bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Kaufman oculocerebrofacial syndrome protein Ube3b regulates synapse number by ubiquitinating Ppp3cc
Authors: Ambrozkiewicz Mateusz C. , Ripamonti Silvia , Borisova Ekaterina , Schwark Manuela , Schaub Theres , Altas Bekir , Yilmaz Rüstem , Piepkorn Lars , Horan Stephen , Jahn Olaf , Dere Ekrem , Rosário Marta , Borck Guntram , Ehrenreich Hannelore , Willig Katrin , Rhee JeongSeop , Tarabykin Victor , Kawabe Hiroshi
Published: June 2019

Kaufman oculocerebrofacial syndrome (KOS) is a severe autosomal recessive disorder characterized by intellectual disability, developmental delays, microcephaly and characteristic dysmorphisms. Biallelic mutations ofUBE3B, encoding for a ubiquitin ligase E3B are causative for KOS. In this report, we characterize neuronal functions of its murine orthologUbe3b. We show that Ube3b regulates dendritic branching in a cell-autonomous manner. Moreover,Ube3bknockout (KO) neurons exhibit increased density and aberrant morphology of dendritic spines, altered synaptic physiology and changes in hippocampal circuit activity. Dorsal forebrain-specificUbe3bKO animals show impaired spatial learning and alterations in social interactions. We further demonstrate that Ube3b ubiquitinates the catalytic γ-subunit of calcineurin (Ppp3cc), the overexpression of which phenocopies the loss ofUbe3bwith regard to dendritic spine density. This work provides insights into the molecular pathologies underlying intellectual disability-like phenotypes in a genetic mouse model for KOS.
Bisphenol A promotes stress granule assembly and modulates the integrated stress response
Authors: Fay Marta M. , Columbo Daniella , Cotter Cecelia , Friend Chandler , Henry Shawna , Hoppe Megan , Karabelas Paulina , Lamy Corbyn , Lawell Miranda , Monteith Sarah , Noyes Christina , Salerno Paige , Wu Jingyi , Zhang Hedan Mindy , Anderson Paul J. , Kedersha Nancy , Ivanov Pavel , Farny Natalie G.
Published: June 2019

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a ubiquitous precursor of polycarbonate plastics that is found in the blood and serum of >92% of Americans. While BPA has been well documented to act as a weak estrogen receptor (ER) agonist, its effects on cellular stress are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that high-dose BPA causes stress granules (SGs) in human cells. A common estrogen derivative, β-estradiol, does not trigger SGs, indicating the mechanism of SG induction is not via the ER pathway. We also tested other structurally related environmental contaminants including the common BPA substitutes BPS and BPF, the industrial chemical 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) and structurally related compounds 4-EP and 4-VP, and the pesticide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The variable results from these related compounds suggest that structural homology is not a reliable predictor of the capacity of a compound to cause SGs. Also, we demonstrate that BPA acts primarily through the PERK pathway to generate canonical SGs. Finally, we show that chronic exposure to a low physiologically relevant dose of BPA disrupts SG assembly by inhibiting SGs upon additional acute stress. Our work identifies additional effects of BPA beyond endocrine disruption that may have consequences for human health.
Length-weight relationships for 17 fish species in the Luanhe River Estuary, Bohai Sea, northern China
Authors: Min Xu , Xiao-Jing Song , Yun-Ling Zhang
Published: June 2019

Length-weight regressions (LWR, W = a × Lb) of 17 coastal fish species from the Luanhe River Estuary in northern China are presented in this study. A total of 7354 samples from 11 families were measured and weighed. The slope (b) values for LWR ranged from 2.572 in Acanthogobius ommaturus to 3.6581 in Engraulis japonicus. The median value was 3.114 in Platycephalus indicus, although 50% of the values ranged between 2.9451 to 3.2965 for the entire data set.
Identification and characterization of novel filament-forming proteins in cyanobacteria
Authors: Springstein Benjamin L. , Woehle Christian , Weissenbach Julia , Helbig Andreas O. , Dagan Tal , Stucken Karina
Published: June 2019

