bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of congenital clubfoot during growth: a long-term study on the basis of pedobarography, biomechanics, and magnetic resonance imaging measurements of muscle volumes
Authors: Lampe Renée , Mitternacht Jürgen , von Pfister Lorenz , Turova Varvara , Blumenstein Tobias , Alves-Pinto Ana
Published: February 2016

The aim of this study was to clarify the degree to which the operated congenital asymptomatic clubfoot still shows malpositions or whether it approaches a physiological development with increasing age. Clubfeet of 12 children were examined repeatedly over up to 10 years using pedobarography. The muscle volumes of the lower legs were investigated with MRI and compared with those of a healthy control group. Although some characteristics of clubfoot remained in the plantar pressure distribution, a gradual decrease in the heel and metatarsus load accompanied by an increase in the forefoot load could be registered as is typical for a developing healthy child’s foot. The MRI showed a reduced volume of all muscles of the affected lower leg. A correlation was detected between the measured moments in the upper and lower ankle joints and the volumes of the muscles that move these joints. Even though a functional and anatomical separation between the two groups existed, the general developmental changes during growth were similar. The combination of pedobarographic data and derived joint moments with MRI-measured muscle volumes indicated that higher ankle joint moments in clubfoot were associated with smaller muscle volume and were therefore generated by higher joint rigidity.
Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the knee joint in a 5-year-old girl treated with combined open and arthroscopic surgery: a case report
Authors: Jha Subash Chandra , Nishisho Toshihiko , Matsuura Tetsuya , Takeuchi Makoto , Miyagi Ryo , Takao Shoichiro , Suzue Naoto , Toki Shunichi , Nagamachi Akihiro , Sairyo Koichi
Published: February 2016

Pigmented villonodular synovitis is an extremely rare disease in skeletally immature patients. Erosive destruction of the involved joint leads to early arthritis, and its high recurrence rate makes treatment challenging. Multiple surgical approaches exist, but it is unclear as to which among them achieves the lowest possible recurrence rate and morbidity. We report the case of a 5-year-old girl with left knee pain and swelling who was diagnosed with diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis of the left knee based on MRI findings. Combined open and arthroscopic surgery was performed to completely remove the tumor. Postoperative histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis. The postoperative course was uneventful, with a gradual improvement in symptoms. There were no signs of recurrence on postoperative MRI performed at the 8-month follow-up, with neither knee pain nor limitation of range of motion. The favorable outcome in this case suggests that combined open and arthroscopic surgery may be an effective method for treating pigmented villonodular synovitis in skeletally immature patients.
The “Umbrella Sign”: A Useful Clue in the Diagnosis of Melanocytic Lesions in Sun Damaged Skin
Authors: Wood Benjamin A. , Harvey Nathan T.
Published: February 2016

As ultraviolet radiation is an important aetiological agent in melanoma development, the presence of solar elastosis is an important factor in the assessment of any melanocytic lesion. However, melanocytic naevi are also seen in chronically sun damaged skin, particularly in regions with high levels of ultraviolet exposure and fair skinned populations. It has previously been noted that the relationship of a melanocytic proliferation to elastic fibers in the dermis can be of discriminatory value in the separation of melanoma from melanocytic naevus, in particular, it has been proposed that naevi act as a “sunscreen,” which may result in a histological clue that the authors colloquially refer to in practice as “the umbrella sign.” The aim of this study was to evaluate the patterns of solar elastosis within and beneath melanocytic proliferations developing in sun damaged skin and to determine the utility of the “umbrella sign” in diagnostic practice. We assessed 81 melanocytic proliferations in sun damaged skin for the presence of an umbrella sign, that was present in 49/53 melanocytic naevi (92%) compared with only 2/28 melanomas (7%, P < 0.05). In addition, entrapped elastotic fibers displaying distinct purple discolouration were identified in 16 melanocytic naevi. This finding was not identified in any of the melanomas. The umbrella sign appears to be a useful clue in the distinction of melanoma from melanocytic naevus in sun damaged skin, although as with all histological features in melanocytic pathology, it requires interpretation within a multifactorial assessment cognizant of potential diagnostic pitfalls.
Relationship Between Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness, Ocular Pulse Amplitude, and Intraocular Pressure in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Pekel Gökhan , Acer Semra , Yağci Ramazan , Özdemir Seyfullah , Kaya Hüseyin , Hiraali Mehmet C. , Çetin Ebru N.
Published: February 2016

Purpose:

To investigate the correlation between subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), ocular pulse amplitude (OPA), and intraocular pressure (IOP) in healthy individuals.

Methods:

In total, 106 eyes of 106 healthy adult participants were included in this cross-sectional study. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography was used to measure the SFCT. OPA and IOP were measured with the Pascal dynamic contour tonometer. The Pearson correlation test was performed to examine the relationship between SFCT, OPA, and IOP.

