bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rationalism
Authors: Parfit Derek
Published: May 2015

This chapter describes Rationalism. The Naturalist Argument for Normative Skepticism has several strands: our normative epistemic beliefs were often advantageous, by causing us to have true worldly beliefs which helped us to survive and reproduce; because these normative beliefs were advantageous, natural selection made us disposed to have them; these beliefs would have had the same effects whether or not they were true; these beliefs would have been advantageous whether or not they were true; natural selection would have disposed us to have these beliefs whether or not they were true; we have no empirical evidence for the truth of these beliefs; we have no other way of knowing whether these beliefs are true. The chapter examines normative beliefs that are grounded on alethic beliefs about what is certain or likely to be true, along with practical and moral beliefs that were not produced by natural selection, or other evolutionary forces. It then turns from epistemic reasons to practical reasons, and to questions about what matters.
Contemporary Uses of the Musical Arts in Botswana’s HIV/AIDS Health Education Initiatives
Authors: Cole Abimbola
Published: May 2015

This chapter expands existing work on AIDS-themed radio serial dramas by examining how contemporary music, theater, and health education came together in the 2001 Botswana production Makgabaneng. It begins with an overview of the radio serial drama, its cultural context, and its significance in Botswana’s national life and community. Using the case of Makgabaneng, it then considers the serial drama’s role as a contemporary form of musical arts education capable of conveying health care objectives and details related to psycho-medical care as described in Botswana’s national HIV/AIDS goals and policies. It also looks at the ways in which Makgabaneng establishes communities of listeners whose lives are intertwined with the imagined worlds of the serial drama’s characters. This chapter offers a window into how Makgabaneng functions as a contemporary musical arts endeavor reflecting everyday situations in Botswana that raise national consciousness about HIV/AIDS.
Confronting AIDS through Popular Music Cultures in Kenya
Authors: Wanyama Mellitus N. , Okong’o Joseph B.
Published: May 2015

This chapter analyzes the song lyrics of three popular Kenyan songwriters: Princess Jully, Jack Nyadundo, and Oduor Odhialo. Extensive presentations of their song texts demonstrate the artists’ deep engagement with significant health care related issues in Kenya today. In particular, their use of local language terms and popular culture references evoke the threats and realities of HIV infection in East Africa. The songs discussed in this chapter are Jully’s “Dunia Mbaya,” Nyadundo’s “Ukimwi,” and Odhialo’s “Nyakomollo.” The chapter shows how contemporary popular music in Kenya has had to confront the subject of sexuality within the context of the dangers posed by HIV/AIDS. Far from encouraging promiscuity, as some discourses seem to suggest, popular musicians have been actively involved in spreading the message of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention through their music.
Young and Wise in Accra, Ghana
Authors: Scharfenberger Angela
Published: May 2015

This chapter explores the dilemmas Western researchers face in studying AIDS performance groups. Focusing on the Young and Wise Inspirational Choir in Accra, Ghana, it considers how researchers should use the resources available to them to promote the efforts of their consultants. It also describes the social context of performance by the Young and Wise Inspirational Choir, along with the role of the ethnographers as advocates in ethnomusicological fieldwork and writing. It argues that the singers in the Young and Wise choir take their jobs seriously, even as their experience with HIV may be limited to the campaign messages they promote through their songs. By participating in the group, however, these singers also attempt to parlay their public health-based exposure into pop stardom. The chapter looks at the use of medical ethnomusicology in analyzing the phenomenon of musical responses to HIV/AIDS.
“EdzI Ndi Dolo” (“AIDS is Mighty”)
Authors: Lwanda John Chipembere
Published: May 2015

This chapter explores the ways in which information about HIV/AIDS is transmitted through popular media in Malawi, with the goal of constructing one of the first progressive histories of HIV responses within the popular music industry. It first describes music and HIV/AIDS in five chronological periods: before HIV/AIDS had a local name; the initial period of “silence” from 1985 to 1990; the transitional period from one-party rule to multiparty between 1990 and 1994; the first multiparty years, 1995 to 1999; and 2000 and beyond. It then considers how several musicians addressed their own personal involvement with HIV/AIDS through their songs before discussing how HIV/AIDS led to both the growth of the Malawian music industry and, for some, successful professional music careers. It also highlights the artistic unpredictability of the HIV/AIDS epidemic’s paths and suggests that this process might be more predictable than it appears.
Postlude
Authors: Tang Patricia
Published: May 2015

