bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation in the microbiome of the urogenital tract of female koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) with and without ‘wet bottom’
Authors: Legione Alistair R. , Amery-Gale Jemima , Lynch Michael , Haynes Leesa , Gilkerson James R. , Sansom Fiona M. , Devlin Joanne M.
Published: January 2017

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are iconic Australian marsupials currently threatened by several processes. Infectious reproductive tract disease, caused byChlamydia pecorum, and koala retrovirus infection are considered key drivers of population decline. The clinical sign of ‘wet bottom’, a staining of the rump associated with urinary incontinence, is often caused by chlamydial urogenital tract infections. However, wet bottom has been recorded in koalas free ofC. pecorum, suggesting other causative agents in those individuals. Current understanding of the bacterial community of the koala urogenital tract is limited. We used 16S rRNA diversity profiling to investigate the microbiome of the urogenital tract of ten female koalas. This was to produce baseline data on the female koala urogenital tract microbiome, and to undertake preliminary investigations of potential causative agents of wet bottom, other thanC. pecorum. Five urogenital samples were processed from koalas presenting with wet bottom and five were clinically normal. We detected thirteen phyla across the ten samples, withFirmicutesoccurring at the highest relative abundance (77.6%). The orderLactobacillales, within theFirmicutes, comprised 70.3% of the reads from all samples. After normalising reads using DESeq2 and testing for significant differences (P< 0.05), there were 25 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) more commonly found in one group over the other. The familiesAerococcaceaeandTissierellaceaeboth had four significantly differentially abundant OTUs. These fourTissierellaceaeOTUs were all significantly more abundant in koalas with wet bottom.

Importance

This study provides an essential foundation for future investigations of both the normal microflora of the koala urogenital tract, and better understanding of the causes of koala urogenital tract disease. Koalas in the states of Queensland and New South Wales are currently undergoing decline, and have been classified as vulnerable populations. Urogenital tract disease is a leading cause of hospital admissions in these states, yet previously little was known of the normal flora of this site. Wet bottom is a clinical sign of urogenital tract disease, which is often assumed to be caused byC. pecorumand treated accordingly. Our research highlights that other organisms may be causing wet bottom, and these potential aetiological agents need to be further investigated to fully address the problems this species faces.
The scaffolding protein Cnk Interacts with Alk to Promote Visceral Founder Cell Specification inDrosophila
Authors: Wolfstetter Georg , Pfeifer Kathrin , van Dijk Jesper Ruben , Hugosson Fredrik , Lu Xiangyi , Palmer Ruth Helen
Published: January 2017

InDrosophila, the receptor tyrosine kinase Alk and its ligand Jeb are required to drive founder cell (FC) specification in the visceral mesoderm (VM). Alk-signalling activates downstream MAPK/ERK- and PI3K-pathways in human andDrosophilabut little is known about immediate downstream signalling events. Here we report that the scaffolding protein Cnk interacts directly with Alk via a novel c-terminal binding motif. Cnk is required for Alk-signalling as ectopic expression of the minimal interaction motif as well as loss of maternal and zygoticcnkblocks visceral FC-formation, resembling the phenotype ofjebandAlkmutants. We also show that the Cnk-interactor Aveugle/Hyphen (Ave/HYP) is critical, while the (pseudo-) kinase Ksr is not required for Alk-signalling in the developing VM. Taken together, Cnk and Ave represent the first molecules downstream of Alk whose loss genocopies the lack of visceral FC-specification ofAlkandjebmutants indicating an essential role in Alk-signalling.
Limits of noise for autoregulated gene expression
Authors: Czuppon Peter , Pfaffelhuber Peter
Published: January 2017

Gene expression is influenced by extrinsic noise (involving a fluctuating environment of cellular processes) and intrinsic noise (referring to fluctuations within a cell under constant environment). We study the standard model of gene expression including an (in-)active gene, mRNA and protein. Gene expression is regulated in the sense that the protein feeds back and either represses (negative feedback) or enhances (positive feedback) its production at the stage of transcription. While it is well-known that negative (positive) feedback reduces (increases) intrinsic noise, we give a precise result on the resulting fluctuations in protein numbers. The technique we use is an extension of the Langevin approximation and is an application of a central limit theorem under stochastic averaging for Markov jump processes (Kang, Kurtz and Popovic, 2014). We find that (under our scaling and in equilibrium), negative feedback leads to a reduction in the Fano factor of at most 2, while the noise under positive feedback is potentially unbounded. The fit with simulations is very good and improves on known approximations.
Structural characterization of two tetrachloridozincate salts of 4-carboxy-1H-imidazol-3-ium: a salt hydrate and a co-crystal salt hydrate
Authors: Martens Sean J. , Geiger David K
Published: January 2017