Results:

When age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) were controlled separately, a weak correlation occurred between SFCT and OPA (age controlled, r=0.20; sex controlled, r=0.19; BMI controlled, r=0.13). SFCT and OPA were fairly correlated in older age (r=0.33, P=0.02) and low BMI (r=0.33, P=0.02). SFCT and IOP were not correlated statistically significantly (r=0.05, P=0.59).

Conclusion:

There is a weak correlation between SFCT and OPA in healthy individuals when age is controlled. The association becomes stronger in participants with low BMI. There is no relation between SFCT and IOP.
Reduced Incidence of Thromboembolic Events after Surgical Closure of Left Atrial Appendage in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Wilbring Manuel , Jung Friedrich , Weber Christoph , Matschke Klaus , Knaut Michael
Published: February 2016

Objective

Most of the detected thrombi in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) can be found in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Interventional LAA closure recently proved to be noninferior to warfarin therapy. Whether these results can be fully translated into surgical LAA closure remains unclear. Corresponding data are still lacking. The present observational study evaluated the impact of surgical LAA closure in patients with AF undergoing cardiac surgery on postoperative thromboembolic events.

Methods

A prospective registry enrolled 398 patients with permanent AF undergoing cardiac surgery. Concomitant procedures were isolated surgical ablation (group I, n = 71), isolated LAA closure (group II, n = 44), and combined surgical ablation and LAA closure (group III, n = 196). The control group consisted of 87 patients without concomitant surgical ablation or LAA closure. One-year follow-up was completed in all patients. End points were thromboembolic events and death from any cause.

Results

Clinical baseline characteristics were comparable among the groups. General hospital mortality was 5.5% and likewise differed not significantly. Postoperatively, mean (SD) CHAD2S2-VASc score of 3.5 (1.3) differed not significantly among the groups, indicating comparable thromboembolic risk. Follow-up referred to all hospital survivors (n = 376). Herein, overall incidence of thromboembolic events was 9.8% (n = 37), with an associated mortality of 41.0%. Patients with LAA closure alone or in combination with surgical ablation had a significantly reduced incidence of thromboembolic events (6.6% vs 20.5%, P < 0.01) and consecutively improved survival after 1 year of follow-up (7.0% vs 17.1%, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Left atrial appendage closure alone or in combination with surgical ablation was associated with a significantly reduced rate of thromboembolic events and consecutively improved survival after 1 year of follow-up.
Human Metapneumovirus
Authors: Koppisetty Shalini , Skrzynski Adam K. , Lauter Carl B. , Sims Matthew D.
Published: February 2016

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is an emerging pathogen well known to cause respiratory tract infections in children and adults. It is responsible for approximately 5% to 10% of all hospitalizations of children due to acute respiratory tract infections. The hMPV can cause severe illness in children, immunocompromised persons, and the elderly, which can progress to severe respiratory failure requiring hospitalization and mechanical ventilation. Transmission occurs via contact with contaminated respiratory secretions (droplet, aerosol). The hMPV is rarely known to cause central nervous system complications. Descriptions of this syndrome are limited to case reports, most of which have been in children. Reports suggest that this virus has been linked to diseases of the central nervous system including acute encephalopathy, encephalitis, and febrile seizures. Review of the literature revealed only one confirmed case of hMPV isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with concurrent encephalitis. We describe an adult patient with acute meningoencephalitis associated with hMPV, in whom a respiratory virus panel with polymerase chain reaction was positive for hMPV on nasopharyngeal swab, but was negative on the cerebrospinal fluid specimen.
Risk-standardized Acute Admission Rates Among Patients With Diabetes and Heart Failure as a Measure of Quality of Accountable Care Organizations
Authors: Spatz Erica S. , Lipska Kasia J. , Dai Ying , Bao Haikun , Lin Zhenqiu , Parzynski Craig S. , Altaf Faseeha K. , Joyce Erin K. , Montague Julia A. , Ross Joseph S. , Bernheim Susannah M. , Krumholz Harlan M. , Drye Elizabeth E.
Published: February 2016

Background:

Population-based measures of admissions among patients with chronic conditions are important quality indicators of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), yet there are challenges in developing measures that enable fair comparisons among providers.

Methods:

On the basis of consensus standards for outcome measure development and with expert and stakeholder input on methods decisions, we developed and tested 2 models of risk-standardized acute admission rates (RSAARs) for patients with diabetes and heart failure using 2010–2012 Medicare claims data. Model performance was assessed with deviance R
2; score reliability was tested with intraclass correlation coefficient. We estimated RSAARs for 114 Shared Savings Program ACOs in 2012 and we assigned ACOs to 3 performance categories: no different, worse than, and better than the national rate.

