bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fishery-Independent Surveys of the Queen Conch Stock in Western Puerto Rico, with an Assessment of Historical Trends and Management Effectiveness
Authors: Baker Nicole , Appeldoorn Richard S. , Torres-Saavedra Pedro A.
Published: November 2016

The queen conch Lobatus gigas continues to support a commercial fishery in Puerto Rico despite a history of overfishing and low population densities. The goals of this study were to generate density estimates for the queen conch, to assess temporal trends, and to evaluate hypotheses of management interest using generalized linear models. Density data were supplemented by size- and age-class data. Total mean density was 14.1/ha (adults = 7.3/ha; juveniles = 6.6/ha). Year plus habitat and depth (associated effects) were significant factors influencing adult and juvenile density. Lower densities of both juvenile and adult queen conchs were observed in 1997 and 2001 than in 2013, but there have been no differences since 2006. This indicates an improvement in the population, though not recently. A location effect compared sites within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which is closed to fishing, with those in local waters, which are open to fishing. The location term was significant for adults, with lower densities inshore regardless of year. For juveniles, both the location and year × location terms were significant; the EEZ had a higher juvenile density and a proportionally greater density increase (from 2.3/h to 10.0/ha) from 1997 to 2013. Length-frequency diagrams showed an increase in the proportion of adult conchs of 16–20-cm shell length in 2013 relative to 1997. This suggests an effect of the 22.86-cm minimum size limit implemented in 2004. Juveniles comprised 50% of the population in 2013, compared with 70% in 1997, and adults were found in the oldest age-class during the 2013 survey. This suggests an overall decrease in fishing mortality since 1997. Changes in survey methodology are recommended, including but not limited to shortening transects to increase the number of sites, utilizing a two-stage design, not utilizing scooters, standardizing the areas surveyed, and stratifying by depth and habitat.

Received November 30, 2015; accepted July 12, 2016
The Image Data Resource: A Scalable Platform for Biological Image Data Access, Integration, and Dissemination
Authors: Williams Eleanor , Moore Josh , Li Simon W. , Rustici Gabriella , Tarkowska Aleksandra , Chessel Anatole , Leo Simone , Antal Bálint , Ferguson Richard K. , Sarkans Ugis , Brazma Alvis , Carazo Salas Rafael E. , Swedlow Jason R.
Published: November 2016

Access to primary research data is vital for the advancement of science. To extend the data types supported by community repositories, we built a prototype Image Data Resource (IDR) that collects and integrates imaging data acquired across many different imaging modalities. IDR links high-content screening, super-resolution microscopy, time-lapse and digital pathology imaging experiments to public genetic or chemical databases, and to cell and tissue phenotypes expressed using controlled ontologies. Using this integration, IDR facilitates the analysis of gene networks and reveals functional interactions that are inaccessible to individual studies. To enable re-analysis, we also established a computational resource based on IPython notebooks that allows remote access to the entire IDR. IDR is also an open source platform that others can use to publish their own image data. Thus IDR provides both a novel on-line resource and a software infrastructure that promotes and extends publication and re-analysis of scientific image data.
Prestimulus alpha-band power biases visual discrimination confidence, but not accuracy
Authors: Samaha Jason , Iemi Luca , Postle Bradley R.
Published: November 2016

Oscillations in the alpha-band (8-13 Hz) of human electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings are thought to reflect cortical excitability. As such, the magnitude of alpha power prior to the onset of a near threshold visual stimulus has been shown to predict stimulus detectability. Mechanistically, however, non-specific increases in visual-cortical excitability should result in amplified signal as well as amplified noise, leaving actual discriminability unchanged. Using a two-choice orientation discrimination task with equally probable stimuli, we found that discrimination accuracy was unaffected by fluctuations in prestimulus alpha-band power. Decision confidence, on the other hand, was strongly negatively correlated with prestimulus alpha power. This finding constitutes a clear dissociation between objective and subjective measures of visual perception as a function of prestimulus cortical excitability. This dissociation is predicted by models of perceptual confidence under which the balance of evidence in favor of each choice drives objective performance but only the magnitude of evidence in favor of the chosen stimulus drives subjective reports, suggesting that human perceptual confidence can be suboptimal.
DNA sequence+shape kernel enables alignment-free modeling of transcription factor binding
Authors: Ma Wenxiu , Yang Lin , Rohs Remo , Stafford Noble William
Published: November 2016

Motivation

Transcription factors (TFs) bind to specific DNA sequence motifs. Several lines of evidence suggest that TF-DNA binding is mediated in part by properties of the local DNA shape: the width of the minor groove, the relative orientations of adjacent base pairs, etc. Several methods have been developed to jointly account for DNA sequence and shape properties in predicting TF binding affinity. However, a limitation of these methods is that they typically require a training set of aligned TF binding sites.

