bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HgCdTe-based heterostructures for terahertz photonics
Authors: Ruffenach S. , Kadykov A. , Rumyantsev V. V. , Torres J. , Coquillat D. , But D. , Krishtopenko S. S. , Consejo C. , Knap W. , Winnerl S. , Helm M. , Fadeev M. A. , Mikhailov N. N. , Dvoretskii S. A. , Gavrilenko V. I. , Morozov S. V. , Teppe F.
Published: March 2017

Due to their specific physical properties, HgCdTe-based heterostructures are expected to play an important role in terahertz photonic systems. Here, focusing on gated devices presenting inverted band ordering, we evidence an enhancement of the terahertz photoconductive response close to the charge neutrality point and at the magnetic field driven topological phase transition. We also show the ability of these heterostructures to be used as terahertz imagers. Regarding terahertz emitters, we present results on stimulated emission of HgCdTe heterostructures in their conventional semiconductor state above 30 THz, discussing the physical mechanisms involved and promising routes towards the 5–15 THz frequency domain.
Dislocation conduction in Bi-Sb topological insulators
Authors: Hamasaki Hiromu , Tokumoto Yuki , Edagawa Keiichi
Published: March 2017

Previous theoretical works have predicted that when a specific condition is satisfied, dislocations in three-dimensional topological insulators form one-dimensional gapless states, which are topologically protected against disorder scattering. Here, the predicted dislocation conduction is experimentally investigated in Bi-Sb topological insulators. High-density dislocations with the Burgers vector satisfying the conductivity condition are introduced into Bi-Sb single crystals by plastic deformation. Conductivity measurements for deformed and undeformed samples and those for the deformed samples in different orientations show excess conductivity due to dislocation conduction.
Room temperature ferroelectricity in one-dimensional single chain molecular magnets [{M(Δ)M(Λ)}(ox)2(phen)2]n (M = Fe and Mn)
Authors: Bhatt Pramod , Mukadam M. D. , Meena S. S. , Mishra S. K. , Mittal R. , Sastry P. U. , Mandal B. P. , Yusuf S. M.
Published: March 2017

The ferroelectric materials are mainly focused on pure inorganic oxides; however, the organic molecule based materials have recently attracted great attention because of their multifunctional properties. The mixing of oxalate and phenanthroline ligands with metal ions (Fe or Mn) at room temperature followed by hydrothermal treatment results in the formation of one–dimensional single chain molecular magnets which exhibit room temperature dielectric and ferroelectric behavior. The compounds are chiral in nature, and exhibit a ferroelectric behavior, attributed to the polar point group C2, in which they crystallized. The compounds are also associated with a dielectric loss and thus a relaxation process. The observed electric dipole moment, essential for a ferroelectricity, has been understood quantitatively in terms of lattice distortions at two different lattice sites within the crystal structure. The studied single chain molecular magnetic materials with room temperature ferroelectric and dielectric properties could be of great technological importance in non–volatile memory elements, and high-performance insulators.
Effect of charge distribution on the electrostatic adsorption of Janus nanoparticles onto charged surface
Authors: Hu D. M. , Cao Q. Q. , Zuo C. C.
Published: March 2017

We carried out coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to study the electrostatic adsorption of Janus nanoparticles which consist of oppositely charged hemispheres onto charged surfaces. Films with different conformations were formed by Janus nanoparticles. The effects of charge distributions of Janus nanoparticles and the surface on the film structures and dynamic adsorption behavior were investigated in detail. When the surface is highly charged, Janus nanoparticles tend to form single particles or small clusters. In these cases, the surface charge distribution plays an important role in regulating the process of electrostatic adsorption. When the amount of surface charges is reduced, the effect of charge distribution of Janus nanoparticles becomes significant. The repulsive interactions between Janus nanoparticles determine the aggregation behavior of Janus nanoparticles as well as the shape of adsorption structures, which tends to separate Janus nanoparticles and results in a thin adsorption layer and small clusters. When the number of positive charges on the surface of Janus nanoparticle approaches that of negative charges, Janus nanoparticles aggregate into large clusters close to charged surface. The charge distribution of Janus nanoparticles becomes pronounced in the process of electrostatic adsorption.
The influence of silicon content on physical properties of non-oriented silicon steel
Authors: Hawezy Diween
Published: March 2017

Electric motors make up a large portion of our global electricity consumption and have enjoyed a long history doing so. Electrical steels are popularly used materials in electric motors to improve their performance. This has made them prime candidates for increasing the energy efficiency of electric motors, especially given concerns regarding energy conservation. Now manufacturers of electrical steels have been prompted to seek increasingly efficient electrical steels to provide a more competitive product. This literature review focuses on one specific metallurgical aspect – the defining trait of electrical steels; silicon content and its resulting influence on the physical properties. From the literature review it is concluded that the application requirement and functionality must be considered thoroughly when deciding silicon content.

