bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inoculation of biocontrol bacteria alleviatedPanax ginsengreplanting problem
Authors: Dong Linlin , Xu Jiang , Zhang Lianjuan , Wei Guangfei , Su He , Yang Juan , Qian Jun , Xu Ran , Liao Baosheng , Shen Liang , Wu Mingli , Cheng Ruiyang , Chen Shilin
Published: May 2017

Replanting problem is a common and serious issue hindering the continuous cultivation ofPanaxplants. Changes in soil microbial community driven by plant species of different ages and developmental stages are speculated to cause this problem. Inoculation of microbial antagonists is proposed to alleviate replanting issues efficiently.

High-throughput sequencing revealed that bacterial diversity evidently decreased, and fungal diversity markedly increased in soils of adult ginseng plants in the root growth stage. Relatively few beneficial microbe agents, such asLuteolibacter, Cytophagaceae,Luteibacter, Sphingomonas, Sphingomonadaceae, and Zygomycota, were observed. On the contrary, the relative abundance of harmful microorganism agents, namely, Brevundimonas, Enterobacteriaceae,Pandoraea, Cantharellales,Dendryphion, Fusarium, and Chytridiomycota, increased with pant age. Furthermore,Bacillus subtilis50-1 was isolated and served as microbial antagonists against pathogenicFusarium oxysporumof ginseng root-rot, and its biocontrol efficacy was 67.8% using a dual culture assay. The ginseng death rate and relative abundance ofFusariumdecreased by 63.3% and 46.1%, respectively, after inoculation with 50-1 in replanting soils. Data revealed that changes in the diversity and composition of rhizospheric microbial communities driven by ginseng of different ages and developmental stages could cause microecological degradation. Biocontrol using microbial antagonists was an effective method for alleviating the replanting problem.

Highlight

Changes in rhizospheric microbial communities driven by ginseng plants 13 of different ages and developmental stages could cause microecological degradation. 14 Biocontrol using microbial antagonists effectively alleviated the replanting problem.
Back-translating a rodent measure of negative bias into humans: the impact of induced anxiety and unmedicated mood and anxiety disorders
Authors: Aylward Jessica , Hales Claire , Robinson Emma , Robinson Oliver J
Published: May 2017

Background

Mood and anxiety disorders are ubiquitous but current treatment options are ineffective for large numbers of sufferers. Moreover, recent years have seen a number of promising pre-clinical interventions fail to translate into clinical efficacy in humans. Improved treatments are unlikely without better animal-human translational pipelines. Here, we directly adapt–i.e. back-translate - a rodent measure of negative affective bias into humans, and explore its relationship with a)pathological mood and anxiety symptoms (study one) and b)transient induced anxiety (study two).

Method

Participants who met criteria for mood or anxiety disorder symptomatology according to a face-to-face neuropsychiatric interview were included in the symptomatic group. N = 77(47 asymptomatic; Female = 21; 30 symptomatic; Female = 25) participants completed study one and N = 47 asymptomatic participants (25 female) completed study two. Outcome measures were choice ratios, reaction times and parameters recovered from a computational model of reaction time; the drift diffusion model (DDM).

Results

Symptomatic individuals demonstrated increased negative affective bias relative to asymptomatic individuals (proportion high reward = 0.42(SD = 0.14), and 0.53(SD = 0.17), respectively) as well as reduced DDM drift rate (p = 0.004). No significant effects were observed for the within-subjects anxiety-induction in study 2.

Conclusion

Humans with pathological anxiety symptoms directly mimic rodents undergoing anxiogenic manipulation. The lack of sensitivity to transient anxiety suggests the paradigm may, moreover, be primarily sensitive to clinically relevant symptoms. Our results establish a direct translational pipeline (and candidate therapeutics screen) from negative affective bias in rodents to pathological mood and anxiety symptoms in humans, and link it to a computational model of reaction time.
Early and Late Components of EEG Delay Activity Correlate Differently with Scene Working Memory Performance
Authors: Ellmore Timothy M. , Ng Kenneth , Reichert Chelsea P.
Published: May 2017

Sustained and elevated activity during the working memory delay period has long been considered the primary neural correlate for maintaining information over short time intervals. This idea has recently been reinterpreted in light of findings generated from multiple neural recording modalities and levels of analysis. To further investigate the sustained or transient nature of activity, the temporal-spectral evolution (TSE) of delay period activity was examined in humans with high density EEG during performance of a Sternberg working memory paradigm with a relatively long six second delay and with novel scenes as stimuli. Multiple analyses were conducted using different trial window durations and different baseline periods for TSE computation. Sensor level analyses revealed transient rather than sustained activity during delay periods. Specifically, the consistent finding among the analyses was that high amplitude activity encompassing the theta range was found early in the first three seconds of the delay period. These increases in activity early in the delay period correlated positively with subsequent ability to distinguish new from old probe scenes. Source level signal estimation implicated a right parietal region of transient early delay activity that correlated positively with working memory ability. This pattern of results adds to recent evidence that transient rather than sustained delay period activity supports visual working memory performance. The findings are discussed in relation to synchronous and desynchronous intra- and inter-regional neural transmission, and choosing an optimal baseline for expressing temporal-spectral delay activity change.
Mitigating mitochondrial genome erosion without recombination
Authors: Radzvilavicius Arunas L , Kokko Hanna , Christie Joshua
Published: May 2017