This chapter is dedicated to Mamadou Konté (1945–2007), a laborer-turned-businessman who became one of the most important and influential people in the African music industry. Konté is an illiterate African laborer in France who, in the 1970s, began organizing aid concerts to improve the living conditions of immigrant workers. He is the founder of Africa Fête, a Senegal-based organization dedicated to the promotion of African music and musicians. Established in 1978, Africa Fête has managed numerous African artists, organized international tours and festivals, given exposure to new talent, and provided training in sound engineering, production, and management. As a cultural activist, Konté used music as a medium for furthering economic development and social awareness among Africans both at home and in the diaspora. Throughout his life, Konté used music to raise funds and awareness for important causes, including the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Getting Started
Authors: Tagg Barbara M.
Published: May 2015

This chapter discusses the steps in establishing a choir. These include plan development, rehearsal location, financial planning, events timeline setting, and collaboration. It is important to have a vision of who the singers will be, where and what they will sing, and a concept of the ideal choral sound. It is significant to know why the choir exists, to plan how to sustain it, and to strive for excellence. Starting or expanding an existing choral program is a collaborative effort among the staff, parents, board, and community.
Reherasals and Parents
Authors: Tagg Barbara M.
Published: May 2015

This chapter assesses the issue of communication in the choral organization, especially communication with the parents. Conveying important information about chorus matters through memos matters to parents and facilitates strong communication. Strong communication and commitment is necessary in structuring a children’s choir for excellence. Collaboration and communication within the organizational structure of the choir are just as important as the collaboration and communication between the choir, conductor, and accompanist. The choir’s achievement of musical and organizational excellence depends on how well the choir is organized, how well choral rehearsals are conducted, how thoroughly information is communicated to all participants, and how thoroughly each event is planned in advance.
Concerts
Authors: Tagg Barbara M.
Published: May 2015

This chapter deals with the planning and marketing of concerts. The process of planning a season includes creative planning, repertoire selection, season announcement, dress rehearsal and concert logistics, and concert recording. The founder of the choir is often the one who plans the concerts, creates the marketing strategies, and sustains the music-making in the early years. Detailed advance planning will help ensure the success of the event and enables the organization to handle adverse unplanned events easily. The chapter also provides guidelines on how to respond to unforeseen events during the concert season.
Touring
Authors: Tagg Barbara M.
Published: May 2015

This chapter focuses on the organizational details of touring. It serves as a guide on the necessary considerations when planning a tour. These considerations include selecting a tour company; government travel requirements for international travel; the tour budget; the ratio of chaperones to choristers; chaperone selection and training sessions; the tour handbook and timeline; medical considerations, and organization repertoire for a tour. Planning the tour may be supervised by the artistic director, chorus administrative staff, or volunteers, depending on the size of the organization. Communication is essential among planners and should be clearly coordinated with the choir tour manager who is responsible for making all final decisions.
Morphological diversity of the bony labyrinth (inner ear) in extant Xenarthrans and its relation to phylogeny
Authors: Billet Guillaume , Hautier Lionel , Lebrun Renaud
Published: May 2015

We present a survey of the morphological diversity of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear in Xenarthra, including the fossil ground sloth Megatherium. Using a combination of traditional and geometric morphometrics, correlation analyses, and qualitative observations, we attempt to extract independent and informative phylogenetic characters of the bony labyrinth for the superorder. Geometric morphometric analyses demonstrate a strong imprint of phylogenetic history on the shape of the bony labyrinth of xenarthrans and a weak influence of allometry. Discrete characters mapped on a consensus cladogram for xenarthrans show support for many traditional nodes within the superorder and may also provide critical information for problematic nodes within Cingulata. A relatively large lateral semicircular canal may, for instance, represent a synapomorphy for the molecular clade allying fairy armadillos (Chlamyphorinae) to the Tolypeutinae. Striking convergences were detected when comparing Megatherium, the giant ground sloth, with extant armadillos and Chlamyphorus, the pink fairy armadillo, with the extant three- and two-toed sloths. These findings have the potential to help understand the phylogenetic relationships of fossil xenarthrans.

Presentamos un estudio de la diversidad morfológica del laberinto óseo del oído interno de los xenartros, incluyendo el perezoso fósil Megatherium. Utilizamos una combinación de morfométrica tradicional y geométrica, análisis de correlación y observaciones cuantitativas para intentar extraer caracteres filogenéticos independientes e informativos del laberinto óseo para el superorden. Los análisis geométricos morfométricos muestran una fuerte impronta de la historia filogenética de la forma del laberinto óseo de los xenartros y una baja influencia de la alometría. Los caracteres discretos mapeados en un cladograma de consenso para xenartros apoyan varios nodos tradicionales dentro del superorden y podrían también brindar información importante para los nodos problemáticos dentro de los Cingulata. Un canal semicircular lateral relativamente largo podría, por ejemplo, representar una sinapomorfía que apoye el clado molecular que une a los pichiciegos con los Tolypeutinae. Se hallaron notables convergencias al comparar Megatherium con los armadillos actuales, y Chlamyphorus con los perezosos actuales. Estos hallazgos tienen el potencial para ayudar a entender las relaciones filogenéticas de los xenartros fósiles.
Widespread Occurrence of Pythium arrhenomanes Pathogenic to Rice Seedlings Around Japanese Rice Fields
Authors: Toda Takeshi , Iwasa Akinori , Fuji Shinichi , Furuya Hiromitsu
Published: May 2015