This review was submitted as part of the 2017 Materials Literature Review Prize of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining run by the Editorial Board of MST. Sponsorship of the prize by TWI Ltd is gratefully acknowledged
Spatiotemporal Stability Patterns of Brook Trout Abundance and Implications for Stream Research and Monitoring
Authors: Hilderbrand Robert H. , Kazyak David C.
Published: March 2017

High spatial and temporal variation in many stream resident trout populations complicates basic sampling questions. We used 4 years of census data from 3 km of stream to examine (1) spatial and temporal stability in Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis populations and the implications for representative reaches, (2) stream lengths necessary to estimate abundance and biomass, and (3) comparative performance of site selection methods. Sections of highest relative abundance and biomass were consistently high across years and had significantly lower coefficients of variation. Greater pool area and depth were associated with higher temporal stability, which suggests that sections with the best habitats can serve as effective representative reaches for trend monitoring. However, extrapolating from reference reaches grossly overestimated the census size. Randomizing site sections generally required less stream to estimate population size at a desired precision, but the required stream lengths were sensitive to the census size; less stream was required in years of higher abundances. Regardless of the year, sampling at least 10% of the available stream length was required under most scenarios, with some requiring substantially more. Our results highlight trade-offs between the information needs versus the effort required and the importance of tailoring sampling strategy to the question.

Received August 3, 2016; accepted December 2, 2016 Published online March 3, 2017
Incubation of Landlocked Fall Chinook Salmon Eggs in Petri Dishes
Authors: Neumiller Hannah K , Blain Gretchen A , Barnes Michael E
Published: March 2017

The use of production-sized incubators for experiments on eggs from fish populations that have limited egg numbers can be problematic because of the risks associated with potentially hazardous treatments on large numbers of eggs. This study evaluated the technique of incubating small numbers of eggs from landlocked fall Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in petri dishes from shortly after fertilization through hatch. In the first experiment at 9°C, each dish held 10 eggs. Three water change intervals were used before the eyed stage: every day, every 3 d, and every 7 d. After egg eye-up, each original water treatment was divided into water changes of either every day or every 3 d, creating a total of six water change treatments. Water change treatments were the same in the second experiment, but each dish held 15 eggs and the water temperature was 11°C. No significant differences among the treatments were observed in survival to the eyed egg stage or to hatch in either of the experiments. The start of hatching was 55 incubation days in the first experiment at 9°C and 46 d in the second experiment at 11°C. The results from this study indicate that 10 and 15 landlocked fall Chinook Salmon eggs incubated at temperatures of 9°C and 11°C, respectively, can be successfully hatched in petri dishes with water changes of every 7 d before eye-up and every 3 d after eye-up, making this a viable technique for use with future experimentation.
Impacts of Delayed Drying on Discoloration and Functionality of Rice
Authors: Haydon Kathryn N. , Siebenmorgen Terry J.
Published: March 2017

In‐bin, on‐farm drying systems for rough rice present challenges for maintaining kernel quality when drying fronts stall and the top layer of grain maintains its harvest moisture content (MC) for extended periods. This high MC, in addition to ambient temperatures in early autumn in the Mid‐South United States, creates ideal conditions for quality losses to occur. This study evaluated the effects of rough rice storage at MCs of 12.5, 16, 19, and 21% for up to 16 weeks at temperatures of 20, 27, and 40°C on milling yields, kernel color, and functionality of three long‐grain cultivars. Head rice yield was negatively impacted only after other reductions in quality had occurred. Temperature‐specific discoloration patterns were observed at 27 and 40°C in 2014; the uniquely discolored kernels seen in 2014 at 27°C were absent from samples in 2015 under identical conditions. Peak viscosity, breakdown, and final viscosity tended to increase over storage duration at 20 and 27°C and all storage MCs but plateaued after 8 weeks. Storage of rice at 40°C and all MCs greatly reduced peak viscosity after 6 weeks. To prevent quality losses, in‐bin dryers should be monitored closely to avoid exceeding the thresholds of storage MC, temperature, and duration identified here.
Promoting Compliance When Faith Gets in the Way
Authors: Haynes Barbara Lodge
Published: March 2017

Sixty-six percent of U.S. Christians report they believe God can heal supernaturally, 68% have prayed for someone to be healed supernaturally by God, and 27% state they have experienced a miraculous physical healing. Christians who hold such beliefs may struggle with seeking and adhering to a prescribed healthcare regimen, as well as experience shame. A health education seminar assisting congregants to view healthcare as compatible with faith was implemented and evaluated in a Christian faith community.
Building Spiritual Care in Nursing
Authors: Ku Ya-Lie
Published: March 2017

This paper describes the overview of Ku's spiritual literature on nursing through five stages in Taiwan: the development of a spiritual framework, a scale of spiritual distress, a spiritual care model, a spiritual nursing course, and a spiritual care book in nursing. The article demonstrates the process of building spiritual care in nursing from constructing theoretical frameworks, measurements, and applying to education. The integrative overview of Ku's spiritual studies developed in this article could be an example in clinical and education fields for nurse administrators to develop spiritual capabilities.
Hysteropexy: Evidence and Insights
Authors: RIDGEWAY BERI M. , CADISH LAUREN
Published: March 2017