Mitochondria are ATP-producing organelles of bacterial ancestry that played a key role in the origin and early evolution of complex eukaryotic cells. Most modern eukaryotes transmit mitochondrial genes uniparentally, often without recombination among genetically divergent organelles. While this asymmetric inheritance maintains the efficacy of purifying selection at the level of the cell, the absence of recombination could also make the genome susceptible to Muller’s ratchet. How mitochondria escape this irreversible defect accumulation is a fundamental unsolved question. Occasional paternal leakage could in principle promote recombination, but it would also compromise the purifying-selection benefits of uniparental inheritance. We assess this tradeoff using a stochastic population-genetic model. In the absence of recombination, uniparental inheritance of freely segregating genomes mitigates mutational erosion, while paternal leakage exacerbates the ratchet effect. Mitochondrial fusion-fission cycles ensure independent genome segregation, improving purifying selection. Paternal leakage provides opportunity for recombination to slow down the mutation accumulation, but always at a cost of increased steady-state mutation load. Our findings indicate that random segregation of mitochondrial genomes under uniparental inheritance can effectively combat the mutational meltdown, and that homologous recombination under paternal leakage might not be needed.
Meiotic crossover patterning in the absence of ATR: Loss of interference and assurance but not the centromere effect
Authors: Brady Morgan M. , McMahan Susan , Sekelsky Jeff
Published: May 2017

Meiotic crossovers must be properly patterned to ensure accurate disjunction of homologous chromosomes during meiosis I. Disruption of the spatial distribution of crossovers can lead to nondisjunction, aneuploidy, gamete dysfunction, miscarriage, or birth defects. One of the earliest identified genes in involved proper crossover patterning is textitDrosophila mei-41, which encodes the ortholog of the checkpoint kinase ATR. Analysis of hypomorphic mutants suggested the existence of crossover patterning defects, but it was not possible to assess this in null mutants because of maternal-effect embryonic lethality. To overcome this lethality, we constructedmei-41null mutants in which we expressed wild-type Mei-41 in the germline after completion of meiotic recombination, allowing progeny to survive. We find that crossovers are decreased to about one third of wild-type levels, but the reduction is not uniform, being less severe in the proximal regions of2Lthan in medial or distal2Lor on theXchromosome. None of the crossovers formed in the absence of Mei-41 require Mei-9, the presumptive meiotic resolvase, suggesting that Mei-41 functions everywhere, despite the differential effects on crossover frequency. Interference appears to be significantly reduced or absent inmei-41mutants, but the reduction in crossover density in centromere-proximal regions is largely intact. We propose that crossover patterning is achieved in a stepwise manner, with the crossover suppression related to proximity to the centromere occurring prior to and independently of crossover designation and enforcement of interference. In this model, Mei-41 has an essential after the centromere effect is established but before crossover designation and interference occur.
Integrating over uncertainty in spatial scale of response within multispecies occupancy models yields more accurate assessments of community composition
Authors: Frishkoff Luke Owen , Mahler D. Luke , Fortin Marie-Josée
Published: May 2017

Species abundance and community composition are affected not only by the local environment, but also by broader landscape and regional context. Yet determining the spatial scale at which landscapes affect species remains a persistent challenge that hinders ecologists’ abilities to understand how environmental gradients influence species presence and shape entire communities, especially in the face of data deficient species and imperfect species detection.

Here we present a Bayesian framework that allows uncertainty surrounding the ‘true’ spatial scale of species’ responses (i.e.,changes in presence/absence) to be integrated directly into a community hierarchical model.

This scale selecting multi-species occupancy model (ssMSOM) estimates the scale of response, and shows high accuracy and correct type I error rates across a broad range of simulation conditions. In contrast, ensembles of single species GLMs frequently fail to detect the correct spatial scale of response, and are often falsely confident in favoring the incorrect spatial scale, especially as species’ detection probabilities deviate from perfect.

Integrating spatial scale selection directly into hierarchical community models provides a means of formally testing hypotheses regarding spatial scales of response, and more accurately determining the environmental drivers that shape communities.
Agricultural aircraft wing slat tolerance for bird strike
Authors: Deskiewicz Adam , Perz Rafał
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The aim of this study is to assess and describe possible consequences of a bird strike on a Polish-designed PZL-106 Kruk agricultural aircraft. Due to its susceptibility to such events, a wing slat has been chosen for analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

Smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) formulation has been used for generation of the bird finite element model. The simulations were performed by the LS-Dyna explicit finite element analysis software. Several test cases have been analysed with differing parameters such as impact velocity, initial velocity vector direction, place of impact and bird mass.

