bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structure of a PE–PPE–EspG complex fromMycobacterium tuberculosisreveals molecular specificity of ESX protein secretion
Authors: Ekiert Damian C. , Cox Jeffery S.
Published: October 2014

Significance

Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) infects nearly a third of the global population, and understanding howMtbestablishes infection and evades host responses is key to development of improved therapies. Two mysterious protein families, called Pro-Glu motif–containing (PE) and Pro-Pro-Glu motif–containing (PPE) proteins, are highly expanded inMtband have been linked to virulence, but their function remains unknown. We have determined the crystal structure of a PE-PPE protein dimer bound to ESAT-6 secretion system (ESX) secretion-associated protein G (EspG), a component of the secretion system that translocates PE-PPE proteins to the bacterial cell surface. This structure reveals how each of the four EspGs inMtbinteracts with a different subset of the ∼100 PE and ∼70 PPE proteins, directing specific classes of PE-PPE “effector” proteins through separate secretory pathways.
Rethinking fat as a fuel for endurance exercise
Authors: Volek Jeff S. , Noakes Timothy , Phinney Stephen D.
Published: October 2014

A key element contributing to deteriorating exercise capacity during physically demanding sport appears to be reduced carbohydrate availability coupled with an inability to effectively utilize alternative lipid fuel sources. Paradoxically, cognitive and physical decline associated with glycogen depletion occurs in the presence of an over‐abundance of fuel stored as body fat that the athlete is apparently unable to access effectively. Current fuelling tactics that emphasize high‐carbohydrate intakes before and during exercise inhibit fat utilization. The most efficient approach to accelerate the body's ability to oxidize fat is to lower dietary carbohydrate intake to a level that results in nutritional ketosis (i.e., circulating ketone levels >0.5 mmol/L) while increasing fat intake for a period of several weeks. The coordinated set of metabolic adaptations that ensures proper interorgan fuel supply in the face of low‐carbohydrate availability is referred to as keto‐adaptation. Beyond simply providing a stable source of fuel for the brain, the major circulating ketone body, beta‐hydroxybutyrate, has recently been shown to act as a signalling molecule capable of altering gene expression, eliciting complementary effects of keto‐adaptation that could extend human physical and mental performance beyond current expectation. In this paper, we review these new findings and propose that the shift to fatty acids and ketones as primary fuels when dietary carbohydrate is restricted could be of benefit for some athletes.
Loss of the Sec1/Munc18-family proteins VPS-33.2 and VPS-33.1 bypasses a block in endosome maturation inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Solinger Jachen A. , Spang Anne
Published: October 2014

The end of the life of a transport vesicle requires a complex series of tethering, docking, and fusion events. Tethering complexes play a crucial role in the recognition of membrane entities and bringing them into close opposition, thereby coordinating and controlling cellular trafficking events. Here we provide a comprehensive RNA interference analysis of the CORVET and HOPS tethering complexes in metazoans. Knockdown of CORVET components promoted RAB-7 recruitment to subapical membranes, whereas in HOPS knockdowns, RAB-5 was found also on membrane structures close to the cell center, indicating the RAB conversion might be impaired in the absence of these tethering complexes. Unlike in yeast, metazoans have two VPS33 homologues, which are Sec1/Munc18 (SM)-family proteins involved in the regulation of membrane fusion. We assume that in wild type, each tethering complex contains a specific SM protein but that they may be able to substitute for each other in case of absence of the other. Of importance, knockdown of both SM proteins allowed bypass of the endosome maturation block in sand-1 mutants. We propose a model in which the SM proteins in tethering complexes are required for coordinated flux of material through the endosomal system.
Christianity: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Woodhead Linda
Published: October 2014

At a time when Christianity is flourishing in the Southern hemisphere but declining in much of the West, Christianity: A Very Short Introduction offers an important overview of the world's largest religion. Exploring the cultural and institutional dimensions of Christianity, and tracing its course over two millennia, it provides a candid portrait of Christianity's past and present. Addressing topics including the competition for power between different forms of Christianity, the churches' use of power, and its struggles with modernity, this VSI includes up-to-date information on the growth and geographical spread of Eastern Christianity, reflecting the global nature of Christianity in our ever-shifting contemporary culture.
The Induced Innovation Hypothesis and U.S. Public Agricultural Research
Authors: Cowan Benjamin W. , Lee Daegoon , Shumway C. Richard
Published: October 2014