Imidazole-containing compounds exhibit a myriad of pharmacological activities. Two tetrachloridozincate salts of 4-carboxy-1H-imidazol-3-ium, ImHCO2H+, are reported. Bis(4-carboxy-1H-imidazol-3-ium) tetrachloridozincate monohydrate, (C4H5N2O2)2[ZnCl4]·H2O, (I), crystallizes as a monohydrate salt, while bis(4-carboxy-1H-imidazol-3-ium) tetrachloridozincate bis(1H-imidazol-3-ium-4-carboxylato) monohydrate, (C4H5N2O2)2[ZnCl4]·2C4H4N2O2·H2O, (II), is a co-crystal salt with six residues: two ImHCO2H+cations, two formula units of the zwitterionic 1H-imidazol-3-ium-4-carboxylate, ImHCO2, one tetrachloridozincate anion and one water molecule disordered over two sites in a 0.60 (4):0.40 (4) ratio. The geometric parameters of the ImHCO2H+and the ImHCO2moieties are the same within the standard uncertainties of the measurements. Both compounds exhibit extensive hydrogen bonding, including involvement of the tetrachloridozincate anion, resulting in interconnected chains of anions joined by water molecules.
An unexpected oxidation: NaK5Cl2(S2O6)2revisited
Authors: Harrison William T. A. , Plater M. John
Published: January 2017

The title compound, NaK5Cl2(S2O6)2[systematic name: sodium pentapotassium dichloride bis(dithionate)], arose as an unexpected product from an organic synthesis that used dithionite (S2O42−) ions as a reducing agent to destroy excess permanganate ions. Compared to the previous study [Stanley (1953).Acta Cryst.6, 187–196], the present tetragonal structure exhibits a root 2a× root 2a×csuper-cell due to subtle changes in the orientations of the dithionate anions. The structure can be visualized as a three-dimensional framework of [001] columns of alternatingtrans-NaO4Cl2and KO4Cl2octahedra cross-linked by the dithionate ions with the interstices occupied by KO6Cl2polyhedra to generate a densely packed three-dimensional framework. The asymmetric unit comprises two sodium ions (site symmetries 4 and -4, four potassium ions (site symmetries = -4, 4, 1 and 1), three chloride ions (site symmetries = 4, 4 and 2) and two half-dithionate ions (all atoms on general positions). Both dithionate ions are completed by crystallographic inversion symmetry. The crystal chosen for data collection was found to be rotationally twinned by 180° about the [100] axis in reciprocal space with a 0.6298 (13):0.3702 (13) domain ratio.
5-Amino-1-(2′,3′-O-isopropylidene-D-ribityl)-1H-imidazole-4-carboxamide: a crystal structure withZ′ = 4
Authors: Piccialli Vincenzo , Borbone Nicola , Oliviero Giorgia , Piccialli Gennaro , D'Errico Stefano , Centore Roberto
Published: January 2017

The title compound, C12H20N4O5, crystallizes in the monoclinic space groupP21, with four crystallographically independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. The four molecules have a very similar conformation that is basically determined by the formation of two intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the amino NH2donors and the carbonyl and ring O-atom acceptors, forming, respectively,R(6) andR(7) ring motifs.. In the crystal, intermolecular hydrogen bonding leads to the formation ofR22(10) ring patterns, involving one amide CONH2donor and an imidazole N-atom acceptor. The cluster of the four independent molecules has approximate non-crystallographicC2point symmetry. The structural analysis also shows that during the synthesis of the title compound, the reductive cleavage of the D-ribose ring of the inosine precursor proceeds stereoselectively, with retention of configuration.
4-Cyclohexyl-3-[(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl]-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5-thione
Authors: Mague Joel T. , Mohamed Shaaban K. , Akkurt Mehmet , Marzouk Adel A. , Abdel-Rahman Hamdy M. , Hawaiz Farouq E.
Published: January 2017

In the title compound, C14H21N5S, the dihedral angle between the triazole ring and the pyrazole ring is 88.16 (7)°. The cyclohexyl ring is disordered over two chair conformations in a 0.720 (3):0.280 (3) ratio. In the crystal, the molecules are linked by N—H...N hydrogen bonds to generate C(7) chains propagating in [001]. The chains are cross-linked by very weak C—H...S hydrogen bonds to generate (100) sheets.
Take-off characteristics and longitudinal controllability of FanWing
Authors: Meng Lin , Ye Yongqiang
Published: January 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to study the short take-off characteristics and longitudinal controllability of FanWing. As a new structural plane, it has achieved great success at the air shows, but the existing literature is mostly on feasibility and prototype study while little on short take-off performance analysis and controllability. Thus, the paper will do some research on those two aspects.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper focuses on a certain type of a 3.5 kg FanWing and builds the longitudinal model based on its structure characteristics and operation principle. Its take-off process is simulated and the longitudinal control law is designed.

