bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How preference markets assist new product idea screening
Authors: Lauto Giancarlo , Valentin Finn
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the different heuristics adopted by a crowd and a management committee to evaluate new product proposals, and whether, in assessing the value of proposals, they emphasize different features.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study takes a quantitative analysis approach to study an internal innovation contest held by the biotechnology company Novozymes. The contest generated 201 proposals that were evaluated by 109 research and development professionals by means of a virtual preference market, and by a management committee.

Findings

– The crowd and the committees’ assessments of the value of the proposals were based on different features. The committee emphasized experience and inventors’ seniority; the crowd set more store on informative idea descriptions but penalized overly complex and lengthy proposals.

Research limitations/implications

– The design of the innovation contest does not allow full comparison of the preference functions of crowd and committee. The findings from this case study cannot be generalized. The early stage of new product development seems fruitful for investigating crowdsourcing and knowledge management.

Practical implications

– Firms should consider adopting preference markets for idea screening and evaluation since they appraise ideas from different angles compared to managers. However, they complement, rather than substitute managerial evaluation, especially in the case of more detailed proposals.

Originality/value

– This is one of the first attempts to identify differences in the decision-making processes of crowds and committees. The paper identifies their strengths as evaluators of new product ideas and finds that the “wisdom of crowds” has some limitations in relation to the ability to process complex information.
Mastery versus profit as motivation for the entrepreneur
Authors: Manish G.P. , Sutter Daniel
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to argue that entrepreneurs are motivated not only by the desire to maximize profits but also by the desire for mastery. It then attempts to analyze the implications of mastery seeking for the economics and politics of government privileges and favors for businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using the existing psychological literature on mastery as motivation the paper first attempts to conceptualize how the desire for mastery manifests itself in the context of entrepreneurship. Next, it attempts to clarify the implications of this for the existing literature on the effects of government policies promoting cronyism.

Findings

– The paper argues that in business mastery involves producing a good product or service, and validation of the performance occurs via the choices of sovereign consumers. Mastery is thus achieved through participation in a process of competition that is free from government favors. Given that crony polices can disrupt the consumer choice process and consequently the validation of performance, they can therefore affect the types of individuals who become entrepreneurs, with a high level of government intervention pushing success seekers to pursue mastery in other life endeavors, with adverse implications for innovation and growth in the economy.

Originality/value

– The exploration of implications of a plausible but underexplored motive for entrepreneurs and the interaction between this motive and the effects of various policies fostering cronyism or rent seeking are potential contributions of the paper.
Innovative real estate development finance – evidence from Europe
Authors: Squires Graham , Hutchison Norman , Adair Alastair , Berry Jim , McGreal Stanley , Organ Samantha
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– This research aims to provide an insight into large-scale real estate projects in Europe and how they are using a more innovative blend of finance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology involved a mix of desk-based study, interviews and case studies. Interviews were held with financiers, policymakers, developers, investors, fund managers and academics. The specific case projects were Battersea Power Station Development in London; Leipziger Platz site in Berlin; and the Lammenschans site in the city of Leiden, The Netherlands.

Findings

– The research found that there is growth in the blend of financial products used in real estate development within large-scale mixed-use projects. This new blend is set with greater equity financing, often from domestic and foreign consortiums generating institutional funds – alongside private debt financing – that utilise a mix of large-scale multi-bank finance.

Practical implications

– The scale of the challenge in financing real estate development allied with capital budget constraints has meant that the appetite for innovative finance mechanisms has gained considerable momentum in practice and policy. This research investigates current examples in development finance and provides a discussion of the opinion of key multi-stakeholder participants in the individual cases, and trends more strategically at a broader level.

Originality/value

– This detailed study of three major development sites and at a more broader strategic level is significant, in that it provides a better understanding of the differing blends of finance that are being used.
How job crafting relates to task performance
Authors: Weseler Daniela , Niessen Cornelia
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relation between extending and reducing job crafting behavior, cognitive crafting and task performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– Hierarchical regression analyses of data from 131 employee-supervisor pairs were conducted to analyze the differential relations of five job crafting dimensions to self- and supervisor-rated task performance.

Findings

– The present study shows that reduction behavior is rated as counterproductive, and extension behavior is rated as productive in terms of task performance by employees themselves. Supervisors rated task performance higher when employees extended their tasks, and lower when they reduced relationships.

Research limitations/implications

– Future research should test the hypotheses in a longitudinal setting and should focus processes that moderate the differential job crafting-task performance relationships.

Originality/value

– By distinguishing extending and reducing task and relational boundaries and cognitive crafting, the authors give first evidence to possible negative sides of job crafting.
Trying to understand social media users and usage
Authors: Weller Katrin
Published: March 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper from the series “Monitoring the Media: Spotlight on Social Media Research” is to look into different approaches to study uses of social media platforms – from user statistics to motivations for using specific features within a platform.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on a literature review some general findings on social media usage are summarized alongside with examples of user activities that are rarely studied.