Findings

Results of this study reveal that the structure remains safe after an impact at the velocity of 25 m/s. The influence of bird mass on slat damage is clearly observable when the impact velocity rises to 60 m/s. Another important finding was that in each case where the part did not withstand the applied load, it was the lug where first failure occurred. Some of the analysed cases indicated the possibility a consequent wing box damage.

Practical implications

This finding provides the manufacturer an important insight into the behaviour of the slat and suggests that more detailed analysis of the current lug design might improve the safety of the structure.

Originality/value

Even though similar analyses have been performed, they tended to focus on large transport aircraft components. This investigation will enhance our understanding of structural response of small, low-speed aircraft to a bird impact, which is a realistic scenario for the chosen case of an agricultural plane.
Open innovation and intellectual property: a knowledge-based approach
Authors: Cammarano Antonello , Caputo Mauro , Lamberti Emilia , Michelino Francesca
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a patent-based framework for investigating the effect of previous and current open innovation (OI) adoption on firms’ knowledge management strategies and type of innovation output.

Design/methodology/approach

Patent data are employed for gauging innovation practices, exploitation vs exploration strategies, specialization vs diversification choices and type of innovation. The study is performed on a sample of 1,280 patents granted to 66 top R&D spending bio-pharmaceutical companies. The year of analysis is 2010.

Findings

The previous recourse to specific innovation practices influences the current practice selection. R&D collaboration, outsourcing and mergers and acquisitions are employed to pursue exploration. Past purchase of patents increases the likelihood to achieve architectural and radical innovation in current activities.

Research limitations/implications

The work recommends the use of patent data to gauge many key elements for knowledge and innovation management. Results exhort scholars to investigate innovation practices at the knowledge domain level in order to detect specific behaviors.

Practical implications

The study provides a methodology for supporting decision-makers in assessing firms’ OI adoption, also performing the benchmark with competitors and R&D partners. Given the high computational effort required for applying the methodology, the authors are planning to give access to the software specifically developed for this study.

Originality/value

The work contributes to the current debate considering the effect of a combination of innovation practices on knowledge management strategies and type of innovation output, with a particular focus on OI activities. Moreover, the separation between the impact of previous and current innovation practices provides useful insights.
Methods, methodology and madness
Authors: Stuart Katharine
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to present findings from a recent study examining current records management as fit for digital government in Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on findings from the first phase of research for a postdoctoral degree. This research was collected through an online quantitative survey of government records management professionals in Australia. The survey’s purpose was to understand whether the profession has kept pace with advances in, and expectations of, digital government. Building on the findings of the survey, this paper explores the concepts of methodology and methods and applies them to current digital records management in the Australian Government. Methodology for Australian Government digital records management is contained in the 2015 Digital Continuity 2020 policy. However, measuring method proved more difficult. The researcher supplemented data published by the National Archives of Australia and the Department of Finance with data from her own research to measure the validity of methods by examining suitability of current requirements.

Findings

Australian Government records management professionals overwhelmingly feel requirements, organisational culture and behaviour form a barrier to implementing successful records management programs. This paper finds that the Australian Government is buying ten times more digital storage per year than the sum of all of the digital Australian Government records known. This suggests perhaps not all records are recognised. While there will always be more storage than records, the ratio should not be so inflated. Further problems are found with requirements for records management being seen as mostly paper-based and too resource intensive to be of use. This research, combined with a contemporary literature review, shows that there is an imbalance with the current methodology and methods and asks the question: Has a methodology (Digital Continuity 2020) been created without suitable and known methods being in place?

Research limitations/implications

The method for collecting survey data was based on self-reporting, which can lead to limitations in that the population sample may exaggerate their response or demonstrate bias. However, responses to the survey were common enough to eliminate bias. The study is based on the Australian Government; however, findings may translate to other governments. This paper presents findings from the first phase of research of a postdoctoral degree. Not all findings are presented, only those relevant to the topic.

Originality/value

As the Australian Government moves to become a true digital government, records management is still required to ensure accountability of government actions and decisions. However, while the government transitions to digital, and information stores continue to grow, the question of whether records management has kept up with the rapid pace of digital information flow and expansion does not need to be asked. Instead, the time has come to ask, “What can we do to keep up?”
Knowledge sharing and organizational change in higher education
Authors: Dee Jay , Leisyte Liudvika
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Organizational learning in higher education institutions depends upon the ability of managers and academics to maintain a flow of knowledge across the structural boundaries of the university. This paper aims to understand the boundary conditions that foster or impede the flow of knowledge during organizational change at a large public university.

Design/methodology/approach

Interview data were collected from 51 academics and 40 managers at the selected university. The analysis focused on two initiatives that managers sought to implement to improve organizational performance.

Findings

For one of these initiatives, managers engaged in knowledge transformation that enabled managers and academics to learn and collaborate across group boundaries. For the other initiative, managers relied on knowledge transfer practices, which failed to establish productive cross-boundary interactions to support organizational learning.

Practical/implications

When seeking to implement new initiatives to enhance institutional performance, university managers and academics can view organizational change as a learning process that involves creating and moving knowledge across organizational boundaries. Under conditions of change, the creation and movement of knowledge may require the development of new structures and the use of communications that have a high level of media richness.