Uterovaginal prolapse may be treated with or without concomitant hysterectomy. Many patients express interest in uterine-sparing prolapse procedures, for which there are increasing evidence available regarding techniques and outcomes. Uterine-sparing procedures to treat uterovaginal prolapse require a unique set of surgical considerations including uterine abnormalities, possibility of occult malignancy, and future pregnancy. Data, including randomized controlled trials, support the use of sacrospinous hysteropexy. Other prospective trials detailing outcomes following uterosacral hysteropexy, mesh augmented sacrospinous hysteropexy, and sacrohysteropexy are also encouraging.
Service Learning in Public Health: Exploring the Benefit to Host Agencies in CDC's Public Health Associate Program
Authors: Wigington Corinne J. , Sobelson Robyn K. , Duncan Heather L. , Young Andrea C.
Published: March 2017

The “learn by doing” approach to training is common in the public health field and is a core component of service-learning programs. Trainee satisfaction, learning, and application of learning have been studied. What is less understood is the perspective of the agencies that host trainees. This study aimed to identify whether and how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) adds value to the agencies that host trainees during 2-year field assignments. An exploratory, qualitative study design consisting of 9 semistructured telephone interviews with PHAP host agency supervisors was used. Results suggested that PHAP increased host agencies' capacity by assigning capable trainees to host agencies. Trainees made quality contributions that led to agency- and/or community-wide improvements and positively affected the agencies' culture. Further evaluation of the host perspective is necessary; as coupled with the trainee's perspective, it will provide a more holistic understanding of program value.
Poorly Controlled Diabetes in New York City: Mapping High-Density Neighborhoods
Authors: Wu Winfred Y. , Jiang Qun , Di Lonardo Steve S.
Published: March 2017

Objective:

To identify geographic areas in New York City (NYC) for implementing programming focused on reducing the burden attributed to poor glycemic control and improving the health of New Yorkers.

Design:

We geocoded addresses of NYC residents in the NYC Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C) Registry with high (>9%) HbA1c test values from 2011 to 2013 on an NYC base map. The ArcGIS point density spatial analysis tool was applied to create a map of NYC residents with diabetes in poor glycemic control.

Setting:

The setting for HbA1c testing was medical facilities within NYC.

Participants:

The study population included NYC residents (excluding undomiciled persons and addresses corresponding to prisons, hospitals, or nursing homes) 18 years or older who underwent HbA1c testing from 2011 to 2013.

Main Outcome Measures:

A map depicting point density of NYC residents with poor glycemic control was developed each year from 2011 to 2013 (2011: n = 70 359; 2012: n = 75 643; 2013: n = 78 694).

Results:

Particularly, high densities of persons in poor glycemic control were identified in Flatbush, East Harlem, Washington Heights/Inwood, and the South Bronx. The 2 highest-density gradients (out of 9) covered approximately 1.7% of the total habitable area in NYC, while accounting for more than 1 in 10 (10.5%) persons in poor glycemic control. The 3 highest-density gradients covered 4.1% of NYC's habitable area and accounted for more than 1 in 5 (21.9%) persons in poor glycemic control.

Conclusion:

The point density analysis highlighted several defined geographic areas representing a meaningful proportion of the population in poor glycemic control. This analysis could be used to raise community awareness and guide potential programming focused on reducing the burden of poor glycemic control such as the placement of diabetes self-management education classes, community health workers, and farmers' markets. Given the geographic breadth of NYC and limited resources, focused efforts on these defined areas would reach a sizeable number of the at-risk population.
Management of MEN1 Related Nonfunctioning Pancreatic NETs: A Shifting Paradigm
Authors: Nell Sjoerd , Verkooijen Helena M. , Pieterman Carolina R. C. , de Herder Wouter W. , Hermus Ad R. , Dekkers Olaf M. , van der Horst-Schrivers Anouk N. , Drent Madeleine L. , Bisschop Peter H. , Havekes Bas , Borel Rinkes Inne H. M. , Vriens Menno R. , Valk Gerlof D.
Published: March 2017

Objective:

To assess if surgery for Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) related nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-pNETs) is effective for improving overall survival and preventing liver metastasis.

Background:

MEN1 leads to multiple early-onset NF-pNETs. The evidence base for guiding the difficult decision who and when to operate is meager.

Methods:

MEN1 patients diagnosed with NF-pNETs between 1990 and 2014 were selected from the DutchMEN1 Study Group database, including > 90% of the Dutch MEN1 population. The effect of surgery was estimated using time-dependent Cox analysis with propensity score restriction and adjustment.

