bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A prediction method of material consumption for flat-knitted sweaters
Authors: Luo Xuan , Jiang Gaoming , Cong Honglian
Published: July 2017

Purpose

A method for predicting the material consumption of a sweater is presented before it is knitted. It can be achieved with the five basic models combined with the parameters related to the dimensions of the knitting machine and needles. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the parameters of the needle bar flat knitting machine, the sweater is modeled with five basic structures. The mathematical expression of each basic structure can be derived with corresponding parameters under some consumptions. In following, the predictive weight of the sweater can be formulated with the expression of the length of the basic structures and the linear density of the yarn.

Findings

To evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme, experiments of three types of sweaters on four different knitting machines are carried out. The results show that the proposed method can achieve the performance with the bias values by percentage ranging from −1.54 to −2.84 percent.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the present limited research, more experiments could not be carried out. To improve the performance and robustness of the proposed method, statistical performance measures such as the statistical mean and variance in massive experiments will be studied in the further research.

Practical implications

The evaluation of the material consumption can be obtained before it is knitted with the known basic parameters related to the machine and yarn.

Originality/value

This paper derives the general expressions of five basic structures based on the corresponding parameters of knitting machine. The predictive weight of the sweater is expressed according to the above basic structures before the sweater is knitted.
A mixed human body modeling method based on 3D body scanning for clothing industry
Authors: Liu Kaixuan , Wang Jianping , Zhu Chun , Kamalha Edwin , Hong Yan , Zhang Junjie , Dong Min
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a relatively simple and rapid method to create a digital human model (DHM) to serve clothing industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Human body’s point cloud is divided into hands, foots, head and torso. Then forward modeling method is used to model hands and foots, photo modeling method is used to model head and reverse modeling method is used to model torso. After that, hands, foots, head and torso are integrated together to get a static avatar. Next, virtual skeleton is bound to the avatar. Finally, a lifelike digital human body model is created by the mixed modeling method (MMM).

Findings

In allusion to the defect of the three-dimension original data of human body, this paper presented an MMM, with which we can get a realistic digital human body model with accurate body dimensions. The DHM can well meet the needs of fashion industry.

Practical implications

The DHM, which is got by the MMM, can be well applied in the field of virtual try on, virtual fashion design, virtual fashion show and so on.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper lies in the integration of forward modeling, reverse modeling and photo modeling to present a novel method of human body modeling.
Development and trial of athletic T-shirt using spacer blocks to enhance ventilation
Authors: Ho Chu Po , Fan Jintu , Newton Edward , Au Raymond
Published: July 2017

Purpose

In previous studies, enlarging the air gap between fabric and the skin through the placement of spacer blocks has been proven to improve air ventilation, particularly when the pumping effect is activated during movement. These studies evaluated only the total thermal insulation (Rt) and moisture vapour resistance (Ret) by using a fabric thermal manikin. The purpose of this paper is to report the experience, perceived comfort level, and ventilation effect of two designed T-shirts in a wearer trial.

Design/methodology/approach

An athletic T-shirt (Vented Design) was designed by attaching spacer blocks to the underside of the fabric to enlarge the air gap. Eight subjects participated in the wearer trial, which comprised 30 min treadmill running, followed by 10 min of rest. At different points during the 40 min test period, subjects rated their body coolness, skin dryness, and overall comfort of the designed T-shirt. The testing was repeated with participants wearing the same T-shirt but without spacer blocks, which served as a control garment. The mean skin temperature of each subject was also measured to support survey findings.

Findings

The data were evaluated using independent t-tests. The T-shirt with spacer blocks provided higher ventilation than the control T-shirt after 10 min of running. Research limitations – because of limited resources, only eight subjects were recruited to this study. In addition, more T-shirt designs should be tested in the future to elucidate how T-shirt design affects ventilation performance.

Originality/value

This study investigated a T-shirt design wherein the air gap between the skin surface and fabric was increased. The results of the wearer trial showed that this design could be adopted as a design brief for further design development of related clothing. This study has implications for clothing designers developing functional clothing with improved ventilation.
Cotton fibre selection and grading – a PROMETHEE-GAIA-based approach
Authors: Chakraborty Shankar , Bandhopadyay Siddhartha
Published: July 2017

Purpose

In spinning industries, selection of the most appropriate fibre for yarn manufacturing plays an important role for achieving an optimal mix of several yarn characteristics, like maximum tenacity, elasticity and spinning ability; and minimum unevenness and hairiness. Identification of the best suited cotton fibre from a set of available alternatives in presence of different conflicting physical properties is often treated as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the preference ranking organisation method for enrichment of evaluations (PROMETHEE) and geometrical analysis for interactive aid (GAIA) methods are integrated to solve a cotton fibre selection problem. The PROMETHEE II method ranks the alternative cotton fibres based on their net outranking flows, whereas GAIA acts as a visual aid to strongly support the derived selection decision. The weight stability intervals for all the considered fibre properties (criteria) over which the position of the top-ranked cotton fibre remains unchanged are also determined.