Originality/value

This study provides one of the first empirical investigations of knowledge sharing dynamics during organizational change in a higher education setting.
Economic Policy with and without Maximizing Rules
Authors: Lipsey Richard G.
Published: May 2017

This paper contrasts the static neoclassical and the evolutionary views of the economy and economic policy. It responds to Ng's comments on Lipsey's original criticism of third‐best theory. Under a relevant definition of informational poverty and Ng's other assumptions, the expected value of any policy‐created divergence from the status quo is negative: If there is not enough known to determine what to do, nothing should be done, rather than establishing first‐best conditions as Ng's analysis has it. It is argued that Ng's analysis of his two other information states adds little to what common sense suggests. To address Ng's argument that policies using context‐specific objective functions lack the required welfare basis, the present paper studies how economic policy is actually pursued absent guides provided by welfare economics. Policies that follow from evolutionary economic theory imply that many things that are seen as ‘distortions’ in welfare economics are actually desirable forces that drive economic growth.
Thermal Treatments for Fruit and Vegetable Juices and Beverages: A Literature Overview
Authors: Petruzzi Leonardo , Campaniello Daniela , Speranza Barbara , Corbo Maria Rosaria , Sinigaglia Milena , Bevilacqua Antonio
Published: May 2017

Fruit and vegetable juices and beverages are generally preserved by thermal processing, currently being the most cost‐effective means ensuring microbial safety and enzyme deactivation. However, thermal treatments may induce several chemical and physical changes that impair the organoleptic properties and may reduce the content or bioavailability of some nutrients; in most cases, these effects are strongly dependent on the food matrix. Moreover, the efficacy of treatments can also be affected by the complexity of the product and microorganisms. This review covers researches on this topic, with a particular emphasis on products derived from different botanical sources. Technologies presented include conventional and alternative thermal treatments. Advances toward hurdle‐based technology approaches have been also reviewed.
A Ten‐year Study of Suicides from a Rural/Suburban County
Authors: Bready Jennifer C. , Bready Robert J. , Chute Dennis J.
Published: May 2017

This study will discuss trends in suicide data compiled over 10 years in Dutchess County, NY, from 2004 to 2013. These data were based on reporting and examination standards recommended by the National Association of Medical Examiners and Department of Justice death investigation standards. Almost 300 cases were analyzed in terms of the deceased's gender, age, race, method of suicide, and weapon used. Results from this study agree with other reports showing significant differences for method of death both in terms of age and gender, with men more likely to choose firearms and women more likely to choose overdose. Furthermore, older persons were more likely to commit suicide by firearms, and the younger persons were more likely to commit suicide by overdose. However, other areas, such as method of suicide, differ from national statistics.
An overview of the South Korean edible insect food industry: challenges and future pricing/promotion strategies
Authors: Han Rachel , Shin Jungyoung Tiffany , Kim Jin , Choi Yong Seok , Kim Young Wook
Published: May 2017

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the edible insect industry in South Korea and present suggestions for future pricing and promotion strategies. In the first section of this paper, this study outlines the current status and challenges of the edible insect industry in the food market, the material market, the animal feed market, and the medicinal market. The second section of this paper suggests different pricing and promotion strategies for each market segment. This study describes how the consideration of personal traits, information framing, and increasing familiarity can enhance consumer consumption of insect‐based foods.
ratematrix: AnRpackage for studying evolutionary integration among several traits on phylogenetic trees
Authors: Caetano Daniel S. , Harmon Luke J.
Published: May 2017

Evolutionary integration occurs when two or more phenotypes evolve in a correlated fashion. Correlated evolution among traits can happen due to genetic constraints, ontogeny, and selection and have an important impact on the trajectory of phenotypic evolution. Phylogenetic trees can be used to study such pattern on macroevolutionary time scales by estimating the strength of evolutionary covariance among traits through time and across clades. However, only few applications implement models to conduct comparative analyses of evolutionary integration.

We introduce a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo approach to estimate the evolutionary correlation among two or more traits using the evolutionary rate matrix (R).Ris a covariance matrix that represents both the rates of evolution of each trait and the structure of evolutionary correlation among traits.

Here, we present theRpackageratematrix, a resource to test hypotheses of evolutionary integration using multivariate data and phylogenetic trees.ratematrixprovides a flexible framework allowing for any number of evolutionary rate matrix regimes fitted to the same phylogenetic tree and it incorporates the uncertainty associated with parameter estimates, ancestral state reconstruction and phylogenetic estimation in the analyses.

Theratematrixpackage uses a novel pruning algorithm that significantly improve computational time. We also provide specific functions that facilitate users to conduct long MCMC analysis when computational resources are limited.
Does early‐life family income influence later dental pain experience? A prospective 14‐year study
Authors: Ghorbani Z , Peres MA , Liu P , Mejia GC , Armfield JM , Peres KG
Published: May 2017

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between early‐life family income and dental pain experience from childhood to early adulthood.