Applicability of the induced innovation hypothesis—that a change in relative input prices induces innovation to economize use of the increasingly expensive input (Hicks 1932)—is examined for U.S. public agricultural research. A reduced‐form test is developed using input prices from the agricultural production sector, expenditures from the public research sector aimed at developing new technology to save specific agricultural inputs, and variables to control for innovation marginal cost differences and nonhomotheticity. Unlike recent demand‐side studies that soundly reject the induced innovation hypothesis for agriculture, support for the hypothesis is found for several input pairings through these tests of public agricultural research using state‐level panel data.
A Python package for parsing, validating, mapping and formatting sequence variants using HGVS nomenclature
Authors: Hart Reece K. , Rico Rudolph , Hare Emily , Garcia John , Westbrook Jody , Fusaro Vincent A.
Published: October 2014

Summary: Biological sequence variants are commonly represented in scientific literature, clinical reports and databases of variation using the mutation nomenclature guidelines endorsed by the Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS). Despite the widespread use of the standard, no freely available and comprehensive programming libraries are available. Here we report an open-source and easy-to-use Python library that facilitates the parsing, manipulation, formatting and validation of variants according to the HGVS specification. The current implementation focuses on the subset of the HGVS recommendations that precisely describe sequence-level variation relevant to the application of high-throughput sequencing to clinical diagnostics.

Availability and implementation: The package is released under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. Source code, documentation and issue tracking are available at http://bitbucket.org/hgvs/hgvs/ . Python packages are available at PyPI ( https://pypi.python.org/pypi/hgvs ).

Contact:  reecehart@gmail.com

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
PROPER: comprehensive power evaluation for differential expression using RNA-seq
Authors: Wu Hao , Wang Chi , Wu Zhijin
Published: October 2014

Motivation : RNA-seq has become a routine technique in differential expression (DE) identification. Scientists face a number of experimental design decisions, including the sample size. The power for detecting differential expression is affected by several factors, including the fraction of DE genes, distribution of the magnitude of DE, distribution of gene expression level, sequencing coverage and the choice of type I error control. The complexity and flexibility of RNA-seq experiments, the high-throughput nature of transcriptome-wide expression measurements and the unique characteristics of RNA-seq data make the power assessment particularly challenging.

Results : We propose prospective power assessment instead of a direct sample size calculation by making assumptions on all of these factors. Our power assessment tool includes two components: (i) a semi-parametric simulation that generates data based on actual RNA-seq experiments with flexible choices on baseline expressions, biological variations and patterns of DE; and (ii) a power assessment component that provides a comprehensive view of power. We introduce the concepts of stratified power and false discovery cost, and demonstrate the usefulness of our method in experimental design (such as sample size and sequencing depth), as well as analysis plan (gene filtering).

Availability : The proposed method is implemented in a freely available R software package PROPER.

Contact : hao.wu@emory.edu , zhijin_wu@brown.edu .

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
MulRF: a software package for phylogenetic analysis using multi-copy gene trees
Authors: Chaudhary Ruchi , Fernández-Baca David , Burleigh John Gordon
Published: October 2014

Summary: MulRF is a platform-independent software package for phylogenetic analysis using multi-copy gene trees. It seeks the species tree that minimizes the Robinson–Foulds (RF) distance to the input trees using a generalization of the RF distance to multi-labeled trees. The underlying generic tree distance measure and fast running time make MulRF useful for inferring phylogenies from large collections of gene trees, in which multiple evolutionary processes as well as phylogenetic error may contribute to gene tree discord. MulRF implements several features for customizing the species tree search and assessing the results, and it provides a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) with tree visualization. The species tree search is implemented in C++ and the GUI in Java Swing.

Availability: MulRF’s executable as well as sample datasets and manual are available at http://genome.cs.iastate.edu/CBL/MulRF/ , and the source code is available at https://github.com/ruchiherself/MulRFRepo .

Contact:  ruchic@ufl.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Anesthesia and Increased Hypercarbic Drive Impair the Coordination between Breathing and Swallowing
Authors: D’Angelo Olivia M. , Diaz-Gil Daniel , Nunn Danuza , Simons Jeroen C. P. , Gianatasio Chloe , Mueller Noomi , Meyer Matthew J. , Pierce Eric , Rosow Carl , Eikermann Matthias
Published: October 2014

Background:

Coordination between breathing and swallowing helps prevent aspiration of foreign material into the respiratory tract. The authors examined the effects of anesthesia and hypercapnia on swallowing–breathing coordination.

Methods:

In a randomized controlled crossover study, general anesthesia with propofol or sevoflurane was titrated using an up-down method to identify the threshold for suppression of the motor response to electrical stimulation of the forearm. Additional measurements included bispectral index, genioglossus electromyogram, ventilation (pneumotachometer), and hypopharyngeal pressure. During wakefulness and at each level of anesthesia, carbon dioxide was added to increase the end-tidal pressure by 4 and 8 mmHg. A swallow was defined as increased genioglossus activity with deglutition apnea and an increase in hypopharyngeal pressure. Spontaneous swallows were categorized as physiological (during expiration or followed by expiration) or pathological (during inspiration or followed by an inspiration).