Findings

The clusters of cotton fibres formed in the developed GAIA plane act as a yard stick for their appropriate grading to aid the blending process. The ranking of 17 cotton fibres as achieved applying the combined PROMETHEE-GAIA approach highly corroborates with the observations of the past researchers which proves its immense potentiality and applicability in solving fibre selection problems.

Originality/value

Two MCDM methods in the form of PROMETHEE II and GAIA are integrated to provide a holistic approach for cotton fibre grading and selection while taking into consideration all the available cotton fibre properties.
Learning challenges and preferred pedagogies of international students
Authors: Rao Pramila
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the challenges international students face during their higher education in the USA. This research study was conducted at a private university in the Eastern region of the USA from October 2012 through May 2013 (Fall and Spring semesters) with undergraduate and graduate international students. International students for this study are defined as those students who are on an international student visa status (F1).

Design/methodology/approach

This research adopts an online survey method to understand the challenges international students encounter in a single university. A total of 111 students responded providing a response rate of 33 percent. The results were analyzed using frequencies and percentages.

Findings

The findings of this study suggest that the primary learning challenges of international students are inadequate writing skills, non-participation, and comprehension abilities. The predominant learning needs are writing academic papers, enhancing class participation, and having local mentors. The students recommend that professors offer detailed feedback, encourage nurturing environments, and provide informal feedback for assignments. The preferred pedagogies are class lectures, class discussions, and individual assignments.

Practical implications

This study provides implications for both faculty and administrative staff in managing international students better.

Originality/value

This paper provides a holistic picture of the challenges international students face during their higher education in the USA. Most of the research on this population focuses only on one of the elements addressed in this research. The results of this empirical study will help guide both local faculty and global academic institutions in understanding this student population better.
Promoting the school learning processes: principals as learning boundary spanners
Authors: Benoliel Pascale , Schechter Chen
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The ongoing challenge to sustain school learning and improvement requires schools to explore new ways, and at the same time exploit previous experience. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to expand the knowledge of mechanisms that can facilitate school learning processes by proposing boundary activities and learning mechanisms in which principals can engage to promote learning processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors refer to Bourdieu’s theoretical approach that human actions occur within fields of interaction. The authors delineate principals’ internal and external boundary activities as mechanisms for promoting school learning processes while acknowledging that principals are embedded within competing fields, encompassing demands from the economic, political, and even global fields. The authors discuss how the principal boundary activities can not only facilitate the exploitation of knowledge embedded in the school system, but also the exploration of external knowledge across multiple fields of interaction. The authors then present the principal learning mechanisms as complementary activities to school learning improvement.

Findings

Promoting school learning processes may require constant management of the school learning boundary so that the school neither becomes isolated from its environment nor loses its capacity for knowledge integration and exploitation. The boundary activities, combined with learning mechanisms, can enable the principal to balance these competing demands.

Originality/value

The organizational learning processes of exploration and exploitation have been under-investigated in the educational context, as to the role of the principal in balancing the tension between these processes. This study conceptualizes boundary activities and learning mechanisms, suggesting a framework through which principals can engage to promote school learning.
Developing relationships with school customers: the role of market orientation
Authors: Poole Sonja Martin
Published: July 2017

Purpose

While the role of relationship marketing to consumers’ overall satisfaction with schools has been discussed in the education management literature, empirical studies on the marketing mechanisms that underpin school-customer relationships are limited. The purpose of this paper is to establish the association between market orientation (MO) in the school context and key relationship marketing performance indicators.

Design/methodology/approach

MO and four relationship constructs (brand trust, affective commitment, attitudinal loyalty, and advocacy) were measured using existing and established scales from the education and behavioral literatures. A model reflecting causal ordering derived from the literature and an understanding of school-customer relationships was developed. Data were collected from 205 parents of school-aged children in the USA and analyzed using structural equation analysis.

Findings

Results show that a positive relationship between market-oriented behaviors of school organizations and three of the identified indicators of successful school relationship marketing (affective commitment, attitudinal loyalty, and advocacy) are mediated by brand trust.

