bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PharmacoGx: an R package for analysis of large pharmacogenomic datasets
Authors: Smirnov Petr , Safikhani Zhaleh , El-Hachem Nehme , Wang Dong , She Adrian , Olsen Catharina , Freeman Mark , Selby Heather , Gendoo Deena M.A. , Grossmann Patrick , Beck Andrew H. , Aerts Hugo J.W.L. , Lupien Mathieu , Goldenberg Anna , Haibe-Kains Benjamin
Published: December 2015

Summary: Pharmacogenomics holds great promise for the development of biomarkers of drug response and the design of new therapeutic options, which are key challenges in precision medicine. However, such data are scattered and lack standards for efficient access and analysis, consequently preventing the realization of the full potential of pharmacogenomics. To address these issues, we implemented PharmacoGx, an easy-to-use, open source package for integrative analysis of multiple pharmacogenomic datasets. We demonstrate the utility of our package in comparing large drug sensitivity datasets, such as the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer and the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia. Moreover, we show how to use our package to easily perform Connectivity Map analysis. With increasing availability of drug-related data, our package will open new avenues of research for meta-analysis of pharmacogenomic data.

Availability and implementation: PharmacoGx is implemented in R and can be easily installed on any system. The package is available from CRAN and its source code is available from GitHub.

Contact: bhaibeka@uhnresearch.ca or benjamin.haibe.kains@utoronto.ca

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
BioFVM: an efficient, parallelized diffusive transport solver for 3-D biological simulations
Authors: Ghaffarizadeh Ahmadreza , Friedman Samuel H. , Macklin Paul
Published: December 2015

Motivation: Computational models of multicellular systems require solving systems of PDEs for release, uptake, decay and diffusion of multiple substrates in 3D, particularly when incorporating the impact of drugs, growth substrates and signaling factors on cell receptors and subcellular systems biology.

Results: We introduce BioFVM, a diffusive transport solver tailored to biological problems. BioFVM can simulate release and uptake of many substrates by cell and bulk sources, diffusion and decay in large 3D domains. It has been parallelized with OpenMP, allowing efficient simulations on desktop workstations or single supercomputer nodes. The code is stable even for large time steps, with linear computational cost scalings. Solutions are first-order accurate in time and second-order accurate in space. The code can be run by itself or as part of a larger simulator.

Availability and implementation: BioFVM is written in C ++ with parallelization in OpenMP. It is maintained and available for download at http://BioFVM.MathCancer.org and http://BioFVM.sf.net under the Apache License (v2.0).

Contact:  paul.macklin@usc.edu.

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Immune modulators in disease: integrating knowledge from the biomedical literature and gene expression
Authors: Geifman Nophar , Bhattacharya Sanchita , Butte Atul J
Published: December 2015

Objective Cytokines play a central role in both health and disease, modulating immune responses and acting as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. This work takes a systems-level approach for integration and examination of immune patterns, such as cytokine gene expression with information from biomedical literature, and applies it in the context of disease, with the objective of identifying potentially useful relationships and areas for future research.

Results We present herein the integration and analysis of immune-related knowledge, namely, information derived from biomedical literature and gene expression arrays. Cytokine-disease associations were captured from over 2.4 million PubMed records, in the form of Medical Subject Headings descriptor co-occurrences, as well as from gene expression arrays. Clustering of cytokine-disease co-occurrences from biomedical literature is shown to reflect current medical knowledge as well as potentially novel relationships between diseases. A correlation analysis of cytokine gene expression in a variety of diseases revealed compelling relationships. Finally, a novel analysis comparing cytokine gene expression in different diseases to parallel associations captured from the biomedical literature was used to examine which associations are interesting for further investigation.

Discussion We demonstrate the usefulness of capturing Medical Subject Headings descriptor co-occurrences from biomedical publications in the generation of valid and potentially useful hypotheses. Furthermore, integrating and comparing descriptor co-occurrences with gene expression data was shown to be useful in detecting new, potentially fruitful, and unaddressed areas of research.

Conclusion Using integrated large-scale data captured from the scientific literature and experimental data, a better understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying disease can be achieved and applied to research.
New method for black-hole spin measurement based on flux variation from an infalling gas ring
Authors: Moriyama Kotaro , Mineshige Shin
Published: December 2015