Methods

Data came from a 14‐year prospective study (1991/1992–2005/2006) carried out in South Australia, which included children and adolescents aged 4–17 years (N = 9875) at baseline. The outcome was dental pain experience obtained at baseline, 14 years later in adulthood and at a middle point of time. The main explanatory variable was early‐life family income collected at baseline.

Results

The prevalence of dental pain was 22.8% at baseline, 19.3% at ‘middle time’ and 39.3% at follow up. The proportion of people classified as ‘poor’ at baseline was 27.7%. Being poor early in life was significantly associated with dental pain at 14‐year follow up (odds ratio = 1.45; 95% confidence interval = 1.27–1.66).

Conclusions

Early‐life relative poverty is associated with more frequent dental pain across the 14‐year follow up and may be a key exposure variable for later dental conditions.
Orbit technique in malrotation with non‐obstructive volvulus: A novel technique of devolvulation
Authors: Kisku Sundeep
Published: May 2017

Introduction

Volvulus may be noted in up to two‐thirds of cases involving malrotation beyond infancy. Laparoscopic devolvulation has been described as a frustrating procedure because of restricted visualization. Here, a setup and technique that address these concerns are proposed.

Materials and Surgical Technique

Three boys (median age: 7 years) who had been diagnosed preoperatively with malrotation underwent laparoscopic exploration and devolvulation for volvulus found intraoperatively. The children were placed in a dorsal supine modified lithotomy position. Four 5‐mm ports were inserted—one umbilically, one in the suprapubic region, and one in both the right and left iliac. After the volvulus was inspected, the right iliac atraumatic grasper was placed at the root of the mesentery. The bowel was devolvulated counterclockwise with the grasper used as a pivot—that is, the orbit technique. Once derotated, the rest of the operation proceeded with the division of Ladd's bands, the widening of the mesentery, and appendectomy.

Discussion

Devolvulation was successful in all three boys. The orbit technique is a useful devolvulation technique in non‐obstructive volvulus when other techniques fail.
Laparoscopic sigmoidectomy combined with uterus excision for colouterine fistula caused by sigmoid colon diverticulitis: A case report
Authors: Arakawa Satoshi , Morise Zenichi , Isetani Masashi , Tomishige Hirokazu , Kawabe Norihiko , Nagata Hidetoshi , Asano Yukio , Kawase Jin , Kamio Kenshiro , Imaeda Yoshihiro , Umemoto Shunji , Ikeda Masahiro , Horiguchi Akihiko
Published: May 2017

A case of colouterine fistula caused by colonic diverticulitis that was successfully treated laparoscopically is presented. A 74‐year‐old woman visited us with lower abdominal discomfort and vaginal excretion with minor fecal contamination. Mild tenderness was observed in her lower abdomen. Blood examinations revealed elevated white blood cell count and C‐reactive protein. Sigmoid colon diverticulitis was revealed on CT, and her condition was diagnosed as colouterine fistula. Hinchey classification was stage I. After 2 weeks of conservative therapy, her symptoms were reduced, and the white blood cell count and C‐reactive protein level decreased. However, fecal contaminated vaginal excretion continued. The patient underwent laparoscopic sigmoidectomy combined with uterus excision, and she has been in good health for the 3 years since the operation. Although colouterine fistula is usually treated with open surgery, patients with controlled and well‐localized inflammation may be good candidates for a laparoscopic approach.
Generation of recombinant bovine interferon tau in the human embryonic kidney cell line and its biological activity
Authors: Takahashi Toru , Sakumoto Ryosuke , Hayashi Ken‐Go , Hosoe Misa , Shirai Junsuke , Hashizume Kazuyoshi
Published: May 2017

The objective of this study was to generate recombinant bovine interferon tau (rbIFNT) in mammalian hosts. The complementary DNA encoding bovine IFNT2 was cloned for the construction of pRcRSV‐bIFNT2 expression vector. The expression vector was transfected to 293 cells. Transfected cells harboring expression vector were selected with G418. Highly expressing clonal line was adapted to serum‐free suspension culture in a spinner flask. The recombinant protein had 24 kDa apparent molecular mass, suggesting being expressed as a glycoprotein, and was purified from serum‐free conditioned medium by the combination of Diethylaminoethanol Sepharose ion exchange and Sephacryl S‐200 HR gel filtration. A total of 7.3 mg rbIFNT was obtained from 13.5 L conditioned medium. Generated rbIFNT was biologically active in terms of antiviral activity measured by the plaque inhibition assay with Madin‐Darby bovine kidney cells and the vesicular stomatitis virus. The recombinant protein was also utilized for immunization to raise antibodies in the rabbit. The generated antibody was capable of use in both Western blotting and the binding assay. The results in the present study suggest that a certain amount of rbIFNT is raised in mammalian hosts by using conventional plasmid vector and its antibody provides useful tools for studies in the biology of bovine IFNT.
Lowland copperhead (Austrelaps superbus) envenomation causing severe neuromuscular paralysis in a dog
Authors: Wright LV , Indrawirawan YH
Published: May 2017

Case report

A case of lowland copperhead snake (Austrelaps superbus) envenomation in a dog is described. The dog developed severe and prolonged neuromuscular paralysis, including ventilatory failure. The dog was treated successfully with antivenom, intravenous fluids and mechanical ventilation.