Originality/value

The study contributes to an understanding of the theoretical relationship between market-oriented behaviors and relationship marketing for schools. The results suggest that, for school organizations, MO impacts important outcomes and thus may be vital to sustainability and growth.
International students’ engagement in their university’s social media
Authors: Fujita Momoko , Harrigan Paul , Soutar Geoffrey Norman
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the lived experiences of the international students using their university’s social media, through a lens of customer engagement (CE) in the services marketing literature.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study was conducted in an Australian university. Three semi-structured focus groups with ten international students, along with a preliminary netnographic analysis of the university’s social media account, provided a rich description of the phenomenon in the real-world context.

Findings

The results suggest that these students are likely to engage in their university’s social media as part of their acculturation and social identity construction strategy. Their engagement was cognitive and emotional, being influenced by the instrumental value of the social media page, engagement with campus rituals and artefacts, social identity and bonds with other students and perceptions of the page administrator. Furthermore, these students’ engagement influenced their identification with the university and its student community, manifested in a sense of belonging and pride.

Research limitations/implications

The paper contributes to the higher education literature by offering relationship implications of social media CE. Limitations include small sample size and the single institutional context.

Practical implications

The paper informs student communication practice, especially the design of university-initiated social media content and policy.

Originality/value

Universities and faculties today use social media to engage with students outside classrooms. However, little has been known about how international student sojourners view and respond to such initiatives. The paper addresses this gap by offering insight into how they engage with their university on social media and its relationship implications.
Fostering learning organisation in transitional economy – the role of authentic leadership and employee affective commitment
Authors: Delić Milan , Slåtten Terje , Milić Bojana , Marjanović Uglješa , Vulanović Srđan
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examinehowand inwhatway authentic leadership and affective employee commitment foster the learning organisation in the context of transitional market conditions. Acting as role factors, their relationships with the learning organisation were examined simultaneously, at leadership and employee level.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted on a sample of 500 employees from various industries of Serbian transitional economy. For the research purposes, structural equation modeling (SEM) methodology was used.

Findings

The findings reveal that authentic leadership and employee commitment both play an important role. Specifically, authentic leadership directly and indirectly affects the learning organisation. The indirect effect is partially mediated by the employee affective commitment.

Research limitations/implications

The focus of this study is limited to the role of authentic leadership in fostering the learning organisation. Apart from leadership and employee commitment, it might be assumed that other variables have the potential to play a role in fostering the learning organisation as well.

Originality value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous study has focused on authentic leadership and employee commitment as an “enabling-mechanism” in fostering learning organisations in the context of transitional economies. Consequently, this paper provides theoretical and practical implications on how and in what way they impact a learning organisation by empirically studying them in the context of transitional market conditions.
Peer review of teaching at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences
Authors: Tóth Zsuzsanna Eszter , Andor György , Árva Gábor
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to describe an internal quality enhancement system based on peer reviewing and summarizes the first results of application at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences.

Design/methodology/approach

A peer review framework has been developed to evaluate and further develop the teaching programs and practices. The questionnaire-based peer review program included 22 courses and involved almost 100 lecturers. Peer review outcomes are completed by end-of-semester student course evaluations.

Findings

The results allow us to map differences between lecturers and courses and to identify correlations between the assessment criteria applied for peer reviewing.

Practical implications

The implemented framework implies individual, faculty and organizational development to enhance a deeper understanding of how to create quality in teaching programs and processes. Secondly, the peer review program contributes to the establishment of a learning community with a growing common understanding of what is considered good quality in business education.

Originality/value

The paper is valuable as a guide to faculty management wishing to implement a peer review framework within their own institution. The novelty of the presented approach is that it focuses on a semester-long teaching performance including classroom performance, course outlines, teaching materials, course requirements and processes and means of student performance assessments.
Using anchoring vignettes to study quality management across cultures
Authors: Wangwacharakul Promporn , Poksinska Bozena Bonnie
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to suggest and demonstrate how anchoring vignettes, as a survey instrument, can be applied to study quality management (QM) across cultures. Cultural differences may create challenges in QM. Quantitative surveys are commonly used to study QM practices but do not consider the cultural bias in the survey results. An important question is how to study QM so that the results are comparable across cultures. Herein, the use of anchoring vignettes is suggested to reduce the problem of cross-cultural incomparability.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper focuses on developing and testing vignettes for studying QM. Based on previous survey studies, two vignettes for each QM dimension are developed. The vignettes are then tested with two pilot tests on the web-based survey platform.