Results:

A total of 224 swallows were analyzed. Anesthesia increased the proportion of pathological swallows (25.9% vs. 4.9%) and decreased the number of swallows per hour (1.7 ± 3.3 vs. 28.0 ± 22.3) compared to wakefulness. During anesthesia, hypercapnia decreased hypopharyngeal pressure during inspiration (−14.1 ± 3.7 vs. −8.7 ± 2 mmHg) and increased minute ventilation, the proportion of pathological swallows (19.1% vs. 12.3%), and the number of swallows per hour (5.5 ± 17.0. vs. 1.3 ± 5.5).

Conclusions:

Anesthesia impaired the coordination between swallowing and respiration. Mild hypercapnia increased the frequency of swallowing during anesthesia and the likelihood of pathological swallowing. During anesthesia, the risk for aspiration may be further increased when ventilatory drive is stimulated.
Intricate predatory decisions by a mosquito-specialist spider from Malaysia
Authors: Jackson Robert R. , Li Daiqin , Woon Jeremy R. W. , Hashim Rosli , Cross Fiona R.
Published: October 2014

Paracyrbawanlessiis a southeast Asian jumping spider (Salticidae) that lives in the hollow internodes of fallen bamboo and preys on the larvae, pupae and adults of mosquitoes. In contrast toEvarchaculicivora, an East African salticid that is also known for actively targeting mosquitoes as preferred prey, there was no evidence ofP.wanlessichoosing mosquitoes on the basis of species, sex or diet. However, our findings show thatP.wanlessichooses mosquitoes significantly more often than a variety of other prey types, regardless of whether the prey are in or away from water, and regardless of whether the mosquitoes are adults or juveniles. Moreover, a preference for mosquito larvae, pupae and adults is expressed regardless of whether test spiders are maintained on a diet of terrestrial or aquatic prey and regardless of whether the diet includes or excludes mosquitoes. Congruence of an environmental factor (in water versus away from water) with prey type (aquatic versus terrestrial mosquitoes) appeared to be important and yet, even when the prey were in the incongruent environment,P.wanlessicontinued to choose mosquitoes more often than other prey.
Proteome of Geobacter sulfurreducens in the presence of U(VI)
Authors: Orellana Roberto , Hixson Kim K. , Murphy Sean , Mester Tünde , Sharma Manju L. , Lipton Mary S. , Lovley Derek R.
Published: October 2014

Geobacter species often play an important role in the in situ bioremediation of uranium-contaminated groundwater, but little is known about how these microbes avoid uranium toxicity. To evaluate this further, the proteome of Geobacter sulfurreducens exposed to 100 µM U(VI) acetate was compared to control cells not exposed to U(VI). Of the 1363 proteins detected from these cultures, 203 proteins had higher abundance during exposure to U(VI) compared with the control cells and 148 proteins had lower abundance. U(VI)-exposed cultures expressed lower levels of proteins involved in growth, protein and amino acid biosynthesis, as well as key central metabolism enzymes as a result of the deleterious effect of U(VI) on the growth of G. sulfurreducens. In contrast, proteins involved in detoxification, such as several efflux pumps belonging to the RND (resistance–nodulation–cell division) family, and membrane protection, and other proteins, such as chaperones and proteins involved in secretion systems, were found in higher abundance in cells exposed to U(VI). Exposing G. sulfurreducens to U(VI) resulted in a higher abundance of many proteins associated with the oxidative stress response, such as superoxide dismutase and superoxide reductase. A strain in which the gene for superoxide dismutase was deleted grew more slowly than the WT strain in the presence of U(VI), but not in its absence. The results suggested that there is no specific mechanism for uranium detoxification. Rather, multiple general stress responses are induced, which presumably enable Geobacter species to tolerate high uranium concentrations.
Quantitative differences in developmental profiles of spontaneous activity in cortical and hippocampal cultures
Authors: Charlesworth Paul , Cotterill Ellese , Morton Andrew , Grant Seth G. N. , Eglen Stephen J.
Published: October 2014

Background

Neural circuits can spontaneously generate complex spatiotemporal firing patterns during development. This spontaneous activity is thought to help guide development of the nervous system. In this study, we had two aims. First, to characterise the changes in spontaneous activity in cultures of developing networks of either hippocampal or cortical neurons dissociated from mouse. Second, to assess whether there are any functional differences in the patterns of activity in hippocampal and cortical networks.