Findings

– The paper concludes that social media research has neglected to question the use of more recent features in social media platforms, such as Twitter favorites or Facebook hashtags, as well as the more “destructive” activities in social networking such as unfollowing.

Originality/value

– The paper draws attention to some features of popular social media platforms which are currently understudied. It raises awareness for these specific gaps in social media research and could inspire future studies to close the gap.
miR‐410 suppresses the expression of interleukin‐6 as well as renal fibrosis in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis
Authors: Liu Dongmei , Zhang Na , Zhang Jing , Zhao Haiyan , Wang Xiaofei
Published: March 2016

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a highly complex autoimmune disease caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in the pathogenesis of SLE. Previously, a total of 29 miRNAs were identified to be down‐regulated in SLE patients, in which miR‐410 was likely to be involved in the signalling transduction pathways in regulating the pathogenesis of SLE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of miR‐410 in LN and to find out whether miR‐410 regulates the expression of interleukin (IL)‐6 and fibrosis in LN. It was found that the expression level of miR‐410 in kidney tissue of MRL/lpr mice was decreased compared to that in BALB/C mice, whereas the level of IL‐6 was overexpressed in MRL/lpr mice. Luciferase assay showed that miR‐410 binds directly to the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of IL‐6, with the results showing that overexpression of miR‐410 significantly decreased the expression level of IL‐6 in SV40MES13 cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR‐410 significantly reduced the expression levels of fibrosis factors such as transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) and collagen I/III in SV40MES13 cells; Inhibition of the expression of miR‐410 with miR‐410 inhibitor resulted in increased levels of IL‐6 as well as fibrosis factors. The results identify that miR‐410, as a novel and critical factor in the pathogenesis of LN, decreases IL‐6 expression by binding directly to the 3′UTR and suppresses fibrosis through down‐regulation of TGF‐β1 in SV40MES13 cells. Our study brings new insight into understanding the complex mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of lupus disease.
Dissatisfaction with Working Time and Workers' Training Opportunities. Evidence from Matched Employer–Employee Data
Authors: Magnani Elisabetta
Published: March 2016

Training opportunities are unevenly distributed across workers. I use two highly‐comparable matched employer–employee surveys collected in the most intense phase of economic restructuring in Australia and Canada to test the hypothesis that a worker's desire to work less hours may reduce his/her training opportunities. I find robust evidence of a negative correlation between the desire to work less intensively and training opportunities. Institutional differences in the retirement funding system, and the differential appeal of outside options in Australia and Canada may contribute to explain these results.
The Lambert W function in ecological and evolutionary models
Authors: Lehtonen Jussi
Published: March 2016

The Lambert W function is a mathematical function with a long history, but which was named and rigorously defined relatively recently. It is closely related to the logarithmic function and arises from many models in the natural sciences, including a surprising number of problems in ecology and evolution.

I describe the basic properties of the function and present examples of its application to models of ecological and evolutionary processes.

The Lambert W function makes it possible to solve explicitly several models where this is not possible with elementary functions. I present examples of such models from existing literature, as well as novel models.

Solving models explicitly with the Lambert W function can provide deeper insight and a new point of view on a biological problem. Explicit solutions with the Lambert W function are easily amenable to further mathematical operations, such as differentiation and integration. These advantages apply to a wide range of models, from the marginal value theorem to population growth rates and disease epidemics.
The terms ‘autacoid’, ‘hormone’ and ‘chalone’ and how they have shifted with time
Authors: Keppel Hesselink J. M.
Published: March 2016

The increase of knowledge in a particular field (endocrinology) can be understood if one follows how certain key concepts were constructed and transformed over time. To explore such construction and transformation (shifts in meaning), we studied the use of the concepts ‘autacoid’ and ‘chalone’ in a period of one century (1916–2016), since the introduction of these concepts by the British professor of physiology Sir Sharpey‐Schäfer.

We could identify that the use of ‘autacoid’ shifted from a very broad category encompassing both stimulating and inhibiting hormones, in the period 1916–1960, to a much more specific use of the term for locally produced bioactive molecules, from the 1960s onwards.

Histamine was the first compound seen as an ‘autacoid’, followed by prostaglandins, ATP, ADP and bradykinin, and from 1993 onwards, compounds such as ‘palmitoylethanolamide’ were also classified as ‘autacoids’. For ‘chalone’, a comparable shift was noticed around the 1960s, when the concept suddenly changed from the category of inhibiting hormones into a substance that is produced within a tissue, inhibiting mitosis of the cells of that tissue. For both concept shifts, we could not find any argument.