Findings

The paper provides a concrete example of how a survey using anchoring vignettes could be designed and used to deal with cultural bias in QM survey Based on hypothetical examples from Swedish and Indian cultures, the results from pilot studies evaluating vignettes are promising and show the applicability of the proposed method. Anchoring vignettes may help to provide more accurate survey results and thereby contribute to understanding of cross-cultural differences in QM practices. One of the challenges is the design of vignettes, which requires high precision and several tests to make the method work.

Originality/value

The paper discusses the potential of using anchoring vignettes to study QM practices across cultures. This may contribute to better understanding of QM practices in an international context, and thereby help improve QM practices in multinational organisations.
Luxury branding: the case of Chanel
Authors: Sugimoto Kana , Nagasawa Shin’ya
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This study answers the research question “How can businesses apply a luxury brand strategy to achieve innovation in their businesses or brands?” It aims to investigate the possibility of applying a luxury brand strategy to a wide range of business areas.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents a literature review and case studies, analyzing 16 products from a selection of 8 iconic luxury brands. A survey conducted in Japan and Europe identified which of the 8 selected luxury brands had established the strongest brand image. Principal component analysis and SPSS were used to analyze the results. Scatter diagrams are used to depict the relationship between factors and product positioning. Brands and products were selected for case study analysis, and the features were generalized to show how companies in business segments other than luxury goods could apply this model.

Findings

The results showed that most of the strategy’s features apply to companies in different business areas. While luxury brand strategies are unique, their features can be generalized to stimulate innovation in other businesses or brands.

Research limitations/implications

This study analyzed only two products under one luxury brand. Thus, the number of products is limited.

Originality/value

This study is unique because it examines how different business areas can apply the advantages of business strategy models. It illustrates the advantages of successful business strategies of luxury companies and how different companies can harness that success for future development.
Healthcare facilities maintenance management: a literature review
Authors: Yousefli Zahra , Nasiri Fuzhan , Moselhi Osama
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The complexity and criticality of healthcare services highlight the importance of maintenance management function in healthcare facilities. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on maintenance management of healthcare facilities and hospital buildings to provide an organized literature review and identify gaps from the perspective of research and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper categorizes the literature and adopts a review hierarchy according to maintenance management functions in hospital buildings. It explores the impact of those functions on the performance of maintenance activities in hospitals. Furthermore, it examines the role of information technology and automated decision support systems in facilitating hospital maintenance management functions and performance.

Findings

Literature on maintenance management in healthcare facilities and hospital buildings has so far been very limited. Recently published literature focusing on healthcare facilities management and its maintenance management functions is classified into various areas and sub-areas. The paper highlights gaps in the literature and suggests avenues for future research and improvements.

Originality/value

The paper contains a comprehensive listing of publications and their classifications according to various attributes. It will be useful for researchers, maintenance managers, practitioners and stakeholders concerned with facility management of hospital buildings.
User requirement related performance attributes for government residential buildings
Authors: Seshadhri Gopikrishnan , Paul Virendra Kumar
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Present research on assessing performance of residential buildings is done for specific purposes and not holistically. The indicators, factors and attributes considered for evaluation are not consistent and are broadly based on knowledge base of the author. The purpose of this research is to identify building performance attributes based on user requirement.

Design/methodology/approach

With ISO 6241-1984(E) as a basis for universal acceptance, user requirements have been listed and based on these user requirements, related building performance attributes have been identified. End-user satisfaction is of primary importance to gauge performance of a facility. A quantified approach in evaluation of performance of a facility will enable a facility manager to assess the efficacy of the present policies pertaining to operation and maintenance of the facility. It will also provide valuable inputs to policy makers in initiating measures toward the goal of achieving desired user satisfaction. Performance measurement is done to measure the value created by the services, to justify the investment made in creating the facility or to determine if any additional investments are required for improvement of the facility.

Findings

In this literature review, an attempt is made to identify user requirements based on an internationally renowned standard ISO 6241-1984 (E), as a base and group building performance attributes on these requirements. The identified attributes are grouped into physical, environmental and external factors for ease of garnering user satisfaction and subsequent flexibility in assessment of data based on requirement of the surveys carried out for evaluation.

Research limitations/implications

The identified list of user requirement-related building performance attributes is limited to government residential buildings. The research needs validation through a full-fledged user satisfaction survey.

Practical implications

It provides a comprehensive list of attributes for assessing performance from physical, environmental and external factors, enabling wholesome assessment of the performance of buildings. Moreover, as a universally accepted document ISO 6241-1984 (E), forms the basis of the paper, its application is not limited to a region.