Filament-forming proteins in bacteria function in stabilization and localization of proteinaceous complexes and replicons; hence they are instrumental for myriad cellular processes such as cell division and growth. Here we present two novel filament-forming proteins in cyanobacteria. Surveying cyanobacterial genomes for coiled-coil-rich proteins (CCRPs) that are predicted as putative filament-forming proteins, we observed a higher proportion of CCRPs in filamentous cyanobacteria in comparison to unicellular cyanobacteria. Using our predictions, we identified nine protein families with putative intermediate filament (IF) properties. Polymerization assays revealed four proteins that formed polymersin vitroand three proteins that formed polymersin vivo. Fm7001 fromFischerella muscicolaPCC 7414 polymerizedin vitroand formed filamentsin vivoin several organisms. Additionally, we identified a tetratricopeptide repeat protein - All4981 - inAnabaenasp. PCC 7120 that polymerized into filamentsin vitroandin vivo. All4981 interacts with known cytoskeletal proteins and is indispensable forAnabaenaviability. Although it did not form filamentsin vitro, Syc2039 fromSynechococcus elongatusPCC 7942 assembled into filamentsin vivoand a Δsyc2039mutant was characterized by an impaired cytokinesis. Our results expand the repertoire of known prokaryotic filament-forming CCRPs and demonstrate that cyanobacterial CCRPs are involved in cell morphology, motility, cytokinesis and colony integrity.
Internet of things architectures: do organizational strategies matters?
Authors: Vishwakarma Niraj Kumar , Singh Rohit Kumar , Sharma R.R.K.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The technology used by an organization is significantly influenced by the organization’s preferred competitive capabilities. The Internet of things (IoT) is an important technology, which is implemented by most prominent business organizations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between an organization’s strategies and the IoT architectures implemented by the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has been carried out on primary data collected with the help of a structured questionnaire. The data have been analyzed by statistical techniques like cluster analysis and discriminant analysis through SPSS.

Findings

The empirical investigation of data revealed that there is a relationship between organizational strategy and IoT architectures. The three-layered architecture of the IoT is most suitable for caretakers; the three-, four- or five- layered architectures are suitable for marketeers; whereas innovators find it more suitable to use five- or more-layered architecture of the IoT. This paper draws the conclusion based on maximum likelihood rather than using statistical analyses like ANOVA. The idea behind using the maximum likelihood estimate is that there are many subjective parameters in deciding the architectures of the IoT. These subjective parameters are difficult to quantify, so it is not possible to apply ANOVA on these parameters.

Research limitations/implications

This study considers three organizational strategies; the relationship between other organizational strategies and IoT architecture will be studied in future.

Practical implications

This study offers multiple opportunities to practitioners and consulting firms of the IoT to adopt a suitable IoT architecture according to the organizational strategy. This study equips IoT development engineers to select suitable technology for data capturing, data transmission, and data management and access for an IoT architecture.

Originality/value

Although a lot of work has already been done on the architecture of IoT for different industries and businesses, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that relates organizational strategies to IoT architectures. This study applies to all the major industry types.
Time to take corporate innovation initiatives
Authors: Yang Ruiju , Zhu Wei , Marinova Dora , Wei Jiuchang
Published: June 2019

Purpose

A bad safety accident at a manufacturing company usually results in casualties and economic losses. The company affected by such an accident must deal with pressure from multiple stakeholder groups. Employees, in particular, play a key role in pushing the affected company to develop strategies to improve occupational safety and health. The purpose of this paper is to seek answers to two questions: does a safety accident affect employee behavior in terms of giving up prospects to develop a career at the affected company? If yes, could innovation initiatives adopted by the company help moderate the negative consequences from a safety accident?

Design/methodology/approach

By investigating 120 safety accidents reported by publicly listed Chinese manufacturing companies between 2009 and 2016, the authors conduct an empirical study using regression-based statistical hypotheses testing to describe the companies’ responses and prospects for their employees.

Findings

The results show that the magnitude of the accident and the accident being caused by an employee error positively affect the turnover of employees. Furthermore, technical innovation initiatives, such as spending on R&D, by the accident-affected companies increase the positive effect of the accident magnitude on employee turnover. On the contrary, management innovation initiatives, such as corporate social responsibility activities, weaken the impact of the accident magnitude and employee error on employee turnover.

Originality/value

This study contributes to knowledge development by adding a crisis perspective in human resource management research. It helps to better understand the impact of safety accidents on employee behavior and the response taken by companies through innovation initiatives.
The importance and the adaptation of internal resources as a competitive advantage for the internationalization of food companies
Authors: Pigatto Gessuir , Santini Pigatto Giuliana Aparecida , Satolo Eduardo Guilherme , Negreti Amanda dos Santos
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how Brazilian food companies in the State of São Paulo determine the importance of and the need to adapt their internal resources as a competitive advantage for internationalization.

Design/methodology/approach

From a resource-based view (RBV), 35 different factors grouped into four categories were identified and presented to 24 companies. The data were analyzed through a gray relational analysis to establish all factors’ order of importance.

