bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cruise shipping review: operations planning and research opportunities
Authors: Wang Kai , Wang Shuaian , Zhen Lu , Qu Xiaobo
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to conduct a review on cruise shipping and the cruise shipping industry. The current trends are analyzed for the industry, showing that this industry is still young and has great potential to boom. Meanwhile, the Asia market is the fastest growth region among the global, to which increasing cruise ships are repositioned by major cruise lines. However, for such a promising industry, the literature review on some state-of-the-art research works suggests that the research works that have been conducted for the cruise shipping are quite limited, and the majority of the works belongs to empirical and descriptive studies, which does not provide optimization-based quantitative analysis on some operation planning problems.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper conducts a review on cruise shipping and the cruise shipping industry.

Findings

In reality, there are some important operation planning problems faced by cruise lines or cruise ships, and four of them are addressed in this paper in response to the fast growing trend. The addressed operation planning problems are cruise fleet management, cruise ship deployment, cruise itinerary design and cruise service planning.

Originality/value

The importance and the attention for the research on the problems are also elaborated in the paper.
The application of personality traits model on the freight forwarding service industry
Authors: Shang Kuo-Chung , Chao Ching-Cheng , Lirn Taih-Cherng
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study aims to investigate the relationship between employees’ personality traits and their job performances (including task performance and contextual performance) of Taiwanese freight forwarders by using responses from a NEO Personality Inventory-Revised Form (NEO-PI-R) questionnaire survey.

Design/methodology/approach

One of the most popular personality trait model is the five-factor model (FFM), which includes the big five domains, namely, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism (OCEAN). Each of these five domains includes six facets. Previous researchers have used OCEAN factors to describe the relationship between human personality and job performance. NEO Personality Inventory is a professional psychological assessment instrument published by psychological assessment resources. Multivariate analysis technique and regression technique are used to analyze surveyees’ responses.

Findings

Research results reveal the following four issues. The seniority of employees in a company has a positive relationship with their conscientiousness. Employees with higher score on the facets of the neuroticism domain have a negative correlation with their task performance and contextual performance. The relationship between employees’ openness to experience and job performance (both task performance and contextual performance) is not significant. Employees’ seniority has a positive correlation with both their task performance and contextual performance. In a nutshell, freight forwarding industry in Taiwan can use the facets in the neuroticism domain to screen and recruit appropriate job applicants. In addition, retaining senior employees could increase a forwarder’s task performance and contextual performance by their high degree of conscientiousness.

Originality/value

FFM model is a psychological theory dealing with the personality traits and human behavior. Freight forwarding is a labor-intensive business and is one of the most important sectors in the logistics industry. According the authors’ knowledge, the application of FFM on the logistics industry is simply not existed.
The application of the verified gross mass rules in Hong Kong
Authors: Tai Sik Kwan
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the implementation of the verified gross mass (VGM) rules in Hong Kong.

Design/methodology/approach

The purpose of this paper is to compare the IMO Guidelines and the Guidelines produced by the Marine Department in Hong Kong.

Findings

The drafting of the Hong Kong Guidelines is not as clear and detailed as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Guidelines.

Practical implications

Shipping companies should review their sea carriage contracts to see whether new clauses should be inserted to solve problems arising from the VGM requirement.

Originality/value

A research by direct analysis of the IMO and the Hong Kong Guidelines on the implementation of the VGM rules in the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is shown in this paper.
Accounting for external turbulence of logistics organizations via performance measurement systems
Authors: Bühler Andreas , Wallenburg Carl Marcus , Wieland Andreas
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the role of upper management in designing performance measurement systems (PMS) that account for external turbulence of the organization and to show how this PMS design for turbulence impacts organizational resilience and distribution service performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses are developed by integrating management accounting and strategic management perspectives into supply chain management and subsequently tested based on data from 431 logistics organizations (i.e. both logistics companies and internal logistics departments of manufacturing and retailing companies).

Findings

Attention focusing usage type of the PMS by the upper management fosters incorporating the element of risk into the PMS of the company. Further, PMS design for turbulence enhances organizational resilience, and, indirectly, this also leads to improved distribution service performance.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to introduce the concept of PMS design for turbulence to the literature and to show that it is relevant for supply chain risk management by fostering the capabilities and the performance of logistics organizations. Further, it is shown that a seemingly detached issue such as the general PMS use focus of the upper management impacts supply chain risk management.
To eliminate or absorb supply chain complexity: a conceptual model and case study
Authors: Aitken James , Bozarth Cecil , Garn Wolfgang
Published: December 2016

Purpose

Existing works in the supply chain complexity area have either focused on the overall behavior of multi-firm complex adaptive systems or on listing specific tools and techniques that business units (BUs) can use to manage supply chain complexity but without providing a thorough discussion about when and why they should be deployed. This research aims to address this gap by developing a conceptually sound model, based on the literature, regarding how an individual BU should reduce versus absorb supply chain complexity.