We propose a new method for black hole spin measurement. In this method, we consider a gas blob or ring falling onto a black hole from the marginally stable orbit, keeping its initial orbital angular momentum. We calculate the gas motion and photon trajectories in the Kerr space-time and, assuming that the gas blob or ring emits monochromatic radiation, carefully examine how it is observed by a distant observer. The light curve of the orbiting gas blob is composed of many peaks because of periodic enhancement of the flux due to the gravitational lensing and beaming effects. Further, the intensity of each peak first gradually increases with time due to the focusing effect around the photon circular orbit and then rapidly decreases due to the gravitational redshift, as the gas blob approaches the event horizon. The light curve of the gas ring is equivalent to a superposition of those of the blobs with various initial orbital phases, and so it is continuous and with no peaks. The flux first gradually increases and then rapidly decays, as in the blob model. The flux variation timescale depends on the black hole spin and is independent of the inclination angle, while time-averaged frequency shift has dependence on both effects. We can thus, in principle, determine spin and inclination angle from observations. The observational implications and future issues are briefly discussed.
Importance of Lid Hygiene Before Ocular Surgery: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Eyelid and Conjunctiva Microbiota
Authors: Peral Assumpta , Alonso Jose , García-García Concepción , Niño-Rueda Cristina , Calvo del Bosque Patricia
Published: December 2015

Objective:

To evaluate the efficacy of a cleansing eyelid wipe in reducing the microbiota present on the ocular surface before cataract surgery.

Methods:

A single-center, prospective, single-blind phase IV study was conducted at the University Complutense of Madrid. Forty-five adult patients who were scheduled for ocular surgery after treatment with commercially available eyelid wipes were consecutively enrolled. The study lasted 5 days and the patients were examined at day 0 (D0), day 3 (D3), and day 5 (D5). They received instructions to apply the eyelid wipe only to the eye subject to surgery, using the other eye as a control with no treatment. Lid and conjunctival swabs were taken on each day and microbes identified. Ocular surface microbiota was estimated by measuring the area of the agar plate occupied by the grown colonies with respect to the total available area.

Results:

Measurements at D3 and D5 showed a percent reduction of 58% and 63%, respectively, in the microbial load on the eyelid in the treated eyes (P=0.0011). There was also a reduction, although nonsignificant, in the microbiota of the conjunctiva of 72% and 69% on D3 and D5, respectively.

Conclusions:

The degree of microbiota reduction was comparable with that obtained after topical application of antibiotics in other studies. The results suggest the use of these eyelid wipes as a complementary prophylactic method before any ocular surgery.
List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published
Authors: Oren Aharon , Garrity George M.
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following effectively published new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries. It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in the nomenclature of prokaryotes. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.
When three traits make a line: Evolution of phenotypic plasticity and genetic assimilation through linear reaction norms in stochastic environments
Authors: Ergon Torbjørn , Ergon Rolf
Published: December 2015

Genetic assimilation results from selection on phenotypic plasticity, but quantitative genetics models of linear reaction norms considering intercept and slope as traits do not fully incorporate the process of genetic assimilation. We argue that intercept-slope reaction norm models are insufficient representations of genetic effects on linear reaction norms, and that considering reaction norm intercept as a trait is unfortunate because the definition of this trait relates to a specific environmental value (zero) and confounds genetic effects on reaction norm elevation with genetic effects on environmental perception. Instead we suggest a model with three traits representing genetic effects that respectively (i) are independent of the environment, (ii) alter the sensitivity of the phenotype to the environment, and (iii) determine how the organism perceives the environment. The model predicts that, given sufficient additive genetic variation in environmental perception, the environmental value at which reaction norms tend to cross will respond rapidly to selection after an abrupt environmental change, and eventually become equal to the new mean environment. This readjustment of the zone of canalization becomes completed without changes in genetic correlations, genetic drift or imposing any fitness costs on maintaining plasticity. The asymptotic evolutionary outcome of this three-trait linear reaction norm generally entails a lower degree of phenotypic plasticity than the two-trait model, and maximum expected fitness does not occur at the mean trait values in the population.
Crystallization of nepenthesin I using a low-pH crystallization screen
Authors: Fejfarová Karla , Kádek Alan , Mrázek Hynek , Hausner Jiří , Tretyachenko Vyacheslav , Koval' Tomáš , Man Petr , Hašek Jindřich , Dohnálek Jan
Published: December 2015

Nepenthesins are aspartic proteases secreted by carnivorous pitcher plants of the genusNepenthes. They significantly differ in sequence from other plant aspartic proteases. This difference, which provides more cysteine residues in the structure of nepenthesins, may contribute to their unique stability profile. Recombinantly produced nepenthesin 1 (rNep1) fromN. gracilisin complex with pepstatin A was crystallized under two different crystallization conditions using a newly formulated low-pH crystallization screen. The diffraction data were processed to 2.9 and 2.8 Å resolution, respectively. The crystals belonged to space groupP212121, with unit-cell parametersa= 86.63,b= 95.90,c= 105.40 Å, α = β = γ = 90° anda= 86.28,b= 97.22,c= 103.78 Å, α = β = γ = 90°, respectively. Matthews coefficient and solvent-content calculations suggest the presence of two molecules of rNep1 in the asymmetric unit. Here, the details of the crystallization experiment and analysis of the X-ray data are reported.
Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis of dihydrodipicolinate synthase from the human pathogenic bacteriumBartonella henselaestrain Houston-1 at 2.1 Å resolution
Authors: Naqvi Kubra F. , Staker Bart L. , Dobson Renwick C. J. , Serbzhinskiy Dmitry , Sankaran Banumathi , Myler Peter J. , Hudson André O.
Published: December 2015