Findings

Factors linked to human and organizational resources present greater adaptability and allow companies competitive and sustainable advantages but have not yet been explored thoroughly. Identifying and adapting internal resources do not guarantee achieving competitive and sustainable advantages, as the access to international market is also a consequence of commercial agreements developed by countries and economic blocks.

Practical implications

The analysis highlights the fragility of competitiveness among the companies analyzed in exporting products with commodity characteristics, with none or little differentiation. Such products are traded mainly through trading companies, which allow the access of the same market to internal competitors and other countries. Thus, any lapse promoted by the company may be enough for it to lose its competitiveness and, hence, market space.

Originality/value

This paper stands out in the field of strategic management, specifically in the research on RBV, exportation and competitiveness, by making use of the theory of gray correlation system in an innovative and original way.
Calculation of flow in incompressible regenerative turbo-machines with bucket form blades based on the geometry of flow path
Authors: Nejadali Jafar
Published: June 2019

Purpose

Regenerative flow pumps are dynamic machines with the ability to develop high heads at low flow rates. Simplicity, compactness, stable features and low manufacturing costs make them interesting for many applications in industries. The purpose of this study is to present a new method for calculating the flow through regenerative pumps with bucket form blades to predict the performance curves by a cheap and easy-to-use way.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis was carried out based on the geometric shape of a fluid particle trajectory in a regenerative turbomachine. The fluid particle path was assumed to be a helix wrapped into a torus. Loss models were considered and the results of predictions were compared with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data.

Findings

The overall trend of performance curves resulted from presented model looked consistent with CFD data. However, there were slight differences in high and low flow coefficients. The results showed that the predicted geometric shape of the flow path with the presented model (a helix wrapped into a torus) was not consistent with CFD results at high flow coefficients. Due to the complexity and turbulence of the fluid flow and errors in the calculation of losses, as well as slip factor, there was a discrepancy between the results of the presented model and numerical simulation, especially in high and low flow coefficients.

Originality/value

The analysis was carried out based on the geometric shape of a fluid particle trajectory in a regenerative turbomachine with bucket form blades. The fluid particle path was assumed to be a helix wrapped into a torus.
Identity deception detection: requirements and a model
Authors: van der Walt Estee , Eloff Jan
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to describe requirements for a model that can assist in identity deception detection (IDD) on social media platforms (SMPs). The model that was discovered demonstrates the usefulness of the requirements. The aim of the model is to identify humans lying about their identity on SMPs.

Design/methodology/approach

The requirements of a model for IDD will be determined through a literature study combined with a study that identifies currently available identity related metadata on SMPs. This metadata refers to the attributes that describe a user account on an SMP. The aim is to restrict IDD to be only based on these types of attributes, as opposed to or combined with the contents of a single or multiple communications.

Findings

Data science experiments were conducted and in particular supervised machine learning models were discovered that indeed detects identity deception on SMPs with an area under the receiver operator characteristics curve (ROC-AUC) of 75.5 per cent.

Originality/value

SMPs allow any user to easily communicate with their friends or the general public at large. People can now be targeted at great scale, most often for malicious purposes. The reality is that many of these cyber-attacks involve some form of identity deception, where the attackers lie about who they are. Much focus to date has been on the identification of non-human deceptive accounts. This paper focuses on deceptive human accounts that target vulnerable individuals on SMPs.
Fabrication of 3D printed garments using flat patterns and motifs
Authors: Kang Minjoo , Kim Sungmin
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to encourage the generation of 3D printed garments by developing a new software to open new potential of whole garment production in the fashion field.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed a 3D printed garment design software using flat patterns and design motifs, to allow fast and easy generation of a 3D printed garment. Users can generate motif-based design easily using various user interfaces.

Findings

A 3D printed garment could be printed not only by expensive SLS type printers but also by affordable FDM type printers with a simple assembly process using the software developed in this study.

Originality/value

Newly developed 3D printed garment design software enables the users to generate 3D printed garments easily using flat patterns and design motifs, without having to go through a complex and arduous 3D modeling process using commercial CAD systems.
Examining relationships among process quality, outcome quality, delight, satisfaction and behavioural intentions in fitness centres in Malaysia
Authors: Foroughi Behzad , Iranmanesh Mohammad , Gholipour Hassan F. , Hyun Sunghyup Sean
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of process and outcome quality on fitness members’ delight and satisfaction. Furthermore, the relationships between delight, satisfaction and behavioural intention are investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from a survey of 379 members of fitness centres in Malaysia and analysed using the partial least squares technique.

Findings

The results indicated that process quality and outcome quality had a significant effect on customer delight and satisfaction. Furthermore, customer delight influenced customers’ satisfaction and behavioural intentions.