Findings

The short take-off performance and the large load characteristic are verified. To attain a better short take-off performance, several factors that influence the take-off distance are researched, and the optimal no-load take-off distance 5 m is obtained when the elevator deflection angle is −30°, the center of gravity is 0.42 m and the cross-flow fan rotation speed is 2500 r/min. The longitudinal controllability is verified through simulation. And without variable cross-flow fan rotation speed control, the longitudinal control of FanWing is the same to that of the conventional aircraft.

Practical implications

The presented efforts provide markers for designing the fan wing aircraft that would have better performances. And the control of FanWing is similar to that of a conventional airplane.

Originality/value

It is proved that FanWing can offer a better take-off performance through reasonable configuration. The paper also offers a useful reference on the control of FanWing.
Glider fuselage-wing junction optimization using CFD and RBF mesh morphing
Authors: Biancolini Marco Evangelos , Costa Emiliano , Cella Ubaldo , Groth Corrado , Veble Gregor , Andrejašič Matej
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The present paper aims to address the description of a numerical optimization procedure, based on mesh morphing, and its application for the improvement of the aerodynamic performance of an industrial glider which suffers of a large separation occurring in the wing–fuselage junction region at high incidence angles.

Design/methodology/approach

Shape variations were applied to the baseline configuration through a mesh morphing technique founded on the mathematical framework of radial basis functions (RBF). The aerodynamic solutions were obtained coupling an RANS code with the mesh morphing tool RBF Morph™. Two shape modifiers were set up to generate a parametric numerical model. An optimization procedure, based on a design of experiment sampling, was set up implementing the fully automated workflow within a high performance computing (HPC) environment. The optimal candidates maximizing the aerodynamic efficiency were identified by means of a cubic RBF response surface approach.

Findings

The separation was significantly reduced, modifying the local geometry of fuselage and fairing and maintaining the wing aerofoil unchanged. A relevant aerodynamic efficiency improvement was finally gained.

Practical implications

The developed procedure proved to be a very powerful and efficient tool in facing aerodynamic design problems. However, it might be computationally very expensive if a large number of design variables are adopted and, in those cases, the method can be suitably used only within the HPC environment.

Originality/value

Such an optimization study is part of an explorative set of analyses that focused on better addressing the numerical strategies to be used in the development of the EU FP7 Project RBF4AERO.
Can relationship bring more provision in rural public goods? Empirical evidence from rural China
Authors: Wang Yuxin , Liu Qing , Wu Yanrui , Wu Huaqing
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how different types of the village relationship influence different types of public goods provision in rural China.

Design/methodology/approach

The three components (clan-based relationship, neighborhood relationship and external relationship) were derived by employing factor analysis. The simultaneous discrete choice model was used to estimate the influence of these components on public goods provision, using the survey data from the China Household Income Project conducted in 2007.

Findings

The findings indicate that considering different components of village relationship allows for a better understanding of the public good provision. The results indicate that the neighborhood relationship has a significantly positive effect on rural public goods provision, particularly on water conservancy and irrigation, while the external relationship has a significantly positive effect on all types of public goods.

Practical implications

Local public goods provision is the core of the new rural construction in China. These findings imply that relationship in villages plays a vital role in the provision of public goods and is necessary in the construction of the new harmonious countryside in China. The results also have implications for rural public goods provision in other developing countries.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to quantitatively model the impact of different relationships on public goods provision at the rural level. A consideration of the different components in village relationship allows for a more precise understanding of the pubic goods provision in the village.
Chinese consumers’ willingness-to-pay for safety label on tomato: evidence from choice experiments
Authors: Yin Shijiu , Chen Mo , Xu Yingjun , Chen Yusheng
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Unlike some developed countries, Chinese food safety certification system is multi-level including organic/green/hazard-free certifications. The purpose of this paper is to assess consumers’ preferences for tomatoes carrying these different labels.

Design/methodology/approach

Data used in this study came from choice experiments (CEs) conducted in Shandong province, China. Based on experiment data, a random parameter logit model was established to analyze consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP).

Findings

Consumers’ WTP for organic tomatoes was higher than that for hazard-free and green-certified tomatoes. Furthermore, consumers’ WTP for the European Union (EU) organic label was higher than that for the Chinese organic label, whereas a non-significant difference existed between the levels of consumers’ WTP for hazard-free and green-certified tomatoes. Consumers with different food safety risk perception (FSRP) had large differences in WTP, whereas those with varying environmental awareness (ENAW) had similar levels of WTP.