Results

We describe a sequence+shape kernel that leverages DNA sequence and shape information to better understand protein-DNA binding preference and affinity. This kernel extends an existing class ofk-mer based sequence kernels, based on the recently described di-mismatch kernel. Using threein vitrobenchmark datasets, derived from universal protein binding microarrays (uPBMs), genomic context PBMs (gcPBMs) and SELEX-seq data, we demonstrate that incorporating DNA shape information improves our ability to predict protein-DNA binding affinity. In particular, we observe that (1) thek-spectrum+shape model performs better than the classicalk-spectrum kernel, particularly for smallkvalues; (2) the di-mismatch kernel performs better than thek-mer kernel, for largerk; and (3) the di-mismatch+shape kernel performs better than the di-mismatch kernel for intermediatekvalues.

Availability

The software is available athttps://bitbucket.org/wenxiu/sequence-shape.git

Contact

rohs@usc.edu,william-noble@uw.edu

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available atBioinformaticsonline.
Tracing the biogeographical origin of South Asian populations using DNA SatNav
Authors: Das Ranajit , Upadhyai Priyanka
Published: November 2016

The Indian subcontinent includes India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka that collectively share common anthropological and cultural roots. Given the enigmatic population structure, complex history and genetic heterogeneity of populations from this region, their biogeographical origin and history remain a fascinating question. In this study we carried out an in-depth genetic comparison of the five South Asian populations available in the 1000 Genomes Project, namely Gujarati Indians from Houston, Texas (GIH), Punjabis from Lahore (PJL), Indian Telugus from UK (ITU), Sri Lankan Tamils from UK (STU) and Bengalis from Bangladesh (BEB), tracing their putative biogeographical origin using a DNA SatNav algorithm - Geographical Population Structure (GPS). GPS positioned >70% of GIH and PJL genomes in North India and >80% of ITU and STU samples in South India. All South Asian genomes appeared to be assigned with reasonable accuracy, along trade routes that thrived in the ancient Mauryan Empire, which had played a significant role in unifying the Indian subcontinent and in the process brought the ancient North and South Indian populations in close proximity, promoting admixture between them, ~2300 years before present (YBP). Our findings suggest that the genetic admixture between ancient North and South Indian populations likely first occurred along the Godavari and Krishna river basin in Central-South India. Finally our biogeographical analyses provide critical insights into the population history and sociocultural forces driving migration patterns that may have been instrumental in shaping the population structure of the Indian subcontinent.
Coordinate Based Random Effect Size meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies
Authors: Tench CR , Tanasescu Radu , Cottam WJ , Constantinescu CS , Auer DP
Published: November 2016

1

Low power in neuroimaging studies can make them difficult to interpret, and Coordinate based meta‐ analysis (CBMA) may go some way to mitigating this issue. CBMA has been used in many analyses to detect where published functional MRI or voxel-based morphometry studies testing similar hypotheses report significant summary results (coordinates) consistently. Only the reported coordinates and possiblytstatistics are analysed, and statistical significance of clusters is determined by coordinate density.

Here a method of performing coordinate based random effect size meta-analysis and meta-regression is introduced. The algorithm (ClusterZ) analyses both coordinates and reportedtstatistic orZscore, standardised by the number of subjects. Statistical significance is determined not by coordinate density, but by a random effects meta-analyses of reported effects performed cluster-wise using standard statistical methods and taking account of censoring inherent in the published summary results. Type 1 error control is achieved using the false cluster discovery rate (FCDR), which is based on the false discovery rate. This controls both the family wise error rate under the null hypothesis that coordinates are randomly drawn from a standard stereotaxic space, and the proportion of significant clusters that are expected under the null. Such control is vital to avoid propagating and even amplifying the very issues motivating the meta-analysis in the first place. ClusterZ is demonstrated on both numerically simulated data and on real data from reports of grey matter loss in multiple sclerosis (MS) and syndromes suggestive of MS, and of painful stimulus in healthy controls. The software implementation is available to download and use freely.
Towards new cholera prophylactics and treatment: Crystal structures of bacterial enterotoxins in complex with GM1 mimics
Authors: Heggelund Julie E. , Mackenzie Alasdair , Martinsen Tobias , Cheshev Pavel , Bernardi Anna , Krengel Ute
Published: November 2016

Cholera is a life-threatening disease in many countries, and new drugs are clearly needed.C-glycosidic antagonists may serve such a purpose. Atomic resolution crystal structures of these compounds in complexes with the cholera toxin give unprecedented atomic details of the molecular interactions, and show how the inhibitors efficiently block the GM1 binding site. These molecules are well suited for development into low-cost prophylactic drugs, due to their relatively easy syntheses and their resistance to glycolytic enzymes. One of the compounds links two toxin B-pentamers in the crystal structure, which may yield improved inhibition through the formation of toxin aggregates. These structures can spark the improved design of GM1 mimics, either alone or as multivalent inhibitors connecting multiple GM1-binding sites. Future developments may further include compounds that link the primary and secondary binding sites. Serving as decoys, receptor mimics may lessen symptoms while avoiding the use of antibiotics.
Electrical Stimulus Artifact Cancellation and Neural Spike Detection on Large Multi-Electrode Arrays
Authors: Mena Gonzalo E. , Grosberg Lauren E. , Madugula Sasidhar , Hottowy Paweł , Litke Alan , Cunningham John , Chichilnisky E.J. , Paninski Liam
Published: November 2016