Results:

Of the 152 patients, 53 underwent surgery and 99 were managed by watchful waiting. In the surgery group, tumors were larger and faster-growing, patients were younger, more often male, and were more often treated in centers that operated more frequently. Surgery for NF-pNETs was not associated with a significantly lower risk of liver metastases or death, [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.73 (0.25–2.11)]. Adjusted HR's after stratification by tumor size were: NF-pNETs <2 cm = 2.04 (0.31–13.59) and NF-pNETs 2–3 cm = 1.38 (0.09–20.31). Five out of the 6 patients with NF-pNETs >3 cm managed by watchful waiting developed liver metastases or died compared with 6 out of the 16 patients who underwent surgery.

Conclusions:

MEN1 patients with NF-pNETs <2 cm can be managed by watchful waiting, hereby avoiding major surgery without loss of oncological safety. The beneficial effect of a surgery in NF-pNETs 2 to 3 cm requires further research. In patients with NF-pNETs >3 cm, watchful waiting seems not advisable.
Structural characterization of human Vaccinia-Related Kinases (VRK) bound to small-molecule inhibitors identifies different P-loop conformations
Authors: Couñago Rafael M. , Allerston Charles K. , Savitsky Pavel , Azevedo Hatylas , Godoi Paulo H. , Wells Carrow I. , Mascarello Alessandra , de Souza Gama Fernando H. , Massirer Katlin B. , Zuercher William J. , Guimarães Cristiano R.W. , Gileadi Opher
Published: March 2017

The human genome encodes two active Vaccinia-related protein kinases (VRK), VRK1 and VRK2. These proteins have been implicated in a number of cellular processes and linked to a variety of tumors. However, understanding the cellular role of VRKs and establishing their potential use as targets for therapeutic intervention has been limited by the lack of tool compounds that can specifically modulate the activity of these kinases in cells. Here we identified BI-D1870, a dihydropteridine inhibitor of RSK kinases, as a promising starting point for the development of chemical probes targeting the active VRKs. We solved co-crystal structures of both VRK1 and VRK2 bound to BI-D1870 and of VRK1 bound to two broad-spectrum inhibitors. These structures revealed that both VRKs can adopt a P-loop folded conformation, which is stabilized by different mechanisms on each protein. Based on these structures, we suggest modifications to the dihydropteridine scaffold that can be explored to produce potent and specific inhibitors towards VRK1 and VRK2.
Transcriptome profiling reveals bisphenol A alternatives activate estrogen receptor alpha in human breast cancer cells
Authors: Mesnage Robin , Phedonos Alexia , Arno Matthew , Balu Sucharitha , Corton J. Christopher , Antoniou Michael N
Published: March 2017

Background

Plasticizers with estrogenic activity, such as bisphenol A (BPA), have been reported to have potential adverse health effects in humans. Due to mounting evidence of these health effects and public pressure, BPA is being phased out by the plastics manufacturing industry and replaced by other bisphenol variants in “BPA-free” products.

Objectives

We have compared estrogenic activity of BPA to 6 bisphenol analogues (bisphenol S, BPS; bisphenol F, BPF; bisphenol AP, BPAP; bisphenol AF, BPAF; bisphenol Z, BPZ; bisphenol B, BPB) in three human breast cancer cell lines.

Methods

Estrogenicity was assessed by cell growth in an estrogen receptor (ER)-mediated cell proliferation assay, and by the induction of estrogen response element (ERE)-mediated transcription in a luciferase assay. Gene expression profiles were determined in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells by microarray analysis and confirmed by Illumina-based RNA sequencing.

Results

All bisphenols showed estrogenic activity in promoting cell growth and inducing ERE-mediated transcription. BPAF was the most potent bisphenol, followed by BPB > BPZ ~ BPA > BPF ~ BPAP > BPS. The addition of ICI 182,780 antagonized the activation of ERs by bisphenols. Data mining of ToxCast high-throughput screening assays confirms our results but also shows divergence in the sensitivities of the assays. The comparison of transcriptome profile alterations resulting from BPA alternatives with an ERα gene expression biomarker further indicates that all BPA alternatives act as ERα agonists in MCF-7 cells. These results were confirmed by RNA sequencing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, BPA alternatives are not necessarily less estrogenic in a human breast cancer cell model. Three bisphenols (BPAF, BPB, and BPZ) were more estrogenic than BPA. The relevance of human exposure to BPA alternatives in hormone-dependent breast cancer risk should be investigated.
RecBlast: Cloud-Based Large Scale Orthology Detection
Authors: Rapoport Efrat , Neuhof Moran
Published: March 2017

Background

The effective detection and comparison of orthologues is crucial for answering many questions in comparative genomics, phylogenetics and evolutionary biology. One of the most common methods for discovering orthologues is widely known as ‘Reciprocal Blast’. While this method is simple when comparing only two genomes, performing a large-scale comparison of Multiple Genes across Multiple Taxa becomes a labor-intensive and inefficient task. The low efficiency of this complicated process limits the scope and breadth of questions that would otherwise benefit from this powerful method.