Clinical significance

The toxic components of lowland copperhead snake venom are reviewed.
Students’ opinions on welfare and ethics issues for companion animals in Australian and New Zealand veterinary schools
Authors: Degeling C , Fawcett A , Collins T , Hazel S , Johnson J , Lloyd J , Phillips CJC , Stafford K , Tzioumis V , McGreevy P
Published: May 2017

Objective

To determine what veterinary students in Australia and New Zealand consider important competences in companion animal welfare and ethics (AWE) required on their first day of practice, and to explore how their priorities relate to gender and stage of study.

Methods

Undergraduate students at all veterinary schools in Australia and New Zealand were sent an online survey. A subset of questions required participants to rank the importance of preselectedAWEtopics pertaining to companion animals. Data were analysed to determine differences in the way students of different gender or academic stage prioritised each of theseAWEtopics.

Results

Of 3220 currently enrolled students, 851 participated in the survey: 79% were female, 17% male, 4% unspecified. Ranking of theAWEtopics, from highest to lowest importance, was: neutering, companion animal husbandry, euthanasia, behaviour and training, animal breeding, over‐servicing in relation to animal needs and cosmetic surgery. Female students consistently ranked competency inAWEissues surrounding neutering more highly than male students (P = 0.006). Students in senior years of study ranked the importance of competency in animal abuse/hoarding (P = 0.048), shelter medicine (P = 0.012) and animal breeding (P = 0.002) less highly than those in junior years.

Conclusions

Australasian veterinary students placed more importance on competency inAWEissues associated with clinical practice (such as neutering and euthanasia) than on professional behaviours (such as over‐servicing and animal breeding). However, we consider that emphasis should still be placed on developing graduate competency in the latter categories to reflect growing societal concerns about companion animal over‐supply and inappropriate professional conduct.
Radiosensitization by BRAF inhibitors
Authors: Strobel Sophia Boyoung , Pätzold ­Sylvie , Zimmer Lisa , Jensen Alexandra , Enk Alexander , Hassel Jessica Cecile
Published: May 2017

Background

Increased skin toxicity during combination therapy with a BRAF inhibitor and radiation therapy has recently been reported.

Material and Methods

We present seven melanoma patients with non‐resectable stage III or IV disease and concomitant treatment with a BRAF inhibitor and radiation therapy.

Results

In all patients, combination therapy yielded a good local response. Only two patients, both on vemurafenib, showed severe radiation dermatitis (CTCAE grade 3/4) after one and two weeks, respectively, resulting in interruption of BRAF inhibitor treatment. The respective cumulative radiation dose was 10 Gy and 35 Gy. The remaining vemurafenib patients displayed only mild radiation dermatitis CTCAE grade 2; the only dabrafenib patient CTCAE grade 1. In one patient, recall dermatitis was diagnosed 14 days after completion of radiation therapy with a cumulative dose of 30 Gy.

Conclusions

Severe skin toxicity caused by BRAF inhibitor‐induced radiosensitization is not common and usually amenable to treatment. Thus, combination treatment should remain a therapeutic option, especially in melanoma patients characterized by aggressive tumor growth. Although there is an increased risk of skin toxicity during combination therapy, it is usually well tolerated by most patients. Sequential – instead of simultaneous – treatment does not seem to prevent such toxicity reactions.
Management of sulfonylurea‐treated monogenic diabetes in pregnancy: implications of placental glibenclamide transfer
Authors: Shepherd M. , Brook A. J. , Chakera A. J. , Hattersley A. T.
Published: May 2017

The optimum treatment for HNF1A/HNF4A maturity‐onset diabetes of the young and ATP‐sensitive potassium (KATP) channel neonatal diabetes, outside pregnancy, is sulfonylureas, but there is little evidence regarding the most appropriate treatment during pregnancy. Glibenclamide has been widely used in the treatment of gestational diabetes, but recent data have established that glibenclamide crosses the placenta and increases risk of macrosomia and neonatal hypoglycaemia. This raises questions about its use in pregnancy. We review the available evidence and make recommendations for the management of monogenic diabetes in pregnancy. Due to the risk of stimulating increased insulin secretion in utero, we recommend that in women with HNF1A/ HNF4A maturity‐onset diabetes of the young, those with good glycaemic control who are on a sulfonylurea per conception either transfer to insulin before conception (at the risk of a short‐term deterioration of glycaemic control) or continue with sulfonylurea (glibenclamide) treatment in the first trimester and transfer to insulin in the second trimester. Early delivery is needed if the fetus inherits an HNF4A mutation from either parent because increased insulin secretion results in ~800‐g weight gain in utero, and prolonged severe neonatal hypoglycaemia can occur post‐delivery. If the fetus inherits a KATP neonatal diabetes mutation from their mother they have greatly reduced insulin secretion in utero that reduces fetal growth by ~900 g. Treating the mother with glibenclamide in the third trimester treats the affected fetus in utero, normalising fetal growth, but is not desirable, especially in the high doses used in this condition, if the fetus is unaffected. Prospective studies of pregnancy in monogenic diabetes are needed.
Piltdown Man's ‘Treasure Map’
Authors: Freeman Eric F.
Published: May 2017