Simultaneous electrical stimulation and recording using multi-electrode arrays can provide a valuable technique for studying circuit connectivity and engineering neural interfaces. However, interpreting these measurements is challenging because the spike sorting process (identifying and segregating action potentials arising from different neurons) is greatly complicated by electrical stimulation artifacts across the array, which can exhibit complex and nonlinear waveforms, and overlap temporarily with evoked spikes. Here we develop a scalable algorithm based on a structured Gaussian Process model to estimate the artifact and identify evoked spikes. The effectiveness of our methods is demonstrated in both real and simulated 512-electrode recordings in the peripheral primate retina with single-electrode and several types of multi-electrode stimulation. We establish small error rates in the identification of evoked spikes, with a computational complexity that is compatible with real-time data analysis. This technology may be helpful in the design of future high-resolution sensory prostheses based on tailored stimulation (e.g., retinal prostheses), and for closed-loop neural stimulation at a much larger scale than currently possible.

Author Summary

Simultaneous electrical stimulation and recording using multi-electrode arrays can provide a valuable technique for studying circuit connectivity and engineering neural interfaces. However, interpreting these recordings is challenging because the spike sorting process (identifying and segregating action potentials arising from different neurons) is largely stymied by electrical stimulation artifacts across the array, which are typically larger than the signals of interest. We develop a novel computational framework to estimate and subtract away this contaminating artifact, enabling the large-scale analysis of responses of possibly hundreds of cells to tailored stimulation. Importantly, we suggest that this technology may also be helpful for the development of future high-resolution neural prosthetic devices (e.g., retinal prostheses).
cAMP signaling mediates behavioral flexibility and consolidation of social status inDrosophilaaggression
Authors: Chouhan Nitin Singh , Mohan Krithika , Ghose Aurnab
Published: November 2016

Social rituals, like male-male aggression inDrosophila, are often stereotyped and the component behavioral patterns modular. The likelihood of transition from one behavioral pattern to another is malleable by experience and confers flexibility to the behavioral repertoire. Experience-dependent modification of innate aggressive behavior in flies alters fighting strategies during fights and establishes dominant-subordinate relationships. Dominance hierarchies resulting from agonistic encounters are consolidated to longer lasting social status-dependent behavioral modifications resulting in a robust loser effect.

We show that cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) dynamics regulated by the calcium/calmodulin-dependent adenylyl cyclase, Rut and the cAMP phosphodiesterase, Dnc but not the Amn gene product, in specific neuronal groups of the mushroom body and central complex, mediate behavioral plasticity necessary to establish dominant- subordinate relationships.rutanddncmutant flies are unable to alter fighting strategies and establish dominance relationships during agonistic interactions. This real-time flexibility during a fight is independent of changes in aggression levels. Longer-term consolidation of social status in the form of a loser effect, however, requires additionalAmn-dependent inputs to cAMP signaling and involves a circuit-level association between the α/β and γ neurons of the mushroom body.

Our findings implicate cAMP signaling in mediating plasticity of behavioral patterns in aggressive behavior and in the generation of a temporally stable memory trace that manifests as a loser effect.

SUMMARY STATEMENT

Phasic recruitment of different cAMP signaling modalities in specific neuronal groups lead to the formation of temporally distinct components of learning and memory in fly aggression.
Strategies of social media use in disaster management
Authors: Kim Kyungwoo , Jung Kyujin , Chilton Kenneth
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the effects of social media use on the resilience of organizations involved in emergency response. While social media has been utilized as a critical tool in the field of emergency management, few researchers have systemically examined its effect on organizations’ capacity to bounce back from catastrophic events. From the dimensional approach to social media use, this research focuses on the following three functions: providing information to local communities, transmitting information to local communities, and responding to the emotions of local communities.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used survey data gleaned from 79 key organizations involved in emergency management to investigate the impact of social media use on resilience after a tragic flood in Seoul, South Korea in 2013. The authors also conducted interviews with ten emergency management officials to understand what administrative challenges they confront in using social media for their tasks.

Findings

The authors found that the provision of disaster information on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube has a positive effect on the perceived level of organizational resilience. In addition, social media use correlates positively with community emotional responses.

Research limitations/implications

Given the focus on the emergency response to a natural disaster in urban areas, the results might not be generalizable to smaller cities or rural areas. The survey items that measure the perceptions of emergency managers may not represent the physical aspects of disaster recovery, such as the restoration of housing stock.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that public and nonprofit organizations can use social media to communicate with other organizations and the public in ways that demonstrate resilience. Emergency managers should address administrative challenges, such as trustworthiness of information delivered via social media and lack of personnel.