Findings

Here we present RecBlast, an intuitive and easy-to-use pipeline that enables fast and easy discovery of orthologues along and across the evolutionary tree. RecBlast is capable of running heavy, large-scale and complex Reciprocal Blast comparisons across multiple genes and multiple taxa, in a completely automatic way. RecBlast is available as a cloud-based web server, which includes an easy-to-use user interface, implemented using cloud computing and an elastic and scalable server architecture. RecBlast is also available as a powerful standalone software supporting multi-processing for large datasets, and a cloud image which can be easily deployed on Amazon Web Services cloud. We also include sample results spanning 448 human genes, which illustrate the potential of RecBlast in detecting orthologues and in highlighting patterns and trends across multiple taxa.

Conclusions

RecBlast provides a fast, inexpensive and valuable insight into trends and phenomena across distance phyla, and provides data, visualizations and directions for downstream analysis. RecBlast's fully automatic pipeline provides a new and intuitive discovery platform for researchers from any domain in biology who are interested in evolution, comparative genomics and phylogenetics, regardless of their computational skills.
Bacterial Microtubules Exhibit Polarized Growth, Mixed-Polarity Bundling, and Destabilization by GTP Hydrolysis
Authors: Díaz-Celis César , Risca Viviana I. , Hurtado Felipe , Polka Jessica K. , Hansen Scott D. , Maturana Daniel , Lagos Rosalba , Mullins R. Dyche , Monasterio Octavio
Published: March 2017

Bacteria of the genusProsthecobacterexpress homologs of eukaryotic α-and β-tubulin, called BtubA and BtubB, that have been observed to assemble into bacterial microtubules (bMTs). ThebtubABgenes likely entered theProsthecobacterlineage via horizontal gene transfer and may derive from an early ancestor of the modern eukaryotic microtubule (MT). Previous biochemical studies revealed that BtubA/B polymerization is GTP-dependent and reversible and that BtubA/B folding does not require chaperones. To better understand bMT behavior and gain insight into the evolution of microtubule dynamics, we characterizedin vitrobMT assembly using a combination of polymerization kinetics assays, and microscopy. Like eukaryotic microtubules, bMTs exhibit polarized growth with different assembly rates at each end. GTP hydrolysis stimulated by bMT polymerization drives a stochastic mechanism of bMT disassembly that occurs via polymer breakage. We also observed treadmilling (continuous addition and loss of subunits at opposite ends) of bMT fragments. Unlike MTs, polymerization of bMTs requires KCl, which reduces the critical concentration for BtubA/B assembly and induces bMTs to form stable mixed-orientation bundles in the absence of any additional bMT-binding proteins. Our results suggest that at potassium concentrations resembling that inside the cytoplasm ofProsthecobacter, bMT stabilization through self-association may be a default behavior. The complex dynamics we observe in both stabilized and unstabilized bMTs may reflect common properties of an ancestral eukaryotic tubulin polymer.

Importance

Microtubules are polymers within all eukaryotic cells that perform critical functions: they segregate chromosomes in cell division, organize intracellular transport by serving as tracks for molecular motors, and support the flagella that allow sperm to swim. These functions rely on microtubules remarkable range of tunable dynamic behaviors. Recently discovered bacterial microtubules composed of an evolutionarily related protein are evolved from a missing link in microtubule evolution, the ancestral eukaryotic tubulin polymer. Using microscopy and biochemical approaches to characterize bacterial microtubules, we observed that they exhibit complex and structurally polarized dynamic behavior like eukaryotic microtubules, but differ in how they self-associate into bundles and become destabilized. Our results demonstrate the diversity of mechanisms that microtubule-like filaments employ to promote filament dynamics and monomer turnover.
How to get the most bang for your buck: the evolution and physiology of nutrition-dependent resource allocation strategies
Authors: Ng’oma Enoch , Perinchery Anna M. , King Elizabeth G.
Published: March 2017

All organisms utilize resources to grow, survive, and reproduce. The supply of these resources varies widely across landscapes and time, imposing ultimate constraints on the maximal trait values for allocation-related traits. In this review, we address three key questions fundamental to our understanding of the evolution of allocation strategies and their underlying mechanisms. First, we ask: how diverse are flexible resource allocation strategies among different organisms? We find there are many, varied, examples of flexible strategies that depend on nutrition. However, this diversity is often ignored in some of the best-known cases of resource allocation shifts, such as the commonly observed pattern of lifespan extension under nutrient limitation. A greater appreciation of the wide variety of flexible allocation strategies leads directly to our second major question: what conditions select for different plastic allocation strategies? Here, we highlight the need for additional models that explicitly consider the evolution of phenotypically plastic allocation strategies and empirical tests of the predictions of those models in natural populations. Finally, we consider the question: what are the underlying mechanisms determining resource allocation strategies? Although evolutionary biologists assume differential allocation of resources is a major factor limiting trait evolution, few proximate mechanisms are known that specifically support the model. We argue that an integrated framework can reconcile evolutionary models with proximate mechanisms that appear at first glance to be in conflict with these models. Overall, we encourage future studies to 1) mimic ecological conditions in which those patterns evolve, and 2) take advantage of the ‘omic’ opportunities to produce multi-level data and analytical models that effectively integrate across physiological and evolutionary theory.
A yield-cost tradeoff governs Escherichia coli's decision between fermentation and respiration in carbon-limited growth
Authors: Mori Matteo , Marinari Enzo , De Martino Andrea
Published: March 2017