Around 1980, authors started to relate autacoids to various promising indications in the field of inflammation and immune modulation. The Nobel laureate Rita Levi‐Montalcini gave an extra dimension to the concept autacoid in 1993, and introduced a new class of compounds modulating mast cells, the ALIAmides (from Autacoid Local Inflammation Antagonist), of which palmitoylethanolamide was the prototype. Our exploration demonstrates that biomedical concepts can be constructed and defined differently as time goes by, while concept transformations seem to emerge without arguments.
Are the bipolar disorders best modelled categorically or dimensionally?
Authors: Parker G. B. , Graham R. K. , Hadzi‐Pavlovic D.
Published: March 2016

Objective

Considerable debate exists as to whether the bipolar disorders are best classified according to a categorical or dimensional model. This study explored whether there is evidence for a single or multiple subpopulations and the degree to which differing diagnostic criteria correspond to bipolar subpopulations.

Method

A mixture analysis was performed on 1081 clinically diagnosed (and a reduced sample of 497 DSM‐IV diagnosed) bipolar I and II disorder patients, using scores on hypomanic severity (as measured by the Mood Swings Questionnaire). Mixture analyses were conducted using two differing diagnostic criteria and two DSM markers to ascertain the most differentiating and their associated clinical features.

Results

The two subpopulation solution was most supported although the entropy statistic indicated limited separation and there was no distinctive point of rarity. Quantification by the odds ratio statistic indicated that the clinical diagnosis (respecting DSM‐IV criteria, but ignoring ‘high’ duration) was somewhat superior to DSM‐IV diagnosis in allocating patients to the putative mixture analysis groups. The most differentiating correlate was the presence or absence of psychotic features.

Conclusion

Findings favour the categorical distinction of bipolar I and II disorders and argue for the centrality of the presence or absence of psychotic features to subgroup differentiation.
Autotransplantation: a viable treatment option for adolescent patients with significantly compromised teeth
Authors: Ong D , Itskovich Y , Dance G
Published: March 2016

Autotransplantation is the technique of transplanting embedded, impacted or erupted teeth from one site into another in the same individual. Despite current scientific evidence indicating that autotransplantation has favourable long‐term survival rates, autotransplantation is still not generally regarded as mainstream practice outside of Scandinavian countries. Successful autotransplantation can offer many advantages in a growing patient, including a normally functioning periodontium, proprioception and preservation of alveolar bone volume. In the event that the autotransplantation eventually fails, the bone and soft tissue conditions would still be likely to be favourable for subsequent implant treatment. This review article will identify and discuss the factors that influence case selection, the ideal timing for autotransplantation and the critical determinants for achieving a successful outcome. The limitations of the technique and alternative treatment options will also be discussed. It is hoped that through greater awareness and recognition by the dental profession, autotransplantation will become another viable treatment option in the management of compromised teeth in patients with significant remaining growth potential.
Rising wages, mechanization, and the substitution between capital and labor: evidence from small scale farm system in China
Authors: Wang Xiaobing , Yamauchi Futoshi , Huang Jikun
Published: March 2016

This article aims to investigate major factors that led to the observed pace of mechanization and the substitution between labor and machines in rural China. We used commodity‐wise province‐level panel data for more than a quarter of a century from 1984 to 2012. The analysis demonstrated a dramatic increase in real agricultural wages in recent years, especially after 2003, in contrast to a relatively stable real machine price. The relative price of machines against agricultural labor has declined in an accelerating way, which contributed to the observed rapid introduction of machines. The elasticity of substitution between labor and machines was large in some commodities, which contributed to a fast substitution of labor by machines.
The efficiency of composite weather index insurance in hedging rice yield risk: evidence from China
Authors:  Shi Hong ,  Jiang Zhihui
Published: March 2016

As an economic and market‐transparent program, weather index insurance is expected to mitigate asymmetric problem. Capturing the relationship between yield and weather factor(s) is the basis of index insurance, but remains a challenge for weather index schemes. Meanwhile, composite weather index insurance is needed by farmers when their agricultural activities involve several risks, but is rarely studied. We aim to design a composite weather index insurance model and evaluate its efficiency in hedging yield risk by using the case of rice production in China. We divide the whole growth cycle of rice into six stages on the basis of agronomic knowledge, and use the average value of each weather factor in each stage to design a weather index. Then, the efficiency of composite weather index insurance is evaluated by mean‐semivariance and value‐at‐risk methods. First, we find that subdivision of the growth cycle helps to better capture the subtle relationship between rice yield and weather factors. Second, composite weather index insurance evidently reduces yield risk. Our findings help further adoption of weather index insurance in agricultural fields.
Utility of the quadrilobe flap for repairing defects of the nasal tip
Authors: Ong Suyin , Mortimer Neil J , Salmon Paul JM
Published: March 2016