Originality/value

Lot of research is happening in the field of assessing building performance. User satisfaction by virtue of being difficult to quantify, it has not found much favor till now. This attempt is to furnish a comprehensive list of building performance attributes that will enable a multipurpose survey which will not be based on perception of the researcher but on a universally accepted document. The premise of research is that end-user satisfaction is of primary importance to gauge performance of a facility.
Thermal cycling effect on the drop reliability of BGA lead-free solder joints
Authors: Liu Fang , Zhou Jiacheng , Yan Nu
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the drop reliability of ball-grid array (BGA) solder joints affected by thermal cycling.

Design/methodology/approach

The drop test was made with the two kinds of chip samples with the thermal cycling or not. Then, the dyeing process was taken by these samples. Finally, through observing the metallographic analysis results, the conclusions could be found.

Findings

It is observed that the solder joint cracks which were only subjected to drop loads without thermal cycling appeared near the BGA package pads. The solder joint cracks which were subjected to drop loads with thermal cycling appear near the printed circuit board pads.

Originality/value

This paper obtains the solder joint cracks picture with drop test under the thermal cycling.
Effect of fluxes on Sn-Zn-Bi solder alloys on copper substrate
Authors: Mhd Noor Ervina Efzan , Ogundipe Ayodeji Samson
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effect different fluxes have on the mechanical properties of lead-free solders, specifically Sn-Zn-Bi solder alloy. The solder billets were soldered in between copper substrates and flux was applied. The mechanical tests carried out on the solder alloys were tensile and shear tests. They were experimented on with different fluxes, namely, water-soluble (paste), rosin mildly activated (RMA) and insoluble (RMA) flux. From these experiments, the ultimate tensile strength, shear strength, elongation, yield stress, Young’s modulus and the stress-strain curve are derived. The results showed that solder billets that were soldered onto copper substrates with water-soluble flux yielded the highest ultimate tensile strength and shear strength values of 9.9961 MPa and 118.836 MPa, respectively. Billets soldered using RMA flux had the highest values of elongation and Young’s modulus, 0.306 mm and 50,257.295 MPa, respectively. However, on viewing the failure of all the specimens under an optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM), specimens soldered using water-soluble flux possessed the least deformities, depicting their higher level of mechanical properties, entailing their strength and ductility, deeming them as the most suitable flux for microelectronic applications.

Design/methodology/approach

The solder billets were soldered in between copper substrates and flux was applied. The mechanical tests carried out on the solder alloys were tensile and shear tests. They were experimented on with different fluxes, namely, water-soluble (paste), RMA and insoluble flux (RMA) flux. From these experiments, the ultimate tensile strength, shear strength, elongation, yield stress, Young’s modulus and the stress-strain curve are derived.

Findings

The results showed that solder billets that were soldered onto copper substrates with water-soluble flux yielded the highest ultimate tensile strength and shear strength values of 9.9961 MPa and 118.836 MPa, respectively.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrated that water-soluble fluxes gave the better strength and were most suitable for microelectronics applications.
Tilting Towards the Cosmopolitan Axis? Political Change in England and the 2017 General Election
Authors: Jennings Will , Stoker Gerry
Published: July 2017

The general election of June 2017 revealed a continued tilting of the political axis in England that has been long in the making. This was not a Brexit ‘realignment’—in that the vote is better seen as a symptom of a longer‐term divide that is emerging between citizens residing in locations strongly connected to global growth and those who are not. In this analysis, we explore constituency‐level patterns of voting in England between 2005 and 2017. Over this period, Labour's vote share has tended to rise in urban areas (that is, major cities), with younger and more diverse and more educated populations often working in ‘cosmopolitan’ industries, whereas the Conservative vote has tended to increase in less densely populated towns and rural areas, with older and less diverse populations. Significantly, Labour has also increased its vote in constituencies with a higher share of ‘precariat’ and emerging service workers—somewhat at odds with characterisation of a party that has lost the ‘left behind’. To the extent that changes in electoral support for the Conservatives and Labour are linked to the Brexit vote, the relationship far predates the referendum vote and should be expected to continue to reshape British politics in future.
Heteronomy in the arts field: state funding andBritish arts organizations
Authors: Alexander Victoria D.
Published: July 2017