Design/methodology/approach

This research synthesizes the supply chain complexity and organizational design literature to present a conceptual model of how a BU should respond to supply chain complexity. The authors illustrate the model through a longitudinal case study analysis of a packaged foods manufacturer.

Findings

Regardless of its type or origin, supply chain complexity can arise because of the strategic business requirements of the BU (strategic) or because of suboptimal business practices (dysfunctional complexity). Consistent with the proposed conceptual model, the illustrative case study showed that a firm must first distinguish between strategic and dysfunctional drivers prior to choosing an organizational response. Furthermore, it was found that efforts to address supply chain complexity can reveal other system weaknesses that lie dormant until the system is stressed.

Research limitations/implications

The case study provides empirical support for the literature-derived conceptual model. Nevertheless, any findings derived from a single, in-depth case study require further research to produce generalizable results.

Practical implications

The conceptual model presented here provides a more granular view of supply chain complexity and how an individual BU should respond, than what can be found in the existing literature. The model recognizes that an individual BU can simultaneously face both strategic and dysfunctional complexity drivers, each requiring a different organizational response.

Originality/value

There are no other research works that have synthesized the supply chain complexity and organizational design literature to present a conceptual model of how an individual BU should respond to supply chain complexity. As such, this paper improves the understanding of supply chain complexity effects and provides a basis for future research, as well as guidance for BUs facing complexity challenges.
Impacts of non-GMO standards on poultry supply chain governance: transaction cost approach vs resource-based view
Authors: Ghozzi Houda , Soregaroli Claudio , Boccaletti Stefano , Sauvée Loïc
Published: December 2016

Purpose

Following a negative attitude of consumers toward genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the spaces left by the labeling legislation on GMOs of different countries, some retailers and processors introduced their own non-GMO standards, with the intention of avoiding the presence of GMOs in their products. This paper aims to understand how the implementation of these new retailer-driven standards affects governance structures along the supply chain and the determinants of such change focusing on transaction cost approach (TCA) vs resource-based view (RBV).

Design/methodology/approach

The non-GMO introduction is investigated as a case study in the poultry industry of France and Italy. The case relies on data primarily collected from interviews with the main actors at five stages of the supply chain from the retailer up to animal feed and crop production.

Findings

Findings indicate that the introduction of non-GMO products had different impacts on the transactions along the supply chain, generally leading to more integrated relationships. Theoretical relevance depends on the observed transaction and the type of governance structure considered. Interestingly, only RBV explains the shift toward hierarchical governance when this is observed.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the empirical literature highlighting the upstream effects caused by the adoption of new standards. On the theoretical side, building on Conner and Prahalad’s (1996) seminal work and leveraging on the concepts of opportunism, “potential” superior knowledge and strategic importance of an activity, this research suggests a comparative framework for identifying governance structures and their determinants under TCA and RBV.
Effects of Grilling on Total Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)
Authors: Uchida Kentaro , Tomita Haruo , Takemori Toshikazu , Takamura Hitoshi
Published: December 2016

Cooking can change the polyphenol contents of eggplant. This study elucidated the effects of grilling on total polyphenol content (TPC), antioxidant capacity, and the inner structures of eggplant. After identical hollowing, cylindrical eggplant samples were prepared and were then grilled until their center temperatures (CT) respectively reached 50, 65, 75, 85, and 95 °C. Chemical assays and observations of the inner structures clarified that TPC and 1, 1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity decreased as CT increased when CT was below 65 °C. Results also showed that TPC and DPPH radical scavenging activity increased as CT increased when CT was between 65 °C and 95 °C. For CT 65 °C, the samples retained polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity up to 40% of the raw state activity. The 3 grilled eggplant models, chlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid—sugar and chlorogenic acid—amino acid model, yielded results showing that phenol functional groups on chlorogenic acid were thermally stable and that phenol functional groups on chlorogenic acid reacted neither with sugar nor with amino acids. Results show that PPO activity is a primary reason for the decrease of the 2 indices. Optical microscopic and scanning electron microscopic observations revealed collapsed cells and inter‐tissue cracks around the surface area for CT 85 and 95 °C. Scanning electron microscopic observations clarified that intercellular bonds for CT 85 and 95 °C became thinner than those for CT 75 °C around the middle area. The phenomena explained above are reasons for the increase of TPC and DPPH radical scavenging activity.
Combining bleach and mild predigestion improves ancient DNA recovery from bones
Authors: Boessenkool Sanne , Hanghøj Kristian , Nistelberger Heidi M. , Der Sarkissian Clio , Gondek Agata T. , Orlando Ludovic , Barrett James H. , Star Bastiaan
Published: December 2016