In Japan, rice seedlings grown in nurseries and used for transplanting are subject to a damping-off disease caused by Pythium spp. In this study, 148 isolates of Pythium spp. were obtained from rice seedlings in 39 locations of northern Japan. Among the isolates, 137 were identified as Pythium arrhenomanes using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with species-specific primers, DNA sequencing analyses of the internal transcribed regions of ribosomal DNA, and the morphologies of oogonia, antheridia, oospores, and zoosporangia. Inoculation tests showed that the isolates identified as P. arrhenomanes were pathogenic to rice seedlings and parasitic to southern crabgrass with only minor damage. P. arrhenomanes was reisolated from the roots of both rice seedlings and southern crabgrass. Poaceae weeds, hosts of Pythium spp., grow in and around nurseries and in ridges surrounding rice fields. To detect Pythium spp., 188 Poaceae weeds were collected from 37 locations in Akita Prefecture. P. arrhenomanes was frequently detected in 164 weed roots from all locations by PCR using species-specific primers. Thus, we determined that P. arrhenomanes exists in and around rice seedling nurseries and rice fields, and that it is much more widely distributed than previously recognized in northern Japan.
Timing and route of migration of mature female blue crabs in a tidal estuary
Authors: Eggleston David B. , Millstein Erika , Plaia Gayle
Published: May 2015

Information on migration patterns is critical to using no-take migratory corridors and marine reserves to protect the spawning stock of commercially exploited species. Both active and passive acoustic tracking methods quantified movement of commercially and ecologically important blue crabs in the White Oak River estuary, NC, USA. We targeted post-mating female crabs migrating down-estuary to oceanic spawning grounds. Crabs travelled approximately 14.1 km mainly in deeper channels and over 12–26 days from mating areas to spawning grounds. No crabs were detected migrating down-estuary in the autumn and only 30% were detected migrating down-estuary in spring. None of the crabs detected near spawning grounds were detected or recaptured back up-estuary, suggesting that they either (i) do not return to the estuary after a one to two week period in the spawning area or (ii) were captured by fishermen. The results from this study demonstrate that (1) acoustic transmitters coupled with passive acoustic receivers provided reliable and valuable data on migration patterns of mature female blue crabs and (2) mature female blue crabs are capable of migrating primarily within deep channels to spawning grounds shortly after insemination.
Borrelia burgdorferi
sensu lato infection pressure shapes innate immune gene evolution in natural rodent populations across Europe
Authors: Tschirren Barbara
Published: May 2015

Although parasite-mediated selection is assumed to be the main driver of immune gene evolution, empirical evidence that parasites induce allele frequency changes at host immune genes in time and/or space remains scarce. Here, I show that the frequency of a protective gene variant of the innate immune receptor Toll-like receptor 2 in natural bank vole (
Myodes glareolus
) populations is positively associated with the strength of
Borrelia burgdorferi
sensu lato infection risk across the European continent. Thereby, this study provides rare evidence for the role of spatially variable infection pressures in moulding the vertebrate immune system.
Minimal effects of latitude on present-day speciation rates in New World birds
Authors: Rabosky Daniel L. , Title Pascal O. , Huang Huateng
Published: May 2015

The tropics contain far greater numbers of species than temperate regions, suggesting that rates of species formation might differ systematically between tropical and non-tropical areas. We tested this hypothesis by reconstructing the history of speciation in New World (NW) land birds using BAMM, a Bayesian framework for modelling complex evolutionary dynamics on phylogenetic trees. We estimated marginal distributions of present-day speciation rates for each of 2571 species of birds. The present-day rate of speciation varies approximately 30-fold across NW birds, but there is no difference in the rate distributions for tropical and temperate taxa. Using macroevolutionary cohort analysis, we demonstrate that clades with high tropical membership do not produce species more rapidly than temperate clades. For nearly any value of present-day speciation rate, there are far more species in the tropics than the temperate zone. Any effects of latitude on speciation rate are marginal in comparison to the dramatic variation in rates among clades.
Migration and the evolution of sexual dichromatism: evolutionary loss of female coloration with migration among wood-warblers
Authors: Simpson Richard K. , Johnson Michele A. , Murphy Troy G.
Published: May 2015