The enzyme dihydrodipicolinate synthase catalyzes the committed step in the synthesis of diaminopimelate and lysine to facilitate peptidoglycan and protein synthesis. Dihydrodipicolinate synthase catalyzes the condensation of L-aspartate 4-semialdehyde and pyruvate to synthesize L-2,3-dihydrodipicolinate. Here, the cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis of dihydrodipicolinate synthase from the pathogenic bacteriumBartonella henselae, the causative bacterium of cat-scratch disease, are presented. Protein crystals were grown in conditions consisting of 20%(w/v) PEG 4000, 100 mMsodium citrate tribasic pH 5.5 and were shown to diffract to ∼2.10 Å resolution. They belonged to space groupP212121, with unit-cell parametersa= 79.96,b= 106.33,c= 136.25 Å. The finalRvalues wereRr.i.m.= 0.098,Rwork= 0.183,Rfree= 0.233.
Crystal structure of 4′-(2-methoxyquinolin-3-yl)-1′-methyldispiro[indan-2,2′-pyrrolidine-3′,3′′-indoline]-1,3,2′′-trione
Authors: Mathusalini Sadasivam , Viswanathan Vijayan , Mohan Palathurai Subramaniam , Lin Chia-Her , Velmurugan Devadasan
Published: December 2015

In the title compound, C30H23N3O4, the central 1-methylpyrrolidine ring adopts a twist conformation on the N—CH2bond. The pyrrolidin-2-one ring of the indolin-2-one ring system also has a twist conformation on the C—C bond involving the spiro C atom and the carbonyl C atom. The five-membered ring of the indene-1,3-dione moiety has an envelope conformation with the spiro C atom as the flap. The quinoline ring system adopts an almost planar conformation (r.m.s. deviation = 0.04 Å). The mean planes of the indolin-2-one ring system, the indene-1,3-dione ring system and the the quinoline ring system are inclined to the mean plane of the central 1-methylpyrrolidine ring by 77.97 (7), 86.98 (7) and 46.58 (6)°, respectively. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviaN—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming chains along thebaxis. The chains are linkedviaa number of C—H...O hydrogen bonds, and C—H...π and π–π interactions [inter-centroid distance = 3.7404 (9) Å], forming a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure of di-μ2-chlorido-bis[(1-aza-4-azoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-κN1)dichloridodicadmium]
Authors: Yan Jing-Jing , Pan Qi-Jian , Chen Li-Zhuang
Published: December 2015

In the structure of the binuclear title compound, [Cd2(C6H13N2)2Cl6], two CdIIatoms are bridged by two Cl−ligands, defining a centrosymmetric Cd2Cl2motif. Each metal cation is additionally coordinated by two Cl−ligands and the N atom of a protonated 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (H-DABCO)+ligand, leading to an overall trigonal–bipyramidal coordination environment with one of the bridging Cl−ligands and the N atom at the apical sites. In the crystal, the neutral dimers are linkedviaN—H...Cl hydrogen bonds, forming a two-dimensional network expanding parallel to (100).
Crystal structure ofcatena-poly[1,3-dibenzylbenzimidazolium [[chloridomercurate(II)]-di-μ-chlorido]]
Authors: Bouchouit Mehdi , Bouraiou Abdelmalek , Bouacida Sofiane , Merazig Hocine , Belfaitah Ali , Bahnous Mebarek
Published: December 2015

The asymmetric unit of the polymeric title compound, {(C21H19N2)[HgCl3]}n, comprises one-half of the cationic molecule, the other half being generated by application of twofold rotation symmetry, one Hg and two Cl atoms. The HgIIatom, lying on a twofold rotation axis, exhibits a distorted triangular coordination environment and is surrounded by three Cl atoms with Hg—Cl distances in the range 2.359 (2)–2.4754 (13) Å. Two additional longer distances [Hg...Cl = 3.104 (14) Å] lead to the formation of polymeric [HgCl1/1Cl4/2]−chains extending along [001]. The crystal packing can be described by cationic layers alternating parallel to (-110) with the anionic chains located between the layers. The packing is consolidated by π–π stacking interactions between the benzene rings of the central benzimidazole entities, with centroid-to-centroid distances of 3.643 (3) Å.
Crystal structure of 2-amino-3-cyano-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzothieno[3,2-b]pyran
Authors: Bakhouch Mohamed , El Yazidi Mohamed , Kerbal Abdelali , Saadi Mohamed , El Ammari Lahcen
Published: December 2015