The feasibility of genome‐scale studies from archaeological material remains critically dependent on the ability to access endogenous, authentic DNA. In the majority of cases, this represents a few per cent of the DNA extract, at most. A number of specific pre‐extraction protocols for bone powder aimed to improve ancient DNA recovery before library amplification have recently been developed. Here, we test the effects of combining two of such protocols, a bleach wash and a predigestion step, on 12 bone samples of Atlantic cod and domestic horse aged 750–1350 cal. years before present. Using high‐throughput sequencing, we show that combined together, bleach wash and predigestion consistently yield DNA libraries with higher endogenous content than either of these methods alone. Additionally, the molecular complexity of these libraries is improved and endogenous DNA templates show larger size distributions. Other library characteristics, such as DNA damage profiles or the composition of microbial communities, are little affected by the pre‐extraction protocols. Application of the combined protocol presented in this study will facilitate the genetic analysis of an increasing number of ancient remains and will reduce the cost of whole‐genome sequencing.
Global Health and Emergency Care: Overcoming Clinical Research Barriers
Authors: Levine Adam C. , Barry Meagan A. , Agrawal Pooja , Duber Herbert C. , Chang Mary P. , Mackey Joy M. , Hansoti Bhakti ,   the Global Emergency Medicine Think Tank Clinical Research Working Group
Published: December 2016

Objectives

There are many barriers impeding the conduct of high‐quality emergency care research, particularly in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Several of these barriers were originally outlined in 2013 as part of the Academic Emergency Medicine Global Health and Emergency Care Consensus Conference. This paper seeks to establish a broader consensus on the barriers to emergency care research globally and proposes a comprehensive array of new recommendations to overcome these barriers.

Methods

An electronic survey was conducted of a purposive sample of global emergency medicine research experts from around the world to describe the major challenges and solutions to conducting emergency care research in low‐resource settings and rank them by importance. The Global Emergency Medicine Think Tank Clinical Research Working Group at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2016 Annual Meeting utilized a modified Delphi technique for consensus‐based decision making to categorize and expand upon these barriers and develop a comprehensive array of proposed solutions.

Results

The working group identified four broad categories of barriers to conducting emergency care research globally, including 1) the limited availability of research personnel, particularly those with prior research training; 2) logistic barriers and lack of standardization of data collection; 3) ethical barriers to conducting research in resource‐limited settings, particularly when no local institutional review board is available; and 4) the relative dearth of funding for global emergency care research. Proposed solutions included building a diverse and interdisciplinary research team structured to promote mentorship of junior researchers, utilizing local research assistants or technologic tools such as telemedicine for language translation, making use of new tools such as mobile health (mHealth) to standardize and streamline data collection, identifying alternatives to local institutional review board approval and the use of community consent when appropriate, and increased advocacy for global emergency care research funding.

Conclusions

Significant barriers to the conduct of high‐quality global emergency care research persist, and innovative strategies need to be adopted to promote and grow the field of global emergency care research. This paper provides a global consensus on the most important barriers identified, as well as recommendations for cost‐effective strategies for overcoming these barriers with the overall goal of promoting high‐quality research and improving emergency care worldwide.
Effects of TSLP on obstetrical and gynecological diseases
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Jin Li‐Ping
Published: December 2016

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is produced mainly by epithelial cells and was originally found to stimulate the growth and activation of B cells, but it is now shown to function on both hematopoietic and non‐hematopoietic cell lineages. Despite a number of studies focusing on the role of TSLP in Th2 response for allergic disorders, it is becoming increasingly evident that TSLP may also be involved in multiple other disease states. This review will focus on recent advances on the effects of TSLP on obstetrical and gynecological diseases, including pregnancy failure, endometriosis, and cervical cancer.
The Majority‐Minority Divide in Attitudes toward Internal Migration: Evidence from Mumbai
Authors: Gaikwad Nikhar , Nellis Gareth
Published: December 2016

Rapid urbanization is among the major processes affecting the developing world. The influx of migrants to cities frequently provokes antagonism on the part of long‐term residents, manifested in labor market discrimination, political nativism, and violence. We implemented a novel, face‐to‐face survey experiment on a representative sample of Mumbai's population to elucidate the causes of anti‐migrant hostility. Our findings point to the centrality of material self‐interest in the formation of native attitudes. Dominant group members fail to heed migrants' ethnic attributes, yet for minority group respondents, considerations of ethnicity and economic threat crosscut. We introduce a new political mechanism to explain this divergence. Minority communities facing persistent discrimination view in‐migration by coethnics as a means of enlarging their demographic and electoral base, thereby achieving “safety in numbers.” Our article sheds light on the drivers of preferences over internal migration. It also contributes insights to the international immigration literature and to policy debates over urban expansion.
Anaemia in school‐aged children in an Australian Indigenous community
Authors: Udovicich Cristian , Perera Kalpa , Leahy Clinton
Published: December 2016

Objective

Indigenous Australians have poorer health outcomes compared to the non‐Indigenous population. Malnutrition, and subsequently iron‐deficiency anaemia, impairs childhood development. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of anaemia in school‐aged children of an Australian Indigenous community and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting

A Northern Territory Indigenous community.

Participants

Two hundred and one school‐age students (5–15 years old) undergoing annual school screening.