Results:

The diabetes and heart failure cohorts included 6.5 and 2.6 million Medicare Fee-For-Service beneficiaries aged 65 years and above, respectively. Risk-adjustment variables were age, comorbidities, and condition-specific severity variables, but not socioeconomic status or other contextual factors. We selected hierarchical negative binomial models with the outcome of acute, unplanned hospital admissions per 100 person-years. For the diabetes and heart failure measures, respectively, the models accounted for 22% and 12% of the deviance in outcomes and score reliability was 0.89 and 0.81. For the diabetes measure, 51 (44.7%) ACOs were no different, 45 (39.5%) were better, and 18 (15.8%) were worse than the national rate. The distribution of performance for the heart failure measure was 61 (53.5%), 37 (32.5%), and 16 (14.0%), respectively.

Conclusion:

Measures of RSAARs for patients with diabetes and heart failure meet criteria for scientific soundness and reveal important variation in quality across ACOs.
Replacing Windows Reduces Childhood Lead Exposure: Results From a State-Funded Program
Authors: Jacobs David E. , Tobin Matthew , Targos Loreen , Clarkson Dale , Dixon Sherry L. , Breysse Jill , Pratap Preethi , Cali Salvatore
Published: February 2016

Context:

Despite considerable evidence that window replacement reduces childhood lead exposure and improves energy conservation and market value, federal policies in childhood lead poisoning, home improvement, and weatherization programs all tend to discourage it.

Objective and Intervention:

To evaluate a state bond-financed pilot program that replaced old lead-contaminated windows with new lead-free energy efficient ones.

Design and Setting:

Pre-/post evaluation in 1 urban and 1 rural jurisdiction.

Participants:

Low-income households (n = 96).

Main Outcome Measures:

Dust wipe sampling, visual assessment, and physical and mental self-reported health at baseline and 1 year.

Results:

Geometric mean lead dust (PbD) from baseline to 1 year for interior floors, interior sills, and exterior troughs declined by 44%, 88%, and 98%, respectively (P < .001); 1 year later, levels remained well below baseline but rose slightly compared with clearance sampling just after intervention. PbD declined significantly on both sills and troughs in both the urban and rural jurisdictions from baseline to 1 year. On interior floors, PbD significantly declined by 58% (P = .003) in the rural area and 25% (P = .38) in the urban area, where the decline did not reach statistical significance. Households reported improvements in uncomfortable indoor temperatures (P < .001) and certain health outcomes. Economic benefits were estimated at $5 912 219 compared with a cost of $3 451 841, resulting in a net monetary benefit of $2 460 378. Residents reported that they were “very satisfied” with the window replacement work (87%).

Conclusion:

Local and state governments should fund and operate window replacement programs to eliminate a major source of childhood lead exposure, improve energy bills, increase home market value, and create local construction and industrial jobs. Federal agencies should encourage (not discourage) replacement of old windows contaminated with lead. In budget climates such as Illinois with reduced public expenditures, making wise investments such as lead-safe window replacement is more important than ever.
Multisector Health Policy Networks in 15 Large US Cities
Authors: Harris Jenine K. , Leider J. P. , Carothers Bobbi J. , Castrucci Brian C. , Hearne Shelley
Published: February 2016

Context:

Local health departments (LHDs) have historically not prioritized policy development, although it is one of the 3 core areas they address. One strategy that may influence policy in LHD jurisdictions is the formation of partnerships across sectors to work together on local public health policy.

Design:

We used a network approach to examine LHD local health policy partnerships across 15 large cities from the Big Cities Health Coalition.

Setting/Participants:

We surveyed the health departments and their partners about their working relationships in 5 policy areas: core local funding, tobacco control, obesity and chronic disease, violence and injury prevention, and infant mortality.

Outcome Measures:

Drawing on prior literature linking network structures with performance, we examined network density, transitivity, centralization and centrality, member diversity, and assortativity of ties.

Results:

Networks included an average of 21.8 organizations. Nonprofits and government agencies made up the largest proportions of the networks, with 28.8% and 21.7% of network members, whereas for-profits and foundations made up the smallest proportions in all of the networks, with just 1.2% and 2.4% on average. Mean values of density, transitivity, diversity, assortativity, centralization, and centrality showed similarity across policy areas and most LHDs. The tobacco control and obesity/chronic disease networks were densest and most diverse, whereas the infant mortality policy networks were the most centralized and had the highest assortativity. Core local funding policy networks had lower scores than other policy area networks by most network measures.