Results

We used multielectrode arrays to record the development of spontaneous activity in cultured networks of either hippocampal or cortical neurons every two or three days for the first month after plating. Within a few days of culturing, networks exhibited spontaneous activity. This activity strengthened and then stabilised typically around 21 daysin vitro. We quantified the activity patterns in hippocampal and cortical networks using eleven features. Three out of eleven features showed striking differences in activity between hippocampal and cortical networks. 1: Interburst intervals are less variable in spike trains from hippocampal cultures. 2: Hippocampal networks have higher correlations. 3: Hippocampal networks generate more robust theta bursting patterns. Machine learning techniques confirmed that these differences in patterning are sufficient to reliably classify recordings at any given age as either hippocampal or cortical networks.

Conclusions

Although cultured networks of hippocampal and cortical networks both generate spontaneous activity that changes over time, at any given time we can reliably detect differences in the activity patterns. We anticipate that this quantitative framework could have applications in many areas, including neurotoxicity testing and for characterising phenotype of different mutant mice. All code and data relating to this report are freely available for others to use.
Parente2: a fast and accurate method for detecting identity by descent
Authors: Rodriguez Jesse M. , Bercovici Sivan , Huang Lin , Frostig Roy , Batzoglou Serafim
Published: October 2014

Identity-by-descent (IBD) inference is the problem of establishing a genetic connection between two individuals through a genomic segment that is inherited by both individuals from a recent common ancestor. IBD inference is an important preceding step in a variety of population genomic studies, ranging from demographic studies to linking genomic variation with phenotype and disease. The problem of accurate IBD detection has become increasingly challenging with the availability of large collections of human genotypes and genomes: Given a cohort’s size, a quadratic number of pairwise genome comparisons must be performed. Therefore, computation time and the false discovery rate can also scale quadratically. To enable accurate and efficient large-scale IBD detection, we present Parente2, a novel method for detecting IBD segments. Parente2 is based on an embedded log-likelihood ratio and uses a model that accounts for linkage disequilibrium by explicitly modeling haplotype frequencies. Parente2 operates directly on genotype data without the need to phase data prior to IBD inference. We evaluate Parente2’s performance through extensive simulations using real data, and we show that it provides substantially higher accuracy compared to previous state-of-the-art methods while maintaining high computational efficiency.
Alignathon: a competitive assessment of whole-genome alignment methods
Authors: Earl Dent , Nguyen Ngan , Hickey Glenn , Harris Robert S. , Fitzgerald Stephen , Beal Kathryn , Seledtsov Igor , Molodtsov Vladimir , Raney Brian J. , Clawson Hiram , Kim Jaebum , Kemena Carsten , Chang Jia-Ming , Erb Ionas , Poliakov Alexander , Hou Minmei , Herrero Javier , Kent William James , Solovyev Victor , Darling Aaron E. , Ma Jian , Notredame Cedric , Brudno Michael , Dubchak Inna , Haussler David , Paten Benedict
Published: October 2014

Multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) are a prerequisite for a wide variety of evolutionary analyses. Published assessments and benchmark data sets for protein and, to a lesser extent, global nucleotide MSAs are available, but less effort has been made to establish benchmarks in the more general problem of whole-genome alignment (WGA). Using the same model as the successful Assemblathon competitions, we organized a competitive evaluation in which teams submitted their alignments and then assessments were performed collectively after all the submissions were received. Three data sets were used: Two were simulated and based on primate and mammalian phylogenies, and one was comprised of 20 real fly genomes. In total, 35 submissions were assessed, submitted by 10 teams using 12 different alignment pipelines. We found agreement between independent simulation-based and statistical assessments, indicating that there are substantial accuracy differences between contemporary alignment tools. We saw considerable differences in the alignment quality of differently annotated regions and found that few tools aligned the duplications analyzed. We found that many tools worked well at shorter evolutionary distances, but fewer performed competitively at longer distances. We provide all data sets, submissions, and assessment programs for further study and provide, as a resource for future benchmarking, a convenient repository of code and data for reproducing the simulation assessments.
IDATENandG-SITENNO: GUI-assisted software for coherent X-ray diffraction imaging experiments and data analyses at SACLA
Authors: Sekiguchi Yuki , Yamamoto Masaki , Oroguchi Tomotaka , Takayama Yuki , Suzuki Shigeyuki , Nakasako Masayoshi
Published: October 2014

Using our custom-made diffraction apparatus KOTOBUKI-1 and two multiport CCD detectors, cryogenic coherent X-ray diffraction imaging experiments have been undertaken at the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser (SACLA) facility. To efficiently perform experiments and data processing, two software suites with user-friendly graphical user interfaces have been developed. The first is a program suite namedIDATEN, which was developed to easily conduct four procedures during experiments: aligning KOTOBUKI-1, loading a flash-cooled sample into the cryogenic goniometer stage inside the vacuum chamber of KOTOBUKI-1, adjusting the sample position with respect to the X-ray beam using a pair of telescopes, and collecting diffraction data by raster scanning the sample with X-ray pulses. NamedG-SITENNO, the other suite is an automated version of the originalSITENNOsuite, which was designed for processing diffraction data. These user-friendly software suites are now indispensable for collecting a large number of diffraction patterns and for processing the diffraction patterns immediately after collecting data within a limited beam time.
Synthetic individual binaural audio delivery by pinna image processing
Authors: Spagnol Simone , Geronazzo Michele , Rocchesso Davide , Avanzini Federico
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a system for customized binaural audio delivery based on the extraction of relevant features from a 2-D representation of the listener’s pinna.