The mechanisms underlying evolutionary changes in sexual dimorphism have long been of interest to biologists. A striking gradient in sexual dichromatism exists among songbirds in North America, including the wood-warblers (Parulidae): males are generally more colourful than females at northern latitudes, while the sexes are similarly ornamented at lower latitudes. We use phylogenetically controlled comparative analysis to test three non-mutually exclusive hypotheses for the evolution of sexual dichromatism among wood-warblers. The first two hypotheses focus on the loss of female coloration with the evolution of migration, either owing to the costs imposed by visual predators during migration, or owing to the relaxation of selection for female social signalling at higher latitudes. The third hypothesis focuses on whether sexual dichromatism evolved owing to changes in male ornamentation as the strength of sexual selection increases with breeding latitude. To test these hypotheses, we compared sexual dichromatism to three variables: the presence of migration, migration distance, and breeding latitude. We found that the presence of migration and migration distance were both positively correlated with sexual dichromatism, but models including breeding latitude alone were not strongly supported. Ancestral state reconstruction supports the hypothesis that the ancestral wood-warblers were monochromatic, with both colourful males and females. Combined, these results are consistent with the hypotheses that the evolution of migration is associated with the relaxation of selection for social signalling among females and that there are increased predatory costs along longer migratory routes for colourful females. These results suggest that loss of female ornamentation can be a driver of sexual dichromatism and that social or natural selection may be a stronger contributor to variation in dichromatism than sexual selection.
Sustainability reporting: external motivators and internal facilitators
Authors: Nazari Jamal A. , Herremans Irene M. , Warsame Hussein A.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of internal variables, such as strategic governance and operational controls, along with external variables that influence sustainability reporting.

Design/methodology/approach

– Building on the corporate governance and sustainability reporting literature, the authors develop a model to integrate external motivators and internal facilitators to determine their impact on sustainability reporting. The authors also control for a number of financial and non-financial variables that may influence sustainability reporting. The authors limit their sample to the companies in extractive industries that report their greenhouse gas emission to the Government of Canada. The authors collected the data from several data sources including secondary archival databases, newspapers, Web sites and annual reports.

Findings

– Using a sample of companies in high-polluting industries, the authors found that variables representing both external pressures that act as motivators and internal controls that act as facilitators are significantly associated with enhanced sustainability reporting.

Practical implications

– Considering the formation of several international initiatives such as International Integrated Reporting Council to improve sustainability reporting for decision-making, the authors’ research provides interesting insights both to policymakers and managers about organizational characteristics that are important to make reporting useful and relevant.

Originality/value

– Little academic research has investigated the role of internal variables in facilitating sustainability reporting. The authors use a robust model that combines external and internal variables to more thoroughly understand the reporting process.
The impact of ownership and board structure on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting in the Turkish banking industry
Authors: Kiliç Merve , Kuzey Cemil , Uyar Ali
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this study is twofold. The first is to analyze the nature, extent and trend of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in the Turkish banking industry under five sub-themes, namely, environment, energy, human resources, products and customers and community involvement. The second is to investigate the impact of ownership and board structure on CSR reporting by the banks.

Design/methodology/approach

– The annual reports of the banks were examined for the period between 2008 and 2012 to analyze the CSR reporting of the banks, using content analysis and panel data analysis.

Findings

– The results show that CSR reporting of the banks improved during that period of time. The findings of the study also revealed that there is a significant positive effect of size, ownership diffusion, board composition and board diversity on the CSR disclosure of the banks.

Originality/value

– This study contributes significantly to the existing literature because the banking industry is generally excluded from the CSR studies. Further, there are few studies analyzing the effect of the ownership and board structure on the CSR disclosure. Finally, this study was conducted in a developing country with different regulations and socio-economic aspects as compared to developed countries. This study outlines important implications for regulatory bodies, organizations, the banking industry and other stakeholders.
TMTpedia: a case of extended Wikipedia for the military-based application in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Liang-Chu , Yu Ting-Jung , Chang Chi-Li
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to collect the terminologies from the Ministry of National Defense military dictionary and to design a military-based wiki system, TMTpedia, to serve as a collaborative and sharing platform for military personnel.

Design/methodology/approach

– The development of the system is based on a prototype design and case illustration. The framework of the Taiwan Military Terminology Wikipedia system (TMTpedia) consists of three major subsystems, namely, Military Terminology Dictionary Processing, Military Article Contents Extension and Military Article and Resource Recommendation. This paper applies the engines of MediaWiki to design the proposed TMTpedia, and embedded different functions into a variety of system modules are developed by using such tools as C#, Java and SQL Server.

Findings

– In this demonstration, the focus is on the topics of “Communications, Electronics and Information Operations” that are illustrative of cases that reveal the results of the TMTpedia system.