Originality/value

This paper provides systematic understandings of the effects of social media use on the resilience of the organizations that respond to a disaster.
Recruit firefighters: personality and mental health
Authors: Wagner Shannon , Fraess-Phillips Alex , Mikkelson Kelly
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the predispositional hypothesis related to the “rescue personality” and the mental health of firefighter recruits.

Design/methodology/approach

This study compared responses to a written set of personality and mental health measures between firefighter recruits and non-rescue comparison participants – individually matched based on age, gender, ethnicity, and marital status. Data analysis involved statistical one-way between subjects analyses of variance complemented with epidemiological paired odds ratio calculations.

Findings

The results indicated that firefighter recruits self-reported as less open to experience, less neurotic, and less Type A. They also self-reported as less likely to report somatization, hostility, and posttraumatic stress symptomatology than comparison participants. Recruits were higher in extraversion and conscientiousness, but indicated no differences in perceptions of risk or sensation-seeking behaviour.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to the literature on firefighter recruits and provides some initial data regarding personality of those attracted to the fire services, as well as information about the mental health of firefighters prior to service. Mitchell’s “rescue personality” was partly supported and evidence was provided suggesting that new recruits have strong self-perceived mental health.
An equilibrium displacement approach to analyzing the effects of tariff reduction on farmers’ profits
Authors: Ahn Byeong-Il , Im Jeong-Bin
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an equilibrium displacement model (EDM) that is able to evaluate the impacts of a free trade agreement (FTA) on the profits of farmers. Empirical applications of the developed EDM are performed for evaluating the influences of Korea-Chile FTA on the grape industry in Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

Supply and demand equations together with profit function of individual farmers are converted into log-differential forms that compose the EDM. The cost function of grape producers is estimated for deriving the parameters that are required in applying the developed EDM.

Findings

The share of profit within revenue and the elasticity of cost with respect to quantity in the cost function play key roles in assessing the change in farmers’ profit. The empirical assessment of the effects of Korea-Chile FTA indicates that this FTA has little impact on the Korean grape market and grape producers in Korea.

Originality/value

Usefulness of the existing EDM has been limited in evaluating the impacts of exogenous shocks on the individual farmer level. This paper fills this gap by developing an EDM that assesses the impacts of tariff reduction on farm-level profit.
Environmental impact of distribution network design: the case of Korea
Authors: Kim Hyo-Joo , Woo Su-Han , Lai Po-Lin , Seo Yong-Won
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the environmental impact of distribution network design.

Design/methodology/approach

Typical distribution networks are identified and modeled through interviews with logistics companies in Korea. CO2emission is calculated for the distribution network models to evaluate the environmental impact of different network designs. In addition, economic and customer service performances are evaluated to provide realistic and balanced solutions to supply chain managers.

Findings

It is suggested that hybrid networks combining Hub-and-Spoke (HS) and Point-to-Point (PP) networks with a small number of sub-terminals are the most effective in both environmental and customer service aspects, whereas HS network is the most cost-effective.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis in this study is based on certain assumptions, and hence full application of these results to specific cases is limited. The combination of PP network with HS network is suggested, forming a hybrid network, and CO2mitigation policies need to consider support schemes that can influence a firm’s decision making in relation to network design.

Originality/value

Little attention, however, has been paid to the environmental impact of distribution network design in the exiting literature. This study is a rare attempt at evaluating the environmental impact of distribution network design and may provide valuable implications to policy-makers and practitioners in logistics and manufacturing companies.
Systemic leanness
Authors: Narayanamurthy Gopalakrishnan , Gurumurthy Anand
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a leanness assessment methodology that takes into account the interaction between lean elements for computing the systemic leanness and for assisting continuous improvement of lean implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

Key elements determining the leanness level were identified by reviewing the relevant literature and were structured as a framework. Graph-theoretic approach (GTA) was used as the assessment methodology for its ability to evaluate the interaction between the elements in the developed framework.

Findings

Interactions between the lean elements were configured. Application of the proposed GTA for assessing systemic leanness was demonstrated. Scenario analysis was performed and a scale was developed to assist firms in comparing their systemic leanness index.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is unique in developing an assessment approach for measuring the systemic leanness. In addition, this study explains how the implementation of lean thinking (LT) in a value stream can be continuously improved by proposing a systemic leanness index that can be benchmarked. The proposed approach to measure systemic leanness can be tested across different value streams in future for extending its generalizability.

Practical implications

Proposed framework and leanness assessment approach presents an innovative tool for practitioners to capture the systemic aspect of LT. Proposed assessment approach supports practitioners in achieving continuous improvement in lean implementation by revealing the lean elements that need to be focused in future.