Originality/value

This contribution is the first research which focuses on consumers’ WTP for EU organic label, Chinese organic label, green label, or hazard-free label on tomato through CEs in China. Furthermore, the influence of consumers’ FSRP and ENAW on their preference was analyzed through a random parameter logit model.
The implications of Brexit for the governance of telecommunications markets in the United Kingdom
Authors: Sutherland Ewan
Published: January 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse the implication of the exit of the UK from the European Union (a.k.a. Brexit).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyses the options for the UK and the freedom this creates for the government to design its system of governance for the telecommunications and related economic sectors.

Findings

Brexit, other than the Norway Option or membership of the European Economic Area, allows the UK Government considerable freedom to reshape its system of governance for telecommunications. The strongest influence in such a redesign would be vested commercial interests, with the risk of subsequent underperformance and insufficient rigour.

Research limitations/implications

Events have moved relatively quickly, yet the outcome of the negotiations remains difficult to predict, beyond broad scenarios.

Social implications

There will be a need for greater involvement of consumers and business users in the process of recasting the regulatory governance system if it is not to be for the benefit of vested interests.

Originality/value

This is the first substantive analysis of Brexit for the telecommunications sector.
Workplace wellness strategies for small businesses
Authors: Rucker Michael Raymond
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify strategies used within small- to mid-size organizations that run effective workplace wellness programs, and remedy a current research gap that exists in the available academic literature regarding this topic.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from four organizations in the form of case studies. Similarities, differences and patterns between different cases were explored, and thematic analysis was used to identify and explain meaningful commonalities between the programs studied.

Findings

The analysis revealed five overarching common concepts: innovation, company culture, employee-centric, environment, and altruism. Under these five concepts, 19 common themes were identified that represent common workplace wellness strategies.

Research limitations/implications

A relatively small number of participants were included in the study, which could be viewed as a limitation of the qualitative approach.

Practical implications

This study identified several strategies used by small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) with effective and viable workplace wellness programs and could help inform the practices of other small businesses. The study’s findings could also be applied to broader theory in organizational and social psychology.

Social implications

Strategies from this study potentially could be used to help improve the well-being of employees in SMBs.

Originality/value

The study challenges some of the established views on workplace wellness and provides a better understanding of the unique attributes of successful SMB programs, especially when compared to the attributes of workplace wellness programs operating in larger enterprises.
The strategic nature of corporate social responsibility in SMEs: a multiple mediator analysis
Authors: Martínez-Martínez Domingo , Herrera Madueño Jesús , Larrán Jorge Manuel , Lechuga Sancho María Paula
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse empirically the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategic effects on the competitive performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by performing a multiple mediator analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical research was conducted in Spanish SMEs. A questionnaire was distributed among managers of these companies. Thus, with a final sample of 481 cases and using consistent partial least squares structural equation modelling, direct and mediating effects were tested. In particular, relationships among corporate social performance (CSP) (exogenous variable), competitive performance (endogenous variable), relational marketing (mediating variable) and innovative capacity (mediating variable) were hypothesized. Moreover, a further analysis about the superior returns offered by socially responsible practices related to core business stakeholders was conducted.

Findings

The results highlight a significant and positive effect that CSP has on competitive performance. Additionally, both mediating positive effects were supported and the firm size was checked as a relevant control variable which, as proxy for resources availability, affects all constructs used with the exception of relational marketing. Managers interested in a strategic approach to social responsibility should be aware that the investment in activities related to employees and customers leads to higher competitiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to SME in Spain. Moreover, information related to competitive performance was gathered from managers’ own perceptions, considering the performance of their direct competitors as a reference level.

Originality/value

To the authors knowledge, no research studies were found that empirically examined the business case in SMEs and employed a CSR approach based on stakeholders’ perspective. Therefore, the main contribution of this research is to show how socially responsible management of SMEs leads to higher competitive performance both direct and indirectly, using two strategic variables suggested in literature on large corporations. Despite their resources limitations, this kind of organizations is in a favourable position to engage with different stakeholders and benefit from their relationships, especially with employees and customers.
The challenges of introducing internal social media – the coordinators’ roles and perceptions
Authors: Madsen Vibeke Thøis
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges associated with introducing internal social media (ISM) into organizations in order to help them reap the benefits of coworker communication on ISM.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on an exploratory study in ten organizations. The data were collected in semi-structured interviews with ISM coordinators in Spring 2014.

Findings

According to the ISM coordinators, four challenges were associated with introducing ISM: coworkers could perceive communication on ISM as not work related; coworkers might not understand the informal nature of communication on ISM, and self-censorship might stop them communicating on ISM; ISM was not considered a “natural” part of the daily routines in the organizations; and top managers mainly supported ISM in words, not in action.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on the perceptions of ISM coordinators. Further research is called for to explore both coworker perceptions and actual communication on ISM.