Design/methodology/approach

– The most significant pinna contours are extracted by means of multi-flash imaging, and they provide values for the parameters of a structural head-related transfer function (HRTF) model. The HRTF model spatializes a given sound file according to the listener’s head orientation, tracked by sensor-equipped headphones, with respect to the virtual sound source.

Findings

– A preliminary localization test shows that the model is able to statically render the elevation of a virtual sound source better than non-individual HRTFs.

Research limitations/implications

– Results encourage a deeper analysis of the psychoacoustic impact that the individualized HRTF model has on perceived elevation of virtual sound sources.

Practical implications

– The model has low complexity and is suitable for implementation on mobile devices. The resulting hardware/software package will hopefully allow an easy and low-tech fruition of custom spatial audio to any user.

Originality/value

– The authors show that custom binaural audio can be successfully deployed without the need of cumbersome subjective measurements.
User modeling for people with special needs
Authors: Kurschl Werner , Augstein Mirjam , Burger Thomas , Pointner Claudia
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present an approach where a novel user modeling wizard for people with motor impairments is used to gain a deeper understanding of very specific (touch-based and touchless) interaction patterns. The findings are used to set up and fill a user model which allows to automatically derive an application- and user-specific configuration for natural user interfaces.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on expert knowledge in the domain of software/user interfaces for people with special needs, a test-case –based user modeling tool was developed. Task-based user tests were conducted with seven users for the touch-based interaction scenario and with five users for the touchless interaction scenario. The participants are all people with different motor and/or cognitive impairments.

Findings

– The paper describes the results of different test cases that were designed to model users’ touch-based and touchless interaction capabilities. To evaluate the tool’s findings, experts additionally judged the participants’ performance (their opinions were compared to the tool’s findings). The results suggest that the user modeling tool could quite well capture users’ capabilities.

Social implications

– The paper presents a tool that can be used to model users’ interaction capabilities. The approach aims at taking over some of the (very time-consuming) configuration tasks consultants have to do to configure software according to the needs of people with disabilities. This can lead to a wider accessibility of software, especially in the area of gesture-based user interaction.

Originality/value

– Part of the approach has been published in the proceedings of the Interactional Conference on Advances in Mobile Computing and Multimedia 2014. Significant additions have been made since (e.g. all of the touchless interaction part of the approach and the related user study).
Smartphones and wine consumers: a study of Gen-Y
Authors: Pelet Jean-Eric , Lecat Benoît
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of m-commerce (mobile commerce) combined with social media for the wine industry in order to reach distinctive customer segments Differences about access to information and shopping habits on the Internet seem to exist according to the cohorts users belong to.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on a study of 190 respondents, this paper describes the consumer behavior of the Y generation regarding several variables: level of Internet sophistication and orientation, brand loyalty, risk aversion, involvement, shopping behavior and perception of authenticity.

Findings

– Results of the study show that m-commerce and e-commerce applications using social media platforms may prove greatly efficient in the foreseeable future for wine growers. Different ways of selling and disseminating information about their products are observed.

Research limitations/implications

– The infancy of m-commerce implies a relative difficulty to gather data about m-consumption. Active users on m-commerce browse and purchase a few items on the mobile web and many brands still don’t have the proper interface of their website to fit with mobile screens. As a result, it is not easy to find users with similar interests on the mobile web based on product preferences, directly linked to their browsing and purchasing history.

Practical implications

– Results of the confirmatory study show that m-commerce and e-commerce applications using social media platforms may in the foreseeable future, offer wine growers greater efficiency to expand their selling opportunities and reach a wider audience.

Social implications

– This topic is promising since various data show that wine consumption is composed of 45% of occasional drinkers (once or twice a week); and between 25 and 34 years old, it is composed of 50% are occasional drinkers.