The quadrilobe flap allows the mobilisation of the skin of the upper nose and nasofacial sulcus to the distal nose while avoiding unfavourable tension vectors that would distort the free margin of the ala. We report our experience over the past 3 years in the first case series of quadrilobe flaps for repair of surgical defects on the nose.
Evaluation of enzymatic and non‐enzymatic antioxidants in seminal plasma of men with genitourinary infections, varicocele and idiopathic infertility
Authors: Micheli L. , Cerretani D. , Collodel G. , Menchiari A. , Moltoni L. , Fiaschi A. I. , Moretti E.
Published: March 2016

This study was aimed to assess the antioxidant enzymatic and non‐enzymatic compounds in semen of infertile men. Seventy‐four infertile patients were grouped according to their clinical diagnosis: genitourinary infection, varicocele, idiopathic infertility. Semen samples of fertile men represent the control. Semen characteristics were evaluated by light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM data was quantified with a mathematical formula, which provides numerical scores. Spectrophotometric and HPLC methods were used to measure the amount of reduced (GSH), oxidised glutathione (GSSG), ascorbic acid (AA) and malondialdehyde (MDA, marker of lipid peroxidation) and the activity of glutathione reductase, catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase. Infertile groups showed significantly decreased values of sperm parameters vs. controls. In infection and varicocele groups, the seminal MDA levels were significantly increased when compared to controls (p < 0.001), indicating an alteration of oxidative status and a peroxidative damage. In infection and varicocele groups, AA levels were reduced (p < 0.05) vs. control; in the varicocele group, the GSH levels were also decreased (p < 0.05). Significantly higher CAT activity was observed in infection and varicocele groups vs. fertile men (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 respectively). The GSH/GSSG ratio was significantly decreased in varicocele and idiopathic infertility groups vs. control (p < 0.01). The study of the alteration of a single parameter of oxidative stress or of the antioxidant system may not have a relevant clinical value to estimate male fertilising potential and the background of infertility causes, since complex and multifactorial mechanisms are involved in different pathologies. In our study, each pathology is characterised by a definite pattern of markers such as MDA and enzymatic and non‐enzymatic antioxidant compounds. In the different pathologies related to infertility, the identification of the complex of involved parameters could be useful in the diagnosis, prognosis and in the choice of a possible treatment such as specific antioxidant supplements.
Semi‐arid vegetation response to antecedent climate and water balance windows
Authors: Thoma David P. , Munson Seth M. , Irvine Kathryn M. , Witwicki Dana L. , Bunting Erin L.
Published: March 2016

Questions

Can we improve understanding of vegetation response to water availability on monthly time scales in semi‐arid environments using remote sensing methods? What climatic or water balance variables and antecedent windows of time associated with these variables best relate to the condition of vegetation? Can we develop credible near‐term forecasts from climate data that can be used to prepare for future climate change effects on vegetation?

Location

Semi‐arid grasslands in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA.

Methods

We built vegetation response models by relating the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from MODIS imagery in Mar–Nov 2000–2013 to antecedent climate and water balance variables preceding the monthly NDVI observations. We compared how climate and water balance variables explained vegetation greenness and then used a multi‐model ensemble of climate and water balance models to forecast monthly NDVI for three holdout years.

Results

Water balance variables explained vegetation greenness to a greater degree than climate variables for most growing season months. Seasonally important variables included measures of antecedent water input and storage in spring, switching to indicators of drought, input or use in summer, followed by antecedent moisture availability in autumn. In spite of similar climates, there was evidence the grazed grassland showed a response to drying conditions 1 mo sooner than the ungrazed grassland. Lead times were generally short early in the growing season and antecedent window durations increased from 3 mo early in the growing season to 1 yr or more as the growing season progressed. Forecast accuracy for three holdout years using a multi‐model ensemble of climate and water balance variables outperformed forecasts made with a naïve NDVI climatology.

Conclusions

We determined the influence of climate and water balance on vegetation at a fine temporal scale, which presents an opportunity to forecast vegetation response with short lead times. This understanding was obtained through high‐frequency vegetation monitoring using remote sensing, which reduces the costs and time necessary for field measurements and can lead to more rapid detection of vegetation changes that could help managers take appropriate actions.
Exploring genetic and non‐genetic risk factors for delayed graft function, acute and subclinical rejection in renal transplant recipients
Authors: Moes Dirk Jan A. R. , Press Rogier R. , Ackaert Oliver , Ploeger Bart A. , Bemelman Frederike J. , Diack Cheikh , Wessels Judith A. M. , van der Straaten Tahar , Danhof Meindert , Sanders Jan‐Stephan F. , Homan van der Heide Jaap J. , Guchelaar Henk Jan , de Fijter Johan W.
Published: March 2016

Aims

This study aimed at identifying pharmacological factors such as pharmacogenetics and drug exposure as new predictive biomarkers for delayed graft function (DGF), acute rejection (AR) and/or subclinical rejection (SCR).