Many microbial systems are known to actively reshape their proteomes in response to changes in growth conditions induced e.g. by nutritional stress or antibiotics. Part of the re-allocation accounts for the fact that, as the growth rate is limited by targeting specific metabolic activities, cells simply respond by fine-tuning their proteome to invest more resources into the limiting activity (i.e. by synthesizing more proteins devoted to it). However, this is often accompanied by an overall re-organization of metabolism, aimed at improving the growth yield under limitation by re-wiring resource through different pathways. While both effects impact proteome composition, the latter underlies a more complex systemic response to stress. By focusing onE. coli's‘acetate switch’, we use mathematical modeling and a re-analysis of empirical data to show that the transition from a predominantly fermentative to a predominantly respirative metabolism in carbon-limited growth results from the trade-off between maximizing the growth yield and minimizing its costs in terms of required the proteome share. In particular,E. coli'smetabolic phenotypes appear to be Pareto-optimal for these objective functions over a broad range of dilutions.
Impulse model-based differential expression analysis of time course sequencing data
Authors: Fischer David S. , Theis Fabian J. , Yosef Nir
Published: March 2017

The global gene expression trajectories of cellular systems in response to developmental or environmental stimuli often follow the prototypic single-pulse or state-transition patterns which can be modeled with the impulse model. Here we combine the continuous impulse expression model with a sequencing data noise model in ImpulseDE2, a differential expression algorithm for time course sequencing experiments such as RNA-seq, ATAC-seq and ChIP-seq. We show that ImpulseDE2 outperforms currently used differential expression algorithms on data sets with sufficiently many sampled time points. ImpulseDE2 is capable of differentiating between transiently and monotonously changing expression trajectories. This classification separates genes which are responsible for the initial and final cell state phenotypes from genes which drive or are driven by the cell state transition and identifies down-regulation of oxidative-phosphorylation as a molecular signature which can drive human embryonic stem cell differentiation.
NLR1-V, a CC-NBS-LRR encoding gene, is a potential candidate gene of the wheat powdery mildew resistance genePm21
Authors: Xing Liping , Hu Ping , Liu Jiaqian , Cui Chaofan , Wang Hui , Di Zhaocan , Zhou Shuang , Xu Jiefei , Gao Li , Huang Zhenpu , Cao Aizhong
Published: March 2017

Wheat powdery mildew caused byBlumeria graminisbf. sp.triticiis one of the most destructive diseases all over the world.Pm21,transferred from the wildHaynaldia villosato wheat, confers broad spectrum resistance throughout the whole stage, and this gene has been widely used in wheat production for more than 20 years. Cloning the candidate gene ofPm21is the prerequisite for elucidating the resistance mechanism, and is a valuable attempt to clone the target genes from the evolutionarily distant wild species. In this study, an innovative approach, which combined cytogenetic stocks development, mutagenesis, RenSeq and PacBio, was tried successfully to clone an NBS-LRR type geneNLR1-Vfrom thePm21locus. Firstly, a powdery mildew resistant cryptic alien introgression line HP33 involved very small 6VS segment was developed, and 6 independent susceptible mutants of T6VS · 6AL was identified. Then, the transcriptome ofH. villosawas obtained by NGS and the full-length NBS-LRR gene database was constructed by RenSeq-PacBio. In the following study, two expressedNLRgenes were located to thePm21locus using the HP33 as the mapping material, and onlyNLR1-Vshowed polymorphism between the wild T6VS · 6AL and its six mutants. The functional analysis indicated that silencing ofNLR1-Vcould compromise the resistance of T6VS · 6AL completely, and could also decrease the resistance of T6VS · 6DL dramatically. Moreover,NLR1-Vcould recover the resistance of the susceptible mutant and increase the resistance in the susceptible wheat. The study implied thatNLR1-V,a CC-NBS-LRR encoding gene, is a potential candidate gene of the powdery mildew resistance genePm21.
“When I am with my husband, I do not feel mosquito bite”
Authors: Quist Mary Anita , Adomah-Afari Augustine
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how socio-cultural beliefs and practices could influence the knowledge, attitude and perception of insecticide-treated net (ITN) use in the control of malaria amongst pregnant women attending antenatal clinic.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered using interviews and documentary review. Framework analysis was applied to classify emerging themes and the findings interpreted using the health belief model.