The three fused five- and six-membered rings in the title compound, C19H14N2O2S, are virtually coplanar, with the maximum deviation from the mean plane being 0.060 (1) Å. This benzothieno[3,2-b]pyran ring system is nearly perpendicular to the plane of the 4-methoxyphenyl ring, forming a dihedral angle of 83.65 (5)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by pairs of N—H...N hydrogen bonds into inversion dimers. The dimeric units are further connected by an N—H...O hydrogen bond into a tape running along thebaxis. The tapes are linked together by C—H...N and π–π interactions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.7743 (8) Å], forming a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure of 1-{(Z)-[(2E)-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-ylidene]amino}-3-ethylthiourea
Authors: Tan Ming Yueh , Crouse Karen A. , Ravoof Thahira Begum S. A. , Tiekink Edward R. T.
Published: December 2015

In the title thiosemicarbazone compound, C18H18ClN3S, the CN3S residue is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0031 Å) and forms dihedral angles of 65.99 (7) and 34.60 (10)° with the phenyl and chlorobenzene rings, respectively; the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 85.13 (8)°. The conformation about the C=N bond isZ, and that about the C=C bonds isE. The imine N and ethyl N atoms aresynand are linked by an ethyl–imine N—H...N hydrogen bond. This H atom also forms an intermolecular hydrogen bond to the thione S atom, resulting in a supramolecular helical chain propagating along thebaxis. The chains are consolidated into a three-dimensional architecture by phenyl-C—H...Cl contacts and weak π–π interactions between centrosymmetrically related chlorobenzene rings [inter-centroid distance = 3.9127 (15) Å].
Crystal structure of ethyl 2-(2-{1-[N-(4-bromophenyl)-2-oxo-2-phenylacetamido]-2-tert-butylamino-2-oxoethyl}-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)acetate
Authors: Moriguchi Tetsuji , Jalli Venkataprasad , Krishnamurthy Suvratha , Tsuge Akihiko , Yoza Kenji
Published: December 2015

In the title compound, C28H30BrN3O5, there is an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond and an intramolecular C—H...O hydrogen bond, both formingS(9) ring motifs. The planes of the 4-bromophenyl ring and the phenyl ring are inclined to that of the pyrrole ring by 48.05 (12) and 77.45 (14)°, respectively, and to one another by 56.25 (12)°. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviaC—H...O hydrogen bonds and C—H...π interactions, forming slabs parallel to (10-1).
Strategic orientations, sustainable supply chain initiatives, and reverse logistics
Authors: Hsu Chin-Chun , Tan Keah-Choon , Mohamad Zailani Suhaiza Hanim
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– Global outsourcing shifts manufacturing jobs to emerging countries, which provides new opportunities for improving their economic development. The authors develop and test a theoretical model to predict first, how sustainable supply chain initiatives might influence reverse logistics outcomes and second, the impact of eco-reputation and eco-innovation orientation strategies on the deployment of sustainable supply chain initiatives. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed new model of antecedents and outcomes of sustainable supply chain initiatives underwent a rigorous empirical test through structural equation modeling with samples from an emerging market.

Findings

– The results show that firms that implement sustainable supply chain initiatives can realize positive reverse logistics outcomes; the study also provides new insights into eco-innovation and eco-reputation strategic orientations as theoretically important antecedents of sustainable supply chain initiatives.

Research limitations/implications

– Though the authors identify three components of sustainable supply chain initiatives, other components could exist, and ongoing research should investigate them.

Practical implications

– The findings have important implications for managers in emerging markets seeking to initiate ecologically friendly business practices. The authors offer strong evidence of the benefits obtained from reverse logistics in sustainable supply chain initiatives. Policy makers and firms attempting to nurture sustainable supply chain initiatives should not overlook the important role of eco-reputation and eco-innovation strategic orientations, which the results identify as important enablers.

Originality/value

– This study offers evidence of the critical role of eco-reputation and eco-innovation strategic orientations in deploying sustainable supply chain initiative programs, as well as of their mutual effects. This study also offers empirical evidence that implementing sustainable supply chain initiatives leads to reverse logistics, creating value, and a new source of competitive advantages.
Management of the learning curve: a case of overseas production capacity expansion
Authors: Pedersen Peter-Christian , Slepniov Dmitrij
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– This paper focuses on the management of the learning curve in overseas capacity expansions. The purpose of this paper is to unravel the direct as well as indirect influences on the learning curve and to advance the understanding of how these affect its management.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper builds on the offshoring, capacity expansion and learning curve literature. The existing scholarship often lacks detailed insights into the factors surrounding the globalisation of production, and how constructing and operationalising new capacities overseas should be implemented. The paper employs qualitative methodology and draws on a longitudinal, factory-level analysis of an in-depth case study of a Danish wind turbine manufacturer.

Findings

– This study goes beyond a simplistic treatment of the lead time and learning required to establish a new capacity. The authors examined the dimensions of the learning process involved in a capacity expansion project and identified the direct and indirect labour influences on the production learning curve. On this basis, the study proposes solutions to managing learning curves in overseas capacity expansions. Furthermore, the paper concludes with measures that have the potential to significantly reduce the non-value-added time when establishing new capacities overseas.