Practical implications

Practitioners introducing ISM should be aware of these four challenges, and should help coworkers to make sense of communication on ISM as work-related communication among coworkers. ISM coordinators’ perceptions of their own role in relation to coworker communication on ISM make a difference.

Originality/value

The study provides insights into the key challenges associated with introducing ISM, as well as the role of ISM coordinators as community facilitators and sense-givers.
The benefit of issue management: anticipating crises in the digital age
Authors: Strauβ Nadine , Jonkman Jeroen
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find out how issue management and media monitoring is exercised in the digital age to anticipate crises. More specifically, it was investigated how these practices differ across communication professionals, organizations, and sectors in the Netherlands. Organizations are nowadays confronted with a fast-changing environment. Anticipating dicey issues, being in control of the flow of messages, and managing various stakeholders on diverse channels becomes a primary concern for organizations these days.

Design/methodology/approach

The study relies on qualitative interviews with 17 communication professionals working in various industrial sectors in the Netherlands. Professionals were recruited from distinct organizations and from diverse sectors, including media, public affairs, technology, consultancy, municipality, lottery, oil/gas, cultural, insurance, and the financial industry. The interview data were analyzed by means of an inductive analysis and in-depth reading.

Findings

Practitioners seem to acknowledge the importance of issue monitoring. However, professionals differ with regard to their expertise in online media monitoring, depending on the sector they work for. Stakeholder mapping and the monitoring of competitors has been found to be crucial for issue management, but also to vary among large and small organizations. Eventually, monitoring in times of crises was seen indispensable. It also has the potential to empower practitioners within their organizations.

Originality/value

New technologies, external services, and automized monitoring processes have facilitated issue monitoring for professionals to a great extent, making it possible to analyze great amounts of data efficiently in short time and with fewer resources. Furthermore, the focus of media monitoring is increasingly moving toward the online sphere, including the active engagement of stakeholders. Eventually, the empowerment of practitioners through online monitoring practices in times of crises can be considered as a further step toward the positioning of communication professionals within the dominant coalition.
On the validity and sensitivity of the phonics screening check: erratum and further analysis
Authors: Gilchrist James M. , Snowling Margaret J.
Published: January 2017

Duff, Mengoni, Bailey and Snowling (Journal of Research in Reading, 38: 109–123; 2015) evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the phonics screening check against two reference standards. This report aims to correct a minor data error in the original article and to present further analysis of the data. The methods used are calculation of predictive values of the phonics screening check in addition to sensitivity and specificity, and evaluation of agreement between the reference tests. Predictive values are important indicators of screening test quality. The positive predictive value of the phonics check is low (0.31) when compared with a standardised reading test but high (0.84) when compared with teachers' phonic phases judgements, reflecting poor agreement (kappa = 0.27) between reference tests. Results have implications for practice in terms of choice of reference standard and choice of threshold criterion for children to pass the screening check. Longitudinal data are needed to assess the predictive validity and utility of the check.

What is already known about this topic:

The importance of phonics in learning to read is widely acknowledged.

The phonics screening check was introduced into U.K. schools in 2012 to ensure that all children develop phonic decoding skills.

Estimates of the sensitivity and specificity of the phonics screening check, compared with two established ‘reference’ measures, were reported by Duff et al. ().

What this paper adds:

We correct a minor error in the report of the original data by Duff et al. ().

We draw attention to the importance of including predictive values, alongside sensitivity and specificity, in the evaluation of screening test validity. We also propose an alternative statistic for comparing the two reference measures.

We show that applying this further analysis to the data in Duff et al. () reveals the following: (i) the numbers of incorrect (false positive and false negative) outcomes in the phonics check and (ii) the marked difference in these numbers depending on the choice of reference measure.

Implications for theory, policy or practice:

Reports of screening test validity should include positive and negative predictive values.

A fundamental consideration for evaluating the validity of the phonics screening check is the choice of reference measure.

Longitudinal data are needed to assess the predictive validity and utility of the phonics check.
The Consumer as the Empirical Measure of Trade Mark Law
Authors: Weatherall Kimberlee
Published: January 2017

Although consumer responses to signs and symbols lie at the heart of trade mark law, courts blow hot and cold on the relevance of empirical evidence – such as surveys and experiments – to establish how consumers respond to alleged infringing marks. This ambivalence is related to deeper rifts between trade mark doctrine and the science around consumer decision‐making. This article engages with an approach in ‘Law and Science’ literature: looking at how cognitive psychology and related disciplines conceptualise consumer decision‐making, and how counterintuitive lawyers’ approaches appear from this perspective. It demonstrates how, especially when proving confusion, decision‐makers in trade mark demand the impossible of empiricists and are simultaneously blind to the weaknesses of other sources of proof. A principled divergence, without seeking to collapse the gaps between legal and scientific approaches, but taking certain small steps, could reduce current problems of proof and contribute to better‐informed, more empirically grounded decisions.
Legislating Dangerously: Bad Samaritans, Good Society, and the Heroism Act 2015
Authors: Mulheron Rachael
Published: January 2017

The Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015 is a troublesome statute. The Act requires that, when considering a claim brought against a defendant in negligence or for breach of statutory duty, the court must assess whether that party was ‘acting for the benefit of society or any of its members’ (section 2), or ‘demonstrated a predominantly responsible approach towards protecting the safety or interests of others’ (section 3), or was ‘acting heroically’ (section 4). However laudable the Coalition Government's attempts to foster a ‘Big Society’ might have been, this enactment was not the proper vehicle to achieve it. Some provisions merely repeat longstanding common law principles. Others may have been intended to amend the common law to encourage ‘good citizenship’, but fall well short of that aim. And some aspects of the Act's drafting have the (perhaps unintended) potential to sit uncomfortably with established common law negligence principles.
Urban Sensing by Crowdsourcing: Analysing Urban Trip behaviour in Zurich
Authors: Shin Dongyoun
Published: January 2017

The research on which this essay is based sought to provide a deeper understanding of live urban activities. The main idea was to obtain in‐depth trip information by integrating sensing technology with crowdsourcing‐based methods. Location and acceleration sensors embedded in smartphones can deliver useful trip information. Research had previously been conducted to find an accurate data analysis algorithm for high‐level data mining, an efficient sensing method for power saving. As a proof of concept, this essay presents a case study of Zurich that successfully implemented previous research achievements in the real environment. It established that urban travel behaviour can, in fact, be collected by sensors embedded in mobile devices, and that the data thus obtained can be used to measure the characteristics of trip behaviour in cities by means of an advanced classifying algorithm and analysis. The strength of this research is its pioneering role in clearing the ground for future urban data collection methods and planning strategies. Specifically, this study could provide answers to the following key questions: How can crowdsourcing be applied to the collection of urban transportation data? What kinds of information can be extracted from the crowdsourced mobile sensing platform? What kinds of knowledge, within the transportation domain, can be derived from the above?
Implementing point‐of‐care ultrasonography of the heart and lungs in an anesthesia department
Authors: Bøtker M. T. , Vang M. L. , Grøfte T. , Kirkegaard H. , Frederiksen C. A. , Sloth E.
Published: January 2017

Background

Implementation of point‐of‐care ultrasonography (POCUS) of the heart and lungs requires image acquisition skills among providers. We aimed to determine the effect of POCUS implementation using a systematic education program on image acquisition skills and subsequent use and barriers in a department of anesthesiology.

Methods

Twenty‐five anesthesiologists underwent a systematic education program in POCUS during the fall of 2012. A POCUS expert evaluated images from baseline and evaluation examinations performed on two healthy individuals as useful or not useful for clinical interpretation. In August 2016, anesthesiologists employed at the department answered a questionnaire regarding the use of POCUS and perceived barriers to its use.

Results

The systematic education program increased the proportion of images useful for clinical interpretation from 0.70 (95% CI 0.65–0.75) to 0.98 (95% CI 0.95–0.99). This difference was significant when adjusted for prior cardiac ultrasonography courses, prior clinical cardiac ultrasonography experience, ultrasonography view, and ultrasound model (P < 0.001). After 3.5 years, 15/25 (60%) of perioperative medicine providers, 22/24 (92%) of intensive care providers, and 21/21 (100%) of pre‐hospital care providers used POCUS either routinely, in selected patient groups, or sporadically.

Conclusion

Implementation of POCUS by a systematic education program increased image acquisition skills across anesthesiologists employed at the department. POCUS was used in the intensive care setting, the pre‐hospital setting, and to a lesser extent in the perioperative setting. Educational strategies for obtaining images under difficult conditions, practical equipment and evidence for effect on patient outcomes are required for full implementation of POCUS.
The influence of state‐level policy environments on the activation of the Medicaid SBIRT reimbursement codes
Authors: Hinde Jesse , Bray Jeremy , Kaiser David , Mallonee Erin
Published: January 2017

Aims

To examine how institutional constraints, comprising federal actions and states’ substance abuse policy environments, influence states’ decisions to activate Medicaid reimbursement codes for screening and brief intervention for risky substance use in the United States.

Methods

A discrete‐time duration model was used to estimate the effect of institutional constraints on the likelihood of activating the Medicaid reimbursement codes. Primary constraints included federal Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) grant funding, substance abuse priority, economic climate, political climate and interstate diffusion. Study data came from publicly available secondary data sources.