Findings

The findings showed that the pregnant women had appreciable knowledge, both the positive and negative attitudes and the perceptions of insecticide treated nets. To most of them, sleeping under an ITN would not affect pregnancy/cause abortion, but rather prevent mosquito bites and associated malaria.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations include the sample size of participants and health facilities used. Lack of application of a quantitative research method meant that the authors could not quantify the findings to ensure generalisation to the entire population.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that health policy makers, implementers and health professionals need to appreciate the perception and the attitude of pregnant women when designing policy guidelines for the malaria control programme.

Social implications

This paper helps to elucidate on how socio-cultural beliefs and practices could influence the knowledge, attitude and perception of ITN usage amongst both pregnant women and people in malaria endemic communities.

Originality/value

This paper suggests that health policy makers, implementers and health professionals have to devise strategies to address socio-cultural beliefs and practices in the scaling up of malaria control programmes.
Exploring risks, advantages and interpersonal trust in buyer-salesperson relationships in direct selling in a non-western country
Authors: Poon Patrick , Albaum Gerald , Yin Cheng-Yue
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the dimensions of interpersonal trust which would affect the buyer-salesperson relationship in a direct selling situation. It also investigates consumers’ perceived risk and advantages of direct selling.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey of consumers (and also non-consumers) of direct selling companies in Hong Kong was performed by means of mall-intercept interview. The major measurements were perceived risk, perceived advantages, trust dimensions, and repurchase intention.

Findings

The results show that there are six dimensions of interpersonal trust in the buyer-seller relationship in direct selling, but only one dimension (i.e. honesty) has a significant relationship with repurchase intention. The ability to shop at home is found to have the highest advantage rating of direct selling. In addition, direct selling is perceived to have a lower level of risk than unsolicited telephone call such as telemarketing.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate the effects of different dimensions of interpersonal trust on consumer buying behavior under a direct selling situation in Asia. The study also serves as a foundation for studying the applicability and usefulness of all trust measures in other western or non-western cultures/nations.
Dominant logics and the manager’s role in university business incubators
Authors: Redondo María , Camarero Carmen
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the role of university business incubator managers as drivers of the training and advice given to academic incubatees. Based on the institutional logics approach, the current paper proposes that the dominant logic, academic versus commercial, determines the degree of emphasis on personal assistance, business assistance and networking training.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the proposed hypotheses, data were collected from 93 incubation programmes from Spanish and Dutch universities through questionnaires addressed to their respective managers, as well as clients.

Findings

The results indicate that the greater the managers’ experience in the business and entrepreneurial world, the greater the fostering of personal and business assistance and networking activities in the incubator. Managers lacking an entrepreneurial profile weaken incubatee access to other business networks and prove less efficient in business training.

Originality/value

This research makes a contribution to the study of university incubatees, showing that managers can be involved in different institutional logics, whether they be academic or commercial, and that the dominant logic determines the activities promoted and, consequently, the success of the incubation process. Business and entrepreneurial experience is key to instilling business logic in incubatees together with the training and assistance they require.
Exploring the dark side of cooperative buyer-seller relationships
Authors: Grandinetti Roberto
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to study the dark side of cooperative buyer-seller relationships to improve our knowledge of this phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

A selective definition of dark side has been adopted, linking it to relationships of a cooperative nature within which one of the two partners assumes an opportunistic behavior. Taking into account this definition, the first part of the paper critically reviews those studies which have analyzed cooperative relations along the supply chain, drawing attention to the formation of a dark side. The second part of the paper re-examines the association between cooperation and opportunism, taking the point of view of the disadvantaged partner and adopting the networking perspective developed by the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group.

Findings

The literature review enables one to identify two types of dark side. In the first case, the partner at a disadvantage is aware of what is going on, but remains trapped in the relationship because of a power imbalance and a strong dependence. In the second case, the relationship is spoilt by one partner keeping a secret from the other, exploiting an information asymmetry. The main constructs of the IMP approach have made possible to shed light on the two different types of dark side – trap and secret – that were examined from the perspective of the disadvantaged partner.

Practical implications

The analysis of the disadvantaged partner has made it possible to understand what strategies he can use to prevent or mitigate such a disadvantaged position.

Originality/value

The paper develops an original view of the phenomenon of dark side in cooperative relationships.
Organizational buying decision approaches in manufacturing industry: developing measures and typology
Authors: Sinčić Ćorić Dubravka , Anić Ivan-Damir , Piri Rajh Sunčana , Rajh Edo , Kurnoga Nataša
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to explore buying decision factors and approaches of companies operating in manufacturing industry in Croatia.

Design/methodology/approach

The data collected by company survey were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, cluster analysis and cross-tabulation analysis.

Findings

Results show that manufacturers are influenced by six distinctive factors when making purchasing decisions. These are supplier’s flexibility, supplier’s reliability, interdepartmental communication, top management support, routine purchases and buyer’s price sensitivity. Manufacturers can be classified in four different groups according to their buying decision-making patterns.