Originality/value

– The paper uses a longitudinal in-depth case study of a Danish wind turbine manufacturer and goes beyond a simplistic treatment of the lead time and learning required to establish a new capacity.
Expeditions through image jungles
Authors: Göker Ayse , Butterworth Richard , MacFarlane Andrew , Ahmed Tanya S , Stumpf Simone
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– Searching for appropriate images as part of a work task is a non-trivial problem. Journalists and copywriters need to find images that are not only visually appropriate to accompany the documents they are creating, but are acceptably priced and licensed. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– A work-based study methodology and grounded theory are used to collect qualitative data from a variety of creative professionals including journalists.

Findings

– The authors report the findings of a study to investigate image search, retrieval and use by creative professionals who routinely use images as part of their work in an online environment. The authors describe the commercial constraints that have an impact on the image users’ behaviour that are not reported in other more academic and lab-based studies of image use (Westman, 2009).

Practical implications

– The authors show that the commercial image retrieval systems are based on document retrieval systems, and that this is not the most appropriate approach in the journalism domain.

Originality/value

– The authors describe the properties of an “information expedition”; the image seeking behaviour exhibited by journalists in an online environment, and contend that it is significantly different to existing image seeking models which represent other user types.
Ethnomethodology
Authors: Trace Ciaran B.
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to argue that researchers in the information disciplines should embrace ethnomethodology as a way of forming deeper insights into the relationship between people and recorded knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper introduces the core concepts of ethnomethodology as a means of articulating what this perspective brings to the understanding of the way that society is accomplished. A selection of key studies are then examined to highlight important ethnomethodological findings about the particular relationship of documents to human actions and interactions.

Findings

– Ethnomethodology highlights the fact that people transform their experiences, and the experiences of others, into documents whose status as an objective object help to justify people’s actions and inferences. Documents, as written accounts, also serve to make peoples’ actions meaningful to themselves and to others. At the same time, ethnomethodology draws attention to the fact that any correct reading of these documents relies partly on an understanding of the tacit ideologies that undergird people’s sense-making and that are used in order to make decisions and get work done.

Originality/value

– This conceptual framework contributes to the information disciplines by bringing to the fore certain understandings about the social organization of document work, and the attendant social arrangements they reveal. The paper also outlines, from a methodological perspective, how information science researchers can use ethnomethodology as an investigative stance to further their knowledge of the role of documents in everyday life.
Reading as dialogical document work: possibilities for Library and Information Science
Authors: Lundh Anna Hampson , Dolatkhah Mats
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce a dialogically based theory of documentary practices and document work as a promising framework for studying activities that are often conceptualised as information behaviour or information practices within Library and Information Science (LIS).

Design/methodology/approach

– An empirical example – a lesson on how to read railway timetables – is presented. The lesson stems from a research project including 223 Swedish lessons recorded in Swedish primary schools 1967-1969. It is argued that this lesson, as many empirical situations within LIS research, can fruitfully be regarded as documentary practices which include document work such as reading, rather than instances of information behaviour.

Findings

– It is found that the theoretical perspective of dialogism could contribute to the theory development within LIS, and function as a bridge between different subfields such as reading studies and documentary practices.

Research limitations/implications

– The framework is yet to be applied on a larger scale. This would require a willingness to go beyond the entrenched idea of information as the core theoretical concept and empirical object of study within LIS.

Social implications

– The theoretical framework offers a view of the relations between individuals, documents, and social contexts, through which it is possible to explore the social significance of core LIS concerns such as reading, literacy, and document work.

Originality/value

– The theoretical framework offers an alternative to the monologist, information-based theories and models of people’s behaviours and practices prevalent in LIS.
The everyday life information seeking behaviours of first-time mothers
Authors: Loudon Katherine , Buchanan Steven , Ruthven Ian
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the everyday life information seeking behaviours of first-time mothers, as they encounter new, significant and pressing information needs which arise alongside their new responsibilities.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative approach combined narrative interviews with participatory methods to facilitate engagement and remain sensitive to the social context.

Findings

– Mothers particularly valued the experiential nature of information received from peers or family members. However, fear of judgement influenced their use of interpersonal sources, both on- and off-line. Their accounts of information seeking contained instances of confusion, tension, conflict and information overload. Feeling under pressure to be “good mothers”, they withheld information needs from others, including healthcare professionals.

Research limitations/implications

– There was a notable absence of younger (
<
20 year old) and/or less educated mothers in the study. This corresponds to previous findings which report that very young mothers are reluctant to participate in support groups with older mothers. They remain an understudied and potentially marginalised group.

Practical implications

– The findings show how social support groups can mitigate for societal pressures which impact upon mothers’ information behaviour, allowing them to connect and share information within a trusted environment. The study highlights the importance of healthcare and information services professionals remaining sensitive to such pressures. Relatedly, the finding that public libraries are used very little has implications for audience engagement and service provision.