Results

Federal SBIRT grant funding did not affect significantly the likelihood of activation (P = 0.628). A $1 increase in per‐capita block grant funding was associated with a 10‐percentage point reduction in the likelihood of activation (P = 0.003) and a $1 increase in per‐capita state substance use disorder expenditures was associated with a 2‐percentage point increase in the likelihood of activation (P = 0.004). States with enacted parity laws (P = 0.016) and a Democratic‐controlled state government were also more likely to activate the codes.

Conclusion

In the United States, the determinants of state activation of Medicaid Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) reimbursement codes are complex, and include more than financial considerations. Federal block grant funding is a strong disincentive to activating the SBIRT reimbursement codes, while more direct federal SBIRT grant funding has no detectable effects.
Differentiation between optic disc drusen and optic disc oedema using fundus photography
Authors: Lee Kyoung Min , Woo Se Joon , Hwang Jeong‐Min
Published: January 2017

Purpose

To describe a funduscopic sign that can be used to differentiate between optic disc drusen (ODD) and optic disc oedema (ODE).

Methods

A total of 73 eyes from 73 consecutive subjects with disc margin blurring who had been evaluated using spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT) were included. Final diagnosis was made by SD‐OCT; ODD was defined by direct visualization of ODD, while ODE was defined by documentation of retinal nerve fibre layer oedema (nasal retinal nerve fibre layer thickness >78.0 μm). Peripapillary retina was selected as a two‐disc‐diameter‐sized square image from the fundus photograph. Using MATLAB software, colour photographs were converted to indexed image of eight colours. Presence of a smooth contour strip between the nasal disc margin and juxtapapillary retina was defined as a halo. Whether the halo could predict the ODD was analysed retrospectively.

Results

The halo sign was detected in 45 eyes (100%) with ODD including one eye with both ODD and ODE. No eyes with ODE alone showed the halo sign. The halo sign implied the presence of ODD (Cohen's kappa = 1.000, p < 0.001) and the absence of ODE (Cohen's kappa = 0.971, p < 0.001). The halo sign showed a good interobserver reliability [ICC (2, 1) = 0.944, 95% confidence interval 0.912–0.964]. SD‐OCT images showed that halos represented retinal elevations above ODD.

Conclusions

In the patients with blurred disc margin, the presence of a halo strongly suggested underlying ODD rather than ODE.
Lead Isotope Analyses Revealed the Key Role of Chang'an in the Mirror Production and Distribution Network During the Han Dynasty
Authors: Zhangsun Y. Z. , Liu R. L. , Jin Z. Y. , Pollard A. M. , Lu X. , Bray P. J. , Fan A. C. , Huang F.
Published: January 2017

Chang'an (now Xi'an) was the capital of the Western Han Dynasty and the starting point of the Silk Road. In the light of the importance of Chang'an as the centre of politics, economy and cultural interaction, the overarching question proposed in this paper is focused on its role in the mirror production and distribution network during Han period. On the basis of chemical and lead isotopic analyses of 34 Han mirrors, this paper discusses the potential existence of a mirror production centre in Chang'an. Meanwhile, a comparative study with mirrors uncovered from the south‐western frontier and from Central Asian and North‐East Asian countries offers new insight into these related issues.
Should Social Value Obligations be Local or Global?
Authors: Nayak Rahul , Shah Seema K.
Published: January 2017

According to prominent bioethics scholars and international guidelines, researchers and sponsors have obligations to ensure that the products of their research are reasonably available to research participants and their communities. In other words, the claim is that research is unethical unless it has local social value. In this article, we argue that the existing conception of reasonable availability should be replaced with a social value obligation that extends to the global poor (and not just research participants and host communities). To the extent the social value requirement has been understood as geographically constrained to the communities that host research and the countries that can afford the products of research, it has neglected to include the global poor as members of the relevant society. We argue that a new conception of social value obligations is needed for two reasons. First, duties of global beneficence give reason for researchers, sponsors, and institutions to take steps to make their products more widely accessible. Second, public commitments made by many institutions acknowledge and engender responsibilities to make the products of research more accessible to the global poor. Future research is needed to help researchers and sponsors discharge these obligations in ways that unlock their full potential.
In Defense of a Social Value Requirement for Clinical Research
Authors: Wendler David , Rid Annette
Published: January 2017