Conclusion:

Urban LHDs partner with organizations from diverse sectors to conduct local public health policy work. Network structures are similar across policy areas jurisdictions. Obesity and chronic disease, tobacco control, and infant mortality networks had structures consistent with higher performing networks, whereas core local funding networks had structures consistent with lower performing networks.
Empiric TB Treatment of Severely Ill Patients With HIV and Presumed Pulmonary TB Improves Survival
Authors: Katagira Winceslaus , Walter Nicholas D. , Den Boon Saskia , Kalema Nelson , Ayakaka Irene , Vittinghoff Eric , Worodria William , Cattamanchi Adithya , Huang Laurence , Davis John Lucian
Published: February 2016

Rationale:

In 2007, World Health Organization (WHO) issued emergency recommendations on empiric treatment of sputum acid-fast bacillus smear-negative patients with possible tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-prevalent areas, and called for operational research to evaluate their effectiveness. We sought to determine if early, empiric TB treatment of possible TB patients with abnormal chest radiography or severe illness as suggested by the 2007 WHO guidelines, is associated with improved survival.

Methods:

We prospectively enrolled consecutive HIV-seropositive inpatients at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, from 2007 to 2011 with cough for ≥2 weeks. We retrospectively examined the effect of empiric TB treatment before discharge on 8-week survival among those with and without a WHO-defined “danger sign,” including fever >39°C, tachycardia >120 beats per minute, or tachypnea >30 breaths per minute. We modeled the interaction between empiric TB treatment and danger signs, and their combined effect on 8-week survival, and adjusted for relevant covariates.

Results:

Among 631 sputum smear-negative patients, 322 (51%) had danger signs. Cumulative 8-week survival of patients with danger signs was significantly higher with empiric TB treatment (80%) than without treatment (64%, P < 0.001). After adjusting for duration of cough and concurrent hypoxemia, patients with danger signs who received empiric TB treatment had a 44% reduction in 8-week mortality (risk ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval: 0.34–0.91, P = 0.020).

Conclusions:

Empiric TB treatment of HIV-seropositive, smear-negative, presumed pulmonary TB patients with 1 or more danger signs is associated with improved 8-week survival. Enhanced implementation of the 2007 WHO empiric treatment recommendations should be encouraged whenever and wherever rapid and highly sensitive diagnostic tests for TB are unavailable.
Cognitive Effects of Bifrontal Versus Right Unilateral Electroconvulsive Therapy in the Treatment of Major Depression in Elderly Patients
Authors: Dybedal Gro Strømnes , Bjølseth Tor Magne , Benth Jūratė Šaltytė , Tanum Lars
Published: February 2016

Objectives

Bifrontal (BF) electrode placement has been explored to refine the electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) technique. No previous study has compared the cognitive effects of BF versus right unilateral (RUL) ECT by only including the subgroup that is most likely to receive it: elderly patients with major depression.

Methods

Nondemented patients (n = 65) with major depression, aged 60 to 85 years, were randomly allocated to BF ECT and RUL formula-based ECT. Cognitive function was assessed at baseline (T1), within 1 week after a course of ECT (T2), and 3 months after T2 (T3). Six neuropsychological test measures of memory, 5 of executive function, and 3 of information-processing speed were administered.

Results

According to linear mixed models, there were no significant differences between the BF and RUL groups at any time. The retrograde memory score for public facts declined more for the RUL group (P < 0.001) than the BF group (P = 0.005) from baseline to the first retest and remained stable for both groups from T2 to T3. A rapid improvement in selective attention was observed in the RUL group from T1 to T2, but the scores remained stable from T2 to T3 (P < 0.001). This measure remained stable in the BF group from T1 to T3.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that there were negligible differences in the cognitive effects of formula-based BF or RUL ECT. The overall cognitive effects of ECT were equally favorable for each of the groups.
Social familiarity affects Diana monkey (
Cercopithecus diana diana
) alarm call responses in habitat-specific ways
Authors: Stephan Claudia , Zuberbühler Klaus
Published: February 2016

Male Diana monkeys produce loud and acoustically distinct alarm calls to leopards and eagles that propagate over long distances, much beyond the immediate group. Calling is often contagious, with neighbouring males responding to each other’s calls, indicating that harem males communicate both to local group members and distant competitors. Here, we tested whether male Diana monkeys responding to each other’s alarm calls discriminated familiar from unfamiliar callers in two populations in Taï Forest (Ivory Coast) and on Tiwai Island (Sierra Leone). At both sites, we found specific acoustic markers in male alarm call responses that discriminated familiar from unfamiliar callers, but response patterns were site-specific. On Tiwai Island, males responded to familiar males’ eagle alarms with ‘standard’ eagle alarm calls, whereas unfamiliar males triggered acoustically atypical eagle alarms. The opposite was found in Taï Forest where males responded to unfamiliar males’ eagle alarm calls with ‘standard’ eagle alarms, and with atypical eagle alarms to familiar males’ calls. Moreover, only Taï, but not Tiwai, males also marked familiarity with the caller in their leopard-induced alarms. We concluded that male Diana monkeys encode not only predator type but also signaller familiarity in their alarm calls, although in population-specific ways. We explain these inter-site differences in vocal behaviour in terms of differences in predation pressure and population density. We discuss the adaptive function and implications of this behaviour for the origins of acoustic flexibility in primate communication.
Extrusions promote engulfment andChlamydiasurvival within macrophages
Authors: Zuck Meghan , Ellis Tisha , Venida Anthony , Hybiske Kevin
Published: February 2016