Methods

Adult renal transplant recipients (n = 361) on cyclosporine‐based immunosuppression were followed for the first 6 months after transplantation. The incidence of DGF and AR were documented as well as the prevalence of SCR at 6 months in surveillance biopsies. Demographic, transplant‐related factors, pharmacological and pharmacogenetic factors (ABCB1, CYP3A5, CYP3A4, CYP2C8, NR1I2, PPP3CA and PPP3CB) were analysed in a combined approach in relation to the occurrence of DGF, AR and prevalence of SCR at month 6 using a proportional odds model and time to event model.

Results

Fourteen per cent of the patients experienced at least one clinical rejection episode and only DGF showed a significant effect on the time to AR. The incidence of DGF correlated with a deceased donor kidney transplant (27% vs. 0.6% of living donors). Pharmacogenetic factors were not associated with risk for DGF, AR or SCR. A deceased donor kidney and acute rejection history were the most important determinants for SCR, resulting in a 52% risk of SCR at 6 months (vs. 11% average). In a sub‐analysis of the patients with AR, those treated with rejection treatment including ATG, significantly less frequent SCR was found in the 6‐month biopsy (13% vs. 50%).

Conclusions

Transplant‐related factors remain the most important determinants of DGF, AR and SCR. Furthermore, rejection treatment with depleting antibodies effectively prevented SCR in 6‐month surveillance biopsies.
Linking subaerial erosion with submarine geomorphology in the western Ionian Sea (south of the Messina Strait), Italy
Authors: Goswami Rajasmita , Mitchell Neil C. , Brocklehurst Simon H. , Argnani Andrea
Published: March 2016

Sediment supplied by continental sources is commonly suspected to have exerted a strong influence on the development of canyons and other morphological features on the continental slopes, but rarely is the sediment supply known sufficiently quantitatively to test this link. Here, we outline an area where offshore morphology, in the western Ionian Sea, may be linked to estimated sediment fluxes produced by subaerial erosion in NE Sicily and SW Calabria. Shelves in this area are narrow (<1 km), and the bathymetry shows that rivers and adjacent submarine channels are almost directly connected with each other. Integrated topographic analyses were performed on a merged digital elevation model (DEM) of ASTER data for subaerial topography and multibeam sonar data for submarine bathymetry. Spatial variations in sediment fluxes from onshore erosion were assessed using a variety of methods, namely: long‐term sediment flux from Pleistocene uplift rates, decadal sediment flux from landslide occurrences and published long‐term exhumation rates from 10Be cosmogenic nuclide concentrations. Submarine channels associated with rivers delivering larger sediment fluxes have broad channels, high relief and smooth concave‐upward longitudinal profiles. Conversely, submarine channels that lie offshore small‐flux rivers have straight longitudinal profiles, low relief and steep gradients. Where river catchments supply a greater sediment flux offshore, shelves tend to be wider (ca. 400 m) and submarine channels have gentler gradients. In contrast, where catchments supply less sediment flux, shelves are narrow (250–300 m) and offshore channel gradients are steeper. The variation of submarine morphology with tectonic uplift rate was also studied, but we find that, unlike onshore terrains where tectonics is commonly an important factor influencing channel morphology, in the submarine landscapes, sediment flux appears to dominate here.
Phylogenetic diversity of macromycetes and woody plants along an elevational gradient in Eastern Mexico
Authors: Gómez‐Hernández Marko , Williams‐Linera Guadalupe , Lodge Deborah J. , Guevara Roger , Ruiz‐Sanchez Eduardo , Gándara Etelvina
Published: March 2016

Phylogenetic information provides insight into the ecological and evolutionary processes that organize species assemblages. We compared patterns of phylogenetic diversity among macromycete and woody plant communities along a steep elevational gradient in eastern Mexico to better understand the evolutionary processes that structure their communities. Macrofungi and trees were counted and identified in eight sites from 100 to 3500 m asl, and sequence data retrieved from GenBank for the same or closely related species were used to reconstruct their phylogenies. Patterns of species richness and phylogenetic diversity were similar for both macrofungi and trees, but macromycete richness and diversity peaked at mid‐elevations, whereas woody plant richness and diversity did not show significant trends with elevation. Phylogenetic similarity among sites was low for both groups and decreased as elevational distance between sites increased. Macromycete communities displayed phylogenetic overdispersion at low elevations and phylogenetic clustering at high elevations; the latter is consistent with environmental filtering at high elevation sites. Woody plants generally exhibited phylogenetic clustering, consistent with the potential importance of environmental filtering throughout the elevational gradient.
Factors affecting water market acceptance: A case study of stakeholders in southern Alberta, Canada
Authors: Rahimova Nargiz , Hesseln Hayley , Silven Pekka
Published: March 2016

Key Messages

Understanding water resource status is essential for choosing the system of administration.

