclusions & Implications

With ageing there are increased cohesive errors and decreased referential ties, co‐occurring with declining cognitive skills. This study yields important guidance for future research, suggesting that picture‐sequence narrative is the most effective tool for clinical evaluation of discourse, but also that findings from one discourse sample may be misleading.
Input matters matter: Bioclimatic consistency to map more reliable species distribution models
Authors: Morales‐Barbero Jennifer , Vega‐Álvarez Julia
Published: November 2018

Accuracy of global bioclimatic databases is essential to understand biodiversity–environment relationships. Many studies have explored biases and uncertainties related to species distribution models (SDMs) but the effect of choosing a specific database among the different alternatives has not been previously assessed.

The lack of bioclimatic congruence (degree of agreement) between different databases is a main concern in distribution modelling and it is critical in single‐source models, for which the database choice is decisive. In order to prevent unreliable predictions derived from distorted input data, SDMs accuracy can be assessed by mapping model predictions according to a bioclimatic congruence measure derived from the comparison of multiple databases, which can be achieved with the bioclimatic consistency maps that we propose in this study. Here, (a) we present the first global‐scale bioclimatic congruence map to analyse environmental mismatches between recently updated bioclimatic databases. We also test the importance of input matters on the reliability of distribution models of sixteen mammals, by addressing (b) inconsistencies among species response curves (temperature and precipitation), and (c) discrepancies among SDMs predictions depending on the chosen bioclimatic database. Finally, (d) we propose a strategy to assess bioclimatic consistency of model predictions, showing its application to the specific case of Litocranius walleri.

Our results confirm that the single‐source modelling approach greatly influences the estimation of species–environment relationship and consequently, bias spatial predictions derived from SDMs. This is especially true for studies conducted in polar and mountainous regions which showed the smallest bioclimatic congruence. We show that by adding bioclimatic congruence to SDMs projections, we can build a bioclimatic consistency map that enables the detection of both risky and consistent areas, as revealed for the case of L. walleri.

Assessing uncertainty in bioclimatic input data is key to avoid erroneous conclusions in macroecological and biogeographical studies. The spatial characterization of bioclimatic consistency provides an adequate empirical framework which effectively illustrates bioclimatic data limitations. We strongly recommend that this new strategy should be formally and systematically incorporated into distribution modelling to build more reliable SDMs, which are essential to develop successful biodiversity conservation programmes.
Nursing Diagnoses in People with Digestive Stoma and their Association with Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors
Authors: Moya‐Muñoz Noelia , Capilla‐Díaz Concepción , Labella‐Rodríguez Marta , Gálvez‐Cano Judit , Sánchez‐Crisol Inmaculada , Hueso‐Montoro César
Published: November 2018

PURPOSE

To determine nursing diagnoses in people with a digestive stoma and their relationship with sociodemographic and clinical variables.

METHOD

A cross‐sectional descriptive study of 102 subjects in the General Surgery Unit of a first‐level hospital (Granada, Spain) was conducted. Data were collected on the presence of nursing diagnoses, sociodemographic and clinical variables.

RESULTS

NANDA‐I: “Deficient knowledge (00126)” and “Readiness for enhanced health management (00162)” were present in the entire sample studied. The period of care (postoperative vs. follow‐up) was the most common significant variable among diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS

This work contributes to the determination of NANDA‐I diagnoses in people with digestive stomas.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

The results provide a guide to help nursing professionals develop individual care plans.