Originality/value

– Y-Gens are occasional drinkers and therefore, to link those occasional drinkers with wine, it is important to use social media as a communication tool and maybe a distribution channel to better reach this potential target.
Evaluating tastes and aromas of wine: a peek inside the “black box”
Authors: B. Rinaldo Shannon , F. Duhan Dale , Trela Brent , Dodd Tim , Velikova Natalia
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– Wine tasting is an integral method for engaging consumers. Producers go to great lengths to educate consumers on evaluating quality based on taste and aroma. Understanding the sensory and perceptual processes of wine tasting may offer insight into how consumers at different levels of wine expertise use their senses to evaluate wine.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to examine processing in the frontal lobe of the brain during wine tasting and aroma evaluation. Sixty subjects evaluated the tastes and aromas of wine samples with various levels of sweetness, whereas 16 defined areas of their frontal lobes were measured with functional near infrared measurement.

Findings

– The subjects’ orbitofrontal cortices were activated during both olfaction (smelling) and tasting. Further, larger areas of the frontal lobes showed significant activation during the olfaction task than during the tasting task. The level of the subjects’ wine knowledge did not predict differences in neural processing when participants evaluated aroma of wine; however, subjects with higher wine knowledge did show significantly higher activation in specific frontal lobe regions when tasting. Differences in levels of product involvement among the subjects were not significant for the tasting task, but were significant for the olfaction task.

Originality/value

– Developing a better understanding of the biological processes involved in tasting may lead to understanding the differences in consumer preferences for wine. This, in turn, may assist tasting room managers to adjust their tasting procedure to be tailored to consumer-specific needs.
A content analysis of influential wine blogs
Authors: Beninger Stefanie , Parent Michael , Pitt Leyland , Chan Anthony
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this exploratory study was to analyze the content of influential wine blogs.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study used content analysis software, Leximancer, to analyze the entire contents of five influential amateur wine blogs.

Findings

– A key finding is that these blogs all balance self-promotion with the content of their blogs, namely, wine and wine-related topics. The wine blogs, though evaluating wines in different ways, review not only the product attributes but also the experience surrounding wine.

Research limitations/implications

– Limitations of this study include that the analysis only included five wine blogs and the content analysis was conducted by a sole researcher using a computerized approach.

Practical implications

– Wine blogs have increasing influence in the wine industry, especially those written by amateur wine bloggers. As such, understanding the tactics used by wine bloggers is of interest to practitioners who aim to market their wines using such channels as well as providing insight into this contemporary platform for current and aspiring wine critics.

Originality/value

– This is the first content analysis study that analyzes the content of wine blogs as the readers themselves see it. It provides insights of value not only to those involved in marketing in the wine industry but also to those interested in the developments of amateur blogs in marketing.
Designing and managing the Optimum strategic FM supply chain
Authors: Pitt Michael , Chotipanich Sarich , Amin Ruhul , Issarasak Sittiporn
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to overview carefully selected existing literature to enable further analysis directly concerned with facilities management (FM) supply chain structure, components, strategic issues, challenges and risk. Following the key aspects of assembly, design and, most importantly, management of FM supply chain are explored so that a guidance design framework can be put forward.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper examines the optimum technique that can be applied by clients and FM service providers where FM functions are outsourced. The paper initially defines the network structure of the FM supply chain and then suggests a conceptual model for making decisions about FM supply chain network at the strategy level. Furthermore, the paper argues for both supply chain design and for critical node micro management in a transparent supply chain environment with the FM acting as the strategic lens through which the focus of the supply chain is achieved.

Findings

– This paper presents a process for designing and making decisions of FM service supply chain network. The process begins with an examination of the needs of facility services. It is followed by the step of identifying available options in delivering and processing the services. The third stage involves modelling structures of FM supply chain network. Then to make a final decision, all possible models have to be evaluated for their optimisation, both quantitative (cost) and qualitative (performance). At the end, the model with best optimisation should be selected.

Originality/value

– This paper proposes a conceptual framework for designing facility service supply chain strategy and configuration to fit with the specific nature of facility service demand of a given organisation. The framework, featuring a set of processes including examining demand nature, identifying options available and analysing options, is first aimed at providing an assisting tool in identifying optimum supply chain network/solution of facility services and, second, intends to stimulate further discussions on this continuously evolving and challenging market.
The benefits of sustainable office buildings in People’s Republic of China (PRC): revelation of tenants and property managers
Authors: K. Lo Kak , C. M. Hui Eddie , Vicky Zhang Kai-xuan
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the benefits derived from sustainable office buildings in People’s Republic of China (PRC) through their green features, with particular reference to energy efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey on operating costs, energy impacts, productivities from property managers and tenants of sustainable office buildings was conducted in Shenzhen, PRC. All survey data were collected from a portfolio of 12 sustainable office buildings and from 76 responses out of more than 400 tenants who had moved into these buildings from conventional office buildings.