Practical implications

The findings of this study will help fitness centre managers to understand the importance of outcome quality and delight in addition to process quality and satisfaction in shaping the members’ behavioural intentions, thereby allowing them to differentiate their service from their customers.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to investigate the importance of outcome quality and customer delight in the fitness industry.
Conceptualizing professional and public interest in the context of Turkey’s health care reforms
Authors: Agartan Tuba I.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate physicians’ response to reforms in Turkey on the basis of their experience of the changes in the daily work environment. It aims to bridge the gap between health policy and sociology of professions literatures to explain why some public-sector physicians have opposed the recent reforms.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopts a qualitative methodology including semi-structured interviews and content analysis. The fieldwork involves collecting information through written documents and interviews with 23 physicians working in public tertiary hospitals in one large city.

Findings

Physicians’ response combines a concern with material interests, previously conceptualized in terms of erosion of autonomy, with anxiety over damage to their professional image and social status. The particular reform discourse adopted by policymakers disrupts the existing constructions of harmony in the professional discourse between the public and professional interests, and between social value and material interests.

Research limitations/implications

One major limitation of this paper is its exploratory nature and analysis based on one case study. Future studies that adopt a cross-country comparative approach could help addressing concerns of limited generalizability.

Originality/value

Earlier social science literature on health reforms has explained physicians’ opposition in terms of protecting their professional self-interest and fighting against any regulation that could limit their income or autonomy. The paper adopts a broader definition of interests that goes beyond this materialist conception and includes subjective ideas about interests such as values and beliefs about how they serve the public interest. This definition allows us to unpack the relationship between interest and autonomy.
Going global, fast or slow? Networking decisions for smaller firms
Authors: Zhao Chao , Kang Yuanfei , Kennedy Jeffrey C.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This study aims to provide insights into the development of firm strategies of international expansion by examining the direct relationship between internationalization speed and firm performance and by exploring the interactive role played by networking capability.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an empirical study based on survey data collected from 343 small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Australia and New Zealand. Regression modelling analysis was performed.

Findings

This study found an inverted U-shape relationship between the speed at which a firm expands internationally and its performance. Expanding too fast or too slow leads to lower performance, and this performance implication is because of an interactive effect of the firm's networking capability.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the literature by generating insights into how firm strategies of international expansion lead to improvement of firm performance, thereby giving guidance and providing suggestions to managers regarding how quickly to internationalize.

Practical implications

This study contributes to the literature by generating insights into how firm strategies of international expansion lead to improvement of firm performance and by providing suggestions to managers regarding decision-making in developing strategies for international expansion speed.

Originality/value

This is an original study based on empirical data collected from a management survey.
Extremes of acceptance: employee attitudes toward artificial intelligence
Authors: Lichtenthaler Ulrich
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present paradoxical employee attitudes towards interacting with artificial intelligence (AI).

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper, which builds on prior research, especially on the widely accepted notion of not-invented-here attitudes in technology adoption.

Findings

Many companies experience barriers in implementing AI owing to negative attitudes among their employees. This paper develops the concept of no-human-interaction attitudes, which describe employees’ preference to collaborate with real humans rather than having virtual colleagues. If they perceive a benefit from voluntarily using AI, however, many employees exhibit positive attitudes, leading to the concept of intelligent-automation attitudes. Jointly, these attitudes lead to the paradox that the same persons may have positive or negative attitudes to AI, depending on the particular situation. Firms need to address these attitudes because the interface of human and AI will be a key driver of competitive advantage in the future.

Originality/value

The new concepts of negative and positive employee attitudes contribute to our understanding of firms’ success and problems in implementing AI. Moreover, the paradox of negative and positive attitudes among the same employees helps to reconcile partly diverging findings in extant studies. A thorough understanding of the roots of these employee attitudes, along with several examples, further provides immediate starting points for actively influencing these attitudes in practice.
Macroeconomic fundamentals and exchange rates in South Asian economies
Authors: Draz Muhammad Umar , Ahmad Fayyaz , Gupta Bhumika , Amin Waqas
Published: June 2019

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of macroeconomic fundamentals on exchange rates of selected South Asian economies during 1981-2013.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have used two econometric approaches to the data. For the pooled sample, estimated generalized least square (EGLS) and the two-stage least square method are applied. For the panel data, the authors have used the panel generalized method of moments and ordinary least squares (OLS) methods.

Findings

The results suggest that macroeconomic factors have a significant impact on exchange rates. The robust findings highlight that improvements in domestic economic and political systems are crucial for a successful exchange rate policy.