The ‘Maresfield Map’ is a map that purports to show features pertinent to the old iron industry in the Sussex Weald of southern England in 1724. It first appeared in a journal published by the Sussex Archaeological Society in early 1913, at roughly the same time as the formal publication by the Geological Society of London of papers introducing the discovery of the ‘remains’ of what became known as ‘Piltdown Man’ to the world. Piltdown Man was eventually revealed as fraudulent in 1953, followed by the Maresfield Map in 1974. Experiments in replication now show that the Maresfield Map is a sort of ‘treasure map’ (in a negative sense), which points fairly accurately to the supposed find‐spot of Piltdown Man, along with a coded accusation against Charles Dawson. The map's compiler is thought to have been L.F. Salzmann, the editor of the journal in which the map appeared. As such, the map represents the only such denunciation to have been published in the open literature in Dawson's lifetime, albeit a cryptic one. Mr Salzmann's possible motives are explored.
MARKET‐BASED INCENTIVES
Authors: Grochulski Borys , Zhang Yuzhe
Published: May 2017

In this article, we study market‐induced, external incentives similar to career concerns jointly with standard, contractual incentives linking compensation to performance. We consider a dynamic principal–agent problem in which the agent's outside option is determined endogenously in a competitive labor market. In equilibrium, strong performance increases the agent's market value. When this value becomes sufficiently high, the threat of the agent quitting forces the principal to increase the agent's compensation. The prospect of obtaining this raise gives the agent an incentive to exert effort, which reduces the need for standard incentives. In fact, whenever the agent's option to quit is sufficiently close to being “in the money,” the market‐induced incentive eliminates the need for standard incentives altogether: Compensation becomes completely insensitive to current performance.
ENTREPRENEURIAL OPTIMISM AND THE MARKET FOR NEW ISSUES
Authors: Santos‐Pinto Luís , Dell'Era Michele
Published: May 2017

This article analyzes the impact of entrepreneurial optimism on the market for new issues. We find that the existence of optimists generates a new reason for entrepreneurs to own equity in their firms. We show that optimism is a natural explanation for why some new issues are underpriced and others overpriced. We also show that the impact of optimism on entrepreneurs' equity holdings depends on the number of optimists, absolute risk aversion, and cash flow variance. Optimism makes entrepreneurs worse off. In contrast, optimism can make outside investors better off when entrepreneurs signal firm value by retaining shares and underpricing.
Pleiotrophin, a target of miR‐384, promotes proliferation, metastasis and lipogenesis in HBV‐related hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Bai Pei‐song , Xia Nan , Sun Hong , Kong Ying
Published: May 2017

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection plays a crucial role and is a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China. microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key players in hepatic steatosis and carcinogenesis. We found that down‐regulation of miR‐384 expression was a common event in HCC, especially HBV‐related HCC. However, the possible function of miR‐384 in HBV‐related HCC remains unclear. The oncogene pleiotrophin (PTN) was a target of miR‐384. HBx inhibited miR‐384, increasing PTN expression. The PTN receptor N‐syndecan was highly expressed in HCC. PTN induced by HBx acted as a growth factor via N‐syndecan on hepatocytes and further promoted cell proliferation, metastasis and lipogenesis. PTN up‐regulated sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 1c (SREBP‐1c) through the N‐syndecan/PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 pathway and the expression of lipogenic genes, including fatty acid synthesis (FAS). PTN‐mediated de novo lipid synthesis played an important role in HCC proliferation and metastasis. PI3K/AKT and an mTORC1 inhibitor diminished PTN‐induced proliferation, metastasis and lipogenesis. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that the dysregulation of miR‐384 could play a crucial role in HBV related to HCC, and the target gene of miR‐384, PTN, represents a new potential therapeutic target for the prevention of hepatic steatosis and further progression to HCC after chronic HBV infection.
Dose‐escalation study evaluating pegylated interferon alpha‐2a in patients with cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Schiller M. , Tsianakas A. , Sterry W. , Dummer R. , Hinke A. , Nashan D. , Stadler R.
Published: May 2017

Background

This open‐label, multicenter, dose‐escalation study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of subcutaneous pegylated (40 kD) interferon α‐2a (PEG‐IFN α‐2a) in patients with cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL).

Patients and methods

PEG‐IFN α‐2a was administered subcutaneously at 180 (n = 4), 270 (n = 6), or 360 μg (n = 3) once weekly for 12 weeks. Efficacy was assessed by the proportion of patients with complete response (CR) or partial response (PR).