All obligate intracellular pathogens must exit their host cells in order to propagate and survive as a species; the precise strategies they use have a direct impact on their ability to disseminate within a host, transmit to new hosts, and engage or avoid immune responses. The obligate intracellular bacteriumChlamydia trachomatisexits the host cell by two distinct exit strategies, lysis and extrusion. Despite being equally active pathways, lysis and extrusion differ greatly in their mechanisms. The defining characteristics of extrusions, and advantages gained byChlamydiawithin this unique double-membrane structure are not well understood. Here, we present data that defines extrusions as being largely devoid of host organelles, comprised mostly ofChlamydiaelementary bodies, and containing phosphatidylserine on the outer surface of the extrusion membrane. Towards defining a functional role for extrusions inChlamydiapathogenesis, we demonstrate that extrusions confer significant infectious advantages forChlamydiaby serving as transient, intracellular-like niches for extracellularChlamydia, as compared toChlamydiathat would otherwise exit by lysing the host cell. In addition to enhanced survival outside of the host cell, we report the key discovery that chlamydial extrusions can be engulfed by primary bone marrow-derived macrophages, after which they provide a protective microenvironment forChlamydia. Extrusion-derivedChlamydiawere able to stave off macrophage based killing beyond 8 h, and culminated in the release of infectious EB from the macrophage. Based on these findings, we propose a model in which a major outcome ofChlamydiaexiting epithelial cells inside extrusions is to hijack macrophages as vehicles for dissemination within the host.
TALE-light imaging reveals maternally guided, H3K9me2/3-independent emergence of functional heterochromatin in Drosophila embryos
Authors: Yuan Kai , O'Farrell Patrick H.
Published: February 2016

Metazoans start embryogenesis with a relatively naïve genome. The transcriptionally inert, late-replicating heterochromatic regions, including the constitutive heterochromatin on repetitive sequences near centromeres and telomeres, need to be re-established during development. To explore the events initiating heterochromatin formation and examine their temporal control, sequence specificity, and immediate regulatory consequence, we established a live imaging approach that enabled visualization of steps in heterochromatin emergence on specific satellite sequences during the mid-blastula transition (MBT) in Drosophila. Unexpectedly, only a subset of satellite sequences, including the 359-base-pair (bp) repeat sequence, recruited HP1a at the MBT. The recruitment of HP1a to the 359-bp repeat was dependent on HP1a's chromoshadow domain but not its chromodomain and was guided by maternally provided signals. HP1a recruitment to the 359-bp repeat was required for its programmed shift to later replication, and ectopic recruitment of HP1a was sufficient to delay replication timing of a different repeat. Our results reveal that emergence of constitutive heterochromatin follows a stereotyped developmental program in which different repetitive sequences use distinct interactions and independent pathways to arrive at a heterochromatic state. This differential emergence of heterochromatin on various repetitive sequences changes their replication order and remodels the DNA replication schedule during embryonic development.
Factors driving sustainable choice: the case of wine
Authors: Sogari Giovanni , Mora Cristina , Menozzi Davide
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the concept of consumers’ perception of sustainable wine and second, to investigate different clusters based on three factors identified (belief about environmental protection, beliefs about sustainable wine certification and attitude towards sustainable-labelled wine) and willingness to pay (WTP). Then, socio-demographic characteristics have been considered to assess whether group’s composition differ considerably.

Design/methodology/approach

– After preliminary literature review and qualitative analysis through focus groups, data were collected with a web-based questionnaire from 495 Italian wine drinkers. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were carried out using SPSS (21.0) statistical software packages.

Findings

– The cluster analysis based on the three factors identified confirms the presence of different segments of consumers. Four groups were identified and named: Well-disposed; Not interested; Skeptical; Adverse. Cluster analysis confirms that consumers with positive attitude towards sustainable wine and higher beliefs of environmental protection (Cluster 1 and 3) have higher WTP for sustainable wine.

Research limitations/implications

– One important limitation in the authors study occurred, considering that consumer’s answers in a hypothetical environment might not actually reflect the purchase behaviour of consumers in a real situation.

Practical implications

– These findings suggest that companies, which are implementing sustainability programmes, should understand what type of consumers value positively the presence of a sustainable claim on the label of a bottle.