Originality/value

– Focused upon first-time mothers’ information behaviours during the early stages of parenthood, the study provides insight into how relationships and experiences with others influence information seeking behaviours. It provides evidence that fear of judgement can influence information seeking behaviour, helping us to understand why some information sources, although considered important and useful, can be used very little.
Local cryosurgery and imiquimod: A successful combination for the treatment of locoregional cutaneous metastasis of melanoma: A case series
Authors: Rivas‐Tolosa Nancy , Ortiz‐Brugués Ariadna , Toledo‐Pastrana Tomás , Baradad Manel , Traves Víctor , Soriano Virtudes , Sanmartín Verónica , Requena Celia , Martí Rosa , Nagore Eduardo
Published: December 2015

Locoregional cutaneous metastases of melanoma (LCMM) represent a therapeutic challenge. Many treatment options are available with varying results. The combination of cryotherapy and imiquimod, two treatments with a possible synergistic effect, has not yet been described for treating this disease. In this paper, we aimed to show the response of LCMM to cryotherapy combined with topical imiquimod 5%. A retrospective review of 20 patients diagnosed with LCMM and treated with cryotherapy combined with topical imiquimod 5% between November 2000 and May 2014 at three institutions was performed. The locoregional cutaneous response was evaluated. After a mean of five sessions, 13 patients (65%) responded to treatment, eight (40%) of these completely and five (25%) partially. Systemic disease progressed in 16 (80%) patients. Cryotherapy followed by topical imiquimod 5% is simple to apply, has minimal adverse effects and provides response rates similar to other, more complex treatment options.
Case of immediate hypersensitivity to beer
Authors: Inoue Tomoko , Yagami Akiko , Shimojo Naoshi , Hara Kazuhiro , Nakamura Masashi , Matsunaga Kayoko
Published: December 2015

We report here a case of immediate hypersensitivity to beer, in which a female patient developed angioedema of the eyelids shortly after consuming beer. In skin prick tests, the patient showed positive reactions to the base ingredients of beer, particularly malt and barley. The specific serum immunoglobulin E antibodies against barley and malt displayed weakly positive reactivity. To identify the immunoreactive antigens, malt and barley proteins were separated by 2‐D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoreacted with the patient's serum. The results of mass spectrometric analysis revealed that the main antigen was a protein with similarity to protein z‐type serpin. Notably, the identified antigen had a molecular weight of 20–25 kDa, which is markedly smaller than that previously reported for protein Z4 (44 kDa). Taken together, these analyses indicate that a possible new antigen which belongs to the protein Z family elicits immediate hypersensitivity to beer.
Temperature dependence of fish performance in the wild: links with species biogeography and physiological thermal tolerance
Authors: Payne Nicholas L. , Smith James A. , van der Meulen Dylan E. , Taylor Matthew D. , Watanabe Yuuki Y. , Takahashi Akinori , Marzullo Teagan A. , Gray Charles A. , Cadiou Gwenael , Suthers Iain M.
Published: December 2015

Temperature strongly regulates the distribution and fitness of ectotherms, and many studies have measured the temperature dependence of physiological performance in controlled laboratory settings. In contrast, little is known about how temperature influences ectotherm performance in the wild, so the ecological significance of physiological performance as measured in the laboratory is unclear.

Our aim was to measure the temperature dependence of performance in the wild for several species of fishes and to explore how temperatures that maximize performance in the wild (ToptE) are related to species biogeographies.

We gathered body activity and growth data from the wild for nine tropical and temperate fish species, and by fitting thermal performance curves to these data, compared ToptE to species‐specific warm range boundary temperatures (the average temperature of the warmest month at equatorward range limits). To explore the degree to which trends in the wild reflect trends in physiological performance measured in the laboratory, we also compiled published data on the temperature dependence of aerobic metabolic scope in fishes and compared these to our wild fish data.

We found ToptE in the wild was strongly correlated with warm range boundary temperatures, and that the difference between these two temperatures (the ‘environmental heating tolerance’) was smaller for more‐tropical species. Comparison with laboratory data revealed that ToptE approaches warm boundary temperatures in the wild at the same rate that the optimal temperature for aerobic scope (ToptAS) approaches upper critical temperatures (upper Tcrit) for aerobic scope in the laboratory, meaning that environmental heating tolerances in wild fishes closely mirror physiological heating tolerance (i.e. upper Tcrit − ToptAS) in captive fishes.

Our comparison of field‐ and laboratory‐derived data highlights the ecological significance of aerobic metabolic scope in fishes and suggests wild fish species tend to perform best near the highest temperatures encountered in their range while maintaining a safety margin from the deleterious effects of upper critical temperatures.
Root and leaf decomposition become decoupled over time: implications for below‐ and above‐ground relationships
Authors: Ma Chengen , Xiong Yanmei , Li Le , Guo Dali
Published: December 2015

Studies elucidating patterns and mechanisms of decomposition are moving from a leaf‐centred view towards a whole‐plant perspective, in which root and leaf decomposition differs among species, yet this prediction has so far received mixed empirical support.