Originality/value

The existing literature on exchange rate fundamentals have either focused on exchange rates and international trade or investigated the relationship for the developed economies. Covering a period of more than three decades, and using both pooled and panel estimations, our study is unique in terms of its focus on the South Asian economies.
Cyberbullying in a boundary blurred working life
Authors: Forssell Rebecka Cowen
Published: June 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore what characterizes cyberbullying when it is performed in digital space and in an increasingly boundary blurred working life context.

Design/methodology/approach

Cyberbullying is explored through the lens of Erving Goffman’s theories on everyday life interaction and social media scholars understanding of social life on the internet today. The empirical material for the study is grounded in eight in-depth interviews with individuals who have been subjected to cyberbullying behavior in their professional life. The interview data were analyzed by means of thematic analysis.

Findings

Three key themes were identified: spatial interconnectedness, colliding identities and the role of the audience. The empirical data indicate that in order to understand cyberbullying in working life, it is necessary to consider the specific context that emerges with social network sites and blogs. Moreover, this study shows how social network sites tend to blur boundaries between the private and the professional for the targeted individual.

Originality/value

Cyberbullying in working life is a relatively under-researched area. Most existing research on cyberbullying follows the tradition of face-to-face bullying by addressing the phenomenon with quantitative methods. Given the limited potential of this approach to uncover new and unique features, this study makes an important contribution by exploring cyberbullying with a qualitative approach that provides in-depth understanding of the new situations that emerge when bullying is performed online.
Relating national levels of crop damage to the abundance of large grazing birds: Implications for management
Authors: Montràs‐Janer Teresa , Knape Jonas , Nilsson Lovisa , Tombre Ingunn , Pärt Tomas , Månsson Johan
Published: June 2019

Populations of large grazing birds have increased in Europe during the past five decades, raising conflicts between conservation and farming interests. Managing these conflicts requires knowledge about the currently unknown relationship between population sizes and crop damage levels.

We analysed unique data on reported, inspected and compensated crop damage caused by geese, swans and cranes together with data from population surveys in Sweden to investigate how bird abundance is related to damage levels at the national scale between 2000 and 2015.

Over the study period, the annual number of damage reports, yield loss and costs for compensation increased. These crop damage levels were positively related to national population indices of common crane, barnacle and greylag goose. The shape of these relationships varied between species and encompassed considerable uncertainty. However, on a year‐to‐year basis (detrended data) we found no evident association between damage levels and bird numbers.

Yield loss and compensation costs per reported damage did not increase with higher population indices of greylag goose, but they did so for barnacle goose.

Synthesis and applications. We present a novel study of the relationships between different crop damage level indicators (damage reports, yield loss and compensation costs) and population numbers of large grazing birds. We identified a positive relationship with high uncertainty for all cases. We also identified the need to (a) better synchronize the monitoring of damages and bird numbers in time and space and (b) further study the relationships between damage levels and bird numbers at smaller (local and regional) and larger (flyway) spatial scales to reduce the uncertainty of the relationship and to gain a more holistic understanding of the system.
Prevention of postoperative adhesion reformation by intermittent intrauterine balloon therapy: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Shi X , Saravelos SH , Zhou Q , Huang X , Xia E , Li TC
Published: June 2019

Objective

To compare the efficacy of intermittent intrauterine balloon dilatation versus standard care in the prevention of adhesion reformation.

Design

Single‐blind randomised controlled trial.

Setting

Hysteroscopic Centre of a tertiary University Hospital.

Population

Two hundred patients with moderate to severe (European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy Grade ≥II) intrauterine adhesions who underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis.

Methods

All participants were randomised to a balloon group or a control group postoperatively. The balloon group received intrauterine balloon dilatation therapy at 2 weeks and 6 weeks after surgery, whereas the control group did not. All patients underwent follow‐up hysteroscopy at 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively.

Main outcome measures

The adhesion reformation rate and the Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart scores were analysed.

Results

A total of 191 patients successfully completed the study protocol (94 cases for the balloon group and 97 cases for the control group). According to hysteroscopic evaluation at the 8th week, the overall adhesion reformation rate was significantly lower in patients in the balloon group than patients in the control group (20.2% versus 40.2%, respectively; P < 0.05). There was also a significant increase in menstruation flow, as assessed by the Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart score (30 versus 9, respectively; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Postoperative intermittent intrauterine balloon dilatation therapy can significantly reduce postoperative adhesion reformation and significantly increase menstruation flow.