Originality/value

– The work adds to the literature on wine marketing by evaluating how belief about environmental protection and sustainable wine certification, and attitude towards sustainable wine segment consumers in different groups. Eliciting WTP via hypothetical situation give us a better understanding of these clusters.
Consumer acceptance of food nanotechnology in Italy
Authors: Sodano Valeria , Gorgitano Maria Teresa , Verneau Fabio , Vitale Cosimo Damiano
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate attitudes of Italian consumers towards a set of applications of nanotechnology in the food domain. The chief goal is to identify the main factors influencing the willingness to buy nanofoods (WTBN), distinguishing between factors related to the products, in terms of perceived risks and benefits and psychological factors.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire was administered to a sample of about 300 people to gather information about the willingness to buy six nanofoods (namely: creamier ice cream with the same fat content; salt and sugar that do not form lumps with moisture; fruit juices enriched with bioactive molecules; bread enriched with Omega-3; plastic bottles for beer; antimicrobial food packaging for meat) and psychological characteristics, measured by several attitudinal scales. In order to study the influence of the attitudinal factors on the WTBN a simultaneous equations model was estimated, defining both its structural and reduced form.

Findings

– Respondents show a certain reluctance to buy foods produced using nanotechnologies The estimates of the econometric model indicate that WTBN is affected by the risks and benefits perceived with respect to the six nanofoods under consideration; the level of neophobia, as captured through the food technology neophobia scale; and the level of trust in food industry.

Originality/value

– The study extends the literature on nanofood consumer acceptance by adding useful evidence from the Italian case, which has not yet been studied.
Performance comparisons of bonding box-based contact detection algorithms and a new improvement technique based on parallelization
Authors: Yazdani Mahmoud , Paseh Hamidreza , Sharifzadeh Mostafa
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to find a convenient contact detection algorithm in order to apply in distinct element simulation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Taking the most computation effort, the performance of the contact detection algorithm highly affects the running time. The algorithms investigated in this study consist of Incremental Sort-and-Update (ISU) and Double-Ended Spatial Sorting (DESS). These algorithms are based on bounding boxes, which makes the algorithm independent of blocks shapes. ISU and DESS algorithms contain sorting and updating phases. To compare the algorithms, they were implemented in identical examples of rock engineering problems with varying parameters.

Findings

– The results show that the ISU algorithm gives lower running time and shows better performance when blocks are unevenly distributed in both axes. The conventional ISU merges the sorting and updating phases in its naïve implementation. In this paper, a new computational technique is proposed based on parallelization in order to effectively improve the ISU algorithm and decrease the running time of numerical analysis in large-scale rock mass projects.

Originality/value

– In this approach, the sorting and updating phases are separated by minor changes in the algorithm. This tends to a minimal overhead of running time and a little extra memory usage and then the parallelization of phases can be applied. On the other hand, the time consumed by the updating phase of ISU algorithm is about 30 percent of the total time, which makes the parallelization justifiable. Here, according to the results for the large-scale problems, this improved technique can increase the performance of the ISU algorithm up to 20 percent.
The numerical simulation of draft tube cavitation in Francis turbine at off-design conditions
Authors: Yang Jing , Zhou Lingjiu , Wang Zhengwei
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The vortex ropes in draft tube of Francis turbine always cause fluctuation and vibration, which consequently threaten the safety and stability of hydro turbines. The purpose of this paper is to use a cavitation flow computational method to simulate spiral vortex ropes under part load conditions and columnar vortex ropes under high-load conditions in draft tube. The unsteady cavitating flow characteristics in draft tube and its interaction with runner cavitation were analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach

– The calculation method was verified by cavitation simulation around a 3D hydrofoil. The results show that the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) turbulence model with the Zwart-Gerber-Blemari cavitation model have comparative advantage in cavitation simulations whether from capture of cavity shape or prediction of pressure changes. So it was chosen to simulate the two-phase cavitation flow in Francis turbine. The boundary conditions for inlet and outlet were set to inlet total pressure and outlet static pressure. The finite volume method with the central difference was adopted to discretize the equations.

Findings

– The calculated Thoma number agreed well with the experimental data. The vortex rope diameter and length increased with the cavitation development for both of the two types of vortex ropes conditions. The maximum peak-to-peak values of pressure pulsations located in the draft tube elbow part under all of the Thoma numbers conditions. Under spiral vortex rope conditions, the pressure pulsation in the same section of draft tube cone show obviously phase shift. The vortex rope affects the development of runner cavitation, which induces the symmetric and axisymmetric cavitation region in the suction side of blades for spiral and columnar vortex rope condition, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

– The mesh independence had been checked only in non-cavitation flow; in addition, the mesh density did not well satisfy the requirements of LES due to the limitations of computing power. The higher mesh density on a simplified model with one blade flow path and the entire draft tube may be helpful for obtaining more precise results.