Better understanding of the origin and impact of nonpoint pollution sources is necessary prior to implementing a water quality trading program.

Stakeholders' acceptance of water quality trading might be related to greater concerns about water availability.
Gene aberrations for precision medicine against lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Saito Motonobu , Shiraishi Kouya , Kunitoh Hideo , Takenoshita Seiichi , Yokota Jun , Kohno Takashi
Published: March 2016

Lung adenocarcinoma (LADC), the most frequent histological type of lung cancer, is often triggered by an aberration in a driver oncogene in tumor cells. Examples of such aberrations are EGFR mutation and ALK fusion. Lung adenocarcinoma harboring such mutations can be treated with anticancer drugs that target the aberrant gene products. Additional oncogene aberrations, including RET, ROS1, and NRG1 fusions, skipping of exon 14 of MET, and mutations in BRAF, HER2, NF1, and MEK1, were recently added to the list of such “druggable” driver oncogene aberrations, and their responses to targeted therapies are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. However, approximately 30% and 50% of LADCs in patients in Japan and Europe/USA, respectively, lack the driver oncogene aberrations listed above. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies, such as those that exploit the vulnerabilities of cancer cells with non‐oncogene aberrations, are urgently required. This review summarizes the current status of research on precision medicine against LADC and enumerates the research priorities for the near future.
A geological perspective on the degradation and conservation of western Atlantic coral reefs
Authors: Kuffner Ilsa B. , Toth Lauren T.
Published: March 2016

Continuing coral‐reef degradation in the western Atlantic is resulting in loss of ecological and geologic functions of reefs. With the goal of assisting resource managers and stewards of reefs in setting and measuring progress toward realistic goals for coral‐reef conservation and restoration, we examined reef degradation in this region from a geological perspective. The importance of ecosystem services provided by coral reefs—as breakwaters that dissipate wave energy and protect shorelines and as providers of habitat for innumerable species—cannot be overstated. However, the few coral species responsible for reef building in the western Atlantic during the last approximately 1.5 million years are not thriving in the 21st century. These species are highly sensitive to abrupt temperature extremes, prone to disease infection, and have low sexual reproductive potential. Their vulnerability and the low functional redundancy of branching corals have led to the low resilience of western Atlantic reef ecosystems. The decrease in live coral cover over the last 50 years highlights the need for study of relict (senescent) reefs, which, from the perspective of coastline protection and habitat structure, may be just as important to conserve as the living coral veneer. Research is needed to characterize the geological processes of bioerosion, reef cementation, and sediment transport as they relate to modern‐day changes in reef elevation. For example, although parrotfish remove nuisance macroalgae, possibly promoting coral recruitment, they will not save Atlantic reefs from geological degradation. In fact, these fish are quickly nibbling away significant quantities of Holocene reef framework. The question of how different biota covering dead reefs affect framework resistance to biological and physical erosion needs to be addressed. Monitoring and managing reefs with respect to physical resilience, in addition to ecological resilience, could optimize the expenditure of resources in conserving Atlantic reefs and the services they provide.
Glycaemic control modifies the haptoglobin 2 allele‐conferred susceptibility to coronary artery disease in Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Costacou T. , Evans R. W. , Orchard T. J.
Published: March 2016

Aims

We aimed to assess whether the association of the haptoglobin 2 allele with coronary artery disease is modified by glycaemic control in a prospective cohort study of individuals with childhood‐onset Type 1 diabetes.

Methods

Coronary artery disease events (death from coronary artery disease, confirmed myocardial infarction, stenosis ≥50%, revascularization) were assessed between 1986 and 2013 among 480 individuals with Type 1 diabetes (baseline age 28 years; diabetes duration 19 years). Better glycaemic control was defined as an updated mean HbA1c during follow‐up of <8% (64 mmol/mol).

Results

In crude models, the incidence of coronary artery disease increased with the number of haptoglobin 2 alleles (hazard ratio 1.34, 95% CI 1.05–1.71). This association was more pronounced in those with better than in those with worse glycaemic control (P interaction = 0.05) and remained essentially unaltered after multivariable adjustments (hazard ratio 2.65, 95% CI 1.30–5.41 in those with better glycaemic control and hazard ratio 1.20, 95% CI 0.93–1.56 in those with worse glycaemic control).