Originality/value

Study introduces a new perspective for LT by studying the importance of interactions between the lean elements and by incorporating them to assess the systemic leanness.
Unlocking the “black box” in the talent management employee performance relationship: evidence from Ghana
Authors: Kwame Mensah James , Nyigmah Bawole Justice , Wedchayanon Nisada
Published: November 2016

Purpose

Combining insights from the social exchange and signalling theories, the purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate the relationship between talent management (TM) practices and four dimensions of talented employees’ performance; and, second, to examine the mediating role of job satisfaction and affective commitment on this relationship in the Ghanaian banking context.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modelling was used to survey data from 232 employees who are part of a talent pool in the Ghanaian banking sector.

Findings

The findings of this paper showed that TM practices increase positive talented employee performance of task, contextual and adaptive, whereas it reduces counterproductive behaviours. Second, talented employee work attitudes of job satisfaction and affective commitment partially mediate the relationship between TM practices and four dimensions of talented employees’ performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study used cross-sectional data; hence, conclusions regarding causality cannot be made.

Practical implications

Management and organisations implementing and intending to implement TM practices should implement and invest in TM practices that will trigger employee work attitudes to achieve full employee performance.

Originality/value

This paper advances the literature by exploring the relationship between TM practices and four dimensions of talented employees’ performance.
The Limits to Artist‐Led Regeneration: Creative Brownfields in the Cities of High Culture
Authors: Andres Lauren , Golubchikov Oleg
Published: November 2016

Despite the burgeoning literature on creative cities, seldom explored is the context of cities rich in cultural capital but more orthodox in their approach to preserving the autonomy of culture. This article discusses the status of artistic spaces occupying abandoned industrial premises (‘creative brownfields') in historic cities that traditionally shape their policies around prestigious cultural institutions (‘cities of high culture'). Based on comparative insights from St Petersburg and Lausanne, the article explores the relations and tensions between mainstream cultural governance and creative brownfields. While there is no lack of creative brownfields in these cities, their wider urban impact is found to be marginal; moreover, these sites represent dispersed instances of temporary occupations rather than situated clusters of creative actors. More than coincidental, this (lack of) spatialization is argued to result from a particular governmentality—that of high culture—which disregards, rather than promotes, spaces of alternative cultural governance. The article conceptualizes creative brownfields in cities of high culture as the ‘soft infrastructure' of cultural production, in contrast with those in ‘creative cities' as the ‘hard infrastructure' of urban production. The article also calls for a recognition of the local context of regulation and accumulation in understanding the cultural/urban interplay.
Forensic Taxonomy of Android Social Apps
Authors: Azfar Abdullah , Choo Kim‐Kwang Raymond , Liu Lin
Published: November 2016

An Android social app taxonomy incorporating artifacts that are of forensic interest will enable users and forensic investigators to identify the personally identifiable information (PII) stored by the apps. In this study, 30 popular Android social apps were examined. Artifacts of forensic interest (e.g., contacts lists, chronology of messages, and timestamp of an added contact) were recovered. In addition, images were located, and Facebook token strings used to tie account identities and gain access to information entered into Facebook by a user were identified. Based on the findings, a two‐dimensional taxonomy of the forensic artifacts of the social apps is proposed. A comparative summary of existing forensic taxonomies of different categories of Android apps, designed to facilitate timely collection and analysis of evidentiary materials from Android devices, is presented.
Agroecological management of a soil‐dwelling orthopteran pest in vineyards
Authors: Nboyine Jerry Asalma , Boyer Stephane , Saville David J. , Wratten Stephen David
Published: November 2016

The efficacy of different combinations of undervine and inter‐row treatments for managing a soil‐dwelling orthopteran pest, weta (Hemiandrus sp.), in vineyards was investigated over 2 seasons. This insect damages vine buds, thus reducing subsequent grape yield. The undervine treatments comprised pea straw mulch, mussel shells, tick beans [Vicia faba Linn. var minor (Fab)], plastic sleeves on vine trunks (treated control) and control (no intervention), while inter‐rows contained either the existing vegetation or tick beans. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 10 replicates. Data were collected on weta densities, damage to beans and components of yield. The latter were numbers of bud laid down per vine, shoots per bud, clusters per shoot, grape bunches per vine, bunch weight and yield. The undervine treatments significantly affected all variables except the number of shoots per bud. In contrast, none of the variables was significantly affected by the inter‐row treatments or their interaction with undervine treatments, apart from weta density. At the end of the experiment, weta density in the shell treatment was about 58% lower than in the control. As a result, there was about 39% significant yield increase in that treatment compared to the control. Although the undervine beans and sleeves treatments increased yield, there were no reductions in weta density. With undervine beans, the insect fed on the bean plants instead of vine buds. Thus, yield in that treatment was approximately 28% higher than in the control. These results demonstrate that simple agroecological management approaches can reduce above‐ground damage by soil‐dwelling insects.
Consumer preference for edible insect‐containing cookies determined by conjoint analysis: An exploratory study of Korean consumers
Authors: Ryu Jung Pyo , Shin Jungyoung Tiffany , Kim Jin , Kim Young Wook
Published: November 2016