Originality/value

– The spiral and columnar vortex ropes in a Francis turbine were compared and analyzed. The annular hydraulic jump appeared in the columnar vortex rope conditions has little effects on the pressure pulsations. The uneven flow field caused by spiral vortex led to the asymmetric cavitation development.
Predictive validity of evidence-based persuasion principles
Authors: Armstrong J. Scott , Du Rui , Green Kesten C. , Graefe Andreas
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to test whether a structured application of persuasion principles might help improve advertising decisions. Evidence-based principles are currently used to improve decisions in other complex situations, such as those faced in engineering and medicine.

Design/methodology/approach

– Scores were calculated from the ratings of 17 self-trained novices who rated 96 matched pairs of print advertisements for adherence to evidence-based persuasion principles. Predictions from traditional methods – 10,809 unaided judgments from novices and 2,764 judgments from people with some expertise in advertising and 288 copy-testing predictions – provided benchmarks.

Findings

– A higher adherence-to-principles-score correctly predicted the more effective advertisement for 75 per cent of the pairs. Copy testing was correct for 59 per cent, and expert judgment was correct for 55 per cent. Guessing would provide 50 per cent accurate predictions. Combining judgmental predictions led to substantial improvements in accuracy.

Research limitations/implications

– Advertisements for high-involvement utilitarian products were tested on the assumption that persuasion principles would be more effective for such products. The measure of effectiveness that was available –day-after-recall – is a proxy for persuasion or behavioral measures.

Practical/implications

– Pretesting advertisements by assessing adherence to evidence-based persuasion principles in a structured way helps in deciding which advertisements would be best to run. That procedure also identifies how to make an advertisement more effective.

Originality/value

– This is the first study in marketing, and in advertising specifically, to test the predictive validity of evidence-based principles. In addition, the study provides the first test of the predictive validity of the index method for a marketing problem.
Persuasion Principles Index: ready for pretesting advertisements
Authors: Green Kesten C. , Armstrong J. Scott , Du Rui , Graefe Andreas
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to respond to issues posed in the four commentaries on Armstrong, Du, Green and Graefe (2016, this issue) regarding the immediate usefulness of that paper’s test of advertisements’ compliance with persuasion principles, and regarding the need for further research.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper addresses commentators’ concerns using logic, prior research findings and further analyses of the data.

Findings

– The superiority of the index method remains when a simple, theory-based, alternative weighting-scheme is used in the index model. Combinations of three unaided experts’ forecasts were more accurate than the individual forecasts, but the gain was only one-third of the gain achieved by using the Persuasion Principles Index (PPI).

Research limitations/implications

– Replications and extensions using behavioral data and alternative implementations of the index method would help to better assess the effects of judging conformity with principles as a means of predicting relative advertising effectiveness. Advertisers can expect more accurate pretest results if they combine the predictions of three experts or, even better, if they use tests of compliance with persuasion principles, such as the PPI. The PPI software is copyrighted, but is available now and is free to use.

Originality/value

– New analysis and findings provide further support for the claim that advertisers who use the PPI approach proposed by Armstrong, Du, Green and Graefe (2016, this issue) to choose among alternative advertisements will be more profitable than those who do not.
Managing occupational identity and institutional pressure within French business schools
Authors: Kodeih Farah
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how faculty members in French business schools (FBSs) manage intense pressure to adapt their practices and roles to new international academic standards. It stresses that in order to stimulate people’s accommodation of new institutional demands it is important to apprehend and manage occupational identity (OI).

Design/methodology/approach

– This is an inductive qualitative study that draws on 48 interviews in ten FBSs and written data.

Findings

– The paper categorizes faculty members’ responses to demands for more international academic research based on their initial OI. It also discusses the strategies schools employ to manage this transition and faculty’s professional roles.

Originality/value

– The originality lies in the empirical examination of a phenomenon that has so far been studied only theoretically. Business schools can improve their performance and avoid mission drift by apprehending and managing faculty members’ occupational identities.
Current CITE-ings from the popular and trade computing press: telework and telecommuting
Authors: Kesselman Martin
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– This article examines Current CITE-ings from the Popular and Trade Computing Press, Telework and Telecommuting

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology adopted is a literature review.

Findings

– Readily available technologies now allow librarians to perform most of their work-offsite. Some traditional building-based services such as reference, have been taken over by virtual reference and now even instruction offers options on par with or even better than classroombased questions such as a webinar that can be viewed and reviewed at any time or by having librarians embedded into various courseware packages.

Researchlimitations/implications

– Librarians no longer need be limited to a single library; groups of subject librarians can work together in the cloud to provide services to multiple universities.