Main outcome measures

Presence of anaemia. Anaemic and non‐anaemic students were compared to determine any differences in age, gender, BMI and past history of anaemia. The response to treatment was analysed using initial and repeat haemoglobin results.

Results

Altogether, 201 students were screened with 105 (52%) classified as anaemic. No significant association was found between anaemic students and age, gender, BMI or prior history of anaemia. After treatment, the mean rise in haemoglobin was 13% (95% CI 11–15) at the 4‐week interval. Age (P = 0.17), gender (P = 0.53) and weight (P = 0.14) were not significantly associated with treatment efficacy. Only 11 students (17%) were still anaemic after treatment.

Discussion

Anaemia in Indigenous Australian school‐aged children is a major public health issue. The prevalence of anaemia in this population is 52% and many times higher than that of the general Australian population. As per current guidelines, the recommended treatment is effective in over 80% at the 4‐week interval. Community wide interventions are required to combat this alarming issue.
Translaminar pressure in Caucasian normal tension glaucoma patients
Authors: Pircher Achmed , Remonda Luca , Weinreb Robert N , Killer Hanspeter E
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The aim of this study was to examine the translaminar pressure difference (TLP) in Caucasian patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and its possible impact onto the pathogenesis of NTG.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of medical records of patients with open‐angle glaucoma (OAG) in the period from 2005 to 2015 from the Ophthalmology Department, Cantonal Hospital Aarau, Switzerland. A total of 67 eyes of 38 patients (mean age 68.6 ± 11.3 years, 21 women and 17 men) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of progressive NTG and underwent lumbar puncture (LP) during computer‐assisted cisternography (CT – cisternography). The intraocular pressure (IOP) and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSF‐p) were analysed and the TLP calculated. The TLP was compared with the mean defect (MD) of visual fields. Statistical analysis was performed with the one and two‐tailed paired and unpaired t‐test and the non‐parametric Spearman correlation test.

Results

The mean lumbar opening CSF‐p measured 11.6 ± 3.7 mmHg. The mean IOP in the right eye measured 14.7 ± 2.4 mmHg, in the left eye 14.7 ± 2.5 mmHg. The calculated mean TLP was 3.0 ± 4.2 mmHg in the right and 3.3 ± 4.3 mmHg in the left eye. There was no significant correlation between TLP and the MD of visual fields in both eyes.

Conclusions

This study did not confirm either a lower lumbar CSF‐p or increased TLP compared to previous retrospective and prospective studies. As cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow is not homogenous throughout all CSF spaces and CSF‐p and IOP fluctuate, the current view on TLP needs modifications to improve its validity.
The effect of blue‐blocking and neutral intraocular lenses on circadian photoentrainment and sleep one year after cataract surgery
Authors: Brøndsted Adam Elias , Haargaard Birgitte , Sander Birgit , Lund‐Andersen Henrik , Jennum Poul , Kessel Line
Published: December 2016

Purpose

To compare the long‐term effect on circadian photoentrainment and sleep in patients implanted with neutral and blue‐blocking intraocular lenses 1 year after cataract surgery.

Methods

Randomized, controlled trial involving 67 patients with age‐related cataract. Intervention was cataract surgery with implantation of either a neutral or a blue‐blocking intraocular lens (IOL). Main outcome was activation of the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC) measured by chromatic pupillometry. The circadian rhythm was analysed by 24‐hr melatonin profiles and actigraphy; the latter was also used to determine objective sleep quality. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index determined subjective sleep quality.

Results

One year after surgery, peak melatonin concentration was 3.3 pg/ml (95%CI, 2–5.5) corresponding to 50% lower for the participants allocated to blue‐blockingIOLs compared with participants allocated to neutralIOLs. Compared with preoperative levels, the ipRGCresponse had increased by 13.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2–22.6) 1 year after surgery. Objective sleep quality was also improved as the time of wakefulness after sleep onset had improved by 5 min (95%CI, 1–10) for the entire population while sleep efficiency had increased by two percentage points (95%CI, 0.42–3.65) although exclusively, for the participants allocated to blue‐blockingIOLs.

Conclusion

Blue‐blockingIOLs increased sleep efficiency but lowered nocturnal melatonin secretion compared with neutralIOLs. Cataract surgery improved the response of ipRGCs and sleep quality. However, the effect of cataract surgery on sleep quality may be unrelated to circadian photoentrainment.
Homocysteine and risk of age‐related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Pinna Antonio , Zaccheddu Francesco , Boscia Francesco , Carru Ciriaco , Solinas Giuliana
Published: December 2016