Here, we examined the rates and temporal dynamics of decomposition of absorptive fine roots (the distal two root‐branch orders) and leaf litter by measuring mass loss across 10 subtropical and temperate tree species, and CO2 efflux across 18 tree species in a 15‐month laboratory incubation experiment.

Eight of 12 initial chemical traits were positively correlated between roots and leaf litter (Pearson's r range of 0·48–0·82). However, mass loss and respiration rates between roots and leaf litter were correlated only in the first 3 months, but unrelated in the subsequent 12 months. This was due to root decomposition rates slowing down after the first 3 months.

The disparity in decomposition rates between roots and leaf litter was mainly due to the higher chemical recalcitrance of roots and suggests that roots and leaf litter need to be considered separately when evaluating their role in plant–soil feedbacks. A better understanding of whole‐plant ecological strategies is needed to quantify the impact roots vs. leaves on detrital processes.
The British General Election of 2015 and the Rise of the Meritocracy
Authors: Bogdanor Vernon
Published: December 2015

Many on the left hoped that the 2015 general election in Britain would prove a social democratic moment. Instead, it proved a nationalist moment, since the only parties radically to increase their vote were UKIP and the SNP. This mirrored trends on the Continent, where nationalist parties on the right and the left have been the beneficiaries of the financial collapse of 2008. These parties exploit a new social cleavage between those who benefit from globalisation and those left behind. The new parties exploit issues of identity rather than economics, and these issues—whether Britain remains in the European Union, whether mass immigration continues and whether Scotland remains in the United Kingdom—are likely to dominate the 2015 parliament.
17‐Hydroxyprogesterone caproate in triplet pregnancy: an individual patient data meta‐analysis
Authors: Combs CA , Schuit E , Caritis SN , Lim AC , Garite TJ , Maurel K , Rouse D , Thom E , Tita AT , Mol BWJ ,   A Global Obstetrics Network (GONet) collaboration
Published: December 2015

Background

Preterm birth complicates almost all triplet pregnancies and no preventive strategy has proven effective.

Objective

To determine, using individual patient data (IPD) meta‐analysis, whether the outcome of triplet pregnancy is affected by prophylactic administration of 17‐hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17OHPc).

Search strategy

We searched literature databases, trial registries and references in published articles.

Selection criteria

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of progestogens versus control that included women with triplet pregnancies.

Data collection and analysis

Investigators from identified RCTs collaborated on the protocol and contributed their IPD. The primary outcome was a composite measure of adverse perinatal outcome. The secondary outcome was the rate of birth before 32 weeks of gestation. Other pre‐specified outcomes included randomisation‐to‐delivery interval and rates of birth at <24, <28 and <34 weeks of gestation.

Main results

Three RCTs of 17OHPc versus placebo included 232 mothers with triplet pregnancies and their 696 offspring. Risk‐of‐bias scores and between‐study heterogeneity were low. Baseline characteristics were comparable between 17OHPc and placebo groups. The rate of the composite adverse perinatal outcome was similar among those treated with 17OHPc and those treated with placebo (34 and 35%, respectively; risk ratio [RR] 0.98, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.79–1.2). The rate of birth at <32 weeks was also similar in the two groups (35 and 38%, respectively; RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.55–1.56). There were no significant between‐group differences in perinatal mortality rate, randomisation‐to‐delivery interval, or other specified outcomes.

Conclusion

Prophylactic 17OHPc given to mothers with triplet pregnancies had no significant impact on perinatal outcome or pregnancy duration.

Tweetable abstract

17‐Hydroxyprogesterone caproate had no significant impact on the outcome or duration of triplet pregnancy.
The effect of leptin concentrations and other maternal characteristics on gestational weight gain is different according to pre‐gestational BMI: results from a prospective cohort
Authors: Franco‐Sena AB , Rebelo F , Pinto TJP , Farias DR , Silveira GE , Mendes RH , Henriques VT , Kac G
Published: December 2015

Objective

To evaluate the effect of leptin and other selected variables on gestational weight gain (GWG) according to pre‐gestational body mass index (BMI).

Design

Prospective cohort.

Setting

Public Health Center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Sample

Two hundred and twenty‐eight pregnant women.

Methods

Women were followed at the 5–13, 20–26 and 30–36th gestational weeks. The effects of independent variables on GWG in normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2) and obese (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2) women were assessed using longitudinal linear mixed‐effects models.

Main outcome measure

Maternal body weight (kg) throughout pregnancy.

Results

Leptin concentrations were associated with GWG in normal weight (β = 0.048, P < 0.001) and overweight (β = 0.023, P = 0.048) women, but not in obese ones (β = 0.011, P = 0.308). Additionally, the number of hours slept per night decreased the effect of leptin on GWG in OW women (β = −0.013, P = 0.002). The effect of other maternal characteristics on GWG was different depending on the BMI category.