Conclusions

These results suggest that, although better control may reduce the incidence of coronary artery disease in Type 1 diabetes, a residual risk related to the haptoglobin 2 allele remains.
Derivation of a prediction model for a diagnosis of depression in young adults: a matched case–control study using electronic primary care records
Authors: Nichols Linda , Ryan Ronan , Connor Charlotte , Birchwood Max , Marshall Tom
Published: March 2016

Background

Approximately 80 000 children and young people in the UK suffer from depression, but many are untreated because of poor identification of early warning signs and risk factors.

Aims

This study aimed to derive and to investigate discrimination characteristics of a prediction model for a first recorded diagnosis of depression in young people aged 15–24 years.

Method

This study used a matched case–control method using electronic primary care records. Stepwise conditional logistic regression modelling investigated 42 potential predictors including symptoms, co‐morbidities, social factors and drug and alcohol misuse.

Results

Of the socio‐economic and symptomatic predictors identified, the strongest associations were with depression symptoms and other psychological conditions. School problems and social services involvement were prominent predictors in men aged 15–18 years, work stress in women aged 19–24 years.

Conclusion

Our model is a first step in the development of a predictive model identifying early warning signs of depression in young people in primary care.
Nutritional management of the foal with diarrhoea
Authors: Barr B.
Published: March 2016

Diarrhoea is a common problem in the neonatal and suckling foal. In certain circumstances supplemental nutrition is necessary depending on the age of foal, severity of diarrhoea and presence of other systemic manifestations. Nutritional supplementation can be provided either enterally or parenterally. Enteral nutrition is superior to parenteral nutrition because it is the most natural and physiologically sound means to provide nutritional support. Parenteral nutrition may be warranted if the foal is unable to receive or tolerate enteral nutrition. Dextrose alone or with amino acids and lipids can provide appropriate nutrition when enteral feeding is not tolerated. As soon as the foal stabilises enteral feeding can be reintroduced.
Modular organisation of inducer recognition and allostery in the tetracycline repressor
Authors: Werten Sebastiaan , Schneider Julia , Palm Gottfried Julius , Hinrichs Winfried
Published: March 2016

Induction of the tetracycline repressor (TetR) results from antibiotic‐dependent changes in the relative positioning of the DNA‐binding domains within the promoter‐associated repressor dimer, but the key determinants of this allosteric effect remain poorly characterised. Intriguingly, previous mutational analyses of the tetracycline‐interacting site revealed a lack of correlation between residual affinity and induction propensity, suggesting that some of the residues in contact with the antibiotic primarily act in ligand recognition and retention, whereas others are required to transmit the allosteric signal. Here, we provide a structural basis for these observations via crystallographic analysis of the point mutants N82A, H100A, T103A and E147A in complex with the inducer 5a,6‐anhydrotetracycline. In conjunction with the available functional data, the four structures demonstrate that a trigger‐like movement of the region between helices α6 and α7 towards and into the binding site plays a decisive role in the intramolecular communication process. In sharp contrast, residues lining the binding cavity proper have little or no influence on the allosteric mechanism as such. This nearly complete physical separation of ligand recognition and allostery will have allowed diverging TetR‐like repressors to bind novel effectors while the existing induction mechanism remained intact. Consequently, the modularity described here may have been a key factor in the evolutionary success of the widespread and highly diversified repressor class.

Database

Structural data are available in the Protein Data Bank under the accession numbers 5FKK, 5FKL, 5FKM, 5FKN and 5FKO.
Correlating bonded joint deformation with failure using a free surface strain field mining methodology
Authors: Collins J. G. , Dillon G. P. , Strauch E. C. , Lanning W. R. , Muhlstein C. L.
Published: March 2016

In this work we present a strain field mining methodology where the intensities and spatial distributions of strains in double lap strap epoxy (EA 9394) bonded joints are measured, analysed and correlated with bond strength. While the global behaviour of the bonded joints was linear elastic at room temperature, discrete regions of elevated (relative to the full field average) shear strains were observed. The size, spatial distribution and other features of these strain ‘hot spots’ were described with a metric called the homogeneity index. This index captures the uniformity of the strain field with respect to regions of positive and negative strain at a specific stress level. The linearity of the progression of the homogeneity index and its magnitude was correlated with a joint's fracture strength and failure mode. The index was a robust predictor of double‐lap strap bonded joint performance between 30% and 90% of a specimen's strength and can be used to improve joint design, manufacturing, quality assurance, maintenance and inspection.
S‐N curves in the very‐high‐cycle fatigue regime: statistical modeling based on the hydrogen embrittlement consideration
Authors: Paolino D. S. , Tridello A. , Chiandussi G. , Rossetto M.
Published: March 2016

The continuous increment of durability and reliability requirements for many machinery components is significantly enhancing the research activity in the Very‐High‐Cycle Fatigue (VHCF) characterization of metallic materials, in particular of high‐strength steels for critical structural applications.