Findings

– Most tenants were concerned with sustainable operations, practices and policies. Some of them held that sustainable office buildings contribute to higher productivity and less sick time. These buildings typically consume less electricity and water, and have higher occupancy rates and rents.

Research limitations/implications

– There are only 40 sustainable office buildings in Shenzhen, and our study, albeit with proper methodology, with 12 sample buildings may not reflect entirely the attitudes of tenants and property managers of sustainable office buildings in Shenzhen. Advisably, future works can be carried out on a larger scale in other main cities of PRC to obtain a more comprehensive and precise evaluation on which strategic sustainable central/local government policies might be formulated.

Originality/value

– The concept of facilities management on sustainable buildings, especially on their derived benefits, is relatively new in developing countries such as China. This study is one of the first attempts in this area. In addition, this paper also contributes to existing literature by looking into the green lease provisions and operating policies of these sustainable buildings.
The relation between innovation sources and ICT roles in facility management organizations
Authors: Scupola Ada
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present research findings on the relation between internal/external sources of innovation and information and communication technology (ICT) as a supporter/enabler of facilities management (FM) organizations, as well as on the strategic orientation towards open innovation of FM organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study uses a qualitative research approach. The data collection includes qualitative semi-structured interviews with key FM managers and directors and secondary material such as company brochures, reports and information provided on the participating companies’ websites.

Findings

– The results show that the FM organizations in the study sample are starting to develop and engage in open FM service innovations, even though they still mostly conduct closed innovation activities. The findings show that FM organizations mostly take an ambidextrous strategic orientation towards FM service innovations, while they also embrace an exploration approach. Concerning the role of ICT in FM service innovations, the study shows that in the explorative organizations, ICT was mostly an enabler, while in the ambidextrous organizations, ICT mostly supported and enabled the innovations in question. Only in two innovation instances was ICT identified as having a utility role.

Practical implications

– The findings of this study challenge researchers and managers to rethink how and why a strategic orientation towards innovation, the sources of innovation and the role of ICT might affect service innovation in FM organizations. One important implication for FM managers and researchers is the importance that the government might have as an external source in fostering FM service innovations, especially in light of changing environmental requirements, such as energy consumption. FM managers should also consider how they could use ICT to improve and innovate FM services and service delivery and the kind of sources (external/internal) they should use to carry out this task.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to the empirical and theoretical understanding of the sources of innovation and ICT as a supporter/enabler, as well as the strategic orientation towards innovation in FM organizations.
Buenos Aires Beyond (Homo)Sexualized Urban Entrepreneurialism: The Geographies of Queered Tango
Authors: Kanai J. Miguel
Published: October 2014

This paper discusses (homo)sexualization as entrepreneurial strategy in Buenos Aires. City‐marketing capitalizes on Buenos Aires' reputed passion and tolerance. Yet homonormative framings collide with politicized cultures of sexual dissidence. Cultural entrepreneurialism promotes profit‐making sexual diversity, but social actors also construct their queerness outside, even in opposition to, market‐driven urbanism. This paper argues that queered tango practices differ from those of mainstream LGBT circuits and coalesce with those who contest the genre's touristification, designed to trigger selective redevelopment. The paper first examines the explanatory purchase of cultural entrepreneurialism and homonormativity outside Euro‐America. Empirical sections then show that the redefinition/re‐territorialization of gayness aggravates socio‐spatial fragmentation, while governmental appropriations of tango legitimize exclusionary world‐class‐city politics. Nevertheless, the paper's first‐person ethnography of queer tango uncovers territories of radical difference and trans‐local solidarity networks. The paper ends by suggesting the need for further research into the conflictive intersections between urban globalization and globalizing queerness.
The gene polymorphisms of UCP1 but not PPAR γ and TCF7L2 are associated with diabetic retinopathy in Chinese type 2 diabetes mellitus cases
Authors: Zhang Yue , Meng Nana , Lv Zhiping , Li Hao , Qu Yi
Published: October 2014

Purpose

This study was designed to investigate the association between the polymorphisms in three insulin resistance‐related genes, uncoupling protein‐1 (UCP1), peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and transcription factor 7‐like 2 (TCF7L2) and the susceptibility to diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a Chinese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) cohort.

Methods

A total of 792 patients with T2DM were enrolled and categorized into two groups: (1) the DR group consisted of 448 patients, which was further subclassified into a proliferative DR (PDR) group with 220 patients and a non‐proliferative DR (NPDR) group with 228 patients; (2) the diabetes without retinopathy (DNR) group, comprised 344 patients who had no signs of DR. Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs1800592 in the UCP1 gene, rs1801282, rs3856806 and rs1249719 in the PPARγ gene and rs11196205 in the TCF7L2 gene were genotyped in this study.