There is still no agreement on total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) role in age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of new blindness in industrialized countries. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the published data on the correlation between tHcy and AMD. MEDLINE/PubMed and ISI Web of Sciences searches were performed according to MOOSE guidelines. Case–control studies were eligible for inclusion. Participants and controls were AMD patients and subjects without AMD. The main outcome measure was wet AMD. Homocysteine level was the main exposure variable. Data were pooled using a random‐effects model. Twelve case–control studies were identified: 10 assessed wet AMD, four dry AMD, one early AMD, one late AMD, and one any AMD. As for wet AMD, there was a total of 453 cases and 514 controls. Mean tHcy was on average 1.1 μmol/l (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.96–1.25) greater in wet AMD cases, but there was evidence of extreme between‐study heterogeneity (p < 0.001, I2 = 91.8%). In a model homogenous for age, including six wet AMD studies (214 cases, 274 controls), mean tHcy was on average 0.58 μmol/l (95% CI = 0.35–0.73) greater in the case group, a not statistically significant result (p = 0.144) associated with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 39.2%). Our meta‐analysis indicates that there is some weak evidence that increased tHcy might be associated with wet AMD; however, this result should be interpreted cautiously, because of a marked between‐study heterogeneity and the possible effect of publication bias. Future studies, preferably of cohort design, are necessary before any firm conclusions on the putative role of increased tHcy on AMD can be drawn.
Warmed, humidified CO2 insufflation benefits intraoperative core temperature during laparoscopic surgery: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Dean Meara , Ramsay Robert , Heriot Alexander , Mackay John , Hiscock Richard , Lynch A. Craig
Published: December 2016

Background

Intraoperative hypothermia is linked to postoperative adverse events. The use of warmed, humidified CO2 to establish pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopy has been associated with reduced incidence of intraoperative hypothermia. However, the small number and variable quality of published studies have caused uncertainty about the potential benefit of this therapy. This meta‐analysis was conducted to specifically evaluate the effects of warmed, humidified CO2 during laparoscopy.

Methods

An electronic database search identified randomized controlled trials performed on adults who underwent laparoscopic abdominal surgery under general anesthesia with either warmed, humidified CO2 or cold, dry CO2. The main outcome measure of interest was change in intraoperative core body temperature.

Results

The database search identified 320 studies as potentially relevant, and of these, 13 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. During laparoscopic surgery, use of warmed, humidified CO2 is associated with a significant increase in intraoperative core temperature (mean temperature change, 0.3°C), when compared with cold, dry CO2 insufflation.

Conclusion

Warmed, humidified CO2 insufflation during laparoscopic abdominal surgery has been demonstrated to improve intraoperative maintenance of normothermia when compared with cold, dry CO2.
Prospective registry for laparoscopic liver resection
Authors: Fuji Hiroaki , Hatano Etsuro , Seo Satoru , Arimoto Akira , Okabe Michio , Fujikawa Takahisa , Nishitai Ryuta , Ishii Takamichi , Kaihara Satoshi , Matsushita Takakazu , Oike Fumitaka , Ichimiya Masato , Ohta Shuichi , Yamanaka Kenya , Taura Kojiro , Yasuchika Kentaro , Uemoto Shinji
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) has been widely performed throughout the world. Although prospective registry studies to clarify the safety of LLR have been feasible, no prior multicenter prospective study has addressed this issue. We have conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study to reveal the current status of LLR in Japan.

Methods

From April 2015 to March 2016, candidates for LLR were preoperatively enrolled at 12 institutions. The primary end‐point was surgical safety, which was evaluated based on surgical factors and on short‐term and midterm outcomes.

Results

A total of 102 patients were enrolled. Planned laparoscopic procedures included 96 pure laparoscopies, 1 hand‐assisted laparoscopy, and 5 hybrid techniques. Non‐anatomical partial resection or left lateral sectionectomy were performed in almost all cases. The median duration of surgery was 221 min. The median blood loss was 80.5 mL. Conversion was required for four patients (3.9%). The 90‐day postoperative morbidities with grades more severe than II in the Clavien–Dindo classification were observed in six patients (5.9%). The median postoperative hospital stay was 9.5 days. No cases involved reoperation or mortality.

Conclusion

Minor resection of LLR has been performed safely. To ensure the safe dissemination of LLR, including for major resection, a larger multicenter prospective study is required.
Mitochondrial Replacement Techniques: Who are the Potential Users and will they Benefit?
Authors: Herbrand Cathy
Published: December 2016

In February 2015 the UK became the first country to legalise high‐profile mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRTs), which involve the creation of offspring using genetic material from three individuals. The aim of these new cell reconstruction techniques is to prevent the transmission of maternally inherited mitochondrial disorders to biological offspring. During the UK debates, MRTs were often positioned as a straightforward and unique solution for the ‘eradication’ of mitochondrial disorders, enabling hundreds of women to have a healthy, biologically‐related child. However, many questions regarding future applications and potential users remain. Drawing on a current qualitative study on reproductive choices in the context of mitochondrial disorders, this article illustrates how the potential limitations of MRTs have been obscured in public debates by contrasting the claims made about the future beneficiaries with insights from families affected by mitochondrial disorders and medical experts. The analysis illuminates the complex choices with which families and individuals affected by mitochondrial disorders are faced, which have thus far remained invisible. An argument is presented for improved information for the public as well as an intensification of critical empirical research around the complex and specific needs of future beneficiaries of new reproductive biotechnologies.
Infant Attachment and Maternal Sensitivity in the Arab Minority in Israel
Authors: Zreik Ghadir , Oppenheim David , Sagi‐Schwartz Abraham
Published: December 2016