For Bourdieu, the field of cultural production is comprised of an autonomous and a heteronomous sector. A heteronomous sector is one that is interpenetrated by the commercial field. I discuss an arena that, until recently, was part of the relatively autonomous sector in the field of cultural production – the supported arts sector in the United Kingdom – and argue that it became more heteronomous,due to the penetration by the state. Heteronomy due to the commercial field is present but secondary to, and driven by, the actions of the state. Political parties’ attempts to diffuse and legitimate a particular economic ideology have led to state demands that arts institutions adopt neoliberal business practices in exchange for funding. Government giving to the arts, previously at arm's length, proved to be a Faustian bargain that demanded significant repayment in the form of lost autonomy. Coercive pressures from the state, enacted over time, show how the domination of one field over another can occur, even when the domination is resisted.
The evolutionary history of the DMRT3 ‘Gait keeper’ haplotype
Authors: Staiger E. A. , Almén M. S. , Promerová M. , Brooks S. , Cothran E. G. , Imsland F. , Jäderkvist Fegraeus K. , Lindgren G. , Mehrabani Yeganeh H. , Mikko S. , Vega‐Pla J. L. , Tozaki T. , Rubin C. J. , Andersson L.
Published: July 2017

A previous study revealed a strong association between the DMRT3:Ser301STOP mutation in horses and alternate gaits as well as performance in harness racing. Several follow‐up studies have confirmed a high frequency of the mutation in gaited horse breeds and an effect on gait quality. The aim of this study was to determine when and where the mutation arose, to identify additional potential causal mutations and to determine the coalescence time for contemporary haplotypes carrying the stop mutation. We utilized sequences from 89 horses representing 26 breeds to identify 102 SNPs encompassing the DMRT3 gene that are in strong linkage disequilibrium with the stop mutation. These 102 SNPs were genotyped in an additional 382 horses representing 72 breeds, and we identified 14 unique haplotypes. The results provided conclusive evidence that DMRT3:Ser301STOP is causal, as no other sequence polymorphisms showed an equally strong association to locomotion traits. The low sequence diversity among mutant chromosomes demonstrated that they must have diverged from a common ancestral sequence within the last 10 000 years. Thus, the mutation occurred either just before domestication or more likely some time after domestication and then spread across the world as a result of selection on locomotion traits.
Modeling regime‐dependent agricultural commodity price volatilities
Authors: Li Na , Ker Alan , Sam Abdoul G. , Aradhyula Satheesh
Published: July 2017

In stark contrast to financial markets, relatively little attention has been given to modeling agricultural commodity price volatility. In recent years, numerous methodologies with various strengths have been proposed for modeling price volatility in financial markets. We propose using a mixture of normals with unique GARCH processes in each component for modeling agricultural commodity prices. While a normal mixture model is quite flexible and allows for time varying skewness and kurtosis, its biggest strength is that each component can be viewed as a different market regime and thus estimated parameters are more readily interpreted. We apply the proposed model to ten different agricultural commodity weekly cash prices. Both in‐sample fit and out‐of‐sample forecasting tests confirm that the two‐state NM‐GARCH approach performs better than the traditional normal GARCH model. A significant and state‐dependent inverse leverage effect is detected only for pork in the regime where the price is expected to drop, indicating the volatility in this regime tends to increase more following a realized price rise than a realized price drop.
Placental pericytes and cytomegalovirus infectivity: Implications for HCMV placental pathology and congenital disease
Authors: Aronoff David M. , Correa Hernan , Rogers Lisa M. , Arav‐Boger Ravit , Alcendor Donald J.
Published: July 2017

Problem

Placental pericytes are essential for placental microvascular function, stability, and integrity. Mechanisms of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) pathogenesis incorporating placental pericytes are unknown.

Method of Study

HCMV‐infected placental tissue was stained by dual‐labeled immunohistochemistry. Primary placental pericytes, cytotrophoblasts, and villous fibroblasts were exposed to HCMV; and infectivity was analyzed by microscopy and immunofluorescence. Cytokine expression was examined by Luminex assay. A HCMV‐GFP recombinant virus was used to examine replication kinetics.

Results

Immunohistochemistry showed HCMV in trophoblast and the villous core with T‐cell and macrophage infiltration. Primary HCMV isolate from a patient (SBCMV)‐ infected pericytes showed dysregulation of proinflammatory and angiogenic cytokines when compared to control cells. A tri‐cell model of the villous floor showed a unique expression profile. Finally, we show pericytes infected in vivo with HCMV in placental tissue from a congenitally infected child.