Consumers are the principal agents of consumption when edible insect cookies are launched into the market; therefore, there is a need for research into consumer perception of this product and the factors that could affect their choice. Therefore, through this study, we aimed to provide such information for the development and launch of edible insect cookies. We investigated the importance of product features of edible insect cookies and the part‐worth of the feature levels while predicting the market share of edible insect cookies that are currently in development. We constructed 16 main and four hold‐out profiles from six product features and 16 levels of features. Following analysis of data collected from 203 of 250 respondents, product features were found to be important in the descending order of “type”, “price”, “size”, “availability of nutrition facts”, “thickness” and “use of edible insects”. When the market share of an edible insect cookie with the optimal combination of product features was analyzed through choice simulation, it had the second‐highest share in the cookie market, thus suggesting a direction for the development of edible insect cookies.
Discrepancy rates in reporting of acute stroke CT
Authors: Astill Christopher SJ , Agzarian Marc J
Published: November 2016

Introduction

With increasing after‐hours workloads there has been reliance on registrars to report after‐hours acute stroke CT scans at our institution. This practice was reviewed for the perceived possibility of error and poor patient outcomes by the reliance on after‐hours registrar reports. Through an audit of 3 years of these studies, we proposed to investigate if our current practice is safe and whether it results in poor patient outcomes.

Methods

Following ethics approval, all after‐hours acute stroke CT scan reports from September 2012 to August 2015 were identified using the PACS. All reports were reviewed with data recorded on a written worksheet then transferred to an Excel spreadsheet for analysis. The consultant report was used as the gold standard. In cases where discrepancies occurred, medical records were reviewed.

Results

Eight hundred and ninety‐four acute stroke CT scans were identified in the audit period with a subset of 316 studies identified where a registrar report was issued at time of scan and checked the following day by a radiology consultant. There were 114 discrepancies (10 were major, 51 were minor, and 53 other). In three discrepancy cases, the patient's clinical course was altered. There were no adverse outcomes as a result of a discrepancy. Using a radiology consultant as the gold standard the major discrepancy rate was ≈3% in the after‐hours setting.

Conclusion

Our 3 year retrospective audit demonstrates that our practice of registrar report issued at the time of CT scan checked the following day by a radiologist has a low major discrepancy rate and that patient safety was not compromised. These results support the continuation of our current practice.
Photodynamic therapy for the treatment of atherosclerotic plaque: Lost in translation?
Authors: Jain Manish , Zellweger Matthieu , Wagnières Georges , van den Bergh Hubert , Cook Stéphane , Giraud Marie‐Noelle
Published: November 2016

Acute coronary syndrome is a life‐threatening condition of utmost clinical importance, which, despite recent progress in the field, is still associated with high morbidity and mortality. Acute coronary syndrome results from a rupture or erosion of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque with secondary platelet activation and thrombus formation, which leads to partial or complete luminal obstruction of a coronary artery. During the last decade, scientific evidence demonstrated that when an acute coronary event occurs, several nonculprit plaques are in a “vulnerable” state. Among the promising approaches, several investigations provided evidence of photodynamic therapy (PDT)‐induced stabilization and regression of atherosclerotic plaque. Significant development of PDT strategies improved its therapeutic outcome. This review addresses PDT's pertinence and major problems/challenges toward its translation to a clinical reality.
Craving behavioral intervention for internet gaming disorder: remediation of functional connectivity of the ventral striatum
Authors: Zhang Jin‐Tao , Ma Shan‐Shan , Li Chiang‐Shan R. , Liu Lu , Xia Cui‐Cui , Lan Jing , Wang Ling‐Jiao , Liu Ben , Yao Yuan‐Wei , Fang Xiao‐Yi
Published: November 2016

Psychobehavioral intervention is an effective treatment of Internet addiction, including Internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, the neural mechanisms underlying its efficacy remain unclear. Cortical‐ventral striatum (VS) circuitry is a common target of psychobehavioral interventions in drug addiction, and cortical‐VS dysfunction has been reported in IGD; hence, the primary aim of the study was to investigate how the VS circuitry responds to psychobehavioral interventions in IGD. In a cross‐sectional study, we examined resting‐state functional connectivity of the VS in 74 IGD subjects (IGDs) and 41 healthy controls (HCs). In a follow‐up craving behavioral intervention (CBI) study, of the 74 IGD subjects, 20 IGD subjects received CBI (CBI+) and 16 IGD subjects did not (CBI−). All participants were scanned twice with similar time interval to assess the effects of CBI. IGD subjects showed greater resting‐state functional connectivity of the VS to left inferior parietal lobule (lIPL), right inferior frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus, in positive association with the severity of IGD. Moreover, compared with CBI−, CBI+ showed significantly greater decrease in VS‐lIPL connectivity, along with amelioration in addiction severity following the intervention. These findings demonstrated that functional connectivity between VS and lIPL, each presumably mediating gaming craving and attentional bias, may be a potential biomarker of the efficacy of psychobehavioral intervention. These results also suggested that non‐invasive techniques such as transcranial magnetic or direct current stimulation targeting the VS‐IPL circuitry may be used in the treatment of Internet gaming disorders.
Extended‐release niacin increases anti‐apolipoprotein A‐I antibodies that block the antioxidant effect of high‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol: the EXPLORE clinical trial
Authors: Batuca Joana R. , Amaral Marta C. , Favas Catarina , Paula Filipe S. , Ames Paul R. J. , Papoila Ana L. , Delgado Alves José
Published: November 2016