Tweetable abstract

RCT: Postoperative intermittent intrauterine balloon therapy can prevent adhesion reformation after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis.
Development and Validation of a Method Using Dried Oral Fluid Spot to Determine Drugs of Abuse
Authors: Jacques Ana Laura Bemvenuti , Santos Maíra Kerpel dos , Limberger Renata Pereira
Published: June 2019

A liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method using dried oral fluid spots was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, amphetamine, and 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine. The oral fluid was applied to a Whatman 903 grade paper and submitted to a drying time of 2.5 h. The extraction procedure was optimized by chemometric approach using simplex centroid design. Spots were extracted with a mixture of acetonitrile, buffer, and methanol. Calibration curves covered a linear concentration range of 40–500 ng/mL. Validation parameters of linearity, precision, accuracy, selectivity, carryover, matrix effects, and stability were evaluated and showed satisfactory results. Spot homogeneity was also satisfactory, with less than 15% of deviation from nominal concentration. Spot volume did not influence accuracy when less than 100 μL of the sample was applied to the spot. The validation of the proposed method suggests a potential application in different scenarios in toxicology.
Role and impact of brain computed tomography in the management of drug overdoses and guideline recommendations
Authors: Tay Emma MY , Preisz Paul , Day Richard O
Published: June 2019

Objective

Patients presenting with overdoses commonly receive computed tomography brain (CTB) scans in their assessment. There is no current guideline or validated decision support tool for neuroimaging in overdose patients. We investigated the proportion of overdose patients who received a CTB scan and its impact on management.

Methods

A single site retrospective study was conducted to analyse drugs and alcohol overdose‐related presentations over a 2 year period. Outcome measures were the proportion of patients who received a CTB scan and the proportion of those who had an associated change in management. A decision support tool to guide the indications for CTB in overdose patients was developed based on this.

Results

A total of 7521 drugs and alcohol‐related presentations were screened, where 4086 were overdoses. This involved 3200 patients. CTB scans were conducted in 519 (12.7%) of presentations. The majority of patients with CTB did not have head injury (n = 325, 62.5%). Of 519 CTB scans, 25 (4.8%) were abnormal of which 20 (3.9%) were associated with a change in management. A decision support tool was devised and tested and provided a relatively high yield where a CTB could be justified.

Conclusions

A high proportion of overdose patients received CTB scans. There was only a low yield in terms of management alteration. We propose that clinicians adopt a guided approach using a decision support tool to minimise unnecessary CTB scans.
Dual roles of juvenile hormone signaling during early oogenesis in Drosophila
Authors: Luo Wei , Veeran Sethuraman , Wang Jian , Li Sheng , Li Kang , Liu Su‐Ning
Published: June 2019

Juvenile hormone (JH) signaling plays crucial roles in insect metamorphosis and reproduction. Function of JH signaling in germline stem cells (GSCs) remains largely unknown. Here, we found that the number of GSCs significantly declined in the ovaries of Met, Gce and JHAMT mutants. Then we inhibited JH signaling in selected cell types of ovaries by expressing Met and Gce or Kr‐h1 double‐stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) using different Gal4 drivers. Blocking of JH signaling in muscle cells has no effect on GSC numbers. Blocking of JH signaling in cap cells reduced GSCs cells. Inductive expression of Met and Gce dsRNA but not Kr‐h1 by Nos‐Gal4 increased GSC cells. These results indicate that JH signaling plays an important role in GSC maintenance.
Phenolic Composition, Radical Scavenging Activity and an Approach for Authentication of Aronia melanocarpa Berries, Juice, and Pomace
Authors: Rodríguez‐Werner Miriam , Winterhalter Peter , Esatbeyoglu Tuba
Published: June 2019

Aronia melanocarpa is a rich source of phenolic compounds like anthocyanins, chlorogenic acids, quercetin derivatives, and proanthocyanidins possessing strong antioxidative potential. The consumption of A. melanocarpa is actually increasing because of the known bioactivity of its phenolic constituents. A. melanocarpa extracts are used as natural colorants and nutraceuticals. Several attempts of adulteration of aronia products have already been reported. In this study, we investigated changes in phenolic composition from berry to juice by HPLC‐PDA, and HPLC‐ESI‐MSn analyses as well as fingerprint profiles for authentication of commercially available aronia products in order to detect possible adulteration. Additionally, the radical scavenging activity of aronia products was determined by using the TEAC (Trolox® equivalent antioxidant capacity) assay. Aronia pomace, a valuable by‐product of juice production, showed the highest phenolic content and possessed the highest radical scavenging activity.
Development of New Multilayer Active Packaging Films with Controlled Release Property Based on Polypropylene/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)/Polypropylene Incorporated with Tea Polyphenols
Authors: Chen Chenwei , Li Chenxi , Yang Shaohua , Zhang Qinjun , Yang Fuxin , Tang Zhipeng , Xie Jing
Published: June 2019