Originality/value

– The main contributions of this paper are to transform military terminologies from a traditional dictionary into Wiki-based platform that can provide a reference framework for knowledge collaboration, to extend the content on the TMTpedia system from an external knowledge encyclopedia to an extensible mechanism that can renew military concepts for the accuracy of knowledge sharing and transformation and to implement a recommendation model into the TMTpedia system that dynamically provides relevant military information from external resources to enhance the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition.
The effects of online service quality of e-commerce Websites on user satisfaction
Authors: Sharma Gajendra , Lijuan Wang
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate service quality of e-commerce Websites in online platform and their contribution on e-business promotion.

Design/methodology/approach

– The online survey was performed on a survey portal provided by Nepal Telecom in Nepal.

Findings

– The findings of this study suggest that information quality and online service quality were the key determinants for user satisfaction and sustainability of e-commerce technology.

Research limitations/implications

– Research opportunities of web services and e-commerce area are fruitful and important for both academics and practitioners.

Practical implications

– The findings on online service quality of e-commerce technology will be useful for current management practice such as making business policies and strategies and sharing information to managers and organization leaders. This study can be used for e-commerce Website operators wishing to enhance the competitiveness of their Websites in the highly competitive online market.

Originality/value

– E-commerce is considered an excellent alternative for individuals and companies to reach new customers. Service quality delivery through Internet is an essential strategy to success, more important than price and web presence. The e-commerce Website has been identified as having a significant impact on business activities in solving the geographical problem. A number of performance problems have been observed for e-commerce Websites, and much work has gone into characterizing the performance of web-servers and Internet applications.
User perceptions of social questions and answer websites for library reference services
Authors: Deng Shengli , Zhang Yin
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to understand Social Questions & Answers (SQA) users’ perceptions of library reference services.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors examined the postings on the largest SQA site, Yahoo! Answers, regarding library reference services and identified the major themes.

Findings

– Three themes emerged in library reference-related discussions: reference librarians and their services are well and positively recognized, reference services are less recognized and understood and Yahoo! Answers is recognized as a helpful service. Those who have used both library reference services and Yahoo! Answers are fully aware of the differences between the two services.

Originality/value

– This study provides new insights on how library reference services are perceived by SQA users. The results are helpful for libraries to position reference services to better serve users in today’s information environment.
Suppliers’ power relationships with industrial key customers
Authors: Lacoste Sylvie , Blois Keith
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to incorporate material derived from four case study analyses of industrial business-to-business relationships. Although there is a substantial amount of literature on the concept of power, there is little academic research studying the “perception” of power – especially that of key customers’ suppliers – relative to that of the buying company. This paper develops a framework, which provides a different set of perceptions regarding the nature of supplier-key customer relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

– The case studies involve four firms that have been long-term suppliers to a number of global industrial companies and who have set up key account programs to work with them. Three suppliers are in the corrugated cardboard industry (two large and one medium-sized company) and one supplier (a medium-sized company) is in the coding equipment industry.

Findings

– The study develops a power framework, which can be used in the analysis of buyer/supplier power and points out the risk that can arise when one or more of the parties involved operates on the basis of perceptions that are incorrect.

Originality/value

– The results suggest that the actors’ power perceptions are important constructs, which have so far been neglected in the academic literature, and stress the role of “subjectivity” in the actors’ analysis of power.
The influence of supply chain architecture on new product launch and performance in the high-tech industry
Authors: Kou Tun-Chih , Lee Bruce C. Y.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to fill the gaps in previous literature and investigate the link between product launch performance and supply chain architecture and performance. During the past 20 years, most of the new product literature has focused on new product development and product innovation. Only a few product launches have been discussed in specific fields.

Design/methodology/approach

– From the perspective of the manufacturer, interfunctional coordination, supply chain architecture and supply chain performance affect lean launch performance. Lean launches can also add value to product and marketing performance. A questionnaire was used to gather data from project, account and purchasing managers in the high-tech industry and to test the postulated research model and hypotheses. The conceptual model was tested using 242 usable questionnaires.

Findings

– The results provide evidence that interfunctional coordination is the basis for improving supply chain architecture. The supply chain has a strong, positive effect on lean launch performance. Lean launch is vital to the successful performance of a new product. Although lean launch execution and supply chain performance affect marketing performance and new product performance, the direct effect on marketing performance is non-significant.

Originality/value

– This study presents the characteristics of the supply chain architecture specific to the high-tech industry. The authors empirically tested and propose a model to explain how high-tech manufacturers build a solid supply chain and leverage the capabilities of suppliers to improve lean launch execution and new product performance.
Comparing electronic vs print book preferences between students in the social sciences, the arts and STEM
Authors: Cummings Lee A. , Larrivee Anne , Vega Leslie
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any distinct differences in e-book usage habits among students in the social sciences, technical fields and the arts.