Practical implications

This paper provides a set of factors and approaches which might help selling companies and sales representatives understand the purchasing practices of buying company better, and develop adaptive selling approaches accordingly.

Originality/value

Based on a literature review and field research, an instrument of organizational buying behaviour was developed and tested in the Croatian manufacturing industry. The factors of organizational buying behaviour patterns were identified, and the typology of buying decision approaches applicable for manufacturing industry was developed.
The work is never ending: uncovering teamwork sustainability using realistic evaluation
Authors: Frykman Mandus , von Thiele Schwarz Ulrica , Muntlin Athlin Åsa , Hasson Henna , Mazzocato Pamela
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to uncover the mechanisms influencing the sustainability of behavior changes following the implementation of teamwork.

Design/methodology/approach

Realistic evaluation was combined with a framework (DCOM®) based on applied behavior analysis to study the sustainability of behavior changes two and a half years after the initial implementation of teamwork at an emergency department. The DCOM® framework was used to categorize the mechanisms of behavior change interventions (BCIs) into the four categories of direction, competence, opportunity, and motivation. Non-participant observation and interview data were used.

Findings

The teamwork behaviors were not sustained. A substantial fallback in managerial activities in combination with a complex context contributed to reduced direction, opportunity, and motivation. Reduced direction made staff members unclear about how and why they should work in teams. Deterioration of opportunity was evident from the lack of problem-solving resources resulting in accumulated barriers to teamwork. Motivation in terms of management support and feedback was reduced.

Practical implications

The implementation of complex organizational changes in complex healthcare contexts requires continuous adaption and managerial activities well beyond the initial implementation period.

Originality/value

By integrating the DCOM® framework with realistic evaluation, this study responds to the call for theoretically based research on behavioral mechanisms that can explain how BCIs interact with context and how this interaction influences sustainability.
Workplace spirituality, perceived organizational support and innovative work behavior
Authors: Afsar Bilal , Badir Yuosre
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Synthesizing theories of innovative work behavior, workplace spirituality and person-organization (P-O) fit, this paper aims to build and test a theoretical model linking workplace spirituality, perceived organizational support (POS) and innovative work behavior via P-O fit. This study examined the mediating effect of P-O fit on the relationship of workplace spirituality and POS with innovative work behavior (IWB).

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 434 employees and 59 supervisors from five leading hotels of China was used for this study.

Findings

This study found that workplace spirituality and POS both positively affected P-O fit. Workplace spirituality, P-O fit and POS positively influenced innovative work behavior. P-O fit acted as a partial mediator between workplace spirituality and IWB and between POS and IWB.

Originality/value

This study has tested the effect of workplace spirituality as an antecedent of innovative work behavior for the first time.
A Transposition of Territory: Decolonized Perspectives in Current Urban Research
Authors: Schwarz Anke , Streule Monika
Published: March 2017

In this article, we discuss the concept of territory from a decolonized perspective. We engage with the ongoing debate on decentralizing urban studies to outline the potential drawbacks of essentializing, generalizing or objectifying the urban. Through the socio‐territorial approach utilized here we seek to address these issues by shifting attention, first, to the social production of territory, and secondly, from an analysis of state strategies to the urban scale. We understand territory as being produced when subjects struggle over the practices, meanings and tenures of urban space. An example from Mexico City is employed to illustrate how territory becomes both the site and stake of social struggle. By focusing on the subjects involved in the production of territory, and on the way different subjects produce and reproduce hegemonic spaces and counter‐spaces, we emphasize three aspects in particular: first, a territory's specific material conditions; secondly, the imaginarios (social imaginaries) various actors inscribe into it; and thirdly, the communal land use form of the ejido as a unique territorial regulation. Finally, we argue for the empirical groundedness of the concept of territory with the aim of further pluralizing the field of urban studies. The socio‐territorial approach we propose explicitly focuses on power relations in the production of both urban space and knowledge.
A Case of Insect Colonization Before the Death
Authors: Vanin Stefano , Bonizzoli Manuela , Migliaccio Maria Luisa , Buoninsegni Laura Tadini , Bugelli Valentina , Pinchi Vilma , Focardi Martina
Published: March 2017

Forensic entomology is a branch of forensic science in which insects are used as evidence in legal investigations relating to humans, domestic animals and wildlife. One of the theoretical pillars on which the discipline is based concerns the fact that flies colonize a body after death. However in cases of myiasis, maggots are present before death, with consequences in the correct estimation of the minimum postmortem interval (mPMI). We report here the case of a woman, largely colonized by fly larvae, who has lain alive in her garden for four days prior to being rescued. Larvae were found on the conjunctivae, the bronchi, the rectum and vagina. The woman's death, two months later, was caused by tetanus. The consequences of myiasis on mPMI estimation are here discussed. In fact, despite she was still alive larvae, indicated and estimated age of 1.5–2.5 days, based on environmental and body temperature.