The polypropylene/poly(vinyl alcohol)/polypropylene (PP/PVA/PP) multilayer active films with controlled release property were developed, of which the intermediate PVA layer was incorporated with 4% (w/w) tea polyphenols (TP) and the microporous PP films with different pore size were used as the internal controlled release layer. The SEM results showed that each layer of these films was agglutinated tightly. With increasing pore size from 171.05 to 684.03 µm, there were little effect on the films’ color and opacity, the tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (EAB) decreased slightly, the gas barrier (O2 and water vapor) property of the film reduced faintly, the time of achieving the release equilibrium in 50% ethanol decreased from 75 hours to 30 hours. The diffusion coefficient for the films increased with the increase of pore size, from 2.06 × 10−11 cm2/s to 8.06 × 10−11 cm2/s, suggesting that the release rate of TP increased as the pore size increased. The results were indicated that its release rate could be controlled by adjusting the size of pore. The films also exhibited different antioxidant activities due to their different release profiles of TP. It showed promise for developing the controlled release active packaging film based on this concept.

Practical Application

Controlled release packaging is propitious to extension of food shelf life. The microporous polypropylene films with different pore size used as the internal layer of polypropylene/poly(vinyl alcohol)/polypropylene (PP/PVA/PP) multilayer active films was proved that the release rate of tea polyphenols in the intermediate PVA layer released from the films into the food simulant can be controlled by adjusting the size of pore in this study. It showed a good prospect for using microporous or perforation‐mediated film as the internal layer of multilayer film to develop the controlled release active packaging film for food packaging.
Routine vs on‐demand blood sampling in critically ill patients—Protocol for a scoping review
Authors: Hjortsø Carl Johan S. , Brøchner Anne C. , Perner Anders , Møller Morten H.
Published: June 2019

Background

In intensive care units, blood sampling is done commonly as part of daily routine. It remains unknown whether this practice is associated with harms or benefits, as not all routine blood tests may be clinically indicated, and blood sampling done without specific indications may be problematic. Accordingly, we aim to assess the body of evidence regarding the usage of routine vs on‐demand blood sampling in critically ill patients in a scoping review.

Methods

We will conduct a scoping review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA) statement as well as the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‐ScR). Using a PICO‐based search strategy, we will systematically search the Cochrane Library, Embase and Medline for relevant studies regardless of design. Two authors will independently screen studies for inclusion and extract data. We will provide a descriptive analysis of the data and asses the quality of evidence in accordance with the Grading of Recommended Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

Discussion

The outlined scoping review will provide an important overview on the current body of evidence regarding the use of daily routine vs on‐demand blood sampling in critical care settings. The findings of this scoping review will guide further research.
Measuring gene–gene interaction using Kullback–Leibler divergence
Authors: Chen Guanjie , Yuan Ao , Cai Tao , Li Chuan‐Ming , Bentley Amy R. , Zhou Jie , N. Shriner Daniel , A. Adeyemo Adebowale , N. Rotimi Charles
Published: June 2019

Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) are used to investigate genetic variants contributing to complex traits. Despite discovering many loci, a large proportion of “missing” heritability remains unexplained. Gene–gene interactions may help explain some of this gap. Traditionally, gene–gene interactions have been evaluated using parametric statistical methods such as linear and logistic regression, with multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) used to address sparseness of data in high dimensions. We propose a method for the analysis of gene–gene interactions across independent single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in two genes. Typical methods for this problem use statistics based on an asymptotic chi‐squared mixture distribution, which is not easy to use. Here, we propose a Kullback–Leibler‐type statistic, which follows an asymptotic, positive, normal distribution under the null hypothesis of no relationship between SNPs in the two genes, and normally distributed under the alternative hypothesis. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by simulation studies, which show promising results. The method is also used to analyze real data and identifies gene–gene interactions among RAB3A, MADD, and PTPRN on type 2 diabetes (T2D) status.
Descriptive and Substantive Representation in Congress: Evidence from 80,000 Congressional Inquiries
Authors: Lowande Kenneth , Ritchie Melinda , Lauterbach Erinn
Published: June 2019

A vast literature debates the efficacy of descriptive representation in legislatures. Though studies argue it influences how communities are represented through constituency service, they are limited since legislators' service activities are unobserved. Using Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, we collected 88,000 records of communication between members of the U.S. Congress and federal agencies during the 108th–113th Congresses. These legislative interventions allow us to examine members' “follow‐through” with policy implementation. We find that women, racial/ethnic minorities, and veterans are more likely to work on behalf of constituents with whom they share identities. Including veterans offers leverage in understanding the role of political cleavages and shared experiences. Our findings suggest that shared experiences operate as a critical mechanism for representation, that a lack of political consensus is not necessary for substantive representation, and that the causal relationships identified by experimental work have observable implications in the daily work of Congress.
In search of new paradigms for epididymal health and disease: innate immunity, inflammatory mediators, and steroid hormones
Authors: Avellar M. C. W. , Ribeiro C. M. , Dias-da-Silva M. R. , Silva E. J. R.
Published: June 2019