Originality/value

– This article collates some articles from the non-library literature that mayprovide some ideas and review advantages and disadvantages for both the library and employee
Outsourcing in the Persian Gulf petroleum supply chain
Authors: Modarress Batoul , Ansari Al , Thies Emil
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to identify the challenges, the benefits, the risks and the motives of petroleum companies in the Persian Gulf toward outsourcing strategy. While the petroleum companies are faced with massive costs of operation that stem from the aging infrastructure, human capital deficit, inefficient fragmented business processes and lack of access to new technologies, outsourcing strategy toward cost savings and the overt and covert resistance of management and employees are significant barriers for creation of continuous process.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the review of existing literature, the industry
'
s archives and in-depth personal interviews with senior executives of the national oil and gas companies in five Gulf countries and seven global outsourcing companies and 87 survey responses, this study develops a methodological framework which substantiates or refutes the hypotheses based on the objectives: industry challenges are the driving forces behind outsourcing strategy; the potential risks of cost savings of outsourcing outweigh the consequential loss in control over the product or service, companies
'
safety and security of the region.

Findings

– The findings indicate that the oil and gas exporters have mixed but broad positive view of outsourcing strategy. While outsourcing could provide savings across the entire supply chain, it also generates a distracting resistance due to the fear of unknown in a complex range of culture, infrastructures and sequential processes that requires resiliency for continuity of operations.

Originality/value

– This study is the first of its kind in the Persian Gulf oil and gas industry investigating the implementation of outsourcing strategy. The result of this investigation reveals the compromise between the potential benefits in cost reduction and the security of petroleum supply. This study contributes to all who are in the industry or who are involved with it to share a clear assessment of the future.
Social responsibility in the Spanish financial system
Authors: Ruiviejo Antonio Carlos Aranda , Sotomayor Morales Eva Maria
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to analyze the degree of implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies in the Spanish financial system.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study includes nine entities within the same organizational field to explore the pressure mechanisms that can affect the behavior of organizations.

Findings

– It concludes that the strategic nature of CSR is limited by the highly institutionalized character of this practice, a fact that causes isomorphic social structures among the approaches to responsibility of diverse entities.

Originality/value

– The results obtained are of great value to those responsible for the management bodies, as they show evidence of the need for a new approach to corporate governance policies if it is to achieve a competitive advantage in the industry, especially in the case of savings banks, where social work can play a fundamental role.
Land use change in the Amazon rain forest favours generalist fungi
Authors: Mueller Rebecca C. , Rodrigues Jorge L. M. , Nüsslein Klaus , Bohannan Brendan J. M.
Published: February 2016

Land use change is a significant threat to biodiversity, particularly within tropical ecosystems, but the responses of microbial communities remain poorly understood.

We used long‐term plots established in multiple land use types in the Brazilian Amazon to examine the effect of land use change on soil fungal communities. We measured fungal richness and composition and identified factors associated with shifts in community composition across multiple land use types, including primary forest, two secondary forests and a chronosequence of differently aged pastures. Additionally, we used distribution patterns to estimate the niche breadth of fungal taxa in order to quantify changes in the relative abundance of generalists, or fungi with broad environmental tolerance, in response to land use change.

Conversion of primary forest to pasture resulted in large reductions in fungal richness coupled with substantial changes in community composition. Generalist fungi were strongly favoured in all pasture sites, regardless of time since conversion. Distance to primary forests was the strongest correlate of community composition in pastures, indicating that primary forests can act as reservoirs for recolonization by forest‐associated fungi. The two secondary forests showed variable patterns of richness, composition and the overall abundance of generalist fungi, suggesting that community recovery is stochastic.

Fungal community response to land use change mirrors patterns observed in macroscopic organisms, which indicates that the increased prevalence of generalist taxa is a consistent response to disturbance across broad taxonomic groups.

A lay summary is available for this article.
PAK1‐cofilin phosphorylation mediates human lung adenocarcinoma cells migration induced by apelin‐13
Authors: Lv Deguan , Li Lanfang , Lu Qixuan , Li Yao , Xie Feng , Li Hening , Cao Jiangang , Liu Meiqing , Wu Di , He Lu , Chen Linxi
Published: February 2016

Adipocytokines apelin peptide, the ligand of APJ (putative receptor related to the angiotensin receptor AT1), plays key roles in the pathogenesis and deterioration of cancer. In lung cancer, apelin elevating microvessel densities has been reported. Our previous research has characterized that apelin‐13 promoted lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation. However, the effect of apelin on metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study shows that apelin‐13 induced human adenocarcinoma cell migration via the APJ receptor. Apelin‐13 phosphorylated PAK1 and cofilin increase the migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells. Moreover, the results verify that over‐exprssion of apelin and APJ contributed to reducing the effect of doxorubicin and razoxane on inhibiting lung adenocarcinoma cells metastasis. Hypoxia activated APJ expression and apelin release in lung adenocarcinoma cells. The results demonstrate a PAK1‐cofilin phosphorylation mechanism to mediate lung adenocarcinoma cells migration promoted by apelin‐13. This discovery further suggests that APJ and its downstream signalling is a potential target for anti‐metastatic therapies in lung adenocarcinoma patients.