Many guidelines and commentators endorse the view that clinical research is ethically acceptable only when it has social value, in the sense of collecting data which might be used to improve health. A version of this social value requirement is included in the Declaration of Helsinki and the Nuremberg Code, and is codified in many national research regulations. At the same time, there have been no systematic analyses of why social value is an ethical requirement for clinical research. Recognizing this gap in the literature, recent articles by Alan Wertheimer and David Resnik argue that the extant justifications for the social value requirement are unpersuasive. Both authors conclude, contrary to almost all current guidelines and regulations, that it can be acceptable across a broad range of cases to conduct clinical research which is known prospectively to have no social value. The present article assesses this conclusion by critically evaluating the ethical and policy considerations relevant to the claim that clinical research must have social value. This analysis supports the standard view that social value is an ethical requirement for the vast majority of clinical research studies and should be mandated by applicable guidelines and policies.
Sound categories or phonemes?
Authors: Redford Melissa A.
Published: January 2017

Vihman emphasizes the importance of early word production to the emergence of phonological knowledge. This emphasis, consistent with the generative function of phonology, provides insight into the concurrent representation of phonemes and words. At the same time, Vihman's focus on phonology leads her to possibly overstate the influence of early word acquisition on the emergence of sound categories that are probably purely phonetic in nature at the outset of learning.
Sport mega event planning in Toronto: From a democratic demand to a democratic demise
Authors: Oliver Robert
Published: January 2017

Key Messages

Urban geographers need to consider how even bidding for a mega event has the potential to configure/reconfigure the politics of local economic development.

Provincially‐led rescaling challenges the role of the public in Toronto's mega event development process.

The continued depoliticization of urban governance in Toronto is disconcerting.
A platinum blue complex exerts its cytotoxic activity via DNA damage and induces apoptosis in cancer cells
Authors: Adiguzel Zelal , Ozalp‐Yaman Seniz , Celik Gokalp , Salem Safia , Bagci‐Onder Tugba , Senbabaoglu Filiz , Cetin Yüksel , Acilan Ceyda
Published: January 2017

Here, we describe the characteristics of a Pt‐blue complex [Pt4(2‐atp)8(H2O)(OH)] (2‐atp: 2‐aminothiophenol) as a prodrug for its DNA‐binding properties and its use in cancer therapy. The nature of the interaction between the Pt‐blue complex and DNA was evaluated based on spectroscopic measurements, the electronic absorption spectra, thermal behavior, viscosity, fluorometric titration, and agarose gel electrophoresis. Our results suggested that the compound was able to partially intercalate DNA and appeared to induce both single‐ and double‐stranded breaks (DBS) on DNA in vitro, but no DSBs in cells. The ability of the compound to induce DNA damage was dependent on reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitro. There was also elevated formation of ROS and SOD expression in response to drug treatment in cell culture. The complex was found to be more cytotoxic to cancer cells in comparison with noncancer controls using WST‐1 assay. The mean of cell death was determined to be apoptosis as assessed via biochemical, morphological, and molecular observations, including DNA condensation/fragmentation analysis, live cell imaging microscopy, TUNEL analyses, and increase in the levels of pro‐apoptotic genes such as Bag3, Bak, Bik, Bmf, and Hrk. Hence, the Pt‐blue complex under study grants premise for further studies.
Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and 3D‐QSAR analysis of podophyllotoxin–dioxazole combination as tubulin targeting anticancer agents
Authors: Wang Zi‐Zhen , Sun Wen‐Xue , Wang Xue , Zhang Ya‐Han , Qiu Han‐Yue , Qi Jin‐Liang , Pang Yan‐Jun , Lu Gui‐Hua , Wang Xiao‐Ming , Yu Fu‐Gen , Yang Yong‐Hua
Published: January 2017

The advancement of cancer‐fighting drugs has never been a simple linear process. Those drug design professionals begin to find inspiration from the nature after failing to find the ideal products by creative drug design and high‐throughput screening. To obtain new molecules for inhibiting tubulin, podophyllotoxin was adopted as the leading compound and 1,3,4‐oxadiazole was brought in to the C‐4 site of podophyllotoxin in this research. A series of seventeen podophyllotoxin‐derived esters have been achieved and then evaluated their antitumor activities against four different cancer cell lines: A549, MCF‐7, HepG2, and HeLa. Among all the compounds, compound 7c showed the best antiproliferating properties with IC50 = 2.54 ± 0.82 μm against MCF‐7 cancer cell line. It was obvious that the content of ROS grew significantly in MCF‐7 in a way depending on the dosage. The time‐ and dose‐dependent cell cycle assays revealed that compound 7c could apparently block cell cycle in the phase of G2/M along with the upregulation of cyclin A2 and CDK2 protein. According to further studies, confocal microscopy experiment has certified that compound 7c could restrain cancer from growing by blocking the polymerization of microtubule. Meanwhile, compound 7c could be ideally integrated with the colchicine site of tubulin. In future, it would be feasible to selectively design tubulin inhibitors with the help of 3D‐QSAR. This means that it is hopeful to develop compound 7c as a potential agent against cancer due to its biological characteristics.