Design/methodology/approach

– To complete this study, students from three different disciplinary areas were surveyed. The same nine questions were posed to each student group, with slight modifications to some questions based on the discipline.

Findings

– The results of this study show that students in each discipline have a preference for convenience and accessibility, whether material is print or electronic. Some more unique characteristics between disciplines include the percentage of students using books and frequency of e-book usage.

Originality/value

– This study is unique in that it compares the preferences and habits of three specific groups of students from unrelated disciplines. It will be useful for librarians who manage collections for various disciplines and want a better understanding of what should be considered when choosing a format for materials.
A novel protein quality control mechanism contributes to heat shock resistance of worldwide‐distributed Pseudomonas aeruginosa clone C strains
Authors: Lee Changhan , Wigren Edvard , Trček Janja , Peters Verena , Kim Jihong , Hasni Muhammad Sharif , Nimtz Manfred , Lindqvist Ylva , Park Chankyu , Curth Ute , Lünsdorf Heinrich , Römling Ute
Published: May 2015

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a highly successful nosocomial pathogen capable of causing a wide variety of infections with clone C strains most prevalent worldwide. In this study, we initially characterize a molecular mechanism of survival unique to clone C strains. We identified a P. aeruginosa clone C‐specific genomic island (PACGI‐1) that contains the highly expressed small heat shock protein sHsp20c, the founding member of a novel subclass of class B bacterial small heat shock proteins. sHsp20c and adjacent gene products are involved in resistance against heat shock. Heat stable sHsp20c is unconventionally expressed in stationary phase in a wide temperature range from 20 to 42°C. Purified sHsp20c has characteristic features of small heat shock protein class B as it is monodisperse, forms sphere‐like 24‐meric oligomers and exhibits significant chaperone activity. As the P. aeruginosa clone C population is significantly more heat shock resistant than genetically unrelated P. aeruginosa strains without sHsp20c, the horizontally acquired shsp20c operon might contribute to the survival of worldwide‐distributed clone C strains.
Exchange‐Rate Risk and Japanese–Thai Industry Trade
Authors: Bahmani‐Oskooee Mohsen , Hegerty Scott W. , Satawatananon Kaveepot
Published: May 2015

Over the past decade, many papers have studied the effects of exchange‐rate volatility on international trade, particularly at the bilateral level for large numbers of individual industries. This is necessary because the underlying theory is ambiguous and because earlier papers failed to uncover significant results at a higher degree of aggregation. This paper examines the case of Japan and Thailand over the period from 1970 to 2010. We find that slightly more than half of 117 export industries and 54 import industries are affected by volatility in the short run. In the long run, 6 export and 2 import industries are affected positively, and 22 export and 9 import industries are affected negatively. Small Japanese export industries are more likely to be negatively affected, while imports show no differences regarding industry size. In a sectoral analysis, we find some evidence that Japanese exports of manufactures and certain machinery and transport equipment might be relatively more affected by the exchange‐rate risk. Raw material imports are least affected. These findings therefore suggest which industries might benefit most by a policy promoting a stable yen.
Protease inhibitors in Bombyx mori silk might participate in protecting the pupating larva from microbial infection
Authors: Li You‐Shan , Liu Hua‐Wei , Zhu Rui , Xia Qing‐You , Zhao Ping
Published: May 2015

Pupae inside cocoons rarely suffer from disease. It is apparent that some factors in the cocoon exert antimicrobial effects whereby the pupae inside can be protected from microbial infection. In the present study, we investigated the expression of cocoon protease inhibitors using immunoblotting and activity staining. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cocoon proteins in vitro was performed to characterize their roles in protecting the cocoon from microbial proteases. We found that some protease inhibitors, particularly trypsin inhibitor‐like (TIL)‐type protease inhibitors, can be secreted into the cocoon layer during the spinning process, thereby providing effective protection to the cocoon and pupa by inhibiting the extracellular proteases that can be secreted by pathogens.
TACR1 gene polymorphism and sex differences in postoperative nausea and vomiting
Authors: Hayase T. , Sugino S. , Moriya H. , Yamakage M.
Published: May 2015

We hypothesised that the genetic effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the TACR1 gene, which encodes NK1 receptors, could influence the sex difference in postoperative nausea and vomiting. Thirty‐two selected single nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped by the Sanger sequencing method in 200 patients who underwent lower abdominal surgery. The incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting were evaluated after surgery. The rs3755468‐SNP showed significant association with the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting (p = 0.016). The TT haplotype defined by two single nucleotide polymorphisms, including the rs3755468‐SNP, was associated with reduced incidence and severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting in female patients (p = 0.03). The rs3755468‐SNP is located within the predicted oestrogen response element and a DNase I hypersensitive site. The single nucleotide polymorphisms in the TACR1 gene are associated with sex differences in postoperative nausea and vomiting and may help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these differences.
The prevalence of acute kidney injury in neonates with birth asphyxia is higher in the Democratic Republic of Congo than in Western countries
Authors: Matata Sébastien Ngilima , Nkidiaka Emmanuel Dimbu , Aloni Michel Ntetani
Published: May 2015