According to the
model, the VHCF strength of high‐strength steels can be estimated from the projected area of the ‘Optically Dark Area’ (ODA), which plays a key role in the VHCF response of high‐strength steels: more than 95% of the total VHCF life is consumed in the ODA formation, with crack growing even though the Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) is below the threshold for crack growth. Following the hydrogen embrittlement theory proposed by Murakami, hydrogen is supposed to assist crack growth within the ODA.

The present paper proposes a general SIF formulation for the analytical model of the hydrogen assisted crack growth within the ODA. Starting from the general SIF formulation, a general expression for the material fatigue limit is obtained in the paper. The statistical method for the estimation of the parameters involved in the proposed model is finally illustrated in the paper and numerically applied to an experimental dataset.
From pole to pole: the potential for the Arctic seastarAsterias amurensisto invade a warming Southern Ocean
Authors: Byrne Maria , Gall Mailie , Wolfe Kennedy , Agüera Antonio
Published: March 2016

Due to climatic warming,Asterias amurensis, a keystone boreal predatory seastar that has established extensive invasive populations in southern Australia, is a potential high‐risk invader of the sub‐Antarctic and Antarctic. To assess the potential range expansion ofA. amurensisto the Southern Ocean as it warms, we investigated the bioclimatic envelope of the adult and larval life stages. We analysed the distribution of adultA. amurensiswith respect to present‐day and future climate scenarios using habitat temperature data to construct species distribution models (SDMs). To integrate the physiological response of the dispersive phase, we determined the thermal envelope of larval development to assess their performance in present‐day and future thermal regimes and the potential for success ofA. amurensisin poleward latitudes. TheSDMindicated that the thermal ‘niche’ of the adult stage correlates with a 0–17 °C and 1–22.5 °C range, in winter and summer, respectively. As the ocean warms, the range ofA. amurensisin Australia will contract, while more southern latitudes will have conditions favourable for range expansion. Successful fertilization occurred from 3 to 23.8 °C. By day 12, development to the early larval stage was successful from 5.5 to 18 °C. Although embryos were able to reach the blastula stage at 2 °C, they had arrested development and high mortality. The optimal thermal range for survival of pelagic stages was 3.5–19.2 °C with a lower and upper critical limit of 2.6 and 20.3 °C, respectively. Our data predict thatA. amurensisfaces demise in its current invasive range while more favourable conditions at higher latitudes would facilitate invasion of both larval and adult stages to the Southern Ocean. Our results show that vigilance is needed to reduce the risk that this ecologically important Arctic carnivore may invade the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds in biochar and biochar‐amended soil: a review
Authors: Dutta Tanushree , Kwon Eilhann , Bhattacharya Satya Sundar , Jeon Byong Hun , Deep Akash , Uchimiya Minori , Kim Ki‐Hyun
Published: March 2016

Residual pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon (aceous) nanoparticles are inevitably generated during the pyrolysis of waste biomass and remain on the solid coproduct called biochar. Such pollutants could have adverse effects on the plant growth as well as microbial community in soil. Although biochar has been proposed as a ‘carbon negative strategy’ to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions, the impacts of its application with respect to long‐term persistence and bioavailability of hazardous components are not clear. Moreover, the co‐occurrence of low molecular weight VOCs with PAHs in biochar may exert further phytotoxic effects. This review describes the basic need to unravel key mechanisms driving the storage vs. emission of these organics and the dynamics between the sorbent (biochar) and soil microbes. Moreover, there is an urgent need for standardized methods for quantitative analysis of PAHs and VOCs in biochar under environmentally relevant conditions. This review is also extended to cover current research gaps including the influence of biochar application on the short‐ and long‐term fate of PAHs and VOCs and the proper control tactics for biochar quality and associated risk.
Distribution of human single‐nucleotide polymorphisms is approximated by the power law and represents a fractal structure
Authors: Gouda Norio , Shiwa Yuh , Akashi Motohiro , Yoshikawa Hirofumi , Kasahara Ken , Furusawa Mitsuru
Published: March 2016

Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are one of the main causes of evolution. The distribution of human SNPs, which were examined in detail genomewide, was analyzed. Three discrete databases of human SNPs were used for this analysis, and similar results were obtained from these databases. It was found that the distribution of the distance between SNPs was approximated by the power law, and the shape of the regions including SNPs had the so‐called fractal structure. Although the reason why the distribution of SNPs obeys such a certain law of physics is unclear, a speculation was attempted in connection with the three‐dimensional structure of human chromatin which has a fractal structure.