Results

PEG‐IFN α‐2a was generally well tolerated, with a moderate number of reductions or withholding of doses because of adverse events (AEs) (25% (n = 1), 66% (n = 4), and 0% (n = 0) in the 180‐, 270‐, and 360‐μg/week groups, respectively). The only dose‐limiting toxicity was a grade 3 elevation of liver enzymes in the 270‐μg dose group. The most common AEs were fatigue, acute flu‐like symptoms, and hepatic toxicity. The major response rate (CR or PR) was 50% in the 180‐μg group (CR, 50%; PR, 0%), 83% in the 270‐μg group (CR, 67%; PR, 17%), and 66% in the 360‐μg group (CR, 33%; PR, 33%).

Conclusion

PEG‐IFN α‐2a at doses up to 360 μg once weekly was well tolerated in patients with CTCL up to the highest dose group and showed good response rates. Due to their good tolerance even in high doses, they might be an option for patients not tolerating standard IFN‐α preparations. However, for this purpose and to evaluate comparability between standard and PEG‐IFN larger clinical trials are needed, alone and in combination with oral photochemotherapy (PUVA).
Acne: morphologic and vascular study of lesions and surrounding skin by means of optical coherence tomography
Authors: Manfredini M. , Greco M. , Farnetani F. , Ciardo S. , De Carvalho N. , Mandel V.D. , Starace M. , Pellacani G.
Published: May 2017

Background

Acne vulgaris is a disease of the pilosebaceous unit, characterized by hyper‐keratinization process, comedos formation and inflammatory reactions.

Objective

The definition of the morphology and the vascularization of acne lesions by means of dynamic optical coherence tomography (D‐OCT), to non‐invasively define the alterations occurring during the acne development and patient therapeutic management.

Methods

A set of standardized clinical pictures and D‐OCT images were acquired from 114 acne lesions of 31 volunteers, presenting mild to moderate acne and evaluated by experts. Fifteen patients treated with oral antibiotics were followed during time at 0, 20, 40, and 60 days.

Results

Optical coherence tomography enabled to identify vascular and morphological aspects characterizing different types of acne lesions. Oral antibiotic treatment improved the morphologic features and decreased the digitally reconstructed vascular signal during time.

Conclusion

The characterization of acne lesions and the identification of vascular pattern in acne lesions through D‐OCT, corresponding to blood vessel dilation and inflammatory associated hyper‐vascularization, may have important clinical consequences in the assessment of acne severity, therapeutic decisions and treatment efficacy monitoring.
The biomechanical, chemical and physiological adaptations of the eggs of two Australian megapodes to their nesting strategies and their implications for extinct titanosaur dinosaurs
Authors: GRELLET‐TINNER G. , LINDSAY S. , THOMPSON M.B.
Published: May 2017

Megapodes are galliform birds endemic to Australasia and unusual among modern birds in that they bury their eggs for incubation in diverse substrates and using various strategies. Alectura lathami and Leipoa ocellata are Australian megapodes that build and nest in mounds of soil and organic matter. Such unusual nesting behaviours have resulted in particular evolutionary adaptations of their eggs and eggshells. We used a combination of scanning electron microscopy, including electron backscatter diffraction and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, to determine the fine structure of the eggshells and micro‐CT scanning to map the structure of pores. We discovered that the surface of the eggshell of A. lathami displays nodes similar to those of extinct titanosaur dinosaurs from Transylvania and Auca Mahuevo egg layer #4. We propose that this pronounced nodular ornamentation is an adaptation to an environment rich in organic acids from their nest mound, protecting the egg surface from chemical etching and leaving the eggshell thickness intact. By contrast, L. ocellata nests in mounds of sand with less organic matter in semiarid environments and has eggshells with weakly defined nodes, like those of extinct titanosaurs from AM L#3 that also lived in a semiarid environment. We suggest the internode spaces in both megapode and titanosaur species act as funnels, which concentrate the condensed water vapour between the nodes. This water funnelling in megapodes through the layer of calcium phosphate reduces the likelihood of bacterial infection by creating a barrier to microbial invasion. In addition, the accessory layer of both species possesses sulphur, which reinforces the calcium phosphate barrier to bacterial and fungal contamination. Like titanosaurs, pores through the eggshell are Y‐shaped in both species, but A. lathami displays unique mid‐shell connections tangential to the eggshell surface and that connect some adjacent pores, like the eggshells of titanosaur of AM L#4 and Transylvania. The function of these interconnections is not known, but likely helps the diffusion of gases in eggs buried in environments where occlusion of pores is possible.
The Emerging Church in Transatlantic Perspective
Authors: Guest Mathew
Published: May 2017

Is the Emerging Church movement (ECM) a single transnational movement? Or is it a series of parallel religious orientations framed by nationally specific contexts? Cross‐national comparisons of the many manifestations of the ECM remain scarce, especially as the development of the ECM across the globe (e.g., in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand) is most certainly affected by divergent histories and socioreligious landscapes. Focusing on a comparative analysis of the United Kingdom and the United States, I trace how these different cultural contexts determine variant patterns of ECM identity formation. Overall, a global perspective on the ECM calls for a theorization of the national development of religious movements and takes seriously the cultural and historical experiences that shape both its emergence in particular nations and the differentiated development of distinctive manifestations of ECM identity.