Aims

Extended‐release niacin (ERN) is the most effective agent for increasing high‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol (HDL‐C). Having previously identified anti‐HDL antibodies, we investigated whether ERN affected the antioxidant capacity of HDL and whether ERN was associated with the production of antibodies against HDL (aHDL) and apolipoprotein A‐I (aApoA‐I).

Methods

Twenty‐one patients older than 18 years, with HDL‐C ≤40 mg dl–1 (men) or ≤50 mg dl–1 (women) were randomly assigned to receive daily ERN (n = 10) or placebo (n = 11) for two sequential 12‐week periods, with 4 weeks of wash‐out before cross‐over. Primary outcome was change of paraoxonase‐1 (PON1) activity and secondary outcomes were changes in aHDL and aApoA‐I antibodies. Clinical Trial Unique Identifier: EudraCT 2006–006889‐42.

Results

The effect of ERN on PON1 activity was nonsignificant (coefficient estimate 20.83 U l–1, 95% confidence interval [CI] –9.88 to 51.53; P = 0.184). ERN was associated with an increase in HDL‐C levels (coefficient estimate 5.21 mg dl–1, 95% CI 1.16 to 9.25; P = 0.012) and its subclasses HDL2 (coefficient estimate 2.46 mg dl–1, 95% CI 0.57 to 4.34; P = 0.011) and HDL3 (coefficient estimate 2.73 mg dl–1, 95% CI 0.47 to 4.98; P = 0.018). ERN was significantly associated with the production of aApoA‐I antibodies (coefficient estimate 0.25 μg ml–1, 95% CI 0.09–0.40; P = 0.001). aApoA‐I titres at baseline were correlated with decreased PON activity.

Conclusions

The rise in HDL‐C achieved with ERN was not matched by improved antioxidant capacity, eventually hampered by the emergence of aApoA‐I antibodies. These results may explain why Niacin and other lipid lowering agents fail to reduce cardiovascular risk.
Adverse Effect Profile of Topical Ocular Administration of Fingolimod for Treatment of Dry Eye Disease
Authors: Xiao Weibao , Sun Li , Zhang Nan , Ye Wen
Published: November 2016

Fingolimod is a promising prodrug in attenuating multiple sclerosis and prolonging survival of organ allograft, with many other protective effects. Its mechanism of action is related to the internalization of sphingosine 1‐phosphate receptors (S1PRs). Our previous study indicated that fingolimod eyedrops was efficacious in inhibiting ocular inflammation in a dry eye disease (DED) model of non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mice. In the current study, we evaluated potential adverse effects of fingolimod eyedrops. Inbred 10‐week‐old BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups, fingolimod‐treated groups at three different concentrations (0.01%, 0.1% and 0.5%) and a negative control group without intervention. Our results showed that in the 0.5% fingolimod group, adverse effects such as photophobia, catacleisis and corneal oedema were observed after 1 week of treatment. 1 month later, corneal opacity, oedema and neovascularization persisted till the mice were killed 2 months later. In contrast, there was no significant abnormality in the negative control group, and 0.01% and 0.1% fingolimod‐treated groups. During a 2‐month treatment period, we did not detect fingolimod, nor significant change in blood cells in peripheral blood, nor pathological changes in retina and systemic organs. Combined with our previous study and the current results, we recommend that an optimal range of safe and effective concentration of fingolimod as eyedrops is between 0.005% and 0.1%.
Whole‐body MRI reveals high incidence of osteonecrosis in children treated for Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Littooij Annemieke S. , Kwee Thomas C. , Enríquez Goya , Verbeke Jonathan I. M. L. , Granata Claudio , Beishuizen Auke , de Lange Charlotte , Zennaro Floriana , Bruin Marrie C. A. , Nievelstein Rutger A. J.
Published: November 2016