Conclusion

Placental pericytes support HCMV replication, inducing proinflammatory and angiogenic cytokines that likely contribute to viral dissemination, placenta inflammation, and dysregulation of placental angiogenesis.
The IADPSG diagnostic criteria identify women with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Victoria
Authors: Abell Sally K. , Teede Helena J.
Published: July 2017

Controversy remains surrounding International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG) diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), including perceived improvement in perinatal outcomes and health service implications. We compared perinatal outcomes for untreated women meeting IADPSG‐only criteria and women without GDM in Victoria. Women meeting IADPSG‐only criteria were characterised according to fasting and one hour glucose thresholds and by region of birth. IADPSG criteria identified women with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, particularly women born in Australia compared to Asian regions.
The Election Monitor's Curse
Authors: Luo Zhaotian , Rozenas Arturas
Published: July 2017

Election monitoring has become a key instrument of democracy promotion. Election monitors routinely expect to deter fraud and prevent post‐election violence, but in reality, post‐election violence often increases when monitors do expose fraud. We argue that monitors can make all elections less fraudulent and more peaceful on average, but only by causing more violence in fraudulent elections. Due to this curse, strategic election monitors can make a positive impact on elections only if their objectives are aligned in a very specific fashion. Monitors who do not aim to prevent violence can be effective only if they are unbiased, whereas monitors who do aim to prevent violence can be effective only if they are moderately biased against the government. Consequently, election monitors with misaligned objectives will fail to prevent violence, whereas monitors with well‐aligned objectives will be blamed for causing violence.
Political Brokers: Partisans or Agents? Evidence from the Mexican Teachers' Union
Authors: Larreguy Horacio , Montiel Olea Cesar E. , Querubin Pablo
Published: July 2017

Political brokers mobilize voters all over the world, yet little is known about what motivates them to do so. This article theorizes about two drivers of brokers' efforts: (1) incentives—monetary rewards or sanctions—and monitoring and (2) partisan attachment. We examine our theory using data on the Mexican National Educational Workers Union (SNTE), Latin America's largest union and a well‐known political machine. Consistent with the role of teachers as brokers, we find that the vote share of parties supported by the SNTE machine is higher in polling stations located in schools. This effect is absent when teachers are asked to mobilize voters in support of a party for which they have no partisan attachment, and it is uncorrelated with the union's monitoring capacity. This suggests that partisan attachment, rather than incentives and monitoring, explains the SNTE's effectiveness as a political machine.
The fetuses‐at‐risk approach: survival analysis from a fetal perspective
Authors: Joseph K.S. , Kramer Michael S.
Published: July 2017

Several phenomena in contemporary perinatology create challenges for analyzing pregnancy outcomes. These include recent increases in iatrogenic delivery at late preterm and early term gestation, which are incongruent with the belief that stillbirth and neonatal death risks decrease exponentially with advancing gestational age. Perinatal epidemiologists have also puzzled over the paradox of intersecting birthweight‐specific and gestational age‐specific perinatal mortality curves for decades. For example, neonatal mortality rates among preterm infants of women who smoke are substantially lower than neonatal mortality rates among preterm infants of non‐smoking women, whereas the reverse pattern occurs at term gestation. This mortality crossover is observed across several contrasts (for example, women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy vs. normotensive women, older vs. younger women, twins vs. singletons) and outcomes (stillbirth, neonatal death, sudden infant death syndrome and cerebral palsy), and irrespective of how advancing “maturity” is defined (birthweight or gestational age). One approach proposed to address and explain these unexpected phenomena is the fetuses‐at‐risk model. This formulation involves a reconceptualization of the denominator for perinatal outcome rates from births to surviving fetuses. In this overview of the fetuses‐at‐risk model, we discuss the central tenets of the births‐based and the fetuses‐based formulations. We also describe the extension of the fetuses‐at‐risk approach to outcomes into and beyond the neonatal period and to a multivariable adaptation. Finally, we provide a substantive context by discussing biological mechanisms underlying the fetuses‐at‐risk model and contemporary obstetric phenomena that are better understood from that model than from one based on births.
Pulmonary Valve Opening With Two Rotary Left Ventricular Assist Devices for Biventricular Support
Authors: Wu Eric L. , Nestler Frank , Kleinheyer Matthias , Stevens Michael C. , Pauls Jo P. , Fraser John F. , Gregory Shaun D.
Published: July 2017