Aim

There is very little data on acute kidney injury in neonates in Africa. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of acute kidney injury and the outcome in neonates admitted to hospital for asphyxia in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Methods

A descriptive study was conducted in the country's capital Kinshasa. Acute kidney injury was diagnosed within three days of life when the creatinine clearance was ≤16 mL/min/1.73 m².

Results

Acute kidney injury occurred in 54.3% of the 35 neonates with severe perinatal asphyxia and 31.4% of the 35 neonates with moderate perinatal asphyxia, and this rate was higher than the prevalence reported in Western countries. Prerenal acute kidney injury occurred in 12 (40%) of the 30 neonates with acute kidney injury. The frequency of oliguria was significantly higher in neonates with severe perinatal asphyxia than moderate perinatal asphyxia (73.7% vs. 45.5%), and mortality was also higher in neonates with severe rather than moderate perinatal asphyxia (57.9% vs. 36.4%).

Conclusion

The prevalence of acute kidney injury was higher in asphyxiated patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo than in Western countries. It was also higher in neonates with severe rather than moderate perinatal asphyxia.
Review article: the efficacy and safety of daclatasvir in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Bunchorntavakul C. , Reddy K. R.
Published: May 2015

Background

The treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has evolved dramatically after the introduction of direct acting anti‐virals. NS5A protein plays an important role in HCV replication and is an attractive target for drug development.

Aim

To review clinical studies on the efficacy and safety of direct‐acting anti‐virals regimens containing daclastavir, an NS5A inhibitor, in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Methods

A Medline search was undertaken to identify relevant literature using search terms including ‘daclatasvir’, ‘HCV treatment’ and ‘NS5A inhibitors’. Furthermore, we scanned abstracts presented at the recent international meetings in liver disease, viral hepatitis and infectious disease, as well as the reference lists of the review articles to identify publications not retrieved by electronic searches.

Results

Daclatasvir is the first‐in‐class HCV NS5A inhibitor that has been demonstrated in Phase I‐III trials to have a potent anti‐viral effect and clinical efficacy across multiple HCV genotypes (GT). Daclastavir is generally safe and well tolerated, with a low barrier to resistance and low potential for drug–drug interaction. When Daclastavir is added to PEG‐IFN/RBV platform, sustained virological response (SVR) rates are increased significantly compared with PEG‐IFN/RBV alone. The all‐oral combination of Daclastavir/asunaprevir (ASV; protease inhibitor) has high SVR rates against GT1b, but less activity against GT1a. Dual combination of Daclastavir/Sofosbuvir (SOF; nucleotide polymerase inhibitor) and triple combination of Daclastavir/ASV/beclabuvir (BCV; non‐nucleoside polymerase inhibitor) have demonstrated >90% SVR rates in both treatment naïve and treatment‐experienced patients with GT1. Furthermore, Daclastavir/SOF combination has also demonstrated up to 90% SVR rates in patients with GT3, and in those with human immunodeficiency virus coinfection, cirrhosis and post‐transplant HCV recurrence with any GT. Daclastavir/ASV/BCV has primarily demonstrated near 100% SVR rates in patients with GT4.

Conclusion

Daclastavir‐containing regimens, with or without PEG‐IFN, have shown promising results in clinical trials, and present an excellent treatment option for those with chronic HCV and for multiple genotypes.
Impaired capacity for prospection in the dementias – Theoretical and clinical implications
Authors: Irish Muireann , Piolino Pascale
Published: May 2015

Objectives

Prospection, or future thinking, refers to the ability to mentally simulate plausible events at a future point in time and draws heavily upon the capacity to retrieve autobiographical details from the past. This review examines the extent to which prospection is compromised in neurodegenerative disorders with a view to identifying (1) underlying mechanisms of future thinking disruption and (2) the impact of future thinking deficits on everyday adaptive functioning.

Methods

PubMed and MEDLINE were searched for peer‐reviewed articles published or in press up to 14 October 2014. The key criterion for inclusion was that the primary outcome measure concerned the envisaging of episodic events at a future time point. Search terms of ‘future thinking’, ‘prospection’, and ‘future simulation’ were used in combination with the following terms: ‘dementia’, ‘Mild Cognitive Impairment’, ‘Alzheimer's disease’, ‘semantic dementia’, ‘frontotemporal dementia’, ‘Parkinson's disease’, ‘Motor Neuron disease’, ‘Vascular dementia’, and ‘Dementia with Lewy bodies’ (e.g., ‘future thinking’ AND ‘Alzheimer's disease’). Searches were limited to articles published in English.