Osteonecrosis is a well‐recognized complication in patients treated with corticosteroids. The incidence of osteonecrosis in children treated for Hodgkin lymphoma is unknown because prospective whole‐body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are lacking in this patient population. Paediatric patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma who were treated according to a uniform paediatric Hodgkin protocol were eligible for inclusion in this prospective study. Whole‐body MRI was performed in all 24 included patients (mean age 15·1 years, 12 girls) both before treatment and after 2 cycles of chemotherapy, and in 16 patients after completion of chemotherapy. Osteonecrosis was identified in 10 patients (41·7%, 95% confidence interval: 22·0–61·4%), with a total of 56 osteonecrotic sites. Osteonecrosis was detected in 8 patients after 2 cycles of OEPA (vincristine, etoposide, prednisone, doxorubicin), and in 2 additional patients after completion of chemotherapy. Epiphyseal involvement of long bones was seen in 4 of 10 children. None of the patients with osteonecrosis had any signs of bone collapse at the times of scanning. Whole‐body MRI demonstrates osteonecrosis to be a common finding occurring during therapy response assessment of paediatric Hodgkin lymphoma. Detection of early epiphyseal osteonecrosis could allow for treatment before bone collapse and joint damage may occur.
Beyond the two‐group paradigm in studies of intergroup conflict and inequality: Third parties and intergroup alliances in xenophobic violence in South Africa
Authors: Kerr Philippa , Durrheim Kevin , Dixon John
Published: November 2016

Social psychologists typically conceptualize intergroup processes in terms of unequal pairs of social categories, such as an advantaged majority (e.g., ‘Whites’) and a disadvantaged minority (e.g., ‘Blacks’). We argue that this two‐group paradigm may obscure the workings of intergroup power by overlooking: (1) the unique dynamics of intergroup relations involving three or more groups, and (2) the way some two‐group relationships function as strategic alliances that derive meaning from their location within a wider relational context. We develop this argument through a field study conducted in a grape‐farming town in South Africa in 2009, focusing on an episode of xenophobic violence in which a Zimbabwean farm worker community was forcibly evicted from their homes by their South African neighbours. Discursive analysis of interview accounts of the nature and origins of this violence shows how an ostensibly binary ‘xenophobic’ conflict between foreign and South African farm labourers was partially constituted through both groups’ relationship with a third party who were neither victims nor perpetrators of the actual violence, namely White farmers. We highlight some potential political consequences of defaulting to a two‐group paradigm in intergroup conflict studies.
PERSONALITY TRAITS AND THE PERCEPTION OF MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS: SURVEY EVIDENCE
Authors: Orland Andreas
Published: November 2016

I examine the determinants of both perceived inflation and unemployment in one single survey and include Big Five traits in the analysis. This is the first survey on this topic in Germany. My sample consists of 1771 students from different fields and levels. Using PhD students’ estimates as a reference, I create categories for underestimation and overestimation of both variables. Multinomial logit regressions show that females overestimate both variables. Education and news consumption reduce misestimation. A higher level of Neuroticism is related with a higher probability to overestimate unemployment. Overstating (understating) one indicator is associated with overstating (understating) the other.
Cannabimimetic phytochemicals in the diet – an evolutionary link to food selection and metabolic stress adaptation?
Authors: Gertsch Jürg
Published: November 2016

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a major lipid signalling network that plays important pro‐homeostatic (allostatic) roles not only in the nervous system but also in peripheral organs. There is increasing evidence that there is a dietary component in the modulation of the ECS. Cannabinoid receptors in hominids co‐evolved with diet, and the ECS constitutes a feedback loop for food selection and energy metabolism. Here, it is postulated that the mismatch of ancient lipid genes of hunter‐gatherers and pastoralists with the high‐carbohydrate diet introduced by agriculture could be compensated for via dietary modulation of the ECS. In addition to the fatty acid precursors of endocannabinoids, the potential role of dietary cannabimimetic phytochemicals in agriculturist nutrition is discussed. Dietary secondary metabolites from vegetables and spices able to enhance the activity of cannabinoid‐type 2 (CB2) receptors may provide adaptive metabolic advantages and counteract inflammation. In contrast, chronic CB1 receptor activation in hedonic obese individuals may enhance pathophysiological processes related to hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, hepatorenal inflammation and cardiometabolic risk. Food able to modulate the CB1/CB2 receptor activation ratio may thus play a role in the nutrition transition of Western high‐calorie diets. In this review, the interplay between diet and the ECS is highlighted from an evolutionary perspective. The emerging potential of cannabimimetic food as a nutraceutical strategy is critically discussed.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Principles of Pharmacological Research of Nutraceuticals. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.11/issuetoc
News shocks and labour market dynamics in matching models
Authors: Theodoridis Konstantinos , Zanetti Francesco
Published: November 2016

We enrich a baseline real business cycle (RBC) model with search and matching frictions on the labour market and real frictions that are helpful in accounting for the response of macroeconomic aggregates to shocks. The analysis allows shocks to have an unanticipated and a news (i.e., anticipated) component. The Bayesian estimation of the model reveals that the model that includes news shocks on macroeconomic aggregates produces a remarkable fit of the data. News shocks in stationary and non‐stationary TFP, investment‐specific productivity and preference shocks significantly affect labour market variables and explain a sizeable fraction of macroeconomic fluctuations at medium‐ and long‐run horizons. Historically, news shocks have played a relevant role for output, but they have had a limited influence on unemployment.