Results

For SNP rs1800592 of the UCP1 gene, the frequency of allele G and genotype GG was significantly higher in the PDR group than in the DNR group (allele OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.03–1.68, p = 0.03; genotype OR: 1.72, 95%CI: 1.06–2.79, p = 0.03). No evident association was found between the allele frequencies and genotype distributions of any individual SNP in the PPARγ or TCF7L2 genes and DR, PDR or NPDR. Haplotype analyses of the PPARγ gene did not provide any evidence for an association with DR, PDR or NPDR in this Chinese T2DM cohort.

Conclusions

This study suggests that the SNP rs1800592 in the UCP1 gene is associated with increased risk of PDR in the Chinese T2DM population.
Cognitive impairment in Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis: Are social activities affected by cognitive impairment?
Authors: Nakatsuji Yuji
Published: October 2014

A large proportion of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) show cognitive impairment. Multiple sclerosis tends to affect people in their productive years. Niino et al. reported the associations of cognitive impairment with magnetic resonance imaging findings and social activities in Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis.
Fingolimod effects as a neuroprotectant as well as an immunosuppressant
Authors: Ohara Yoshiro
Published: October 2014

As multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease caused by autoreactive lymphocytes that specifically attack myelin antigens, the therapy manipulating the immune system (the autoreactive lymphocytes) has been targeted for the treatment of MS. According to this line, a variety of novel immunosuppressants has been developed, and has greatly contributed to the management of MS patients. Fingolimod (FTY) is one of those novel drugs. It is a structural analog of sphingosine, and becomes structurally similar to sphingosine‐1‐phosphate after phosphorylated by sphingosine kinase. FTY binds to sphingosine‐1‐phosphate receptor 1 on the surface of lymphocytes, internalizing sphingosine‐1‐phosphate receptor 1. Consequently, FTY suppresses the migration of lymphocytes from lymphoid tissues into the circulation, thereby reducing the infiltration of autoreactive lymphocytes into the central nervous system. Therefore, FTY is a superb immunosuppressant. In this issue, Jin et al. clearly showed that FTY exerts protective effect(s) on axonal impairments, using a murine model for MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Therefore, the dual effects (an immunosuppressant and a neuroprotectant) place FTY as one of the desirable drugs for MS.
Autoimmune regulator gene, Aire, and its relevance to central tolerance against myelin proteins
Authors: Ochi Hirofumi
Published: October 2014

The autoimmune regulator (Aire) is a key transcription factor that promotes promiscuous expression of tissue‐specific antigens by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC), and mediates a role in negative selection of autoreactive T cells. Tagawa et al. reported the central role of Aire in establishing central tolerance to myelin antigen, and its deficiency resulted in spontaneous autoreactivity against central nervous system myelin antigen. The role of mTEC‐dependent tolerance in multiple sclerosis must await further study.
Mechanism of action of interferon‐β in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis: Effects on Th17 and Th9 cells
Authors: Tanaka Masami
Published: October 2014

Interferon‐β is the first‐line treatment to inhibit neuroinflammation of the central nervous system in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis. The mechanism of action of interferon‐β is complex. The study of Doi et al. in the present issue provides a new mechanism of interferon‐β function in multiple sclerosis patients. Recent investigations of Th17 and Th9 cells in multiple sclerosis are summarized.
Comparison of the performance of HPV tests in women with abnormal cytology: results of a study within the NHS cervical screening programme
Authors: Moss S. M. , Bailey A. , Cubie H. , Denton K. , Sargent A. , Muir P. , Vipond I. B. , Winder R. , Kitchener H.
Published: October 2014

Objective

The use of testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) is now recognized as an efficient means of triaging women with low‐grade cytological abnormalities to either immediate referral to colposcopy or return to routine recall. We aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of each of four newer tests for HPV relative to the Qiagen Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) assay in order to determine whether they could be approved for use in triage in the NHS cervical screening programme.

Methods

We compared the performance of each of four different HPV assays (Abbott M2000, Roche Cobas, Hologic Cervista and Gen‐Probe APTIMA) with that of HC2 in order to determine the sensitivity and specificity of each test relative to HC2 for the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 2 or worse, using routine cytology samples reported as borderline (atypical squamous cells) or mild dyskaryosis (low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion) from six laboratories in England. All women who were found to be HPV positive on any test were referred to colposcopy.

Results

Between 2072 and 4217 tests were performed with each assay. All four assays were shown to have a relative sensitivity of no worse than 95% compared with HC2 when a cut‐off of 2 relative light units (RLU) was used. All assays had higher relative specificity than HC2 for both borderline and mild cytology referrals (1.06–1.61).

Conclusions

All assays tested met the criteria required. Consequently, all have now been approved for use in HPV triage in the NHS cervical screening programme.