Right ventricular failure is a common complication associated with rotary left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. Currently, there is no clinically approved long‐term rotary right ventricular assist device (RVAD). Instead, clinicians have implanted a second rotary LVAD as RVAD in biventricular support. To prevent pulmonary hypertension, the RVAD must be operated by either reducing pump speed or banding the outflow graft. These modes differ in hydraulic performance, which may affect the pulmonary valve opening (PVO) and subsequently cause fusion, valvular insufficiency, and thrombus formation. This study aimed to compare PVO with the RVAD operated at reduced speed or with a banded outflow graft. Baseline conditions of systemic normal, hypo, and hypertension with severe biventricular failure were simulated in a mock circulation loop. Biventricular support was provided with two rotary VentrAssist LVADs with cardiac output restored to 5 L/min in banded outflow and reduced speed conditions, and systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances (PVR) were manipulated to determine the range of conditions that allowed PVO without causing left ventricular suction. Finally, RVAD sine wave speed modulation (±550 rpm) strategies (co‐ and counter‐pulsation) were implemented to observe the effect on PVO. For each condition, outflow banding had higher PVR (97 ± 20 dyne/s/cm5 higher) for when the pulmonary valve closed compared to reduced speed. In addition, counter‐pulsation demonstrated greater PVO than co‐pulsation and constant speed. For the purpose of reducing the risks of pulmonary valve insufficiency, fusion, and thrombotic event, this study recommends a RVAD with a steeper H‐Q gradient by banding and further exploration of RVAD speed modulation.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a patient with Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis
Authors: Saito Kazuyuki , Miyazaki Takanori , Toru Shuta
Published: July 2017

Background

Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis (BBE) is characterized by acute ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and impaired consciousness. Serum anti‐GQ1b antibody in the acute phase has been detected in many BBE cases. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is characterized by acute neurological symptoms with vasogenic edema in the bilateral parieto‐occipital regions. It has been pointed out that the activation of inflammatory cytokines might be involved in the pathophysiology of PRES and BBE.

Case presentation

A 37‐year‐old woman had an upper respiratory infection a week before losing consciousness. On admission, she was in a coma and her blood pressure was 134/96 mmHg. Doll's eye phenomenon was negative. Bilateral tendon reflexes were normal, although Babinski signs were bilateral positive. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed normal protein concentration and cell counts. Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings were normal. We administered intravenous methylprednisolone therapy (1000 mg/day), acyclovir (1500 mg/day) and fosphenytoin sodium hydrate (22.5 mg/kg/day). Brain magnetic resonance imaging on the third admission day showed an increased apparent diffusion coefficient map, and high intensities in diffusion‐weighted imaging in the bilateral occipital cortex and subcortex, which are consistent with PRES. Nerve conduction studies were normal. The patient was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (0.4 g/kg/day) from the fourth admission day. Her consciousness level rapidly improved, and we were able to detect obvious ophthalmoplegia and limb ataxia. Diffusion‐weighted imaging was improved on the 13th day of admission. Serum anti‐GQ1b immunoglobulin G antibody on admission was positive. We ultimately diagnosed her with BBE.

Conclusions

We reported a rare case of BBE complicated with PRES.
Defending the scientific integrity of conservation‐policy processes
Authors: Carroll Carlos , Hartl Brett , Goldman Gretchen T. , Rohlf Daniel J. , Treves Adrian , Kerr Jeremy T. , Ritchie Euan G. , Kingsford Richard T. , Gibbs Katherine E. , Maron Martine , Watson James E. M.
Published: July 2017

Government agencies faced with politically controversial decisions often discount or ignore scientific information, whether from agency staff or nongovernmental scientists. Recent developments in scientific integrity (the ability to perform, use, communicate, and publish science free from censorship or political interference) in Canada, Australia, and the United States demonstrate a similar trajectory. A perceived increase in scientific‐integrity abuses provokes concerted pressure by the scientific community, leading to efforts to improve scientific‐integrity protections under a new administration. However, protections are often inconsistently applied and are at risk of reversal under administrations publicly hostile to evidence‐based policy. We compared recent challenges to scientific integrity to determine what aspects of scientific input into conservation policy are most at risk of political distortion and what can be done to strengthen safeguards against such abuses. To ensure the integrity of outbound communications from government scientists to the public, we suggest governments strengthen scientific integrity policies, include scientists’ right to speak freely in collective‐bargaining agreements, guarantee public access to scientific information, and strengthen agency culture supporting scientific integrity. To ensure the transparency and integrity with which information from nongovernmental scientists (e.g., submitted comments or formal policy reviews) informs the policy process, we suggest governments broaden the scope of independent reviews, ensure greater diversity of expert input and transparency regarding conflicts of interest, require a substantive response to input from agencies, and engage proactively with scientific societies. For their part, scientists and scientific societies have a responsibility to engage with the public to affirm that science is a crucial resource for developing evidence‐based policy and regulations in the public interest.