Results

A total of nine unique papers were identified in which prospection was the main outcome measure in dementia. Collectively, these studies reveal marked impairments in the ability to simulate personally relevant events at a future time point in dementia syndromes.

Conclusions

Future research investigating the real‐world implications of prospection deficits in dementia is crucial to elucidate the interplay between future‐oriented thought and everyday adaptive functions such as prospective memory, decision‐making, and maintaining a coherent sense of self over time.

Practitioner points

Marked deficits in future thinking are present in neurodegenerative disorders.

Prospection disruption relates to changes in episodic and semantic memory, and executive function.

Future studies elucidating the precise mechanisms mediating prospection deficits in dementia are warranted.

The potential relationship between future thinking deficits and functional impairment in dementia remains unexplored.
Treatment of peri‐implantitis: clinical outcome of chloramine as an adjunctive to non‐surgical therapy, a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Roos‐Jansåker Ann‐Marie , Almhöjd Ulrica S. , Jansson Henrik
Published: May 2015

Purpose

To evaluate the adjunctive clinical effects of a chloramine to non‐surgical treatment of peri‐implantitis.

Material and methods

Eighteen individuals diagnosed with peri‐implantitis (clinical signs of inflammation and progressive bone loss) on at least two implants were included. Clinical variables; plaque accumulation (Pl), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL) and bleeding on probing (BoP), were recorded at baseline and at 3‐month follow‐up. Primary clinical efficacy variable was the change in the number of sites with BoP. The implants were randomized into two different treatment groups: test and control. Both implants received supra‐ and submucosal debridement by ultrasonic instrumentation supplemented with hand instruments. The implants assigned to the test group first received local applications of a chloramine gel (Perisolv™; RLS Global AB, Gothenburg, Sweden) followed by mechanical instrumentation. The oral hygiene was checked at 6 weeks.

Results

After 3 months, implants of both groups showed statistically significant reduction (P < 0.001) in the number of BoP‐positive sites compared with baseline. The reduction of BoP‐positive sites in the test group changed from 0.97 (SD ± 0.12) to 0.38 (SD ± 0.46), and in the control group from 0.97 (SD ± 0.12) to 0.31 (SD ± 0.42). Between‐group comparisons revealed no statistically significant differences at baseline and after 3 months, for BoP or any of the other variables.

Conclusion

In the present randomized clinical trial of peri‐implantitis therapy; non‐surgical mechanical debridement with adjunctive use of a chloramine is equally effective in the reduction of mucosal inflammation as conventional non‐surgical mechanical debridement up to 3 months.
“Biases” in Adaptive Natural Resource Management
Authors: Iftekhar Md Sayed , Pannell David J
Published: May 2015

Uncertainties about the consequences of natural resource management mean that managers are required to make difficult judgments. However, research in behavioral economics, psychology, and behavioral decision theory has shown that people, including managers, are subject to a range of biases in their perceptions and judgments. Based on an interpretative survey of these literatures, we identify particular biases that are likely to impinge on the operation and success of natural resource management. We discuss these in the particular context of adaptive management, an approach that emphasizes learning from practical experience to reduce uncertainties. The biases discussed include action bias, the planning fallacy, reliance on limited information, limited reliance on systematic learning, framing effects, and reference‐point bias. Agencies should be aware of the influence of biases when adaptive management decisions are undertaken. We propose several ways to reduce these biases.
Clinical use of bioceramic materials
Authors: Haapasalo Markus , Parhar Mark , Huang Xiangya , Wei Xi , Lin James , Shen Ya
Published: May 2015

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) was the first bioceramic (BC) material introduced to clinical use as a root‐end filling material in endodontics in the mid‐1990s. Since then the indications for the use of MTA have widened, and several other bioceramic or “hybrid” materials have been introduced. Despite similarities, the materials also have several differences that affect their mechanical properties such as setting time and compressive strength, but all purely bioceramic materials are biocompatible. In addition to being used in retrograde fillings, these cements are nowadays also used as orthograde (apical) root fillings and in pulp capping, perforation repair, treatment of teeth with open apexes, and repair of resorption defects. With the exception of MTA, the literature on bioceramic materials is still relatively scarce, although it is rapidly growing. In recent years, bioceramic or hybrid sealers have been introduced, often based on the same chemical composition as bioceramic cements. This review focuses on the use of bioceramic and hybrid materials in clinical endodontics, the scientific foundation for their selection, and their application and performance in various clinical situations.