Conclusions

Leptin concentrations were positively associated with GWG in normal weight and overweight women, but not in obese ones. Maternal height was associated with GWG in all BMI categories, but other variables such as sleep duration, QUICKI values, HDL‐c, smoking habit and marital status presented differential effects according to BMI. We encourage further studies to investigate the association between leptin and gestational weight gain, taking into account the pre‐pregnancy weight and sleep duration, in order to compare and confirm our results.

Tweetable abstract

Leptin is associated with weight gain in normal weight and overweight pregnant women, but not in obese ones.
From capacity to sovereignty: Legislative politics and differentiated integration in the European Union
Authors: WINZEN THOMAS
Published: December 2015

The literature suggests that legislative politics among European Union Member States is characterised by economic exchanges, and constrained by the social norms of a European community of legislators. Both views draw a clear line between the legislative process and the conflicts over sovereignty that have left their mark on treaty making and European public opinion since the 1990s. This article suggests revisiting this view, based on an analysis of why Member States have opted out of legislation from the 1970s to today. It argues that differentiation, while once a response to capacity problems of relatively poor countries, has recently become driven by sovereignty concerns of the Union's wealthy and nationally oriented Members that oppose the EU's intrusion into core state powers. The article presents evidence for the impact on legislative outcomes of factors so far thought not to matter. The results indicate greater European‐level legislative responsiveness towards national sovereignty demands than previously recognised. They underline that the nature of European politics has been changing with the EU's push into core state powers.
Different Oils and Health Benefit Statements Affect Physicochemical Properties, Consumer Liking, Emotion, and Purchase Intent: A Case of Sponge Cake
Authors: Poonnakasem Naratip , Pujols Kairy Dharali , Chaiwanichsiri Saiwarun , Laohasongkram Kalaya , Prinyawiwatkul Witoon
Published: December 2015

Effects of different oils on physicochemical properties, consumer liking, emotion, and purchase intent of sponge cakes were evaluated. Three healthy oils (extra virgin coconut oil, EVCO; extra virgin olive oil, EVOO; rice bran oil, RBO) compared with butter (the control), were used at 20% (w/w, wheat flour basis) in sponge cake formulations. Five positive (calm, good, happy, pleased, satisfied) and 3 negative (guilty, unsafe, worried) emotion terms, selected from the EsSense Profile® with slight modification using an online (N = 234) check‐all‐that‐apply questionnaire, were used for consumer testing. Consumers (N = 148) evaluated acceptability of 9 sensory attributes on a 9‐point hedonic scale, 8 emotion responses on a 5‐point rating scale, and purchase intent on a binomial scale. Overall liking, emotion, and purchase intent were evaluated before compared with after health benefit statement of oils had been given to consumers. Overall liking and positive emotion (except calm) scores of sponge cake made with EVCO were higher than those made with EVOO and RBO. Specific volume, expansion ratio, and moisture content of control, EVCO, and EVOO were not significantly different, but higher than RBO sponge cake. JAR results showed that sponge cake made with RBO had the least softness that was reflected by the highest hardness (6.61 to 9.69 compared with. 12.76N). Oil (EVCO/EVOO/RBO) health benefit statement provided to consumer significantly increased overall liking, positive emotion, and purchase intent scores while decreased negative emotion scores. Overall liking and pleased emotion were critical attributes influencing purchase intent (odds ratio = 2.06 to 3.75), whereas calm and happy became not critical after health benefit statement had been given.
Characteristics of youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with and without a parent with T1D in the T1D exchange clinic registry
Authors: Fox Larry A. , Mubasher Mohamed , Wolfsdorf Joseph I. , Buckingham Bruce A. , Peters Anne L. , Tamborlane William V. , Schatz Desmond A. , Maahs David M. , Miller Kellee M. , Beck Roy W. ,   for the T1D Exchange Clinic Network
Published: December 2015

Background

The aim of the present study was to compare characteristics and diabetes management in children and adolescents with and without at least one parent with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods

In all, 12 890 participants aged <18 years at enrollment in the T1D Exchange Registry were included in the present study. Statistical comparisons between those with and without parental T1D were conducted using a univariate generalized linear mixed model.

Results

Of the study participants, 1056 (8.2%) registrants had at least one parent with T1D. Those with parental T1D were slightly, albeit significantly, younger (6.3 vs 6.9 years; P < 0.001) and less likely to have diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis (24% vs 41%; P < 0.001) than those without parental T1D. There were no differences between groups in HbA1c, use of continuous glucose monitoring or insulin pump therapy, or the development of severe hypoglycemia or DKA. In addition, there were no differences found when comparing characteristics or diabetes management in those with a mother versus those with a father with T1D.

Conclusions

Children and adolescents with parental T1D tend to be diagnosed earlier. Diabetes management, glycemic control, and acute complications are similar in those with and without parental T1D.