This study is the first to examine infant–mother attachment in the Arab culture. Eighty‐five Arab 1‐year‐old infants from Israel were observed in the strange situation, and maternal sensitivity was assessed from home observations. Supporting attachment theory's normativity hypothesis, no differences were found between the Arab‐Israeli attachment distribution and Jewish‐Israeli, Western, and non‐Western distributions when examined at the two‐way secure versus insecure level, although a few differences emerged when examined at the four‐way ABCD level. Supporting the sensitivity hypothesis, mothers of secure infants were more sensitive than those of insecure infants but only in the case of Christian (and not Muslim) mothers. The findings provide support to attachment theory's generalizability but raise questions regarding the assessment of maternal sensitivity cross‐culturally.
The support needs of patients waiting for publicly funded bariatric surgery – implications for health service planners
Authors: Sharman M. J. , Venn A. J. , Jose K. A. , Williams D. , Hensher M. , Palmer A. J. , Wilkinson S. , Ezzy D.
Published: December 2016

The objective of this study was to investigate the experience of waiting for publicly funded bariatric surgery in an Australian tertiary healthcare setting. Focus groups and individual interviews involving people waiting for or who had undergone publicly funded bariatric surgery were audio‐recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. A total of 11 women and 6 men engaged in one of six focus groups in 2014, and an additional 10 women and 9 men were interviewed in 2015. Mean age was 53 years (range 23–66); mean waiting time was 6 years (range 0–12), and mean time since surgery was 4 years (range 0–11). Waiting was commonly reported as emotionally challenging (e.g. frustrating, depressing, stressful) and often associated with weight gain (despite weight‐loss attempts) and deteriorating physical health (e.g. development of new or worsening obesity‐related comorbidity or decline in mobility) or psychological health (e.g. development of or worsening depression). Peer support, health and mental health counselling, integrated care and better communication about waitlist position and management (e.g. patient prioritization) were identified support needs. Even if wait times cannot be reduced, better peer and health professional supports, together with better communication from health departments, may improve the experience or outcomes of waiting and confer quality‐of‐life gains irrespective of weight loss.
Desert pastoralists’ negative and positive effects on rare wildlife in the Gobi
Authors: Ekernas L. Stefan , Sarmento Wesley M. , Davie Hannah S. , Reading Richard P. , Murdoch James , Wingard Ganchimeg J. , Amgalanbaatar Sukh , Berger Joel
Published: December 2016

In arid regions of the developing world, pastoralists and livestock commonly inhabit protected areas, resulting in human–wildlife conflict. Conflict is inextricably linked to the ecological processes shaping relationships between pastoralists and native herbivores and carnivores. To elucidate relationships underpinning human–wildlife conflict, we synthesized 15 years of ecological and ethnographic data from Ikh Nart Nature Reserve in Mongolia's Gobi steppe. The density of argali (Ovis ammon), the world's largest wild sheep, at Ikh Nart was among the highest in Mongolia, yet livestock were >90% of ungulate biomass and dogs >90% of large‐carnivore biomass. For argali, pastoral activities decreased food availability, increased mortality from dog predation, and potentially increased disease risk. Isotope analyses indicated that livestock accounted for >50% of the diet of the majority of gray wolves (Canis lupus) and up to 90% of diet in 25% of sampled wolves (n = 8). Livestock composed at least 96% of ungulate prey in the single wolf pack for which we collected species‐specific prey data. Interviews with pastoralists indicated that wolves annually killed 1–4% of Ikh Nart's livestock, and pastoralists killed wolves in retribution. Pastoralists reduced wolf survival by killing them, but their livestock were an abundant food source for wolves. Consequently, wolf density appeared to be largely decoupled from argali density, and pastoralists had indirect effects on argali that could be negative if pastoralists increased wolf density (apparent competition) or positive if pastoralists decreased wolf predation (apparent facilitation). Ikh Nart's argali population was stable despite these threats, but livestock are increasingly dominant numerically and functionally relative to argali. To support both native wildlife and pastoral livelihoods, we suggest training dogs to not kill argali, community insurance against livestock losses to wolves, reintroducing key native prey species to hotspots of human–wolf conflict, and developing incentives for pastoralists to reduce livestock density.
Dyes derived from benzo[a]phenoxazine – synthesis, spectroscopic properties, and potential application as sensors for l‐cysteine
Authors: Grzelakowska Aleksandra , Kolińska Jolanta , Zakłos‐Szyda Małgorzata , Michalski Radosław , Sokołowska Jolanta
Published: December 2016