The primary job of the epididymis is to mature and protect the luminally transiting spermatozoa. Mounting evidence is showing that innate immune components [including Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) and antimicrobial proteins, among which are β‐defensins] and inflammatory mediators, under the primary influence of androgens, participate in the cellular and molecular processes that define this tissue. Here, we present an overview of the contributions of these signaling pathway components during epididymal homeostasis and discuss the hypotheses as to their involvement in epididymitis, the most common urological inflammatory condition in men, frequently impairing their fertility. Drawing primarily from rodent models, we also focus on how the distribution and functional expression of innate immune components are differentially regulated in the prenatal developing epididymis, providing new insights into the disruption of these signaling pathways throughout the lifespan. Male infertility is caused by a variety of conditions, such as congenital malformations, genetic and endocrine disorders, exposure to environmental toxicants, and inflammatory/infectious conditions. More than one‐third of infertile men with an idiopathic condition cannot currently be adequately diagnosed. Thinking about the innate immunity and inflammation context of the epididymis may provide new insights and directions as to how these systems contribute to male fertility, as well as also uncover urological and andrological outcomes that may aid clinicians in diagnosing and preventing epididymal pathologies.
Physicians working in oncology identified challenges and factors that facilitated communication with families when children could not be cured
Authors: Udo Camilla , Kreicbergs Ulrika , Axelsson Bertil , Björk Olle , Lövgren Malin
Published: June 2019

Aim

We explored physicians’ experiences of communicating with families when their child had cancer and a cure was no longer an option, by focusing on barriers and facilitating factors.

Methods

Physicians from the six cancer centres in Sweden took part in focus group discussions between December 2017 and May 2018, and the data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Focus groups enabled us to gather individual and shared perspectives.

Results

The 35 physicians (20 male) had a mean age of 47 (range 31‐74) and a mean of 11 years’ experience in oncology, ranging from under one year to 43 years. They reported communication challenges when a cure was not possible, namely: emotional and mental drain, lack of mutual understanding and uncertainty about communication skills. They also reported facilitating factors: flexibility in complex conversations, the child’s position in the conversations, continuity and trusting relationships, support from colleagues and having discussed the potentially life‐threatening nature of cancer from the very start of treatment.

Conclusion

Training to overcome communication issues could support the early integration of palliative care.
Prospective randomized trial comparing two doses of rabbit anti‐thymocyte globulin in patients with severe aplastic anaemia
Authors: Narita Atsushi , Zhu Xiaofan , Muramatsu Hideki , Chen Xiaojuan , Guo Ye , Yang Wenyu , Zhang Jingliao , Liu Fang , Jang Jun H. , Kook Hoon , Kim Hawk , Usuki Kensuke , Yamazaki Hirohito , Takahashi Yoshiyuki , Nakao Shinji , Wook Lee Jong , Kojima Seiji ,   the Aplastic Anaemia Working Party of the Asia‐Pacific Blood, Marrow Transplantation Group
Published: June 2019

The treatment of choice for patients with severe aplastic anaemia (SAA) includes immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with anti‐thymocyte globulin (ATG) and ciclosporin A. However, the optimal dose for rabbit ATG has yet to be established. We herein report the first prospective, randomized, multicentre study comparing two doses of rabbit ATG in patients with SAA. Patients with SAA who required initial IST in Japan (n = 89), China (n = 85) and Korea (n = 48) were enrolled between May 2012 and October 2017. A 1:1 block randomization was employed for two doses of rabbit ATG. In total, 222 patients were randomized, with 112 patients receiving 2·5 mg/kg and 110 receiving 3·5 mg/kg of rabbit ATG for 5 days. The primary endpoint was the haematological response at day 180. After 6 months, no significant difference in response rates was observed between the 2·5 and 3·5 mg/kg groups (49% vs. 48%, P = 0·894). Overall survival at 3 years was similar between the two groups [85% (95% confidence interval [CI], 76%−91%) vs. 91% (95% CI, 82%−96%); P = 0·107]. The current study revealed no significant differences in the efficacy and safety between the 2·5 and 3·5 mg/kg doses of rabbit ATG in patients with SAA.

Trial registration: UMIN000011134.