Several benzo[a]phenoxazine dyes containing a maleimide moiety have been synthesised and characterised by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The spectroscopic properties, such as absorption and emission spectra, of these dyes – 9‐maleimido‐5H‐benzo[a]phenoxazin‐5‐one (7a), 6‐chloro‐9‐maleimido‐5H‐benzo[a]phenoxazin‐5‐one (7b), and 6‐bromo‐9‐maleimido‐5H‐benzo[a]phenoxazin‐5‐one (7c) – were examined. These compounds were evaluated as potential fluorescent and colorimetric probes for the detection of biothiols. Results show that the studied compounds exhibit colorimetric and fluorescent responses to l‐cysteine at pH 7.4. In the presence of l‐cysteine, the fluorescence intensity of synthesised dyes is greatly enhanced. The addition of l‐cysteine to solutions of dyes 7a to 7c also results in red shifts of their absorption bands. The cytotoxic effect of tested dyes 7a to 7c against human neuroblastoma cells (SH‐SY5Y) was determined by MTT assay. The fluorescent response of these compounds to thiols SH‐SY5Y was examined. The results show that the tested compounds exhibit fluorescent response in this cell line, and the benzo[a]phenoxazine dyes substituted in the 6‐position with a halogen (7b and 7c) are less toxic against cells under experimental conditions than their unsubstituted analogue (7a).
Association between changes in oestradiol and follicle‐stimulating hormone levels during the menopausal transition and risk of diabetes
Authors: Park S. K. , Harlow S. D. , Zheng H. , Karvonen‐Gutierrez C. , Thurston R. C. , Ruppert K. , Janssen I. , Randolph J. F.
Published: December 2016

Aim

To investigate the association between changes in oestradiol and follicle‐stimulating hormone levels during the menopausal transition and incident diabetes.

Methods

We followed 1407 pre‐menopausal women, aged 42–52 years at baseline, who experienced natural menopause, from baseline to the 12th annual follow‐up visit in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Diabetes was defined based on fasting glucose level, medication use and self‐report of physician diagnosis. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the associations of incident diabetes with three components of the rate of change in hormones: the intercept (pre‐menopausal levels) and two piece‐wise slopes representing change during the early and late transition, respectively.

Results

During 15 years of follow‐up, 132 women developed diabetes. After adjusting for potential confounders, a higher oestradiol intercept, but not its rate of change, was borderline significantly associated with lower risk of diabetes [hazard ratio for an interquartile range increase (75.2 pmol/L) 0.53, 95% CI 0.27–1.06]. For follicle‐stimulating hormone, a greater rate of increase in the early transition, but not the intercept or late transition, was significantly associated with lower risk of diabetes [hazard ratio for an interquartile range increase (5.9 IU/L/year) 0.31, 95% CI 0.10–0.94].

Conclusions

Lower pre‐menopausal oestradiol levels and a slower rate of follicle‐stimulating hormone change during the early transition were associated with higher risk of developing diabetes. Given that obesity plays an important role in diabetes risk and in the levels and changes in oestradiol and follicle‐stimulating hormone over the menopausal transition, weight control in earlier mid‐life is important to prevent future diabetes development.
Clicking the brain into deep sleep. Commentary on Weigenand et al. ()
Authors: Göldi Maurice , Schreiner Thomas
Published: December 2016

Read the Original article at doi: 10.1111/ejn.13334
Parallel activation of prospective motor plans during visually‐guided sequential saccades
Authors: Bhutani Neha , Sengupta Sonal , Basu Debaleena , Prabhu Nikhil G. , Murthy Aditya
Published: December 2016

Behavioural evidences suggest that sequential saccades to multiple stimuli are planned in parallel. However, it remains unclear whether such parallel programming reflects concurrent processing of goals or whether multiple motor plans coexist, unfolding subsequently during execution. Here we use midway saccades, directed at intermediate locations between two targets, as a probe to address this question in a novel double‐step adaptation task. The task consisted of trials where subjects had to follow the appearance of two targets presented in succession with two sequential saccades. In some trials, the second target predictably jumped to a new location during the second saccade. Initially, the second saccade was aimed at the final target's location before the jump. As subjects adapted to the target jump, saccades were aimed to the second target's new location. We tested whether the spatial distribution of midway saccades could be explained as an interaction between two concurrent saccade goals, each directed at the two target locations, or between the initial motor plan to the first target location and a prospective motor plan directed from the initial to the final target location. A shift in the midway saccades’ distribution towards the jumped location of the second target following adaptation indicated that the brain can make use of prospective motor plans to guide sequential eye movements. Furthermore, we observed that the spatiotemporal pattern of endpoints of midway saccades can be well explained by a motor addition model. These results provide strong evidence of parallel activation of prospective motor plans during sequential saccades.
Corticotropin releasing factor dose‐dependently modulates excitatory synaptic transmission in the noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus
Authors: Prouty Eric W. , Waterhouse Barry D. , Chandler Daniel J.
Published: December 2016

The noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) is critically involved in the stress response and receives afferent input from a number of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) containing structures. Several in vivo and in vitro studies in rat have shown that CRF robustly increases the firing rate of LC neurons in a dose‐dependent manner. While it is known that these increases are dependent on CRF receptor subtype 1 and mediated by effects of cAMP intracellular signaling cascades on potassium conductance, the impact of CRF on synaptic transmission within LC has not been clarified. In the present study, we used whole‐cell patch clamp electrophysiology to assess how varying concentrations of bath‐applied CRF affect AMPA‐receptor dependent spontaneous excitatory post‐synaptic currents (sEPSCs). Compared to vehicle, 10, 25, and 100 nm CRF had no significant effects on any sEPSC parameters. Fifty nanomolar CRF, however, significantly increased sEPSC amplitude, half‐width, and charge transfer, while these measures were significantly decreased by 200 nm CRF. These observations suggest that stress may differentially affect ongoing excitatory synaptic transmission in LC depending on how much CRF is released from presynaptic terminals. Combined with the well‐documented effects of CRF on membrane properties and spontaneous LC discharge, these observations may help explain how stress and CRF release are able to modulate the signal to noise ratio of LC neurons. These findings have implications for how stress affects the fidelity of signal transmission and information flow through LC and how it might impact norepinephrine release in the CNS.
Within‐High‐School Versus Across‐High‐School Scaling of Admissions Assessments: Implications for Validity and Diversity Effects
Authors: Kostal Jack W. , Sackett Paul R. , Kuncel Nathan R. , Walmsley Philip T. , Stemig Melissa S.
Published: December 2016

Previous research has established that SAT scores and high school grade point average (HSGPA) differ in their predictive power and in the size of mean differences across racial/ethnic groups. However, the SAT is scaled nationally across all test takers while HSGPA is scaled locally within a school. In this study, the researchers propose that this difference in how SAT scores and HSGPA are scaled partially explains differences in validity and subgroup differences. Using a large data set consisting of 170,390 students each of whom matriculated at one of 114 separate colleges, the researchers find that awarding SAT scores by ranking SAT within a high school generally results in substantial reduction in the size of subgroup mean differences for this predictor. However, validity for predicting first‐year GPA is also reduced by a small amount. Conversely, placing HSGPA onto a nationally normed metric through the use of multiple regression procedures results in a moderate increase in the size of subgroup mean differences, while also producing a small increase in validity. Taken together, these findings suggest that differences in predictor scaling can partially explain differences in the size of subgroup mean differences between HSGPA and SAT scores and have implications for predictive power.
Cleaner fishes and shrimp diversity and a re‐evaluation of cleaning symbioses
Authors: Vaughan David Brendan , Grutter Alexandra Sara , Costello Mark John , Hutson Kate Suzanne
Published: December 2016

Cleaning symbiosis has been documented extensively in the marine environment over the past 50 years. We estimate global cleaner diversity comprises 208 fish species from 106 genera representing 36 families and 51 shrimp species from 11 genera representing six families. Cleaning symbiosis as originally defined is amended to highlight communication between client and cleaner as the catalyst for cooperation and to separate cleaning symbiosis from incidental cleaning, which is a separate mutualism preceded by no communication. Moreover, we propose the term ‘dedicated’ to replace ‘obligate’ to describe a committed cleaning lifestyle. Marine cleaner fishes have dominated the cleaning symbiosis literature, with comparatively little focus given to shrimp. The engagement of shrimp in cleaning activities has been considered contentious because there is little empirical evidence. Plasticity exists in the use of ‘cleaner shrimp’ in the current literature, with the potential to cause significant confusion. Indeed, this term has been used incorrectly for the shrimp Infraorder Stenopodidea, involving three families, Stenopodidae, Palaemonidae and Hippolytidae, and to represent all members of Lysmata and Stenopus. Caution is expressed in the use of grey literature and anecdotal observations to generate data on cleaning interactions, due to the presence of species complexes. Interest in cleaning organisms as biological controls in aquaculture is increasing due to their value as an alternative to various chemical ectoparasite controls. Reports of the importance of cleaner organisms in maintaining a healthy reef ecosystem has also been increasing and we review the current biological knowledge on cleaner organisms, highlighting areas that are understudied.
Crosstalk between Hippo signalling and miRNAs in tumour progression
Authors: Li Nianshuang , Xie Chuan , Lu Nonghua
Published: December 2016

The Hippo signalling pathway co‐ordinately modulates cell regeneration and organ size, and its deregulation contributes to tumorigenesis through many cellular processes, including overproliferation, apoptosis resistance and cell migration. Recent discoveries have shed new light on how microRNAs (miRNAs) are closely linked to the Hippo pathway in tumour progression. Hippo signalling has been reported to affect widespread miRNA biogenesis. In turn, several miRNAs regulate Hippo signalling, which contributes to carcinogenesis. This article will provide an overview of the crosstalk between Hippo signalling and miRNAs in the development of cancer and further appraise potential targets for therapeutic intervention.